#in honor of the fallout show coming out

[mamozshu]

Give him a hand, yeah?

[trashocalypse]

Rimworld: Anomaly (but queer) livestream

AYYYY Okay finally figured out what I want to do! We're going to play a slightly altered version of the Anomaly update, where everyone is gay! Lesbians in space trying to figure out Eldritch horror-terrors!!

LETS GO (Live in about 10 mins)

EDIT: Driver somehow got out of date between yesterday and today so we'll be up asap!

[falloutstasis]

Picking up the little extras of life

Kelsey didn't think she'd find the Super Duper Market, but she did. Somehow, it was a little bigger than the ones she saw back at Washington, D.C or Boston. That or the structure was a little different.

"Finally, I found it." She lifted up the old walkie-talkie that was given to her and The Ghoul.

She raised it next to her head. "Hey, Mr. Ghoul. I found the market."

From the other end of the walkie-talkie, she could hear the Ghoul's voice. "Well, do you see the target?"

She looked through the window and as expected, it was in ruins. Not only it was in ruins, there was no one in there. It was a little to creepy. Viola told her that there should be a bunch of raiders in there and there wasn't in the building.

"Nope. Coast looks clear, so I'm going to go inside to see if I can find Michael."

Michael was the one who kept terrorizing a town in the Boneyard with his gang of raiders. In the same town that the Ghoul was resting in. It just so happened that Kelsey was also in the same town, saving the towns folk of the area. After treating the Ghoul with minor injuries, she was tasked into killing Michael and whatever raiders that got in her way.

The Ghoul, was a well known bounty hunter, gave this job to Kelsey instead and he told her that if she finishes this job, he'll agree to hiring her as his doctor.

Of course, Kelsey was no stranger to the merc job business, so she agreed to the terms.

When she entered the market, she was meet with a loud banging noise that caught her off guard. It can be heard at the other end of the walkie-talkie because Kelsey's was left on and The Ghoul heard her screaming.

She could feel the Ghoul's shit eating grin at his end of the walkie-talkie. "Shut up."

"I never said anything."

"Shut. Up."

The market was pretty much bigger, given how it looked on the outside. One of the first things she saw was an old movie poster on the wall. It looked like a wild west movie poster and when she got close to it, at the bottom middle of the post it read "STARRING COOPER HOWARD".

"Huh."

"What did you find?"

"Some old wild west movie poster with a cowboy on the cover. It's called 'The Man from Deadhorse.' Starring Cooper Howard."

When she read the movie title dramatically, there were soft giggles in the background from the Ghoul's walkie-talkie, probably the children that heard her talk.

"If I'm being honest, he kinda looks like an asshole."

There was this awkward pause between her and the Ghoul.

"Hey?"

There was no response. She kept going and as she did, she ran up to a couple of feral ghouls, which she took care with ease with her Plasma Defender.

"Hello? EARTH TO THE COWBOY IN TOWN! ARE YOU THERE?"

"Hey, don't fucking yell, alright?" Finally, the Ghoul's voice rang through the walkie-talkie. This time he sounded a little too annoyed. "I'm still here."

"Geez, I was trying to see if you still there."

"Yeah, and that's probably why the ghouls to you because you were yelling so loud."

Now it was Kelsey's turn to be annoyed. "Hey, you don't have to get snippy with me! I was concerned!"

"Michael, I hear someone!"

Kelsey quickly hid behind a shelve and put on her mask. From there, she could hear yelling not to far away to where she was.

"Michael, someone blasted these feral ghouls to smitheries! Someone's been here!"

"Don't panic, moron! Let me handle this..."

Michael stepped out from a room, got him to appear in front where all the freezers used to be.

"Fucking show yourself, you coward! We know your out there!"

She didn't reveal herself. Instead, she continued to yell, "Oh, that's real rich, tough guy! You go over to a town, sneak attack defenseless people, you blind side The Ghoul by shotting his leg, and you almost shot a child! If anyone is a coward here is you, asshole!"

"Well, it's a real good thing I don't give a shit, do I? It's a tough world out there and someone's gotta teach those kids a lesson."

As she was talking to Michael, she was getting her Laser Scythe, Duality, set up. She grabbed the two handles and combined them into one.

"Well, guess what."

With one twist, it locked the scythe and a purple laser blade appeared at the top of the scythe.

"I don't care either."

The raider just so happened to be near the shelve where Kelsey was hiding behind. So with enough force, she was able to push the shelve as fast as she could, crushing and killing the raider instantly.

To make sure the raider was actually dead, she took on swift strike through the shelve and through the body. There was blood pouring out on the floor and some of it got to the shelve, so it was safe to say she got him.

This action scared the hell out of Michael and caused him to stumble backwards.

"I'm gonna make sure you'll never hurt those kids again. For good."

"N-No..no, no!"

No other words had been said, because Micheal's head was cut through his neck. After killing him, she started searching for his belongings. But the item she was looking for wasn't with him.

"Shit."

"Hey, you okay there? You went dark for a moment there."

Kelsey quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie, put away Duality, and responded to The Ghoul. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Michael's dead, by the way."

"Well done, grasshopper. Come back with his finger and we'll work out the terms for working with me. Also Viola said she'll reward you when you get back."

Right away, Kelsey stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait, wait, wait." She pinched where the bridge of her nose used to be. "I'm literally 45 years old. I'm not a grasshopper."

"Yeah, well I'm over 200 years old. So that makes you the grasshopper."

Kelsey groaned in annoyance, putting the walkie-talkie on her belt. "Whatever, old man."

She kept looking for the item she was looking for and entered into the room that Michael was just in. She basically ransacked the entire area until she found a stitched up teddy bear with purple paint stains on its ear and the belly area.

"Found it!"

She took the teddy bear and put it in her bag. From the small pocket on her bag that was on the side, she grabbed a combat knife and went over to Michael's dead body. She did her best cutting the index finger off of the hand, below the knuckle.

"Time to head back."

The minute she turned around, there were a bunch of ghouls making her way. She could have sworn that she saw at least a dozen of them in the area. Some of them were still crawling through the various holes on the wall and the roof.

"Huh. No wonder there was just two raiders here."

"You made a lot of noise again, didn't you?"

"Shut up!"

She raced towards the ghouls and swinged her scythe to the ones that got in between her the way out of the Super Duper Market.

[minisugakoobies]

The Rules - Part 1 | Bang Chan

Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader Genre: smut, crack, strangers to lovers, Weddingl!AU Rating: M (18+) Warnings: drinking, kissing, exhibitionism, reader gets fingerfucked in public, dirty talk, a little bit of praise, Fuckboi!Chan has a tongue ring and a lip ring, his charisma is off the charts, reader's got impulse control problems Word Count: 4K Disclaimers: NSFW, obviously I don’t own SKZ - they just inspire me

Summary: When your cousin asked you to be a bridesmaid, she gave you three simple rules to follow. Number one: Don't be late. Number two: Don't get super wasted. And rule number three: Don't fuck Chan.

A/N: This came from a request sent by @aprylynn back in, ummmm, let's not focus on how long this took and just enjoy 😆 This is just part 1, so let me know what you think - like if you want more! 💕

SKZ Masterlist

(dividers by @/saradika)

When your cousin asked you to be a bridesmaid, she gave you three simple rules to follow:

Number one: Don't be late. "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is to get cut out of the family. Don't think Halmeoni won't drop you from her will if I ask."

Number two: Don't get super wasted. "What if I have a bridal emergency and you're completely zooted, upchucking wine spritzers in the bathroom?" As if you'd drink a wine spritzer.

And rule number three: Don't fuck Chan.

She announced the third rule the first time you gathered with her and her other bridesmaids to discuss wedding details. Chan, it turned out, was her fiancé's "Best Bro" from his college frat days.

"Binnie was in a frat? Huh," was your response upon learning this new factoid.

Sun Hee rolled her eyes. "I know, it's weird, but he's grown up a lot since I met him. Chan, on the other hand…" she grimaced. "He's a fuckboy. Of the highest magnitude. S-class. A summa cum fuckboy."

"More like a someone's gonna come fuckboy, amiright?" maid of honor Ji-won snarked, cracking herself up, but she quickly stopped when Sun Hee gave her the evil eye.

"And that's bad because…" you drawled.

"Because every goddamn time one of my friends hooks up with his slutty ass, they completely lose their shit. And I! Do! Not! Have the time to deal with the fallout!" Sun Hee clapped her hands after each word, like a deranged cheerleader. "So keep your hands and your holes away from that man!"

At first, when you met the groomsmen at the engagement party, you thought to yourself that Sun Hee's rule was unnecessary. Apparently, Changbin only hung out with other ridiculously good-looking guys. Any one of them could probably show you an amazing time, if you so desired. 

And then Bang Chan walked in.

Out of curiosity, you'd looked the guy up, scouring Changbin's insta for old photos. Just so you could see what all the fuss was about. It was pretty easy to identify why Sun Hee's friends were apparently throwing themselves at the man, between his muscular build, his warm eyes, and his heart-melting smile. And as a semi-famous music producer, he's a star on the rise, which only adds to his allure. But holy shit, you were not prepared for the charisma.

He strolled into the room in a leather jacket like he was walking onto a stage, radiating confidence from every inch of his rather thick frame, as if expecting an audience to start applauding at his presence. Maybe that's why you weren't surprised to see Changbin and his friends light up as they caught sight of their friend.

Of course, they weren't the only ones to notice him.

"Oh damn, look at the snack that just walked in," Ji-won whispered, tugging on your sleeve. "He's tasty."

"Yeah he is," another bridesmaid, Hae, piped up. "Is it too late to call dibs?"

"Gawi bawi bo!" Ji-won suddenly yelled, but you grabbed her hand as she threw a scissors symbol into the air.

"Sorry, ladies, but the bride's rules trump rock, paper, and scissors. That's Chan."

“That’s Chan? Well, shit.” Ji-won pauses. “Okay. Dibs on Jisung!” 

“Wait a minute!”

Ignoring the horny squabbling going on beside you, you discreetly ogle Chan over the rim of your cocktail. Changbin really needs to update his insta, because you were not prepared for Chan’s blond hair. Or the lip ring. Or, fuck, you nearly choke on your old fashioned as Chan laughs and something silvery inside his open mouth catches your eye. Is that a tongue ring too?!

This man could not be more your type. Absolute catnip, and your kitty is eager for a taste.

Whoa now. Deep breaths. You can do this. You have to do this, because otherwise you’ll let your cousin down. You can practically hear her disapproving tone right now. 

“Don’t even think about it.” 

With a startled jump, you realize Sun Hee is standing next to you. 

“Think about what?” you inquire, stirring your drink super casually. Like the most casually anyone’s ever stirred anything. Unbothered little rotations. 

Sun Hee is not easily dissuaded. “Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I mean.” 

“I promise you, I’m not thinking anything.” If only that were true. You’d give anything to be head empty no thoughts right now. 

“I really wish I believed that,” Sun Hee sighs. “We both know you have a problem with… self-control.” 

You open your mouth to argue, but she merely points to the glass in your hand, and you quickly snap it shut. You’ve only been at the party for maybe half an hour, and this is your second drink.

Sun Hee’s not wrong. It’s well known to all your friends that you have a tendency to eagerly embrace all the delights life has to offer. Maybe “eagerly” isn’t the right word. “Greedily” might be more accurate. Often, unfortunately, to your detriment. But how can you resist, when the universe is constantly throwing so many pleasures your way - especially when they come in such gorgeous packages as Chan?

“Yeah, okay, maybe sometimes I indulge myself a little, but I told you I wouldn’t sleep with him, so relax, okay? I’m not going to do anything to ruin your big day. I promise you!” 

Sun Hee squints as she examines your face. Whatever she sees makes her smile, shoulders dropping in relief. “Thank you. Now let’s get this party started!” 

As she and Changbin greet their guests, you take another long look at Chan. He turns suddenly, catching your eye. Your breathing nearly stops when his gaze sweeps over you from head to toe. Then he smirks, tongue ring flashing as he licks his lips. 

Fuck. Okay. You can do this. You just need to exert a little willpower. Reign in those bad instincts of yours. Should be a piece of cake. 

Right?

Somehow, the god of parties is on your side. Maybe it’s the drink you spill as you look for a spot to sit for dinner that pleases them - your tipsy faux pas is accepted as an offering. Whatever the reason, you manage to dodge Chan all evening. 

He does offer you the seat next to him at dinner, but Ji-won waves you over to her table, so you refuse him with a polite shake of your head. Ji-won quickly engages you in assisting her with talking to Jisung, but all you end up saying is “Hey Jisung, haaave you met Ji-won?” before Ji-won takes over. Gal’s a talker, which is good, because Jisung’s a bit on the quiet side. Or maybe he just can’t find a place to jump into the conversation, since Ji-won doesn’t appear to need to breathe in order to speak. 

After dinner comes more cocktails and gifts. While the maid of honor hands out gifts for Sun Hee and Changbin to open, you ignore Chan’s smile in favor of writing a list of who brought what, to help your cousin with her thank you notes later. Your Halmeoni would be so proud. 

By the time the festivities wind down, you feel you’ve dodged a bullet. As everyone says their goodbyes, you linger behind, helping your cousin and Changbin carry their ridiculous haul of presents into their car. The trunk is stuffed full as you attempt to shove one more box onto the pile, only for an avalanche of ribbons and envelopes to send it clattering to the ground. 

“Here, let me,” a pleasant voice hums in your ear as your fingers extend, reaching for the box, only for it to be swept up by another hand. And, of course, that hand is connected to the man you’ve been carefully avoiding all night. Guess the party gods have abandoned you.

“Thank you,” you reply politely, studiously avoiding his eyes as Chan beams at you. Jesus, he could literally light up a room with that megawatt smile. 

“No worries.” He helps to push some of the packages back, preventing another deluge. “I’m Chan, by the way. I didn’t get a chance to introduce m’self earlier.” 

You grant him a quick smile as you state your name, then glance over his shoulder, looking for backup - someone you can excuse yourself to catch up to, pretend they’re your ride home. But of course, everyone else is gone now, and your cousin and Changbin are back inside the restaurant, settling the bill. 

“Am I holding you up from something?” 

“Hmm?” You finally let yourself meet his gaze. It’s like you’ve been hit with the full force of the sun. Chan’s smile intensifies, eyes crinkling as he laughs lightly, and it’s too late, you can already feel yourself melting. 

