#profile cutter

[wintfleur]

TALKING BODIES !

` . . ── 𝓹airing estella hughes (oc) x rutger mcgroarty

𝓢. stella and rutger both love talking . . . with there bodies, celebrating the 2024 world juniors win,

𝓭etails. smut, cursing, kissing, smut warnings : unprotected sex (don’t do!!) oral ; male receiving ｡｡ 𝔀c 4877

𝓻oro's note. this is my first smut for this au !;&:!;&; so I’m kinda nervous, I really hope you guys enjoy it! Please please please let me know what you guys think of it :p

Tonight was supposed to be all about him ⸺  and his teammates of course, but he couldn't focus on all the attention and praise he was receiving from the people around him. All he could focus on was Stella. Oh the way she glided across the room with a smile and a drink in her hand as she said hello to everyone, polite and sweet as ever as she made sure to greet everyone. 

The pretty smile on her lips, how good she looked with his last name on her back, and those black tights and skirt she was wearing . . . god those tights. How was he supposed to think of anything but her when she looked like that? 

Rutger sat on a couch in the large room filled with his teammates and their loved ones. He sat between his Michigan teammate Frank and one of his best friends Cutter, while their parents sat across from them on another couch, all engaged in a conversation. A conversation he should be present in but his attention was somewhere else, on someone else. 

His gaze was set on Stella's side profile, lingering on her lips as she smiled and laughed along to whatever the few girls were talking about around her. Rutger recognized most of them, the girlfriends of some of his teammates. He noticed how some of the younger girls flocked to Stella, looking up at her and asking her questions when they were confused. He found it so sweet. 

Stella brought her drink to her lips and took a small sip of the drink she stole from Rutger, looking away from the girls when she felt someone's stare. And she wasn't surprised when she saw her smiling boyfriend looking at her, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes as he very obviously checked her out. Stella playfully rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's lustful gaze, the way he leaned forward, his grip on his cup tightening . . .  it was obvious to her what he wanted, and that was her. 

Stella broke the tension-filled contact and faced the laughing girls, Stella waited for a chance to talk and sweetly excused herself from the conversation, wanting to go talk to her boyfriend and his family. They all gave her quick hugs and goodbyes, promising to text her later. Stella brought her now empty glass back to the empty bar before making her way towards her boyfriend. 

He perked up when he noticed her walking towards them, towards him. Stella smiled politely at the two people she passed who were sitting on the long couch next to Frank. Frank paused his conversation and gave her a small smile before scooting away from rutger so she could sit between them, before returning back to his conversation. 

“Hi pretty girl” Rutger breathed out in a whisper, his eyes not leaving hers as she sat down, their thighs and shoulders pressed against each other. Stella smiled and looped her arm with his, leaning against him as she whispered back “Hi handsome” 

“Tired?” Rutger quietly asked her even though he already knew the answer was no. Stella was confused for a moment at the sudden question but the way he rested his hand on her thigh and squeezed it made her quickly realize his intentions. He was so needy. 

She stopped her lips from twitching into a smirk, and you would have believed she was an award-winning actress with the fake yawn she let out. Her hand came up to cover her mouth, showing off her blue and yellow nails, her ring finger having the number two on it with silver gems. You best believe he went crazy when he saw that. 

Stella’s very well-done fake yawn caught the attention of Rutgers's mom, and she paused her conversation to look at stella.  “Stella sweetheart, don't let us keep you up” Cindy sweetly told the girl. Stella smiled bashfully when she felt multiple gazes on her, she cleared her throat before voicing out that she was tired after the long day. 

Rutger was quick to agree with his girlfriend, saying they were going to head to bed, it's been a long day for both of them. Stella and Rutger said goodbye to his parents, giving them both a hug, Stella giving Molly a hug as well, while Rutger ignored the look of suspicion his sister sent him. The couple said their goodbyes to everyone sitting at the couches, rutger just itching to get his girl alone. 

“You guys are shameless” Frank mumbled jokingly as he shook his head at his two friends as they moved past him, knowing that neither of them was tired. Rutger playfully slapped Frank on the shoulder, giving him a wink as he said “Sleep well” 

Rutger knew what Stella was doing as she dragged him along to say goodbye to everyone, claiming that she didn't want to be rude if they just left without saying goodbye,  he knew she was just doing it to tease him . . . to make him wait longer, wanting to see how desperate he would get. 

Rutger was seconds from just throwing Stella over his shoulder when she suggested that they should say goodbye to a small group of people that neither of them knew. Stella giggled at the glare Rutger sent her, she smiled and leaned up to place a quick kiss on his cheek as she whispered teasingly in his ear, his heart beating faster when he felt her soft lip brush against his skin “Calm down stud, I'm just messing with you” 

Rutger pulled her into his side by their locked hands, untangling his fingers with hers and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Her head rested against his shoulder as they walked down the long hallway that led to the hotel elevators, her arm wrapping around his waist. Rutger used his free hand and pressed the elevator button before tilting his head to lean down and place a quick kiss on the top of Stella's head. 

Rutger was starting to lose his patience as they waited for elevators to open and Stella was enjoying every second of it. Rutger was about to press the button again but a relieved sigh left his lips when the elevator door opened with a ding! Rut did not wait another second before he pulled Stella into the empty elevator with him. 

Stella looked up at him through her eyelashes and watched as he leaned forward to press the button for their floor, his jaw clenched as he pressed the button the closed the door faster. His side profile is so pretty, his nose, his pretty lips, his sharp jawline, his hair sticking out at his nape from under his backward cap. So so pretty. Her body was moving before she could process her thoughts. 

Stella quickly brought her hand up and softly tugged on the gold medal that decorated his neck, keeping the tension-filled eye contact as she pulled him down for a much-desired kiss. Rutger lets out a shameless moan when he feels her lips on his, his hands moving to her waist and sliding under the jersey to hold her waist as he pushes her against the wall of the elevator. Rutger takes advantage of Stella letting out a small gasp at the quick movement and slips his tongue into Stella's mouth, moving one of his hands up to cradle Stella's jaw as he deepens the kiss. It was messy . . . but hot. 

Rutgers's mind was too clouded in desire to care for the fact that they could get caught in such an indecent position. Rutger pushed his knee in between Stella's thighs as his hands touched everywhere he could reach, having to stop himself from ripping her clothes off. 

Rutger swallowed the moans leaving her lips as she grinded against his thigh, his hands moving down to squeeze her ass and pull her closer if that was even possible. Heat spreads across both of their bodies as it suddenly gets hotter in the elevator. 

Stella slides her hand down Rutgers's chest as their tongues fight for dominance, a fight Rutger easily wins. It was like his body was melting under her touch, his jeans getting tighter while his heart beat faster. Just as Stella's hand glides over his belt the familiar sound of a ding and the doors opening. As she pulls away from the kiss, not wanting to get caught, a needy whine bubbles from his throat as she pulls away from him, but she's quick to shush him with her hand. 

Stella quickly looked over his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of no one. Stella looks up at Rutger who is looking down at her with hooded eyes, Stella moves her hand from his mouth and quickly leans up to place a quick kiss on his red lips from the kissing. Her thumb rubbed the remnants of her lip gloss off his lips as she whispered seductively “We have all night rut . . . there's no need to rush” 

Rutger of course didn't listen to Stella's words, because as soon as Rutger unlocked their hotel room and locked the door behind them, he was on her. Touching and kissing her as if he's been starved of her for centuries . . . and Stella didn't mind it, she liked it when her boy was needy and desperate for her. Rutgers's fingers were squeezing her waist as he blindly guided her towards the large bed, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Their shoes were left in a pile by the door. 

Stella's hands traveled up his back and one of her hands tangled into the hair at his nape while the other was taking Rutger's hat off his head and tossing it somewhere in the room. Stella twisted their bodies before he could push her back against the bed, a gasp of surprise leaving Rut's lip when she pulled away from the kiss and softly pushed him down on the bed. 

Rutgers's mouth drops in awe and he leans up on his hands as he watches Stella stand in front of him, a smirk on her lips as she slowly pulls his jersey off her body, dropping it at her feet. Rutgers jeans became uncomfortably tighter as he kept his eyes on Stella's black lace-covered tits. His mouth-watering as he noticed her nipple piercings poking against the lace. Stella wanted to giggle at how enchanted he became with her boobs, licking his lips and everything. 

Rutger sat up and quickly reached for the bottom of Stella's short skirt and pulled her to stand in between his spread thighs. His head dropped to her boobs where he left open-mouth kisses while his hands were too busy unzipping and tossing her black skirt behind him on the bed before quickly reaching up to squeeze her tits through her bra, his thumbs teasingly rubbing over her piercings. Sweet moans leave her parted lips. 

Stella lets out another sigh of pleasure at the feeling of his lips sucking and leaving love bites on the top of her chest, but she needed more. Stella pushed Rutger softly away from her chest causing a pout to form on his lips, but that quickly changed into a smirk when Stella rested her hands on his shoulders, using him as leverage to straddle his lap, sitting up on her knees as she hovered over his lap. Rutger tilted his head up to look up at her, whispering breathlessly “Fuck you’re so pretty” 

“Mhm so are you, now let's get this off” Stella whispered back as her hands traveled down his chest and softly tugged at the bottom of his jersey. Rutger chuckles at the eagerness in her tone, but he doesn't make her wait like she did to him, quickly pulling and tossing his jersey. His pretty gold medal rested perfectly on his chest. 

His breath hitched when she teasingly dragged her nails down his abs, teasingly dipping her fingers under the waistband of his jeans and briefs. His hips can't help but rise at the touch. Rutger groans with a pout as he clenches his abs, his hands squeezing her tights-covered hips and thighs “Please don't tease” 

“You're so pretty when you pout” Stella whispered tauntingly as she looked down at him with her own teasing pout, she didn't know where this kick of dominance was coming from, but she was enjoying it. And he would let her . . . well for a little bit. He held his tongue and looked up at her, he would let her have her power trip until he deemed it unnecessary. 

She leaned down and placed a quick feather-like kiss on his lips, then to his collarbone and shoulder before slipping off his lap and between his spread legs. Her hands slowly traveled down his legs and thighs with her movement. Rutger cleared his throat and sat up straighter, seeing her face, the pretty dimple smile on her lips so close to his bulge was too much for his mind to process. 

She kept her pretty brown eyes on him as she unbuckled his belt, undoing his jeans and quickly pulling down the zipper. The ache between her thighs made her give up the slow teasing she wanted to put her boyfriend through. She pulled down both his jeans and briefs in one swift pull with the help of him lifting his hips. His pretty dick sprang up and slapped against his abdomen, her eyes lighting up at the sight. A mix of a hiss and a moan left his lips at the feeling  “Fuckk” 

Stella reached forward and took him into her hands, a groan leaving his lips at the feeling of her soft hands tightly wrapped around his dick.  Stella licked her lips, wetting them as she slowly moved her hand up and down. His hips jerked up at the feeling of her thumb pressing against his sensitive red tip, smearing his leaking precum. 

She rested her forearms on his knees and gripped the base of his dick in one of her hands, her other hand resting on his abdomen while she leaned down and took the throbbing tip into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip and moaning at the taste of him. She looked up at him as she hollowed her cheeks, flattening her tongue under his dick before bobbing her head up and down. 

“You're so pretty like this” Rutger choked out between his moans, his hand coming down to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear before making a makeship pony, helping her bob her head up and down. Up and down and repeat. His jaw was slack as throaty moans left his lips as she took him deeper in her mouth, she had no problem taking his hard length down her throat as her fingers dug into the skin of his muscular thighs. 

