#never explicitly becoming friends

[warden-melli]

Wait, people think Perrin is related to Irida? I don’t see one design element, or physical feature that in any way resembles her?? In fact in game she only ever makes references to the Diamond Clan, and the concept of time? Her team only references Adaman, with Leafeon being a direct reference to his, and Noctowl referencing both the Diamond Clan and Adaman’s reverence of time? Even her Growlithe friend is a reference to her own name and homeland with Growlithe being a Hisuian rock type and Perrin’s name literally meaning rock and being of Hisuian heritage??

Actually, if she is intended to be related to Irida I’d be kind of upset, because I think that Irida deserves a character that physically resembles her and actually references her in some way? Not one use of Pearl clan imagery, no physical features, no cute team reference and no dialogue any way directly linking the two? Not fair. Irida deserves better

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

sashisu call each other gay as an insult (they’re all queer) and get chewed out in public i think

[a9saga]

I think it's pretty reliable that, no matter where you go to eat, you can almost always order a caesar salad

[southpark-realvoice-edits]

New video! Happy Tree Friends Voice Acting Comparison (+ Appreciation!), in the same style as my SP voice acting comparisons. 🖤

I know I'm an SP blog but I was possessed by the adhd demons and a long dormant fandom to make another video. Also this is the only place where I talk about my incredibly basic-bitch video editing work. 😅 Voice acting is still my special interest! In all its forms, so I cranked this thing out.

I get if its not your thing, but if you also have an interest in voice acting if nothing else, I'd appreciate a watch! I put a lot of work into everything I do 💖

[toastsnaffler]

actually ive been thinking abt this a lot lately like basically for years i assumed i was very (cis)het passing and only recently ive become aware that i am in fact. very obviously perhaps almost comically gay to other queer ppl. like lmaoooo ok then

[hakaieve]

as someone obsessed with tenma touya and sincerely believes it's literally canon that tsukasa treats touya like his younger brother, it still confuses me why ensekai localized touya saying 'he is a senpai i respect very much' to 'he's like an older brother to me' ajsbkbjwg that's not what he said?!

[bixels]

Learning that fans hated Applejack and called her "boring" is crazyyy to me because I genuinely, unironically believe AJ's the most complex character in the main six.

Backstory-wise, she was born into a family of famers/blue collar workers who helped found the town she lives in. She grew up a habitual liar until she had the bad habit traumatized outta her. She lost both her parents and was orphaned at a young age, having to step up as her baby sister's mother figure. She's the only person in the main gang who's experienced this level of loss and grief (A Royal Problem reveals that AJ dreams about memories of being held by her parents as a baby). She moved to Manhattan to live with her wealthy family members, only to realize she'll never fit in or be accepted, even amongst her own family. The earlier seasons imply she and her family had money problems too (In The Ticket Master, AJ wants to go to the gala to earn money to buy new farm equipment and afford hip surgery for her grandma).

Personality-wise, she's a total people-pleaser/steamroller (with an occasional savior complex) who places her self worth on her independence and usefulness for other people, causing her to become a complete workaholic. In Applebuck Season, AJ stops taking care of herself because of her obsessive responsibilities for others and becomes completely dysfunctional. In Apple Family Reunion, AJ has a tearful breakdown because in she thinks she dishonored her family and tarnished her reputation as a potential leader –– an expectation and anxiety that's directly tied to her deceased parents, as shown in the episode's ending scene. In The Last Roundup, AJ abandons her family and friends out of shame because believes she failed them by not earning 1st place in a rodeo competition. She completely spirals emotionally when she isn't able to fulfill her duties toward others. Her need to be the best manifests in intense pride and competitiveness when others challenge her. And when her pride's broken, she cowers and physically hides herself.

Moreover, it's strongly implied that AJ has a deep-seated anger. The comics explore her ranting outbursts more. EQG also obviously has AJ yelling at and insulting Rarity in a jealous fit just to hurt her feelings (with a line that I could write a whole dissection on). And I'm certain I read in a post somewhere that in a Gameloft event, AJ's negative traits are listed as anger.

Subtextually, a lot of these flaws and anxieties can be (retroactively) linked to her parents' death, forcing her to grow up too quickly to become the adult/caregiver of the family (especially after her big brother becomes semiverbal). Notice how throughout the series, she's constantly acting as the "mom friend" of the group (despite everything, she manages to be the most emotionally mature of the bunch). Notice how AJ'll switch to a quieter, calmer tone when her friends are panicking and use soothing prompts and questions to talk them through their emotions/problems; something she'd definitely pick up while raising a child. Same with her stoicism and reluctance at crying or releasing emotions (something Pinkie explicitly points out). She also had a childhood relationship with Rara (which, if you were to give a queer reading, could easy be interpreted as her first 'aha' crush), who eventually left her life. (Interestingly enough, AJ also has an angry outburst with Rara for the same exact reasons as with EQG Rarity; jealous, upset that someone else is using and changing her). It's not hard to imagine an AJ with separation anxiety stemming from her mother and childhood friend/crush leaving. I'm also not above reading into AJ's relationship with her little sister (Y'all ever think about how AB never got to know her parents, even though she shares her father's colors and her mother's curly hair?).

