#lin's special event

[burstfoot]

Hello! Here's an update on all of Arknights' currently accessible auxiliary material as of May 2024! There's plenty to check out, so I hope this is helpful for some!

Animation

Arknights Prelude To Dawn (S1) and Perish in Frost (S2): [Crunchyroll]

An adaptation of the main story, up through Chapter 0 to Chapter 6! It's much more fast-paced than the in-game story, so I wouldn't use it to replace actually reading it, but it's very cool to see some of these scenes in full animation. Season 3, Arknights: Rise from Ember, has been announced! Lee's Detective Agency: [Youtube]

A mini-series animated in a chibi style with a comedic tone. Focused on the adventures of the Kuroblood-illustrated Lee's Detective Agency! Distributed by Crunchyroll globally, but entirely free to watch.

Closure's Secret Files: [Youtube]

A cut-out styled series of shorts hosted by Closure which outlines a lot of the game's basic mechanics!

Holy Knight Light: [Youtube]

A short OVA focusing around Penguin Logistics delivering a package, celebrating Arknights' first anniversary. Officially posted to Youtube!

Kay's Daily Doodles: [Youtube]

Another free, comedic Youtube mini-series, posted to the offical Arknights Youtube account and focused around Ceobe! Here's some additional animations! Each event usually also has a 15 second 2D animated preview of the event, but there's so many of those that I can't list them all. Anniversary Event 3D Animations: Zwillingstürme im Herbst So Long, Adele Lone Trail Where Vernal Winds Will Never Blow Il Siracusano Ideal City Stultifera Navis Invitation To Wine Near Light Dossoles Holiday Under Tides Bonus 3D Animated Shorts: Legend of Chongyue Arknights Special - IL Siracusano Lo Scontro Youtube Shorts: Ch'en and Lin's Watermelon Splitting Game Part 1 Ch'en and Lin's Watermelon Splitting Game Part 2 Amiya's Siracusan Food Guide Part 1 Amiya's Siracusano Food Guide Part 2 Amiya's Special Gift Doctor's Gifts in Return 1 Doctor's Gifts in Return 2

Comics, Manga, Manhua

Officially Translated:

Rhodes Island's Records of Originium: Rhine Lab: [Offical Source]

A canon manhua centered around the circumstances that lead to Silence falling out with Saria and joining Rhodes Island with Ifrit, as well as Ifrit's attempt to save a dying infected stowaway on the landship. Essential reading for understanding the Rhine Lab storyline and characters - read it right after Mansfield for when it was chronologically released! One of the characters, Darya, is mentioned in both Ifrit's module and briefly in Lone Trail.

Rhodes Island's Records of Originium: Blacksteel: [Official Source]

A short story focusing on the lives of the Blacksteel operators aboard the landship. While it often gets overshadowed by the Rhine Lab manga which is bigger in scope, this is a great read especially if you're interested in Franka or Liskarm.

Rhodes Kitchen -TIDBITS-: [Official Source]

An anthology story related to the cuisine that's important to a variety of operators. While it might seem unassuming, the art is gorgeous and it's really well-written! The Blacksteel, Rhine Lab, and Rhodes Kitchen manga have all been sold in physical copies, if you're interested in having them in print!

Prelude Suite: Cadenza Virtuosa: [Official Source]

An epilogue to Hortus De Escapismo focusing on Arturia's background, with the second chapter serving as a prelude for Zwillingstrume im Herbst! An excellent read to get better insight into Arturia's character.

Angelina: Sketches of this Messenger's Journey: [Official Source]

A more comedically focused manwha, centered on the adventures of Angelina travelling across Terra as a Messenger! Currently updating, with recent chapters focusing on Sami and Siesta!

Unofficially Translated

The Dagger's Inheritors: [Youtube]

A 15-minute short 3D animated film about W's past and relationship with Theresa, released for the 5th Arknights anniversary. Arknights Comic Anthology: [Mangadex]

As the title says, a series of non-canon anthology stories regarding the cast of Rhodes' Island! Some of the chapters on Mangadex for the later volumes of the Comic Anthology specifically have been machine translated, but the same is not true for the other manga shared here. Chapters are hit-and-miss, but the whole series is generally a fun read! See the original post for specific chapter suggestions.

123 Rhodes Island: [Mangadex]

A series of non-canon gag comics for the CN server, usually updated when new operators or events release!

Arknights: Operators!: [Mangadex]

A compilation of shortform manga posted on the official ArknightsJP twitter account! Thank you to @sleepywoodscans for their work on personally translating these!

Arknights: A1 Operations Preparation Detachment: [Mangadex]

Part of the Terra Historicus website and not yet officially translated, focusing on Fang, Kroos and Beagle before they join Rhodes Island, and a catastrophe striking the Columbian city of Tkaronto. Thank you to @pooce-art for their translation work!

Other:

Arknights Ambience Synesthesia: [Youtube]

A series of concerts (4 so far), focused around Arknights' music! A live performance has been done every year, with skins released in-game for the concert's theme & 3D animations produced featuring the skin's cast in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Monster Siren Records: [Spotify] [Official Website]

Arknights' official (and-in-universe) record label publishing game OSTs, themes for almost every 6 star operator that releases, and occasional bonus songs.

Arknights: Endfield: [Twitter]

An upcoming 3D action gacha game from Hypergryph, set in the far future of Arknights' universe on another planet. Currently in closed beta testing for both EN and CN servers!

UNOFFICIAL:

Some fandom-developed tools that might be of use to you are: The Arknights Terra Wiki. While it is a very accurate source for in-game data, take the explanation of in-game story and some specific claims with a grain of salt. The FANDOM version of this wiki is currently no longer mantained and subject to vandalism! Given you can translate or read Chinese, PRTS.wiki is the current best resource for game assets!

As well, the Arknights Story Reader can help you catch up on stuff you don't want to or can't read in game! Jacob Moreau on Youtube provides voiceover readings of many in-game stories as well.

Finally, Aceship's Toolbox provides access to a variety of tools, including a levelling calculator, a calculator to ensure the best recruitments, and all the CGs, backgrounds and character sprites that are available in-game as of So Long, Adele (as far as I'm aware, the sprite/cg gallery is no longer being updated.)

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading! I hope this provided some new information to you or is an easy reference source in the future. Some things, such as merch (i.e. board games) or the official lore book have not been included due to not being accessible or translated for EN players. I'm happy to continue to provide more information like this to make the art surrounding this series more accessible! If you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask.

[orion4ever]

can u do qiu and tamarack with an MC who LOVES to bake/cook but since theres not enough people in their house to eat it all of what they make most the time, they'll just knock on their doors like "do you want cookies? I just took them out the oven." or something

Author’s Note: Hi! I hoped you enjoy this, I have recently been getting into baking so this should be a fun write for me!

Pairing(s): Qiu Lin x MC and Tamarack Baumann x MC

🍪🧈���

QIU LIN 📝

Heck yeah! Free food!

When you first came into the problem of baking too much to eat, you were stumped

And when you expressed that to your dear friend, Qiu. They instantly volunteered as tribute to be a taste tester.

They want them as fresh as possible so they would probably just wait around your house or watch you bake them.

I don’t think they would help much other than passing you ingredients and maybe stirring the batter.

Only to get a lick of the batter

Of course, it's not because they don’t want to help or anything like that, they just know that you probably enjoy handling it on your own and being in your element without having some nerd ask them to go through the steps for the tenth time.

They get super excited when you try out a new pastry or recipe and have them be the very first to try it.

It feels like an exclusive event every time they get to be the first to try something of yours.

I headcanon that Qiu is kind of hopeless in the kitchen, preferring to just go to the diner or their parents if they want something.

They burn water so it’s mesmerized to watch you bake something from scratch.

I like to think that for a special occasion, they might try and bake you something either from scratch or a box mix!

“Wow! Did you bake this all for me? You’re so nice!”

Tamarack Baumann🍁

Gets PUMPED when finding this out!

Thinks this is something you can add to your guys’ tea parties! What's not better than some tea with homemade cookies and bread?

It’s like an actual fancy tea party now! :0

Tamarack isn’t super picky, but does appreciate variety! She encourages you to try out a bunch of different recipes regardless of the difficulty level.

Like, what do you mean you can’t make macaroons? You’re a master baker, you could try!

She doesn’t want you to be the only one pulling your weight to supply these tea parties, she will be bringing lots of teas and little stuff to put on them, like milk and honey!

Tamarack is crafty so I see her making you a little apron and custom mittens with while wonky, cute embroidery of your name!

This inspires her to make more stuff like a chef's hat which leads her down a sewing rabbit hole.

She eats most of what you bring her but she also likes inviting you inside to give them to her Omi and Opa!

She doesn’t care too much about the freshness of the cookies but she also enjoys watching you bake.

The energetic girl needs some downtime too and watching you bake is soothing to her.

“Treats? Yay! This will be nice for the tea party! Come, sit! I will get the tea you liked last time!”

[cream0fwheat1998]

Captured

Thanks to @livingdeadgirly for giving me the idea.

(Yandere!BihanxreaderxYandere!Tomas)

It's long. Sorry.

I have built on this idea to my own liking/ to fit the idea I have so this is MY interpretation of the idea. Please be aware that I have never played any Mortal Kombat games just watched movies & lore videos.

After the events of MK1 (2023)

Summary: Tomas and the woman he's trained have grown closer over the past few years. However a threat from the Lin Kuei (minimal use of Y/N) puts their relationship on hold as his darling is abducted by them during an attack.

WARNINGS: Dark/yandere/noncon/violence/forced relationship.

-You were a young woman residing in a rural village within Earthrealm

-You enjoyed your schooling because your family was privileged enough to afford you an education but you weren't wealthy either

-You favorite pastime was reading/learning about the other realms however your priority was mapping out Earthrealm first since you lived there

-You attempted to educate young children in your village by reading to them in your spare time and teaching them about the beauty and dangers that co-exist within the multiple realms

-A danger that you only had heard whispers of became a reality late summer when these assassins sporting Blue and Black garments stormed your village in search of those who supported the Shirai Ryu

-Houses were cased in ice, schools and hospitals demolished

-It was a picture right out of a book about the Netherrealm. Grey/green clouds, sharp winds and endless screams of innocents being slaughtered

-In the midst of chaos, you'd been hit by a dagger as cold as a winter storm and fell to the ground

-With the little strength you had, you crawled your way to cover

-The heat of your skin had bullet sized sweat drops running down your body, the amount of blood you felt leave you put your mortality in a sharp perspective and you assumed you wouldn't make it

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

-The next 3 years were something of a miracle

-You were saved by soldiers from the Shirai Ryu scouring the land for survivors and hours after the attack, your lifeforce was hanging by a thread but you were still alive

-You spent your time learning their discipline, their training and forming the strength to become a fight

-Fighter in loose terms of course, you weren't good

- you refused to take part in the same carnage and devastation you were put through, you held your own fire back

-But you remained optimistic much to the chagrin of the more serious members when your academic skills aided them to victory

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

-Another unforeseen occurrence has recently distracted you

-The handsome, grey-eyed and soft silver, short-haired warrior Smoke was your instructor

-The way he and his brother lead their clan in unison reminded you of the family and friends you'd loved and lost over the years

-You were told by Kuai Liang that Smoke had saved you from death and carried you to safety

-Over the few years, you felt some sense of debt to him and he clearly did not see it that way himself, your persistence to prove something to him added to his ego

-His dedication to train you started from a sense of duty but overtime he couldn't help but think if he saved you for himself rather than the Lin Kuei

-You were an attractive woman and he attempted not to stray from his purpose of serving his master (Kuai Liang)

-Yet you looked up to him in a way that made him feel special; he was second and his days under Bi-han he was third if anything at all

-But you went to him first, you called his name first when you had an issue

-Tomas couldn't help but feel like he was more of a man because of you, a pretty girl, coming to him for help

-Using the moral guide of the Lin kuei and the Shirai Ryu, he knew being humble was the key, however....

