#never happens. absolutely disarming experience

[fingertipsmp3]

Maybe it’s the delusions again but maybe… just maybe….. everyone is out to get me

[cloudcountry]

Could I request how would Cater, Jamil, Rook and Idia react to their (s/o)’s overblot? :0

SUMMARY: your significant other, who has been part of an overblot before, has to witness you going through the exact same thing.

COMMENTS: hi so im experimenting with yuu overblotting and so. you and grim are fusing because i said so.

yk after writing this i realize i was absolutely inspired by delicious in dungeon. if you get it you get it.

You’ll have to forgive Cater if he blurts out some stupid slang or a joke as he watches ink consume your body—as he watches you fuse with Grim. The result is a terrifying monster, blue flames shooting out of your very human face, ink pouring out of your eyes and mouth and nose as Grim's claws grow sharper and his legs grow longer.

He’s vaguely aware of Trey trying to get him out of there and Riddle throwing himself into a fight to attempt to disarm you and Grim—whatever you have become. Cater isn’t even sure if you’re separate anymore, but he hears your screams and the echoing growls of Grim, and the blue flames are searing his skin but he isn’t budging.

He shoves Trey off of him and goes running towards you, heart pounding in his chest. He has to save you. He has to help you. His signature spell is activating and he doesn’t even know he’s doing it—he just knows he has to get you back, one way or another.

Jamil knows what’s happening before anybody else. He can see the frustration at being treated the way you are, and he sees the way your hands shake. He tries to reach out but it’s not enough, and maybe it never would have been because he’s too late, and the air is hot with anger and longing for a home neither you nor Grim had.

You become one. He sees it and he can do nothing but watch as you sprout hairy arms and legs, claws tearing through your skin as blue flames shoot out from you. Ink spurts from your eyes and mouth, pouring onto the floor as you howl and wail. He can hear the echoing, pitched remnants of Grim in your voice as you charge, heading straight for the students. Jamil whips out his pen, pointing it in front of him and casting a barrier.

He needs to get everyone else out of here. He can’t be the one to fight you—he can’t do that to you. His ears are ringing and only now is he aware of Kalim rapid firing questions at him but he doesn’t have the time, he grabs Kalim and yells at him to leave, to get the Headmage, to get you help. You can’t die on him. You just can’t.

Rook thinks you’re beautiful. He always will, no matter what state you may find yourself in, no matter what form you may take. That’s part of the reason he stands there in awe, watching as you transform in front of his very eyes. Tears are rolling down his face as you scream out in pain, and his body reacts by running to you but someone is holding him back, his sobs mixing with you and Grim’s howls as you merge in a tornado of inky blackness.

People are screaming, someone is yelling that he needs to get out of there, he falls to his knees as your form—no, the form you’ve taken, writhes and screeches on the ground. It sounds like nails on a chalkboard, it sounds like nightmares, it sounds like pain and suffering and like nothing will ever be okay—

Two backs appear in his vision, a perfectly manicured hand shielding his vision from the sight. Rook looks up, eyes locking with Vil’s. Epel is beside him, pen at the ready. “Can you stand?” Vil asks, and anyone else wouldn’t be able to hear the tenderness in his voice. Rook takes his hand and stands, breathing shakily as he stares at your form, vision blurry but locked onto you—he’s going to save you, no matter what.

Idia’s hands are shaking as you scream. He needs to go to you, to make sure you’re okay but he’s petrified, feet tripping over nothing as he stumbles to your side. He reaches out for you but you shove him away, a sharp NO ripped from your throat. Idia swallows his tears as he whips out his tablet, sending an SOS message to STYX as a familiar black ink splatters to the ground at his feet.

You tried to protect him. It makes him feel so worthless but he gets through it, knowing this must have been how you felt when he overblotted. Why can’t he do anything right? He went through the same thing and he can’t do anything to help you. Isn’t this his family’s business? He should know what to do by now!

He doesn’t leave from that spot, even when people are screaming at him to evacuate, even when STYX arrives to take you away, even when Ortho explains the situation to them because Idia can’t talk. The only thing he manages to say, with eyes glued to the malformed shape you’ve taken, is that he demands to be taken back with you to his home so he can oversee your treatment. He needs you to be better. He doesn’t know what he’d do otherwise.

[diejager]

Hello there! I absolutely love your stepdad!konig piece!!

I actually comment this on ao3, but I also doing it here just in case 🥺

Reader is pregnant and horangi step up as father but what if the baby looks just like konig? Her mom will be suspicious? Konig will be overjoyed? Horangi will try to breed her as soon as possible?

Cw: DARKFIC, DUB-CON/NON-CON, stepcest, forced pregnancy, childbirth, implied kidnapping, gaslighting, tell me if I missed any.

There was a heavy amount of guilt in your heart when your twins were born, they stark difference between your boy who had pretty brown eyes and a smooth head, and your little girl’s gaping blue eyes, pale and blinking owlishly with small tears and a few black strands sprouting from her head. You feared what your mother would say when she saw that your sweet angel - Horangi had dubbed her Yoon-Suh - had neither yours, nor the Korean’s eyes. It made you wonder if this would be a sign for your mother, something to prove your fear and abuse, to open her eyes to your damned situation, but they had an excuse for everything.

“Eyes are a complicated thing, ” König had the doctor explain, facing your mother with a wrinkled, but kind and gentle expression, “She’ll outgrow them within the first year, Ma’am.”

Your mother seemed to trust the doctor’s words, you would as well if you hadn’t known the truth, he was a kind man who’s face looked so disarming. Your mother exclaimed her many fears of complications happening to you and Dr. Mathews was very patient with her growing worry, promising her that he’d be one call away.

“Call me whenever you have any complications, missy. Or one of the nurses, all right?” 

You were driven home after every check ups with the twins and your body to catch any issues that might’ve occurred through childbirth, dressed in loose clothes and coddled by both men while your mother stared on in awe and glee, seeing her husband help his step-daughter with her new children and the baby daddy took responsibility and stayed. It made her feel a sense of happiness and pride unlike you, who drowned under another wave of agony and sorrow. They, however much you loved your babies and their adorable faces, would tie you down to both men, stuck under the nose of your oblivious mother.

When Yoon-Sun’s eyes only grew paler, a shade between emerald and tourmaline, a beautiful mix if it didn’t remind you of König’s oppressive character. Your mother shared her confusion, questioning her husband about the clear ressemblancein Yoon-Suh and his eyes, but he shrugged it off, reminding her that it had only been two months and change was inevitable, whichever spectrum it went, it would eventually darken into a familiar shade. She nodded and hadn’t questioned your stepdad about her eyes anymore, somewhat satisfied with his answer.

And when Leon’s hair started growing, the few dark strands that seemed black until it curled into a soft auburn that your mother was extremely familiar with. What could they use as an excuse for Leon’s hair colour to appease your mother’s suspicion, to staunch her questioning. Unfortunately - fortunately for them and their wretched minds - your mother was never one to know any… complicated information, such studies weren’t in her education in her time, but it was in yours. You knew how basic genes worked and it wouldn’t make sense for your child to have the hair colour that neither parents had, recessive or dominant.

Yet, König and Horangi had managed to convince her otherwise without as much as a sweat, their words and experience convincing enough for her. She left it at then, but her suspicion was mounting, the wound bleeding and threatening to come to life. And before she could do anything, to stop them from feeling oh so proud of themselves, they took you away. You were gone in the night, taken under the watchful gaze of the moon, gagged and tied in the old van they repurposed to hold the twins safely while they drove across borders. 

She’d been gaslighted and naively trusting until the moment she woke up to a cold and vacant home, her husband and friend gone, grandchildren taken and her daughter taken. 

Taglist: @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @bvxygriimes @distracteddragoness @konigsblog @daisychainsinknots @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @danielle143 @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @notspiders @brokenpieces-72 @petwifed @randominstake @hayleybarnesx @shironasumi @lucienbarkbark @sparky--bunny @bloobewy @223princess @maylovesyousomuch @cod-z @sweetnanah @aldis-nuts @evolutionarry @kaoyamamegami

[oliversrarebooks]

Augusnippets Day 28: Mind Control (Part One)

Augusnippets Masterlist

tw: mind control, hypnosis, alien abduction, medical examination, drugging, memory erasure, sketchy therapist

Dr. Palmer looked over her schedule for the day. It was mostly filled with her usual sorts of appointments -- anxiety, stop smoking, get over her ex, anxiety again -- a bit dull, but it would pay the bills. Some days, though, she would have an appointment like her 2pm. This client had seemed very nervous on the phone, saying that she wanted hypnotherapy to uncover a distressing, buried memory, but refused to say what it was until she arrived.

She had requests like this on a semi-frequent basis, people who wanted to be regressed to past lives or uncover hidden memories, things like that. Those were some of her favorites. She could hypnotize the client, make up whatever outlandish story she wanted, get their brain to fill in the blanks, and they'd leave happy, thinking that she'd helped them remember some important truth. Dr. Palmer didn't actually believe in past lives or any of that -- but she did believe in the human mind's ability to make things up under hypnosis. The client heard what they wanted to hear, she got a paycheck -- a good day's work, as far as she was concerned.

