#stop putting these posts on my dash challenge

[trans-cuchulainn]

"YA books only have simple politics and never grapple with complex issues with any nuance" have you considered you just haven't read good YA and you should probably stop making demonstrably inaccurate generalisations about an entire fucking age category based on three books you saw recc'd on tiktok

[magicaltimelady44]

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS. WHY TF IS "X PERSON JUST POSTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE" IN MY ACTUVITY FEED.

MY ACTIVITY NOTIFICATIONS IS SUPPOSED TO BE INTERACTIONS WITH MY POSTS OR PPL TAGGING ME OR REPLYING ETC

TUMBLR DO NOT FILL MY ACTIVITY NOTIFS WITH FUCKING NONSENSE THAT IS NOT RELATED TO ACTIVITY ON MY POSTS

[mikesbasementbeets]

i follow the e/max tag but at what cost i need it to stop showing me that post about sapphic ships. you thinking that people only pretend to ship e/max to get el out of the way of by/er says was more about what YOU think of w/w ships than what the people who actually ship them do. genuinely Stop. you’re really not making the point you think you’re making

[artificial-transmutations]

ATArena

Alexander's phone dinged with a notification, just as he left the exam. It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and he was still talking with a few other students, so, naturally, he ignored the unexpected noise. Even though Alexander was certainly a digital native, he found it rude to check his phone while in company of others. He didn't particularly enjoy his current company: He found Christopher the guy that was currently bragging about how easy the exam was slightly annoying, but that wasn't a reason not to show good manners.

Only after their ways split, Alexander unlocked his phone and saw the notification: "Your watched App, ATArena, is now available."

ATArena? Alexander didn't remember he had watched an app with that name. Still, the notification seemed genuine and lead him to the app marketplace where he could initiate the download. The description was sparse: "An epic battle with a revolutionary matchmaking algorithm that will extend into real life!"

That sounded like an AR game of some sort. Alexander had enjoyed the big Pokeman Run hype some years ago and certainly didn't mind giving this app a try.

When he opened the app for the first time, it asked him for the usual: His real name as well as his nickname. Alexander put in the same for the latter that he used everywhere: Lex_88. A short busy spinner appeared and finally, a message box greeted him:

"Welcome to ATArena, Lex_88! A suitable opponent has already been found. Connecting now..."

After he tapped "Ok", a chat interface opened:

TopShot joined the game.

TopShot: Hi.

Alexander didn't know how to react exactly. He was socially awkward, but ignoring the unknown other player would be rude. So, he just typed:

Lex_88: Hi.

Before any of them could type anything else, a popup opened:

"Battle available! Tap to play."

Alexander tapped the button and wondered what would happen now. Was this some kind of word puzzle or quiz against each other?

What opened though, was a simple depiction of three six-sided dice. When Alexander tapped them, a roll animation appeared until they settled at 14 eyes in total. Not bad!

"Lex_88 rolled: 14. TopShot rolled: 10. Lex_88 wins!"

The screen changed to a wheel of fortune now, which was already in motion. When it came to a stop, it showed a muscled arm emoji and the sparkling word "Bicep size" appeared on his screen.

Immediately, Alexander felt a weird tingling in his upper arms, accompanied by a tightness in the sleeves of his sweater. He locked his phone and scratched his arms but stopped immediately when his fingers met unexpected resistance. His upper arms seemed to have... swollen? What was happening?

Still on the university campus, Alexander made a dash for the nearest restroom and pulled off his sweater. He could hardly believe his eyes: His biceps had grown *considerably*, straining the seams of the t-shirt he wore underneath. When he moved his arms, the muscles bulged and contracted. It was a surreal feeling for sure. Was that the doing of this game?

Alexander unlocked his phone again saw a new message:

"Challenge! Record a video flexing your guns and upload it to social media!"

When he dismissed the message, he typed a message to his opponent.

Flex_88💪: Holy shit! My arms just grew!

Alexander stopped for a moment. Flex_88💪? That wasn't his nickname. Yet, when he scrolled up, it clearly appeared that way - that was the name saying "Hi." in the message before. It wasn't that far off from his usual nickname, which was... Flex_88💪. What was he even thinking about? That was just his screen name that he used almost everywhere, because of his biceps, obviously. His last message didn't make much sense, though. He added a:

Flex_88💪: I mean, they're pretty big, as always. Never mind!

It didn't feel good to brag, but there didn't seem to be a way to delete the message. But he might as well do the challenge now. It wasn't that unusual for him to post pictures and videos of his arms on social media, so, he recorded a short clip, made sure to crop out his surroundings and his face and sent the video to his LaterGram profile.

Just as he was done, TopShot had answered:

TopShot: Uhm, good for you, dude.

TopShot: Seems like you've won the last game.

Flex_88💪: Yeah, but it was pure luck. I'm sure you're gonna win the next one.

As if on cue, another "Battle available" popup opened. This time, Alexander's roll was pretty bad. The dice showed 2-5-2, bringing him to a meager 9, a bit below the expected value.

"Flex_88💪 rolled: 9. TopShot rolled: 9. Tie! Both win!"

Apparently, TopShot wasn't having a very lucky day, either. The wheel turned and showed a drop emoji. Alexander was still thinking about what could be the meaning of the drop, when the word appeared: "Libido".

Libido? So, this was an 18+ game? Still, Alexander felt hot all of a sudden. His cock was stiffing up and he realized that it had been ages since his last jerk-off. Hornyness clouded his mind, when the next popup opened:

"Challenge! Use a pick-up line on someone you fancy."

Alexander was usually way too shy to approach another guy, but in his current situation even thinking about sending someone a pick-up line seemed like a good idea. He could just send that TopShot guy one, he had the advantage that Alexander didn't know him and probably never would meet.

He thought about his options and decided that a classic would be the best choice.

Flex_88💪: You know, my arms aren't the only thing big right now ;-)

It only took a moment for the other player to respond.

SwitchHit: I know what you mean.

SwitchHit sent an image.

Alexander hesitated only a bit before he opened the image. Yep. It was a picture of a tented boxershorts, snapped from a hastily opened pair of pants. Alexander could feel his cock throb. If he wasn't in public... No, he had to restrain himself. Even though he was still horny, which really wasn't unusual for him, he took a breather and tried to fight his boner down. He had just masturbated before he left for class, it was just amazing how needy his cock could be. His phone dinged as he readjusted himself and left the bathroom.

SwitchHit: Looking forward to the next game. I mean it's just dice rolling and stupid challenges, but it's fun.

Even though Alexander agreed, something seemed off. Had SwitchHit changed his screen name? No, didn't seem that way.

"Battle available!"

Alexander immediately rolled his dice and hardly could believe his eyes: three sixes, a solid 18.

"Flex_88💪 rolled: 18. SwitchHit rolled: 15. Flex_88💪wins! Critical!"

15 was a pretty good roll, but nothing could beat Alexander's 18. He grinned as the wheel stopped on "Confidence".

"Challenge! Approach a local gym and negotiate a free trial using nothing but your charm and confidence. "

Xander grinned. Yeah, that was an awesome idea. He was originally on his way home, but finally joining a gym was long overdue. Luckily, there was one right on his way. Half an hour later, he had a full two month free trial and also a protein shaker as a gift. It had been easier than Xander had thought.

Suddenly, he remembered the game.

Flex_88💪: Hey SwitchHit, you still there?

SwitchHit: Yeah, sorry, I didn't want to message so much. Sorry!

Xander rolled his eyes. That guy needed to grow some balls. He was just about to reply, when the next battle was available. Xander really had to admit, what SwitchHit said was true: It was kind of fun!

This time, Xander rolled bad: The three dice showed a measly 8 points. Unsurprisingly, SwitchHit won.

"Flex_88💪 rolled: 8. SwitchHit rolled: 14. SwitchHit wins!"

Damn, this was the first time Xander lost. The wheel landed on a brain-emoji, and, unsurprisingly, it was labelled with "Smarts".

Xander scratched his head. What did that mean? Would he have some penalty challenge now? He would see soon enough.

"Challenge! Skip reading your usual news or books for the day. Instead, binge-watch a reality TV series."

Xander scratched his head again. Did he really want to do that?

Well, of course he wanted to! That sounded like a fun evening. Why would he read books?! He didn't even own books!

Flex_88💪: Man, those challenges are really ez. I need to watch some TV this evening, not read sum bokshit.

Xander typed the message as he arrived at his apartment. He fixed himself a quick dinner and sat down on the couch, turning on the TV.

SwitchHit: I agree. I have to read some Ovid tonight, which I find rather light literature.

Flex_88💪: Whatev you say, man. Hey, by the way, what's your name?

Flex_88💪: Mine's Xander.

SwitchHit: I don't know, I probably shouldn't share my real name on the internet.

Flex_88💪: Aw, come on. As if I could find out where you live with only your real name.

SwitchHit: ...Right. I'm called Chris.

Flex_88💪: Like Christian? Christopher?

SwitchHit: No, just Chris.

Flex_88💪: K. Hey, that pic was pretty hot back then.

They chatted a bit during the evening and exchanged some more pictures of tented pants. Xander was only half paying attention to the reality show on his screen, as one of his hands was more or less constantly in his pants. Still, it was just friendly teasing, no downright cyber-sex.

Eventually, Xander had finished the season and went to bed. SwitchHit - Chris - had called it a night an hour ago, but he still had to finish the last episodes. Good thing he didn't draw the book shit. That would've taken a week, not an evening.

When Xander woke up the next morning, the next battle was already waiting for him. He rolled the dice as he crawled out of bed, again rolling abyssal. Only six eyes were visible on his dice.

"Flex_88💪 rolled: 6. SwitchHit rolled: 10. SwitchHit wins!"

This time, the wheel landed on "Personality". Weird. That was a pretty vague category.

"Challenge! Show someone their place."

Xander raised his eyebrows. What a weird challenge. Anyway, time to for groceries!"

Xander drove over to the store in his old and cheap car. However, when he arrived, another visitor to the gym took the parking spot directly in front of the entrance. What an asshole!

Xander parked and got out of his car, quickly approaching the unsuspecting guy that just stole *his* spot.

"Hey, asshole! What do you think you're doing?!"

The man, a young guy with glasses and a bit on the nerdy side, looked up, surprised.

"What's your problem?"

"I'm the problem. Your problem. You just took my parking spot."

"Your spot? Don't be ridiculous."

Xander's hands balled into fists. That guy was really annoying!

"That was my spot, asshole. If you don't get your ass moving, I'll *make* you move."

"Alright, alright, chill down. Geez."

The other guy got in his car and parked in another spot. Xander nodded satisfied. He had shown him. Oh. Right, the challenge.

Entering the building (without moving his car), Xander checked his phone and sent SwitchHit a message:

Tank: Man, people are crazy today. Some asshole took my parking spot and I had to show him.

SwitchHit: Sorry to hear that.

SwitchHit: Did you change your screen name?

Tank: Nope. It's Tank, as it has always been. Because I'm a fricking TANK!

SwitchHit: Yeah. That makes sense.

"Battle available!"

Xander was collecting stuff from the shelves when he rolled the dice in-between. He rolled a solid 14, but Chris beat him by one point.

"Tank rolled: 14. SwitchHit rolled: 15. SwitchHit wins!"

Xander cursed loudly, making a few heads turn in the shop. The wheel turned and finally landed on a heart shape. "Empathy" it read. Another one of those fuzzy words.

"Challenge! Cut ties that hold you back!"

Xander scratched his head. What was that supposed to mean? He really wanted to win this game, so what did he have to do now?

As he thought about this, another message popped up, this time from the chat group with his closest circle of friends, who were planning their next meet-up. If Xander thought about it, he was really annoyed by those guys. They were all nerds and losers who always had shit ideas like board games and stuff. Without a second thought, Xander replied to the group.

Tank: I'm not coming. Those gatherings are a waste of time. Get lost, losers!

With that, he left the group and blocked the numbers of his so called friends. He had better things to do.

"Battle available!"

Like that, for example. Chris, who went by the silly nickname of CuddleBug, was at least a horny bastard like Xander himself. With a tap, he rolled the dice.

"Tank rolled: 12. CuddleBug rolled: 10. Tank wins!"

Oh yeah! The roll wasn't even so great, yet still he won. Xander smiled even broader when the wheel landed on a muscular torso, labelled simply: "Muscles."

In an instant, Xander felt his whole body swell up. No wonder. Axel basically *lived* in the gym. As he looked down, the fabric of his shirt had turned almost transparent with the sudden expansion of his muscles. It wasn't just his torso, of course. Axel didn't skip leg day, so his quads and hamstrings grew to impressive size, too. His shoulders were getting broad and wide, as well, to the point where he had difficulties reaching his back.

"Challenge! Show your gainz, buy a muscle shirt!"

Axel could have slapped his forehead. Why didn't he think of that himself - and sooner? He needed to share that thought.

Tank: Hey Chris, what ya tink? I should get a muscle shirt, huh?

Tank sent an image.

CuddleBug: Omg, yes. That will look awesome. I wish I had muscles like that.

Axel grinned. Right. No wonder that Chris agreed, Axel's muscles were a sight to behold. Good thing he was already in a store. He quickly bought a few muscle shirts, enough to replace his usual wardrobe. After paying for his purchase, Axel put on the new shirt right on the parking lot before squeezing himself into his car.

"Battle available!"

The game was pretty fast-paced. Axel tapped to roll the dice and was pumping his fist, when one after another, all three dice ended up showing a six.

"Tank rolled: 18. CuddleBug rolled: 4. Tank wins! Critical!"

"Ha! Yes!" Axel cheered and the wheel spun until it showed "Dominance".

A surge of excitement and satisfaction rushed through Axel's veins. He felt *good* all of a sudden. And *powerful*.

"Challenge! Assert your dominance! Challenge a gym bro today!"

Axel grinned. Yeah, that was exactly his thing. He needed to get to the gym anyway. That free membership was hard earned. Also, Chri- Kit seemed to like his gains. Time to make some more.

It was still early afternoon, and the gym wasn't packed with visitors yet, when Axel arrived. There were a few regulars, as always. A short dude with a moustache that looked like a wannabe porn star and a big dude with a neckbeard were currently occupying the bench press, while a girl in her 40s did lat pulls.

Confidently and arrogantly, Axel readjusted his half-hard cock and approached the big guy.

"Yo, man. You're pretty buff. But I bet I can still take you easily. Wann wrestle?"

The large dude looked at Axel for a moment. Axel could see a vein on his neck throb.

"You little shit. You think you're better than me, huh? Fine, let's do this."

In the pocket of his gym shorts, Axel could feel his phone vibrate.

"Ha. Lead the way, I'm gonna wipe the floor with you."

As he followed the big guy to the mats, Axel checked his phone.

"Battle available!"

Great! Before he kicked some ass, he could play some more! While walking, he rolled the dice and scored a 15!

"Tank rolled: 15. CuddleBug rolled: 9. Tank wins!"

He didn't have time to watch the wheel this time, so he didn't notice that it landed on "Stamina." He also didn't see the challenge, which simply read: "Kick some ass!"

The big guy was already waiting for him on the mats, but Axel felt incredibly cocky. This was gonna be easy!

"No rules, no limits, no mercy." Axel said and the other guy nodded.

"That's the way it's gonna be. No mercy, punk."

"Bring it, tubby."

The big guy was the first to charge and he was surprisingly fast for his size. However, his speed and strength were no match for Axel's new found muscles. Even though they wrestled for a few minutes, Axel found himself not even tiring much. Finally, he was able to flip his opponent around and lock him on the ground. He tried to struggle, but Axel held his arms and legs firmly in place.

"Give up, man. You can't win."

