#if it isn't safe to leave you are not lesser for staying.

[carbonateddelusion]

I know I haven't said much about it, but legitimately, "running away" was one of the most pivotal life decisions I've ever made. Probably THE first major life decision I've made, and also the best. If you have an opportunity to go, leave. Get out of there. If you are not safe at home, emotionally, physically, whatever, and you're able to leave, do it. It's going to suck such major ass for a while because you're going to have to deal with the scars they've left on you, but I wholeheartedly, full-throatedly, with-my-chest promise you that it is going to be better. You're going to be better. If you have the privilege of being able to escape, no matter how difficult it feels, then RUN.

[signedkoko]

HII I have been reading your writing for a while now and I lOVE IT! I've been waiting to put in a req when they got open sooo! (Your writing always makes me hAPPYY when they come out) <33 Any chance of an Overlord!GN reader with Mammon / Striker? Just general romantic Headcannons- Like how it is to date them/everyday stuff with them (The reader is always serious (and tall 👀) and owns a big casino in pride (Maybe Mammon taking interest in it? idk))

Mammon | Striker [Romantic]

In which you are their overlord s/o that owns the largest casino in the pride ring. Reader is genderneutral.

The guy looks like a total clown next to you

And he is, but he loses any sense of danger when he's standing next to you, who happens to be just a few inches taller than him

Your cold sneer next to that goofy grin, like he knows he's totally lucked out having such a hottie for an s/o

To many in the greed ring, he was the greediest of all, but when they came up top to the sinners realm and met some of the overlords that roamed the lands, they started to realize that yeah, maybe Mammon wasn't so bad

While Mammon used to attract many fans, ever since you two became an item, they've stayed far, far away

At first, he hated it because it meant he couldn't scam some pathetic sinners

But you had the idea that he could come by your casino for official meet and greets; that way, people would pay the entrance fee for you and him for just fucking around in a casino all day

Mammon is actually kind of an airhead at times

He isn't stupid, but he isn't all there, especially when with you; he just turns his brain off and lets you do the thinking

You're better at it anyways

During extermination, you can't go down and be safe with him; he will often come up just to ensure your safety

Sure, you seem scarier, but that's only because he is in his smaller form

You two are a literal power couple; you could take over all of hell if you tried hard enough

Striker always preferred to stay away from the pride ring

Sinners were such a hassle, especially keeping up with the overlords and what they considered 'theirs'

In fact, he'd stay in wrath all the time if he could, but business always called for his presence in the upper ring

He isn't stupid enough to fall into the grip of an overlord-run casino, but more than one of his targets did

Your security caught him more than once sneaking angelic weapons into your casino

The third time it happened was enough, and you came forward yourself to speak to the man

He was charming and convincing, but you weren't one to let things slide so easily

You promised he could do whatever he liked with your occupants, given that he gets their casino dues in

And well, for how much he was paid, that wasn't too terrible a deal

The two of you ended up a bit more than intertwined, though, and the assassin managed to worm his way into your heart

And god, was it ever a sight

One of the oldest overlords that towered over anyone that came before them, with a face like a funeral, next to an imp

An imp no one really knew, either

At the end of the day, the only people who dared question you were other overlords, but they tended to leave their noses out of others business, respectfully or not

While you could defend yourself rather well, Striker is more than happy to handle anyone who dares try to touch you

Interrogations are useful, you know; that way, he can kill off the whole chain of command

He's very romantic and gentlemanly with you, even if you don't ask for such from him

Don't think your position of power will ever make him feel like he is the lesser; he will take good care of you no matter who you are

Author's Note - Thank you so much for requesting, I'm glad you got a chance! It was a nice break going back to some Helluva Boss characters (not that I hate writing hazbin, but it was a lot of requests).

[cautuscoralcoast]

Laios w/ a beastkin!reader? I think a lot about how weird he got when izutsumi stripped in front of them and they had to blindfold him and he made that comment about wanting to count her nipples askshfjk and there are only a handful of confirmed beastkin types - werebears, weretigers, werecats, weredeer, wererats, and werewolves - so I feel like we could go crazy with hcs about what the other types are like! I like to imagine Laios with a beastkin partner that’s bigger than him. I think he’d go crazy if his “big and scary” beastkin partner let him eat off of them. It’d put him in such a vulnerable position, his partner being a predator and all, it’s like he’s their prey being lured into a trap. and I think he’d be so enticed by the looming threat of danger

Oh? OH! 👀✨️✨️✨️

I get what you mean anon!

I remember reading that part with izutsumi stripping and laios asking that; I remember thinking how weird laios was and autism in him spiking up ("It should've been me!"). I can also imagine laios himself going "feral" over a beastkin who allows him to inspect their body.

Anon, you're onto something with the "as if he's prey being lured into a trap"

Considering how izutsumi was treated as a child. Taken from her mother (presumably) forced into a beastkin, sold as a slave, etc. And when shuro's father bought her, he didn't treat her like a slave —she was more like a pet than anything else.

That being said, it's safe to assume that the general consensus is that beastkin are "lesser."

Tw. Brief mentions of abuse and human trafficking, like very brief

✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾

Beastkin!reader, who was sold as a child and forced to fuse with the soul of beast. Beastkin!reader, who was abused, starved, beaten, all considered training to be the perfect weapon.

Forced to confront the cruelty of humanity from an early age, beastkin!reader who rejects all forms of companionship. They never love or kindness, and the concept of such is foreign to them.

I imagine beastkin!reader escaping in their teen years. I imagine them traveling from place to place, like never staying in one area for too long in case anyone realizes that they are a beastkin.

I feel as if beastkin!reader finds themselves as detestable or disgusting. Especially considering when reader was thrown away by their parents and abused by the slave traders. Being a beastkin was a curse, and being fused with the soul of beast was filthy and wretched.

So imagine beastkin!reader's surprise when they meet Laios in the dungeon.

Think of beastkin!reader as the wolf princess from the blind prince and liar princess. Giant, furry, strong, and terrifying, the basic werewolf.

I like to imagine that Laios got separated from the group and found beastkin!reader in their partial wolf form (the ears and tail). Beastkin!reader is definitely on guard with their claws out and fangs ready to attack him.

I bet it came as a real surprise when Laios completely ignored their aggression and asked if he could possibly see the inside of their mouth (You said no). So surprised by his reaction in fact (people tend to scream or attack you) that you just blanked out and didn't realize how close he got until he held your paw.

"You nails and fur are rather immaculate—"

You kicked him hard (he's okay) and ran away, leaving him alone until his party found him.

I don't think their first meeting would have been long. Beastkin!reader is far too skittish and wary of "human" races to stick around and have a proper conversation with Laios — and considering how Laios is, beastkin!reader may have actually attacked with the intent to kill if they interacted any longer.

This meeting serves more as a basis and allows beastkin!reader to ponder his behavior. This way, when they meet again, beastkin!reader isn't as on guard, and they can interact!

✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾❊❃✾

Now that it is said, I will write this after I'm done with the fics I currently have in progress. One of them being Laios x SeaSerpant!reader.

Same concept Laios with monstrous reader but more philosophical, heavily reader-based, and very "touchy."

So I'll try to be as quick as possible! ❤️❤️✨️

[jiro-kino]

❝ DARLING, I'D WAIT FOR YOU ❞

WANDERER ( SCARAMOUCHE ) X READER

contains ; angst, spoilers for 3.3, implied death, right person wrong time type shit(?? he was mostly in denial )

"Why is it so cold here!?" The floating child questioned, shivering a bit as she and the two with her looked around the area.

"Is this.. Snezhnaya?" The Traveller asked, standing near by a fire seelie to keep themselves and Paimon warm, the wanderer beside them seeming to be used to this kind of weather ( or maybe it's because he's a puppet ).