“You look like you’re looking for something. Or someone?” 

“Oh. No, sorry, I was just making sure I hadn’t dropped anything on the way to the car,” you lie, clearing your throat awkwardly. 

Chan nods, sliding his hands into his pockets as he leans against the car. “So… you’re Sun Hee’s cousin, right?”

You nod. 

“She told me that you live here too,” he says. “It’s been years since I’ve been in town. I was thinking - since I’m gonna be here a few times between now and the wedding, I should find someone who can show me around a bit. Let me know what’s good.” He rolls his tongue over his lip ring. “Think you could help me out?”

Every time he drags his eyes down your body, you have to suppress a shiver of anticipation. He’s being incredibly obvious about what he means by showing him what’s good. 

“I - “ can’t think of a valid excuse because you’re too busy picturing what he can do with that tongue ring. “I don’t know how much free time I’ll have, with everything Sun Hee needs me to do for the wedding. She’s gonna be so busy. So, um, I don’t think I can. Help you.” Not your smoothest response, but not the worst, either.

Chan’s eyebrow rises slightly. He looks away, nodding. “Right, of course. Can’t let your cousin down, can ya? So…” He pushes himself off the car, taking a step towards you. “What about tonight then? Any plans?” 

Not a single one. An alarm goes off in your head as he takes another step closer. “Tonight?” 

“Yeah. Maybe we could go somewhere and talk? I know I could just ask ‘Bin for suggestions, but…” he shrugs. “He’s pretty busy too. And honestly? He’s gotten all mellow on me. Too boring and settled-down, y’know?” 

You laugh at his bluntness. “Binnie’s always been this way, as long as I’ve known him. You’re telling me he used to be different?” 

“Oh, you have no idea,” he hums, winking. “The stories I could tell… why don’t you let me buy you a drink, and maybe I’ll share a few?”

It’s very tempting, especially the thought of hearing some (hopefully) embarrassing tales about Changbin. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? One drink wouldn’t be too much, even given how much you’ve already had this evening. You’ll give him some suggestions of places to check out while he’s in town, he’ll divulge some of Binnie’s college shenanigans, and then you’ll say you’re tired and bounce. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

And then suddenly it’s two hours and several drinks later, and you’re nowhere near home. 

You had originally suggested going to a favorite spot, a bar owned by a friend where you could drink for cheap (and also potentially have someone who could bail you out if things with Chan got a little hot and heavy), but upon arriving had found it closed for repairs of some sort. Chan’s hotel just happened to be a block away and it just happened to have a really nice bar, so you thought, why not?

Why not, indeed, you’re thinking to yourself, playing with the melting ice in your empty glass. Why not sit side-by-side in the booth, so you can hear each other better? You really didn’t want to miss a single word he said. Why not let Chan drape his arm around your shoulders, since the bar has the air conditioning set to arctic blast and your sundress is not nearly as warm as its namesake? 

Chan has been nothing but a polite gentleman since you sat down, keeping you laughing with all of his deliciously embarrassing tales, to the point that your worries about crossing the line so firmly set by Sun Hee fade from your mind. 

“And after that, we were banned from ever visiting Ikea again,” Chan finishes, a crooked grin crossing his face as he waits for you to stop laughing.

You wipe a tear from the corner of your eye. “I cannot believe Binnie did that! That is… just the greatest story I’ve ever heard,” you inform him. “Thank you so, so much for sharing that.” 

Chan nods, leaning back against the vinyl of the booth seat. “Now, you’re not gonna run off and snitch to Changbin, are you? Tell him I’ve divulged all his dirty secrets?” 

You press your hand to your chest, looking scandalized. “Absolutely not! I would never. Everything you’ve told me stays with me.” You pause. “Until I need it.” 

“Fair.” His grin returns, cheekier than ever. “If you’re gonna use it for blackmail, I will be expecting a cut. Just to warn ya.” 

A server stops by your table to grab your empty glasses and drop off the check. It feels like the perfect opportunity to bring the night to a close - thank Chan for the drinks, since he didn’t even attempt to argue with you about paying, simply dropped his card on the tray, thank him for the gossip, and bid him a good evening. 

But no. You’re you, and so instead of saying “Thank you” or “Good night,” you say,

“I think we could come to an arrangement.” 

Chan tilts his head, eyes roaming from your smiling lips down to your goose-dimpled thighs and back, and you realize you may have miscalculated a bit. Because the sweet expression on his face has vanished, replaced by a look of hunger so ravenous, your pulse quickens - the primal reaction of prey realizing it’s exactly where a hunter wants it. 

“Could we now?” He shifts slightly, the arm around your shoulders falling between you as he signs the receipt. He taps the pen on the table. “I like the sound of that.” 

You do too, which is why there are klaxons suddenly blaring in your head. You should really leave. Instead of sliding further into the corner of the booth as Chan casually leans forward, blocking your view of the rest of the bar. 

That’s when the hand that was at Chan’s side creeps its way onto your exposed thigh. 

“I…” you trail off, totally engrossed by his fingers as they roam, unable to tear your eyes away. They’re more callused than you’d expected, roughened tips catching slightly on your soft skin in an enticing manner. “I do too.” 

He’s just a whisper away now, deep brown eyes fixed on your mouth as he smiles, a warm thing that sharpens as he says, “Maybe we should hammer out some terms? Y’know, just in case? We don’t have to talk here…” His hand slips ever so slightly down the inward curve of your thigh. “We can take this to my room. For privacy. Unless…” 

Sucking in a breath, you meet his eyes, and let your legs fall open just a bit. Chan huffs out a pleased laugh and his hand disappears beneath your skirt. 

The klaxons in your brain are completely silent now, but thankfully the bar is not. The jazzy music drifting down from the overhead speakers covers your tiny whimper when Chan skims his fingers along the newly formed damp patch in your underwear. 

“Mmm, someone seems to be into the idea of being touched in public. Are you into that, love?” 

As a matter of fact, you are, and it’s one of the many vices that’s gotten you in trouble in the past. You just can’t help yourself. Just like right now, even knowing you should walk away, that you might make a mess of things, you’re unable to stop. 

You don’t want to stop, so you nod. 

He arranges himself so he’s propped his head up on his elbow on the table. To anyone looking at your table, it just looks like the two of you are absorbed in deep conversation, huddled close, but not close enough to cause anyone’s eye to linger. 

Or so you hope, biting your lip to stifle a whine when Chan’s fingers push your panties aside.

“Good. Cause I am, too.” And then he’s pressed his finger inside you, groaning quietly at how easily it glides through your folds. His tongue plays with the small hoop nestled in the center of his plush bottom lip. “Oh, shit, you really like this. So fucking wet, dirty girl.”

There’s no reason to argue with him. If it wasn’t clear by the ridiculous amount of slick between your legs, it’s clear by the way you cant your hips forward, trying to urge him to slip his whole middle finger in too as he teases you with the tip. With a throaty chuckle, he obliges. 

“There you go. Is that what you needed?” 

“Mmm,” you hum, muffling your moan with pursed lips. He strokes inside you languidly, enjoying the choked breaths that punch their way out of your throat, before adding another finger. 

You bow your head slightly, trying to hide behind Chan, who leans forward with a smirk, close enough for his lips to brush your cheek. If you turned your face a little, you could kiss him right now, but you’re too focused on the way he’s playing your pussy like one of his soundboards, tweaking and fondling just right, to do anything but try to breathe. 

“Can I tell you something?” he whispers. 

“A-anything.” 

“I had my eye on you all during the party. Kept trying to get your attention, wanted to convince you to go home with me tonight. ‘M glad it worked out.” 

“Who, hnngh, who said I’m going home with you?” you manage to spit out around your groans. 

Chan’s fingers still. “Wait, you don’t wanna come back to my room?” 

“I didn’t say that.” The look he gives you makes you feel dangerous, having such an irresistible man hanging on your every word. It’s such an intoxicating power. “I just meant I’m not convinced y-yet, fuck.” 

You stutter as Chan starts tracing your inner walls, caressing your g-spot hard enough to make you curse. He’s accepted the gauntlet you’ve thrown down with surprising speed, and you suck on the insides of your cheeks, biting gently into your own mouth to keep from shouting out loud.

“Something you should know about me, love - ‘m a bit competitive. I don’t back down from challenges.” 

Chan’s fingers plunge faster and faster, alternating thrusts with strokes. The more his speed increases, the more his arm flexes, biceps rippling under his tight t-shirt. If the bartender were to just glance over, he’d see the way your head is tipped back in ecstasy, and there’s no denying the pleasure flitting across your face. You could be caught so easily.

“Look at you, taking it so well. Bet you’d look so good taking my cock.”

Your eyes fall to the obvious bulge in Chan’s lap. You just know he’d feel so good. Why didn’t you take this to his room? You could be riding him right now. 

Oh well, you’ll just have to let him keep fingering you until you cum all over his hand in the middle of this bar. 

You’re getting close now, but his plunging fingers aren’t quite enough to give you what you so desperately desire. Unashamed to beg for what you want, you gasp out, “More,” hands balling into fists as tight as the knot inside you. 

Chan smirks. His thumb finds your clit. You find the edge. And fall right over. 

“Shiiiiit,” you groan, thighs twitching together, muscles contracting to trap Chan’s hand as an orgasm overtakes you, shockingly fast. So he doesn’t back down from challenges and he’s an overachiever. 

“There you go, love,” he coos. Your abdomen shakes from the force of your climax. He slowly circles your oversensitive nub until he finally stops, and one final shudder passes through you. “Made such a mess for me.” 

Your only response is a string of curse words that would send Halmeoni right to her grave. Chan laughs, bringing his hand to his mouth, and you swear again as he thoroughly cleans his fingers with his tongue, rolling the little stud over and around.

“Have I convinced you now?” he asks, eyes gleaming, tone smug. So, so smug. It’s almost shameful how hot you find that. 

You’re definitely convinced of his skills. And if you go back to his room with him, there’s no telling what other talents he might share. 

Then again… if he works this hard to impress you now….

With a polite smile, you gently pat his arm, silently asking him to give you some space to shimmy your panties back into place. His eyebrow lifts as he waits for your answer.

“Not really.” 

Based on his dazed expression, it’s pretty evident that Chan has never gotten anything less than a rave response to his skills. How absolutely delightful. Your shoulders shake with suppressed laughter as he blinks at you. 

“Thank you for the drinks. But I should really get going, got a ton of stuff to do with Sun Hee in the morning.” Not a total lie, since you do have plans for brunch with your cousin and the other bridesmaids. But brunch never usually stops you from anything. 

“Come on, love - you really want to leave now?” He’s recovered from his shock, bringing a hand up to cup your cheek. “The night’s just getting started. That was just a small taste of what could happen.” He leans in, lips just brushing your ear as he murmurs, “Don’t you want more?”

Chan’s a fighter. Good to know.

“Mmm, maybe. But not tonight.”

He pulls back, searching your gaze. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” You laugh, nudging him with your knee. Chan slowly rises to his feet, shuffling aside to let you out of the booth. The stupefied look is back. Baffled hunter realizing his trap didn’t spring. 

“Well… if you change your mind, you know where I am. Room 143.” 

He rubs the back of his neck as he speaks, and there’s something kind of sweet about it, like he’s a little unsure of himself, possibly for the first time in his life, so you place your hands lightly on his chest. Damn, he’s so solid. He could definitely rail you through the wall of this bar, if you so asked. 

But not tonight. 

“Sweet dreams, Chan.” Your words warms his lips as you cross the space between you. Even though his hands grip your hips, even though his tongue tastes like scotch, even though the moan he exhales sends shivers from your head to your toes, you break away, and head for the door. 

As you sit in the lobby, waiting for your ride, it’s impossible not to pat yourself on the back, gloating over your victory. You kept your promise to your cousin and got to tease an incredibly hot man into giving you an orgasm at the same time. But what strikes you the most was the wild glint you saw in Chan’s eye as you walked away. 

This is going to be so much fun. 

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2023 by minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost. I do not allow translations of my works.

[roach-works]

for all its (apparently many?) flaws, i really enjoyed the fallout show, and i'm ride or die for maximus, obviously. but one of the things i enjoyed about lucy's arc isn't that she wasn't necessarily proved RIGHT or WRONG about her own moral code, she didn't learn that either kindness is its own reward or that niceness is suicidal in a fight for survival.

what she learned, i am pretty sure, is that context matters. you can't actually help people if you don't know anything about them. you can't enact justice if you don't know what the case on trial is. you can't come in out of nowhere and make snap decisions and be anything more than one more complication in a situation that was fucked up long before you were born.

that's what we see over and over: she comes in out of nowhere, she makes an attempt to help based on her immediate assumption of what's going on, and then everything continues to be dangerous and complicated and fucked up. she doesn't let the stoners explain that some ghouls will genuinely try to eat you the minute they get the chance, and she pays for it. she jumps to the wrong conclusion in vault 4 because not everyone who looks like a monster IS a monster, and she pays for it. yeah a lot of the time cooper is abusing her for his own satisfaction, but when she's a free agent she's a loose canon and it's not because the show is punishing her for TRYING to do the right thing. it's because the show is punishing her for jumping to conclusions.

this show gets a lot of laughs from Fish Out Of Water situations, but i think that even though cooper explicitly says "you'll change up here and not for the better, you'll become corrupted and selfish just to survive" that's not the real message. what lucy learns is how important it is to hear people out, meet them where they're at, and get the full story.

that's why the final confrontation with her father is so important. she hears everyone out. she gets the full story. she listens to all of it. and then she acts with full knowledge of situation. that's what the wasteland taught her: not to be cruel, not to be selfish, but that taking the time to understand what's actually going on really matters.

this is a show that's incredibly concerned with truth and lies. everyone is lying to each other and themselves. scenes change over and over as they're recontextualized. love and hate and grief and hope are just motives in a million interconnected shell games, not redeeming justifications. maximus's many compounded falsehoods are approved of by his own superior, who finds a corrupt pawn more useful than an honorable one. cooper finds out his wife has her own private agenda and this betrayal keeps him going for centuries. lucy's entire society is artificial and from the moment they find out they're not safe and maybe never have been, all the vault dwellers are scrambling to deal with that.

