#it’s cool to be related to an Expert and it’s a little wild how much specialized knowledge a person can have w/o any formal recognition

[ginalinettiofficial]

having a sister who spent years working on a very busy high-risk labor/delivery floor and then went into general high risk OB services is fun because i get ALL the details on how exactly labor differs from media’s depictions of it

like she’s talking to my ma on the phone rn and i just heard her say “yeah she had a great labor! she only pushed for three and a half hours,” and my mom went “oh wow that’s not bad at all!” and i thought the same thing and then remembered that tv always makes it seem like once you start pushing, you’ve got ten, maybe twenty minutes until your baby is in your arms!!? that’s just something i thought was true for most of my life since i’ve never had a baby and most women who HAVE had babies (in my own personal experience etc etc) didn’t seem to really keep track of the timing of what happened when and how long each phase of labor lasted and all that jazz, and honestly it’s not something i’d have ever thought to question. but thanks to having a super cool sister who is very competent and has a ton of L&D experience, i know a lot about the nitty gritty details of labor!!! and that’s pretty cool

having a sister who is an L&D nurse has also, incidentally, firmly cemented my pre-existing refusal to EVER give birth to a child, too, because dear fucking god, the things i’ve heard. never in a million fucking years could that be me

[sgstories123]

Mystery Man At Mel’s Party In Marina

“Grab’s waiting.” Max called out to his sister impatiently.

“Yeah, okay. Don’t need to nag like mum. We are in time for the party.” Mel responded, pissed. She looked at her twin brother who was dressed in a burgundy casual jacket over a tight white t-shirt and black jeans. He had even put on CK One as the familiar scent reached her nose. Her brother had been working out in the gym. She had not realised before but the time and effort seemed to have paid off. Max was sporting larger biceps, a broader chest and chiseled abs. What a sexy body, she thought to herself, her irritation at her brother already subsiding by the sight of the muscular body.

Max and Mel had been invited to Leonard’s party last week and since then, he had been looking forward to it. Leonard was one of the richest guy in their class. He drives a silver Porsche 911 to school and wears branded stuff from head to toe. At the end of every semester, he would throw a party at some posh hotel. Everyone wants to be invited to his parties as it was rumoured to be wild and extravagant. But Leonard is very selective and only about 10 to 20 people are invited each year. The pretty girls in the class are often on top of his list. But Leonard changes his girlfriends so often that many are already struck off the list.

Mel was lucky this year to be in Leonard’s group for his Marketing class. As usual, she worked hard on the project and despite the rest of the group doing the bare minimum, they managed to get a Distinction for the module. Leonard was so pleased to get his first Distinction in his university life that he had reserved a place for Mel.

When Leonard heard that Mel had a twin brother in their class, he was surprised that two very different persons can be so closely related. “How can you be twins? You don’t look alike? Fuck! You are not even of the same gender.” Leonard had asked Max.“So, does that mean Mel has a dick?” Max was happy to go along with the joke and this endeared him to Leonard. Before the end of the semester, he found he to had an invitation to the party.

Max looked at Mel who was dressed in a long, shimmering blue dress, her front drawn low to expose the deep cleavage and ample breasts. A thin black belt accentuated her hourglass figure, spotlighting her assets. His cock stirred. Fuck! He told himself. That’s your sister. But a devilish voice responded immediately. That’s natural. You are only a man. Remember. The greatest queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, married her own brother.

Max shook off the thoughts. After spending one semester reading Egyptian history as an elective and that was what he remembered? What a waste of time. Back to the present, Max, he told himself resolutely.

An hour later, they stepped into the presidential suite at a hotel in the Marina Bay Area. Most of the guests were already there.

“Mel!” Nicole, Mel’s best friend shouted across the room. Nicole hurried over with champagne glasses in her hands. “Here! Take one! This is very nice!” Nicole seemed a little intoxicated as she swayed lightly on her feet. She must have arrived much earlier and helped herself to too many drinks. Nicole’s boyfriend, Abdul, walked behind her and held her by the waist, bending down to give her a quick peck on her cheeks. “You okay?” Abdul asked. “Yes, Sir!” Nicole responded. Abdul was an Army regular and took a scholarship to further his studies in the university. He was in his early forties and Mel was surprised when Nicole told her that they were together. “Why? You have a thing for father-figure?” Mel had asked Nicole. “Nope. I have a thing for military uniforms. He looked so cool in that uniform. And, of course being older, he knows a few more things when it comes to sex.” Nicole confessed. “You slut!” Mel laughed at Nicole. “You should try an older man some day, Mel. Preferably a Malay. They are circumcised and feel different from Chinese cocks.” Nicole was a self-professed sex expert.

“Hey Max! Come over here! I got something to show you.” Leonard, the host of the party had emerged from the bedroom. A group of guys had gathered around him and they seemed to be passing something small around, laughing nervously. Mel was curious and walked over to the group. When the group saw them approaching, they popped something into their mouth, washed it down with drinks and dispersed quickly. “What’s that?” Mel pulled Max over, whispering harshly. “Are you taking drugs?” Max pushed Mel’s hand away. “It is not what you think it is. Just something fun and harmless. Legit, okay?”

Mel was not convinced She walked over to Leonard who was now sitting in the sofa, looking out towards a floor-to-ceiling glassed window overlooking the Marian Bay Area, lighted by the street and building lights. It was a beautiful sight that only those with the money can buy. She sat down next to Leonard, her sisterly instinct kicking in. “Leonard, what did you give Max? Is it drugs?” Leonard turned and smiled at her. “You want some?” Mel was aware that several people around them including Leonard’s latest girlfriend Cheries was looking at her in amusement. “No. I mean I am not prudish or anything. I have taken them before. I just want to know.” Leonard laughed in his usual cocky manner. “Then it doesn’t matter.” He ignored her and took a sip from his drink.

Cherie seemed to be jealous that Mel had sat next to her boyfriend. She moved closer to Leonard, pressing her body against his, her arms wrapped protectively around him, signalling to Mel that she should move away as Leonard belongs to her.

“Look, Mel! Don’t worry, okay. It is a party! Just have fun.” Leonard leaned further back on the sofa. Cherie decided to take things up a notch further. She unzipped Leonard’s pants, took out his cock and started sucking on it. She was adamant to let Mel know that Leonard belongs to him.

Mel took the hint and turned to get up from the sofa. But Leonard pulled her down back on the sofa. He looked at her with half-closed eyes, obviously enjoying Cherie’s blowjob. He put a hand around her neck and pulled her closer to him, whispering “It was Viagra. I gave all the boys Viagra. You don’t need Viagra, do you?” He laughed, cockily, seeing everything as a big joke. He took out a small pill box from his jacket and popped out two red pills. “But you may want one of this. It is good.” He shoved one into Mel’s hands and lifting Cherie’s head from his cock, popped one into her mouth. Cherie seemed to know what the pill was. She washed the pill down with her drink before resuming with her blowjob.

Mel realised that her other classmates were looking at her. Feeling pressured, she popped the pill into her mouth as nonchalantly as she could and washed it down with champagne. She did not know what it was, but it cannot be too bad. No one has died or got into trouble at Leonard’s parties before. Anyway, Cheries has taken it too, she reasoned. But she was curious. What was it she has taken.

“How are you feeling?” Leonard asks her. “Fine. I don’t feel anything. Was it a placebo? You up to your silly tricks again?” Mel came to a sudden realisation that it may be another one of Leonard’s silly pranks. “It is an aphrodisiac for women. I thought you may be envious that Max has Viagra so I gave you something that it more appropriate for you.” Leonard laughed. “Not working, Leonard. I have no inclination to have sex.” Mel tried to sound cool.

But the pill seemed to be affecting Cherie. Her face was flushed and she had started taking off her clothes. When she took off her bra and panties, the guests hooted with joy. She proceeded to remove Leonard’s clothes before straddling him reverse cowboy style while Leonard was still seated on the sofa. She was bouncing herself on his stiff cock, as she moaned in pleasure. Some of the other guests took the opportunity to hug and kiss each other, catching up with the main act.

Mel had a first row seat to the show put up by Leonard and Cherie. Leonard was still holding on to her hand and it felt warm and comfortable. With his clothes off, Mel realised that Leonard had quite a muscular and sexy body. She touched his chest, enjoying the smooth touch of his skin, before resting on his hard nipple. Without realising it, she was already sucking on his nipple, her arms caressing his body.

Leonard grunted, shoving his hips upwards against Cherie, as he flooded her with his man juice. He held on to her, enjoying the last bit of pleasure as his cock pulsed with pleasure. When his cock had been drained, he pushed Cherie off to the floor and pulled Mel down to suck on his cock. As Mel started sucking on his cock, he deftly moved his arms under her long dress and removed her panties. His fingers found her love hole. Expertly, he pried them open with his fingers before inserting them in slowly. Mel gasped in pleasure as his fingers drew love juice from with her.

This time, Leonard wanted a cowgirl position. He helped Mel removed her dress before getting her to straddle facing him. Mel was surprised that Leonard could get hard again so quickly after having just fucked Cherie. His cock found her hole easily and slid into her. Leonard’s cock was providing so much pleasure that she blacked out for an instance. When she came to, Leonard was guzzling on her breasts like a baby while she was riding on his cock. Cherie was still lying on the floor after her session with Leonard. But one guy was eating her pussy and the other was trying to get her to give him a blowjob. Before she could see if the guy was successful in getting his cock into Cherie’s unconscious mouth, she was pushed by Leonard. She was now leaning upside down, her hands on the floor for support. Leonard had decided to stand up and do a pile driver. Her hands were too weak to support her but Leonard was holding on to her legs, pulling her upwards while he drove his cock deep down into her. She screamed as the cock went in so deep that her juices splashed out. It was the largest surge of orgasmic pleasure that she ever felt. She blacked out again.

When she woke up, she was on the floor, Cherie was not around any more. She vaguely remember Leonard laughing in her ear. “The pill is working very well, it seems. Have fun. The night is still young.” She tried to sit up but found herself too weak. As she crawled towards the sofa, someone held on to her ass. Before she could turn around to see who it was, she felt a hard cock being shoved into her love hole. She winced with pleasure. Her vagina had become so sensitive that there was too much pleasure for her to handle. She collapsed, her hands no longer able to support her. But this only lifted her ass, allowing the person behind her to shove his cock deeper into her. She moaned, letting herself succumb to the pleasure.

There was nothing else to do as she was too weak to move away. As she was being fucked from behind, she tried to look around her. It seems a full fuck fest was going on. Everywhere, her friends were making out. On the sofa. On the floor. On the bar. Against the wall. And she saw Cherie sandwiched fucked by two guys. She tried to see if the guy behind was fucking Cherie’s ass or was Cherie taking in two cocks in her cunt. But the guy fucking her had increased his pace. She closed her eyes as she released another round of her juice, wetting the carpet. The guy slapped her ass, as he also followed her, releasing his love juice next to hers on the carpet. Mel laid down exhausted. She turned around and saw that the person who had just fucked her was Teck Meng.

Fuck. She cursed herself. Teck Meng was nerdy, fat and pimply. But he was also brilliant in his studies. Leonard probably invited him to the party so that he can borrow his notes or get him to help him with his assignments. She needed to get away. It will be bad for her reputation if anyone saw her being fucked by Teck Meng. There will be no end to the snide remarks and callous jokes.

She managed to get to the sofa and lifted herself up. She walked unsteadily towards the bar and tried to sit down on one of the high stools. She lost her balance and almost fell but were grabbed by a pair of muscular hands. “You okay?” It was Abdul. “Yes, Sir!” Mel replied. Why was she mimicking Nicole, Mel thought to herself. It was weird. Like everyone else in the room, Abdul was naked. Nicole was right. Abdul’s circumcised cock looked different. “Fuck me, Sir!” Mel was surprised at what came out of her mouth. Was she crazy? Did she say that because she wanted Abdul’s cock? How can she betray Nicole like that?

But it was too late. Abdul had accepted the invitation and swept down, hugging her tightly and kissing her, his tongue invading every single crevice he could find. His hands attacked her breasts, squeezing them and pinching her nipples, sending her into waves of pleasure. He moved down quickly, squatting in front of her, licking and sucking her vagina as she tried to balance herself on the high stool while lost in her pleasure. Nicole was right. Abdul knows one or two things about giving pleasure. She has never felt this way before. Before long, she came again, squirting her love juice all over Abdul’s head, as she held tightly on to his short hair, her legs clamping hard against him, as her pleasure rode out in waves.

“My turn.” Abdul whispered softly as he carried Mel up in his strong muscular arms. He took Mel’s seat and sat her down on his cock, reverse cowgirl style. As Abdul leaned forwards, he turned Mel’s head up and kissed her. His hand supported her body, squeezing her breasts as he did so. As he pushed his cock into her, he pushed her forwards, allowing his cock to enter deeper into Mel. Mel gasped, as his cock brushed hard against her upper vagina walls, pressing against her pleasure points repeatedly. She was facing the window with the view of Marina Bay. There were fewer vehicles on the road now. It must be getting late. It was then that she caught sight of Nicole. She was lying side by side with Leonard near the window, doing a 69. She turned around to look at Abdul, hoping that he did not see Nicole cheating on him.

“Don’t think too much.” Abdul seemed to sense what was on Mel’s mind. “Everyone is just having fun at the party.” He pushed her down and stood up. Mel had her hands on the floor and her thighs held high by Abdul. In a wheelbarrow position, Abdul pushed deep into Mel, thrusting deeper with each stroke, eliciting screams of pleasure, each louder than the last. Mel was writhing in pleasure as her juices squirted uncontrollably out of her, each wave larger than the last. She tried to stay conscious but again she blacked out as her body could not take it any more. By the time she regained consciousness, she was lying on the floor near the bar. Abdul was nowhere to be found.

She laid down for a while, looking at her friends who seemed to be still engaged in sex all around the room. She sat up and saw a pair of legs jutting up from behind the bar. She crew over, curious to know who was behind the bar. It was Qing Long, the exchange student from China. He played basketball for his university and was very tall at 1.9 metres. Mel had avoided talking to him because his height always made her feel intimated. But now that he is lying down, he actually looked quite cute with his boyish charm and pale skin. The thing that most interested Mel was his cock. It looked so thick and long, and it was not even hard yet. Maybe tall guys have longer and larger dicks?

