#(plus then if i could do a thing where you can click on the map and go to that page and that would be cool

[aquilamage]

getting so far ahead of myself but can't stop thinking about how I would format stuff with putting the transcript out there

[sylvaridreams]

I'm going to try and word this better than I did at 1 am venting on cohost last night, and maybe slightly gentler. I haven't finished the SotO update from yesterday. I got home, played for a couple of hours, did some meta on the current map, triiiiied to get myself to go back to story... and I couldn't.

I was BORED. It was quite honestly boring. Any dialogue that matters is Peitha talking to her people. I am a stage prop that occasionally vocalizes expositional questions and fires arrows at grunt mobs.

I could physically feel myself losing any remaining interest in the story as I clicked "what does this mean? What do you think of Peitha's plan?" type questions (which offer a poor illusion of choice in conversation. Look! Dialogue options! You can click all of these in any order you like but you must click them all!)

Why should I care about this story? I'm being brought along as the muscle that Peitha doesn't really need. I'm not offering anything special I'm terms of skill. I'm not an invaluable resource. I'm not even being utilized as the leader that gw2 has ALWAYS made me! It's always been "You're out there leading the armies, commanding all the way from the front line to the supply chains!" Now I'm just kind of around. Run a few events and come back. Characters refer to me and I apparently have no in-game response. MY CHARACTER doesn't seem invested.

And so many new characters. Every drop, it's like, have a bunch more named people! I was learning names during drop 1, and know some of the Wizards off the top of my head, but honestly I’m not bothering anymore. Why should I? Even if Nexus isn't killed off in the next chapter I play, I'm never going to meet this character again after he stops serving the story.

And where IS the story? Where is the meat? Drop 1 was at least interesting to me. Secret society hiding demons from the Commander. Getting sucked into this strange and horrifying place. Getting the life beat out of Alba by a hulking, terrifying demon and crawling away in fear. Escaping into the arms of strangers and getting this unknown voice in Alba's head, talking to him, saying what he wanted to hear, teasing him. Him refusing to tell anyone she was in there, because he *trusted this unknown voice in his head over all these strangers.* The story lulled a lot and it wasn't like... prime gw2 content. But it had a few hooks. When in Amnytas, Alba GASPED "Peitha!" right outside of the next story step and said "I can *see* you," and I turned my camera and saw what I knew, what Alba had to have suspected, confirmed. That there was a demon using his mind as a lounge. THAT was a moment, it was SOMETHING!

At least it was fun at points, at least there was some small amount of intrigue and mystery. And from there it was all just, "take a backseat, Wayfinder. This isn't YOUR story." I'm getting nothingburger bites out of each new story drop. Oh we went into Nayos to take the fight to them and killed Peitha's model reskin cousin. Anything else that drop? Anything? No but next time we recruited some general to fight with us! Can I get a smidgen of story? Something to hang onto? The only thing this drop that hasn't been "Don't care didn't ask plus I've seen your character model elsewhere" was Alba being called "that ugly creature" by a kryptis.

That's all I've got. I'm not enjoying it. I don't like SotO. And it is not for lack of trying it, it's not because i just don't like change and don't wanna see something new and different! This expansion feels like an empty parody of Guild Wars 2, and it feels like a slap in the face to anyone who was invested in Tyria. Pre-release they really hyped up that "It's time for new places and new people! We're gonna get a new cast and explore a vast new world!" I CARED about that world, which we still had SO MUCH left to explore. Are the borders of the map even the ends of the world of Tyria or does it keep going? Who cares. There's shit going on above the clouds. I cared about those CHARACTERS. Does Alba get to see people that he loves and cares about ever again? Is he making it to the wedding? Does he get a chance to go home and see anyone? Like yes we are not chained up in the Tower between instances, we can still play the game in those old maps, but the characters have been written out of the story.

And frankly these new ones are shitty replacements. I don't care about these people. I maybe had some small amount of "OK cool its Zojja I know her!" but it's not like I had any deep care or feeling for her. Not personally. Peitha was interesting at first but being brought along as part of her nameless, faceless grunt entourage has made me lose a lot of interest. She's not going to be a core character post-SotO. She either dies at the end, or takes over as King, and at best becomes a very occasional callback. "Ah, King Peitha! It's been some time, how is Nayos!" She's not going to reclaim the throne and then ignore rebuilding her people's infrastructure to hang out in Commander’s brain all day or join them on quests. We are a temporary ally and a stepping stone for her story.

Which sucks.

In terms of the rest of the SotO cast, it again feels like a pale imitation of prior Gw2 content. Like they're saying "remember season 1, meeting all those people one by one who would become your best friends and allies in life? 🤔 " and then they didn't even do it that way. Season 1 was a gradual introduction to these characters that you were given time, story, and Reason to care about. If Braham, Rox, Marjory, Kasmeer, Taimi, Rytlock, and Canach had all shown up and said "oh we're the Best Friends Patrol. Come along with us stranger!" I would have felt like a tag along. Not an equal in the group. Instead we met on level ground. We became a team together, we became friends together, each of us a vital part.

Which is opposite to how it feels now. These characters have deep history going back AGES. I just showed up, no one respects me, I'm not privy to any information or details on who is who and why should I care, I don't Get story time to ACTUALLY hang out and meet these people and develop my OWN relationships with them. When I leave, they will not care. I'm just being brought along like a lost kid at this point, until we reach customer service and they can drop me off, or until I wander away and find another deep group to follow.

I don't like this story. I don't like the setting. I don't like the characters or the group dynamic. I don't feel like an EQUAL in this expansion, I don't feel like I matter. Anyone could stand here and ask supporting questions to drive the dialogue between the 2-3 characters that actually matter, which again, does not include me.

And FRANKLY I hate that no one can say anything that isn't glowing praise of GW2 and Anet and every little detail is just scrumptious don't worry I love it, without a bunch of vague posts filtering in about "so much Negativity, everyone is a HATER, you just don't support The Writers and want them to FAIL, well then stop playing the game and delete your account and blog and go away forever, REAL fans LOVE nothingburger" to shun whoever dared say "I didn't like some or all of it." I'm happy for you if you're liking SotO but I am not. I'm sorry if you don't understand that criticizing something that I've played for a decade doesn't mean I hate it. I'm sorry if you can't take the MILD CONFLICT of me or someone else saying "I love this thing that you love too but I don't like how the new part feels" but most of us learned about conflict in kindergarten or at least through children's picture books and TV, so idk. Maybe you just need to cope at that point.

As it stands I don't like the expac. I don't see Anet turning it around and blowing my mind with the ending. And I really don't even care how it ends. I was asked the other day "how are you going to handle Peitha?" (in terms of the canon that I write, which has already moved past the end of SotO.) And frankly I was like. I dunno. It doesn't matter to me. She's either dead or on the throne, I don't care much either way. We could get the huge plot twist at the end that Peitha was the big bad or Isgarren or WHOEVER THE FUCK, and I wouldn't care. None of this matters to me. I'm going back to Tyria with my writing. The rest is filler.

[skeletinmoss]

The curse of the dark Phoenix

Chapter 11: To Arms

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Virgil led Roman to what had to be the library. It was a round room with a big ceiling window, the walls lined with a ridiculous amount of books.

No memento’s or trinkets on these shelves.

Virgil had been right that his home would be in a better condition than the tower. There wasn’t any dust to be seen, and the book Virgil had called Dex was busy putting some books back in their spots.

“I was sure we’d find Logan here at the very least,” Virgil mused.

“Well, it looks like he was, at one point,” Roman pointed out.

Virgil considered that for a moment. “Star, search,” he instructed.

Roman expected the wolf to start sniffing, but instead the cosmic wolf turned into an amorphous cluster of stars and darkness, zipping around the room and then through a door. Virgil followed him, and Roman could only rush after the two. They walked through an observatorium, a sitting room, and then they found themselves back in the living room and heading outside. Where they caught them talking.

"... ask him... oh, hi Virgil!" Patton greeted.

"Hey. What are you two up to?" Virgil wondered as Stardust materialized at his side.

"Well, Logan had an idea," Patton offered.

"Yes. I was thinking that I could do to the garden what I did to the path, return it to the state it was in a past point in time. Particularly when your friend was about to break down the door, as we managed to figure out the correct date for that, or a few days later, even. See if we can track your other friend Janus as well," Logan pointed out, indicating a map he'd likely found amongst Virgil's things.

"I am aware most need a somewhat fresh trail to start with. But, if my spell is as thorough as I intend it to be, then there might be one when I'm done. At worst, you will have a lot less work to restore the garden to its former glory," Logan pointed out. Virgil nodded, feeling intrigued.

Logan lit up at getting the high mage’s approval and gestured for them to stand behind him. Roman suspected that was more so he could properly show off and less because he genuinely needed the space.

The Great Wizzard Mage sat down once again to meditate, and before Roman's eyes, weeds vanished, unkempt vegetable plants became lush and neatly organized. He saw a patch of herbs of all kinds next to a flower garden. He realized that he'd seen dried up flowers of the same species spread around the house.

Virgil mentioned that in his childhood home, there'd been the smell of flowers everywhere. So it made sense that he’d filled his house with them to make it feel like home.

"Excellent work," Virgil mused.

"Thank you. But please, save the praise for when I confirm your friends' current location," Logan insisted as he pulled out herbs that Roman could immediately tell were of the sort his friend wouldn't even have considered touching 2 days ago. Something had clearly clicked in place for Logan since inventing that spell.

"By all means," Virgil nodded, indicating Logan should continue.

Logan laid out the map, rubbed the herbs between his fingers, rubbed some on the map itself, and then made a pattern in the air, slow and steady, and pushed at the gathered magic. For a brief moment, Roman could swear he saw two silhouettes on the path towards the front door. They disappeared before he could really make sense of them though and Logan got up, studying the map with a critical frown.

"Not as precise as I had hoped, but at least we know that we are heading the right way for the temple and that your friend Janus isn't too far away," Logan mused as he handed Virgil the map. Roman glanced over Virgil’s shoulder and saw a green and yellow circle. They both covered a lot of ground. But the green one's radius included the lake. So that was a plus. The yellow one had some overlap with the green one and included large stretches of forest and four villages, possibly more depending on how old this map was.

“We know more than we did before,” Virgil agreed before turning to the group.

“I do intend to let you all look around some more and learn what you need, but I would like to provide you three with a change of clothes and some weapons first,” he offered.

“You’d be able to arm the tree of us?” Logan wondered.

Virgil smirked and walked back inside. “Come with me to the armory and we’ll find out,” he stated.

Armory?

The trio of great mages hurried after Virgil, through a door and found themselves in a large room with countless weapons of different types lining the walls.

Roman looked around in awe. His eye getting caught by a beautiful ornate sword with a golden grip and an engraved blade. “I breathe so I dream. With this blade I forge the future from the unknown.”

He knew that phrase. He’d read it in history books. “Is that a founder’s sword!?” Roman gasped in awe.

“It looks pretty, but it wasn’t ever intended for combat. Not this kind anyway,” Virgil said dismissively as he continued to walk past the racks, looking for something.

Logan had come to stand next to Roman and stared at the blade in awe, wanting but not daring to touch it. “This is a national treasure,” he breathed in shock.

Virgil stopped. “… That, makes sense. Sorry. To me it’s just sort of… The first actual sword I ever owned?” he admitted.

Roman didn’t have to check to see if his friends were as shocked as he was.

“Virgil… How old did you say you were again?” Logan wondered. Because right now Virgil’s timeline included the founding of the very kingdom almost five centuries ago.

“28, I’m pretty sure,” Virgil mused. Roman knew that Virgil wasn’t actually misinterpreting Logan’s question. He wasn’t going to answer them though. He was having way too much fun feeling how shocked Roman was every time he turned out to be older than he previously assumed. Maybe Gustav hadn’t been exaggerating that much when he mentioned a millennium in the memory.

“Are there a lot of mages who have been around as long as, or longer than, you?” Logan pressed, also guessing that Virgil wasn’t going to give him a number.

“Well… Not too many. There are two old teachers of mine that should still be around for sure. But… Sometimes high mages decide to give up immortality. For several reasons:

Because they’ve simply lost interest. As an act of defiance against a bad king, as an act of love towards someone they want to grow old and start a family with,” Virgil mused.

“But if all high mages that were around fifty years ago are in a similar situation to me, then I’d say me and my friends are among the top ten percent most experienced,” Virgil allowed.

… Roman was going to let that sink in for a bit, and Logan seemed to think something similar.

That, or he’d simply gotten distracted.

“Is this… This is the staff of the mountain wizard,” he mused as he studied the indeed striking similar design to the sketches he’d seen in his history book. The dark wooden base the tendrils of gold weaving around it and enclosing over a glass orb.

“It is,” Virgil confirmed, still bemused.

“But… Wasn’t he a badguy?” Patton asked confused.

“Exactly why I took his staff. He was abusing my niece,” he huffed. Roman could feel the hostility roll off him. He was still not over that slight. Despite putting the man in his place, Roman assumed. The mountain wizard had gone missing and no one knew what became of him.

“You had a niece?” he asked, deciding he shouldn’t focus on the implied vengeance right now.

“Many. Well. I call all the descendants from my brother and sister my niblings. I check in on them, make sure they are doing well. This particular niece admired me a lot and mister mountain wizard thought that he could easily impress her and then trap her into an abusive relationship. He was wrong,” Virgil explained off handedly.

He didn’t have any curse markings… So he hadn’t used magic… Roman looked around. What had he used though?

“In any case,” Virgil stated, picking up the staff and handing it over to Patton. “would be far better off being wielded by you,” he decided. Patton bit his lip nervously.

“The staff isn’t evil. The wizard who used it was. I think it deserves to feel what it is like to be used to protect,” Virgil stated firmly.

Patton thought for a few more moments, but then nodded and accepted the staff…

And then they all watched on in awe as the orb glowed in Patton’s signature blue with little specks of white light floating around in it, swirling playfully.

“Oh… It… It feels like children laughing…? Does that make sense?” Patton asked, completely baffled.

“It does for you. Now. For the pretty one,” Virgil mused. Roman was so impressed with how Virgil had guessed that Patton favored a staff to fight with rather than anything that could stab, that he almost missed the complement. Almost.

With a bright red face and Logan next to him now definitely aware that there was reciprocated flirting going on, he followed Virgil through the room. To the spears. Roman’s favorite along with swords.

"I think you will get along well with sky cleaver," Virgil decided, picking up a spear entirely made off black steel with engraved golden waves winding around the shaft. Right under the tip, a leather cord was wound, the loos hanging ends adorned with feathers and beads. Roman couldn't place the species of bird or the materials the beads were made off.

Feeling his curiosity, Virgil elaborated.

"My astronomy teacher discovered a shooting star and mapped its path. His calculations revealed that it would one day hit us, and the consequences of that would be unfathomable. So he made me swear to keep an eye on it and to do what was necessary to protect our world from the destruction after he was gone. So I studied and tracked and kept a close ear to the development of prophecy spells. Luckily, for a non-human event, those work a lot better since there are far less unpredictable variables. So when I knew the time was drawing near, I looked into the future to learn where and when it would strike, and I traveled across the ocean to make good on my promise. The local magic users were happy with the heads up and my help taking care of things and crafted this out of some of the remains, made it pretty with gold. The chief of the town I stayed in during this time, added these," he ran his hand past the beads and feathers. "As a symbol of their friendship. I named it Celius sky cleaver. May it strike with purpose," he offered as he held out the spear once again.

Roman very carefully accepted the weapon forged across the ocean from the remains of a shooting star.

"... Did... did you fly across the Ocean?" Logan asked, completely baffled.

"Yes. It was a Long journey and I was pretty much useless for a year after I got home," Virgil confirmed casually. He flew... across the ocean.

"That leaves us with you," Virgil pointed out. Gesturing to Logan and heading to a rack of crossbows.

Logan was immediately distracted from the fact that Virgil had traveled to unknown lands across the ocean. Rather he browsed through the options and picked up an ornately decorated crossbow. “What is this one called? It seems to be off the hand of the great crafter Similion,” Logan observed.

Virgil took the device out of his hands. “It’s called clover. Similion made it as his graduation hobby project so to speak and gifted it to me in exchange for some pointers on how to improve his next project. I had a lot of pointers,” Virgil stated, before reaching for a far smaller device and a brace.

“This, will suit you much better,” he stated.

Logan accepted the set and studied it. “I don’t recognize this sigil,” he admitted.

“That’s because she never made it big. She was a genius though, beloved by Earth. But only an apprentice when she suddenly passed away in her sleep may the Ocean carry her soul.