A wince left his lips at the pleasurable sting from her nails and he couldn't help but lift his hips in a reaction, the muffled gag leaving her lips from the feeling of him hitting the back of her throat caused him to let out a loud whine. Tilting his head back in pleasure as his grip on her hair tightens. 

“Good girl” He moaned, the praise going straight to her pussy. Rutger could stay like this for hours, his pretty girlfriend on her knees between his thighs for him, looking up at him with her doe eyes, her pretty lips wrapped around his dick, but he needed to feel her other lips wrapped around him. God he couldn't take it anymore, he needed more. 

Rutger sat up straight and pulled her swollen lips off his dick by her hair with a loud pop. A confused whine leaves her lips but she's quickly shushed at the feeling of him wiping the spit off her lips with his thumb, his chest rising and falling with his heavy breaths as he tries to catch his breath. Before Stella could ask why he made her stop he was cupping her face with both of his hands and pulling her back up into his lap and into a wet and messy kiss. 

Stella moaned in his mouth, their tongues in an ongoing battle for dominance, she absentmindedly grinded against him as she cupped his cheeks to deepen the kiss. A groan leaves his lips when he tastes himself on her tongue and the feeling of her tights brushing against his sensitive tip. Stella brings one of her hands behind her back and expertly unclasps her bra with one hand. 

Stella pulled away from the messy kiss, a string of saliva connecting their lips and pulling with her as she tossed her bra somewhere in the room. Rutger moaned at the sight, her messy red lips, her pretty tits out on full display for him. “There's my pretty girls” Rutger cooed as he brought his hands up to squeeze them in his palms. 

“Missed my girls so much fuckk” Rutger groaned with a smirk as he massaged her tits, whimpers leaving her parted lips when he started rolling her sensitive nipples between his fingers. Holding in a chuckle when he noticed the new piercings she had in, fuck she's so responsive he thought to himself with a smirk as he watched her moan and grind against him. 

Stella gasped and softly tugged on the long hair at his nape when he leaned down and latched his hot mouth on one of her hardened and sensitive nipples, his tongue twirling around the cute titanium rod while pinching and playing with the other one. “Rut please” Stella whined pitifully as her panties started to become uncomfortably wet, the throbbing almost becoming unbearable. 

Rutger chuckled darkly and pulled away from her boob with a loud pop, both of his hands trailing down her body to roughly squeeze her ass and pull her flush against his chest. The gasp of pleasure about to leave her lips turns into a squeal of surprise and shock at the loud rip that fills the room. Accidentally pushing her boobs into his face as she quickly turns around to look down at her now-ripped tights. 

“Babeee those were brand new” Stella whined with an annoyed huff, despite her show of annoyance, she was feeling very flustered with how easily he ripped them off of her. She bit her lip in desire as she watched the way his forearm muscles flexed as he ripped and pulled the tights off her so easily, letting them drop to the floor and leaving her in her lace panties. 

“Shh I'll buy you a new pair, pretty girl” he promised as he placed a quick kiss on her jaw before focusing on her soaked panties.  His large warm hands caressed the soft skin of the inside and back of her thighs before playfully snapping the lace fabric against her skin with a loud snap! She gasped and jolted in his lap at the slight sting. 

Before Stella can open her mouth to complain about his teasing he's already sliding her panties down her legs, groaning at the sight of the string of arousal connecting the damp panties and her pussy. Stella bit her lip in embarrassment but the feeling didn't last long when Rutger whispered huskily in her ear “God that’s so fucking sexy” 

“Rut pleasee” she whined in his ear, the feeling of her heavy breaths against his skin sending a chill down his spine. While the feeling of the tip of his dick brushing against her wet folds made her thighs twitch in anticipation, her patience running thin. 

“Oh? Begging already? . . . where did my confident girl go huh?” Rutger asked tauntingly, as he gripped her waist with one hand while the other gripped her chin as he continued to tease her with his words, a smirk on his lips “S’cute, you suck my dick and now you're just a needy mess in my lap” 

“Don't be mean rut” Stella pouted, her tone coming out in an eager whine. Rutger chuckled and gripped her chin harder, teasingly dipping his thumb through her parted lips. Stella sighed impatiently and moved her hand between their two bodies, grabbing his throbbing dick into her hand, tired of waiting.  

“What I thought you liked when I was a little – oh fuck stell” A mixture of a deep moan and gasp left his lips at the feeling of Stella taking his dick into her soft hands again, guiding him through her slick folds – small pants leaving her lips at the feeling – before lifting to line his sensitive tip to her entrance. “mmfuckk” Stella whimpered as she slowly sank down on him, her thighs ached with her slow pace of sinking down. Rutgers's dick was always a stretch – no matter how many times they fucked. 

the muscles of his abs tensed and squeezed as he felt the velvety walls of her pussy sucking him in as she slowly sank down, his eyes fluttering close for a few seconds and his jaw going slack. “yeah baby just like that – takin’ me so well” 

“fukin’ hell rut” Stella whined out as she lazily rested her forehead against the column of his neck, chills spreading across the skin at the feeling of her heavy breaths. She could smell his cologne and she felt like she was in a daze as she started to roll her hips against him, she felt so full. Rutger softly rubbed her hips to help soothe the feeling of him stretching her out, kissing her temple as he grunted out “Slowly pretty girl, take your time” 

Stella adjusted her knees at his sides so she could be in a better position, slowly moving up and down so her body could get used to him, slowly sinking down to engulf the thickness of it. Small gasps and moans leave her lips, the feeling of her breath against his neck sending chills down his spine. Rutger dug his fingers into her waist as he helped guide her up and down, helping her build a faster pace that had them both moaning. 

“You’re so fukin’ big” Stella let out a pretty little whine making Rutger chuckle. One of his hands moved from her waist and trailed up her back to grab her nape, pulling him away from his neck and into a messy passionate kiss. Stella moaned into the kiss, cupping his face with both of her hands nibbling on his bottom lip when he slowly pulled away from the messy kiss, whispering breathlessly against her lips “You can take it, baby” 

Her slick walls clamped around him with each roll of her hips, his large hands remained on her waist, his fingers sinking into her flesh as he aided her movements. Rutgers eyes took in her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes, watching as her pink lips parted with pretty moans as she gyrated her hips faster “Atta girl” Rutger mumbled huskily, his tone low and encouraging, a proud smile on his face. 

Rutger moaned and looked down between them, watching as he disappeared in her, over and over again. He lifted his hips up to meet her movements bucking up into her, groaning deeply as she rolled her hips faster. “oh my god fuck” Stella cried out between her heavy breaths. The moans leaving her lips only turned him on more. 

Rutger felt like he was in a trance, his eyes glued to her bouncing tits, the sight making his dick twitch inside her and his mouth water. “God you make the prettiest noises” Rutger groaned before he surged forward, taking one of her tits into his mouth, moaning around the skin as he continued to buck his hips up into her. 

“oh my fuckkk” Stella moaned loudly in pleasure, his thick length hitting her deepest spot with every powerful bounce. Stella braced herself on her knees, feeling herself get closer and closer to her peak. Rutger moaned loudly at her clamping down around him, pulling away from her tits to look up at her. She looked so enchanting like this, her face flushed and twisted in pleasure as she tossed her head back, her neck looked so inviting for his mouth. He moved one of his hands off her waist to pull the gold medal off his chest, his eyes not leaving the way her chest rose and fell. 

His eyes shined strongly with possessiveness as he put his medal on her. The feeling of the cold metal against her hot chest made her gasp, pausing her movements for a moment, a look of confusion and desire on her face. Rutger smirked and gently tugged on the medal to pull her face down, kissing her roughly. Stella moaned into the kiss, rolling her hips against his. He pulled away, whispering breathlessly against her lips “Looks better on ya anyway” 

Stella smirks and rests her forehead on his as she starts to pick up her pace, her thighs trembling and aching. Rutger immediately noticed and held her thighs, helping her move up and down, staring into her glazed eyes. The sound of their bodies slapping together filled the hotel room, mixed with their heavy breathing sounds of pleasure and the lewd wet squelching noise of her arousal coating his dick. 

“Oh rut” Stella moaned breathlessly, tangling her fingers in the hair at his nape. Rutger knew that moan, she was close. He held her body with one arm while he moved his other hand down between them, his thumb rubbing her clit in circular motions, wanting to make her orgasm even more intense. His voice cracked as he panted against her lips “Together?” Stella whined in pleasure, eagerly nodding in agreement. 

His eyes remained on her, he loved the way she looked right now, so lost in pleasure her face contorted in ecstasy. Her hair was a mess, sticking to her sweat-dampened forehead, her cheeks flushed a deeper red, the medal bouncing against her chest with each bounce. Rutger wished he had an ounce of Stella's talent so he would be able to save this moment in his mind and draw it so it would never go away. 

“i-im gonna cum” Stella mewled her nails scratching into his shoulder blades, leaning down to press her chest flush against him. Despite her legs feeling like jelly she continued to chase their releases, moving up and down their sweaty bodies sticking together.  

“Holy fuck, you feel like heaven” Rutgers's deep grunts and moans were hypnotizing, pushing her even closer to the edge. He felt her walls flutter around him, knowing she was moments away from climax, he increased the pressure of his thumb on her clit, his other arm pulling her down against him harder. He grunts out desperately “C’mon baby — mm’fuck cum with me” 

“Rut!” she cried out loudly, the coil in her stomach finally snapping, an intense wave of pleasure coursing through her body, her nails engraving small crescents into his skin. Rutger groaned, feeling her walls clamp and convulse around him, his abs tensing at the familiar feeling of his release. He continued to fuck her through her through her orgasm, slamming into her sweet spots, chasing his.

“mm — fuck!” his mouth dropped open with a loud moan as he released deep inside her, thrusting into her a few more times before it got too much. Stella’s head fell to his shoulder, choking on a moan at the feeling of him filling her with his seed. The two sat there for a few moments in silence, slowly falling from their highs together. 

“you okay baby?” Rutger asked softly between his heavy breaths, holding her face gently in his hand as he stared into her pretty brown eyes, Stella smiled tiredly and softly brushed her nose against his before resting her forehead back against his sweaty shoulder “Yeah, m’perfect” 

“You did so good baby” Rutger cooed as he placed soft kisses along the side of her face, one of his hands gently brushing her hair out of her face while the other rubbed her back soothingly. Stella hummed tiredly and wrapped her arms around Rutger, pulling him into a hug. Placing soft kisses on the little marks on his shoulder from her nails, whispering sweet praises against his hot skin. 

“I love you” he placed a kiss on her head before carefully lifting her hips up, so he could slip out of her with no discomfort. Stella sat back on his thighs, lifting her hand up to brush his sweaty hair from his forehead, smiling at how handsome he looked all flushed, she smiled lovingly at him “Love you more” 

Stella winced and looked down at the mess between them, biting her lip at the sight, before looking up at Rutger with her charming smile “C’mon handsome let's go get cleaned up, then we can call room service” 

“Oh yeah? celebrate with some pizza and shitty champagne?” Rutger chuckled as he softly tugged on the gold medal decorating her nude chest, Stella smiled and glanced at the medal before looking back at her boyfriend, her dimples on display as they both embraced the moment fully “Sounds like heaven”  

𝓻oro's note. OKAY SO 😺 we are just gonna ignore the fact that this literally took me a ‘year’ to finish . . . but tbh I forgot about this in my drafts and I’m like horrible at writing smut . . . but I decided I should just finish it and post it for the USA win!! please let me know what you guys think because I’m not that experienced in the smut writing soooo feedback is very much appreciated !! (If this flops I’ll cry)

FORGET RUT I WANT STELLA 😻

au masterlist — you can find everything under #👩🏻‍🎨 ͡ ꒱ Stella Hughes!