Mel could not stop herself and started sucking on it. She was getting to be quite a slut. As she sucked on it, she could feel it growing harder and longer. She was going to give up when she felt a hand stroking her hair. She turned and saw that Qing Long had woken up and was now sitting up. He smiled at her and helped her on her feet. Pressing her against the wall, he pushed his hard cock into her, fucking her in a standing position. Mel gasped as the long thick cock penetrated her. This was too good. But he was too tall and had to bend his knees awkwardly. He lifted both of her legs, carrying her. Her whole body was now resting on his cock, forcing her to accept his whole length. Mel blacked out again as the cock reached deeper than any other cock before Qing Long’s. She felt her vagina gagging, just like she would gag when taking in too large a cock in her mouth. She held onto Qing Long tightly, begging him to finish quickly, as she could not take it any more. He responded by banging her hard against the wall, finishing violently, in several hard, deep strokes. He released her, setting her down onto the floor. Mel was exhausted as she watched Qing Long’s man juice flow out of her sore vagina.

“You done?” It was Bryan, another exchange student from Finland. He had been popular with the girls, with his blonde hair and blue eyes. Qing Long nodded and walked away. Without even asking Mel, he pulled her up and led her into the bedroom. The bedroom was dark and was lit up by the lights of the main room when the door was opened. Mel could see several bodies on the large bed and on the floor, engaged in sex. Familiar, soft, moaning noises were heard throughout the room. It was an orgy over here.

But Bryan did not intend to share her. He pushed her into the bathroom where it was empty and brightly lit. He turned her to face the mirror over the sink, parted her legs and started fucking her from behind. Mel could see herself in the mirror. There were patches of dried sperm all over her body, including on her hair and face. Bryan was squeezing her breasts but he did not look as if he was interested in her. From the mirror, Mel realised Bryan was a selfish lover, only interested in his own pleasure. He was just staring at his own cock plunging her hole, not even looking at her. Thrusting without much emotion, he came quickly, took his cock out, and left the bathroom without another word.

Mel was disappointed. She did not feel any pleasure from this fuck. This must be the worst one of the night. She looked at herself in the mirror again. It must be late. She should get some sleep.

She walked out of the bathroom and saw a space on the bed. She laid down to get some rest but she was not going to get any. An arm wrapped around her and hugged her from behind. The guy started kissing her nape, slowing caressing her and touching her all over her body. It was very slow and sensual foreplay. Slowly, she could feel her body responding, enjoying the excruciatingly slow and erotic movements that they made together. After what seemed like an eternity, the man moved his hands towards her vagina, slowly teasing her until she was drenched in her own juices. He fingered her expertly, and she orgasmed several times, her body writhing in pleasure, jerking herself against the man’s muscular body. She could smell a familiar scent that the man was wearing but could not quite make out what it was. Her hands reached behind her to touch the man’s cock. It was huge and hard. She guide it slowly into her, as the man entered her from behind. He turned her downwards towards the bed so that he was fucking her sideways. With her legs lifted up, it was scissors-style. Mel had a sudden thought. Tonight, she must have completed all the Kama Sutra positions. Was there anything that she had not done yet? The man went slow, pushing and pulling each stroke deliberately. Mel could feel the pleasure transversing throughout her love canal and coursing through her whole body. It lasted very long but finally, the man approached his own orgasm, increasing his pace only slightly, before hugging her tightly, pushing his cock one last time deep into her and delivering his love seed into her waiting womb. The man gave Mel a soft, warm kiss on her shoulder before turning away.

Mel felt a strong connection to this man. There was a warm, familiar feeling. And the scent. It made her feel that she should know this man. She wanted to know him better and maybe fuck him again. She sat up. The room was still dark and she could not see who was on the bed. There was also several people on the bed and a few more on the floor. The man could be any one of them. She was quite sure the man had not left the room as she did not see the light from the main room entering the bedroom. She saw a thin silver of light from the drawn curtains. It was already morning. She got up trying not to step on the people sleeping on the floors and drew open the curtains. The early morning light was just enough for her to make out the people in the room. She recognised most of the people in the room. There were about 5 men and 3 women in the room. One of the men was her brother. The familiar scent was CK One.

[101flavoursofweird]

The thing I love about Kat and Ernest’s relationship

Kat grew up not just in the shadow of her father, but her older sister (the Golden Apple, Professor Layton’s protege), her older brother (who became a police inspector), her uncle Luke (Layton’s apprentice), Emmy (Number One Assistant) and Desmond (Azran-expert Professor Sycamore), etc. etc… 

Basically Kat comes from a family of clever, cool, sophisticated, capable characters, and it would be so easy for her, as the youngest child, to feel overshadowed. (Not that her family would purposely make Kat feel like that! But it’s probably inevitable when your father is THE Professor Layton!)

It’s possible little Kat appeared in the papers alongside her father— if the Professor was even taking on new cases at that point… but any fame Kat did have would be in connection to her father. Then, Layton and Luke disappear when Kat is ten. Would the public even remember the name of Professor Layton’s youngest child? (How many archaeologists can you remember by name? Not fictional ones. Can you remember the names of their children?) 

By the time Kat opens her detective agency, at he age of 21, no one (outside of her family and close friends) seems to know who she is. You’d think people working at Scotland Yard would know  Kat— her older brother works there— but the average police office like Inspector Hastings doesn’t recognise Kat when she first turns up at his office. (As seen in Ernest’s flashback!) In fact, Hastings seems to resent her! 

When Madame Gretchin Doublée requests the assistance of a ‘Layton’, she expects the Professor himself to arrive at her house— but instead, she gets his young parvenu daughter. 

We see a similar incident in the first episode of the anime, when Simon Light turns up at the Layton Detective Agency, insisting he wants Professor Layton’s help… much to Kat’s irritation.

It’s safe to say that before she opened her detective agency, Kat was just a nondescript girl in the eyes of the general public.

Sherl is Kat’s first ‘client’ when she opens her detective agency, but before that… Kat helped a young man accused of theft at Gressenheller. 

Ernest is a complete stranger to Kat. When they first meet, the only obvious connection the two share is their association to Gressenheller. Ernest mentions that he often encounters bad luck (which, I suppose Kat could relate to with her family) but other than that, Ernest doesn’t recognise Kat or her last name. He claims he chose to attend Gressenheller because his favourite professor (Dr. Ohm) taught classes there— and I believe that. I don’t believe Ernest masterminded a whole plan where he would bump into Hershel Layton’s daughter and she would expose the dragons for him. (Though, this is a cool take and I’d love to read something like that!) Maybe Ernest started developing his plans to bring down the Seven Dragons— keeping his intentions hidden from Kat— when Kat was taking on cases from the Dragons… but his first meeting with Kat was complete coincidence.

The day they met, Kat’s sole pure intention wasn’t to help Ernest out of the goodness of her heart. She was on her way to the university anyway, so she let Ernest accompany her. She may have solved the case partly to boost her own reputation and to stick it to Hastings… but she was still kind was kind to Ernest and, in the end, she cleared his name. No wonder she left such an impression on him!

After that, Ernest decides to drop everything and dedicate himself to the girl who saved him. He pronounces himself Miss Layton’s assistant and seeks her out at her detective agency. Yes, Ernest can be a little obsessive and Kat tells Sherl she doesn’t need an assistant, but actually… she really could use an assistant. Ernest makes her tea. He solves puzzles with her. He reminds her to pay rent. He carries her bags for her. He compliments her outfits. He’s indulges Kat’s wild theories. He’s like her personal cheerleader.

Kat— the overlooked, youngest Layton— LOVES this. She loves having someone to hype her up. She loves how someone (outside of her family) finally recognises her worth. She loves having a friend, who would do anything for her. 

Yes, she would be hurt by Ernest’s deception, but she forgives him. When Ernest tries to resign as her assistant and leave her forever, did he really believe Kat would let him go, after the losses she had experienced in the past? (Her father, Luke, Alfendi in hospital…)

Nope. 

[ashes-writing-corner]

So I'm actually in the process of writing my dragon rider AU, and I wanted to go ahead and include Farah in my little headcanons/fun facts series. As always, dragon art credit goes to Kenny Kwan arts on Instagram. Check it out his art is amazing ^^

Also yes I'm aware I added an extra r in her name in the pic, but as I made this months ago I really don't wanna go back and correct it. I'm so sorry guys :(

Farah and Zaircai

Farah

1. Farah is a dragon rider from another country, Keshye, which is across the sea from Athana.

2. Unlike Edren and Athana, the people of Keshye view dragons as creatures worthy of great reverence. While it's an honor to become a rider, becoming one for Keshyan dragon is harder.

3. Farah was ten when she first approached Zaircai, a dragon who had been feeding off of local livestock for ages and was becoming a tad problematic. Three years of training, bonding, and hard work on both sides earned a strong partnership.

4. Farah is an expert with a longbow, both in the air and on the ground.

5. She rides Zaircai mostly bareback, as saddles and reins are considered taboo when claiming a dragon in Keshye.

6. It takes a lot of balance and a LOT of trust, but she can even stand on Zaircai when in the air, knowing her Winged Shadow will not let her fall.

7. She wants to see the whole world from the back of her dragon, and make records and maps from her findings.

8. Doesn't agree with how Athanians "lock away" their dragons in Dragon's Keep. It's only after talking with Simon and Nova that Farah gets why Dragon's Keep was truly built.

9. Her people also view Wildfyre, the first dragon, as a sort of god-like figure. For Edren and Athana, Wildfyre was a tyrant to be feared and deposed. But to the Keshyen people he was a symbol of freedom and the wild that made up their homeland.

10. She and her brother once served as egg couriers as they sought out new riders. When it was revealed he was stealing and selling the eggs to those who wanted to use the hatchlings inside for other, more nefarious purposes, Farah and Zaircai had no choice but to stop him by any means necessary...

Zaircai

1. A rather young dragon, maybe in his 70s at this point. He doesn't really keep track of his age.

2. Farah calls him her Winged Shadow because he's always there even when she's not on his back.

3. Zaircai tends to overheat easily due to the black of his scales. Because of this, he's often found swimming in any nearby body of water to keep cool.

4. He claimed Farah just as much as she claimed him. They chose each other if anyone asks them.

5. Farah is his first rider, and he's not sure if he'll want another once she's gone.

6. Breathes flames of black with veins of silver.

7. His head and neck are lined with sharp spikes, similar to another dragon I might write about later. It's believed the two may be related but its never entirely addressed, as it's one he REALLY doesn't want to be associated with.

8. At first, Zaircai only lets Farah touch him, until they meet Alex the Wanderer and his dragon, Visha.

9. Is a bit spoiled admittedly, a trait that all Keshyen dragons share.

10. Farah was not the first to try and claim him, just the only successful one to. Many tried only to be burned for their efforts.

And that's Farah and Zaircai! I feel like they're gonna be a fun pair to write, and even more so when Alex is thrown into the mix. Not sure who I'll do next, maybe Graves and his dragon, Vera. Anyway, let me know what you guys think! As I said I'm actually working on turning this into a full fledged fic. So keep an eye out for that! Don't forget to be awesome ^^

[mourninglamby]

Are you like, still ok with dsmp lore/character analysis asks? Cause i want your thoughts around sam real bad but don't wanna be rude.

If you're still ok w those kinda asks but dont wanna write a bunch just saying where on the spectrum between vilifier and apologist you are would be really cool too! (Gonna take a wild guess that you're somewhere near a critical sympathizer? Like you understand why he did stuff n dont think hes evil but still think he made very immoral choices or something)

brah ur good. i dont mind dsmp asks at all!! also im glad u asked.

this is gonna be long oops

c!sam is one of the only characters where i have nearly full faith in regarding authorial intent, for starters. Sam The Dude (bringing that back) is obviously very self aware of his characters morally ambiguous and sometimes straight up ethically bankrupt actions, and everything he does with consideration for his character and the plot makes sense to me up until. Well.. c!sam's prison arc. But all of the consequences of that arc are still up in the air and I still stand by sam's understanding of the metatextual implications of his characters actions. Because oh boy does sam GET CONSEQUENCES. However for now I'm keeping my distance from that until we get some more c!hotelduo shit.

I think Sam The Guy is an expert at writing his character's hypocrisy compared to, say, c!techno's. C!Techno does things selfishly and impulsively, and doubles down on the decisions he makes regardless of how destructive or hurtful they are to anyone who isn't him or his friends. This is largely in part perpetuated by his character never reaping the consequences of those actions. That's a fact, not an opinion. So his hypocrisy in relation to his principles (his hatred for any form of government) feels antagonistic and almost goofy when you realize that makes him the defacto government, if he is to be the judge jury and executioner of the smp's organized communities. See the syndicate and snowchester or literally any ctechno stream post bedrockbros arc.

Now look at C!Sam. Sam does everything to follow HIS principles, but has extremely little regard for himself and other people, aside from C!Tommy. While attempting to make things more safe, his downfall lies in that code becoming an obsession, leading to him to justify mutilating his ex and stopping tommy from killing dream in C!wilburs revival stream for the sake of containing the real threat. And most notably, we figure out that sam somehow found out about c!ranboo's association with c!dream, which is a concept that explains a myriad of fatal errors with pandora's vault security and some experiences inside it. C!Sam killing c!ranboo is awful, sure, but there's this thing called DRAMATIC IRONY, where we know it wasn't truly c!Ranboo (debatable, given how ranboo The Guy abandoned his damn character) who carried out the plan with the explosives that lead to c!tommy's death and subsequent revival, but c!sam doesn't. And once again, the cycle of violence is repeated. However, for all these things, C!Sam faces dire punishments. Probably more than any character on the server.

C!Ponk and c!sam will probably never heal their relationship. As much as C!sam may regret it or feel remorse for hurting them, c!ponk has every right to be scornful and hold resentment towards him for the rest of their lives. C!tommy, someone c!sam has held dear throughout the entire show and arguably values the most, HATES him and never wants to see him again after his incidents. C!tubbo and his murder squad put him in the prison HE OVERSAW SECURITY FOR.... punishments left and right at this point.

And this is why his character and his hypocrisy are more tragic to me. All of this comes to a head when C!dream, someone he shouldn't even feel remorse towards, kills him after he wakes him up to his own cruelty and murders him for the keycards. C!Sam is constantly hurting himself and others and being brutally punished afterwards, without learning much, because he feels like his principles justify his actions. But now he has no need for these principles, since the prison has been rendered obsolete and he's lost everyone he wants to protect.

Which is why I feel his redemption arc would be the most rewarding at this point in the story. He seems to finally be recognizing his errors. sam feels like the type of character to not want this guilt to destroy him more than it already has, and if I had control over this story, or even the room with sam The Guy, I'd ask him to start with c!tommy. His redemption starts back at the beginning: protecting this kid from a monster. Except this time, he does it right, and he does it because he not only cares for him, but he owes it to him, as both the adult and as someone who is distinctly aware of c!tommy's suffering at the hands of c!dream.

[guytheporn]

Free Japanese Porn Sites

Free Japanese Porn Sites

Hail The Petite JAV Porn Flavor!

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Pornguy, What Kind Of Japanese Porn Site Do You Like Best?