AJ's stubbornness is a symptom of growing up too quickly as well. Who else to play with your baby sister when your brother goes nonverbal (not to discount Big Mac's role in raising AB)? Who else to wake up in the middle of the night to care for your crying baby sister when your grandma needs her rest? When you need to be 100% all the time for your family, you tend to become hard-stuck with a sense of moral superiority. You know what's best because you have to be your best because if you're aren't your best, then everything'll inevitably fall apart and it'll be your fault. And if you don't know what's best –– if you've been wrong the whole time –– that means you haven't been your best, which means you've failed the people who rely on you, which means you can't fulfill your role in the family/society, which makes you worthless . We've seen time and time again how this compulsive need to be right for the sake of others becomes self-destructive (Apple Family Reunion, Sound of Silence, all competitions against RD). We've seen in The Last Roundup how, when no longer at her best, AJ would rather remove herself from her community than confront them because she no longer feels of use to them.

But I guess it is kinda weird that AJ has "masculine" traits and isn't interested in men at all. It's totally justified that an aggressively straight, misogynistic male fandom would characterize her as a "boring background character." /s

At the time of writing this, it's 4:46AM.

[aro-aura]

i always thought romantic love was the plague and i was a plague doctor.

so here's an aro-colored plague doctor

me oversharing beneath the cut about how amatonormativity has screwed me up in ways I have never been screwed up before.

(rant beneath the cut is full of negativity, triggering, but perhaps relatable. idk. read at your own risk)

okay so let's have a mini story telling time about how romance plagued every aspect of my life until now.

My bestfriend in high school treated me of less value after she gets her boyfriend. This experience was what drove me into drawing plague doctors during valentines. These doodles were captioned with "Plague is in the air", because my friends in my circle told me to not hang out with her on that day because it's valentines day. So cool, I thought I should avoid them like they were the plague.

For the first half of college, I've been a wingman for way too many of my friends for my only female and best friend.

It has gotten to a point where the meaning of my companionship with my male friends had become solely for providing a connection to a girl they want to date.

In the long run, my bestfriend, who my 'friends' were pining for, actually has been pining for me. She asked if we could be a thing, I said yes because I thought that, romance isn't probably as disgusting as I think of it.

To protect tradition and to protect the feelings of the men she rejected (who I also wingmanned), we kept it hidden.

For the entire time, she emphasized how I was dense and oblivious about romance. For the entire time I was confused, disoriented, and even repulsed. I didn't know how to reciprocate and I certainly did not have THOSE feelings either at all.

Of course it didn't end well.

After that failed attempt at romance, I have been involved in three more encounters after that. Men suddenly started talking to me out of nowhere. Initially, I thought that they were just trying to make new friends. I didn't realize they were hitting on me but when I did, I cold-shouldered them out of my life.

The last one was the most traumatic. I have explicitly stated that he shouldn't attempt to romance me because I've admitted that I'm way too tired of dealing with it, but he was stubborn. He has also gone as far as sexualizing me against my will.

So yeah.

Amatonormativity made me lose faith in the meaning of my friendships.

It made me realize how friendship is easily overshadowed by romantic relationships.

It made me worry that my kindness is misread as a romantic gesture.

It made me constantly hate how friendship is only seen as a stepping stone for a romantic relationship.

And because amatonormativity has rendered all my significant connections meaningless, I'll spend every second of my life hating amatonormativity. I will always be repulsed at the concept that destroyed every goddamned friendship that I had. Nothing has ever made me feel THS sick. I will always think of it as the plague.

[tobiasdrake]

I really do love how much you can tell about Doomguy just from looking around his room.

Like. Yeah, all the stuff you expect to see is there.

He's got his big ol' gun rack.

What appears to be a rock he uses as a punching bag.

Whetstone for sharpening his knives. All the Real Manly Violence Man stuff you'd think would be there.

But also a pair of nunchaku. Doomguy has never used nunchaku in any of his games. Those are just there because apparently he's the kind of dork who likes to play around with nunchaku and pretend he's doing kung fu.

Also a jump rope. Gotta keep his cardio up for all that running and jumping he has to do.

He reads Guns & Bullets magazine, but he also reads Science Monthly. Which makes sense that he'd be a bit of a techie since....

...he seems to have made his new Praetor Suit by disassembling the old one and rebuilding it to be higher-quality. You can see from the guts of the suit that it's powered armor, and he just... knows how to work that.

He's mad. Not stupid.

He also reads cooking magazines, of course. His only friend is Doom J.A.R.V.I.S.; He's gotta be self-sufficient. Though how he got those pizzas delivered is certainly beyond me.

And, of course, he has a collection of regular books that he likes to read as well. Though his taste in literature reveals a certain trend.

Also, he reads comics.

So many comics.

So, so many comics that he's left discarded comics lying around on his munitions cases. This man is a nerd.

And if you doubt his nerd cred, remember that he even keeps collectible toy displays. Doomguy is explicitly the kind of person who will go out of his way in a firefight with the forces of Hell itself to go snatch up a new toy for his collection.