˖ ་ taglist : @winterbarnesblog @toasttt11 @lesrflms @cixrosie @bunbunbl0gs @iceflwers @lovings4turn

©️WINTFLEUR ; you can't copy, translate, reproduce, repost my fic, use my plot or layout.

[lackadaisycats]

Hey Tracy! Have you heard about the new Ai called Sora? Apparently it can now create 2D and 3D animations as well as hyper realistic videos. I’ve been getting into animation and trying to improve my art for years since I was 7, but now seeing that anyone can create animation/works in just a mare seconds by typing in a couple words, it’s such a huge slap in the face to people who actually put the time and effort into their works and it’s so discouraging! And it has me worried about what’s going to happen next for artists and many others, as-well. There’s already generated voices, generated works stolen from actual artists, generated music, and now this! It’s just so scary that it’s coming this far. 

Yeah, I've seen it. And yeah, it feels like the universe has taken on a 'fuck you in particular' attitude toward artists the past few years. A lot of damage has already been done, and there are plenty of reasons for concern, but bear in mind that we don't know how this will play out yet. Be astute, be justifiably angry, but don't let despair take over. --------

One would expect that the promo clips that have been dropping lately represent some of the best of the best-looking stuff they've been able to produce. And it's only good-looking on an extremely superficial level. It's still riddled with problems if you spend even a moment observing. And I rather suspect, prior to a whole lot of frustrated iteration, most prompts are still going to get you camera-sickness inducing, wibbly-wobbly nonsense with a side of body horror.

Will the tech ultimately get 'smarter' than that and address the array of typical AI giveaways? Maybe. Probably, even. Does that mean it'll be viable in quite the way it's being marketed, more or less as a human-replacer? Well…

A lot of this is hype, and hype is meant to drive up the perceived value of the tech. Executives will rush to be early adopters without a lot of due diligence or forethought because grabbing it first like a dazzled chimp and holding up like a prize ape-rock makes them look like bleeding-edge tech geniuses in their particular ecosystem. They do this because, in turn, that perceived value may make their company profile and valuations go up too, which makes shareholders short-term happy (the only kind of happy they know). The problem is how much actual functional value will it have? And how long does it last? Much of it is the same routine we were seeing with blockchain a few years ago: number go up. Number go up always! Unrealistic, unsustainable forever-growth must be guaranteed in this economic clime. If you can lay off all of your people and replace them with AI, number goes up big and never stops, right?

I have some doubts. ----------------------

The chips also haven't landed yet with regards to the legality of all of this. Will these adopters ultimately be able to copyright any of this output trained on datasets comprised of stolen work? Can computer-made art even be copyrighted at all? How much of a human touch will be required to make something copyright-able? I don't know yet. Neither do the hype team or the early adopters.

Does that mean the tech will be used but will have to be retrained on the adopter's proprietary data? Yeah, maybe. That'd be a somewhat better outcome, at least. It still means human artists make specific things for the machine to learn from. (Watch out for businesses that use 'ethical' as a buzzword to gloss over how many people they've let go from their jobs, though.)

Will it become industry standard practice to do things this way? Maybe. Will it still require an artist's sensbilities and oversignt to plan and curate and fix the results so that it doesn't come across like pure AI trash? Yeah, I think that's pretty likely.

If it becomes standard practice, will it become samey, and self-referential and ultimately an emblem of doing things the cookie-cutter way instead of enlisting real, human artists? Quite possibly.

If it becomes standard industry practice, will there still be an audience or a demand or a desire for art made by human artists? Yes, almost certainly. With every leap of technology, that has remained the case. ------------------ TL;DR Version:

I'm not saying with any certainty that this AI blitz is a passing fad. I think we're likely to experience a torrential amount of generative art, video, voice, music, programming, and text in the coming years, in fact, and it will probably irrevocably change the layout of the career terrain. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was being overhyped as a business strategy right now. And I don't think the immensity of its volume will ever overcome its inherent emptiness.

What I am certain of is that it will not eliminate the innate human impulse to create. Nor the desire to experience art made by a fellow soul. Keep doing your thing, Anon. It's precious. It's authentic. It will be all the more special because it will have come from you, a human.

[gghostwriter]

Hiya! :D

Since askbox is open, may I please order some slight hurt-comfort based off of "From Eden" by Hozier? Harnessing the pure longing this song emanates to me fr.

Something like non-BAU!reader getting hurt by an unsub during a case (non-lethal but it does require a stitch or two) and spencer gets abnormally worried about this one person among the group of victims (maybe serial bank robberies) and when the team notices it and ask him about it he reveals to them that they're actually his roommate?

something romantic-leaning; I just like the idea of him standing outside the hospital room door [OMG LIKE THE SONG] because the doctors told him to wait before he could go inside sitting there like 🥺 "My roommate :(" and getting embarassed when the team calls reader his partner; "You're so worried it's almost like you're dating." sort of feel

Sorry if this is long btw! I tend to go all out on ideas! Pronouns are up to you though, feel free to change anything to your liking as well! :]

Thanks for reading! :D

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader Trope: Roommates; Comfort, Fluff, Angst w.c: 1.2k A/N: There's so much interpretation for 'From Eden by Hozier' and I had a challenging time trying to capture which meaning I wanted to encapsulate. This is also by far the longest request I've written and honestly this took a life of its own but I still hope you like it! Main masterlist

Eden. // Spencer Reid

The monotone droll in the bank was white noise in your life that you learned to slowly hate. Day in, day out it was the same thing—customers withdrawing, depositing, and claiming loans. You liked numbers, that was how you ended up as a manager, but the cookie cutter business smile you had to keep on your face was a con you wish to part from. 

You sighed. Your roommate turned secret crush, Dr. Spencer Reid, had warned you about the serial robberies that had happened within the state of Virginia and Washington. He advised you to be vigilant and if possible, to keep your phone within your reach and you easily agreed having heard some of the macabre cases he’d been involved in.

You just didn’t think it would happen today.

“Get down on the ground!” A man’s voice echoed throughout the lobby, followed by a series of gunshots.

Spencer’s voice played in your head as if he was a lighthouse guiding you out from the panic. Hide. Don’t panic. Press the hidden alarm and dial my number.

You thanked your past self for programming his contact on speed dial. Volume down and no words uttered, you hid the phone inside your blouse hoping to not get caught.

“You there!” One of the masked men caught sight of you. “Outside. Now!”

You nodded, averting your eyes to show submission. Another tactic from Spencer.

Wishing the call picked up the trio of robbers voices, you stayed facing down on the lobby surround by the rest of the hostages.

Spencer, please. Please, get my message.

Just a few miles away, tension was high in the BAU conference room. The round table littered with folders and cooling coffee mugs. The team was running on a mixture of caffeine and sheer will to solve the serial bank robber case, tagged as priority by Strauss, that had been terrorizing states for a span of months. 

Spencer raked his already unruly hair. So far, the profile was incomplete. They knew there were three in the team but with varying heights and builds in various crime scenes, even that was shaky. What they were sure of was the sick game of Russian roulette they would play with their hostages, always with one bullet in a revolver and who ever is unlucky, dies with a hole between their brows and the remaining hostages are pistol whipped to unconsciousness. 

He knew he should stay objective. He knew that but how could he, when who he considers as his secret flower was at risk every second the unsubs were at large? It was his mission to keep you safe and the chances of you being caught in the line of fire heightened each second.

Vibration from his pocket brought him out of his musings. 

It was you. Right there and then, Spencer knew it was anything but good. You never called during work hours and with the last conversation between you having been about safety, it had settled in his stomach that the worst reality had come to fruition.

He picked up without saying a word, straining his ears to hear any distinguishable background noise. That was when he heard it—the authoritative, cocky voice yelling at you to come outside. His heart dropped. 

No. No. No. Anything but this.

“Sir, we just got a call,” Penelope rushed into the conference room. “There’s a live hostage taking at—”

“—Commerce Bank. 125 Independence Boulevard,” Reid interjected.

The profilers shared a look.

“That’s right,” Penelope muttered.

Morgan raised an eyebrow at him as he hurriedly stood up and collected his belongings. “Wait Reid—” causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to face back at the team. “—How’d you know?”

“Because Y/N works there,” he promptly exits the room, hightailing it to the elevator.

Emily looked at JJ. “Who’s that?”

She shrugged, lost too on who you were.

———

The team had split into two vehicles. Hotch, Rossi, and Reid in one while Morgan Emily, and JJ in the other.

Rossi glanced at Hotch, communicating the tension Reid was releasing from the passenger seat. In turn, Hotch sneaks a peek via the rear view mirror and profiles Reid’s ticks—hands clasped tight together, right leg shaking up and down, eyes shifting from left to right, and deep breaths through the nose and mouth. 

“Reid,” he called out.

Blown wide doe eyes meet his. “Hm?”

“We need you to stay focused. If you can’t do that, I’ll pull you out of this case.”

“I—I can do it!” His voice cracking.

“Are you sure, kid?” Rossi clarified.

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s just she’s my—” roommate but that singular title wasn’t fitting to describe who you were to him. No classification was good enough, really. “—I can focus,” he declared. 

There was a series of looks exchanged between the two senior agents. They didn’t need to be seasoned profilers to understand that their youngest is one slip away from panic.

Hotch sighed. “Alright, Reid, but you follow my orders. Got it?”

“Yes.” 

———

Einstein’s theory of special relativity was what came to mind as he paced outside your hospital room. The physicist implied that time moves relative to the observer. An object moving very fast experiences time more slowly than in rest and that was exactly what he felt as he paces back and forth outside your room, desperately waiting for any update—the good or the bad. Everyone seemed to be moving at a leisure pace while he, Dr. Spencer Reid, hangs on the precipice of elation and despair. 

The team had sent him away, to you specifically, when it was obvious that his otherwise objective mind was of no help in finishing up the case. Was it dreadful of him that he felt relief course through his veins when it wasn’t you that got the short end of the stick during the unsubs’ Russian Roulette? Yes, possibly but he was only human. A being filled with conundrums and good vs evil. 

The impact of today was eye opening. He could no longer deny to himself that you were more than just a roommate or an acquaintance or a friend. Oh, how hard he tried so hard to push away any thought that seemed any less innocent or chivalrous, but the idea of seeing those beautiful eyes broken and in pain made him want to face the truth. The truth being how deliriously in love Spencer Reid was with you. 

His phone rang, disturbing his mind-altering revelation thoughts.

“Hey kid,” It was Morgan. “How is she?”

Reid licked his lips, eyes trained on the still closed door. “I—I haven’t seen her. The doctors are still inside and I’m still here—outside.” 

“I know this isn’t the time but should we know who she is?” A pause. “Girlfriend?”

“No. No, she’s my roommate,” his sigh coated in despair, murky and sad enough for Morgan to notice.

“You sounded so worried. It’s almost like you’re in love with her or something.”

“I am—” your door opened. “I have to go, Morgan,” he hung up before another word could be uttered.

“Are you Dr. Spencer Reid?” The female doctor asked.

He nodded.

She smiled. “She’ll see you now.”