I like them all and that is generally in light of the fact that these young ladies are charming to such an extent that simply seeing them bare can make a self-regarding rooster begin to break and it's been a very long time since my woody showed me any regard! I've been fapping to a ton of JAV pornography of late however and it is not difficult to see the reason why once you see them JAV prostitutes in their birthday whores and their legs spread so wide you could nearly screw it through your PC screen and pour your cum load somewhere inside!

All things considered, I truly do adore watching recordings whores from Jaapan getting a butt-centric destruction from larger than average chickens. Cosplay/pretend creations aren't terrible either and there are a ton of that on the XXX locales on this page. Furthermore, we should I neglect, I likewise have something of a gigantic preference for JAV dollfaces claiming to be school young ladies who then get a faux pas in them that shows them more than the letters in order! Indeed, even an eunuch can cum to stuff like that!

What In Your Opinion Are The Best JAV Porn Sites Out There

I truly do get posed the above inquiry a great deal and there's actually no off-base and right response. It will all come down to taste and need. Along these lines, assuming you are after absolutely beginner JAV pornography of for the most part average quality, there are JAV destinations that spend significant time in that. There are likewise destinations that emphasis on expert and top-quality substance from top studios and you could have to pay an expense and get an enrollment card before you can view and wank to this.

In any case, I would suggest you look at every one of the locales referenced on this Japanese pornography destinations classification page and read what I need to say regarding them. Yet, in the event that you are sufficiently horny to detonate and clear out your block without warning and lack opportunity and willpower to see what I need to say on the different JAV destinations out there, simply go to a major site like XVideos or Pornhub, input a hunt word like "JAV" and begin wanking away like the public authority is going to remove your rooster from you in 60 minutes!

Yo Pornguy. Why So Much JAV Porn Is Blurred?

Indeed, you can fault obsolete ethical quality regulations for that garbage. As per regulation, all JAV pornography made in the nation needs to obscure the genitalia of the members, and in the event that you are a maker who doesn't regard this regulation, you risk being fined huge number of dollars and tossed into jail. That sucks bull poo without a doubt, yet Japan will be Japan and it very well may be peculiar as an evening time grasshopper screw on a roulette table!

The said regulation applies to ALL explicit substance made in the country. That incorporates grown-up computer games, hentai, and XXX comics.

I don't know about you, however a regulation like that seems OK as entering a gazing rivalry with the sun! We are discussing a country that oversexualizes ladies and young ladies of pretty much every age and has candy machines where you can purchase worn student undies, and they have a regulation that states you can peruse and observe extremely disgusting things about them modest chicks, yet can't see their privates. Benevolently advise me when horse crap like this begins to check out, on the grounds that right currently pondering it got my cerebrums generally mixed!

A few XXX locales truly do have uncensored JAV content and there are spots where you can watch the uncensored rendition of controlled Jsapanese muck. Thus, all trust isn't lost assuming you go over an especially sweet JAV cut that you need to watch the manner in which it ought to be. For that I am grateful!

Any Last Words Of Advice You Master Cock Wringer?

    In my word reference, the main final useful tidbit you want is to visit every one of your exes and provide them with a decent taste of that old line that will get them figuring they probably been the greatest nitwit on the planet to let you go! What's more, make certain to extend their bungholes prior to saying them an affectionate farewell and advising them to go screw a palm tree!

Concerning guidance, simply make certain to look at the Japanese pornography destinations surveys on PornGuy and go with those locales that look paradise sent for your cumming needs. Furthermore, better become acclimated to obscured body parts and try not to smack your screen to fix the "issue," or you will supplant PC screens throughout the year!

[michelemoutons]

and at last, the post that maybe three people maximum have been waiting for...

em's comfort retro rally videos: a masterlist!

in a much-needed return to this blog's roots, and as an antidote to all motorsport- and life-related chaos, i now present to you: the first edition of em's favorite retro rally videos!

general disclaimer/info: these videos mainly come from the group B era of the world rally championship (wrc), which generally speaking was in the '80s. i am only human, so expect a lot of bias toward my personal favorites...which will become very apparent as you read this list hehe. also i'm not even gonna pretend to be an expert on this or anything. a lot of these are literally just based on Vibes

table of contents

i. my top 5 rally coverage videos

mainly coverage for television, recorded on VHS and uploaded to YouTube by some truly incredible people

ii. honorable mentions

not rally coverage, but retro rally videos nevertheless

often documentaries, mini-doc features, interviews

for all videos, i have indicated the language (most are in english fyi); if any links fail or videos disappear, send me an ask or DM and i'll remove the culprit/find an alternative link.

and now, onward!

(TW for occasional flash photography in many of the night sequences of the videos, as well as a gif included in this post)

i. my top 5 rally coverage videos

in which my bias toward audi sport, mouton/pons, mikkola, toivonen, and vatanen are put on blast for all to see 🥴 i am not an expert in anything i am just very good at research and a whore for aud—[SNIPED]. for the sake of brevity, i narrowed my favorites down to 5. maybe another time i will share all the rest!

also, a general note about the commentary: sometimes, the commentary around michèle and fabrizia can get... weird. keep in mind, they were the most prominent female team partnership around that time, and the first to nearly clinch a wrc wdc, and to modern ears, the commentators really didn't know how to act around them. personally, it wasn't horrible for me, i just ignored the weirder bits, but i understand if others might find it off-putting. also for the sake of your sanity don't read the comments.

5. Rally of the 1000 Lakes, 1984 | finland

link: overall coverage (eng)

podium: vatanen/alén/toivonen (full final results)

comments: this was definitely a rally for most of audi sport's drivers to forget: bar stig blomqvist, who came quite close to the podium finishers with a 4:14:01 to henri toivonen's 4:12:57! both hannu mikkola and michèle mouton had to retire from the race, which may lead you to wonder: why does this rank among my favorites? well, it's always fun to watch group b rally cars sailing through the air against picturesque scenery, and this video also contains an intriguing (at least for me!) look at the scrutineering process, with drivers at their most casual.

owie :( they were fine though!

4. Lombard RAC Rally, 1981 | britain

link: overall coverage (eng)

podium: mikkola/vatanen/blomqvist (full final results)

comments: hannu winning by 11 whole minutes even after rolling his car in the middle of the forest is actual legend behavior! anyway this was michèle's first wrc outing in britain, and even though she and fabrizia had to retire, they still did quite well, consistently running high in the leaderboards after the first few stages. and that's considering the fact that michèle had a bad cold for much of the rally and had to ask fabrizia to drive the car to service park for her at one point bc she was so tired. which fabrizia did... with a pencil in her mouth. lot of big names in one video—also, jean todt makes an appearance as a co-driver!

shamelessly poached off of one of my text post edits

3. Marlboro Safari Rally, 1983 | kenya

link: overall coverage (eng)

podium: vatanen/mikkola/mouton (full final results)

comments: ok can i just say how stunning the video presentation is?? the opening sequence is just!!! the shots of the wildlife! the sprinting giraffes! wow! anyway the visual of drivers in deck chairs just tickles me for no reason, and michèle please tell me what you ask for at the hairdresser's and also where you got that orange blouse (this is obviously not just specific to this rally, she always eats and leaves no crumbs). this was michèle's first entry and only finish in kenya (and of course it was a podium mwah). it was also her last wrc entry in the A1 quattro, as she switched to the A2 for the rest of her program in the '83 season. also this is one of my favorite podium pictures ever.

lksdjffnnkd there's almost too much to unpack... fabrizia somehow surviving in high waist jeans in a hot car... michèle's do-it-yourself shorts... this podium picture was the subject of a very frantic video chat conversation between myself and a friend at 2am a few months ago

2. Rallye de Portugal, 1982 | portugal

links: short recap (eng) | overall coverage 1, stuck in the middle of two other rallies. timestamps in descrip. (eng) | overall coverage 2, very vibey with cool music (ita... also peep walter röhrl speaking italian)

podium: mouton/eklund/wittmann (full final results)

comments: GOD I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH AAAA! michèle's first podium of '82 being a win? this rally being the one where there's footage of her going shopping with fabrizia afterward? (more on that later) them winning by 13 whole minutes? and that's not even considering THEE most poetic victory ceremony of all time! in fact let me talk about that bc the racing and the win aside, that's why it's so high up on my list! literally poetic cinema! it's night, they're standing on top of the car and floodlit and surrounded by cheering crowds but they may as well be the only ones there in their own little world, laughing at each other and barely even having to look to each other when they're raising their hands—like god! shut up! we get it you're besties 😭

i_just_think_theyre_neat.png

and now... last but certainly never least...

1. Lombard RAC Rally, 1982 | britain

link: overall coverage (eng)

podium: mikkola/mouton/toivonen (full final results)

comments: firstly, if you were to ask me about my dream podium, this would be it. hands down, across all series of motorsport, my comfort podium would be hannu, michèle, and henri in any order. (there's such a cute picture of them from this rally on pinterest, standing in order on a staircase. henri is not looking at the camera because he is laughing at something michèle is saying and it's such a Vibe but i cannot find it wah). the battle for second between michèle and henri ran down to literally the last stage, and their times are separated by seconds, which is just wild to me. the context of this rally deserves another post, which i honestly don’t have the energy to make rn, but just take my word for it that it threatens to destroy me if i think about it too hard! anyway this is just such an awesome rally and i’ve watched this video so many times haha

i love this rally so much that i actually had a character in a story i was writing attend the ceremony captured in this picture as a small child and made it a formative moment in her life. no, there is nothing wrong with me.

ii. honorable mentions

(is it obvious who my faves are? yikes)

'Group B - Avec Michele Mouton' (eng) - taken from a longer feature presentation about group b, a segment specifically about michèle. a friend once described its vibes as ‘a synth wave edit of an 80s anime set in a cyberpunk world about racing’

'1983 Audi Sport National Rally with Michele Mouton' (eng) - in which michèle takes journalist sue baker as a co-driver for a spin in an A1 and a rally win. fun behind-the-scenes video

'Intervista a Fabrizia Pons, la Regina delle Note' 1, 2, 3 (ita) - very thorough interview which is mostly fabrizia telling all sorts of stories, including the very entertaining story of how she found out she was going to be michèle’s co-driver. also what a badass title

'2008 Otago International Classic Rally' (eng) - THE BESTIES REUNITE THE BESTIES REUNITE!!! michèle and fabrizia reunite for a rally that fabrizia convinced michèle to join, they suffer some problems but there are plenty of wholesome bestie moments to be had

'Michele Mouton hurls Group B Audi Quattro up Goodwood hill' (eng) - i mean, self explanatory. the sound of the chirping tires? asmr could never. very short watch if you want a quick pick-me-up

'1990 Louise Aitken-Walker feature' (eng) - a video featuring a female rally driver from scotland and her point-scoring run at the rallye monte -carlo. i am convinced that louise was john finnemore’s inspiration or at least an influence for the character of linda fairbairn. no my hat is not made of tin foil what are you talking about

hannu rocketing around michigan back in 2017 (eng)

hannu flying around goodwood in 2015 (eng)

sometimes i listen to fabrizia's recent onboards (yes, she's still at it!) and this one is one of my favorites, from 2016 (ita)

[saphirered]

Hi! I love your pieces for Caleb. They’re all so sweet and heartwarming. Would you be interested in writing about the M9 individually in a relationship with a Druid reader? If that’s too much at once, just Caleb please? Thanks and I hope you’re having a good day :)

I hope you enjoy this one and thanks for the request ☺️!

Caleb Widogast

Your natural magic caught his eye from the very first time you used it. Caleb’s intrigued by what he may not 100% understand and he may have used his own desire to pursuit knowledge to mask his interests in you because to get a better understanding of your abilities requires getting to know you. Countless questions, conversations into the early morning hours to the point where you agreed to show him whenever you had the free time and could afford to use your spells and abilities without repercussion in a possible enemy encounter.

Every time you find yourself in your preferred environment he can’t keep his eyes off you. The peace and calmness radiating from you made even Caleb feel at ease, almost forgetting about the possible dangers lurking in the shadows. He sticks close to your side bathing in the comfort you bring him. He may not be as comfortable with pda but he can’t help holding your hand when he’s sure no one’s looking. 

When you’re alone he’s much more comfortable spending time in your arms (or take you in his) to the point where you wake up together with loud knocking at your door signing you may have slept in a little bit too long for some of the Nein’s comfort. 

It takes Caleb some getting used but a couple months into your relationship he’ll initiate holding your hand, wrapping an arm around you or even kiss you in public much to the surprise of the rest of the Nein. They wonder what you’d done to their wizard to get him to do such a 180 but you only gave him time and space to find what he’s comfortable with and what he isn’t or isn’t yet in some cases. Like the seasons things can change and once spring comes again the flowers bloom once more. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for winter to fade.

Beauregard Lionett

Beau wasn’t much into your ‘treehugger shit’ (her words) at first and may have had some strong opinions about some of your customs but she’s also a quick study and you’re hot so what was she gonna do? Not ogle you while you work your magic literally and figuratively showing off that muscle build from the harsh life in the wilds you’d lived for so long? You knew she was staring every time but any time you acknowledged it she would deny it or pretend to have a coughing fit. 

Beau’s behaviour quickly changed once she had a real talk with you finding out you were anything but a ‘treehugger’. You’re accustomed to the brutality of the wilds and the two of you can definitely relate when it comes to learning things the hard way. Up front nature may seem honest but it is very much deceiving. Your way of reading nature taught you how to read people and you got the pleasure of being so smug about teaching Beau about your ways after she finally settled down. The two of you learned to like each other and the attraction between the two of you became more than just physical. 

Despite pretending not to care or be open about her feelings Beau is anything but. Having someone to confide in without judgement or the risk of it being used against her has been a blessing. Whenever you get the chance and find a peaceful spot she always joins you for some meditation. 

She’s not afraid taking the lead in your relationship but definitely isn’t opposed to you engaging either. The two of you have a functional dynamic and while you may have your arguments you always work it out in the end because you’re stronger together than you are apart. Besides, she can’t complain when you come in after a fight to heal some of her bruises be they to her body or her ego. Neither of you have any expectations and just take it day by day but you’re together nonetheless and honestly, you could both see this carry on in the future. 

Fjord

You’re as comfortable on the ocean as you are on land. This was something very important to Fjord when the two of you became more than just travel companions and friends. While he himself may at this point not necessarily want to return to the oceans soon out of fear of his former patron he would love to return to the port sights and trade routes and he’d love nothing more than bringing you along if you’d let him. 

Learning you had quite the arsenal of water based spells was a surprise and may have left him a tiny bit salty at what he had to go through to the point he is now for a fraction of that but he quickly got over it after you eased his mind. For how confident and charismatic he may be he can be quite awkward and shy when it comes to anything to do with romantic affections, especially engaging in them but luckily you aren’t and you are more than happy to push him into the deep with his consent of course. 

