#so i kinda get how people plow through it

[colorisbyshe]

Taylor Swift by far is not the worst celebrity in terms of like... being bad. Her music isn't the worst--it is the definition of radio friendly. Her behaviour, in terms of celebrity bullshit, isn't the worst either (though we really shouldn't understate the ecological harm from her private jet which gets handwaved but is... truly horrific). She isn't particularly unfashionable, she definitely isn't provocative or boundary pushing.

But all of this middle-of-the-roadness is just... the embodiment of capitalism, especially White Girl Boss capitalism, and... more than that, it represents the sanitation that brings to art. The calculation. The risk aversion. And the laundering of any real feeling--that I'm not even sure she's fully capable of--into something somehow less than the sum of its parts.

It's so egregious it feels brain-numbing. It feels like a mockery of the craft. It feels like every board room decision that has excluded marginalized voices in art and every experimental song from the soundwaves embodied in one person. Everything is PR, nothing is organic. Even when she does awful things (like dating a massive racist or using her moment in Time Magazine to bring up years old beef with the fucking Kardashians instead of speaking on the GENOCIDE happening right now), it's a choice to distract from a worse thing or get another burst of attention. She can't even be awful in a way that feels authentic. There isn't a controversy that isn't also a chance to pivot her public image into something New and Fun.

She feels like a vessel for every breaking down of music as an art form happening in our capitalistic world. She's the tiktok algorithm, the pushed paid promotion on every social media feed, the pay-to-win Grammy awards all in one little bundle. She's hollow and business opportunities are what's filled inside her to keep her from floating away into the blandest possible season of the real housewives of ___ anyone has ever seen.

To me, she's a step above AI art in terms of like... human passion.

To me, she feels like the second she experiences a real human emotion, she writes down five different ways she can profit off of that or spin it into a new victim complex (which she profits from).

To me, the rare tolerable-to-good song she has is just... entirely tainted by the brand around it. Her career isn't a musical exploration. It's a brand. Her music is a plain white t shirt with a logo printed dead center, nothing else to offer.

It can't have anything else on it, no statements, no daring, because then the logo, the brand might get obscured.

[dollfacefantasy]

Hey girly, love ur writing!!! could you do a leon x fem reader and they are doing the deed and there are other people there are they are tryna stay quiet 🤭🤭 like i lowk imagine leon being kinda needy but idk! thank u girl!!

thank you so much and ofc, here's a little drabble for this <3

cw: nsfw (18+), smut, p in v, exhibitionism (someone else in the room)

"Leon. Be quiet. He's gonna wake up," you whine, taking extra care to keep your voice lowered.

"I'm trying, baby. Not my fault you're so fucking tight," he murmurs against the shell of your ear.

You had picked up your boyfriend and his friend Chris from the airport earlier that day. It was a long drive. Apparently their sectors of the government didn't have the competence to drop them a little bit closer to where you lived. You had insisted on just driving through the night, but Leon and Chris were exhausted. They wanted to stretch out on a bed and pass out for the night. Even if the hotel you'd come across only had one available room left.

You feel another moan about to seep from Leon's lips. In an effort to prevent this, you dig your nails into his forearm which was over your chest. His hand rested on your throat, giving him leverage to continue plowing into you from behind.

The little crescents do nothing to silence him and only serve to turn his low pitched moan into a needy whine.

"Leon, shut up!" you whimper.

Your eyes are locked on Chris as your boyfriend ruts into you. His hips smack against your ass, but he's not going fast enough to make any disturbing noise.

"Hush, honey, he sleeps like a fucking rock, trust me," he whispers.

He aims to reassure you with some wet kisses behind your ear. You knew this was wrong and that you should've protested. If Chris did wake up, you'd be humiliated and guilty. But fuck, he just felt so good.

His cock keeps sliding into your soaked cunt just right. Each stroke hits another mark of pleasure. It was a miracle you were able to keep some semblance of composure. To keep yourself quiet, you clutch the blankets in your fists though, so hard it nearly pains you. Leon didn't have the same discipline. This entire time his panting and whimpering drips right into your ear. The noises were among your favorites in the world, always guranteed to make you squirm.

"That's it. That's a good girl," he coos upon hearing no further protests, "Just relax for me, babydoll."

The thought was a persuasive one. You could feel yourself beginning to melt into the crisp hotel sheets just like how you would in your own bed at home. Half of your face presses against the pillow case. His hips never stop moving beneath the blankets. He couldn't get enough of your velvety warmth wrapped around him.

As you feel yourself starting to build to that sweet release, you see Chris start to shift. Your eyes had been locked on him the whole time, preparing for this exact scenario. Panic floods your mind. Had he been awake since the beginning? Had he been watching? Was he pissed?

Your heart pounds even harder against your ribcage as your fingers release the blanket and return to his arm.

"Leon!" you gasp.

He can tell from the infliction in your tone that it's not a gasp of ecstasy. His thrusts come to a screeching halt. His eyes that were half-lidded with a combination of lust and fatigue open a little more. He spots the same movement you did.

Fairly certain it was some usual tossing and turning, he pulls you closer to his chest and nuzzles the side of your head.

"Stay quiet, babe. We're gonna be fine," he whispers even quieter than before.

The two of you do exactly that. You stay still and silent. It was kind of nice, the calm feeling of just being full without any sparks of pleasure. But Leons arm begins to move.

Your eyes dart down and watch his limb slither below your t-shirt and up to your breast, taking one of the warm mounds in his hand. He just rests it there as the both of you continue to pretend to sleep as if he needed to feel more of you. Being buried inside of you just wasn't enough to sate his desire.

As soon as Chris has settled facing the opposite direction and you're both confident he's fast asleep, Leon begins pumping his hips again. And with the return of the movement, comes the return of his noises. He grunts, groans, mewls. Anything he needs to in order to spur on his own release.

You just let him this time without any complaints, figuring he may finish and get you to finish a bit faster with the lack of bickering.

His cock begins to pulse within you. As his thrusts get sloppier and a bit more erratic, you know the end is near. Your hand delves down between your legs, pads of your fingers rubbing at your clit a little to give yourself that extra friction needed to join him.

He cums first. His hips stop, pelvis flush against your backside. At first, you're sure he's gonna wake someone. His noises are only a little louder, but they're much more frequent. You feel him spill every drop within you as he shoots rope after rope. You're not far behind and cum a few seconds later. Your legs twitch as your walls clamp down around his already sensitive length, drawing more needy sound from him.

While the two of you come down, he murmurs into your ear. His words are all breathy from the bliss that had just entered his system.

"Christ, angel. So perfect for me," he says with a small kiss to your head.

You reciprocate the affection, but some anxiety still lingers within you.

"You really think he didn't hear?" you ask, looking up into his eyes for reassurance.

"No way. We're clear," he says, granting your wish before grinning at you, "Besides, if he did, I'm sure he'd enjoy the show."

Your eyes widen at his little clip and you lightly pinch his bicep. "Shut up. For real this time," you tease.

"You got it, boss," he says, planting one more kiss on your lips.

You roll your eyes but still get comfy in bed as he pulls out and fixes the two of you. After falling back into position, it's not hard to fall asleep. You fit against each other perfectly. His chest is so warm against your back. Everything just feels right, especially since you were sure you'd just pulled off the heist of the century.

You fall asleep on cloud nine but are quickly brought back to reality the next morning when the three of you check out. You're carrying your bags out while Chris holds the door for you. Leon's putting things in the trunk already, eager to get home and have some true alone time with you.

As far as you knew, you were in the clear. That was until Chris gave the room one last glace and then turned his gaze to you.

"The next set of people better hope they clean the sheets really well," he says with a teasing smile.

[littleplantfreak]

It’s heavy

Erm its a small thing about wanting to carry Ume’s burdens ig that ive been thinking about (even though i ended up going a whole other direction than i originally daydreamed. When i first thought about it, it was gonna be like stand in the rain dramatic but.)

its sfw and theres no cws i think except it’s kinda spoilery from recent chapters (not in depth tho) Also I read through it once but you know how it goes with proofreading owo)/

"I didn't know it would feel that heavy," Sakura says, mid bite into his lunch.

"Whatd'ya mean?" You swallow your own food before getting a drink. He's talking about Umemiya.

"The resolve to fight. For the town, the people you...love," he grits out the last word, still unused to verbally speaking about affection, but he's been getting better. "The weight of everything on your shoulders makes it hard to move sometimes" Your eyes widen at that. At the change in demeanor since he first came to town. He's really improved since you first met and honestly the change is for the better.

"Is it...a bad feeling?" You wonder, food forgotten now that the conversation has turned serious.

"Not bad, just annoying. And comforting? I don't know how to explain it." He's flushed now, embarrassed by the inability to find the proper words to convey just how it is. It's one of those things you have to feel for yourself to really grasp.

"Exhausting too I bet," you say more to yourself, thoughts suddenly going fully to the white haired man. Two bi-colored eyes look your way as you twirl your fork in your hands thoughtfully. He turns even redder when he sees your dazed look, knowing you're ruminating about Umemiya. You take out your phone, shooting out a text to see where he's at. When he texts back that he's on his way to the cafe from school, you decide you'll meet him halfway, telling Sakura you'll be back in a bit and that he can have your leftovers.

You're jogging really, not caring about pacing yourself when an urge has overtaken you. The anxiety spreads in your chest to your arms and hands, prickling at your fingertips. Nothing's wrong, but at the moment you feel like if you don't see his face soon, you'll never see it again. Logically, you talk yourself down knowing those thoughts are just your brain screwing with you, but the feeling won't go away until you get to him.

The sun warms Hajime’s face as he heads to Kotoha’s, wind blowing the chimes as they clink daintily. He's got an easy walk going, not surrounded by people for once.

The look on his face when he spots you is one of delight, slowly switching to concern from the way you're running towards him, cheeks flushed.

"Hey pumpkin, what's with the running? Somethin' up?" He asks before you plow straight into his chest, arms squeezing around his waist. You shake your head, tightening him in your hold knowing it's not gonna hurt him in the slightest.

