#i want to replay the entire expansion

[miirohs]

birds of a feather [k.s]

pairing: Ken Sato x GN!Reader wc: 1.4k cw: bad hurt/comfort (?) an: i got that skibidi found family type brainrot fs 😂 on gyatt.... anyways i promise i will get back to writing formula one but i need to simp for this man solidly. also i can't write hurt/comfort ive said this a million times but ugh man does it suck to write.

The house in Japan was a lot more peaceful than the one in the States. More secluded, quietly overlooking the city. 

Every day you came home from work, the house dark and empty with Ken gone to his other job.

You didn’t bother him about it, keeping the delicate balance between his two jobs. You didn’t mind it either. It gave you time to yourself, time to adjust, but you weren’t sure you could’ve said the same about Ken.

Ever since his last run-in with the KDF, he’d been exhausted. His eyebags only grew instead of shrinking, and his watch went off almost every possible moment it could. You had asked him what was wrong, but he’d never been one to let you lick his wounds for him, watering it down to some kind of side effect of the stress on him.

Unlocking the doors, you hopped inside, pulling your shoes off as you looked around.

You could hear the tv running in the background, the clinking ice against metal. It wasn’t strange for him to be off duty after games, but you just assumed he wouldn’t be.

The beatdown was probably worse than usual, if you had to guess.

You wandered into the living room, and there he was, sitting in his ice bath. You couldn’t see much because of how dark the room was, but part of his face was lit by the replays on the screen. 

You could almost make out his eyes narrowing at the screen, huffing as he sunk deeper into the water.

“Ken?” He turned to you, eyes pained as he pushed himself up.

“Hi baby.” He greeted softly, a hand tenderly moving to his side as he turned to you.

“Are you okay-“

“I’m fine.” You flinched at the strained quality of his voice.

“My bad. I was just trying to check on you.” You mumbled, holding up your hands as you stood stuck to your spot.

He saw, and his eyes softened, extending an inviting hand to you.

“I’m sorry. The seasons been kind of rough lately.” He murmured as he held your hand gently, squeezing it.

You hummed in response, eyes trailing down the expanse of his body. You could see some bruising, blooming in splotches of yellow, purple and red under his skin. It looked like it hurt.

“I’m taking it you got into a fight on field?”

“Not this time, no,” He scoffed, leaning against the warmth of your hand, “I collapsed, tried crawling my way to the last base, and failed. I was so close to getting those points.” The last part was tinged with embarrassment, his face pulled into a grimace as your hand ran across his arm.

“That's terrible, I'm sorry Ji.” He shrugged, eyes staring ahead at the screen, those embarrassing scenes reflecting back in his eyes. “It is what it is.”

“So you’re off duty tonight then?” He sighed, nodding reluctantly.

“For now, but who knows?” He said sullenly. You couldn’t stop your hopes from crashing entirely, hand slipping out of his unconsciously.

“Don’t look at me like that, you know how it is. I can’t control what happens, I…” He stopped, a look of regret creeping onto his face.

“I'll join you in a bit. Promise I'll try not to leave tonight?” He tried softly, looking at you with poorly disguised hope in his eyes. 

It worked, and you released the breath you were holding.

“You’ll be okay?”

He didn’t respond, and you didn’t push him for one, quietly leaving the room.

True to his word, he appeared at the door an hour later, dragging himself across the threshold. He looked worse than he did earlier, wincing slightly as he sat down on the edge of the bed, hunched over into himself.

“That must have been one really good ice bath…” You trailed off, eyes narrowing at the various injuries on his arm.

“Those look awfully fresh Ji, did you at least get Mina to look at those?” 

“No! No. Uh, no. I didn’t want her to.” He spluttered, crossing his arms. You couldn’t see his face, but you could almost imagine the expression he was making.

“Take off your shirt.” He blinked, a baffled look on his face as turned to you.

“No, why the-“

“Take off your shirt Ken, don’t make me say it again.”

He crossed his arms tighter as you got closer, hand outstretched. You paused, looking at him.

“Would you be okay with me looking?”

He nodded reluctantly, grumbling about not wanting to make a big deal out of it. He had turned away from you, breathing uneven as you got closer.

You pulled up his shirt, heart thumping at the sight. It was worse than what you’d seen earlier.

“Ji, what is this? How…?” He didn’t respond immediately, rubbing his face as he took a deep breath

“I didn’t think they were that bad,” He muttered, wincing as he pulled the shirt over his head, holding it in his hands tightly, “Not as bad as they were last week, babe.”

“How did you even get these?” You questioned, finger tracing up his spine, avoiding the poorly bandaged cuts and bruising.

“Do I have to tell you?” He said, flustering you with the defensiveness in his tone. 

“No. No, you don’t have to.” You reaffirmed quietly, returning to your side of the bed to rummage through your night chest till you found what you needed. “But I would’ve liked it if you did.”

“It’s complicated.”

“I figured it would be. Hold still for me?” 

You shook the bottle of neosporin, spraying down the wounds. He tensed up, a squeak escaping his lips.

“It hurts!” 

“Would you rather Mina do it?”

He shook his head. 

“That’s what I thought. Luckily these were already somewhat decently clean. That bruising looks like a muscle injury though.” You whistled, setting down the neosporin in favor of some bandaids. 

He continued to let him work on your, mostly silent other than the occasional wincing. You could tell he was trying his hardest to play tough, unaware you could see through it all.

“I’m sorry you have to see me like this.” He muttered suddenly, fists clenching the bedsheets as you gently laid the bandages on his back. “It’s not fair to you.”

“Kenji, I know it's tough for you, but I'm here because I want to be. I care about you." You scooted to the edge of the bed, looping a hand into his loosening fist.

The dim lights highlighted the sharpness of his face, eyes cutting through the dimmed light as they looked out the window. He looked beautiful, as exhausted as he was.

“I want to tell you. I don’t know if there will ever be a right time for you, and you deserve better than me being on the move all day and night.”

“Nope.” You popped the p, clutching his hand tighter. “We promised to stick together, remember? Hell, I followed you all the way from the states because I was confident we could work together. So, I need you to speak to me. Make it work.”

A heartbeat passed. And then he spoke.

“The pressure, the expectations... I feel like I'm constantly running, trying to keep up." He confessed quietly, “There's a lot riding on what I’ve done.”

“Something tells me you’re not talking about baseball.”

“I’m not,” He laughed humorlessly, “I’m just worried I’m not doing enough. That I’m not enough.”

"Ken," you said softly, turning to him “I can’t pretend to understand what you do, but you’re making so many people proud. Your mother, your father, me.”

His eyes were glossed over, and he brought up an arm to cover them, sniffing slightly.

“I hope you know I’m here for you. Birds of a feather, we gotta stick together, you know? I’d follow you to hell and back Ken, and you know that.” You continued, bringing up his hand to press a kiss to it.

He nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips despite the tears. "Thank you," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper, "For everything."

“Of course,” you replied, leaning against him carefully.

“The next time you get injured, just let Mina or me know, understand?”

“Perfectly.”

[mydearlybeloathed]

── ᴘᴀʀᴅᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴜᴘᴛɪᴏɴ

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: usually, he hates being bothered when at work--unless its you, of course.

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: dan heng x gn!reader

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 0.7k

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ: nothing to note

𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 | 𝕙𝕤𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥

A knock on the archives door jolted Dan Heng from his thoughts, gaze lazily gliding to the source. He blinked, eyes threatening to slam shut under the weight of exhaustion. Again, a soft rapping of knuckles spooked him to life, along with a gentle, “Dan Heng?”

You were always so gentle with him, even when he didn’t deserve it—even when he pushed you away like he had that evening. Just before you knocked on the door Dan Heng replayed the crestfallen look in your eyes as he snapped at you and locked himself away.

“Come in.”

The door slid open and there you stood in all your glory. Dan Heng held his breath, lest you realize how it always hitched at the sight of you. This hold you held over him was both infuriating and encapsulating, and he couldn’t afford to let you become aware of how deep it flowed.

You offered him a scant smile, stepping inside and casting a disapproving look around. You didn’t approve of him making the archives his room—you’d told him so several times since you joined the Express. Shaking your head, you swept over to stand over where Dan Heng sat on his makeshift bed. 

“Busy?” you quipped, tilting your head.

“Not anymore,” said Dan Heng, suppressing a grin. 

Your smile became more natural, not tentative like you approached a creature that might skitter off at any moment. You took to standing at his side, hands behind your back as you scanned over the expansive archives. “Having fun?”

While you didn’t particularly understand how organizing information in the archives could be fun, you still smiled every time he answered a mumbling yes. You knelt down, arms folded atop your knees, and quickly lost your balance. You yelped as you tilted into him, giggling away as Dan Heng instantly reached to steady you, winding up with you half on his lap with his arms around your shoulders.

You seemed to be all too pleased with this outcome, a sneaky grin on your face. You relaxed entirely, laying your head in his crossed lap and folding your arms over your chest, gazing up at him softly. Meanwhile, Dan Heng sat stiff as a board, barely breathing, until you gently reached up and tapped the tip of his nose. He blinked quickly, abruptly jerking his neck to stare down at you, and all at once his shoulders, arms, and chest sagged in content. 

He would never be used to this, he thinks. Being with you. Dan Heng barely withheld a shiver when he began to play with your fingers, momentarily occupied before turning half of his attention back to his task; the other half still clutched onto your hand. He was always a quick learner, so he swiftly got the hang of one-handed typing. 

“Dan Heng?”

He glanced down. Your eyes fluttered, absently fiddling with his hand. “Yes?”

“Could I sleep here tonight?” Oh, if only you knew what kind of acrobatics his heart was doing now.

He nodded, tight lipped, his voice huskier as if holding back what he really wanted to say. “Of course. You’re always welcome.”

You gave him a dopey sort of smile and dropped your hands on your chest. You liked to think you had him figured out by now, knowing all his little tells and just what was going on in that busy head of his. Reaching to take his hand, you wrapped it in both of yours, reveling in his soft gasp as the warmth of your skin chased away his cold. 

Shifting to curl further into him, you clutched his hand to your chest, closing your eyes and releasing a gentle sigh. All Dan Heng could do was stare down in awe. This… understanding between you had been going on for some time, long enough for Dan Heng to lose that shock whenever his heart stopped around you. Still, he liked to think he held some of his cards loosely to his chest…

But now it was quite obvious; you weren’t bothered by his aloofness… because you saw right through him. And as Dan Heng quietly shut down his work and shuffled around to lay on his cot, pulling you to rest against his chest, he couldn’t bring himself to mind.

[jaylaxies]

KINKTOBER DAY 25 — PRAISE KINK

PAIRING: heeseung x fem!reader

GENRE/CW: smut, unprotected sex, cunnilingus, bartender!heeseung, lots of praising, usage of nicknames, breeding.

WC: 1.1k words

WARNING: 18+ content, minors dni

A/N: hihi, angels! praise kink w hee for my lovely @starrywonie (i hope you’ll enjoy this!) all likes, comments, reblogs and feedbacks are highly appreciated! iloveyou all <33

✎ kinktober masterlist

“So fucking pretty when you take my cock like that, princess.” 