-The way you looked at him when he was giving instructions, the shy smile you gave him in the morning or in passing

-Especially, the way you'd let him adjust your form during training

-Deep down he knew he wasn't entitled to you but the prestige of being the second in command in the Shirai Ryu had been manifesting in his head

-Tomas knew he wanted his legacy to continue but the years of Bi-han's abuse had convinced him he wasn't good enough

-He felt ashamed when his thoughts of pinning you down and having his way with you occurred during training

-His fantasy was you admitting that you werent good enough to fight but that you could be useful in otherways

-He'd pin you down on the nearest surface, well first you'd suck him off THEN he'd force you down and probably spank you and when he was hard from hearing your cries, he'd force himself inside you

-His deepest desire is you submitting as a thank you for saving your life several years ago

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

-But all the changed when the Lin Kuei attacked......

-Kuai Liang and his wife Harumi commanded their assassins into position, somehow that Lin Kuei had infiltrated their land

-Tomas immediately found you and demanded you hide inside the compound but you insisted you fight with your group

-The defiant attitude had Tomas growling, this was the first time he'd be forceful with you beyond training

-"I'm not asking. I'm telling you to HIDE or there will be punishment." Tomas said, no room for argument

-Once Tomas was out of sight, you ran to an opposite area of the compound, determined to prove you can fight for Tomas just as he has fought for you

-You'd met with the most intense scene you'd ever witness. Kuai Liang and a large man in a Lin Kuei uniform facing off using their powers

-After blow to blow, the man using sharp, ice daggers subdued Scorpion and chuckled at his brothers downfall

-You gasped, never witnessing Scorpion lose to an opponent causing the large man with the gravely deep voice to glance at you

-His eye brows furrowed and he go into a fighting stance and you knew you'd be no match for this warrior

-You attempted a fighting stance yourself, but you slipped causing the Lin Kuei-man to laugh at you

-He was about to strike when smoke appeared out of nowhere and Tomas angrily appeared

-Tomas and the man he called Bi-han shouted at each other until fists were exchanged

-In a spur of the moment decision, you ran in-between Tomas and Bi-han and a force unknown to you knocked you to the ground and everything went dark

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

-A throbbing headache hit you as you came through, your blurry eyes trying to focus on the comfortable surroundings

-You were on a bed and a heavy chain was on your ankle

-While yanking on the chain with all the strength you could muster, the door swung open to a man who took up all of the door frame

-It was bi-han wearing a mask, his outfit still stained with the blood of the fallen members if Shirai Ryu

-Immediately you remember Tomas, your heart races as you look at all the dried blood

-"Those fools are still alive, they are lucky we held back. Somewhat." Bi-han says, crossing his arms

-You ask why are you here, tugging on the chain as Bi-han steps forward

-"What are you to them?" He asks.

-You explained that Tomas and Kaui Liang saved you from dying and allowed you to train within the Shirai Ryu

-Bi-han raised a skeptic brow, eyeing your muscles (or lack thereof) indicating his disbelief

-"Whose Concubine are you?" Kuai Liangs?" He suggested, slowly removing his mask and tossing it aside

-You stopped pulling while the heat when to your face. How dare he think that's your purpose with them AND that one of the most honorable men you've met would behave in such a manner. Kuai Liang would never betray Harumi in that way and the slander of him made your blood boil

-Without a response, Bi-han went on "So you belong to Tomas then?" He didn't smile, waiting for an answer

-You reaffirmed that you trained with them, scared but not backing down

-Bi-han stepped closer you, confirming that he commanded dominance at all times

-"You may not think you belong to him but does he know that?" Bi-han crouched down to your eye-level, his icy breath hitting your face

-For the first time, you make direct eye contact which seemingly surprises him for second before his eyes darken again

-"You want to be his? He is weak and why my brother tolerates his incompetence in their new era shocks me." Bi-han says, clutching his fists.

-"Unlike you, Tomas is a good man who fights to protect the innocent not glory." In a surge of confidence, you try to push away Bi-han but he catches your wrists.

-"Is that so? Well then maybe I should show you how much of a bad man I am."

-Bi-Han quickly removes his garments and moves to get rid of yours. You thrash around, limited by the chains so Bi-han easily covers your entire body with his much larger one.

-He caresses your skin in a gentle contradiction to being pinned down with force. You attempt to push him off of you to no success. He smiles, knowing your resistance is useless.

-"Did Tomas ever touch you like this?" Bi-Han asked while thumbing your nipples and fondling your breast.

-You mewl at the brand new sensation of being felt so intimately and for a second Bi-Hans eye went soft at the sight beneath him

-The gentleness didn't last when Bi-Han realized that you and Tomas had never been intimate; you had never been intimate and that made Bi-Han delighted. This would be one of his many flawless victories over the Shirai Ryu.

-"I'll have to open you up a little." Bi-han reached a long, thick finger down to your intimate area and began playing your lips. His finger ran down your slit slowly; he wanted you to feel and remember him. You'd end this day as claimed territory of the Lin Kuei. It didn't matter what you wanted.

-Your brain had stopped. Your reasonability drowned out by the fast pace of your beating heart.

-His attention back on your face and without warning, shoved one finger inside you. He began jerking it in and out; he made sure to hit every spot he could. He grew harder thinking about the idea that you'd be able to feel him hours after this night.

-With every thrust, your hand that was wrapped around Bi-Hans arm squeezed his bicep. Something about you responding to his assault by holding on to him harder caused him to spur.

-You felt yourself getting closer to what you knew to be the climax of your enjoyment; a coil of warmth began and you clutched on Bi-Han for dear life.

-Bi-Han quickened the pace seeing your reaction. You squirmed and let out a loud moan at your release.

-You slowly sat up as Bi-Han closed in on you. Catching your breath, you asked him to please not do anything more with tears pricking in your eyes.

-He had no intention of stopping; he was belated to have you bending to you will, underneath him. Now it was your turn to give him his prize.

-He pulled up right to his erect penis and looked down on you expectantly.

-You shook your head, turning away until he grabbed the back of your head and forced your open mouth down on him.

-"Do as your new grandmaster commands." He said in a low voice.

-You swirled your tongue around, unsure of how to do what he wanted you to do. You dragged your tongue up and down his shaft, targeting the vein. You blushed because you had the thoughts about Tomas in the past but knew they weren't appropriate.

-Bi-Han started bobbing your head up and down on his cock, using both his hands.

-This is the only time he'd allow himself to be sloppy. His moans and sighs filling the room.

-Abruptly, he shoved you down and once again his large body was completely covering yours.

-"No more resistance? Good girl." He adjusted himself to be at your entrance before grabbing your face and smashing his lips on yours.

-There was no adjustment period. He shoved himself inside you and began to thrust. He held you down with super strength while peppering kisses on your neck and chest.

-Bi-Han sped up his movement and kissed you again. "Kiss me back" he growled.

-You obliged; just wanting the nightmare to be over.

-His tongue danced for dominance in your mouth and of course he won. He smiled into the kiss.

-He began growling as his thrust became sloppy. He gripped your hips with intense force and released his seed deep within you; not moving until every single drop was inside you.

-"You are officially property of the Lin Kuei. You will be under my particular command and I suggest you keep your mouth shut and do what I say. I can give you alot.....if you earn it."

[flyingfabio]

le mans thoughts dump!!!

sorry it’s gonna be a picture-less dump because i wasn’t prepared and i only had only my phone with shitty camera quality… also this going to be a mess. first general remarks and then a fabio special part of course… under a read more because i think it’s gonna be longgg

general remarks about the event

well not a surprise but le mans is CRAZY. so many bikes so many people and the atmosphere… you don’t need beer or anything else to feel PUMPED there

the weather was GREAT and i felt it made the experience so enjoyable. i wore long jeans and big tshirts and applied sunscreen and spent time in the grandstands away from the sun and yet my face is red. i have a sunburn on my chin. MY CHIN.

i didn’t feel unsafe or witness anything gross during my time there. important to mention that i was with my brother and didn’t camp on site so the experience can definitely be different for others. there ARE overly drunk people at the circuit and some entitled people smoking weed with families with kids nearby…

as for the camping sites you could see them from the circuit and HEAR them from afar and it is WILD. never in my life i think i would be capable to camp there lmao

so many things to do at the venue: the village, fanzones, a stunt show, fireworks… you can feel how this gp is organized as a whole experience for the fans

did i mention a lot of people?

obviously some things to improve especially the management of the entrances/exit points of the circuit but with so many people at a venue that is not that big i can understand the struggle. maybe they need to think about implementing a limit for the attendance at some point

i had grandstands tickets and it was really enjoyable to have a place with shade to sit down at any moment though i LOVED going to sit on the grass trackside to watch the bikes, especially with the warm weather. sad that we only had time to watch from only a few places at the last turns of the circuit (raccordement, “s” bleus, chemin aux boeufs). would have loved to sit at garage vert for example.. we only did this on friday and saturday because we thought sunday would be too crowded. people literally come at 6-7 am to get the best spots!

the NOISE. thank god i brought my earplugs with noise reduction. the bikes are very loud on their own obviously, but if you are trackside you can watch without ear protection easily. but in the grandstands on the straight? HELL NO! i think it’s very special to le mans where the place is acting like a “soundbox”, amplifying the sound

where we sat in the grandstand we could see the canal+ booth from the other side of the straight. at some point i was like wait a min… isn’t that maverick and rivola out there? and i was right, my bro was shocked i could recognize them from their backs and so far away… also guessed raul, miguel and lin jarvis. maybe i’m too deep in the motogp hole? also recognized the back of a fabio cut-out that people had installed at the bottom of our grandstand but this is a given i guess

idk where to put that but i saw pecco’s mascot so many times i’m starting to think there are actually two of them

also the speaker at the circuit was shit. he flopped so many times 

the races

overall good races! 

moto3 was good, especially because they were close and there were overtakes for the win at the end

moto2 was meh, some good battles in the pack but the race was over after lap one... probably was the only one looking for tony at every lap and cheering for him. rude speakers saying how he was fighting for the championship last year and how he is struggling this year. bitch it's not his fault that speedups are suddenly rocketships 😭

motogp sprint… it’s better that i don’t talk about it. thank you acosta for the overtaking crumbs

motogp race!! i thought it would be a repeat of the sprint, but it turned out to be such a good battle at the front! the crowd went NUTS when martin and then marc overtook pecco. obviously it’s so nice to get battles like these at the front for the win, but this doesn’t erase the fact that it’s still ducati only. and for me motogp CAN'T be at its best unless it’s different brands fighting it out

you know my distaste for the sprints, but i have to admit it adds something to the experience at the track, especially for casual fans like my brother. for me i really enjoyed friday, seeing the different bikes go around the track and observing the different riding styles. my brother much more enjoyed saturday and sunday when there was more “at stake”. this sprint was shit though

my grandstand was… something lmao. a mix of marc truthers and booers. pecco haters who had beef with the pecco grandstand next to us lmao. pecco grandstand started to cheer for pecco after people clapped when the speaker announced martin as the poleman… you can imagine they weren’t as loud after the race lmao 😭

the japanese bikes… it’s so depressing to see irl you have no idea. this weekend basically all of them (except fabio) were hanging out at the end of grid with augusto fernandez...

the marini case is even worse man. it’s so bad that i think i had left my grandstand before he even crossed the finish line on sunday and i’m not even kidding (many people were leaving just after the winner arrived to try to get out of the circuit quickly) 

pedro acosta was probably the most applauded after the frenchies and marc 

that jorge martin guy is REAL fast on a ducati i’m afraid

marc marquez is a showman

weird personal observation but i was less stressed before the race start than i am when i’m watching on tv