"Yes. This is the Balladeer's first regret" The Lesser Lord spoke from the real world as they took in the scenery of the memory.

"First regret..?"

The Wanderer snapped out of his trance, walking over to a tree "Voices again..." He muttered and peaked. The Traveller and Paimon looked at each other before following his lead, going to another tree to peak from there.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" A person with (color) hair asked, their eyebrows furrowed in concern as their eyes watched as the harbinger infront of them stare at nothing. Scaramouche clicked his tongue, looking at them from over his shoulder.

"Haven't I told you already? Yes, I am." He spat, crossing his arms and facing them "And I also told you to leave me alone. What are you still doing here?"

Unfazed by his glare and tone, they sighed and smiled. "As your servant, it's only my duty to make sure my lord will be safe"

"Well, as 'your lord', I'm ordering you to leave" The Balladeer lowered his hat and turned to walk away, only to hear them still following him from behind. This caused him to sigh.

"(Name), the Balladeer's servant... They always prioritized him and his safety more than anything" The Dendro Archon's words caused the wanderer's non-existent heart to squeeze slightly, the blonde and the floating child on the other tree were silent.

A green glow suddenly appeared, and the scene changed. Now, they're at some kind of..

"A garden..!" The Traveller's eyes widen in familiarity. But before anyone could question them, the voices return.

"Your 'form' is almost complete." The Doctor informed, a smile that seemed so casual- it was unsettling. "Now we need you to take a little test.. though, I'm sure your servant will be getting in our way"

Scaramouche glanced behind him, staying silent at Dottore's words before looking at him again, stating with no hesitation "I've got it. You're dismissed, I'll meet you when I'm done"

The Doctor gave him a grin before leaving, keeping his hands behind his back as he vanished in thin air of the memory.

The Balladeer , once he was out of ear shot, called for them as he turned around. In a minute, they raised their head from the ground and walked over to their lord.

"Is there something you need?" They asked, tilting their head.

"I'm going to need you to wait for me here until I get back, understood?" He answered with an order, earning wide eyes from them. Their mouth was open for a second with saying a word, a sign of hesitance before they asked.

"But, My Lord.. This experi- plan is risky. It is my job to be by your side to protect you"

"And it is also your job to follow my orders, isn't it?" Scaramouche retaliated, noticing their figure slightly falter. This encouraged him to go on "Do not underestimate me, (Name). I'll come get you when the job is done.. now I'll ask this again, understood?"

The servant stayed silent, but with uncertainty, they nodded and bowed. To seal the order, the balladeer used his finger to tilt their chin up and look at him straight in the eyes.

"Don't leave until I get back. You can't run away now"

And despite his choice of words and stern tone, they still smiled- knowing it's his own way of making a promise. Now as the balladeer leaves, so did the figure of the servant began to vanish.

"They seem like a nice person. To still be there even with that kind of personality.." The wanderer commented, a small smile on his face. The Traveller only frowned while Paimon had her hand holding her head as they stared at him.

Noticing the silence, the Wanderer broke the ice, "It.. looks like this is where the memory ends. Let's move on"

"Now that that's over with, I have somewhere to be" The Wanderer ( who had regained his memories ) stated, fixing his hat as he glances at the traveller and their companion, who had been silent after the naming fiasco.

Getting uncomfortable, he asked "What? Spit it out already"

The Traveller gave Paimon a look, but the child only gestured them to do it themselves, shaking her head furiously. The blonde took a breather before finally letting out-

"About (Name)... You're going to them, right?"

He stared at the figure laying on the ground. His throat felt dry, and all of the sudden- he couldn't feel anything but the air. His eyes were duller than the usual electric indigo ones. He got on his knees, placing a hand on their cheek and felt the petal of the flower 'tucked' in their ear.

A Sumeru rose.. were they always red?

author's note; this sucks ass, I forgot where I was going with this so my bad

[stackslip]

what if you are a victim of sexual violence and you do feel forever damaged and angry though? what if you do feel that your perpetrators are evil?

so first of all, anon, i get you. your emotions and feelings about this are your own, and i'm not saying that they are fake or wrong. you're not a bad person for hating your abusers, and you're not wrong/bad for feeling damaged and angry. what i will gently push back on is that these are your feelings--i don't know your situation, past or current, and even if i did i still wouldn't be in a position to judge how you react to traumatic events. these are your own, nobody can take them away from you. what i am trying to say is, sexual violence does not have a specific essence different from other forms of violence that irredeemably damages its victims. rather, societal insistence that sexual violence is a black mark upon its victims, and a system made to fuck over victims of abuse and violence of any kind, leaving them little space or material resources to be able to heal in peace, leave many survivors barely able to stay afloat. it is normal to feel damaged when 1) you are told constantly that the thing that was done to you makes you lesser than, that it is your fault, and that you should not be able to talk about it or obtain any closure from it 2) for many survivors, ever since the violence occurred, they've been struggling with poverty, with being mocked and going through further abuse, with having very little space or material/emotional support to process and heal the pain they've been through, which compounds the feeling of being irreperably damaged. support of survivors *is* crucial to me. you should be able to leave your abuser and be in a space far away from them, to feel safe, to not have to worry about your material needs as your grieve and heal, to not being reinforced that you are broken beyond repair.

as for the question of your perpetrators, i'm not asking you to forgive and move on. again i do not know the context of what happened to you, but even then i cannot force you to feel anything, and forcing survivors in absolving their abusers in order to feel better does not do much. you cannot be forced to not hate somebody who's done harm to you! what i will try to push back on, though, is the notion that anybody is ontologically evil, and that figuring out who belongs in a class of ontologically evil people in order to wipe them out because they are Bad People Who Do Bad Things is not ultimately helpful as a whole. i'm not saying "if you killed your rapist you'd feel worse" bc that might not be the case. i'm saying that as a whole, a society that designates a group of people as irredeemably evil, and whose understanding of sexual violence is that it is done by Bad People Only who deserve to be lined up and shot, is not actually a society that reduces rates of sexual violence, or has the best interests of survivors at heart. you're allowed to hate your rapists and see them a certain way. but if you are told that the solution is to Kill All Rapists, that this will heal you and others and reduce the risks of sexual violence, the problem is that that just isn't true! if anything, it might make some survivors and perpetrators' families and friends even less likely to want to talk abotu sexual violence, because they have complicated feelings towards their perpetrators or materially depend on them. a society where people take matters into their own hands means even more silence around rape and sexual violence, and more shame around the victim. furthermore, it treats Being A Rapist as something people are born with, an innate evil, rather than the result of societal and economic forces, which then does nothing to actually prevent rape and sexual violence.

your feelings on the things that happened to you and the people who did this to you are real and valid. i am not judging them and nobody should judge you either. you cannot actually force yourself to love someone as yourself or to forgive, especially when you have been given no justice or healing. but also, while your feelings are your own, i will plead to you that using these feelings as justification to push for a worse world is not helpful to you or any other survivor. there are people on here and out there who will use what happened to you to try to convince you of a simple solution, one that they claim is helpful to survivors as they allow them to get justice in their own hands. but that is a lie. they are using your pain, your very real suffering, to obsfucate the real forces behind sexual violence and violence of any kind. they will often make you feel worse--not because revenge is morally bad, but because the idea that you are now irrevocably broken and damaged and that the only thing that can bring you a semblance of satisfaction is seeing all Rapists TM murdered is harmful to you too. it will not help you heal or make the world a better place for other or potential victims of sexual violence. it is a tool that people want to use in order to use it against more vulnerable people, who are seen as disposable and inherently predatory. it will not save you or others. so i am not urging you to forgive, or to magically heal from something traumatic. instead, i'm asking you to be kinder to yourself, to realize that while healing might not be in reach for everyone, including you, that it is because you were failed--not because sexual violence has inevitably broken you and soiled you. i'm asking you to not choose to support people who do not have your interests as a survivor in mind, but instead seek an easy solution with easily designated Bad People. i'm asking you to be kinder to yourself through both these things.

i hope this answer clarifies things somewhat. i wish you well. if you want to talk further about this in private, please feel free to dm me. i do not have all the solutions or the combination for a perfect world free of sexual violence, but i think there are paths to reducing said violence and making things better for survivors. sending you love.