Her parents knew one of my pupils at the time and through him I received her finished works and blueprints. I have been looking for a promising talent who’d give her credit so she can take her rightful place in history,” Virgil stated. “This one is called Apis,” he offered, indicating the modest weapon.

Logan took all that in and nodded weightily as the weight of the story behind the weapon settled on him. He put the bracer on and attached the crossbow which glowed blue as soon as it sat secure.

“Fascinating,” he mused.

“Yeah, they all have some tricks up their sleeves should you need it,” Virgil mused as he walked on and soon retrieved a pair of twin daggers, connected to one another with a chain.

He looked at them for a long moment. Testing their weight. And eventually going through a few fighting motions. Roman could feel that just holding them put Virgil in a rather sullen mood.

Feeling his concern, or noticing that they were all looking at him worriedly, he righted himself and gave them a sad smile. “We weren’t always at peace,” he pointed out… Oh gods… How many…?

Stardust chose that moment to demand attention once more and they were all promptly distracted for a good five minutes.

“Alright, yes you are very good Star, I love you too,” Virgil smiled before getting up again along with the rest of them.

“Listen… I was an efficient fighter, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoyed doing it. I only picked these up when there was no peaceful solution,” he assured them, feeling nervous, ashamed, scared, sad…

“You were a protector,” Roman said decidedly. “Sometimes that means being a fighter,” he assured him. Virgil looked up at him, searching for truth, insisting he had blood on his hands without saying it out loud, glancing towards Patton and Logan, worrying that this would ruin the progress they had made.

Roman didn’t waver, didn’t doubt. They all had been a little afraid of him from the very start considering how powerful he was. Whether with a blade or magic, he’d always been able to overpower them. So in that sense nothing had changed.

Virgil relaxed just a little and gave him a smile, thanking him for his reassurance.

“Ahem, we are also still here. And would you even be able to use those? As stated, even if we arrive in the night, which we might not, you will likely be forced into your guide form as soon as we get close to the sunstone,” Logan stated. Virgil looked up a bit apologetic and nodded.

“Yes, but we might encounter cult members before we get that close,” he pointed out. “And I will be in human form at least for a bit of the encounter, if the crystals do their work,” he pointed out.

“Crystals?” Logan asked.

“His home is lit by moon crystals and he had some left over in stock,” Roman surmised.

“Ah,” Logan nodded in understanding.

“With all that said, I will give you a change of clothes and then we can head to the library to talk strategy before we settle in for a quick nap,” Virgil insisted.

Roman couldn't help but be a bit excited. Despite Virgil's earlier insistence of being a sensible dresser, he'd felt his pride in his work. Felt how much he enjoyed wearing something nice he put effort in to the party.

He knew Virgil had a great sense of style, not to mention wearing something Virgil made sounded exciting to him.

Virgil smiled at him and motioned for them to follow him. They passed through the room with the loom, their barely started work left untouched.

Virgil went on into another room, and they followed. This one had a little round stage, half of it surrounded by mirrors. In front of it stood a changing screen and four mannequins each prepared with a different outfit that was practical, not too loud, but obviously tailored uniquely for each of them.

"The traveling cloaks should be waiting for us at the door," Virgil stated as he collected his ensemble and headed to the changing screen first.

"They are all self-cleaning. So it won’t be as uncomfortable to travel in these," he explained as his borrowed outfit was tossed in the air and some sort of magic carried it away. Presumably to be washed.

"Much better," he mused as he appeared in a black, sleeveless tight fitting top with silver feathers embroidered along the seams of the shoulder.

It was tucked into dark pants with a silky purple sash as a belt. Roman tried not to stare too much. In his previous two outfits it hadn't shown, but Virgil was well built.

"Next," he smiled.

"These are... custom made for us," Logan observed.

"Yeah. Not by hand, though. I mean the fabric was made by me. The rest is courtesy of the house. I don't have the time to do it by hand right now," Virgil explained.

"Gosh Virgil! That's so impressive. Mine feels so soft and cozy, and I'm not even wearing it yet!" Patton gushed, playing with the sleeves of his blouse with little bunny paws along the hem.

"Hmmm." Logan mused, taking his outfit and getting changed. His outfit, too, was collected by seemingly invisible assistants.

He came out in a black undershirt and pants with a midnight blue vest. The buttons in the shape of unicorn horns. Logan was reattaching the crossbow to the brace while Patton took his turn, getting changed.

"How did you guess the exact weapons we were trained to use? I am assuming some level of weapons raining has always been mandatory, but there are a lot of options," Logan pointed out.

Virgil nodded. "You assume right... among high mages who've been around for sone time, patterns become apparent. We usually could guess which guide would unveil itself to which student. Made little bets on the ones who we weren't unanimous on. We also saw patterns in the weapon someone chose and the guide they turned out to have," Virgil explained. Patton came out and hopped on the stage to get a good look at his new shirt.

Roman, while interested in the story, didn't want to waste time and went to change as well. His pants were similar to what was made for Lo, Pat and V.

The difference was in the tunic. It reached to his knees, was a lovely red in color and golden wings embroidered on his chest similar to the decorative golden chest piece Virgil had worn when they first met. On the other side of the screen Virgil continued.

"Jackalopes are playful and rarely go for truly lethal weapons. Combined with Patton being a martial caster, and thus not afraid of direct confrontation when needed, I figured the Bo staff a good fit. Confrontational, but far less likely to cause accidental maiming.

Unicorns are for the intelligent. The strategists. So a long distance weapon is logical. Combined with the fact that you aren't built for a longbow or a short bow, a crossbow was most likely." Roman bit back a laugh. That was a polite way to say that Logan clearly had no upper body strength.

Virgil paused his story, amused at Roman's barely concealed mirth.

Roman finished changing and joined his friends. Taking a moment to admire himself in the mirrors. He felt like a noble warrior honestly, especially while holding the spear.

"The phoenix... tends to favor being up close and personal in battle. We can afford it. High mages might survive injuries but they still hurt. We aren't as incapacitated by a serious blow and as you saw, our reincarnation can be an effective weapon too," he explained. Roman could very vividly imaging Virgil forging a path through an army. Literally blazing through and leaving terribly burnt enemies in his wake. The image both beautiful and frightening in his mind. But not in a way that made him afraid of Virgil.

"Not that we know that when we choose the weapon, but phoenixes, like dragons, will tend to be at the front line. We choose weapons that are noble. That are direct. The light phoenix' bravery makes them brazen. So a sword or a spear would fit him most. I figured Roman would be the type to want a more versatile weapon. For myself I chose the daggers for their high mobility and the tight control on every swing. Less chance on friendly fire. In my mind at least..." he finished. "So. If we are all satisfied with our new clothes, I'd suggest heading to the library. In one hour we sleep," he said decidedly.

The group nodded and they followed Virgil through a door back to the library.

"Say Virgil, can I borrow this book after we do all the important things? I looked through it to see if there were any interesting creatures for me to turn into, but it only has magical creatures. It's a verry fun read though so i wanted to read more when we are less pressed for time," Patton offered gently, picking up a book from the shelve and showing it to him. Before Virgil could answer though Logan grabbed the old leather book that looked more like a journal than a proper book to Roman.

"This..." Logan gasped, flipping through a few pages with wide eyes. "Is this a, complete, handbound first draft of the beastiary of Aristofel?" he asked baffled.

"Um... yeah. We used to date..." Virgil admitted sheepishly. "He sent it to me as a thanks for my help and stuff."

Logan looked up at Virgil. "Most existing copies are damaged in some way. This is the only complete edition in existence as far as I am aware," he stated.

Virgil clearly didn’t know what to say to that.

Roman decided to step in. "Let's focus on our missions for now and then you can explore the house for more forgotten treasures whenever Virgil decides to invite you back," he suggested.

Logan nodded and gave Virgil his book back. "Yes. Apologies. I forgot myself," he said a bit embarrassed.

"That's alright, it happens. Patton if you need some inspiration for transformations into non magical creatures..." Virgil looked at his shelf and picked out a different book and handed it to Patton.

"What were you looking for Logan?" Virgil wondered.

"Ahm. I want to look into chrono magic. It is closely related to my divination and some spells I heard about might be useful in a crisis situation," he explained, nervous but determined. Who was this man and where did his extremely cautious friend go? Forbidden magic? Logan? It was a bit of a shocker even with how, bold, he’d been today.

"Hmmm..." Virgil mused before getting a deep blue book with stars on the cover. "That should help," he stated before turning to Roman.

"And now you..." he stated. Roman nodded and followed him to settle on a carpet on the floor.

"I suppose I should learn some basic martial crafts," Roman mused.

"Didn't you say that you wanted to learn more about herbology the way I taught it?" Virgil wondered. Roman nodded. "Of course, but the fight..."

Roman stopped talking as he felt Virgil's fond amusement, though there was an undertone of frustration. Oh. The holes in his education were showing once again.

"Did they teach you that all you could do was identify herbs and minerals and heal?" Virgil wondered. Roman nodded, waiting to be corrected. Virgil reached into his pouch and retrieved a yellow dusty substance. Pollen. Roman knew instantly.

And then from his hand a gorgeous fire Lilly grew, which Virgil gently tucked behind Roman’s ear.

"Roman, the spell Patton did to trap those wolves. What kind of magic did you think that was?" Virgil asked.

"I-I thought Wild keep magic but I’m guessing that's wrong," Roman concluded. Virgil nodded.

“It was herbology. We do more than just identify the gifts of nature Roman. We connect to them. When you held that stone, you weren’t divining it the way Logan would. You connected to it, heard it’s entire story, and that happened to include what it was used for. How it was used,” Virgil explained.

“Through that connection you also returned the fields to a healthy state, making undeveloped seeds catch up to their neighbors and the sick plants heal in only a moment.

Wild keepers can commune and command the plants that are living. We…” He made a flourish with his hand and laid a dried out lavender stem in Roman’s hand.

“We can call upon them even if they are long gone. They are our ally as much as we are theirs,” he insisted. “So long as we treat the plants and minerals around us with love and respect, there is no telling what favors we might yet learn they would do for us,” he added. Letting a long silence fall.

Roman could tell he was expecting him to do something, anything with the stem.

Could he revive it? Roman closed his eyes and focused. Willing his magic into the plant the way he would when he would try to draw out its mana, but this time he didn’t make it stream out and take energy with it. He strengthened the mana, connected to the plant’s innate wish to live…

He opened his eyes when he felt Virgil’s pride swell.

In his palm was a perfectly healthy lavender stem. He looked up, proud of himself and tucked the lavender behind Virgil’s ear.

“Good,” Virgil smiled, touched by the gesture. “Now, let’s teach you to be a force of nature.”

[squircatlies]

Today is the day I unleash my Mr. Bonzo fanart upon this webbed site.

This post is relatively safe up until the cut.

Is the *tips fedora* meme over a decade old? Yes. Do I care? No, absolutely not.

~

Now this is where I recommend "getting off" this post to anyone bothered by graphic depictions of body horror, blood, violence, or Mr. Bonzo (monster, not mascot like above).

I know the first image is silly, but I cannot stress enough how serious I am when I say:

Proceed at your own risk.

Now that you have chosen to continue, I have arranged the images in order of least to most vile and disturbing (though that might be slightly subjective on my part).

Remember that you can click off this post at any time.

Final warning: split tongue Bonzo.

I tried channeling Julia Drawfee with the lineart a little bit. Didn't feel like shading that one, so it's a bit flat.

Where did I lose my colours? Plot twist: the first image in this post is actually the last I've made, so technically I gained the colours. I wanted it to have more of a cheery vibe, unlike the ones under the cut, which I wanted to be kinda dreary and I feel like adding too much colour can mess that up.

Alright, I'll address the tongue. Remember how his head splits in tmagp 12? Yeah, it's a nod to that and also I asked myself "how do I make his design worse than it already is?" and that's the only answer I could come up with. I debated adding stitches connesting the two halves of the tongue but couldn't figure out how, so you're welcome. It will be present in all the upcoming drawings as well.

~

The next one is bloody, but it's not that much worse than the previous one overall.

I was playing with filters after I was done with this piece, because I felt like it lacked something, but didn't know what. Really liked this one, I think it's some sort of a gradient map. It pixelised the image and adjusted the colours a bit, it also really made the blood pop out, though it covered up some of the details.

Why did he lose his hat? It's stupid and hard to draw.

You may have noticed the artstyle change a little, the previous images having neat lineart and little to no shading. That's because I am using different tools, sketchy and soft brushes, that allow me to experiment with lighting and textures more (plus the aforementioned filter altering the image even further).

~

Alright, I feel like this last image deserves a separate warning. It references episode 12 (spoiler ahead), specifically the moment before the bartender loses a hand, though it's not entirely accurate. It's rendered in more detail than any of the previous images, so keep that in mind before scrolling down.

Basically it's pov: Bonzo licks your hand.

I feel like I could've made his tongue bigger in this one, it seems kinda small compared to his mouth. I really like how the skin on his face ended up looking. It took a lot of work.

The spit makes it look weirdly sexual, doesn't it? Listen, that was not my intention, but I'm not erasing it. I set out to make the worst thing I could and, though not without cost, I have achieved it.

I tried splattering Bonzo in blood, but it wasn't really working for me and it covered up a lot of the detail I liked, so I just put it in the background.

The human hand is drawn from reference, which I found by googling "hand reaching out away from the viewer". And let me tell you: google is shit at looking for drawing references, but I figured it was just going to be a sketch to explore an idea, so I didn't bother trying to get a better one. And then I fixated on it for a couple hours, you know, like a normal person.

I literally (and I mean no exaggeration) dusted off my drawing tablet after a few months of no use to spend the entire weekend, after tmagp 12 came out, glued to the screen making those images, except for the b'onzo one, which I made this evening.

Just to clarify: I drew all of those by myself. No filthy AI image generation is allowed in this house. I am capable of committing far greater sins than an artificial intelligence ever will.

The only thing left here is to extend my sincere congratulations/condolences to whoever got this far. It's up to you to either think you're brave or realise that you're foolish for doing so, but be comforted by the fact that at least you didn't make this post, which I cannot say for myself.

[aiinnovatorshub]

Galambo: A Promising Tool with Some Room for Improvement

I recently tried out Galambo, an AI-powered image search engine, and it definitely has some cool features that make it stand out.

One of the things I enjoyed about Galambo is how it makes searching through images more interactive. You can click on different parts of an image to find related information, which is a fun and engaging way to explore. However, there were times when the AI's predictions for search queries didn't quite hit the mark. Occasionally, it suggested things that weren't very relevant to what I was looking for.

The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate. While it's functional, it could use a bit more visual flair to make it more appealing. The integration with other services like maps and social media is a great idea, but I did experience a few minor glitches where things didn't link up as smoothly as I would have liked.

One aspect that impressed me was Galambo's commitment to privacy and security. Knowing that my data is protected is a big plus, although I think they could do a better job of explaining their security measures in more detail. A bit more transparency would help build even more trust.

Overall, Galambo is a promising tool that offers a unique way to explore images. It has a lot of potential, and with a few tweaks and improvements, it could become an indispensable resource. While there are a few areas that need refining, I'm optimistic that Galambo will continue to evolve and get better over time.

Here's the link so y'all can try it out as well: https://www.galambo.com/ or click on the image and it'll lead you to their website!

[spaghetti-lunatic]

There's something I've noticed, I think it's related to cod bo3 zombies (I'm so sorry this is so long, I'm trying to give a thorough explanation). The first code mentioned is the one that most likely had to do with zombies, the other two I don't really know about.

(tldr: I've basically written an essay over-explaining a Morse code message I found in black ops 3, which I think has something to do with the zombies storyline)

So, in the black ops 3 campaign (I know I said this is about zombies, it is, please bear with me) mode, between missions, there's a safe room, and in that safe room, there's a computer. One time, I went on that computer, clicked around on it for a bit, and came across a page made by a fictional (in-game storyline) hacker group called Druon Antigoon, it was in Morse code, I solved it (and I'm proud to say that I didn't pull up a translator to do so), and it said this: "The imperialists have found us. Flee while you can. Go to the city of Walcourt for more information. There you will find a market. Seek out the man with the red scarf and tell him "the giant has risen." More information will follow."

Walcourt is a city in Belgium, and Druon Antigoon is a mythical giant that lived in Antwerp, a place in Belgium, where I think the fictional hacker group was supposedly located also. Also, it mentions a man in a red scarf, which is the main thing that leads me to believe that this has to do with zombies, since Dr. Monty wears a red scarf. Plus, considering the giant robot in the zombies storyline, as seen in Origins, and in the map The Giant/Der Reise(?), those could also be what "the giant has risen" was referring to.