You couldn’t remember the last time you wanted to be fucked by someone this bad, but your feelings were valid, especially when the guy you were crushing on was Lee Heeseung, as his name tag said. 

Going to clubs wasn’t something you derived pleasure from per se, which soon changed when your eyes took in the bartender who was more than eager to serve you for the night. 

He was the prettiest man you had ever seen. 

With his hair pushed back and the first few buttons open, it gave you the best view you could’ve asked for. His smirk only made your heart beat faster, the scent of his cologne maddening as he leaned by the counter to whisper in your ear, “you’re the prettiest girl in the room,” he had told you. 

His voice replayed in your mind even when you had gone back to your place, touching yourself to the thought of him. He had easily given you an excuse to visit the club more often, which was a win win, given that your friends won’t have you drag you out and you can stay at the bar the entire time, talking to the bartender. 

He found it beyond attractive how you returned his energy each time he flirted with you, but what made him actually act out was when the alcohol finally kicked in, and so did your urge to dance. His work was long forgotten as he handed it over to a coworker, watching the way you move your body to each beat, thorough enjoyment seeping through you. A gasp left your lips when he got behind you, moving his hips in sync with no space left between you two. 

He was quick to press himself on your ass, his arms around your waist caging you perfectly and you felt your skin getting warm by the second, even more so when you heard him groan right by your ear before he nibbled on your lobe, asking if you wanted to get out of here, wetness pooling in your panties with his deep tone. 

You thanked the lords that he lived nearby, because you wouldn’t be able to contain yourself any further, which seemed to be the case with Heeseung as well. 

He was quick to pin you against the door the second he entered his apartment, a gasp leaving your mouth as he caged you between his arms, coming closer till your lips brushed against his, “you’re beautiful,” he mumbled, capturing your lips in a rushed kiss, knocking breath out of your lungs. 

The praise made you shiver, your breaths growing heavier as he swiftly pulled down your dress, exposing your hardened nipples to him. His tongue swiped across your nipples, his strokes broad and confident before he wrapped his mouth around it, sucking firmly while his other hand caressed and punched your other nipple, taking turns to focus on them both. 

Your moans were loud as you didn’t do much to conceal them, “such sweet noises,” he groaned, his thumb pads rough against your skin, creating the perfect friction for your knees to go weak to the point he has to hold you up. 

He chuckles, “so cute, so fucking small,” he whispered against your skin, giving you goosebumps as he finally pulled back to get rid of all your clothing, guiding you to his bed. 

You leaned in for his lips again but he moved back, watching you chase him helplessly as a whimper left your mouth, “want me to kiss you, hm?” He asked, teasing further, licking your neck, sucking harder to get an answer out of you. 

“Yes—yes please!” You threw your head back to give him more space to kiss and lick the expanse of your neck, his arm holding you firmly under him. 

“That’s a good girl,” he whispered and you sighed, taking his name breathily, his lips finally meeting yours in another rushed kiss, and he continued to kiss you till you both couldn’t breathe anymore, leaning back for air. 

Yet Heeseung couldn’t stop, he had to appreciate every inch of your body, lips all over your skin, “oh god,” you whisper, voice shaky, a shiver running down your spine with how effortlessly he whispered praises while touching you, setting your body on fire as he went on kissing lower and lower. 

His warm breath fanned your cunt, your thighs closing with the sensation but his strong arms didn’t let it happen, his lips ghosting over your clit, teasing you, lifting your leg onto his shoulder for better access to your folds, “don’t tease, please, Hee.”

You moaned when he immersed himself, not having it in him to deny you pleasure any further, especially when you were being a darling and saying please. 

He sucks your clit, prodding his tongue between your lips to run long strokes along your folds, your fingers gripping his roots as you mewl with pleasure when his tongue slipped in your entrance, your back arching while he continued his ministrations. 

“Taste so sweet, baby,” he hummed, “wanna fuck you,” he spoke against your wetness and you nodded, begging him to put his cock in you.  

Heeseung grasped his cock, pumping it a few times as he got up to kiss your lips yet again, and you felt as if you were drunk in his essence. He pushed his cock in slowly, watching your expressions carefully, trying to memorize them, “fuck! You’re so pretty, I could do this each day,” he groaned. 

He pumped into you slowly, watching your eyes roll back with unadulterated pleasure seeping through your body, he felt so devoted to you, and you reciprocated all of it by pulling him in another kiss, as if he was the reason why you felt so drunk, so intoxicated. He grabbed your hips, thrusting in harder once you got used to his length, which was bigger than you had ever experienced before. 

“So close,” you bit your bottom lip to conceal your moans, which got louder each second, just like Heeseung’s breaths. 

“That’s it, baby. You’re doing so well,” he rasped, his dick twitching at the sight of you shivering underneath him, your release rapidly approaching. 

With your hips bucking up uncontrollably, you wished you could feel this bliss forever, the warmth of Hee’s cum in your cunt, the sheer pleasure you received as you reached your high, and his sweet praises which helped you calm down. 

“That’s my good girl,” he whispered. 

You wanted it again, and Heeseung was more than ready to give it to you. 

THANK YOU FOR READING!

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[queer-little-demigod]

you’re so very special - clarisse la rue

summary she realises the mistake she made, but have you already slipped through her fingers?

fic type angst/fluff

pairing clarisse la rue x fem!hades!reader

word count 1k

warnings grovelling clarisse, angst, fluff

masterlist i wish i were special (pt.1)

For the next few weeks, she noticed you. You stood out in every crowd, even in your Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, even in the same clothes you wore every day, you stood out like a splash of red on a white canvas.

Gods, it killed her inside.

She replayed it in her head–the way your eyes had emptied of all emotion. Those eyes which were the darkest brown, devoid of colour yet so vivid with feeling, had simply become flat. She thought of how your face fell when she told you that glory mattered more than you did. How could she ever say that? How did it even cross her mind?

How could she give in to the heartlessness of her godly parent so easily?

Glory was transient. It was finite, it wasn't permanent. It was the way youth vanishes from one's body, the way buildings crumble with time, and the way swords dull with use.

You were intransient, a constant, infinite. You were the intransience of the sea, the permanence of the sun rising in the east, the infinite expanse of the universe. You weren't glory, you were love, you were kindness, you were everything.

When did that change?

She sat in the amphitheatre, talking to her friends. Their chatter faded to the background, everything vanished for her as her eyes landed on you–sitting alone with your eyes trained on nothing in particular. She felt her annoyance increase as she saw a group of people right beside you, forming such a close knit that they physically barred you from inclusion.

Why did you slip from her priority?

She wanted to stand and march over to you, throw an arm over your shoulder and talk to you the whole night. She wanted to hold your hand and listen to your eager voice as you explained something new to her. She wanted you.

Your shoulders were slumped–were they always like that? You didn't move, you simply observed–was that normal for you? She hated herself for not knowing. She hated that she had neglected you for so long, so blinded by her thirst for glory, that she never saw how truly lonely you were.

To be lonely is to be in a crowded room with no one to talk to, but to be alone is to not be in a crowded room at all.

She was about to move to sit beside you, warring against her internal conflict between two choices–leave you be because of shame, or leave you be because she couldn't move with the dept of her regret. She had only just turned around to stand when another girl sat beside you.

She told you that glory mattered more, why did it hurt when she saw she wasn't the one beside you?

Her heart ached–no, it burned when she saw your eyes light up. She used to make you look like that. You only used to look at her that way–as if she was the moon and you were an astronomer, ever in love with her.

Jealousy. An ugly emotion which didn't want to be felt, but demanded to be.

The girl said something, you laughed. Your eyes scrunched up, you clutched your stomach, entire body alive with mirth. How could you express so easily? How could you express with your whole body?

Why did she call you names? You deserved better. Gods, you deserved the world. You deserved to be looked at like you were a masterpiece, and the artist was marvelling at their work.

She hated it. She hated how her guilt, regret, and pain clawed at her from inside. She hated how she knew that no amount of screaming could ease this feeling. She hated how it was constant. A constant which reminded her of her blunder.

She turned away, unable to bear the sight of you talking animatedly to that girl. You always used your hands to speak, you spoke with your whole body, your eyes conveyed every emotion so clearly that you were an open book.

An open book that few tried to read. An open book that kept being shut and put in the corner of the bookshelf–forgotten.

Days bled into weeks, weeks into a month. That girl, who Clarisse found out was a child of Hecate by the name Zara, had gotten far closer to you than Clarisse would've liked.

Where she once had your time in the training grounds, Zara was there–showing you how to use her bow and arrow. Where once you both sat at the bonfire with your head on Clarisse's shoulder, Zara was there, resting her head atop yours as you talked.

Where Clarisse once loved you, Zara seemed to do it better.

All this pain, all this hurt, all this ugly, horrid jealousy, because she simply couldn't get out of the haze of glory she was in.

'You said I was special,' your words rang in her ears as she stabbed the dummy again and again.

You were so very special. You were the one thing that kept her from becoming the rage-filled monster that everyone thought she was. You were the calm that helped her crazy, the water that put out the fire of constant anger within her.

You were special.

Nobody had held her the way you did, nobody spoke to her the way you did. Nobody even so much as looked at her the way you did–with pure love and adoration.

Glory, glory, glory-- A persistent chant in her mind that she had used to try and quell her thoughts about you. A mantra that she repeated to try and get you out of her head.

She found herself approaching you one evening, as Zara had left you be to turn in for bed.

"Y/n–" She began, but the words caught in her throat.

Your eyes did it again. They lit up for a fraction of a second, but immediately dulled at the sight of her.

She was the reason why that happened. Her cutting words and insults and thirst for glory had consumed whatever little happiness she used to offer you.

"What do you want, Clarisse?" You asked, annoyed. You didn't want to see her, you hated how she made you feel now.

Or did you?

"Please, let me--"

"No, I won't!"

She recoiled. She deserved that.

"I just want a moment of your time, please, Y/n," she pleaded.

"Fine," you conceded. "I'm giving you a minute."

She breathed deeply, and exhaled to prepare herself.

War begging for death's forgiveness. An ever-present trope.

"I have been...thinking for the last few weeks," she said. "I--I realise how shitty I was to you, when you were nothing but patient, kind, and loving. You stayed when I didn't, you waited even though I didn't give you the time of day, and I am so sorry because I didn't realise how much it meant to me, your time that is, when I didn't have it.

"You are an amazing person, Y/n. And gods, you're so very special to me," she said, holding back tears.

"Didn't seem like it when you called me clingy and attention-seeking," you deadpanned. Part of you wanted to forgive her there, but the sensible side told you to wait till she completed.

"I know," she said, fisting her hands in her hair. "I know I haven’t been doing the things I committed to you, but I know now that glory isn’t everything. It’s taken me time to realise it, and in that time I lost you.