[mes4xd]

Exhausted

tired, he wants to be in your company.

→ Tighnari × GN Reader

→ Fluff, No warnings

there were multiple reports of withering zones appearing recently and tighnari had to assign the forest rangers to cleanse the area asap, as per request from the adventurer's guild. the new zones were nearing a bit too close to the main path to the city, rendering it dangerous for merchants and travellers who will be arriving to participate in the celebration of lesser lord kusanali's birthday.

° ° °

it's close to midnight and tighnari, along with the other forest rangers have only just made it back. it's a relief to see the whole crew safe and sound. they all deserve a much needed rest; you decide whipping up a huge steaming pot of adeptus temptation for everyone tomorrow would be a nice treat.

by now, everyone should be knocked out on their beds, snoring away, but you hear knocks on your door. who would still be up at this hour?

"it's me."

that's tighnari's voice. why isn't he asleep yet? closing your book, you get up hastily from your bed to let him in.

you open the door to see him standing there and he's got this... gloomy aura surrounding him. you can tell todays' missions were tough. concern filled your chest and you step aside, ushering him in and closing the door behind you.

"are you feeling alright, tighnari?" you begin, walking up to him.

he looks up at you from his seat at your desk, then lightly shakes his head, "mhm, 'm just... a bit tired. that's all."

seeing him like this makes your heart ache a little. you brush a bit of his bangs away and lean down, pressing a soft kiss on his forehead. you then turn to plop yourself on the bed, patting the space beside you, "c'mere."

tighnari isn't one to show his emotions very openly. he's always speaking with that stern voice of his whilst carrying out his duty. keeping his composure in check infront of everyone, including you.

well, at least he tries to.

despite being your lover, he's still a bit concious of being affectionate and of his vulnerability showing from time to time. there were moments where he would get too comfortable and let himself loose though, but he would always try to cover it up with a flushed face.

hence why, right now, you're taken aback when he gets up, not to sit beside you but on your lap instead. he wraps his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.

"let's stay like this, please." he sighs, breathing in your scent.

your heart skips a beat.

you rest one hand on the small of his back, bringing up the other to pat the back of his head.

"rough day, hm?"

tighnari hums in response as you divert your attention to his fluffy ears, rubbing gently. his body relaxes into your touch.

"it's okay. I got you." you say with a smile, "but can you look at me for a moment, love?"

the boy lifts his head up from your shoulder, questioning you with his eyebrows raised.

your eyes bore into him, "can I kiss you?"

you can feel his tail starting to swish a little, grazing your thighs. tighnaris face softens for a moment before he breaks out into a mischievous grin, "how about no?"

he...! how dare he-

you pout. parting your lips to leave a comment but before you could let a word out, he cups your cheeks with both hands, pulling you in and presses his lips on yours.

he slowly pulls away a short moment later, hazy eyes staring back into your own. flustered, he buries his face into your neck and hugs you tighter.

you chuckle at that. god, he's too cute.

"I love youuu~"

and he mumbles, voice muffled, "I love you more..."

note: anotha one. and I'm posting at 2 AM again.. 💀

[jessybarnes]

It Takes Two

Title: It Takes Two

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 2,153

Tags: Smut, angst, fluff, pregnancy, pregnancy kink, plans of moving out, crying, taking pregnancy tests, kissing, fingering (female receiving), oral sex (female receiving), unprotected sex, talking about birth control pills, nipple play, explicit language, and I think that’s it.

Written For: @kinktober2022, @buckybarnesbingo, @anyfandomangstbingo, and @badthingshappenbingo

Square(s) Filled: Pregnancy for Kinktober // Can’t Stop The Tears for AFG Angst Bingo // “What have I done?” for Bad Things Happen Bingo // Moving for Bucky Barnes Bingo

Beta(s): None

"What have I done?..." 

You look down at the little pink plus sign darkening on the plastic test, panic coursing through your body. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not now! You’ve been careful. You’re on birth control pills, and you use condoms. Well, most of the time anyway. You think back to the night after he came back from the last long mission and sigh. Yes, you had taken your daily pill, but Bucky hadn't used a condom. 

You swallow thickly before tearing open another package with your teeth. Maybe it’s a false positive? Grabbing the small cup off of the sink, you add four drops to the test and sit down on the closed toilet seat. You bury your head in her hands, rubbing along your temples lightly. A few minutes later you peek at the second test and let another sigh escape your lips. 

"Okay, best two out of three."

About fifteen minutes later you have three pink plus signs staring menacingly back up at you. Realization sets in and tears threaten to fall as your hands shake. 

"Fuck!"

Anger rises in you and with a swipe of your hand, you send the tests flying against the opposite wall. They scatter along the tile floor, your tears flowing freely now and you slide down the wall bringing your knees to your chest. Sobs rack your body as another realization comes to mind and you know what you have to do. 

Bringing a child into James' life would most certainly take time away from his life of keeping the world safe. He’s been a hero for years, and you aren’t about to take that away from him. Sure you love him and want to be with him for the rest of your life, but now isn't the time for him to be a father. 

You stand up and wipe your face, taking a few deep, shaky breaths. No matter how much you love him you know you can't stay. Telling him is off the table because you know he’d want to be by your side for every waking moment of your pregnancy. You know he deserves to know, but he also deserves to be a hero. It’s your love for his happiness that helps you make your final decision. 

Picking the lesser of the two evils, you start gathering your things off the back of the sink. You share a tiny apartment nothing too elaborate, but it’s still in a decent neighborhood. It shelters you and well, it’s your home. Well, it was. 

Your lower lip quiveres as you quickly throw what little clothes and possessions you have into your black suitcase. Once everything is packed you zip it up and stand so you can look around the half-empty room. It looks so bare and lifeless, like a bachelor pad. You don't want to leave, but what choice did you have? Bucky deserves a woman who will be more careful about things like this. Your chest aches at the thought of him being in someone else's arms. The way he touches, kisses, makes love, and all the other little things he does feels reserved only for you. 

You allow yourself to take one last look at the place you've called home for the past four years before walking towards the front door. Your legs feel numb and heavy as you grab your purse digging for your keys. Shaky hands pull them out and you fumble with the keyring trying your best to remove your key to the apartment. You’re just about to lay it on the table when the lock clicks on the door. 

No... no please not now. He can't be home this early...

You can't face him. Can't bear the heartbreak you know you’ll see on his face, but there’s no where for you to go. There’s only one door in and out. Bracing yourelf for the inevitable, you lean your suitcase against the couch and wrap your arms around yourself.  

James doesn't notice you at first. He hangs his keys on the hook by the door and drapes his leather jacket over one of the chairs in the dining area. He toes out of his boots and you admire the happiness in his bright blue eyes for what may be the last time. You drink him in, mentally taking a picture to keep in your memory forever.

"Hey, doll, I'm home! What sounds good for di-"

Bucky stops at the threshold of the living room, his eyes darting between you and the packed suitcase. Anger, confusion, and panic all flash over his face at once as he looks at you for an explanation. 

"Y/N? What's going on? Where are you going?"

He watches you take a shaky breath and sigh. You never look at him and that upsets him the most. That you can't even look him in the eyes. He runs the past few weeks in his mind quickly trying to figure out if he’s done something wrong, but he can't come up with anything. 

"James... I-I..."

He watches a lone tear slide down your cheek.