FABIOOOOOOOOO

as i said last year, he really is his people’s DARLING

but first about his performance this weekend. INSANE. straight to q2 with an insane lap. with fellow fabio truther lady sat next to me we held our breath until the very end of the session… then during q2 i remember thinking well let’s see fabio qualify p12 now and then when he pushed that tractor and it got him to p6 at some point? my jaw was on the floor and everyone around cheered 

the sunday race… man. i felt it IN MY BONES that fabio would crash at some point. i knew it when he was just in front of aleix and he was manhandling that bike in every direction just to stay in front. then i saw that he had managed to make a small gap to aleix and i thought “he wants too much and he’s overriding it too much…” next when the yellow flag alert appeared i knew…

it was clear that he wanted to give his everything this whole weekend, no matter how shit the bike was. it was no coincidence that the cross necklace was back this weekend… 

even my brother who is the casual of casuals noticed the difference of riding style. said that it was obvious how much fabio was fighting the bike compared to others

the special livery. my god it was SO beautiful on camera and irl… the bike looked so good on the track and fabio looked radiant in those leathers. i tried the special le mans cap but it was a flat brim which i don’t like very much and it looked ugly on me so i bought this baby instead

i was pleasantly surprised not to hear any fabio slander during the entire weekend. when you look at the comment from moto french “fans” on facebook it’s always full of hate (he only thinks about money, he is too “feminine” or whatever bullshit, homophobic shit etc.) even with his special livery (shit like omg can you believe he is a MAN and likes to wear PINK???) i heard nothing. probably for the best or i was ready to throw hands

rins didn’t come with fabio on stage in fanzone for the “meeting with riders” event and it’s understandable poor guy probably wouldn’t have had any question for him

it’s crazy how fabio’s voice sounds different to me irl. at some point i thought he sounded like mbappé 😭

when asked who was his favorite rider (the question didn’t mention past or present, but then the host said well let’s go from the current riders) fabio answered marc marquez is a legend of the sport. also joked don’t worry valentino fans lmao

got asked if he thinks there are too many ducatis on the grid. you can imagine the reaction of the crowd lol. then said that “yamaha and myself are working hard to have two more yamahas on the grid… and two less ducatis smirks” 

someone asked him the obvious question of why he stayed at yamaha. answered how he understands why people don’t understand his choice right now, but that they will in the coming few weeks and right there i believed him. this man could sell me the moon

hardcore fans who take this rare opportunity to ask fabio to sign their fabio related tattoo will never fail to make me cringe but what’s way worse is the man who thought himself entitled to ask fabio about his private life in front of everyone and how “we never see the many women who are after him” posted there (do you get the gross implication there?) anyways. the cunt got booed and fabio got applauded when he answered that he has the right to keep some parts of his life private while he already shares many things with the fans

maybe i will conclude on this but going there you understand why yamaha had to do everything to keep fabio. going beyond the performance element which is obvious, fabio’s marketing power is insane. when fans were asked about their favorite brand, yamaha got the most applause. i didn’t count but i think the yamaha/fabio merch was the most worn among fans (maybe alongside with vr46 lol). and like yeah we’re in france so obviously it’s more visible but having managed to keep the face of their brand is essential in rough times like these. take honda for example, it’s like they weren’t even there this weekend, even with zarco riding one…

probably forgot many things but i think that’s enough lol. i’m already missing it (thank god i took this day off to recover) and i will certainly go again in the future!! (maybe not every year because it’s A LOT though)

[infinitestarsdev]

Devlog 2024-02-09 (Episode 4 - Part 1 is out NOW!)

It's Friday! And this is a special Friday because it's a RELEASE Friday!

That's right! Episode 4 - Part 1 is now live!

Update Edit: It's also a sad day for my family. I lost someone dear to me this morning, someone even dearer to my loved ones, and my heart is aching with them for our loss. I wish things weren't the way they are. I wish I could do more to ease their suffering.

Project Details:

167,666 words in total. (That's roughly the same length as the first two Harry Potter novels combined)

825 possible choices.

Patrons can get their version over here (win|mac|lin) or here (android), and everyone else can get the full game on Steam or Itchio!

Episode 4 - Part 1 continues the story after the dramatic conclusion from Episode 3.

It introduces several new characters, several new and redrawn backgrounds, several new portraits, several new music tracks, an overhauled story controller, a new free-roam mechanic, a new star system navigation interface, a lore gallery with unlockable entries, a system for players to load custom-made stories written by other players into the game, a seasonal event (Spooktober Heist), and nearly 40K additional words of content (some being intimate content for Kiaria, Lochem and Khalil).

It also includes two very special player portraits! Thanks to the amazing ladies from Wanderlust Games, you can now play your Mah'Abeu as a younger version of Damon or Ayame from Andromeda Six! (Seriously, if you're hearing about Andromeda Six for the first time– You're about to fall in love. Go check them out and support them if your wallet allows!)

We've been working extremely hard to bring this release to you, and while we've added a ton of new things, we would have loved to add more. Sadly, we had to draw a line in the sand and release what was available.

Some of the things that we could add before the deadline that were requested by our beta testers:

MC is more knowledgeable about the Cephilusk.

Added a location hint during free-roam sequences.

Made Kiaria more Kiaria when dealing with current events.

Your Mah'Abue now crafts the notice being sent to the crew.

Several more personality options (with more on their way)

Most free-roam scenes now have the crew members touching on or hinting at the current situation.

Fixed some logic bugs with Sonia's scene.

Adjusted Andreas' scene with an additional choice if he becomes too much.

Added some additional logic and checks to the response you can give when the crew/your LI asks about how you are coping. (Might still expand on this.)

Your Mah'Abue now has more control over how they handle Nikau.

Added Lindi's music track.

An additional intimate scene for Khalil

Some of the things that we couldn't add before the deadline that will be added very soon. (over the next week or three):

Implementing some more of the Beta Tester feedback requests.

The start of Tabitha's character arc.

A free-roam scene for Lebeny, along with an additional intimate scene.

Adding a semi-intimate, more risque scene with Matthias.

Adding additional character expressions to some of the free-roam content.

Additional music tracks where there is only silence.

Missing Lore Descriptions, replacing the WiP notice with actual content.

The new trailer for Episode 4.

Some of the things that we couldn't add before the deadline that will be added down the line. (more than a month from now)

Additional backgrounds and characters.

Continuing Episode 4, including the much-anticipated Matthias Elevator scene.

Additional Lore items to unlock.

More free-roam content, more character content (Reyna and more), more intimate scenes.

Character relationship arcs (and intimate scenes) for Raymond, Matthias, Veera and Tabitha as a prioity.

Character relationship arcs (and intimate scenes) for Cephilusk, Andreas and TBD a little further down the road.

As always, despite the hours and hours and heaps of financial resources poured into the project, Infinite Stars is still entirely free! If you like what we are doing and can afford to show your support, please consider joining one of our paid Patreon tiers!

Infinite Stars wouldn't be nearly as cool as it is without the support of our amazing Patrons who believe in us!

If you can't afford to support us, that's cool. We still love you, and having you enjoy our game fills our hearts with joy! If you like the game, share it with your friends or give us a positive review to help with the visibility algorithms.

Have a peaceful weekend, enjoy the release, and go hug one of your loved ones!

[cosplaypandared]

My biggest challenge in crafting cosplay

It was the year 2015 when my cosband decided to make a perfect cosplay on, suddenly, the card game Magic the Gathering. We chose planeswalkers because this setting has a lot of characters, but only planeswalkers are more popular and well-known than others.

We met at a café to decide which characters we would choose to participate in the big event in another big city. My friend made a great choice, beautiful Lera picked up terrifying Elesh Norn, very tall Albert decided to make furry Goldmane Ajani, and the lightest Lin chose the heaviest Chandra. But I decided to make my dream come true and craft a dragon. So my choice was Dragon-God, Nicol Bolas.

When I mentioned my decision, one friend answered, Really? You will never make a huge dragon, with your height, your Bolas will look like a silly Pokémon. Ha! I said, "You don’t have any idea what I can create!" After this, I understood that I had embarked on quite an adventure. This was this challenge!

I had only three months to create this monster. Almost the whole costume I made myself, but when I realized I ran the risk of being late, I started to ask for help from family and friends. My husband helped me with sanitary pipes to make the wings base, my mom worked as a model; and when I tried to make this creature more proportional, my friends assisted with armor and painting wings. I finished the costume at night, with just 4 hours left before my train took off to the big city.

We ordered this taxi, arrived at this station, met with our friends, and didn't get on the train! My costume was too big to take on this train. My friends left without us. So we decided to buy other tickets for us and a ticket for a special place in the luggage compartment for the dragon four hours later. It was an emotional challenge, I realized that my creature required special attention everywhere, even with transportation. It is just this dragon's doom, I calmed myself down.

When we arrived at the next train one hour before departure. This new train master said, "We can’t accommodate the dragon because this costume is too big for this luggage compartment". This was contrary to what was said by staff at the station and this previous train director. It is just this dragon's doom, I was repeating in my head. This Dragon-God is just testing me. We ended up just buying a third ticket, and my little monster rode like a king in his own seat.

After an exhausting 3-month journey, I finally reached this contest. And here I am. This music is playing. I’m ready. My friends are going to the stage one by one, and each time this roar of this crowd becomes louder and louder. I make the first step on the spot and hear this woman's heartbreaking scream. This is it. I’m This Monster! I am the mind-ripper, the deathbringer, the winged dark that terrifies your dreams. I AM THIS DRAGON!

Of course, we won the Grand-pri in this contest. It was the Sony PlayStation II, but the brilliant thing I've won is the passed challenge. I crafted it, we brought it to the contest, and together we made the coolest group cosplay from MTG. And I’ve created the biggest mowing dragon cosplay in Siberia and possibly in all of Russia.

[antvmnos]

headcanons wedding day (kuai liang ver.)

(kuai liang x reader)

you and kuai finally marriage each other.

afab, sfw, fluff, established relationship, reader is gender neutral.

You still don't believe that you are fulfilling an old desire, sometimes you think that everything is a distant dream. Something temporary. You pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming. You really aren't.

You opted for the traditionality of the clan and culture, even in the costumes. His and Kuai's clothes were beautiful and boasted the pomp of the clan, - courtesy of the Grandmaster - they were custom made with the Lin Kuei emblem adorning his and yours as well. You wanted something simple, but this was a gift. You can't refuse.

Both decided to hold the ceremony in the fire gardens. Not all guests would be able to withstand Artika's biting cold. Even you have problems with the harsh climate of that place, but you try hard for your brother-in-law. In fact, you and he have differences - including the fact that you are not only marrying Kuai, but also their clan - but Bi-Han was apparently satisfied with the marriage. Tomas, who you always considered important, also rooted for you, that's why he was the best man.

The ceremony was planned to be low-key, low-key, with only the most important people present who you knew and cared about.

Everything that was planned and organized for months went smoothly. The setting sun illuminated the fire gardens. Lord Liu Kang was the host, wishing you congratulations and blessings on this day, a request from Kuai Liang out of respect for what he stood for, that you may have good luck and health until the end of your days. It was exciting. You cried.

Kuai couldn't take his eyes off you all day as he chatted with guests and received congratulations. You were as beautiful as cherry blossoms in spring. From afar, whenever your eyes meet he smiles at you and you feel like a clumsy idiot blushing, as if it was the first time you were seeing him.

You acted perfectly throughout the event and made sure not to leave anyone unattended, always paying attention to everyone equally to ensure they were enjoying this special moment. You are very lucky to have him.

bonus scene

"So...what should I call you now? Hot girl? Hot, icy girl? Tell me you understand it's a game of ice and fire!" Johnny asks.

"Johnny, shut your damn mouth or we'll be expelled!" Kenshi whispered, leaning on his shoulder.

"No! Wait a minute, I have a better idea! So... How about girl on fire like the Alicia Keys song?"

You've gotten used to his way. You just laugh, without understanding who this woman from the earthrealm is.

"I appreciate your efforts on the names, Johnny. Thank you."

"You know I'm the best, don't you?"

Kenshi sighs. 

[visionsofmagic]

✦ mini masterlist: video games version

➤ info.: contains video games [pc, ps/xbox, & phone games]. requests are open [but don't forget that it can take long]. characters I write can be differ from these main games, so, always open to ask about any other games & characters apart from this list too. enjoy!

⭒ main masterlist.