Before this page, there was another coded message that was in French, which said "Nul ne peut passer jusqu' á ce qu'ils paient le péage." Google translated, it says "no one can pass until they pay the toll," which I believe could be connected to the folk-lore of Druon Antigoon, which says the mythical giant guarded a bridge, demanding a toll from anyone trying to cross it.

There's also another coded message on this page, which was in Morse code, and solved, it says "The information below is critical to your knowledge. Cordis die is my one true master. I serve only to expose the truth. Death is not the final chapter." This part has a lot to do with black ops 2, which I haven't played in a real long time, so I don't know as much, but Cordis Die is a terrorist group in the black ops 2 campaign mode, so this part probably had more to do with the black ops 3 campaign mode, sorry.

I'd like to know anyone's opinions on this, and I'm sure this stuff has definitely been brought up at some point, but I don't really know what this stuff means. I think it's related to zombies, but maybe not?

[blueeyedrat]

Games I played in 2022.

If I were to sum up my year in a word, it would be stable. Game dev work has been steady, not particularly stressful. I got a new laptop, and have been gradually upgrading in other ways. A lot of good and bad things happened to the people I care about, but as a whole I entered the year in a pretty good place, and left it more or less the same way. I suppose I'm grateful for that.

As usual, one of the big constants was gaming. There's the usual time sinks – Animal Crossing, Sky, a bit of Grindstone here and there, and a couple new ones as well. I also returned to some older favorites, like Mario Kart 8. And I put some time into a couple dozen new games, and added even more to my ever-growing backlog. These were the highlights, with a few honorable mentions here and there:

(2021 ⇐ 2022 ⇒ 2023)

Monster Hunter Rise

The game I put the most time into in 2022. I'm new to Monhun, but it's piqued my interest for a few years – a bunch of folks in my orbit got into Monster Hunter World when it came out and that game seemed neat, and Rise seemed like a good excuse to dip into the series myself. It's a good entry point, bringing some accessibility for new players and new tools for old pros, but even then it's still pretty daunting if it's your first exposure to Monster Hunter. With so many different (and often unorthodox) weapons and builds and playstyles to choose from, it might be hard to figure out what clicks for you.

But when it did finally click for me? There was no turning back. Between the base game, the Sunbreak expansion, and all of the extra challenges, there's no shortage of quests to tackle, maps to climb and explore, and creative monsters to hunt, all the while building up ever-more-powerful armor and weaponry. The movement feels good and the combat feels great, and it's fun to drop in on other hunters and play in co-op. And with the two four five weapons in my arsenal, I've got a good variety to keep me going for a while yet.

Beast Breaker

For a different take on monster slaying: a turn-based action game where your primary means of attack is ricocheting around the arena like a pinball or billiard ball, lining up just the right shot to take down giant foes. This was the first game I played from start to finish this year, and I liked it a lot. The combat's pretty unique with a lot of interesting strategy and puzzle elements, and plenty of tools to mix and match. There's a good narrative, a memorable cast of characters, and a good visual style and soundtrack to tie it all together. It's a damn shame this was Vodeo Games' only title before the studio shut down. I would've loved to see what else they could do, and I hope they can find success elsewhere. But if you only get one, you might as well make it a good one.

Dicey Dungeons

Now, if we're talking strategy, style, and soundtrack, this one's hard to beat. Like plenty of other games, it's been in my orbit for a while. Seemed like a nice time all around, but I didn't have a pressing need to play it myself. Eventually it came up on a Steam sale and I heard about some extra content coming later in the year, so I figured I'd pick it up and play a few rounds once in a while... and suddenly it's two weeks later and I've blitzed through the entire game and completed every challenge available. Turns out this game is addicting as hell. Who would've guessed.

As far as deck-builders go, Dicey Dungeons is pretty quick to pick up, and it's fun to come up with a good, versatile strategy and adapt to the dice rolls you're given. Different episodes give you specific characters and gimmicks to work around while still making every individual attempt feel unique. And did I mention the music? Because the music is fantastic. Two weeks (plus a few days for the extra content) well spent.

Hollow Knight

I keep an informal list of "I'll get around to this eventually" media. Games, cartoons, movies, the kind that I'd like to experience on my own so I won't go out of my way to spoil myself on it beforehand. I... didn't make a lot of progress on that list this year. Just haven't been in the mood, I guess.

But I did get around to this one! As well as OneShot, and a couple more recent games further down the list. I quite enjoyed Hollow Knight. The combat could be frustrating at times and not in a fun way, but it was nice to explore and the platforming was great, especially as you unlock more abilities. I'll admit, in my blind playthrough I missed out on a lot of side content simply by just... never actually stumbling across it on the map. It's not a flawless game, and not one I'll ever feel an urge to complete a 100% file, but I enjoyed the time I spent on it.

Just in time for Silksong, right?

Sid Meier's Civilization 6

On the other end of the spectrum: a game I've immersed myself in thoroughly for years, but still never actually found the time to play until recently. I sunk many an hour into Civ 5 back in the day, and the ways 6 iterates on its predecessor are all pretty interesting, especially the emphasis on city-building with districts and wonders. There's no shortage of different civilizations to pilot and strategies to try out.

The issue now is, even though I have hardware that can run the game without immediately melting, a single round of Civilization is still a big commitment in terms of time and focus. I have time, but not that much time. Perhaps I'll make more room for it in the coming year.

(Another honorable mention, and another game I should make time for: Airborne Kingdom. A neat concept and aesthetic, and a pretty chill city-builder. I need to check out the extra content at some point. Same goes for the other builder games on my backlog, like The Wandering Village.)

Prime Mover

I continue to enjoy puzzle games whenever the mood strikes me. Sokoban-esque puzzles like Kine and Move 'n' Bloom, chill sandboxes like Cloud Gardens and Luna, and other curios like SOLAS 128.

It's been a while since I've been in the mood for a good programming puzzle, though, and Prime Mover delivered a challenge. The tools it provides are intentionally kinda restricted on their own, but the game is pretty open-ended and gives you a lot of room to maneuver around those restrictions. And while some of the best games in the genre encourage you to iterate and experiment and make exponentially more complex machines using the simple pieces you're given, Prime Mover openly requires it. The later challenges get pretty intricate, and the final one is the most complicated puzzle I've ever solved in a programming game, by a mile.

Seriously it took me weeks of planning and a dang flowchart before I even started building a full solution. It's an interesting game, if you know what you're getting yourself into.

The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection

While I was in the middle of that programming fugue, one of the big pioneers of the genre announced that they were closing up shop. I'll always have a fondness for the works of Zachtronics – SpaceChem is one of my all-time favorite games, and I put a lot of hours into Infinifactory, Opus Magnum, and MOLEK-SYNTEZ. I respect their choice to end the studio on their own terms and move on to new projects, but I'll miss 'em all the same.

They've also been an influence on me in another, smaller way: solitaire games. I played my share of Klondike and Freecell and other games back in the day, and as a game dev they interest me from a design perspective: by nature they're very small in scope, and it's easy to sketch out ideas and iterate on them and come up with something new. Much like its track record with programming games, Zachtronics has also approached solitaire with a particular design ethos that always feels well-balanced and puts a fresh spin on these familiar concepts, often with new rules and new decks. These are the games that inspired Temple Solitaire, and I'd like to keep drawing inspiration from them in the future. The tarot deck's a coincidence though.

Splatoon 3

I suppose I don't actually play a lot of online multiplayer games nowadays. Casually I've never had a lot of people to play with and have never been social enough to seek it out, and the more competitive side I often find frustrating. I'll play them occasionally, but a lot of the time I either keep to myself and play against the computer (see: Super Smash Bros, Civilization), or play games that are explicitly cooperative instead of competitive (see: Sky, Monster Hunter).

But then there's Splatoon, which has the whole package: a well-crafted single-player campaign, a variety of versus modes, and an excellent co-op mode, all with a distinct style that few games can match. I don't play a lot of shooters, but I loved the first Splatoon when it came out on Wii U, I loved the second game when we upgraded to our Switch, and the third game in the trilogy is just more and better. My brother and I got in on the ground floor this time around, and I look forward to seeing what this game (and this series as a whole) brings to the table going forward.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

I've been sitting on this one ever since it came out. Not really sure why I waited for so long to play through it – just saving it for a special occasion, maybe. But I can tell you, Chicory is one of the best games I played this year. Its gameplay, well-paced with an interesting core mechanic that's iterated on over and over for a good variety of puzzles and challenges. Its visual style, charming in black and white and satisfying to add your own colors into. Its music, a unique and memorable score from one of my favorite composers. And like its predecessor Wandersong, its strongest aspect is its narrative, well-written and compelling with a neat world to explore and a fun cast of characters. Everything about Chicory is just good, and it was well worth the wait.

Sable

This isn't the last game I played in 2022 – I played LEGO Builder's Journey over the holidays, and managed to squeeze in Kirby and the Forgotten Land just under the wire (boy, does that game go places). But this is the one I wanted to close out the year with.

Sable is a game about discovery. There's no conflict, only exploration. You're presented with a simple narrative, a girl embarking on a coming-of-age journey to find her place in the world, and left to fill in all the blanks yourself through gameplay: You could climb to high plateaus and take in the sights. You could visit every settlement and station, lending a helping hand or an observant eye to travelers in need. You could delve into strange stone ruins to find treasure, or into derelict atomic ships to learn the secrets of Sable's ancestors (and also find treasure). You could hunt down a bunch of weird bugs and fish. You could just hop on your cool hoverbike and vibe across the vast desert.

Or you could take your time. Try everything, be everything, and return home a little older and a little wiser for the experience. And I think the game's interesting setting and atmosphere, its gorgeous cel-shaded vistas, and some surprisingly charming writing made it an experience worth having.

—

I think I need some time to figure out what I want out of 2023: from my work, from my personal life, and from my online presence and all the projects I have kicking around, game-related and otherwise.

I'm sure I'll find some way to pass the time.

But who can say, really.

[rennyji]

remaining tweets part 1 (01/25/2024)

Desire is not a bad thing. It's about how you go about carrying out that desire that makes it good or bad. Intentions or best of intentions aren't bad. But evil things can be done w/the best of intentions. God gave man free will. Its the key theme in the Adam/Eve story.

Star Signs like Aquarius ( #Aquarius ) R suggested 2 predict future. But on a more useful level, they describe personalities of people associated w/those corresponding months. Can be used 2 be #mindful of pros/flaws 2 ur personality. Finders of astrology were 1st brain mappers. -

compatible potential friends/relationships, thru compatible star sign matching, maps/connects personalities. It’s like #Superman or something from #Krypton , where people are matched based on genetics.-

-U shouldnt depend on it; it’s flaw of current brain mappers. Cats/dogs R matched w/cats/dogs 2 click. But humans have #freewill , &ability 2 be #mindful &learn 2harness strengths/overcome weakness &use speech 2 better bonds instead of relying on genetics/brain-type-matching.

interesting Im only inanimate object in zodiac, aka #Libra ( Libra ): scale of #justice. Interesting b/c Im facing #Injustice lasting decade plus. Nice 2 think theres magic 2 world. Usually, we’re lawyers/diplomats; BUT, talking it 2 solve my situation hasn’t worked yet.

B/c of #COVID (Im guessing), not enough new releases of tv shows/movies. 2024 doesn’t seem like it has a lot 2 look forward 2, beyond #deadpool3 (Deadpool 3) & Spider-man 4 ( #SpiderMan4 ) . Ryan Reynolds is always great like in “ Free Guy or “ The Adam Project ”.

Whats happening 2 me: like something from a parallel universe where Nazis won World War II, instead. Its like an #anime ( anime ) . Maybe not Naruto ( #Naruto ), but something close 2 #DeathNote or #CodeGeass . Personally wouldve preferred #DragonBall or #TheSevenDeadlySins .

“Smooth Criminal” by #MichaelJackson & #AlienAntFarm ( Alien Ant Farm ), says u’ve been “hit by, u’ve been struck by…a smooth criminal…” On idea of a smooth criminal, no one smoother than mind readers/controllers. So smooth, u might not even know they’re in ur life.

Hindus ( Hindus ) or a #Hindu ( Hindu ), from #Hinduism, do something explicit, other religions hint at:disciplining mind thru meditation/yoga. Other religions, thru rituals or parables, train mind, ultimately 2 give us focus. If we focus w/o distraction, we can do anything.

I wonder: if I didnt go 2 state university, like Albany,&instead: Jesuit college like Boston College or 1 run by Irish Christian Brothers: Iona University, or private university like ManhattanCollege, i’d’ve been w/more disciplined/ambitious people w/exposure 2 better resources.

Everybody but the center of attention is aware of situation, 4 more than 3650+ days! How insane is my situation?! Young&old, not 1 noble person can open mouths w/proof needed 2 stop this. But, on a more primitive level, people like “community” stemming from a common goal.

Living #AmericanNightmare or #Nightmare like things #Voldemort , in @jk_rowling 's " Harry Potter ",put victims thru. USA not 2 visit, unlike #Ayodhya or any place else. Americans could cure #Ebola , #Diabetes , or simple #HairLoss ,but instead put funds/effort 2 harassing minds.

I look forward 2 day where I say strange kids who? Or #DoctorWho ( DoctorsWho ) or UAlbanyWho? Orchestrators who? whatever person or group is your #BiggBoss ( Bigg Boss ) , to get to say 2 them: ummm who R U? The day I get my freedom…the day they face consequences…cannot wait…

Really anyone, absolutely anyone can help me get a reservation as the “fighter” of a decade, who gets “advanced booking”/“pre advanced booking” to freedom … just say what you know #FighterAdvanceBooking

Adele 's ( #Adele ), song "Skyfall", played in recent Bond films, has a line resonating w/me: "this is the end, holdUr breath&count to 10." Gives me sensation of sky falling as I remember myself realizing Im going 2 be enslaved for yrs, despite best efforts, @ onset of this.

Newest chapter of #Marvel 's #Spiderman , connected w/Thanos &Avengers, was incredible w/its connection b/w PeterParker &TonyStark &Peter's access 2 tech like enhanced Spider-Man suit. Then,in " Multiverse of Madness ", storyline is reset w/all forgetting Peter-wasnt fan of that

The Flash ( #Flash ) w/access 2 Jedi ( #Jedi ) like force 4 speed, makes him 1 of the greatest conceived heroes, particularly w/his ability 2 travel alternateTimelines ¶llelWorlds. His good nature also adds up 2 a greatStory. The CW ( #CW ) should bring back super hero shows.

Best laptop lap desk, something with a flare to make you want to use it, but something as simple as this costs $60 plus tax. Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749175516228124716?s=20

Best under desk keyboard attachment, below. But, another $60 It swivels, it rotates,& stows under desk, giving more desk space, & if u get a phone call & want 2 leave your desk, just rotate under desk. Something as simple as this, no one conceives except the innovative Chinese. Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749176551462334699?s=20

A decent bag of pre ground coffee? $14. You may think coffee is coffee. But some coffee work better than others. You want to get, what starts off your day, right…

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177064324772202?s=20

I just went to #ShopRite and came back. Look what I bought on the left (a handful of items). This much costs $51, as you can see from my receipt on the right. All below. #prices #grocery #groceryprices

Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177737363808629?s=20

U wanna know how 2 have crash-free coffee experience, that won’t make U feel sleepy/like cr*p shortly after drinking coffee? Mix it w/Lions Mane & other such related legal everyday mushroom ingredients-not 2 be confused w/“shrooms.” But a tsp. from this small jar? That’s $30.

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749179475860791402?s=20

U wanna get jacked like Wolverine ( #Wolverine )? Membership @ #24HourFitness w/small swimming pools?Costs $40. #LAFitness in Yonkers area?

After charging $40 4 membership, they deemed it wise 2 put in mall where no normal parking (mall garage instead) &after 2 hrs U need 2 pay. Netflix for an ad free experience? Costs $23. That’s without paying for cable tv. It’s probably easier to catch a Pokémon ( #Pokemon )than catch a price that makes sense…I was a kid when the series 1st started…I feel there have been too many iterations of show…

TaylorSwift ( Taylor Swift ) … a truly talented singer, with personality … timeless people like #MichaelJackson ( Michael Jackson ) … an icon …

I agree with the news channels that addresses this: u should invest in a house … it’s part of the AmericanDream ( American Dream ). But this is the age of high prices leading to people living together 4 affordability.-

-But theres other hurdles like addressing basement flooding, shoveling sidewalks/footpaths 2 avoid legalBurdens, property tax up2 $10,000 4 small patch ofYard, heatingExpenses according 2 homeSize- it just seems sensible 2 buy luxuryFlat in suburbs like in Valhalla, NY vs NY, NY.