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[twice-inamillion]

The Company 

Double Life

Fluff and Angst (Dark theme)

Chapter 12

1735 Words 

(Company OC lives his everyday life, taking care of his business and ensuring everything runs smoothly. He has a soft spot for Mina, being his first recruit as the CEO. He also cares for trainees like Nayeon, who are as important as anyone else. Running a business is hard work, and sometimes you must get your hands dirty to ensure everything runs smoothly.)

After arriving from San Francisco, you went straight to work. Setting up an acting division within the company seemed easy, but recruiting talent was the most important part.

Luckily, the company executives took care of recruiting personnel and coaches while your main focus was on selecting actresses. 

While you look at some actress profiles, you get briefed on what you missed last week. IU mentions that rumors about the acting division have been circulating since someone, a well-known actress, visited the company. Officially, nothing hasn’t been confirmed, but you knew this was bound to happen. 

“We’ve been receiving many inquiries from trainees, asking if they can audition for a position in the new acting division.”

”Damn, what do you think? Should we open the recruitment to the trainees?”

”That’s up to you, sir. You mentioned you want to get some well-known actresses first, so maybe you should focus on that.”

”You’re right. Once we’re settled, we can think about expanding it to the rest.”

Also, while you were away, the trainee, Mina, stopped by. She mentioned that she wanted to see you.”

”Oh, okay. I’ll get in contact with her. Thanks Ji-eun.”

——

There is a knock at your door, and you see a silhouette, “It’s me, Mina.”

”Come in.”

Mina slowly opens the door and walks inside, “Good morning.”

”Good morning, Mina, how are you?”

”I’m okay. I didn’t know that you left abroad.”

”Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you. Did you need something?”

”No, I just haven’t seen you, so I came to stop by.” 

“Aww, that’s nice of you. Come and sit down.”

Mina takes a seat on the couch and stares at you. 

“How’s it going with your training?”

”It’s going well. I still have a hard time talking to all the girls, but I’ve gotten close to Momo and Sana.”

”That’s great. It's nice to see that you have someone to talk to.”

”They speak Japanese, so it’s easier for me. I just wish I didn’t get nervous.”

Don’t worry about it. People are naturally going to come to you based on your personality. You’re a really sweet girl.”

Mina’s ears get a bit red, and you find it kind of cute. You can’t help but see her as a younger sister, someone to protect.

”Oh, by the way, your parents sent you a package,” you say as you stand up and get the box that is on the other side of the room. 

“Oh, what is it?”

”All they told me was that you had to open it before it goes bad.”

Mina picks up the box and places it on the table. You hand her an envelope cutter and opens the box, “Aww, they sent me my favorite snacks.” She grabs one of the snacks and hands it to you, “Here, try it.” 

You try the bag of Skittles she gave you and share some with her. You can’t help but smile as you see her show her gummy smile. “Do I have something on my face?”

”No, it’s just that it’s nice to see you so happy.”

Mina’s ears turn red from your comment, “It’s just that these are my favorite, plus my parents sent them, so it makes it more special.”

”You’re right. Let's send something to them as well; what do you think?”

”Really?”

”Yeah. You don’t want to?”

”No, I do.”

”What do you want to send?”

”Umm, maybe some bread?”

”That sounds nice. Do you have an idea of where we should buy it?”

”Umm, there is a bakery that they used to take me to when I was little.”

”That’s nice. Let’s put in an order and have it delivered to them.”

”Are you really going to do it?”

”Yeah.”

Mina goes towards you and gives you a hug, “Thank you so much, Oppa.” It only takes a few minutes for her to realize what she did, and she steps back, face completely blushed, “I’m sorry, I just reacted without thinking.” 

“Don’t worry about it, it happens.” 

The two of you end up talking a bit more before Irene interrupts you two, “Sorry, I didn't know you had someone with you, sir; I’ll come back.”

”It’s okay, I was leaving anyway. Thanks, Oppa.” Mina waves goodbye and exits your office, leaving you and Irene to discuss important matters. 

———

You finish your evening run and go to the nearby cafe by the company building. Coming out of the cafe, you see one of the trainees standing in front of one of the gates that lead to the campus buildings. From afar, you can see they are pacing back and forth like they are waiting for something. You see a person cross the street and walk towards the trainee and wonder what’s going on. 

They seem to be talking to each other when you see the person, who seems to be an older man, grabs the trainee by the arm. The trainee struggles and tries to let go and yells, “Let me go!”

You exit the cafe and walk towards the street, trying to get an idea of what’s going on. As you walk closer, you see Im Nayeon, one of the transfer trainees from JYP. “She said to let her go” as you grab the man’s arm.

”This has nothing to do with you, so let me go!” shouts the older man.

”It does; I’m responsible for her, so I’m going to ask you to stop bothering her.” 

“Nayeon, tell that man that I’m not bothering you.”

You turn and see Nayeon frozen, unable to say a word.”

”Come on, sweetie, tell this man to not treat your father this way.”

”You… you’re not my dad.”

”Don’t be like that, Nayeon; of course, I’m your dad. I’m the one who raised you and your gold-digging mother.”

”Don’t call her that.”

”Well, she is a gold-digging whore. She’s been asking me for money and forcing me to support you.”

You can tell that Nayeon is getting upset by this whole situation and asks, “Nayeon, do you want this man here or not?”

Nayeon shakes her head, “No, I don’t want him here.”

”See, she told you to leave; now go before I call the police.”

”Fuck you, let me go. Nayeon! Listen to me; I’m going to get my money back, one way or another!” 

You grab the man’s arm and push him in between toward the sidewalk, “Go or else it’s going to go worse for you,” telling him in a serious voice. 

“Fuck! This doesn’t end here!”

Turning around, you say, “Nayeon, are you okay?” She doesn’t respond and is frozen from the encounter. You grab her hand, lead her to a private area, and sit on one of the benches, “What happened? Why did that man say he was your dad?”

”He… he’s not my actual dad but my mom’s ex-husband. He’s been harassing us ever since my mom broke up with him.”

”Did you try calling the police?”

”We did, but they wouldn’t do anything. He just wants us to pay back the money he spent on us.”

”What a douchebag.”

”It’s one of the reasons why I decided to join JYP; I thought I could earn some good money after debuting, but that hasn’t happened.”

”I’m sorry to hear that, but I've heard from your coaches that you’re one of the top trainees in the group.”

”How does that help me now? I was supposed to help my mom and get us away from that man.” Nayeon begins to cry, upset at her current situation.

”Everything is going to be okay,” you say as you try to comfort her. 

“I’m sorry you had to see me cry; I’m so embarrassed, especially since you’re the company's CEO.”

”There is nothing to be embarrassed about,” you say as you caress her head. It takes her a while to calm down, but after settling down, she asks, “Is there a way I can work part-time while still being a trainee? I just want to pay that man back so he can leave us alone.”

”You don’t have to do that; just focus on your training. I’ll try to contact your mom and see what we can do to ensure he doesn't bother you again. Nayeon agrees, knowing that she can’t do anything in her situation. Jeongyeon and Jihyo appear a few moments later after receiving a message from Nayeon earlier. 

You head back to your office and look for one of your family’s contacts, a friend who can help you in these situations.

”Hey, Don, It’s me. I have a bit of a situation going on.

”……”

”Let me send you the info.”

”……”

“Let’s make this as discreet as possible. I don’t want it causing problems anymore.”

————

Nayeon’s former step-father walks out of the gambling club after losing his month’s earnings. Defeated, he cuts through the alley, trying to return to his cramped apartment after getting kicked out of his house. ‘Fuck that gold-digging slut and her daughter, stealing my hard-earned money. Throwing me like some trash after supporting them for so long. 

Covered by the darkness comes out a figure, “Hey man, it’s been a while.”

”Do I know you?”

”No, but I know you.”

The former step-father is too late to realize and falls to the group. He only sees a vague silhouette of a figure standing before him in the dark alley, “Who are you?”

”No one, I’m just here to take care of someone who’s been causing trouble to my employer. They send their regards.”

There’s no response, only a man lying on the cold, dark floor in an unknown alley. 

Don takes out his phone, calls his employer, “It’s done,” and clicks it. 

The door of a black van opens, and multiple men step out and carry the man lying on the floor. They toss him inside and shut the door before leaving the alley like nothing happened. 

[corellianhounds]

Mandalorian Careers

Outside of Mercenaries, Bounty Hunters, and Bodyguards

Word Count: 3k

Despite being trained fighters, not all Mandalorians have the means or transportation required to take high-profile jobs hunting down criminals or killing rivals on behalf of their employers. Good thing they’re an adaptable bunch and come from every walk of life.

Linemen for Star Wars-style electrical grids: Jetpacks have many uses (if you’re willing to reimburse them for the fuel) and Mandalorians are a fearless and handy bunch. For those with little fear of heights or high voltage and who still prefer largely working on their own, doing electrical work in a concentrated urban center can be a good compromise between skills and preferences. They are more often than not personally sought out if word of their skills gets around because technical skills + insulated armor and both the capability and willingness to fight when needed make the perfect tradesperson to handle work in even the lowest levels of Coruscant’s underbelly. Gotta keep the lights on somehow.

Rangers/Wilderness survival guides: Moving around and staying hidden and off the grid often means roughing it in harsh terrain. Despite the emphasis put on community, self-sufficiency is vital to any Mandalorian’s survival, the nomadic ones especially; many know how to survive in a number of terrains and climates, and it makes them a hardy bunch inclined to the outdoors more than the city. If you need someone with great navigational and tracking skills who’s well-versed in the territory you need to get through on foot, a Mandalorian will be a good bet to see you through to journey’s end.

Detectives: An offshoot of the bounty hunter occupation perhaps, but one that provides individuals the freedom to specialize in a certain region or group, finding clues and tracking down yet unknown perpetrators as opposed to finding already established criminals or accused suspects on Guild and ISB posting boards. Many retired bounty hunters or those inclined to settle down (or those who simply like being nosy) will already have a lot of tools and gear conducive to detective work. Necessary skills include deductive reasoning pulled from a breadth of experiences, tracking, street smarts, self-defense, stealth, and the willingness to put up with more Han Solos than anyone should really have to deal with in a day.

Miners: It would make sense for Mandalorians to be skilled at identifying types of metals and the worth of their composition even in its raw state, and for the ones with caving experience or who come from a species accustomed to living underground, the ability to maintain a sense of direction and the willingness to descend into the depths of the planet’s crust wouldn’t be an issue. They’ve got night vision, they can fight whatever threats they face, jetpacks can still be an advantage in avoiding falls in larger caverns, and grappling cords and rappelling are still going to be a need. Some people just like to dig.

Underwater welders and torch cutters: Mandalorians just seem like the type of people who like working with their hands as opposed to sitting in an office day in and day out. To that end, you’ll find them just about anywhere in any type of trade. There are bound to be Mandalorians of aquatic species, and there are bound to be specialized smiths who have designed suits and armor meant to withstand the depths (and anything lurking that far beneath the surface). Visors can be easily modified to double as a welding face shield, specialized to provide visuals in the depths for work as well as observation and defense. Custom-made underwater jetpacks provide propulsion through technology modeled after cephalopods, and suits are designed to be lightweight, durable, and able to retain some measure of whatever breathable gas the individual needs for a time, should anything compromise their scuba gear. The visual of an underwater Mandalorian with chromatophore-esque armor, a plasma-thrower, and a harpoon gun is just so good. Wait I think I just came up with the coolest Mandalorian design ever—

Cab drivers: Sure, most Mandalorians seem solitary and reclusive, but whether they’re more social by nature or they came into the Mandalorian lifestyle later in life after they already had an established career or trade, some Mandalorians make steady work as a relatively unassuming cabbie. They definitely have a reputation for making the quickest, most efficient and direct route through the city, yapping over their shoulder and zipping through air lanes that definitely super don’t exist on the official city-planner’s register, but you got in their cab specifically because you wanted to get there fast and by Force that’s what you get. Good luck trying to stiff them, they can fight just as well as they drive.