While he prefers to stay somewhat by your side and may jokingly say so he can protect you like the valiant paladin he is but in all honesty you both know he really just feels safer with you close by and you’ve saved his ass on more than one occasion, a fact you won’t let him forget and if he’s deemed you’ve had your fill he’ll just trow you over his shoulder and walk away with you. You may pretend to be grumpy or upset but your facade drops quickly and doesn’t fool him but a quick kiss ‘remedies’ your ‘mood’ quickly. 

At this point he’s grown so accustomed to you being somewhere near he sleeps much easier when you’re there. He may at one semi-drunken night have told you he’s sure you keep the nightmares at bay. Fjord would do almost anything for you even if that means a dreaded shopping trip. As long as he’s with you he actually enjoys it because it means he gets to spend more time with you. Though if he had to pick a favourite it would be any time the two of you had a moment to yourself on the ship just watching the waves and the clouds, his arms wrapped around you and head leaning on your shoulder. 

Veth 

Ever the kleptomaniac she’d stolen many personal possessions of you over time but only to admire them. Veth always returned them to you in the end but she simply couldn’t help but feel the itch to have a small collection of your things to herself. Though from the moment she had you she no longer really needed the material anymore because you are more than enough; you are her treasure. Though that doesn’t prevent her from stealing from others. 

You’re her partner in crime and she loves that about you. You have her back at all times and she has yours. Besides, what’s better than summoning literal lightning to make your grand escape from the chasing guards or a carefully created slab of ice in the middle of a street. 

When she came clean about her story you reassured her many times you wouldn’t feel any different because at heart she’s still the same and you love her for who she is. 

You love helping her with her ‘little side projects’ and while you may not be an expert tinkerer or alchemist you’re pretty nifty when it comes to the natural base elements and are happy to provide a flame to heat things up, ice to cool things down or a gust of wind or two to get rid of the nasty chemical smells and dusts. You’re the perfect team and she loves calling you her ‘lovely assistant’ whenever you’re working on something together. 

Jester Lavorre

Jester fell in love with you the moment you used your druidcraft to grow some vines and trip up some grumpy man who was rather rude to her. You have a knack for mischief yourself and the two of you make quite the team. While you may not be completely onboard when it comes to her deity the two of you had a mutual understanding; Jester’s best interest and you’d work together to make the world just a little more mischievous playing non-harmful pranks to lighten spirits. 

You’ve been a rock in the tiefling’s chaotic life and keep her grounded when she needs it. You listen to her worries and she to yours and the two of you have a mutual understanding and trust. Sure Jester may have proven in the past she’s not the best at keeping certain secrets, yours she’ll take to her grave. 

Jester loves braiding your hair, simply combing through it whenever she can or twisting a strand around her finger whenever you’re even remotely within close range of her. You listen to her and engage in conversation whenever she’s read a new novel and even let her read them to you. She’s very much a hopeless romantic but it’s cute. Your visage takes up many pages of her sketchbook and no one is allowed to mess with those pages. Not even the Traveler. 

When you were introduced to Jester’s mom you were nervous knowing the woman’s reputation and all that Jester had told you about her. You couldn’t help feel nervous and wonder if you were up to standards but Marion welcomed you with open arms only after making you vow to protect her little sapphire with your life. You proved that was exactly your intend but Jester did scold her mom for that saying it’s only fair she does the same for you as you love each other. 

Caduceus Clay

To say your relationship (more like lack thereof) is ‘unconventional’ is an understatement by most standards. You’re not lovers as neither of you are interested in the romantic nor physical aspects of a relation. Though you both do love watching from the sidelines as the relations of others evolve. You’d say the two of you have more of a partnership, like the best of friends and never would it become anything beyond that and you’re both happy with that out come.

You had always been connected to nature and Caduceus couldn’t help but see aspects of the Wildmother in you. He finds comfort in your presence and familiarity whenever you’re around. Especially in more rural areas, it’s like you’re the living breathing personification of nature. You give him a sense of home and you can say that feeling is mutual. 

The two of you are often found preparing food or tea sharing an affinity and love for the subject. Though you’re a much more versatile when it comes to your actual knowledge on the subject of nature and its diversity opposed to him having been confided to one environment for most of his life. 

From the moment you were introduced to his family they had already absorbed you up into their family. You may not be a Clay by blood but you certainly are one in spirit. His parents refer to you as their child and his siblings have taken to calling you their sibling. You’ve been their long lost Clay and with the blessing of the Wildmother you truly were accepted as one. 

Yasha Nydoorin

You bonded over your mutual love for flowers. Yasha had a past she’d rather not talk about and you weren’t one to pry. Every time you notice she’s feeling down and conflicted you’re never afraid to conjure up a little bouquet of flowers to gift her, the gesture always putting a smile on her face. 

At first Yasha may seem very distant and maybe even cold but she’s very much the opposite once you get to know her. She has a hard time trusting people but over time she opens up to you and you couldn’t be more grateful and honoured she did. 

It’s always been undeniable there’s a chemistry between the two of you but neither of you felt it the right time to admit to your feelings until you were quite literally locked in a room together. You had some good talks and came to the conclusion it could be a now or never and both of you would much rather take every second you could get than regret having missed even a single one. You’re very comfortable expressing your feelings as you’re both very in touch with them but only recently have the terms of endearment and physical affection become a public display. 

You’re there for each other no matter what and issues or arguments are quickly resolved if you have any as you both know where you stand and in the end your love for each other is much stronger than some petty disagreement. 

Mollymauk Tealeaf

Molly’s always been a mystery for many and a mystery he may remain but somehow you saw right through his act and that definitely earned his attention. He’s a very physical person and wears his heart on his sleeve. You were never opposed to him wrapping an arm around you or kissing your temple whenever you did something nice for him. That’s always just been Molly but it’s the little things you notice that gave away there may just be more than friendly feelings. 

Something that both excites and frustrates him before and in your relationship is your ability to get him all flustered. Sure he can do the same to you and he enjoys it every time he does but when you use it against him he’s not opposed to pulling out the big guns. Innuendos, sappy pda and terms of endearment often lead to full on make out sessions to the point where you’re told to get a room which you happily do. 

You’ve messed with plenty of people but your favourite has to be where he pretended to be a priest of the Raven Queen and you used your druidcraft to decay blooming flowers and bring them back to life and used a little gust cantrip to blow his hair and cloak dramatically in the wind. Sure once the facade was revealed you had to leave town quickly but you giggled for weeks and even now the mere thought sends you into laughing fits. 

Traveling the world is one thing. Molly doesn’t know about his past and you’ve left yours far behind. Your home is with each other and you’ll follow each other until the very end. 

[dellinah]

LONG ASS RANT ABOUT THYLACINES

I'm still not coping well so i made some shitty memes about my constant hyperfixation

Well I have been fascinated with these animals since I was a literal 8 year old bc of a book my mom gave me about animals (they're all drawn as opposed to pictures too it's pretty cool i used to trace over them all the time)

They're cool marsupials that went extint in 1936

I am a dumbass with one braincell so for some reason it didn't sink in that when the text said 'disappeared 70 years ago' it meant DISAPEARED FOR REAL. I also was too dumb to realize it was under the 'extinct' chapter

Anyway. These animals are fascinating to me and I have been obsessed with everything related to them ever since. I love how close they look to dogs and wolves despite not being related bc evolution works that well, i love their cute little faces, I love how they managed to survive way longer than they were meant to (more on that bellow), how they move, their lower ankles that look like someone fucked up a dog drawing, everything about it

And I absolutely HATE what they have become a symbol of

I would like to think human activity alone isnt enough to actually drive animals to extinction. That, while it helps, it merely speeds up the pace of an inevitable fate. But that's not true. There have been countless animals that died out bc of humans, and that would have been just fine without us around - be it by hunting, destroying habitats, introducing new species or bringing disease

Thylacines were hunted with no mercy bc they were thought to kill farm animals. People offered money for each one that was shot. Animals that humans introduced to their habitat infected them with disease and made food less avaiable. And just a few decades later, they were gone, forever

And if that wasn't bad enough, the last one we have record of died bc of NEGLET. In a zoo, he was left out in the cold night and didn't make it. They probably threw the body away with no care, thinking they could just get another one to use as exibition, and then realized too late it was the last

ON TOP OF THAT, rules to protect them were set in place about 50 days before the last one died. 50 DAYS!! Talk about too little too late. Maybe if they had done it earlier, things would have been different, but no. They didn't care until they realized hey we havent seen one in forever, fuck

ON TOP OF ON TOP OF THAT, the picture that was used to get farmers to kill them of a thylacine with a chicken in its mouth was most likely faked using a mounted one. It was fucking propaganda?? To??? Kill animals?? Man, what the FUCK. Maybe kill the ones around your property (still wrong but fine) but why lie to people to make them go out of their way to kill animals in the wild??

Everything about thylacines' extintion just highlights the worst parts of the human nature. How careless we are to everything but ourselves. How if it doesn't make us money, we don't care. How we care too little too late. How we can destroy something so easily. And how we don't care about lying about something to get what we want, no matter how bad the consequences might be to someone else

I honestly think the fascination people have with finding these animals in recent years is due to guilt, at least some of it. Yes it's a cool animal, but most important of all it makes us feel bad. So finding a new one maybe would make it ok. We can still save it. We're not that bad.

But that ever happening is unlikely

Thylacines lived short lives (up to 6 years in the wild, 9 in zoos) so to have them survive would require large populations constantly breeding. So to think we wouldnt have found a bone, a dead body, or run over one in over 70 years (also everyone has a phone now, why cant there ever be GOOD pictures taken of these sightings?) just seems like the kind of thing that can't happen

Not only that, but before human intervention they already suffered from low genetic diversity due to its population getting smaller over centuries due to disease and few individuals. It's sad to think that they were always doomed to fail, but it's likely the path they were going towards

So it just makes it way less likely that they would have survived in the wild. They were already failing to reproduce and survive with the individuals they had - imagine after we kill 99% of them. Even if some did make it past the year we recorded, it probs died out shortly after

BUT they could still be alive today, or at least gotten a few more decades. Some people think they did. And maybe we could have helped them if they made it to today with the technology we have

But we'll never know

There's a bunch of footage (with some newly discovered one) of the last one, and while that is cool, it just makes me sad :( to see it pacing around its small cage, with nothing to do, no other one to keep it company (they were often depicted in pairs, idk if they were social animals but it seems like it), not knowing it would never again have another one like it. There's also footage of someone rattling its cage?? Probs to get it worked up to make it walk around or react or something. DONT DO THAT

It's just a sad footage overall, and becomes painful to watch once you know everything else. A sad pacing stressed animal, that would die alone in the cold and go down in history as the last one ever. All while being oblivious to everything we have done to its kind, bc it was just a scared animal

Some people think they survived into the 90's, a lot of people claim to have seen one since 1936 (with no proof) and february 2021 one expert said they had proof they saw one and that it was a baby. It has been debunked by another expert, i have yet to see the pics, but until we have DEFINITE proof, i'll keep on believing they're gone

But it's nice to hope every once in a while. Every sighting makes me a bit happy. This is a big world, with so much of it unexplored, and animals though extinct have showed up again or even been cloned recently. So who knows!

It has been pretty shitty to live through a major historical event that is bad. For a moment I hoped I'd witness one that was actually a positive one

And honestly, if they are still out there, maybe a small population that learned to hide very well, I hope they keep hidden. I'd love to see them, but maybe they're better on their own

We've seen what happens when they're not

[tf2-hellhole]

Do you have any Parent!Merc headcanons? (Honestly, all of your content clears my skin and waters my crops)

Awww I’m glad you like my blog!! I kinda based this off of my merc retirement headcanons btw

Scout:

When his first kid is born/adopted, he’s really nervous. He doesn’t know if he can be a good parent for his kid, and the idea of letting his child down the way his father let him down terrifies him. It takes a lot of comforting from his S/O to make that anxiety go away.

Whenever the baby cries in the middle of the night, he always gets up to go to them, every time. He’ll fix whatever is upsetting and will just sit with them until they go back to sleep, silently and lovingly watching over them before going back to cuddle his S/O if they woke up too.

He’s the friend-dad type. The kinda guy who runs around the house playing tag with his kids and eventually breaks something by bumping into a table.

He will absolutely teach every single one of his kids to play baseball. They have broken seven windows while practicing, some of them the neighbors’ windows.

He will show up to PTA meetings, and he WILL throw tons of shade at the asshole soccer mom

Soldier:

Soldier is so unbelievably excited when the child is brought home. Finally, he’s a dad!

Will unironically tell his baby to stop being lazy and to get up and help around the house.

He’s a little strict but he’s actually an excellent parent. His S/O was actually a little worried about how he would be with the kids but he spends a lot of time with them and they have a great relationship

He’s that parent who shows up to every band concert/sports game/whatever and screams encouragement from the crowd. He has been kicked out of several events.

He’s always encouraging his children to put in lots of effort and work towards achieving their dreams. He’d like his kids to join the military, but he surprisingly doesn’t complain if they don’t

Pyro:

Pyro is excellent with babies and children, though they can’t care for them. Like, he can play with and entertain a baby and is very careful with one, but he doesn’t know how to properly feed, bathe, or clothe it. That part of raising the child is more up to their S/O.

Somehow, they can get the baby to go to sleep very easily

They’re always wanting to go on fun adventures with their S/O and kids on the weekends. They all travel all over and it’s really fun.

Annual Disneyland trips are mandatory

Overall, Pyro is the fun parent and they have an excellent relationship with their kids. But the dynamic is more like the S/O raising a few normal kids and one larger kid that has a job.

Has a very cute nickname for each kid, each one related to some kind of candy or small animal. Only their S/O and kids know about it, since they always wear their mask in public.

Demo:

Demo absolutely panics when he learns that his S/O is pregnant/wants to adopt. He wants kids but he’s really convinced that he can’t raise a child, and he’s scared that his S/O will leave him over this. He literally has a panic attack and needs to be comforted by his S/O.

His S/O acknowledges that he’s not perfect, but they know that if he really wants kids, he can put in the effort to change for the better. With their encouragement, he goes into rehab and after several attempts he manages to quit drinking.

But this also results in Demo’s family distancing him more over the fact that he knows what his parent’s methods of raising him did to him and doesn’t want that for his kid. After this, the only person who will still talk to him is his mother, but he couldn’t care less.

He’s a surprisingly responsible father, but he’s still very playful with his S/O and children.