ANYWAY. i just think it's neat. sci fi is a lens to analyze our present through a hypothetical future, and i think it's pretty significant for this current age we live in, where we're all grappling with misinformation, conspiracy theories, propaganda, and deepfakes, there's a huge anxiety over how hard it can be to find the truth out about anything. i think the show suggests that it's always worth the work to try.

[loukaiitis]

Barry Loukaitis: Frontier Junior High

Summary of the 1996 Frontier Junior High School shooting committed by Barry Loukaitis. Note: this is for informational, educational purposes only. Post is below the cut.

Background:

Barry Dale Loukaitis was born February 26th, 1981 to Joann Phillips and Terry Loukaitis. Although both parents had children from previous marriages, Barry was raised as an only child. He was known for being outgoing and incredibly intelligent. He had an above-average IQ of 116 and was an honor student with an interest in reading and writing. According to his parents, he had many friends and was a member of the student council. The Loukaitis family, previously living in Iowa and Minnesota, moved to Moses Lake, Washington when Barry was in fifth grade. Barry’s once bright personality began to change once he entered middle school.

Family Life:

Joann and Terry’s relationship became abusive, and the fallout of their marriage deeply affected Barry. Terry, a known alcoholic and womanizer, was often absent towards the end of their marriage. When he was around, he was always arguing with Joann. He refused to share any information about the family's personal or business finances with his wife, and their fights would sometimes become physical. Barry would plead with them to stop fighting, with no success. His mother would constantly confide in him about her personal and marital problems while completely ignoring her son’s declining mental state. 

In January 1996, Joann filed for divorce after learning about an affair Terry was having. The discovery of this affair led Joann into a severe depression, and she began confiding in Barry about her suicidal thoughts. Obsessed with revenge, Joann told Barry of her plan for Valentine's Day: she would drive to Ellensburg (where Terry and his new girlfriend were staying at the time), break into his house, and direct him and his girlfriend to the basement at gunpoint. She planned to tie them to chairs and tell them how deeply Terry's betrayal affected her. In the end, she would shoot herself in front of them.

"I told him I was going to go to Ellensburg, tie his father and his girlfriend up in the basement in chairs.. Terry would never listen to me - I was going to make them listen to how they made me feel... I would have a gun and they wouldn't know if I was going to shoot them but at the end... I was going to shoot myself." - Joann testifying in court.

These plans worried Barry, and he tried to redirect his mother's pain. He advised her to write down her feelings rather than acting them out in a violent way. Joann never went through with her plan, but the damage had already been done to her son. Although he was already withdrawing and showing signs of a declining mental state, this event advanced Barry’s isolation. He avoided his parents, and would only eat in his room if he ate at all. Barry spent his days alone reading or watching videos.

Bullying:

Along with the conflict at home, Barry was bullied at school. He was seen as an easy target for bullying because he would never fight back. He was teased for being small for his age and kicked in the school hallways. A friend of Barry told a police officer that he would never wear shorts due to the severe bruising on his legs. Many students would later come forward about the severe physical bullying that Barry dealt with on a daily basis. A popular student, Manuel Vela, was always attempting to humiliate Barry and argued with him frequently. Vela was the opposite of Barry; he was a well-liked boy with confidence. As Barry's mental health declined, his thoughts of violence were becoming more apparent to his peers. Barry would never fight back physically, but he began making disturbing comments and threats towards anyone who targeted him. Soon, his only interactions with other students were to curse them out or threaten them. One of his remaining friends, Zachary Ufkes, stated that Barry was fixated on violence and spoke about going on a killing spree because it would be "fun".  

"Manuel called Barry a "f*ggot" multiple times. After that, Barry said, 'Do you treasure your life?' He said it under his breath like he didn't want him to hear it, but he did." - Amos Frisbie, a friend of Barry Loukaitis, testifying about an argument Vela and Loukaitis had weeks before the shooting

Shooting:

Frontier Junior High School had a delayed start on February 2nd, 1996, due to the cold weather conditions. However, Barry did not leave his house until around 1pm. During this time, Barry stole his father's revolver and hunting rifle; he also took a pistol from his mother's car. He dressed in all black: including a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and a $240 trench coat his mother had bought for him two days prior. He cut a hole in one pocket of the trench coat to hide the rifle in. Finally, he strapped two ammunition belts (with 78 rounds of ammunition) around himself. His father offered him a ride to school, but he refused. Barry walked about 1 1/2 miles to Frontier Junior High School.

Loukaitis entered the building through a side entrance. He passed teachers and students before ending up at room 15, where he had his fifth period algebra class. The class had already begun as Barry opened the door. He immediately aimed and fired at Manuel Vela, who was sitting at the desk closest to the door. Vela was shot in the chest and died instantly. Loukaitis shot three times, hitting students Arnold Fritz and Natalie Hintz. Fritz was shot in the chest, and Hintz was shot in the upper torso, almost severing her right arm. Algebra teacher Leona Caires pleaded with Barry to stop, but he shot her in the back as she attempted to hide. Witnesses say that Barry was disturbingly calm during the shooting. He told the class, "This sure beats algebra, doesn't it?" 

"He was calm. He was making jokes. He also told us not to worry... that he wouldn't hurt more of us." - Cory McNutt, survivor sitting closest to the victims.

Loukaitis tried to set the panicked room into order. At this point, Jon Lane, a physical education teacher who was two classrooms away from the shooting, began walking towards room 15 after hearing the commotion. He opened the door and saw Leona Caires’ dead body and Loukaitis with a rifle. Lane quickly hid under the teacher's desk, but Barry ordered him to stand up. He initially refused, stating he was too afraid. A decision had to be made when Loukaitis threatened to start shooting students if Lane did not stand up.

"I told him to point the gun up and away and I would stand." - Jon Lane, teacher

Jon convinced Barry to let him take three students out of the classroom; the wounded Natalie Hintz, a student with diabetes, and Arnold Fritz (who later passed away in the hospital). Each of the three students were taken out individually. During this time, police were attempting communication by talking through the classroom door and calling the classroom phone. Barry ordered Jon to give him the phone, which Barry proceeded to throw onto the floor and break. Although he had initially threatened to shoot more students if police continued to intervene, Loukaitis decided to end the shooting. He told police “to give him 10 minutes to get the room in order." Each student was directed to the back of the room at gunpoint, and Jon Lane was told that he would be taken as a hostage. A black plastic bag was secured over the muzzle of the rifle with rubber bands. Lane was told to put the gun in his mouth, but he refused. After consistent demands from Loukaitis, he pretended to comply and tackled him to the wall when he was close enough. As he unarmed Loukaitis, the remaining students escaped while law enforcement entered. He was immediately handcuffed; he did not resist arrest.

"He was acting shockingly calm. I expected to see a look of remorse, some facial expression. He was very calm... A sergeant made a comment to him, like `Look what you've done.' Loukaitis said, 'I know.'" - Detective Paul Harder

Two hours after being arrested, Barry was interrogated by Detective Sgt. Dave Ruffin. He denied his opportunity to call his parents and a lawyer, stating he did not like lawyers. Loukaitis seemed uncertain of the events of his own doing. He could not recall the amount of people he shot or what his intentions were for the shooting. The interrogation ended abruptly when Ruffin told Loukaitis that his mother had called the family’s lawyer, who advised him to stop speaking. Barry was then taken to his cell where he quickly fell asleep.

“He was a completely different person. I was shocked, horrified. I didn’t know what to think. It was like the whole thing was a nightmare. It was as if all of this stuff that had been boiling up inside of him all of a sudden started coming out. He was scary looking." - Terry Loukaitis, father of Barry Loukaitis

Trial:

Both the preliminary hearings and trial faced many complications and delays. Primarily, changes in Barry’s defense and the judge presiding the case caused concern and delay for the trial. The lawyers involved in the trial changed multiple times, and many of them were later viewed as incompetent.

On September 27th, 1996, it was decided that Barry would stand trial as an adult. The trial officially began on August 15th, 1997. Loukaitis pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. Although bullying seemed to be the implied motive, it was not the focus of the trial. The defense for Loukaitis centered around his dysfunctional family and underlying mental illness. Court-appointed psychiatrists testified with varying conclusions on Barry’s mental health. Some believed that Barry was in a deep state of psychosis, and therefore could not be held entirely accountable for the shooting. Others believed that Barry was mentally ill, but was fully aware of his actions and their consequences. Prosecutors argued against the claims of debilitating mental illness, using Loukaitis’ intricate planning as evidence. 

"He felt like he was God and would laugh to himself. He felt he was superior to other people, and then those feelings were later replaced by hate, disdain, and not measuring up." - John Petrich, psychiatrist

Barry’s parents, former friends, and classmates testified of his gradual descent into hatred and isolation. In the end, Barry Loukaitis was found guilty of 2 counts of first-degree murder, 1 count of second-degree murder, 1 count of first-degree assault, 1 count of second-degree assault, and 16 counts of aggravated kidnapping on September 24th 1997. Since he was being tried as an adult and the insanity plea was denied, a life sentence was almost inevitable. Manuel Vela Sr., father of victim Manuel Vela, wished that Barry was eligible for the death penalty. Alice Fritz, mother of victim Arnold Fritz, stated that she wished Barry would be sent to a treatment facility until he was an adult. On October 10th, 1997, Barry Loukaitis was sentenced to two life sentences plus 205 years without the possibility of parole. 

"There is no happy ending here. We still hope that somehow Barry can get some help." - Alice Fritz

Resentencing:

In 2012, a ruling in the Miller v. Alabama case changed how juvenile offenders were sentenced. Sentencing juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of parole was now deemed unconstitutional. Because of this, juveniles who were previously given this sentence could be resentenced. 

Barry Loukaitis was set to be re-sentenced in April of 2017. Before the resentencing, a  handwritten letter by Barry was given to the Grant County Superior Court. The letter not only contained an apology for his actions, but Loukaitis also stated that he would not fight any sentence given and wanted the court to 'defer to the desires of the victims' families.' He expressed his deep regret and remorse for committing the shooting. 

During the resentencing, families of the victims and survivors spoke. Some held the same views as they did during the original sentencing, while some felt sympathy for Loukaitis. Barry spoke briefly towards the end of the resentencing, apologizing and giving some explanation to his actions

"When we talked Barry, I told you that I hope you could wake up in the morning and know that if you could have a good day, Arnie’s mom was happy with that and you should not feel guilty for any joy you could find in your life. I still mean that. You have value. I hope that you can experience joy and purpose. I challenge you to do that." - Alice Fritz, mother of victim Arnold Fritz

"As I sit here, I am still waiting for the day my sorrow decreases. I don’t care what you’re going through. Your sentence was supposed to be final, like death is final. I’m being victimized all over again.” - Natalie Hintz, survivor

“The short answer is that I was afraid, I was angry and I was jealous. That’s not the full explanation, but I was in a situation where I was going through the same things that every other kid did and I didn’t see it. I didn’t know that everyone else went through that. And when I started feeling rejected, instead of reaching out to anyone, or saying something to anyone, I just concealed it and instead of facing my own problems and admitting that there was something wrong with me, I turned that behavior outward toward others." - Barry Loukaitis

Barry Loukaitis was resentenced to 189 years in prison. 

[kamodofilez]

In honor of the Fallout show finally coming out (and coming out from just watching the first episode), here’s a couple of really old sketches I did back when I first got into New Vegas (It dates back from a few months ago all the way back to 2-3 years ago, it’s been a long time since I’ve drawn my Courier Six and Ulysses :])

I think what’s interesting is that I kinda just converted my old courier oc into who Daytona is now (kinda), which is kinda a mix bag for me.

[phantomrose96]

Chrissy this is my prompt for u to write an essay about your grievances here. I love having my parade rained on, jokes on u

Haha, okay okay okay, so I guess it is list of grievances time.

I’m gonna put most of this under a Read More because like I said before, I’m not trying to make a spectacle out of complaining about people’s good time. So if you’re not looking for BNHA-salt this is easily skip-over-able.

I will start with one thing above the Read More—and I mean this with full compassion and sincerity—I think Horikoshi is burnt out. It feels like he doesn’t love the characters or the world anymore and he’s going through the motions to get this over with and I’m SURE the break-neck pace of the shonen manga industry holds a lot of blame. I’ve burnt out on my own stories over less. So I don’t fault Horikoshi for that part.

Okay, so salt time. It got pretty long.

I’m gonna start by elaborating on the first point, because its impact is extremely easy to feel on the story:

The love for the characters isn’t there anymore.

BNHA has always been a big-cast kinda show, and they managed this well in the early seasons. Even with 20 characters in Class 1-A, I can tell you specifics about pretty much everyone’s role during the Tournament Arc. They all felt distinct. They all had different motivations, tactics, attitudes hopes dreams everything. Iida’s “I’m actually going to go against you, Deku, because I can’t keep being the friend in your shadow” was so very distinct from Uraraka’s “I used my wit to concoct a plan against a brute-force blaster and nearly won, but the frustration is so hard to deal with” from Todoroki’s “I’m moving forward with cold and blind rage to defy my father” from Bakugou’s “I need an absolute first-place win or this is nothing” from Midoriya’s “I can’t use my quirk so I need to win with my tact” from Yaoyorozu’s “I buckled under pressure and the frustration is devastating” from even—fucking—Ojiro’s “I resign because I was possessed during this team win and I don’t honorably think I can continue.”

I could probably keep going for every student in Class 1-A but my point is how potently interesting and distinct each of them felt during this arc. Even ones who ended up with little screentime left their mark.

…And then I compare it to, say, the recent “Rescue Deku” arc and… it was just 20 people essentially in a line, one-by-one sounding off about what surface-deep reason they had for liking Deku and wanting him to come home while they all just trade off generic blows and… that’s that. Deku comes home and there’s no talk of it. No fanfare. No fallout. It happened and it’s done. We don’t care what the characters think. Onto the next.

And this was all following a LONG stint where the main characters hardly even appeared. Uraraka and Iida hardly exist anymore. Only Todoroki and Bakugou have managed to cling to relevance alongside Deku, and that’s probably a popularity poll thing. But EVEN then, Deku himself hardly appeared for a long time. And it felt painfully obvious how much Horikoshi was just tired of his cast, and desperately hopping to a new Favorite Character in a bid to keep his own interest alive.