Cargo haulers: Usually the more reserved flip side to cab drivers. Think ‘American trucker’ and you’ll have a good idea of what they’re like. Really it’s not all that different from bounty hunting: likely working alone, same risks during travel, living on the road in your rig and hoping for a good meal at a rest stop. I’d pay cash money to hear CB talk from folks travelling the hyperlanes.

High seas fishers: Similar to oil riggers and underwater welders, high seas fishers are unafraid of the open ocean and enjoy wrangling in dangerous, exotic catches that fetch a high market price back in port. Some Mandalorians hunt, others like to fish.

Coruscant delivery couriers: Look sometimes it’s just faster to have the guy with the jetpack and honest reputation zip your order up to your 573rd floor window than it is to wait for the unreliable delivery chute to “lose” it around your landlord’s floor or for the slowest courier droids money can buy to bring it up to you up to three additional business days later, all right?

Search and rescue: As mentioned previously, most Mandalorians are trained in wilderness survival, tracking, navigation, and first aid, all skills that lend themselves neatly to search and rescue ops. Most if not all of them are parts of teams outfitted with ships designed and modified for all terrains, weather, and local phenomena, piloted by eagle-eyed Mandalorians capable of bringing those lost in natural disasters, city destruction, or the wilderness back home safe.

Stunt performers and choreographers: If you’re going to have Mandalorians in your holodrama, you need trained stuntmen, and audiences can tell when directors failed to get real Mandalorians for their work because the Mandalorians just move differently. Very few non-Mandos can really capture the gait and control and spatial awareness Mandalorians bring to the table, in addition to their already impressive breadth of fighting styles, skills, and weapons work. It can be a challenge getting Mandalorian stunt performers to not perform at full intensity though, and it takes very skilled individuals to balance the fighting prowess with the performance aspect. More often than not it’s former Mandalorian drill instructors taking stunt and choreography work, as they understand the range of levels and intensities when it comes to training fighters, and they can teach performers the correct way to make it look like they’re giving or taking a hit, without actually harming their scene partners.

Holodrama armorers: In the same vein as stunt performers and choreographers knowing the difference between actual fighting and choreography, props masters on set with a background in real weapons work are invaluable to a production and they always know the difference between a prop gun and a hot gun. They’re well-versed in coaching actors in how to use prop weapons the way real ones would be used, and their own eagle-eyed approach to weaponry prevents any tragedies (or stealth attempts at “accidental” deaths) from happening on set.

Gladiators/Cage fighters: Though there is the occasional actor among the few professional Mandalorian performers, you’re much more likely to see them as arena competitors in actual fights for accolades and prize money. Sometimes it might be out of desperation and a need for money, but some folks manage to make a career of it. If you’re already used to living on the road and managing pain, then life on tour won’t be a hard adjustment and you get to keep your skills sharp. Depending on your armor you may even be able to retain a sense of anonymity while out in public.

Vigilantes: Admittedly closer to mercenary work and not a formal career path, there will always be Mandalorians who cannot stand by when they see injustice in their communities. There’s any number of day jobs or roles they can fill if they’re in urban settings, doling out justice at night under the cover of darkness, or they could almost be a folk legend in rural settings, stories of an unknown warrior protecting a region from those that would do them ill. Though masters of stealth, the communities under their protection certainly have their suspicions, but because their protection is provided in secret and nobody can definitively say they’re acting as the silent guardian, they often refuse to accept any form of payment from those grateful to them, both out of principle and as a matter of pride. (However, Mandalorians are easy to guilt in matters of accepting generosity and hospitality in other ways, and folks quickly learn that framing non-currency goods as gifts forces them to accept the items in question with gratitude. It’s harder to argue that free services provided to them are gifts, so you have to be quick and clever if you want to trick them into receiving free repairs or assistance or business. Mandalorians are often used to lives based on transactions and reciprocity, so you’ll probably later find them out fixing your security system or hauling hay bales without your prior knowledge as repayment.)

Demolition experts/Bomb defusers: They know what they’re looking at. They’ve seen just about every configuration of explosive you can think of and spend their free time thinking of what other ways people might come up with to level a building or send a message.

Firefighters: The homebase version of search and rescue, Mando firefighters are fearless in high-stakes situations and have specialized suits to allow them to traverse burning terrain with swiftness and ease, helmets and breathing gear modified to withstand the blaze. They work best in well-coordinated teams, and those who may or may not have pasts of breaking into buildings or ships have the added advantage of knowing just how best to get inside one now on fire.

Exterminators: These are a special class of Mandalorians, the ones willing to take some of the worst jobs you can possibly face in urban settings because the only limit to what kind of creature infestation you have (and what they are capable of) is your imagination. Specialized suits again, a willingness to get their hands dirty, and a frequent need to fight something big and mean means nobody can afford to not pay whatever the demanded price of service is. You’re going to try haggling with the person in Mandalorian armor, who can just release whatever they’ve just contained back into your building/territory/underground network/starship? Better think again, buster.

Lawyers: It seems like there are a lot of Mandalorians who, through work as bounty hunters or just by the transactional nature of what they do for others, are good at navigating loopholes and adhering to the letter of the law rather than the spirit, or working another interpretation into the vague contract or deal you drew up for them to agree to. Cerebral Mandalorians are a lethal bunch, many of them already familiar with the types of circumstances and laws surrounding the cases they take, and if you see one on the other side of the courtroom prosecuting or defending against you, you better pray you came prepared enough to argue with someone whose face you can’t see.

Safari hunters: Whether you agree with the ethics or not, trophy hunters and big game wranglers make good money in legitimate circles as well as the invis market. They may be scientists or rangers or simple hunters working to either contain or cull dangerous or sick wildlife within a region, or they’re leading the wealthiest patrons of the galaxy on a three-day trek into the wild to give them the opportunity to track and hunt an apex predator or exotic find themselves. Some will sell and trade creatures in part or in whole to the highest bidder, ethically or not, and if they’re as well-versed in market and environmental law as their lawyers are, well then you as the lawman are probably out of luck. Besides, are you really going to go up against a Mandalorian big game hunter who spends every day surviving in the wilderness with a rifle as long as you are tall?

Translators: Most people buy protocol droids or other tools if they need a translator, but a good majority of Mandalorians are already working jobs where it pays to know several languages, and if you need a translator who can travel to locations protocol droids wouldn’t survive in, a Mandalorian’s always a sure bet.

Bouncers: What’s intimidating is that you don’t see any weapons on them. Sometimes all you need to keep people in line is somebody who can show a little fang and get them to back down without a fight.

Former smiths who have had to adapt to a lack of beskar and resources conducive to smithing Mandalorian armor have turned to designing durable, specialized outerwear made of other materials and technologies. Clothes and protective gear made by armorers for construction workers, wilderness travel, speederbikers, and any kind of trade or blue-collar work are top-of-the-line quality and tailored to the commissioner’s needs and physique. Durable tech-infused armor, nanomesh weaves, kevlex, flexible armadillo-plating, and enviro suits can all be incorporated into the designs. Like many Mandalorians, their work is available to outsiders who can afford it, but they are more often commissioned by other Mandalorians, as these armorers are who they trust the craftsmanship of above any other. See: Aforementioned underwater diving, firefighting, and extermination suits.

Sometimes all you need is just a good pilot. They often double as their own mechanics, not wanting to pay others for what they can do themselves unless they’re under a time crunch. Starships are often treated like cars in the Star Wars universe, in that just about anybody can jump into the cockpit of any other ship and expect it to operate roughly the same, but the truth is that there are just as many differences in ships as there are the people who fly them. Fast, evasive action against pirates? Easy. Not only a willingness but a tendency towards shooting first and asking questions later if it means self-preservation? Obviously. Nomadic by nature and often without choice? They’ve been around the block and they know what they’re doing.

It’s rare to find a lazy Mandalorian. They’re hard-working, precision-oriented, and unafraid of physical work. To that end, Mandalorian foremen are as strict as drill instructors and run their workshops, warehouses, and factories as if they were a military unit. They expect excellence and good time-management in every area, and if they’re the union leaders of their region there’s no way any other supervisor or executive will be able to force them to do something contrary to what’s best for their coworkers. Community oriented, an emphasis put on protective gear, shrewd business owners: again, do you really think it’s a good idea to go toe-to-toe with the person in Mandalorian armor who’s been stacking cargo or working in a steel mill all day?

Hookah lounge proprietor: Some Mandalorians retire or inherit or stumble into business ownership, and one that specifically garnered curiosity was the Rodian Mando who ran a lounge where Mandalorians (and others with specific environmental or physiological needs like the Kel Dor, the Ubese, and the Geranites) could indulge in a bit of spice without need of removing their helmets. Though open to others, many outsiders are often intimidated out of going simply because of the sheer amount of muscle and firepower under one roof. Said Rodian proprietor is an incredible mediator with an iron fist and manages to keep tempers and cultural differences in check, and by the time everybody’s started to settle in they’re really not interested in fighting for anything more than a bit of pub grub.

Dentists: In a culture of frequently mistrusting and occasionally steadfast mask-wearers, having someone with the education and skills of a specialized medical trade is an invaluable addition to the community. Mandalorian healers, medics, and even a few surgeons can be found in pockets across the galaxy, but it's rare to find those who specialize specifically in vision or dental work, and their identities are jealously guarded by the communities they serve. Mando dentists may also care for outsiders, but Mandalorians are often their priority and they are usually only found within Mandalorian communities anyway. Those with skills ranging across multiple species are sought after with fervor. It takes a brave soul to put one’s hands into the mouth of a Trandoshan.

Ironworkers for highrise buildings: Even the Mandalorians without jetpacks working in skyscraper construction are as brave as their airborne comrades, accustomed to welding, riveting, cutting, and working with metal hundreds or even thousands of feet in the air. Channel comms in helmets are an efficient means of communication and coordination while spaced out amongst the building site, and whatever work isn’t handled by droids is handled with aplomb by the Mandalorians with a focus in precision and excellent craftsmanship. There haven’t been many architects or engineers to come out of the culture in some time, but when the chance to rebuild opens up there will be an abundance of workers ready and willing to put those skills to use once again.

We’re cheating with this one when we say childcare workers because most Mandalorians hired for these roles are typically hired as bodyguards. Few and far in between often due to their loyalty and duty to their own people first, some individual Mandalorians who prefer stationary positions in more populated regions find work as the primary caretaker of one or several children belonging to individual families or clans. These Mandalorians don’t come cheap, but what you gain is a bodyguard, teacher, caretaker, and companion for your own children comparable to how Mandalorians treat their own. It’s generally understood that provoking a fight with a Mandalorian caretaker— especially by posing a threat to their ward— is an invitation for retribution, permanent or otherwise.

And if you, the child’s primary guardian, end up proving to be a threat to that child’s safety?

Well, they’re not your kid anymore. Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad.

[url-is-url]

Edwin Slaughter is so interesting to me because he's so emblematic of my conspiracy theory that the Order of Saint George... has no idea what the fuck it's doing.

We know from the Book of Slaughter that the Order looks for children in the foster system with certain "psychological profiles" to recruit, which you can generally read as animal-torturing little demon children like Paris and Tybalt. Taking the baby serial killers and pointing them at the monsters seems like a solid strategy. And you can see how authorities might come to the conclusion that Edwin was a creepy morbid child - when his mom dies in one of the flashbacks in House of Slaughter: Scarlet, we see him putting makeup on his dead mom's face when the cops show up. Very weird and fucked up thing to be doing!