"I can't stay..."

Bucky furrows his brows and walks toward you. Tucking two fingers under your chin, he raises your head so your looking at him instead of the carpet. His eyes search yours for something, anything to help him understand what’s going on. 

"What do you mean you can't stay? Y/N what's wrong? You can't just leave without talking to me! After everything we've been through..."

You bite your lip and ball your fists trying not to cry. You hate seeing Bucky like this. Especially since this is all your fault. You know he won't let you leave without hearing your reason, and you can't see a way out of it now. Closing your eyes, you swallow the lump in your throat and take a deep breath. 

"It's... it's all my fault, Bucky. I've ruined everything..."

This time when he looks at you all you see is confusion. He smooths his thumbs under your eyes to wipe the loose tears away and shakes his head desperately. 

"Baby, talk to me. What happened? What do you mean you've ruined everything?"

Now you’re starting to get annoyed. It isn't his fault, you know that, but it’s hard to find the words. Anger gets the best of you again as you look up at him. 

"I can't do this anymore! I can't stay knowing that I've ruined every chance you have of keeping the world safe, James! I don't want Steve, Natasha, Fury, or any of the others to see me as the reason for keeping you from missions because I'm pregnant!"

A look of shock spreads over Bucky’s face as he takes a step back. His eyes slowly travel down your small frame and settle on your still flat belly. He hasn't said anything, and it makes your heart break that much more. Hot tears are flowing freely down your cheeks now, making your vision blurry, and you blindly reach for your suitcase again. 

"...That's why I can't stay. I-I can't be the reason for you giving up what you love doing most."

The shock wears off his face when he sees your hand wrap around the handle and he puts his hands firmly on your damp cheeks. 

"Y/N you're what I love most!"

He pulls you flush against him and his eyes begin to shine with unshed tears.

"You and this baby, our baby, will know nothing but love do you hear me? Yes, keeping the people in this world safe is something that I love to do, but don't you think for one second that I won't give it all up for you! Don't ever, EVER, let the thought cross your mind that you carrying our child would be the reason for me retiring from missions."

He places a chaste kiss on your forehead.

"Believe me when I say that I can do both. I can be a dad and an Avenger. Hell, if I can survive a fall from a train and all the brainwashing and torture that Hydra did, then bringing a child into this world shouldn't be a threat at all. Not to mention it takes two to tango, doll."

You drop your suitcase and fling your arms around his neck kissing him hard. Bucky lets out a grunt regaining his balance before returning your kiss with fervor. He runs his hands down your sides making you shiver. You can't get enough of his touch, and right now you need it more than ever. 

"Bucky... please..."

His eyes darken as he lifts you up, your thighs wrapping around his waist. You can feel his clothed cock pressing against your pussy, and it only makes you want him that much more. God, you’re so in love with this man. He saw you at your absolute worst tonight, and he never once showed you anything but love.  

James gently lays you down on the comforter and slowly starts kissing you again. Most of the time you’re both in a hurry to devour each other, but this is a different circumstance. Right now all James wants is to worship every inch of your body. He peppers sweet, open-mouthed kisses along your jawline. You moan softly when he sucks above your pulse point, and arch up so your chest touches his. 

"You’re so beautiful Y/N, and now that I know you’re carrying our baby,” his metal hand moves to rest on top of your stomach, “I can’t wait to see you with a little bump. Gonna look so sexy carrying my baby, sweetheart. It’s gonna be difficult to control myself around you. M'gonna be so hard all the time baby…fuck..."

You tangle your fingers in his brown hair, relishing in the way his mouth feels on your skin. His hands snake under the hem of your shirt and onto your tummy. He kisses just above your belly button and looks up at your through his eyelashes. “You’re gonna make an amazing mother, pretty girl.”

Bucky wraps one arm around your back and sits you up so he can easily rid you of your shirt and bra. His tongue swirls around one of your nipples drawing a moan from your throat. He groans, his cock twitching in his jeans. “These perfect tits gettin’ all full with food for our baby, god, doll you’re gonna be so fucking gorgeous.” 

"Oh, James!... Baby, please... need you!"

He smirks and lays you back down on the soft bedspread, “patience, baby. I’m just gettin’ started. 

He sits up on his knees and hooks his fingers in the hem of your sweatpants removing them and your panties in one swift motion. He marvels at you bare beneath him and it’s the prettiest sight he’s ever seen. Even more so now that your carrying his child. Bucky continues to kiss you lovingly until he’s positioned between your legs. He presses kisses into your inner thighs and pushes one of his metal fingers into your tight, wet heat. 

"Mmmm, I love how needy you get for me, Y/N. Always so responsive for me, sweetheart."

Bucky begins to devour you, his skilled tongue slipping inside your fluttering hole as he rubs your clit slowly with his thumb. Your desperate cries fill the room and it’s music to his ears. He brings you closer and closer to the edge, but he knows it isn’t enough. You always need that last little push to let go. 

"J-James, please!! I-I wanna cum... fuck, baby please!"

He comes up to kiss your lips, his cool, metal fingers sliding inside your pussy with ease. The contrast of temperatures make your eyes roll back and your legs shake. He pumps them faster, curling them to rub that spot that drives you absolutely crazy. 

"C'mon, be a good girl and cum all over my fingers, princess"

He brings his mouth down to yours, kissing you with unbridled passion. You’re panting against his lips, whimpering into his mouth as your nails rake down his back. Bucky bites your lip and suddenly you’re writhing in his arms and he growls against your lips. He fucking loves seeing you come undone like this.

"That's my good girl. God, you’re so fucking gorgeous, Y/N."

James stands up and quickly strips out of his clothes before climbing back onto the bed. He cups your cheek and kisses you tenderly. 

"Bucky, please…make love to me…"

He chuckles and looks deeply into your eyes. “Don’t worry, doll. I’m no where near done with you. Gonna make you cum over and over for me until your begging for me to stop.” He bites his lip and grinds his hard cock against your pussy. 

“You better get used to this, pretty girl, because these next nine months I’m not gonna be able to keep my hands to myself.”

[worlds-oldest-teenager]

Kind of controversial but why are people acting like TSATS is Rick Riordan's first queer book? Like Magnus chase who? Trials of Apollo?

Warning ⚠️: Long rant under the cut. It's not very tsats friendly so please scroll if you don't want to read.

Idk it just feels like sometimes the fandom doesn't really view queer rep as valid unless it centers around romance. Completely biased as a toa fan but toa had so much rep. The bi mc, the gay geysers, the kindly old lesbian couple taking in unwanted kids, ace characters, characters struggling with comphet, characters crushing on people of the same gender and none of it being taken as something out of the ordinary. It just wasn't centred around romance.

The toa fandom has always been pretty small and chill with activity spiking everytime a new book releases. Then suddenly when Tower of Nero came out there were so many people. So what changed, what brought in so many people who weren't even interested in the premise of the book?

It was Solangelo.

I like solangelo as much as the next person (minus the year of seething rage when they were dominating the toa tag) but the way that people discount an amazing series about change, growth and overcoming abuse with some of the best casual queer rep I've seen and consider the only thing of value being a minor mlm couple with a few pages of screentime leaves a pretty bad taste in my mouth.

Magnus chase is another book. Alex fierro isn't perfect rep (stop calling Alex slurs holy fuck) but it was revolutionary to have a gender fluid character in a children's series and this was back in 2016. Fierrochase is pretty popular but I wonder sometimes if Alex and Magnus would be as popular as they are if they never got together. They're still not as popular as solangelo but in good faith that might be because people became too fatigued to read mcga.

It just feels sometimes that these books are viewed as lesser queer books just because there's no shipping or it's not a (I'm so sorry don't kill me ) heart stopper esque gay couple. Idk if im taking this too personally as a potentially ace *slides nsfw art under desk* person whose gender is wonky but it's just my thoughts on this.