The big guy tried to wiggle out of Axel's grip, but to no avail. He could struggle and shout as much as he wanted, but Axel was the one on top.

Finally, the guy gave up and admitted defeat.

"Ha! Loser!" Axel cheered and got up. He had a full boner now, both from the sweaty wrestling as well as from the display of dominance, but he didn't hide it. Instead, he headed to the showers and let Kit know of his triumph on the way.

XxBeastxX: I just *dominated* some fuckin weakass in the gym. Wrestled him down and he was crying and everything.

Kit answered right away.

CuddleBug: You're awesome.

CuddleBug: I wish I could have been in this place.

XxBeastxX: Ha. Course I am.

XxBeastxX: Huh? Whatya mean?

CuddleBug: Nothing. Never mind.

Axel was about to answer, but yet another "Battle available!" message popped up.

This game was seriously addictive! Axel rolled the dice and had a 10, which was decidedly less than what Kit had.

"XxBeastxX rolled: 10. CuddleBug rolled: 11. CuddleBug wins!"

"Damn." Axel said, but the wheel landed on "Generosity." He was almost glad he lost. Otherwise, the challenge would probably have been something like "Donate to the homeless" or some shit. What did the homeless ever do for him?

Instead, the challenge was:

"Challenge! Sell something of sentimental value!"

Huh. Well, Axel didn't really have anything he would consider "sentimental". His old PS2 that he got from his uncle for his 10th birthday was a bit sentimental, but other than that... Oh! His old car would probably qualify.

Axel thought about it. On the one hand, his old car was a piece of shit, and he shouldn't care much about it, but on the other hand... It would be a shame if he would have to say goodbye to his baby. Would it? No, not really. It was a pain to squeeze into it anyway. And if he played his cards right, he would even get some good money for it.

The decision was easy, and after showering, Axel drove to the nearest car dealer. It was a hard bargain, but in the end, he managed to persuade the guy to buy his car. It wasn't a high price, but it was more than what the piece of crap was really worth.

Just as he finished the contract, his phone dinged. It was rude, of course, but he didn't give a flying shit about that and checked his phone. It was from Kit, of course.

TwinkyKit: I just donated some money to the homeless. That felt good!

Axel snorted. Of course, how pathetic.

XxBeastxX: Good. Maybe now they won't be so fucking lazy anymore and work a little.

"Battle available!"

It seemed like the game always interrupted their chats. Well, anyway. He quickly rolled the dice, while the car dealer waited patiently to return his attention to him again. The dice turned out lower than Kit's again and after reading the wheel result and the challenge, Axel looked back up to the car dealer. For a split second, the "Money" challenge was still visible on the screen: "Challenge! Buy a muscle car! You know you want it!"

Damn right he did. Jax had always wanted to have a muscle car. He just never had the money. Bullshit. He never had the balls to take on some debt to buy one.

The car dealer was more than willing to help Jax chose and set up the necessary credit paperwork. He didn't even read this shit and selected a car immediately. A shiny, silver beast with a huge engine. It was a bit pricy, but it was worth it, at least to Jax. After he received the keys, he messaged Kit.

XxBeastxX: While you were busy giving money to some crackheads, I got myself something new. Check this out!

XxBeastxX sent an image.

XxBeastxX sent an image.

The first image was the car of course. The second was a dick pic, for good measures. Jax didn't really care that he was still at the car dealer when he lowered his pants for a moment to snap the pic.

TwinkyKit: OMG. You're such a stud.

XxBeastxX: Thanks, Twinky.

XxBeastxX: By the way, show some respect!

He drove back home, feeling great.

At home, the next battle was already available. Jax grinned and rolled the dice. He could hardly believe what he saw: 3 single eyes. He rolled a fucking 3.

"XxBeastxX rolled: 3. TwinkyKit rolled: 3. Tie! Both lose! Critical!"

What a pathetic roll, for both of them!

The wheel landed on "Impulse Control". This was getting interesting. It was true, Jax was notoriously bad at controlling himself. He just bought a new car, on a whim. So whatever challenge was coming his way shouldn't be too hard.

"Challenge! Get that tat!"

Jax didn't think much about it. Sure, why not. He would probably regret it, but that was something future Jax would have to deal with. He started his shiny new car again and drove to a nearby tattoo studio.

When the artist asked what kind of design he wanted, he only thought for a second, before deciding: "A dragon, obviously!"

As the artist started working, he massaged his dick with his other hand, earning him a condescending look from the artist. He couldn't help it though. Kit... Kitty would surely love his new tat.

When he sent a pic later, he was proven right:

TwinkyKit: OMG! That's hot.

TwinkyKit: I wish I had one, too.

TwinkyKit: I mean: Sir.

Jax smiled and was about to type a reply, when another "Battle available!"-message distracted him.

He quickly rolled the dice and grinned at the result: 15! That beat Kittys sorry little ass for sure, and he was right. Kitty had a mere 7 points to show. This time, the wheel landed on "Aggressiveness."

If possible, Jax felt even more powerful and manly. The challenge read "Start a bar fight!" and that was exactly what Jax wanted to do this evening. Well, that or fuck some ass, but really, a good bar fight was probably even better tonight.

He quickly messaged Kitty.

Ass_Crusher🍆: Talk to you tomorrow. Gonna kick some ass now. Think of me when you jerk off tonight, boy!

Kitty responded almost instantly, with a picture of his uncut dick.

TwinkyKit: I will, Sir! Have fun.

Jax drove to the nearest gay bar, a shady joint called "Diesel". The music was loud, and the lights were dim. Jax didn't mind the atmosphere, though, instead, he went straight to the bar and ordered a double shot. He downed the drink and ordered a second. Just as the bartender placed the glass in front of him, he grabbed it and threw the liquor right into the bartender's face.

"The fuck?! What are you doing?!"

"What do you think, asshole?" Jax answered, his voice dangerously calm.

"You can't do this!"

"Yeah, I can. And you're going to shut the fuck up."

With those words, Jax slammed his fist in the bartender's face, who immediately fell to the ground. There had been really no reason for him to punch the bartender, but it had the intended effect: From one moment to the other, there was a barfight in full swing.

Of course, everyone tried to overwhelm Jax, but he fought back with vigor and stamina. Several black eyes and a broken nose on his enemies later, the patrons and the bar's bouncer managed to throw Jax out, but still, Jax had a great time, kicking ass and punching dudes. Before someone could call the cops, Jax went home, happy and content.

When Jax woke up the next morning, he almost didn't notice any bruises anymore. Instead, he grabbed his phone while he was doing his morning piss and checked ATArena. Yep, there was another battle available. Time to see if Kitty was already up.

He rolled the dice and only a minute later, Kitty's results came in. Easy win. Jax had rolled only a ten, but Kitty didn't beat him with his pathetic five. However, Jax laughed out loudly, as he saw the wheel's result: Dick size.

"Challenge! Show your assets!"

*That*, Jax could do. He watched as the cock in his hand grew longer and fatter by the second, instantly forgetting that it had once been smaller. No, Jax always had a big, fat and juicy cock, the biggest, actually. With a few last strokes, Jax sent a pic of his cock, the tip glistening wet.

Ass_Crusher🍆: Check that out. That's what a real cock looks like.

Ass_Crusher🍆 sent an image.

Ass_Crusher🍆 sent an image.

Ass_Crusher🍆 sent an image.

Jax sent several more images of his magnificent rod, both naked and wearing tight underwear. As if there was another kind. For Jax, all underwear was tight.

Finally, Kitty responded.

CrushersToyBoy: Fuck. You're so hot, Sir.

CrushersToyBoy sent an image.

Jax smirked. Kitty's own cock was tiny, especially compared to Jax' equipment. It didn't matter much, though. Kitty didn't need it, he needed to have his ass crushed.

Ass_Crusher🍆: I know, babe. I know. You know what I'll do with it now?

"Battle available!"

God dammit. This was getting annoying.

Jax quickly rolled the dice, scoring the top available score! 18 points! But apparently, Kitty was just as lucky, rolling an 18, too.

"Ass_Crusher🍆 rolled: 18. CrushersToyBoy rolled: 18. Tie! Both win! Critical!"

Jax didn't even need to read the attribute to feel it. It was "Libido, again." His already mostly hard cock surged up, becoming a firm steel pipe in his pre-cum soaked underwear. There were no pants on earth that could hide his constant arousal - on some days, even a firm pair of jeans left nothing to imagination and showed a wet patch where his cock was constantly leaking pre. He was a walking and breathing sex machine and Rex knew it. His name was fitting, too. He was a fucking king among men. And today he was going to breed the fuckable ass of that twink.

Ass_Crusher🍆: Get ready, boy. I'm cumming over and I'm gonna split open that ass of yours.

Rex closed the game and deleted it. There was no point in wasting his time with some stupid mobile game. He got back into his car and revved the engine. Oh yeah. Time to get some ass!

What a great game! I know I wouldn't mind playing if ATArena popped up on my phone, would you?

[cozage]

Please, please, PLEASE MAKE A FOLLOW-UP ON LAW ON THE DARE CHALLENGE

😭😭😭😭😭

A/N: Did someone order Law x reader with an extra slow burn??? Oh my sweet sweet anon I love you and everyone else who requested this. This was such a pleasure to write. I truly hope I did it justice and made up for not having a section for him earlier. For those who are new here, this is part two for an earlier headcanon list I did. Check that out first for more context.

Characters: GN! reader x Law

Cw: NSFW. MINORS - DNI. I promise I’ll have so much other content for you to consume, please respect me and my work and keep scrolling. If I catch a minor on my NSFW posts, I will block you (and then you don't get to see any of my writing! So just skip this one.)

Total word count: 4.2k

tag list: @error404-tryagain @jadedrrose @patchofblue @nikos-a-clown @evilunicorns4minions @reader101 @gaynerdnotkid @augustanna @uchihabbynic

Push and Pull

“Y/N-ya, what the hell was that?” You could hear the frustration in his voice follow after you as you dashed out of the room and retreated down the hallway. The game was finally over. The moment Shachi released you from your place on Law’s lap you had made a beeline for your room. 

“N-Nothing!” You keep moving, feeling heat rise to your face at the thought of your earlier flirtation attempt. Shachi may have been the one to force you to do it, but it would have been a lot better if you hadn’t fumbled it so badly. 

Law quickly caught up to you and grabbed your wrist, pulling you back from your escape. He spins you around to face him, and he towers over you. His face was contorted with such anger that you instinctively shrank away from him.

“Did Shachi put you up to that?” His face had softened some and you could tell he was attempting to control his voice, but his anger was apparent. You hesitated, which was enough of an answer for him. You could feel his grip tighten on your wrist, and you resist the urge not to squirm away from him again. You want to be far away from him and his rage, which now appeared to be centered on your crew mates. You could hear their laughs echoing from the common room, and Law glared in their direction.  

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” he says, still facing the common area. You start to respond, wanting to let Law know that it wasn’t a big deal, but he’s already dropped your wrist and is striding back to the common room. A dark aura is rolling off him as he heads towards the crew, and you turn on your heels and bolt to your room, thankful for an escape.

--

You make yourself scarce over the next few days, and the captain seems to be doing the same. You stay locked in your room, and he stays locked in his office. The only time you interact with Law is over meals, and you catch yourself glancing over at him several times throughout those moments. A few times you glance over to catch his golden eyes staring back at you, and you both quickly look away, praying nobody else caught you all. 

You and your captain have been doing this strange dance of avoiding each other and catching stolen looks for three days before the crew decided to step in. 

--

At lunch on the third day, Ikkaku hunts you down to pull you into your room. “You should wear something super nice tonight!” She’s already sifting through the clothes in your drawer.

“What? Why?” You start picking up the clothes that Ikakku has tossed on the floor, but she’s oblivious to your efforts, which irritates you. “Do you mind not making such a mess?”

She ignores your request, still shifting through your belongings and mumbling to herself. “Not a lot to work with here but I’m sure we can find something.”

“Hey-stop that! Ikakku, what is this all about anyway?” You’re throwing your clothes back into the dresser as fast as she’s throwing them out, frustration growing with every shirt you have to refold.

Ikkaku doesn’t offer much explanation. “It’s for the captain.”

You stand there staring at her, dumbfounded, until a stray shirt is thrown at your face. “What’s for the captain?” You finally ask.

Ikakku moves onto the next drawer and keeps digging through your clothes, unfazed by your question. “You gotta dress to impress, sweetheart!”

“Why would I do that?” Your voice comes out choked, and you know your secret has been found out. You still can’t find the will to move, even though your friend is continuing to demolish your room.

Finally, your words catch up to Ikakku, and she turns to face you. She stares at you a long while, as if she’s trying to decide if you’re even worth explaining her motives to. After a few long seconds, Ikakku laughs. “Don’t try to deny it, dear. I know you’re head over heels for him.”

Your mouth falls open in shock. She says it with such confidence that you know there’s no point in denying it. Ikakku always had a sixth sense for these things. “How long have you known?”

“I’ve had my suspicions for a little while, but you made it pretty obvious during game night. At this point everyone must know.” There’s something extra in her voice that sends you over the edge. She said her words so condescendingly, as if she pitied you and your circumstances.

“Get out! Get out now!” You shoved Ikakku out the door and slammed it behind her, refusing to come out until the dinner call. You feel so humiliated, though you’re not sure why. Your cheeks still turn pink at the thought of that night, which was the last time you had talked to your captain in three days. It felt like Shachi and Ikakku had ruined your entire relationship with the captain because of that stupid dare, and now they were trying to meddle in your life even more.

--

You were late to dinner because of Penguin. He was trying to get you to put a nicer outfit on, which led to a big fight and left you in a sour mood. By the time the two of you got there, only two seats remained. One next to Shachi, which was obviously meant for Penguin, and one next to the captain, which was obviously meant for you.

Everyone’s eyes followed you as you took your place next to Law, but nobody said anything. You could see Ikakku and Shachi silently questioning Penguin over your outfit choice, but he simply rolled his eyes and waved it off. A few members exchanged glances, and you could feel that someone was waiting for something to happen.

“Sorry for being late to dinner, everyone.” You finally say, trying to sound genuine.

“Shall we eat, then?” Law spoke to the crew, ignoring you and your apology, and you felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment.

You didn’t have much of an appetite, and you weren’t in the mood to talk to the man who you had spent the past few days avoiding, so you occupied your time by pushing your food around on your plate. You tried to take a few bites every now and then, but you weren’t making much of a dent on your food.

“Y/N-ya.” The voice made you freeze. It was the first time your captain had spoken to you since game night. Your eyes shifted over to your captain, but when you made eye contact with him, they darted back to the peas on your plate.

“Are you feeling okay?” There was a calculated levelness in his voice. You go the sense he was asking as a doctor, not as a captain or a friend. 

“I’m fine.”

You could see his eye twitch in irritation, but his voice remained calm. “If you would like something else to eat-”

“I don’t.” You interrupt, not giving him the chance to finish his sentence. The other conversations at the table start to die down, and you’ve become painfully aware of everyone’s eyes on you now.

“Captainnnn,” Shachi called to the man next to you. “How about you give Y/N some of your food?”

You’re not sure why, but something snaps inside of you. He’s using that same condescending tone that Ikakku used with you earlier, and the anger that has built inside you over the past three days finally explodes.

“How about you go straight to hell, Shachi?” You say, slamming your fork down onto the table. You see everyone’s mouths fall open in shock, including your captain’s, but you don’t care anymore. You storm out of the room and back to your cabin, furious with the position you’ve allowed yourself to be put into because you have feelings for some guy. You lock your door to avoid unwanted visitors, but nobody tries to come talk to you anyway.