He’s very physically affectionate. He always gives his little children lots of cuddles and tickles and playful kisses to make them laugh. Once they’re grown, he always hugs his daughter(s) when he sees them and gives his son(s) the handshake-bro-hug because he’s the cool dad

Heavy:

While his S/O are trying to find children to adopt, he falls for all the kids who have been through the most. He wants to give them the future they’ve been denied by the circumstances of their life. He will demand to adopt any Russian immigrant children if they find any

He hates how he intimidates the children with his size when they’re first brought home. There are a few nights he can’t sleep because of how horrible he feels about it, and even fewer where he has to be comforted by his S/O the whole night.

He finally gets his children to trust him with reading. If they’re little kids, he’ll read to them all the time. If they’re older, he’ll buy them books of their favorite genre and will probably try reading it himself so he can discuss it with them. It totally works.

He’s a very, very good listener. His kids will often go to him for advice, even once they’re adults. He’ll listen attentively and he won’t say a word until they’re finished speaking, then he’ll give his thoughts. It’s almost like therapy.

Engie:

Engie is a family man, through and through. He’s always dreamed of having a family and he’s so excited that he’s finally made it!

He’s always giving his kids tons of encouragement, and he is always reminding them of the value of hard work and lots of effort.

Once his kids are old enough, he has them help him around his ranch and teaches them to ride horses.

He loves to take his family to all sorts of fun places on weekends and vacations. His personal favorite place to take them is the rodeo, of course.

He barbecues and grills stuff all the time. It’s one of his favorite things to do, and will definitely teach his kids how to do it. His kids are always excited for the weekend because that’s usually when he has the time to grill, and some of his kids will pout if he doesn’t have the time to do it.

He loves telling people about his kids. He’s so proud of all of their accomplishments and loves them all dearly.

Medic:

He’s actually kind of distant from his child for the first few years of having them in his life. It causes some tension between him and his S/O. But after a while, he sees that this is what his parents were like to him. He remembered how little they cared for him, and how much that hurt him. So he makes an effort to bond with his child, and over a long while they eventually become very close.

His child will absolutely also have an interest in the human body, and will often join their father in the lab, even if Medic’s S/O thinks it’s not safe for them. Most of their bonding is over their shared interest

He lowkey spoils his kid, but he’s very good about not taking it so far that they become a brat. He doesn’t want his kid to be like he was when he was young.

He loves traveling with his family, and he’ll take them all over the globe. He encourages his child to learn a language other than German and his S/O’s language and to study in another country for a while. He absolutely wants them to get a higher education. He doesn’t understand if his child chooses not to, but he still supports them.

Sniper:

He misses his S/O and kid(s) so much when he’s out working for several days, but he has to get money to support them. He has a bunch of pictures he keeps in his camper for when he misses them or feels lonely.

When he calls to see how his family is doing, he always has to talk to his kid(s) and ask them how their day was, and how school was.

He loves to take his kid(s) out into the wild and teach them about plants and animals and all sorts of things about nature. By the time they’re 18 they’re practically an expert on the ecosystem of where they live.

He definitely teaches his kid(s) to use a bow or gun once they’re older, even if his S/O tells him it’s unsafe. It’ll be he and the child’s little secret.

He’s a surprisingly playful and affectionate parent, and is always getting up to all sorts of shenanigans with them.

He has a bunch of silly nicknames for them, most of them animal names. He probably started jokingly calling his S/O his ‘roo and his kid(s) his joey(s), but it eventually sticks.

Spy:

Like Medic, he’s a little cold to the child for the first few months after they’re adopted, but he sees how much this hurts and worries his S/O, so that’s when he starts making an effort to bond with them. It’s pretty awkward at first but he eventually becomes close with them. He does this by taking the child wherever they’d like to go and basically getting them whatever they want.

Spy sometimes cries quietly during the night with his partner there to comfort him. He never thought he’d have a family of his own, and he doesn’t know what he did to deserve his S/O or his child.

He will absolutely make sure his child knows how to defend themselves. He’s still paranoid that his enemies will find his family someday despite how good he is about keeping his connection to them secret, so he teaches them to fight with no weapons and with some small melee weapons.

If his child is homeschooled, (they probably will be) he teaches as many lessons as he can. He’s kind of an asshole teacher at first but after receiving some pointers from his S/O, he becomes a very patient and gentle teacher.

[raguna-blade]

So this just occurred to me to think about but shared symbols in the persona series. I’m sure there are others that I miss, especially relevant to the first two games, and right now i’m looking at just the one, but there should be SOME right?

And in this case the one i’m thinking about is glasses. So in persona 4, the glasses the characters wear are used specifically to be able to see through the fog in the other world, that is to be able to better navigate the world that is hidden and obscured right?

Heck, a critical scene in the game shows the absurd difference wearing them makes early on and Narukami hot flinging them away in the final scene is an indication of him more or less coming to fully understand the situation and having “true” sight of what’s going on around him. Which is cool!

But what’s interesting is that none of the Investigation team actually wear glasses in their day to day which is fine really. It’s as much a design thing as a story beat but what i’m getting at is going into persona 5 then, there can be this expectation that if one is wearing glasses they have a degree of special insight/ability to see things as they really are right? Not strictly, but as part of the same story family it’s not like those symbols disappear as a thing in play strictly, they just wouldn’t be emphasized because that’s not really the theme here.

So it’s interesting to me then that every single character who wears glasses normally in this game (with normal including their metaverse selves should they have one) demonstrably has special insight into the world or events going on, or else just general insight. Literally all of them, i’m not joking.

We’ll go in order here, Phantom Thieves>Allies>Foes>Maruki, and there’s probably more i could go into here but for the moment it’s kinda idle thoughts so forgive that.

Protag: So the thing to note is that his glasses are fake right so that may off the bat give you the vibe that this is wrong but well, that literally doesn’t matter for our purposes here. That Protag definitely has special insight into the world and events however is inarguable. Having been cast out of the standard safety net of society he gets a front row seat to a lot of weird things that aren’t immediately obvious. He see’s through the masks of all of the targets to some greater or lesser degree (admittedly not unique to him, but the thieves as a whole), get’s to understand to workings of the world and how it specifically fails outcasts, has inside knowledge on several of the major players (Shido, Maruki and Akechi most notably) that isn’t immediately obvious that they themselves aren’t aware of all the time, and as seen through the Confidants specifically he’s a remarkable judge of character and an expert and understanding people, something he does consistently.

That his glasses are fake actually, now that I think about it, is actually an interesting trait here. They exist solely to put him under the radar, which actually works so there’s that element of understanding appearances, but the fact that he really DOES NOT actually need the glasses to “see” the world accurately perhaps rolls back to his Designated Role as the Trickster (or at least one of them, We will get to Akechi in a second), and his ability to understand how the world works or specifically does not.

Akechi: Akechi is interesting here because in the real world he doesn’t wear glasses, as Prince!Crow he doesn’t either. So...Where does he wear glasses?

As Black Mask. And notably, they’re red tinted lenses, which actually lines up with another thing here. He does have true insight (and he’s sharp as hell we can’t possibly deny that) but he also, notably, has a crazy distorted view of things. As was kinda pointed out during his whole mental break down in the boat, he didn’t have to do like...any of the fucked up things that he did to achieve his goals. Even if he still wanted to kill his dad or just ruin his life he didn’t have to do it the way he did. He’s, one, literally seeing red, but two for all that his vision is keen it’s also more than a little distorted.

But also, as the other Trickster, the more destructive one at that, he also has keen understanding of the world and how it works, breaks down, and utterly screws over those who fall outside of it. Indeed, his insight is miles better than Our protags given he was more or less kicked out of the system from the get go due to family matters and had to actively claw his way back into the system in the first place. But of course, going back to his red lenses, as opposed to Akira who more or less rejects the system and wants to see it broken down one way or the other, Akechi desires to be part of it despite knowing intimately it’s copious failings. He has the vision and the ability to see but also fails to act on it (a thing he explicitly states more or less)

Futaba: Futaba is perhaps the most straightforward here. Does she have inside knowledge of events? Some, given her understanding of Cognitive Psience for sure, but her talents lean specifically in computer stuff, and the varying ways of getting information and such there. Of everyone here her glasses as symbol match up the cleanest with the Persona 4 use, in that her clear view vision is related to the world of cyberspace and how all of that works. That they carry over into her Rebellion outfit likely has to do with her understanding of cognitive psience as well, which while (relatively) basic is still far better than pretty much everyone else in the cast save 1 or maybe 2. It’s worth pointing out that, if I recall things correctly, she basically was the one who put together that entire escape plan for Joker to not get hot shot in the face.

Sumire: Now here’s a fun one! She doesn’t get her glasses until the very very end of the game, when she stops being Kasumi and starts being herself. Another straightforward one in two ways. One, she is able to actually accurately percieve herself as herself indicating clear and unobstructed vision for her self. Easy peasey, but also, of the group she’s the one who most understands what Maruki is doing and why. Despite having issues with his end game, she also makes it abundantly clear that if it weren’t for what he did she probably would have killed herself. It’s an understanding that the others have a little of, but they also don’t have quite as deeply for as long as it went on with her.

Ohya: Straightforward again. She’s an investigative reporter, and a damn good one. She was on her way to cracking something with Madarame, before the story even began she and her partner had some dirt on Shido (which seems on one hand easy cause Shido is kinda sloppy, but also considering the range of influence he has even getting a bit is wild), knows Kaneshiro as a mafia boss despite him not really being arrested, and yeah she just get’s it. She’s sharp.

It’s also noticeable that her glasses are also distorted, in that they’re sunglasses.That’s not “clear” vision since they shift colors. Obviously, she’s going to see things a bit off, and in her case it’s less general insight and more specific to her present circumstances. Relating to sunglasses, at the start of confidant she’s stuck working entertainment stuff which she hates and isn’t fond of, but she doesn’t feel she has other options or the ability to follow her true passions in journalism. And she’s not...really wrong actually. She does have a correct view of the situation, because if she doesn’t stick to what’s what, she’s going to lose her job, but at the same time the degree of resignation is well also wrong, as she get’s into pretty quickly. She still has options, but at the moment she couldn’t really see em.

That they are amber sunglasses and she’s seemingly a depressed drunk i’m sure has no relation.

Sojiro: Sojiro is straightforward really. He understands the world, how it works, how it breaks down, how various things look, has a keen insight into people and events in general, and has insight on the main villain specifically. He’s not exactly trying to upset things no, but he’s made the system work for him to have a peaceful life with his daughter and ward, which is perhaps super impressive given how absolutely obnoxiously petty Shido is.

Kunikazu Okumura: Very simple, he knows exactly who’s involved with the conspiracy. Also tied with that, as he’s also a member of the conspiracy, is a knowledge of how the world as it is works, for better or worse. Like...It’s fucked up, but unambiguously everything he does do actually does advance his goals. As much as it hurt people, as much as it hurt his daughter, it worked. It’s awful, but it worked.

Shido: So...Shido is interesting. He’s especially interesting in comparison to the last glasses boy Maruki, but Shido is interesting especially because well...

Shido is right? Like, his view of the world as it is is kind of unambiguously correct. People in power have the ability to manipulate and reshape the world as they please, avoid the consequences of their actions, the world really is going to shit, and he has the ability to save whoever he wants, and he has connections and power that would allow him to basically reshape things as he see’s fit.

He’s unambiguously correct in this. He understands the world and the systems at play intimately. He understands the people he works with Intimately, to the extent that not only are their cognitive forms almost indistinguishable from absolutely normal humans, but they behave in ways that don’t even necessarily benefit him even in their assigned roles in the cognitive space. I mean look at the Cleaner. He damn near let the phantom thieves walk if Yusuke would have agreed to be his personal artist, and the moment he got his ass whooped he just left.

It is, frankly, a terrifying amount of insight.

But again, his glasses are off color. His view of the situation is, in some way, incorrect, despite this insight. So where does he go wrong?

Once again, as seems to be the case with all of the tinted glasses now that i think about it, the issue lies in self reflection. His view of the outside world and such is correct, but where he makes his biggest mistake lies in both his view of himself as untouchable (he’s not) and that his method of salvation is at all the only one available, or even perhaps tenable.

The second point is perhaps the more critical one. Had Shido used his connections, insight and knowledge for good he could very easily change the situation that was leading to the disaster that he saw himself saving others from. He could make things better if he wanted to, if he thought to, but his failing is that he didn’t and perhaps couldn’t. And critically, his belief that he and his would be able to be safe on that ship for any period of time when the world around it has been utterly devastated is well...short sighted.

Maruki: Last but not least, Maruki. While his insight isn’t perhaps as broad about things, what he knows and what he talks about is...Well. It’s another version of Salvation for sure, but it’s one that the phantom thieves and I think the players have to argue with. Maruki says it extremely clear, it’s better for you to overcome your hardships yourself, it’s better to face your problems head on and fix them that way....But sometimes you can’t. Sometimes you really just cannot do it, you cannot surmount the challenge no matter how much you may need or want to, sometimes you’re just going to be broken and hurt and in incalculable pain and that’s extremely fucked up.And if that’s the case, if that’s how the world is, shouldn’t it change? If the system is broken, if the way the world is is wrong, shouldn’t it be changed?

It’s not unlike the phantom thieves, although the direction and end goal are different.

[carriagelamp]

Book Review - Summer Summary 2020

I didn’t get around to doing an individual post for the books I read in June/July/August, so I decided to choose a dozen that I read over the summer... I’d separate the wheat from the chaff for you so to speak. Though like you’re about to find out, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were all good by any means...

Crave

My girlfriend got this for me to “tide me over until Midnight Sun”. Between you and me, I think she was taking the piss. Anyway, Crave is very... standard fare paranormal YA school romance with the added flare of being written by an adult erotica writer, meaning the rhythm and tone of this novel is fucking bonkers. If you want to read the novel without reading the novel, just take Twilight and the entire Vampire Academy series, shove them in a blend, and force down the sludge you get from that. Normal Average Girl Goes To Secret School In Alaska For Vampire, Werewolves and Dragons. That’s this book. It is so big and so so so bad. I finished it out of spite, please don’t do that to yourself. Unless you are really craving (hurr hurr) some top tier trashy paranormal romance, in which case... no judgment.

The Last Firehawk

The Last Firehawk is a Scholastic “Branches” series, written for beginning readers (grade 1-3ish, depending on the child’s reading level). It has short stories, big text, and awesome pictures on every page. Guys. I unironically am adoring this series. It’s simple and is introducing children to a number of classic elements in the fantasy quest genre, but it is so charming. Friends Tag and Skyla discover a firehawk egg, and species that is supposed to have disappeared long ago. When Blaze hatches from it, the three are tasked with going out and finding the magical ember stone which was hidden long ago by the firehawks and which could be used to defeat the evil vulture Thorn and his dark magic... I read the first two books to second graders who ate it up and read the next four books because I personally wanted to continue the series. If you have young readers in your life (or just want a fun kid adventure) then please try these they’re the literary equivalent of nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie.