For a while it was Hawks. Everything was Hawks. Then Endeavor for a while. Endeavor was Horikoshi’s new main character. Then Mirko. All things Mirko. Just hopping to brand new characters and tossing them aside when the flame died, all the while leaving the main cast to stagnate.

Now in the final arc we’ve got an ensemble of several-dozen characters haphazardly thrown around, here to say a few Epic Shonen Words and do an Epic Shonen Attack for 3 pages, fail, and then get tossed into the background again. They’re less characters and more just plot-moving-pieces. The lack of heart is palpable and an arc like Rogue Deku, which my angst-endeared ass should have been super easy to win over with, was extremely flat. Nothing more than a surface-deep exploration of what this means for Deku’s character, and I need to stress it was NOT like that at the beginning of the series! The beginning, up through at least the Kamino arc, had a LOT of love for all these characters. It made you root for them. It made you care. And those characters are all just shells of themselves now.

Which rolls into my next point: What character development?

Horikoshi was REALLY good at setting up both plot and character. The character introductions were strong. The early arcs were strong. You see Deku develop a lot in the very early chapters, going from easily cowed to holding his ground, going from quirkless, to a state of having a quirk but having to be smart and use it sparingly, to slowly getting control of it. And alongside the awe of larger-than-life All Might, it’s a development you really root for.

…And Horikoshi kind of flubs development after that.

I cannot tell you how current-arc Deku is that distinct from chapter-50 Deku. Same for most characters except maybe Bakugou, who’s had a decent character arc. But that should not be a stand-alone phenomenon.

If I think about something like Fullmetal Alchemist, the development Ed undergoes throughout the series is amazing. It happens slowly, but steadily. The lasting impacts of experiences change him. He matures. He learns. And Ed in the final episode is hardly recognizable as the pompous little shit from the beginning.

Deku has been… Deku. For a very long time now. All Might’s been shuffled off stage. Todoroki’s development I personally dislike for a reason I’ll get into later. The rest of Class 1-A has been tossed into the dumpster as previously stated.

And as for the PLOT…

God I’m so sorry, what plot? (And how you can’t have your cake and eat it too)

This one DEEPLY impacts my opinion of the series.

BNHA doesn’t know what its plot is.

BNHA had really good set up! A lot of opportunities of ways to push the plot along and explore a big and open world. There seemed to be a really good thread to focus on up through the Kamino arc, combining school concerns with real life threats, and then….. and then…….

It’s almost comical how BNHA sniffed at some fearsome, fascinating villains at the beginning of the series (Stain, particularly, comes to mind) only to settle on… a whiny brat with no goal, Shigaraki, as the main antagonist.

And this COULD have been done in a way I would have loved! If the framing of the story was just that—"hey yeah Shiggy is a whiny brat whose trauma made him violent, and he’s too dumb to realize he is PURELY being groomed by AFO to turn him into AFO’s new body.” If the framing had said “yes, Shigaraki is in fact stupid and has no point—(and that makes him sympathetic as a groomed victim of AFO’s who never knew any better!)”

But instead Horikoshi is trying SO hard to make it seem like the League of Villains has a point.

What is their point?

I shouldn’t ask that rhetorically, because that’s inviting fans to message me with their 18-paragraph, 95% fanon, “fixing canon while thinking they’re explaining canon” explanations about why all the LoV characters’ goals make perfect sense. And, look, I’m sorry, it’s not there. It’s just not.

Toga’s whole point is “I wish it was easier for me to kill people.” Shigaraki’s whole point is “I’m angry, I think killing All Might will make everything better.” Twice’s point is “I’m lonely.” Dabi’s the only one with a real point (but I’m ALSO quite angry about that, more on that later.)

And again! I feel like this was so CLOSE to being good—these are all random riffraff who came together as followers of Stain’s ideology. It makes a LOT of sense to end up with ragtag misfits, all with their own wildly different interpretations of a high-profile criminal’s ideaology, and if the LoV were JUST unsuspecting pawns in AFO’s game, I would have sympathy for them! Them and Shigaraki!

But instead, Horikoshi tries over and over again to be like “no the LoV TOTALLY have a point. They say Hero Society is corrupt and it totally is!”

…Except Horikoshi forgot the part where he was supposed to make Hero Society corrupt…

And look, if Horikoshi wanted a Bright and Shiny, All Heroes Are Good And Shining happy little comic world, I’d respect that. If he wanted to do a The Boys-style “Heroes are the corrupt underbelly of a society that worships them”, I’d respect that. But he tried to do both at the same time, in a floundering bid to grasp onto a plot, and it does not work.

You end up with this completely incoherent narrative where, when you look around, all the heroes are good and shiny. And then Horikoshi just says “oh um, no it’s corrupt.” And then throws in like, one random side character who goes “oh yeah I was a hero controlled by the Bad Hero Agency to do like, murders!” and then she goes away forever and we don’t talk about it anymore. And then Hawks kills a member of the LoV—a criminal organization with a massive body count—and they try the whole “SEE. Heroes are JUST AS BAD as the villains!” (Dabi is in the background incinerating people to death.)

Which speaking of, if Horikoshi wanted to show Hero Society is corrupt, heY YOU DO REMEMBER YOUR NUMBER 1 HERO IS A CHILD-ABUSER AND WIFE-BEATER. HORIKOSHI DO YOU REMEMBER? DO YOU? “Ah gee how will I show Hero Society is corrupt?” Endeavor is right there! “Guess I’ll invent a new character who shows up for one arc who was a corrupted hero or something” ENDEAVOR IS RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m normal again.

Alright on to my next point.

FUCKING ENDEAVOR.

This part is going to be more on the subjective side because it’s just an arc and character handling I deeply hate. You can disagree with me or whatever but Endeavor stans I do not care why you like him.

HEY REMEMBER HOW THE (at the time) NUMBER 2 HERO BEAT HIS SON BLOODY SINCE THE TIME HE WAS 5 YEARS OLD IN ORDER TO TRAIN HIM TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SURPASS ALL MIGHT.

REMEMBER WHEN ENDEAVOR BEAT HIS WIFE SO MUCH SHE HAD A MENTAL BREAKDOWN AND POURED BOILING WATER ON HER SON’S FACE AND WAS SENT AWAY LEAVING HER CHILDREN SOLELY IN THE CARE OF THE MAN WHO RAMPANTLY ABUSED THEM.

REMEMBER WHEN HORIKOSHI MADE A CHARACTER SO *CARTOONISHLY* EVIL I WOULD TAKE MOVING ENTIRE MOUNTAINS TO REDEEM HIM?

Well he went through a wittle man-pain and he’s so sowwy :3. Do you fowgive him?

He got to become the Number 1 Hero but (gasp) it wasn’t everything he thought it would be so `(*>﹏<*)′ could you maybe be a wittle bit nicer to him?

Oh yeah and Endeavor’s big redemption moment? It’s when he almost dies fighting a high-powered Nomu terrorizing the city, or, as it’s known in the hero industry, FUCKING TUESDAY.

THAT WAS ALWAYS THE POINT. ENDEAVOR’S DAY JOB HAS ALWAYS BEEN RISKING LIFE AND LIMB TO PROTECT CIVILIANS. FIGHTING A HIGH POWERED BAD GUY IS *NOTHING NEW*. THAT WAS ALWAYS THE POINT. THAT SUCH A HEINOUS MONSTER WAS ALSO SOCIETY’S PROTECTOR.

But he got a wittle banged up in the fight so now his family has to be a wittle nicer to him. He has a scar now (*/ω＼*)

And at that point, Endeavor was Horikoshi’s new favorite character so he just had to feel a little guilty and then it was all good. He’s good. We’re all good with him.

And it would be one thing if Shouto was joining his father’s agency JUST for the stepping stone opportunity. I liked that during the Tournament Arc! When he tells Endeavor he just, in the moment, completely forgot about him. I loved that!! Disown your father and just USE him for your own career escalation, YES, use him and give him none of your love attention or honor I liked that a lot!

But instead it’s turned into actual forgiveness. And this is lauded as good.

Now, THE DABI REVEAL ARC.

The start of this arc was great. I loved the dramatc reveal. I loved Dabi blasting Endeavor’s dirty domestic-abuse laundry over the airwaves to the entire public.

SURE WOULD HAVE LIKED FOR ANY OF THAT TO MATTER. AT ALL. EVEN A LITTLE.

NOPE. The ONLY thing this does is spur the entire Todoroki family to rally around Endeavor and tell him how much it’s all their own faults too that this happened.

Natsuo, who would have been fucking FIVE YEARS OLD, when the stuff with Touya went down, tells Endeavor that this is partially his own fault too because if only he (Natsuo) had fought back against his dad’s rages and made his dad talk things out with Touya, maybe none of this would have happened.

FUCKING WHAT.

(And again, the narrative is endorsing this. This is supposed to be a HEART-WARMING scene of a family coming together.)

Fuyumi and Rei go on to explain why they were also responsible for Endeavor’s abuse (I could a little bit understand Rei taking some responsibility, as their mother) but also Rei was married off to Endeavor in a quirk-wedding girl was basically trafficked. And this arc also decides to show “oh um actually their courship was good :3 Endeavor was good and caring, actually :3 he just got a wittle evil later on (are you mad at him?) <:3?”

Okay, okay okay I should stop I just canNOT be charitable about this arc.

At this point in the series, the Dabi=Touya confirmation and the resolution of the Todoroki family stuff was the only main thing I was still hanging around for. And the Endeavor redemption shattered my faith in the series so soundly I have only been idly following along since then without any of my heart in it.

In Conclusion

It’s a series that had so much heart and so much untapped potential at the beginning. And then Horikoshi reached the end of his thread of planning, and discovered he did not know how to actually follow through on character arcs or plot, and has pittered around aimlessly letting characters decay, plot threads unravel, and his best bet at this point has been to cling to a throughline which just does not make any sense.

Now we’re near the end and the characters are shells of their former selves and we’re going through the motions of every Big Shonen Wow tropey ending and, really, Deku can land the final ending punch on TomurAFO (or whatever we’re calling AFO!Shiggy) and I will feel just. Nothing about it. Because it won’t feel like any kind of conclusion for the characters I actually cared about at the beginning.

[raccoonfallsharder]

a while back you inspired me to write a rocketxoc fanfic on ao3 but I never finished the first chapter so I never posted it

I had found a way to exploit ao3’s workskin system to make a choose your own adventure story because they allowed juuuust barely enough css functionality that I could make passages show up depending on what links you chose. But the writing was harder than the programming so it sits unfinished

What are your thoughts on a choose your own rocket fanfic? Is that something you’d enjoy reading? And how would you go about writing one?

sweet fluffy little golden raccoon baby. (i can only assume you are a raccoon because that is possibly one of the cleverest fucking things i've ever heard. rocket would be extremely proud of you, and probably resentful that he didn't think of it himself.) seriously, this is genius.

i'm honored to have inspired anything at all and i would one-billion-percent read this???? CYOA stories were a nostalgic staple for me (they weren't part of my normal reading consumption because my parents were weird, but my cousins had a ton of them, so when i was a nugget and i was at their place, i would hole up in their closet and read these books and their copies of goosebumps).

as for how i would write one - woof. i don't know. i think i'd have to map it out? i'm not sure if i'd start at the various ends and work my way backwards to a single beginning, or if i'd start at the beginning and work my way out to various logical ends. (i actually have a hard time with sequencing so i might even start in the middle - lets say there was a major choice i wanted reader to be faced with - and everything else would either be about the choices reader made to get them this far and/or the fallout). gosh you could even get really weird and do something completely anachronistic - or fatalistic, where no matter what choices reader makes, they only lead to one outcome. geez the possibilities are endless

what i can say with certainty is that i'm a visual person, so before i started writing-writing, i'd probably create some kind of chart - like a bracket system in reverse, with each "set" signifying a plot-altering choice. that way i could see where my chapters were coming from, and where they were going to. (this kind of thing also helps keep my motivated tbh)

literally HOW FUN though, this is very loki // multiverse of you. i absolutely adore it, 10/10 would read, and if you ever decide to publish any of it, please send me a message or tag me or whatever. i'd be thrilled to get a chance to consume it v o r a c i o u s l y

[authortobenamedlater]

E5 deep dive! This will be fun because Mr and I have VERY different opinions on certain parts of this episode.

The good:

This might be Pablo Schreiber’s best performance yet, and that’s saying something.

Everyone delivers in this one. Soren and Laera have some great moments, separately and together. Riz’s final lines with John (and that hug!), Halsey’s and John’s speeches at Vannak’s funeral, Kwan’s vision and her shamelessly calling John on his BS. This episode does a great job of showing the fallout from Reach on a small scale. Not what it did to humanity as a whole, but what it did to these individual humans.

The exit from Reach and Riz’s last run for Vannak are epic.

Vannak gets a great send-off, and can we talk about how well-preserved he was after being dead for a week?

Makee continues to be one of the most intriguing characters for many reasons, not the least of which is she’s inexplicably (literally inexplicably; they haven’t explained it) alive. She cries as she watches Reach fall, then says she cares nothing for “the Demon” (who she ordered ‘Gatanai not to kill a few hours ago). She and Cortana appear to be hatching some kind of plan.

Speaking of Cortana…EVERYTHING I thought about that opening scene in the first episode got flipped on its head. Did Cortana sell her soul (operating system?) to Parangosky in exchange for John or something?

Also speaking of Cortana, John is so not OK without her it hurts to watch. “If I’d had my armor, if I’d had her with me” 😭 “There’s a space where there used to be a voice and a feeling someone knew me” 😭😭 Just get these two back together already.

Kai’s little strut when she meets the S-IIIs 😍

The bad:

Reach didn’t quite go out with the bang it deserved, unless there’s a heck of a surprise in store. I’m not sure what would have been the bang it deserved, but this wasn’t it.

Admiral Keyes is not around. Yes, I knew he wasn’t going to be, but I love him darn it.

Vannak was all dead, not only mostly dead as I had hoped and will continue to imagine.

Still no Miranda, not that I expected her. Does she know her dad is dead?

Observations/predictions/wishful thinking:

Riz’s exit. One part where that @mrtobenamedlater and I do not agree. I saw this coming from the start of the season. Riz was already hurting and increasingly disillusioned with Spartan life. Now she’s even more beaten up. She was never really going to be a Spartan again. She can barely even walk when she tells John she’s done. Her departure made a good contrast to John’s response. His way to honor Vannak’s sacrifice is to hunt down his killers; Riz’s way is to live the life his sacrifice spared.