--

“It’s not my fault that they want to rip off each other’s clothes!” You freeze as you hear Shachi’s voice call out in frustration from the kitchen down the hall. You hadn’t seen them-or anyone- since dinner last night, and you were hoping to avoid everyone while you ventured to the kitchen for lunch today. You had even waited until far after the normal lunchtime to lower your chances of running into someone, but it seems you had waiting too long and now you had stumbled upon the people who were cooking dinner tonight.

“Hush!” A feminine voice scolds at the man in a low hiss. Ikkaku. “Someone is going to hear you.”

“I don’t care if they do hear me!” Shachi shoots back. “Everyone on this damn ship can see it except them! It’s been painfully obvious since game night! The way they avoid each other now, the glances over dinner, and now all this hostility!?! I knew the captain would be pissed at us, but  now…”

He trails off, and you can feel the heat rising to your cheeks when you realize it is you they are talking about. You stay frozen in the hallway, praying that nobody comes around the corner and catches you eavesdropping.

“Listen,” Shachi continues, now in a full-blown rant. “Captain told me that he liked Y/N! And Y/N told you the same thing, right? What were they expecting us to do? Of course we’re going to meddle in that! We’re the most meddlesome people on the ship! They wanted us to intervene! And we did and now they’re avoiding each other like they have some kind of plague and I’m so tired of it!” He pauses for a beat. “We should just tell them.”

Your hand flies up to your mouth to stifle a horrified gasp and Ikkaku speaks in a deadly serious tone. “We are not doing that, Shachi. Neither of them would ever forgive us.”

“I know, I know.” Shachi seems to have calmed down a bit. “It’s just frustrating to watch. And now they’re both upset with us. I just want them to be happy.”

“As do I. Come on, let’s make dinner,” Ikkaku suggests, trying to change the subject. “We’ll figure out a way to make them forgive us and each other. Until then, we’ll just count their awkward glances.”

“The record is eleven, you know. Eleven times they made eye contact and then quickly glanced away from each other. Just at one dinner!”

So they had noticed the looks you and Law had been sharing. In fact, the more they talk, it sounds like they had been actively watching the two of you. It seems like it was a sort of game to them. They were able to recall most of the ones that had happened over the previous nights, chatting quietly and laughing at the exceptionally embarrassing ones.

There was no way you could face them after learning this. There was no way you could face anyone on the ship. You wanted to go hide in your room forever. You retreat back down the hallway the way you came and quickly rounded the corner to return to your room.

You crashed into someone as you turned the corner, too in a hurry to notice them until it was too late. You’re about to let out a small squeal of surprise when a hand covers your mouth tightly. Panic sets in for a moment, thinking someone may have stowed away on the ship, but when you see equally wide golden eyes staring down at you, you feel a twinge of relief.

A different kind of panic sets in, and your heartbeat starts to pick up. Suddenly, you’re painfully aware of how close you are to your captain; how his tattooed fingers are still gripping around your face, holding your mouth shut.

He must realize it too, because his face begins to tint with pink, and he releases you from his grasp. He holds a finger up to his lips and looks around the corner to see if anyone is watching, but Shachi and Ikkaku are still chatting in the kitchen, and nobody else is in the hallway. He takes your wrist and silently leads you away from the kitchen in the direction of his office.

You can feel your heart rate accelerating in your chest with every step closer to the captain’s quarters. Based on his reaction, you weren’t the only one who had heard Shachi’s and Ikkaku’s conversation in the kitchen. A part of you wanted to run, to find a way to put as much distance between you and your captain as you could on this small ship. But you let him lead you down the halls, too afraid to say or do anything else but follow him.

He didn’t look back at you the entire time you walked through the halls. His pace was fast, and at times you struggled to keep up. He quickly opened the door to his office and yanked you inside, looking back in the hallway once more to make sure you weren’t followed before closing it and locking the deadbolt firmly.

“What are you-” You had begun to question him, but quickly lost your voice when he started towards you with such intensity.

“Shachi and Ikakku, were they telling the truth?” His voice is harsh and rough when he speaks to you. You could hear the disbelief in his words, and you knew for a fact that he had heard them in the kitchen. He was towering over you with an intense gaze, and you were doing your best not to cower away from him like before.

“What-”

“A yes or no will do.” He takes a step towards you, and you instinctively step backwards, pressing your back against a random bookcase behind you. He had you cornered now, and your stomach ties into a knot as you look up at him. You feel so small, trapped here in his office with him. There’s a hungry look in his eyes, like a predator when they’ve found their next meal. He’s a little terrifying, yet you can’t bring yourself to look away from him.

“Y/N.” He prompts again. He didn’t add the normal nickname to it, which was a solidified sign that he was pissed. You didn’t normally find your captain intimidating, but since game night he made your hair stand on edge. You’re too embarrassed to admit your feelings for him, not while staring straight in the eyes like this. You finally break away from his gaze and stare at the floor, too ashamed to answer.

But your captain wants your full attention, and Law’s index finger tucks under your chin and guides your face back up to meet him, beckoning you to look him in the eyes again. You resist at first, but eventually give in, locking back into his honey irises.

He leans down, only centimeters from your face. He’s so close that you can feel his breath on your lips as he exhales. His breath is hitched and shallow, warm as it brushes against your skin.

Your knees feel weak with him so close to you, and think they might give out any second. The electricity between the two of you is palpable, and you wonder if this is what it means to be alive. You are suspended in this moment only with him, completely isolated from the outside world and everyone in it.

“Was it the truth?” He whispers the question softly this time, and now you can sense a trace of hope laced into his words. You open your mouth to respond, but your words fail you. He looks down at your lips, waiting, and you do the only thing you can. You nod.

That’s all he needs. His lips crash into yours with such force that you have to take a step back to steady yourself, but you stumble against the bookcase. Law’s free hand wraps tightly around you to help you stay balanced, and he pushes you back against the bookcase for more support. Inked fingers trace your jawline and cup your cheek, pulling you closer to him while he leans further into you. There’s been far too much distance between the two of you recently, and he needs to make up for lost time.

You wrap your arms around his body, digging your fingernails into the back of his shirt as you pull him against you, showing him how much you want this-how much you need this. His tongue flicked across your lips and a soft moan escaped your mouth as your lips parted, granting him access to you. He dives in without hesitation, eager for his first taste of you.

His hands trailed down your back, sending shivers throughout your entire body. He reached your waist, and you could feel him hesitate for a moment, unsure how much further to proceed. You press against him harder, encouraging him further, and your hands move upwards, wrapping around his neck to pull him into you more. Your fingers twisted around his midnight locks, tugging at them gently.

His lips finally release from your mouth, and you gasp for air while you have a second to breathe. Both of his hands slip under your ass and he lifts you up, your back still against the shelf for assistance. Your legs wrap around his body, pulling him into you.

He kissed your jawline, and then slowly made his way down to your neck. The sensation of his tongue swirling and his lips sucking on your sensitive skin made you pull at his hair harder, shoving his mouth further into your nape. You had to bite your lips to stifle a moan, and he gave a dark chuckle against your skin.

“Come on now,” he teased, nipping at your neck a few times. “Moan for me, y/n-ya”

You didn’t immediately oblige, and he was quickly growing impatient. His lips continued to suck at your skin with such ferocity that you were sure his marks of passion would be displayed there later. He gripped your ass tighter and pushed his groin into the opening between your legs. You could feel his hardened cock through his jeans grinding against you, and you couldn’t hold your words in any longer.

“Fuck, Captain!” You had tried to keep quiet, but the moan rang out loudly against the silent room.  Either Law didn’t care about the level of your voice, or he liked it. Judging by the way he thrust into you again, you would guess the latter. Your fingers dug deeper into his locks, pure ecstasy running through your veins now. You wanted to ride this high all the way to the end with your captain, and you continued to call out his name every time his bulge rubbed against you in the perfect way.

Law abandoned your neck to return back to your lips again, muffling your moans with his mouth. He continued to grip your ass tightly and push into you, and you could hear books falling to the ground behind you as his pace began to pick up.

“Errr, Captain?” The voice came from the other side of the door, distorted and concerned. In shock, Law pulled away from you and your hand flew to your mouth in horror, both of you frozen in place.

The door jiggled, and your eyes widened at its movement. Thankfully it stayed shut, locked earlier by the captain.

Law’s eyes stayed connected with yours. He kept you against him, refusing to put you down. “What is it, Bepo?”

“Is everything okay, Captain? I was coming to tell you dinner is ready, and I heard some commotion as I-“

Law cut him off before he let Bepo’s rambling go on too long. “Everything is fine, Bepo. Thank you. We will be at dinner soon.”

Your eyes widen at him, and he realizes his mistake too late.

“We?”

Law curses under his breath and you smile at his uncharacteristic slip up. You can only thank the stars that it’s Bepo summoning him and not anyone else on the crew.

“I’ll see you at dinner, Bepo.” Law corrects, and you can hear Bepo’s feet padding away down the hall without further commentary.

You start to unwrap your legs from around his waist, but he grips you tighter, refusing to release you just yet.

You giggle at him and place a quick kiss on his nose, and in shock, his arms loosen from around you. He releases you, and you hop down happily. All the tension between you two has finally broken, and the air feels lighter now

You do a quick check in the mirror nearby, and attempt to fix the things you can control. You use your fingers to comb through your hair quickly and smooth your shirt, trying your best to make yourself look presentable. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about the welts that are already forming on your neck other than pull up your shirt collar and hope for the best.

“Go ahead, I’m going to clean up and then I’ll be there.” Law bends down to pick up his hat and places it back on his head. It must’ve fallen off at some point, though you’re not sure when. He waves you on, bending back down to begin collecting the books you’ve scattered across the floor.

You start to think that you’ve done something wrong or he’s ashamed to be seen with you, and you feel that familiar pit forming in your stomach.

“Save me a seat,” he calls to you as you exit the room, and your fear instantly melts away.

You walk into the kitchen to find that most people have already congregated around the table. A few people look over to see you come in, and your eyes find Shachi. You smile at him politely, trying to start the process of making up for your outburst yesterday. His eyes glance down to your neck, and you watch as his eyes grow wide. He mutters something to Ikakku and Penguin, and you look away before you become more embarrassed.

You take a seat, and a few minutes later Law walks in and sits next to you. He’s sitting extremely close to you, his leg pressed against yours. You try to avoid the looks Shachi is sharing with the rest of the crew.

Dinner starts out casual, everyone attempting to ignore the elephant in the room. You were chatty with your crew mates, and everyone began to relax more. It finally felt like the crew dynamic was returning to normal again.

Halfway through dinner, you feel a hand rest on the top of your thigh, and you resist the urge to look over at your captain. You can feel his thumb lazily rubbing in circles, and electricity starts through your veins again.

After a few moments his fingers reach down, gripping your inner thigh and giving it a squeeze. You have to bite down on your lip to avoid showing any outward signs of his advancements. You snap your legs shut and attempt to continue your conversation with Clione, ignoring the hint of a smirk dancing across Law’s face.

He pushed further into your inner thigh, massaging it slowly. Continuing his taunt, he spreads his fingers closer to your core and flexes his fingers against you. You shift away from him, and he gripped your thigh harder to prevent you from completely leaving his grasp.

He leans close to you, whispering so only you can hear him. His voice is low and thick with desire. “Do you want to finish what we started?”

Your cheeks burn as he releases your thigh and gets up from the table, not waiting for your response. You wait a few moments before deciding to follow him.

“Thank you, Shachi.” You look at him and pause, and you can feel a sense of understanding pass between you two. “For the meal.” You add in, for sake of appearance.

You get up and walk out of the room, and Law is waiting for you outside. He grabs your hand and leads you back towards his office once again. You’re uncertain of what lies ahead, but it’s better than where you’ve been.

“Thank FUCK!” You hear Shachi scream from the kitchen, and the crew joins in with a chorus of laughter. You found yourself agreeing with them, grinning to yourself as the captain pulls you along, hand laced in yours.

[kito-kat]

decided to try my hand on some fake posts bc. yes :)

they're kinda meh i might make a part 2

🎤 mega-micro-phone reblogged Follow

🧀 thecheesiest-cheese Follow

people keep calling me trans even though im not, so i thought maybe i could make a joke about it

what do you call a transgender chocolate bar?

her/she

get it? like hershey, but pronouns?

🎤 mega-micro-phone Follow

ok

2 notes

🏆 thebestofalltimes reblogged Follow

🍀 lucky-ducky Follow

i must be crazy lucky on here because all my friends see my posts and they get a ton of notes! thank you so much everyone! 💖

🏆 thebestofalltimes Follow

can you fucking get off of my dash. ive seen you more than too many times. fuck off and fuck the STUPID algorithm

🍀 lucky-ducky Follow

what did i do :(

🎈deflatedpoet Follow

you know you can just block, right?

🏆 thebestofalltimes Follow

blocking is for cowards kys

12.953 notes

🌽 Sponsored

The new Meeple product, the Me, will release sometime this year! Are you ready?

📱 mefon-4 reblogged Follow

📱mefon-4 Follow

Can anyon. tell me how to in stall an add blockur on tumbler. thank you

🔪 worstest-jerk Follow

is it a challenge

📱mefon-4 Follow

do you want it to be

27 notes

🌮 sour-scheme reblogged Follow

🎈 deflatedpoet Follow

How to apologise to people you've hurt.

long post so i'll put it under cut

#save

528 notes

🧪 test-tubing reblogged Follow

🍊hotel-oj-owner Follow

Can people STOP complaining to me about Tissues???? I can't do anything about it! You people are driving me CRAZY!

🪭 inanimateinsanityfan Follow

Crazy? I Was Crazy Once. They Locked Me In A Room. A Rubber Room. A Rubber Room With Rats. And Rats Make Me Crazy Crazy? I Was Crazy Once. They Locked Me In A Room. A Rubber Room. A Rubber Room With Rats. And Rats Make Me Crazy

🧪 test-tubing Follow

What?! When did this happen to you, Fan? You never told me!

🪭 inanimateinsanityfan Follow

nono tt its a copypasta,,

🧪 test-tubing Follow

What's a copypasta?

🪭 inanimateinsanityfan Follow

lets continue this irl

🧪 test-tubing Follow

That means 'in real life' right?

76 notes

[ponett]

ive seen you post about doctor robotnik's ring racers occasionally on twitter and would like to hear your overall thoughts on the game

I'm enjoying it a lot! It plays well, has a ridiculous number of unlockable characters and tracks, and is generally just really polished. This would be impressive even for a paid indie kart racer that cost like $20-$30, but for a freeware fangame that's somehow built off of Doom? It's nuts. So much love and care went into this. I've been having a lot of fun playing through all the Grand Prix cups and clearing out the challenge board, which I've only completed 47% of it even with over 15 hours of playtime logged.

It's absolutely one of the most hardcore kart racers I've ever played, though, and that's gonna turn some people off. While playing solo even easy mode can be difficult, especially thanks to the rival system that gives one CPU buffs over the others. Anything below 150cc is a complete joke for me in Mario Kart, but even playing on the "normal" difficulty in Ring Racers (now renamed "intense" in the 2.2 patch) kicks my ass, and if you place poorly in a Grand Prix race it gives you a game over and makes you redo the race. I can't even imagine touching the higher difficulties at my current skill level.

This is compounded by how technical the game is and how many options are at your disposal. Spin dashing, tricks, fast drops, collecting and spending rings, an item roulette that can be manually stopped, a high risk high reward chargeable melee attack when you have negative rings, the ability to harass and be harassed by other racers while positioning yourself before the start of the race, gates that can only be passed through when you have a high level of boost, lots of items with different quirks that reward skilled play. And of course, perhaps most daunting of all to new players, there's the game's unique slope physics designed to mimic how they work in the 2D Sonic games, which will often require you to either spend rings for a small boost or stop and charge up a spin dash to get up a steep hill.