“You don’t have to forgive me, Y/n, but—but I swear on the river Styx that I will never, ever make you not feel special. Because gods, Y/n, you’re so so special to me, you’re everything, and I only—I only realised it when I became nothing to you,”

You contemplated. You thought. Clarisse’s heart fell—it felt like rejection.

But oh how her heart soared when you wrapped your arms around her neck to bring her into a loving hug.

“You never were nothing to me,” you whispered, pulling back to wipe away her tears which she never realised were falling steadily from her eyes.

How had she fumbled this? How had she prioritised a flag on a stick over those beautiful brown eyes of yours? Over you?

She smiled, her heart fluttering and racing so much that she feared she may drop dead of a heart attack.

“Let’s start over, hm?” You asked, smiling.

There it was. The smile. The smile that made the corners of your eyes crinkle and made your dark irises sparkle even in the darkness of the evening.

The smile she knew was reserved for her.

“Let’s start over,”

She vowed never to make you not feel special again.

Because you were oh so special to her.

Hi! It’s me, Lea! I hope you liked this imagine, feel free to request <3

[j-jonah-jameson-official]

Does the Daily Bugle have a tv news program yet or are they entirely print media?

WE’VE HAD SEVERAL BROADCASTING PLATFORMS DURING THE BUGLE’S ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER! I SUPPOSE I CAN SPARE A MOMENT FROM MY NEVER-ENDING CRUSADE FOR TRUTH TO SHARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS…

1. J3 COMMUNICATIONS

BACK IN THE 90S WE BEGAN OUR HUMBLE EXPANSION INTO CABLE NEWS WITH J3 COMMUNICATIONS. WE WERE SMALL POTATOES BACK IN THOSE DAYS, TACKLING A FEW OF OUR MOST LOCAL VILLAINS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE DROPPED AFTER 5 SEASONS ON AIR DUE TO BUDGET CUTS, BUT I STILL BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME DIE-HARD FANS OUT THERE THAT MIGHT GET US OFF THE GROUND AGAIN. DAMN, FOX…

2. DAILY BUGLE COMMUNICATIONS

THEN OF COURSE WE CAME TO THE MAINSTREAM IN THE EARLY 2010S WITH THE DBC!!! A NEAR 24/7 CHANNEL REPLAYING ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY FINEST DIATRIBES AGAINST THE WEB-SLINGER AND HIS CAPED COMPANIONS! A CONTROVERSIAL TAKE ON NEWS-COVERAGE, BUT DAMNIT I STILL STAND BY IT AND SAY OUR FIRST TWO SEASONS ARE UNDERRATED AND WORTH A WATCH!

3….??????

MORE RECENTLY WE UH… HUH?! THE HECK IS THIS?! MISS BRANT!! I WANT YOU TO FIND WHOEVER WROTE THIS CRAP AND FIRE THEM! ACTUALLY, UNFIRE THEM AND BRING THEM TO ME SO I CAN DOUBLE FIRE THEM!! THE BUGLE’S NOT SOME CONSPIRACY RAG, WE’RE THE COLD, HARD, TRUTH!!

[comet-forgot-you]

Can we have fem!reader fucking river against a counter🙏🙏 also thank you for your service

ask

sister’s roommate!river x reader

summary: your sister’s roommate won’t stop teasing you.

warnings: 18+ pls, smut, fingering, smut, teasing, maybe voyeurism but i dont think so idk.

a/n: this probably isnt what you wanted, i can totally write another one if its not sorry. do not repost for reason.

coming home from college for spring break was supposed to be refreshing. you were supposed to feel relieved, but all you could feel was frustration, all because of your sister’s roommate that decided to tag along with your sister, staying at your family’s house the entire break. it wasnt like she was annoying, no, far from it. she would always find a way to be close to you, helping you cook, acting like she couldn’t sleep just so she could sneak down stairs where she knew you’d be until the late hours of the night just to talk to you.

it wasn’t annoying, not in the slightest. it was just the fact that ever since she found out you were into girls it was like it sparked something inside of her. she started to to “accidentally” graze you, the touches she left on your skin lingering too long to be considered an accident. then she started wearing that wife beater that looked sooo fucking good on her. the way her nipples would harden in the tight material, it tested every ounce of strength you had in you.

tonight was no different, river was non-stop teasing you, her actions hidden by the cover of the table. her hands trailing up and down the expanse of your thigh, pinching the fat between her fingers until you looked at her. and once you finally did, the coil in your stomach tightened. her eyes were blown with lust, eyebrows furrowed, a feigned look of innocence painted on her face. river was going to drive you insane.

you couldn’t think straight the rest of the night, your mind constantly going back to river’s touch on your thigh, how she looked at you like she wanted to fuck her, then to the nights before, that fucking shirt, the way it hugged her so fucking good. it was like the scenario was ingrained in your brain, replaying over and over and over again.

you were sat on the couch, head held up by your hand as you tried to rid yourself of the thought of river. you wanted her, of course you did, you’d be a fool not too, but you couldnt shake the feeling that your sister would lose her mind if it happened.

your mind drifted back to river the millionth time in the past hour. her hand on your thigh, the needy look in her eyes, that shirt. you wondered how she would sound, what her lips felt like pressed against your own, against your neck. what would she feel like around your fingers? what would she taste like? the thoughts racing through your mind did nothing but fuel the fire in the pit of your stomach. the fire river had lit.

you push yourself off of the couch, walking to the kitchen for a drink. the house was quiet, everyone had made their way to their respective rooms hours ago. you wanted to think that you were only still up and in the living room because you were caught up with a movie, but the tv hadnt been turned on since you had sat down. you knew the reason you were still awake, still in the living room. you knew that river would make her way into the living room if you waited long enough.

as if on cue, the sound of a door opening sounds from down the hall. you pour yourself a glass of water, taking a sip as footsteps pattered down the hallway. you set the glass down, gripping the marble countertops in an attempt to keep your composure.

“can’t sleep?” river asks, coming to stand beside you. you look over at her, eyes flickering down to the infamous tank top she wore, to her pebbled nipples, before returning your gaze to her eyes. a smirk had snuck its way onto her lips.

“tried to, kept havin’ the same dream, keeps waking me up.” you take a sip of water, river’s eyebrow raises.

“nightmare?” her voice is filled with concern.

“nah, its a good dream. somethin’ i want to happen,” you mutter, setting the now empty glass in the sink.

“what is it?” she asks, head tilting slightly. you smile, moving to stand in front of her. her eyes flicker to your lips.

“fucking you.” you mutter, fiddling with the hem of her wife beater. her eyes widen ever so slightly, a faint blush painting her cheeks. she leans in closer to you, eyes locked on your lips.

“then why don’t you do it now?” she asks in a whisper. her tongue swipes against her bottom lip in anticipation, and you cant hold yourself back anymore, cant deprive yourself of her.

your lips meet hers in a needy kiss, hands holding onto her hips as hers tangle themselves in your hair. she tugs ever so slightly, a quiet gasp falling from your lips. she takes the moment of surprise to her advantage, slipping her tongue into your mouth. you lift her onto the counter, tongues not leaving each other once. its sloppy and needy, its nothing like you imagined, but its everything you needed in the moment.

your hands squeeze at the fat of her thighs, a needy whine leaves her hot mouth, only to be swallowed by you. you part from her lips, taking in her form. lidded eyes meet yours, a slight pout on her lips. shes looks so good, so pretty, you want nothing more than to taste her. so thats what you do. you pull down the clothing that hides the heat your so desperately crave. a sharp gasp escapes from river’s mouth as her cunt meets the cool marble of the countertop.

“gotta stay quiet. don’t want em to wake up n’ see me fucking you, now, do we?” she shakes her head and you smile, scooting her to the edge of the counter. you spread her wetness with your finger, dipping ever so slightly into her entrance. before circling her clit, causing a muffled moan from her.

you dip two fingers into her greedy cunt, muffled moans threatening to fall from her lips. you tear your eyes away from her cunt that sucks your fingers in so deliciously to take her in. her lips was pulled between her teeth, her attempt at muffling the noises that threaten to escape her lips. you thumb at her clit, rubbing slow, sloppy circles against the nub. she hisses, hand flying to your wrist. your eyes flicker back down to her covered nipples. you free hand moves to twist them over the ridged fabric, her nails digging into the skin of your wrist.

“fuck,” you hiss, a wave of heat washing over your body. “feelin’ good?” you mutter out, scissoring your fingers inside of her. she nods. “use your words, had enough of not hearing the pretty voice of yours tell me how bad you want me,” her walls squeeze your fingers, her teeth freeing her lip from its previous confines.

“yes, fuck.. feels s’ good,” her words come out as shaky whisper, scared that if she were to say it in any louder she wouldnt be able to stop the moan that itches to escape. you smile, pressing a kiss to her neck.

“good,” you mutter, pinching her nipple. river’s barely able to muffle the moan that erupts from her chest. your fingers curl, hitting the spongey spot inside her that has her arching into you. your movements on her clit speed up, rubbing faster circles on her pulsing clit.

“fuck, yeah, js’ like that,” she mutters, a whine falling from her lips. you nip at the skin of her neck.

“quiet,” you mumble. she lets out a shaky breath, nodding the best she could. it doesnt take long for her to reach the peak of her orgasm, her juices coating your hand and the counter beneath her. you pull your fingers out of her, pushing them last her lips and resting them against her tongue. she makes quick work of cleaning them off, the taste of her own juices has her head spinning. you smile, lowering yourself until your face to face with her dripping cunt. you pull your fingers from bee mouth, wrapping your arms around her thighs to spread them open.

you take her pulsing clit into your mouth, groaning against it at the taste. river’s hand flies to your hair, keeping you in place. you trail your tongue down to her entrance, lapping up the juices, before returning your attention to her needy clit. you flatten your tongue against the bud, sucking on it.

you look up at the girl, her hand pressed against her mouth in an attempt to keep herself quiet. her back arches as your teeth scrape the bud, her grip in your hair tightening. you press your tongue flat against her clit, another groan against her cunt has her clit pulsing erratically against your tongue.

“don’t stop, please. feels so good, don’t want you to stop.” her words are frantic, voice full of need. you dip your tongue back into her leaking entrance, prodding at the hole that greedily sucks you in. you let out a small laugh, the vibrations on her cunt only bring river closer and closer to the edge of another orgasm.

river looks so fucking pretty. bottom lip wedged in between her teeth, eyes closed as she chased her orgasm. you wish you had a camera to keep the image with you, but you don’t, so you try your best to carve the image into your memory.

one stroke of your tongue against her clit and a twist at bed nipple has her toppling over the edge. muffled moans filling the air. you help her ride out her second orgasm of the night before standing up to press your lips against hers. river whines against your lips, fingers pulling at your hair.

“so fuckin good. needed you all week,” she mumbles, pressing kisses against your jaw. you chuckle.

“should’ve just asked, river.”

[sexsylexi]

Confession under the stars.

Wally West x reader

Summary-Under the starry night sky, Wally West and Y/N share a tender moment that leads to a heartfelt confession and a series of sweet kisses. They realize their feelings for each other and embrace the promise of a future together, basking in the magic of the moment.