Usually, when she got a request like this, the client was the sort that wore healing crystals and magnetic bracelets and essential oils from an MLM scheme. She was a bit surprised at how put-together her 2pm was. Zhihao Han wore a deep purple blouse and a smart black skirt, hair and makeup both flawless, dressed the part for a high stress office career. The only crack in her facade was the stress in her eyes, a subtle sign that Dr. Palmer had learned to recognize.

"Welcome," said Dr. Palmer, leading her over to her excessively comfortable reclining chair, a necessary component of putting her clients at ease and helping them relax. "Is this your first time with a hypnotherapist?"

"Yes, it is." She seemed stiff and nervous even in the chair, sitting on the edge instead of relaxing back into it. "As I mentioned over the phone, it's a problem that I'm somewhat embarrassed about. I was hoping that maybe you could help me with it."

Dr. Palmer put on her best disarming smile. "Of course. I'm happy to help with whatever problem you need. And you don't need to be embarrassed with me. I've heard it all. There's no judgement in this office."

"You say that, but you're going to think I'm losing my mind." She took a deep breath. "Do you believe in aliens?"

"Aliens?" Oh, this was getting interesting.

"Yes, aliens. Extraterrestrials. Beings from beyond the stars."

"Well, it's a big universe. I certainly think it's possible we're not alone out there."

"That's how I thought about it too. Well, I didn't think about aliens much at all. I've never been all that interested in science fiction or any of that…. until I started having these dreams."

"What are the dreams about?"

"In the dreams, I'm being abducted by aliens," she says. "At first I thought it was just a random dream like any other… but then I started having them on a routine basis, every couple of months or so. And they seemed so vivid and real when I was having them, but after I woke up, I would find them so hard to remember clearly."

"I see. And this is what you'd like to explore today?"

"I know it must sound crazy, but every time I wake up from one of these dreams, I feel absolutely convinced that it's real. I've never had an experience like this with dreams before." She looked significantly more agitated now than when she came in. "I keep thinking strange thoughts…"

"Like…?" Dr. Palmer prodded gently.

"Like I'm just waiting for the aliens to return and abduct me again. Like I want it to happen. But I don't! I have a career that I've worked hard to maintain, and I'm trying to get a promotion, and I really don't have time to sit around in a daze, daydreaming about aliens. I keep trying so hard to remember what exactly is in the dream, but I can't."

"So you want me to help you remember?"

"Yes. I hope if I can remember the dream and talk about it with someone, I can finally convince my subconscious that it isn't real," she said. "I feel like I can't talk about this with my normal therapist, or anyone else."

"I understand," said Dr. Palmer. "Can I ask you a bit about your job? It sounds very stressful."

"Yes, it is. I can't talk much about the details, but I have an important deadline coming up in a month, on top of my normal duties and endless meetings. That's another reason why I can't afford to be distracted by something like this. Honestly, I don't even have the time for this appointment, but I felt like I had no choice but to do something."

Dr. Palmer starting to get a very obvious working theory about what's going on with Zhihao. The only real trouble would be putting her under. She was clearly skeptical and had difficulty relaxing, so it might be tough. "I think I can help you," she said, "but it might take more than one session."

"Whatever you need to do, the sooner the better."

"Have you ever been hypnotized?"

"No, I haven't. I have no idea if I even can be."

Yes, this might take more than one session. She'd be lucky to get Zhihao even somewhat hypnotized in the hour they had. "I think anyone can be hypnotized, but sometimes it takes several tries. For today, I'm just going to have you follow along with my instructions, and we'll see if we can get you to relax, at least."

"I guess relaxing would do me some good," said Zhihao, who didn't seem aware of what an understatement that was.

"Can you lean back in the chair for me?"

"All right." She finally stopped perching on the very edge of the chair and sank into the comfortable leather cushions.

"Good! Now there's no pressure here. I just want you to sit back and listen, and soon you might feel yourself growing more relaxed. It will happen naturally -- you don't need to worry about it. First of all, I'd like you to think about the tension you're holding in your jaw…"

Dr. Palmer began leading Zhihao through a standard relaxation induction, and was surprised at how much she was responding to it. After just a few minutes, she was noticeably more relaxed, with a slightly distant expression on her face. Dr. Palmer figured she'd judged wrong -- instead of being unable to relax, she might have been so desperate for rest that she couldn't help but follow along with everything the doctor was saying.

"Now I want you to take a nice deep breath. Take a deep breath in… hold it… and out. That's good. Another deep breath in… hold it… and out." Dr. Palmer was now hopeful of actually getting a working trance in this session. "I want you to keep taking deep breaths, slowly and evenly. And as you breathe in, I want you to allow your eyelids to fall shut… and when you breathe out, you can open them again. Breathe in, closing those eyes down… and breathe out, opening your eyes."

Zhihao followed along easily, her eyes fluttering shut on every deep breath as Dr. Palmer coaxed her further into trance.

"And as you take those big deep breaths, and your eyes open and close, you may feel yourself starting to get a little drowsy. Your eyelids may start to feel heavy from having to open and close them, and that's okay. Just keep on taking nice deep breaths in, allowing those heavy eyes to close, and out, opening them again. It's okay if you struggle a little to open your eyes. They're probably feeling very heavy now, like they'd just want to stay shut. And you might be feeling more and more sleepy…"

Again, Dr. Palmer was surprised by how quickly she responded. It didn't take long at all before Zhihao was practically falling asleep.

"…and you can just keep your drowsy, sleepy, heavy eyelids closed," said Dr. Palmer. "How are you feeling?"

Her voice sounded dreamy and far away. "…Obedient."

Now that was interesting, because Dr. Palmer hadn't even mentioned obedience. Clearly this client had some ideas about hypnosis that were influencing her -- probably related to her alien abduction fantasy. Well, she could certainly work with that.

"That's right, obedient. And the sleepier you get, the more you're going to drop down into a deep state of obedience…"

Zhihao was absolute putty in Dr. Palmer's hands as soon as she brought up obedience, almost like she'd been hypnotized before and this was some sort of trigger.

"You're certain you've never been hypnotized before?"

"The aliens hypnotize me each time they take me. They need me to be docile and obedient."

Ah, so this really was just part of her alien fantasy. Convenient. "Let's talk about that more, now that you're in such a deep and peaceful hypnotic trance," she said. "Can you tell me when and where the aliens usually abduct you?"

"In my bedroom, just as I'm about to go to sleep," she said. "I can feel it about to happen before it does. They use their psychic powers to make me too tired to struggle and force me to be quiet, so that when they show up, I won't resist."

"All right. Can you imagine that now? Imagine that you're in your bedroom, safe in your bed, getting ready to go to sleep, when you feel the presence of the aliens."

"They're in my head." She sounded like a different person, small and almost childlike. "Their powers make me so, so sleepy, and I can't get up. I can't call for help, because they want me to be quiet. They make me be quiet. I see some bright lights, and then they're standing by my bed, ready to take me."

"What do they look like?"

"Taller than normal humans and very thin. They have gray skin and enormous dark eyes like the night sky."

So, standard alien "grays", the kind you'd see on any cheesy conspiracy show. "Can you tell me what happens next?"

"They don't speak. They beam their commands directly into my head, and I'm helpless to resist. I feel so drowsy, like I've been drugged. One of them will beckon for me to follow them, and I can't stop myself from getting out of bed and following, like a sleepwalker. They do something to make me want to obey them, more than anything. I always let them take me without any fight at all."

I'm starting to get the picture. My client is severely stressed and overworked, almost certainly neglecting her needs, and she has to constantly wear a facade of being perfect and put together. It's too much for anyone, and her mind is begging for some sort of release. So she imagines a scenario where she's half-asleep and completely powerless, an escape valve of sorts.

"So do you remember what happens after you're taken?"

"I think they must put me to sleep. It gets hard to remember…" She sounded frustrated.

"It's okay, just relax. You can relax and sink deeper into trance. You don't need to pressure yourself to remember," Dr. Palmer encouraged. "If there's anything that stands out to you, any images or feelings, talking about it might help you remember more."

"There is another thing."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She hesitated briefly. "I have this strong image in my head of waking up on a kind of metal table. There are aliens looking down at me, and bright lights overhead. The room is filled with strange machines. And… I'm usually naked, on this table."

Dr. Palmer nodded and noted down a possible sexual frustration component to the client's fantasy.

"The aliens want me awake, but they're still using their psychic powers to make me very, very sleepy and docile. I'm not restrained in any way, but the aliens make me be completely still. And I remember how much I want to obey them. They have strange instruments they use to measure my body and perform tests on me. I remember some sort of eye test with a screen, I think. And they put commands in my head. Commands I'm not allowed to remember."

"Not allowed to remember?"

"Yes," she said, with some distress. "It's very important to obey. It's very important to forget." She sounds like she's reciting some mantra from her dream.

"Is that what they told you?"

"I… remember," she said. "I think I can I remember something I'm not supposed to. Something I've been trying to remember."

"You're very safe here. You can tell me."