All of these add a lot of complexity to the game that can be pretty daunting early on, which is why it has an infamously long story-driven tutorial to introduce all of these mechanics. I'm not sure said tutorial actually does the best job introducing how those mechanics will actually be put to use in races, but I can't blame them for thinking the game needed it. (I do have to admit I am annoyed by the game's insistence upon framing everything via Sega Saturn inputs, though. I had to open the settings screen to figure out what buttons the tutorial actually wanted me to press.)

Some of these things have already been addressed in the first couple patches, of course. You can now exit the tutorial way earlier, some unlock requirements have been relaxed, there's an option to let the game automatically use your rings for you, easy mode has been made easier, a handful of problematic courses have been tweaked, etc. And I'm sure they'll continue to refine the game based on player feedback. But it's probably always going to be a fairly hardcore game. It's hard and has a high skill ceiling by design. Nintendo's never gonna make a super technical new Mario Kart for sickos - not on purpose, at least. They need it to be a pick-up-and-play party game that sells 70 million copies. But a freeware fangame not beholden to shareholders can experiment more and try to cater to that more hardcore crowd. Say what you will about Ring Racers, but it absolutely has a specific creative vision of its own beyond "Sonic Mario Kart," and I respect that even if the game sometimes frustrates me

[doberbutts]

devon price doubling down on his “other trans men are whiny self victimized misogynists” while acting like the world’s strongest transfem ally is so fucking frustrating to me. like tell me you’re being performative and refuse to listen to all the multiply marginalized trans men in this conversation. i used to look up to him and read his stuff on trans/autistic theory but now i’m tired of him and his fucked up opinions

I don't know who he is, the post crossed my dash.

But I also don't care who he is. The fact of the matter is that he is yet another white trans masc talking down to trans mascs of color while using black theory that inherently includes them to *ex*clude them instead. And then dressing it up with "well I'm being an ally to the REAL oppressed group" as if the black theory he's quoting isn't actively seeking to level the playing field by discussing how you cannot tally up different pieces of an individual and put them on a board to measure one oppression against another.

White people stop taking black stuff and completely twisting it away from its original meaning challenge: impossible

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Body Language in Cooking Crush

Saw a great discussion about Dynamite and Fire in Cooking Crush unfold last night on my dash, (have I mentioned I love my mutuals?) and have not been able to stop thinking about what @twig-tea was saying in their post about body language, nuance, and consent and how Dynamite is constantly and carefully reading the room. And you know when someone says body language, WKA shall appear to do a scene break down! 

I want to start, briefly, by reiterating the fact that Dy’s crush on Fire started after Fire intervened in his bashing, literally grappling and throwing one of the two bullies to the ground. So one of the very first things Dy ever learns about Fire is that he a) is kind enough to step in when he sees someone being hurt and b) will throw hands if he needs to. And Dy uses these two pieces of knowledge to gauge how he interacts with Fire as he begins his pursuit. 

First Encounter

The first interaction we see, Dy comes out swinging right out the gate, he is explicit in his queerness, up front about his feelings, and obviously in pursuit. 

Fire makes immediate eye contact with him, thanks him for the drink, and then proceeds to disengage from the conversation. But, remember, Dy knows Fire is kind and knows Fire can get physical, so he’s on a safe track so far, there is no harm in introducing himself. “Your name is Fire. My name is Dynamite. We know each other now.” 

Something in Fire’s face softens, and where just a second ago he was completely disinterested and disengaged from Dy, now he is tuned in. But he catches himself quickly, almost immediately puts his mask back on, and gets the hell out of dodge. Dy presses a bit more and Fire gives him a fake smile that drops in to a frown. Fire isn’t angry here, he’s just annoyed. Which is fine, because Dynamite is intentionally being annoying, and he does chase after Fire with his drink, but he doesn’t try to keep Fire in place, he doesn’t touch him, he doesn’t grab him, he waits a moment (enough time for Fire to actually put some distance between them) before he follows after. What has Dy learned? Fire isn’t homophobic (at least to the point of violence) and there was the tiniest flicker of interest. He can keep on his pursuit.

This is followed by Dynamite placing himself in front of Fire’s line of sight on Jane, to Fire’s annoyance, yes, but I think it is important to note that Fire has no issues with touching Dynamite gently despite his very open queerness, FIre maintains the conversation, and even relies on Dynamite to get Jane’s number. When Fire calls Jane later and finds Dynamite on the other end of the phone, he’s once again frustrated and annoyed, but he doesn’t hang up the phone and he doesn’t balk at being called cute by Dynamite either. He isn’t mad about being flirted with by a guy, he’s mad that Dynamite played him and he didn’t get to talk to Jane. 

And while Dynamite has fun annoying Fire, he isn’t an asshole either. He doesn’t let Fire immediately revel in connection with Jane, because Fire couldn’t work up the courage to ask her himself, but he also will not deny Fire his actual chance to pursue what could be genuine feelings for Jane, so he gives Fire her number the very next day. On his date with Jane, Fire spends the entire time looking for Dynamite, completely ignoring Jane at his side. Dy is correct, if Fire was actually interested in Jane it wouldn’t have mattered. 

Kabedon

Fire pins Dynamite to a wall to interrogate him about his presence in the area during Fire’s date.  But the way Fire is looking at Dynamite is not anger, it’s a challenge. 

gif by @gunsatthaphan

And when Dynamite remains unphased, you can see that challenge fading almost immediately in to annoyance, and then…Dynamite squares his shoulders, takes the smallest step forward, accepts Fire’s challenge and...

Fire retreats, not far, but he does drop his hands, he does take a step back, he cedes territory, he…he submits. And not only does he do so, but he gives Dynamite a once over, and when Dynamite keeps flirting, and Fire does not reciprocate, Dynamite says he will just go somewhere else if Fire is bothered, but offering the observation to Fy that he hasn’t been paying attention to Jane. Here again Fire could have gotten aggressive or could have walked away, but instead he grabs Dynamite’s hand and presses them to Dy’s lips to shush him. Which is exactly the opposite thing you want to do if you are trying to discourage the boy who is clearly comfortable being pinned between your arms from pursuing you any further. 

gif by @gunsatthaphan

And as Twig mentioned, the nuance in the body language here is that Fire is annoyed, but not upset. Fire is annoyed, but not angry. Dynamite leaves Fire alone for the rest of his time with Jane, and Fire sits beside her thinking about Dynamite instead. And there are clearly positive feelings for Dy taking root in Fire after this interaction, because this is what Fire’s reaction is when he thinks of Dynamite. 

It's small, it's subtle, it's hard to see with a static photo, but he's got the barest trace of a smile on his face.

And Dynamite knows when to pull back, too. When Fire threatens to punch Samsee and is physically restrained by Metha, Dynamite leaves immediately and does not appear in front of Fire again until he takes the fall for Fire in front of his mother. And thus starts the shift in Fire’s interactions with Dynamite with the peace offering of soy milk, where Fire makes moon eyes at Dy for the entire scene. 

Questioning in the Car

After being dumped by Jane, and starting to recognize he is having some sort of feelings for Dynamite, Metha (my beloved) takes Fire to acquire a sex worker and see how he feels about engaging in sex when a second penis is involved. And just like moving in to the same apartment complex was a coincidence, so too is Dynamite and Fire running in to each other on the street here.

gif by @save-the-data

Metha rolls down the window to start a conversation. Now. In my view, dynamite has always been paying attention to Fire’s reactions to his advances. But if that was not made super clear because Dy was being subtle about it at the beginning, it is made extremely obvious from every moment after the conversation on the fire escape. Because all Dynamite is doing from the second that Fire comes in to view is staring at him. Hearing Metha ask if they are using the sex worker service too and then watching intently as Dynamite’s eyes flit from Samsee, to Dynamite, down at the ground, and then straight ahead refusing to make more eye contact because Fire is embarrassed. Because he has realized he has some sort of feelings for Dynamite and he has been caught trying to figure out what those feelings are by the very person that has thrown his sexuality in to question in the first place. 

And that trend continues when they are alone in the car. Dynamite might be in the backseat, but his eyes are trained on Fire’s face for the entire conversation. Body language and consent here, right? Fire is not comfortable being in this car with Dynamite, but again not because Dynamite is doing something to upset him, because he knows that being caught this way gives a pretty clear sign to Dynamite that Fire has feelings for him. But at this point Fire is a coward and Dynamite is brave, so he will initiate the hard and awkward conversation that needs to be had. 

“Since I told you I like you, it made you feel uneasy, right?” 

gif by @sidecouplesupremacy-blbambeyond

Boom. Called out about it, Fire for the first time since that initial moment of recognition turns to look at Dy. Now, the audience gets a good auditory confirmation that Fire is experiencing feelings, because we hear the heart beat sound effect. But Dy gets a confirmation too, because Fire’s mouth is slightly open, Fire’s brow furrows for just a moment. It’s hard to see it from the angle Neo’s head is at, but Fire is scanning Dynamite’s face, and he breaks eye contact when the feelings get to be too much for him. 

gif by @sidecouplesupremacy-blbambeyond

By Dy won’t let him run away. Dynamite places a hand atop Fire’s head (worth noting that heads, if I recall correctly, are pretty sacred in Thai culture and having someone touch your head holds some weight to it).  Fire gets lost in Dynamite’s face for a moment, and takes a little too long to pull away from Dynamite’s touch for someone claiming not to like Dynamite. Again, Dy may be a little shit (read: someone who enjoys intentionally annoying people) but he is not an asshole, he knows this is getting to be too much for Fire, and he defuses the intensity of the moment by pushing harder on the “you like me” point, but in such a way that allows Fire to hide behind annoyance once again. But Dy still wants to be certain he is reading the situation correctly, so he leans in a little, a teasing distance and Fire?

gif by @sidecouplesupremacy-blbambeyond

Jaw goes slack, then tenses as he swallows hard, and his eyes flicker down for just a second right to Dynamite’s lips. Dynamite backs off, and the thrill of the moment finally settles over Fire now that he has some breathing room from the intensity of that interaction for him and he starts to smile to himself. With Dynamite once again checking Fire’s face to gauge his reaction, and only smiling when he sees Fire is melting in his seat. 

Cold Shoulder at the Grocery Store 

The audience does not know this yet, but Dynamite has suffered a massive loss for being queer, and that has made him brave and strong, and that has informed the way that he engages with potential lovers. I won’t talk about it at length because multiple other posts have already covered that. But I think it is important to remember for what comes next. Because Dynamite looks pretty happy after that conversation in the car that Fire reciprocates his feelings. And then he sees Jane and Fire together at the store. 

gif by @save-the-data

Dynamite sizes up the scene, sees Jane at Fire’s side, see’s Fire looking amped up and a little cocky, and you can see the moment he decides to shut his feelings for Fire down in the tiniest of lip movements. (Aungpao is blowing me away in this show, he’s seventeen fucking years old, his microexpression game is on point, he’s relatively green, and he’s keeping up with actors like GUN ATTAPHAN, OFF JUMPOL, AND NEO TRAI.) Dynamite is brave, but what he is seeing is Fire running from his feelings and trying to be straight, and for the time being, Fire is not strong enough for what comes next. Dynamite got his hopes up and they are being crushed in real time in the grocery store. 

And when Dynamite does not engage, Fire doesn’t look relieved that he didn’t have to deal with Dynamite, he looked disappointed that Dynamite decided not to pay attention to him. To give him the space that he’s said he has wanted all this time. It takes Jane coming out about her relationship and calling Fire on his crush on Dynamite to corner Fire in such a way that he can’t run from his feelings anymore. But man oh man is he going to try. 

Drunk Confessions

gifs by @gunsatthaphan

Dy is mad, trying to get past his feelings for Fy, and is now having to take care of a drunken man that is confessing his feelings because he is only able to do so under the influence. God I love this scene so much, because it is one of the rare times that I have seen a drunken kiss, and a chaste cheek kiss at that be so upsetting. And Dynamite has every right to be upset, a) because he might have pushed Fire around a bit, he definitely stepped over the line occasionally by following Fire around but he never was physically intimate with Fire and b) because Fire has jerked around Dynamite’s emotions partially without Fire’s knowledge, and you can see the mental calculus going on in Dy’s head when Fire kisses him, because this is a very blatant admission of feelings but not when he is sober, and that is wholly unfair to Dy. 

But it’s getting Dy’s hopes up too and you can see him shake his wall back in place after Fire collapses on his shoulder because he can’t afford for Fire to get sober and clam up again. And here we get the admission of exactly what Dy has been picking up on this whole time: “Regardless of how much I say I don’t want to see you, you have no right to walk away.” To be clear here: this is not a ‘no means yes’ situation. This is a “you don’t have to stop” admission a la Secret Crush on You. Fire likes the game and is saying so himself right now. It’s why Dy picked up on from the beginning and why he was acting the way that he was, and seeing Fy with Jane after their conversation in the car is when he think he might have been misreading Fy the entire time and pulls away completely out of respect for the feelings of everyone involved. 

Which is why Dy pulls away even harder and stops engaging with Fy at all after Fy wakes up sober, remembering everything that had happened the night before, and refusing to own up to it. Fire’s not ready the way Dynamite is, and so Dynamite will leave Fire to do the work from here. If Fire truly likes Dynamite, Dynamite will happily turn his feelings for Fire back on, but only after Fire proves that he is ready. 

[comeonladiesitstime2yearn]

Hello! Humbly requesting a Gwynriel first kiss…of course Gwyn kisses him first, but then he kisses her harder. Have fun!

OMG thank you for the request!!! This is my first time writing Gwynriel so I hope I did it justice. This was v fun to write and made me feel all happy and giddy inside - they are so cute!!

Maybe I'll embellish on this more and post something to aO3 for Gwyn Week this month :). Anyway, hope you enjoy!!

Edit: No warnings, just fluffy stuff and a smooch (light angst if you squint)

__

Azriel extended a hand to Gwyn, rather sheepishly, as she eyed the side of the training ring cautiously, where the otherwise ward-protected deep drop over the side of the training ring plummeted to the streets of Velaris. Cassian had just flung Nesta into his arms and lept from the side of the ring. Nesta’s shrill “It’s not as bad as you thi-” cut off as the winds in the air of the drop swept her voice out of range. 

Gwyn looked back at Azriel’s outstretched hand, so steady and beckoning. Her gaze trailed up to his face and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her lips from parting in admiration of his warm hazel eyes staring at her attentively, reassuringly. Gwyn knew his reputation, had seen him spar ruthlessly during training, seen the intensity that encompassed his every move, yet he still always appeared as such a gentleman to her. Like a dashing hero from one of the silly romance novels she adored to read into the late night, giggling into her pillow.

“You know, you don’t have to go, if you don’t want to.” His words broke her out of her momentary daze.

A spark crept up Gwyn’s back in challenge of his words. Tearing her eyes from the edge of the training ring, and letting out a dramatic huff, Gwyn forewent Azriel’s hand and simply walked right up to him, lifting her arms to the side. 

Azriel’s lips quirked to the side, one of his eyebrows raising ever so slightly as he examined Gwyn’s form. Ignoring Gwyn’s rigid stance with her arms stretched out as if he were to grab her underneath each armpit, Azriel bent slightly and encircled one arm around her waist. 

Gwyn’s entire body ignited with a flame of uncertainty and excitement. Her arms still awkwardly dangling at her sides, Azriel bent further and scooped the back of her knees so he could cradle her properly in his arms. Gwyn stared at his face as Azriel rose to his feet. He turned to look at her with a warm smile.

“It would be best if you put your arms around my neck.” He stated, smirking at Gwyn who was still slightly rigid in his arms.