---------------------------------------------------

The night sky was clear, the stars twinkling brightly overhead as you and Wally West lay on a soft blanket spread out on the grassy hill. The two of you had found this secluded spot a few weeks ago and had been coming back regularly since. It was a peaceful escape from the chaos of your everyday lives, and tonight was no different.

You turned your head slightly to glance at Wally, who seemed completely engrossed in the starry expanse above. His usual energetic demeanour was tempered by a rare tranquillity. You could see the faint glow of the stars reflected in his emerald eyes, giving him an almost ethereal appearance.

"This is really nice, Wally," you said softly, not wanting to break the serene atmosphere.

He smiled, a gentle curve of his lips that made your heart skip a beat. "Yeah, it is. Sometimes, it's good to just slow down and take it all in."

You nodded in agreement, letting your gaze drift back to the stars. The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's presence and the beauty of the night sky.

After a while, you felt Wally's eyes on you. You tried to ignore it at first, thinking it was just your imagination, but the sensation persisted. Turning your head, you found him staring at you intently, his green eyes studying your face as if trying to memorize every detail.

You felt a blush creep up your cheeks. "What?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Wally's smile widened, and he reached out to gently brush a strand of hair away from your face. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am."

Your heart fluttered at his words, and you found yourself at a loss for what to say. "Lucky? Why?"

He chuckled softly, his hand lingering on your cheek. "To have you in my life. To share moments like this with you." His voice was warm, sincere, and it made your heart swell with emotion.

You felt your blush deepen, your eyes searching his for any sign of teasing or insincerity, but all you saw was genuine affection. "Wally..." you started, but the words caught in your throat.

Before you could say anything else, Wally leaned in, his lips brushing gently against yours. The kiss was soft, tender, and it sent a wave of warmth through your entire body. You closed your eyes, melting into the moment, feeling the world around you disappear until it was just the two of you and the stars above.

When he finally pulled away, you opened your eyes to find him still close, his forehead resting against yours. "I meant it," he whispered, his breath mingling with yours. "I'm really lucky to have you."

You smiled, feeling a tear of happiness slip down your cheek. "I'm lucky to have you too, Wally."

He wiped the tear away with his thumb, his smile mirroring your own. "Then let's keep making memories like this, okay?"

You nodded, knowing that this was just the beginning of many more nights spent under the stars with Wally by your side.

As you both lay there, the cool night air wrapped around you like a comforting embrace, you couldn't help but replay the moment in your mind—the softness of his lips against yours, the warmth of his touch, and the sincerity in his voice. It was a moment you wanted to savor forever.

Wally shifted beside you, breaking the silence that had settled between you. "You know," he began, his voice a gentle whisper, "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

Your heart skipped a beat at his admission, and you turned to look at him, searching his eyes for any hint of uncertainty. Instead, all you found was a depth of emotion that mirrored your own feelings.

"I've... I've wanted that too," you confessed, your voice barely audible above the rustling of the leaves in the breeze.

He smiled softly, reaching out to intertwine his fingers with yours. "I'm glad I finally worked up the courage."

You chuckled softly, squeezing his hand. "Me too."

The two of you lay there for a while longer, fingers intertwined, bodies close but not touching. It felt like the entire universe had slowed down just for the two of you, granting you this moment of peace and intimacy under the vast expanse of stars.

"I never want this night to end," Wally murmured, breaking the silence once more.

"Me neither," you replied honestly, your gaze fixed on the twinkling stars above.

He shifted again, this time turning to face you fully. His eyes searched yours, filled with an intensity that made your breath catch in your throat. "Y/N," he said softly, his voice tinged with a hint of nervousness, "can I... can I kiss you again?"

Your heart leaped in your chest at his question, and you nodded slowly, feeling the warmth of a blush spread across your cheeks. Without another word, Wally closed the distance between you, his lips meeting yours in a kiss that spoke of longing, of tenderness, of a promise for more to come.

This time, the kiss lingered, a silent exchange of unspoken words and emotions that seemed to bind you together even more tightly than before. When you finally pulled away, you rested your forehead against his, relishing the feeling of his breath mingling with yours.

"I think," Wally whispered, his voice barely audible, "I'm falling for you, Y/N."

You smiled, feeling a surge of happiness that threatened to overwhelm you. "I think I'm falling for you too, Wally."

He chuckled softly, brushing his thumb across your cheek. "Good. Because I don't think I ever want to let you go."

You leaned into his touch, closing your eyes and committing this moment to memory—the stars above, the warmth of his hand in yours, and the promise of a future filled with more moments like this.

And as you lay there together, watching the stars, you knew that this was only the beginning of a love story that would span galaxies.

[animentality]

I really enjoy Baldur's Gate and I think it gives you a lot of choices and customization options and things to do but I do have to criticize this...

A lot of the choices really only give you the illusion of choice.

I've done a few playthroughs of act 1 and 2 now and I've noticed that while the dialogue options seem varied, they really don't make that big of a difference.

For example.

I originally turned down Raphael's offer to remove the tadpole.

But I replayed that section again, and...you can accept his deal but he'll literally say oh that's no fun, I didn't want you to take the deal yet. I wanted to see you desperate first.

And it's like...literally exactly what he says if you say no.

From a technical perspective I understand that you can't remove the tadpole so soon when it's so important to the story.

But why even have that scene at all?

You aren't getting a choice.

It's very odd.

And another thing.

When you find Mizora in the hole where Ketheric jumps in.

You have the "choice" of removing her from the pod or leaving her.

If you kill her, Wyll just dies. Goes right to hell.

But if you save her...no matter what you choose, she'll just say I'll release him in 6 months?

And it's like...hm. ok. Whatever I guess...

Like yeah you can kill wyll...but all that does is remove him from the game entirely. Not really a choice.

And it's like...I still love the randomness and the quirkiness of the DND dice system. I love the little details and the spontaneity of a lot of the dialogue options and missions.

I like that fucking up a roll does affect things, just as successfully doing things affects things quite a bit.

I like that you can do things in any order you like.

But I often find that if you replay the game even once more than the first time, you'll find your choices don't actually matter most of the time.

It'll shove you in the right direction sooner or later. There's no real choice.

Especially if you're evil. The evil route just deletes many of the other quests.

Like for example, I sided with Minthara for one run, and all it did was gut half the act 1 quests and said go to moonrise right this second.

And it's like huh...ok.

Lost a lot of quests for no real reason.

You might as well just be good because you're losing content by being evil.

And I get that evil would naturally make people less trustful of you and not so keen to reward you, but...

It does feel a bit like they leaned into the one specific story and your decisions only ever affect character rapport.

And the dating sim aspect of it ...I dunno.

It's fun at times, boring at others.

So to sum up...

The npcs are so much fun and the plot is great and the worldbuilding is expansive.

But sometimes I replay the story and I think eh...there's really no difference.

No option I choose will significantly change what I know will happen.

And it's sometimes disappointing, is all.

[brisquad-unit-4402]

okay lots of post-minotaur thoughts. i really should’ve liveblogged but Whatever, these are very disorganized because i’m hopping in-between different parts of the movie as well as the 3d celebration zatsu

i think a lot of folks have picked this up: this is the vtuber bo burnham inside

the entire time i watched this i was like “man how come i can’t have an expansive mind palace to roam within”

bc uhhh. idk if this is the same for you or anyone else out there. but when i think about myself doing something it’s in first person, never actually my imagination conjuring up a Unit 4402 doing the something

and that sidetracked me so hard during how to get away with murder bc MAN i wish whenever i had mental breakdowns over my character i could imagine myself as a quirked up unit 4402 with a little bit of swag busting it down sexual style while i have 4 clones of myself goated with the sauce

i’ve never seen the joker but i’m pretty sure the how to get away with murder dance is vtuber joker dance

it is so awkward watching the post 3d zatsu rn and seeing people in chat miss the point

especially bc i think the thing that most got to me and affected me was the classroom scene. such a relatable foundation, especially for people like us, the nightmare of Being Wrong in front of everyone else and an authority who are in the loop and you’re the only one out

like. that’s actually insidious. incredibly effective way to deliver the ugly parts of the job: who doesn’t want to know everything about what they love even if parasocial. i’m sure we can all recognize the boundaries of how to interact with streamers and i do hope if you’re on my blog it’s with respect to the streamers, but the intrusiveness, lack of privacy, goddamn. the conditioning of vox sitting at the desk as soon as he can

i really do think the horse is the most british thing i’ve ever seen

i… am trying very hard not to be pretentious about the horse, and i am trying very hard not to be praising a vtuber because the initial reaction is to praise them innately, but i really do think that is peak surrealism and i could make a full post on this scene alone. like, on a metatextual level. times new roman 12pt double spaced d-o-n-t t-e-s-t m-e

ok update i’ve been informed about the peter the horse is here meme. i stand by my words

i’m going to be real i’m replaying the first scene a lot just because i… really cannot understand this without subtitles

i know we’re all laughing along with every cowboy luca line but we need to recognize the understated champion: shu “naw”

WAIT IM SKIPPING THROUGH SOME SCENES TO CATCH THINGS IVE MISSED. THE FUCK YOU MEAN THE TAKEOUT BOX IN HIS FRIDGE IS CHICKEN DICKNOCKERS

also oooooh. i get it now. “sometimes i wonder what it would be like if i didn’t care all that much” is a driving line for the film. everything that unfolds is a consequence OF caring too much and just enough. the fact that the bed’s been made and he has to lie in it. by the end this line doesn’t matter because he’s learned to accept his nature. and if you wanted to get paradoxical he’s learned to not care about that line

i wish i understood the words in lyrics the first time i hear them. someone give me a transcript, i’ll be unstoppable then

the second i saw the text for Inside A Demon’s Soul (Whenever Vox Akuma Devours A Human Soul, This Is Where They Go) i paused. sat there. and laughed so hard because that is maybe the easiest meme format i’ve ever seen in the the same way as everything everywhere all at once rock scene. put a white shape over the text, write down the time stamp. now you have a banger man standing that follows the standard top text bottom text base formula

when he stood up in the forest at the beginning of the labyrinth i really did see a minecraft Vox_Akuma joined the game banner in my mind’s eye

vox please drop the ost as soon as possible i need he who waits eternity and how to get away with motherfucking murder in my playlists asap

also how to get away with murder reminds me a little introvert by little simz. hard to describe, i think it’s because they both sound so spacious and be these long, introspective songs that never really Feel like they’re dragging on because of all the beat changes and stuff, you know? vox’s rap isn’t helping

i cannot end this post without talking about

THE INDOMITABLE FULGUR OVID BABYYYYYY

the way i furrowed my brow the SECOND i saw that hand

the way i yelled the second i saw his face

hehe. despite everything i am dearly a comfydant. i can’t think of anyone better than fuuchan for the beach scene, i’m so grateful he’s here

i mentioned “sometimes i wonder what it would be like if i didn’t care care all that much.” i now raise you “of course it matters, it matters to you… brother the only thing that would make you a bad person is letting that stop you from doing any good things”

and of course the hug

idk what to say about the hug. it’s very needed. and from fuu of all people who understands integrating lore and streaming, understands the divide, pretended to beef with vox only to become one of his close friends, i really can’t imagine it with anyone else

do you guys think box tenshi is Apathy. i think i’ll need to sit on it for a bit but i’m seeing some threads about how tenshi is what happens when that takes over and vox chooses not to care about the people he’s hurt for his own comfort. after all his character is entirely on balancing the little delights and missteps of humanity, and the nature of a predator demon. i’m sure i could elaborate later on

should i, like, be critical…? because i do have things that i’m critical about, but this was a very delightful watch and it’s changed me fundamentally

i like vtubers because of the balance between fantasy and real and this movie very much does cater from that. all media requires the suspension of disbelief but with the way minotaur is delivered it kind of toys with Suspension of Disbelief as in-verse environment, too. fandom, anti, and collective opinion are their own characters in this movie and that just cannot be captured in a medium like fictional, scripted entertainment, you know… it’s very bo burnham inside. but the difference is that inside is everyday people would assume these expectations. as vtuber watchers we’ve full-on experienced the good and bad ourselves. i mean… how many times have you said your opinion on vox online. seems someone act weird in chat. i write fanfiction, i contribute to expectation too because i participate in fandom. that’s just the natural effect of being an internet personality, so the least we can do is be respectful of it and be critical of ourselves so we can maintain that respect to each other and the streamer

but i guess that’s preachy of me vox illustrated the point on his own wonderfully

i could do cornell notes on this movie

[bettathanyou]