He even has collectible toy figures hanging out on his computer desk. He put a little hard hat on one of them.

On the other side of his desk, he's got some leftover pizza from the inexplicable delivery service, plus takoyaki flavor chips and some candy. It seems Doomguy is a fruity candy kind of guy, not a chocolate guy. Man after my own heart.

Oh, you know he has shredded every single surface of the Fortress of Doom at some point. How do you think he learned to react so quickly in combat?

That is, of course....

When he's not ROCKING OUT with one of his three separate guitars. I bet the middle one's his favorite. It has a place of honor under the giant demon skull.

Some people might say that a record player and casette tapes are old-fashioned but cut him some slack; He's a Gen X-er.

Of course, there's one thing that any walk through Doomguy's room reveals more than anything else. The one thing that matters more than the world to him. The thing that drives him in his every waking moment.

He loved his bunny rabbit. My favorite thing about the portrait - Well, my favorite thing about it is that it's a piece of fanart that got officially canonized, but aside from that - is that he's wearing his Praetor Suit in it.

That's not something he brought from home. He commissioned an artist to paint that after becoming a Night Sentinel. He still loves his poor, late bunny rabbit.

And he keeps her close to him when he's home.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Zutara, romance novels, and the female gaze

Okay so I’ve been thinking about the female gaze a LOT so I checked out a subreddit about romance novels, despite never having read one. I came across this meme (which was initially a Tumblr post and then got posted to Instagram and then to Reddit and I’m now bringing back to Tumblr — Internet telephone, pls never change):

And…what is The Southern Raiders, if not a platonic grovel? Katara’s pain is central to the episode. It’s central to Zuko. Zuko asks Katara what he can do to make up for his betrayal; she demands the impossible. He reads between the lines, cockblocks her brother to get the necessary information, and then waits outside her door overnight (which he also did for Iroh, the one person we know for sure he loves). He basically makes himself a receptacle for her rage, and he holds space for her by coming with her on her revenge quest and carrying their bags and not saying a damn thing about what she should and should not do beyond like…asking her to rest. And obviously the grovel works! She forgives him and then they’re thick as thieves, bantering and fighting and saving each other’s lives, etc.

On a different note, I’ve been told that enemies to lovers is one of the biggest tropes in romance novels, similar to YA lit and fanfic. Here’s something else I found in the romance novel discourse:

And…yeah. In TSR, Katara really does show Zuko her worst self, because she doesn’t feel the need to perform for him. She doesn’t feel the need to perform moral perfection OR cold blooded vengeance. She bloodbends in front of him and he just goes with it. She doesn’t kill Yon Rha and he just goes with it. He doesn’t treat her any differently afterwards. Maybe they talk about it off screen, but I kind of like the idea that they don’t, because Katara doesn’t need to explain anything. And it’s so interesting, because some people in the ATLA fandom have a totally different read on TSR. They think Zuko was encouraging Katara to get revenge (by what, keeping his mouth shut?), and that Aang is the one who acts as her moral compass. I believe that either Bryan or Mike said in the DVD commentary that Aang is the angel on her shoulder the entire time. And this interpretation does make sense if you see it from the male gaze, where Katara as an object of affection is acting in an angry, irrational, threatening way. But if you see it from the female gaze, you recognize that actually it’s probably the most emotionally taxing experience Katara has to go through, and she doesn’t owe it to be nice or perfect to anybody. Katara’s formative trauma literally comes to a head, and she has to make a decision — no, a discovery — about who she is in relation to the tragedy that defines her life and even her identity (as a waterbender, as a parentified child who becomes the mom friend, as a genocide victim), and she’s accompanied by someone who trusts her judgement and validates her feelings.

I’m not saying TSR is explicitly romantically coded, but when it conforms so well to romance novel tropes…is it any wonder that so many people thought “yes this is her man?” And then he takes lightning in the heart for her and reaches for her when he’s literally dying, I will never be normal about that either

[pikp0kcas3]

The Hazbin Hotel fandom’s issue with accepting aromanticism and asexuality

Now that it is officially Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, I want to talk about this!

I find that, as an aroace myself, I am constantly grasping at good representation and coming up empty— it usually ends up in one of two ways.

One: the character is portrayed as emotionless, cold, and robotic in nature. It’s the question aromantic and/or asexual people are often asked: “Are you heartless?” The answer is no, of course, but general media makes it out to be the opposite.

Or two: Their lack of attraction is seen as something to “fix” because they “haven’t found the right one yet”, and they end up with a partner as a “happy ending”.

It frustrates me greatly because of how little people actually see aromanticism or asexuality as a true part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

So when I watched Hazbin Hotel, and I found out about Alastor being aroace, I was over the moon. I was on cloud nine. I also saw how his voice actor has looked up the term as an attempt to learn about aroaces, which makes me OVERJOYED?? Amir is truly a blessing, and I love that he’s proud to embody a character that’s part of our community. It’s so beautiful to finally have a proper character, a fan favorite at that, who just so happens to be aroace— and that’s another thing I love about this.