✩︙call of duty

‣ simon “ghost” riley

⤹ four times ··· four times you think about how simon ghost riley will fuck you and one time he actually does. [link, one shot]

✩︙resident evil

‣ leon s. kennedy

⤹ staring ··· just a drabble. [one shot]

⤹ only I··· leon gets jealous.[one shot]

✩︙mortal kombat 1

‣ drabbles & headcanons [various]

⤹ mk1 men using their powers while f*cking you ··· [link]

⤹ how mk1 men will carry you ··· [link]

⤹ mk1 men breaking the bed/headboard while fucking you ··· [requested]

⤹ mk1 men when they get hard in public because of you ··· [link]

⤹ mk1 men show their kinks to you ··· [link]

⤹ older ··· I think I need someone older [link]

— favorite place to kiss on your body. [link]

— calling them with the nickname of “boy” [link]

— what he calls you, what you call him. [link]

— how loud they are [link]

‣ johnny cage

⤹ you’re the prettiest ··· [link]

⤹ fuck you on tropes ··· [link]

‣ lin kuei brothers

⤹ saving [kuai liang, smoke] ··· they save you from an attack of lin kuei and propose you join shirai ryu. [link, requested]

⤹ they like to share you [lin kuei brothers] ··· [1] [2]

‣ liu kang

⤹ past lover, new era ··· you’re liu kang’s past lover. [requested]

✩︙god of war

⤹ pick one pick fav [mini game, special to my bhd] ··· heimdall & kratos headcanon/imagines [link]

‣ heimdall, baldur & thor

⤹ destiny [mini series] ···  sons of odin always found it hard to come to a conclusion with the same decision but this was one different; they agreed on that they were all fucked up because when odin sent them for a mission, together; bring a goddess, who forgot about her past, back to the asgard, he just gave them description of the goddess but they never expected… you. they never expected someone who will touch their souls, bodies and minds. [plot & masterlist]

‣ heimdall

⤹ one in nine realms [mini series] ··· after atreus’ sudden disappear you decide to bring him back to home. to bring him back, you visit the asgard and so many advantures at the door. however, the most unpredictable one is to fall for odin’s right hand man, heimdall. he is something else and eventually, you find yourself wanting him to be a good boy. maybe he will listen? [1][2][3] [4][5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

⤹ impossible to reach [mini series, requested] ··· being both daughter of zeus and sister of kratos bring unbelievable events with them, but even them wasn’t as astonishing as falling for heimdall, the son of odin who saw you as his second wife. ragnarok is at the door, odin is ready to manipulate you, kratos is there to fight for you and atreus is being a normal teenager who gets trouble. and you – you just see only him, god of foresight. what could be worse? [plot] [1] [2]

⤹ wet dreams [oneshot, requested] ··· after a mission, heimdall and y/n travel around the realm as they get rid of the exhausting fights come within the mission. however, an accident occur and y/n falls to the water. being all wet in front of heimdall, she gives him no choice but just watch. [oneshot]

⤹ falling [oneshot, requested] ··· heimdall falling for a midgardian and being protective over her. [oneshot]

‣ oneshots, headcanons, drabbles & requests

⤹ FREYA, hate or forgive ··· no, ragnarok wasn’t any of your concern. you world already had its ragnarok when freya left you, promising to kill you because of what you did to save her. as you made your way to follow atreus’ wish, she came to your life again. but this time, you decided to give her what she deserves, even if it meant your death. [oneshot]

⤹ KRATOS ··· kratos writes about you in his journal. [oneshot]

⤹ ATREUS ··· fenrir wants to see atreus, and because of being mommy of him, you can’t stand to his sad eyes. you decide to visit atreus who is lasty seen in north side of the midgard. the little boy you saw 6 years ago is not the same and seeing him after a long time, hidden feelings come to surface.[oneshot]

⤹ THOR ··· a request from lovely anon: Could I ask for some (GOW) Thor fluff? Perhaps the (GN) reader standing up for Thor when Odin is being a dick to him?? I just feel he hasn’t heard one good word about himself in a long time. I think he needs it. [oneshot]

⤹ KRATOS, GRANDFATHER!MIMIR ··· escaping from odin’s long prison days, y/n manages to take a visit to the tree where odin kept her grandfather, mimir but there is no one. mimir is gone and now, she seeks for him as she follows trials of red colored marked man and a child [part I of II] [part II of II].

⤹ FREYR ··· kratos’ daughter find love with freya’s cute brother; freyr. [oneshot]

⤹ SINDRI ··· sindri and y/n confess to each other with help of atreus.[oneshot]

⤹ HEIMDALL··· what it would look like to have heimdall as a bff [headcanon]

⤹ HEIMDALL··· sub!heimdall [headcanon, requested]

⤹ HEIMDALL··· how heimdall would flirt with reader [headcanon, requested]

⤹ HEIMDALL··· jealous!heimdall who shows his jealousy to the reader [oneshot, requested]

⤹ GOW CHARACTERS··· where gow characters like to kiss reader the most [headcanon] – when they see you covered in blood [headcanon] – when they meet someone smaller than them [headcanon, requested]

✩︙star wars jedi: fallen order

‣ cal kestis

⤹ little touches ··· you and cal are sharing lots of touches that seem little to you in the first place but they begin to grow from just little to something more. [link, one shot]

✩︙king’s choice

⤹ a night in the kingdom ··· a sweet night with your right-hand man, Lance [oneshot]

⤹ from sweet to hot ··· as being the new queen of the island, y/n, has some sweet moments with her inventor, darren, but sweet moments turn into hot ones. [oneshot]

⤹ become queen of the kingdom ··· y/n take throne to rule the kingdom. she has enemies that want take her down from the throne but her unique knights and especially lovers always watch her back. however, things begin to change when a certain threat to the kingdom come to the light. now, y/n should be careful. she can’t trust anyone that easily. those who are able to gain her trust will fight by her side; knights and lovers. [plot]

VISIONSOFMAGIC, 2024. 🍏

[nicoline1998enilocin]

That's My Girl | New Years Eve Special 🎆

Pairing -> Husband!Dad!Young!Tony Stark x Wife!Mom!Fem!Reader

Word count -> 4.6K

Summary -> You're ringing in the New Year with your entire family; it will be a night to never forget. When your Mom gets the surprise of her life, there won't be a single dry eye in the room. When the fireworks start to slow down, you and Tony can't help but think back to your first New Year's Eve together, and the memories made that evening.

Rating -> Explicit (E)

Warning(s) -> Established relationship (Husband/Wife), use of nicknames (Sunshine, Love/My Love, Baby Boy, Munchkin(s), Pretty Girl, Little One), references to breastfeeding

Angst -> References to the passing of a loved one

Smut -> Somnophilia (consensual), breeding/pregnancy kink, oral (F receiving), unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it!)

A/n -> I want to thank everyone for all the love and support I have gotten over the past year, but I specifically want to take the time to thank the best friend I could ever wish for, @ccbsrmsf1. Carol, thank you for everything you have done for me since I have had the honor to meet you, and I can't wait to see what 2024 will have in store for us! Eu te amo 3000 🩵

A/n 2.0 -> As of right now, I want to announce that my requests are open again! Please consider that I only have 24 hours in my day, so it might take a while to get the new requests posted, but I expect to post them around February/March. I'll be looking forward to what you will all come up with, and I can't wait to start writing requests again 🩵

A/n 3.0 -> @little-angel-oc Here is the second part of the Tony fic, so this way you can’t miss it! I hope you will enjoy it 🩵

Events Masterlist -> @anyfandomkinkbingo -> Somnophilia Masterlist -> @sweetspicybingo -> New Years Kiss Masterlist -> @marvel-smash-bingo -> Hickeys Masterlist -> @fandom-free-bingo -> Whispered sweet nothings

Banners: @vase-of-lilies | Divider: @firefly-graphics | GIF: @ccbsrmsf1

Main Masterlist | Tony Stark Masterlist | AU Masterlist | Part 1

The last few days have been amazing, as you've spent much time with the entire family. From your Mom and her boyfriend, Jackson, flying in to spend time with you to having Tony and your kids by your side, this has been the happiest holiday season you've celebrated in a long time.

Your past year has been one with many ups and downs, but right now, you're ending it on a high note, as you're woken up by Tony as he's buried between your thighs, lapping up your juices dripping from your pussy.

Tony's tongue occasionally dips into your entrance before finding its way back up to your clit, giving it some special attention as two of his long, thick fingers drop to where your tongue just was, pulling you from your sleepy state entirely. Your hands fly into his hair as he keeps expertly sucking and licking your clit, finding the spot inside you effortlessly to have you fall apart around him.

"Fuck!" you exclaim a little too loud, but that's none of your concern right now because Tony's trying his hardest to have you falling over the edge he's been working you up to. The moment you pull Tony's hair and your back arches to push your pussy even closer to his mouth, he lets out a groan, and that's all you need to cum for him with a scream of his name.

He licks up every last drop of your arousal, working you through your orgasm until you're oversensitive and pulling his head away. Waking each other up like this is something you'll never get enough of, and you'll return the favor in the new year.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Tony says with a deep, gravelly morning voice that has your insides turning to mush at the sound. You'll never get enough of your man during the day, but it's an entirely different story in the mornings, as he always manages to turn you on with that voice.

"Mornin', My Love," you say as you wrap your arms around your husband's neck to pull him in for a soft, loving kiss. His lips are soft, but the taste of yourself is still lingering on them, and you can't help the quiet moan escaping as you taste it.

When he pulls away, you're both sporting big smiles as you look into each other's eyes. Over the past year, you've been through hell and back together, but the fact that you've gone through it with Tony by your side makes every second worth it. With each passing day, you've fallen more and more in love with the man you married, and you can't help but feel like the butterflies in your stomach are going wild as he places one last kiss on your cheek before getting up and into the shower, getting ready for another day at his parents' house.

While Tony is in the shower, you've decided to wear a comfy outfit to be decent and ready to find your youngest son, Paxton. There's a very comfortable armchair in the corner of his room at Howard and Maria's house, and after picking up a book to read there, you head over to find him already awake and excited to see you.

"Look at you being so happy to see Mommy! Did you sleep well, Little One?" you ask him as you reach into his crib, and he's happily flailing his little arms and fists around in excitement, cooing at you as well. A healthy, red flush on his chubby cheeks makes him look even more adorable, and you kiss both of them before you put him on your hip and walk to the big armchair.

You let yourself fall into the chair before getting comfortable and lifting your shirt so Paxton can be breastfed without a single problem. He's a hungry boy this morning, so he's spending nearly 45 minutes nursing, and when he just got done with one side, Tony walks in as he's towel drying his hair.

He's wearing a pair of black sweatpants that are hung low on his hips, the V leading into his pants showing prominently. When your eyes trail over his chesthair and abdomen, you can't help but let them rest on the bulge inside his pants, and you smirk a little at the thought of what you want to do with it.

As he finishes drying off his hair, you pull your eyes away before letting them glide over his broad, muscular shoulders and thick biceps before landing on his lips, the ones he pleasured you with not too long ago. The ones telling you how much he loves you, and the ones you want to look at forever. What you don't notice, however, are the words coming out of them as you're enjoying them for a few seconds too long.

"Sunshine? Is everything okay?" Tony asks as he walks over to you and crouches in front of the chair, his brows furrowed as he looks up at you with a concerned expression.

"Sorry, everything's okay. What did you say?" you ask, smiling reassuringly.

"I asked how my beautiful wife and son are doing," he tells you as he rubs his thumb over Paxton's head while he looks at you. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips when you tell him everything's perfect, and after one last kiss for the both of you, he heads back to the bedroom.

On his way there, he's stopped by Jackson, who has something important to discuss.

"Can we talk in private for a minute? I don't want anyone to overhear what's going on," he whispers to Tony, and the two of them head to his old bedroom before closing the door. Tony sits at the foot of his bed while Jackson paces the room, unsure where to start.

"Is everything okay? Did something happen between you and Virginia?" Tony asks in a concerned tone.

"Everything's going well, better than well, even! That's what I want to talk to you about. I'm planning to ask Virginia to marry me tonight, right before midnight," he tells your husband with a huge smile, and Tony recognizes that look. He wore the same when planning his proposal, and he couldn't be happier for both Jackson and your Mom.

"Really?! Oh my god, that's amazing!" he says before getting up and pulling him in for a big hug, clapping him on the back a few times as he congratulates him, and that's when he pulls the engagement ring out of his pocket to show Tony.

