#unity betrayed us all

[weak-password-haver]

I think it's time to learn Godot

This is what we get for trusting a soulless corporation

[my-current-obsession]

I am taking note of every single villager who honestly suggests that Micah's half-monster status might have given his chosen bride cold feet and led to her running away and they are ALL dropping several positions in my internal character ranking.

[achaoticeternal]

a presentation

word count: 750 summary: finding aemond admiring the throne once more, you tell him of your wish to simply be his wife again a/n: just a quick drabble to get some writing going again. not proofread. this is based off the song the greatest by billie eilish

All my love and patience Unappreciated You said your heart was jaded You couldn't even break it

The mass of swords welded together to form the Iron Throne loomed over the Throne Room. Its' magnificence was equally spectacular yet terrifying. An item that represented unity and obedience melded together by fire and death.

It was a seat many had craved over time. Yet she saw the jagged edges that had nicked King Viserys, then Aegon... and soon Aemond would be subjected to it. She had dreamed of it only nights prior.

Her husband ascends the Throne before a mass of nobles and common folk alike. A wolfish smile invades the faces of those surrounding them. Yet when he took his seat with the Conqueror's crown high on his silken hair, an undulled sword from the arm of the chair would slice his palm open. The princess had felt it an omen, an even darker one after Meleys had been carted through the street. The dream was the only thing to replay in her mind as she approached where Aemond now stood. His eyes flickered our the steel of swords stuck together permanently. She always sensed his hunger for power and prayed that his thirst did not come at the cost of blood or their marriage. But the gods paid little favor to them. "It is late," She called out to him, "We should be sleeping." Aemond hummed, acknowledging her comment. He cocked his head to the side, not quite looking at her as his eye remained fixated on the Throne, "We shall be standing up there tomorrow."

The princess swallowed, only to take another step forward as she responded, "You. You will be up there tomorrow. I will be perched next to your mother or Helaena. Either hearing prayers for Aegon's ailments or your ascension." A small, playful smirk painted his lips, "I'm sure I could order a seat to be placed near my feet. So that I may present to the court all my prizes: the Throne, the Crown, the perfect Wife."

Her lips tugged downward, disgust lining her stomach, "Will you dress me and braid my hair too? Paint my face to make my skill look porcelain?"

The Prince Regent finally turned to face her, "Do not use such a tone with me, wife. You have nothing to complain about as I have built you a perfect life." The air between them went stagnant as her eyes remained fixed on them. You face betrayed nothing of what you felt which shocked your husband. He had always been able to read you so plainly, it was something he even enjoyed in your relationship.

"A perfect life?" The princess repeated her words, "Will you put me in a glass display and title it 'A Perfect Life?'?

Aemond's jaw tightened and he took a great step toward her, "I have proven myself to be the greatest Targaryen since Maegor himself and yet you look at me like a villain. This will make people see. This will make people fear me and regret their spineless actions. Now they have no choice but to love and respect their new King."

"And yet I did all of that when you were just Aemond," She barked back at him, her own hurt and anger slipping through, "I respected you, I listened to you, I loved you... for just being a prince- no, just being a boy." "Wife, I-" He attempted to interject.

"I am not finished," The princess stopped him, "I have played the part of your wife, perfectly. I provided you with love, comfort, hospitality, my spirit, my body. I never asked for you to give more of yourself than you could because I knew what a fragile heart you keep locked away. But I am not some pet or doll to be displayed as another prize of your ambition. I am your wife, and you could at least let me enjoy that duty. I only ever wanted to show you love."

At her speech, Aemond had fallen silent. His hands rested behind hs back, silently fidgeting with his leather cuffs. All was still.

"It is late," Aemond finally spoke, "You should get some rest. I will join you in our chambers when I have wrapped up my duties for the evening."

"Very well," The princess swallowed back her pain, once more feeling powerless. She turned on her heels and exited.

I shouldn't have to say it You could've been the greatest

[ssailormoonn]

❛ Princess ❜

GoldenAge!Griffith X fem!princess!Reader

| YANDERE THEMES | SFW |

WC; 1.3k + | !MDNI! | TW/CW; reader is implied to be charlottes sister!! use of '{Y/n}', yandere themes, just griffith choosing his next victim, dark content, possessive behaviour

i spent a lot of time writing this and making sure everything i wrote was perfect, i hope you all enjoy😣 - honey

m.list | berserk m.list

His armor was reflected with all the colors of the light that entered through the stained-glass windows on the building: deep red and orange hues that symbolically presented unity and power in the kingdom of Midland. The weight of the moment: heavy with expectations on your shoulder, rests while you stand amidst the gathering of nobles.

"Commander Griffith," your father meted the acknowledgment, and Griffith stepped in front of the King, Queen, and the two princesses, bowing in respect, his cascading white hair lying over his shining silver armor.

"Princess {Y/n}," your father called out in command, gesturing for you to proceed forward. You step forward with elegance as the waves in your waves of elegance in your navy dress continued to spread behind you. You step with exactness, moved with exactness—in exactness, in every motion that had been rehearsed over and over before attaining the said standing you were in. The eyes of court watched observantly, discreet in their surveillance of your every movement.

The moment you arrived at Griffith, you extended your hand with fingers so graceful and poised. He took it gently. His armor was cold against your skin. His lips were elusive as a soft kiss and lingered a second too long; the kiss hung at the edges of the proper and correct.

He was flexing power in such a subtle way—it was subtle, but he knew.

There was something kind in the manner and, at the same time, some veneer into which intention had been collected.

A shiver ran down your spine as his ice-blue gaze caught yours, his eyes raising from his bow. Something predatory glistened in his eyes, something that made one wonder or a key piece of a game that only he knows if one was nothing more than a pawn in his grand design.

"It is truly an honor to finally meet you, Princess," came that smooth, well-oiled voice of Griffith's. The crowd murmured in approval; all sounds echoed through the cavernous cathedral.

Yet, somewhere beneath the polite exchanges, a person could sense something more going on here: the veiled calculations, the faint flickers of ambition that had put Griffith in this position of power.

His gaze never left yours as he dropped your hand. He was watching you, looking through you, perhaps, for the best way to bend you to his whim.

You belonged to him, whether you understood that you were a pawn, queen, or maybe something between.

It was a sea of faces, the whole of the cathedral at that moment respectfully concentrating over the play unfolded in front of their eyes. Nobles, ecleastics, distinguished guests filled the pews, eyes glued to the action being played out between Griffith and yourself. The tension in the room was tangible; together, they breathed as if they awaited the next moment.

There is something commanding in Griffith's presence, captivating in his aura, but unconsciously repellent. Consciously, even the way he was holding your hand was soft, and his kiss, in which almost imperceptible pressure was put, was calculated.

You could feel the pulse of that moment, the silent exchange between the two of you speaking volumes more than the mere touch could have done. It was as though he had claimed you, staked his territory—marking you as his before the whole court.

Your father stood immovable behind you, his face stoic, although you knew the tiny glint in his eyes betrayed a hint of his concern. Generations had passed with the royal family playing this game of power and politics, but Griffith was a new breed; he was silky, composed, with a burning will like the colored rays cast off the stained glass across his armor.

Griffith eventually released your hand but he did not break the eye contact. There was something in the way he looked at you, something that seemed as though, if he needed to, he could see through all of the falseness and look way past it.

There was something uncanny in this silence, something perhaps even rather fascinating in another way, something that simply could not fail to grip the attention. Breath was heard murmuring from all the corners when whispers spotted around in the crowd: Where the discussions carried would be so imperative in the history books for the fate of the kingdom?.

"For me, to serve Midland and its royal family is an honor," Griffith spoke, and there was just a subtle current of authority in his voice. His gazes never left yours, and you realized this wasn't just a formal introduction.

This was more.

A relationship that would all be about his control and your compliance.

Something dark glinted beneath those warm eyes of Griffith. It wasn't the supple quality in his voice, or even the grace in his movement; it was the way his eyes locked onto yours, as though no one else in that room counted.

You were regarded, Princess, as if he'd your life already mapped out: each decision you'd make.

And that, somehow, no matter what, you belonged to him.

During dinner, his eyes never left you for long. He listened to everyone else, chuckled at their stories, contributed some bromide to some noble's question, but you knew his attention was on you.

You rose from the head table; his eyes followed you, following every step you made.

You could feel the weight of it, a possessive intensity making you hyperaware of his presence.

You would see, as others tried to draw you into a conversation, his expression never waivered—just a polite smile—but that little tightness in the jaw, that cold flash in the eyes. You could see him staring as if to say, 'Back off'—with the eyes.

Featuring the eventual success of placing yourself in one of the quieter corners, far enough from the hustle, Griffith was now standing at your side, seemingly as if he emerged from the shadows. His steps soundless, his calves dragging his tensiled body closer and closer to you, so close that he might have been radiating heat.

"Princess. Princess {Y/n}," he began, his voice a bare hiss overlaid with tension. "I've been waiting for this moment."

He was so near it was unnerving; there he stood, quite imposing. It's as if he were ever growing near to your personal space, one and two feet at a time, awaiting you to crack. He had a twinkle in his eye, almost as if he were sick with pleasure.

"Great Lord Griffith," you replied, trying to hold your bearings, "I never knew you to be so interested in the lines of succession for the royal family."

Griffith's smile slowly grew slightly predatory. "The royal family is dear to my heart," he said, though his look stayed upon you. "And you, Princess, are perhaps the most interesting of them all. Your beauty, your grace, it is as if it was a destiny made for greatness; I could not conceive of this land without you being lined up in some succession for the throne."

His words were full of praise, as if he spoke with a possessor's lilt, but not like he was talking of you, but to you, and ever watching your eyes, and you were cold in that warm hall. Not that he was interested in you; by the way he spoke, you belonged to him already, as if he had a right to determine your future as his property.

Griffith touched his fingers to your wrist—just an elusive touch, and yet it sends shivers down your spine, not out of pure love but out of a silent claim, as if he were thinking of you as something to be owned or to be mastered in existence.

"We could do so much together," he murmured as his voice lowered, becoming intimate. "Just think of the power, the influence. Together, there is nothing we could not do. You're mine, Princess, and you know you're mine too, right?"

His words were a trap, expertly laid to draw you in, to make you feel that you had no choice but to agree with him. The possessiveness in his gaze, the way it seemed to lock out the rest of the world—well, that was all according to his masterful maneuvering.

You stood there, very aware of the weight of his presence. You realized Griffith was not just some leader; he was nature itself, something unbreakable by his will for something and with the intent of taking it.

Do not steal, copy, modify, etc Reblogs and likes are appreciated

m.list | berserk m.list

[eroguron0nsense]

Perhaps my brain isn't braining or I'm assigning undue significance to this but I kinda feel like One Piece seemed to shift more toward exploring what real familial love means or looks like after the timeskip? We get Ace's death, the postwar arc, and Luffy coming to the conclusion that despite having lost both of his brothers, he's still got the Straw Hats and he can move forward with his ragtag crew of siblings, Team Mom and Dad, and an eccentric skeleton Uncle, and then right after that, we get several arcs defined overwhelmingly by either the destruction or salvation of various families.

One of the main inciting incidents–if not the inciting incident–of all the political intrigue inherent to the Fishman Island arc is the assassination of Otohime and its ramifications for Shirahoshi and the entire Ryugu Kingdom (not to mention Luffy trying really fucking hard to imitate Ace and be a big brother to Shirahoshi and Surume as a means of processing his own loss).