But I just feel like the focus should be on the countries banning and censoring the book instead of people with perfectly valid criticism of it. There are so many of his books with queer rep and most of the criticism I've seen have come from LGBTQIA+ people that like these books or at least put the same energy into scrutinizing them too. Idk why people assume anything bad said about TSATS was a bad faith reading done out of homophobia.

All that being said, tsats is definitely being marketed as the first queer book. It's banned not very accessible in my country despite all the others going through- which sucks. It's being treated like the first queer focused book Rick has written and it's coming out at a bad time for everyone but especially people in the US apparently. So I understand why any reactions would be taken as the fandoms reaction to the first queer book.

So who is more homophobic? The person who doesn't like a queer book or the person who holds a queer romance as the pinacle of queer? The answer : no clue man it's complicated and it's sucks that we're all so on edge in these trying times that we automatically assume the worst. There's nuance that a smarter person than me can elaborate on but I am not he.

Sorry for writing something so divisive during pride month but it is a conservation that should be had and what better month than one celebrating queer identity and representation. Hope everyone has a great pride month and stays safe.

Peace and love ✌️🏳️‍🌈💜

[robot-roadtrip-rants]

I read The Iron Within and it sent me down a rabbit hole and by the God-Emperor I will make you suffer with me

So:

Ultramarines Tetrarch Tauro Nicodemus is at Lesser Damatyne when Krendl shows up with an army of traitors to demand that Dantioch hand over the keys to the Schadenhold.

Nicodemus says that Guilliman sent him to recruit Dantioch to the loyalist cause.

He then stays with the future Silver Skulls loyalist Iron Warriors for the year-long siege of the Schadenhold, and escapes with them on the Benthos.

HOWEVER

Dantioch is on Sotha at the start of Unremembered Empire, and Guilliman clearly knows him and knows he's on Sotha.

By the time Unremembered Empire starts, Ultramar has been cut off from the rest of the Imperium for two years by the Ruinstorm. So Dantioch must have arrived before the start of the Ruinstorm

The Ruinstorm began at the end of the Battle of Calth--it was actually conjured up by a Word Bearers ritual during the climax of that battle.

Guilliman doesn't know about the Heresy until the Battle of Calth.

Which leaves me with two questions:

When did Nicodemus leave Ultramar?

When did Dantioch arrive in Ultramar/on Sotha?

(The answer, of course, is "minor plothole, who cares," but no pedantic nerd worth her salt would accept that as an answer.)

A bit of research revealed that Nicodemus actually appears in Know No Fear; a passing mention names him as one of the fighters on Calth. Presumably he made it to the fleet that evacuated the planet just before the warpstorm grew too bad to navigate. Guilliman must have sent him out into the galaxy (without a retinue?) just before he left for Macragge.

But we're still left with the second question. When the hell did Dantioch make it to Ultramar? There's no way he could have arrived before the Ruinstorm reached full force.

After much thought, I think I've figured it out. The Benthos departs from Lesser Damatyne for Macragge and immediately slams into the Ruinstorm. Caught in the storm, they pick up the Pharos's beacon and use it to get to Macragge. However, Warp Fuckery™ deposits the ship in the system shortly before Guilliman heads to Calth for the grand muster. Nicodemus introduces Dantioch to Guilliman and somehow convinces him to take him in. Guilliman sends Dantioch and his buddies to Sotha and the rest is history.

This does mean that for a short period of time, there are two Nicodemuses running around. Guilliman isn't the type to lose track of a high-ranking officer, so why didn't he notice that he had two copies of the same guy? Simple: the original Nicodemus departed for Calth from Saramanth, not from Macragge. When Future Nicodemus shows up with a handful of battered Iron Warriors, he actually has a ready-made excuse for dropping by Macragge: he wants to introduce Dantioch to Guilliman before heading off for Calth. The Epic Convincing Session ensues, Dantioch leaves for Sotha, and Guilliman leaves for Calth. By the time he makes it there, OG Nicodemus is already planetside, so they don't have a chance to talk until the evacuation. At that point, they have much bigger fish to fry, so the inconsistencies in Nicodemus's location isn't discovered.

Here's the thing: Guilliman would have no reason to even bring up Dantioch to OG Nicodemus at Calth. As far as he knows, Dantioch is already safe and sound on Sotha, and Nicodemus played a direct role in the dude's arrival. So Guilliman must have sent Nicodemus out to do Other Stuff. This means that at some point Nicodemus decided to recruit Dantioch on his own, probably after he finished doing the Other Stuff. Nicodemus was lying through his teeth when he told Dantioch that Guilliman sent him. Dude was flying by the seat of his pants the whole time, and he actually pulled it off.

[angeart]

can u feed us some hybrid au 🤲

always!! (brb running around in circles, bouncing off the walls etc, excited)

i wish i knew if you want mimic stuff or general hhau (i certainly have both) (reminds me i should go and compile more mimic arc rambles. the next part is the aftermath!! it's been a hectic couple of days sorry kxcjbn)

you can consider this a bonus to the hhau mimic arc rambles part I, as I skipped this bit thinking maybe i'll make a mini post about it later. this is about the mimic learning there are places that aren't as horrible as this world. and that grian and scar are so different, because they're from elsewhere. (~1k words long, below the cut <3)

so here's the thing. the mimic gets attached to scar for various reasons. desperation, safety, right? but it's the kindness. it's the kindness that seals the deal.

touch-starved and never once in his life treated truly kindly, like he matters, the mimic keeps to scar like a lost puppy, trying to understand this. trying to wrangle with this feeling of being treated well? like an actual person that has needs and feelings. it's so wild to him. so strange. it hurts a little bit, but in a good way. in a way that leaves him craving more. (in a way where he doesn't think he can survive without it anymore.)

and it's so hard, and it's so skewed, because scar is threading a fine line of, basically, how to treat the mimic nicely versus trying to not hurt grian too much. since the mimic looks like grian and grian already feels lesser, like a burden, etc. like he could be replaced. like maybe one day the line blurs a bit too much—

and grian doesn't want to be mean to the mimic, either. he's just a hybrid in distress, trying to stay safe by any means necessary. grian recognises that, even though he hates these particular means. it's so hard, to see the mimic constantly around. to have him near not only himself, but near scar. to watch scar be attentive and gentle towards this look-alike.

but, just to be clear, grian isn't treating the mimic badly. he's just distant, and they have more ravines between them than any attempts at bridges. (there's this mix of really complex emotions, in all three of them, that are incredibly hard to navigate.)

anyway, that all being said.

one day, the mimic asks grian. scar is close by, but out of earshot, and the mimic is struggling wtih his feelings and comprehending who scar is and why he acts the way he does. so he asks, quietly. "how does he do that?"

grian is slow to speak to him. still uncomfortable. "do what?"

the mimic watches scar, kind of mesmerised, but there's an edge of confused trouble to his expression. "stay so kind."

and, you know. maybe grian's first thought is that this is about scar being a vex? vexes are meant to be scary and dangerous, after all. but no, no, actually, that's not it.

it's just that nothing in this world is kind.

something about grian and scar being from elsewhere. a much kinder place.

something about them never learning how to be selfish and cruel.

something about them never having to fight for survival like this.

maybe grian tells him then. that they came from somewhere peaceful and kind and silly. that the meanest things that could happen were pranks that were laughed off and cleaned up and made up for, never meant to be malicious. that it didn't matter who is what kind of hybrid. they were all free to do their own things and interact and wander, build and laugh and live, unafraid. (oh how that word now wobbles on grian's lips—)

he tells the mimic that him and scar knew each other before. that they come from the same place.

grian talks quietly, and there's such a stab of aching nostalgia in each of his words. (he can barely say these things.) (the memories of hermitcraft are painful; he doesn't know what happened to his home and to all of his friends. he doesn't think him and scar will ever get any of it back, and it's scary, and it's paralysing.) (but it also feels like warmth, to think about all of that—about him and scar somewhere less complicated, less cruel. a place that doesn't hurt.)

the mimic listens, bewildered, curious, horribly envious. he can't comprehend a world like that, but he can tell this isn't a made up story, an escapism fantasy or what not. he can tell that this is real and true and scar and grian aren't meant to be here, it explains so much about them, actually.

this isn't what the mimic expected of them, originally. based on previous encounters with hybrids. based on their wanted posters. he thought— he thought there's an avian with beautiful feathers (they don't look so beautiful from up close, broken and messed up and muddied), feral and unafraid with a vicious vex guard by his side.

and instead—

instead it's this broken pair, clinging to each other for kindness and life.