It’s never explicitly stated in the show (though it is stated in interviews), but it’s rather clear when you’re watching, isn’t it? Alastor’s aversion to any sort of sexual advancement, coupled with Rosie’s blatant “I know you’re an ace in the hole” comment sort of spell out his asexuality pretty clearly, as well as what side of the spectrum he falls upon. In addition, his Valentine’s day card was strictly platonic, which caters to his aromantic side. It feels so validating to finally be represented, to finally have a character in media who shares the same lack of interest in romance and sex as I do.

When I entered the fandom to look for more content, I kind of expected to see the same respect for Alastor’s orientation there too. But that… wasn’t the case? I am fully aware that aromanticism and asexuality are both spectrums— of course, aromantic and/or asexual people can enter those kinds of relationships. I’m not denying that and they belong in the community as much as anyone else on the spectrum.

But, the more I see the same line again and again and again, the more it feels like an excuse to just ship what you want.

Usually I don’t mind shipping? I’m often a firm believer in people shipping what they like as long as it’s harmless and they don’t go crazy over it. I also know for a fact that Viv doesn’t have a problem with people shipping her characters. They are fictional, after all.

But in this case, people are ignoring the very thing that makes Alastor a part of the aroace community! People are ignoring his lack of romantic or sexual attraction!

Is this not the same as changing a gay character’s orientation to suit a straight ship? If not, how so? I’m told that we are a part of this community, so why aren’t we being treated like it? Why is it so hard to accept the people on the end of the spectrum who aren’t interested?

Something I’ve been noticing throughout my life is that society has not exactly progressed very much on the idea of accepting asexual or aromantic identities. Maybe we have, a little, since the old days— but hell, people in “the old days”, which in truth wasn’t very long ago, believed that asexuality was a medical condition to be “fixed” by taking the right medication or having sex. That’s a pretty low bar to clear. And on the romance side, you’re seen as a “late bloomer” or “boring” if you don’t express interest. These days, being friends with someone is treated like a gateway to them possibly becoming a lover. Not getting married, not going on dates, not wanting a partner— it’s all treated like a crime when it’s not.

Maybe I’m selfish, or sensitive, or I’m butthurt over nothing, or I’m making it all about me. Maybe I’m gatekeeping or whatever the term is. But please, please, please, I just want an aroace character like me who simply is not interested in sex or romance.

And I want fandom to respect that. I admire the creations that fans make— the art, the animatics, the writing and the character analysis. And I want people to keep creating because creation is indeed a beautiful thing.

But I really would like people to treat aroace identities like they’re important. Like it’s more than just a spectrum to get wiggle room to wrangle in another ship.

[hannieehaee]

18+ / mdi

content: minghao x virgin!reader, established relationship, afab reader, smut soft sex, fingering, penetrative sex, they're in love <//3

wc: 1943

a/n: he looked so soft and pretty with his hair like this aaahhh T^T i didnt proofread this btw but are we surprised

masterlist

he couldn't take his eyes off of you.

you were so soft and pretty. the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, really. in his eyes, you had no flaw. and you were all his. he still couldnt get over that fact.

he felt ashamed to admit it, but he'd been waiting for this since the moment he first laid eyes on you. he always thought you were the most beautiful girl in every room you walked into. your supple skin, the shape of your eyes, the brightness in your smile, the curves along your body; he was addicted to every part of you. and now he finally had you all to himself.

it had only been a few weeks since he finally made you his. he was a gentleman, so he courted you for a while, making his intentions clear but never pressuring you into a relationship. he let you know about his feelings for you early on, but wanted to be just be your friend for a bit before officially making you his. you'd lived in the limbo between friends but not quite lovers for a while. he enjoyed the buildup of your feelings. it had only made you want him more; and in turn it made his feelings for you grow even more than he thought possible. and now he found himself overwhelmed with how much he wanted you.

you'd taken it slow. having wanted each other for all those weeks but never really tying the metaphorical knot, you came into your relationship already thirsty for each other. but, once again, minghao was a gentleman. he wanted to give you space and not give into his desires immediately. he knew you were inexperienced, which was something he ashamedly relished on. however, it was even the more reason to allow you to grow used to him as your boyfriend before moving onto that much more intimate aspect of your relationship. he waited and waited (patiently), and now he was here. with an almost completely nude you under him, just waiting for him to take action.

you'd agreed on doing it today. not explicitly, but you'd nudged at each other, suggesting it wordlessly. today would be the day minghao rid you of your innocence. you both knew you were both growing impatient, which is why it wasnt surprising to either of you when tonight became this.

"hao ..." you breathed out, eyes becoming heavy as minghao softly kissed at your neck from his position above you.

he was taking it slow. he wanted to savour every moment of finally making you his in every sense of the word. he'd been slow at kissing you, preparing you for what was to come. he'd been slow at undressing you, still leaving your underwear on for him to take off later. he'd been slow at caressing your body, leaving goosebumps in his wake. and even now, he took it slow as he ground his hips against yours and softly kissed at your neck.