“Oh. Right. Yes.” Gwyn felt the redness creep up her neck to her cheeks as she tentatively hooked her dangling arms around Azriel’s neck. She had never been this close to him, or any male for that matter, in so long. Azriel was a good male, a good mentor, a warrior she looked up to. Sure, she had noticed the other priestesses ogling him. Even Nesta and Emerie shamelessly made derogatory comments about Azriel when his back was turned. Gwyn certainly felt no such way toward him, however. No matter what her dreams were. The ones that had her waking up in sweat-drenched sheets.

Before she could allow another swirling thought to enter her mind, Azriel launched into the air. Gwyn squealed. Actually squealed, as she wrapped her arms impossibly tighter around his neck and bunched her knees so they were closer to his chest.

The wind whipped all around her as she squeezed her eyes shut. For a moment, she felt the awful sensation of free falling, barrelling toward oblivion and her heart almost stopped beating in her chest. With an abrupt woosh of air, and the wind around her miraculously bleeding into a gentle breeze, she felt herself suddenly swiftly drifting. No longer falling. She still refused to open her eyes.

She knew, in her right mind, that she was safe. That she was just flying down to Velaris. To see her friends. That this trip would be over soon. Yet, she could not shake the memory of the last time she was cradled by Illyrian wings in the sky. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, her nails digging into the skin of the neck she was wrapped around like a vice. She didn’t even realize that she had let out an audible sob until she felt arms tighten around her.

“Gwyn.” Azriel’s voice was right in her ear, the cool gentle breeze still hitting her face as they continued to glide yet she could not open her eyes.

“Down. Please. Down.” Gwyn whispered. Barely able to get the words out, not even sure if he heard them. Yet, immediately she felt a shift in their trajectory. They were plummeting again, the feeling making Gwyn almost sick to her stomach. Turning her face, she buried it in the crook of Azriel’s neck, fighting the current on wind that blasted at her as they fell.

Before she could fully register what was happening, the falling was banished into a sudden float, and she felt the thump of feet hitting solid ground below her. She reluctantly intucked her face from Azirel’s neck, still keeping her eyes closed.

Even in the darkness behind her lids, she could feel his gaze on her. Suddenly feeling like a coward, Gwyn chuckled to herself lightly, “Some Valkyrie I am.” She heard no laugh in response, but a subtle ghosting of a sigh blew over her cheek. She peeled one eye open tentatively, catching the intense gaze of Azriel’s hazel eyes. Opening her other eye, she held his gaze for a few seconds, not quite sure what else to say, as his own eyes seemed to be searching every inch of her own without moving at all.

Slowly, Azriel’s serious expression melted into an easy smile, relaxing Gwyn at last. 

“Even a Valkyrie has their fears.” He spoke softly to her, cocking his head slightly. He gave her another sweet smile before turning his head to look over wherever they had landed - Gwyn could barely bring herself to care as she stared in awe at the dimple on the side of his cheek. She was suddenly very aware of the heat his arms seeped through her body as he continued to clutch her close to himself as he surveyed the horizon. It didn't even matter where they had landed, Gwyn realized, she was safe with him. 

Her heart fluttering in her chest, she fidgeted a bit in his hold as she almost stopped herself from what she decided to do next. Before she could overthink it, Gwyn leaned forward to Azriel’s cheek for a kiss, just as he turned her face back to her.

Gwyn’s lips connected with the corner of his mouth, and she was selfishly unable to retract herself for a much too-long two seconds. She squeaked and pulled back, eyes wide as she stared at him in terror. Why had she done that? His expression was unreadable. He stared at her parted mouth, brows furrowed in utter concentration over something.

“I-I’m sorry-” Before Gwyn could finish Azriel crashed his lip back into hers.

He was gentle, but firm. Cradling the back of her head, he deepened the kiss while slightly turning his head to the side, their noses brushing against each other in a perfect fit. Gwyn’s heart was fluttering like it was about to burst, she felt like she was on fire as her hands around his neck trailed up into the hair at his nape, scratching at the curly strands.

Azriel groaned and Gwyn’s belly flipped, gasping for a moment and before she could recover his tongue swept into her mouth. Gwyn’s lack of experience was overriding her ability to keep up with him, but the moment he drew back, nipping her bottom lip, uttering to her, “You have no idea how long I have dreamt of this.” She fell fully pliant into his arms.

[weirdmarioenemies]

I am still ranking the Super Mario Galaxies and none of you can stop me

Hello! Thanks for your patience. It's time to get back to ranking all of the Super Mario Galaxies. There is nothing to be afraid of. If you are afraid, we will look together.

I'm still ranking the A-tier galaxies this week, since there are a lot of them and I couldn't fit them all in the previous post. If you want to read the series from the start, look here, and also here's a link to the post with all the B-tiers, for completion's sake.

We have fifteen more galaxies to rank today, so prepare for liftoff! All rankings are under the cut!

35. Slipsand Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

We're starting off today with the other desert galaxy! The better desert galaxy. Yeah, you heard me! Dusty Dune Galaxy fans are in shambles, except I'm not sure if that's a Hot Take at all because I don't know what the general fan consensus on all the Super Mario Galaxies is anyhow.

If you may recall from my previous rankings, my general take on Dusty Dune Galaxy boiled down to "I like it, it has pretty consistently solid missions, but the theming is a bit generic for my liking." But as I stated, it's not that "desert" is a bad theme, just that I felt that Dusty Dune didn't do anything particularly interesting with that theme. While Slipsand Galaxy does still have a little bit of that desert mismatch I chided in my Dusty Dune review, I think the much stronger emphasis on a "desert ruins" theme ends up making it feel a lot stronger.

Heck, this might be one of the few times where a galaxy from the sequel wins points for atmosphere over the first game! I really, really love the skybox in this one, with threateningly huge towers looming over the horizon everywhere you look, with bits of space peeking out from in-between. Again, theming isn't everything, but it can contribute a lot more to a galaxy's experience than you might expect.

But to be fair, the missions in this galaxy are pretty great too! Stuff like the room where the gravity changes so you're always walking on the walls, the return of the Sand Bird (albeit a more compact version), the somewhat tricky sand slide with all the Rhomps, and the Squizzard boss fight all come together to make a galaxy that is as fun as it is stylish. A great galaxy all around!

34. Hightail Falls Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

This galaxy serves as the introduction of the Dash Pepper, and I think it's a pretty great time! The dash pepper gives you extreme speed in exchange for being really difficult to control, and I think this galaxy does a really good job showing that off. I think that once again, I love the optional challenges they put here, with more rewarding routes generally having more obstacles. Sure, you can just take the straight path, but then how are you supposed to gather all the coins you need for the Hungry Luma star?

The galaxy's obstacles also escalate really well, with the walls Yoshi has to climb gradually gaining more turns with more walls to bump into and knock you off clean. Generally there's enough ground to fall back on that it's not too unforgiving, but since you have to clear them to grab the star, the galaxy's making sure you know how to control this vehicle (dinosaur) that is speeding out of control!

As a side-note, I really love the Penguru easter egg on this galaxy. There's not really any rewards (besides a chat with our good friend Penguru) but it's a fun little bonus for anyone who knows where to look!

33. Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

You know, the E3 2009 trailer of this game showed a clip of the airships appearing out of the portals from a cool angle, and I so badly wanted to use that as the picture for this galaxy, but I wasn't able to find a high-quality picture of that, which is a shame.

Doesn't change the fact the galaxy is still pretty cool! This one's mostly an autoscroller, but I've never really minded autoscrollers personally, and this one is fun in how it makes you multitask, often having to mix platforming with dodging projectiles, all while needing to hold a Bullet Bill in Yoshi's mouth to break the glass cages in your way. And they break up the autoscrolling just often enough that it rarely feels like it drags to me, which I think helps this mission a lot.

And that boss fight! Even though I spent most of Megahammer's post talking about how it looks like it has boobs -- because it does and I stand by that, the boss fight is still really fun, making good usage of the Bullet Bill mechanics and multitasking utilized throughout the rest of the level.

It's one of the trickier bosses in the series (even if still not that hard, I don't know if any of the Galaxy bosses are), mostly due to how getting one hit from Megahammer throws you off your Yoshi, causing him to panic a bit. In hindsight, I don't know if the Daredevil run is really necessary here, a Time Attack mission might have been more unique. Or they could've given Megahammer a bra. I still stand by that part of my post, also. Hire me, Nintendo! Put my bad ideas in your games!

Either way, this is a pretty fun galaxy with a pretty great boss at the end! Thumbs up from me!

32. Upside Dizzy Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

I mentioned in the last post how much I love these gravity walls, right? Well I love these gravity walls a lot. They're a fun mechanic that ties in nicely with this series' gravity mechanics, and make for fun 2D platforming segments! And while the first game had a few segments built around them, the sequel took the opportunity to build full galaxies around them, which I am more than happy about!

I consider the two galaxies that utilize them to this extent about equal in quality (take a wild guess now what #31 is gonna be) but for the sake of this list, I have to like one slightly less than the other, and unfortunately, after thinking it through, Upside Dizzy ended up losing out. Which is weird, given I usually prefer the later "harder" versions of missions... oh well!

But I mean, it's a tight race, because Upside Dizzy has a lot going for it. Having moving strips with different gravity from everything around them makes for some fun platforming challenges, and I really, really love the segment at the end where the gravity of the backdrop changes in time with the music, and you have to plan around it accordingly. I wonder if this galaxy would outdo Rightside Down if that bit was a bit longer, or the whole galaxy's gimmick? It probably would, but since it's not, at least we get to hear these galaxies' great music for a little longer.

And since this is the first galaxy we're talking about that largely highlights this gimmick, know that I'd love to see them bring it back in future titles! Unlike the Flip-Swap tiles and Beat Blocks, they were largely absent from the 3D place games (which makes sense, given well,) but they made a welcome comeback in a few places in Mario Odyssey, and all I'm saying is I wouldn't mind if they got used a bit in Super Mario Bros. Wonder as well...

31. Rightside Down Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

whoa. didn't see that one coming.

Jokes aside though, I like Rightside Down Galaxy about as much as Upside Dizzy Galaxy for pretty much the same reasons: I just love this gimmick a lot and I'm always happy to see a mission built around it!

And Rightside Down Galaxy uses this mechanic for a lot of fun platforming, though that's sort of to be expected for any galaxy that uses this mechanic. I especially love the bit pictured above, where you have to run through a long hallway of Thwomps with a gravity flip in the middle, though the bits where you have to jump between moving platforms in different gravity is pretty neat, and I really love the bits where you get to flip the gravity yourself, experiencing the level from a couple different perspectives. Maybe not as cool as the timed-to-the-beat iteration in Upside Dizzy, but still pretty cool.

Ultimately what gives Rightside Down the edge to me is I think it feels like it has a little more variety. Stuff like the Thwomps and Chomps, the Fire Flower segments, and the brief top-down segment all make for fun changes of pace throughout the level, making it feel like they're showing off a bit more of what can be done with this mechanic. Still, I consider these two really close, and I went back and forth on which is higher when making this list.

If there's one thing I think we can all agree on though, it's that the bonus missions where you have to destroy crates with a Fire Flower are kinda lame. Not as frustrating as the versions with the bombs from the first game, but also not as interesting. Given how little of these galaxies those missions take up though, I'm willing to let them slide when compared to the really fun main missions.

30. Buoy Base Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: A

As I've mentioned in many of the previous posts, most of the small, one-off galaxies from the first game are pretty forgettable and not especially fun, but there's a handful of exceptions, and Buoy Base is absolutely one of them, and I think the developers knew that too, because they put one of the game's three Green Stars in this one, and also gave it a top-notch soundtrack. And honestly, I think that was the right call. I don't know if Buoy Base is elaborate enough to sustain more than a couple missions, but it's definitely cool enough to deserve a little more love than most of the weird one-offs in this game.

While my gripes with these games' water physics aren't completely absent here, I do think luring the Torpedo Teds to destroying the weights can occasionally feel a little tedious, I think the platforming that follows more than makes up for it. I love how it feels to gradually climb up this tower while avoiding its numerous obstacles, particularly the part where you have to line up a Spring Topman right to get the height you need, that part is really nifty.

I also really love the part where you have to collect the Pull Star Chips around a bunch of moving platforms, given how they intersect each others' paths and often need good reflexes to navigate. Again, you kinda know Nintendo had a hit with this one with how much they'd revisit pieces of it elsewhere, with a similar segment to the top of the tower showing up in Melty Molten Galaxy, and a familiar-looking tower making an appearance in the sequel's Space Storm Galaxy.

Buoy Base Galaxy might not be one of the most elaborate galaxies in these games, but for the brief time you're there, it's sure to provide a very memorable experience.

29. Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

The last Bowser Jr. galaxy in the series is also going to be the last Bowser Jr. galaxy we review, on account of I Like It Quite A Lot! Talk about going out with a bang! Or... a boom.

The Boom Bunker brings back the gimmick from the Airship Armada in the first game, where you launch yourself out of cannons from planet to planet, but here I think it's executed a bit better. Having the targets to hit, where getting a bullseye gives a 1-Up, adds a bit of a fun optional challenge that always feels rewarding when you pull it off, even though 1-Ups are admittedly never in short demand in this game. I also love that they progressively make this more challenging, later adding mines to avoid, adding an element of timing alongside your aim. It's really neat!

I also really love that this galaxy starts off on a planet with Megahammer's remains, making you bring a Bullet Bill to unlock the first cannon. I appreciate the throwback to Megahammer's top surgery, even if it makes sense that Megahammer's remains would be in a completely different galaxy... Then again, Bowser Jr. made both of them, so it's probably just recycling. Bowser Jr. may be the son of an evil warlord, but even he cares for the environment, kids.

Enough talking about the previous boss though, let's talk about this boss, because it's also great! If you can make inferences from the previous posts, "Cloud Flower" and "Climb to the top of big tower" are both formulas I like a lot, and this boss has both of those things! Combine that with a solid sense of escalation where the tower gains more height, more guns, and more mobility, and it ends up making for a fun, hectic, and memorable final Bowser Jr. encounter!

28. Melty Monster Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

Melty Monster Galaxy is another of those galaxies that I feel kinda gets overshadowed by its Cooler Older Sibling, in this case being Melty Molten Galaxy. And like, that's completely fair, hardly any galaxies out there are capable of beating Melty Molten. Melty Monster never stood a chance in this fight. May as well throw in the towel.

Which to some extent, Melty Monster does, given that after its first mission it completely shifts focus and makes all the remaining missions about bowling as Rock Mario. But that's not necessarily a bad shift in focus, because bowling as Rock Mario is really, really fun, and this galaxy makes really good use of it. If you're gonna have a sudden jarring shift in focus, that's not a bad thing to make the jarring shift to.

And it's not like the first mission is bad at all, either! The segment where you have to use Pull Stars to avoid Magmaarghs (pictured above) is really dang fun, and I love that you gotta play around with Pull Star momentum a bit to reach the first Launch Star, it's the right move for a lategame galaxy like this one. Most of the remainder of the first mission involves timed platforming over lava waves, which is a pretty fun gimmick, and the final planet, surrounded by asteroids that occasionally get engulfed by an ocean of Magmaws, is really nifty too.

Basically: Melty Monster is kinda two galaxies stapled together, but it's two really good galaxies stapled together, so I don't find myself minding the sudden shift in focus all that much. It was never gonna beat Melty Molten, so it may as well see how well it can do at something else, and both the Chimp Bowling Challenge and the very long alley in the second mission make for a pretty memorable time, as well as where I always go to grind out Star Bits in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

27. Bowser's Dark Matter Plant

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: A

Congratulations to Bowser's Dark Matter Plant for being the best boss level that isn't a final boss level! That has to be some sort of worthwhile distinction, right?