"I've been hunting for a special one because it's what she deserves. She's the most beautiful, loving, and caring person I've ever met, and I can't wait to call her my wife," Jackson says as he gets tears in his eyes. He wipes them away quickly before letting out a watery smile at the memories.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be crying," Jackson says as he sniffs a couple of times, but Tony won't have any of it.

"What's on your mind? I'm more than happy to listen if you're comfortable with it," Tony says in a soothing voice before sitting down on the bed again, and Jackson finds his place next to him on the bed.

"It's just... I'm very excited to ask Virginia to marry me, but she reminds me of my first wife. Her name was Lily, but she fell ill after we were married for about seventeen years, and not too long after, she passed away as a consequence of her illness. There was nothing the doctors could do, so we decided to make the most out of the rest of her life. Before she passed, she told me it was okay to move on, and I never wanted to until I met Virginia."

The tears that gathered in Tony's waterline are falling as he listens to Jackson talk about her, and he can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose you.

"She's very similar to Lily in many ways, yet she's not the same in the best way possible. I truly believe Lily must be watching over me, and she has sent Virginia on my path to let me know she's okay and that it's okay to fall in love with someone else. I always tell people that while Lily was my first love, Virginia is my soulmate, and we are destined to be together," he finishes his story, and Tony can't help but let the tears flow freely.

Without saying a word, Tony pulls Jackson in for a hug. The two men stay like this for a few minutes, not sharing a single word but just being in each other's presence.

"She'll be the luckiest woman in the universe tonight, that's for sure," Tony tells him, and Jackson puts the ring away before picking himself back together. After one more thank you, Jackson leaves the room, and not long after, you walk into the bedroom with little Paxton on your hip, ready to change him and get dressed.

He looks at you, and you can tell he's been crying as you approach him. When you find your place next to him on the bed, he takes little Paxton from your arms and holds him for a much-needed cuddle. You let your head rest on his shoulder, your hand lying on his thigh to let him know you're there for him.

"I love you, Sunshine; I'm glad to have found my soulmate so early in my life," he whispers, and you nod softly in agreement. You're glad to have found yours, too, and to have started a family with him. There's nothing in this world you love more than Tony and your children, and you'd do anything to protect them, no matter the situation.

During the afternoon, your twins, Hudson and Orion, have been busy playing outside in the thick layer of snow together with Howard, Jackson, and Tony as they've been building snowmen while you, Virginia, and Maria worked to prepare the dinner for tonight. Paxton was napping in his room, and before you could even think about what was happening, you felt a pair of cold hands slide under your hoodie, making you shriek loudly.

"What the hell is wrong with-" but before you can finish your sentence, your mouth shuts quickly when you realize who it is. Your son, Hudson, was playing a prank after he planned it with Tony, but now you feel bad after seeing his little pout and the tears on his cheeks.

"Oh my goodness, Baby Boy, Mommy is so sorry she yelled at you like that. You startled me, but I didn't mean to make you sad," you say as you sit on your knees, and Hudson immediately walks over to you for a much-needed hug.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," he says with a small voice, and you pull him close as you rub his back, apologizing profusely until he's calmed down. You can feel the tears stinging in the corners of your eyes as you hold him close, his arms wrapped around your neck as he hugs you back.

"No need to say sorry, Baby Boy, you didn't do anything wrong. Mommy should be the one saying sorry for getting angry, and I will. I'm sorry for reacting as I did, but can you promise not to scare me again like that?" you ask him, and when he nods in response, you give him a big kiss.

"I love you, Mommy," he says, and your heart melts.

"I love you too, little Munchkin. Shall we make some hot chocolate for everyone? I think you all deserve some after playing in the snow the entire time," you ask, and he wiggles from your grasp excitedly before running to the pantry and getting all the supplies he needs to make it.

While Hudson goes to grab everything, you get the mugs and everything ready, but you still can't shake the feeling of what happened earlier, and when Tony walks back in, he instantly senses something's wrong. You're not sure how, but this man has a sixth sense of your well-being.

"What's on your mind, Pretty Girl?" Tony asks as he stands in front of you, lifting your chin by putting his index finger underneath so you can look into his dark brown eyes.

"I got scared by Hudson, and I reacted poorly by yelling. I didn't know what was going on, and I'd already told him I was sorry before hugging it out, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm a bad parent for yelling," you tell him in a soft, almost inaudible voice from shame. A bright red flush is covering your cheeks at your admission.

He looks at you with furrowed brows as he thinks about what happened and then realizes this might all be his doing. He's the one who told Hudson to do it, after all. He didn't think about the consequences of his actions, though.

''You're not a bad parent whatsoever, Sunshine. You didn't know what would happen, and I believe Hudson has already forgiven you based on the way he's staring at us right now,'' Tony chuckles as you both turn your heads towards your oldest son, who's bouncing on his feet impatiently as he's waiting for you.

''Come on, Mommy! Let's make hot cocoa for everyone,'' he tells you, and with a chuckle, you let go of your husband, instead grabbing Hudson's hand to go and make the promised hot chocolate.

While you and Hudson take your time to do that, Tony hears Paxton stirring again, and he shoots one more look outside, but Orion, Howard, and Jackson are still eagerly working on their snowman. A smile forms on his lips as he looks at them, and he's fortunate to have such a big family, just like he always dreamt of.

As he walks up to Paxton's room, he can't stop thinking about what it would be like if you were pregnant again. There's something about you with a round belly and a healthy pregnancy glow he will never get enough of; these thoughts are amplified when he sees your youngest son all happy after his nap. He wouldn't mind to have another little one just like him.

''Hi, Little One, did you have a good nap?'' Tony asks as he lifts him out of his crib, and Paxton babbles away as Tony goes to change him from his pajamas into a clean diaper and a dinosaur outfit, making him look adorable. When he even lets out a little yawn, Tony is completely done for, and the baby fever has kicked in full force for him.

Tony brings Paxton down before instructing Maria to give him a bottle, and he whisks you away before you can even think about what's going on. When the door to his bedroom closes, he's all over you with wandering hands and lingering kisses.

''M so hard for you, Sunshine, can't wait to fuck another baby into you. All round and glowing got so fucking hard just of the thought alone,'' he practically growls between sucking and biting your neck, leaving a trail of dark purple bruises there. Your fingers laced in his dark brown locks, pulling him impossibly closer as you can feel the arousal pooling in your panties.

''Please, fuck another baby into me,'' you beg him softly as he sucks one last bruise on your jaw, ensuring everyone can see exactly what you two have been doing. He shows everyone you're his and wants everyone to see how crazy you drive him.

Before you know it, you're lying on the bed, entirely bare for him, as his hands roam over every inch of your skin, both inked and blank. He's completely naked, too, his cock standing at attention the entire time, but that's not his main focus right now. All he wants now is you and to have you fall apart on his tongue and fingers before even thinking of getting off himself.

''You look so beautiful for me, Sunshine, lying here like this,'' he purrs at you, and you can't help but grip the sheets in anticipation as he's inching closer to your core, right where you need him most. His lips ghost over your flesh, leaving goosebumps in their wake, your eyes shut as you're letting the pleasure overtake you right now.

He finally settles between your thighs, pushing them open to let his broad frame lay between them before he blows warm air over your dripping folds, making you shudder and arch your back reflexively. A wicked grin appears on his lips before his long fingers spread your folds, and he admires the way you glisten as he feels himself throbbing.

Biting his lip as he looks at you, he can't resist any longer, and he licks a stripe from your entrance to your clit, licking up every last drop that you're willing to give. The moan leaving your lips is near pornographic, and it only serves to make Tony even harder as he pays attention to your little bundle of nerves, pushing you over the edge with another loud moan.

''Oh, fuck!" your hands pulled on his hair as he worked you through your orgasm, Tony rutting his hips into the mattress to give himself the slightest bit of relief without doing too much and risking him cumming before he even started.

''You're going to be the death of me, Sunshine,'' he whispers between kisses up your belly, littering your breasts with them, too, before grabbing you and turning you both over so you're on top of him. You're straddling him as you lean over, capturing his soft, plump pink lips with your own, your tongue sliding past his lower lip before sliding in and letting the kiss take its natural course.

His hands roam over your warm back as you melt into his touch, a smile tugging at your lips before you pull away and look into his deep brown eyes. His hand slides over your neck and down to your throat before carefully pushing your head up with his fingers so he can examine the little lovebites he left there that have turned dark purple already.

''So fucking beautiful, and all mine,'' he growls before adding one more to the collection on your neck. Tony's cock is trapped between your bodies as you grind slowly over it, the stimulation pulling soft moans from you. You look down at your husband with half-lidded eyes and your mouth slightly open as the moans spill over.

''I need to feel you, Sunshine, I need to fill you and fuck another baby into you. Stuffing you full of my cum until it drips out and you're round with my baby again,'' Tony whispers against your neck as he lines up with your entrance before you can slide down.

His girth always makes it a stretch, but you wouldn't change it for the world as you will happily stretch around him every time. As soon as he bottoms out, he places his hands on your hips with a loose grip. Your hands are placed on his firm chest as you start riding him slowly, feeling every ridge and vein inside you as he hits your G-spot.

Each time he hits that spot inside you, a soft moan escapes, and your pussy clenches around him before you cum, making him groan and pull you into his chest.

''Hold on tight, Sunshine, because you're going to get the ride of your fucking life,'' he groans in your ear before planting his feet firmly on the mattress and fucking into you with a brutal pace, the sound of skin slapping against skin echoing throughout the room and bouncing off the walls. Combined moans and groans fill in the rest of the space, and before you know it, you're squirting all over his legs and bed while screaming his name.

Tony could hold off his orgasm just long enough, and as you're coming down from your own high, his pace becomes unsteady, and he shoots long ropes of his cum inside of you as he rides out his high as well. You're both panting heavily as he pulls you as close as possible while whispering how good you've been for him.

''You did so well for me, Sunshine, 'm so lucky to have you as my wife. Wouldn't want to be here with anyone else but you,'' he tells you, and you feel a flush on your cheeks as he tells you this. You feel like the luckiest girl on earth and are happy to have him by your side.

''I love you so much, My Love; thank you for being my husband,'' you say before you can feel your eyelids get heavy, and Tony pulls the comforter over both of you; worrying about the cleanup is something for later.

While you and Tony were busy in his bedroom, Virginia and Maria finished off the preparation of the dinner while Howard and Jackson took care of the twins and Paxton. Now it's time for dinner, and after you both shower to get cleaned up, you head downstairs and into a conversation you wish would have never happened.

''Well, it sounded like you two lovebirds had quite a lot of fun!'' Jackson starts as he looks at Tony, who wears a proud look on his face. You walk in after your husband, and when Jackson sees your neck, he audibly gasps.

''Wow, you have a LOT of hickeys on your neck; you two had lots of fun indeed-'' he says, but before he can finish that sentence, Virginia pulls him to the side with a deadly glare, explaining that everyone lets you two enjoy your own thing. They don't comment on it afterward.

Meanwhile, you feel that you want the ground to open up and swallow you whole as you hide behind Tony, who's reassuringly holding your hand. He squeezes softly to let you know it's okay, but you're too ashamed to come out of your hiding spot, so instead, he turns around.

''Are you okay, Pretty Girl?'' Tony asks, and you shake your head in response, not trusting your voice now. He pulls you against his chest as you bury your face in the fabric of his hoodie, inhaling his scent to calm you down effectively.

It isn't mentioned during dinner anymore, and it is like nothing has happened. You're feeding Paxton some of the vegetables on the table and some mashed potatoes while you're enjoying your dinner, and the conversation flows freely.

When dinner is over, all the men clean up because the women cook, so you're sitting on the couch with Paxton in your arms as he wants to be held by you, and Hudson and Orion are focused on the TV as they're watching a movie. You, Maria, and Virginia, are deep into conversation until the men are done and join you all on the couch.

''Got room for one more over here?'' Tony asks, and you scoot forward, making room for him behind you before leaning into his arms and melting into his hold. The evening continued, and the twins and Paxton eventually napped to wake up before midnight and celebrate the new year with everyone.

Around 23:30, Jackson suddenly gets up and fumbles with the little box in his pocket. He was going to wait until after midnight, but he can't wait any longer, so he will pop the question right here and right now. He walks over to Virginia and asks her to stand up, which she does, albeit with a questioning look on her face.