I don’t think this is the last of Riz, however. We’ll run into her again.

Makee seems to be filling the Sesa ‘Refumee role from Halo 2, with her line about the Prophets being liars. She is on no one’s side because no one is on her side.

Given that Makee describes ‘Gatanai to Cortana as the fleet master and calls him “the Arbiter,” I guess he’s the Silver Timeline’s Thel ‘Vadam? And his line to Makee about how she lives only by his grace? Did he personally revive her or something?

Also I’m going to assume Makee never touched the artifact in E2, probably just as well since that would have taken John out, and that she and ‘Gatanai took it off Reach. Why didn’t she touch it though?

Did Kessler get kidnapped for a new Spartan program? I’m all about Uncle Master Chief going to rescue his surrogate nephew by the way.

Where did Perez and that transport go? I was sort of expecting to find them on Aleria.

This episode will get derided as “filler” but it sets up a lot for the rest of the season: The Arbiter, the ring, Kwan’s and Madrigal’s place in all this, the Spartan-IIIs.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

It’s a tough gig to be a female lead in the Mission Impossible franchise. The box office juggernaut has chugged along for two decades, delivering top-of-the line thrills and pusle-pounding heist sequences along the way, but with sequel after sequel, it’s become increasingly clear the iconic franchise has one sticking point it still isn’t quite sure how to figure out: its female characters. As far back as Emmanuelle Beart’s doe-eyed Claire in the first Mission Impossible, the majority of female characters Ethan Hunt encounters fit a very specific mold: capable in combat, drop-dead gorgeous (often donning slinky dresses or skimpy, skin-tight outfits), and in desperate need of saving, despite their supposed prowess in espionage.

It’s a frustrating blind spot in a series of films that otherwise represent some of the best action flicks of the 21st century, and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One continues the unfortunate trend with its rather unceremonious dispatching of (until now) the series’ most prominent female character, Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson.

**This article contains major spoilers for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One**

Prior to Ilsa’s introduction in Rogue Nation, the women of Mission: Impossible operated like a revolving door: They’d show up, look stunning, then either die tragically to give Ethan (Tom Cruise) further motivation, end up betraying him, or simply be cast aside by the franchise in favor of a newer, shinier, more scantily-clad female character for the next film. While the introduction of Ethan’s wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan) certainly made for a refreshing reprieve from this trend, even she falls squarely into the “damsel in distress” category, and doesn’t get screen time unless she’s being used as leverage against Ethan. So, when Ilsa came on the scene in Rogue Nation it seemed like at long last, the Mission Impossible films had finally cracked the code on how to write female characters that might actually stick around for more than one movie.

And to the franchise’s credit, that’s exactly what Ilsa was—the series even went so far to explicitly bill her as “the female Ethan Hunt.” To paraphrase Ginger Rogers, Ilsa can do everything Ethan can do, but backwards, and in heels and that stunning, high-slitted opera dress. Like the women before her, she’s physically stunning and more than capable in combat, but unlike the rest, she’s given narrative agency. She grapples with her own allegiances, forced to either succumb to her fear of Solomon Lane or take the leap of trusting Ethan and his IMF team, and watching her open up and learn to trust others is a high point of Rogue Nation.

In Fallout, too, she’s given plenty to do. While the White Widow fills the arbitrary role of sexy femme fatale, Ilsa once again gets to be the mysterious wildcard. We the audience and the IMF team have grown to know and love her, but she’s still allowed to have her own crisis of faith as she (like Ethan in the early films) begins to try and re-learn what it’s like to trust your team after having been backstabbed.

Heading into Dead Reckoning, Ilsa was a shining beacon of what a well-written female character could look like in an otherwise extraordinarily male-dominated franchise: but if you’ve seen the latest Mission: Impossible, you already know it all comes crumbling down with a single bridge fight. Of course, the stakes were always going to be high with Dead Reckoning— it’s a sort of swan song for the McQuarrie/Cruise Mission: Impossible era, and though we’ve gotten confirmation the franchise will continue, there’s a distinct sense of gravity and finality engrained in the Dead Reckoning two-parter.

And, with a franchise as twist-filled as Mission: Impossible, a penultimate entry in a two-parter means the stakes have to be upped somehow. TLDR, there needed to be a major character death, and it had to be one that would hurt. Of course, the pool of characters whose deaths would leave a lasting impact on both Ethan and the audience is relatively slim: only Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Ilsa have been around for more than one film, and killing off Julia (though undoubtedly devastating for Ethan) would lack punch, considering she’s already been killed off and resurrected earlier in the franchise.

So, it ends up being Ilsa who draws the unlucky “sacrificed so Ethan can be motivated into act three” card. After one desert action sequence and a ruminative moment with Ethan above the canals of Venice, she meets her demise at the hand of Esai Morales’ Gabriel, sacrificing herself in an attempt to save Hayley Atwell’s newly-introduced Grace. Don’t get me wrong—it’s not that Ilsa was killed off that I have an issue with, it’s the fact that the film did so so unceremoniously. Ilsa has been a franchise mainstay for three films now. She has the loyalty and affection of the entire IMF team, and a deep, sibling-like bond with Ethan that feels distinct and unique from the cut-and-dry romances he’s dabbled with in previous entries.

She’s a crucial part of what makes the recent Mission: Impossible entries so great, but Dead Reckoning doesn’t seem interested in honoring this or respecting the significance of her role in the franchise. Typically, if you’re killing off a major character, you’d spend every moment prior to their departure emphasizing just how key a part of the group they are—so that when the death does eventually come, we get maximum emotional impact for both the characters and the audience. But that’s the trouble with Ilsa’s departure in Dead Reckoning— the film is so interesting in setting up Grace as the next big mystery for Ethan to solve that Ilsa falls to the wayside, and her death ends up feeling like a tertiary motivation for Ethan as opposed to a major, earth-shattering revelation for the franchise.

Ilsa isn’t given any significant story of her own in Dead Reckoning, either—she’s after the same MacGuffin as Ethan, trying to protect the same woman (Grace) as Ethan, and ends up falling to the same villain Ethan has been trying to bring down—a villain she has virtually no personal connection to. Admittedly, if there was anyone Ilsa would lose her life trying to save, it’s gratifying that it’s Grace, another prominent female character. On the other side of that coin, though, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the early franchise revolving door is once again in operation—Ilsa’s body is barely cold before the film begins teeing Grace up as Ethan’s next big partner in crime.

Sure, she gets a few cool action set pieces, but in the grand scheme of the hustle and bustle of Dead Reckoning, Ilsa’s death (especially because it comes at such an odd, early point in the film) feels under-emphasized and like a grave betrayal of how powerful of a woman she was in life. Though she may have gone out fighting, at the end of the day, Ilsa still ends up another female casualty of the Mission: Impossible franchise killed so Ethan can be motivated into action—a reductive and lackluster ending for a one-of-a-kind ass-kicker.

[mychoombatheroomba]

Things I Love About the Shitty Live Action Resident Evil Movies

So, it was my birthday recently and my roommates asked if I wanted to do anything fun. My response, of course, was to suggest getting drunk and watching the live action Resident Evil movies and like, damn, I love those stupid ass movies so much. So I wanted to make a really dumb (and lengthy) post about the goofy things I like, whether for legit or meme reasons.

Y'all, I know they're bad, that is, in fact, why I love them.

1 - The opening is genuinely kinda freaky, like, the elevator scene? Oof, well done suspense

2 - Michelle Rodriguez. That's it, that's the post.

3- The LASER ROOM - so iconic they used it in the games. The first movie came out in 2002, RE4 then used the laser room in 2005, like, y'all, they took that from the goddamn movie, that's how much of a vibe it was

(And honestly, just the Red Queen in general, what an absolute icon, love that her appearance changes in every movie she's in)

4 - Alice is the most fanfic Mary Sue character I've perhaps ever seen on-screen, and I love that for her. Look at her kicking this zombie dog in the face, it's hilarious

5 - Pretty game-accurate costuming? I can dig it

6 - They're gay, your honor

7 - Bad CGI on the Licker, I would expect nothing less

8 - Alice is at her most powerful when she finds a white bathrobe just lying around somewhere

9 - Raccoon City gets destroyed in the course of, like, a day if I'm understanding the timeline right. Like, first infection to nuking the city seems to be about 24 hours. Incredible.

10 - Leon fucking wishes he was Alice, miss ma'am out here driving motorcycles into buildings and then launching them at a monster just to shoot it and blow it up.

(Special mention for another "they're gay, your honor"

11 - You'd think the kid they have to rescue from Raccoon City is Sherry, wouldn't you? An Umbrella scientist's daughter who the gang have to save? NOPE it's Angela Ashford. Not to be confused with the game's Alexia Ashford. Is it an easter egg? A botched cameo? IDK bro, you think they know the lore?

12 - "GTA MOTHERFUCKER" - LJ, before running over a zombie

13 - THEY GAVE NEMESIS A REDEMPTION ARC??? Incredible (not before making him and Alice fist-fight each other)

14 - Keeping with RE tradition, the helicopter almost always crashes.

15 - They just decided, fuck it, let's give Alice superpowers. Also the stupid Umbrella eyes, literally whenever they come up.

16 - The third movie is just Mad Max and Fallout: New Vegas merged together. Also the way they say the whole earth withered and died but later movies very clearly show flora still alive

17 - Why is Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones here? WHY IS JOHNNY CAGE FROM MORTAL KOMBAT 1995 HERE???

Also why does Wesker look a little like Eminem to me in the third movie?

18 - The amount of just, like, "hey, this monster/character was in the games, let's just put them in the movie anywhere!"

19 - Carlos gets one of the only satisfying death scenes for a named character from the games. And by that I mean he gets one of the only on-screen death scenes for a named character from the games. Slay, king.

20 - Why does the Tyrant look like that?

21 - The army of Alice clones were blonde originally, but all went out and dyed their hair together between movies and I think that's cute.

22 - The timeline is so fucked up, I don't think they even knew how long was supposed to pass between the movies

23 - The way they shoehorned Chris in so bad that, as a kid, I thought he had no importance and they just wanted to give Claire a character to help her with her amnesia (also, Claire having amnesia). The Redfields do get to shoot the shit out of Wesker at the end though, good for them.

24 - THEY'RE GAY, YOUR HONOR

25 - The Executioner from RE5 just like, is in Los Angeles for some reason?

26 - This shot of Wesker.

27 - Wesker takes Alice's powers away in the beginning of the 4th movie, then at the end of the 5th movie he reinfects her with the T-Virus so she can be a superhuman again and just like, bud, you're wildin'. Also it's mentioned in the 3rd movie that Alice's blood could be the cure, and that she could synthesize it once the Tyrant is dealt with? But she doesn't? She just takes the clones of her in the facility instead of using the equipment to make a cure? I know they cure it in the last movie but like, girlie, you could have tried earlier idk. Fascinating.

28 - The opening credits scene for the 5th movie is actually pretty cool

29 - The rest of the fifth movie . . . whatever those writers were smoking, I want some. I know there's literally an Umbrella base in Antarctica in the game but like, idk, having an underwater base where you have multiple city simulations running for BOW production is so funny to me. They've got clones of Carlos and the whole team from the first movie, a random child Alice adopts, Las Plagas lads on motorcycles, more Executioners, Barry (oh, hi Barry!) and damn I love every terrible minute of it.

30 - "The Leon you ordered from AliExpress"

31 - Li Bingbing as Ada, my beloved

32 - Whatever the hell this fight scene is (I am obsessed with it). The sapphic energy of Jill v Alice. Las Plagas giving you instant superpowers. Michelle Rodriguez beating the shit out of Leon Kennedy (mans draws his knife and immediately gets disarmed, Krauser would be so disappointed). Ada just snoozing in the snow the whole time. Cinema.

The music kinda slaps though.

The second half of this where Michelle gets clocked in the face with a fire extinguisher and just looks offended? Immaculate.

33 - Wesker saying that he, Alice, Jill, Leon and Ada are the last hope for humanity from the roof of the White House. What a team.

34 - AND THEN LEON, ADA AND JILL FUCKING DIE OFF SCREEN BETWEEN MOVIES ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Peak writing right there.

35 - I have never seen the Final Chapter, but I do know that Claire is the only (known) surviving original RE character. Chris is MIA and everyone else is dead. The lesbians win again.

36 - Also there's a character named K-Mart. No notes.

37 - WESKER GETS KILLED BY A DOOR LMFAO

I cannot say I would recommend these movies without the consumption of alcohol involved. Once that's in the mix? They're a great time.

[thedawningofthehour]

didn't you say you were making Draxum's house in the sims? Did you ever finish? :(

So I whined about this on my main blog, but I'm having issues with my computer. The power port, and I've noticed this for a while, gets extremely hot whenever I try to run anything more intensive than Powerwash Simulator, and the past few months it's become harder and harder to get it to charge. (I'm not overclocking or anything-I bought this computer for gaming and made sure it had the specs to run shit like my heavily modded Skyrim and Fallout, it should be able to run Sims) I contacted Acer about a repair and they quoted me over eight hundred dollars. The actual computer was about 1200-1300, for comparison. There's other issues with it as well-there's a chip on the screen that's really obvious on a white background, and they advertised that it would support a second hard drive, but it's never recognized the one I bought. The power port is the most grievous though, and power ports on laptops are notoriously hard to repair.

And this computer isn't old. I bought it last spring. Less than a year and a half-and I've barely been gaming on it because I've been writing this, so I spent over a thousand dollars on a turtles fanfiction machine essentially. (there's been other reasons, depression funk caused a complete disinterest in gaming and after so many mass shootings I've started feeling guilty whenever playing games with guns, but writing is mostly what I've been using this expensive gaming PC for) I only had the one-year warranty that came with the computer, but honestly I can't find it in myself to regret that too much because I have never once had a company actually honor a warranty. It's like safety deposits on apartments or insurance claims-they'll do everything they can to weasel out of doing what they're supposed to.