But like... is it? We know from Book of Butcher that Jace was 13 in the early 00s, and Edwin seems to be in roughly the same age cohort as him, Aaron, and Erica. Which means that Edwin's mom is presumably around the same age as my mom and my mother-in-law, and I can tell you that a LOT of women in that generation have a complex about not leaving the house without makeup. If you're outside the house and you're not wearing makeup, you're basically naked. If you're a little kid and your mom just died and you know first responders are gonna have to remove her from the house, and you're a) too young to fully process what your mom being dead means and b) too autistic to fully process what this will look like, putting your mom's makeup on for her is a very kind, loving thing to do.

Yes, Edwin Slaughter is a weird, morbid little man who likes to draw corpses because they're so much more interesting than the diagrams in medical textbooks.

He's also nice. That doesn't seem to be a trait that the Order cultivates. The main lesson Maxine's been learning in the Books of Slaughter, Butcher, and Cutter is that nobody in the Order besides black masks really have to care about slaying monsters and saving children. In House of Slaughter: The Butcher Returns, Aaron alludes to Cecilia "whipping the feelings out" of the white mask trainees - it's left unclear if that's literal or not, and most of the adults in the Order seem to be in backstabbing political hell while Nolan and many of the other azure masks are in specifically backstabbing psyop spy shit hell.

And then there's Edwin. He's pals with Bait, the misfit of the white masks (and loses horribly to this, like, ten year old at chess!). When kids approach him at the campground he's happy to show them his drawings. He laments that it's hard to parse exactly what people are asking for, but he genuinely enjoys helping them find stuff in the library. When Nolan confronts him about his suspicious biometric readings, he's not defensive or combative; he is, in fact, stoked to help solve a mystery. He's shockingly well-adjusted (...compared to everyone else at the Slaughterhouse, at least). Just a nice, friendly, helpful guy who's good with kids, even if he's a bit awkward and has morbid hobbies.

AND 👏 HE'S 👏 COMPETENT 👏 AS 👏 HELL👏. This man solo'd a whole-ass dragon! He had the completely galaxy-brained idea of dumping his supplies overboard so he could use his own fear of starvation and yucky lake water as bait for a dragon. Most of the actual hunters would have probably gotten stuck on "but but but dragons are extinct in North America dragons haven't been seen in centuries" until they got eaten. My man Edwin clocked that dragon within a couple issues, and, again, came up with an insane way to lure it out into ramming range. Give him an emerald mask immediately! We see that the scarlet head of house likes him better than Gerde, who is seething and poorly coping about this.

In one of the flashback issues of SIKTC, we see Erica ask if it's possible for baby animals to manifest monsters and Aaron tells her she's being intellectually lazy. I bet if she had had an opportunity to ask Edwin instead, they would have busted that shit wide open!!!

Erica cares so so so so much, and she tries so hard to be kind to people... and she's smarter than the Order. She figured out that a puppy could be a creator ex nihilo and she beat the woman who had presumably killed many other rogue hunters (and damn, what does it say about the Order of Saint George that this is a recurring problem?). Edwin is really nice and likes to be helpful and isn't particularly interested in conflict... and he's smarter than the Order. He recognized a dragon for what it was, kicked its ass, and is currently solving the mystery of what happened to the House of Blood. The rest of the House of Slaughter thinks they're bad at being monster hunters AND YET they are arguably the most effective hunters around. Let's not forget that Louis Boucher, second only to Erica as the North American black mask with the most kills in the field, doesn't seem terribly impressed by what the Order teaches its trainees. And Maven was on a totally different relationship wavelength with her flock of monsters than anybody else we've seen.

What I'm saying is the Order of Saint George probably isn't that good at hunting monsters and also it's smart to care about people. And also if Erica, Edwin, and Louis teamed up they would probably burn it to the ground in about ten minutes and the Order would be fucking clueless.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Submission from a friend:

The concept of the Larrie ‘bad boy' is so childlike and 1950’s - a guy who drinks alcohol and smokes and maybe does weed, and is working class. That’s it. That’s your anti-establishment antihero. In contrast, the ‘ideal artist’ is cookie-cutter perfect with all the correct opinions and all the establishment behaviours, heavily promoted by industry and yet still someone that the fandom must be made to feel is rebellious and radical.

Larries also seem to understand that Louis’ profile in the UK is actually more positive than it’s been for years because he’s normal and non-elitist, as shown by the ‘hero of Glastonbury’ stories, and by his support for young artists and sport, and his genuine response to events like Liam’s death. However, Larries seem to believe that Louis is in fact an AI construct of his team, and every aspect is created. Let’s add 'anarchist' to ‘dad’ and ‘football supporter.’

It’s depressing that 'analyses' of such staggering childishness are taken seriously. And it's why fandom is so easily herded and controlled and why they worship someone as bland, derivative, and deliberately milquetoast as Harry Styles. They’re The Resistance™️ but also shocked by cigarettes and vodka.

They buy the idea that the most bland, mainstream and misogynistic pop music is somehow genre-defying and original, only because industry critics tell them so. But Harry’s fans are so conditioned that they love anything he does - except shaving his head, apparently. In any case, the no-stunts geniuses of the world are easily seduced by the grossest industry PR and gaslighting.

The “PR” and “industry” experts of the current Larrie fandom seem to have absolutely no CLUE what people in the UK consider likable and down-to-earth in a celeb— as opposed to what’s viewed as elitist/ boring/ pretentious/ superior/ greedy. They seem to believe that the only acceptable celeb is a teetotaling reader of elevated books and high culture, with cookie-cutter, performative ideology and definitely not (horror!) working class: like Harry's image (never mind that the real Harry Styles can’t articulate a word of what he reads and his lyrics are a mess of word salads). Maybe the boho guy uses a manual typewriter (one finger at a time, as a hobby) instead of a laptop, and wear pro-feminism tee shirts and ballet skirts on magazine covers to show how fabulously avant garde and therefore intelligent (and not working class!) he is. Basically the Larrie complaint is that Louis is not Harry.

Yet there is a shocking lack of awareness of the fact that the Evening Standard article was a hatchet job BECAUSE Louis is not Harry, and the same journalist would have done exacty the same thing to their beloved if he wasn’t backed by obscene power. The most important thing OP of that post didn’t notice was that even though Louis was stitched up by that unimportant stoat of a 'journalist,’ he was still far more interesting than a Harry Styles profile by a paid PR pretend journo, à la the Rolling Stones covers or the Zane Lowe ‘in-depth’ video interview or the pretentiousness of Another Man. What these Larries really hope is that Louis forgo his career and simply support Harry by being silent about his own life, his struggles, or his creativity, because he’s just not gay and upper class enough to sooth their pretensions.

[aitze]

I reserved the use of the laser cutter and engraver at the local library for an hour tomorrow to make some jigs and things for my leatherworking, and I want to see how the machine handles engraving leather while I'm there, so I made this quick profile portrait of a random elf queen or something to use as a test. If it works out, I'll probably turn it into the decorative front guard of a dagger frog (a frog is the thing you hang from your belt that holds weapons)

[ccrisntok]

Whit for the character thing!

Also... you're the reason I'm obsessed with Whace... oh my god I love them. One of my server profiles is just your Whace (the one where Whit is like "who wrote anniversary on our calender") pfp and banner and I just wanted an excuse to say I love your art and I love Whace :33

ANOTHER WHACE ENJOYER 🙏🙏 HELLO I'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT WHIT (also omg!!! someone used my art as a discord pfp!! I've made it 🥹 thank you for enjoying my art, it really means the world to me!!)

(this is referencing this ask game btw, you might wanna look at the questions so my answers make sense!)

Okay into the main event, tons of words after the cut:

1. My favorite thing about Whit would probably be his personality/humor. I feel like I laugh at all of his horrible jokes way too hard (because I love making the same kind of jokes)! Plus I think the way he reacts to things in the killing game is really interesting so far, and I can't wait to see how he changes or stays the same moving forward!

2. Ahhhh... I guess... some parts of his design aren't my favorite, even though he still looks really cool (a long with the rest of the cast). I still love drawing him, and I love seeing how people shove him full of head cannons and stuff!

3. "Charles... no, everyone here... We may act callously, but we're all only human." (and, ofc) "That's wack."

4: I suppose Charwhit, even though... the bro part of that is a bit suspect. Otherwise, I do like the Arei and Whit friendship stuff I've been seeing around!

5. ... Take a wild guess. (WHACEEE. WHACE. LOVE RACE, WHITACE, MARKYOUNG, PINK PONY CLUB, WHATEVER!!! WHACEEE!!!) and Charwhits cute ofc, hope that's cannon one day

6. The reason he's never dated before is because anytime he actually gets serious about someone, he subconsciously self-sabotages it! Why? Fear of intimacy 🔥

Also his hair actually crunches when you touch it because he's fried it irreversibly with bleach.

7. I don't actually think I have one... my view of him is pretty cookie cutter I think. I do hope he isn't totally evil or manically obsessed with Charles, even though they're interesting theories (establishing Whit to be obsessive w partners would be WILD for Whace 💀💀💀💀)

8. Ahhhhh this will make no sense, but the song Bad Medicine by the Upstart Crows reminds me of Whit. I don't know why, I can't tell you 😭 just does

9. fav cg, and fav sprites :]

i have no clue where the second one shows up in the series, but I'm a fan!

[leminy-sniket]

Coloured Designs

i’m going to make character profiles for all of them…..

will wood jukebox musical post

vamp costume sketch post

INFO ON THE COSTUMES BELOW

Scientist (Dr. Marsha) (it/its they/them):

Left - this is the “fame outfit” it is unfortunately featured in one song and a bit of a scene atm, but i quite like it.

Right - this is the “professional” outfit. this is the outfit featured thoughout the show.

i wanted to make the vamp look like it tried to look professional but gave up half way through. it is a huge influencer in society. so even though all the vamps are obviously terrible people and know nothing about science, they are celebrated. they are easy to admire, and society chooses to look past the obvious blood stains and lack of care and instead praise them. it carries a cane it doesnt need, sometimes to gain sympathy, sometimes to use as a weapon.

Mother (she/her):

for all the outfits i tried to take inspiration from 50s fashion. i liked the tight constricting collars and waist and pencil shirts. her hair inspo is from marilyn monroe (i like the idea that the vamps are just feeding the town 50s magazines and such). shes a very scared women, very guilty but very cookie cutter. she starts out wearing a lot of purple, and white to show her conformity and innocence. i like to think near the end of the show she wears red to show shes in danger or shes stepping out of her bubble. the black outfit is her “funeral” outfit and would be worn during Memento Mori

questions? comments? suggestions?

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer, Issue #62: Misadventures (Part 1)

Woah, it has been a while, hasn't it? For those who have forgotten, I have been reviewing the main storyline of the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog comics up until Issue #61, ending it there because there were no more Issues to review (unless you count the Classic Sonic comics, Sonic Forces, Sonic Frontiers Prequel, Team Sonic Racing and Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Movie Pre-Quill, which I might review some time in the future). In any case, I'm officially back and ready to go through the newer Issues.

So, the new Arc is titled ''Misadventures'' and it immediately stands out in the sense of how it is structured. In previous Issues, we focused on one story with a specific set of characters being the focus of that story. In ''Misadventures'' we have the Issue being split up in two parts, each of which focuses on different characters, making their stories a little shorter than what we're used to reading. Despite that, it is also made clear through those Issues that it also sets up a plot that will be resolved in the next Arc.