''Virginia, I knew we were destined to be together from the first moment I met you. I couldn't wait to hear your laugh or see how your eyes crinkle when you smile. Your voice is like one of an angel, and your patience is something I admire. I am proud that you raised your beautiful daughter into an amazing, strong woman with an equally beautiful family. But most of all, I am delighted to call you my girlfriend. However, I want to change that tonight.''

Jackson sinks on one knee, and you can't help but let a big sob escape at the sight before you. Tony rubs your belly in an attempt to calm you down as he looks over your shoulder at what is happening.

''Virginia Huxley, will you make me the happiest man and do me the honor of becoming my wife?'' he asks, and when she says yes, you all applaud as he slips the ring on her finger before kissing her, and the tears are flowing freely down your face while you watch the scene in front of you unfold.

As soon as he pulls away, your Mom wiggles out of his grasp, and you do the same with Tony because right now, you need to hold your Mom and tell her how happy you are for her.

''I can't believe it, I'm so happy for you! You deserve it, Mom,'' you tell her as you hug her tightly, holding her and letting out the tears of excitement. When she pulls away to show you the ring, you let out a small gasp as you take a look at it. It reflects the light in the room perfectly, making it look gleaming.

Once everyone has seen the ring, both Jackson and Virginia cannot let go of one another, and you can't help but smile each time they kiss because you know what it felt like when Tony proposed to you. You have officially both found your soulmates now, and even though life has ways to get you there, you're thrilled you have.

A comfortable silence has fallen over the room when Maria suddenly disturbs it, letting everyone know it is almost time to ring in the new year together, and she gets a drink ready for everyone while you and Tony go and get your three children as well.

A few minutes later, everyone was ready for the countdown, which was very close. In unison, everyone counts down from ten to one, and as soon as the clock strikes midnight, everyone cheers loudly.

''Happy New Year, everyone!'' Maria exclaims happily, and Tony pulls you in for your first kiss of the year, which takes your breath away each year. From your first one, where it was just the two of you, to now, all of them have a special place in your heart, and you will never forget them.

His hands are placed on your cheeks as his eyes flick from your eyes down to your lips and back before leaning in, and they slot together perfectly with yours as he lays every promise of loving you into this one kiss. His tongue glides past your lower lip, and you happily open up for him as he takes the lead in the kiss, leaving you breathless once again.

''I love you, Sunshine, and happy new year,'' he says before giving one last peck on your lips. He then bends down to kiss each of his children, after which you do the same. Then, it's time to watch the fireworks. You're all standing before the big window as you look at the fireworks shooting into the sky.

Hudson and Orion each by one of your sides, Paxton in your arms and Tony behind you, his hands resting on your hips. This year promises to be great, and you're excited to see what it'll bring this time.

[burstfoot]

Figured I'd make a post outlining Arknights' auxiliary material for those who want to see more of the universe and aren't aware of all that's out there! ANIMATION Arknights Prelude To Dawn (S1) and Perish in Frost (S2, currently airing): [Crunchyroll]

A straight up adapation of the main story, up through Chapter 0 to Chapter 6! It's much more fast-paced than the story, so I wouldn't use it to replace actually reading it, but it's very cool to see some of these scenes in full animation. Lee's Detective Agency: (Youtube)

A mini-series animated in a chibi-style with a comedic tone focused on the adventures of the Kuroblood-illustrated Lee's Detective Agency! Distributed by Crunchyroll globally, but entirely free to watch.

Closure's Secret Files: (Youtube)

A cut-out styled series of shorts hosted by Closure which outlines a lot of the game's basic mechanics!

Holy Knight Light: [Youtube]

A short Youtube OVA focusing around Penguin Logistics delivering a package, celebrating Arknights' first anniversary!

[Upcoming]: Kay's Daily Doodles: (Twitter Annoucement)

Another free youtube mini-series that starts airing December 1st, focused around Ceobe! Here's some additional animations! Each event usually also has a 15 second 2D animated preview of the event, but there's so many of those that I can't list them all. Official Anniversary Event 3D Animations: Lone Trail Where Vernal Winds Will Never Blow Il Siracusano Ideal City Stultifera Navis Invitation To Wine Near Light Dossoles Holiday Under Tides Bonus 3D Animated Shorts: Legend of Chongyue Arknights Special - IL Siracusano Lo Scontro Youtube Shorts: Ch'en and Lin's Watermelon Splitting Game Part 1 Ch'en and Lin's Watermelon Splitting Game Part 2 Amiya's Siracusan Food Guide Part 1 Amiya's Siracusano Food Guide Part 2

Comics, Manga, Manhua

Officially Translated Rhodes Island's Records of Originium: Rhine Lab: (Offical Website)

A canon manhua centered around the circumstances that lead to Silence falling out with Saria and joining Rhodes Island with Ifrit, as well as Ifrit's attempt to save a dying infected stowaway on the landship. Essential reading for understanding the Rhine Lab storyline and characters - read it right after Mansfield! One of the characters, Darya, is mentioned in both Ifrit's module and briefly in Lone Trail.

Rhodes Island's Records of Originium: Blacksteel: (Official Source)

A short story focusing on the lives of the Blacksteel operators aboard the landship. While it often gets overshadowed by the Rhine Lab manga which is bigger in scope, this is a great read especially if you're interested in Franka or Liskarm.

Rhodes Kitchen -TIDBITS-: (Official Source)

An anthology story related to the cuisine that's important to a variety of operators. While it might seem unassuming, the art is gorgeous and it's really well-written. I particularly recommend the Goldenglow (Chapter 4) and Rosa (Chapter 5) chapters.

Unofficially Translated

Arknights Comic Anthology: (Mangadex)

As the title says, a series of non-canon anthology stories regarding the cast of Rhodes' Island! Note that the link provided only has complete translations up to Volume 4 (and Vol. 4 is missing Ch. 7), and most of the chapters avaliable after that point were MTL'd, so I can't vouch for their accuracy. Chapters I'd recommend are: Volume 1: Chapter 12 (focused on Myrrh trying to improve her medicine), Chapter 14 (focused on Saria and Silence trying to put apart their differences to take Ifrit on vacation, afaik the only place where they are directly referred to as her "moms") Volume 2: Chapter 1 (Manticore tries to make friends), Chapter 3 (The LGD gets drunk), Chapter 11 (Texlapp and Mosexu yuribait), Ch. 13 (Magallan tries to find a pet), Chapter 16 (Ethan spies on the interior lives of Rhodes operators) Volume 3: Chapter 6 (Snowsant, Ifrit, Nian and Shaw are forced to make friends), Chapter 7 (Gummy flashes back to Chernobog), Chapter 10 (FEater and Shaw yuribait), Chapter 13 (Blackout on the landship, as well as Ayerscarpe and Leonhardt yaoibait)

Volume 4: Chapter 4 (Thorns tries to make friends with Weedy [this one is my favourite]), Chapter 6 (Tomimi tail spankings), Chapter 9 (Elysium helps Frostleaf get along with Dur-Nar) Volume 6: Ch. 1 (Whisperain opens up to others) [this one isn't MTL'd afaik]

123 Rhodes Island: (Mangadex)

A series of non-canon gag 4komas! Many of the games' offical stickers are done in this series' art style.

Arknights: Operators!: (Mangadex)

A compilation of 4komas posted on the official ArknightsJP twitter account! Thank you to @sleepywoodscans for their work on translating these, please show them some love!!

[Edit: For clarities sake, the only stuff here that has used MTL is later chapters of the Comic Anthology! Sleepywoodscans’ work on Operators! is all done by hand (they’re a native Japanese speaker). Again, I really appreciate their work!]

Arknights: A1 Operations Preparation Detachment: (Mangadex)

Part of the Terra Historicus website and not yet officially translated, focusing on Fang, Kroos and Beagle, and a catastrophe striking the Columbian city of Tkaronto. Unfortunately, only translated up to Chapter 6, but one of the characters (Elba) has a brief cameo in Light Sparks in Darkness! Edit: Chapter 7 has been translated by @pooce-art, and they're working on Chapter 8!

Angelina: Sketches of THIS Messenger's Journey: (Mangadex)

Also published as part of the Terra Historicus website and not yet officially translated, focuses on the adventures of Angelina travelling across Terra as a Messenger! Recent chapters relate to the upcoming Sami event & IS4, as well as the upcoming So Long, Adele.

Prelude Suite: Unrestrained Play: (Wiki)

Unfortunately, I can't find a full translation for this one - an epilogue to Hortus De Esscapismo focusing on Arturia's background. Of course, major spoilers for Hortus apply - if you can find a full translation yourself.

As well, an upcoming manhua focused on the Break the Ice cast was annouced during the 4.5 Anniversary stream. As far as I'm aware, chapters have not begun releasing yet!

Other:

Arknights Ambience Synesthesia: (Youtube)

A series of concerts (3 so far), focusing around Arknights' music! A live performance has been done every year, with skins released in-game for the concert's theme & 3D animations produced featuring the skin's cast in 2022 and 2023.

Monster Siren Records: (Spotify) (Official Website)

Arknights' official (and-in-universe) record label publishing game OSTs, themes for almost every 6 star operator that releases, and occasional bonus songs.

Arknights: Endfield: (Twitter)

An upcoming 3D action gacha game from Hypergryph, set in the far future of Arknights' universe on another planet. Currently in closed beta testing for their CN servers!

Arknights: Nomad City: The Founders: (Youtube)

A to-be-released CN Arknights board game! Unclear of if it will ever be translated or released globally, unfortunately...

Terra: A Journey: (Wiki)

An upcoming CN lore book focused on the intricate details of Terra's worldbuilding. As well, unclear if it will be translated or released globally.

UNOFFICIAL:

Some fandom-developed tools that might be of use to you are the Arknights Terra Wiki - which just transferred from FANDOM to wiki.gg, and has very detailed information on both game mechanics and world-lore.

As well, the Arknights Story Reader can help you catch up on stuff you don't want to or can't read in game!

Finally, Aceship's Toolbox provides access to a variety of tools, including a levelling calculator, a calculator to ensure the best recruitments, and all the CGs, backgrounds and character sprites that are avaliable in-game.

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading! I hope this provided some new information to you or at least provides an easy reference resource in the future. There's a lot to check out even outside of the game, and I hope you find some stuff you enjoy!

[count-alucard-tepes]

King 👑 x Reader

An unexpected encounter…part 2

Part 1

Part 3

It had been a week or so since his encounter with Y/N and he could not get her off his mind. He wanted to know how she survived…where did she hide for all these years…and why didn’t he find her quicker. He spent most of free time trying to find out any information about any other survivors of his race until he couldn’t contain himself anymore and went to Kaido.

“…what’s on your mind, King?”, he asked as he watched his right hand man walk in without his mask which only meant he was troubled by something.

King took a seat not too far away and sighed softly, “…I’ve encountered Katakuri Charlotte’s second in command when we were doing the exchange…a woman”.

Kaido’s eyes widened before he chuckled loudly, “…well this is definitely something we should have a drink for! King is in love! That too with one of Lin Lin’s crew!”

King’s eyes widened as he blushed darkly, “That’s not what I meant, Kaido-san!”, he said in embarrassment.

“Is she the one you almost killed? You seriously have to learn how to be better with women”, Kaido laughed as he gave King some saki.

“Kaido-San, please! I didn’t mean to do that…she just wouldn’t answer me!”, he said looking frustrated, “…back to my point, she is a fellow lunarian…her physical appearance…she said she is from red line…there is no doubt in my mind”.

Kaido raised a brow at this as he sipped his drink, “…so it seems you aren’t alone in this world, little Alber…”, he said with a little smile, “…I would like to meet her but of course this will be something more strategic”.

King looked curious at this idea, “…what do you have in mind?”.

Kaido smirked, “…been a while since we had a banquet…let’s get that going and invite Lin Lin and her crew”.

King nodded and put his mask on before making his way out, "...don't try to kill her this time, you sadistic pervert!", Kaido chuckled.

Back on Whole cake island, Big Mom was informed of the invitation to Onigashima and ordered some of her children's crew to attend with of course Katakuri and Y/N being in attendance.