"I remember a mask. A scary-looking kind of gas mask. They always bring it out when they're finished with the tests." Zhihao, still deep in trance, seems so agitated about this. "They seal it over my mouth and nose, and I can't resist, because I'm too tired and I have to stay still. Then they tell me that I need to sleep and forget."

"Is that why you can't remember what happens?"

"I don't want to forget. I know that the strange dreams are driving me out of my mind, because I can't remember them. I need to remember. But the gas is so strong, and I can't fight it for long, especially with the aliens using their psychic powers. I get so sleepy that I can't stay awake, and I can feel myself starting to forget, no matter how hard I try to hold on. They make me sleep and forget." A tear rolls down her cheek, her eyes still shut tight.

"It's all right. You're safe here."

"I'm not safe. I'm not safe anywhere," she said. "They can take me any time they please, and I'll be powerless to resist. They can do whatever they want to my mind. They can make me dazed and forgetful. It's ruining my life! And no one would ever believe me."

"I believe you."

"You do?"

Dr. Palmer was at least a little bit tempted to tell her that the aliens were real and that she'd have to do many more sessions to strengthen her mind against them, or some bull like that. After all, judging by this patient's clothing and her description of her job, she had plenty of money for it. But her conscience got the better of her. She felt bad for this woman who had stressed out so hard she was starting to hallucinate. Besides, if she actually helped with the stress, Zhihao might shell out for legitimate hypnotherapy.

"I believe that you've been having these strange, vivid dreams that seems so real you're convinced they must have happened," said Dr. Palmer. "And I believe that these dreams are causing you to become dazed and forgetful at work. But that doesn't mean the aliens themselves are real, no matter how real they seem."

"I knew you would think I was crazy."

"That's not what I'm saying at all. I definitely don't think you're crazy. This sort of situation is way more common than you think."

Zhihao's face scrunched, trying to process, so Dr. Palmer continued on.

"You're obviously very stressed, and I'm going to guess that you haven't been getting enough sleep."

"I try to get four hours a night."

Oh lord. "That's not nearly enough sleep, you know. And I'm guessing you're neglecting other needs, like food and hydration."

Even still under trance, Zhihao looked miserable thinking about it. "With so many meetings, there's no time in the day to eat lunch…"

"Stress, lack of sleep, and neglecting of your basic needs can definitely cause vivid nightmares."

She nodded slowly. "But why are they so vivid and specific?"

"Well, you're incredibly stressed, so your dreams are also stressful. Your body needs more sleep, but you're always denying it, so you're imagining a situation where you're forced to sleep. And having so many responsibilities and needing to make hard decisions all day is exhausting, so you imagine a situation where you're powerless and not in control, no decisions possible."

"That makes sense…"

"I think what would help you is some self-hypnosis techniques to help you relax and sleep better," said Dr. Palmer, putting on her best therapist voice. "May I teach you a few?"

"If you think it will help."

Half an hour later, Zhihao was blinking her eyes awake from heavy trance, yawning and stretching and already looking better. "That was amazing!" she said. "I feel so relieved, and I think I really did need to relax for a while."

"I'm glad I could help," said Dr. Palmer. "I think getting even a little more sleep and trying out some of the stress-relieving techniques I taught you will help reduce the amount and intensity of those nightmares."

"It can't hurt. I'm willing to try anything."

"Would you be interested in a followup appointment in a month?"

"That's really close to my deadline -- could it be a month and a half?"

As Zhihao waved goodbye and headed out the door, Dr. Palmer felt satisfied with how it'd all turned out. She'd hopefully helped this woman avoid a premature heart attack and she'd possibly made a loyal customer, a win-win situation. Besides that, this patient's stories about aliens were far more interesting than a lot of the problems her patients had.

For once, Dr. Palmer was certain that she'd done well.

That is, until she saw the bright lights outside her window that night.

Augusnippets Masterlist

@augusnippets

There is a part two to this story once I finish it!

[miminmimikyu]

Prodigy episodes 19-20

This series has many moving parts on top of a time travel based plot that spans 40 episodes and yet it never needs to do to a “previously on…” Any reminders just appear organically.

Ascencia exhibiting peak “if I can’t have it no one can!!” behaviour

I really really like that Prodigy makes use of the current state of starflleet defined by Star Trek Picard to create this situation where the crew is alone!

Holo Janeway berating Chakotay took me by surprise!! She never did that with the kids

So Chakotay and the Protostar were lost 2 years ago, I missed that info! And the year the Protostar crashed onto Tars Lamora really is unknown! I was trying to figure that one out since episode 2, but they didn't know either!

But to get back to Chakotay’s timeline: so he left on the protostar in 2382, just 4-5 years after getting home!!! I’m absolutely fascinated by what possessed him to do that? I would have pegged someone like Harry or even Janeway as a person who couldn’t settle back into normal life and needed to experience horrors (, new) to distract from horrors (, old). Unless... something particularly bad happened around that time and Chakotay would rather take a deep space mission rather than hang around. On the plus side, that probably means while he lived on the island for 10 years he only lost 8 years compared to everyone else.

Oh no, Holo Janeway’s existential dread! I really wasn’t expecting that since she was so ok with blowing herself up at the end of S1. But I forgot that that time she wasn't losing 10 years of Chakotay. (seriously.. what happened during those 10 years?)

Omg omg omg it’s going to be a causal loop????? Maj’el mentioning the Bell Riots and First Contact in episode 3, Dal & co being the people who freed Chakotay in the first place… that’s all foreshadowing this??? :D

Of course there's Bad Future Solum and the info that Janeway dug out of the Protostar wreckage with Chakotay piloting the ship that doesn’t match up, but I suppose it’s more wibbly wobbly timey wimey than just one loop-- the Mirror episode (& Wesley's explanation) showed all those alternate timelines existing next to each other after all!

I think I forgot to write this for episode 9-10 but i was reminded of this again: it’s so brilliant to have the Prodigy kids helped by the OG Star Trek prodigy child Wesley Crusher!

This episode is really full throttling it on the visuals, woooow!! That visual representation of finding thr final wormhole!!!!!!!! magic!!!

back to the future moment with that ripped cable!!!!

Holy fuck Murf ripped off a head!!!!jesus this battle is so tense! I almost thought Dal would be blasted to the past there! And Gwyn’s fight was so exciting. “Gwyndala our will is yours" ;_;

I like that this final confrontation ended with Ascencia's own actions taking her down: She focused too much on her revenge and own idea of what Solum should be and abandoned any sort of alternative. Her actions made life on Solum actively worse, thereby alienating people, who became unwilling to follow her (including her young optimistic self). But Gwyndala did get that support and she used it not to hurt Ascencia, but to disarm her. It is so beautiful that the first two people who came to her aid were the young versions of the two last survivors of Solum. Young Ascencia and Ilthuran saw what this revenge quest would turn them into (Ascencia saw first-hand and Ilthuran saw it in the damage he inflicted/would inflict on his own daughter) and that was enough for them to end the cycle. And after being disarmed, Ascencia's final downfall was not at the hands of Gwyn and her reclaimed heirloom, but it was that she still wouldn't let go of her revenge and it literally burnt her out!!

Oh my god I am only like 5 minutes into episode 20 and I'm already in pieces.. is this what it’s like to get everything you want??? (from a season finale)

(The rest of the episode I was just frozen in amazement)

"Once more into the breach!" I;m dying I'm dying The whales navigating!!!! The wormhole interior and those temporal echoes my mouth is open it’s so beautiful!! Holo Janeway copied to an EMH backup module!! That flashback montage aaahhhhhhfjdhhhhhhhhhhh screaming crying throwing up The final returning of the combadge !!!!!! being able to communicate with each other brought all of this together aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh cutting beginning of the S1 loop off with them touching the combadge i can't

Wesley looks just the right amount of excited-deranged when he says "Things yet to come.. wondrous and terrible things…"

First contact with Solum!!!!!!!!!! Gywn finally gets to let go of that weight!!!!

This made me let out one staccato scream of laughter. That better not be libellous, doc:

Wesley going to see Beverly after who knows how many years is so lovely! And him meeting and smiling at Jack! At least was able to tell Beverly her secret to one person. But lmao this means even Wesley didn't/couldn't convince her to tell Picard. Also I guess the federation going to hell might have been the trigger for her to go into hiding properly.

I cannot picture Janeway retiring (she needs a break, yes, but giving up the stars?). But having her say “don’t we all deserve a new beginning?” when you know what’s coming is heartbreaking.

The Prodigy team has absolutely knocked it out of the park with the First Contact scene. What a contrast between Zero and Maj’el being so cute together and then the breaking news. Then the shutdown of the schools, ending scientific exploration and ushering the era of protectionism and turning back on the Federation’s ideals. It was like air leaving the room. What I like about this portrayal is that we've seen many horrible events in Star Trek but never from the point of view of people so young. They're watching as their entire future might be taken away from them.

(Tangent: and for what??? not that attacks like these are ever justified and if anything S1 Picard is big on “fear of the unknown makes people make the most stupid yet devastating decisions” but man… to torpedo your own people’s [Romulans] survival because you and your secret organization failed reading comprehension of a message in a language you don’t speak , then got mega racist about it? Such a stupid senseless thing to do. Which was the point. I know. Still.)