Dressrossa's where we first see a true perversion of all the lovely found family tropes that have long been established in One Piece (villains have destroyed families but few if any are depicted as having one in the same way Luffy does; pre-time skip villains are more likely to be loners or self-interested tyrants and their followers aren't really referred to as "family"), giving us self fashioned patriarch in Doffy who completed the destruction of his bio family and spent the rest of his life building a grotesque, failed imitation of it through manipulating and indoctrinating a group of followers he doesn't truly care for, only to be brought down by a combination of his brother's final actions, the little boy Cora saved and loved, the bonds of the Riku family he brutalized, the brothers of the guy whose devil fruit he acquired and tried to entrap his enemies with, and an actual Found Family Crew who genuinely love each other and are willing to sacrifice for each other in a way Doffy cannot possibly understand.

The entirety of WCI involves almost every conceivable permutation of multiple families plotting against, exploiting, abusing, and defiantly loving each other, from Judge discarding any hope he ever had of having an actual family that could love him by literally stripping away their ability to do so in the name of facism/conquest, to Chiffon betraying her abusive mom for her loving husband and in-laws, to Linlin being failed by every parental figure in her life and constructing the most bizarre, fundamentally horrifying political/military structure out of her army of bio children.

Wano's main villain is also an abusive father and tyrannical crew leader, and that does, in fact, contribute to his eventual downfall, but more to the point, the arc opens and closes with the initial destruction and eventual restoration of the Kozuki family in Momo, Hiyori, and Sukiyaki, Luffy's kinship with Momo and Tama, circling back to reminders of Ace yet again (for the third arc so far) and Hiyori literally closing out the arc mirroring her father's catchphrase/dying words (and to a lesser extent, plot fuelled by the destruction of the Kurozumi clan). By the time we end what I personally consider to be Part 2 of One Piece, Luffy's family has picked up another uncle, he's been confronted repeatedly with the spectre of his brother and come out stronger for it (also filling the big brother role for multiple characters), he's reunited with Sabo, and has confronted and defeated multiple villains who act as the antithesis to everything One Piece has told us so far about the joy and love and unity that the Straw Hats and their friends and true families exemplify. And by the time he tells everyone his real dream and shares what he'd previously only told Ace, Sabo, and Shanks, it feels like we've finally gotten some closure for Marineford

[arclundarchivist]

God I am so engaged with Downfall already.

The differing perspectives the lack of trust and disagreements amongst the Primes, the presence of the Emissary, who either is or very much is not everything he seems.

The Calamity has wore on them, and yet we saw their home, their unity, their origin.

The Everlight held Asmodeus as he burned and you juxtapose that with him killing all who worshipped her.

The harsh hand of the mortal turned god vs the caring nature of the “pityless sun”

Nature on the brink ready to join torment and ruin because the one who could guide her back, the one she loves refused to come. And then her wanting to hate the Matron, mourning the loss of her sibling, similarly morning what Torah used to be,

Torag in all his madness, snipping at the Mateon as well over it. “You should have asked Him.”

The Matron… acting like she is family, more flippant and chatty than we have ever seen, still relatively youthful in her divinity. Some excepting it, others very much not.

A celestial seeking possible power or perhaps compelled or maybe even out of altruism seeking the leaders of Aeor.

And then there is Corellon, just vibing despite it all.

Then you get into their chosen forms and there is so much more to dig into.

Sarenrae and her mortal family, Pelor’s youth vs Asmo’s age, Melora and her cabal of brutal wild folk, The Matron seeking to be raised by her Champion, still alive a century since we last saw him. Torag torturing himself because he went mad from seeing what must be Predathos eating their home and the pain distracts him from it. Fucking Asmo worshipping Pelor. Pelor worshipping Sarenrae!

I want to see where this goes, what new revelations and disagreements are shown. What of the Gods that refused to come, or just aren’t there. How and why did they stay away? Kord is waiting in the wings, but what of Bahamut? The Changebringer? Moradin and Moonweaver? Why did Etharis only send a proxy(If he is indeed, her proxy.) Where are Bane, Tiamat and Zehir? Asmo claimed they too betrayed them, but on the Primes’s side… did they not agree with the plan??

So far, I’m not seeing how Ludinus thought this would compel the party to view all the Gods as evil and releasing Predathos would be a good idea.

They know not all of the gods are good, yet… this shows them not just in a light that could be understandable as refugees clinging to each other in a storm desperate for relief but also that they were called to Exandria by something.

They aren’t invaders or violators, they were invited, and I think we all know by what, and can also remember a very interesting rant by one Zerxus Ilerez.

But then, they get to literally see them being human.

I know things can and will change, this will get more brutal and heartfelt as things go on, and I do worry how the Bells will respond, but… I do not believe that Ludinus’s will get what he wants out of this. Not fully.

[invalidstories]

Masterlist

Coming soon: the title is blue ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤNew(came out in the past week):🌱 next to it

Hero x Villain:

Moonlit Bonds: Villain notices the Hero doesn't look well and takes care of them.

Unexpected: Villain has a soft spot for children.

Unity: Hero finds an injured Villain on their doorstep.

Forbidden Love: Forbidden attraction between a hero and a villain.

Villain's Lair (Part 1, Part 2): Roaming through the villain's lair, the hero finds many unexpected things.

Betrayal: Once friends became enemies.

One Bed: One-bed trope.

Shadows of Justice (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3): Villain uncovers the truth about Hero.

Beneath the Mask: Hero learns about Villain's trauma.

Elevator Blackout: Hero and Villain get stuck in an elevator together.

Masquerade Ball: Hero and Villain at a masquerade ball with forbidden attraction.

Enemies at the Café: A suicidal hero, and a villain who wants to help.

Camp Counselors: Hero and Villain are forced to be camp counselors.

Memories: Supervillain is jealous of Villain and Hero's love and erases their memories.

Movie Date: Villain brings Hero to a date.

Dramatic Hero (Prompt 1): Hero tricks the Villain.

Acts of Kindness: Villain had a rough day and Hero cheers them up.

Drunk Hero (Prompt 2): Villain encounters a drunk Hero, and takes care of them.

Palette of Fate (Part 1, Part 2): Civilian is kidnapped by a lovesick dangerous villain.

Love's Betrayal (Prompt 3): Hero betrays Villain. Once lovers turn enemies.

Puzzle (Prompt 4): Villain needs help with a puzzle (+ pinned Hero)

Enemies to Lovers Dialogue Prompts: Dialogue Prompts

Familiar Face: Hero trips Villain

Angst Dialogues Prompts

Misplaced Trust: Hero trusted the wrong person

Reunion After Suffering Dialogue Prompts

The Price of Defiance: Villain has captured Hero 🌱

Captured Villain (Prompt 5) 🌱

Other Writing:

Quote: "...everything takes time and I'll be fine"

Be Curious Passage

Book Quote: "I hope you have the courage to..."

"We are all born so beautiful, the greatest tragedy is"

"Speak to people in a way that if they died the next day..."

"Some wars help us bloom"

Being brave doesn't mean you're never afraid, it means...

"Be the reason someone feels..."

"...Don't tell me my worth when you haven't seen like from my eyes."

"...regret is stronger than gratitude."

"I wonder what is a greater wish..."

FanFictions:

Lunar Reverie (Part 1, Part 2): Rumors about the queen spread around, and The Rapion Crew loses trust.

Art:

Digital Forest Art

Candle Flame Painting

Castle Painting

Waterfall

[wauzmons]

We have been Betrayed, Backstabbed, Bamboozled: The Future of Elysian Eclipse

So, if you are active on our Discord, you know that EE is made in the Unity Engine and the CEO just decided to massively fuck over all the devs who are using it...

Callum Upton made a great video explaining the situation:

But it gets even worse!

Unity since defended themselves, saying that these fees are only affecting 10% of their customers, because of the $200k and $1m thresholds, so Indie devs don't have to worry about that.

…which isn't true:

Unity Plus

They aren't only introducing these fees but also changed the regular pricing plans! They just removed "Unity Plus" which is the lowest tier and costs about $50/month per dev with taxes. This is what most indies use. The next higher tier costs QUADROUPLE that amount and is also required to remove the universally loathed "made with Unity" splash screen. Oh! And if you have the personal tier, you won't be able to use Unity offline anymore! It now needs to do a license check every 3 days to function!

Unity's Ad Service

The fees will hit devs that do free-to-play mobile stuff especially hard, since they still have to pay the fees even when the players don't buy anything, meaning they could end up owing Unity more than they make in income. But what's this? If you use Unity's advertising service for your game, you will get a discount on the fees! The majority of mobile games run on Unity, meaning they are trying to monopolize the mobile ad market with this!

Publishers

Elysian Eclipse has caught the interest of a really big studio and publisher, who is considering to handle the marketing and publishing for the game. They are obviously planning to make the game come out big with sales, going beyond Unity's thresholds. But since the game is made in Unity, they probably now have to reconsider that carefully, since that would cause a massive amount of fees with Unity's new pricing model. So any game using Unity is now an instant turn-off for publishers, also massively hurting indie devs who don't reach that income threshold yet.

What will happen now?

So, Unity can't be trusted anymore and should be seen as a major threat to us and the gaming industry. Even if they walk back on some of these decisions, what has been said, has been said. They showed that they don't care about destroying thousands of games, as long as it nets them profit, so who knows what they are going to do next?

I will pause the development of Elysian Eclipse and release the Patreon demo, including all the prototypes like Aquatic Stage for free today. I canceled my subscription and it will run out next year, so Unity isn't getting a single cent from my games anymore.

Unreal Eclipse?

In the meantime I'll focus on improving my C++ skills, so I can work more effectively in Unreal Engine 5. Unreal is the current industry leader, offering much better solutions for graphics and performance for 3D games. It is also partially open source and completely free until you reach $1 million in revenue.

It is unlikely that I will be able to just translate the game from C# to C++ and port it over, since it is using a lot of engine-specific features. This basically means, we will start from scratch... I can't tell yet how much work this will be or in what ways the game will change.

But one thing, you can always be certain of: I will NEVER BETRAY MY DREAM. I will finish this project, no matter who or what stands in my way. I hope you will continue to support me on this journey.

That being said,

FUCK JOHN RICCITIELLO!!

Fucking cunt.

[nepentheisms]

This is it; this is the Big 'Un that's been knocking around in my head since the bookclub's inception.

When it comes to mentions of the biblical parallels in Trigun, I've seen that Wolfwood is most frequently discussed as a Judas figure. I think it's important, though, to note that carrying out the Judas role to Vash's Jesus was a job he was ordered to take, and it's one he went through the motions of following while having the ulterior motive of killing the one who gave him the order in the first place. In fact, when Wolfwood does turn traitor, it's actually Knives and the GHG he chooses to betray. He ends up Judas-ing the guys who assigned him to the Judas mission - that's some sweet irony!

And as Wolfwood's time in the story draws to an end, he takes the path completely contrary to Judas' ignominious end by suicide. He instead takes a leap of faith and dares to place his trust in Vash's vision for humanity's future. His faith remains imperfect, but in the midst of all his doubt and uncertainty, he persists anyway.

This last stand of his becomes Wolfwood's ultimate affirmation of his devotion to Vash's ideals, and he effectively becomes a martyr, which places him far outside the image of Judas. In fact, I think that when we look back on his character arc as a whole, we can see how it more neatly lines up in trajectory with the story of another apostle: Peter.

Like Peter in the gospel narratives, Wolfwood finds it difficult to have the kind of faith that is asked of him. Vash goes into his battle with Rai Dei insisting to Wolfwood that he can finish the conflict without taking a life, but Wolfwood intervenes against Vash's wishes because he was worried about Rai Dei's next move. Peter sees Jesus walking on water and goes out to join him, but with the rough winds blowing around him, Peter becomes overwhelmed by fear and begins to sink. After these failures of faith in their respective stories, Peter and Wolfwood are then chastised by the men they follow.

Matthew 14:31 (NRSV) - Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

And it's these struggles with doubt, these moments of fear and cynicism overtaking faith that are so instrumental to the Christian perspective on salvation with its message of "You are flawed by nature, but you are loved beyond all comprehension nonetheless. Accept this love that it may save you and change you."