Katakuri frowned when he heard this but there was no way of backing out especially if it was an order. He would go to Y/N's home which wasn't far from his and knock on the door. She would answer after a little while and smile, "...well well, look what the donuts brought all the to my door...might rain today too with this special appearance".

He glared at her for a moment before rolling his eyes, "...gonna let me in or not?", he said as he folded his arms across his chest.

She grinned and let him in, "...I did get some donuts from the bakery...and just made some tea...want some?", she asked gently knowing he was sensitive about his mouth.

He nodded, "...I need to tell you about the event we need to attend first...and if you don't want to go...I can get you out of this somehow".

She looked a little confused as poured him tea before taking a seat, "...hold on...let me put my blindfold on before you rip off my head", she said as she put her blindfold, "...okay show me some fingers".

"You know I was just being serious literally 2 minutes ago...", he said as he adjusted her blindfold before holding up 9 fingers, "...okay go".

Y/N looked thoughtful, "...hm...2...no wait...7".

"...yeah you're wrong...anyway back to what I was saying...Big Mom was invited to Onigashima for some party and we need to attend..., Katakuri said as he began taking off his scarf and helping himself to some tea and donuts.

"...wait...that's Kaido's island, right? Okay I'm in! I've always wanted to meet him!", she said as she chewed her donut.

Katakuri looked at her for a moment, "...just a reminder his right hand man tried to kill you not too long ago...and Kaido is way stronger than him...".

"Oh...right...that...", she said sounding a little distant, "...I mean...I won't go near him....I just...I'll stay with you so I'll be safe...right?".

He didn't say anything for a moment, "...just make sure you keep that mouth shut and we won’t have any problems...".

"You can't see it right now, but I'm rolling my eyes at you", she said with a pout as she sipped her tea.

_________________________________________

Arriving at Onigashima was no easy task but Y/N was already flying about while the others were still on their ships. It was so exciting to see it from the skies, especially with the waterfalls' breeze in the air, it felt way too good on the skin.

"...you seem to be enjoying yourself while the others are still making it up here", a familiar voice said from just behind her.

She froze a little before looking back to see King was flying right behind her, the beast pirates were on land not too far away. She immediately flew back a little, "...past tense...I was enjoying myself", she said as she gave him the stink eye.

"...good...", King said as he turned his attention to the ships making their way up before instructing his men to show them the way to the island.

Y/N flew down to Katakuri's side and stood behind him, "...you okay?", he asked gently as he looked at King who maintained eye contact with him.

"...yeah...I wanted to punch him though", she said softly as she turned to look down at the water.

"...the feeling is mutual", Katakuri murmured before turning his attention to the island before them.

Once they arrived on the island, Y/N followed Katakuri's lead and once Big Mom was with Kaido, he asked to meet her too.

Y/N hesitantly went into meet Kaido while he and Big Mom talked and dined with Katakuri right at her side.

The Yonko immediately focused his attention on the young woman, "...Lunarian women are truly a sight to behold...if only I were a few decades younger I'd make you my wife", he said with a chuckle as Y/N blushed awkwardly.

"...Kaido-sama...is so kind", she said looking down at her hands as she knew she did not want to fuck up by saying anything that would get her killed.

Kaido chucked as he looked over at King who not too far from his side, "...now if you try and hurt her again...I'll pluck you like a chicken".

King sighed softly in response, "...yes, Kaido-san".

Y/N headed out with Katakuri after that strange encounter, "...I feel like I need to bath in acid after that", she said under her breath.

"...you did good, he seemed to like his ego stroked.. .along with other things", Katakuri said with a little smirk.

"...oh stop, I don't need any images in my mind...I'm going to nap for bit...I'll see you at the party later on", she said before flapping her wings a little before heading off to their quarters.

________________________________________

At the party, things were getting pretty wild as one could imagine with a concert going on and then the actual dinner taking place.

Y/N attended the concert and thought Queen was pretty cool, he even gave her shout out! Of course, she was having the time of her life because this never really happens at Whole cake island.

When she did go out for some air, it was so much more quiet outside than she expected. She leaned out against the balcony frame and looked out at the moon when she heard someone behind her.

"...I'm starting to believe you like sneaking up on me...almost like a stalker", she said over her shoulder.

King looked at her in silence for a moment, "...I wanted..to apologize...", he said gently.

She frowned a little when he said that and turned to face him, "...I'm listening", she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"...I was surprised to encounter you that day...it was overwhelming...I never thought...I'd meet another again", he said gently.

Y/N tilted her head slightly as he said that, "...another? Wait...you're...take off your mask right now", she said as she moved to close to distance between them.

He hesitated as he looked down at her for several moments before leaning down so that she could take off his mask.

With gentle hands, she gently pulled it off and held it tight to her chest as she looked up at the man before her, "...oh...", she whispered in realization of how all the recent events fit together.

They looked at each other in silence...

((Alright I had way too much fun writing this one! I'll do part 3 later on today! Let me know what you thought about it so far!))

[mi6-cafe]

Thank you to everyone who participated in 007 Fest 2023! Whether you created, commented, reblogged, or just enjoyed all the Bond on your dashboard, we're so happy that you joined us for our eighth year of 007 Fest. Thank you for a month filled with Bond fandom community!

Comments

One of our favorite parts of 007 Fest: together, we made over three thousand comments on tumblr and AO3! The total reported number was 3149. Well done, Bond fandom!!!

And now, the big reveal---

The winner of 007 Fest 2023 is...

...

...

Team Q Branch!

Congratulations, Team Q Branch! Well played!

Prizes

If you have received a prize, you should be getting an email from the Cafe soon, connecting you with your prize giver in case you have not already connected. This will be the same email you used to sign up with. Please allow a few days for these to be sent out.

A special thank you to...

Once again, all of you! But especially to our 007 Fest team captains and cheerleaders, all of whom are essential to making this event possible. Thank you so much for your hard work and leadership! <3

Survey results

As we have in the past, Lin and I have reached out to a few people to help us reflect on the anonymized survey results. We are so pleased to have a lot of detailed feedback from those who completed the survey; there's a lot of valuable input to sift through! As usual, we should have initial survey reflections posted by September. Thank you for helping us make 007 Fest better every year; it has grown so much since the first one in 2016, and a lot of that is because of your thoughtful survey comments!

[yell0wsalt]

27. Craziest place they had sex?

32. Who's so affectionate they can't stop touching the other?

34. How do they cheer the other one up during sad times?

For Linzin?

These were fun questions, thank you!

27. Craziest place they had sex?

It’s a given the two don’t care much for President Raiko, so of course they had sex in his office during his term. 

Another would be the dressing room in one of the stores of the Little Ba Sing Se Mall. Trying on dresses and getting all fancy for an event neither were particularly invested in was becoming a chore. However, nothing quite like trying on a particular dress that makes you feel a little spicy. 

Shopping became a lot of more fun after that.

32. Who's so affectionate they can't stop touching the other?

Tenzin is one who is more about the subtle touches throughout the day- a hand on her thigh when sitting together, or around her waist when side by side. Nothing sexual behind it, rather a subtle way of telling her he’s right there by her. 

When they are being intimate, Lin is less reserved with her affection and has her hands all over him  

34. How do they cheer the other one up during sad times?

When Lin is sad she will have the tendency to be avoidant and retreat into herself. To cheer her up, Tenzin tries to be there for her as a reminder that she’s not alone and he’s there to help her carry the burden. That may look like helping out with responsibilities and simply holding her.

When Tenzin is going through it, Lin will be supportive as a shoulder to cry on and keep him grounded so he doesn’t lose himself too much in his grief and emotions.

They may top it off with a present like one of their favorite sweet treats and/or flowers to make the other feel special, loved, and needed.

OTP + character asks

[dazedconfuzed]

Seeing as my interest in mortal kombat and call of duty has kind of overlapped I came up with some half baked au where Simon is/was a member of the Lin Kuei. The reason why I came up with this is because a) his mask(duh) and b) he does really well on stealth missions. He obviously goes by Ghost and his mask resembles the bottom of a skull because of course it does.

Don’t ask me how he joined or what his powers are because I haven’t fleshed that out yet(and probably won’t). I do imagine him leaving the Lin Kuei shortly after the events of mk1 once he realizes that Bi Han has gone off the deep end. He either joins Kuai Liang and Tomas to help them with the creation of the Shirai Ryu or he goes completely independent(I’m leaning more towards the latter).

(Also let’s throw in something about the rest of 141 being part of the special forces to tie this all together because why not?)

Edit: Also in this au Graves still owns Shadow Company and is secretly in cahoots with Black Dragon like the sneaky bastard he is(I’m saying this with love).

[aurumacadicus]

It's that time of month again, friends! And for June, we're doing something special: Queer-themed books, both a fiction and non-fiction selection! We'll be reading both over the course of five weeks. Tumblr will vote, and the book club will then vote among the top three in Discord. If you'd like to join the book club, send me a message and I'll send you a link to the discord! Keep an eye out for the other poll, and check out the books' summaries under the cut!

(Note: Moby Dyke's full title was too long for the poll option. The full title is Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton.)

Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam

A groundbreaking global history of gender nonconformity

Today’s narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit nearly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people’s lives.

Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of tans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance. Before We Were Trans transports us from Renaissance Venice to seventeenth-century Angola, from Edo Japan to early America, and looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the “Fun Home.” It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.

In her hands, personal history becomes a work of amazing subtlety and power, written with controlled force and enlivened with humor, rich literary allusion, and heartbreaking detail.

Dinner on Monster Island: Essays by Tania de Rozario

In this unusual, engaging, and intimate collection of personal essays, Lambda Literary Award finalist Tania De Rozario recalls growing up as a queer, brown, fat girl in Singapore, blending memoir with elements of history, pop culture, and horror films, and current events to explore the nature of monsters and what it means to be different.

Tania De Rozario was just twelve years old when she was gay-exorcised. Convinced that her boyish style and demeanor were a sign of something wicked, her mother and a pair of her church friends tried to “banish the evil” from Tania. That day, the young girl realized that monsters weren’t just found in horror tales. They could lurk anywhere—including in your own family and community—and look just like you. Dinner on Monster Island is Tania’s memoir of her life and childhood in Singapore—where she discovered how difference is often perceived as deviant, damaged, disobedient, and sometimes, demonic. As she pulls back the veil on life on the small island, she reveals that sometimes kind, sometimes monstrous side of all of us. Intertwined with her experiences is an analysis of the role of women in horror. Tania looks at films and popular culture such as Carrie, The Witch, and The Ring to illuminate the ways in which women are often portrayed as monsters, and how in real life, monsters are not what we think.

Moving and lyrical, written with earnest candor, and leavened with moments of humor and optimism, Dinner on Monster Island is a deeply personal examination of one woman's experience grappling with her identity and a fantastic analysis of monsters, monstrous women, and the worlds in which they live.

Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton

A former Rookie contributor and creator of the popular blog Effing Dykes investigates the disappearance of America’s lesbian bars by visiting the last few in existence.

Lesbian bars have always been treasured safe spaces for their customers, providing not only a good time but a shelter from societal alienation and outright persecution. In 1987, there were 206 of them in America. Today, only a couple dozen remain. How and why did this happen? What has been lost—or possibly gained—by such a decline? What transpires when marginalized communities become more accepted and mainstream?

In Moby Dyke, Krista attempts to answer these questions firsthand, venturing on an epic cross-country pilgrimage to the last few remaining dyke bars. Her pilgrimage includes taking in her first drag show since the onset of the pandemic at The Back Door in Bloomington, Indiana; competing in dildo races at Houston’s Pearl Bar; and, despite her deep-seated hatred of karaoke, joining a group serenade at Nashville’s Lipstick Lounge and enjoying the dreaded pastime for the first time in her life.

While Burton sets out on the excursion to assess the current state of lesbian bars, she also winds up examining her own personal journey, from coming out to her Mormon parents to recently marrying her husband, a trans man whose presence on the trip underscores the important conversation about who precisely is welcome in certain queer spaces—and how they and their occupants continue to evolve.