"patience, my love. want to take my time with you," he leaned up from your neck to look into your eyes, but unable to keep his eyes on yours for long as your lips called for him, making him have to connect his lips to yours yet again.

you kissed once more. more desperate this time than before he'd carried you off to his room. minghao didn't want to lose composure, but your adorable mewls at the feeling of his tongue licking at yours and his hips sensually canting against yours was slowly breaking his resolve. he began to kiss you deeper, harder, as his hips began digging even further into yours. he knew that if he tried to dig between your bodies, he'd find a puddle in between them. the thought made him light headed.

he couldn't hold himself back anymore, reaching towards that sacred space in the middle of your legs and softly dragging his fingers up and down. he took pleasure on the gasp you let out against his lips at such a light touch, wanting nothing more than to draw even more needy sounds out of you.

"want my fingers, angel?", he questioned against your lips.

you nodded hazily at him, no words leaving you as you simply whined and fidgeted against him, clearly in want for more.

he finally slipped his fingers past the soaked panties you had worn for him, - you'd worn such a pretty set for him; pink and lacy. pure and innocent, just like you.

he slowly snuck his fingers past the resistance of your folds and began to drag them in and out at a torturously slow pace. he adored your pretty gasps in surprise at the intrusion, unable to take his eyes off of you once again. your expression of pure bliss had him on a high, feeling himself grow even harder at just the beautiful sight in front of him. there was nothing more perfect than this moment, the moment in which he'd finally bring the love of his life to completion.

he increased the movement of his fingers inside you, making sure to curl them just right in order to draw even higher-pitched mewls out of you. his thumb had also joined the equation, rubbing itself on that pretty pearl that demanded stimulation. upon beginning to play with your clit, you'd begun to grind your hips against his hand, making minghao lose his mind. his pretty girl was seeking his touch. knowing he was giving you such pleasure was making him feel lightheaded, an animalistic desire growing in him to finally get you under him and impale you as you cried his name. but no. he was a gentleman. he wanted your first time to be soft and loving. he could corrupt you some other day, but today was all about showing you his feelings for you.

"h-haao ... fuck! please ..." your cries brought him back to earth. he felt the sudden tightness of your walls against his fingers, knowing you were about to reach completion. he began to speed up, now following a rapid rhythm that had you writhing on the bed.

"cum for me. cum, beautiful. wanna see my beautiful girl cry for me," he knew the effect his words would have for you. he'd always adored how much you wanted him. he'd known his feelings had been mutual since day one, seeing the way your pretty eyes would look at him with such adoration. his effect on you was something that drove him crazy day after day, and he was afraid that he'd soon grow addicted to the way you'd react if he ever used it against you while in the throes of passion.

it didn't take you long after that to cum on his fingers, even allowing him to play with your sensitive clit for a bit afterwards before whining at him that you felt too sensitive still. he'd have to train you to take him time and time again, he made a mental note to himself. but that would come later. now he needed you.

he adjusted you on the bed, letting your pretty head lean against some pillows as he hovered over you. leaning down a bit, he pecked your lips before smiling softly at you.

"are you ready, beautiful?", he began toying with your bra a bit, hinting at wanting it off of you.

"yes, hao. i trust you."

that was all he needed to lean down once more, kissing you with all the passion that had build up inside of him. he kissed and kissed you, allowing his hands to travel up and down your body, feeling every delicious curve and crevice adorning your body. once he made contact with your bra, he unglued his lips from yours for a moment in order to remove it, immediately letting his eyes lower to your bare chest.

"you're the most beautiful thing i've ever seen, angel. do you even realize how perfect you are?", he whispered the words against you, almost as if they were a secret. in the meantime he allowed his fingertips to softly run through your supple mounds, drawing circles around your nipples as you whimpered at him to touch them. he chuckled at this, enjoying how easy it was to rile you up.

"here, baby? want my hands here?", he pinched at your nipples, dragging his thumbs over them as you whined at the feeling.

he lowered his head down to eye level with your tits, looking up at you as he let his tongue kitten lick at your nipple, barely giving it any stimulation. he did this for a while, alternating between breasts as you whimpered at him. he then unglued himself from you, softly blowing at your nipples, the cold feeling making you gasp and cry.

"you're so unreal, angel. love how pretty you cry for me. will you cry more? when i finally make you mine?", he'd began to make his way back to you, cock now laying on your stomach as he whispered in your ear.

"yes. please, hao ... want it so bad."

"i'll give it to you, beautiful. i'll give you anything," it didn't take long after this for him to finally begin to push himself inside you, groaning against you at the feeling of your walls closing in on him. your cries for him weren't helping, only making him lightheaded at the feeling of you.

you'd began to scratch his back once he started moving against you, keeping a slow and sensual pace that was rhythmic enough to have your eyes rolling back. looking at you, he had no idea how he resisted you for this long. he regretted not having taken you to bed since the moment he'd met you. but that thought only lasted a few seconds, until he heard you breathlessly gasp his name again after a particularly harsh thrust.