Hii againnn, if requests are open could I get a cedric and reader fic where somehow the entire castle thinks shes pregnant and congrats them,throws a party or sumn and theyre just so confused its hilarious??? Maybe at the end of the day they realize they actually want a child??? Bonus points if there's a time lapse to when she's actually pregnant and how the castle finds out??? Thanksss

Oh boy, we do love a supportive castle for the non-existent baby to be! Hehe I love exploring Cedric's viewpoint about children, it's so fascinating to me!! Anyways I hope you enjoy, and thank u so so much for all the asks!!

Edit: the fic was getting long, so I couldn't squeeze in the bonus scene! But I left the ending as hinting towards reader and Cedric having children! :)

____________________________________

An Absurd Idea, Isn't It?

A fic by bettathanyou, requested by @acupnoodle

____________________________________

You were tending to a patch of the royal garden, replaying the words princess Sophia spoke to you; "I need all the blueberries you can get- clover is suuuper hungry today!".'

A smile forms on your lips as you chuckle slightly to yourself. You found Sophia's devotion to her pets quite endearing; but even so, you had a gut feeling that there wasn't something quite right with Sophia's request.

You've been her personal servant for over two years now, and within those two years, it was a very rare instance where Sophia didn't make Clover's meals herself. You tried to brush aside the suspicion that was mounting in your head, but you couldn't get rid of the thought that Sophia was up to something.

You sigh to yourself, dropping another handful of berries into your basket.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter... I still have quite a lot left to pick."

You lift your head to scan along the bundles of blueberry patches, taking a quick moment to rest in the solitude of the garden. The day was quite mild today, with the sun partially obscured by the clouds. A strong breeze carried across the royal gardens, making the leaves around you rustle and sway.

The silver banged sorcerer saw you earlier sitting in the gardens, while he himself was taking a break by gazing out of his balcony.

Cedric's warm caramel eyes drank in the sight of you, a serene look on your face that made his heart melt with affection. At first, he didn't want to disturb you- you both hated being interrupted, after all. However, the more he looked at you, the more his body ached to be by your side.

Exhaling a love sick sigh, he teleports to the lush garden with a flick of his wand.

With your mind distracted by nature, you didn't notice the approach of Cedric off to your right.

Cedric then calls out your name in greeting, and his voice snaps you out of the trance you were in. Your head whips to your right, taking in the sight of the lanky man you've come to love so much.

"Cedric!" You speak his name in equal parts shock and excitement, your eyes shining with love. You scramble to your feet, dusting off the grass and leaves that cling to your clothing.

"Sorry I didn't see you, there- my mind was..." You trailed off, waving your hand to signal that you were lost in thought.

"No worries, darling- I just got here." Cedric gives you a reassuring smile, stepping closer to grasp your free hand that was still in the air. He brings the back of your hand to his lips, gently kissing along your knuckles.

You watch wordlessly as Cedric kisses your hand, feeling too flustered to speak. Your heart starts to beat faster, and the familiar flush of your cheeks betrayed how Cedric's touch made you feel.

"W-What.. what are you doing here, by the way... need more herbs?" You ask with a shy smile, trying to regain your composure.

"Hm?" Cedric's honey brown eyes flicked up to meet yours.

"Well... actually, now that you mention it..." Cedric pauses, his eyes tearing away from yours to span across the well kept garden. You watch as his eyes scan the expansive area, a soft laugh leaving your lips at how his brows scrunch up- that's how you know he's focused on something. His eyes also take on a particular glitter- like a cat, searching for its prize.

Upon hearing your laugh, his attention snaps back to you again.

"Anyways-! I just saw you, sitting alone in the garden from my balcony... I thought you could use some company." Cedric shrugged with a coy smile, and you raise a brow teasingly.

"Right... Are you sure it was me who needed the company?" You cock your head to the side, sarcasm laced in your voice.

"W-Well..!" Cedric sputters, eyes widening at how easily you cut through his intentions. "If you'd prefer me to leave, then.." Cedric says with a pout on his lips, but you could see the corners of his mouth twitch as he fights off a smile.

The sorcerer steps away from you for emphasis, his back already halfway turned to leave.

"Hey-! I didn't say that!" You exclaimed in mock defense, grabbing onto Cedric's robe sleeve as you laugh. Cedric stops, giving you a sideways glance with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Come here." You commanded, pulling on his sleeve to motion Cedric to turn towards you. Thankfully, he complies, with a full grin plastered on his face that made your heart light up inside. Your eyes meet as Cedric steps close to you, his arms snaking around your back.

After a brief pause, you weren't sure who initiated the kiss- but you find your lips brushing together in the blink of an eye. You sigh lightly into the kiss, enjoying Cedric's affection and body heat as your skin tingles.

After a few more gentle kisses, you both part, with cedrics lips lingering on yours for a moment longer. His honey gaze bores into you, his fair skin taking on a faint rosy tint. His bangs hang into his eyes as he looks down at you, and you tenderly brush a loc of silver away.

"So.. is this what you meant by 'keeping me company?' Because it seems like you're just keeping me distracted, Cedric." You say in a slightly teasing voice, biting back a laugh as you hold Cedric's gaze.

A chuckle escapes Cedric's lips, his eyes crinkling as he laughs. His warm mahogany eyes drift over to the basket that you needed to fill, seeing the cogs in his mind begin to turn.

"Ah, forgive me, love. Shall I make up for it, then?" Cedric's eyes flick back to you, his hand already reaching for the wand that stashed away in his sleeve pocket.

Before you could reply that you were fine, after all it wasn't a hard task picking blueberries by any means- Cedric had already stepped forward, a spell halfway being cast. You watch with an amused smirk as Cedric's magic sends the remaining dark blue berries into your basket, neatly placed in a huge pile.

"Thank you, Ceddy." You nod towards the sorcerer, placing a hand on his back with gratitude.

Cedric turns towards you, dipping his head towards you in respect. You smile in response, your hand leaving Cedric's back to interlock with his own.

"Say.. why are you out here, anyways? You're usually with Sophia." Cedric eyes you curiously, waiting for your reply.

"Well, Sophia is why I'm out here in the first place." You shot back with a shrug, but you took note at how Cedric noticed the oddness of your task as well.

"The princess said she needed them for Clover.. and with the amount she requested, I almost believe her." You say with a snicker, rolling your eyes playfully.

"Almost?" Cedric parrots back with a raised brow.

"I think she's up to something... not sure what, though." You confess, reaching down to lift up your basket of berries.

"That girl is always up to something," Cedric retorts, muttering under his breath as he helps you lift the hefty basket.

You giggle at Cedric's unamused comment, finding his reaction endearing. Some days, you really do see Cedric as an extended father figure to Princess Sophia. They speak about each other all the time, and the level of care they both carry in their hearts for the other makes you only love Cedric and Sophia more.

"Well, it's not my job to question her whims.." You say with a weary sigh, shaking your head. Tipping the basket on your hip, you turn towards the castle to leave.

"I should get this back to her. Thank you for your help, Cedric!" You chirp happily, flashing the sorcerer a genuine smile.

"Anything for you, dear." Cedric says with an affectionate hum, watching as you walk towards the servant tunnels to report back to the princess with a slight sadness in his gaze.

-------

You dutifully carry the goods Sophia requested to the palace kitchen, huffing with exertion as you lift the basket onto the closest table you could reach. The basket landed with a heavy thud, shaking the utensils that were already on the wooden table. Swiping at the sweat along your brow, you rub your arms to soothe your aching muscles.

As you recover in the kitchen, the doors swing open suddenly. You flinch from the noise, your head snapping to the kitchen entrance to see princess Sophia strutting through.

Her puffy pink dress sways behind her as she marches up to you, an extra spring in her step- moreso than normal. The grin on Sophia's face reaches ear to ear, and you nervously smile back.

"S-sophia! Your timing couldn't be better, I just finished-"

"Yeah, it looks ah-mazing, (y/n)!" The young princess cuts you off quickly, her eyes not even sparing a passing glance to the overflowing basket of berries.

"Ah.. thank you, princess.." You say halfheartedly, your eyes narrowing at the increasingly odd behavior the princess was exhibiting.

"Would you like me to prepare Clover's plate for lunch?" You offer a small smile, your feet moving towards the cutlery.

"No-!" Sophia cries out, her tone a little desperate. You turn to her sharply, your confused and slightly suspicious stare on full display. Sophia's bright blue eyes dart away from your piercing gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly as she shifts from heel to heel.

"Ah, I mean, um.. no, thank you, (y/n)." The princess declined, shaking her head.

"I actually have another thing I need you to do, if that's alright?" Sophia asks sweetly, looking at you with a hopeful gaze.

Seeing the princess's sweet smile always has a way of disarming you, so you decide to set aside your questions about her behavior for now.

"Of course, princess Sofia- that's what I'm here for, after all. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to get Cedric, and bring him to the ball room. It's really important!" Sophia says with confidence, her bright blue eyes boring into yours.

A sigh of annoyance leaves your lips before you can mask it, making the princess slightly deflate.

"Well, I wish I knew that beforehand- I was just speaking to Cedric in the garden.." You mutter, trying to keep your voice level.

"No offense, Sophia- but why is it important that I ask Cedric?" You ask with a curious tone, your mind reeling at the bizarre conversation between you both.

"Well..." Sophia drags out, a mischievous spark in her eye that you didn't quite like.

"Cedric can't say no to you, so I can count on him to actually show up if you ask." Sophia says with a giggle, eyeing you with a knowing look.