The Dark Matter Plant is a really cool galaxy, introducing the Dark Matter which will instantly kill Mario when he touches it, so your goal is to Not Do That! Of course, as the level goes on, they only make that more difficult, such as when they start introducing stationary holes in reality, that the platforms underneath move around. It kind of reminds me of how the textures on clothes work in Chowder, for some reason.

Of course, the highlight of the level to me is, you guessed it, the gravity wall segment, which this time features green walls that push you right and gray walls that push you left, while you have to regularly adjust your positioning on a plus-shaped block, since each change in gravity will push you into the dark matter if you choose to stay still! It's a really creative application of the gravity walls, and a fun way to handle an autoscroller.

Combine that with the Dramatic Staircase returning from the Star Reactor and a solid Bowser fight to top it all off, and you end up creating a Bowser mission I won't forget any time soon!

26. Puzzle Plank Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

Puzzle Plank Galaxy! :D I'm not sure how many galaxies bring me this level of raw joy when I reach them in a playthrough. Like, I wouldn't really consider it one of the best galaxies, it's in 26th place for a reason, but dang it, this galaxy just makes me happy. The combination of the creative theming and the bopping music just gets me really excited whenever I reach it.

And it's a pretty fun galaxy, too! I love how it utilizes the Ground Pround to move wooden blocks into the right spot, and especially memorable is the part of the level where you have to dodge saws that are slowly cutting apart the ground you're walking on. It's a really fun and inspired platforming challenge, and fits the theming of this galaxy so, so well. I especially love that it ties into how you grab the Comet Medal for this galaxy!

It's why I hate to admit it then that I think Puzzle Plank Galaxy is a bit underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I still love this thing to death, but culminating the first mission in a fight against the Mandibug Stack is... sure? Whatever? I dunno, Mandibug Stack is one of the least interesting fights in the game, and part of me feels I may have been less disappointed if putting the puzzle block together just gave you the star outright. And the secret mission being a Bugaboom rematch is like... I mean I love Bugaboom, it's a great fight, I'm glad it's here, but also this is a galaxy concept so fun and creative, that I wish the secret mission was dedicated to more original content, y'know?

Still, when my complaints about a galaxy boil down to "I desperately wish we got more of it," then I think you can probably figure that I really like what we did get here. It's just that I can't help but feel that in a timeline where some of the recycled content was replaced with more original content, it'd be hanging out with the S-tiers in next week's post.

Don't let my nitpicking undermine how much I like Puzzle Plank. I only moved it up the rankings while writing these reviews. That enthusiasm I feel when playing it goes a long way!

25. Boulder Bowl Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

More bowling! Yeah, I like Rock Mario. Not as much as Cloud Mario, but I like Rock Mario. Bowling is fun. There's something so enjoyable about curling up into a ball, and knocking anything that gets in your way into the stratosphere! (Figuratively. Very few of these planets have stratospheres, or even atmospheres at all...)

And I think the developers knew this, because for one part of this galaxy, they just fill a planet with as many Octoombas as they can and let you bowl them over. And like, when you only get down to a few left, it becomes more practical to just stomp on them, but where's the fun in that? You don't get to use Rock Mario much. Are you gonna deny the opportunity to try and roll into that Octoguy, miss, and throw yourself off the edge? Yeah, that's what I thought.

And I think that's the key to what makes Boulder Bowl Galaxy work so well, it feels like the developers really understand that when you're playing as Rock Mario, you want to have some reckless fun. You want to go on a rampage and take out everything in your path, even though you might not know where you're going. Not only does Boulder Bowl Galaxy show us how to use the Rock Mushroom and what it can do, but it also shows us why we should love the Rock Mushroom, which I think is what makes it really effective.

Oh yeah, it also has a boss fight. It's alright, but I think it'd be better to lean into that "roll over everything that dares stand in your way" mentality for this one. Still, it's not like it's making the galaxy any worse.

24. Battlerock Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: A

From one rock to another, up next we have the Battlerock Galaxy! Today's post is a big hit for all the Rock Fans out there. Unfortunately, no Rock Mushroom here because it didn't exist yet, but we can't have everything...

Still, Battlerock is a pretty great time. You could say... it's ROCK SOLID! I love most of the missions in this galaxy. The cannon autoscroller uses the gravity mechanics in really fun ways, having you switch to different sides of the UFO you're standing on to avoid the electric fences in your way. The second mission is also really fun -- all the Bob-ombs and cannons make it an absolute BLAST!

But the highlight has to be the third mission, being your first encounter with the Topman Tribe. The Topmen are really well-designed and unique enemies, and this level does a good job introducing them, capping off with a pretty fun boss fight at the end. And this mission has gravity walls! I honestly forgot that. Can't go wrong with gravity walls.

Of course, the reason I have to specify "most" instead of "all," is because I don't like that mission where you have to help the Gearmo blow up his garbage. Kinda frustrating, not especially fun. It's not enough to bump this galaxy down too much, but I may as well mention it.

Lots of the ideas introduced here get elaborated and improved upon in Dreadnought Galaxy, but hey, we'll get there when we get there. For now, let's just say Battlerock Galaxy makes some great first impressions.

23. Clockwork Ruins Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

And for our second Ruins-themed galaxy of this entry, we have Clockwork Ruins Galaxy, which... hey, wait a minute! Those are the same towers in the background we saw in Slipsand Galaxy! I knew these two galaxies shared the same music, but that's something I'd actually never noticed before. Is this Lore? Who constructed these impossibly huge, presumably ancient towers, and why come they show up in multiple galaxies? I mean, the actual explanation is they probably just wanted to save time by reusing assets for another galaxy with a similar theme, but let me have some fun about the Implications of these reused assets, okay?

Sorry for getting sidetracked there. Clockwork Ruins is a very cool and distinctive galaxy, partially due to its theming (taking the "desert" out of the "desert ruins" somehow makes it feel way more distinct than it should), but also due to its layouts and platforming challenges. They get a surprising amount of depth out of all the Rotating Platforms here, making for both interesting terrain to navigate, and later on, interesting obstacles! Especially the part at the end, where you have to ride on top of the rolling stones to grab the star with the right timing is particularly cool.

Actually, this galaxy also has one of the best purple coin missions. The rotating platforms at the start of the mission make for interesting obstacles to navigate, given the mission has a time limit, but obviously not every part of the rotating walls can be accessed at all times, forcing the player to carefully plan their routes. I like it!

Not sure what else to say about this one besides "pretty fun and pretty distinctive". I like that planet where you ground pound the button, and what was previously the wall becomes the floor, but now it has more holes in it. That's pretty nifty.

22. Space Storm Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: A

I guess after a certain point, I worry about repeating myself in these posts. Like, how many times can I say "yeah, this is a galaxy with a cool aesthetic, great music, and really fun missions" over and over again before it gets tiring? I mean, that's basically what makes an A-tier galaxy to me. "Really dang good, doesn't quite go above and beyond, but one I'm always excited to play on."

But at risk of repeating myself: Space Storm Galaxy is a galaxy with a cool aesthetic, great music, and really fun missions. I think the gimmick of having to lore Bob-ombs through a glass wall to make an exit is pretty neat, and maybe a little underutilized? I think there's a lot of mileage you could get out of that. But it's not like I particularly mind, because the rest of the galaxy is still fun. I honestly really love that thin cylindrical rocket ship with the electrical fences at the start. Once again, good platforming challenge.

And while I know I've pooh-poohed galaxies with reused content a bit, I don't even mind the Buoy Base remake in this galaxy, partially because Buoy Base Galaxy is already great, partially because they changed the layout a bit so it's not a one-to-one remake, partially because the time slowing gimmick is done well here. I only have love for one galaxy that brings back an old planet and adds a time slowing gimmick to it in my heart!

Also, I don't know if this is just me, but is Space Storm meant to be the "hard version" of Sky Station Galaxy? World 5 of Super Mario Galaxy 2 has a lot of "sequel" galaxies, like Upside Dizzy, Fleet Glide, and Boo Moon (which we still have yet to see). I dunno, there's some similar-looking spaceships here, and the background goes from a sky on a cloudy day to a sky on a stormy day, feeling like a callback with a bit of a gloomier atmosphere. Either way, I dig it.

21. Good Egg Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: A

And wrapping up today's post we have... well, it's not the first galaxy because technically you go to Gateway Galaxy first, but it kinda feels like the first galaxy, because Gateway Galaxy is kinda more like a tutorial to me, and this is like, the first true mission of the game, though I think that's not really fair because the Gateway Galaxy is a fully fleshed-out mission with a star and everything? Ah, whatever. I'll just say it's the first galaxy you can access from the Observatory and call it a day.

And as the ostensibly first galaxy in the game, I really like this one! Compared to Gateway, it gives the player a lot more freedom to figure things out on their own, and play around with the game's mechanics. The first planet is pretty brilliant, it's small enough that players can quickly get on with the mission if they like, but large enough that there's a bit of room to explore, with the orange pipe to the music note room, and a tower with two paths up it, where only one gets used at a time.

As you probably know, I always appreciate having a little room to goof off, and I appreciate it here as much as anywhere else, if not more so! It's nice to highlight this sense of wonder and discovery so early on in the game, and honestly the balance between a more clear linear progression with a little wiggle room to goof off and have fun is something I've always appreciated about these games, particularly the first. While I still enjoy Sky Station Galaxy quite a bit, as a first mission, I felt it was always a bit weaker in that regard.

Good Egg Galaxy isn't especially thematically cohesive, it kinda just feels like the devs threw whatever ideas they could think of into this one, but I don't really mind that at all. As the first "proper" galaxy you get to visit, it mostly exists to acquaint the player with how the game works, and show off some of the things they can do here. They're gonna have a bunch of differently shaped planetoids, a 2D section with gravity walls (they're back!), show off all the game's motion control gimmicks, and throw in a couple fun boss fights, for good measure. It's important to make a good first impression, and Good Egg Galaxy understands that very well.

And that's it for the A-tiers! Lots of gravity walls this time, apparently, though I think I might have talked about all of them by now...

Hope you're still enjoying this series! I mean, you probably are if you've made it this far. Tune in next week, when we'll start covering the top-tiers... We're reaching the cream of the crop, everyone! Or at least, the cream of my crop. As always, you're free to disagree, I don't mind. Mostly.

Take care!

[nazrigar]

Personal Halloween Character Design Challenge - Slashertown

Time to reveal what I've been doing for Halloween/Spooktober!

Basically a personal character design challenge, inspired by my Tiger vs Slasher Villain post!

The gist is that it's set in a town that's basically a magnet for various kinds of horror villain archetypes, ESPECIALLY Slashers... hence its Name.

The Leads: The main protags of the challenge/setting.

Linda Rivera - A young woman of Spanish-American descent, known equally for both her stubborness and her empathy, and a strong, strong survival instinct. She's the been the "Final Girl" for most of her life, be it as a survivor of a literal cult war when she was a kid to Prom night when she was a teen. She cosplays and paints minis for a living, and is genuinely curious about what's REALLY going on in Slashertown.

Rodney "The Ripper" Rackham. Filling in for the unstoppable masked slasher villain ala Jason and Michael Myers, Rodney was once just a humble shop student with an interest in metallurgy and blacksmithing, until one day a trip to the woods went terribly wrong. For years he was the town's most famous slasher, targeting repairshops and others indiscriminately... nowadays he's more famous for another thing -killing other slashers.

Animal Companions: Filling in for the Animal guide/voice of wisdom, ala Coraline

Peggy Thirteen is Linda's cat. A crafty and wiley critter than seems to know just about every nook and cranny in town. Unusually intelligent for a cat, and remarkably obedient when Linda says to "stay put". There's more to her than meets the eye, as shown with her smug face.

Maharaja is the town celebrity Tiger, having been the one to save Linda from a slasher known as "Henry the Hatchet" a few years ago. Unbelievably strong, and much like Peggy, seems to be far more intelligent than what a big cat should be. Linda certainly suspects something.

Cannibal Archetypes: Self explanatory

Marlowe Magritte: Filling in for the Hannibal Lecter side of the cannibal villain, with a dash of Slowik from The Menu, he's the owner of the most famous restaurant in town. His food is to die for, as certain patrons disappeared in his business, just infrequent enough that no one suspects anything. Sure, while having liver with a nice chianti is nice, what he's REALLY after are memories and experiences. THAT to him, is what makes a true experience.

Merle "The Man Ogre" Mason: The Hills have Eyes meets Leatherface, Merle was a man exposed to chemicals during the end of World War 2 and became a mutant... THEN the magics of the town turned him into a cannibalistic monster, lurking about the hills just outside of town. Suprisingly articulate despite his looks!

Lethal Ladies: Because one can never go wrong with more female slasher villains!

Heather Berry lost her mind when she couldn't be Queen of High School Land, and thus took it out on some students, before mysteriously dissapearing after a fight with eternal Final Girl Linda. Now she's back, as Haley Babbit, successful business women with great PR... but beneath the facade, is still the same bloodthirsty Heather!

Liv Malone - SHE FOLLOWS. Slowly. Very slowly. Sure, she's completely unrelenting in her need to dispatch someone, but man oh-man is she SLOW. A simple shove is usually all that's needed to stop her from following you.

Killer Clowns: And this time, they're a family!

Marco the Clown and Minnie the Mime are a brother sister team that only wants to entertain you with their (occasionally lethal) shows! Please laugh at Marco's jokes and take Minnie's Art seriously, they get uspet if you don't!

Jethro the Jester is their grandfather, and leader of the group, simply known as The Troupe. One of the most powerful entities in town, his shows and acts seem to defy physics itself, and he'll always make sure that you leave the show a new person!

Terrible Toys: Three different flavors of violent toy!

Tricky the Ragdoll - Guardian of all children in town, much like Gamera, just one that's VERY open to lethal force when he sees a kid in trouble. Is actually quite helpful to them, no strings (ha!) attatched, offering blankets, food and subtly guiding kids to reunite with their parents if they ever get lost.

Mrs. Olivia - An overpossessive ghost of a woman from the 40s stuck in a porcelain doll. She'll do ANYTHING to protect her "poppets". ANYTHING. She is awoken whenever someone cleans up her toy body.

The Immolator - The most overtly Chucky-like of the bunch, with a dash of Small Soldiers. A psychotic, misanthropic inmate that winded up possessing the toy of a 90s action figure, he'll be more than happy to murder any meatbags in his sights... so long as he has batteries. The REAL danger is that, when dormant, he can imitate ANY voice possible, subtly suggesting you to really, REALLY give him those batteries!

Oceanic Killers: Because you gotta have a Jaws reference!

Big Bertha and Finn are a Great White Shark and Dolphin duo, that work together to un-alive silly and stupid hairless apes. Big Bertha LOVES the taste of humans, and would go out of her way to find 'em, but usually it's Finn that calls the shots. Any human that bothers him or makes fun of him, either gets a taste of his rostrum, or he sends Bertha to do the dirty work.

Primeval Horrors: Because everything's better with dinosaurs!

The Great One and his Flock: Combining both Jurassic Park and Hitchcock's the Birds, the Great One is a colossal, fifteen ton Tyrannosaurus rex, and is the oldest entity in town, and by far one of the most powerful. So powerful, that no slasher dares to enter his territory (which is the Slashertown Museum of Natural History). The birds of Slashertown are his eyes and ears, agents of his will, and those that mess with 'em don't tend to live to see the next sunrise. It's also a foolish thing to lay a hand on his skeleton, as the paleontologists who worship him like a god like to remind visitors. All those that have done so, either disappear (with the only remains being bloodied claw marks) or become skeletons stripped down to the bone.