So, we start off with Amy going towards Angel Island.

The reason why Amy wanted to visit Angel Island was set up in the previous Issue, with Rouge finding an artifact that Eggman seemingly stole from Angel Island and Amy insisting on returning it to Knuckles. It is easier said then done when you don't have to fall through the ground.

Fortunately, Amy gets saved by Knuckles, who had been patrolling Angel Island as usual.

The page above basically explains what I had mentioned earlier, and we can see just how grateful Knuckles is to Amy, even inviting her to join him in returning the artifact to its proper place.

I suppose this is a good place to talk about Amy and Knuckles' dynamic. While reading this story, they really radiate that pure sibling dynamic, teasing and bickering with each other, but ultimately supporting and keeping an eye out for each other. I mean, just look at Knuckles' smug look and Amy getting annoyed at him. As someone with siblings, I know that dynamic very well.

While Amy and Knuckles are busy returning the artifact to their rightful place, we are now shown our second story, featuring everyone's favorite mafia boss Clutch and everyone's favorite murderous shapeshifter Mimic. In discussions with a friend of mine, I had been going on how it would be cool to see Clutch and Mimic team up, not just because villain team-ups are cool, but also because I wanted to see what Clutch was up to and how Mimic would aid him.

We learn that Clutch was the one who called Mimic for a mission on his own, with Mimic being a little wary of Clutch, even if he knows latter has nothing to do with Sonic or Eggman. Instead Clutch finally reveals more about his business, Clean Sweep Inc., which has been alluded to in his previous appearances. To keep it short, he pretends to clean up the remains of Eggman's robots and tech, amassing resources and arsenal, which I assume he then sells to whoever wants to buy it. Of course, the Restoration stands in his way, since they all do it for free and dispose of the dangerous material, so he plans on destroying them.

It is definitely an interesting idea. Instead of an open attack, we'll be reading a story about infiltration, watching the Restoration fall apart from the inside thanks to Clutch's machinations. Mimic is hesitant, since he had been keeping a low profile to avoid jail after Starline freed him and erased all of his data from Eggman's database so the Doctor won't hunt him down either. Clutch remains chill, bringing up Tangle and Whisper and how they formed a new ''Diamond Cutters'' team, which pisses Mimic off and he immediately agrees to be Clutch's man on the inside.

I'm certain Mimic believes that, if things get heated, he can easily abandon Clutch... or at least that their new partnership is on an equal level. After all, that was what happened with Starline, Zavok and Rough and Tumble, even if it was obvious that they were going to backstab each other the moment they got what they wanted.

However, Clutch isn't Starline. Oh, no. As it turns out, Clutch is on a different level as a villain and I genuinely can't wait until we get to that one page that shows just how insane this guy can get. Even know, we see the subtle manipulation he shows when talking to Mimic, convincing him with one simple offer to work together.

Speaking of teamwork, Knuckles and Amy are still on their mission, with Knuckles remembering how during Sonic and Tails' visit, they ran into Eggman who had been digging for resources on Angel Island. It is possible that this was when he stole the artifact.

Amy tries to convince Knuckles to let other people watch over Angel Island and the Master Emerald in order to help him, but Knuckles refuses. Even if they are trustworthy, Knuckles would still keep an eye on them, which would only make things more complicated.

Also, Knuckles? Who are those five people you trust besides Amy?!

I assume three out of those five would be the Chaotix, since he is good buddies with them, but I cannot be sure. I like to think that for Knuckles' own petty reasons, Sonic isn't one of them, considering how the hedgehog constantly brings trouble to Angel Island anytime he appears. X3

In any case, it is wholesome to see how close Amy and Knuckles are, with Amy even managing to fluster Knuckles after bringing up how he basically dumped the Resistance on her. It's really sweet.

They find the place where the artifact was supposed to be, but Knuckles knows there is a trap, so he is a little hesitant since they would probably damage it. Amy comes up with a plan, with Knuckles putting his trust in her.

That plan was to trigger the trap, allowing Amy to block the arrows, while Knuckles dashed to place the artifact back at its place.

Neat.

Both are happy that it worked, only for the ground beneath them to collapse. Neither of them are too disturbed, with Amy placing her trust in Knuckles to save her, while Knuckles trusts Amy to protect him from the falling boulders.

The two manage to escape, with their story wrapping up after Amy tells him that he is always welcome at the Restoration, especially after the initiative Lanolin started.

''...Who?''

Going back to the second story, Lanolin, Tangle and Whisper have a meeting and... oof, Lanolin, have you even slept in the past days? She looks like she has been through the wringer, probably surviving on coffee and pure determination. Honestly, Shadow would be proud.

Lanolin is concerned with the fact that their previous mission was nearly a disaster, asking Whisper for advice, while Tangle wonders if Lanolin plans on recruiting new members. Lanolin looks like she's about to snap, taking Tangle's paddle ball away after having to constantly listen to it. Yeah, I'm sure we can all relate to that.

In any case, Lanolin explains that having more personnel means having multiple options, leaving them better prepared. This isn't a bad idea, and it can work if they find the right people.

Speak of the Devil- We see a new character enter the room, asking if he could join them since he wants to make a difference and help the community, go on an adventure, take his work seriously... and we all know this is Mimic. Dude, you aren't fooling anyone in the audience.

I do like how he brings up specific points he knows would appeal to Lanolin, Tangle and Whisper to get them to accept him.

While Tangle looks like she's about to accept him in the team, Lanolin decides to question Duo about his skills... and also swats away that paddle ball because she isn't about to put up with Tangle's mischief. Duo responds with some generic answers, and I don't know if he's acting like he's nervous, or if he's really nervous after seeing a pissed off Lanolin. I hope it's the latter since this makes things much more hilarious.

As predicted, Tangle wants him in the team, and even Whisper agrees to let him in, with Lanolin accepting their vote on the matter, leaving it to Tangle to show Duo where his room is.

And as we predicted, Duo is Mimic. Well, at least the writers aren't pretending as if the audience wouldn't figure out who Duo really is. I do like the detail of him having to wear gloves to hide his hands, since those also don't seem to change properly whenever he transforms.

Rest assured, it will be interesting to observe how the plot develops, and even though I already know the outcome, it has been quite some time since I last read it. Diving back into it with what I know now should give me some fresh perspective on the events, especially when it comes to certain characters.

So, until next time!

Links:

#Previous Issue

#Next Issue

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

[levichouphys]

Posting My Kirby OCs When They Expected the Least

I refuse to admit how much time I spent on my own made-up langauge for Ripple Star. also I'll put their profiles below:

IZUKEN

Occupation: Hermit/ Combat teacher Species: Kapar Age: 42 in Kapar years (~300 in human years) Copy Abilities: Water/Cutter, and he can perform ability combo himself, getting Water Cutter (like Burning Cutter)

Ribbon’s teacher after the event of K64. But Izuken prefers to just eat tricolor dango near a river instead of teaching—even though he doesn’t mind teaching Ribbon. Very layback.

==================================================

PROKOROA PLAVTYR

occupation: Ripple Star's Royal Chief Craftsman Species: Fairy Age: unknown (deceased)

The craftsman of many artifacts, including the Sacred Crystal of Ripple Star. Around 2 years after the sealing of Galacta Knight, Prokoroa and her many apprentices were found dead in a mysterious accident--The precise details of this event are lost to history, other than Prokoroa seemed to be invested in "Project: The King Who Never Was."

She was once a dear friend of the current Queen of Ripple Star.

==================================================

PLUGBECCA

occupation: secretary to the QC supervisor, Haltmann Work Co. Species: Plugg Age: 25 Special Ability: NO, she being nice is her superpower. But yes, she can do usual Plugg stuff like plugging her head into the ground to produce lighting shockwave

She is a humble worker of Haltmann Work Co., living her best cooperative life--while Susie's own drama happening in the background

(from my au fanfic "Star, Angel, Crystal," debut chapter not yet published… yet)

[storiesofsvu]

CM 17.3

Alright!! 17e3 here we go!!

(I meant to rewatch the first 2 eps before this but didn’t get around to it, so a more in-depth review/more film student analysis is still to come.)

Enjoy this chaos with no context for now! (a lot of it likely isn’t gonna be fully fleshed out cause I have a full thought/reply and try my hardest to type it all out super fast before the show moves on but I have to stop to pay attention OR something else comes up and im just SCRAMBLING)

Absolutely hate there’s no subtitles right away for this but I mean.. I could wait a couple of days til its on Disney I just have no patience.

GOD why is it so fucking dark.

Thank you Emily for not letting luke spill the beans, like, kinda like Rebecca as a person, but can’t trust her as long as her job goes

Okay, em is in the right here, both in the sense of keeping it quiet originally but also making luke keep hush. Cause im sorry but she’s right. It would’ve 1000% drove the team to the brink and split them apart AND made them spiral so deep about what was on the site/other people seeing them/trying to cleanse the web of them (which obvi is impossible). Esp jj of all people? Like I’m not really sure *what* is on there, but jj is the one with KIDS, a full family, she’s still in contact with her parents (at least the mom?) she’s probably likely known in the circle of the boys friends parents? Like that’s SO much damage control to stress over??

Im so fucking excited for prentiss’ wacko neighbour to come back loool

LOOOOLL em’s “oh.. oh no…” reaction. I love this.

Did pen just say “tik tack” instead of tik tok? or was I not listening properly lol

“what are you gonna do?” “put out fires” that is LITERALLY a boss’ job. This being said as a boss.

“I don’t want to say no to your face…” SAME girl… same

GOD Emily is so fucking beautiful

This back and fourth with Garcia and her opinions on tyler is SO annoying. At first she hates him and doesn’t want to even look at him, then they’re flirting, then they’re fucking. Then she’s all twitterpated and wrapped around his finger. Then she AGAIN wants nothing to do with him?? Even though in the last ep she was all high school girlie about working with an “ex”?? I GET that the writers/showrunners are piling the comic relief onto her/the situation but come ON.

“I didn’t call you” “your landlord did” BRUH. COME ON. I don’t care how crazy things are, you ALWAYS double check that! I once saw a dude backing into my driveway with a ladder and immediately went outside to be all “uh..hello?” he immediately pulled out his phone, named my landlord, pointed out what he was there for (damage to the siding of the house, I hadn’t noticed cause I hadn’t left the house and live in the basement) AND offered to call my landlord. ALWAYS BE SUSPICIOUS.

WHY THE FUCK ARE JJ AND LUKE PAIRED UP!!!!????? Jj’s a profiler, she’s obvi gonna be able to get it outta luke, or press him for details, or whatever. If he’s supposed to keep shit quiet why tf are they off together. (or were they specifically asked to be together by voit? Cause that’s just him playing into his bullshit again)

“Emily practising deception isn’t a lie. It’s good leadership” THANK YOU.

Also...to feed all the jemily shippers out there… if this was a fic written by me.. it would be bundled into the AI shit, but there would be pics of Emily and jj hooking up that were very easily proven to be legit and the entire situation would out them and that’s what the actual issue was/is with the site…

I understand jj is outside with Sydney and luke’s job is to keep the girls distracted inside but of COURSE its himbo’s first reaction to pull out the soccer ball INSIDE.

Okay is that just some weird direction/camera angles or are we eluding to the older sister being a cutter?

Emily’s reactions to brian were perfection.