"Can I carry it sometimes?" you mumble from his chest after a minute of breathing in his scent, sweat and deodorant mixing into a smell that was so him it calmed the frayed nervous that had been unraveling. When he asks what you'd be carrying, you lift your face to lock eyes with him.

"You? Everything you're carrying? Not all the time, but I don't want you to be the only one shouldering so much weight. I'm not that strong, but," you're suddenly self conscious about it, looking down at your feet for a second before forcing yourself back to look at his face. "but I can do it for you. Whenever you need me to." You finish, waiting on his response. He breathes deep and ponders it for a second, the look on his face a mix of hesitance and adoration at your declaration. For once he’a speechless, but he’s not surprised it’s you who’s rendered him as such.

“…I love you,” he says simply, eyes wide. Like he just rediscovered the fact despite his almost constant mission to let you know that with his words and actions on a daily basis.

“That’s not what-,”

“I know. I know, but I just wanted to say it I think. Or I couldn’t help it.” He kneels down to your level, holding both of your hands in his own, a look of resolve in his cloud grey eyes. “I can try…letting you carry some of it. It’s heavy.”

“That’s fine,” and you release his hands before grabbing his face. “I’ve got you.”

Atlas was punished to hold the weight of the world, but Hajime isn’t Atlas and he has you.

You both drop the subject for a bit, a ghost of the conversation still stays lingering in both of your heads. It's easy to say he'll rely on you like that, but the truth is putting it into practice is remarkably difficult.

He's still wondering how to work this new part of your dynamic when you decide to take the bull by the horns. He wakes up and shoots a text to Hiragi, telling him he'll meet him at the bakery to help paint the new sign, but he receives a text back saying it's been taken care of. Well that clears things up a bit, he thinks. So he goes to Kotoha's knowing she's been needing someone to do a supply run...only to find the first years already carrying the groceries over, and when he tries to help put them away? He's blocked from them, Nirei stuttering that they can handle it on their own.

His sister chimes in, though, that she thinks you really needed help with something over near the park. He thanks her, figuring his two main task for the day were complete, albeit almost immediately without him lifting a finger. By the time he makes his way to you, it seems you've been sitting for a while, passing the time on your phone wearing one of his old hoodies.

"You needed help lovebug?" He's asking, a hand running rough his hair, breath taken at the sight of you. You don't look any way different from any other day, but the feeling he gets in his chest when he sees you has yet to fade and he doesn't think it ever will.

"Yeah. It's a tough job. Think you can help?"

"Anything for you." You can tell by his voice and the look on his face that he means it.

"I want my boyfriend to relax for the day. Do you know how I can make that happen?" Faux innocence filling your expression. A few things click in his head at once. Throughout the week, his schedule seemed to be getting freer and freer no matter how many people he'd heard needed help with something. Every time he checked in with the person, someone had already taken care of it vehemently denying a need for any more assistance. Even today, the two things he planned to do were quickly swept up and deposited for someone else to do.

The look on your face, and your question have the last puzzle piece fitting into place. He'd smack himself for taking this long to notice if he wasn't flushing a bit right now. You were around less during the week or at the very least on your phone a bit more than usual, but he chalked it up to it being a busy week for you. He never would've thought you were working behind the scenes to lighten his load.

He'd gotten more done for himself this week than he had in a while and he had you to thank for that, even though it took him a while to figure it out. He thought briefly about thanking you, but realized this is what you wanted to do, no thanks necessary. So he shrugs before answering your question.

"I could've sworn he said something about really wanting to kiss you right now. He's around here somewhere I think," he's walking closer, hand on his chin, looking around as if to search for himself.

"Great, when you find him, let him know I've got a pillow and blanket fort set up at home with a stack of movies near the TV." You dodge him, twisting out of the way to head in the direction of your place. He huffs a laugh before running up to your side, arm wrapping around your waist, and drawing you in a close hug. He presses a big kiss to the crown of your head, and releases you just enough to keep walking. He feels lighter than he has in a while, and if you'd been asked, you would've told him the same thing.

[tvckerwash]

thoughts on wash's fighting style and his position in pfl because I can (utc because it's really long lol):

wash is very unique among the freelancers for a variety of reasons, one is that he doesn't specialize in one specific area of anything, he's a jack of all trades who is able to fill in for other freelancers if necessary. for example in s9 when york was supposed to be unavailable for lock picking/infiltration duty, carolina immediately went to wash (and we are ignoring that york is not shown to be good at lock picking!) if she trusted wash to fill in for their specialist in one area, I feel it's not a stretch to imagine that he can do so in other areas as well.

need a snipper but north and wyoming aren't available? wash can cover. need someone to get into the enemies' computer systems in place of ct, south, or york? wash can cover. need someone for stealth or reconnaissance in place of florida? wash can cover. etc etc.

wash's combat style reflects that jack of all trades, master of none thing very well too, as the way that he fights is very grounded and pragmatic when compared to the rest of the freelancers. a lot of people like to portray wash as less skilled than the other freelancers, but in truth I believe that wash being able to keep up and compete with the other freelancers despite his lack of dramatic flare is a show of just how competent and skilled of a soldier he is. wash is so good at doing what he does that he doesn't need all that extra bullshit to get the job done. sure, he might not look as Cool and SexyTM as the others while doing it, but completing the mission and surviving to live another day takes precedence over all else.

another way of looking at it is that wash fights in the same way that the odst's do, that is to say that he fights like a human who cannot plow his way through the battlefield in the same way the spartans can. wash's style of fighting is one that employs careful planning and targeted hit and run tactics—this is most obvious in recovery one and s6 whenever he's fighting against the meta.

I also feel it's important to note that wash is not a cqc fighter, he can handle himself if he gets into a cqc situations but his primary weapon is the battle rifle—which is a mid/long range weapon. if I'm being honest wash's way of fighting makes waaaaaaaaay more sense if you look at him not as someone who is trained to primarily fight against other humans, but as someone who is trained to fight against 8ft 2 ton aliens with plasma weapons that can slice through the hulls of UNSC battle cruisers (ships designed to travel through space!!!) like a hot knife cuts through butter and have the technology to raze entire planets to the ground in a matter of minutes.

I also personally believe that wash has the most military experience out of all the freelancers right behind florida, wyoming, and maine (who I hc as a spartan iii). we know that wash did his basic training in the leonis minoris system (a canonical halo system) and that system had two of the three planets glassed by the covenant in 2537, and wash directly references these events in the washed hands interview in the fan guide and the way he says it implies that he likely completed his basic training that same year. now I have some grievances with the timeline given in the book when it comes to the events depicted in the freelancer saga because it's just kinda weird, but everything prior to that bit is actually fine (though I hate the way that they decide to number the timeline lmao).

now in halo canon the human/covenant war ended in 2552, and according to the timeline in the rvb fan guide that was 1 year after alpha was sent to blood gulch. project freelancer is first cleared for funding 7 years BBG (before blood gulch), and recruits the 50 freelancers 5 years BBG. doing some math we can determine that pfl was cleared for funding in the year 2544, and the freelancers are recruited for pfl in 2546. so assuming wash finished his basic training in 2537 that would mean that he was in the military for 9 years before he joined pfl, and while wash is addressed as a corporal (e-4) in the washed hands interview he was most likely demoted to that after he was court martialed, and he was possibly going to be dishonorably discharged from the military because of his disorderly conduct.

using the current standards used by the us marine corps when it comes to rank progression, wash was most likely a sergeant (e-5) who was very close to being promoted to a staff sergeant (e-6). wash as a sergeant would've essentially been the assistant manager/co-leader of the platoon he was in while his staff sergeant was the manager/leader, and that would explain why he was able to even get into an argument with his CO in the first place. I believe wash held a similar position in pfl, as it's kind of implied that he did some management stuff in pfl (talking with internals/upper brass, him feeling comfortable with openly questioning carolina about whether york should be allowed on the sarcophagus heist, and of course he shows the ability to direct and somewhat lead south in recovery one, and him leading church, caboose, and the reds in s6, and him taking charge of the meta in s8).

even if wash wasn't a sergeant as a corporal he would've been in a position to be the leader of a fire team, so basically wash isn't some rookie who had no clue wtf he was doing as many in the fandom like to characterize him; he is an experienced and battle hardened soldier by the time he joins pfl no matter how you look at it.

to put all of that into context, carolina is born 29 years BBG, which would be 2522. so during pfl she's in the 24-28 range and she wouldn't have joined the military until 2540. I actually personally head canon that wash is the same age as carolina, but that he illegally enlisted at 15 because of a crappy home life, but ignoring my head canon and assuming that he joined the military at 18 instead, he would've been born in 2519.

[still-not-over-transformers]

hey i saw that ur requests r open!!:)

i was wondering if u could write a general rotb mirage x fem (or gn ur choice!) human reader fluff oneshot? reader could be a lil antisocial n mirage is the only one that can help her feel better after a long day around people from work/school. i see a lot more mirage nsfw then fluff n i could use the comfort </3

Apologies for the delay, but finally finished your request. I hope it brings you the comfort I'm sure you both need and deserve <3

The Perfect Pick-me-up

ROTB Mirage x Female Human Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1500+

It had been an exhausting day for (Y/N). You had started your day by waking up at 5am, before heading to college to begin 8 hours of listening to lectures, taking notes, and struggling to find the will to live through this day. Despite multiple cups of coffee, you were absolutely drained of energy. The only thing that gave you the drive to push through was knowing you had a rendezvous with a certain Porsche that evening. Mirage had enough energy for the two of you, and it was hard to believe that he never seemed to get tired. The two of you had met a few months back...

*Flashback*

You had been walking home from an internet cafe a few blocks from your apartment, drained after working tirelessly on an essay. In your exhausted haze, you failed to notice a shifty stranger step out from the shadows, grabbing you by your shoulders and pressing a knife to your throat. Before the man could say or do anything else, the sound of engine-revving and tire-squealing pierced the night air. 