Lupin III: World’s Most Wanted #3

All the kind people that still follow my tumblr and haven’t tried to murder me because of my Lupin obsession are not going to be surprised by this one. I finally read one of the manga for this series and honestly I’m delighted. Somehow even hornier than the show, but hilariously funny. I felt like I was reading a more adult version of Spy Vs Spy. It’s a bunch of short, individual bits/adventures with lots of visual gags and an artstyle that is really different and delightful.

River of Teeth / Taste of Marrow (American Hippo series)

I’ve talked about River of Teeth before, but I finally finished the American Hippo duology and need to sing its praise. This is an alternate history series composed of two novellas that explore the question What would have happened if the States had decided to import hippos as livestock...? Anyways, my pitch for you: queer hippo cowboys. That’s all it took for me to read it. You have a gay gunslinger who loves his hippo to death, a nonbinary explosives-expert / poisoner who is the main love interest, a fat con artist who spoils her hippo and is the only voice of reason in this entire series, and a latina mother-to-be who is the scariest assassin in the entire series and is obviously scheming. The four of them are brought together on a job to deal with the Mississippi’s feral hippo problem.

IT’S A QUEER HIPPO COWBOY HEIST NOVEL GUYS I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M STILL TALKING AND YOU HAVEN’T JUST GONE TO READ THIS YET.

Petals to the Metal (The Adventure Zone series)

The graphic novel adaptation to the McElroy family’s DND podcast The Adventure Zone. Most of you are probably aware of this? It’s a great adaptation, it hits all the important beats, shows off the characters really well, and still gets lots of good gags in even while condensing entire arcs into single book stories. This one is probably my favourite so far just because Petals to the Metal was one of my favourite arcs in the show... but you can also see how the art has improved and the chaos of the race is fun to see drawn out.

If you like The Adventure Zone but haven’t tried the graphic novels yet -- would recommend! If you’ve always wanted to listen to The Adventure Zone but don’t have time for such a long series or struggle to focus on podcasts then pick up the first book of this series (Here There Be Gerblins) and try reading it! It really is an enjoyable adaptation.

Pony to the Rescue (Pony Pals series)

I continued my April/May theme of reading old-school chapter book series to combat Covid Brain Fry, so I picked up a few Pony Pals books. I read these as a kid and always enjoy them -- there’s just something so appealing to a child about having a horse. It gives your child characters a level of independence and ability to explore that you wouldn’t get otherwise. These books definitely read young, but they were nostalgic to revisit.

Small Spaces

A really cool middle grade horror novel I picked up. Maybe it’s because I live around a lot of corn fields, but farm/scarecrow themed horror absolutely does it for me. One evening, after seeing a woman try to destroy a strange, old book, eleven year old Ollie doesn’t stop to think, instead stealing the book and running. That’s how she becomes wrapped up in the strange, sinister story of a cursed family and creature called the Smiling Man that seems to live out in the foggy fields. While unsettling, Ollie tries to remind herself that it’s just a story... but this becomes more challenging when her school bus breaks down one day out their own set of fields, and a fog is rolling in...

“Avoid large spaces. Stick to small.”

Snot Girl #1 - #2

A Canadian graphic novel series by the creator of the Scott Pilgrim series! I love his work so I decided to give Snotgirl a try, even though it’s not generally my genre. I’m glad I did! First book took a while for me to get into, but by the time I hit the second I was really wrapped up in the mystery and character development. Snotgirl is about Lottie, a self-consumed fashion blogger whose biggest struggles are dealing with her allergies, frustration with her fellow-blogger friends, and how entirely her self-esteem is tied to her “beauty” and how people view her. But everything shifts in strange and horrifying ways when Lottie starts taking a new allergy medication, meets a new friend... and then witnesses that girl’s death. Or does she?

Seriously, or does she? I have no idea, I need to read the third book. This book is full of intrigue, complicated relationships, murder (or not?), and a healthy dose of magical realism to keep you guessing. If you like slice-of-life, crime, and abstract reality then this series is world a try. Plus the art is gorgeous.

Summer Wars #1 - #2

I recently rewatched Summer Wars (still one of my favourite movies) and decided to read the two-book manga adaptation. It was a really neat little adaptation. The creator of the movie gave the writer free range to tweak things to fit better in a manga format, which means some movie elements were allowed to fade into the background, whereas other aspects were fulled into the forefront and fleshed out to a greater degree. It was very cool, it kept the same story but gave you new things to think about which I wasn’t expecting. Reading this as a stand alone works just fine, but honestly if you’ve never watched the movie Summer Wars you should give it a try! It’s a great mix of slice-of-life, sprawling family dynamics that I relate to a little too well, cyber adventures, and fantasy. Super feel good.

This One Summer

Okay, last graphic novel, I swear. This One Summer was... weird and intense. It’s a coming-of-age Canadian graphic novel that follows a pair of pre-teens who meet up like they do every year at their family’s summer cottages. You see them both in the awkward phases between childhood and growing up to become teenagers, as they’re confronted with things like maturity, friendship, self-esteem, family problems, and sexuality. A beautiful read, but probably the heaviest out of all the books on my list.

Wild Thornberrys Novelization

I rewatched The Wild Thornberrys movie with my girlfriend earlier this year, and decided I wanted to hunt down the chapter book novelization because I’m kind of a sucker for novelizations. Honestly, this was about what you would expect from the era. 90s/00s novelizations, especially young novelizations, are generally just a transcript of the movie without much thought or effort put into them to make them anything but. That’s what this was. It was fine, and it really let me revisualize the entire movie, but honestly you’re probably better off just rewatching the movie unless you also really deeply love The Wild Thornberrys.

The Willoughbys

I saw that Netflix had done a funky looking adaptation of The Willoughbys and I decided I needed to read the book first before watching the movie. This was a little bizarre, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Over all, I think it was a net-positive experience. It’s an obvious satire on classic children’s novels, especially the likes of Mary Poppins (real Mary Poppins, not the Disney version) and while a little heavy-handed, it does a Series of Unfortunate Events vibe that redeems it. The story is about a group of horrible children (The Ruthless Willoughbys) who decide they are sick of their parents and would rather become Worth Orphans... and to do that, they’re going to have to dispose of their inconvenient parents, obviously. Conveniently their parents are also sick of having children and decide to do away with them as well. The Willoughbys sets up three (or four?) different subplots that are gradually woven together through a series of schemes and exploits. It’s definitely more ruthless (hurr hurr) than the Netflix version, which tried to make the children more sympathetic, and in some ways I think that’s a definite point in the novel’s favour. I’m not sure I would go out of my way to recommend it, but it was a fun romp if you want something short and off the wall (and a lot more fleshed out than the Netflix version).

[dol--blathanna]

I don't know if you'll even answer this because of spoilers, but mixtape and wild card for Tye? Haha, if not, wild card for Gwenllian and Ameer

Thank you so much for the ask!!! These are always so exciting to receive!!! :D

Oooooh I wasn’t expecting anyone to ask about Tye!! I’m impressed haha!! Of course it’s going to be very difficult to answer this question as many facts about him are Classified™, but I like the challenge!!

So for mixtape: Obviously I can’t give some of the very specific tracks that I’ve listened to when thinking or writing about him (because BIG spoilers), so I’ve selected a couple of tracks that don’t have much lyrical significance or anything, and that I just like because I think the ~vibes~ are cool and match his character, or scenarios with his character (both in posted chapters and unposted chapters!)

Shadow from Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Battle March from Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Norupo by Heilung

The Angry River by The Hat (ft. Father John Misty)

The first two I chose because of vibes, I can’t explain further sorry! The last two I picked less because of how they related to Tye necessarily, but because I thought they had very spooky Velen vibes and after all Tye has been on a mission for unknown reasons to find the Crone!

As for the wild card, I decided that I’d try and do the microscope prompt, simply because I think it’s the only possible one to do without spoiling anything hahaha! So here are some random, insignificant details about Tye.

He has a fringe (or bangs I think Americans call them?) and his hair is a bit longer than his jawline, but he hasn’t been taking good care of it. The back of his hair is quite tangled.

The red strip he wears around his forehead is somewhat dirty and tattered, and it smells of sweat. It doesn’t appear to be made of any fine material – it looks poor in quality.

Although he is a very nervous individual, he has steady hands – he was able to heal a bite wound one handed, as seen in Part 2 Chapter 2, and had the witcher Oskar not been attacked by a leshen, he would have noticed that the wound from Tye’s severed ear was an extremely clean cut. If one were to ever study his handwriting, you’d also notice it’s very neat.

He’s ambidextrous (he was left handed first)

Aside from the scar on his forehead (the size and origin of which is unknown) he has a small scar on his hand from where Ameer bit him.

I also wanna do the wild cards for Gwenllian and Ameer hehehe hope that’s ok! For them both I decided I just wanted to do little fun facts about them!

Ameer:

Ameer loves learning languages, and can speak several: Ofieri, Elder speech, the language of Fox Mothers, Common and Nilfgaardian. Nilfgaardian was very easy for him to learn (as it’s very similar to Elder Speech), whereas Common was the most difficult language to learn, and is overall his weakest language.

Although Ameer loves to sing, he does not play any musical instruments. Various humans across Ofier have tried to teach him how to play various different instruments as he travelled, but he never got the knack of it. He was always very jealous of those who could and had great admiration for musicians. He also cannot read music, though simply because he never bothered to learn how.

Ameer is a tall individual, as most elves are. As a fox, however, he’s actually quite small. Fennec foxes are the smallest species of fox, but even compared to his older sisters and mother, Ameer is significantly smaller than them in his fox form, which was a source of teasing for him.

Since Ameer is not a true Fox Mother, he possesses the ability to use magic. This was something his mother was very concerned about – she had no idea how to manage his burgeoning abilities or teach him to control them. One day, while exploring the mountains, Ameer came across an elderly man who was travelling. The man was a sage of sorts, who often came into the mountain for meditation, herbal gathering, and studying the magic sources in the area. He ended up spotting Ameer and they formed a friendship of sorts. The man believed that Ameer was some sort of fey so knew not to harm him or take him away from the mountains. His mother initially disapproved of Ameer talking to the man, until she realised the old man possessed magical abilities like Ameer. She allowed Ameer to learn magic from him, and he was able to control his abilities a lot better after that. The old man was the first ever human Ameer spoke to.

Gwenllian:

Gwenllian loves poetry and literature. She’s something of an expert when it comes to Nilfgaardian prose and verse. In her old home in Nilfgaard, she had a collection of books from over the decades – she found it very interesting to compare the works between generations (not just in terms of style, but also how literature became far less outspoken or critical of the empire and ruling family in recent years, as those who did often wound up dead). Unfortunately when the other vampires cast her out of Nilfgaard, she had no choice but to leave most of these behind, although she managed to save a few and bring them with her to the North.

When Gwenllian fled Nilfgaard and was hiding in the Northern kingdoms, she was heavily injured and had huge cravings for blood. Raw and bloody meat would help satiate these cravings a little, but she was so weak she struggled to hunt any animals. Instead, she would forage for various medicinal herbs and sell them for money, which she used to buy meat for herself (then would hide and eat it raw). While selling herbs, she would try not to speak out loud and communicated through writing and gestures instead – revealing herself as Nilfgaardian to either side was dangerous, and her accent always gave her away.

Like Regis, Gwenllian can talk to ravens. Upon moving to Novigrad, she created a network of ravens to act as spies throughout the city – at this point, she was still extremely paranoid of other vampires finding her and killing her, and wanted to be informed of any vampires or other sketchy figures entering the city. When she explained her situation to the ravens she befriended, they didn’t care about her dark past – ravens like vampires, but don’t care much for their social hierarchies or rules. Gwenllian was nice to them, so that was good enough for them! She was always grateful for that. The three ravens who would often perch on top of her roof were nicknamed Rosemary, Camelia, and Marigold.

Gwenllian is a very good cook. When she was still struggling with blood cravings, and when she finally reached Novigrad, she tried her best to create big, heaty meals with plenty of flavours and seasoning to try and whet her appetite. As a result, she got quite good at cooking, and even after she no longer experienced blood cravings, she still enjoyed cooking and eating the meals she concocted. Aside from the fact she doesn’t particularly like Northern cuisine, the Nilfgaardian-style recipes remind her of home and help her with homesickness.    

Thank you for sending in the ask!! Just what I needed to cheer myself up while I’m doing this damn essay ahaha!

[gorillatripsafaris]

The Best Destination To See The Tree Climbing Lions In Uganda

Tree Climbing Lions In Uganda are one of the main attractions found in Uganda’s second-largest national park that is Queen Elizabeth National Park. A trip to Queen Elizabeth is not complete without seeing this spectacular attractions in Uganda Safari Tours.

The tree climbing lions are uniquely built and as they laze around the trees and you will be able to enjoy watching these big cats as you drive through the Park. The lions can be seen sitting in the trees while digesting their food and also spotting the little animals that move around the park while plotting for their next hunt.

Take a look on the following post of Uganda Safaris to know more information about tree climbing lions with the famous Uganda Attractions.

Why Do Lions Climb Trees?

Some people think that these lions climb the trees to protect themselves against ground flies, like tsetse fly do, to avoid the heat on the ground.

There is no unique reason why lions climb into trees, but because they prefer to unwind, especially at night, on branches in the trees, they may escape heat from the floor.

Because of these lions, the Ishasha sector has grown so popular.

How To See These Tree Climbing Lions In Uganda?

Make sure that you pass the Ishasha sector as you proceed to Kasese in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The area is located in the south-west region of the park.

The tree climbing lions are the primary sight in this field. In the Kasenyi sector, you won't see as many animals as you would see.

Your visit to the Ishasha Sector will be restricted if you are not insisting on staying there for one night. You only need around 1 hour to see those heading to North of Bwindi - Buhoma or Ruhija sector or from Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth park can see tree climbing lions and you won't have anything else to do besides Mweya or Kasenyi.

What Is The Guarantee That You Will See A Lion Climbing Trees?

·         Nature is hilarious; if you don't see the tree climbing lions, you shouldn't feel bitter. Some days these lions might be difficult to notice.

·         Some tourists even leave before they see. Your Uganda Safari Tour Guide can do all possible to find it and don't react to it if he fails.

·         You might choose a lion tracking adventure in Uganda for a better experience. The safari cost around $50 per person.

Where Can You See Tree Climbing Lions?

In Uganda, you may observe the uncommon tree climbing lions in the Queen Elizabeth National park. Visitors to Ishasha have a time to look at more than 50 lions 'lounging' in the acacia trees that exist in that location throughout the day.