In Peter's case, although he is singled out multiple times for his failures (e.g. denying Jesus three times), he still holds a special place of prominence among Jesus' disciples. The 21st chapter of John features a conversation between Peter and the resurrected Jesus in which Peter affirms his love for Jesus three times (a reversal of the three times he denied Jesus), and Jesus responds by instructing Peter to care for his flock. After Jesus ascends to Heaven, Peter continues the work set out for him in building the early church until his eventual martyrdom, which, according to church tradition, occurs via upside-down crucifixion (see Caravaggio's rendition here). Interestingly, Wolfwood's martyrdom also involves lots of grievous bodily harm being dealt by crosses.

So the saint gets brought to death's doorstep, and that brings us to the infamous whiskey bottle

Others have already pointed out that "The Bride" likely refers to the Bride of Christ. This excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up the concept:

The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom." The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb.

Now Peter is of particular importance when talking about the Church as an institution, because in the Catholic tradition, Peter is believed to have been granted a distinguished position of authority as the very foundation of Jesus' church, and every Pope is considered a successor to Peter in their occupation of the Church's highest office.

So Peter = Pope = the head of the Bride of Christ. And if we take the reading of Wolfwood as a Peter analogue.... you see where we're going. The Bride of Christ has been sanctified through a powerful demonstration of sacrificial love and prepared for the wedding to the bridegroom, but right here Yasuhiro Nightow subverts the biblical metaphor to devastating effect. The wedding doesn't come to fruition, because Vash can't bring himself to step into the role of the heavenly bridegroom. In this moment, he just feels all too painfully human in his grief. Wolfwood ascends - celebrated across the sky by those he saved with his selfless love, but Vash descends - acting as an ordinary person mourning the loss of a loved one.

John 13:36 (NRSV) - Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now...."

[mustainegf]

I’ll Get Even || D.M.

I use the name Elodie for female character!

WORD COUNT: 8.2k

WARNINGS: smut, unprotected sex, revenge sex

SUMMARY: Dave is deeply upset and furious with his friend David for betraying him by pursuing and sleeping with the girl he was interested in. Feeling deeply hurt and vengeful, Dave decides to retaliate by pursuing someone David cares about, intending to make him feel the same pain and betrayal he experienced. But Dave ends up liking her more than he intended.

Alone in the dimly lit apartment, the only sound breaking the silence was the absent-minded plucking of guitar strings.

My fingers moved restlessly over the instrument, weaving a disjointed melody that mirrored the disarray within.

Stress, anger, and the bitter taste of betrayal hung heavy in the air.

I couldn't escape the mental replay of David's voice, a once-familiar warmth now tainted by the recent transgression.

The understanding we once shared, the unity of the band, crumbled under the weight of his unspoken betrayal.

The mind felt like a battlefield, the walls echoing with the turmoil of emotions that I grappled with.

The girl lingered in my thoughts like an unresolved chord.

The attraction, the silent admiration, had been upended by David's impulsive claim.

I questioned the authenticity of my feelings, realizing that I didn't harbor a genuine liking for her.

It was more about the breach of trust, the violation of an unspoken code among friends.

I never truly wanted anything more than sex.

My fingers paused over the strings, the guitar a vessel for the tumultuous symphony of emotions within me.

The room, once filled with shared laughter and the joy of creating music, now felt like an echo chamber amplifying the harsh notes of my inner discord.

I sat in the solitude of my thoughts, grappling with the complexity of my feelings.

There were no concerned glances from friends, no curious inquiries about the storm raging within.

It was just me and the weight of unspoken words, the unaddressed wounds festering in the confines of solitude.

I knew in my heart I shouldn’t be as upset as I am.

Who’s going to stop me though? As I contemplated the strings beneath my fingertips, the girl's face flashed in my mind.

It brought me a sort of distaste, the last thing I thought of doing was smiling.

I couldn’t even completely remember what she looked like.

That’s how I knew it was purely lust.

It wasn't merely the loss of a potential hookup; it was the fracture of a friendship that had weathered the storms of the music scene.

Who cares it was just sex right? The guitar became an extension of my frustration, the strings vibrating with the silent protests against the injustice that unfolded.

Alone in the apartment, I couldn't shake the feeling of being overlooked, left in the shadows of David's impulsive actions.

The notes I played resonated with the bitterness of this monologue.

The room became a dark pit for reflection, a place where unspoken feelings and regrets lingered in the air.

I questioned the authenticity of my emotions, wrestling with the realization that my attraction to her wasn't as profound as the sense of betrayal that fueled my anger.

I couldn’t quite understand why I felt the way I did, or if it was even fair for me to feel this way.

All I could see clearly was my fury for David.

The dim glow of the apartment offered little solace as my fingers, devoid of their usual rhythm on the guitar strings, clenched into tight fists.

The echoes of David's gloating words reverberated in my mind, stoking the fires of an anger that seemed to seethe from the very core of my being.

We had gathered at an after-party a few nights earlier, an attempt at reclaiming some semblance of friendship after the recent betrayal.

Yet, the atmosphere crackled with tension as David, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil he'd ignited, launched into a relentless monologue about his latest conquest.

Each word felt like a blow, each boast a painful reminder of the anger deep in my stomach.

"This new girl, she's practically a lost puppy. It's going to be so damn easy." My jaw tightened, the muscles in my face contorting as I fought to conceal the seething rage beneath the surface.

The internal dialogue that had been my constant companion now roared to life, a tempest of conflicting emotions.

I wanted to shut out his words, to escape the relentless barrage of arrogance that seemed designed to chip away at my sanity.

David continued, seemingly oblivious to the storm brewing within me.

"I mean, these girls, they are just too easy to get into bed. All it takes is a few charming words, and they're falling over themselves to be with you." His words hung in the air like a toxic fog, poisoning the room with their arrogance.

The internal dialogue raged on, dissecting his every syllable.

I felt sick, not just from the alcohol that lingered on my breath but from the toxic blend of resentment and rage welling up inside me.

My fingers tapped rhythmically on the edge of the couch, a futile attempt to ground myself in the face of David's relentless bragging.

The once-familiar camaraderie now felt like a distant memory, replaced by the raw emotions of betrayal and wounded pride.

I recalled the memory of him again.

"I think I may like her more than the others," David continued, a malicious gleam in his eyes.

"She’s different." His words were a dagger to the heart, and the internal dialogue transformed into a battle cry, demanding a release for the torrent of emotions within.

“You’ll lose interest once you cum.” I said firmly.

It was annoying watching David babble on like this random chick could be the love of his life, all while deep down, what he really only wanted was a one nighter.

Sinking into the worn comfort of my couch, I couldn't escape the tumult of thoughts that surged through my mind like a relentless storm.

The echoes of David's boasts and arrogance at the afterparty lingered, each word etched into my consciousness like a fresh wound.

My gaze fixated on the ceiling, a blank canvas that mirrored the emptiness I felt.

The thoughts, a ceaseless companion, dissected David's behavior, leaving me grappling with the puzzle of his actions.

Why did he gush over a girl he had spoken to only once? What fueled this need to flaunt conquests as if they were badges of honor? The memory of that night haunted me, the arrogance in David's voice, the malicious glint in his eyes as he recounted his interactions with this newfound girl.

It baffled me.

Why was he so fixated on someone he barely knew? The internal dialogue sought answers, probing the depths of my confusion.

David had mentioned inviting her to a party tonight, a continuation of his relentless pursuit.

The mere thought of watching him parade her around like a trophy made my stomach churn.

It wasn't just about jealousy or wounded pride; it was about witnessing the objectification of a person, reducing her to a mere victory in the twisted game David seemed determined to play.

I grimaced at the prospect of being a spectator to this charade, forced to witness a night that promised to be an extension of David's arrogance.

The girl, a mere pawn in his game, deserved better than to be treated as an object of conquest, a means to stroke David's ego.

As I sat on the worn couch, the gears of my mind turning, a realization dawned like a spark in the darkness.

The internal dialogue, once a chaotic symphony of confusion, now orchestrated a sinister harmony.

What if, instead of being a passive observer to David's callous pursuits, I took control of the narrative? The idea took root, and with it, a newfound energy pulsed through my veins.

The unnamed girl, another unwitting pawn in David's game, became a potential instrument of revenge.

The internal dialogue whispered, suggesting a daring and audacious plan, a pursuit that would not only thwart David's arrogant expectations but also leave him in the dust of his own miscalculations.

A devilish grin played on my lips as I entertained the notion of turning the tables.

What if I pursued her with genuine intentions, wooed her with sincerity, and, in the process, left David floundering in the wake of his own overconfidence? The internal dialogue reveled in the idea, fanning the flames of revenge that now burned brightly in my heart.

The thought of David's face twitching with anger, the realization that he had lost control over a situation he thought he had mastered, fueled a surge of adrenaline within me.

It wasn't just about the girl; it was about reclaiming a sense of agency, a defiant response to the betrayal that had transpired.

The girl, a potential ally in this silent rebellion, deserved to be treated with respect and sincerity.

My revenge wouldn't stoop to the level of objectification; instead, it would be a showcase of authenticity and genuine connection.

The idea took root, growing like a vine in the fertile soil of resentment.

The upcoming party, once a dreaded event, now transformed into a stage for a carefully crafted performance.

I envisioned David's incredulous expression, his arrogance shattered by the unforeseen turn of events.

The internal dialogue reveled in the prospect of his anger, relishing the idea that he would be the one left bewildered and defeated.

The image of his angry face fueled the fire of revenge, a burning desire to reclaim control over a situation that had spiraled out of hand.

The energy of revenge, once a simmering ember, now burned brightly in my heart.

The internal dialogue, a whisper of rebellion, urged me to seize the opportunity and turn the tables.

The party loomed on the horizon, a stage set for a performance that would leave David in the dust of his own misguided arrogance.

As I rose from the couch, a newfound sense of purpose fueled my steps.

The guitar, now a silent witness to my silent rebellion.

The clock on the wall loomed large, ticking away the moments until the party, an arena where my revenge would unfold.

With an hour to spare, I moved with a newfound sense of purpose.

As I stood before the mirror, the reflection staring back at me became a canvas for transformation.

A smirk played on my lips as I realized that not only was I preparing to woo the girl who had unknowingly become a pawn in David's game, but I was also gearing up for a grand performance that would leave David utterly disappointed.

It was evil, and something within me loved it.

I was never too fond of my reflection, but right now, I have put that aside.

I reached for a shirt I had saved for special occasions, a subtle blend of confidence and style.

It was just a plain white button up, but I left the buttons half done up.

I did this in hopes to tease my target for the night.

Something in my head urged me to put in a little extra effort than usual, and I complied.

Each choice, from the carefully selected cologne to the slight adjustment of my long wavy hair, was a deliberate step toward a revenge plan that now seemed like a stroke of genius.

The anticipation of David's dismay fueled my every move.

I chuckled to myself, imagining the disappointment etched on David's face when he realized the tables had turned.

With a final glance in the mirror, I couldn't help but appreciate the slight transformation.

I made my way to the door.

The party awaited, a stage for the grand performance that would not only captivate the attention of this random girl but also shatter David's illusions of control.

The pulsating beat of music greeted me as I stepped into the lively atmosphere of the party.

A few familiar faces fistbumped me as I made my entrance, the camaraderie resonating with a newfound sense of confidence.

The internal dialogue hummed with excitement as I navigated through the crowd.

A sense of cockiness surged within me, an undying confidence that emanated from the knowledge that tonight, the game was in my hands.

In the midst of laughter and the clinking of glasses, I spotted Marty, my other bandmate, stationed near the kitchen.

His nod of acknowledgment was accompanied by a wry smile, as if he sensed the mischief brewing within me.

"Hey, Marty," I greeted, keeping the tone casual.

The kitchen offered a brief respite from the pulsating energy of the main party area, and I intended to make the most of it.