This turned into another tangent that got too long that I'll post later but Janeway putting the kids on the new Protostar and sending them away probably was the best thing she could have done for them... Too bad for Maj'el's Nova squadron friends...

I wonder if we’ll get to see what Vice Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay of Voyager-A (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) are doing in these dark times if we get a season 3 (!!!!!!!). If the Protostar kids are far away from the federation maybe they will only get a send off from them? Or an occasional message? Or will we actually see what the new status quo will make Janeway and Chakotay do?

Speaking of Janeway and Chakotay, ngl when I read months ago that J/C would be addressed in S2 I thought that their relationship would at least be verbally confirmed. But I do like the way the series portrays their relationship. To me they act like they've been in relationship for a while. I know they were already always in each other's personal space on Voyager but they seem even closer and more loving compared to then.

I'm not really into shipping and I'm also the first person to yell "PEOPLE CAN BE INTENSE AND PLATONIC" but the little things in their behaviour and the fact that S2 keeps paralleling them with Gwyn and Dal just screams "married for years" to me. (That Janeway POV shot in episode 11, what did we just walk in on?) I also get that in the end, this series is about the kids, not Janeway and Chakotay-- there's only so much you can do without overshadowing them. But it would have been nice to have an offhand mention that they're married, or that Chakotay lives at the farm when he's not on a mission (e.g. Janeway saying "You're back!" instead of "I wasn't expecting you"). (i mean I like the decision that their relationship is just existing quietly in the background, but i'm not a proper shipper. if i was i think i'd feel cheated)

ANYWAY Dal's arc!!!!!! my heart!!!! "Others came before me; others will follow."!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And captain Gwyn!!!! AAAAA. The three big character arcs this season were so nice: Dal's inferiority complex, Zero's exploration of their identity, and Gwyn dealing with her guilt and doggedness to fix everything herself to "deserve" a place to belong (-> accepting help and learning to lead and trust). Rok got her big arc in S1 but I can't wait to see more + what's in store for Jankom and Maj'el too!!

Prodigy is so good. I hope that Netflix realises what a gem they have obtained and lets it continue for many more seasons. This is seriously some of the best trek I’ve seen in years. So much care went into this series. It oozes love for Star Trek from every detail and yet it is something completely new!

Prodigy managed to tell a cohesive story over 40 episodes, carefully placing threads spanning 2 seasons, and having it come together in such a fascinating and satisfying way is incredible. The fact that this is a story that is so accessible to anyone who hasn’t seen any Star Trek, but weaves a complex story with an ensemble cast that hinges on legacy characters that nevertheless never overshadow the (new character) protagonists, is truly an impressive feat. I don't feel like a single one of the returning characters was there just for nostalgia's sake-- every single one ties into the themes of the story and plays a unique role in the kids' stories. And finally, the finale plants the seeds for the next season by seamlessly connecting to the events leading up to Picard S1. However, because the kids will be off exploring, you still have a sense of uncharted territory. Obviously I want a season 3 like you wouldn't believe, but I'm also so satisfied with how S2 ended that I don't actually mind the wait... if it means we get to see those "wondrous and terrible things" done with as much care as these last two seasons!

[kitkatyes]

Thinking about some headcanons of the differences between the Agency and Zoraxis

Sticking a linebreak in here because I have no impulse control and wrote like, 700 words

The Agency:

In my eyes, they are severely underfunded. Their facilities are practically ancient. You know how your school always has that one part that hasn't been refurbished in decades? Yeah, that's pretty much their entire base of operations, no matter which location you look at.

I'd like to imagine the sense of community is either really strong or really strained. If you're working in, say, HR, I feel like you'd have a really nice bond with your coworkers. However, on the other hand, there's the EOD. I feel that they, would have a tense atmosphere. I mean, if your coworkers were dying every other day, I wouldn't really want to get attached. Even still, there are always a few EOD agents that have grown close to each other and they never deal well with the loss of their coworkers.

The Agency, however, has a very good training programme for their prospective field agents. I envision it as something like past (surviving) field agents or handlers teaching the new recruits all their tips and tricks. (and how to disarm a bomb effectively)

Everyone has absolutely horrible pay. Sure, you might be in the EOD, risking your life on a daily basis, but you'd only just be able to afford a small apartment. The higher-ups consider it almost pointless: they'd just die anyway so why waste all that precious money?

I feel that all Handlers who are ex-field agents would be best friends. They'd all joke about their numerous near-death experiences on the daily. Sort of like the fond retellings we hear Phoenix's Handler talk about over the course of the games. I think they have a shared break room of sorts near their offices.

Zoraxis:

I'd think that they have top-notch facilities- state-of-the-art shit. (they are a very successful business, after all) I'm talking fancy architecture and everything. I feel like they'd be the kind of place where they have those Dyson hand dryers and very nice-smelling soap.

Unlike the Agency, I think the Zoraxis employees/operatives would be relatively nice to each other. Their relationships wouldn't be based on their departments cause I feel like being assigned to a life-threatening mission only happens once (they almost always due to lack of experience)

However, Zoraxis has terrible training programmes. They want to save money so they just stick their new recruits into a single building and hire the cheapest self-defence teachers they can put onto a salary.

Zoraxis employees have a pretty good paycheck, all things considered. They pay a decent amount over minimum wage so most people are able to live somewhat comfortably. I feel like one of the selling points of getting a job is their ability to provide accommodation if needed. They'd have enough money to buy a few apartment blocks for their new hires.

Similarities:

Okay, be so real, they'd both suck at doing background checks. The Agency because they can't really be picky for their field agents and Zoraxis because they don't give a shit. You could be a murderer and they'd just let you walk in with no trouble. Hell, you could probably fake your documents and no one would bat an eye.

The director and Zor rarely show their faces around the building. I feel like all the employees would spread the most out-there rumours about them.

They both have some employee of the month system. Zoraxis gives them out when they remember they have it. The lucky employee gets a little certificate and a small bonus on their next paycheck. At the Agency, Phoenix just has, like, so many. It's like, twenty picture frames in a row and yes, there is absolutely no variation in selected images, just the Agency-mandated ID photo everyone takes on their first day. They get nothing for it, just the gift of staring at their mug every time they are forced to wait for their Handler outside his office.

[sofoulandfairaday]

Hello! I absolutely love your Delphini headcanons, I feel like her character in the Cursed Child did such an injustice to both Voldemort and Bellatrix >:/

If you don't mind, can you do a pt 2 about Delphini in an AU where the Lestranges and Voldemort live/win + raise her to be just as amazing!!

Hi! Thank you for the ask, anon ❤️

I'm glad you like them, since she's a character I personally really disliked in the play (not even her as a person, but she's just so horribly written- TCC as a whole makes me cringe so bad).

For reference, they are talking about this post especially and also this one about her conception & birth and this one too (for good measure).

Warning: anon, I know you want fluff. But you're not getting it from me, I'm an angsty bitch, and the following is angst.

So. The only way I can see Voldemort wanting for a child is for his own personal gain, to have a backup plan in case his body fails. A sort of dark magic experiment. Perhaps he knew his time in his own body was limited (and he did go for the Stone first).

Boy or girl, the sex of the baby doesn't matter to him, it's just a body, just a clump of organs and cells and blood and power - do not get attached, Bellatrix.

She tries to obey his commands but fails miserably the more time she spends with the child, which is more than you'd think, seeing as she's been punished and put under house arrest.

Bellatrix's desire for a little boy, a little Master, one who actually loves her, is indescribable. Voldemort is the one who would prefer a girl. He gets his wish.

The Battle of Hogwarts is somehow won. How? I'll go ahead and say that Draco never disarmed Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower, ergo Snape was the Master of the Elder Wand, ergo Voldemort manages to kill Harry, but all his Horcruxes are destroyed, Nagini included. As for Bella, deus-ex-machina doesn't work here, so she defeats Molly.

Narcissa did still lie, so the three Malfoys are sooo fucked.

Rodolphus and Rabastan both live. The latter goes down a spiral of hedonism in Ibiza, the former is just so done. In the last year, he escaped from Azkaban and was promptly shot out of the sky, was publicly cucked, his Gringotts' Vault was broken into and he has now been through a battle to the death in his former high school. Little Cissy, who he's known since he was a child, was killed before his very eyes and his wife is hiding her obvious pain and betrayal.

As for the relationship between Bellatrix and Rodolphus, I can see a few things happening. In this AU, I feel like Voldemort would ultimately make Bella his official concubine. I accept a variety of headcanons on what happens next because I ultimately accept a variety of different (conflicting) views on what the Lestranges' marriage is like.

(1) Nothing changes. He's still her husband, whether he still loves her or not (and I think he does). He stays with her because of the position & power her closeness to Voldemort grants him.