Floridians ( Floridians ) luck out with not having income tax, at least at the state level.

DeSantis ( DeSantis ) reported as dropping out of race..days after nominal victory over #NikkiHaley ( #Haley - Nikki Haley) in Iowa..all after spending 50 million in ads in Iowa - U gotta wonder Y so much 4 something integral like elections..-

-mySight limited2 #Haley ( #NikkiHaley )&

DonaldTrump (Donald Trump - #Trump )-months of migrants crossingBorder, getting, ofAllThings, freeSexChanges inMaine, freeHealthCare in-I think-California, freeHomes inNortheasternState I cant remember-currentAdmnstratn doesntMakeSense-

it doesnt make sense b/c you're accomplishing benefits for illegal immigrants while cutting budgets 4 citizens & legal immigrants in USA. Id like free housing & Im a U.S. citizen. I just don't get how current administration is prioritizing. Id like free health care w/o a job..

there are issues that pose problems with the other side … like abortion … there something clearly wrong when you're debating something like that for 50+ years. We're in the age of mind reading/mind control … and you still don't know when consciousness begins?-

-world mayNot B 5000 yrs old as Creationists say. But maybe answer is 2 let religion give guiding light 2science.W/something like abortion, mayB should B nationally allowed until point, where brainWaves detected, or when baby getting oxygen-like God giving breath of life 2 Adam..

and regarding current administration and the amount of time the current party has been in control, while this chapter of my life; situation has been occurring, I gotta wonder, would a party that hasn't been in power for as long a time, save me from my situation…

Maybe stars and how astrology influences personalities, is something that lays a foundation for how relationships progress or worsen. But it comes down to choice. -

-First you have to choose to sit down and think about, or listen to someone who shines a light on, a flaw, so that then, you can choose to make a correction.-

-In some Churches, they say a prayer of Confession: "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault…and then they ask to pray for themselves… What is that prayer saying? Be mindful: recognize your fault.-

-This is a fundamental tenet of Christianity. Yet so many are too bothered to think. To ask for forgiveness of sin, you need to recognize sin, or another word for it: mistake. -

-You need to recognize mistake, remember mistake, ask for strength overcoming the mistake and not repeating the mistake.-

-people need to realize what they're saying, what they're thinking, what they're doing. I was watching Thor: Ragnarok. The character #Loki ( Loki ), the god of mischief, Thor's brother, is an interesting character.-

-#Loki ( Loki ) is bent on causing chaos. It takes losing, getting beaten over and over, for him to stop and think: "Why am I such a bad egg?" -

Loki ( Loki ) realizes hes upset he was lied 2 on adoption, has inferiority/superiority complex where he needs2 show hes destined 4glory, even though adopted. He realizes pointlessness hisAmbitionIs. Once realized, heRose 2 trulyBeing "burdened w/glorious purpose," as heSays.-

It signifies something scary about most people. You're so glued to what you want to do and have to do, in going to bed and waking up, that you never stop to realize the things you think, say, do. No correction occurs.-

-Learn to consciously think, speak, perform actions. Now, from my situation, what you can get is that, if you fail at the above or are lazy about mindfulness, you may never realize that you were possibly mind read/mind controlled.

Donald Trump said he was going 2 be like a dictator on Day 1 of the office. Now U can read into that literally or understand the meaning behind what's he's saying: whether drilling into Alaska or something else, he's going 2 get some things done ASAP, regardless of opposition.

I'd like 2 be a dictator of this country, in terms of leadership power 2 enact some possibly time consuming changes. On Education, in college, we tackle 4 subjects, 'completely', in a semester. It's clear from existence of a GED for dropouts, high school shouldn't take 4years.-

coming from a guy who had a 4.0 gpa at a private college preparatory school, school structure needs to be organized. Children should learn to focus. Be it meditation or getting on the right ADD drugs, its something that should be beaten to death.-

I remember in school, there were the "smart kids." there were their peers who didn't get why they couldn't get good grades and doubted their ability to go to college. It's simply because they're not mentally strong yet. It can be remedied.-

early years should be directed to learning breathing techniques like alternate nostril breathing or box breathing. Sounds ridiculously corny, but children should see how long they can focus on a candle flame without distraction of intrusive thoughts -

if you can't even sit still to see only a candle flame in front of you, how can you be leaders, doctors, lawyers, engineers? how can you be policeman, fireman when you don't have the discipline to endure difficult schedules and people?-

gradeSchoolStructure needs2 B limited 2semester rather than yr.-It works in college regarding semester long course.HighSchool, if GEDs R possible, should B <2 yrs. Children shouldHave luxuryOfTime 2 play, haveFun, butAlso learn usefulTrades like woodwork, or wiringElectronics. Real world skills…

retardedBooks they make U read like Catcher in the Rye or The Stranger & its focus on existentialism, should B replaced w/books of children's choices. I'm not going 2 be an avid reader thru reading books of non interest. If its something I like, Ill B encouraged 2 do it more.-

life is short, life should be rewarding. Teach kids how 2 learn, how 2 focus. Get their heads in order w/o confusing them @ young age about gender options & sexuality options. Let them B free, let them make most of their lives b4 being expected hard working adults.

Regarding immigration, its been said a lot of those claiming asylum R facing political or financial turmoil in their countries. Rather than influxing all of them 2 the states, the United Nations should send people 2 make it better 2 live in places of origin. #maketheworldbetter

you want jobs that fuel the economy? That big beautiful wall Trump was talking about? Hire people to build one out of stone or bricks and make it into a tourist attraction like Great Wall of China. Start projects that need workers. Provide training to those workers.

Deku ( Deku) from #MyHeroAcademia makes me think how much #anime creators put out, a good number of which has amazing story lines. -

Following in relation 2 Betz Sphere , - something raising lots of conversation decades ago. I post this not b/c of controversial sphere, but b/c of how woman owning sphere denies the government & sets strict terms if they go against her-difference b/w Indian parents & American:

Associated clip: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749294429620334849?s=20

lady in prev. clip basically tells government 2 f* off. When govt. becomes insistent over whats in possession, she sets terms&has govmt. sign contract-I mean USA people especially from decade ago-feisty!They commandRespect w/govt., as they should, afterall Govt. serves people.-

as it’s…ummm…u know…been at least a decade?! I cannot help but think, unlike lady in last 2 weeks, my parents are letting orchestrators in youth/school/govt/army, just walk all over them…fearful of me, I can’t talk about situation, family can’t talk 2 me, i have no rights.

The company #Seen from Helloseen dot com, makes this amazing hair cream that restores oil to ur hair after shampooing everyday. 1 brush w/ hands, works like hair gel. A second, makes it look natural and full without the hard hair gel feeling. But like everything, $30

My main reason for it? Its noncomedogenic. If I ruffle my hair with hands and then my face, or clap my hands or something random, there's no weird feeling or grease that I'm getting in places.

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749297398726238266?s=20

Next pricy thing? If you shave and keep bleeding, or if soap becomes too much for your face, it could be because you need a barrier repair cream. This one is non oily from La Roche Posay. Great stuff, just wish it was bigger and not $22

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749297817091280918?s=20

A lip firming/hydrating alternative to chapstick, or vaseline (which make people think you're wearing lip gloss)? You go for Clarins Extra-Firming Lip & Contour Balm. How much is this thing that generally lasts 2 months? $50 This lasts between washes of your mouth after eating.

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/clarins-extra-firming-hydrating-lip-contour-balm-0.5-oz.?ID=328684

This one is good, and preferred, but it washes off too easily between eating…and it's $95, but it also lasts like 2 months.

"Chanel Smoothing and Firming Lip and Contour Care" https://www.macys.com/shop/product/smoothing-firming-lip-contour-care?ID=13124701

Wanna know how much a replacement head cover costs for an electric shaver? Shaver costs $80 and the foil cover, when torn from frequent use is $25

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298134084165668?s=20

I have a Nescafé Dolce Gusto pod coffee machine. It’s what’s commonly used in Europe and Asia vs maybe Nespresso, although both are under Nestle. Can get pods and pods for reasonable price. Bought reusable. 2 reusable pods? $50

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298494454501614?s=20

This manual coffee maker, the aeropress, not even electric. I think it’s $50 and the cover with the spout that outputs coffee better is an extra accessory that costs $25-33

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298808863727715?s=20

If u’ve seen #Netflix ’s #StrangerThings , u no main character, #El aka #Eleven aka Jane, has thing 4 #Kellogs #Eggo#Waffles . Me? not a fan of their plain/regular waffle. But their Belgian strawberry flavor below?-Amazing. But 4 waffles are $6.- 1 Waffle costs more than a $1.

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749300474967204112?s=20 I just went to #ShopRite and came back. Look what I bought on the left (a handful of items). This much costs $51, as you can see from my receipt on the right. All below. #prices #grocery #groceryprices

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177737363808629?s=20

Four donuts at, from the bakery section at ShopRite? Costs $8.99. Three 8 packs of Gatorade is $19.99, but one pack costs $8.99 … I guess that's a deal…

U realize with frozen pizza being $6+, U might as well have real pizza? or if a movie ticket costs $15 on #Fandango, Y not wait a month more and buy the movie for $19 on #GooglePlay or the #iTunes Store. If ice cream costs $5 at grocery store, why not do #Carvel or #Coldstone ?

FantasticFour sounds like good idea as part of new set of tv series 4 the #CW. I mean for years, we had weekly episodes 2 #Arrow , #TheFlash , #BlackLightning , #Supergirl , #Batgirl , #Stargirl , #SupermanAndLois, #LegendsOfTomorrow…w/o these weeklyUpdates, life feels empty.

on a similar note #HBOMax or #Max (as its called now), should update/replace the #Titans (from Teen Titans), #DoomPatrol, & #Peacemaker with new episodes/or new super hero tv series. There used to be so much to catch up on, on a weekly basis- now nothing…

did anyone else know there is a 9th planet or possibly an additional sun in our solar system? its curious how much more there is, in our own neighborhood, if and when we can see farther than now…

U gotta wonder if situation lasted long b/c of disdain/hesitancy 2 lawsuit,by supposed representatives ofMe. Can it get more public/uglier than this?Maybe cuz spotlight, now, isOnMe. Probably deluding those inMyLife w/clearing this/that. -night/day, orchestrators still criminals

The Avengers ( TheAvengers) with #ChrisEvans , Sebastian Stan ( #SebastianStan ), Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and of course: Scarlett Johansson (an immaculate name), was a good run-hated how sequels took years…hope #Marvel outputs more w/shorter intervals.

I hope #Nintendo ( Nintendo ) & #Apple come out with their new consoles and VR glasses (respectively) before summer. It’s a hope, for both, as both are much anticipated. #AppleVision #AppleVisionPro

You know a movie will have a good storyline when it has actors like #AliaBhatt or @ameesha_patel … or on the male side: one of the Khans or Hrithik Roshan…

Original Digimon ( #Digimon ), aired on Fox 5, b/w 3-5 PM weekdays as well as Saturday mornings. Warp digivolving? Great idea, but sad digimon couldn’t digivolve. Whatever happened 2 #SaturdayMorningCartoons & b4 school/after school cartoons! Everything stopped coinciding, immediately, after 9/11/01…something happened to broadcasting.

Invincible ( Invincible on Amazon Prime) is an answer to the cartoons of old…we’ve been reusing Superman and Batman stories for at least 50 years. New heroes like Atom Eve and their stories? Great stuff.

Anyone else remember #Nickelodeon ’s Doug ( #Doug )? Classic cartoons for those of us from the 90s … kinda like #Jetsons or #Flintstones . ABC7 had another iteration of Doug on #OneSaturdayMorning. Nickelodeon aired it w/ #StickSticklyWithNickInTheAfternoon

IDontWantToOverreactBUT my reaction is justified and under, with my situation occurring for more than decade, without my say or rights factoring in yet, to finally ending it …

IDontWantToOverreactBUT how is there not a cure 2 hairLoss, 4 men &women? I think a scalp massager increasing circulation in pattern of male pattern baldness&a sourceOf adenosine (insteadOf minoxidil) is or part of answer. Stress/age/badDiets/meds usually decrease circulation.

How many of things we purchase R up-2 standards? #MoreRegulation ?! U spend arm & leg 4 something u’re waiting 4. & then, if it’s delivered from Amazon or wherever, U find out pole holding ur table is bent, making the tabletop crooked…then hassle of returns…#TheBadBatch

When long awaited & just announced ( #JustAnnounced ) movies like a new Thor movie or a Deadpool 3 movie come along, I realize that many more years have passed & I’m that much older. The 1st Iron Man came out when I was starting college. Now close to 40 &The Avengers story ended.

They need to make another #Hulk (Hulk) movie that’s connected with #MarkRuffalo ( Mark Ruffalo ) and The Avengers universe. A better origin story at the very least. They connected the #Xmen ( X-Men ) with one of the #Marvels in ( The Marvels ) movie after its credits…

If nothing else The Rock ( #TheRock ) becoming president would be iconic of the #AmericanDream , kinda like model turned actor turned governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger…from humble beginnings to being a world leader…

If #Pokemon , can have so many iterations, so should #DragonBall . Tie it in with the #multiverse . Ive heard its fans might like #OnePiece  . #CartoonNetwork , #Boomerang , #Nickelodeon need 2 up their game w/ series like #AvatarTheLastAirbender . Use 2 be so much tv-wise…

Margot Robbie … the perfect woman with so much personality … thank you Australia for Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman (someone to aspire to be like, through a gym session)… Regarding #BestPicture ( Best Picture ), there aren’t a lot of movies, in recent times, like Shawshank Redemption, Argo, or Meet Joe Black. We went from moving movies to still good, but silly? but funny movies like Bullet Train…

Israel deserves 2 livePeacefully w/o worrying over using bomb shelters. News coverage been repetitive there vs. minimalCoverage in #Palestine / #Gaza . W/Israel, its about Kibbutz Be Rei &concert, but after, deprived of electricity/shelter/food, Gazan cities been decimated.-

news doesnt seem 2 cover how many more died in #Palestine vs. #Israel. Bad group of people started fight in Israel. Israel defends self. But while talks shifted 2 rapes&abuse of kids in Israel, 13000+ innocent people died in #Gaza, 2 eradicate 1000 terrorizers.-

Humanitarian efforts need 2 get in #Gaza. How can level of destruction B compared 2 #Israel. & Israel 4 some reason controls electricity in Gaza&they turned it off. Israel is sandwiched b/w Gaza. Needs 2 B reorganizing of territory like Israel against sea,&all Gaza near river.-

this results in anger from #Palestine ian protest groups, but they need better discretion 2 when & where protests held…like shouldn’t go to Rockefeller center @ tree lighting. #Israel has right mentality of organizing concerts & speeches, at least from perspective of media.

By being overlyAware of gender pronouns&being politicallyPolite inAll otherRegards, I think we, asPeople, drain our tiredMinds on prioritizingOur limitedAttention 2 forgivableThings vs our jobs&responsibilities. Heard teacher gotFired @ Fordham 4 mixingNames of 2 black students. I think minimum age 4 becoming President is 35. Idea is let person get some life experience. If there is a minimum age, why isn’t there a maximum age? I’ve heard 1st impression is best impression. Imagine predicting biases building over time. Invites idea of fresh perspective.-

but b/w #Trump & #Biden , though close 2 each others age, Trump definitely has more energy, a stronger voice, more pronounced movements when walking around…we need more active and mentally sharp people leading as well as carrying us (wrt non explicit leaders), whoever they R.

DarciLynne ( Darcy Lynne ) from #AGT ( #AmericasGotTalent ) should be encouraged for progressing from ventriloquism to new highs for that golden voice, like singing. She’s clearly talented and should be singing in higher notes.

So they cut off razor wire in relation 2 border control…Im sure there are other work arounds 4 whatever justification they projected. On tv, u see asylum seekers say Thank you Joe Biden. I think they also get ability 2 vote. Is this some elaborate plan to get more supporters?-

inRelation 2PastTweet, I think most people have RepublicanValues but its less cool 2B whats associated w/elderly caucasians or seeminglyHighMorals.-

Like when myParents emigrated here, they were of impression Democrats r “4 the people” Or average person, probably because the word Democrat alludes to that. But their values seem synonymous w/Republicans.

Barbie is a fun movie with mature characters like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gossling. It gives the same casual feel good sense like probably darker, but amusing Bullet Train movie with Brad Pitt.