Marty looked up from his drink, his eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"Dave, man, I was starting to think you may not come."I chuckled, a self-assured grin playing on my lips.

"I changed my mind, figured I should get out of the apartment."

As I reached for a beer from the fridge, my thoughts stirred with a hint of mischief.

It was time to weave the topic of David into the conversation.

I leaned against the kitchen counter, adopting an air of nonchalance.

"David grow a pair and talk to her yet?" Marty's expression shifted, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Pfft. Well, she's here, but as far as I know, David hasn't made a move yet.

He ain’t drunk enough." I nodded, feigning casual interest while the internal dialogue reveled in the unfolding narrative.

The game was afoot, and the revelation that David hadn't made a move yet only added to the sweet anticipation.

"Figured," I remarked, my smirk growing more pronounced.

"It’s always a liquid confidence with him." Marty chuckled, clinking his beer bottle against mine.

"You seem unusually cheery tonight." I brushed things off.

"I guess I’m just in a good mood." Marty raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

"You’d better not cause any shit." I merely shrugged, maintaining the enigmatic air.

I shot a grin at him, walking past him.

As I left the kitchen, the internal dialogue surged with a sense of triumph.

The pieces of the revenge plan were falling into place, and the mere thought of David's confusion and frustration fueled the fire of anticipation within me.

The main party area beckoned, a vibrant sea of faces and laughter.

The music pulsed with a rhythm that seemed to sync with the beats of my confident steps.

My evil thoughts whispered words of encouragement, urging me to savor every moment of the unfolding drama.

As I mingled with the crowd, the undying confidence within me manifested in every gesture, every word.

A few friends clinked their glasses with mine, and the party was infused with an electric energy.

I moved through the crowd with a magnetic pull, the anticipation of the night's events guiding my every move.

Amidst the lively sea of musicians and familiar faces, my gaze was drawn like a magnet to her across the room.

She was a vision, gorgeous in every sense of the word.

Curly auburn hair cascaded around her shoulders, framing a face adorned with freckled cheeks.

But it was her smile, absolutely breathtaking, that stole the spotlight in the crowded room.

As I observed her from a distance, a sense of awe washed over me.

My thoughts, usually quick-witted and calculating, seemed to falter in the presence of her beauty.

I had to admit it to myself; she was stunning.

She had such a pretty face, one that radiated through the room.

Trying not to choke on the sudden surge of nervous excitement, I couldn't help but marvel at the woman who had become an unwitting pawn in the tangled web of revenge.

Her presence in the room elevated the atmosphere, a magnetic force that drew my attention with an insatiable pull.

I urged myself to approach her, to engage in conversation that went beyond the superficialities that had colored her interactions with David.

The need to speak to her, to look into those pretty eyes and show her I could be so much better than David, became an insistent force within me.

The crowd melted into the background as my focus narrowed to the captivating woman in the distance.

With each step closer, the internal dialogue oscillated between anticipation and nerves, creating a symphony of conflicting emotions.

With a playful smirk on my lips, I reached her side.

"Hello there, beautiful," I greeted, my voice dipped in a flirtatious tone that hung in the air between us.

A delightful blush crept onto her cheeks, and her eyes lit up with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Well, thank you," she replied with a coy smile.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance." She had a lovely voice as well.

"Dave Mustaine," I introduced myself, holding her gaze with a confident yet genuine demeanor.

"And the pleasure is all mine."

"Elodie," she responded, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Dave." The touch of her hand sent a subtle jolt through me, and I couldn't help but marvel at the warmth of her smile.

The internal dialogue, now a companion in this dance of introductions, whispered words of encouragement.

There was a magnetic pull in the air, a sense that this interaction held the potential for something beyond the initial motives.

"So, Dave," Elodie teased, her eyes glinting mischievously, "do you make a habit of charming strangers at parties?" I chuckled, the internal dialogue recognizing the playful dance we were engaged in.

"Only the ones who catch my eye," I responded, a subtle yet intentional flirtation in my tone.

Elodie's laughter echoed, a sound that felt like a shared secret between us.

"Well, you're doing a pretty good job so far." As the night unfolded in a melody of laughter and exchanged glances, a lull in the music provided a moment for a more intimate conversation.

I turned to Elodie, my eyes holding a genuine curiosity, "So, Elodie, are you here with anyone tonight? Somebody you came to see?" Elodie's gaze met mine, her eyes holding a hint of wistfulness.

"Not really," she admitted with a small sigh.

"There was a guy who invited me, but he's been ignoring me all night." The internal dialogue, ever perceptive, immediately connected the dots.

David.

It couldn't be anyone else.

The realization sent a ripple of conflicting emotions through me; surprise, a touch of empathy, and perhaps a hint of satisfaction at the unexpected turn of events.

"Oh, really?" I responded, feigning innocence while internally acknowledging the revelation.

"That's a shame. You'd think if someone invited you, they'd at least make an effort to enjoy your company." Elodie's eyes flickered with a mixture of disappointment and amusement.

"You'd think so, right? But I guess some people have their own priorities." This unspoken connection between us deepened, a shared understanding of the dynamics at play.

With a playful glint in my eye, I seized the opportunity to weave our flirtatious banter into the conversation.

"Well, maybe it's a good thing he's been occupied elsewhere," I teased, a sly grin accompanying my words.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the chance to enjoy such a beautiful woman's company." Elodie's laughter, a harmonious melody, echoed through the night.

"You’re quite the flirt." Elodie's presence had become more than just a pawn in the revenge plan; she was a willing participant, turning the night into a shared journey of unexpected connections and shared laughter.

“It's hard not to,” I shrugged, a grin pulling at my lips.

As the music pulsed through the crowded room, my eyes darted around, catching sight of David out of the corner of my eye.

Frustration etched across his face as he shot glances in our direction.

A silent satisfaction stirred within me, knowing that David hadn't realized I had noticed.

Seizing the moment, I smoothly guided my arm around Elodie's waist, the touch intentional yet casual.

I felt her warmth against my side as we continued to navigate through the party, the subtle gesture a not-so-subtle reminder that the night had taken an unexpected turn.

It was a subtle act, a play of dynamics that would undoubtedly make David's wounds sting a little more.

The unspoken connection between Elodie and me deepened, the flirtatious banter evolving into the perfect addition to my revenge plan.

Elodie's eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked up at me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Well, aren't you quite the confident flirt," she remarked, her tone teasing and playful.

I couldn't help but chuckle, a sense of satisfaction bubbling within.

The night had taken unexpected turns, and Elodie's observation added a touch of lightness to the evolving dynamics between us.

I knew I was moving too fast for it to be natural, but all I cared about at the moment was how angry David looked.

The same feeling that had been burdening me for days.

About an hour had passed, I wasn’t too sure.

I was too drawn to her attention, acting out my plan.

Despite this, I could feel myself being pulled to her, whether David was a part of it or not.

There had been a moment or two where her hand would brush my arm.

Living the party life, that sort of thing had ceased to affect me.

Though this time, her touch made my heart pound, and my face go warm.

I played this off.

I noticed her drink was nearing empty. Seizing the moment, I suggested,

"How about a drink? I'm heading to the kitchen for another one." Elodie's response was a warm nod, and a genuine "Yes, please. Thanks!" as I excused myself, leaving her momentarily to venture into the heart of the party.

As I navigated through the crowd towards the kitchen, the unyielding rhythm of the guitar accompanied my steps, becoming the soundtrack to a night that had become more complex than initially planned.

The anticipation mingled with the pulsating beats, and a sense of satisfaction surged within me, knowing I was navigating this unforeseen dance with an undeniable flair.

Entering the kitchen, a brief respite from the energetic chaos outside, I swung open the fridge door, grabbing two cold beers, one for Elodie, and one for myself.

The clinking sound of the bottles served as a reminder of the shared moments that had woven into the fabric of this unexpected narrative.

Just as I closed the fridge, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

An unseen tension tightened the air, and I turned to find David standing at the entrance, a storm brewing in his eyes.

His anger was seething, an unspoken demand for an explanation hanging heavily between us.

"What the fuck, Dave?" he spat, the accusation cutting through the hum of the party.

"What are you doing with her?" Despite him being right, I maintained a calm exterior.

I met his gaze with a cool stare, letting the smirk play on my lips.

"Just hanging out," I replied, the words dripping with a casual nonchalance.

It was a calculated move, a deliberate choice to keep him in the dark about the true nature of the evening.

David's frustration intensified, evident in the way he furrowed his brows and clenched his jaw.

His attempts to extract more information were met with deliberate ambiguity.

"Just hanging out? Seriously? With your arm around her?" he accused.

I couldn't resist the smirk that accompanied my next response.

"Relax, David. We're just having a good time. No need to overthink it," I said, each word calculated to further fuel his frustration.

The power dynamics had shifted, and I reveled in the newfound control over the situation.

Grabbing the beers, I casually brushed past David, heading back to where Elodie awaited.

Returning to the lively chaos outside, I handed Elodie her beer with a friendly smile.

The mischievous glint in her eyes mirrored my own satisfaction.

As we clinked our bottles together, a silent toast to the unpredictable twists of the evening.

Elodie's words flowed like a gentle melody, her enthusiasm for music weaving through the air.

Despite the intriguing conversation about shared musical interests, my attention wavered, captivated by the way her eyes sparkled with passion.

I found myself lost in the depths of her gaze, her beautiful face a magnetic force that drew my focus away from the words she uttered.

As she spoke animatedly about her favorite artists and the songs that held special meaning for her, I struggled to keep my thoughts from wandering into a realm of desire.

Her laughter echoed through the night, each sound a sweet note.

Yet, beneath the surface of the engaging conversation, a more primal instinct tugged at the edges of my consciousness.

I couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to extend this evening.

I wondered if she would be willing to come back to my apartment with me.

The idea lingered, fueled not only by the desire for revenge but also by the genuine attraction that had somehow taken root.

A subtle smirk played on my lips as I entertained the thought.

Bringing Elodie home with me would undoubtedly intensify the already simmering rivalry with David.

The idea of his seething anger was all I could think about.

That and the woman who stood before me writhing beneath my shadow.

My lips ghosting past her neck, my hands exploring her soft skin and firmly holding her waist.

My dick stirred to life, and I very quickly adjusted myself.

I tried to bring my attention back to the conversation, nodding and responding with what I hoped were appropriate remarks.

Elodie's laughter, now intertwined with night.

The rhythm of the night pulsed around us as Elodie and I continued our conversation, the energy between us a dance of words and glances.

In the midst of our banter, Elodie interrupted with a casual request, "Hey, do you know what time it is?" I glanced at the clock on the wall, its hands pointing at the number eleven.

"It's 11 PM," I responded, a subtle surprise registering on my face.

The night had felt like an intricate tapestry, and the realization that it was already late caught me off guard.

Elodie sighed, a soft sound that carried a hint of reluctance.

"I should probably get going," she said, her words punctuated by a resigned expression.

The unexpected eagerness to leave stirred a mix of disappointment and curiosity within me.

"So soon?" I questioned, genuine surprise coloring my tone.

Elodie chuckled, her laughter a delightful melody that cut through the ambient noise of the party.

"I'm not much of a party-goer, to be honest. I prefer not to stick around for too long." The prospect of the night coming to an end brought forth an idea, a subtle invitation that lingered on the tip of my tongue.

"Well, if you're in a hurry to head home, you could always come home with me instead," I suggested, my tone carrying a mixture of playfulness and genuine interest.

Elodie's eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint as she considered the offer.

"Oh, trying to whisk me away I see? What kind of gentleman are you?" she teased, a flirtatious smile playing on her lips.

A reciprocal grin spread across my face.

"The kind who appreciates good company. Aswell as a beautiful woman," I replied, the invitation lingering in the air.

Elodie feigned contemplation, her playful expression holding a touch of mystery.