"do you know how hard it was to resist you? to hold you and not be able to have you? you tempted me day after day, making me lose my mind. you're pure torture. but now you're mine. aren't you, angel?", he rambled as he sped up, already seeing his end coming.

"h-hao! please! nee-need you to make me cum. fuck ..." he could see tears begin to form in your eyes. it drew an animalistic side out of him. a pit in his stomach forming at the thought of you sobbing and crying over his cock. this was enough to make him push your legs into your chest and speed up, wanting nothing more than to demand another orgasm out of you.

you came almost at the same time. you a few moments before him, with your rightness forcing an intense orgasm out of you as he groaned your name in your ear.

he was gentle and caring as he cleaned you up, even helping you up so you could use the restroom before promptly walking you back to bed, dreading even a minute of separation from you. he laid you down, cocooning you in his soft sheets before rounding the bed and laying down next to you. the way you immediately nuzzled into his arms had his heart pumping out of his chest. he was feeling endearment overload. everything you did had an effect on him.

"hao?"

"yes, my love?", he looked down at you, running his hands softly up and down your bare back, pressing you even closer to his chest.

"i love you," it wasnt the first time you'd said it, but it had felt different now. like you were giving your body and soul to him.

"i love you more."

[calder]

In every mainline Fallout game except for New Vegas, players can earn the loyalty of a dog known as “Dogmeat.” As part of the main quest of Fallout 4, Dogmeat assists in tracking down the antagonist, even if the player has never encountered him before. When you leave Kellogg’s home, Nick simply starts talking about Dogmeat as if he’s a known quantity.

Perhaps related to this quirk of the world, Dogmeat is first named in this game when the clairvoyant Mama Murphy recognizes him and addresses him by name. The game’s UI calls him “DOG” until he is recognized by Valentine or Murphy. It seems clear that this german shepherd is somehow an independent agent with a good reputation, or something.

Dogmeat does not have a loyalty quest associated with him, which is how the player would earn the other companions’ perks. However, upon finding Astoundingly Awesome Tales #9 within the Institute, Dogmeat becomes more resistant to damage. While this isn’t coherent or conclusive evidence of Dogmeat being a synth, it’s plainly prompting the audience to consider that idea. In light of these factors, his origins have been fiercely debated among the community.

The skeptics and “hard sci-fi” fans out there would have you believe that he’s merely a famous stray dog who solves crimes. But I believe there's something more remarkable at work.

There's a section in the Fallout 2 instruction book called the Vault Dweller's Memoirs, where the player character of the first game recounts what canonically happened. Due to Fallout’s famously terrible companion AI, if you travelled to Mariposa with Dogmeat, he would consistently run into the force fields and get vaporized. So, in the Memoirs, we learn that this is exactly what became of Dogmeat Prime, in canon. He loyally sprinted into a wall of solid light, and disappeared. What if our buddy simply awoke in a new, confusing place?

In Fallout 2, Dogmeat must be found at the Cafe of Broken Dreams, which is explicitly a liminal space. It appears randomly to travellers in the desert. The NPCs within are frozen in time, such as a young version of President Tandi, who mentions that Ian went to “the Abbey,” an area cut from the game. To gain Dogmeat’s trust, the Chosen One must equip the Vault Dweller’s V-13 jumpsuit, which Dogmeat recognizes as belonging to his dead master. You can also attack him to spawn Mad Max, who claims ownership of the dog. Max fits the description of Dogmeat's original owner given in Fallout.

There’s also the “puppies” perk in Fallout 3, which enables you to restore Dogmeat, in the event of his death. “Dogmeat’s puppy” inherits his base and ref ids. In other words, they ARE the same NPC, just renamed. So, the way this actually articulates is that whenever Dogmeat dies in combat, you can find him waiting for you back at Vault 101. In practice, it’s almost Bombadilian.

Lastly, please consider the following developer context.

In June of 2021, the dog who performed Dogmeat’s motion capture and voice for Fallout 4 passed away. A statue of her was placed outside of every Vault in the China-exclusive sequel to Fallout Shelter. She still watches over each player.

River's owner, developer Joel Burgess, honored her in a brief thread about her involvement in the game, and shared much about his thought process and design goals while leading the character’s development. The Dogmeat project changed course early on, after Mr. Joel saw a new member of the art team gathering references of snarling German Shepherds. This motivated him to bring River into the studio, so the artists and developers could spend time with her.

He wanted to steer the team away from viewing Dogmeat as a weapon, and towards viewing him as a friend. Everything special about Dogmeat was inspired by River. For example, whenever you travel with Dogmeat, he’s constantly running ahead of you to scout for danger, then turning to wait for you. This was inspired by River’s consistent behavior on long walks. The only way they were able to motivate River to bark for recordings was by separating her from Joel while he waited in the next room. Reading the thread, it’s very clear that he hoped Dogmeat would make players feel safe, encouraging them to explore, and to wonder. In his closing thoughts, he said the following:

-Joel Burgess

Mr. Joel felt it was important to express that the ambiguity of Dogmeat’s origin in Fallout 4 was deliberately built into his presentation. He also felt it was important that you know Dogmeat loves you. Dogmeat was designed, on every level, to reflect the audience’s inspirations, and to empower their curiosity.