Moby Dyke is an insightful and hilarious travelogue that celebrates the kind of community that can only be found in windowless rooms soundtracked by Britney Spears-heavy playlists and illuminated by overhead holiday lights no matter the time of year.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. And the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.

Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

A queer, mixed race writer in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature, including:

-the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs,

-the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams,

-the bizarre, predatory Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena),

-the common goldfish that flourishes in the wild,

-and more.

Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth. Exploring themes of adaption, survival, sexuality, and care, and weaving the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family, relationships, and coming of age, How Far the Light Reaches is a shimmering, otherworldly debut that attunes us to new visions of our world and its miracles.

Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin

As gay bars continue to close at an alarming rate, a writer looks back to find out what’s being lost in this intimate, stylish, and indispensable celebration of queer history.

Strobing lights and dark rooms; throbbing house and drag queens on counters; first kisses, last call: the gay bar has long been a place of solidarity and sexual expression—whatever your scene, whoever you’re seeking. But in urban centers around the world, they are closing, a cultural demolition that has Jeremy Atherton Lin wondering: What was the gay bar? How have they shaped him? And could this spell the end of gay identity as we know it?

In Gay Bar, the author embarks upon a transatlantic tour of the hangouts that marked his life, with each club, pub, and dive revealing itself to be a palimpsest of queer history. In prose as exuberant as a hit of poppers and dazzling as a disco ball, he time-travels from Hollywood nights in the 1970s to a warren of cruising tunnels built beneath London in the 1770s; from chichi bars in the aftermath of AIDS to today’s fluid queer spaces; through glory holes, into Crisco-slicked dungeons and down San Fransisco alleys. He charts police raids and riots, posing and passing out—and a chance to encounter one restless night that would change his life forever. The journey that emerges is a stylish and nuanced inquiry into the connection between place and identity—a tale of liberation, but one that invites us to go beyond the simplified Stonewall mythology and enter lesser-known battlefields in the struggle to carve out a territory. Elegiac, randy, and sparkling with wry wit, Gay Bar is at once a serious critical inquiry, a love story and an epic night out to remember.

[cienie-isengardu]

Liu Kang knew Bi-Han's parents, which means that he knew Bi-Han his whole life. He had to have seen him being frustrated growing up. Why did he never talk to Bi-Han? I understand that he doesn't want to micromanage people's fates and destinies, but simply talking to him and hopefully getting through to him could have prevented all of this. Liu Kang can have high hopes for Bi-Han, but him not helping out an obviously troubled youth would all but ensure that said high hopes get dashed.

But did Liu Kang really have that close relationship with Bi-Han or his father to begin with? I have no doubt he was familiar with both, as Lin Kuei for generations served as his special forces to ensure Earthrealm’s safety, however that alone doesn’t mean he was best friends with any of them. The more I analyze story mode and intro dialogues, the more source material makes me question how truly close, if ever, was Liu Kang with his Lin Kuei subordinates, beside maybe Kuai Liang alone.

As I mentioned in different ask, Liu Kang did not interact with Bi-Han or his brothers outside of Lin Kuei servitude scenes in the story mode but he did spent time with his Champions, dining together or answering their questions and explaining things, be it about places and people or praising them and showing friendly gestures like putting an arm on Raiden’s back after the mortal won Tournament. The comradeship is especially visible with A) his Champions, as they trained for months with Shaolin Monks and we see them all interacting freely with Liu Kang between important events and with B) Geras, the loyal guardian of Hourglass.

That is story mode alone. Bi-Han was never called a friend, never introduced by Liu Kang as the Grandmaster or just Sub-Zero and frankly, it was the Lin Kuei to bow to Fire Lord when commanded or rebuked to calm down in Cage’s Mansion arc - a gesture Liu Kang does not return but he does bow in greeting to all of Royal Family, including Jerrod, even though they both considers each other a good friends. There is a clear, visible contrast in how Liu Kang interacts with Bi-Han, Kuai Liang or Smoke (whom he does not interact in any meaningful way) and other of his allies.

Now, did Liu Kang truly know that well Bi-Han to see his growing frustration?

For example, the story mode presents Geras and Jerrod (in Ermac’s body) as Liu Kang’s friends,

however Bi-Han’s father wasn’t mentioned at all by Fire Lord, even though his death happened quite recently. All we learn about the man’s teaching, values and death come solely from what Lin Kuei brothers told us. If not for intro dialogues, we could easily assume there was no relationship between Liu Kang and the previous leader of Lin Kuei and even this one direct praise 

Sub Zero: My father was a fool to follow you. Liu Kang: He wisely honored Earthrealm with his service. 

is sparse compared to what other characters bring up about Bi-Han’s father, especially in regard to his edenian friends:

Sindel: I knew your father. He was a great man. Sub Zero: Yet he never understood the Lin Kuei's potential.

or

Sindel: Both your parents were excellent fighters. Scorpion: I can only hope to live up to their example. 

or

Scorpion: Your husband's murder haunted my father. Sindel: All those close to Jerrod were devastated. 

Liu Kang did praise the previous Grandmaster for his service to Earthrealm but unless we count the more general term of family used in other of his vs. Sub-Zero intro dialogue, that is basically all? Liu Kang doesn’t directly address the fact Bi-Han let his father die, which is weird, as Sub-Zero was questioned about that even by Ashrah, Tanya and Reiko - the people Bi-Han barely, if ever, interacted - but not by Liu Kang, the man who in theory knew Bi-Han and his family since forever?   

Understandably, it is hard to fit all nuances of the relationship between Liu Kang and the main Lin Kuei characters into one game that wasn’t even primarily focused on it to begin with. However the contrast between Liu Kang’s treatment of people he considers his friends - including the befriended champions - and Liu Kang’s interaction with Bi-Han and his family leads me to think there was never any truly close bond between Fire Lord and Sub-Zero and thus, Liu Kang simply couldn’t recognize Sub-Zero’s frustration for what it was.

For one, we don’t have an idea how Bi-Han behaved in the past, nor how differently it could be from what we see in story mode. According to Kuai Liang, his “frustrations ran deep” but it does not tell us how long Sub-Zero was consumed by anger at his clan’s servitude to Earthrealm. For all we know, he may always act in this abrasive, direct, even bordering on insulting way, as most known to us cryomancers usually did in the past, which is why his brothers and Liu Kang don’t seem bothered much by his behavior because at this point in life they are simply used to it. Some people just lack social awareness - or care for false politeness and Bi-Han could easily be like that from the start. What alone doesn’t make him an inherently evil person, just difficult to interact with.

Then, there is the matter of stress, as Bi-Han took over Lin Kuei after his father’s death. If we agreed that Liu Kang did not have knowledge about the “accident” not had any suspicion about Bi-Han’s role in that, the Fire Lord could simply assume that Sub-Zero is still adjusting to his new role of Grandmaster and understandably, the grief over dead father (and mother) and stress due to new responsibilities made him more irascible than usual.  At the same time, it is not like Bi-Han acted non stop violently, as for most of the time he simply stood behind Liu Kang and did not speak out, obeying Fire Lord’s commands without a protest. What is worth to note Bi-Han acted aggressively toward Liu Kang’s Champions AFTER they either openly insulted Lin Kuei (Kung Lao’s bragging about winning without figuring out Lin Kuei hold their punches) or violated his personal space (Johnny grabbing Bi-Han’s arm when he worked on freeing Kenshi), so it is not like Sub-Zero didn’t keep his temper in check for most of time. More so, each time Liu Kang interferended, Bi-Han obediently backed down. 

We need to remember three things:

Liu Kang is not an omnipotent god that knows everything and everyone nor reads people's hearts like some open book. Otherwise, Titan Shang Tsung wouldn’t be able to sneak into his timeline to corrupt people who weren't meant to pose danger. In contrast to Kronika, he does not tyrannically steer events to his own liking and allows mortals’ free will to affect the outcome, for good and bad.

Bi-Han did not complain to Liu Kang about his frustration nor raised the issue of Lin Kuei social-economy status. Come to think about it, he barely talked with Fire Lord and for sure did not talk about anything outside his current duties. Sub-Zero vented his frustration solely to his brothers and only in privacy - a clear indication which people he trusted enough to be open about his feelings and ire. 

As stated in Sub-Zero's BIO, there was no danger threatening Earthrealm for generations and so Liu Kang’s contact with Bi-Han and his father before him didn’t necessarily need to happen on a daily basis. Lin Kuei warriors were not living at the same place as Fire Lord. As story mode showed, the Grandmaster was summoned in case of danger, however since their realm was not currently at war, Liu Kang didn’t need to oversee Lin Kuei efforts that closely nor constantly kept those warriors around as he had company of his own people, the Shaolin Monks and other duties to attend.

That said, I do think Fire Lord kept in touch with Lin Kuei Grandmasters, maybe even on a more personal level, yet looking at Bi-Han and Liu Kang’s interaction, it definitely doesn’t feel like the master and apprentice relationship Liu Kang and Raiden have, nor like the friendly interaction between Fire Lord and his Champions in general. The story mode alone doesn’t imply Liu Kang was in any special way involved with Bi-Han as a person outside his affiliation to Lin Kuei and duties of Grandmaster - but frankly, the same can be said about Kuai Liang and especially Tomas. It does not necessary mean that in the past Liu Kang has never tried to talk with Bi-Han and easy his frustration, however the question is: did he know Bi-Han that good to recognize the conflicting emotions in young Sub-Zero beyond the potential mourning dead parents and stress of being burdened with great responsibilities coming with Grandmaster’s title?

For all we know, Liu Kang may as well tried in the past to connect with the troubled youth, yet Bi-Han simply learned to hide his true emotions and doubts better as he does not consider the Fire Lord his friend or family nor a mentor-like figure to open to. In result, Liu Kang could have had an even less clear idea of how deep the frustration ran and simply assumed all is as good as it could be considering everything that happened recently in B-Han’s life and tried to give the mortal time and space to figure out his feelings at his own pace. Otherwise I fear his statement of having great hopes for Bi-Han wouldn’t make sense, if he thought Sub-Zero won’t come around on his own or the man was beyond the reach already.

I would love for Liu Kang to make a visible (story mode-wise) effort to confront Bi-Han about their conflict and talk him out of abandoning, if not the Earthrealm itself, then at least his brothers. I would love no less any intro dialogues suggesting he did try in the past to connect with young Sub-Zero. But we need to remember that Bi-Han would need to be willing to listen in the first place to even consider the Fire Lord’s words at all, and so far, he rejects Liu Kang’s authority completely while the source material rather imply Bi-Han is not fond of Fire Lord in any special way - what adds to the feeling they never had any close relationship to begin with. 

So, why did Liu Kang not try to prevent the mess? For once, he simply could not have any good idea that Bi-Han’s frustrations ran deeply enough to pose a threat to Earthrealm’s safety as Bi-Han did not confide in him at all (Bi-Han’s brothers are those who had better idea what was going on but even they did not grasped the enormity of this problem). Or Liu Kiang confused frustration with not handling well the loss of father (and most likely mother before that) and stress of new duties thrusted into him too quickly and unexpectedly due to the accidental death of the previous leader (how old Bi-Han is anyway? For all we know his father could rule Lin Kuei for another decades - it is different to formally inherit power from your sick/old father, where you are already ruling unofficially on his behalf, rather than overnight becoming the sole leader of the entire clan).

I don’t think we can blame Liu Kang for not seeing Bi-Han’s conflicting emotions and a growing sense of injustice done to his clan, because Fire Lord did not have a reason to consider Sub-Zero to be disloyal in the first place, nor did think there was something wrong with Lin Kuei's duties. Bi-Han being brash and short-tempered? Not the best traits to have in a Grandmaster (subordinate) for sure, but which young cryomancer wasn’t like that at some point? If Liu Kang did not manage to bond with young Bi-Han, it doesn’t necessary must be solely his lack of trying but also Bi-Han’s lack of trust and will to see Liu Kang as anything than Fire Lord, the Protector of Earthrealm - considering Bi-Han’s feeling of enslavement of his clan, he could refuse to get close to someone who will without blinking an eye sacrifice him, his brothers and subordinates for the Earthrealm’s safety, because what is point of lying to yourself such person could be your true friend if Earthrealm will always come first before any Lin Kuei?