Your cheeks immediately start to burn like hot coals, embarrassment making you lose the words on your tongue. Sophia's giggle only increases in volume the more your face begins to flush, making you hang your head in defeat with a resigned sigh.

"..Alright, I'll go get him." You agree with a strained voice, not waiting for Sophia's reply as you carry yourself out from the kitchen doors.

_________

You walk beside Cedric, escorting him towards the ballroom as your nerves begin to feel shot. Cedric didn't look to be faring any better- but no words of comfort came to mind to soothe him.

Instead, your hand reached for the familiar gloved hand of your partner. You both interlock your fingers together, a silent act of solidarity as you both stand in front of the towering doors of the ballroom.

"It's quiet in there... too quiet." Cedric glares at the double doors in front of him, his lips forming a tight line.

"Whatever Sophia is planning... I know you can handle it." You glance over at the man, seeing his unconvinced look to your words.

You swallow, digging further into your brain for what you think Cedric needs to hear most right now. You squeeze Cedric's gloves hand tighter, feeling the soft worn leather on your fingertips.

"There's a reason you're called Cedric The Great, you know. You'll do... great!" You offer an encouraging smile to Cedric, your heart beating in anticipation for what lies in store for both of you beyond the door.

That seemed to slip past the wall of doubt around Cedric's mind, as his tightly knit shoulders loosened slightly.

"Let's hope you're right, love." Cedric says with an unreadable look, pushing the doors open. You both blink in surprise, finding the ballroom empty, with the windows barred with thick drapery to block out the sunlight.

You both turn to each other at the same time, exchanging an incredulous look. You step cautiously into the room first, calling out Sophia's name nervously. Your voice echoes in the empty hall, the only reply you get.

You glance back at Cedric, and as he opens his mouth to say something, the room explodes with a bright light. You both gasp, blinking harshly to adapt to the newfound lightsource.

"Surprise!" A choir of voices join from all sides of the ballroom, familiar faces popping up from behind the furniture adorning the hall. King Roland and Miranda, Sophia, Amber, James, Baileywick, along with a plethora of other servants and hand maidens you know or befriended, all gaze at you and Cedric with bright and cheery smiles.

You sputter in disbelief, your eyes searching for any explanation for what is going on right now. As you look upon the scene further, you notice the decorations that adorn the walls, bright ribbons and balloons in every nook and cranny of the walls. You and Cedric both stand in utter shock, your voices temporarily gone.

"Congratulations, you two! I always knew it would only be a matter of time..." King Roland's loud voice cuts through the room, his smug smile landing between the two of you.

"What-?!" You and Cedric both exclaim with equally confused expressions, your usual decorum for the royal family now gone at the moment.

"Oh, there's no need to play coy anymore! We all knew about it for weeks... Well, I was the first to figure it out, anyways." Princess Amber chimes in, hiding a cat-like grin behind one of her favorite hand-held fans.

"I thought Sophia mentioned the baby stuff first- didn't you, Soph?" Prince James gives his twin a raised brow of suspicion, before turning his head to Sophia.

You and Cedric both share a sharp glance at the mention of the word "baby", turning back to the royal children now beginning to bicker about the origins of the baby rumors.

You go to open your mouth to interject, but Cedric beats you to the punch first.

"Whatever this- "baby stuff" you're all referring to, I'm ecstatic to inform you all that (y/n) is not pregnant...!" Cedric announces loudly to the room, his voice confident until the last few words of his sentence. He feels his palms become slick as he partially turns to you, his eyes wide and his skin turning slightly pale.

"Y-you're... not, right?" Cedric stutters in fear, swallowing hard as his golden cognac irises swirl with dread.

"...No, I'm not." You reply flatly, crossing your arms defensively as your eyes linger across the room. Your eyes pierce through Sophia, feeling your anger rise as you fight it from breaking through the surface.

The young princess shyly dodges your icy glare, biting her lip nervously. You catch on to her tell, knowing that Sophia realized the enormity of her mistake.

"B-but... the baby clothes! I saw you make them!" Sophia cries, stepping towards you with huge eyes that begged for understanding.

You feel the entire room's eyes on you, crumbling your nerve. Your skin tingles in embarrassment, and you awkwardly clear your throat. Your mind feels blank, but each second you stand in silence, the more you feel as if you're being accused of something.

"Yes, I was making baby clothes-" you start, but you're cut off by Amber's bossy voice.

"So then you must be pregnant! Why else would you be making them?" Amber pipes up, grabbing Sophia's hand to come to her defense.

You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. In any other scenario, you would respect Amber's loyalty to Sophia- but now, it's only becoming more of a nuisance.

"For my cousin, Amber. She is pregnant, not me." You shake your head, pausing as you laugh from the absurdity of the idea.

"God, no..." You mused to yourself, shaking your head.

"Oh..." Amber replies, her voice numb from shock. She turns to her sister, her brows raised.

"I-I'm so sorry, (y/n)!" Sophia sputters out, her cheeks red from shame. She approached you quickly, looking up at you with her sad puppy gaze. You let out a tired sigh, glancing over to Cedric to gauge his reaction.

His warm golden eyes had since hardened, looking at Sophia with a disgruntled expression. Cedric's brows were heavily knitted together, deep wrinkles of annoyance etched into his face. Feeling your eyes on him, his brown irises flickered to yours.

You both share a complicated look, and Cedric's shoulders twitch in a halfhearted shrug. Almost as if saying "this is your call, not mine."

You sigh again, looking down at princess Sophia.

"It's- it's alright. I know you were only trying to be kind, Sophia." You crouch down to Sophia's level, touching her shoulder reassuringly. You give her a smile, trying to cheer her up. Her expression softens a little, but she still looks at you with sad eyes.

"And hey- you cared enough to make this huge party for Cedric and I, right? That's what any good friend would do for one another." You say in earnest, your smile slowly cracking through as you spoke.

"Isn't that right, Cedric?" You tear your gaze away from the girl, shooting Cedric a foreboding look to ensure his compliance.

His eyebrows rise in a panic, momentarily erasing the sour look on his face for a fake saccharine smile.

"A-aah, yes, that's right..!" Cedric coos, his voice overtly sweet, practically oozing sarcasm if you listen hard enough.

Thankfully, Sophia doesn't pick up on Cedric's sarcasm, ever- so her eyes regain their shining luminosity in an instant.

"You guys really aren't mad...?" Sophia asks slowly, her bright blue eyes darting between you both.

"Well-" Cedric cuts in, but you leap to your feet in the blink of an eye, grabbing Cedric's hand tightly. He stutters in confusion, so you take your opportunity to lie.

"Nope, not at all." You say with as much conviction as possible, glancing once again at Cedric with a smile full of daggers.

Cedric's eye twitches to betray his true feelings, but he purses his lips and nods in agreement.

You practically see the weight lifted from Sophia's shoulders, as she exhales a heavy sigh of relief.

"Well, since you already have a party going, Sophia- why don't you uh... celebrate... I don't know, you can probably think of something- you seem to already have quite the... imagination." Cedric responds coyly, arching a brow as he throws a copious amount of shade at the young girl.

However, you can't help but let a snicker pass your lips at how subtle Cedric's comment was. Sophia looks over at you, and you quickly cover your tracks by clearing your throat.

"Hey, I'm always down to party!" James responds with a whoop, quickly grabbing a party popper from his coat pocket. He launches a rainbow of confetti and streamers into the air with a satisfying pop!, finally clearing the heavy tension that had accumulated in the ballroom.

The guests finally broke out into laughter, and quickly the sound of mingling voices gave you and Cedric the perfect chance to slip away from the party. With a shared glance, you both made a straight bee line to the doors, your footsteps echoing in the empty halls.

_______

It is an absurd idea, isn't it? Us, being parents- could you imagine it?"

Cedric snorted as he shook his head in disbelief, settling down into his work stool.

His caramel irises glanced over to meet your own in solidarity, but you nimbly dodged his gaze in order to hide the flicker of hurt that flashed across your (e/c) orbs.

You weren't even sure why you felt upset- after all, both of you agreed early on into your relationship that children weren't a priority for either one of you.

Up until now, you thought were sure of your feelings...

So, why now did hearing the sorcerer laugh off the notion of having children so casually feel like a sword was struck through your heart?

You lean against the wood of Cedric's work desk, fiddling with an empty bottle to try and still the ache in your chest.

"Well- I- I can't imagine it would be much different than what our jobs are already." You say with a weak chuckle, keeping your eyes glued to the small vial in your hands.

Cedric stops for a moment, his eyes resting on yours.

"What do you mean?" He asks, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"Well, my main job is to look over a child- I know it's not the same as being a mother, but.." You trailed off, sighing.

"You certainly might as well be- I see Sophia more with you than I have her real mother." Cedric replies with a snort, sifting through the papers at his desk.

You scoff in amusement, but don't bother to deny Cedric's claim. Walking over to where Cedric sat, you wrap your arms around him from behind in a hug.

The sorcerer stops for a brief moment, before surrendering to your embrace with a low hum of contentment.

"You know, I could say the same of you, Cedric... Sophia talks more about you than she does her own father." You speak softly, resting your check against the curve of Cedric's neck.

"Really?" Cedric asks in a bewildered tone, his face turning towards you.

"Of course... She looks up to you." You affirm with a nod, moving your face to hold eye contact with Cedric.

You see the cogs turning behind his mahogany colored eyes, processing your words. He then abruptly turns his face away from you, brushing his finger over his lips as if he was conflicted by something.

"Well... even so- I'm not, good... with children." Cedric drags out his words as he cringes, shrinking into himself.

"Sophia is nice to me, because she's nice to everyone- but outside of her, I just... don't know what to do with them." Cedric admits with a weary sigh, running his hand through his hair in a nervous habit.

"I don't really think that's true, Ceddy." You reassure the man with a light chuckle, shaking your head.

Instead of answering right away, the sorcerer looks at you with an arched brow and a scathing side eye that would dissuade most from arguing further.

You though, brush off the look with another chuckle.

"I'm not just saying that, Cedric." You reiterate, your voice full of conviction.

Cedric hums noncommittally in response, clearly unconvinced but willing to see where you would take your argument.

Swallowing hard, you speak further.

"You.. really do have a way with kids, love." You pause for a moment, trying to find a solid point to base your claims on.

"I mean, come on- who's the first person the royal children run to when they need help, hm?" You stand up straight as you talk, crossing your arms.

Cedric waves you off, a snicker rolling off his lips.

"Yeah, sure- because those little devils think I can just snap my fingers to make their problems all disappear," Cedric mutters bitterly.

"Ceddy- that's a little harsh, even for you." You give Cedric a pointed look, and he shrinks a little bit under your gaze.

"They go to you so much because they trust you; because they can rely on you." You speak with a confident smile, your hand squeezing Cedric's shoulder.

"I don't think that you being a father would be that absurd.." Your confident voice dips into a more hushed tone, your cheeks heating up at every word.

Cedric looks down at the ground, feeling lost for words at your implications. It's not like the idea hadn't crossed his mind before- he just never had any reason to entertain it much.