In the beginning, the skin color and the trees of this place are a little bit difficult to notice. You may, however, see them lay laziness on the climb of the tree naps or look out into the forest with the aid of your guide. The 'big cat' hanging from the trees in Ishasha region is a really fantastic Place to Visit in Uganda.

Nobody knows why lions in Queens Ishasha love to climb trees, and for the following reasons some assume.

The views of the woods from higher give an excellent place to see the lions hunting for beasts. Queen Elizabeth National Park's region Ishasha offers a wide range of natural creatures that lions may hunt for, among others, antelopes, Uganda cob, water buck and topi.

Exciting intense heat, temperatures may occasionally reach above 28 degrees at Queen Elizabeth Park, particularly during the rainy season when insects prefer to infest the earth.

Accommodation Facilities Found In Uganda:

The facilities of the Ishasha lodging vary from affordable to luxury lodging, including: Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Enjojo Lodges and Topi Lodges. It is located in the southern portion of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ishasha is a small area of Ishasha tree climbing Lions view lodge.

To any lodge, you book your Uganda Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an adventure worthwhile to see African Perl will thank you with this treetop lion, as you may look at it in your opening doors or windows.

·         Enjojo Lodge:

It situated on the southern boundary of Ishasha Queen Elizabeth National Park. It provides a broad range of activities such as bird watching, tree climbing and other creatures like as baboons, talons, monkeys, antelopes, buffaloes, etc. It is surrounded by verdant foliage, so that after a long day of rest in the park it is an excellent spot to unwind.

·         Ishasha Jungle Lodge:

Ishasha jungle lodge, located in cool Ishasha surroundings, near the south gate, offers a great view of the treetops climbing lions of the region, because of their proximity to the lions. It offers an excellent and clear view of the natural environment and other animals in the region.

·         Ishasha Tree Climbing Lion View:

The Lodge looks quite well at the lions as they lay up in the park on the trees. It provides self-catering, luxury Uganda Accommodation that provide tourists with convenience, free Wi-Fi and, notably in the evenings, free entertainment for residents.

·         Ishasha Wilderness Camp:

Located in the south of the Ntungwe River park, it provides guests excellent quality lodging. The camp offers travelers with various activities such as campfire cooking, animal gazing & also gives the opportunity to see best Uganda Attraction & Uganda Safari Activities.

·         Topi Lodge Ishasha:

It is in the south of the park next to the Ntungwe and gives excellent lodging facilities to the visitors.

The curiosity about the tree climbing lions is not about what they eat, or how their social structures are organised but why they are different from their fellow lions. They share the same social, physical, dietary and repopulation characteristic with all the other lions in the wild.

The suggestions on why they climb up the tree are not really confirmed (as earlier stated). This is for the obvious fact that lions are dangerous and the most you can do in terms of research is monitoring from a very safe distance. Be that as it may, tree-climbing lions are a fascinating sight to see - as they carry their heavy bodies up the tree with easy and practised grace.

Being able to see the tree-climbing lions in Ishasha adds so much to a visitor’s experience of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is common that while you are still in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will go for a game drive to see all the other animals, take a boat ride on Kazinga channel, track some chimpanzees and other primates as well as track the tree-climbing lions.

If you are planning on going on a Uganda Wildlife Safari, make sure to have Ishasha lions as part of your tour program. The experience is great and we highly recommend taking the time to enjoy it in person.

Here are some Uganda Safari programs that include tracking these tree-climbing lions of Ishasha as well as other related activities. These can serve as a good inspiration for you. Just remember that all Safari packages by Saso Uganda Safari can be customised to your liking, schedule and budget for free.

SASO Uganda Safaris is a Tours and Safari company located in Uganda that is established to provide visitors to Uganda and Rwanda an enriched & genuine African holiday experience. We are proud to be inventive and inventive, particularly in the concept, planning and implementation of tailored safaris. Our clients may modify a wide choice of fascinating trips and safaris based on their interest, money, time and other requirements.

We take account of the preferences of our clients to create the very best bespoke tours for them in Uganda and Rwanda and to make value for money in your safari experiences that are quite thrilling, thanks to a devoted staff of designers and expert safaris guides with different know-how of sites to cover.

We appreciate customer support, trustworthiness, security and quality of service. With the affordable Uganda Safari Packages We organize the best Uganda Safari Tours. Our Uganda Safari Tour experts customizes your tour depending on your Tour Packages in Uganda, the preferred time of travel, safari class, number of days and any unique demands that you would want for your comfort and memorable.

Make sure that you design your visit to see the lion climbing on tree with your Uganda Safaris or Uganda Safari Destination with the top Uganda tour company who can personalize your vacation.

Want to see Uganda tree climbing lions? Saso Uganda Safaris welcomes you to ask about our safaris and tours, and are glad to assist you in planning your next African trip at gorillatrips.net

[a-merman-not-a-guppy]

What I love about your Muses and You

A positivity post by me (Lena) with some commentary by my muses

MK:

You do an incredible job with all kinds of characters, and I love that you do a good balance of good and evil, but you also know how to find that gray area. I think working in that gray shady area is a lot of fun and you really pull it off. You come up with some wild plot arcs and you always find a way to keep people guessing (personally am thrilled about the polyamorous relationship. Nice one!)

Louie: yeah Lou’s been a real cool dude. A R T man. I may not be skilled, but he was always fun to learn with. Someday I’ll learn more. Ashley: Belle like is literally saving my ass with this job. Seriously my favorite person at the moment.

Avarick:

man I’ve always loved writing with you. We always clicked well with that, and I’ve loved all the characters you brought into the rp. I was so so so excited to see that you were coming back and that you wanted to bring RIKU! I couldn’t believe it! I loved it when we wrote horse buddies back in the day, and I’ve loved every other opportunity we’ve had to do stuff. I’m so so glad you’re back to writing with us.

Sora: =DDD RIKuUUUUU. I missed him so muuuuch. Roxas: yo who the f is this Riku guy?

Mckala:

You have always been the backstory queen, and I tip my hat to you. You do the level of research that always blows my mind. I just do not have the time or the energy for it, but you have all these lists, giant ass family trees, you know the works. It’s really impressive, and one can see the dedication that you put into your characters.

Louie: so Elena’s like a sick Crown PrincesS? That’s dope! When you gonna take back the kingdom man? Queen it uuup!

Finn: Adella’s always been nice to me when I would visit Ariel. She’s really talented.

Wilbur: (imagine a happier time) mum’s great! She’s always there if I need her to be, and while she won’t buy me everything I bloody want, she knows what I really need.

 Ashley:

honestly such a great person and great rper. I think the most memorable thing for me lately has been Ashley popping in occasionally when she thought I might be upset or bothered by something and checking in. Talking things out and venting together. She’s honestly such a great listening ear, I think we’re really lucky to have her in this rp. I may be slightly biased toward Ashlee T. and Ollie, but all her babes have nuance and I love them. Ashley: Ashlee!!! One of the only people in this world that matter!!! <3 We made it through some nightmares. Things look up from here babe. Wilbur: duuude Ollie I didn’t realize you were adopted too and it’s the coolest fact I got to know about you. It’s awesome to have someone to relate with.

 Pet:

I feel like we used to have a harder time connecting writing wise and things were awkward, and I’m so happy to say it doesn’t feel that way at all anymore. The things we’ve written have been so fun, and I feel like (correct me if I’m wrong), but I feel like bringing Chickaroo together allowed for us to start having more conversation and plotting and just. It opened doors in some way. I think it’s awesome because I love your writing and I love getting to connect with your babes more. As you know, Al has my heart now because he just does, and Barrel has also managed to steal my heart. But all of your babes are so great, and I’m glad that we’ve managed to connect better. I look forward to more time spent writing hilarious things like Dipper and Roxas at the bar, or Al teaching Arthur about the internet.

Louie: yo Al’s like the chillest boss I’ve ever had. He’s also the only boss I’ve ever had but still! Cool dude!

Roxas: Dipper’s a nice guy. I hope I can get to know him more.

Sora: Dipper is Mabel’s TWIN BROTHER =DDDD that’s SO cool!!!

Wilbur: duuude. Barrel is like the person I didn’t expect to ever care about in a billion years, but if anyone did anything to him...like...die.

Alex:

I feel like we also used to not really vibe and were awkward with each other, and I’m super glad that’s changed because you’re literally so cool and you send such fun stuff and we just have a great time! I love Nyx, you know that I have an appreciation of Arista from afar, and Haley is just...great. All your babes are. I’m so happy we’ve finally made that writing connection because it’s been so fun to talk to you and get your perspective on things. Ahh it’s great. Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the future.

Ashley: Haley was like...almost cool. It’s a shame she’s such a goodie goodie two shoes.

Dot: Haley’s a good dragon? What the hell? She seems okay, but I’m still not sorry I shot her in the foot. She totally deserved it.

Clarion: Nyx has been my constant companion for some time now. I’m so grateful for her presence.

Bee:

Bee my big bro, my wife, my partner in ridiculous here too. You’re such a great joy to write with, and I love the way you tell your stories. I’m still so impressed by your take with Hera, and how she is as a sorceress. That’s so damn cool! And of course you’ve got the lovely Marie who’s charming and vain and I love that about her. Marie is a gift, your writing’s a gift and I’m grateful you’re in the rp. Not to mention you and Chloe are our resident British experts and that’s great. Thank you for joining the rp and for bringing the perspective you bring. Look forward to more crazy storylines with you.

Louie: yo nerd! Just kidding, wassup Huey? You’re the best big bro a guy could have. Keep it real, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Fflewddur: Marie! My beautiful wife! Love of my life! The world must envy me for having the most amazing wife in the entire world.

Sora: Kristoff! Best roomie ever !!! =DDDD hope you don’t mind if my best pal Riku stays with us. Thnx dude <3 <3 <3

Becky:

I mean where do I begin. We’ve had such great stories and ridiculous teen hijinks and theatrics. It’s been such a good time. And of course, there are few people I’d be sure about doing a big plot like the one we’ve got going with Ashley and Roo, but we’ve managed it, and I think it’s been a really really fun story to tell. So thanks for taking that leap with me and letting us tell a ridiculous story together. It’s been awesome. Glad to have you in the rp.

Ashley: well, you’re an alright guy I guess Roo.

Bryer:

we’ve only really had a little bit of time to write together before with Dash, but it was super fun, and even just observing, I’ve loved seeing your characters on the dash and seeing where they’re at. Hatter’s awesome too. It’s great to have him around in the rp, and especially with such a different take than we’ve had in the past. Love the werewolf storyline, love to see it.

Chloe:

I feel like you’re a person after my own heart. Mitte often makes me think of my old Shego muse, and that just makes me happy because I just love the chaos that she brings. I love all of your babes of course, but that just makes her a bit more #1 in my heart. You’re also so chill to plot with and to come up with these crazy schemes. I mean remember how we sort of pitched Mitte turning on a bit of a whim and now here she is? It’s literally so good and you went with it and I just...ugh. I truly love it and seeing the growth. All your babes tell such awesome stories, and this just tells me I need to find a way to plot with you more when time/work allows. Keep up the good work. You’re kicking ass.

Anthony: what a brat. As long as this girl doesn’t cause me any more trouble though I suppose she’s tolerable. 

Dezi:

We haven’t been able to interact much writing wise, but I hope to change that someday soon/when time/work allows. Charlotte is honestly such a great character, and I think it’s awesome to see her and Tiana around, I think it’s the first time in a long time...if we’ve ever managed that before? I don’t know. It’s seriously so cool and I love reading your stuff together, and just Charlotte’s stuff in general. Keep cool and carry on writing a great babe. 

I wish I had things my muses could say but I don’t think I’ve had the chance to interact with Charlotte. Just Judy before ;-; Forgive me. I still think you’re swell.

Emma:

Boy do I love that you swooped in with your kids. Phineas, Tiana and Aquata are such dynamic characters. It blows my mind, truly. I love them all. I love how ready you are to plot and to throw out great ideas. Phineas has the kind of chaos energy that I love (obviously, as Louie is my chaos energy). You’re so chill with me trolling your babes on twitter, and a joy to write with. Thank you for coming back as well. I’m glad we’ve gotten the chance to write together. <3

Louie: duuuude we gotta do something crazy again soon? Operation dumbass commence? Jk jk Operation Too Cool For School.

Wilbur: what is with that twitter lady tho? Too old to be arguing with teens on twitter don’t you think?

Ginny:

Ahhh i mean we’ve done so many fun things and continue to do. With so many connections and stuff it’s hard not to! I’m so glad you rejoined as I have and that we got to bring these characters into the rp that vibe (and/or fight each other). To each their own. Our kids have an energy what can you do? I think your characters are all awesome, and I love seeing them on the dash. I love writing with them. Two besties, no wait THREE now with Kairi, isn’t that just wild? I love that best friend energy our babes have. Support it, thanks for writing all kinds of good things with me. You’re a gem.

Finn: I love you Ariel. You’re the best of friends. I’m so lucky to know you =]

Ashley: Ashle B!!! Babe you are a rockstar. You’ve kind of been the glue of our friendship I think. I love you babe. Stay true to you and kick some ass in college!

Wilbur: (in happier times) DADDD!!! Best dad to ever dad, person that gets me cool things. Coolest of dads. You rock.

Sora: ????!!! KAIRI???!!???

Hannah:

Hannah Hannah Bo Bannah Fee Fi Fo Fannah HANNAH...I couldn’t resist. You’ve been so great to talk to and write with and honestly it’s been so great to love our babes together and talk about BTS together and talk kpop in general. I’m so so so glad that we’ve gotten to know each other more over these last few months and stuff. You’ve really been so great, and our plots and characters are such a good time. So glad you got my brother, and my best friend. It’s awesome to have and to write with you.

Louie: DEWEEEEEEEEEEY. DEWFORD. DEWEYYYYY….hi.

Louie: TAEEEEEEE. Bro. my dude. Sorry I make memes outta you all the time. But in my defense...your face is kinda funny. Love u dude =]

Sora: Mabel!!! My GIRLFRIEND =DDDD you’re great! I love spending time with you and looking at hot boys! Speaking of...I have a friend you might think is hot…

Finn: Tae! Thanks for being so nice to me and allowing me to open myself up and get to know you. I’m so lucky that Nemo introduced us. You’re a really great friend =]

Jaby:

JABYYYYYYYYYY. Man we always had muses that vibed and our writing just clicked and that always brought me joy. I’m so glad you came back, because your characters are great, the stories you tell are great, and I really really missed having you around. I know we’ve both been busy lately with our own work stuff, but I definitely want the chance to connect some muses again, because I love your babes and you and I’ve been so happy to see you. Let’s figure something out someday when my schedule stuff evens out a bit better.