(how he wants to be a part of that.) (how he wants to also cling to kindness and life.) (how he wants to also burrow his way to a sliver of hope that existing can be more than just terror and frantic, exhausting survival.)

---

grian burrows extra close to scar that night and cries while scar holds him. talking about their home—about hermitcraft, about their friends—takes a toll on his psyche. and he finds the safest place to break down. (he finds scar. scar's arms are the safest place.)

scar doesn't question it. he wraps his arms around him and kisses his hair, happy to provide all the soothing affection he can.

and the mimic's heart hurts, because he'll never get to know what that feels like. to be safely burrowed in someone's arms. to be allowed to be weak and fall apart. to be so irrevocably cherished. (to be loved.)

---

and if the mimic ever asks them if they think they'll ever get to go back home? (an uneasy question, as it makes him think of being left alone in this hopeless, dreary world)

well— scar and grian both just go silent. (it's a too heavy question. destabilising. horribly painful.) (it's too much to admit they don't really hold hope. not anymore. not after all this time.) (the only thing they have left of their home is each other, and they'll fight this world tooth and nail to keep that.)

[orchidbark]

Tumblr has been such a formative site throughout my adulthood. Yes I'm a tumblr old, I'm sorry. But when I was a kid there wasn't anything like this. We all made geocities or angelfire websites and shared our cringy writing and art that way and we loved it.

But tumblr took me out of my tiny comfort zone many times. I learned a lot of stuff about myself and about other people that I might have learned about eventually anyway, but idk... my mind was open then, and maybe it would have been more closed off later. Who can say. But I can safely say that without it, I would not have come to understand my identity as it is, when I did.

Tumblr feels as close to the old internet as any site could nowadays. It was never perfect, not ever, but it always sort of felt like the lesser of many evils. We're all aware it's been circling the drain for a while. What's happening now, sadly, isn't anything new, but it seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back for many people.

I made a Bluski a little while back, I just made a cohost today, I've had a furaffinity page for a bit now, and I don't know, maybe there'll be more too. I encourage you to follow me on these places, and mutual please let me know if you have an account on these sites too!

But that sucks doesn't it? We're already all here now, and if tumblr dies tomorrow, everyone's going to choose the places they go to, and they're not all going to be the same. Twitter was never a big deal to me, but when twitter started falling apart that was a huge loss for so many people who had staked their following there. The parallels are obvious. Tumblr was already pretty small to begin with and that means the people that make up "the queerest site on the internet" will subdivide again, creating smaller and smaller communities.

There's no possible way we can coordinate a complete move to another site, and even if we could, there's no way to tell if that site will be around longer than a year, or if a userbase ever manifests. Discord servers are a great idea to keep in touch with folks, but I'm not a fan of those as a replacement (though obviously it's perfect for folks who just want to keep in touch but do not want to attract attention).

I like tumblr, insofar as you can like a social media website. But tumblr as a site is nothing without the gay little weirdos. And if my fellow gay little weirdos aren't here then what's the point of being here? It feels like Cohost might be the way forward, but we can never know for sure.

I plan to stay here as long as there is a here to stay, but I guess, idk I'm gearing up to leave at a moment's notice. That's just how it looks like it might be from now on, unless something changes to correct course. If a move never comes then great, but I'd rather be prepared.

[pisoprano]

Trick or treat

I had to reformat all of this to be comprehensible to someone who isn’t me, but here is the old version of the scene that takes place during pages 16-18 of Runaway Catwalker (i.e., the scene where Mayura tries to dig for any dirt about Adrien).

In this version, there isn't a lie detector sentimonster keeping the heroes restrained and honest yet, Mayura instead makes a senti of Chat Noir to use as a mouthpiece while she stays safe and sound in her own bedroom. Ladybug is not included in this version of the conversation—she sees Catwalker and SentiNoir talking from afar, but she doesn’t hear anything they say to each other. Catwalker is also a bit more willing to play Mayura's game here, whereas in the comic I thought it made more sense for him to simply stop answering all of Mayura’s nosey questions. While I think a lot of the changes I made were better for the story overall, there are parts of this that I wish I could have included in the final version, I just couldn’t quite manage to find a way to make them fit.

SentiNoir holds up his hands in surrender.

Catwalker: “Is this a set up for making Ladybug guess who the real black cat wielder is? Because I doubt you know her partner well enough to fool her when lesser akumas have tried.”

Mayura (via SentiNoir): “This is Mayura. I only want to talk to you.”

Catwalker: “Don’t come any closer or make any sudden movements, and I’ll consider it. Also, use your powers to destroy something so I know you can’t use it against me.”

SentiNoir destroys his own baton.

Mayura: “Shadowmoth remains unaware of Chat Noir’s secret identity.”

Catwalker: “You expect me to believe that, with all the times you two have tried to unmask the heroes, you wouldn’t immediately tell your partner in crime who one of them was?”

Mayura: “That was before I discovered that I was personally acquainted with Chat Noir’s secret identity. Enough to care about his well-being and not want to put a target on his back. Enough to recognize that it is in everyone’s best interest that no one learn Chat Noir’s identity, Shadowmoth included.”

Catwalker (internally): She knows me? In person? And I never suspected a thing? Thank goodness I was paranoid enough to cut off everyone in my life or I would be so screwed right now.

Catwalker: “Interesting. I presume that your charity towards Chat Noir does not extend to me?”

Mayura: “Our goals have not changed. The wielders of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses are still our enemy. But it is convenient that Chat Noir has removed himself from the line of fire, and for that I will hold off on attacking you today.”

Catwalker: “Very generous of you. Why tell me of your connection to Chat Noir at all? Or is this merely a ploy to get me to reveal information about where he has gone or get him to come back? One problem with that: he never told me anything about his secret identity or intended location. So I couldn’t corroborate your story even if it was true.

Mayura: “You expect me to believe that you don’t know who he is?”

Catwalker: “Ladybug didn’t even tell Chat Noir any of the temporary heroes’ identities after someone else found out. There is no reason for him to leak his identity more than it has already.”

Mayura: “What about to protect his family? You can’t protect them if you don’t know who they are.”

Catwalker: “We protect all of Paris. Chat Noir’s family would be included in that if they were ever put in danger, whether or not we knew who they were to him.”

Mayura: “And what if I were to say that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste?”

Catwalker (internally): Time to sell this. She needs to believe that I am useless as a source of information about where Adrien is now.

Catwalker: “You really have no shame, do you? Adrien is a missing child and you’re just going to twist his circumstances to spin a narrative that no one in their right mind would believe?”

Mayura: “It’s true: Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir.”

Catwalker: “Let’s assume you’re not lying—leaving aside the logistics of how someone that famous could possibly pull off a superhero double-life. That completely undermines your other outlandish claim, that Shadowmoth somehow doesn’t know who Chat Noir is. Assuming that he is Adrien, the fact that recent akumas have been hunting Adrien would be proof that Shadowmoth knows he had a secret identity.”