This, I feel, depends on whether or not she is allowed to share his bed, how possessive you think Voldemort is (and his whole relationship to sex & intimacy), and Bellatrix's own ambitions. If she sees the option to be seen as a wife to the Dark Lord, even if not in name, she would take it. But I don't think Voldemort would ever grant her that, so in turn Bellatrix wouldn't let go of the title of Madame Lestrange that easily. Rodolphus can sleep with other people, but can't get rid of her, especially of his own volition.

Or maybe she's just greedy. Rodolphus wants a divorce because he wants an heir of his own and a wife he can sleep with and she goes "Nope, nu-uh, too bad", and tells herself it's not because she deep down needs his love.

(2) They get amicably divorced and are still friends/have a good relationship. Bella has lost both her sisters now, and Voldemort is still Voldemort.

This happens especially if he wants children of his own. But realistically, I think he just starts pestering Rabastan until he gets married (“To a woman, Rab, a WOMAN!”) and has little Lestranges to carry on the family name.

Delphi has her mother's eyes. Dark, and entrancing. Rodolphus wants to hate her, he really does, but he cannot bring himself to. She's the spitting image of little Bella, and looking at her is bittersweet.

I think he avoids her in the beginning (this also depends on Rod's characterization - whether he doesn't care about children and never wanted them, or he desperately wished he'd have one with Bella - the answer exists on a spectrum).

But Bellatrix and Voldemort are not parents of the year. Also, they have such a unique relationship, one so unhealthy and all-encompassing, that it shuts out the rest of the world, their daughter included. And Rod can't help but feel bad for this lonely girl.

The really tragic thing is that - and I'm sorry but this is the truth, and it sucks - Bellatrix would never love her daughter more than she loves the Dark Lord. This knowledge is a trauma factory in itself, but to make matters worse, this child's father is Voldemort, who has no concept of what selflessness and selfless love are. Since Rodolphus is clearly the most emotionally intelligent of the three (the bar is low), some part of his dark little heart must recognize this.

Also, the Dark Lord is a man with a plan. He has no more Horcruxes left, he needs another one. Guess who?

The downside to this is that he needs to anchor his child to life - no matter, she is just an extension of him, after all. Children being their own people? Nah. - but more importantly this means he's paranoid now. More than he was before. His soul is so unstable that he cannot make new Horcruxes, Delphi is his last one, so he needs to protect her with all that he has.

When she's a child, she doesn't see him much. She lives a sheltered life, with her mother who loves her very much and gives her as much affection as she can, but who ultimately follows the Dark Lord around like a puppy, and Uncle Rod. Uncle Rod is the only reason this poor girl's childhood even resembles a childhood.

She isn't allowed friends, and Papa (Voldemort cringes every time he hears this, and teaches her to call him My Lord, the way your mother does when she's about five) won't allow anyone near her.

He's also very particular about her health, and her studies. He gets updates on how her magic is manifesting (violently; Delphi is immensely powerful) and decides he will teach her personally when she turns seven.

He demands she spend her days training and studying: grammar, math, history, the basics of potion-making; her mother insists that she learn her ancestry (the whole of the Black Family, and the Gaunts, and even some Lestranges, for good measure), Abraxan riding, the basics of etiquette (I hated it too, Delphini, but that's not a good enough reason for you to conduct yourself like a savage!, while Rodolphus shakes his head incredulously, wishing Druella was there to hear it). Rod teaches her how to dance and wants to teach her Quidditch, but both Bella and the Dark Lord grumble what a waste of time, so he settles on teaching her how to fly a broom (Voldemort still grumbles because he can fly without a broom and will eventually teach Delphi to do the same, but Bella is mollified and allows it).

Her flying lessons with her father (she can get away with calling him her father and takes advantage of that) are some of her most cherished memories, actually. He has granted no one else this honour, not even her mother. (She doesn't know about Snape and no one ever mentions him anymore, so...)

Bella gives her her very first magic lessons, when she's seven or eight, but soon grows bored with it (powerful as Delphi is she needs to start from the most basic Wingardium Leviosas, spells that Bella now performs nonverbally and wandlessly, without even thinking about it, and revisiting the movements and theory behind them bores her to tears). She leaves it to her father who - surprisingly - has much more patience than she does.

He was her teacher too, after all.

By the time Delphi is 11, she could sit a Charms N.E.W.T. and pass with flying colours, and she's very good at Transfiguration too.

Voldemort sees no reason for her to ever go to Hogwarts.

Are you surprised? I bet you are.

After all, Hogwarts was his first and best home, the only place he ever felt was his own, the best experience of his life. I doubt he loved anyone or anything as much as he loved Hogwarts, the symbol of being a wizard to him. Denying anyone that experience, especially his own daughter, reads as an unspeakable cruelty. But he's never said he wasn't cruel. Granting her that - fundamental, wonderful, life-changing -experience would be selfless, it would be the right thing to do.

But Delphi is his Horcrux, his key to immortality, and quite plainly... his. He doesn't give a flying fuck that she has very few social skills, no friends, has no idea how to talk to people her own age. He doesn't trust her to meet other people, to make connections, to fall in love, basically to be exposed to anything that might turn her against him, or endanger her (him).

Being a manipulative bastard, he tells a tantrum-throwing Delphi that she can choose: go to Hogwarts and spend seven years revisiting stuff she already knows, surrounded by people who aren't worthy to lick her boots, and I cannot deny how disappointed I would be, Delphini (and this just ends the conversation because Delphi would kill herself before actively choosing to disappoint her father) or she can finally come and live with Bellatrix and him, and they will teach her the Dark Arts and whatever else she wants. Most of all, it's the promise they'll be there, that she'll have as much access to them as she wants.

By the time she's an adult, she's much more powerful than Bellatrix ever was. (And I won't lie to you, Bella doesn't particularly love this.) But still, she cannot beat her father. What sets them apart is the source of their power. Delphi, despite the ache she feels for her parents' love and affection, was born coddled and cared for. Her mother especially would never shut up about how she was a literal princess, royalty, the heir of Slytherin, etc. She never had to fight for it. She didn't hear bombs falling on London, didn't starve in a cold orphanage in the East End, was never tied to a bed and exorcised as the Devil's spawn- she was never truly hungry.

For all that they can teach her, they cannot make her ambitious. If she had gone to Hogwarts, she would have still been a Slytherin, based on her heritage and values, but she is nothing like her parents, character-wise. Bellatrix fought against the contraints of her society and her gender, Voldemort fought against his blood status and his fear of death.

The source of conflict in Delphi's story, on the other hand, is the family dynamics between the three of them. (You can make them as horrifying as you want, there is really no limit to the worst, as we say in Italy).

Delphi was born in the cage, loves the cage, and doesn't want to be free. If anything, she wants to be pulled further into it. I think there would be some sort of weird rivalry there, between her and Bella, for Voldemort's affections because they really are that scarce. But it would also come wrapped in a thick layer of guilt - what mother hates their daughter when she is overshadowed? What kind of daughter hates the only parent that actually loves her?

(Voldemort doesn't even realize he pits them against each other, half the time. He does that to people, it's almost subconscious now.)

She's deeply alone, by design, and only wants to be close to her mom and (especially) her dad. That is literally the only character trait she has in that dammned play, so I'll keep that as part of her personality.

Voldemort definitely did that on purpose. And as soon as he finally notices tensions rise between her and Bellatrix (I think Delphi's teenage years were even more rebellious than Bellatrix's) he puts a stop to it immediately - if you drive the girl away from me, from us, Bella, I will make you pay personally.

I can see Delphi running away from home and getting into trouble because of her complete lack of awareness on how the world actually works, begging (through the Dark Mark or whatever else) her father to come rescue her, and Tom (who obviously watches from afar, to make sure his Horcrux isn't truly destroyed) saying no, deal with it. She gets out of most of it because of her immense power, but these brushes with real life leave her rattled.

Can you imagine a boy trying to hit on her?

If he knows who she is, she can never truly trust him: they're all trying to curry favour with her father (it's possibly the worst way ever to do so- trying to take something from him). If he doesn't, her absolute lack of social skills and general arrogance put a dent in her physical attractiveness. (She is a beautiful girl; after all, her parents are Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Black.)

Delphi is more powerful than Bellatrix, her position in society is higher than Bellatrix's and still, her father trusts her mother more than her.

By the way, no, she isn't his named heir, she isn't the commander of his armies or anything of the sort. Voldemort does not share power, that's the whole point of his character. The Minister is still a puppet minister, he is the commander of his own armies, and Bella is a close second.

She also doesn't make that many public appearances; people know of her by now, but they aren't granted access - the image of Nagini, his last Horcrux, in that magical cage resonates with me. It takes years before the war is truly over.

She grows up to be a wonderfully intriguing mix of arrogance and insecurity. Much like Bella, she grows up with the burden of being told she was destined for greatness because of her blood, her family, and not because she herself is great. Unlike Bella, Voldemort has no intention of setting her free, not even in the half-hearted way he does Bellatrix (guys, as much as we love them, she is very much his slave, however willing, in canon). She's the ultimate girlboss: beautiful, smart, powerful... 2/10 personality.

You can do what you want with her story from here onwards. One more tragic than the other. Or you can give them a happy ending, provided that Voldemort's brave new world knows what therapy is.