A silver and blue Porsche Carrera barreled down the street towards you and your assailant. At first it seemed as if the car would plow right through you, but instead it screeched to a halt and transformed into a tall blue robot. “Hey! Hands off the lady!” Mirage quickly approached you, causing the would-be mugger to run for the hills. “Yeah! That’s what I thought, tough guy!” Mirage glared in the direction of the mugger before turning his attention towards you, “You okay, sweetcheeks? That slimy jerk didn’t hurt ya, did he?” Mirage looked you over briefly with his vibrant blue optics, checking for any obvious injuries. “Well you look alright to me. Name’s Mirage by the way.” He flashed a cheeky grin and posed. “Oh um… my name’s (Y/N),” you stammered. “(Y/N)! That’s a great name. Suits you too.” He winked at you, “You uh… need a ride home? My treat.” 

*Back to Today*

Despite your exhaustion, you found the energy to make the trek back towards your home. You took the bus to your favorite internet cafe, the same one you had been walking back from the day you first met Mirage. You waited inside the cafe for a short while before hearing the familiar sounds of an engine revving and a series of horn honks. Exiting the building, you walked towards Mirage as he pulled up to the curb. The driver’s side door popped open, “Your chariot awaits, milady.” Mirage had a smug tone in his voice, clearly pleased with himself. You rolled your eyes before climbing inside the driver’s cab, the door closing behind you. Mirage started his engine before peeling out of the spot and heading onto the streets. 

“So how was school? Did you crush your statistics exam? Maybe cheated off someone else’s work? HA! Just kidding, I know you aced it on your own.” Mirage asked energetically, his mouth running a mile a minute. Don’t get it wrong, you enjoyed Mirage’s presence and enthusiasm, but you didn’t say much as you were simply burnt out from the day and weren’t feeling particularly chatty. After driving for a while, Mirage noticed how quiet you were and slowly pulled over on a quiet side street. “Hey (Y/N), are you feeling okay? I’m sorry if I kinda talked your ears off.” His voice was soft and full of concern. You paused and tried to shake any concern Mirage had, “Oh, no I’m fine. Sorry… I’m just a bit worn out from today.” 

Mirage had known you for a long time now, and even he knew when it was time to shut up and focus on your needs. “Heyyy don’t be sorry, (Y/N), you’ve had a hard day” the Autobot paused before an idea flashed through his mind, “I think I know the perfect pick-me-up.” Mirage restarted his engine and began driving. You weren’t quite sure what he had up his sleeve, but you knew Mirage always had the best intentions. The drive was quiet, Mirage merging onto the highway and driving towards a secluded area near the edge of the harbor. 

The sun was beginning to set over the water as Mirage came to a stop and parked. “Mirage, why did you bring me here?’ You asked, tired but still curious as to the Autobot’s intentions. “(Y/N), I know when you’ve had a stressful day. And I just wanted to take you somewhere nice and ya know… maybe just have a moment to ourselves,” Mirage spoke softly before opening the driver’s side door to allow you to exit. After you exited Mirage’s cab, he transformed into his Cybertronian form and slowly knelt in front of you, his bright blue optics leveling with yours. “You know I’m always down to listen to you, right? I know I may come off as 1.5 tons of sexy muscle, but I’ve got a soft spark too” he flashed a quick wink at you before noticing your body language, and reeled in the charismatic charm. Mirage sighed before turning his face away in embarrassment, “Sorry, (Y/N).” The Autobot shifts his frame to sit beside you, both of you facing the harbor and the view of the sun slowly sinking towards the water. 

You had wondered why Mirage had brought you to this location, hypothesizing it was probably the seclusion, being an area he could comfortably transform and not worry about being spotted by other humans. “It’s okay, Mirage. I can tell you’re just trying to cheer me up” you said with a tired but kind tone, “It’s just been a day and I’m burnt out” You sat on a patch of nearby grass and pulled your legs to your chest, looking down into nothingness. You were surprised at the sudden gentle touch of Mirage’s servo on your shoulder. Before you could turn to look at him, you felt yourself lifted slowly into the air, before finding yourself pulled against Mirage’s chest in a hug. 

Mirage’s arms cradled your small human body in his, drinking in your warmth against his metal chassis, “Sorry if I’m overstepping but I can tell you need this.” There were so many thoughts and emotions going through Mirage’s mind at that moment. He was overjoyed to have you all to himself and so close to him, but also had a pit in his gut that you would reject his attempts to comfort you. Primus, it would be so much easier if he could just punch whatever was making you feel so down. Mirage knew a lot about human pop culture and music, but the complicated social life and emotional tolls of everyday human life were a little harder for him to understand. He knew you didn’t have many friends and preferred to keep to yourself. It boosted Mirage’s ego to know that he was your closest friend, and both of you trusted each other completely. 

All of the Autobot’s thoughts ceased as he felt you press your cheek against his chassis, his optics growing wide as he looked down at you. “Thanks Mirage,” you spoke softly as you looked up into his optics. “It’s been a hard week. Midterms have been kicking my ass and I can’t stand this one group project. It’s just… not my thing, you know?” Mirage gently rubbed your back with one of his digits, “Hey, I get it. I’m not the best at working in a team either, as I tend to steal the spotlight.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle as Mirage’s had that charming, shit-eating grin on his face. “Why did you take us here anyway? Not that I’m complaining,” you asked, your eyebrow lifting inquisitively. Mirage slowly sat up, taking care to support you, holding you in one of his servos before setting you on his shoulder. The view before you was of the New York Harbor, the glow of the sunset reflecting off the water’s surface. The sky looked aflame with gradient tones of gold, orange, and deep crimson, and the colors shone through the tall outline of the city skyscrapers. 

“Honestly, I was driving through this area by mistake and then I saw this view… It was so stunning and vibrant and warm… and it reminded me of you.” Mirage’s expression was soft and kind of vulnerable, something not often observed of the usually confident Autobot mech. Mirage felt a surge of embarrassment and couldn’t meet your gaze, “Sorry, that must’ve sounded so cheesy…” The young mech froze when he felt you lean against him, settling your head in the crook of his neck. “No, it was cute” you said softly, a content smile playing on your lips. Mirage’s expression softened and a smile crept back to his face, “Well then, I’ll try to come up with more cheesy compliments from here on out.” 

The two of you sat there watching the glow of the sunset as time went by. Few words were said after this point, but they weren’t needed. Just sharing each other’s company spoke volumes…

*End*

Again, so sorry for the delay. I truly hope this brings you comfort and joy. :)

[thejockout]

Soundcloud Dilemma - I need your input!

(Yes, this is a sneak peek of the next file to come out. Shhhh.)

I've hit a small snag with my Jockout2 Soundcloud account. That being... I've already run out of space on it, which you'll see above. The limit is quite low, and you plow through it FAST with 30 minute uploads.

Unfortunately, buying a full year of Soundcloud Pro+ (which is the cheapest package available to expand that limit) is about 110 euro... or 120 dollars. And I'm having trouble convincing myself to spend that because... firstly, it's over half of what I've made on commissions to date 😬. And secondly, this is a platform which already deleted my account once before on account of it being NSFW. So there's a chance I'd spend 120~ dollars just to get it nuked again.

I'm not really sure what to do instead of Soundcloud, though. I think it's where a lot of hypnobros go to listen, but I just think most of the hypnotists using it kinda just drop 1-2 files and never touch it again so they don't deal with the limit.

Your answers will help me suss out how worth gambling that 120 dollars would be. Just let me know where you do most of your hypno listening - and if it does turn out to be mainly on Soundcloud, I may make another post geeeently nudging people to drop me a few bucks on Ko-Fi to help me afford the account upgrade, lol. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, tick the poll/comment below and let me know your listening habits.

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

WHATISUPEVERYBODY you know it wasn’t my intention to watch literally one episode every two weeks but here we are i guess ITS TIME FOR ANOTHER KNOX REACTS TODAY ITS MONKIE KID SEASON 5 EPISODE 4 LESGET IIIIIT

The ssssstorm within, alright, alright, something to do with Mk and blowing up maybe? who knows, perhaps we shall find out MWAHAHA! Well, i mean obviously we’ll find out we’re watching the episode—listen i just woke up i can’t be held responsible for my incoherent ramblings LETS MOVE ON

Face in hands bro i miss flying Bark. BRUTAL DUDE (gotta say it at least once every episode sorry bois :pensive_emoji:)

Sniffs, just plow straight through the underbrush its fine—

Monkey King and Mei face down… okay…. this is…. a very fun frame i will admit…. who wants matching icons—/j/jj/

PREGUFFINGLKJA;DSF WE’RE REALLY RIDING THOSE MCGUFFIN JOKESLKGMSDF

sniffs

scratches head. okay so we’re just using sandy yelling as a gag now… cool cool cool okay sure sure, not like Sandy never raising his voice made the emotional beat of him yelling when contention happened devastating and startling. I guess the whole overwhelming Mk with WE GOT THIS!! talk would be an inevitable one, it always worked before. I mean, except for during the season 2 special. And… any other time hype up hasn’t really… worked… Listen I’m just overanalyzing probably but some of the choices in this season with the characters just feels off to me. Ngl with every episode I watch, the less it feels like monkie kid to me. The last one wasn’t so bad, and hey, we’re only a minute 25 into this one so that might change but that’s my gut reaction right now. Makes me a bit sad! I’ve been watching Dragons Rising (ninjago) with my buddy and been having the time of my life, the animation is gorgeous and it feels like the new peeps really understand the characters and its honestly so much fun, and then I’m kinda sitting here with monkie kid and puzzle pieces that don’t really fit and I’m not sure what to do with it! I know like, it’s the same writers but it just does not feel like it to me. Could be how rushed they always are, they’re doing their best, like—oNCE AGAIN TO BE CLEAR, when I criticize anything or say it feels off, this is NOT me saying bad writers bad people bad bad bad, I’m just saying how it feels to me! It feels almost like they’re trying to bring the comedic lightness of season 1 back but like… it feels kinda plastic and wrong! WORDS FAIL ME, PLS DON’T QOUTE ME I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT LETS MOVE ON

the kneeling down is kinda cute good for them

Sandy hype man!