"Hmm, well, I suppose I could be persuaded to join you. Why not, you’re cute," she finally conceded, her flirtatious tone adding a playful cadence to the night.

“Oh you think I’m cute huh?” I rolled my eyes with a grin, slipping my hand into hers.

With a subtle intertwining of fingers, Elodie and I began to make our way towards the exit, the connection between us growing more tangible with each step.

The party's soundscape faded into the background as the anticipation of what lay beyond those doors took center stage.

As we reached the threshold, I turned slightly towards the kitchen, where Marty and David stood.

"We're gonna head out. I'll see you guys, yeah?" I called out, my voice carrying through the room.

Marty's friendly smile and casual wave greeted my announcement, a silent acknowledgment of our departure.

David, on the other hand, responded with a glare that carried a simmering resentment.

The tension between us, now palpable, added an extra layer of satisfaction to the unfolding narrative.

Elodie, seemingly unfazed by the subtle confrontation, squeezed my hand in reassurance.

The night wrapped around us like a comforting blanket as we stepped out into the cool air, the distant strains of the guitar's chords echoing in the background.

My car, nestled under the soft glow of streetlights, beckoned us to escape the lively tumult of the party.

A subtle breeze rustled the leaves, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

Guiding Elodie to the car, I opened the door for her with a gentlemanly gesture.

The dim illumination played enchantingly upon her features, illuminating the auburn tendrils of her hair and casting shadows that danced across her freckled cheeks.

As we settled into the plush leather seats, the hustle and bustle of the party became a distant memory.

The engine purred to life, and with the promise of a quieter space, Elodie turned her gaze toward me, her eyes holding an inquisitive spark.

"So, do you know that guy from the kitchen, David?" she asked, her curiosity adding a subtle melody to her words.

Playing the part of the oblivious companion, I offered a casual smile.

"Yeah, I know him. He's my bandmate," I replied, my tone suggesting that such a connection was entirely ordinary.

A sigh escaped Elodie's lips, and her eyes conveyed a sense of disappointment.

"He's the one who invited me tonight," she confessed, the frustration and resignation evident in her voice.

"Then completely ignored me." Feigning surprise, I furrowed my brow with empathy.

"Really?" I responded, my expression a careful blend of concern and disbelief.

"I had no idea. I'll give him shit for leaving you on your own Sorry, David can be a prick.

You don’t deserve that." Elodie's laughter, a harmonious melody that resonated within the confines of the car, filled the air.

"It's okay. I'm used to it," she admitted with a dismissive wave.

"Besides, I'm having a better time with you anyway." Her words brought a genuine warmth to my chest, and the internal dialogue, always dissecting the unfolding dynamics, whispered words of satisfaction.

The revenge plan, it seemed, had not only unfolded seamlessly but had also forged a connection that surpassed the initial motives.

Navigating through the city streets, the ambient lights creating a picturesque tableau against the night sky, our conversation flowed organically.

The revenge plot gradually receded into the background, overshadowed by the genuine connection forming between us.

Elodie's laughter, the sparkle in her eyes with every shared story, became the focal point of the night.

The soft glow of the city lights spilled into my apartment, creating a subdued ambiance as Elodie and I crossed the threshold.

I gestured toward my room, indicating its location with a nonchalant sweep of my hand.

"My room’s down there if you’d like," I said gently, a playful smirk playing on my lips.

Elodie responded with a subtle nod, a shine in her eyes.

As she vanished into my room, I took a moment to hang up my jacket, the familiar routine providing a brief interlude.

I approached my room with measured steps, unsure of what awaited me beyond the door.

The subtle creak of the floorboards betrayed my approach, a prelude to the revelation within.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside, and there she was—Elodie, perched on the edge of my bed, her posture a mix of patience and anticipation.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips at the sight of her, the echo of her politeness rippling through the air.

It was a laugh born of genuine amusement, appreciating the unexpected charm in her demeanor.

"Well, I hope it meets your expectations," I teased, my voice carrying a hint of playfulness.

Elodie responded with a warm smile, her eyes reflecting a glint of shared amusement.

The room, dimly lit by a bedside lamp, felt charged with a quiet energy.

As I moved closer, the details of her features became clearer, her expressive eyes, the subtle curve of her lips, and the way her presence seemed to fill the space with a warmth that not even I could fully explain.

I couldn't believe I had successfully taken David's little fling, it made me feel a sense of power, and her gorgeous face was only adding to the mix.

"God, you are beautiful..." I muttered, staring into her eyes.

Elodie's gaze lingered on mine, her expression a mix of surprise and delight.

Her lips parted slightly, and I could see the hint of a smile playing on her face.

Elodies next moves were slow and calculated.

She leaned in gently, and l accepted this.

My heart jumped a bit as her lips touched mine.

The kiss was slow, and sweet.

The perfect first kiss.

I placed my hand on her cheek, softly caressing as our lips moved passionately.

I felt a shiver run through my body as our lips parted, and I tasted her sweetness.

Her tongue gently traced the outline of my lips, and I couldn't help but respond in kind.

The kiss deepened, and I felt a wave of lust wash over me.

I broke the kiss for a moment, looking into her eyes.

Without another thought, I slowly pressed her down onto the mattress, kissing her neck as I did so.

Elodie let out a soft moan, her body arching up to meet mine.

Elodie was quick to respond, her hands running through my hair as she pulled me closer.I could feel her heartbeat quicken, and I knew she was as turned on as I was.

I continued to kiss her neck, my hands exploring the curves of her body.

Her skin was soft and warm, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the way she responded to my touch.

I traced her collarbone with my fingers, feeling the delicate bones beneath her skin.

I moved my lips to her collarbone, kissing and nibbling on the sensitive skin.

Elodie let out a soft moan, her hands tightening in my hair.

"Let's get this dress off of you" I uttered, sitting up slightly with her as she helped me take hr black dress off.

she wasn't wearing a bra, and she had on black laced panties that hugged her gorgeous hips.

I took a moment to admire her body, my eyes roaming over the curves of her breasts, the flatness of her stomach, and the way her hips flared out.

She was beautiful.

I gently cupped her breasts, kissing her chest.

I could feel her nipples harden against my palms, and I couldn't help but run my tongue over them.

Elodie let out a soft moan, her hands running through my hair as she pulled me closer.

"Oh god..." Elodie reached down, unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it off of me.

"I hope David is jealous" I groaned, looking into her eyes with a smirk.

Elodie chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I'm sure he is," she said, her voice low and sultry.

She reached down and slowly palmed my erection through my jeans.

I let out a low moan as she unzipped my jeans.

I helped her pull them down, shaking them off as they fell to my bedroom floor.

Elodie looked down at my boxers, her eyes lingering on the bulge that was now clearly visible.

She bit her lip, a look of desire in her eyes.

"You're so big..." she whispered, her voice husky with desperation.

I couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of pride at the way she was looking at me.

I reached down and pulled my boxers off, letting my cock spring free.

It was rock hard and throbbing with desire.

I looked down at it, a sense of pride and excitement washing over me.

I couldn't believe how turned on Elodie was by it.

"You like what you see?" I asked, my voice low and husky with lust.

Elodie looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mix of desire and lust.

"I love what I see," she said, her voice low and sultry.

She reached out and wrapped her hand around my cock, slowly stroking it.

let out a low moan, my eyes rolling back in pleasure.

"Oh god..." I whispered, my voice shaking with desire.

Elodie sat up, pressing her lips to mine as she continued to play with me.

I decided to return the favor, reaching my hand down and teasing her dripping slit as I kissed her back.

I could feel her wetness, and the way she moaned into my mouth as I teased her clit.

"Oh god..." she whispered, her voice shaking with lust.

I broke the kiss for a moment, looking into her eyes.

"Lay down" I said softly, sitting up as she did as I said.

I looked down at her, taking in the sight of her body.

Her breasts were beautiful, and I couldn't help but want to touch them.

I slowly kissed the flesh of her breasts as I reached down, grabbing my cock.

I teased her entrance with the tip, groaning agasint her soft skin.

"Are you ready?" l asked, my voice low and husky with desire.

Elodie nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of desire and lust.

I slowly pushed my cock into her, feeling the way she stretched to accommodate me.

I let out a low moan, my eyes rolling back in pleasure.

"Oh shit..." I whispered, my voice shaking.

I slowly began to move my hips, feeling the way she gripped me.

"Oh Dave... yes, right there..." she whispered, her voice trembling with overstimulation.

"You like that huh" I grunted, pushing my hips a little harder. "Oh fuck yes..." she moaned, her hips stuttering.

I couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of pride at the way she was responding to me.

"Now... I've got 2 options for you sweetheart..." I breathed heavily.

Elodie hardly opened her eyes, she was completely helpless at my mercy.

My grinding hips only added to her overstimulation.

"I can be gentle on you... I'll go slow... and soft..." I muttered between kisses.

"Or..." I set another kiss on her jaw.

"I can fuck you like you deserve." I groaned, nipping at her sensitive neck.

Elodie's hands clenched the sheets as she gasped

"Mmm... both..." she begged, her voice vibrating.

"Atta Girl... that's what I like to hear," I smirked, slowly pushing my hips.

"I'll start off slow... but don't worry, I'll get to the good stuff." I whispered into her ear.

"Just behave for me, yeah?" Elodie nodded hastily, her hands finding the roots of my hair, gently tugging.

Holy shit, I didn't think that would turn me on as much as it did.

Just the gentle pulls as I pleased her, as I filled her, took her as my own.

I took my time, slowly building up the intensity.

I wanted to savor every moment of this experience.

My hands roamed over her body, exploring every curve and crevice.

I kissed her neck, her shoulders, her breasts.

It was all quite the power trip, knowing it was my hands that were free to touch any part of her that I pleased, for my tongue to taste whatever piece of her which it desired.

David was probably in a fit of frustration, and that only made me want more of her.

I wanted to give her the best orgasm of her life, and I was going to do just that.

I continued my slow, steady thrusts into her.

She was so wet and tight around me, it felt like heaven.

I looked up at her, a few strands of hair laying over her face.

I wanted to see her full face, I craved to bask in her beauty.

I reached up and brushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Dave..." she whispered, her voice shaky with desire.

"Look at me," I commanded softly, my eyes meeting hers.

I could see the begging in her eyes, and it made me want her even more.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered, my voice shaking with desire.

God she was unlike any woman I'd seen before.

And knowing I had successfully deprived David of his little crush lit a fire in my chest.

She was mine now.

I reached down, my fingers playing with her clit as I continued to thrust into her.

"Oh god.." she moaned, her body brushing past mine.

"You like that huh?" I whispered, my voice stuttering from pure ecstasy.

I felt my stomach begin to knot.

"Are you on the pill, baby?" I asked quickly.

"Y-yeah," she whispered, her voice shaking with desire.

"Good..." I breathed heavily, my hips moving faster now.

"'Cause I'm gonna cum wherever I please.” I growled.

"You're mine, sweetheart." I whispered, my eyes locked on hers.

Elodie nodded eagerly, her hands reaching up to grab the back of my neck.

"Oh. Yes baby..." she moaned, her body arching up to meet mine.

"I'm yours..." I could feel my orgasm building, and I knew it was going to be a good one.

"I can tell you're going to cum, do it, cum on me." I growled, sucking and kissing her neck.

My own climax was chasing quickly after.

She squirmed beneath me, her arms wrapping around my neck and holding me tight in place.

I grunted loudly, forcing one hard thrust into her as I finally felt that sweet release.

I let soft noises escape my lips and into her ears as she cried out.

Elodies legs shook as we both relished in each other's orgasms.

"Fuck..." I whispered, leaving soft kisses over her cheek and jaw.

Elodie let out a long exhale, trying to catch her breath.

Her delicate fingers were buried in my hair, finding a strand to twirl in her grasp.