[somecunttookmyurl]

since @vaspider ordered several Gay Items from me (thanks spider!) i decided to post all of them properly here for you. if you wanna buy anything just message me and we'll get it sorted!

OCTOPRIDES £6 EACH i can make these lil bitches in any flag colours. they are adorable. they are friend.

putting the rest under a cut to save your dash but the octoprides are frankly too cute to be in dash jail

resin multi layer storage tower (it weighs 900g!) £40 wooden storage box with 'stained glass' effect £10

i can make more storage towers in the flag of your choice. i cannot make any more square wooden boxes as sadly the base boxes have been discontinued (i do have round ones though)

bird earrings £8 / bird pin badge £6. these are wood base, painted, and then coated in UV resin. can be made in any flag since i'm. you know. painting them myself however bird supplies are limited (craft shop stop discontinuing my supplies challenge)

'sippers' gay cocktail earrings £7. i can also make these in any flag colours

'forbidden snack' gummy bear pride flag charm £3 yup, you guessed it, i can make any flag colours

large perler paint drip heart (as keychain or badge) £5 yeah so again with the customisable colours thing on all perler hearts. with a resin coating so they don't break apart. medium perler paint drip heart (as chain pendant or leather cord) £3 itty bitty perler paint drip heart - £2 as charm, £3 for earring pair

'somewhere over the rainbow' earrings £6. 5 pairs total available for now queer crystals magnets £5. ony one of each design limited edition etc these random badges £5. there are two 'crystal queer'. one each of the others

wooden badges £2 each, only one of each design wooden heart flag badges £2 each but i can make those in any flag small pride potion £3 (2 for £5) / large potion £6 (2 for £10) available in any flag

UV reactive rainbow rings £4 one each in sizes 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 (@sinothetimes has the size 9 one)

beaded bracelets £3 each 2 for £5 these are all random thrown together as i go. vaguely in flag colours. one of each design pictured.

[transgenderdoctorwhomst-old]

So I've spent the past like, two weeks, trying to dissect with my partner what exactly is making 13's first season so... uninteresting and even just bad to us. And today I've finally figured it out!

Obviously just my opinions, disclaimer I've only watched up to the end of Spyfall, this is not intended as hate but rather criticism, and you are completely free to disagree or just ignore the whole post..

I'm going to put this under a cut in order to not take up the whole dash. Topics: The Doctor's autism, and the dynamics between 13 and her companions. So, let's start!

The failure to characterize 13 consistently with past incarnations, especially in regards to the Doctor's naturally rebellious nature and extremely visible autism.

As someone who's autistic, the very very consistent autistic traits in the Doctor are always extremely obvious. And for an incarnation written with that in mind, you'd think that it would be consistent, right?

But here's where something major about the Doctor is missing: so far, as of the end of Spyfall part 2, I have rarely seen 13 engage extensively with her special interests. The only examples I can think of are when she meets Rosa Parks, visits Kerblam!, and when she meets the Solitract.

The Doctor has a strong tendency to get so caught up in their special interests that they basically will not shut up about it when it comes up, often rambling without fully checking if someone is actually listening. I... feel like I rarely see 13 do it that much? Sure, she's happy to explain things when she's asked, and she clearly has special interests, the sheer prevalence it should have in how she engages with the world is just... not really there.

The lack of it makes it feel like her character is missing something major, and was hard to put together that it was this specifically that was bothering me. I can think of a million examples of each Doctor respectively engaging with their special interests near constantly, but it feels like it's hardly there for 13 in comparison.

As for her rebellious nature, 13 has so far been remarkably passive about capitalistic crimes. I'm sure we all remember her and Kerblam!. And the spiders in the hotel. You would expect the Doctor to challenge the systems that caused those respective problems, encourage the people in those systems to fix it, but she just sort of... doesn't.

She doesn't care the warehouse employees have to save up miniscule wages just to see their family once a year, that they're tracked and constantly under threat of losing what little income they have, that even though society has progressed so this can all be automated, the powers that be are not adapting with that to provide basic necessities to the public, and instead are telling everyone they're lucky if they get to be indentured to Kerblam!. The Doctor stops a man from committing terrorism (because all protesters of these systems are also serial killer terrorists, clearly), and then doesn't stop to deal with the root cause. She just tells him he's wrong, is satisfied the company will hire more humans (put more people in the meat grinder), and leaves.

The spiders episode is a whole thing, focusing more on the side effects of the actual problem, which is capitalist businessmen cutting corners for profit and ignoring regulations, and getting away with it. The message of the episode at the end comes out as "you shouldn't actively kill any living thing for any reason", citing trapping the spiders in a room to die as more humane. But I would strongly disagree.

The humane thing to do for those spiders, who were mutated, suffering, and having a negative impact on both the local spiders and humans, would have been to swiftly kill them. The Doctor cares more about not feeling bad about killing the spiders than the system that made this happen in the first place, or ending their suffering, which feels wildly out of character.

2. The companions don't feel like they have a lot going on, and lack the kind of strange connection past companions have.

So, Graham Ryan and Yaz are all kind of just boring. I see the dynamics and relationships they're supposed to have with each other, but none of it feels compelling. I don't feel any connection to them.

At first, I thought that it was because Chibnall introduced three companions in the first episode. It's definitely a contribution, since having to introduce four major characters compared to one or two isn't the easiest thing to do. But it's possible.

Torchwood introduces six characters to us at the start: five members of Torchwood 3, and Gwen. Every single character feels distinctive, they have clashing personalities that also bounce of each other. The introduction feels great, and you can immediately watch their characters develop and change over the course of the first season.

The Doctor and the Fam? I literally cannot tell you distinctive personality traits about each of them besides basic vibes. It took until Spyfall for them to start feeling distinct. I can't tell you major flaws, major anything. I can barely describe their respective relationships to the Doctor, besides "weird friend with the time machine we know nothing about."

The single thing portrayed as a flaw in the Doctor is that she doesn't like talking about herself unprompted. They don't know a lot about her, but in her defence, they barely ask.

Past companions in New Who always have some strange relationship with the Doctor. Rose is having a situationship with him after he blew up her workplace, and has complex feelings about how travelling with him affects her life at home. Martha is having this weird situation where he's using her to fill the gap left by Rose, while trying to keep his distance, and Martha is just trying to figure out how the fuck to get him to look at her as her own person. Donna decided she wanted more in life, and by god was she going to grab the Doctor and take it, assigning herself his new best friend.

Amy met the Doctor as a child, obsessed over him for 14 years, ran away with him before her wedding, and then dragged Rory along, and ended up with the weirdest family dynamics possible. Rory isn't sure how to feel about the Doctor, and the two of them for some reason take turns being the "mature" one. Clara is overly dedicated to him and deeply enjoys the power trip that comes along with having time travel.

I can't speak about Bill or Nardole, because I haven't actually met them, but I know there's some kind of dynamic going on there.

The point is, every individual has some kind of distinctive and very strange relationship with the Doctor, from the very start. Friends, but something else. Romantically interested in each other, but dancing around that boundary. The 13th Doctor has absolutely nothing strange or compelling with hers so far.

Like, I could think of at least some with what we have! 13 decides Graham is her grandson, because Ryan and Yaz have a grandparent figure, but Graham doesn't, and then extends that to Ryan with deciding to be a great-great-grandparent figure to him.

At least in her first season, she doesn't seem opposed at all to a relationship with Yaz. The Doctor is notoriously weird about relationships. If Yaz panicked and told her mom that she was dating the Doctor, the Doctor could just roll with it and now Apparently They're Dating ???. It could be so fun! But there just... isn't anything!

Maybe it gets better in her second season onwards, but these kinds of things should be established fairly quickly. Like, at least halfway through the first series. I genuinely hoped her first season would be better on a rewatch, because I watched it while it was airing, and dropped the show after because I was just so not into it. I shouldn't have to be doing this much work to make it interesting to me! I shouldn't be enjoying early Moffat Who more than this!

Anyways if you read all this, I am very happy to hear thoughts and counterpoints, just please don't send me hate anons :)

[shyvioletcat]

A/N: Hey guys, long time no post. I think this chapter passes, I just seem to be existing on anxiety and sleep depravation at the moment so I can't be sure. Writing brings me joy though, as does sharing with you guys. So, I present to you the latest chapter of rollercoaster.

~ All This Time Masterlist ~

~~~~~

Aelin had never experienced a more awkward car ride in her life. There were so many to choose from but this one well and truly took the cake. None of her teenage failings that had been scrutinised relentlessly even came close to this. Pregnant, destitute and in the car of an ex who had every right to hate you and whose home you were currently on the way to so you could stay… it would take a lot to outdo in this situation. Neither were brave enough to start a conversation, so instead they just drove in a painful silence. Rowan hadn’t even bothered to turn the radio on, a habit that seemed to have lingered over the years. 

When Aelin had told him that she had agreed to his offer, Rowan had looked at her with outright surprise and then simply said, “Okay”. Before she could stop him he had helped gather up her belongings that mainly consisted of paperwork, and guided her towards the nurses station where she checked herself out. After that he had led the way to his car.

She had downright baulked at the sight of it. It was a sleek sports SUV in a gunmetal grey. Nice and very fitting for a doctor. The issue for her was that she would have to climb up into it, and Aelin honestly didn’t know if she could. She ignored Rowan to the best of her ability and opened the car door, forcing herself into movement, trying to convince her body to move despite the aching. Aelin thought she had it, but her uninjured arm had shaken as it took the full weight of her body. She might have fallen if not for Rowan putting a gentle and steadying hand on her back, with just enough pressure to help her into the passenger seat. He shut the door for her too, while she just sat there staring at the lock on the glovebox, her cheeks burning.

That had been that. Rowan got in and drove, and now they were slowly making their way through the heavily trafficked streets of Doranelle. The entire car ride they hadn’t said a word to each other. Aelin had no idea where she should even start. They had shifted into somewhere so far beyond normal that it felt surreal to be in this situation.

“We should be at my place in about five minutes,” Rowan said, breaking the heavy silence. The comment was pointless, he had put their destination on the screen in the dash as soon as they had got into the car to monitor the traffic. Watching that time go down had occupied Aelin while also filling her with dread.

“Okay, cool,” she replied.

The silence thickened again, unbearable but inescapable. 

“You didn’t have to do this,” Aelin said, finally having the guts to address the situation.

She risked a glance over at Rowan and saw the corner of his mouth tighten. “What else were you going to do?”

Valid question, and Aelin didn’t have an answer. She had no other choice except to be the victim of Rowan’s pity.

Five minutes turned into four, then three, then two, and then they were driving into the underground garage of an apartment building. As the car descended into momentary darkness Aelin swallowed. This was it—no turning back now. Unless she made a literal run for it. But like Rowan had said, what else was she going to do? There was nowhere else for her to go. 

Getting out was much easier than getting in, and Aelin had her feet on the concrete before Rowan even made it to her side of the car. He grabbed his and her things from the backseat, the sound of the door closing echoing in the underground space. It was like the final challenge for the ultimatum laid out in front of her. She could go with Rowan or she could risk it on her own.

“This way,” Rowan said, coming around to the front of the car and Aelin followed.

He had to scan a little dongle to summon the elevator, insinuating this place was decent enough for some security. Rowan waited until Aelin was through the doors of the elevator before stepping in himself. She knew the chivalrous considerations were just part of who Rowan was, it still grated on her though. He jabbed the button and floor nine lit up. Aelin started to wonder if this would be her life now, stuck in tight quarters with Rowan where the only noise came from the world around them while they suffered in awkward silence. It was almost suffocating, everything that was going unsaid weighing down on them. 

When the elevator stopped Aelin was out as soon as the doors were wide enough to let her, Rowan only a few steps behind. In the hallway it was easier to breathe, she could put more physical distance between the two of them before they would be shut inside his apartment for gods knew how long. This was starting to feel like yet another cage, one of her own choosing, but any way Aelin looked at it she was trapped. At least here, with Rowan, she knew she would be safe. She blindly followed him down the hallway, barely taking notice of her surroundings. Aelin was so tired, maybe once she was inside Rowan’s apartment she could close her eyes and pretend for a little while that this reality she lived in was all a dream. 

She was aware enough that she didn’t run into Rowan when he stopped to unlock the door. The keys jangled and the door opened, the man in front of her disappearing inside, and as Aelin stepped into the apartment stopped. The apartment was nice, open planned with clean finishes and white walls, nothing ostentatious or showy besides the huge TV in front of a plush looking couch. Rowan was moving through the space, his movements precise enough that Aelin assumed it was part of his evening routine. The lights in the living area were flicked on, he dropped his keys in a bowl on the breakfast counter, then he was shutting the curtains on the large bay windows that were lined with a cushioned bench seat. It was refined in a way that seemed to scream Rowan, even with their years apart Aelin could recognise that. He had never been one for needless clutter or anything without a purpose. This apartment just seemed to be an elevated and mature reflection of that old dorm room they had spent so much time in. 

“My bedroom is through that door,” Rowan pointed towards a door over the other side of the apartment. “You take it.”

Aelin stopped short, her feet sinking into a soft rug. “I can’t take your bedroom.”

“You can.” Rowan insisted. “There’s an ensuite you can use so just about everything you need will be behind that door.”

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Aelin,” Rowan said, fixing her with a look that seemed resigned. It was so weird hearing that name so often again, even stranger coming from his mouth with even an ounce of gentleness. “Please just take it. It’ll give you privacy.”

Aelin’s stomach sank at the implications of what he was offering. He was giving her the opportunity to hide away, as much privacy as she could get in this amply sized but suddenly overcrowded apartment. Rowan was willing to sacrifice his comfort for the sake of her’s.

Emotion welled up inside her, it had her eyes burning and Aelin chose to stare at the floor rather than risk him seeing the tears. This was too much. The weight of everything that had happened to her over the past few days became overwhelming in a split second. Her hands were shaking as they covered her face, like that would be enough to hold everything in.

Gods, what was she even doing here? 

“Aelin.”

She could hear Rowan moving closer and she didn’t want that. His sympathy was misplaced, every good deed that he had so magnanimously gifted her was undeserved. Aelin held up a hand, telling him to stop.

“Don’t, I’m fine,” but the strain and the wobble in her voice said otherwise. “Thank you, for your room.”

“Why don’t you have a shower and I’ll get something started for dinner,” Rowan said, offering her an escape. 

Aelin just nodded, heading towards the door that had been pointed out to her, shutting it before she really fell to pieces. There wasn’t too much to the bedroom, just a neatly made bed and matching furniture. The linens were greys and greens, the wood of the furniture dark. Most people would say the room lacked personality but this space screamed Rowan. Once again, it reminded Aelin of his dorm.

Next she moved onto the ensuite. The bathroom was impeccable, clean and not one item out of place. It definitely made Aelin feel like she was intruding, scared to knock something just a millimetre. For a while she just stood there, surrounded by white tiles and silver finishes. She wanted to shower, she really did, but it was such an effort. The feel of the hospital was still all over her and she felt like the smell of it had seeped into her clothes. Aelin just needed to turn the water on, undress, and once she was clean she could put fresh clothes—

Aelin didn’t have anything. She’d thrown out what she had worn to the hospital and there she had been given a single set of everything. Once Aelin was out of the shower she would only have her dirty clothes to put back on, including her underwear. That was so unappealing it made her nauseous to the point she could realistically throw up. Pregnancy was weird.

There were a few options. She could risk putting her old clothes on and hope that her will power was stronger than the urge to throw up. Another was asking Rowan for some of his clothes, but that kind of intimacy felt wrong. Aelin already felt intensely uncomfortable, if she was going to give herself one allowance it was that she wanted her own clothes. So her third and final option was to tell Rowan, hoping she could once again prey on his kindness. Leaving the refuge of the bedroom, Aelin found Rowan where he said he’d be—in the kitchen preparing dinner.

“Hey,” Aelin said quietly, but still it nearly made Rowan jump from where he stood with his back to her. He turned, recovered, and yet Aelin hated making him feel uncomfortable in his own home. 

“What’s up?” he asked in a way that seemed more forced than casual.

“I don’t have any clothes,” she replied flatly.

Immediately he was ready to help. “Oh, yeah. I can get you something.”

“Um, I mean I don’t have any clothes.” When he looked a bit blankly, Aelin tried again. “Like, anything. And please don’t offer me yours.”

Rowan’s confusion lasted for a second longer and then she saw his eyes widened slightly as he understood her meaning. “Okay, yeah. We’ll sort that out.”

He went into his bedroom and Aelin wandered back into the living area because that seemed more sensible than loitering near the empty kitchen with nothing to do. Rowan returned a few moments later with a silver laptop in his hand. Aelin watched as he stood by an armchair and lifted the screen, tapping what she assumed was his password on the keyboard. A few clacks and clicks later and Rowan was facing the laptop to her, the site for a popular department store on the screen. 

“Do a pick up order and I’ll head out and get it for you,” Rowan said. 

The protest was on the tip of Aelin’s tongue but once again, she didn’t really have a choice here. Without a word she took the laptop and eased down onto Rowan’s couch, all too aware of her injuries. Because of the pregnancy they couldn’t give her anything too strong and the basic stuff still left her aching. The near constant pain wore her out. 

Aelin was too tired to think and she loaded the cart with basic and cheap items, just t-shirts and leggings and the simplest underwear she could find. Having to spend Rowan’s money was bad enough, she didn’t need to waste it on frivolous things. By the time she was done she could feel exhaustion weighing on her, and she knew within a few minutes she would be struggling to keep her eyes open. 

“Here,” she said and pushed the laptop onto the low coffee table in front of her. “Finished.”

Rowan came back over from wherever he’d wandered off to and picked the laptop back up. He gave the screen a quick glance before tilting it down. 

“I’ll just get changed and you can take the room,” he said and then he was gone.

As the door to the bedroom closed the apartment went silent and Aelin just sat there feeling the crushing awkwardness of what her life was. She was glad her body was seeking sleep, it gave her the chance to be unconscious and escape. There was a deep green throw blanket folded at one end of the couch, and Aelin pulled one of the corners as she lay down. It was so soft, absolutely luxurious compared to the scratchy bedding at the hospital. The couch was massive and she could have sprawled out on it, but still she lay on her side, subconsciously curling in on herself a little. It felt safer lying like this, just the feeling of that little bit of protection she could offer was comforting.

Exhaustion didn’t prolong her suffering, it helped sweep her away into darkness and the sweet haven of sleep. 