…..

Is he just trying to get them all out of there so Mk can have some breathing roomGML;SMADF Cause otherwise splitting up is a terrible idea

Special Sandy training!!!

Mk smashing rocks together, okay that was cute h;LGKAJWOEF

Sandy so excited about meditation

sniffs

I FEEL LIKE MK COMPLAINS A LOT MORE THAN USUAL. Why is he so whiny?? Was he this whiny before? Am i losing my mind???? I’ve never wanted Mk to talk less before what is going on

Mystic Monkey meditatiNGN;LAKSDF WHY IS HIS FAKE BEARD ORANGELKMGSDF oh he’s impersonating sandy. SANDY AND WUKONG HAVE SIMILAR COLOURED HAIR I THOUGHT HE WAS USING MONKEY KINGS HAIR COLOUR DON’T LOOK AT ME HGLKAJSDF

The crackity cracks are backity back

“I see you” WELL THATS METAL DOPE

I WILLL ADMIT, THIS IS GREAT, BRO REALLY NEEDS THIS BIG ITME

….me fr pretend to meditate so true==

Storm within that’s funny

SANDY’S A GREAT PERSON TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS

LIL SNEK

I GOT SOMEONE TO FIGHT TAT’S NOT JUST MY THOUGHTSLKMGOWIEFMSDF

MK PLS

ooop next—SECRET TUNNELLLL SECRET TUNNEELLLLL THROUGH THE MOUNTAINNNNNNNNNNN

Just got led to it np that’s funny

Mk’s opening secret access swishy gold thing is fun

Bro’s really assaulting a rock

Owaaaa big ol turtle…. with cracks!

HELPGLKAM;WOEF

Classic

Ah yes meditation, who could have seen this coming

gGKASDF BRAVADO KILLED

I know he’s complaining as a deflection but :T man Mk whining so much is getting old really fast. Like its for the gag and you could say its for the deflection but MAN. Every four seconds he’s got his whiny voice on, bro?? I’m hoping they get all the humour they want out of that gag in this episode :(

I SWEAR I’M NOT TRYING TO BE NEGATIVE THIS IS JUST DOING A NUMBER ON ME OUGH

HEY GET OFF MY SANDY OI

RELEASE MY MAN

COME ON TURTLE

Bro literally has to face his trauma to save his friend what the heck turtle that’s so rude—

OKAY WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WATCH THIS? I’ve tried two separate types of headphones (one stolen from my brother) a friend’s tv and just my computer’s speakers and the audio volume difference in the voices vs the music is STILL jarring. Like???? I have it turned up so much just to HEAR the voices and TRY to understand them and then the music kicks in and its bLARING and AGGRESSIVE and NOT IN A CINEMATIC WAY. dear gods its like they made monkie kid as unfriendly to watch as possible for me what is going on I’M TRYING TO ENJOY MY MONKIE SHOW STOP JARRING ME OUT OF IT [SHAKES LEGO UNTIL THEY FALL TO PIECES] I’M TRYING TO ENJOY MK HAVING TO FACE HIS TRAUMA SOMETHING I’VE HIGH KEY WANTED TO WATCH SINCE SEASON 1 WAILS

Acknowledging the “okay, i want to push that away, but i’m not going to” is really neat i like that

Hello disembodied voice

Okay, i may not be vibin with the audio, the animation, or the jokes in this ep, but my GODS does Ashe know how to write brutal dialogue. The reason Mk being so afraid of his monkey powers is because he likes it?? Oh yeah, I’m down with that i am SO down for that, I have been clawing at that concept for AGES, I am SO DOWN

So who’s going to be trying to control mk this season? Snake guy?? Newbie?? The choosing yourself and making your own path is really heavy handed so far hL;GJKASDF

Sandy’s advice?? GOD TIER. We love that. I love actual good advice in cartoons thank you

Conversations with self!!! OHHH OHH I LIKE THE EXHALE

TAT WAS NICE

OKAY SO THE HWOLE MIND SEQUENCE I’M A HUGE FAN OF

TERES MY BOY

Sandy’s trigger word is Worthy huh he dont’ like thatLKGMA;OWEFWHEEZE

nah we are so glad Mk has Sandy here actually that is so good I’VE BEEN WANTING SANDY MOMENTS FOR SO LONG AND WE GOTTEM THANK YOUUUUUUUUUU like, the rest of what i said still stands but the emotional beats still hit really nicely and I’m very grateful we still have that!

Yeah that car is gonna get smashed by mei or pigsy and tang yeah yup there we go

oH WOW-oh nvm there it goes

well ! Wonder what mei found! That felt like a little bit of a clunky ending bit for some reason i can’t explain but! Big fan of the Sandy and Mk content I love them, totally deserved, been wanting Sandy talk like that for AAAAGES BLESS

Okayokay, always ending on positive note so lets go over one more time: Mk’s talk with himself? BANGER. Once he got talking, I really liked the dialogue and I really liked the vibe of the whole thing, Loved his exhale, loved the admittance of that all being part of him and that he chooses to work on other parts of him that is AWESOME and super cool to see depicted the way it was all cinematic and cool we love that. Love diving into a little bit of the complexities of our man Sandy! Love him opening up a bit to Mk so he can see he’s not alone in his struggles! That Sandy’s got something like that too and he’s still one of the most wonderful kind people Mk knows! The people who Mk has surrounding him are all exactly what he needs and that’s really cool!!! Ough okay welp, maybe I will be thinking about Sandy and Mk’s dyname for the rest of all time RAAAAAAA I REALLY enjoyed how they wrote them there.

Thanks for reading! Sorry I’m still a bit all over the place with my reactions, i feel like I keep repeating the same things but by GOSH the audio is THROWING ME. But yeah that was a nice way of addressing some of Mk’s trauma, even if it was only for like three minutes, its well done and I enjoyed it! very excited to see they can still nail those emotional bits. HOPE Y’ALL HAVE A SPECTACULAR DAY AND GOOD VIBES HUNT YOU DOWN RELENTLESSLY. KNOX OUT

[arceespinkgun]

@da-ray Character ask game (I'm assuming this was for me since you replied to my reblog, but just so you know these are intended to be sent as asks)

How I feel about this character

He became my favorite TFA character I think. Realistically flawed, strong backstory, fun to watch the antics of... unique and fitting alt-mode too. Snow plows are cool. Beleaguered middle management characters are often fun as well!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I ship him with Optimus. I know some fans have strong opinions about this, but I feel like that makes sense. It kind of felt like TFA did the same story with Sentinel and Optimus over and over again and I did get sick of it, but they also did kinda seem to canonically go on a date in The Stunti-Con Job so lol

My non-romantic OTP for this character

There actually seemed to be mutual respect between him and Jetstorm and Jetfire!

My unpopular opinion about this character

The sheer amount of hatred toward this guy I saw when I first entered the fandom was strange. I saw posts unironically saying things like, "TFP Megatron is actually less bad than TFA Sentinel" getting hundreds of positive notes which is so weird lol The worst thing Sentinel ever did IMO was be cruel to Blackarachnia when he was really triggered, but that doesn't compare to lots of genuinely horrible shit fan-favorites have done that people will ignore just because they were traumatized.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Sentinel perceiving Sari Sumdac to be a young bot who needs training like Jetfire and Jetstorm, only for her to reject this idea of "bootcamp" and point out all the things wrong with the Autobots' creepy system. Meanwhile, Sentinel struggles to work through how gross he finds a techno-organic being, motivated by the fact that he doesn't think those lame washouts on Earth should be training a super-powerful being like Sari.

[thejediandthemandalorian]

might i request cowboy codywan by any chance

🐎 they would be the best cowboys honestly

A wonderful request. Here is a scene for cowboy codywan!! I will admit I started writing this one then got super obsessed with my idea and got kinda carried away. But I also had so much fun writing this! Thank you for the ask 💜💜

“You can’t just waltz your way onto any property you please.” Cody folded his arms over his chest and frowned down at Obi-Wan.

He was busy tying up his horse, which he’d only learned to properly ride within the past month or so, to a post of the fence. Cody couldn’t help a small smirk as he watched him fumble his way through a quick-release knot, taking him several tries until he finally gave it a tug and was satisfied.

“You didn’t seem to have a problem when I accidentally ended up on the Fett Ranch. Seems to have worked in favor of the both of us.” Obi-Wan looked up at him with a bright smile and squinting eyes to try and see Cody through the sun.

It was a hot one today, and even Cody had to admit this sounded fun, but it would be wrong. Old Man Jabba didn’t like anyone on his property, especially near his pond. Last time someone snuck on his property to swim Cody had heard they’d been chased off the property with a sawed off shotgun. Then there was the time he’d heard Old Man Jabba had chased someone off with his plow, trying to run them over. And also the time he’d made some trespassers clean up old cattle manure from his rundown barn that wasn’t in use anymore. 

“The Hutts aren’t as generous to trespassers as my father and brothers.” Cody could feel the sweat trailing down his back.

Obi-Wan really needed to find a shadier spot to keep Boga; she was going to overheat out here and then she wouldn’t be very useful in his getting back to the ranch.

The sun beating down on them was harsh, even with the protective clothing. Even his hat didn’t seem to be doing much, his scalp drenched with sweat underneath the rim. It was a surprise that Obi-Wan’s skin wasn’t brighter than a tomato with how pale he was. The only real protection he had from the sun was Cody’s old hat.

Going for a dip did sound quite refreshing. Not to mention the opportunity to finally see Obi-Wan without that prim little button up, vest, tie, and fancy coat he always wore was quite an enticing prospect. He also looked pretty good in Cody’s hat and it would be a shame to take it off. The hat was white in color with a black weaved leather band around it, held together by a little clasp that had three orange sun rays on it.