So back to your question-I currently don't trust my computer to run the Sims. Or anything else. And I can afford to buy another gaming PC right now, but it would be financially pretty irresponsible. I returned the tablet I bought to draw with, and I think I'm going to get one of those two-in-one laptop/tablets so I can use it for drawing and writing. Maybe I'll be able to run the Sims 4 on that-it doesn't have to run great, I use it mostly as a building simulator. Kind of sucks though, Crusader Kings 3 came out with another expansion pack and the new Cities Skylines is coming out this fall, plus I've been getting a hankering to play Skyrim again.

But enough about my computer woes, I do think I have some screenshots I could show...

First floor, I apparently took these during the first round of building because I made a lot of changes. The lab is way bigger now, and I have the rest of the house shell done. The blank space in the back right is where I was going to put in the multi-story room where the turtles find the weapons-which is probably the least completed part of the entire house because holy hell the building controls do not want to work with me.

But in the back left you can see Cass and Gale's rooms! :)

I do like how the main hallway turned out. I know it was mostly destroyed on Creation Day, but let's just say Draxum redid it in the same style. The middle picture, that's the little storage room that hides the door to the part of the house where Gale's room is. If you know the Sims you can tell where the secret door is.

And yes, I know the half-walls under the stairs look ridiculous, I've fixed it since then. I couldn't just extend the half-wall all the way back because it would delete the upper staircase, for some reason.

I'm pretty proud of how the living room is turning out. Could be a little bigger, but the symmetry of the bookshelves are just too perfect. (also the curved walls get fussy, FUCK CURVED WALLS) Needs some clutter on the mantle though.

The kitchen no longer looks like this, I moved around a lot of the pictures and added another layer of cabinets, because Draxum probably has like six sets of fine china he's received as gifts throughout the years and refuses to part with. I added more retro-looking décor, because the last time he remodeled this room was in the sixties and I wanted it to look a little old-fashioned. I also imagine he refuses to get an electric stove, saying his mystic wood-burning stove works just fine. I tried to work a pantry in, but it didn't really pan out. (lol) And the more I think about it, he probably has a legit larder somewhere in the basement, since Draxum is from a time before refrigeration and would have grown up storing food in underground cellars. (and he deffo has like several years worth of food stored away, he's pretty much a doomsday prepper)

This is also incidentally the layout of the kitchen at my old house, hence the weird octagon dining area. Except we had windows. With no curtains. In the woods. It was unsettling to cook at night.

Draxum's study is bigger now, and I think I added a fireplace? He absolutely has eight bazillion degrees and awards and he puts them ALL on his wall. He earned that shit, dammit.

His bedroom's nothing to write home about. It's comfortable, not luxurious. There's no electric lights because he prefers candlelight.

Just imagine that white bathroom counter stained with pink splotches from Draxum's hair dye.

I had BARELY done anything with the pool, but as you can see it is indeed a tank. Draxum was planning to keep a mutant or something in there.

I was actually in the process of redoing the entire greenery lol, but I think I did an okay job on 1.0. Not the mason jar lamps though, I'm not sure what I was thinking there.

Some pictures of Lab 1.0. The ooze-vine-thing looks terrible; I straight up haven't even started to recreate it in 2.0. I pushed back Draxum's alchemy area and gave him an actual medical bay in the back, which is where The Table would have been located.

That's mostly Gale's area on the left, I think it still broadly looks this way? I didn't put in stuff like the robotics table because it just looked silly-and besides, we're not actually playing this build. We know Galois only needs two hands and a welder to make a robot.

I will leave you off with a slightly more clutterfied Gale's room! Oh, but also, I GOT PURPLE CC CURTAINS FOR HIM. :D After I took this picture, but just know he has them now. He has no reason to have them because he does not have a window, but I'm happy for him.

[epicspheal]

Vee-Vee Power! A Penny Analysis

Just a heads up I'll probably be revisiting this analysis once we get the Scarlet/Violet DLC because likely there will be more insights to Penny's character.

Alright so Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has probably introduced the most beloved friend group series that the franchise by the fandom standards in Penny, Arven, and Nemona. Both Arven and Nemona have had analysis on them but there's not that much going around for Penny who is my personal favorite of the three.

Let's start with Penny's name. Or names I should say since she ends up going by two different monikers. There's her given name Penny and her pseudonym Cassiopeia when she was the mysterious shadow head for Team Star. Penny comes from Peony and she's funnily the third character in the franchise to have her name based on this flower. Peonies symbolize many things such as shame, bashfulness, honor, and bravery. All of these apply to Penny to at some point during her story. One of the first things we realize about her is that she's quite bashful and quiet as a person. She even mentions at one point that's she's not used to speaking so much and that her throat hurts. While Team Star is huge source of pride for her, it also brings a bit of her shame as she feels that the group has gotten out of control and she feels bad that her friends may get expelled. She's also rather honorable in trying to take the fall for her friends once the initial fallout with the confrontation of the bullies takes place. And she's even willing to admit to hacking the LP system (which in and of itself isn't honorable but owning up to it is). And she demonstrates an immense amount of bravery in taking the fall for her friends, learning to come out of her shell and face the player to dissolve Team Star and then going down into Area Zero.

But then she has another name she goes by…Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is the name of a major constellation named after a prominent figure in Greek Mythology. Cassiopeia was a nymph who boasted too much about her and her daughter's beauty which invoked the wrath of Poseidon who threatened to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia (accounts vary as to whether he vowed to flood it or use the monster Cetus to destroy it). Cassiopeia, realizing that she messed up, consults the oracle who tells her she needs to sacrifice her daughter. Andromeda was chained to a rock but ultimately saved by Perseus. The gods, still not satisfied decide to put Cassiopeia into the heavens as the constellation as further punishment (and the names of 5 major stars that make up the constellation Cassiopeia are the same names of the Team Star bases)

Now what does ANY of that have to do with our resident Eeveelution enthusiast? Well if you strip both the Cassiopeia Myth and Penny's story down to the bare essentials, they're both about women who have to sacrifice something they love in order to save a greater population of people and end up getting punished harsher. Penny attempts to disband (therefore sacrifice) Team Star in order to protect all of the other Team star members (both admins and grunts). And out of all of those involved she had to be sent away to Galar, and then had some extra community service for her hacking of the league.

Alright now let's get down to her team makeup. She's notable in being the only single trainer in the canon to use all Eeveelutions (the Kimono sisters of Johto and the Eevee trainers of Alola are a collection of trainers who use one Eeveelution a piece but not a whole set). This certainly shows that she really likes the Eevee Line, but there's more to it. The eeveelution family is at this point synonymous to the idea of having multiple paths ahead of you (as we've seen in the anime with Chloe). So that implies Penny has a lot of paths still open for her and that's she changing. Indeed she does a change quite a bit through the story, albeit subtly.

One thing that stood out to me was that three out of her six Pokemon actually correspond to three of the types of the Team Star bases: fire, dark, and fairy. What's more when you look at who runs those bases (Mela, Giacomo and Ortega) you realize that Penny actually calls those three by nicknames (Mellie, Momo, and Ortie) suggesting potential closeness to those three in particular.

It's also notable that her first and last Pokemon, Umbreon and Sylveon evolve by friendship (at night) and high affection (with a fairy type move). It shows that's she's a very caring trainer and most likely a night owl who also likes cute things (which is very confirmed with an entire team off eeveelutions who all happen to know Baby-Doll eyes and Quick attack). She also clearly values friendship which explains how 1/3 of her team is comprised of Pokemon who happen to evolve by actually liking their trainer.

Now onto Penny in the story. We first meet her, ironically being harassed by her own grunts with them none the wiser that the girl they were pushing to join Team Star was their enigmatic leader. This is a major scene as it establishes Penny as a shy girl who struggles to stand up for herself. But also this proves to be a major catalyst for her wanting to disband Team Star. After all, Team Star was meant to protect kids from bullies, but now they were acting like the very people they despised. Now granted as we know in flashbacks from later on in the game there was already heat on Team Star from the school admin so the idea of trying to save her friends by disbanding the team was already on her mind. But feeling the effects of Team Star firsthand (seeing how at least the grunt level, they had lost their way) and seeing the player defeat them gives her the idea of how to dissolve the team.

We learn later that Team Star had created a code that prevented anyone from ordering each other around. Which makes a lot a sense given that Giacomo (the one who helped to create the code) had experienced the negative affects of having the power to order others around. But also it reflects the reality of how in grade school, certain cliques tend to have one person order others around which can be a perfect breeding ground for bullying to start. Since Team Star was founded on the concept of anti-bullying it makes sense that the members would try to avoid any situation where bullying could take place. The fact that Penny respects this code and seeks to use that to get Team Star to disband rather than just outright ordering them or some other method of forcing them shows how much they mean to her and how honorable she is deep down

"Team Star is a group of troublemakers formed by some academy students a while back… They cause headaches for the school and try to bring other students down to their level. And I refuse to sit idly by and let them get away with it!"

This is an interesting line when you look back the Starfall Street Story-line because it initially makes you think that the rumors are right about Team Star, especially after you see them harassing Penny earlier. That they are a bunch of bullies. Perhaps at that moment Penny was feeling a bit (rightfully) upset at how her group had changed since she was gone for those eighteen months. Or perhaps she was really just trying to play up the rumor side in order to get the player to agree. Either way when you see how she talks about Team Star later on it's actually a bit jarring to think about this line early on in the game where she seems to hold the same opinions of Team Star that the rest of the student body and administration do.

One thing to note when we're introduced to Penny as Cassiopeia we noticed a slight change in her dialogue. She sounds far more confident, she's able to talk for longer times than she does when we meet her as the supply rep. It makes sense as a lot of people who are quiet in real life tend to be better able to communicate behind the screen (or in Penny's case, hack your Rotom Phone).

Also, both Cassiopeia's first entrance and "supply rep" Penny both mention hacking upon introducing themselves which is nice foreshadowing to the fact that they are indeed the same person.

When you meet Penny as the supply rep for the first time she thanks you for helping her out back at the stairs to which you can reply that you remember or that you don't. And she says a really sad line if you mention that you don't

"That figures. I never leave an impression on people…"

That really broke my heart. It's unfortunately a common feeling for people who have been bullied. Yeah they're targets they're often made to feel invisible when they are not being made fun of.

As we meet up with Clive we start to see Penny's suspicion of this "student" that wants to join. I know there are people who don't care for Penny and cite that she is a little mean, her early treatment of Clive being one example people point out. To be honest, I personally do not see this as her being mean. Rather's she being rightly cautious about who she let's on. Yes, she wants to bring down Team Star, but she still cares for them and she knows how much of the school dislikes them. She couldn't ascertain if Clive had been one of the bullies' friends who just wanted to seek revenge. This is different from the player who doesn't have the same long term knowledge of them team therefore a little bit more trustworthy. And over time she does truly begin to trust Clive and apologizes for the early wariness

As we go through Operation Starfall, we get some really nice insight into Penny's character both as herself and as Cassiopeia. As we approach each base we get really detailed info on the boss from Cassiopeia which at first with just the knowledge of her hacking skills you could assume this just her getting information from social media. That is until you beat the boss and she sounds like she's mourning their defeat to which she always mentions she's caught up in her thoughts. This shows that there's far more to this story than meets the eye which should be raising your suspicion of Cassiopeia. Indeed Clive even asks the player how much you trust them.

Things really come to ahead by the fourth base the player defeats where we learn this

"…As you know, Team Star was formed by a group of students who were being bullied at school. Shortly after forming the team, these students—none other than the squad bosses themselves—confronted their bullies head on. The outcome was a resounding victory for Team Star… Though you could hardly call it a contest. The bullies didn't even put up a fight. They all bolted from battle the first chance they got. Scared spitless of Team Star, the bullies then dropped out of school, one after another… And Team Star ended up the villains of the story. …But that's neither here nor there. Forget I mentioned it."

This quote not only sheds light on what really happened with Team Star (which was being confirmed anyways by the bosses that have been defeated) but it's also meant to bring into question why is Cassiopeia so determined to bring them down knowing that Team Star weren't the ones in the wrong.

Meanwhile as we continue to meet Penny as the supply rep we notice that Koraidon/Miraidon continues to pop out of it's ball to greet her with an affectionate lick. Something we don't see the dragon do with either Arven or Nemona. Given the suspicion that should be surrounding her by the time we get to the big reveal it makes sense why we see this take place. To let us know that deep down Penny is still a good person based on the dragon showing instant affection to her. That and perhaps the dragon sees itself in Penny as we learn in the Area Zero content that Koraidon/Miraidon itself are also struggling to stand up much like Penny is struggling to stand up to be her authentic self.

When we get to the final reveal in the schoolyard we're treated to this quote

""Heh. This must be quite a shock for you. The big boss… Cassiopeia… They were both me all along. When I saw you make quick work of those Team Star lackeys outside school that time, the idea for Operation Starfall suddenly came to me. My skills let me get hold of as much LP as I want, so I decided to use that to tempt you to helping me out. After the operation started, I kept an eye on you as a member of the "supply unit"… And I had you battle the bosses on my behalf. All for the goal of defeating me and putting an end to Team Star once and for all. But still…there's a part of me that wants Team Star to live on! I can't just roll over and let you win without putting up a fight! This is the final showdown. Are you ready?"

This is another point where people bring up Penny being a bad person because she was manipulative in her own goal. And yes to be fair she was underhanded but it's understandable given her backstory as to why she goes for more indirect confrontation methods. Like this is someone who doesn't like the spotlight and has struggled with confrontation. Plus she's really torn about this whole plot because the Team Star admins are her friends. She even says she doesn't really want to disband them. But she feels she has to in order to save her friends

After all, we see in the flashback once the Operation Star was a success that she tried to get them to disband to avoid further punishment. To which the others decided not to. At that point we see that she ends up taking the blame onto herself to protect her friends. This is why I don't necessarily get why people call her selfish. That's pretty unselfish to take on the blame and be willing to be sent of for a whole 18 months.

"I'm the big boss of Team Star. The name's Cassiopeia—No…Penny!"

This is another major quote that I think is underrated. You can see that she's now fighting between the two identities she holds. Cassiopeia, the enigmatic leader of Team Star and Penny her true self she's not been able to show authentically

"Time to Terastallize! Shine bright like the starry sky and become who you really want to be!"

Again this further supports the idea that after Operation Starfall, she's really wanting to be her most authentic self

The reunion (and truly first meeting) between her and the Team Star Admin is really touching to see. Her finally meeting them face to face, and them forgiving her after what she did. They realized that despite the underhanded method, she was really just trying to look out for them.