Not until you, anyways.

And until tonight, neither of you had really talked about the possibility of becoming parents- only reaffirming your shared terror at the idea of it, in the beginning of your relationship in passing.

Cedric sighs again, feeling weighed down as the reality of the conversation started to finally hit him.

"I... I thought- we said..." Cedric starts, then stops as he doesn't want to sound crass when you look so vulnerable.

"Has your mind changed, about wanting children?" Cedric asks in a light voice, curiosity and a slight mix of dread filling his body.

"I... maybe? I- I don't know, it's just.." You rub your arm self consciously, feeling regret at even bringing the topic up at this point. You still weren't sure why it even irked you this much, so why were you trying to make it into a big deal?

"You can speak to me honestly, darling." Cedric coos in reassurance, his hand finding your own and taking it into his grasp. He gets up from his seat, his free hand giving your arm a soft squeeze as his eyes rest on you.

Feeling Cedric's touch and soft gaze eases your tense muscles slightly, halting your racing thoughts so you could think clearly again.

"I never really thought much of it, I suppose- then, well. Today, happened.." You glance up at Cedric with an amused smirk, and a small grin forms on his face in reply.

"Then, once you mentioned- ah.. the idea, of us being parents... being 'absurd-'," you pause for a moment, and Cedric bites his lip apologetically.

Taking in a breath, you continue.

"It made me feel.. upset, hearing that from you. My change in attitude is sudden, I know- I have no justification for it, really." You shrug halfheartedly, feeling emotion claw its way up your throat.

"It's fine, dear- you're allowed to change your feelings about what you want." Cedric stroked your hair as he spoke, warm caramel eyes softening as he gazes down at you.

"I know, but- your feelings haven't changed, though."

You try to disguise the emotion in your voice, but the sentence still comes out wobbly. You look down at your feet, studying the groves between the stone floor so your thin facade won't break underneath the crushing weight of Cedric's eyes on you.

"It's- my feelings aren't as.. rigid, as I make them out to be, (y/n)." Cedric mumbled, feeling his skin prickle as he uttered the truth.

"Your feelings are always rigid, Cedric." You say with a tiny laugh, trying desperately to make a joke so you won't cry.

While Cedric could tell you were trying to lighten the mood, he didn't have it in himself to laugh.

"It's not that I dislike the idea, of having a child.." Cedric exhales in a long sigh, rubbing your arm to soothe both him and yourself as he speaks.

"...I'm afraid, (y/n). I- I would have no idea what I'm doing, being a father. I didn't exactly have the best example to go off of, growing up."

Cedric's voice tightens, causing you to lift your head in concern. You see the worry lines appear on the sorcerer's face again, and a brief flicker of the fear he hides behind those brown eyes you adore so much.

"I know..." You whisper gently, raising a hand to cup Cedric's cheek into your palm. Your gaze softens as you drink Cedric in, your heart aching at the memories Cedric carries in his own heart of his father.

"There's only one chance to get it right, with a child.. I can't imagine messing up something that important." Cedric nuzzles his face into the palm of your hand, exhaling slowly into your skin. His body is tense now, shoulders hunched with his skin a shade paler.

"You won't- well, wouldn't." You quickly correct yourself, a tinge of melancholy in your voice.

"Parents aren't meant to be perfect- we'd both make mistakes. But- you wouldn't be alone, and you wouldn't be like.. him, Cedric. You're too kind."

Your voice falls low as your thumb caresses the sorcerer's cheek, guiding your arm around his waist to pull him closer to you.

Cedric stands quietly, pressing his cheek to your palm even closer; almost as if feeling your words seep through his skin.

The silence is heavy between you both, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Instead, it feels like a blanket, enveloping you both in the words still left unspoken inside yourselves.

"I'm not saying we try now, by any means.." You whisper, your voice hesitant and light.

"I just..." Your words shrivel up on your tongue, as you're still unsure what this conversation means to you.

After a beat, you feel a warm hand reach up to where your own hand rested on Cedric's cheek. You jump, eyes flicking up to meet his once again. The color had returned to his skin now, and their lustrous golden hue now sparkled with the same adoration he always held for you.

"...Think we still have more to discuss, than we initially thought?" Cedric offered, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

You burst out laughing, shaking your head.

"It would seem so, Cedric."

Then, very sweetly, the silver banged man leans down to capture your lips into his own. The kiss is soft, endearing- full of promises and the hesitation of beginning something so strange and new.

You break apart, finding a new kind of sheen in each other's eyes- excitement, along with small flecks of hope.

[chacegraves]

El Paso, Elsewhere Review

El Paso, Elsewhere is fucking incredible. All I was expecting was a Halloween flavored Max Payne send up and while I definitely got that I think it's unfair for this game to live in that shadow. It takes so much from that series but rearranges and tweaks those things to achieve it's own identity.

I love urban fantasy. Dresden Files, Vampire The Masquerade, Blackwell. A supernatural underworld just below the surface of humanity. Often treating humans like cattle or at least disposable for their own purposes. I find it so interesting and El Paso is no exception. The little bits of worldbuilding we get paint a similar picture but this one is much more abstract.

You play James Savage who is currently in a three-story motel that just got a 46 story expansion all heading down, courtesy of his ex, Draculae. She's taking part in some sort of ritual that will end the world and has plenty of hostages. Whatever this ritual is doing is causing The Void to warp reality with trauma into a nightmarish thrill ride all the way to the bottom where they'll confront everything that made their relationship come to this.

All supernatural chaos aside their abusive relationship manages to feel very real in the little ways they interact and the voice acting helps this exponentially. It's clear to me the writer knows what this kind of relationship feels like. It's not afraid to poke fun at the melodrama of two ex lovers confronting each other either. These two characters the story revolves around are flawed and fleshed out and I really enjoyed them.

James' descent into this hellish motel feels incredible. Diving past ghouls, rolling through their slashes and slow mo blasting them in the head. Saving hostages in between brief bursts of violence and popping enough pain pills to kill himself 50 times over just to tank through The Void's horde of supernatural horrors. If you hold down the dive button you can stay on the floor until you're out of ammo and need to get up to reload. Like I said it's Max Payne. The one main tweak in the gameplay besides enemy variety is an instant kill stake that you get 5 of and break various pieces of furniture to get more. Break shit, kill people. That's the gameplay loop and god is it addicting.

Which brings me to the music. It's pulse pounding and intense in a way that feeds perfectly into the gameplay. Other times moody or relaxing but always experimental and playful. Any time a track with lyrics comes up feels like a treat. It's one of those total package things where the visuals, sound design, gameplay and music are all working together perfectly. The entire OST has me seriously considering getting the vinyl.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a must play. There's so much I didn't mention because I want you to unravel the rest of this one for yourself. I'll definitely be trying to 100% this in the future and it's safe to say I'll be replaying this for many years to come.

[experimentalmadness]

A Pretty Little Game

I've had writer's block for the last few years and here I am to now regale y'all with one shots of my Tav and Astarion because I'm a trainwreck. Anyway, please enjoy two rogues being dumb before they admit they're in a relationship.

***

Rasariel splashed water onto her face, savoring the cool droplets as the ran invisibly down her face and neck, staining her armor a darker gray. She blinked in the sun and heaved a sigh. 

Tired wasn’t the word. 

Bone-weary was closer. Even her skin ached, her eyes burned, the thin white hairs along her purple-blue skinned arms tingled. She kept replaying the dream over and over again. The golden paladin in his shining armor. His offer to help and his face…his face. 

“I was rather of the opinion one bathed with their clothes off, unless this is some drow custom I’m unaware of?” A lilting voice said at her back. 

Ras wiped the remaining water from her face with a gloved hand. 

“At least use a hand towel, you uncivilized rogue.” 

Ras’ traitorous lips twitched into something resembling a smile as Astarion threw a cloth at her head. “And where did you steal this from, you civilized rogue?” Her voice was rough, betraying her exhaustion. And she knew the red-eyed elf saw far more than he let on. 

“Bad dreams?” Astarion asked, leaning far too casually against the trunk of a tree. 

She regarded the vampire the same way she would a displacer beast. A lithe predator, beautiful and enticing. Dangerous should be a word she worked into that thought, but she never managed to string that together. His white hair caught the forest-dappled sun so brilliantly, as had the moon a few nights ago. It had been so long since someone had intrigued her. 

“Are there any other kind?” Ras spat, far more bitterly than she had intended. 

Of course the moment she let her guard down she’d see his face again in her mind. Two centuries of practical celibacy and the one night she decided to try her hand at happiness again…the gods were nothing if not cruel. 

“I see someone woke up on the wrong side of the bedroll this morning,” Astarion sniffed. “Perhaps you should try waking up next to mine tomorrow instead.”

She wasn’t a fool. And she laughed at his audacious attempt at flirting. He was quite good at that, making her laugh. No one had managed it in a very long time. She knelt by the river bank to refill her waterskin. She could hear Astarion take a few tentative steps closer before clearing his throat. “This is the part where you tell me to try harder, darling.”

Ras sighed. “Astarion, I…”

Images flashed before her eyes like the fluttering of a stack of playing cards. The parasite in her head writhing as it feasted upon the memories. A handsome human man with dark hair and tiefling gold and black eyes looked at her with an expression she had missed for so long. She watched him smile, laugh, then toss her a pair of daggers. A training exercise. She wanted to lean into the images and never leave. She wanted to take the man in her arms and tell him how sorry she was. How sorry…

Rasariel was back in her own body, coughing up the last of the memories torn from her brain by the damned worm. 

“Was that the source of your dream last night?” Astarion asked. She could tell he was just as surprised by the sudden connection as she had been, but he, as ever, knew how to play it off. “Charming fellow, should I be jealous?”

“Enough!” Ras growled, rising to her feet. “That was…he is…that was not for you to see!”

“Well I didn’t decide to go rooting around in your head. I can’t exactly control this connection, you know.”

She suddenly felt entirely boxed in. The expanse of the forest camp shrinking down to the size of a small wooden crate. She tried to think. What would the old Rasariel have done back in the days of Menzoberranzan? A laugh, a misdirection. Anything to stave off questions. But she was not the rogue of the Underdark any longer and she hadn’t been for centuries. Either way she did not want to talk about this now. And she certainly didn’t want to talk about this with Astarion. 

“It’s nothing. Ignore it.” 

“I’d say we’re a bit past that, wouldn't you agree?”

Like a damned dog with a bone. She glared. He simply crossed his arms and stared back. 

“He is…was…my betrothed,” she ground the words out. “Happy?”

“Was?” For just the slightest moment that haughty expression slipped on the elf’s face. What a sight to behold. If she wasn’t so furious she might have even enjoyed it. 

“He died. Centuries ago so it’s not as if you have to worry about some angry jilted lover coming to stake you in the heart.”

Astarion fell silent. A feat in itself. For a moment there was nothing but the wind and the distant sounds of the rest of the camp stirring to life. 

Ras blew a strand of white-blue hair out of her eyes, feeling awkward and hating every second of it. She shifted on her feet, trying her best to adapt that carefree stance she’d been very careful to let everyone see. “Can we go back to your best attempt at propositioning me now?”