Seeing Obi-Wan in it made him really notice the sun heating his own neck around the collar. He couldn’t even imagine having the opportunity to take it off of him in order to--

That wasn’t a very polite thought and Obi-Wan had been nothing but respectful to him. He was simply going to take that inappropriate thought and tie it to a post and leave it out to shrivel up in the sun.

No more thinking like that.

He looked down at Obi-Wan who had removed his jacket and was in the process of loosening his tie.

“What are you doing?” Cody frowned, his view shifting a bit as his horse, Tooka, adjusted her footing.

“I’m preparing myself to go for a swim. Don’t mind me, you can be a buzzkill and go back to your chores if you’re so worried about it.” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at him.

Cody wanted nothing more than to grab that beard and kiss that snarky little attitude right out of his mouth.

They could skip swimming altogether and just find a nice little place under a tree in the meadow and--

“Are you coming or are you just going to keep gawking at me?” Obi-Wan removed his tie now and began unbuttoning his vest. 

“Who taught you to talk to strangers like that, and break into other peoples’ property?” Cody looked away now, feeling he was invading something private now.

A melodic sound came from Obi-Wan and Cody could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Obi-Wan had the sweetest laugh he’d ever heard, more relaxing than the singing of the crickets and frogs whenever evening fell.

“What can I say, Cody? You have this weird effect on me.” The other man sent him a wink. 

Cody really wanted to go swimming with him, badly enough that he couldn’t bring himself to care if this was something that would get his hide tanned. The well-learned city-boy before him wanted to get the real experience of living in the country, so he would provide.

“Come on.” He heaved a sigh and tightened his grip on the reins. 

“I didn’t mean it, you don’t actually have to leave.” Obi-Wan’s voice was soft and it made Cody look over. 

“No, city-boy. I’m not leaving. You can’t just tie your horse up in the sun like that.” Lightly kicking his heels into Tooka’s sides, he pointed with his head. “There’s some trees a short ride that way. Then we can get in the pond.”

Obi-Wan’s whole face lit up with a smile and he quickly clambered back onto his horse, forgetting he still had to untie it. His jacket and tie were shoved haphazardly in the saddle bags and his vest remained half unbuttoned. The man who claimed to have a schooling degree in English and was here on a journaling assignment suddenly seemed a whole lot less put together than he originally appeared.

Cody decided at that moment that he not only wanted to go swimming in that pond with Obi-Wan and maybe get chased off the property by Old Man Jabba, but he also really wanted to get to know him more before he had to leave and probably never return. What he really wanted was to start officially courting him, but knew Jango would probably never approve. So for the time being he was simply going to have to be okay with tying the horses up in the shade and going for a swim.

[madmanrambler]

“So walk me through everything I missed. It seems like it was a lot.”

“What, Everything? It’s 85 bloody years, there’s a lot to cover. And me without a degree in history.”

“Alright then, summarize. I can research whatever you mention that seems particularly interesting.”

I shifted to better watch Corv as he spoke, listening through ears that still felt chilly from 85 years frozen. Corv, one of my rescuers, shifted in his own spot, his diminutive form finding a comfortable seat. He glanced at me before starting in to the history.

“Let’s see, you went under in the 2020s you said, right? So you at least have an idea that climate change was getting bad. That was most of the 30′s and 40′s, handling that in various ways. Mostly bad ways. Lotta border skirmishes, plenty of fighting and arguing about bits of this and that. Big cold war between Canada and China about shipping lanes that opened up in the Artic, which was a miserable bloody time.” this at least all made sense, and I was nodding along.

“in the 50s things came to a bit of a head. Most of the ice that was going to melt melted, and the weather patterns were stabilizing. the countries and people left were figuring out how to handle the Sahara being able to grow plants and the American Midwest becoming a desert. We got some peace makers out of South America, and you’ll probably find some interestin’ stuff about indonesia and how its government in exile set an example for island nations and how to handle the shift in tides. Always found some of that stuff fascinating, you can look up Melati Hon and her speeches on the new world, great stuff.” Corv seemed excited about that part, really animated and I could see his eyes gleaming. Really might be something worth reading, and seeing what I thought afterwards. He reluctantly plowed on. “the 60s people kinda lost their mind, great art from the period but a lot of folks were recovering from being kids during the greatest ecological disaster. The 70s there’s big move of standardizing everything, making sure that plugs fit all over the world and all the measuring equipment can measure the same. Parts of America still insist on using standard but that’s more a local custom then a nation-wide standard at this point. the 80′s had a lot of discussion about the moon base, I think there was a big scare around a country grabbing it for themselves and a space war or something erupting over that, it was agreed to be a joint venture with every nation able to send people up, averted a lot of problems. The 90s are close enough I can remember ‘em, and there’s a ton you could focus on but overall it’s all about how to handle us living with these new batteries we’ve got, the Phazolyte batteries.”  This wasn’t exactly what I wanted to focus on, but Corv seemed to think it was important so I nodded and tossed in what I knew. “They’re batteries that mix with water to charge right?”

He coughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I guess that’d be the second grader explanation. They mix phazolyte with water, and phazolyte causes water to be willing to compress as much as you push it, something it doesn’t want to do at all normally. S’why jumping off a bridge into water is like hitting concrete, all the force rebounds back into your body. With Phazolyte we get to store as much energy as we can compress into the water, then you just remove the Phazolyte and the water uncompresses, pushes against something, makes the electricity. And the Phazolyte, once removed, is good to use again, doesn’t lose anything in the process. It’s dead useful, and the last 15 years has been plugging that into everything and getting the supply chain worked out.” Corv coughed again, and glanced around. “That should cover the basics. Sorry we don’t have flying cars or nothing like that, I know you folks were keen on that.”

I stared at Corv for a long while. “Corv, that’s great. I’m glad you covered all the uh. The battery stuff. But.” I hesitated, glancing from him to the window to the chair he was sitting in. “You uh. Skipped the part about you.” Corv shifted in his seat again, glancing away from me. “Well it really isn’t all that important, it’s just part of the world really. I’m a British citizen, we still say god save the queen, we keep playing football-” “That seems like it’d be a bit hard for you to play.” I interrupt, glancing at how small Corv was. “I mean, Corv, you didn’t mention a damn thing about when birds started talking.” Corv looked what I thought was askance. “Well you did ask me to summarize.” He reminded me as his beak preened his feathers. “If I summarize I gotta skip the things that are less important. That’s how summarizing history goes.”

[samueldays]

Evil Undead, revisited

As a veteran GM, I feel that kids these days complain more about the brute fact or moral law of Evil Undead in D&D or similar games, and I get questions from people wanting to use necromancy for good purposes like having tireless skeletons plow a field. Shouldn't that make up for the [Evil] tag on spells like Animate Dead? Why is that tag there, anyway?

With a caveat that "Undead" in fantasy is a kinda vague category which can reasonably have some special cases and cosmological exceptions like repentant ghosts, here's an attempt at describing how "core" undead like skeletons and vampires still count as evil and can be smote with Smite Evil, and making them is evil even if the necromancer has good intent in contemporary terms. This is mostly written with reference to D&D 3.5, which I like for its SRD, but the principles can be used elsewhere.

TL;DR: Making undead is like a faustian bargain but with Death instead of Mephisto, and every hand you lend to Death in the world is a corrupting influence even if you get something good from it.

The TLDR is inaccurate because the implicit contract is with the negative energy plane instead of a demon or avatar. Now for the long version:

In the example of the plowing skeletons, the questioning wizard is presumably treating the plowed field as an end and the skeletons as a means to that end - he's not doing necromancy for its own sake.

So he could cut out the necromancy part. He could use Animate Objects instead of Animate Dead, and make the plow move itself. (Or build a golem, but that's another story.) But notice that Animate Objects is a higher level spell than Animate Dead, as well as being temporary. Making it permanent requires another high-level spell. Wizards (and D&D players) are prone to optimizing towards Animate Dead, because it seems to be an easier and better way to achieve the desired effect.

But why does this lower level spell work better? My answer is that when casting Animate Dead, something else is providing much of the power, and that "something else" is the Negative Energy Plane. It is the plane of annihilating everything that exists, and is not on your team. You should not be contracting with it for power. Casting Animate Dead is evil because it's teaming up with an omnicidal maniac in cosmological form.

The Negative Energy Plane is arguably not strictly speaking able to power anything, because it's negative. It's a convenient shorthand to speak of "negative energy" when referring to a drain on positive energy. An undead creature produced by Animate Dead or a similar spell contains a tiny portal-conduit to the Negative Energy Plane through which light and life and heat are sucked out of the world (=negative energy flowing in) powering a magic "turbine" that makes the undead go.

Some advanced undead creatures have the power or fine control to weaponize this conduit, thus the various life-drain and energy-drain abilities possessed by vampires and wraiths and such. Different undead have different configurations and need to feed on the living more or less often, while others get by with environmental drain. Even the environmental ones can be deadly in large quantities. The Libris Mortis splatbook hints at this, and I've taken some of my inspiration from a discussion thread on that book:

This has a bunch of fun implications that match up with other narrative roles of undead and horror tropes. That crypt (haunted) which seems unusually cold? Undead are sucking the heat out. Candles suddenly blowing out? Undead!

Even though the minor drain of a skeleton doesn't amount to hit-point-damage on the scale of combat-time (the usual metric of D&D effects), it's still a creature that leaks negative energy/sucks the life out of its surroundings. Using that to plow your field is a bad idea.

That's an immediate and practical impact; in a high fantasy setting you can get more fantastic about it. Perhaps the tiny negative-energy conduits in regular undead also serve as windows for necromancers and negative-energy-beings to look on the living world, or worse, perhaps the portal is two-way. A skeleton contains a tiny hole in the planar fabric through which The Unmaker can reach, whether to affect the world directly or to seize control of the undead.