After the final showdown we see Penny own up to more of her crimes. Which she didn't have to do, but it shows that deep down she's an honorable person whose done some questionable things. And again this directly contrasts the idea that she's selfish as she could've just not owned up to hacking the LP system. Some people dislike the fact that she seems to get off easy but to be fair she already had been sent away for 18 months previously. And as much as Operation Starfall street was a lesson for Penny, it was also a lesson for Clive/Clavell who was about to straight up expel everyone involve with him learning to be more observant before taking drastic measures.

We meet Penny again in Area Zero and this is where a lot of people kind of find her interactions with Nemona and Arven to be mean-spirited. Now true she is snarky here but you can see it as a way of keeping her guard up which is something many people who have been bullied may do. Not to mention both Nemona and Arven come off strong with Nemona being a little too extroverted and not reading the room and Arven actually starts in on her first by calling her pipsqueak which would actually send her onto the defensive. I think people forget that there are three socially awkward kids meeting for the first time going into an incredibly dangerous and off-limits area. That wasn't going to be just a smooth nice interaction and again Nemona and Arven had some not-so-great moments down there as well.

To her credit Penny actually does apologize to Arven (and Arven does the same) and she has a bit more situation awareness of what was going on with Koraidon/Miraidon when they meet their very aggressive counterpart. She even actually tries to give Arven some words of sympathy once we know the true fate of the professor.

People also give her flak for her calling her father annoying for checking in on her and giving her an embarassing nickname (Pen-Pen). Yes she doesn't have it nearly as bad as Nemona or Arven, but she is a teenager. Most teenagers tend to find their parents annoying. So it's a very realistic remark from her even if she doesn't familial problems on the scale of others.

In the post-game we see her checking up on the former Team Star admins as they work to reintegrate themselves back into academy which acts as one final bit of growth for Penny. She's concerned given the reputation of Team Star and the fact that the admins are like her rather awkward. However her worries a little misplaced as despite their awkwardness, the admins are able to make a name for themselves outside of Team Star. She recognizes this herself and she ultimately stops tailing her friends knowing they'll be alright

Penny isn't perfect, but she's trying her best to change for the better. The narrative acknowledges this and that's why I really appreciate her as a character.

[minisugakoobies]

I’m so excited about the drabble that’s not a drabble anymore!!! Also YES PLEASE GIMME THE TEASER!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh, I'm glad you're excited! Ok then! 💕 Title: The Rules Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader Genre: strangers to lovers, smut, Wedding!AU WC: 634, final TBD Warnings: none for the teaser Summary: How long can you follow the rules?

When your cousin asked you to be a bridesmaid, she gave you three simple rules to follow:

Number one: don't be late. "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is to get cut out of the family. Don't think Halmeoni won't drop you from her will if I ask."

Number two: Don't get super wasted. "What if I have a bridal emergency and you're completely zooted, upchucking wine spritzers in the bathroom?" As if you'd drink a wine spritzer.

And rule number three: Don't fuck Bang Chan.

She announced the third rule the first time you gathered with her and her other bridesmaids to discuss wedding details. Bang Chan, it turned out, was her fiancé's "Best Bro" from his college frat days.

"Binnie was in a frat? Huh," was your response upon learning this new factoid.

Sun Hee rolled her eyes. "I know, it's weird, but he's grown up a lot since I met him. Chan, on the other hand…" she grimaced. "He's a fuckboy. Of the highest magnitude. S-class. A summa cum fuckboy."

"More like a someone's gonna come fuckboy, amiright?" maid of honor Ji-won snarked, cracking herself up, but she quickly stopped when Sun Hee gave her the evil eye.

"And that's bad because…" you drawled.

"Because every goddamn time one of my friends hooks up with his slutty ass, they completely lose their shit. And I! Do! Not! Have the time to deal with the fallout!" Sun Hee clapped her hands after each word, like a deranged cheerleader. "So keep your hands and your holes away from that man!"

At first, when you met the groomsmen at the engagement party, you thought to yourself that Sun Hee's rule was unnecessary. Apparently, Changbin only hung out with other ridiculously good-looking guys. Any one of them could probably show you an amazing time, if you so desired. 

And then Bang Chan walked in.

Out of curiosity, you'd looked the guy up, scouring Changbin's insta for old photos. Just so you could see what all the fuss was about. It was pretty easy to identify why Sun Hee's friends were apparently throwing themselves at the man, between his muscular build, his warm eyes, and his heart-melting smile. And as a semi-famous music producer, he's a star on the rise, which only adds to his allure. But holy shit, you were not prepared for the charisma.

He strolled into the room like he was walking onto a stage, radiating confidence from every inch of his rather thick frame, as if expecting an audience to start applauding at his presence. Maybe that's why you weren't surprised to see Changbin and his friends light up as they caught sight of their friend.

Of course, they weren't the only ones to notice him.

"Oh damn, look at the snack that just walked in," Ji-won whispered, tugging on your sleeve. "He's tasty."

"Yeah he is," another bridesmaid, Hae, piped up. "Is it too late to call dibs?"

"Gawi bawi bo!" Ji-won suddenly yelled, but you grabbed her hand as she threw a scissors symbol into the air.

"Sorry, ladies, but the bride's rules trump rock, paper, and scissors. That's Chan."

“That’s Chan? Well, shit.” Ji-won pauses. “Okay. Dibs on Jisung!” 

“Wait a minute!”

Ignoring the horny squabbling going on beside you, you discreetly ogle Chan over the rim of your cocktail. Changbin really needs to update his insta, because you were not prepared for Chan’s blond hair. Or the lip ring. Or, fuck, you nearly choke on your old fashioned as Chan laughs and something silvery inside his open mouth catches your eye. Is that a tongue ring too?!

This man could not be more your type. Absolute catnip, and your kitty is eager for a taste.

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2023 by minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

[miraclesabound]

Love in Idleness

Summary: Johanna’s friend Annie thinks she imagined the way Morpheus looks at her - and then she gets exposed to a plant that shows her the truth.

Also available on AO3. 

Pairing: Morpheus/F!Plus-Size!OC Annie Magdalene (written in second person)

Notes: My first ever sex pollen fic! I’ve been toying with this idea since before the show premiered. Johanna, Matthew, Lucienne, Death and Desire all make appearances. Annie is an original character, but I’ve written her in second person so that she can be read as any race.  Set after Season 1 - Johanna is still dealing with the fallout from losing Rachel.

FAN ART by @miranhas-art​

Content/Warnings: Sex pollen, self-doubt related to weight, Desire actually NOT being a little shit for once, but it still blowing up in their face, worries about mortality, canon-typical language, fingering, PiV sex/dream sex. In the intro, items related to funeral preparation and difficulty with grief.

Tags: @writeforfandoms, @insomniamamma, @edwardmunsen,  @darklingveracruz, @morpheus-helm, @bowieandqueen11, @mylifeisactuallyamess, @whovianayesha, @blueeyesatnight, @yayforawesome​

Normally, a large raven landing on your windowsill would catch your attention. However, you’ve been knee-deep in paperwork for weeks. Johanna had called you to tell you about Rachel dying, and you’ve been handling the administrative side of things while Jo assists Sam, Rachel’s father. You don’t mind doing it – Johanna’s been your best friend since you were six, and she loved Rachel. That’s more than enough reason for you to direct your research efforts towards something useful instead of studying your family’s grimoires all day. As such, it takes the raven clearing his throat for you to look his way. Your eyes widen when he begins to speak.

“I’m looking for Johanna Constantine – am I in the right place? I have a note for her.” He lifts one of his legs, and you see a band of paper secured there.

“Uh…yes…” You stand up from your desk and poke your head into the hallway. “JO!” you call out. “Can you come in here a sec?” You only hope you don’t sound panicked.

Johanna shows up quickly, and she looks you over. “You ok, Annie? What’s – oh!” She sees the raven, and her eyes light up in recognition. “Matthew, is that you?”

“Hi, Johanna,” the raven says. “Yeah, it’s me – the boss wanted to give you this.”

Johanna sees the paper and gently unwraps it from Matthew’s leg. Opening it, she reads over the words with a slight frown. “How soon does he want an answer?” she asks.

“As soon as possible,” Matthew tells her. “Just call out for him, and he’ll come by. You both have a good night.” He flies off, and Jo shows you the note.

Muttering to yourself, you read aloud, “For your service, you are hereby invited to the Palace of the Dreaming as – wait, WHAT???”

“It’s real,” Johanna reassures you. “Keep reading.”

Clearing your throat, you start up again. “You are hereby invited to the Palace of the Dreaming as the guest of Dream of the Endless. An invitation has also been sent to Death and Desire. Please respond promptly with your attendance.”

You jokingly shove Johanna’s arm. “You met Dream of the Endless, from the family that the Magdalene family has studied for four hundred years, and you didn’t tell me??”

You realize your tone was misplaced when Jo looks at you sadly. “He’s the one who eased Rachel’s passing. I thought that made us even for me helping find his sand, but I guess he wanted to offer another boon.”

“I’m sorry,” you tell her. “I shouldn’t have teased.”

She waves away your concern. “No fuss – but I can tell you, I won’t be fit company right now, my head’s still kinda fucked.” She taps her lip. “Ya know, I have an idea. Got any paper you can spare?”

You tear off a piece from the notepad you’ve been using and pass her a pen. She writes the word MORPHEUS with intentional, bold strokes – quite different from her usual scratchy handwriting. When she’s done, she looks to you. “Want to do the honors?”

Realizing what she’s doing, you nod, and clear your throat. With clear intonation, you say, “I call upon Morpheus, Dream of the Endless.” Not even a tenth of a second after you finish speaking, the walls shake, and the lights begin to flicker. Jo squeezes your hand in reassurance.

When the lights and shaking cease, you realize that there’s now a third person in the room. He’s tall, black-haired, and his eyes will steal your breath if you’re not careful. Combine that with his dark attire and gorgeous features, and he’s exactly your type. When he speaks, his voice is like dark honey. “Who is it that called me?”

“That was us, boss,” Johanna says. The man turns to see the both of you. “Matthew brought your note.”

“I’m glad to see you well, Constantine. Then you’ll be joining me for family dinner?” he asks.

Johanna shakes her head. “I’m afraid I’d be bad company – I’m still handling some of Rachel’s affairs, and I don’t much feel like small talk. However…” she gently pushes you towards him. “This is my friend Annie Magdalene – she is from a very prestigious magical bloodline. It might benefit her to visit the Palace.”

“Jo, what are you doing??” you hiss.

“Giving you an in – you think your parents would ever forgive you if you had a chance to dine with an Endless and didn’t take it?”

“Magdalene?” he cuts in. “I know that name.”

Gathering your courage, you say, “We’re a family of practitioners and magical historians, sir – sire…what would you have me call you?” You know full well that if you insult him, you definitely won’t get the invite, and you may suffer something painful to boot.

However, he offers you a small, warm smile that makes your heart flip. “You may call me Dream or Morpheus, Miss Magdalene. And is this what you wish as well?” You’re not sure, but he seems to be looking appreciatively at your curves and rolls.

“Only if it’s no trouble.”

“None at all. If you’re willing, I’d like to spend some time with you before you come to the Palace next week. May I see you later tonight?”

Johanna is smiling in approval of your good fortune, but you must admit you’re still a little confused. “Where would we meet?” you ask.

“Leave that to me,” Morpheus says.

--

You’ve visited this vineyard many times in your dreams, but this is the first time you’ve had company. As you pluck a grape from one of the vines, a voice close behind you asks, “Are they almost ready?”

You’re startled only for a second, but when you turn around and see Morpheus, you smile. Of course, he would visit you in your dreams. You hold the grape out to him. “See for yourself?”

He opens his hand, and you drop the grape to him. He catches it deftly between two fingers and turns it this way and that to get a proper look at it. “Perfect color and shape – and the right level of firmness. Beautiful work, Miss Magdalene.”

His compliment warms you, but you feel the need to be honest. “I don’t know how much credit I can take,” you tell him. “I’ve been dreaming of this place since I was a kid, and it was already beautiful then.”

“Then at least someone is here to treasure it.” The conversation flows easily from there, and you wake up with a smile on your face.

The next several nights are much the same. Morpheus appears in the vineyard to spend time with you, whether to chat or just to sit together. You find in these times that Morpheus is not just a beautiful face. He has the mind of a poet, and sometimes, you love to just listen to his words. He does his best not to dominate your conversations, but his voice inspires the best nights of sleep you’ve had in a long time.

The one thing you do notice is that he doesn’t give you that same appraising look again that he offered the first time you met. Perhaps it’s just him being a gentleman, but you’re worried. Did you misread him when you met him? You’d thought it was appreciation, but he just doesn’t seem interested in your body like he was before.

It stings, but you’ll live. True friendship with a member of the Endless is still worth more than your weight in gold and wine – you’ll take it for the gift it is.

--

On the day of the event, you dream of the Palace for the first time. It’s utterly gorgeous – truly the home of a king in his prime. The structure is perfectly engineered, and the gardens stretch on for miles. You’re tempted to go exploring, but then Morpheus calls out to you.

You walk over the great bridge, and he’s waiting there with a woman you haven’t met before. He introduces her – Lucienne, his Chief Librarian – and she shakes your hand warmly. “So glad you could make it, Miss Magdalene,” she says with true sincerity. “We don’t often have guests when it’s not a matter of state.”

“And I truly appreciate that,” you tell her. “From what I’ve studied, I know this isn’t typical.”

Lucienne nods, and then turns to Morpheus as the three of you walk past the hippogriff, wyvern and griffin who guard the palace entrance. “All invitations have been answered as of today, my lord. Death and Desire will be in attendance. However,” she looks at Morpheus over her glasses. “Desire did specify that they will not be able to attend the dinner itself. They will arrive afterwards.”

You almost miss the way Morpheus rolls his eyes, but the annoyance is still present in his tone. “I appreciate them giving notice, I suppose – but it would have been nice to know sooner.”

Lucienne shrugs. “They would have given the kitchen a headache anyway.”

You do your best to contain a snort, and you’re relieved when you hear a laugh echo behind you. “It’s true – I remember how the last dinner went.” The voice comes from a lovely woman with a warm smile, curly black hair, and dark skin. “I don’t think even they knew what they wanted; they simply couldn’t be satisfied.”