JFC NO! who’s out there stalking them? Uggghh (though I will say that the moment something clinked in the parking garage I said to myself “pls don’t let her get kidnapped in ep 3…”

I KNEW IT WAS CARBON MONOXIDE!! So smrt

Why does it feel like tyler knows more about gold star than the bau does?

Oooo but he cloned the phone! Good boy!!

Penelope: in charge of tracking down tyler

Tyler: texts Penelope “I need to see you”

Penelope: “NO!” doesn’t reply….

Ah yes.. I was right about the cutting… oof. Uugggh talk about heartbreaking..

LOOOOL tara teasing rossi! “I think I pulled… everything…” HHAH

Im not gonna lie, I absolutely HATE that they went down this AI *porn* route, as if these fucking poor characters haven’t been through enough, and like, again as I said, JJ… she’s got the most damage control to do no matter what, and poor girl hasn’t dealt with more than half her trauma so far…

“but I didn’t exactly get it legally, so you know what rebecca’s gonna say” THANK YOU. But also, like fuck that. cause this show has ALWAYS been above the law in that sense. I can’t remember if I said it in last week’s summary or if it was another random post, but CM vs like, SVU is WILD because we NEVER see things past the cuffs being put on/the unsub getting killed/killing themselves. We never go to court, we never see the legal side of it BECAUSE 99% of them would be not guilty due to mental…defect? LOL I know that’s not the right word/phrase but you know what I mean. CM is about the mind of the criminal and chasing them down and finding out the trigger and stressor and figuring out the pattern, not seeing things through to court and prison.

and while I love the addition of her character (Rebecca), it’s making other characters act in ways they never have before/never would simply because now the show is implicating the legal side of things. again, love having Rebecca and that boundary in line for the team but it is messing with the normal dynamics we are used to. Like..as IF Penelope would have any issue using an illegally cloned phone in the past. She was all “don’t ask questions” “well yes I *could* get access to that record, but it is technically sealed�� and hotch would be all “I didn’t hear anything…”

LOL Emily with a full bottle of wine at her desk. Love her. god she’s SO annoyed with brian and I love it.

SEE this is why luke never should have said anything. Cause it doesn’t matter how hard you try not to look, you’re never going to be able to resist being able to look it up, no matter how bad it is, how fake and evil and ugly it is, you’re still gonna want to know and jj didn’t need to see that/know about it. How is she supposed to go home and act ok now??

“okay they’re here… somehow” DUDE YOU KNOW BETTER EM! Doesn’t matter that youre in an fbi parking garage, no cop gets there that fast!!

Also..that red coat is TRENCH COAT. YEESSS

Oh FUCK YOU BRIAN

“FUCKING BRIAN!” thankkkkk you em

THAT’S HOW IT ENDS SEERIOUSLY? Ffs.

Also…in all seriousness. Em was in HER office at the BAU, somewhere you (I assume) need clearance to get on property, much less in the building or into the parking, so WHY/HOW the FUCK were both brian, the guys who beat him up and whoever took the pictures get clearance?? SHOULDN’T QUANTICO HAVE SOME PRETTY FUCKING HIGH SECURITY LEVELS???

[thedarkmistress16]

Happy spoopy month!👻Here's a sus tones wip that I did not plan on expanding but it happened anyway 🤷

Yandere!Tony Stark x Reader- The Little Things (Fluff, Romantic relationship, Pet names/Endearments, Physical affection, Bonding, Yandere quirks, Nondescript reader, Early Iron Man era like 1 or 2, Watch out he may be OOC again AHhh) (Fic Warning- Short Oneshot)

gifs used not mine as always. Couldn't find a source for the second gif, tho.

Striding into the lab where your partner is with exasperated purpose, you huff impatiently. “Tony, I can’t get this stupid thing off. The clasp has been slipping out of my hand for the past twelve minutes.”

“You were counting?” Tony quips in his rolling chair, closing out the live feed of the living area you just stepped out of. He spins himself around to properly face you and sighs dreamily, silently drinking you in as you continue to distractedly tug at the bracelet.

"I swear this thing went on no problem this morning…" You add as an afterthought, recalling how flawlessly you were able to latch it onto your arm in comparison. You don't remember jewelry being this finicky before.

"Really, now?" The man drawls, not moving an inch as he observes the locked bracelet plummeting back down to drape over your wrist for what feels to be the hundredth time at this point. “Need any help?” He innocently asks, wiggling his eyebrows playfully at you.

You stubbornly refuse to meet his mirthful gaze even as you approach him and thrust your arm out. Tony chuckles before guiding you over to a clean table you can lean on while he fiddles with the delicate piece of jewelry.

You take in his appearance as the brunette busies himself with the metal chain, noticing his casual approach to the day- the circular illumination of his arc reactor being the most prominent sight over his charcoal tee of a rock band, and sporting some very faded denim underneath. You then look around the lab and spot a mug branded with his company’s logo where he was originally sitting, and you briefly wonder if your intrusion kept him from anything important. Judging from the haphazard state of the room, whatever he was doing didn't seem construction related, and his A.I. would’ve warned you otherwise, you supposed. You're about to voice this when you turn your focus back to the inventor in question, but the thought quickly leaves your mind when your eyes land upon the bracelet again.

“Why did you get me this anyway?” You ponder aloud, assessing the profile of your boyfriend’s knitted expression as he concentrates himself on his task. Even after four months, you still couldn't figure him out.

“Do you not like it?” Tony stops short, his head shooting up to look at you with concern already blossoming on his features. You’re quick to correct yourself with equally widened eyes, taken aback by his reaction.

“No! It’s lovely and easy to match with! I just-" you falter, averting your gaze. "It’s… too much work to put on all the time…”

It sounded stupid when you said it out loud, even if it was true. The clasp was having an infuriating tendency to lock up at the worst times as of late, but it's never been so egregiously problematic until this afternoon. You were planning on snapping the entire thing off with a pair of Tony's cutters if he wasn't in the lab today.

The brunette visibly calms, his features softening. “I’ll always help you out with anything you need.” He sounds casual yet resolute about it, but you can't help but find it unnecessary. “I thought you knew that by now. Dating a genius, billionaire, philanthropist superhero has its perks, y’know. You won’t see me judging you for enjoying yourself.”

You sheepishly look back, a weary smile painted across your lips. “I don’t want to inconvenience you-” He adamantly shakes his head, and the soured expression he dons has the rest of your words fizzle out on your tongue.

“Never,” he spits out fiercely, his attention dropping to the bracelet again, “you’re never an inconvenience.” You fall silent, unsure of what words to respond with, electing to watch him meticulously work instead.

Soon, with an almost practiced touch, the chain falls away as if he broke a magic spell. You're about to take your hand back, but Tony engulfs it in both of his. He meets your curious eyes with his own, expressing an unusual and calmed seriousness in his brows that gives you pause.

“Darling, I love your visits, and you look good in anything. Preferably, not at all.” He comments good-naturedly, flipping your wrist over to place a kiss on a protruding vein, and you try to hold back a blush at how intimate it felt. The gentle touch he exudes startles you, but not nearly as much as when he moves those caresses down to the reddened pads of your fingers. There, the calloused digits rub circles exactly where you ran the skin ragged multiple times over.

His gaze drifts over to the discarded accessory that tormented you, critically looking it over. "I can make some adjustments- some good, ol' Stark ingenuity and it'll be fresh out of the box." He contemplates the idea before quickly shaking his head. "On second thought, I'll whip you up a new one instead. How's that sound? Something with more style- I want you to dazzle the world, baby." He winks up at you and you can’t help but laugh as he continues at a louder volume, turning his attention to the rest of the lab. "Jarvis, buddy- make a note of this, yeah?"

"New note titled: ‘This, yeah?’ Done, sir."

Tony glares at the monitor across the space that just dinged to life with a new notification. "We'll talk about this later, young man." The overly authoritative way that Tony counters back has you trying to muffle most of your reaction at the banter.

"Duly noted, sir." The voice drones back unflinchingly.

"Ah-ah-ah, shush!" The brunette exclaims suddenly, "no more notes! You're in timeout, Jarvis. Mute." You had a feeling the A.I. would've had a comeback otherwise. Tony pivots back to look at you, his expression shifting the mood into something more sincere that quells the rest of your amusement. “I don't do this just for anyone, so don’t think you don’t deserve to be pampered. Whatever you need, I'm there. Even if it's for a silly little trinket.”

You mull the words over and nod, watching his goatee lift around his growing smile. Tony's other hand moves up your arm, creating goosebumps in their wake. He wordlessly pulls you closer to him, beckoning and waiting. You can’t find any reason to deny him, so you surrender yourself to his affections.

As you let yourself cuddle into the arms of your caring partner, the billionaire's attention falls back onto the table where your bracelet lies. The single, white-colored faceted gem engraved with designs that mimic his arc reactor starts flashing blue. Tony's quick to quietly snatch it up and pocket it in his jeans in one fluid motion without alerting you. The ever-whirring gears in his mind contemplate employing a more genuine metal this time, one that would prevent the device from chaffing your skin and deteriorating as rapidly as before. Maybe implementing a different locking mechanism as well, just in case. If he gets the blueprints done fast enough, it can be your half-year anniversary present.

[squishyest]

Literally the cutest on this app!

Aww thanks 😊

But I know cutter gainer girls than me 🥺 but unfornuatelly they deactivated their profile

[tommykinard6]

Headcannons:

When Tommy strolls up and saves Hen from the paper pusher in 7x03, with the whole *actually* it falls under the Mexican maritime whatever, *not* the coast guard, this is a weird fact he learned from Buck not five minutes before. Exact same conversation happened in the helicopter waiting for Hen.

Clipboard! Buck would have a very comprehensive system for his body to be bottom friendly within 2-6 weeks of dating Tommy. (way before their first time, just in case. He’s keeping his/Tommy’s options fluid)

Tommy goes absolutely feral for Buck’s lightening scars. Following the entrance scar on his chest to the exit scar on his upper thigh is how Tommy gets Buck’s pants off for the first time.

They’ve probably had at least one date between the cafe scene and the wedding.

Tommy has talked a lot about teaching Buck his hobbies. Buck could teach Tommy how to surf.

Notes:

Everyone is like they kissed so long in the lobby that there was time to serve cake! But I have yet to see, they kissed so long in the lobby other sooted up firefighters made it to the hospital wedding and also got served cake. (There is one such firefighter behind Buck in the soot-face scene, and you know Tommy got to the hospital first out of those guys)

S1 Fuckboi Buck had a dating profile name that had the word FireHose in it and says it’s not referring to an actual hose. S6 Buck confirmed to have enough experience with cock rings to necessitate owning a ring cutter. HC: Buck is explorative and who knows what else he owns but I bet it’s pretty kinky. I can see him and Tommy getting a sex swing together.

Hi nonnie!! 🍄🌸

I’ll number these as I talk about them!

1: YES. I love that actually. Buck totally went on a ten minute spiel about the things he’s learned from the internet or aviation museum.

2: oh yes! In my headcanon, Buck does switch and bottom sometimes, so I totally can see that. He had a checklist and a PowerPoint.

3: Nonnie all I have to say is YES

4: oh for sure, I absolutely think they had a “do over” at the very least. Though idk that they strictly need a do over, so we can leave it at a third date.

5: oh yes! He could teach Tommy surfing and yoga and random facts about bartending (as a bartender, I love this one) and also? Let’s not forget, ranching.

6: I never saw this other firefighter, I’ll have to look next time I watch the scene!

7: oh yes, Buck is kinky and explorative. Idk about the sex swing thing, but I could see it!

Ok bye nonnie! 🍄🌸