Note: your players may still insist on trying to find a utilitarian use for this sort of life-draining undead, like a haunted refrigerator that stays cold because the ghosts are sucking the heat out of it. If they're insistent, I suggest saying "Yes, but" instead of "No", and then run with the fun implications and second-order effects of binding a dozen ghosts just to store food (obviously one ghost won't cool it enough) and what normal people will think of the Superhaunted Doomfridge. Maybe the paladins will send a complaint letter. Your PCs are Good enough that the paladins will send a letter rather than showing up to Smite Fridge immediately, right? ;-)

And now I'm imagining the Paladin Job Board posting, with the headline saying "Destruction of Evil Artifact" in big letters and the fact of "it's a fridge" in the small print.

[eldritch-spouse]

forgive me if this has already been asked, pinnie, but can gluttony demons get full? like, can't eat anymore, probably gonna skip the next meal kinda full? if so, what's the limit? how much food does it take to get a gluttony demon to pass?

similarly, is there an equivalent for lust demons? less about over-exerting them w sex but more about having fucked so much in a short span of time, how many rounds or people until they need a substantial break?

thank u and i love ur blog :]!!

[I'm happy you do! <:7]

They can definitely get full.

In the same way concubi can overdo it and trigger heats, other demons can overdose in their own ways of collecting energy. If they do this too often, then it's clear they're disordered in some way or another- The only exception to this being Icons, who are sort of expected and conditioned to be expressions of extremes. These are things we've talked about on the blog before, and if they're not in the masterlist, then I can swear they're in someone's tags.

The limits of each glutton depends mostly on their rank, and individual appetite, but it's almost always determined by rank. An imp naturally can raid someone's kitchen and get a bit full, not enough to pass, but it's a pretty good meal, maybe a small-ish market isle would do it. A mid-ranker can already plow through several isles, and keep going without much genuine hunger but still having space for more. A high-ranker will just fucking eat a supermarket's worth of food if you let them. More maybe, depends.

Vorticia recalls feeling full only a handful of times in her life.

I assume in the second part of your ask, you're talking about something distinct from a concubus' limit of sexual energy storage, and more about stamina.

Now, this definitely differs from individual to individual, but the more high-ranking one is, the more their body is adapted to allow faster and more effective consumption. So it's safe to say that imps can only handle a few people at once, mid-rankers can already delve into sizable orgies and perhaps have repeats, and high-rankers can dominate entire crowds with enough focus.

Vesper has spent entire days away from his mansion getting lost in the streets of his own Ring, without a single break.

[hrodvitnon]

Well, regarding Goji's recent characterization, while I do believe it is partially a result of us being locked in Kong's pov, meaning we rarely get to see the softer side of his, save only for a few glimpses here and there, I also so do believe that the other part of is spanning from Goji himself. I think now is safe to say that Serizawa, as well as a lot of Monarch, might have been viewing Godzilla through rose tinted glasses, even if unknowingly so. And that Alan Jonah, of all people, might have had a point when he said that the idea of a utopic, titan filled world where the fate of humanity is at the hands of gigantic beasts who themselves are ruled over by a Benevolent Lizard God, was a ludicrous one, and that the reality of it would be a lot grimmer and much darker than many of us would be willing to face. Gojira may be all-powerful (or damn near close to it), but he's far from being all-good. And he's proven as much multiple times by now.

The GxK novel kinda calls that into question as well, with one character who is a survivor from G-day, saying that during his battle with the MUTOs Godzilla looked as if he had locked eyes with her for a moment while she was in a building. And rather than plow straight through it, Godzilla Instead pushed the MUTO further before dropping her. She says that although she's not even sure if he did see her, she likes to think that he did, and did whatever he could to keep her from dying at that moment. She knows deep down that Godzilla probably doesn't care about any single human's hopes and dreams, nor how many of them get snuffed out while he's doing his job, but she chooses to believe that he is ultimately a force for good. Because although many have Indeed died because of him, she is only alive because of him too.

Maybe the idea of human-Titan coexistence is a ludicrous one, maybe the whole dawn of a new era that KOTM ended on has been retconned, but I honestly prefer it over the prospect that Serizawa was completely naive to think that way. Wingard cannot make me forget how Serizawa gave his life to save Godzilla's because he believed in something or how it made me feel, and if Alan Jonah's right? Fuck that noise, I'd rather be a fool like Serizawa.

[lightning-writes]

good heart (faulty machine of a man) - 19/30

fic summary: bucky meets someone at therapy

chapter summary: rue calls bucky (alt: nothing platonic happens after 12 am)

word count: 2150

tags: post endgame, pre tfatws, slow burn, canon divergent, canon compliant, au

warnings: none

a/n: we love a flirty bucky x rue moment! also some ruby lore!

AO3 MASTERLIST X

The clatter of his phone vibrating on the wooden floor makes him groan. Who the hell is calling him after midnight? He rolls over and sees the bleary image of Rue’s face.

Panic rises in his chest as he stands. He answers the phone with an alarmed, “Hello?”

“It’s a video call, friend, get me away from your ear.”

Bucky holds the phone out to see Rue in a bathroom. She has the phone propped behind the sink, rubbing something onto her face, and she looks down at the phone.

(He first notices her exposed stomach from the cropped tank top, then her pierced nipples again. He can’t presume her intention, but he doesn’t know which Rue’s getting tonight. And it makes his ears hot.)

“Jesus Christ, James,” she startles him out of his thoughts. The phone is in her hands now, her face close to the screen. “Look at those pectorals.”

Bucky looks down at his shirtlessness. Automatically, his hand flies up to cover himself.

In a muffle tone that he can only believe is to herself, she mutters, “I mean, I knew you were jacked, but goddamn.”

(Bucky has no idea how he should feel about this statement, but it certainly does make him feel something.)

She sets the phone back down and begins to braid her hair. To him, she says, “Vick has Frank over, so I thought I’d call you. I’m just getting ready for bed.” She peeks down at the phone. “Were you sleeping?”

“Kinda.” He wasn’t, but his answer is more acceptable than saying he was trying to find a comfortable spot on the floor of his nearly empty living room. “But, it’s fine.”

“Great.” She applies something else to her face, taking her time rubbing it into the skin. “I just had half a bottle of wine, so be prepared for that.”

(He makes a non-committal noise, wondering what drove her to drink.)

“Anyway, what’s up, how was your day?”

“Uh, fine?” He walks into his dark bedroom and finds a shirt. He doesn’t even have a lamp; he has to turn on the bright overhead light and frowns. He sits on his bed with only one pillow left. “How was yours?” he asks, unsure.

He watches her walk from the bathroom to her bedroom. She sits on the bed with a huff, and he notices the shelves above her headboard. Dried orange slices and small twinkling light hang from the bottom shelf, and he sees a plant vine that nearly brushes her head. Under the shelves, there are photographs taped to her wall, some people, some landscapes. He sees the shine of a still wrapped condom when he averts his eyes.

 “Glad you asked.” She calls attention back down to her. “So, you know how I work at Waterway? Well, so did Maeve, until we broke up, so everyone working there knows our story and mostly everyone knows about the whole Dean situation. So, apparently, Maeve just posted her engagement to Instagram, and literally, Bucky, I kid you not, everyone on staff asked me about it. If I was sad about it, if I’d seen it. As if I didn’t block her on all my socials already! You’d think they’d have more decorum, but obviously not!”

“I’m sorry,” Bucky offers. He got lost in the rant for a moment, but he finds his way out by the end.

She plows through his sympathy. “So, I went– wait, are you… against hooking up or anything?”

“What?” He’s confused by the sharp turn of conversation.

“I mean, being from the 1940’s and all that,” she says impatiently, “I don’t want to offend you with my sexcapades.” 

“You won’t,” he nearly laughs. “Trust me.”

(She pauses for too long a moment, and he wishes he knew what she was thinking.) 

“Okay, so I went to this lesbian bar I’d gone to with Maeve once, and tried to hook up with someone, but I had no luck - I bet the loser vibes were just emanating off me - so I asked Vick if we could have a girls’ night. And she’d said yes, but then canceled at the last minute!” She brings the phone close to her face again, to whisper, “Frank asked her to dinner, and she thinks he’s going to propose soon, so I guess she’s jumping at every opportunity? I don’t know, I don’t believe in marriage.”

“Didn’t you prop–”

“Anyway,” she says dramatically, giving him a hard look through the screen. He suppresses a grin. “So, while they were out - which I’d like to point out, it was ten o’clock when this happened - Dean came over, like he fucking knew I was alone and rejected, and he dropped off my stuff I’d left at his apartment. And I told him I’m not returning shit because it’s not like I’m keeping fucking tabs on all the belongings in my house!”

Bucky notes how much she swears but doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he asks, “Is that a normal thing to do?”

“Have you ever watched a ‘90’s sitcom?” Rue scoffs. She’s now laying in her bed. She brushes the end of her braid over her face idly.

“Actually–”

She doesn’t let him finish. “So, after he left, I had my wine, I did my skincare, and I called you – lucky you!”

“Lucky me.” He tucks his arm behind his head. She watches him with another expression he can’t place. “Aren’t you tired, after all that?”

She sighs, her mouth twisted in a rueful smile. “Honestly, my brain won’t shut up.”

“I can’t sleep, either,” he confesses after a beat.

(He’s tempted to tell her he can come over or they could go somewhere, but he doesn’t want to fluster her, like she’s been.)

“Give me a house tour,” she declares unprompted. She’s laying on her side, giving him a playfully stern face. “You’ve been to my place, but I’ve never seen yours.”

“You didn’t give me a tour.”

“You didn’t ask for one.”

He rolls his eyes, schooling his amused look. “There isn’t much to see,” he admits.

“I demand entertainment, Barnes,” she pounds a fist into her bed.

(His brain stalls when she calls him by his last name.)

Bucky gets up and turns the front facing camera to his bedroom. He has a dresser, a laundry hamper, and a nightstand. He doesn’t give commentary as he enters the living room, showing his TV, still on, his record player, its speakers, and his small couch. He discreetly kicks away his sleeping setup on the floor as he moves to the kitchen. Rue watches, quietly, drinking from a cup with a familiar bird logo.