So it’s ( National Pie Day) #NationalPieDay . #KrispyKreme donuts or donuts in general, and warm, as well as cold, apple pies fit every mood. Like there’s a mood or a day to chips and danishes, but donuts and pies are all day every day.

NewHampshirePrimary in #NewHampshire ( New Hampshire ) is going to decide as the clincher or game changer between #Nikki and #Trump … #HistoricMoments

U gotta wonder if situation lasted long b/c of disdain/hesitancy 2 lawsuit,by supposed representatives ofMe. Can it get more public/uglier than this?Maybe cuz spotlight, now, isOnMe. Probably deluding those inMyLife w/clearing this/that. -night/day, orchestrators still criminals

The sequel to Spider-Man: Across The Spider-verse ( #AcrossTheSpiderverse ) or volume/chapter2 , had the let-down ending of having 2 wait till volume/chapter3(very next sequel) 2 know how story ends. It sucks b/c thats at least another year, another year of getting older.

Anyone else notice, in like, the 2nd #Aquaman movie, or #BrothersSun on #Netflix , older siblings tend to be heavier/beefier, more loose, maybe more likely to have facial hair, than their depicted younger siblings?

So Im hearing in news a hint 2 school attendance. On college level, I remember people skipping classes b/c lectures were just too theoretical/ReadingsNotSimplified…it’s not like #LessonsInChemistry or #Oppenheimer where students learning/“debating” concepts w/worldClassFaculty.

Another #BestPicture ( Best Picture ) type movie is #TheAdjustmentBureau with EmilyBlunt ( Emily Blunt ) and Matt Damon , as well as #TheMartian (meaning filled/moving movies) . The Adjustment Bureau is a great #LoveStory with some magic & determination.

Last #FamilyGuy of 2023 made valid point. Cable TV is not dead-it’s still good 4 tuning in2, at end of long day, where U watch what’s on, whether or not it’s reruns of #ILoveLucy / #IndianaJones / #TombRaider / #StarWars ( Star Wars ). Takes away hassle ofSearching 4 something. . More than decade ago, after telling my suspicions 2 an FBI office and UAlbany officials in Albany, Probably w/hope Ill write, I got directed 2 unlimited complaint form: the IC3. 1st few updates: my suspicion, then a self bio so I’m not on FBIs radar, the rest? Just to get info.-

-when I wroteOn, ages ago, an unlimited IC3 form,Id write&look from atop aHill my apt. was on. Theyre able 2 see enough 2want2 lookUp,while looking@ phone. SameReaction in oldHouse atopHill, behind woods& parkingLot. That input/sounds/“vicinitySpeaking”/themes all paint a pic.-

while writing on IC3 complaint form, no one was acknowledging my situation to me. I don’t want to be on FBIs radar (who on earth does?) from input received, I wrote a short philosophy/parable conveying my point, hoping gist would be delivered and problem end.-

on IC3 complaint form, which last time checked is now only 3 updates vs unlimited, I kept saying I want attention of intended recipient of form, my apologies for troubling them, and please tell family/me what’s going on. Never happened.-

IC3 word soup complaint form, from ages ago (sorry if U tried 2 decipher it/but then no 1 understands intent or talking 2 me), was clarified as such, & a streamlined version, was sent as a series of crime tips (as 1 update per web page submission ), identified as such, 2 FBI.-

-when I submitted crime tips on FBI crime tip page, I submitted times/dates/call records/IC3explanation&usernames…& emailed all of it in a Word Doc 2 FBI after walking 2 federal plaza location-if memory serves me right-on visit. orchestrators should have email @ least I also called the Department of Defense, and it may sound funny, but I got their answering machine, and left a message. I complained to the Federal Trade Commission over hacked communications. I complained to the CIA, who investigate the FBI, when they're not investigating. I sent two complaints to the Attorney General, but on one occasion, got a letter saying I should contact a Pro Bono Lawyer. If the NY Attorney General isn't going to acknowledge my situation, why would someone working for free do it? I complained to the FCC. The Federal FAFSA site used to display social security numbers, without asterisks/plainly, while I think something is showing my computer screen contents as part of a show for other people. I contacted the SUNY system about what was happening at SUNY Albany and they kept redirecting me to the VPs at SUNY Albany, who put me on disciplinary probation and threatened that I cannot talk about my situation.

[mahamid110]

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[showyoumyfavoriteobsession]

Finished* act 2 a little by surprise today

*by which I mean beat Ketheric. Act 2 is probably my least favorite (not saying much, there's still a lot to like), so I was prioritizing the story stuff, but I didn't really realize/remember that freeing Aylin basically cuts off your chance to explore Moonrise Towers at all. I did a much more thorough job exploring the rest of the map than I had last time and found several areas and enemies I had never seen, but completely missed out on infiltrating Moonrise prior to the Ketheric fight. I think there's some amount of exploring there that I can do before moving on to Baldur's Gate; I also did make a save before actually starting the battle with Ketheric, so if I *really* want to I can roll back to there and do some exploring before redoing the battle. (I probably won't but. nice to have the option.)

Biggest changes from my first run were:

Prioritizing Thaniel/lifting the shadow curse. I was curious if you could actually lift it significantly earlier in the act; it seems like the answer to that is "not really." Ketheric's dead and the curse is still there - seems likely that it only triggers when you're on your way out. I did find and fight Oliver well before waking up Art Cullagh, which changed the progression a little bit, but not significantly (you still have to fight him again to reunite him with Thaniel). The most notable change from that quest was having Halsin join me for good much earlier, and I played a good chunk of act 2 with him in my party (sorry Wyll :( ) - last time he didn't sign on until I was basically in act 3, by which point I wasn't going to switch him into my well-established party. I'm enjoying running with him (he's a good combat healer), but so far he seems to have an odd dearth of general world dialogue. Hard to tell if it's a bug or not, but I wasn't getting a voice line at all when I clicked on his portrait or switched to him in battle.

Found Zevlor! I found the rest of the tieflings last time but never found Zevlor; this time was the opposite way around (since I didn't really get to explore Moonrise). I like Zevlor and think he's a cool character, but saving the rest of the tieflings as well is the main reason I'm considering reloading that save.

Speedran the Gauntlet of Shar as much as I could. I really wanted to free Aylin (she's a powerful ally, plus impossible to pass up the top-tier lesbian love story), but man that quest is long. It's felt a bit clunky both times I've done it now - getting through the Gauntlet is basically required to beat Ketheric as far as I can tell, but there’s not much of a hook to pay attention to it without Shadowheart in your party.

Found the third Thorm sibling (the bartender) and defeated him without fighting him, and helped He Who Was with his whole... thing. Again, wild how I just missed some huge fuckin chunks of the map last time around.

Also had my lovely mushy Astarion romance scene where he admits he's catching feelings and shares a little more about his relationship Issues. It's a little surprising how much more extra depth and content there is to the character you're romancing - I wish you could get a little more of that with characters you're equally close with but not romancing. (Lae'zel's approval rating is almost as high as Astarion's but it feels like she's not opening up at all.)

GOD okay I have to stop it's nearly 1am on a work night this game is Doing things to me

[goldensunset]

gameplay/quality of life quirks that i believe the og twewy has over neo:

•strictly speaking you can have a maximum of seven different attacks in twewy, cus six pins that you customize plus your partner as a constant. but there’s no extra seventh option in neo

•map areas load so much faster when going between them

•shopkeepers only have voiced dialogue when you enter, exit, or click on something that triggers the item’s ability to be unlocked. they might say rude things to you via text if you loiter but you don’t have to read it. in neo though they’ll keep talking out loud in your ear if you hang around forever and it’s kinda annoying. also i miss when they used to be straight up mean to you at the beginning lol

•in postgame twewy if you wanna switch your partner you can do that any time in the menu. in postgame neo twewy if you wanna swap out your sixth party member you literally have to go into a special chapter and talk to a specific guy to do it. why. (i mean in terms of gameplay, what characters you have in your party don’t matter nearly as much in this game- it’s just a matter of who has the best stats and who can wear what clothing. in the og tho partners had their own gameplay style so it very much mattered)

•you can’t just manually sell individual pins in your own menu in neo- you have to go find a shop. which is fine since money’s worth nothing if you have nothing to spend it on… until it’s a restaurant you’re trying to go to, inside which you can’t sell your pins, and there are no regular shops in the area.

•in the og it’s ok to go a long time (during a single battle or a chain battle) without scoring cross combos- your sync will stay the same. it’ll only be a waste if you make it out of the battle without using it. as opposed to in neo where it’ll start rapidly decreasing if you go too many seconds without scoring new beatdrops. which can make racking up fusion a ROYAL PAIN UGH WHY

•unlocking 200% and 300% fusion attacks are fixed points in the story, that come with the arrival of certain party members. you get both at different points in the second week. that means you have to make it through more than an entire week with only a tier 1 fusion at your disposal. which kinda sucks. in the og if you were a savvy shopper who spent your scarletite wisely, you’d find the unique fusion upgrades for each partner throughout each of their weeks and simply be able to buy them. you could reach 200% halfway through each week and get 300% by the end.

•in postgame while replaying chapters, when you finished one, it used to just automatically transition into the next one like it did when you were playing it for the first time. now in neo it takes you to your chapter menu for some stupid reason and your menu theme music comes blasting in to potentially ruin whatever cliffhanger-ish mood there was. it used to be an ominously silent transition and as i’ve mentioned before, in a game with constant music, any moment of silence really strikes you

add your own thoughts if you have any!

[kiridarling]

𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

katsuki bakugou | f!reader, implied(ish) mafia!kats, choking, exhibitionism, cockwarming, riding, mild corruption themes, degradation, whore/slut!calling. minors dni!

— 2.5k words

"Listen, I don't give a fuck about your friend—I wanna get to know you better."

“Um, excuse me? Have you seen my friend?”

The ash-blond swimming in smoke stills, mid-conversation with some half-dressed woman to his right. In fact, all the half-dressed women snap their heads your way, all ten of them, sizing you up in your non-promiscuous dress and heels (not compared to theirs, at least) and obvious awkwardness and uncouthness. The ash-blond frowns.

“How’d you fuckin’ get in here?”

“Um,” you glance at the green-haired bouncer who let you through—he’s too busy guarding the entrance to notice. “I just pretended like I knew who you were and he...let me in?”

“Fuckin’ Deku,” the ash-blond groans, rubbing a hand over his face before tossing it over the back of the booth. “Whadd’ya want?”

“Um, I was wondering if you’ve seen my friend,” you repeat, hands fiddling with your bracelets as you crack under the pressure of all the eyes. “She’s um, kinda short with long brown hair. I don’t...it was hard to see the color of her dress in the dark, but I think it was purple?”

The ash-blond blinks as you fumble over your words, causing a second of silence where he does nothing but stare until he snaps, digging his cigar into the ash-tray with finality.

“All right. Shoo, ladies.”

The women surrounding the ash-blond whine and boo. He seems unfazed though, simply shrugging as he says:

“Gotta help this pretty thing find her friend.”

The women clear out quickly and quietly after that. And though you’re unsure why, many of them shoot very nasty looks your way as they pass under the neon red exit sign and into the chaotic club. They look like they want to kill you.

Anyways.

“So...does that mean you know where my friend is?”

“Nope,” the ash-blond says, popping the ‘p’ as he adjusts to the extra space in the booth. “But you get a solid fuckin’ view from up here. Sit.”

You nod and take the spot next to him, scanning the crowd below with narrowed eyes. You look for something, anything that could hint at where your friend could be, but wind up empty-handed.

"D'ya come here often?" he asks, and you shake your head.

"No. I mean, I heard the place is kind of new anyway, so," you shrug absentmindedly. You think you see your friend for a second, just catching a glimpse of brown hair, but once the girl turns, it's clear she's not who you're looking for. Dammit.

"Guess so," the man grunts. You hear him shift but you don't look. "The o—"

"Shoes, did you see her shoes?" You ask before realizing your thought process is light years ahead of his. He gives you a blank look. "I mean—sorry, they're like, really high stilettos with gold on the bottom. I think."

The stranger's angled eyebrows drop. "No."

"Dammit," you click your tongue, before turning back to the crowd. No...no...no...no...

"Listen, I'm not gonna sugar coat it—I don't give a fuck about your friend." He says with a sigh. Your head snaps to look at him because it doesn't matter if he meant it, that's rude, but your thoughts disintegrate into nothing as he grabs you by the chin and says, "I wanna get to know you better."

"Um," You swallow. He's close to the point where your eyes cross trying to put him into focus. "M-Me?"

"You," he confirms with a cocked eyebrow. "What, never been the center of attention before, Princess?"

You falter. Not like this.

"So," he continues when you don't respond. "What's your name, Princess? I'm Katsuki."

You give him yours and meet his hand halfway for a handshake, much too aware of how big it is compared to yours. Katsuki hums, both arms on either side of your being and ultimately, caging you to the booth.

"Y/N..." He repeats, experimentally, like he's trying to see how it fits in his mouth. You don't mind the way it sounds coming from him. "I like it.”

"O-Oh, um," you're unsure of what to say, so you do nothing but blush and place a hand to his chest. You try your hardest to hide your surprise upon feeling how firm it is. "Thank you."

"Don't gotta thank me for stating the obvious," Katsuki grunts, adjusting so his eyes are leveled with yours. "What do you like to do, Y/N?"

There's a hand on your thigh.

It sits right where your dress stops, and it burns—but you find yourself unsure of what you want it to do, whether you want it to go away or continue its journey up. And that's exactly what it does, as Katsuki thumbs the hem to your skirt and you try your hardest to focus on your reply.

"U-Um..." you panic, too much heat in his eyes for comfort. "I don't know."

Katsuki raises an eyebrow in faint amusement, "You don't know?"

"W-Well, I mean—!" You try after realizing how utterly empty-headed you must sound. Katsuki's chuckle diffuses your efforts fairly quickly.

"You're cute, you know that?" He says gruffly, carmine red eyes burning through the dark of the club. You suppress the urge to shrink.

"I—um, thank you," you flush embarrassingly red. Katsuki's eyes study your being for a moment, flickering up and down, and up again until he's tapping the side of your thigh twice.

"Sit in my lap, Princess."

He guides you using your wrist and for some reason you allow him to guide you into his lap, grunting as he nestles you on him comfortably as he overlooks the club. You falter upon feeling something...strangely hard. “What’s that?”

“My dick,” Katsuki grunts, almost absentmindedly, and yet the vulgar comment takes you so off guard that it nearly knocks the wind out of you.

“Oh.”

“‘S your fault for gettin’ me all worked up, Princess,” Katsuki’s hands find their way around your waist before they’re guiding your hips into rolling small, smooth circles against him. Katsuki’s back thumps against the back of the booth as he admires the view, groaning behind a bitten lip. “Told ya to sit still and you didn’t listen.”

You suppose that’s valid.

Plus, you’re enjoying the little groans he’s letting out—along with the sharp inhales when your hips dig harder into his.

“How um—how do I help?”

“Just keep sittin’ pretty, Princess,” Katsuki growls, and you nod, allowing him to guide your hips to his will. It’s a lot of movement, and you find yourself shying away from the balcony as he hikes your dress up to your waist—ultimately exposing the entirety of your lower half. Your goosebumps rise.

“What if people see?”

”They won’t. We’re too high up,” Katsuki soothes, rubbing a thumb over your ribcage as he hooks his chin over your shoulder. “And if they’re fuckin’ nosy? Let ‘em see. The sick fuckers will appreciate the show.”

Let them see. You shiver at that.

Katsuki’s running his hot hands all over your body and they make you feel nothing short of sexy, sliding them up the sides of your body until they curve over your breasts, and drop back down to your hips. They move as if they’re mapping out your body, trying to figure out what makes you tick and what makes you crumble, and you sigh along with the satisfying glide.

“Fuck...you have a better body than those girls ever will,” he groans, but you flush at the way he seems to say it more to himself than to you. “Fuckin’ perfect, fuck.”

“T-Thank you,” you flush, unsure if you were supposed to take the praise or not. Katsuki chuckles.

“So fuckin’ cute, too. You’re welcome, Princess.” His hands move from your waist to the sides of your thighs, tapping twice with open palms. “Squat.”

“Squat?” You confirm with furrowed eyebrows. Katsuki grunts and manhandles you to your feet with a sigh. There isn’t a whole lot of space between the booth and the railing, forcing you to fold over the banister with the cool thing pressing into your gut and your arms keep you from falling completely. You shiver from the cool air as his fingers hook around the fabric of your panties, and then you feel something hot kiss your entrance before Katsuki’s guiding you back down using your hips.

You’re full of him, immediately, and you struggle to hide a whimper as he wastes no time in bottoming out.