Jean:

you haven’t been in the rp long, but boy have you made an impact already. Lachlan is amazing!! Truly an icon and I’m so glad that you brought him in. And so glad that you’re here. We’re all lucky to have you. I really think you’re bringing in such a unique take and writing and it’s just awesome to see and to see Launchpad driving around, and driving people a little wild on twitter. It’s beautiful.

Louie: soooooo did you really nearly kill my bro?

Kiara:

We also don’t really have any interactions right now but that is a-okay because you are living a life doing the real life hero work. Truly I’m amazed by you, and I think we’re all lucky you’re around. I hope you take care of yourself and that you do get to enjoy that time to just write and love your characters. They’re all truly fantastic and I love seeing where you take them. Especially Georgette. I think her journey has absolutely captivated me.

Kit:

man you are awesome to plot with. The pirate au was such a good time, just brainstorming some ridiculous ideas. And your ladies are so truly dynamic and powerful and I am so excited to see where you take them. I don’t think we really have had much interaction besides the au, but I look forward to a day where life is less stressful and we can do some more stuff. That’d be great. <3 Keep doing you, you’re killing it.

Lauren:

Man I love your characters so much. Greg is such an icon on the board and otherwise. And I love pushing your characters buttons almost as much as I love agreeing with them. They’re just such joys to have around. Lol well I’m sure Roscoe would argue about that and be all Roscoe, but I’m glad to have him around. It’s been great talking to you and having debates over milk being a capitalist scam. I am glad you’re in the rp, and I continue to look forward to seeing what new things you and your characters bring.

Lauryl:

This go around of me rejoining the rp I feel like we’ve gotten a lot closer and that makes me really happy. =] It all started with a Jimin, how did it end up like this? It was only a...just kidding. I know exactly why. Nemo and your brilliant writing and his connecting with Louie drew me into this BTS zone and then before I knew it there was Finn and Lunch Squad and and and. The list really does go on because we’ve just come up with some really ridiculous and fun stories and it’s been great. Thank you for bringing Olaf and teaching me a lot more about aromanticism, for Atta and that sister bond that I am stoked about (reminds me we gotta do another thing for them that yes). I’m so glad we’ve connected more and that you are in the rp <3

Louie: Neeeeeeeeeeemo I have a crisis of boy things! CRISIS. WEE OO WEE OO chop chop and help me out. Also I’ve got cookies.

Finn: Nemo, I can’t believe how close we’ve gotten in so short a time. You’re one of my very best friends. I love you lots.

Finn: Hyung, you’re so warm and kind. I’m so lucky I know you.

Dot: did you drink water today Atta? You better not be going anywhere crazy without ME.

Lins:

You’ve just joined but I’m so stoked we’re already talking and talking about TORTALL of all things. Like WOW! I didn’t think anyone out there appreciated those books the way I did. It is so nice to be wrong, and to have a source to discuss my fave childhood books. It’s also exciting to have Eilonwy, and I’m excited to interact with her. <3 

Sav:

I know life keeps you pretty busy, but you push through and you bring your babes and keep steady with all of that and I think that’s really admirable. You’ve got the older gentleman muse energy and I respect that. I think it’s great that you have your niche. I myself have the teens as we know. I’m sorry we haven’t had much chance to interact, but I hope to improve that in the future. Especially with Seamus. That’s my rich uncle. I wanna do something about that when life gets less hectic. Either way, you’ve got great babes and you’re doing a great job. Take care of yourself lovely.

Louie: soooooo gonna buy me a motorcycle Uncle Seamus?

Sid:

man you’ve got a great bunch of characters and they’re all so different and dynamic and I love that. Ratigan is complex, and he was especially good fun in the pirate event I have to say. Truly loved the take we had on the ship and everything. He’s so great. I also love seeing Eric on the dash, and am excited to interact more with him cause I think he’s just groovy. They’re all groovy. I can’t think of any whimsical things to say but you’re doing awesome and your babes are great. Take care lovely.

Sierra:

I have not had a chance to interact with you or your Tod yet, but I look forward to the day where I can. Tod’s a great character, and it’s exciting to see that he’s come back. I know I saw him connecting with some of the other Swynlakers and I think that’s even better. Love a character with history, and Tod definitely has that. I hope you take care of yourself, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Tod in the future.

[hillbillied]

i found your post about andy and eddie's kinks from a couple of years ago and i was just wondering do you have any updated thoughts?

firstly, thank you anon!! I love writing these two!!

secondly fuck, I left this ask in the ‘box for a while because, double fuck, I couldn’t think of any kinks I hadn’t included in the OG post!! I am very sorry for the delay!

(I had to read through them to check, still crispy if I do say so... let’s see what else we can get in there. god I could go on a whole bunch more about the ones from the OG post lmao my fave losers in love having great sex!)

The Secret Kinks of Andrew Haldane and his Lieutenant, Edward Jones (pt.II)

(highly nsfw, 18+ only)

I’m gonna rag on Andy’s exhibitionism kink a little louder than before because it’s so embarrassing. going to the cinema is a chore because Andy doesn’t have the patience for long movies and he really can’t get behind anything that’s not a really fucking hilarious comedy or a truly gripping drama. anything even a little lacklustre (most of what’s on in the 50s) has his gaze wondering elsewhere

the amount of times Eddie has been enjoying his movie experience (he loves movies, btw, he didn’t get to go to many as a kid – think Gunny-level attention in the scene where the marines are watching For Whom the Bell Tolls) and suddenly a hand is brushing his knee. he can’t help but roll his eyes because Andy, good lord, can’t you enjoy the plot for five-fucking-minutes?

luckily for Andy, he’s got a semi-indulgent boyfriend or at least a condoning one; either Eddie will lift his longs legs and put them over Andy’s lap, teasing him with the weight whilst simultaneously giving him some cover to enjoy himself (in no relation to the movie) – or, if he’s feeling generous and equally turned on, he’ll give his stupid fucking would-be husband a hand so he can go back to his popcorn. Eddie’s got skilled fingers and only makes eye contact with his flustered, heavy-breathing boyfriend in scathing glances to show his “disapproval”

car sex is as normal to the two of them as breathing. it started fairly uncreative and vanilla, just screwing in the one long seat of Hillbilly’s pickup. it’s a little on the tight side but Eddie’s more flexible than many would believe. Andy loves having two hands just under his knees, pushing his thighs up against his chest so he can fuck him nice and deep. it has Eddie’s toes curling and his teeth gritted and colourful curses dripping out the cracked window (no AC means a real sweaty cab)

that, or Hillbilly will be riding Andy passenger side. he likes smoking in his car and he likes riding Ack Ack’s cock, so this is a win-win scenario. the leverage from the seat means he can light up while rolling his hips, humming around the cigarette. it’s an erotic sight for sure; Andy has to cover his eyes with his hand while laughing out a breathless “shit, Eddie…”

romantic evenings include soft kisses and mutual handjobs in the truck bed, after giving up on star gazing. less romantic evenings include parking somewhere discreet (or… not, because Andy’s exhibitionism is a nightmare and the 60s were pretty wild) to get them both out on the road. there’s sweaty handprints on the hood where Andy has Eddie bent over it, pinned between his chest and hot metal. it’s some of the hardest, roughest sex they have, and Andy usually uses Eddie’s t-shirt for leverage, something to twist into an psudo-harness to pull him back against his dick. Hillbilly likes to growl out threats – “you stain m’ car, Andy, I’ll fuckin’ kill you” – but it’s all a ruse to cover how there’s sweat dripping from his curls and how his pants for air are turning into moans and how he’s the one staining the tire where he’s cum, hard enough to have him flat out over the hood and gasping

this is all while the car is parked, of course. Andy loves giving Eddie head while he’s driving. it’s lucky Hillbilly’s had to drive bigger, scarier machines than a Ford, honestly. his disapproval (fake, every time) is portrayed where he grabs Andy’s hair and forces his cock down his throat. “Cop car” he’ll say, “gotta stay down”. he’s a lying sack of shit but it’s worth the sin to glance down at Andy when he lets him pull back, spittle running from his tongue and his coughing turning to a gasp then a moan in quick succession. it’s really difficult for Eddie not to grin super wide and push Andy’s head back down for more

(side note: Andy’s a service top so he gives great head, none of this fake dom shit. they each say the other gives it better because they are both weak for one another and stupidly in love)

gags become a thing after a while. Andy is an expert at introducing/asking about bedroom ideas without being condescending and he knows he has to decipher Eddie’s interest without it sounding like he wants him to shut the fuck up. (he does not, he loves everything that comes out of Hillbilly’s mouth, from stone-cold threat to lazy joke to breathless groan)

but a thing they do become. (it starts with Andy shoving a couple of fingers in Eddie’s mouth to “keep quiet”, an old familiar trick from the war, and it snowballs from there) so the next time Andy’s bent over Eddie, facing him and maybe got his hands pinned above his head, and Eddie decides to let off a quip, Ack Ack stops. slows his motions and pretends to think, then reaches for his master plan. the first time, it’s just fabric, shoved into Hillbilly’s mouth. his pink cheeks (from semi-annoyance or embarrassment, not sure) and deep frown and almost-offended stare are fucking priceless

(Andy buys a proper gag, one Eddie can bite down on. one he can grab the back of and pull Hillbilly’s head back with so he can kiss his neck, tell him how fucking hot his moans are when they’re all he can make)

collars slip in there somewhere. they’re not sure where that came from but there’s a suspicion it may have come from the wholesome conversation about adopting a dog (which they both want to do they’re just terrified of going to pick one and falling in love with more and then what are they gonna do?? have fifty dogs?? but I digress)

Andy’s not one to be embarrassed of his sex purchases but he was definitely scratching his neck when he bought it. luckily, his boyfriend can read him like a goddamn book. the man likes being in control, sure, dominating the room in his own masterful way, definitely – that doesn’t change the look of complete adoration that takes Andy’s features when Eddie buckles the collar around his neck

it fits well with Andy’s orgasm denial kink. he doesn’t do it to Eddie much (he’s got enough kinky shit he can do to him) but Hillbilly definitely does it to him. it’s a treat to test Andy’s self-restraint and not with any bondage. Eddie’s a very patient man, used to unfulfilling sex prior to Ack Ack, so he’s got all the time in the world. he loves making Andy wait, teasing him with a grip around the base of his cock. he gets a cock ring for him later, when his tight grip isn’t cutting it anymore

there’s nothing better than watching Andy’s thighs tremble, sat on his own hands on a chair, desperately keeping his cool while Hillbilly carefully lowers himself onto his cock (Eddie uses that collar to get him to look him in the eye)

they usually can’t be bothered with food play (“Food is f’ eatin’, Andrew, not wastin’.”) but there’s occasional things. Andy has a tendency to take Eddie’s fingers in his mouth and lick them clean, whether from an accidental or purposely spillage. he doesn’t really care what’s on them so long as it’s edible and he can watch Hillbilly’s lip curl watching him

Eddie’s definitely done a “spillage” of his own once or twice. except his are obvious, just how he likes them; he’ll straight up pour a splash of beer on his dick and invite Andy to come lap it up. his house, his rules and all. Andy always obliges

Eddie gives a great spit ‘n shine to boots, Andy’s found. he loves demanding Eddie get on his knees and do the daily duties he learned as a marine, making sure his captain’s uniform is in order. (slightly funny if Ack Ack’s not wearing anything but his boots while saying it, but he can live with that) having Hillbilly look up at him – “Like this, Skipper?” - as he runs his tongue across the leather is more than worth it

Eddie likes tearing open clothes, though he feels really, really bad about it. it’s obvious it turns him on because Andy loses a lot of shirt buttons over the years. (they sew them back on together, which is nice, gotta know how to mend and make do. Eddie actually knows a lot about cross stitch and Andy adores learning from him)

one time Andy’s waving his ass Eddie’s way, has been for a whole morning whilst they were gardening, potting flowers, weeding the lawn, working, Andy, we’re busy – so it’s just been a build up of hard-ons and no time to deal with them. and they’re wearing old clothes for the task, threadbare jeans. (that used to be Eddies, even the ones on Andy’s ass) so when Hillbilly finally presses up against Andy, bites his ear, and grabs his pants with both hands - he just pulls. they tear open and Andy feels Eddie shudder against him (shortly before he feels Hillbilly’s cock pushing inside him but that’s just a massive bonus)

Andy’s an indulgent boyfriend so he buys underwear and pants on the cheap and waves them Eddie’s way. the “rippables” as he calls them. made to be ripped, end of. no hard feelings, good riddance to them

I said they were too lazy for bondage because they can just pin each other and I stand by it; it remains a special thing. one of the ‘hardcore’ things, like the belt and gun play. mainly because, while they can actually pin each other down quite effectively with limited wiggle room, there’s still the ability to y’know, headbutt each other. because they’re also both trained in how to flip a guy that grabs you. fatally, if need be

so tying Eddie up (Andy’s always been down to be tied up, blindfolded, etc. by Eddie because he trusts literally one man in the whole world and it’s Edward Jones) is a big thing. because Eddie has had to fuck people up who tried to fight him and his brute strength is what’s gotten him through (finding something capable of realistically holding him is also a struggle in sexual hilarity because fuck, it’s gotta be thick rope or actual police handcuffs)

when Andy asks him about it (and presents the short length of rope he went for because he couldn’t find handcuffs yet) Eddie immediately says yes. because he trusts Andy completely. but he also says not tonight and not every night and not any time he can see it coming. if he works himself up about it, he’ll embarrass himself

when it does happen (Andy’s can read him right back, he knows when), Eddie ends up with his hands tied behind his back. he jokes about Ack Ack’s poor navy knotwork and gets a laugh back. then Andy slow bends him over the bed. that’s all Eddie thought he’d do, which isn’t a bother, long legs are still able to roll away. until Andy kneels down below him, caressing his thigh lovingly, and nudges his legs open. Eddie ends up standing bent over on the mattress with each ankle tied to a leg of their heavy bed frame

it’s a lot but Andy takes his time, kisses his way up from Eddie’s calf all the way to the back of his neck, keeping a hand pressed to his inner thigh. the tremble there is aroused and overwhelmed all in one. the first time, Ack Ack just enjoys giving his boyfriend a nice, slow handjob, supporting himself over Hillbilly so he can feel his weight. it’s amazing to have Eddie coming apart under him, whispering for more until he gets a shaking orgasm, biting the sheets to try and cover how loud he whimpers (it’s too much for Andy, too, and he cums just from rubbing between Eddie’s thighs)

Andy’s trademark aftercare is as excellent as ever and they sit together with some tea on the bed, listen to the radio, Eddie leaning against his chest with two loving arms around him. he asks if next time Ack Ack will fuck him and naturally, Andy just says “if you want me to” while kissing his temple. Hillbilly wipes his face and asks “please”