The true lore of Dogmeat is a rorschach test. The only “right” answer is to pursue whatever captures your imagination.

[dropitpunk]

thinking about art donaldson

cw: art donaldson x gn!reader, suggestive content, fluff overall.

you first saw him at tennis practice at stanford, snapback on his head and a playful smile adorning his concentrated face.

strawberry blond hair dripping with sweat, staining the red college shirt.

he looked like a professional, tennis and him conjoined as one.

"who is that?" you asked your friend, suppressing a giggle. your eyes followed his racket hitting the ball with impressive strength.

"art donaldson. you don't know him? fire and ice and all that." she said as if it was obvious. you sighed, still watching his strong legs running towards the tennis ball.

you weren't that much into sports to know anyone besides the rising star tashi duncan, but after that night you couldn't help but read every article and book related to tennis.

"hey! is anyone sitting here?" your face was all red, ears burning and fingers aggressively tapping the lunch tray in your hands.

"no, she just left." art donaldson smiled kindly at you, eyes crinkling.

he looked beautiful, skin and hair shining under the sun coming from the big windows. you felt awkward, taking the seat across from him. but the cafeteria was so full and that seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"so... i heard you play tennis."

and art was so simple to talk to. he was enthusiastic to talk about any topic, putting much thought into every answer to your questions and even more effort into getting to know you. it was impossible not to become instantly friends with art when he was so likable.

you started to sit closer to him and tashi duncan at lunch and breakfast, and you came often to watch his tennis practice. you went to tashi's games with him, walked around campus with your bag on his shoulders, you drank from the same gatorade bottle after the gym.

it was too easy to create intimacy with art when he was so thoughtful to you.

you never explicitly admitted your attraction to him, and he never seemed embarrassed about the way his eyes would linger on your lips, on your chest.

how his fingers caressed your arm when you were distracted or the long kisses on your cheek when it was time to say goodbye. you two never talked about any of this, but it wasn't necessary.

"wanna come over later? my room?" you asked all in one breath, nervously scanning art's expression.

he was caught off guard, swallowing and nodding quickly. "you got snacks?"

"what do you think?" you two smiled.

and he knew just how to kiss you right from the first time.

you were sitting in your bed, one of his hands squeezing your thighs and the other lost in your hair, pulling you against him. you tasted his hunger on your tongue, lips bruising you with his passion.

your hands clinged to his shirt, trying to bring him closer and closer. his arms were strong, never letting you go.

he was reluctant to be away from you even to breathe, lips red and pouty and glossed over eyes. art almost whined, gripping your waist to put your body against his again.

"want you." he whispered against your ear, kissing your neck.

from that moment, art was devoted to you.

there wasn't anything you could ask that art wouldn't move mountains to give to you.

his first gift was a promise ring, a beautiful stone on your ring finger meaning you were only his. his lover, his priority.

he asked you to come to every game of his wearing his clothes, sweaty kisses all over your face when he wins.

art kissed every part of you, love burning in his eyes so intense it left you breathless.

"you looked so cute cheering for me." his smile was wide and happy, hugging your waist from behind as you picked a book from the shelf at the library.

"i could say i'm a fan." his energy was infectious, making a laugh bubble in your chest.

he patted your head, looking around before stealing a kiss and mumbling against your mouth "my number one fan."

and you were. you made signs with his name and took pictures of him on every game with your camera. only his best angles, smiling when he posed and sent hearts at you.

he was just as supportive of your studies, picking up different books and buying different colored pencils, writing his name on the pages of your notebooks just to annoy you.

would make you tea and buy you sweet treats after you were finished, kissing your temples and forehead if you complained about headaches.

he rested his head on your chest and lap a lot, looking up at you so you could get the hint and pet him.

art wanted to spend every second of his free time with you, so he was extremely satisfied when you asked him to teach you how to play tennis.

he went easy on you, extremely careful with his explanations so you wouldn't hurt yourself. art would stand behind you and place his hands on your fingers so he could correct the way you were holding the racket, strong chest glued to your back.

"you are already better than me." he was being kind. art smiled, he enjoyed praising the people he loved.

"you look so pretty with your hair like this."

"you smell so good, i can recognize you anywhere"

"you are so smart, i'd never have thought of this."

"wanna kiss you until you're sore and tired from my love." he said to you one night, voice calm and muffled as he had his head burried on your chest.

"m' not gonna get tired, art."

"you promise?" art looked up at you, eyes shining with emotion and face flushed.

you placed a hand on his cheek, the stone on your promise ring reflecting the moonlight. he leaned into your touch, kissing your palm with eyes closed.

"yeah, i promise."

a/n: not often into blondes but a hot man is a hot man #teamart

[inbarfink]

Okay, so here’s the thing….

We are still at a very early point in the narrative of ‘Fionna and Cake’ and therefore at a very early point in Simon’s character arc. It’s pretty clear that “I need to become Ice King again” is not the end point by any meaning of the word. But I am wondering where we’re going to go with this, cause… The series has yet to really tackle how miserable Ice King himself was a lot of the time. And how often he hurt people. 