I don't think this is what you wanted, anon, but alas it's what I genuinely think would happen. Delphi's """"character traits""" in the play are her cunning (that she developed to survive, and that she wouldn't necessarily need in a world where she grows up a pureblood princess), her loneliness and the bone-deep need she feels for her parents' love. Since she wouldn't be herself without those... yup. This is my view.

(Sorry.)

[lucresence]

Lucina Headcanons

[ cw // death, this is a fire emblem game, parents die ]

Fire Emblem: Awakening

(optional) Lucina's claimed other parent is f!Robin. Thus, she has inherited not only the mark of Naga, but also that of Grima. The brand of Naga is rather visible in her eye, and used to be her parent's joy to see. However, already at birth, she also was bearing the mark of Grima akin to two wings across her back. While her parents were concerned about the second brand and what it might mean, Lucina never witnessed anything strange happening about it. Still, she is extremely cautious and also very self-conscious about it, not letting anyone see it to avoid sparking distrust in her mission.

While Lucina had been born as a princess, her parents never had forced her to take up on more lady-like skills. Instead, holding great admiration for her father, she learned from him and “Uncle Frederick” how to wield a sword and how to disarm an opponent in a duel. Similar to her father, she has been practicing ever since she had been a child and therefore is quite experienced in it.

Originally, her plan had included all of her friends to turn back time together and find her parents in the past. However, being one of the — if not even the first people to try this kind of magic, things did not go according to plan. Finding herself in a battle situation, it took Lucina quite some time, after rescuing her aunt and fleeing the scene, that not a single of her friends had been transported with her. All alone in a different time, the princess suffered quite some sleepless nights, wondering what had become of her friends and if she had maybe sent them into certain death.

In her time, being forced to face her mother and her younger sibling, she does feel quite odd being with them again. Even though she knows they are not the same, it still feels like history might just repeat again. Thus, her attentive eye is not only one for their safety.

She really, really, absolutely, has not a single clue why she keeps breaking training dummies and walls. Would love to know so she can stop. But even when she tries to be careful, something breaks.

Lucina is a little clumsy out of combat. Having had enough training and fighting experience to engrave it into her muscles, she practically dances across the battlefield. Yet, that grace is nowhere in sight when she is outside of battle. Stumbling over trunks, spilling her food, walking into laundry lines... been there, done that.

When she spends a lot of time in the sun, she gets freckles all over her face and shoulders — something she is a bit self-conscious about.

While she never had much interest in feminine hobbies as a child, lately she has been wondering if maybe going to a ball, dressing up, putting on make up and so on might be interesting. She doesn't think the others consider her that type of person, though, making it difficult for her to approach them about it. She would like to learn a thing or two from Severa if only she had the courage to ask.

She wears her father's ring around her necklace. Her mother's ring is lost to Grima's vessel in her timeline.

[fallow-grove]

I (230, elf wizard) have this friend (4376, dragon). We've always gotten along fairly well, but recently whenever I visit their lair they've got a new kidnapped princess and they never mention what happened to the old ones. Would it be alright if I were to ask about it or should I let them be?

-Worried and Wondering

Dear Worried,

That does sound like quite the pickle!! One thing I'd recommend right off the bat is to not investigate their lair on your own without first trying other options. Doing so could lead to the classic "well now you know my secret... and everyone who knows my secret must DIE" subplot which is overall unpleasant and potentially friendship-destroying! (On the other hand, were you to investigate on your own and find nothing afoot, they may feel betrayed upon catching you in their place of residence.)

However, all this is assuming you are lacking in other critical information. Some factors to consider:

Is this a sex thing?

Does your friend eat people?

Would you still be friends if you found out your friend ate people?

Are the lair decorations people bones?

Are local areas reporting their princesses missing or assumed dead?

How well do you really know your friend?

If you decide to ask your friend, I would recommend a casual public environment, such as a coffee shop or a local park, somewhere comfortable and almost private but not without potential witnesses in case something goes wrong. Try not to be confrontational or make a scene, while still letting them know this is something you're concerned about.

You could even start with something as casual as "Did you ever mention why you always have guests over?" or another similarly disarming opener, which sweeps the floor for them to either correct you on the status of "guest" or elaborate on what type of guest they are.

Above all, remember that they have MUCH more life experience than you and may have been in this situation many times before. Focus on the facts and don't push it too much if they get defensive. You're absolutely within your right to be concerned, I'd just advise ruling out BDSM hookup shenanigans before getting anyone else involved.

Stay safe!

-fallow 🌻

[writingsofmax]

obligatory new year post

hello..... everyone...

so uhhhhhhh prior to this year I had NEVER written before and I decided to take a chance on it after The Batman had captured my heart and soul and now I have a lovely circle of new friends that I talk to almost every day, and all of you, my lovely followers and sweet anons and subscribers and commenters and rebloggers and I just can't believe it?? I even get requests for my writing??? which is absolutely WILD. bonkers bananas. my favorite thing about it is that a lot of the attention has come from my Disarm fic, which started as a way for me to somewhat vent about my experiences of being chronically ill. I didn't think it would go very far. I didn't think it would be relatable. I thought it would be too depressing for most people and would be forgotten pretty easily. But that's NOT what happened!! If anything, it resonated with a lot of you and now I have other chronically ill people reaching out to me, telling me how important it is to them, and asking me to write more. And that literally means more to me than anything else. Even if I haven't done much of anything else this year, I can be proud of that, for sure. So thank you so much everyone, for a great year. am I proud of the gratuitous amounts of smut I've written this year as well? thats yet to be seen

[fel-temptation]

arms: Does your OC have any weapons? What weapons do they carry, and how do they wear them when they're not fighting?

Character Design Asks

Korrinth favors long swords over other weapon styles, forgoing the traditional pair of glaives the Illidari are known for. She does actually keep smaller throwing glaives that she uses for ranger attacks. In addition she has a spell-book that is loaded with complex runes that she wouldn’t be able to draw during a battle, though it does have other utilities as well. Finally, she sports a pair of sharp claws and fangs, as well as a lengthy education in arcane magic that allows her to cast fel based spells.

One day I’ll give her a whip….. one day.

While she was never quite a martial character, Korrinth received some basic combat training focused on a blade when she spent time with the Sunfury army, then afterwards when she was trained as an Illidari, then honed over the decade or so slaying. Because of her lack of martial experience she found glaives to be far too cumbersome to be effective with, and settled on a pair of matching blades. Usually worn alongside her hips, she prefers alternating between standard and reverse grips when wielding them.

While she doesn’t utilize the larger glaives she still does use the Illidari staple at times in the form of a miniaturized throwing glaive. The blades fold for convenience and is stored on the backside of her belt. It isn’t a weapon she often employs mostly because she will rely on spells to close a distance like felfire bolt, fel lance, or corruption spike (I’m just making shit up).

Given her background as a mage spellcraft is a big part of her repertoire, as she often uses spells and runes in a fight. While she can certainly innately cast spells or draw runes, she keeps a rather lengthy spell-book that also gets utilized in conflict. It can be boiled down to her having more complex runes already drawn out that she will quickly tear out and apply fel to, mostly ones that are too complex to draw in the heat of battle. Beyond the combat applications, this also serves as her magical journal, bestiary, and sketchbook. It sits offset on the front of her belt, near the hilt of one of her blades.

Finally, Korrinth herself is a weapon due to the demonic mutations she received. While her corruption isn’t as complete as most Illidari, she still has the staples; Claws and fangs. Korrinth has been known to use these built in weapons at random. While they absolutely serve as a last line of defense when disarmed, she had been known to dispatch demons with them once already wounded in a feral showing of power, frustration, annoyance, or any mixture of the three, however she’s usually in an enraged or emotionally heightened state when that does happen.

Thanks @nixalegos !

[mcmorare]

@breakswater sent: you can hardly even breathe without lying.

What the fuck is happening?

She can’t understand what the fuck is going on. The last time they saw each other was one of the worst choices she’s ever had to make, and she fully expected him to be upset about it. How could he not be? She was upset with herself for it, even if she knew it was right. It was right. Going back there wasn’t an option. But it’s fucking haunted her, the joy in his eyes seeing her again, the absolutely deeply awful feeling of watching that joy shatter right in front of her. Of having to be the one who crushed whatever hopes he was clearly set on. Being completely honest, it might have been one of the worst things she’s ever felt. Physical pain, she can force herself to get through. That hurt look on his face made her soul ache. She sees it when she closes her eyes, the guilt trails her like a shadow. It would have been infinitely easier if he had reacted with a punch to the face. She wishes he had. 

Just in time, she ducks out of the way. So close she can almost feel the knife in his hand.

So, he’s mad. He should be mad. But this is something else. There’s something searingly cold and sharp in his eyes that she’s never seen. Not just in him, but in anyone. Something violet-hot and dangerous. It looks almost unnatural. Oh god, did I hurt him this badly? I never wanted to hurt him, look at him, is this my fault? 