~~~~~

Rowan walked the aisles of the women’s section, eyes darting between his phone screen and the racks of clothing around him. His plan had been a good one, until he’d changed out his work clothes and went to put the order through only to realise pick up orders had closed a good two hours ago. Anything put through would be ready tomorrow. Despite the inconvenience he wouldn’t make Aelin wait that long. Rowan had gone back out to the living room to tell her but she was fast asleep tucked under the throw blanket he kept on the couch. 

For a moment he considered waking her, but then he thought better of it. Aelin looked more at ease than he’d seen her since she had walked into his ER that fateful night. The worry was gone from her face, with her eyes closed she seemed at peace—not looking around like she didn’t trust a soul in the world. Him included. She was like a wild animal, cornered and ready to run at the slightest threat. Gods knew how long she’d been stuck in fight or flight. It would be best to leave her to get the reprieve she desperately needed. 

So instead he’d taken a photo of her cart and left a note on the table explaining what he was doing just in case she woke up before he got back. And he had also taken the precaution of calling Fenrys to see if he could watch the main entrance of his apartment building. He wasn’t proud about that last move, but he didn’t know what else to do. He just didn’t entirely trust Aelin not to run. If she did Rowan wasn’t about to let her compromise her safety or health once she’d found even just a fraction of it with him. Without resident access the only way out was through the front door and that’s where Fenrys said he’d sit in his patrol car if an emergency didn’t call him away. The list of favours he owed his friends was steadily growing, owing it all to the woman who had so spectacularly stumbled back into his life. 

Rowan found the t-shirts on the list and dropped them into his trolley. Everything Aelin had chosen was basic and plain, and honestly not what he expected. He wasn’t going to deviate though, that might require them to have a conversation which seemed beyond them right now. Their situation was going to be awkward, there had never been any question about that, but it had still managed to catch Rowan off guard. Especially when there was such a severe helplessness that surrounded Aelin. She needed help, but she’d fight every kindness every step of the way.

Looking down at his screen Rowan checked off what he already had. He had just about everything except the items he had been inadvertently avoiding. The ones that prompted this whole shopping spree in the first place. Rowan left the women’s outer clothing behind and headed towards the women’s under clothing. This is why he wanted to do the click and collect order in the first place, to stop him from wandering the rows of underwear by himself, picking out Aelin’s intimate clothing. Unfortunately he didn’t have much of a choice. It was almost ironic after everything she had put him through, here he was forcing himself into uncomfortable situations for the sake of her comfort. 

Rowan took a moment to study exactly what Aelin had requested so that he didn’t have to linger to rifle through styles or sizes. Again, just basic, nothing fancy. That was certainly surprising considering some of the things he had seen her wear when—

Rowan stopped so suddenly he might have gone tumbling into his trolley if he hadn’t been steady on his feet. That was one line of thought he needed to stop right now. Those thoughts were not going to make these circumstances any easier. The last thing he needed to do right now was reminisce about what they had been. What they were now was so different it was laughable. 

Ready to get this over and done with Rowan looked up and got a face full of lace. Red to be exact. Thoughts tumbled one after the other and suddenly he was remembering that red was Aelin’s favourite colour and how she tended to favour that colour in similar items. He could see her, sprawled on his—

“No,” hissed and rubbed his eyes like that would get the image out of his head. This was getting out of hand and he was not for the first time seriously second guessing his offer and his sanity. There were other options for Aelin, but he had gone and dragged her into the one that was most painful for him. 

He could do this. It was just underwear. Rowan was a doctor, for Hellas sake. He saw unwear and nudity nearly on a daily basis, buying women’s underwear would not intimidate him. He’d seen her naked, he could buy simple cotton underwear. 

Ears burning, Rowan managed to find the underwear and bras on the list and then he quietly legged it out of there. When he was a safe loitering distance away he checked over the items on his phone and then what he had in the trolley. To be sure he had everything Rowan went over both twice, and nothing was missing. He was free to leave. 

On the way to the registers Rowan passed by the personal items. He paused and thought about what Aelin might need. In the end he just grabbed her a toothbrush and some toothpaste. Any specifics she could order herself, he wasn’t about to take a guess at her preferred shampoo or body wash. But a toothbrush she would need because Rowan knew he didn’t have any spares in his apartment. 

With everything bought and paid for it wasn’t long before Rowan was driving home and pulling back into his parking spot in his apartment building. There were no significant updates from Fenrys, just him moaning on about how hungry he was and that the least Rowan could do was bring him a treat. Unfortunately for his friend, Rowan hadn’t bought so much as a chocolate bar. He stopped on the ground floor to go deliver the bad news himself. 

Fenrys’ patrol car was parked a little ways up the street, the colouring and sirens making it easy enough to spot. He was slouched in the driver’s seat looking at something on his phone. Rowan knocked on the passenger window, making Fenrys startle before he rolled down the window.

“Nothing to report,” Fenrys said as Rowan leaned into the window frame. “Did you bring me something?”

“No, but thank you,” Rowan said.

Fenrys sighed. “This is worth a dinner and an explanation.”

Rowan shrugged. “Dinner I can do.” 

“Come on,” Fenrys almost groaned. “There is something going on here, and you keep asking for my help and it’s not fair that I don’t know the full story.”

Rowan stood up, slapping the car door once. “You’ll survive. I promise I’ll have a chocolate bar on me next time.”

Rowan was already walking back to his building when he heard a call of, “You better!”

The short journey back to his apartment seemed longer than usual, probably due to his reluctance to be alone with Aelin. He knew he was doing the right thing. There was never a doubt in his mind that offering Aelin sanctuary was the right thing to do. Having her in his space was just something he was going to have to get used to it. 

It turned out that Aelin was right where he left her, still asleep. She was curled under the blanket, but instead of looking content, now her face was troubled. Her brows were pinched and her mouth was twisted tight. Rowan thought it might be nausea and went to get her some water and crackers from the kitchen. That was when he heard her whimper, followed by a soft sob. 

“Aelin,” Rowan said cautiously, backing up. “You awake?”

He came around the other side of the couch so that he could see her better. Aelin’s eyes were still tightly shut and she had started to bury her face in her hands that were under the blanket. She started to cry harder, her harsh breaths catching in her throat. 

Rowan reached out, but hesitated, and then threw away all caution. He squeezed her shoulder gently, rocking her just a little. “Aelin, wake up.”

The next sound she made was undoubtedly out of fear, her body contracting in on itself.

“Aelin,” Rowan said more firmly. “It’s a dream, come on. Wake up.”

Aelin’s eyes fluttered open, like her dream was trying to hold her under. When they opened completely and she saw him she flinched away, sitting up and retreating to the very corner of the couch. She looked like she was still caught in a semi dream haze and trying to figure out where she was. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Rowan told her. “You’re safe here.” 

Aelin’s turquoise eyes landed on him, fully awake now. He could tell that sleep no longer had any hold on her from the look she gave him— full of self loathing and guilt. Rowan had to look away because he didn’t know what he was supposed to say or do. There was no comfort he could or wanted to offer her that she would accept. Instead he just focused on what he could give her.

“Everything you need is in here,” Rowan sat the bag on the couch next to her, worried that even that might scare her. 

It didn’t, she just looked at it for a long moment before she muttered a soft, “Thank you.”

Rowan nodded to the bag. “I can wash and dry those—”

“It’s fine.” 

She had cut him off before he could finish and threw the blanket back. Without a second glance at him, Aelin grabbed the bag and hurried off to his bedroom, closing the door behind her. 

The apartment went silent, not an uncommon occurrence due to the fact that he lived alone. But this felt different. Rowan’s apartment was slowly filling with tension, heavy and thick, the worst of it was that it was inescapable. He wondered what it might take for it to overflow and come cascading down on them both like an unrelenting waterfall. 

~~~~~

Still having tag list issues. Please stand by. Best way to get notification will be to follow @works-of-shyvioletcat

[noteclan]

Noteclan Moon 2!

so uh. Here's that aforementioned written piece. I think this is probably the best place to put it given that I want the end of the post to be about the end of the update:

It's still early in the day when Oatdawn and Beechdream set out in search of herbs, padding down the mountain into the forest of the valley.

Birds chirp and flutter in the trees. Iron-mud-red squirrels dash through the leaf litter after each other, oblivious to the cats trodding steadily along nearby. This forest is probably the liveliest place in several kilometres, other than maybe the shore of the lake. It’d be lovely, if not for the fact that all the animal smells are making it hard to find herbs.

At least if they can’t find anything it’s not a long walk back to the cave, something she wouldn’t be able to say if she was by the lake. Oatdawn dreads things fairly often, and one of them is the walk back up the mountain if xe must get herbs from all the way down there someday.

She glances to Beechdream for a second. He went there just recently to get xir a fish. He doesn’t even like fish.

..This walk is rather lovely, actually.

The scent of a mouse hits Oatdawn’s nose. Yet another animal distraction, yet another small creature she wants to pause and watch. But her duties as a medic must come first, as always.

You could use the bile against ticks, her mind chimes, tempting her, though she knows..

She doesn’t realize xe’s stopped until Beechdream does as well, his head tilted in silent question.

Oatdawn flicks her tail to point to the source of the smell, and seconds later there’s a skittering in the leaves in that spot. She watches, amused(surely this twinge in her heart is that), as Beechdream lowers himself to a hunting crouch. 

He fumbles the catch, which is probably for the best, though Oatdawn does struggle to believe that when xe catches a sharp bitterness in his eyes.

“When did you get so into hunting?” She asks, tone light enough to ease the edge in Beechdream’s eyes as he looks at xir. “I still remember- you used to hate it, didn’t you? And now you’re fishing and going after mice and challenging eagles, always out- when’d that happen?”

Beechdream stares at the ground for a second. “I got tired of not being able to.” He glances up to Oatdawn after a second, sees xir’s curiosity. “Like- skill wise? And from my job back home. I’m sick of being cooped in.”

“You did.." Oh, she wishes xir memory was better. "Camp security, yeah?”

Beechdream nods.

“You still went out to get brambles and stuff, though. Was that not enough?”

He shrugs. “No? I’m glad your plants are for you, but. Not for me.”

Oatdawn stills, considering. Xir eyes drift to where the mouse had been.

(That twinge in her heart, as xe watched Beechdream smoothly stalk along the forest floor, his movements precise and certain. Was that admiration or jealousy?)

Well. Even if she wanted to hunt, she doesn’t know-

“How do you.” She swallows, face hot. “how do you hunt?”

Any distance that’d been clinging in Beechdream’s eyes fades. “You-? Of course, you’re a medic. Ok, uhm-”

He launches into a very - dare xe say adorably - flustered explanation of a hunter’s crouch, glancing back at Oatdawn far too often(“I keep thinking- that clearly you know this so it’ll be rude to explain,” “snrk-, It’s not, I promise,”) for it to be a smooth process.

She does learn, though. And soon the mission of collecting herbs is forgotten, as Xe hunts for the first time. It takes a couple of tries but soon Oatdawn has a mouse clamped tight in her jaws and triumph settled nicely into that aching spot in xir chest.

She’s well familiar with having to talk around things, and lifts xir paw to set the mouse down on it to say “Thank you.”

Beechdream grins, and the two of them bask in the moment.

before Ochrewillow glances over his head.

“Oh. That’s rosemary.”

“..So it is, yes.”

Oatdawn stares for a second. “I should probably harvest some sprigs from that.”

So xe should probably give Beechdream the mouse.

Passing it to him is easy. It means that he stands there, apparently too busy holding it to help gather rosemary, but that’s fine. This is fine. He should get the credit for it anyway, he’s the warrior.

When she’s gathered as much as xe can easily hold in her mouth, Oatdawn turns to face him again. Beechdream pads closer, takes the mouse from his mouth with a paw and- sets it on her head?

“What? You’ve got good balance.” He says, grinning, and pads past her to start breaking twigs off of the rosemary bush. “Just- this size good?” He asks, holding a piece up.

Oatdawn goes to nod, then pauses, humming a m-hm instead.

this is really happening.

She really shouldn’t bring this back, Spirestar wouldn’t- Heronstar would. He would approve. They’re breaking out of the specialties now, aren’t they? Defenders and medics can hunt. Fighters can learn to build barriers. The kits are growing up without having to pick that strict a role, without a war.

Right.

She just did her first, and hopefully far from last, hunt.

and now we resume our regularly scheduled comicing, with a Veilbreak and Rainpaw patrol!

ah yes. neon orange. a sure sign that Plot lurks the area.

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For anyone who skipped the written scene, Sílexclan wasn't the only name dropped; Oatdawn also thinks of a cat named Spirestar.

I don't plan on doing the huge written pieces often, but I had a lot of fun exploring it. One thing I've Not been having a lot of fun with is keeping these damned lineless cats from blending into the background. if anyone has any tips they'd be much appreciated

I'm still like. Hoping to eventually start updating more frequently. The reason this took so long is in large part because I started college partway through making it. So far I'm relatively low on homework though so here's hoping

So yeah! Hope you all enjoyed and that you have a lovely day!