Like, yes, I was an advent advocates for 'trying to bring back Simon Petrikov was a really really Bad Idea on Betty's part, it was more healthy to focus on making sure Ice King was as happy and healthy and harmless as he could be', but I am also fully aware that he started the show being both extremely lonely and extremely sad and also a serial kidnapper who was very much a danger to those around him. And as much progress as he made during the show, getting Ice King to that point was a very serious struggle with a lot of backslidings and problems.

'Friends Forever' is, for example, an episode that stuck with me for a long time as a really heart-wrenching demonstration how even in that late stage, when he has buddies and people trying to seriously take care of him - Ice King was still very capable of seriously sabotaging his own relationships and hurting others and himself.

And it does make sense narratively that, like, characters like Astrid and Fionna and Cake, all of whom lack the full context of what Ice King's life was like (Fionna and Cake really just saw Simon at his worst and only got snippets of clips of Ice King and since Astrid was born after Humans came to Ooo that means she was also born after the events of ‘Come Along With Me’) all see Simon as a downgrade. Because they really don’t understand how bad Ice King was beforehand. 

And thus is does make sense that with Simon's current mental state, and how he is surrounded lately with these kinda people who never really knew Ice King and don’t really understand how terrible and miserable he could be, and now hearing that his ‘sanity’ just took away magic and whimsy from some else’s whole universe, and how it feels like the actual gods of the multiverse are telling him that he should be Ice King, that he's supposed to be Ice King....

It makes sense that he might start kinda... romanticizing that time in his life again. 

You know, the big thing about the outlook that Betty should’ve accepted Ice King as who he is rather than basically destroy herself to bring Simon back wasn't about whatever Ice King or Simon Petrikov were better or 'cooler' than the other. It was about, like, embracing change. Not obsessing about a past where things were ‘Better’ but seeing what is the best you can do with things as they are. Moving forwards.

And we all know how Simon feels about moving forwards right now…

And obviously that's a pretty bad mindset, even if it's understandable how he got there...

And honestly, if we do explicitly acknowledge that, hey! Ice King’s life was often just as much of a depressive spiral as Simon's is right now! There might be an element of… resignation in Simon’s decision. 

Because Simon's downward spiral since getting cured is not a demonstration that he was better off under the Ice Crown's curse.... But, to him, more a demonstration that he doesn't need the Crown to screw up his own life anymore.

‘Cause as both as Ice King and as good ol’ ‘sane’ Simon Petrikov he is just as capable of being lonely and depressed.

And just as capable of losing his own identity.

And just as capable of pushing his loved ones away and ruining his own life.

And just as capable of becoming a weirdo obsessive.

And just as capable of making little girls cry.

He even started kidnapping people again! That’s the Ice King Classic!

So on some level, maybe Simon is resigned to the fact he’s always going to be SOME sort of screwed up lonely sadman who hurts others. And if that is his fate, he might as well be the screwed up lonely sadman who is mostly oblivious to how sad he really is and can shoot ice from his fingertips. And his arc is going to be about realizing that, whether he is Ice King or Simon Petrikov, healing and change ARE always possible for him.

But we’re gonna have to see where it goes…

[rose-of-red-lake]

Leslye Headland cares more about the Sith than the Jedi. I think her particular fascination is pretty undisputed at this point.

She explicitly says she wanted to write a Dark gothic romance featuring the Sith. And she got as much money as Dune 2 to do that. She got an enormous gift to tell the story she wanted. Okay. Fine. Not my cup of tea. But kudos to her for somehow collecting all those coins.

However, as a consequence of her lack of care for the Jedi, she ends up gleefully twisting them to fit her own power fantasy.

For example from the Collider interview we learned:

How the Jedi became stand-ins to attack the "institution" (of her choice, likely a religious one)

That the Jedi were used to critique patriarchy, with the Jedi master-to-padawan relationship somehow analogous to sexist father and oppressed daughter.

That Anakin murdering Tuskens and keeping it a secret inspired how Vernestra kept the Brendock scandal a secret (and that Vern is on a tragic arc too).

That she roots for Mae because the Jedi would never hold themselves accountable.

How the Jedi destroy children's worlds and how empowering it can be when, for example, they reclaim the saber that killed their parents.

How Sol and the Jedi caused Osha's loneliness.

That Sol talking about his love for Osha somehow robbed her of her agency? The agency Osha uses to join forces with the man who kidnapped her, killed her friends, and tried to kill her sister the previous day.

How she's using Senator Rayencourt as the voice of reason, and an audience stand-in, who asks "legitimate" questions about the Jedi having too much power.

That the Jedi have become cluelessly unaware of how they are perceived or that they could do wrong, because they've relied too long on their high status.

How the Jedi have always been "extremely flawed" (from the GQ interview)

A lot of this is not just divisive or cynical. It's creepy?

Headland wanted a dark Jane Austin romance featuring the villains in Star Wars - okay fine. I still think it could have been done without burning her Jedi Barbies to create new canon. I mean...its just brutal.