Mayura: “Shadowmoth knows that I do not wish Adrien to come to harm and just wants to help me to reunite with him. Nothing more.”

Catwalker: “Whether he was Chat Noir or not, sending akumas after the poor kid is hardly going to make him think that he’s safe to return. Try akumatizing someone else for once and Adrien might consider coming back home.”

Mayura: “He might not come back at all if something doesn’t make him!”

Catwalker: “If you really believe that, then you don’t ‘care about him’, you just want to control him.”

Mayura: “Believe what you want. But know this: if Chat Noir ever wields a miraculous again, I will tell Shadowmoth the truth of his identity. Yes, I could be lying, but do you really want to take the chance that I’m not?”

Catwalker: “What is your proof that you know personally know Chat Noir’s civilian identity as well as you claim?”

[cut a couple alternate exchanges that are redundant here]

Mayura: “You are able to talk to the kwami that powers your miraculous, yes?”

Catwalker: “He starts blowing bubbles if he tries to mention the name of his previous holder to me, so he won’t be a useful source of information.”

Mayura: “No, but he does know the boy well enough to confirm that I know things about him that only someone sufficiently close could know. That should help prove my sincerity, hm?”

[scene break]

Catwalker: “Alright then. Prove you’re close to the real Chat Noir. Tell me something like, I don’t know, his favorite cookie flavor?”

Mayura: “Passionfruit.”

Catwalker (internally): Pretty sure that was published in a magazine somewhere, but the fact that she knew without hesitation means that she doesn’t just know my name and face by casual reputation alone.

Catwalker: “I suppose I don’t have enough information to tell if you’re right, so I’ll just file that tidbit away for now. Does he have any allergies? Wait, never mind, he was always sneezing at Mr. Pigeon, so that isn’t private enough. What are his parents’ names?”

Mayura: “That sounds more like you are the one fishing for Chat Noir’s identity. If I am not telling Shadowmoth who he is, why do you think I would tell you?”

Catwalker: “You come up with something, then.”

Mayura: “Chat Noir at one point was—and perhaps may still be—under the misapprehension that his father made him something for a recent birthday. The gift was actually from someone else entirely. You can tell because the true creator signed it.”

Catwalker (internally): The scarf wasn’t from Father? If it really wasn’t… Wait, this is absolutely a trap. I didn’t take the scarf with me when I left—I didn’t want to chance anything that Father or his company had made being seen on my person. So now she’s baiting Chat Noir to break back into the mansion to retrieve the scarf while she’s on the lookout so she can capture me once and for all.

Catwalker: “If Chat Noir is mistaken about something, how do you expect me to fact check it? If he didn’t know something, it’s unlikely his former kwami does.”

Mayura: “Anything more specific would risk exposing my secret identity. Take my information or leave it.”

Catwalker: “Very well. Anything else you feel like sharing?”

Mayura: “Just that if your predecessor had learned what Shadowmoth and I have been working towards this whole time, he likely would have wanted us to succeed.”

Catwalker: “Somehow I doubt that. You have proven yourselves more than willing to abuse, assault, and murder to get what you want. Nothing is worth that.”

Mayura: “The powers of Ladybug’s miraculous still fixes everything in the end, does it not? In Shadowmoth’s hands, that would not change. But I see I will not convince you. Too heroic for your own good, I suppose. And since my time is almost up, I bid you good evening, Catwalker.”

Mayura snaps SentiNoir out of existence.

[workingforitallthetime]

Idk if've you've talked about this before, but do you have any thoughts on US hockey development? I forget exactly what it was (I think that podcast/interview at Granger with Thom and Matty) but umich player(s) talked about the NTDP and mentioned debate about if it was actually better for every player on the team or if it just benefitted a few.

I was thinking about this today with Gavin winning the b1g hockey player award and how he wasn't on the NTDP team other than U18 worlds or whatever. Is it better to be a top 6 guy on another USHL team than it is to be a bottom 6 guy on the NTDP team?

i always go back to something vincent trocheck said: if you're american, your dream is to make the NTDP and then play NCAA hockey. period.

so i think it's safe to say that there aren't a lot of guys opting out of the NTDP in favor of other USHL teams. anecdotally, i'm familiar with more stories about players who opted out in favor of the CHL (like trocheck ultimately did: he says he got seduced by the OHL atmosphere, although i suspect most guys who go this route just don't want to go to college. lot of dumb hockey players out there!)

as far as whether it's "better" to be a top-six player elsewhere than a bottom-sixer at the NTDP, i doubt it. even if you're a bottom sixer in the NTDP, you're getting access to better facilities/expertise for strength and conditioning and skill development. you also make important connections: if you ever want to play for the national team, you've got a leg up if you're an ntdp product, and you're also forming bonds with a bunch of high-end players who could vouch for you somewhere down the road when you're looking for a bottom-six role in the NHL. i also think there's benefit in the NTDP's iron-sharpens-iron philosophy. if you spend two years trying to defend trevor zegras and jack hughes every day, you're likely going to come out a better player than if you spent those years skating with less skilled 19- and 20-year-olds elsewhere in the USHL. this interview with hunter mckown touches on some of the above and has interesting insight into what it's like to be a lesser-known ntdp player.

also, the NTDP isn't a life sentence. if it's not working for guys, they leave. gracyn sawchyn was in the same NTDP class as the bc line and he left for the WHL after his 17 year. it paid off for him; he ended up an important piece of the t-birds' championship run and got drafted in the second round. but the fact that most guys stay at the NTDP for a full two years seems like a good indicator that even the bottom half of the roster feels like they're better served there than elsewhere. they're certainly not without options if they're not happy with what they're getting at the NTDP.

[myheartismadeofstars]

idk maybe it's me, but I didn't really see Sunny's mom as a particularly bad mother?

"She left him alone for three days with no food!"

Did she?

We know Sunny's perception of things isn't exactly accurate. He sees what he wants, whether it's there or not. He just... doesn't see the closet. Who is to say Sunny didn't just only see the steak because it was what he was looking for? Hero makes breakfast after the sleepover and iirc he doesn't mention going to get food from home or Othermart. He cooked food that was IN THE HOUSE. Sunny probably just doesn't feel up to cooking or eating anything else (probably why she left him the steak, his favourite food. Something he could warm up and eat safely and easily, and could enjoy it (she literally says she didn't mean to leave him without power, and power seems to be restored, Sunny just doesn't use it, but again, Hero cooks. Also he had money, which very likely was from her! (probably in the hope it would encourage him to leave to do SOMETHING)

"She left her mentally ill son alone with knives!"

Boy rarely goes downstairs because he's afraid. (We do see that he can overcome this when hungry so he could still feed himself) it's not super likely that Sunny would overcome his fear enough to get downstairs to hurt himself. Is it possible? of course. But Sunny has lived for four years in the same house and could easily have taken a knife when Mom was at work.

"She never got him therapy!"

The canon game takes place in the 90's-00's. Therapy wasn't affordable yet, and especially not for a single mother who had to pay for a funeral and a divorce, while still paying for bills and mortgage. Not to mention, therapy can only help if you want help. Sunny couldn't open up to anyone. Plus, what was she supposed to do? Drag him out of bed, down the stairs and into the car? That wouldn't be very productive. She probably tried, but was unable to convince him (nothing said she can't get him therapy now if he's willing to so)

"She didn't do anything about him locking himself up and sleeping all the time"

Who says? Also, Hero's parents didn't either. There were two of them, but Hero stayed in a depressed funk for almost a year, he came out of it on his own. Who's to say Hero's parents wouldn't have let him mope for years?

The only things I can really say with any certainty that she did wrong was: forget to tell the power company they needed a couple days (she's busy guys), leave Sunny for three days straight (certainly an issue but most teenagers are more than capable of caring for themselves for a few days), and be a tad condescending to him in her messages and notes.