“O-Oh—“

“Never had somethin’ this big before, huh Princess?” Katsuki’s strained voice is the only evidence that lets you know he’s feeling good, and you’re tightening around him with a nod.

“N-No, definitely not.”

You have to rest your head against the buzzing railing to just breathe through it, to adjust, and Katsuki chuckles at your shuddering chest. He taps a steady rhythm that matches the beat of the music into your side but doesn’t move, and you find a strange comfort in the vibrating club, with the addition of something inside you providing a uniquely comfortable warmth.

"C-Can I—"

"No," Katsuki grunts, placing heavy hands on your hips to ensure you'll stay in place. "Find your fuckin' friend, first. Y'got a good view."

You whimper and nod, resting your forehead against the cool railing. Fuck—he fills you up too well. As you watch people live their lives down below, you rake your eyes through the crowd in search of a purple dress—and you come up empty.

"I-I don't even know if she's here," you defend, chest shuddering. Katsuki chuckles, though it's laced with something heavier.

"Really? 'Cause you were so fuckin’ sure about twenty minutes ago."

Katsuki's hand cracks against your ass—with a sound you're surprised no one heard over the music—and you yelp. "Dirty fuckin' girl, grinding back on my cock. Impatient girls get punished, you know."

You nearly moan behind a bitten lip. You weren't even aware you were moving.

“F-Found her,” you barely croak out, so relaxed your upper body practically drapes off the balcony. Katsuki snorts, leaning forwards so his mouth is flush against the back of your neck—you gasp from the adjustment.

“Prove it.” He grunts breathily, clearly in a similar condition.

“U-Um, the gold stilettos," you barely manage, and Katsuki hisses as you tighten around him to point down into the fray—lo and behold, there she is, in the middle of the goddamn dance floor with some guy you've never seen before. You...suppose you're in a similar situation. A better one.

"Good girl," the ash-blond coos. Shivering, your hips rolling on their own, but this time Katsuki lets them. You don't stop. “Fuckin’ choking my cock, shit.”

His hands get a little shaky and though it’s hard to discern through your own arousal, you take note of how thin his voice sounds, and continue to roll your hips in the way that makes him shiver. Katsuki starts to trail kisses up your neck which turns into a bite of your earlobe, causing you to hiss from the feeling.

“‘S good?” You ask—Katsuki’s chest vibrates against your back.

“Fuckin’ perfect,” he huffs, guiding hands sliding down your waist. “Keep goin’.”

Not that you were planning on stopping.

Katsuki’s hands slide between your thighs to rub at your clit. You nearly shout, thighs seizing, and the ash-blond chuckles at your inability to stay quiet as if he wasn’t sliding a free hand up your dress to play with your chest.

“Dirty fuckin’ girl—you aren’t even trying to hide it now, are ya? Moanin’ in the club like a goddamn whore.”

You nearly choke at that, slamming a hand over your lips to muffle the sound. Not that anyone would be able to hear you over the club music, but still. Public decency.

Either way, your reaction has Katsuki chuckling, and he hooks his chin over your shoulder as he says, “You like it when I call you dirty, Princess? You like when I point out how fuckin’ filthy you are for me?”

You nod your head vehemently, now bouncing on Katsuki’s cock with a newfound enthusiasm—and you figure the slap on your ass is a signal to respond.

“Answer me, slut.”

“Y-Yeah, I do,” you whimper, and Katsuki’s hand crawls from your breasts to your neck, cutting off your oxygen supply in the best way. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, nearly gasping as you slur:

“Gonna—gonna cum.”

“Yeah? Gonna cum all over my cock in the middle of a club, huh?” Katsuki’s chuckle strains from arousal and you’re positive he’s not that far behind. The hand on your clit speeds up and Katsuki curses as you tighten around him, teeth digging into the meat of your shoulder.

“Cum for me, Princess, fuckin’ do it—“

You squeeze around him with a shout before your orgasm comes over you, shoulders shuddering. Katsuki groans out a broken good girl before his hips buck and grip tightens around your waist as he cums, hands guiding your hips to ride both of your orgasms out until they finally come to a still.

You shiver as Katsuki catches his breath in your neck. Eventually, your racing hearts beat in time with the music and bodies cool enough to not feel so slick with sweat, and finally, Katsuki pulls out with a groan. He doesn't remove you from his lap, though.

"You good?"

You nod, fixing your hair in hopes that you'll look more put together than you feel. "Yeah—yeah I'm fine. You?"

Katsuki turns you in his lap to face him (though it does take some awkward clambering due to the limited space). He zips up his fly and you pull down your dress, the next steps about as uncertain as walking in the dark.

"Why're you asking me?"

"I dunno," you shrug, bottom lip poking out in indifference, "Pussy can take a lot out of a guy, I guess."

Katsuki's pale pink lips slide into a lazy smile, and he drops his head with a snort. "I—yeah okay. Sure."

"What?" You giggle, gesturing at his heaving chest before crossing your hands over yours with a huff. "You're out of breath, aren't you? I did all the work."

Katsuki chuckles at your petulance, shaking his head in defeat, "Y'got me there."

He rests his head against the backboard of the booth to give you a look. You can't put your finger on it, but you feel exposed nonetheless, and you struggle not shrink from it. He licks his lips, "You drink, Princess?"

"Depends," you shrug. The ash-blond grins.

"What do you like?"

"Shirley Temples," you giggle, coiling your arms around his neck. Katsuki's hands return to your waist and it's...comfortable. "Why, you wanna buy me one?"

Katsuki makes a face that signifies yes, he does, and you follow his eyes in peering towards the dance floor again. You see your friend exactly where you saw her last, and upon feeling eyes on her, she looks around to find yours. She shoots you a wink—you roll your eyes.

"What about your friend?" Katsuki snorts, lifting an eyebrow. You snort.

"I found her, didn't I?" You wink, standing to your feet to pull him towards the bar. "Now c'mon! Doing all that work made me thirsty."

click to return to CLUB 777.

[moon-light-jukebox]

Germs [Reid x Reader]

this gif isn’t mine

Summary: Reader is sure the resident BAU genius doesn’t like her, but she’s not sure why. But even if he did like her, he’s a germaphobe, so he wouldn’t be comfortable with the things she wants to do to him...would he?

Pairing: Spencer Reid / (Female) Reader

Word Count: 5.6k

Rating: Mature 

Category: Fluff and Smut 

Content Warning: Brief mentions of torture and violence, usually criminal minds stuff, nothing explicit. Light choking, oral sex (female receiving), penetrative sex, fingering, language (maybe?) 

A/n: I have come out of fan fiction writing retirement for this one. Let me know what y’all think!  masterlist

y/n - your name

y/l/n - your last name

italicized text is Reader’s sassy inner thoughts

---

I’m not sure if I believe in hell, but if there is a hell, I’m sure it feels exactly like Louisiana in July. Every time I walked outside I felt like I was walking into soup. Gross. I couldn’t help but feel guilty over my sigh of relief when I walked back into the local precinct the team was currently working out of. Young women are dying, and I’m worried about a little bit of heat.

But, fuck, it was hot.

Speaking of heat, I thought as I threw open the door to the conference room only to run smack into the hottest thing I’d ever encountered.

“Shit,” I exclaimed before I thought better of it. “I’m so sorry.” I ran my eyes up, up, up, all the way up his body until I met his eyes; those beautiful honey brown eyes that threatened to have me acting like an idiot if I stared into them for too long.  

Dr. Spencer Reid’s cheeks were tinged pink, his posture stiff, his fingers clutching the file he was carrying for dear life. “Don’t worry about it, Y/n,” he sounded uncomfortable, which made my stomach drop. “My fault.” With that, he quickly maneuvered around me and headed off to complete whatever genius task he had to complete.

My eyes followed him until he was out of sight before I mentally shook myself. ‘C’mon, this is pointless,’ I thought. ‘He doesn’t even like you.’ Which I really thought was true, the good doctor went out of his way to avoid me whenever possible. ‘Plus, he’s a germaphobe.’ This thought was confirmed true. He didn’t shake people’s hands, the only people I’d seen him touch during my time at the BAU were members of the team that he’d known for years, and some of those even seemed reluctant.

Admittedly, I didn’t know a lot about germaphobia; since I couldn’t ask the only genius I knew, I did the next logical thing. I googled it. Every person I’d read about seemed to experience germaphobia differently. Some people could have sex, but others were grossed out by the very idea. Knowing my luck, Spencer Reid and his beautiful hands, and his soulful eyes, and his cheekbones that could cut glass was in the repulsed by sex category. Which is fine! Right, it is fine to not be interested in sex; the only problem was I was very interested in every part of him.  

Maybe he thinks I’m gross. Maybe I stink? Maybe he’s just repulsed by my very presence. Regardless, I couldn’t see Spencer Reid ever shoving me against a wall and fucking me senseless.

I sighed, making my way over to the conference table, pulling out a chair before I flopped into it. I could feel the exhaustion settling into my bones. We had been in Louisiana for almost a week now and we were still no closer to finding our unsub. He was a white man, he worked in a lower-paying job, and he hated women. Obviously, that didn’t narrow it down much.

The unsub was targeting women in clubs and bars, following them outside before he bashed them on the back of the head. After that, he threw the girls over his shoulder and took them to his car; he moved them to a secondary location before he tortured them. The first two victims had survived. They were traumatized, but they were fighters; they both said the same things, ‘he kept my eyes covered the entire time,’ “I never saw his face,’ ‘I did whatever he told me to do.’

We thought the killing of the third victim had been an accident, but that accident had excited our guy enough that he changed his ritual; the killing was crucial now. We had 4 bodies, 2 live victims that couldn’t tell us anything, and no leads.

Sighing, I leaned forward, bringing the heels of my hands to my eyes. I hated feeling helpless. The answer to who this fucker was is in this evidence somewhere and I will find it. If it’s the last thing I do.

The doors swung open again, pulling me from my thoughts. Hotch lead the parade of people, followed by Morgan, JJ, and Dr. Reid. Our unit chef looked gravely serious…not that that necessarily meant anything, in the 6 months I’d been with the behavioral analysis unit I hadn’t seen him have any other expression.

Morgan pulled out his phone, hitting what I suspected was speed dial number 1. “Hey baby girl,” he said, without his usual swagger; even he was tired. “You’re on speaker. You’ve got me, Hotch, JJ, Reid, and Y/l/n.”

“And I have the always wonderful Emily Prentiss, and the dashing David Rossi on the line, effectively putting my favorite people together again, as they should be,” Garcia quipped. I don’t think she meant to include me in her list of ‘favorite people,’ but it made me smile anyway. “Okay, crime fighters, what’s the play?”

“We’re still no closer to finding the unsub,” Hotch began. “He’s highly organized, methodical, and paranoid; but he hasn’t killed in 3 days, this is a break from his escalation pattern. He’s going to strike soon.” Hotch leaned over resting his palms on the shiny fake wood of the conference table. “Our best chance is to send an agent out there as bait.” There was a general murmur of agreement before he continued on. “Garcia, we need you to find all of the night clubs, bars, and whatever else you can think of in the updated comfort zone.”

The sound of keys clicking made its way through the speaker. “Assuming we’re excluding the places he’s already hit, that leaves us with 3 possibilities.”

“So far he hasn’t struck a place twice,” Prentiss chimed in. “Do we think he’s going to hold to that pattern?”

Reid moved over to the board where the map of the county was displayed. “I think so. This guy is too careful to risk going to a place where he’s been before. The chance of him being recognized is too great, especially when everyone is on high alert.” He gestured to the area he had circled on the map. “His pattern seems to be focusing in on this center point right here,” he said, placing a pin in the map. “This area means something. Garcia, what is the closest club or bar to the intersection of Washington Avenue and Harrison Street?”

“That would beeeeee…The Blue Fox.”

“That’s where he’ll be,” Dr. Reid said confidently, his eyes moving to Hotch’s face.

The older man nodded. “It’s our best lead so far, we have to run with it.”

“It’s Friday night,” Rossi pointed out. “We’ll have to act soon.”

Hotch nodded, seeming to be lost in thought. “We need to send agents in there tonight. We know the victims were all on dates or flirting with a man right before their abduction. He targets women that are happy with their companions then waits til he can separate them.”

“Who are you planning on sending in, Hotch?’ JJ questioned.

“Y/l/n is the youngest, she fits the build of the previous victims the best.” His heavy gaze rested on me. “What do you think?”

Like it was even a choice. “I’m in.”

Hotch nodded, accepting my answer. “Good. You’ll partner with Reid.”

“What?!” I squawked, much to my embarrassment. I cleared my throat before I continued. “But, Reid and I…I just thought Morgan would be the obvious choice.” Fuck, I’m just digging a bigger hole.

Morgan gave me an easy smile. “You’re just saying that because you wanna see my moves, little mama.”

Hotch cleared his throat, bringing our attention back. “Morgan is too intimidating; the unsub might not move in if he feels too threatened. You’ll go with Reid.” When he was met with silence he continued on, “alright, let’s get to work.”

-

And that is how I wound up in a club in Louisiana on a Friday night, in a tight black dress, with Spencer Reid beside me. After he walked into the club holding my hand. He doesn’t hold hands, I cringed internally at the thought. He must feel so uncomfortable.

He waved the bartender over, ordering a drink for me and a water for himself before turning to me. “I thought a drink would loosen you up a bit. You look nervous.”

I am nervous. “Right. Thanks.” I drummed my fingers on the bar, my gaze sweeping around the club for anyone who seemed out of place and especially creepy. Most lone men at clubs and bars were creepy, but we need especially creepy.

“Is that because you don’t think I can have your back?”

My head snapped back around. “What?”

Spencer paused to accept the drinks from the bartender, sliding him the money. “In the conference room. You seemed upset that Morgan wasn’t going to be your partner,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Is that because you think I wouldn’t have your back?”

Fuck. I blushed to the roots of my hair. “No, Spencer! God no! It’s not that, I know you’d have my back.” I took a sip of my drink before I said anything else. “It’s just that…you don’t seem to like me very much, and I know you have a thing about germs, and I thought maybe that’s why you didn’t like me.” I was babbling; I was absolutely babbling. “I just didn’t want you to be uncomfortable, that’s all. Morgan has never seemed uncomfortable around me, so…” I trailed off lamely.

The corners of his lips quirked up in amusement. “So, you didn’t want to partner with me on this because you didn’t want me to be uncomfortable?”

I nodded, fidgeting with the straw in my drink.

Spencer moved closer to me, his right hand coming to rest on the small of my back. He seemed as calm as he could be, meanwhile I suddenly had trouble breathing.

It’s for the case. He has to do this for the case. Calm down.

"What do my issues with germs have to do with this?" he wondered, leaning closer to me. I could feel his breath on my neck; my skin broke out in goosebumps.

Double fuck. “Well, we’re supposed to be…together. And you think I’m gross. What if you have to kiss me?” TRIPLE FUCK. “Not that we’d have to kiss,” I tried to backpedal. “But we might, you never know. And I just didn’t…I don’t want you to dislike me more than you do.”

The teasing smile slipped from his face, the fingers on my lower back flexing slightly. He regarded me with a tilt of his head. "You're serious?" At my shaky nod, he continued. "Y/n, I don't think you're gross."

“You don’t?” I squeaked.

He lifted his hand from my back then, sliding it up to my shoulder, his free hand moving from the bar to rest on my hip. Spencer brushed my hair back before he leaned forward. Slowly, slowly, slowly, I felt his lips touch the tender skin of my neck. My eyes fluttered shut, unable to suppress a gasp at the contact. Spencer Reid’s beautiful lips slid down to the place where my neck and shoulder met, then I felt his teeth nip the skin before he placed another kiss there. He worked his way back up towards my ear, the hand on my hip moving slightly so he was almost grabbing my ass. “I don’t think you’re gross,” he breathed, causing me to shudder. I could hear the smirk in his voice. “Germs don’t bother me in that way, especially around people I know. I wouldn’t have a problem kissing you, baby.”

I was going to need new panties after this. Spencer Reid, awkward, sweet, Dr. Spencer Reid just called me Baby.

“…Oh.” Really, y/n. Oh; you went with oh?

The good doctor pulled back, his face close enough to mine that I could see that he had freckles under his eyes and that those beautiful eyes got more golden towards the center. "Oh."

-

Michael Watkins was the name of our unsub. He was a short white man with a receding hairline and a bad temper. His last relationship had ended 3 months before the first attack; Spencer was right to pick this bar. Shortly after he tried to make my pussy combust with his neck kisses, Reid suggested I walk to the bathroom, assuring me he’d be watching if anyone followed.