“That’s it,” he suppresses a yawn as he sits on the couch. “I told you, not much to see.”

“Oh, but it definitely entertained me,” she says. She looks sleepy, too; her blinks are slower. “Were you watching something?”

“Whatever’s on at,” he checks the time, “at two in the morning.”

“Hmmm,” she hums. He passes a hand through his still shower-damp hair. She then sits up. “Wait, did you get a haircut?”

He’s startled, fingers still combing through his hair. “...uh, yes?”

“You know, if I knew calling you was just going to be a thirst trap, I would have prepared better.” She pauses. “A thirst trap is–”

“Yeah, I actually know what that one means,” he interrupts.

(He briefly wonders what she meant by prepared. He also wonders how long they’ll continue this dance. WIll it end in a grand finale or will the song scratch to a stop?)

She gives him a curious look. “So, you know what you’re doing.”

He shrugs, “I’m just existing.”

“Well, exist less hot when I’m too drunk.” She flops back, dramatically throwing a hand over her forehead. “You know, this is what got us into the Thanksgiving mess in the first place.”

“Is that right?”

“It looks nice, your hair,” she ignores his comment, “I mean, it looked nice before, but…”

She yawns. He yawns.

There’s a long stretch of silence between them, and Bucky wonders if he should be the responsible one to call it a night.

“Can I tell you a secret, Buck?”

“Are you sure you want to do that? In light of the Thanksgiving incident?” She gives him a flat look, and he gives her a soft smile. “Yeah, Rue, I want to hear your secret.”

“I’m… miserable.”

(Her whisper breaks him.)

“I’m miserable, and I deserve it.” She wipes a tear curling down her cheek with the end of her braid. “I’m miserable, and I deserve it, and there’s nothing you can say to make me think otherwise.”

“Okay,” he responds too casually. She gives him a sharp look. “You know, if you were calling to have a pity party, I would have prepared better.” She tries to mask her amusement blooming behind her mad features. “I would have put up a banner… or maybe, some balloons–”

She huffs. “Okay, I get it.”

“I think…” Bucky pauses, eyes avoiding the screen to fully form his thoughts. “You don’t deserve to feel miserable.” He looks at her then, and shrugs a shoulder. “If you did, you wouldn’t.”

“Go on.”

He chuckles. “If you did deserve it, if you really were a bad person, I don’t think you would feel so miserable. Your misery is… it’s your guilt. I mean… you know what you did wasn’t great, and you actually feel bad about it.”

“All right, big boy, we get it. You go to therapy.”

“You studied therapy,” he counters.

(He pointedly ignores her ‘big boy’ comment.)

“Yeah, okay, but it wasn’t like it was my first choice,” she retorts. “Listen, I didn’t want to tell you this before because I know you have paranoid tendencies, but it seems like I’m a sinking ship and, apparently, a glutton for punishment, so I’m gonna tell you–”

“That’s a big preamble for you telling me you almost worked for Shield.”

Rue props herself up with her elbow, again, staring at him so intensely, it almost looks like the video is frozen.

“How could you have possibly known that? That’s super confidential.”

(Bucky had left the gym immediately after receiving the call from The Toad. He met with him at Red Hook Pier, in the rainy night, because better safe than sorry.

“Soldier,” the Toad greeted him in Russian. 

Bucky hands him the envelope thick with cash. “That’s not me anymore.”

He hands Bucky the envelope of information with a knowing look. “You will always be a soldier, even if you aren’t the Winter Soldier.”

“Anything I need to know?”

“How do the Americans say it,” he says in English, accent thick and stumbling, “‘The call is coming from inside the house’?”)

He just says, “I’m a former spy.” 

“You don’t even know my last name,” she protests.

“Is that right, Ruby David?” he challenges.

He watches realization spread across her features. “Okay, fine, I should have guessed you’d do this. Re: paranoid.”

“Prepared.”

“Distrusting.”

“Vigilant.”

“So, what else did you find?” she asks abruptly.

He’s quick to answer, “What are you worried I’d find?”

“Not worried.” She fiddles with her braid. “Just… curious. I’ve been pretty much an open book, other than the Shield stuff.”

To be fair, she’s telling the truth there. Aside from standard information about her and her family, Bucky mostly found information about her rebellion throughout high school, skipping class, failing class, getting caught smoking all over campus. He saw she’d been arrested at the age of twenty for protesting and a string of bar fights. She also had a long list of lovers, ranging from her age to much older, in quick succession. She’d been paid for her relationships, something the Toad called a “sugar baby”.

Her history with Shield had been brief and mostly one-sided. She’d done a lot of research into finding out whether they actually existed and how she could join them. When she’d been accepted, she had started training… and had backed out a week before initiation. It aligns with what she’d said about taking in her brother.

By the time Mikey had moved out, Hydra would have been outed, and Shield had dissolved.

(Bucky had been there for that one.)

“Yeah, you’ve been pretty honest,” he finally says.

She hums, eyes blinking slowly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Bucky is picking up the bedding from the ground and transferring it to his bed as her eyes are downcast. He settles into bed and sighs. “I get why you didn’t. I wouldn’t have told me either.”

Her lips quirk a soft smile. And she yawns again. And he follows. A hush falls between them, just the sound of them breathing. Bucky feels his eyelids grow heavier. The glow of the TV outside casts a dim glow into the bedroom,

“I should get going,” she finally sighs. “I have work at seven tomorrow morning.”

“In three hours,” he corrects.

“Fuck.” She turns on her side. She repeats, “I should sleep.”

Bucky mirrors her. “So, go to sleep.”

“You first.”

Bucky closes his eyes and pretends to snore. He hears her surprised giggle, and he catches her biting her lip as she gazes at him.

“Stay on the line.”

“Okay.” He switches his phone to his other hand. “Good night, Ruby.”

“Sweet dreams, James.”

[fand0mswithbunny]

the second golden bolt tournament premiere review/analysis 🔩

Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and gentlethems to the first of many Battlebots episode reviews and analysis. I was going to do a liveblog but I feel asleep not even half way through and I finished the episode earlier today. If you haven't seen the new episode I highly suggest you do, there's a lot of things that went down and its just a good premiere and episode, but if you haven't you might wanna scroll. (also this is going to be a long one who prepare your nuts people YES I MEANT WHAT I SAID.)

Anyhow LETS GET IT ON, *BRO*

First of, I wanna start with the changes with this show and the differences between this season and the last one. The most notable one is the removal of the matchup with the gatekeeper from the last season. I thought they were going to reveal it in the end or make it so that the final competitor standing does not know who they're fighting until near the end, but no! They don't even mention it beforehand at all in the episode and the last bot standing instantly goes to the finals. Idk why they removed it, I THOUGHT THEY WERENT BUT I GUESS NOT?? Based on the little clips they showed at the start they showed Will Bales, and I thought this was because Hypershock was going to be a gatekeeper for this season but IDK THEY REMOVED IT?? I do kinda miss that aspect of the show because its what made it more interesting for sure but it did really caught me off-guard with it. Maybe Hypershock will be in one of the brackets? Or maybe they just won't compete at all. Idk, its just something I thought was worth mentioning because I couldn't really find it being discussed anywhere. Also I love Kenny's Key and their.... interesting connotations. Aside from that there's no big changes, so let's get to the fights themselves! SHREDDIT BRO! vs Skorpios - Wow. Whoever predicted Shreddit Bro was going to come out like Minotaur on this one should be given an gold medal WHAT AN OPENING FIGHT. Idk what Evan Arias did to the robot before this but they're looking like a beast out there. The Bro™ was so dominant and all over Skorpios the full fight, if you showed this fight to someone who's never seen the show they'll think its some top tier contender for the title. NO ITS JUST SHREDDIT BRO AND THEY JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE- also I just realized Zach look kinda as his bot was being counted out UEUEUEUEUE I WANNA GIVE HIM A HUG :( YOU TRIED YOUR BEST PRODUCERS JUST REALLY FUCKED THEM OVER BY GIVING THEM A DRUM </3333333 Overall great opener, really good start for Shreddit Bro.

Rotator vs Terrortops - Idk if I have much to say about this fight as much as the last one, but Terrortops didn't do too bad here, they survived a while against Rotator which is not easy. But yeah, this was Rotator's fight to win and its pretty satisfying seeing them be so dominant again.

Switchback vs Kraken - WOAH YOU GUYS IT WENT TO THE JUDGES HOW SHOCKING! Yeahh Kraken got pretty beaten here, I realized these two are pretty similar in design but Switchback just kept delivering the hits. I don't have anything else to say except good performance from Switchback and this is Matt Spurk's TENTH loss in a row since Rusty jabbed Kraken's face out. Like that is just brutal. SOMEONE GIVE THIS MAN A HUG AND A GOOD OPPONENT PLS </333

Valkyrie vs Ominous - I'm starting to see a pattern here that all the winners had something to prove and has mostly really improved since last season. I thought Ominous would've held on a bit better because of that big plow but yk. yeah. This fight was honestly the best they've performed in a while until the next fights, like I think something simultaneously clicked for all the winning teams in the pits and they decided to POP TF OFF- and honestly?? good for them. good for them.

(okay that took a while to write but its okay. just. 3. more. fights.)

SHREDDIT BRO! vs Switchback - Okay if Minotaur and Shreddit Bro doesn't happen in season 8 I'm rioting. BUT ALSO Switchback, yk in the first 5 seconds WASNT DOING BAD and then he lost the chain. At that point The Bro™ the starting chewing away at him like he was Minotaur. SERIOUSLY HOW? BUT ALSO IM REALLY IMPRESSED. Like I love how this episode was just full of twists and turns and the fandom were collectively shocked at how out of nowhere their wins and dominance are. LIKE THAT LAST HIT WAS INSANE and usually Switchback's pretty durable and bulky. I think if they can figure out a way to protect the wheels, maybe some armor, and get their weapon to not hit the floor, they can be a force to be recon with. (also ik what I described is basically Minotaur but listen let Evan cook okay.) This was the fight I started becoming a Broliever one would say. I believe in the bro that brolieves in me. ooh yeah gottem. (im not mentally stable someone help)

Rotator vs Valkyrie - We all knew producers were going to hype up this rematch and it did not disappoint. Both robots held up really well against each other but Rotator's plow was a really good choice. I do think that Rotator would've had a chance if they'd boxrush them, but otherwise Valkyrie was winning this. Credits to Lucy for staying aggressive and if there were more time I think the plow and side armor would've been completely ripped out. I do prefer the first fight but this fight was still really good.