Meanwhile I personally think Hero and Kel's mom is a much more insidious parent, showing blatant favouritism and treating Hero as the Golden Child but it also seems like Hero is a bit parentified as well, seeming like he had to take care of Kel (snapping out of his year long depression when he realized his parents didn't care about Kel's pain implies a history of him being the only one who cared) Hero, and to a lesser extent Kel, kinda have boundary issues (Both get very involved in things that are other people's issue and Hero goes to get the pictures of Mari, disregarding Aubrey literally saying she didn't want them in there). Hero and Kel's mom also constantly plays the victim. "The dinner I worked so hard on went cold while you were out *checks notes* saving your friend from drowning" and "I can't believe you want to spend time with your friend who is moving away instead of with me, who you will be living with for the rest of the summer" to Hero feeling like he should go all the way to Fix-It to get flowers for her to make her feel better about him... spending time with friends. Sounds like she guilt trips him pretty hard, not to mention convincing him to give up his dream to do what she wanted... that doesn't seem like a very good mother to me...

[getonite]

msmsksj m so normal rn !! >/////< s a bit long s'be warned !! ^_^

Okayokay- so there are these twins, Lumine n Aether, the game kinda lets yu pick which twin you want, but for simplicity sakes m gonna use Aether as the MC.

The twins r interstellar travelers, meanin they travel through different worlds together. They reach Teyvat n try to leave, but an Unknown God doesn't let em and separate the twins.

Fast forward 500 years, Aether wakes up n fishes this weird floating creature (that looks oddly similar to the Unknown God, very suspicious) out of the ocean. Her name is Paimon, and she decides to be Aether's (everyone calls him Traveler) guide and help him find his sister.

They make it t' Mondstat, a place based on Germany to see if she's (Lumine) there, and to meet the God of freedom, Barbatos. They don't, but they solve the storms that were reigning over due to Barbatos' (or Venti since that's the name he disguises himself under) pet dragon getting corrupted by the Abyss Order (remember that name beaches they're very important).

We learn that all Archons have this silly little chess piece looking thing called a Gnosis, which connects them to Celestia (basically kinda like Genshin's version of heaven, it's where the heavenly principles stays, she's Genshin's version of God). The Cryo (Ice) archon wants all the Gnosis' to overthrow the heavenly principles (if my lore knowledge s servin me correctly!!)

Traveler n Paimon decide to visit all the nations to ask the archon's if they know where Lumine went. The entire journey is pretty much same old same old until they meet Dainsleif.

Dansleif is the Twilight Sword (tip top Military man !!) who lived in a nation called Khaenri'ah. Dainsleif reveals that he was close go Lumine, and after the destruction of his home nation (The heavenly principles & the archons did because Khaenri'ah was a nation without a God, and they were gettin too advanced for their own good) they traveled together until Lumine got into contact with the Abyss Order, and became the Abyss Princess.

She tells Aether that the world of Teyvat isn't a nice/safe space, and that she'll find him when she's taken over Celestia. That he's come too late, and that they've always had enough time.

He continues searching through Teyvat with Paimon, saving nations and talking to Archon's who don't tell him even the finest bit of information about his sister, until they reach Sumeru.

[For base knowledge, the known Archons are: Barbatos (Venti), God of freedom. Morax (Zhongli), God of contracts/commerce. Beelzebul (Raiden Ei), God of Eternity. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata (Sumeru's old God, who is dead during the current timeline of Genshin)/ Lesser Lord Kusanali (Nahida), God of wisdom. And Focalors (Furina), God of Justice.]

Nahida tells the traveler that Lumine is a part of Irminsul (basically government files) and that she belongs to Teyvat, which shouldn't be possible because Aether isn't a part of Irminsul, and they got to Teyvat the same way/time.

Nothing has been said about Lumine in Fontaine (the newest reigon) so that's basically it.

Jus a disclaimer that somethings might not be 100% accurate, I typed all this from the top of m head (0^ ^0) hopefully this helps though!!

f you're confused about anythin' m always here t'answer!! :33

ty! i appreciate the help. bc omg that game is so fucking complicated.

what about fontaine lore in general? and also, i keep getting different reasons as to why Khaenri'ah was destroyed. idk which one it is 😭

but ty! i do wonder what exactly is the abyss order? there's so many concepts i dont get 😖

[countlessrealities]

{ For context, just in case: related to this - ft @holoharbinger / @creationtainted }

It takes Vaggie a great deal of self-control not growl as she's faced with Alastor's condescending expression. It's impressive how he can convey his emotions, when he chooses to at least, despite the ever-present creepy as fuck grin on his face.

Or, at least, she would find it impressive if it wasn't annoying beyond reason.

"Let's skip over you judging me or whatever you're doing inside that head of yours and talk business. What you'll get out of the deal? You know that I know, so no need to go there. And, for the record, no, I won't make a deal with you in exchange. Maybe I'll owe you one, but I'm not formalising it."

It's bad enough that Charlie has done it to recruit Rosie's cannibals. The last thing she wants is to give the Radio Demon more power over them.

"Will you or won't you talk Adam into making a deal with you so he'll stay here permanently?"

Alastor tilts his head on one side, eyes never leaving her face. Unlike Vaggie, he seemed to be in no hurry to wrap that conversation up. When she approached him stating that he wanted to speak to him in private, he hadn't expected that this would be the subject of their talk. And yet, there they were, having tea together while discussing Adam, of all things.

How curious. Delightfully so.

"A formal deal? That hadn't even crossed my mind!" He claims with a laugh, eyes narrowing slightly. "I know exactly what you think of such affairs. Why would I ever waste my time trying to force one on you?" Unless she was that desperate, but this isn't the case. "I was merely wondering why you, of all people, are going to such lengths to secure a safe haven for Adam. One would expect you to wish the worst on him."

He takes a slow sip from his mug, purposefully dragging it on to get on her nerves.

"Do you have a secret soft spot for our newly fallen angel, my dear?"

"Hell no." Vaggie's answer is almost a little too quick, but she pretends not to have noticed. She already had to explain herself to Vox, she's not having that conversation with Alastor too. "I'm choosing the lesser evil. Either he's in here with us, getting his ego humbled, or he's out there, having all the reasons to stay his unbearable asshole self. I'm choosing the former, even if it means seeing him every day."

The Radio Demon's smirk subtly sharpens, but it's not lost on her. The motherfucker is laughing at her, but she won't give him the satisfaction of showing how much it gets on her nerves.

"So," she continues instead, "either you make a deal with Adam or you ask Vox out, so I can get our Flopmaster to join the crew. Your choice."

That second option leaves Alastor openly puzzled for a moment, before he manages to hide his confusion behind his usual façade. He's not easily caught off guard, but it seems like Vaggie is hellbent on surprising him today.

"Why would I do such a thing?" He asks, and the question is genuine, unlike most of the ones he voices. "And I don't see how it would help winning that little bet you made."

"Because he has that super weird crush on you, duh. You must know that." A pause. "...Right?"

Well, apparently he did not, and it's painfully obvious from the frozen expression on his face, like a deer caught in the headlights...as ironic as it is. A creepy, smiling deer, but one nonetheless.

"How are you friends with Rosie when you can't even tell...? Lord, he's the only one who cared that you were gone and knows exactly for how long. He even made a whole fucking TV broadcast about you coming back and..."

She's wasting her breath, isn't she?

"Never mind. Just...think about it and let me know, alright? The sooner, the better. It's a bit of a time-sensitive matter."

A long beat of silence passes between them, then Alastor speaks up once more, eyes glowing bright red.

"Of course, my dear Vaggie. I will give you an answer with haste. But you must allow me some time to mull it over. After all, you have given me plenty to consider."