“Jett-”  Cut off as she’s forced to dodge again - fuck, he’s determined. Force is definitely warranted in this scenario, it’s something she should be using, something she usually doesn’t shy away from using. She hates having to hold herself back in a fight. Except for right now. Because every time he tries to land a hit all she can think about is that hurt look in his eyes, because with every touch she can feel this molten-hot rage and fear radiating off of him with an intensity that shocks her every time, like touching a hot stove. He was never like this before. Something must have happened. Something had to have happened. But the only thing that she can think of is the possibility that this is her fault. Maybe it is just that. Maybe the days of stewing in that betrayal that he felt was enough to push him into this nightmarish fury. She doesn’t know if she hopes that’s it or if she hopes there was something else. What would be worse, her being responsible or him going through whatever else they could have subjected him to? (And she knows from experience, that list of possibilities is a long and painful one.) It’s a situation with no good options. Only pain and regret. 

“I’m not-”  Dodge again. For once, she hopes she isn’t driven to attack, that her disarm-not-kill skills will actually come in handy. He isn’t making it easy. This time, the blade catches her forearm. Shit. There’s no pause in his attack, in fact, she could swear he almost looked glad to land the hit. It never would have happened before, that look, he never would have been happy to see her bleed, never would have been attacking like this in the first place. Right? Was he lying the whole time? It’s possible, of course it’s possible, the world that they’re both in, things like that happen all the time, lying and spying and getting close to the enemy for the sake of some mission. It certainly would have benefitted them, for him to lie to her, get her guard down a little, make her more compliant, not as on-edge. Get her a friend so that she’s easier to manage. Was that it? Did she fall for it? But then why would he be upset at her lying - which she didn’t? How did he get it in his head that she lied? And about what? And why? The whole situation is making her head spin in a way that is not helping her chances in this fight. Focus. Right here, right now. 

A heavy breath leaves her as she finally gets a grip to shove him away, his back hitting the wall.  “I never lied to you, Jett.”  She would have hoped the truth in those words could reach him even a little. They only seem to make him angrier. What else is she supposed to say? What is there that she could say, that could convince him? He’s hardly letting her get a word out as it is, already on the attack again. Quick as a fucking shark. All those years of training put to good use. Of course, she knew there was a possibility that she would become the target at some point, she had to consider that (even if she never wanted to, she only ever did so briefly). But she didn’t imagine that if it came down to it, he would be this brutal. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you-”  Block his punch, duck under his arm and push away- he taught her that, she practiced that move on him. It’s like some sort of frantic, distorted reflection of the past. Still, every time they touch that connection hums to life under her skin, she can feel him. Still, there is no conflict in him, only all that wounded wrath. All the levity of the person she knew before, any trace of what they had shared, washed away. What the fuck happened?  “But I promise, I didn’t lie to you-”  The heel of his boot punches her shin out from under her, scrambling to steady herself in time to dodge the next move. There’ll be a bruise there. Blood rushes in her ears, heart races, breaths are labored and hasty. Is he going to kill her? It seems like nothing less is going to stop him. To die at the hands of the boy who used to try and make her laugh. 

“I never wanted any of this.”

[criticalsucc]

9, 13, 58, 61, 62, 73 ?

😊💛💖

9: Describe your perfect mate

Someone who is smart, patient, compassionate, understanding, non-judgemental. Someone who knows themselves well and who knows what they want. Someone who can think deeply about complex concepts, but who can also be silly and ridiculous. Someone who is quirky and maybe a bit eccentric, but also knows how to stay grounded when it's appropriate. Someone who has something new to show me and finds joy in sharing it with me. Someone who can express themselves well and make their thoughts and feelings clear. Someone who loves sex and isn't shy about it. Someone who gives love and affection easily. Someone who makes it clear they want me in their life.

Also, absolutely stunning eyes. I wanna feel like I'm descending into some kind of tripped out fantasy realm whenever she looks at me. I want to see the void and I want to see the stars when we make eye contact. When I catch her gaze I want to feel like I've discovered a secret humans were never meant to know, but it's too late to back out now. I want to be captivated and mesmerized and completely disarmed in her sight. I want her to make me feel like she unravels the very fiber of my being with but a simple flick of the eye.

How did I just write an entire paragraph about your eyes lol

13: Do you get jealous easily?

I'll say no, but it also depends on context. It's about what our dynamic is and how my partner treats me. I will not say I'm immune to jealousy. But to get jealous I would have to feel like I'm not being treated fairly, or that I'm being used, like my potential partner is flippant with their affections and not being clear with me where we stand while also flaunting the fact that they are putting the moves on someone else. But that's what I've found to be really freeing about the idea of polyamory, that I can have a partner that will continue to choose me even when they have also chosen others. To feel like I'm just as important as anyone else (which obviously takes work and doesn't just happen on its own, but we are assuming the relationship is a good healthy one here). Then it's much easier to not be jealous.

58: What are five ways to win your heart?

Make me feel safe. I have a lot of insecurities left over from past experiences so I can sometimes be a bit guarded. But if you make me feel safe enough to drop that guard, I will like you a lot.

Make your feelings clear. I don't want to have to guess about the way someone feels about me. And I'm not always good at picking up on cues. I need verbiage.

Be consistent. I've got a lot of pain left over from people with fickle feelings. Show me and remind me that your interest in me is clear and will not blow away with the wind.

Give me passion. Make me feel like a prize. When you notice me struggling with self-doubt, reassure me that you want me because I'm oh so very wantable.

Go deeper than the surface. I hate to use the Shrek metaphor but I'm an onion. I have a lot of layers. I need someone who wants to cut through them all and welcomes the tears that may follow (probably my tears from being Seen lol).

61: What is the first thing you notice in someone?

Physically, I'm going to have to be cliché and say eyes 😂 Or hair maybe.

For personality, something that makes me think I might be compatible with someone would be earnestness. Just how ready are you to be open and honest about your feelings?

62: What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you?

Honestly, talk me through an orgasm while I'm fucking them. Just like, tell me you want it. Make me feel like it's something you need from me. Hold onto me and say "cum for me" when I'm at climax. Just typing it out is causing movement in my underwear 😅

73: What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you?

Honestly just tell me you want to spend time with me. I've never been on a romantic date though. So I'd love to be taken on a date.

Thank you so much for these lovely questions Stardust 😊♥️💜💛💖

[icedmetaltea]

Been playing Baldurs gate I see! I'm also obsessed with it currently

What's your party layout? Like which companions do you like to bring, have you changed their classes, etc. Also are you romancing anyone? 👀 wink wonk

(warning for rambling cause I am not normal about this game, I am not normal at all-)

Also warning for spoilers in general kinda

iosjeferijgvierjgv8erjvgoerhg0rehg0rejgre I'm like 30-something hours in and only just now found out I just completed act 1- I THOUGHT ACT 1 WAS OVER AFTER I COMPLETED THE GOBLIN CAMP 😭😭 Which isn't a bad thing cause that just means the game is way longer than I thought, more to enjoy.

I just changed my class from fighter to bard cause I was getting sad always leaving Karlach and Lae'zel out since I didn't need another guy doing heavy hits up front. That plus I was sick of never getting any advantage on persuasion checks. Not sure how I feel about it just yet since I haven't had much experience; I'll def miss my cool armor ; - ;

(fyi I didn't change their classes but adjusted their builds so they'd be more efficient, for instance Asterion basically can't lose at unlocking/disarming a thing cause he has so many advantages now)

Anyways I currently have Gale, Asterion and Shadowheart (was Karlach but brought in Shadowheart since I was curious too see if there'd be any unique dialogue in the Shar temple I'm currently in)

I keep switching out Gale and Wyll, I love them both and am tryna like get an equal amount of both BUT i don't rlly need more than one mage/socerer/whatever at a time ya feel.

The flaming gay va- I mean Asterion is almost entirely just there for unlocking things and disarming traps, man's an absolute twig in a fight 😭 I also like sending him up front to scout out the area in dungeons since I believe he has better perception. Also he was reminding me of someone for so long and I finally remembered what

Karlach is my tank currently, she deals a majority of the heavy damage and I just love her in general so I like to keep her whenever possible (can sub for Lae'zel but idk I don't like her that much?? At first I did but now she's just getting into fights with everyone willy nilly ya know??)

Shadowheart is strictly there for protection and healing. I HATE THIS BITCH SO MUCH!!! (sorry to all the shadowheart fans out there) Just to me she's so "oh the goddess likes me and not you, guess I'm better than the rest of you uwuwuwu" like bitch shut the fuck up please.

As for romancing, not sure?? I know you can technically be poly in this game so I'm tryna romance as many ppl as possible without locking myself into anything (I just had to brutally reject Wyll by just turning away my face from kiss bc apparently it's smash him or break his heart and no in-between, also I looked it up and he's monogamous so I rlly would lock myself into it and I don't want that, EVEN THO HE'S SO SWEET AND LOYAL AND WHOLESOME AND I WANNA H*G AND H*LD H*NDS WITH HIM, FUCK YOU GAME-)

I'll prolly play the game again in a couple months when there's a mod that lets you simultaneously romance everyone cause my RPG self is a SLUT and wants to form the ultimate polycule in any game I play. Everyone is too loveable not to.