Okay. That was a lot of fights. But lets take a break and get on with the AWARDS!! First off, the Excellence in Sportsmanship went to Rory Mangles of Monsoon. I didn't know who he was at first but when I was looking through Reddit and seeing the stories, yeah, this guy deserves it. What an absolute chad. This did get me thinking, with this award and the Founder's Award, it got me thinking that these awards can now be awarded to an individual person and not just a full team which is really cool. Now onto the Most Destructive which NOT ONLY DIDNT GO TO SHITTIDE BUT WENT TO MY BOY HUUUUUUGE!! WOOOOOOOO YEAHHH BABY!! THATS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FOR, THATS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!! ahem Okay seriously I thought it was either going to Shittide or Copperhead 100% and I understand why ppl would be surprised at this BUT I AM NOT COMPLAINING WE TAKE THIS W. EAT SHIT ETHAN. Onto the Grant Imahara: Best Design Award goes to RIPperoni and honestly I didn't see it going anyother way, maybe except Horizon but theyre design wasn't performing well, so RIPperoni was really the only pick. And finally, the Founder's Award which goes to Martin Mason! HONESTLY REALLY DESERVED he is the spirit of the sport and overall he just seems like such a great guy. Good for him. Good for him. Now, with all that aside, its time for the finals.

SHREDDIT BRO! vs Valkyrie - Coming into this fight I wanted The Bro™ to win because of their story, but Valkyrie really did good by breaking their drum, but Evan did amazing trying to adapt and get Valkyrie to break their spinner. Just shows that even when Evan is being this cool guy character he's really smart and tactical. I'm so excited for what's to come from this bot and congrats to Evan. Good for him. Good for him.

This episode was a really good start to the season and next weeks episode is a really stacked lineup. I personally think Black Dragon, and MadCatter or Whiplash are my picks for the finals but I'm personally rooting for my boy REESE EWERT FROM FUSION LETS GOOO REESE FUCK THEM UP!! As for SHREDDIT BRO!, I think they lose against Sawblaze, a pretty good chance against Tantrum, and 50/50 against End Game. THINK ABOUT IT we live in a timeline where SHREDDIT BRO has a good chance at beating the former champions. LET THAT SINK IN THE DOOR. I do kinda think the pacing was kinda off this episode but overall this is a really good start to the season, a solid 8/10 episode for me.

ok now im going to sit down time to rest. good night tristate area.

[annkous]

Some Obey Me! Nightbringer commentary, up to Lesson 10 because I just finished it and I need to yell to the void about it 🥲 and for my own future musings when more content comes out...

I'm still missing some side lessons/hard modes because I need to get higher ranks to unlock them but the main story up to date is done!

First of all, I love a more chaotic MC. I also love time travel plots a lot, and how this game explores more deeply the relationship between the brothers: I felt they took it a bit more seriously than the og Obey Me! More seriously it's probably not the right word but... better paced? Which I like a lot considering they are still adjusting. I saw most of them struggling with issues I wanted to see in the og game and damn did I get fed. We haven't seen all of them in 10 lessons, but seeing them also worry about each other as they went through different shit was amazing, considering how they "joke" about leaving each other to their demise in the og game lmao. I liked this a lot more.

Also a day or two ago I thought about us still having the Ring of Light while progressing Nightbringer (I even went back to og Obey Me! to catch up... I left it on Lesson 68 and was saving up on rainbow sticks and AP, only for my dumb ass to forget that they have a promo of 0AP going on so I put on the seatbelt, grabbed my 70~ rainbow sticks and plowed through the damn thing up to Lesson 80 while I farmed some grimm in Nightbringer to level up my damn cards and continue the story when I was done. And I found out that yes, we still had the ring with us in the present) and how they would find out we had the thing. And lo and behold, on Lesson 10 Lucifer sees the Ring and flips his shit just like I hoped he would bc it's an important plot point and I was a bit worried they'd forgotten about it lmao. The brothers did see MC use the Ring before on Lesson 9 but Luci wasn't present and MC pulls a "oh they're just similar" and that's it bc they buy it lol I love them.

Also I thought it was weird none noticed we were human, but Diavolo was onto us on Lesson 8/9. He pulls us aside and outright asks and I was like "THANK GOD" bc SOMEONE between these powerful bastards had to notice eventually. I mean, I know people pointed out in og Obey Me! sometimes they can't tell and perhaps we've been with our demon and angel family too much so they kinda can't tell what we are. So. Yea. Also demons can change their appearance/don't always look like demons, so it made sense. But I still made fun of their radar lol.

And then Diavolo pulls a "you can't stay here as a human, the situation is already dire as it is" and I was like "WAIT NO GO BACK". I legit thought we could fly past it with a task, like the usual trials Diavolo puts MC through, but I underestimated how more serious Nightbringer was compared to og Obey Me! and at some point I legit believed we were going to get our ass kicked out of the Devildom by the end of Season 1 and we'd have to come back for Season 2, just like in the og game.

For the "Diavolo trial" (lol) I thought it was going to be the Mausoleum job Mammon mentions the moment we get back home, because it fits the usual MO (I had just done all the trials to get into the Student Council in og Obey Me!.....), but when we get there we meet Adam (who posseses poor Mammon) and hello there, YET ANOTHER MYSTERY IN THIS GAME, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD? GREAT! Leaving aside the whole Adam thing because that's a whole other suitcase to unpack another day and I'm not in the mood to revise Biblical history right now to look for Lilith+Eve stuff (and besides he said his beloved was in the Celestial Realm, so it can't be Lilith...... I think.) when he mentioned that a demon who called himself Nightbringer told him a human with the damn Ring of Light would lead him to his beloved in the Celestial Realm I almost flipped my shit. I kept changing my mind about the "unknown person" who sent us back being Barbatos because it could also be a red herring (god knows I've eaten those up way too much so I have Trust Issues with very Obvious Stuff), and past Barbatos didn't recognize us despite being able to see shit everywhere, past-present and future. But if future Barbatos wanted to keep his past self without knowing shit, I suppose he could also do it... So, yeah, I believe it's him, but for what purpose? I think he saw shit going down in the future and the only way to help us/everyone was to send us to the past without us knowing.

As an extra: before heading out to the Mausoleum job, MC wrote a goodbye letter for the brothers because of Diavolo kicking us out. When I tell you I got misty eyed xd like, damn. "Lucifer, be nicer to your little brothers." "I always had fun with you, Mammon." "We have to go bookshopping, Satan!" etc etc, it was all so sweet. We have it with us at the moment, but we didn't give it to them at the end Lesson 10 bc Shit Went Down (I'll get there in a second). Also there are little details, like them commenting how the "empty guest room" makes them feel so at ease thay they even caught Lucifer napping in there. Who tf is cutting onions.

I thought it would be a while until we revealed we're a human to the brothers but Lesson 10 had other plans (very cool Lessons 9 and 10 btw, with Beel's and Belphie's stuff going on and Lucifer trying to face Diavolo for the sake of his little siblings I love this man so much)

and then, after a Cool Heroic Moment after which we are left out in the open bc we used all of their powers oops, they leave us with this confrontation and A CRIMINAL CLIFFHANGER.

Lucifer doesn't exactly buy it for some reason because we're too op lol and Belphie is reclutant for obvious reasons. And they end it with this as the final blow:

And that's it!!! Good luck waiting for the next lesssons bitch. Have fun lol

Oh you think the next stage before the boss battle is going to be the end of this convo? Nope: it's Solomon and Simeon being cryptic. I wonder what Solomon told Simeon. He warned us about Time Paradoxes so I don't think he'd go that far to tell Simeon. Solomon did tell him something though, and we won't know what it is yet......

I am suffering here. But God Nightbringer gave me a lot of good stuff. I will eat this time travel plot like candy. I feel I'm being spoiled by the game with all the scenes they're giving me and I'm enjoying every second of it. Plus the dynamics, I already talked about the brothers between each other, but there's also new stuff, like Barbatos hating the absolute shit out of Solomon. After Solomon uses his pact on him to save our asses he takes revenge on the Sorcerer lmfao I KEEP WONDERING WHAT DID SOLOMON DO TO HIM TO GET HIM SO PISSED OFF?? But man that was hilarious do it again.

Bonus Barb: one of the last things you can say to him in og Obey me! is "I love you" so if he's Nightbringer it's going to be Fun (and I can't WAIT I've grown fond of Barbatos too agh).

Plus there's the whole Simeon being human issue, but he seems to be faring better at the end of the game. He keeps saying "He (Michael??? Their Father????) probably had a reason to do it" but it won't stop me from kicking some Angel ass ngl. It's gonna be fists out with Michael the moment I see him, I swear.

Plus I want to see the present demons losing their shit with MC disappearing. I bet they're all frantic o(-< and Solomon said he can go back and forth between fuckin dimensions, so he could probably go back and tell them we're okay???? But he hasn't. I think. This is a mess lmao poor MC and demon family. He does say if something happens to us Lucifer will have his head, so..... you can do it, Solomon, I believe in you jdfgsdg

I can now farm side lessons and hard mode at peace for extra scenes, wooo.... o(-< oh and there's new songs in Lesson 10, but only in Lesson 10. The duets/group songs remixes were there and they were a breath of fresh air ;u; I hope they add more.

Time to farm side content in peace and prepare my cards for when they release the next lessons............ whenever it''ll be. Sobs.

Edit: NEXT UP: LOSING MY SHIT ON LESSON 11 LET'S GO BABY