“Sister, I greet you,” Morpheus says. “Miss Magdalene, this is my older sister, the Lady Death. Sister, this is Miss Annie Magdalene. She’s a friend of the Constantine family, and she is my guest for this dinner.” You feel a slight shiver pass through you – you realize it’s the first time he’s actually said your first name.

If Death sees your reaction, she’s kind enough to be discreet. Instead, she pulls you into a hug, quite possibly the best one you’ve ever had. “Well, any friend of Dream’s is a friend of mine – would you like to sit next to me for the dinner?”

“That would be wonderful,” you tell her, and you mean it.

The dinner goes beautifully – the food is perfect, of course, but it’s the company that really makes it. Death is especially chatty, and she tells you of the worlds she’s seen and the people she’s met. In turn, you explain to her and Morpheus how your family came to study theirs.

The meal concludes, and while you’re certain there will be further conversation at the table, you find yourself wanting to wander. While Death and Morpheus’s backs are turned, you find a side door and turn the handle. It opens into the courtyard, and as you walk out, you see an archway leading into the Palace gardens.

“It’s not safe to walk in there alone, you know,” a voice purrs behind you. When you turn, you see a devastatingly gorgeous blond person leaning against the garden entryway. From your family’s books, you recognize that this must be Morpheus’ sibling Desire. They’re almost a little too pretty, you think. Their hair is perfectly coiffed, their make-up and smile are razor sharp, and their black blazer is open, showing a slender build that would put even the most renowned model to shame. Good grief, is everyone in this family stunning?

“You must be that Magdalene woman I’ve heard about,” they say. “An invite to my brother’s palace is no small matter – what favor did you manage to grant him, sweetling?”

You know from your research that this being is temperamental at best and an active saboteur at worst – but when they offer their arm, you still accept it. Indeed, as you begin to traverse the gardens together, you find yourself spilling your guts about everything – Morpheus’ invitation to Johanna, her arranging for you to visit instead, the many dreams you’ve had where you and Morpheus simply talk…

“Then you and my brother are courting?” Desire asks.

You’d been smiling while discussing your and Morpheus’ conversations, but Desire’s question makes your heart deflate. “It’s not like that,” you tell them. “I thought there was something there, but I don’t think I’m his type. I’m not slim and elegant like Johanna, and I’m just a researcher, not a practitioner – and a fat one at that.”

You appreciate Desire not immediately trying to say that you’re not plump. You’ve always hated when people do that – you know what you are, and it’s better to be a realist, even in a place like this.

You’ve come to a grove full of beautiful purple flowers – pansies, if you’re not mistaken. Your fingers drift towards one, but Desire quickly catches your wrist. “I wouldn’t do that, sweetling – you’re mortal after all. Allow me.” With their free hand, they pluck the bloom and tuck it behind your ear. Unfortunately, neither of you notice the spray of pollen and juice that comes loose from the vine when the flower is plucked. Instead, your attention is drawn to a marble bench, and the two of you sit down together.

“I won’t speak to my brother’s desires,” Desire tells you. “But I don’t know of any woman who shouldn’t walk with flowers in her hair at least once.” They smile as they arrange the strands of your hair and secure the blossom. “There – lovely as a picture.”

Your own smile returns briefly. “Thank you, I – ” you cut off with a hiss. “SHIT, my head…”

“Are you all right?” Desire asks. “Let me bring you back inside.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” you agree. You stand up, take maybe three steps – and then your feet go out from under you as the heat and pain move down into your chest.

Desire catches you before you can hit your head. You could swear you see true panic in their molten gold eyes. “Fuck – fuck fuck fuck!” they mutter. Raising their voice, they call for help – “MORPHEUS! DEATH! SOMEONE HELP!!!”

There must be a summoning power in Desire’s call. The palace is at least fifty yards away, but Morpheus and Death appear in the grove immediately. It’s Death who moves first – she helps you back to the bench, and when you’re seated, she has you face her, looking at your eyes. “Talk to me, Annie,” she says. “When did this start – just now?”

“Uh-huh,” you nod. “I think I need to go home – ” Another flash of heat rolls through you, and this time, you feel it between your legs. “What is happening to me??”

Morpheus turns to Desire, and his eyes go black, only his pupils showing as pricks of starlight. “What did you do, sibling?” You bite your lip to avoid moaning – the dangerous tone he’s using now makes you want to crawl over and worship at his feet.

“Nothing, I swear!” Desire protests. “We were having conversation, and I picked a flower for her to wear – I thought it would look nice!”

They gesture in your direction, and Morpheus finally sees the purple bloom in your hair. He doesn’t curse, but he rips the flower away, stomping it under his foot.  Turning back to Desire, he slaps them hard across the face. “I TOLD you! I told you what would happen if you interfered with me or mine again. And now you use Love-in-Idleness to poison an honored guest??”

To their credit, Desire takes the hit like an absolute champion. Shaking off their pain, they look Morpheus straight in the eyes. “I didn’t know what this was, brother. Besides, I thought Love-in-Idleness made you fall for the first person you saw after exposure. I can tell – it’s not me she wants.”

“There were multiple variants,” Morpheus says. “Will Shakespeare put the version you describe in his play – but he considered different ideas. All of them ended up here in my gardens. Do you not see how suspicious it looks that you just happened to pick the version that amplified sexual desire?”

“Intentional or not, something has to be done,” Death says. Her hand is pleasantly cool where she checks your temperature. “She’s feverish and her pulse is wild. Today isn’t the day she has an appointment with me, but unless someone who cares for her gets this out of her system, that could change.”

“Appointment??” Your eyes go wide. “I don’t want to die!” You double over as another spasm racks your body.

“We won’t let that happen.” Morpheus says. Kneeling before you, he kisses your knuckles like a knight of old, and his eyes return to their usual shade of blue. “We’ll find the one you want – he must be here in the Dreaming somewhere. He’ll fix this.”

Tears fill your eyes, even as the feel of his lips makes you ache. “Then I’m doomed – you don’t want me back.”

It’s unknown if Morpheus of the Endless has a heart in the human sense, but at the very least, he has a soul. Right now, it feels like it’s being ripped away. “You…you truly believe that?” he asks. “Even with the time we’ve spent together?”

“Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she believes,” Desire says. “When we were talking, she was convinced that you weren’t the woman for her.”

It’s Death who gets to business. “Desire, you know these things – can you confirm that Morpheus and Annie have the same feelings for each other?”

“My sister, I swear it on our parents.” Desire’s smirk is completely gone.  “Our brother is unaffected by the pollen but still cares, and Miss Magdalene was practically glowing when she talked about him, even before we came to the grove. The affection is mutual.”

Your gaze flicks to Morpheus, your eyes still brimming with tears. You don’t dare ask if it’s true – if Desire is misinformed, the heartbreak might kill you before the drug does.

However, all doubts are erased when Morpheus walks over to you and lifts you into his arms in a full bridal carry. You cling tightly to him, even knowing that he wouldn’t let you fall. Death and Desire briefly look at each other, and then they disappear. Before you can ponder that too much, Morpheus leans in and kisses your forehead. “I’m going to take care of you, sweetheart – I promise.”

Your surroundings fade – and then they reform into an elegant bedroom suite inside the Palace. The cool sheets where Morpheus lies down with you sooth some of the tension in your body instead of scratching like your sheets back home do. Nevertheless, your system is singing for your Dream Lord’s touch. Reaching behind you, you try to find him, but he grabs your wrist and pins it down in front of you.

“Annie, listen to me,” he says. “I need to make you come at least once so that I know you’re safe from danger. After that, I’m all yours. Can you be good and let me work?” You can barely manage to tell him that yes, you’ll be good, you’ll do whatever he wants – when he promises to get you off, you almost black out imagining what he might have in mind. “That’s my girl.” He releases your wrist, and your fingers tangle in the sheets.

Morpheus kisses the point where your neck meets your shoulder, and you can’t help the shudder that rolls through you. You’re sensitive at the best of times, but with the flower in your system, you feel like you’re going to break into pieces. “Morpheus, please…” you beg, “I need you!”

He knows full well that you’re speaking of your survival, not just your arousal. As such, he hurries to help you get naked from the waist down. Morpheus isn’t immune to your shape or sounds, and he promises himself he’ll lavish you with affection – later. Right now, he needs to make sure you’ll be ok.

Once your hips and legs are bare to him, he turns your face towards him. “I need you to use your words, sweetheart – I may know your dreams, but I’m not a mind-reader. What will work for you?”

“I need at least two fingers inside while my clit gets rubbed,” you tell him. “I usually like to edge myself a while but – FUCK!” Another heavy wave of arousal and heat hits you, and you swear that you can feel your heart falling out of rhythm.

“Understood.” Morpheus gives you a quick kiss and gets to work.

His clever thick fingers find the right spot almost immediately, and you groan in relief. Even just being filled is helping quite a bit. You vaguely remember a legend from the grimoire stating that Morpheus had been married at least once – you can’t say you’re surprised. With how he’s using his hands, this is clearly someone who knows how to please a partner. You don’t think you’ve ever been this wet in your life.

Your orgasm catches you off-guard, hitting you with enough force that you think your heart did in fact explode. But no – as you come down, you realize that the edge with the pollen was so painful that your current adrenaline buzz feels sleepy by comparison.

Morpheus places a hand on your neck, finding your pulse. Your heartrate is still elevated, but not nearly as high as it was before. When you turn to face him, a lazy smile on your face, he feels his own relief as well. He kisses you again – but now, he can be a bit more leisurely. Pulling you on top of him, he keeps your mouths connected and lets his hands wander.

You’re so plush, he realizes – wherever he touches, his fingers sink into your flesh. If he didn’t know better, he’d think you were made of his own sand – a sculpture of soft perfection.

That very flesh is still warm to the touch, even if the worst of the fever is gone. Breaking the kiss, he notes how you chase his mouth with yours, and he asks, “Do you still burn, sweet girl?”

You nod. “You were wonderful, Morpheus – but yes, it’s still pretty intense.”

“Then let’s fix it.” Taking your hand, he places it over his crotch with a smirk. “For both of us?”

You feel his hardness and gulp. “Where do you want me?” you ask.

“You’re perfect where you are, darling – but I want to see more of you.” After you take off your shirt and bra, he sits up so you’re in his lap. “Beautiful,” he says, and you can see from the look in his eyes that he means it. You’re not a virgin, but you can’t remember any time that a partner looked at you with such pure hunger. Even if you didn’t still have the flower in your system, those beautiful eyes would reduce you to a puddle.

Your cunt pulses, and you’re thankful for Morpheus holding you up. “What about you?” you ask breathlessly. He snaps his fingers, and you now feel his naked hardness beneath you.

“Can I have you, Annie?” His voice is low and deep, but not demanding. “I want you to be safe and I want you.”

“I’m yours,” you tell him. If you’re honest with yourself, you were his as soon as you met him, flower or no flower.

Once you say that, he doesn’t waste any time. You’re still incredibly wet after your first orgasm, and there’s barely any resistance when he slides his cock inside of you.

You may be on top, but Morpheus is the one setting the pace. He may look slender, but his arms are strong around your middle, and he lifts you with minimal effort up and down on himself. You suppose you shouldn’t be surprised – the way he carried you earlier, it’s obvious that your weight is no imposition to him.

What is a surprise is the tenderness he’s trying to include, even as he fucks you silly. For every thrust that rocks you to the core, there’s a stroke or caress of your arm, your hip, your face… It’s as if he’s trying to remind you that you’re here and you’re safe.

Your orgasm builds more slowly this time – it’s the glow of an ember more than the roar of a flame. Still, your desperation to come remains high, and you whine into Morpheus’s shoulder as the glow grows. He chuckles slightly, and taps your back to make you look him in the eyes. “Kiss me and I’ll give you what you want. Can you do that for me?” he asks.

You lock your lips onto his, and you groan into his mouth as he starts stroking your clit. You swear you can feel his smile as he strokes faster and faster…

When you come, it cascades out from your core like the feeling of slipping into a bath – you can tell that the fire inside is finally quenched. You still appreciate the jolt you feel as Morpheus disconnects your lips and finishes as well, but your heart isn’t catapulting around your rib cage anymore. However, a new kind of anxiety is settling in.

Morpheus sees the look of concern on your face and wipes a few beads of sweat off your forehead. “Are you all right?” he asks. “I know this was sudden.”

“Should I be worried about getting pregnant?” you wonder. You really like this man, this god, this Morpheus – but you don’t know if you’re ready for a baby, even with someone that you could easily fall in love with.

“No – for our kind, child-bearing is a very intentional process.” You swear you see a shadow of sorrow flit through Morpheus’s eyes. It’s gone before you can analyze it too deeply, and he says, “I wouldn’t surprise you with that, especially in these circumstances.”

He pulls out of you slowly, and you kiss his cheek to let him know you’re ok. “What now?” you ask. “I would ask if I can sleep over, but I guess I’m already doing that.”

Morpheus lets out a brief laugh. “I understand your meaning, darling.” He wraps a blanket around you, and with a wave of his hand, you’re back in the dream version of your own bedroom. “You’ve had an intense experience – I think resting in your own space will be best.”

“For…how long?” you ask. “I’d like to see you again.” You’d like to do a lot more than that, but you don’t want to seem desperate.

“You will soon enough,” he promises, and kisses your cheek. “Rest well, Annie.”

--

It ends up being about three weeks later, but Morpheus does keep his word to you. You’re dreaming of the vineyard again for the first time since the dinner, and as you turn a corner, he’s there waiting for you. He pulls you into a firm embrace and kisses the side of your forehead. “Have you been well?” he asks.

You nod. “I’m feeling a hundred times better, but I did miss you.”

“I missed you too – but there were arrangements I had to make before I could come check on you.”

“Oh?” You truly don’t know what he might mean by that.

Letting you go, he squeezes your hand. “I had thought,” he says, “that perhaps we could go on a tour of the Dreaming together, and I needed to map a route. You’ve only seen your section and the Palace, after all.”

You smile wide. “Is my Lord Morpheus asking me on a date?”

He returns your grin, even if his smile is more understated. “Yes, I am – I don’t want my intentions to be unclear this time.”

Linking your arm into his, you ask, “Where to?”