She chuckled exhaustingly.

"That was..." She didn't even have to finish to know | had done a good job pleasing her.

But I wasn't even close to being finished.

I felt my cum drip out of her tightness, which I was still buried deep within.

"I'm not done with you yet, baby..." I whispered into her ear.

Elodie let out a soft moan, her body twitching.

"Remember, you did say you wanted both," I grinned, moving my cock just the slightest bit to make her flinch.

I scoffed softly at how sensitive she was, It made me throb inside of her.

I pushed my long hair back, gently grabbing Elodie's ankle and resting her leg atop my shoulder.

I wanted to be as deep as possible.

I'd do whatever it took to see her wriggle and pulse as I made her feel so good, the way David couldn't.

I looked down at her, my eyes roaming over her body.

She was beautiful, and I couldn't help but want more of her.

"You good?" I asked, my voice shaking with desire.

While it took her a second to collect herself, she nodded.

"Yeah, just please keep going..." she begged.

I chuckled softly, my eyes never leaving hers.

"Good girl," I whispered, my voice shaking with desire.

"Now let's see how much you can take." I growled, my hips moving faster now.

I gripped her thigh, trying my best not to dig my nails too deep and hurt her.

It wasn't easy to keep my composure.

The way she was just tight enough, she hugged me cock so perfectly, and she took it well.

I frantically grabbed her hips, pulling her close with each thrust, the added friction was unreal.

“Good girl, taking me so well..." I groaned.

"I wanna hear you, I want you to be loud, let me hear you..." I stuttered.

I sounded completely desperate, and I totally was.

I wanted to hear her voice, feel her body reacting to me.

I wanted to make her cum again and again.

"I want you so bad..." she whispered, a soft moan escaping her lips as I pushed harder into her.

"Fuck.. I'm gonna need more than that beautiful" I groaned, my voice shaking with desire.

"You can do better than that, come on..." I encouraged her, my hips moving increasing their pace.

She was clearly having a tough time speaking at all, my insistent thrusts rendered her almost incommunicable.

I gently grabbed her chin, pulling her gaze to meet mine.

"What'd I say?" I demanded.

"I'm yours, I’m yours.." she breathed, her voice shaking.

"You feel so good Dave.." she whimpered softly.

"That's better..." I whispered, leaning down to kiss her neck.

I groaned as her nails dug into my back, leaving red marks that would be hard to explain.

"Fuck..." I growled, my eyes rolling back in pleasure.

Ramblings began to spill from her mouth, and it only fueled my lust.

"Yeah... fuck me like you mean it" she stifled.

"Fuck me like you know David can't" her mention of David flared something within me.

"Make him jealous... of how deep you are... how good you make me feel," She shivered.

"Fuck... yes..." I groaned, my thrusts becoming more frantic.

I couldn't believe how much she was turning me on.

It felt like every nerve in my body was on fire, and all of them were focused between her legs.

I could feel her clenching around me, trying to pull me deeper inside of her.

"Ohh..." I groaned, my voice shaking with desire.

"You're gonna make me fuckin' cum" I grunted, sitting up and running a hand through my hair.

My thrusts were becoming merciless.

I wanted to feel her pussy contract around me, I wanted to make her cum again.

"Fuck, that's it..." she whimpered, her

voice shaking with desire.

"I'm gonna cum again..." she breathed, her nails digging into my back.

I felt her clench around me, and it was all I needed to send me over the edge.

"Fuck... fuck..." I groaned, my voice shaking with desire.

I felt my cum shoot deep inside of her, and it was the most intense orgasm I’d ever had.

"Ohh..." she moaned, her body arching up to meet mine.

I felt her heat spasm around me, and it was too much.

I collapsed on top of her, my cock still throbbing inside of her.

"Holy fuck..." I groaned, my voice shaking with desire.

"That was... fuck..." I trailed off, my mind a blank slate.

I felt her hands running through my hair, and it was the most intimate thing she could have done.

"You're amazing.." she whispered, her voice shaking with desire.

I kissed her softly, my lips barely touching hers.

While the pleasure gradually subsided, as did my revenge plan.

I pulled out of her, my cock still semi-hard.

I looked down at her, and she was absolutely stunning.

"You're so beautiful..." I whispered, my voice shaking with desire.

"You're not too bad yourself, Mustaine," she smiled.

Her hair was messy, but in the prettiest way.

We laid still for a few minutes, just catching our breath.

Elodie's hand was still haphazardly toying with my hair.

Normally I hated people touching my hair, I could make an exception this time though.

"Mm... Can you walk?" I snickered, lazily trailing kisses over her jaw and cheek.

"If l had to guess." she sighed.

" I'd say no" she smiled back at me.

My lips curled into a grin.

"Get up, I'll help you walk.

I'll clean you off" I mumbled.

I stood up, my legs a little shaky.

I held out my hand to her, and she took it.

She gingerly got to her feet, and we made our way into the bathroom, my arm wrapped around her.

Being as gentle as I could, I helped her clean up, myself included.

As I helped Elodie ease into bed. The exhaustion that had settled deep within my bones seemed to dissipate as her warmth enveloped me.

Each movement was a delicate dance, a silent conversation between us as we found our way into a comfortable position.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I felt a sense of completeness wash over me.

The softness of her skin against mine was a sensation that was refreshing.

I held her close, savoring the feel of her body pressed against mine, the steady rise and fall of her breath a comforting rhythm.

As she nestled into my embrace, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of this moment.

We laid there quietly, skin to skin.

Both of us only wore underwear, and the comfort we found in this vulnerability felt a lot different than the average hookup.

I pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head, a silent expression of this new odd feeling that filled my heart.

I liked whatever it was.

Elodie lazily responded to this with soft kisses along my cheek and jaw.

I couldn’t help but smile as she pulled away, her head falling back to rest on my shoulder.

Her fingers traced lazy circles on my shoulder, each touch sending a wave of pleasure coursing through me.

It was as if she had the power to soothe away all the worries and cares of the world with just a simple touch.

And in that moment, I felt truly grateful.

Soft whispers of affection floated between us.

In her arms, I found solace.

I liked this.

I liked her.

[alpaca-clouds]

Dungeons & Dragons - Or: Why Capitalism Sucks at Making Money

If this past year managed anything, it managed to get me really into DnD. Before I did not play DnD much, rather going with Shadowrun or (heavily homebrewed) World of Darkness. But with first Honor Among Thieves releasing - and then Baldur's Gate 3 giving me brainworms tadpoles... Yeah, hurray. New hyperfixation unlocked.

But as I started to read through all the lore, but also meta stuff happening around it. And yes, I quickly understood why basically everyone was frustrated with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast. But I also think, that this betrays one of the big issues with capitalist logic and how it often fails to reach an audience - for the reason I outlined before: capitalists are actually super bad at realizing what works and why, because they only judge based on spread sheets.

And yes, the headline is hyperbolic. But let me explain.

A Community-Based Game

I mean, the biggest scandal of DnD this year was probably the entire thing about the community license. And this is very much something that shows quite well, how bad WotC is at recognizing why DnD works and has worked so long.

DnD centrally has been build around this idea of community. Now, mind you: This community was very, very focused on cis white guys for the longest time, but everybody else just managed to get in there and make their own little bit of community. Which also lead to a lot of homebrew stuff, that at times tackled some issues that the rules themselves did not address at all or not well. The combat wheelchair is probably the best known example of this.

But even outside of marginalized communities... DnD always thrived through the community aspect itself. People self-publishing magazines and adventures for it since the fucking 70s. As well as play sets, dice and what-have-you. DnD was always very much about all this and thrived through it. And now in came WotC saying: "Oh, yeah, actually you will now have to give us a big cut. (The big irony was, how Unity made the same move later on.) The fandom outcry was obviously big, there was a boycot, it worked. And WotC went all:

Of course they basically won the world competition in backpaddling (though again, Unity was a big contender this year as well) and quickly went back on this. But of course there is a problem: When your entire product is so much build around community and your community starts mistrusting you, you got a problem.

And this is basically what happened.

The Audience Problem

There is another problem of course. Financially the DnD movie failed - and I actually think this says a lot about how WotC kinda misunderstands the audience.

Now, there will be people trying to tell you, that given that the movie had great reviews and stuff. But the movie had a production budget of 150 million USD and only earned a bit more than 200 million on worldwide box office. Given that the marketing budget was likely around 30 million, the movie barely broke even.

Of course, part of the reason for it was that it just had a bad release date. It released parallel to the Super Mario movie, which ended up being one of the most successful movies of this year.

A friend of mine could not believe that the movie had financially flopped. They were like: "What the hell? Literally everyone I know who watched the movie went to cinema like three times to see it again." But... Yeah, that is true. But the issue is that these people are a very certain group.

Because lets make one thing clear: The people, who adored the movie so much, that they went to the cinema several times and bought the DVD/BluRay on release... were mostly queer nerds. Because this is the group of people who this movie spoke to.

And let's make this clear: I love the movie for this. I love that it so clearly went for this audience. Because I am part of this audience - and I adore this film.

But basically the movie has a general issue in terms of audience. Because on one hand the movie is too nerdy to have a wider audience appeal of people who had never played DnD, while on the other hand the movie was kinda not nerdy enough to go full force for the nerd audience.

A lot of people in the fandom have instantly sussed out one thing about the movie: "Why doesn't Edgin cast any spells? And why do we see so little of the weirder species?" And part of the reason undoubtedly was budget related. But the other reason is that... well, it is currently a well accepted wisdom in media production that you cannot sell a high-magic story. At least not outside of animated media.

Hence... There is surprisingly little magic being cast in this. And we also do have a mostly human main cast - or why Doric is the most classically pretty tiefling you have seen with her human skin tone and all of that. Because media productions do not trust the audience to accept high magic concepts.

Who is DnD actually for?

Okay, let me talk a bit about DnD 5e - and a good decision, and a bad decision. And how that affected DnD.

Everyone, who is somewhat into DnD probably knows that 5e massively changed the game. With one simple goal: Make it more accessible. Which manifested in several ways.

For one, the game was in some ways made less offensive. Because prior to 5e there was a ton of racism, sexism, queerphobia and ableism inherent to the game rules and times to the game lore. This is just a fact. Things like species that are inherently evil and stuff like that - and also some of the real-life racial coding inherent to some of the species. Removing all that stuff is a good thing. Like amazingly good.

And also, they made the rules a lot more accessible. Before the rules were bogged down with a lot of stuff, that was simplified or removed. Again, this is a good thing.

And this worked. It worked really well. Of course, this was also partly due to stuff like Critical Role and other actual plays like that happening and promoting the game. The player base probably increased ten-fold from what it was before.

Yes, it should also be noted that there is probably a good topic for a study on how formerly nerd-thingies became more and more mainstream during the last 10 years or so, but yes, DnD was one of those things.

But in this there was also a rather bad decision made, which ironically also mirrors what happened with Marvel. And this decision is: Because we want to reach a wider audience, every single thing we release for this has to reach the widest audience possible - rather than allowing that certain things might have a more specific audience.

I am sorry to talk about the MCU here, but it is just such a perfect example of this: The MCU basically made two mistakes. Overwhelming their audience with too many releases. But also not allowing the movies to be for a certain audience, but for the broadest audience possible. A good example is how they dealt with the minority-lead movies. They got directors and at times even writers from that minority - but then basically did not allow them to be too specific and be too critical of, for example, a racist system because that might not go over too well with white mainstream audiences.

Now, WotC did not really do anything like that. But they also went with this idea that everything they officially released should have the broadest possible appeal. Hence the weirdly low-magic approach to the movie, of which I assume that it definitely was an executive decision made.

The fact that the movie resonated so much with the queers more than anyone else was also not intended - at least not from the production company. Like, let's be honest. No, Xenk and Ed were not supposed to be read as romantic. And how appealing the found family trope was, probably was not intented at least on the side of Hasbro (not sure about screenwriters and director).