She did not like the way Astarion was looking at her now, sizing her up the same she had trained herself to do her whole life. Even now she could guess he was trying to figure out the right thing to say to gain her confidence. She could read him like an open book. The self-confident rogue hiding just a seed of vulnerability, the way she saw her earliest self reflected badly in his eyes. 

“Alright if you won’t I will,” Ras spoke into the silence. “It’s not even breakfast yet but that doesn’t mean you can’t devour me now.”

Astarion blinked before bursting out into, what Ras was shocked to hear, genuine peals of laughter. He doubled over. It was ungainly, uncoordinated, and hardly alluring. There were no subtle spikes of malice around the edges and it was…delightful. 

“That was dreadful!” Astarion declared, still huddled over himself. 

“I can try again!” Ras said, the laughter starting to become contagious. 

“Please spare me,” Astarion straightened. 

“Very well, since you said please. I’ll let you handle the charming words from now on.”

They were lying to each other. She wanted an escape, something new to lose herself to after centuries of denial. And he? Well, she was still working that out. But this, whatever this was, was not real. The cooling of her grief as she watched him smirk at her was a facade. This was what she wanted after all. And he clearly needed to believe she was firmly under his spell as well. 

“Astarion, I am sorry…for before.” Just because they were playing this little game with one another didn’t give her the right to tear his head off. They were still traveling companions after all. Part of her past was bound to come up. If not via their shared connection then through other means. 

He simply waved her concerns away with a pale hand. “You don’t ever have to explain yourself to me.”

“Ever?”

“Well…within reason. If I sense you about to go shooting down dragons from the skies I might want to be informed.”

“Now that’s a decent proposition,” Ras gave a conspiratorial wink.

“I somehow thought you might approve.”

[iamthekaijuking]

A Review of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

I just finished up my 13th play through (this is the most I’ve ever replayed a video game), and I know I’m technically reviewing this game but there isn’t really anything I can say that hasn’t been said.

The controls and movement is smooth, and while there’s a learning curve it’s incredibly satisfying. Boosting requires you to manage your energy. It can be depleted, but will also recharge after a few seconds. But in the incredibly explosive combat of AC6, every second counts. Energy weapons also requires further energy management. Different generators can make things easier, and different thrusters can determine how you move and how much boosting uses up your energy. But you also need to worry about weight management on your AC. Your legs can determine how much you can carry as well as how you move. Ultimately you’ll need to spend time looking at stats and testing things out in the garage, but that’s part of the draw of Armored Core. Fine tuning your mech.

Combat is hectic and fast, feeling more like dogfights than anything. Both parties are pelting and trying to outmaneuver each other in a hope to stagger their opponents and get a chance to deal massive damage. Unlike in soulsborne games, there is no invincibility frames in AC6, so dodging is used to dart away from incoming damage and mitigate it, not negate it. You’ll also have different “core expansions” which can give you shields, cover, or an extra means of damaging enemies.

Every part has some use, and while there are weapons that are obviously The Metatm and you can get through a lot of missions with whatever build you feel really comfortable in, different situations will reward different things and you’d be surprised at how satisfying it is when replaying missions to bring different weapons and set ups directly catered to the task. Every weapon has at least one situational use. Fighting in an open space with no roof? Vertical missiles. Enclosed space? Grenades or napalm. Opponents have pulse shields? Use pulse guns to destroy the shields. Also use flamethrowers, songbirds, and the wheelchair tanktreads on the “Escort The Weaponized Mining Ship” mission you will thank me.

The customization and image making system is incredibly freeing and allows for a ton of self expression. It’s incredibly fun. You’ve probably seen some funny looking mechs circulating through the internet in the last year.

Ultimately, the game wants you to experiment with different builds, and even allows you to save up to 160 presets, gives you the presets of every enemy AC you’ll encounter in the story, and even allows you to download up to 40 builds that other players have uploaded online (sadly only on the same platform as you though).

As far as music goes, it’s super good. Fromsoft pretty consistently delivers, but the Armored Core soundtrack is different from their lineup from the past decade. Fitting of a SciFi setting, the AC6 soundtrack features heavy use of synths and droning sounds. There are some exceptions of course. It’s not EDM music (I doubt anyone is breaking it to Coral Guardian or C Weapon) but it’s probably somewhere within Techno.

As for the setting, it’s somewhat par for the course with Armored Core and to an extent the mecha genre itself. A hypercapitalist world where the average person has few rights, the ultra rich wage wars, and mass murder is not only entirely acceptable but is in fact encouraged if it turns a profit. Uniquely though, hyper-industrialization is a thing as well, and the landscape is peppered with inconceivably massive sprawling megastructures that can reach into the sky. There are some firsts for Armored Core as well. The series usually takes place on earth or places importance on its (always) ruined state. In 6 though, earth is completely out of the picture; it’s not important. Instead the game takes place on Rubicon 3, which is… somewhere in the galaxy. Interstellar travel is commonplace and for the first time in Armored Core, sapient aliens appear.

For themes, there’s always a feeling of isolation (as is normal for the franchise), but a not insignificant amount of attention is given to the idea, and importance, of choice and human will. There is importance to your decisions and the human will to live and desire to be free is a strong one, and ultimately you are in charge of your destiny and what you want to do.

All in all, 10/10 game. Please play it and make the funniest mechs ever.

[scugbox]

artificer pastel doodle to keep this account alive GO!! HUZZZAH!

im still grinding rain world as often as i canj but holy shit (experiences/opinions so far described in excessive detail below warning)

i think gourmand set my standards too high for other campaigns, they're literally perfect i love them with my entire heart they've been a blast to play through. i forced myself to not complete the food quest on my first run even though i was accidentally quite close just so i had a reason to replay them. chef's kiss gourmand my beloved.

artificer despite a rough start and the fact that it made me go through both shaded and underhang also ended up really fun. i love exploding the shit out of everything and the double jump is so satisfying. the vibes of metropolis are also immaculate, although not as good as outer expanse id say. scav king's a total pushover too killing them with their own spears was beyond funny. it has me curious about the waterfront facility and arti's ascension ending so i do also want to go back.

and then there's rivulet. fuck there's rivulet. i haven't finished it yet but man. man fuck that guy. so far at least. i mean i hope late game is more interesting but so far im stuck in chimney canopy, 3 shelter failures in and im losing my GODDAMN MIND.

anyway if you actually read all that then uhhh make yourself a nice little tasty sandwich or somethin n have a nice evenmorndaight

[thefirstknife]

I'm actually really glad TFS got delayed for entirely selfish reasons--I like to take my time and enjoy the game so that usually means I'm still doing some wrap-up on gathering gear, crafting, or powering up stuff until late in the season. But this time around I wouldn't have been able to do that because I had gender affirming surgery scheduled for the tail end of the season, and if there's been any complications or it was a rough recovery I'd have risked missing out on any finale stuff. The delay meant I could take my usual sweet time, enjoy everything at a relaxed pace, and not risk missing out on anything that'd be removed at the drop of the new expansion

Honestly same! Long seasons have been a fave of mine since Arrivals. It just gives you so much extra time to take things at your own pace and make sure you're not stressing out about finishing everything. Most people don't play this game as a job! People have other things to do and they don't want to clock in at the Destiny factory to play 24/7 so they don't miss something. I play a lot, and yet there's still a lot of stuff I haven't done! I still haven't finished my GMs this season because everyone has been busy; if not for the delay, we would've had to cram everything and risk getting annoyed or burned out before the final expansion.

I really really hope that with Episodes they do something about this urgency to finish things in a specific time slot or else... My greatest wish for Episodes is that they will be the type of content that can stay in the game indefinitely instead of being removed after a year. This is a super complex topic btw (the whole thing with seasons leaving, as well as vaulting) that I think a lot of people tend to oversimplify because it's easier to just say we don't like it and assume malice. I might make a post about it and my thoughts on it because damn, I really don't like story elements being removed, but also there's so many interlocked issues with the type of game this is and how it works that it's a huge undertaking to talk about it in a responsible and neutral way, instead of just farming easy upvotes by saying "vaulting bad" (and for the record, yeah, it is bad, especially for the story).

But yeah, the thing I want the most out of Episodes is that something about the content cycle is fixed and that we get to keep them so we can continue playing at our own pace instead of feeling forced to grind when we might not be into it or we don't have time. Keeping things for a year is better than before, but I would really like if this content is something that we can play (and replay!) for as long as the game is alive.

So yep, totally agree. Love the extended seasons and the amount of time it gives players to breathe and not stress out. It makes the game more enjoyable since you can take a break and come back and feel refreshed about playing again.

And congrats on your surgery! I hope the recovery is going well for you and that you're happy with it! :D

[downwithpeople]

rogue trader

on the whole a very good game. still my favourite wh40k thing i've played. i love tooling around the koronus expanse with my gang of miscellaneous shitheads.

i think splitting up the game into arbitrary arcs was either a mistake or something that was probably a holdover from an earlier version of the game that had more stuff in it. the big story stuff takes a back-seat in part 3 with the whole 'abducted by dark elves' thing. most of part 4 feels like tying up loose ends and part 5 is just kind of like, two companion quests and the final boss. it's nice that you get to see a huge swathe of the setting but the game probably should have stuck to three enigmatic enemies instead of like, five. you meet your rival rogue traders twice and in the second meeting you kill them.

the companions are very good. this cast is so much better than any bioware cast you care to mention. dragon age companions vacillate wildly between boring, annoying and desperate to suck your dick. the worst companion in this game is heinrix, because he's a cop, but that's only when you compare him to someone genuinely fascinating like marazhai or ulfar.

that's just in terms of personality though. in terms of mechanical usefulness i always had abelard and cassia and i was normally extremely reluctant to cycle argenta out of the party. abelard tanks and cassia and argenta completely depopulate the screen. both characters have been significantly nerfed since release but they're both incredible powerhouses.

some of these classes are not like the others. soldier/arch-militant is rightfully touted as an extremely powerful class that combos well with the officer; the arch-militant takes out three enemies per round and the officer gives them the extra turns they need to bring that number up to six. the operative felt like such a finicky waste of time, especially since applying debuffs felt like a waste of time compared to something like, cassia's notch of purpose + unblinking gaze combo that would drag every enemy into a 3x3 grid to get the ark of the covenant treatment. it's entirely possible that the normal difficulty is just tuned a bit low.

spaceship combat and exploration was tedious busywork. supposedly one of the upcoming dlcs is gonna massively expand those systems but we'll see. colony management was a fine bit of background spreadsheet tinkering but it would sometimes require you to travel to the colony in-person, which would require you to hope from star system to star system and deal with pointless encounters along the way.

i'm replaying the game on dogmatic and i'll be interested to see how that changes things. apparently heretic is fairly lame which doesn't surprise me. the rogue trader is a one-man east india company and that gives you all the delicious evil you could want. kowtowing to khorne or what have you isn't gonna add much more and apparently it also costs you almost all of your companions. so fuck that