Buuuut in the meantime yea I'm just tryna rizz everybody (aside from Wyll cause game is like ok no kiss?? No romance fuck you little dwarven WHORE) up.

If the dil- I mean Halsin is romanceable, I'm absolutely gonna h*ld h*nds with that man. That beast. That guy with GIANT HUGGABLE PECTORALS MMMMMMM. Also the fire queen goddess suprem- I mean Karlach is I thiiiink going pretty steady?? Haven't had any new dialogue options for a while but I think we're in a kinda flirty zone currently so that's good. God she's so wholesome and wonderful, I love her with my entire being and soul. If anything happens to her I will exterminate all life on this planet and then myself.

As for Lae'zel?? I think she was a very much smash or pass person cause when I turned her down at the party she hasn't had much more to say to me sadge (which is fine cause idk like I said she's just been grating on my nerves) Not sure about the others, it's kinda hard to tell, especially with Gale. Maybe cause I've been rizzing other ppl, and I've heard he's also monogamous, wehhhhh (which is valid but c'mon let a bitch dream of polycules and giant sleepovers with a hundred blankets and everyone forming the ultimate cuddle pile around the tiny dwarf who will never know a cold night again)

[moonelf19]

I have an unpopular opinion that might get me dogpiled by my social circles IRL

I think Baldurs Gate 3 is a "meh" game.

Before you grab your pitchforks let me say I'm so glad Larian is getting praised, that people are enjoying it. Really.

But the bugs and errors have absolutely ruined my experience, coupled with the fact that my first playthrough is with two other friends in multiplayer.

My friends begged and pleaded and refused to play anything else when it was in early access, and even though I eventually put my foot down and refused to start any new saves after the SEVENTH FRESH START. In early access. Where we never even made it very far. Any time they added or changed anything my friends were like "ok time to start a new save file!" And girl. As much as I love making alts. I hated BG3 in early access. We did the same first 2-3 hours of that game too many times. I realized too late I was getting burnt and the damage was done.

When it full released I was so excited to jump back in having completely ignored it for so long. I made a new character, played for a few hours (speeding through the stuff I already had done) before discovering that my saving was corrupted.

That happened three times, with me changing settings and even reinstalling the game, before my googling finally pinged about the cross save articles.

Again. Damage was done. I was so incredibly frustrated I wanted to take another break.

Instead my friends convinced me to do a multiplayer for my first run through.

Huge mistake. Don't do that. Don't do multiplayer for your first time.

After we got through the part I had done a million times, I pointed out that I didn't know the story at that point so we should stick together. Nope.

Didn't happen.

The host went full main character syndrome. I would be in the middle of buying something, or doing inventory management, which I am very efficient at this point. But he would run off and do conversations and continue quests and I kept getting confused on what was happening.

And the one time I wandered off, while he and my other friend traded some gear, I accidentally aggroed some mobs and he absolutely scolded me for "trying to split the party". Apparently I walked past a HIDDEN DOOR that I wasn't aware of and AFTER I GOT INTO COMBAT he decided to go into the door and start a different combat, and got mad I wasnt following him.

Later I was talking to some NPCs and seeing if any of them had anything interesting to trade, like main character told me to do, and then he said he was continuing a quest and doing a riddle/secret and I was like where? What? Wait for me! But he didn't and by the time I showed up he had moved into the next quest.

I feel bad because like. I want to play game with my friends, and when it's combat it isn't so bad, although they pretty regularly do things that fuck up my combat skills. It's just.

It's not fun. It's not fun when my only role is to open locks and disarm traps and do sneak attacks. And whenever I try to talk to the NPCs he's like wait don't do the thing without me there. Like I'm not supposed to play the game because he might miss something, but I also have no idea what's going on because he is sprinting through act one "sinces he's done it so much in early access".

The biggest multiplayer problem is how often he will tell me "ok open this box and bring the thing to here" and I will be doing that, talking to a person, continuing the quest, but he will run off and like, fast travel, or make some decision that effects the world, and my game will crash. It's happened like five times now. The last time it totally corrupted my game, I had to fresh install, and when I came back everything in my personal chest had gone to his, and my twitch drops were gone.

Oh! And one time they asked if I wanted to play that night, and I said yes but I wouldn't be ready for an hour. Less than an hour later I got online and it turned out they didn't wait for me, main character was piloting my character and used a bunch of my saved arrows/potions "because there's no point hoarding them" and I was pissed. I know how much act 2 ratchets up the difficulty and I had told them I was saving resources. And he PLAYED MY CHARACTER, played our group save without me!!!

I figure ok, time to make a solo game and really sprint through it, on easy mode, just so I can experience the story and know what's happening!! I gathered my wits and rolled a wizard and started playing and wow. Uh. It's full crashed three times.

Tonight the latest crash was because I *checks notes* clicked to fast travel and somehow it tried to make a new marker on the fast travel icon, but also initiated the fast travel, so the game got stuck and I had to alt+f4.

So. Please continue to have fun. But also. This game has had so many bugs and crashes that I find it unplayable. I'll be back in 6 months when everything has been spoiled and the bugs ironed out.

Maybe.

[writinandthinkin]

Character Madame Kuri

Tags(introduced): #character #Madame Kuri

Yo, As hinted all the way back on yesterday. I’m gonna talk about a character I’ve written which I feel has the most value to their particular story. They aren’t part of a complex narration, they are not heavily relied upon within the story they belong to, buuuut. I like her.

Alright alright alright, let’s talk Kuri

This is going to be an exercise for myself to better understand why I have adoration to this particular character. And why I suck at making them, by far the weakest aspect of my ability as a writer. Let’s nail the absolute basics.

Madame Kuri is a name and title. She serves as a general to the kingdom, commanding armies of loyal soldiers sworn during peace time to her. And her to the state. She is roughly 30-40 years of age with a youthful spark about her. But the eyes of someone who has lived. And the cautiousness of someone who is ultimately never safe.

Name, Occupation, and Age? Check. Moving on. Ability, Beliefs, and Relations.

Kuri while born with the disadvantage of a slight frame and right arm missing at the shoulder. Has crafted her own story, her own legacy as more than someone that is only that. She has mastered the voice, and the art unique to her of absolute balance. Combined with her creative armor which accentuates to her own benefit, she excels on the battlefield.

Quick clicks Voice: the art of commanding those to succeed and your opponents to crumble. Absolute Balance: Kuri cannot fall, no amount of fatigue, she has prioritized her balance and her breathing. Nothing can shake her.

Madame Kuri is pragmatic, she’s focused on what can happen and what will happen instead of what might or might not. Her ability to read another person is invaluable to her position. Her choices are built upon experience and empathy to everyone. She wants to better understand a person. She is a pacifist by nature.

Kuri has no familial relations. No next of kin. No significant other. She trusts herself to herself. She will allow those around her in, but they will see no more than she will allow them to see. Not a loner, but someone who struggles with the idea of romance.

This is all well and good. But it’s all just faff without context. So let’s talk story and where Kuri fits.

Kuri is a key ancillary character within Project TLP. She is the mentor which trains the exiled Prince as tasked by his father a King with considerable influence in Kuri’s life. Kuri takes the position with pride and hones the prince in the way of the voice and the basics of disarming an opponent as well as positioning. She sees the battlefield as game pieces on a board, and conveys to the prince he has the ability to win under any circumstances if he can assess the worth to the game each piece holds. She spends a great deal of time with the prince. She sees the young boy grow into an young man with great potential. It’s within these sessions however that the prince shows a level of volatility which Kuri does her best to temper. Part of Kuri’s teaching is showing not telling. She pulls no punches, gives the prince no easy outs. This frustrates him, but in Kuri’s mind she is preparing him for the eventuality of finding someone who he cannot influence with what he possesses. This part of the lesson is never reached however, during the prince’s early adolescent years his family is assassinated during a night of absolute upheaval to the societal system and the kingdom. The prince now has the foundation laid by Kuri without her final touches, the polish is never applied and in his rage he utilizes what she has taught him to maximum effect. Revenge is what he seeks however with the use of this gift.

Kuri is not gone at this point though. She is still in command of the armies of the kingdom. Now under rule of a civilian council based system of governance. The prince will meet her a few more times before the completion of the story. His raw and unfettered use of her own teachings won’t net him a victory at first. Kuri will refuse to put him down as well however, not ready to relinquish the role of teacher just yet. The prince’s mind sees Kuri as the enemy at this point. Anything she does or says will not sway him. Their fates are destined to meet until either he succeeds or Kuri dies.

Kuri raised the prince as closely as anyone in her life. She felt a powerful bond with him. Much more than he did her. She let him in. She gave him access to her on personal and borrowed time. An exercise in becoming more humane with herself and spurring on a future of change and what Kuri wanted to see. She feels utmost remorse and self-loathing for how she left him. She would rather see herself die before him. But the consequences of letting him win are the same now as they were then. If anything she is the deciding factor on his life. The consequences of his actions can only be served by her. Kuri does not favor this. She does not savor this.

Without spoiling the ending I think that’s pretty okay, nay? Eh, you get it.

Thanks for reading if you did.