The Lore Problem

This perfectly connects to one of the big issues that all the franchises going for a broad appeal after being very nerd-focused for so long, run into: The Lore Problem. And this is quite ironic, because I ran into the problem earlier this year as well.

See, as I was writing fanfics for DnD:HAT I quickly ran into the problem that I knew next to nothing about the world of Faerûn. Sure, once upon a time (like between 2007 and 2011, while I was living in Austria with my then-boyfriend, who really was into those games) I played the old games of Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate 1 + 2. But let's be frank: I barely remember shit from those games. And getting to understand what actually happened in the lore between and after... Well, there is just a ton of lore. I mean, people are playing around with this world for literal decades. So, yeah. This can very much be overwhelming for someone getting into it anew. Like, where can someone new even start?

The fact that - at least partly for legal reasons - most of the Actual Plays also do not work with the official lore, rather just using the rules to create their own worlds, obviously adds to this. Even the tables I played on so far always preferred original worlds, because the lore of DnD is just very intimidating.

The one thing that actuall ended up getting me into the lore was BG3, because it left open just the right questions to go into the Forgotten Realms wiki and just look for stuff, before also starting to listen to lore podcasts.

But here is the thing: WotC is also not helping with this issue. Like, they absolutel could create a proper accessible compendium on DnDBeyond that would just allow people to get an overview of the world and the timeline of things happening, maybe go into some of the major factions of the world and such. I mean, heck, they really, really want you to use DnD-Beyond rather than roll20. Yet, in DnD-Beyond I do not even have a monster compendium without paying, which roll20 offers.

Like, sure, WotC, it is okay to lock up the adventure modules behind a paywall, no problem. But if you do give me even the most basic tools to run a campaign, I am gonna use roll20, thank you very much.

But yeah, what WotC should make just more accessible was just: Timeline, important places and the maps (heck, make them interactive, you have the fucking money), maybe also a proper list of the pantheons and factions within the world. Heck, add maybe some inspiration there for what players might want to do within one of the scenarios and then, under this, go and link "hey, we made this one adventure about this, if you are interested!"

Something I did not realize originally was how much freedom the lore still leaves the people. Like, often even the important settings and events are just set-ups for adventures that the characters can have in there. There might be a few novels or comics then, that go into an example of a thing certain established characters like Drizzt or Elminster did during the time, but there is a ton of freedom to explore.

But by basically locking everything up behind a paywall, you will never get people even interested in this kinda stuff.

Because here is the thing: I like my lore. I love lore. I adore lore. But... Without BG3 explaining some stuff and giving me specific questions to ask about it, the lore would have been very inaccessible to me.

Just think of people as... people

Of course among it all there lies the central problem that comes with capitalism running something like this. See, whatever CEOs and shareholders are sitting on those chairs with WotC and Hasbro, they do not see the players as players or the community as a community, but as consumers. Just as they see their employees not as valued constributors, but very exchangable wage slaves.

They do not see the value of the community exchange with stuff like fanmade modules and things. While incorporating a bit of homebrew stuff in DnD Beyond, they are absolutely not interested in the wider market of people just creatively interacting with DnD and making a little bit of money from it. If anything they see those people as potential rivals on the market.

Heck, they have issues seeing things like Critical Role or Roll20 as the enrichment for the franchise that either are - but more like potential rivaling forces and money they have lost.

And their employees? Yeah, as we learned... Most people who from the side of WotC helped the Larian team with BG3 have been let go by now. Because WotC and Hasbro do not care for their employees, they only care about having some numbers going up.

I fully admit it. Apart from Buying BG3 and the money I have invested in anything DnD:HAT related, the only money that WotC got from me, was some of the novels I bought on Audible.

But here is the thing: WotC is doing a shite job at wanting me to invest into any of their stuff. Partly because those modules I would like to have are not available anywhere anyway - and partly because... As I said, give me a reason to get something, rather than just expecting me to randomly get something.

And mind you, this is no slight against any of the people just working for WotC. This is mostly about shareholder and executive decisions made. Stuff that basically just sees either their employers or the players just as a ressource to exploit, rather than... people.

[fuzzystudios]

yk when I started reading toa I was kinda disappointed at the lack of power that apollo / lester had, bc pjo and hoo had their main characters be basically op, and this is literally a (former) god. apollo in tho made me cringe and reading his perspective was like looking at pills in an orange prescription bottle. but he was the whiny teenager that felt like an out-of-depth teenager more than the actually lived for years-in-teen-numbers, because they were more heroes and soldiers than teens, like they were supposed to be. he is simultaneously whiny child and responsible adult.

the moment I really latched onto him was when he basically dropped everything and tried to dive into the forest to go save his kids. bro wasn’t actually a selfish idiot like he kept making himself look like. bro was an emotionally constipated loving loser (affectionate) and loveable. he would risk the wrath of styx to save these kids. positively skrunkly

oh and his power! look guys the former protagonists always had some power to back them up, some good strength. this guy? first not demigod protagonist and he goes from straight up zero to launching a guy to the clouds with his bare hands. and tfw he uses his voiceTM. BEGONE SNAKE! and he acts so pathetic lol and if you look through whatever sunglasses he’s wearing and you look at the things from 3rd person pov dude what is he doing. he just flew off a road driving a car, and puts himself in front of the gremlin child to face one of those creepy zombie things that scream FOOD!!. bro straight up stabbed himself. bro sings the most heart wrenching song that even giant ants that don’t even understand what he’s saying get the point to the extent that they go catatonic with depression.

and holy cheez-its what kind of pain tolerance does this guy have?? dude??? you fell from the literal sky above the Empire State Building which like literal greek heaven (ouch) straight into a dumpster and then gets beat into unconsciousness by a pair of thugs under Nero like??? and with broken ribs, injured nose, hurt shoulder, etc. he walks up the stairs, runs through the woods insane. dude is literally insane. he gets flayed alive, forgets his other half, trapped in place by molten chains all at once and still trying trying to walk wth like this guy’s pain tolerance is beyond ouranos. idk how he does it I can’t even tolerate a hot summer day.

bro gives advice to a lost gremlin child who betrayed him anyway, helps her defeat her abuser the way he never could. and he grew, like everyone around him, to something better, something hopeful. “you’ve changed” heck yeah!! we love to see it

and humor?? like random mentions of things no one else in pjo would give you like playing the zither at 2am, godly toilet seat, ares roundhouse kick, waking up in Argentina. I love that they’re so offhand but they’re so funny and random

the haiku. they’re hilarious, works of art.

the characters. Chiron. Chiara. Damien. Austin. Kayla. Cecil. will. nico. Rachel. Lavinia. emmie. Josephine. heck even Commodus. lityerses. Abelard. Diana. frank. Jason. piper. the trogs. lu. reyna omg. meg. aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAA I love them so much! just how they fit in with his own journey of self and how they grow with him, like a garden, like an orchestra building its crescendo together, in unity. little things like reading frank’s admiration of apollo first in hoo, and now we get apollo’s side of it, and he’s so cute. Reyna’s whole journey of “finding the one who will heal her heart”. (gods I loved that thank you rick.) and will’s “dad!” and making apollo literally weep and meg: “the beast is dead. I killed it.” and taps her head and I'm just so proud of them.

“YOU ARE NO GOD!” he isn’t the same god who fell to earth in the winter. he likely won’t be ever the same ever again. ‘cause he’s gonna work to being better. he’s saving the world, but he’s also having a journey of his own self, rediscovering himself, building onto himself like everyone else, they’re all gonna be a better version of themselves.

k one problem: not enough content. I am starved for content. please feed pet. ty

[jewish-vents]

Constantly visiting this blog and reading the rants of other Jews suffering like me....I cannot stop crying all the time. So much of us in pain and no one listening. I'm scared. Will it take something huge for everyone else to listen? How far will their hatred go? I can't stop thinking about that post on R/Jewish titled "Be ready this time." Will they still gaslight us even when the hatred becomes so big even they cannot deny or ignore it?

As a South Asian, I saw how brown people were lumped together and suffered after 9/11. To this day, everyone still makes 9/11 jokes but it was us who paid the price. How bad will the world punish us for this? I can't stop feeling suicidal. We will always be blamed for everything wrong in the world. We will never have allies, even our own people turn their backs on us in order to secure that "Good Jew" spot to avoid the dire consequences of being a "bad one".

I hate how betrayed I feel. It was so predictable, yk? The switch up. For the past few years, I couldn't stop feeling like antisemitism was gonna be back in style soon. My family thought it was just paranoia. Then it happened and yet I don't think I could ever get over it or stomach it. How do we even begin to process how quickly everyone embraced extreme, conservative levels of antisemitism? The moment they all took the stance that "Antisemitism isn't real/nothing is antisemitism not even antisemitism is antisemitism" against Israel's "everything is antisemitism", everything went to shit.

Watching the antisemitism happen in real time haunts me too....I can barely sleep. October 7th was already such a horrible day on the internet, don't get me wrong but on my side, at least I saw some people trying to push the "peace for all sides" stance. But after a week or so (maybe a few days tbh), I saw the antisemitism take over everywhere and it replays in my mind, making me sick. They couldn't wait to hate us. They were so happy that they no longer had to care about Jews or antisemitism (They never even spoke about us or our oppression anyways but now they can finally talk about us like the conservatives they oh so hate while also gaslighting us!)

And it sucks to admit but it hurts even more that my fellow people of color and queer people see us as such threats. We're just supposed to take it. We can't ever talk about how Muslims have oppressed us....When Kanye went Nazi, I saw a lot of people fall into antisemitic conspiracies and put the blame on us as well as all their anger and frustrations because somehow it's our fault he never got deplatformed for his "slavery was a choice" remarks and we always have "an agenda". We're just the perfect punching bags because there's so little of us and most people in the world have never met a Jew and yet think they know us through "The Jews killed Jesus" and "The Jews own the world".

I love you all. Everyone who posts on here and of course the person or persons who run this blog. I know we will survive this. We are so strong....we shouldn't have to be but we are anyway and I'm so proud. We've been here before and we will probably be here again over and over. But I'm so honored.

They can try to run over random Jews and shoot our schools and get the world to turn against any Jew by simply calling them a Zionist (which starts a serious isolation of Jews from the world as many Jews get boycotted in the name of antizionism) and attack our elders as they leave synagogues and leave antisemitic flyers in our neighborhoods saying we are the one true evil and do everything you can possibly imagine to harm us and we'll always be here. Everyone finally gets unity through Judenhass but what's new?

Thank you for this blog. It's so easy to feel like we're so alone but we have each other 💕 Sorry for this really long rant. I came here feeling extra hurt because I lost another friend recently. She came to me to have a long antisemitic rant about this white Jewish girl in our circle. Then a concerned friend sent me screenshots of a thread laughing and mocking us on 4chan (🤢🤮) about how Leftists hate Jews more than 4chan now. I can't take any of this anymore. But I am truly grateful for this blog and this space to yell and scream 💕

.

[butwhatifidothis]

Do people really not see the inherent disconnect of the claim that Houses Claude is genuinely an amoral opportunist when his dream is to break down barriers to foster unity and peace? Like, is there not a fundamental incompatibility in having a desire for everyone to get along yet being a backstabber that throws people under the bus for their own benefit? From a personality/character standpoint, all that does is make Claude look like a ginormous ignorant hypocrite, and an idiot even though he's supposed to be smart. Because if his end goal is to create a diverse and harmonious community, how is he going to bring people together if he constantly betrays every side? And from a writing perspective, it makes no sense to have a character's actions and goals be completely contradictory and never address it.

Also for someone who is amoral, it sure is interesting in Balthus' Classroom QA Part 2 that Claude likes "ensure the fewest casualties" and dislikes "do anything to eradicate the enemy" when the question was "the war has been dragging for long so let's end it quickly". It's kinda like he has some principles or something.