Watkins’ hand was in my hair, dragging me outside before I made it to the ladies’ room. I felt a jolt of fear as I struggled to escape, strands of hair being ripped from my head. I shouldn’t have worried, because no sooner had the outside door opened than I heard the velvety voice of Derek Morgan. “FBI! Put your hands where we can see them.”

He attempted to run. Why would anyone try to run from Derek Morgan?  

After the medics confirmed I was okay, I was sent back to the hotel while the rest of the team went with the local police to book Watkins and try to get a full confession.

“Good work,” Hotch said, his hand clapping down on my shoulder.

The highest praise I’ll ever need.

I hopped into the shower right when I got back to my room, not wanting Watkins’ touch on me for a moment longer.

Spencer’s touch, however,…That was a touch I wouldn’t mind having on me. But he’d barely looked at me once he made it outside. I knew he was being affectionate in there because of the case, we were playing a role. I knew that. I still couldn’t stop the twinge of hurt I felt.

But he doesn’t think I’m gross. That had to count for something.

I had just got done blow drying my hair enough so that it wouldn’t look too crazy when I woke up when there was a knock on my door. Figuring it was Emily, I didn't consider the fact that I was in my pajamas, and my face was scrubbed free of makeup.  

It wasn’t Emily. Spencer Reid stood on the other side of my door, his eyes running down my body before he met my bewildered stare again. “You look comfy,” he commented with that damn little smile on his lips again.

“Oh. Yeah. I took a shower.” Way to go, y/n, you’re really killing it tonight.

“I see that,” he said, his cheeks going a little bit pink. “Can I come in? I thought we should talk.” Was he nervous? Why would he be nervous?

I ushered him in, shutting the door behind him. He sat on the bottom edge of my bed; his body angled towards the headboard. I briefly debated about where to sit before I joined him. Don’t make it weird, y/n.

He cleared his throat before he began. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable tonight. I just wanted to make sure we got the guy.”

Right. “Oh, it’s okay, Spencer. I get it. I wasn’t uncomfortable.” I picked at the frayed edge of my sleep shorts, my eyes dropping so he didn’t see anything on my face that betrayed how I was feeling; you can’t be too careful around profilers.

His hand reached out to cover my own fidgeting hands, one of his hands covering both of mine. His hands were so big. His fingers were so long, the veins in his hands were so pronounced. I bet those fingers would feel really – FOCUS.

“I’m also sorry you thought I didn’t like you.” His thumb had started to move slowly over the back of my hand. “I do like you. I like you a lot, actually. I just…” I brought my gaze back up to meet his eyes. “I just get nervous sometimes.”

“You didn’t seem nervous in the club.”

“No,” he chuckled. “I wasn’t nervous then because it was my job. I wasn’t worried about misreading a signal…doing the wrong thing…I’m not the best with social cues.” I had noticed that about him before. “But I am a really good profiler.” And he’s humble too, apparently.

“I know that you couldn’t fake your reaction to me in the club. Your breathing became quicker, I felt your pulse jump under my lips when they were on your neck. I saw how blown your pupils got." He shifted closer to me then, bringing his other hand up to push my hair behind my shoulder like he did earlier in the night. "Just like they are now."

He leaned closer to me, his voice was lower, and it made my stomach flutter. "You're clenching your thighs together, Y/n. Your shirt may be baggy, but I can see how hard your nipples are too." His tongue ran out to wet his lips. "If I'm wrong, just tell me now. If I've misread this, I will leave right now, and we can pretend this never happened." Spencer brought both his hands up to cradle my face; despite how wet my panties were, how tight my nipples are, how badly I wanted him to touch me, this gesture made me feel special. He was holding me like he actually cared about me like I was precious. "But, if I'm not wrong, and you want this too, Y/n, tell me. Tell me you want this too and I won't stop touching you until you scream my name."

I let out a soft whimper then. Like it’s a choice. “I want this,” I leaned into his touch. “Please, Spencer.”

His thumb brushed over my cheek, his eyes never leaving mine. “Please, what, baby?”

“Kiss me.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth than his lips were on mine. His lips were softer than I imagined, they were firm and almost…questioning. When I nipped at his bottom lip, something seemed to break free inside of him. His lips slanted over mine with a hunger I had never felt. His tongue ran over my bottom lip before I opened for him. Spencer’s tongue moved into my mouth while his hands moved; one hand moved back to grip my hair at the base of my skull, tugging firmly, the other moved down to my neck, not applying any pressure, just resting it there in a gesture that felt possessive.

The need for oxygen broke us apart, his lips moving across my cheek to my jaw, then down to my neck. “How could you think I didn’t like you?” he mumbled into my skin. “You have no idea what you do to me. None.”

I threw my head back when he sucked on my pulse point, a moan ripping from my throat. “W-what…what do I do?”

Pulling back from me, he gripped the bottom of my shirt, looking at me for consent before he pulled it over my head. His eyes were firmly on my chest, his lips parted, his breathing heavy. He pushed me down slowly on the bed; I was on my back and he was hovering over me. I felt his mouth place hot, wet, kisses from my collarbone down towards my breasts. His right hand landed on my breast, his thumb brushing back and forth over my nipple while his lips moved closer and closer to my left. I tangled my hands in his hair, urging him forward.

“You want to know what you do to me?” he raised his head slightly, making sure my eyes were on him when he flicked his tongue over my nipple, causing me to gasp. “What do you do to me in your little skirts, with your little smiles, and your little laughs?” He gave my nipple a sharp pinch. “You’re all I fucking think about, y/n.” With a growl, he finally took my nipple in his mouth, teasing it with his teeth and tongue. He switched to the other breast while he adjusted himself over me, bringing his pelvis down to rest at the seam of my body between my thighs. I shifted restlessly under him, trying to grind my pussy against him. He was so fucking hard.

With a groan, he lifted his head and started kissing his way towards the middle of my chest, moving down to the curve of my stomach. “Do you know how many times I came back to my hotel room after spending all day with you and was so hard I had to cum before I could think of anything else?” he peppered kisses down my body as he spoke.

My eyes shot open at this confession that he seemed to think was no big deal. “What?” I couldn’t believe this. “You…you touched yourself and thought of…”

He hooked his fingers into the waistband of my shorts and panties, taking my raised hips as an invitation to remove both from my body. "You. I thought of you." He threw my clothes on the floor, pulling my legs open. His eyes moved over all of me, his Adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed hard. “I thought about kissing you. About making you squirm for me.” He ran his fingers up and down my thighs, his mouth running slowly over my inner thighs. Spencer’s hands hooked around my upper thighs, moving me to where he wanted me. “But, most of all, I thought about this pretty pussy.” He placed a kiss on my clit, chuckling at the wanton moan that came from me and how my fingers tangled in his soft brown curls. “I thought about all the different ways I could make this pretty pussy cum all over me.” With that, he ran his tongue up my slit before flicking it over my clit.

Dr. Spencer Reid was good at everything, so of course, he was good at this too. His mouth moved over me, watching my reaction to see what I liked best. His tongue moved in circles around my clit before slipping down to my opening. His tongue plunged inside me, fucking me, while his thumb came over to rub my clit.

“Spence- fuck- Spencer, please.” My hips tried to shift restlessly, but his arms were iron bars holding me still. He slowly moved his left forearm to rest across my hips, bringing his right hand down to my throbbing pussy. He pulled his mouth away from me, much to my dismay. He pushed one finger, then another into me. My head thrashed wildly, and my thighs started to shake. “Spencer!”

He just smirked and curled his fingers, hitting the spot inside me that made everything in my body pulse. “What, baby?”

My breaths were coming in gasps, my voice was a needy whimper. “Make me cum, Spencer. Please, please make me cum.”

He needed no other encouragement. His fingers continued their steady thrust in and out of me while his mouth covered my clit again. He alternated between flicking my clit with his tongue, then circling it before pulling it into his mouth, sucking lightly.

“Spencer.” I felt my orgasm rising. “Spencer don’t- don’t stop. I’m gonna cum, please make me cum.”

He kept his pace steady, sucking on my clit, moaning at my words. His eyes had been closed, but at that moment they opened and met mine. Then I felt his teeth ghost over my clit, I saw the want in his eyes. That was my undoing. My back arched, my mouth hung open in a silent scream. I heard myself say his name over and over again. Spencer pushed his fingers inside me, massaging me through the most powerful orgasm I had ever had. With one final kiss on my oversensitive clit, he withdrew his fingers, putting them into his mouth to suck my orgasm off of them.

He kissed back up my body, and I tried to respond, but I was still so shattered. I had never felt anything so powerful before. He cupped my face in one hand and kissed me slowly. I returned the kiss, moving my hands to the buttons of his shirt.

Spencer broke the kiss, pulling back to look at me again. “Hang on, baby.” His hand came up to still my own. “We can take a second. It’s okay. Just breathe.”

This beautiful man smiled at me then. I felt my heart flutter when he leaned down to pepper soft kisses along my jaw, his thumb coming up to wipe a tear that fell from the corner of my eye that I hadn’t even noticed.

I don’t know how long we stayed like that. He shifted to lay beside me, whispering reassurances to me while I came back down. This was just one of the ways that Spencer was so different from every other man. I didn't feel rushed, or pressured. I could feel how hard he still was, I could feel the tension in his body, but he simply kissed me while he cupped my jaw.

He made me feel…cherished.

I moved my hands to tangle in his hair again, deepening our kiss. He didn’t move my hands away when I started to work on the buttons of his shirt. The fire that I thought had been calmed by my orgasm had come roaring back. Spencer moved his hands to his belt while I finished with his shirt. His shirt came off, tossed in the same direction as my clothes. I pulled his pants and boxers down his legs, watching his cock spring free.

Everything about him was painfully beautiful. His angular cheekbones, the jaw that looked like it was carved from granite, even the toned muscles of his body. He had a small trail of hair that went down from his belly button to his groin. His cock laid against his stomach, the head glistening with precum.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered, kneeling beside him, running my eyes over his body.

His soft hand came to grab mine, pulling it to his lips. He kissed the back of my hand, smiling softly at me.

I moved to straddle him, lower on his thighs. I took him in my hand, moving up and down, twisting my wrist as I neared the tip, swiping my thumb over his head.

“Baby,” he groaned. “Y/n, as much as I want you to do…whatever the fuck you want with me, I’m so close. I feel like I’m going to explode.” I bit into my bottom lip, unable to totally stop the smile spreading over my face. “Please, I need to feel your pussy wrapped around my cock.” He moved his hands to my hips, urging my body forward.

I raised up on my knees, taking him in my hand again, lining him up with my entrance. The tendons in his neck were strained, his fingers gripped my hips so hard I knew I was going to have bruises tomorrow. As I slowly started to sink down on his cock, Spencer let out the sexiest groan I had ever heard. His eyes were fixed where our bodies were joined, watching his dick slid deeper inside of me.

“Come on, baby,” he whispered. “You’re doing so good. Just a little bit more.”

He was so long, he wasn't overly thick, but just thick enough to cause a pleasurable stretching when he breached me that was almost painful. I gasped out a sound that might have been his name when he bottomed out inside me. I slowly circled my hips, adjusting to him. Spencer’s nails dug into my hips as he forced himself to stay still.

“Please move, y/n. Please. You’re so fucking tight.” He groaned as my walls fluttered around him. “Do you like it when I talk to you? Does that make your pretty pussy wetter?” He smirked at my whimper as I tightened around him.

I began at a slower pace, trying to tease him. Spencer quickly lost patience with that; he thrust his hips upwards, meeting my movements, his hands pushing me down onto him. I leaned forward, bracing on hand on his shoulder, the other on the bed. He pounded into me while I tried to match his pace. Spencer’s hand moved from my hip up to wrap around my throat. I nodded, forcing my eyes to stay open as he moved inside me.

His fingers squeezed slightly, pulling my face closer to his. Our lips met in a sloppy kiss. My thighs burned from matching his movements. “You feel so fucking good, y/n.” His grip on my neck tightened ever so slightly, which only heightened my arousal. “I want to feel you cum on my cock. Can you do that for me, pretty girl?”

He flipped us over quickly, never pulling completely out of me. Spencer moved to push my legs further apart, the change in angle allowing him to fill me deeper than I thought possible. His hair was sticking to his brow, his cheeks were flushed, his breathing erratic. He was the most fucking beautiful thing I had ever seen.

One hand held my leg, the other went down to my pussy, his thumb moving over my clit at a rapid pace. “Tell me what you need, Pretty Girl. Tell me how to make this pretty pussy cum all over me.”

I whined at his words. “Spencer, I-“ my voice broke off. I was so fucking close. "I need you." He seemed to understand my broken plea. He brought his body down, his chest flush against mine. He rocked into me at such a fast and hard pace. His hand still in between us rubbing circles around my clit.  

I felt his lips ghost over my ear. “I want to fucking hear you, y/n.” His speed increased, his thrust getting choppier. He was close. “I want this whole fucking town to hear what you sound like when I make you cum. When you cream all over my dick, I want you to scream my name.” With that, he moved his mouth down my neck. He bit the same tender area he had kissed in the club, where my neck met my shoulder.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck yes, Spencer!" I felt myself begin to splinter apart. “Please make me cum, fuck please.” My babbling finally broke as my orgasm tore through me. I couldn’t hear his deep groan when I came, my scream was too loud. I felt the vibration against my neck. It was only as I started to float down that I realized my nails were dug into his back. With a few last thrust and my name on his lips, I felt Spencer pulse, cumming inside me.

We lay there for a few minutes, just breathing before he rolled off of me. I felt overwhelmed, so I was relieved when he tugged me over to him. He wrapped his arm around me when I laid my head on his chest. I felt his lips on my forehead. “It’s very important for women to urinate after sexual intercourse to avoid UTIs, but you have another minute or so before that becomes more urgent.”

I couldn’t control my laugh at his comment. "Thanks, Doc." I kissed his chest. "Only you could make me cum so hard I almost blackout, then go back to being…you." I slowly untangled myself from him, going to the bathroom to handle business. When I returned, I found Spencer where I left him, his eyes were fixed on the ceiling, one hand resting behind his head, the other over his heart. He looked so lost in that moment.

“Spencer?” I asked, crawling on to the bed. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t pretend that something wasn’t bothering him. “When you said that I just go back to being me…Do you not like that?”

My heart broke a tiny bit at the question. “Spencer, no! I love that! I love your little facts and statistics!” How did he not know that? “The best part of my day is listening to you talk. Just being with you is wonderful.” I cupped his face, bringing his gaze to mine. “Sure, I like what we just did; but I liked you before that. I want both.” Fuck. “Assuming you want me,” I rambled quickly. “This doesn’t have to mean anything, I know that it doesn’t always-“

He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine in the sweetest kiss I had ever felt. It was filled with hope and promise and…Spencer.

“It means everything to me, Y/n.”

-

I didn’t see the rest of the team until the next morning when we all boarded the jet; I was so ready to go home. I personally didn’t think anything appeared that different. Spencer sat beside me on the couch, but that wasn’t weird…right? We were just co-workers, sitting beside each other super casually. Had we spent most of last night and a little bit of this morning screwing each other’s brains out? Certainly. But you couldn’t see that…right?

Morgan’s chuckle is what confirmed I was so wrong. “Hey, y/l/n,” he called, smiling so hard it looked like his face would split from his amusement. “You missed a spot.” He pointed towards his own neck.

There was a beat of silence before Hotch snorted. SSA Aaron Hotchner, the man who never found anything funny was laughing at me.

I felt myself turn tomato red, angling my body towards Spencer’s, burying my head against his shoulder, away from the rest of the team.

“I bet you’re glad pretty boy was your partner now, huh?”

I may have wanted to melt into the floor in embarrassment, but it was sort of worth it to see the blush on Spencer’s cheeks.

--

[hey-there-love]

Apologize: The Morning After

Summary: Was it an accident waking up in Bakugo’s bed or was it grand design

Content Warning: Aged up, NSFW, 18+, Masc oral receiving, penetration, little tiny dacryphilia, AU, Adult Language, Enter at Your Own Risk

WC: 2.3K

Type: Imagine

Hot. You were unbelievably hot. You kicked your leg out from under the comforter and let it hang over the edge of the bed. The bright sunrise flooded through the cracked blinds, beating down onto your skin. Refusing to open your eyes to let the reality of being awake sink in you remained completely still. That was until you heard soft snores from your bed.

Your eyes shot open, confused on who the snores belonged to until it clicked in your head. You slowly rolled your head over to make sure. This wasn’t your bed or your room. This was Bakugo’s.

Shit!