Like, the idea of Claude being an untrustworthy backstabber who opportunistically takes advantage of everyone without ever growing close to them is just Hubert minus Lady Edelgard could be an interpretation of his character that aligns with at least his initial showing, or a surface level understanding of him. He calls himself the embodiment of distrust, he never fully opens up to anyone, he can in fact be fairly manipulative and callous; the crumbs are there, for sure.

But it also has to ignore how far he's willing to go to protect his people (putting himself in high danger when he is not sacrificial like, say, Dimitri is), or how he supports others having dreams for themselves (Goddess Tower), or how open he is to criticisms against what he thought (Cyril's support), or how he tries to be there for his friends (Marianne's support), or how he's open-minded enough to listen to people he initially thought needed to be his enemy (Rhea), or how violence is not just not something he considers but is something he actively rejects as a means of getting what he wants (The Alliance Leader's Ambitions, near the end), or how putting the people's lives in danger is something he is adamantly against (as you point out, Balthus' classroom question). A staggering amount of Claude's character has to be deliberately ignored in order to come to the conclusion that he's just a backstabbing opportunist who does anything to get what he wants (who magically gets fixed by Byleth's mere presence), because a backstabbing opportunist who does anything to get what he wants who magically gets fixed by Byleth's mere presence does not describe Claude.

Even if one were to take the game's writing failure of properly presenting Claude tackling racial issues (like never addressing Petra's situation despite having supports with her) you can't really deny that Claude is, in fact, a caring person after taking everything in his character into account. For all his flaws, he never abuses the trust people have in him to the extent that they are actively put in danger, nor is it ever the case that the "doesn't truly tackle racial issues" ever translate to anything so drastic as "which means he'll actively worsen relations between two countries." And, well, yes; you still do have to take into account that his dreams are of bringing people together and disregarding past bad blood. He never stops trying to achieve this dream, and he wants it to come true so badly that he is willing to let other people that he trusts rule Fodlan to work together with him to achieve it, shown in VW and even AM. That means a lot for someone like Claude, who is otherwise pretty slow to trust other people so deeply.

That's not someone who would use Leicester's bad history with Faerghus as fuel to violently invade it. That's not someone who would use Almyra's navy to make it look to Sreng like Faerghus tried to invade it. That's not someone who wants to conquer other nations and make his own come out on top. Those things describe Hopes!Claude, which 3H!Claude is not.

It's like. You know how some 3H's fans see 3H as "Edelgard, Dimitri, and the third guy that justifies my fave"? How a lot of people in 3H's fandom don't really see Claude as his own character with his own perspective and ideals and beliefs and morals that are unique to him, and only see him as a battering ram to try and knock down one of the other two lords? And so don't really care how he's characterized in other things (like fanfiction, fanart, meta, or in this case spinoff media) because they never really cared about him as his own character? But then get really, really, really defensive when you point out the flaws in their perception of him, saying that you're the one who never understood or liked Claude, because if you did you'd "realize" that he was always [insert vague, bland description that happens to prop up the lord they actually like]?

Yeah that's basically what's going on here. Most people who prefer Claude as their fave lord do not like Hopes!Claude, some of the loudest voices in the JPN Amazon reviews were of people who hated Hopes!Claude and were literally trying to warn Claude/GD fans away from Hopes as a game because of how awful their writing is, while nearly every Hopes!Claude fan that I've seen vastly prefers Edelgard as their fave lord and are - you guessed it! - very defensive when it comes to Claude fans venting their frustrations over Claude's shit-end-of-the-stick treatment he got in Hopes.

So like, yeah. It's less that people aren't directly computing that Claude's ambitions and character don't match how he's depicted in Hopes, but that they just don't care that it doesn't since 1) it justifies their fave and 2) they never really gave a shit about Claude anyway

[maneaterwithtail]

Did Elf Senshi Change or Not

Figured post character development, at the least result of red dragon, use his mithril knife. Maybe tear clothes to make cloth shield

I realize the gag is supposed to make him super duper p**** looking While still committing to the same bit of just standing there and being archetypical even to a goofy degree just elegant Alf as opposed to doofy dwarf

The problem is you have to turn off every other aspect of his personality and behavior in order to get the gag to work to the extreme it goes to

And as even more so in the episodic presentation but especially what came before you figure he would be all about committing himself to a pragmatic solution for his current predicament and group utility.

OK sure not carrying his PAN because it's too heavy for him. so why isn't he carrying anything else that can cook or keep food abd provide safety with or make sure he's armed because he definitely knows how dangerous the dungeon is and how critical it is to have some sort of tool in order to affect violence that might be necessary for living

Contrast and compare say how he introduced the golems to how he's handling the gargoils

Now it's understandable, the gargoyles are new and the golems are known and familiar

And it was pointed out he has a tendency to use his weapons in such a way that he runs them down as opposed to keeps them in the best condition. the exception being his cooking implements which he treasures immensely which might be due to his own single focus on cooking or the fact that you know they're ancestral keepsakes from the closest thing he has to family and the only property he's probably had most of his life

Which is strike 2 on the whole him just leaving the PAN behind because he's kept it with him for literally decades at this point so it's too heavy that's why I left it seems an odd decision (empty and all carrying make more sense)

Having his knife on hand makes perfect sense because a knife is incredibly practical tool that you can use in a variety of situations that are likely to come up especially in combat exploration or survival situations

To be fair that is a knife that he seems to reserve almost exclusively for elements of cooking or at least did until the dragon situation. So naturally at this time it should be readily available for him. Especially as he's just recommitted himself utterly and completely to the good of the group.

And the previous incident had him more or less coming clean and being more open.

so if the issue is " I don't know how to fight without my normal strength and tools" you think he would express this at some point to his leader so that that way he's prepared or ask what to do next when it comes up.

The implication is when he's been Blunt before yes he is doing so but it's also with an unspoken level of communication based on instruction and cooperation such as the incident with the shiki Gami

There 3 members of the party effectively coordinated an attack that was able to come together. With the implication that if not exactly planned this, he knew how to act in conjunction with his friends

Again all of this disappears when he becomes an elf. he apparently loses all sense of unity with the party that he's remarkably been able to work alongside and definitely has been developing this rapport about

He doesn't communicate critical information that would be relevant to ongoing practical concerns nor is he prepared for a likely upcoming practical concern

And he betrays his own limited Arbitrary but established stubbornness such as With regards to keep sakes or sticking to a certain lifestyle or collection even if it's Deviant from his race or others expectation

Simply put Senshi has been surviving in the dungeon on practical terms for very good reasons for a very long time.

I can understand why for instance he could walk around with a broken axe until he got to the point where he could replace it either from a corpse or earning enough coin to go into town and buy one

I could understand for instance him leaving his equipment in one place and then coming back to it later if believe it's critical for his own safety or recovery

None of these apply here and more importantly the party knowing it's roles and how to be armed and what to expect is absolutely critical. so much so that this first off not being taken care of in a passport or between scene is already a bit dubious. We see scenes of them dressing and of them basically rearranging to the circumstances as they are

For instance it makes sense to me that Marcel fired a magic shot even though she doesn't have as much in the tank. it's established very early on how much she is all about and prides herself on magic as well as can often overlook practical concerns and practice and also the realities of things that she might know intellectually but is unfamiliar with in practice.

That's in fact her very constant gag! Though they definitely find new ways to explore that. just the previous episode, for instance, in terms of making familiars As well as designing how to maximize their use

So she keeps hold of her staff, because that's her item. the only one experienced in order to use it especially now, and she instinctively uses too much magic because that's her first instinct at almost all times but then due to a recent disability she has not adjusted to she's taken out of the fight as a direct result

The same as when lios tires out in mid fight. he's gotten used to the strength. so he naturally assumes that that's going to come with stamina only to realize, especially in a fight, that's not the case. but he's only recently had this body and recently addressed its physical realities and this is the first major physical confrontation he's had.

but note he still has armor and he still has a weapon

Chilchuk - I think this is missing in the actual episode z but he just comments how weird his senses feel and when he sticks to his normal strategy of run like hell and hide in a corner. it doesn't work explicitly because he's so big and probably draws greater agro now or nit used to running in this body with these senses

It also makes sense he doesn't compensate for it. he's been established as someone who doesn't regularly fight. the one skill in fighting he's started to establish as firing arrows. I don't think he actually had the bow and Arrows available. and he was up against Stone monsters this time. so understandably didn't even bother to try. especially in a situation that was unfamiliar to him. he's been established as - I don't want to say cowardly but definitely does not stick his neck out unless he absolutely has to though he will try to save someone if they are in danger **which is something we actually see him do**

Nstsumi has a tendency to go on a bit of a feral attack given Traits of animal instincts as a result of her own modification. Hers is arguably the biggest change but 1, she is less established so there is more leeway. 2, we are literally given a reason for it right when it happens. new animal, new instincts. so she doesn't know how to control or respond to them. So she has to be worked around on that level. It's a major change but it's also a major change that's the focus on the scene and folks working on it

But Senshi's there's this major change but then he says there isn't one which doesn't hold up. To be fair he did do the " stand there and look hot "during a battle one time. specifically the Fallon chimera. but even that 1 kind of made sense, because there were Multiple other fighters and he did have a strategy at hand.

'Appease the leader who was threatening the group by having the meal prepared.' it was a weird strategy but again it falls within the 2 sort of obsessions that he's known for and sticks to stubbornly.

Also the threat before then was that the mixed party would basically start fighting each other and in fact a fight had nearly broken out before the chimera attack and he was already doing that so he just didn't change course in order to attack what was already being addressed or at the very least stay out of the way so that he didn't ruin the one strategy he did have when the very attack ran the risk of reigniting interparty conflict

It was certainly Blunt and stubborn and arbitrary but it wasn't thoughtless or Without group concern.

So yeah I do think the transformation in terms of practical effect had way more of a change than I think even he is willing to admit. To be Fair reading his diary versus watching him in a narrative you get the sense yeah you get inside on what he's thinking but you also realize the way he's thinking doesn't necessarily reflect all that's true even in regard to just himself

As an example, the entire hypogriff soup entry is remarkably very truncated and doesn't explain a lot of what's going on

In fact they're surprisingly amount of stuff he glosses over in terms of what he thinks of as relevant or worth noting or reminding himself about

Which hits at a much more mired or thick headed psyche than one might think as opposed to project a deeper wiser one.

[wingedarrows]

Belos always meant to kill Hunter.

There was never going to be any “good enough” for him. Even if he did every single thing perfectly, even if he was the perfect golden guard, the perfect reflection of Belos’s views and desires of Caleb, he was still going to die.

Because from the very start, before he ever had his worldview challenged, when he still trusted and followed Belos completely and entirely, he had a sigil.

And we all know what the sigils are for.

If Belos wanted to keep him alive, he easily could have. Hunter never even had magic that could be influenced by the sigils. Belos could have hand-waved it away as it not mattering whether or not he had one. Or he could have kept it quiet. Hunter already wasn’t allowed near the scouts, and he was always in uniform around others, or at least had his gloves on. No one would know. Or if it was needed for verification purposes as Hunter tried to use it in this screenshot, he could have been given a fake one. Tattooed or a permanent illusion or something.

But no. He was branded with a real, genuine sigil.

And of course, it makes sense. Belos has many, many, many years of experience with many different grimwalkers of his brother. And Every Single One of them betrayed him. So, even if there wasn’t a doubt in their mind before, if a caleb grimwalker actually saw for themselves what was happening on the Day of Unity, as it was happening, if they saw everyone dying, well . . . it stands to reason that they would betray Belos too, right? And then that would create a whole mess of things, having to deal with and/or fight another grimwalker for the umpteenth time.

So, how to prevent all that ahead of time?

Give him a sigil and kill him too.