You internally screamed. You had never shared a bed with him before. Spending the night was more intimate than what you did in the dark. It brought everything into a different light. A light that you weren’t ready to confront.

You took a minute to admire the sleeping being infront of you. There he laid, blonde hair splayed against the pillow and his forehead. His smooth face was illuminated by the sunny glow. Not a furrow or frown line in sight. Slightly parted rose colored lips blew small puffs of air. He looked peaceful, angelic almost.

Your chest felt tight, feeling guilty for gawking at him while he rested blissfully. Memories flooded into your brain from the night before. The dull ache between your legs was a reminder of your actives. You came to the realization that you loved this boy, you couldn’t deny it anymore. You had to escape before you languished in your thoughts any longer.

You quietly sat up and threw your legs over the side of the bed. You were ready to run as soon as your feet hit the ground. You felt Bakugo’s hand reach up and grab your wrist gently. “You’re not leaving are you?” His husky voice rang through you ears. You had been caught.

You turned your head slightly to meet his eyes. His once hard, crimson glare was different. Now they were soft, searching for something. It made you melt. You mentally cursed before saying, “No...just brushing my teeth.”

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly and released your wrist. “Proceed.” Bakugo stated. You reached inside your bag and pulled out your toothbrush.

Hastily, you retreated to the bathroom and shut the door. Leaning against the counter you took a ragged breath. Your head hurt. You were aggravated with yourself that you came to your deduction in his presence instead of the privacy of your own thoughts. A place where you could sift through it all and try to make sense of your feelings. As much as you wanted to run, you also wanted to go fall back into Bakugo’s waiting arms and snuggle into him.

You inspected yourself in the mirror, utterly grossed out with how you were presented infront of him. However, you didn’t mind falling asleep in his trademark black shirt and briefs. You threw some water on your face and scrubbed the smudged mascara from under your eyes. While brushing your teeth, you worked diligently to finger rake the tangles out of your hair.

“Oi, hurry up. You’re not the only one with shitty breath.” Bakugo’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door. You flung the door open, revealing the man in a pair of black sweats that hung off of his waist deliciously.

“Wow.” You sighed. He shot you a confused, sideways look. “Your breath really does stink. I can smell it from here.” You grinned and poked the flesh of his cheek.

Bakugo’s face lit up red before saying, “Shut up before I melt your eyebrows with it.” You crinkled your nose in response and moved out of the bathroom. You laid back into his bed and awaited his return.

When the door opened, you were aware that the Bakugo you were used to still wasn’t present. His stance wasn’t rigid like normal, it was light and airy. The tension he always carried was gone. It was different, a good different. He slid back into bed under the covers next to you, his arm slinking around your waist to pull you closer.

Delicate kisses were littered across your neck, tickling you. You bit your lip to suppress your giggles. It didn’t work. “Love that sound.” He smiled and continued to pepper them along your collarbones. Bakugo’s long fingers began to poke at your sides, earning more giggles.

“Stop it, we’re going to wake up Kiri!” You whinned, attempting to grab his arms to stop the assault. This only made him work faster. Your ribs were burning with the pain of laughter.

“Can’t wake someone up if they’re not here!” Bakugo hollered and laid ontop of you, making sure there was no easy getaway. Deciding that you couldn’t flee safely another idea came into mind.

You grabbed his jaw and pulled him towards you, landing a slow kiss on his lips. This halted his actions, instead his hands moved to prop himself up. You bit his lip lightly, earning a groan in response. You throughly enjoyed the noises he made. Maybe this sleeping over thing wasn’t half as bad as you made it out to be.

His hand slid down to the briefs you adorned, toying with the band that laid across your skin. You lifted your hips slightly, not breaking the kiss. Bakugo slid the underwear down your hips to your knees before taking a finger to play with your clit. Hushed noises escaped your throat to his lips.

His finger slowly made its way inside, collecting the slick to bring it back to your clit. Bakugo rubbed back and forth leisurely before continuing to pay attention to your core. He thrusted two fingers in, making your back arch from the bed.

“Your pussy is so perfect, Y/N.” He groaned, pulling down the briefs with his free hand and freed your legs. “What if I just cockwarmed myself for a little while...” Bakugo trailed off as he curled his fingers, drumming against the spongy spot inside of you.

You nodded quickly, before connecting your lips with his. You could feel his grin against your mouth as he slid off his sweats, freeing his dick. You instantly grabbed it and began to stroke his length. Bakugo replaced your hand with his before looking into your eyes. “Can I? I’ll put a condom on in a minute I swear.”

You had never had Bakugo raw before. You contemplated for a moment. You weren’t as worried because you both had been very open about your health and he revealed he wasn’t with anyone else in a long time. Plus, you were on the pill. You licked your lips slightly before answering, “Okay, you can Katsuki.”

That’s all it took. Bakugo began to tease your heat slowly with the tip. Sliding up and down to dampen himself with your slick. He finally aligned himself with you and pressed in slowly. It was a foreign feeling being skin to skin. “Shit, you feel so amazing.” He hissed, sinking himself into you. Pretty soon you were completely filled with his dick.

Bakugo pulled you into a tight embrace and rested his head against yours. Your walls fluttered around him as you adjusted to the new sensation. “Holy fuck, so good.” You moaned wrapping your arms around him, enjoying the new level of closeness. You had never felt more safe.

“Mhm, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to feel you like this baby.” Bakugo whispered and planted a kiss against your cheek. Time seemed to slow down. You tried to blissfully enjoy being in the moment with him, but your arousal grew immensely. You wanted more. You needed more.

“Please, move Katsuki.” You begged, moving your hips to urge him.

“Only for a few.” He murmured, drunk on your velvety walls. His thrusts began short and swallow. Making sure to map out each crevice and rib inside of you. Your whimpers were music to his ears.

You ran your hands through his hair, gingerly pulling at the roots. The Bakugo that was nestled between your thighs was new. It was Katsuki.

You wanted to treat him for once, make him feel like he deserved to be treated like he walked on air. You placed your hand on his chest, lightly pushing him to lie on his back. “What are you doing baby?” He whinned at the loss of contact between you.

“Switching things up.” You responded, straddling his waist. He folded his arms behind his head and gave you a smirk indicating for you to start. You began to leave kisses on his neck, trailing down to his chest. You licked a strip of heat down his abdomen to the blonde tuff of hair, planting a kiss onto it. You grasped his cock and looked up at him through your lashes in an attempt to be seductive.

It definitely worked. Katsuki’s eyes bore a hole in you, awaiting your next move with anticipation. You began to kitten lick the tip gently before pressing your lips upon it. He hissed in approval as a hand reached to the back of your head. You slowly took him into your mouth, hollowing your cheeks out on the way down. There was no way your could fit his whole dick in your mouth comfortably so you used your hand to massage the rest.

“Damnit,” Katsuki moaned and pulled the hair in your eyes away from your face. “You look so pretty while your sucking me off.” You felt your cheeks turn red. It was either a result of the compliment or the interrupted air flow. You took a breather, but still toyed with him. The hand that rested on your head cupped your cheek, swiping his thumb across your bottom lip.

“So fucking perfect.” You braced yourself and pushed Katsuki’s cock to the back of your throat, swallowing the majority of his length. “Fuck.” He groaned and pressed your head down, urging you to go past your limit. You allowed him to fuck your mouth throughly for a few minutes. Tears welted in your eyes. Animalistic growls escaped his chest indicating that his release wasn’t far away.

You knew he was about to be pissed at you, but you didn’t care. You quickly removed him from your mouth and straddled his waist again. “What the fuck.” He whinned, throwing his head onto the pillow.

“Would you just be quiet for once.” You said, lining yourself up with his cock. You hardly ever rode Bakugo. He was always the dominant one, constantly pinning you in place and fucking you into the mattress at any given time. You always took it, enjoying letting someone else take control for a while.

You teased yourself with his dick. Sliding up and down his length. “Oh you’re one to ta-“ He attempted to say, but was quickly cut off by you sinking onto him slowly. You bit your lip as you adjusted to the pleasure of him being that deep. “Fuck.” He hissed and gripped onto your thighs. There were definitely going to hand marks later on.

Leisurely, you moved making sure to glide on every single inch. Your hands moved up to clutch your breasts through the thin material of his shirt. You were a moaning mess, it had never felt this good when you practiced riding alone. This was a whole new feeling, his dick dragging against your walls and hitting your spot perfectly each time.

Katsuki looked like he was enjoying the same amount of pleasure. His eye brows furrowed together, while his jaw hung slack. Instead of the grunts and groans that he normally made he moaned and whinned like a little bitch under you. You relished in the fact that you were the one who was making Katsuki Bakugo fall to his knees.

You increased your pace, feeling a knot growing in your stomach. You threw your head back as you gear shifted him. Katsuki could feel your walls clenching, indicating that your orgasm was in sight. He began to encourage you. “You’re so beautiful when you fuck yourself Y/N.” He thumb connected to your clit and began to rub circles. “You take my dick like a pro. Are you gonna cum all over me?” He prodded stroking your clit faster.

You were speechless, you were swirling down the drain. “I’m cumming!” You screamed, seeing stars. That was all it took for Katsuki to take control once again and flip you onto your back, still inside. Your walls fluttered, grasping onto his dick. It made his own release speed up. He rammed into you roughly, every word that left his mouth was dirty.

Your legs began to shake. “This is my fucking pussy.” He growled possesively, “Will always be mine.” Katsuki quickly pulled out and stroked himself a few times before finally unloading and painting your stomach with his seed.

He jumped up and returned a few moments later with a warm wash cloth. Inspecting each area carefully, he made sure to wipe all your crevices and his load from you. He laid beside your silently as he ran his hand through your hair.

You both stared at each other blissfully for a few minutes until he looked down at the mattress. “Don’t make this awkward okay?”

You scrunched your face together lightly. You were obviously confused. Could he tell you had more feelings than what you led on? Katsuki sighed before hiding his face.

“Will you go on a date with me?”

[galateagalvanized]

Wait you're taking prompts?? Omg I want to send you multiple hahah uhm how about '8 for codywan' ? I'd love some angst but I'll take whatever you like!

8. Shielding the other with their body

Cody wouldn’t say he has a favorite battleground terrain, exactly. Some are better than others—open ground is great for air support, and evacuated urban environments are well-mapped with plenty of cover—but some are worse.

Much worse.

In fact, Cody might not have one he likes the most, but cave systems are definitely the terrain he likes the least.

“Oh, it’s not so bad,” Obi-Wan says ahead of him, crouched behind a series of stalagmites as blaster fire reflects on the glistening cave walls. In the dull glow of Cody’s headlamp, he’s been steadily accumulating swatches of mud and grime.

“Which part, sir?” Cody asks, returning a few blasts with his Deece more for appearances than anything else. 

“The lack of zombie bugs is nice,” Obi-Wan calls, and a twist of his wrist brings a couple of stalactites down on the droids laying down fire. “And the lack of radioactivity is an extra plus.”

It’s a struggle not to shake the man, sometimes. 

“Sir, I’d like to log an official compl—”

Cody cuts himself off when he feels the ground jolt beneath his feet, just a little jump, but enough to make him hold his breath. These are ancient Geonosian caves, he remembers, on the very fringes of their society, and they weren’t made to handle creatures with skeletons on the inside. 

Nor a heavy plastoid exoskeleton, if he wants to continue the metaphor.

The ground rolls beneath his feet, then, a massive circular motion like a boat caught in an ocean wave, and kriff, he thinks. The 501st had to blow the hive. They must have triggered something.

In the sharp highlight of Cody’s headlamp, Obi-Wan turns towards him with an arm outstretched. “Cody,” he says, and it’s not his usual here’s the plan tone. It’s just pure urgency, a hindbrain, instinctual kind of worry. 

It’s a second of Force-given intuition that saves them both. Cody’s moving before his brain even fully registers the cave columns snapping while the walls and the ceiling and the floor all start, with terrifying cracks, to break apart.

His arms go around Obi-Wan’s waist as he tackles Obi-Wan towards the closest cave wall, away from the spreading devastation in the center of the chamber, where hopefully some structural integrity will be preserved. A limestone block slams into the back of his bucket, and it drives Cody’s head visor-first into the muck next to Obi-Wan’s. 

The disorientation lasts until the rocks are settled around and on top of them. Cody comes back to himself slowly, cautiously, mentally mapping out the feeling in his arms and legs. The HUD overlay in his visor is the only thing he can see, and his chest feels like Alpha-17 has him in a full Nelson, but everything is mostly attached. In the bitter darkness, Cody tries to turn his head and can only move a few narrow centimeters to the side. 

His visor’s equipped with a lowlight tactical mode, and his heart nearly leaps out of his chest when he turns it on to find Obi-Wan’s mud-striped face directly in front of him. Blood is winding through the dirt dusting his face, turning nearly black on the grainy grayscale image of the HUD.

“Sir?” Cody says, clicking his back teeth to amplify the vocoder’s sound. “Sir, please, I—”

Obi-Wan’s eyes flicker open with devastating, terrible slowness. “Steady, Commander.”

“Sir,” Cody acknowledges gratefully. 

His heart rate starts dropping back down from astronomical heights, and he can feel, now, the warmth of Obi-Wan’s waist beneath his outflung arm, the chum-chum of Obi-Wan’s body keeping him alive, the faint but steady pound of his heart. Cody had landed chest-down beside Obi-Wan with one arm around his general, as if they were partners in some Coruscanti waltz: hip to hip, with their faces turned towards each other.

Cody takes a careful breath and finds his lungs can’t expand quite as much as he’d like them to. His chest armor is trapped between layers of bedrock, and its compressive strength is the only thing keeping him—and, next to him, Obi-Wan—from the crush of the rock above. 

The overlying bedrock can’t be too heavy, Cody knows. Plastoid isn’t exactly katarn armor. But it’s enough, he thinks with relief. He can be grateful for ‘enough’. 

“Are you okay?” Obi-Wan asks, soft, and tries and fails to shift the arm trapped between their bodies. “Can you breathe?”

“Mostly,” Cody says, and he’s grateful for the rebreather in his bucket. The main problem is the restriction, not the oxygen. “I’ve been demoted to structural support, it looks like.”

“Ha, well. You’ve always had many talents.” 

Obi-Wan closes his eyes, and Cody realizes that he’s been staring into the blinding light of Cody’s headlamp. He swaps to infrared with a couple blinks, but, across from him, Obi-Wan keeps his eyes closed.

“Thank you, Cody,” Obi-Wan says, and Cody feels him shifting so that his far hand is tucked next to where Cody’s is wrapped around his waist. With effort, Cody tangles their fingers together as best he can. “But you don’t—you don’t have to keep putting yourself between me and what’s trying to kill me.”

“I don’t think I could; everything’s trying to kill you,” Cody says, but he doesn’t understand. Of course he does, he thinks, wondering if Obi-Wan had hit his head despite Cody’s best efforts. He’d put himself between Obi-Wan and the whole godsdamned universe, if he could. 

“Even so,” Obi-Wan says, and it’s not possible, it’s not, but Cody thinks the madder blue gleam of his eyes manages to show up on the infrared. “Your life is worth no less than mine, my dear commander. We do this together.”

With a painful shift, Obi-Wan turns to put one hand up on the press of limestone above them. It doesn’t seem to move even a millimeter, but Cody’s chest can move just the slightest bit more, and he sips in a few more grateful breaths.

“Jorso'ran kando a tome, right?” Obi-Wan says, and something drops low in Cody’s gut to hear his general quoting Vode An, despite the horrible Coruscanti accent.

“We shall bear the weight together,” Cody agrees, soft, even as his heart spins itself like a centrifuge, separating himself into component parts, into duty and honor and an aching, desperate love for the man beside him. Obi-Wan is wrong, for once: there’s nothing Cody wouldn’t step in front of for Obi-Wan. Nothing at all.

His HUD beeps when a signal comes in, filtering through the limestone.

“The 212th have our distress beacon,” he says, and he feels Obi-Wan’s sigh of relief as if it were his own.

“Then we can bear this weight just a little longer,” Obi-Wan says, and he tightens his grip on their tangled fingers, and they do.

Send me a ship & a prompt from here, if you’d like!

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

A while ago I saw a spreadsheet going around of where British comedians are from and what accent they have and I can’t find it again, and I feel like if I saw it on any blog, it was yours. Do you happen to have it or know of it?

You are correct about that! I made it last fall and I can already think of a bunch of things I know about Britcom now that I didn't know then, meaning more people would be on the list if I made it now. Maybe I'll update it at some point. As of fall 2021, it includes all the comedians I knew well, plus a few whom I did not know but just know are important parts of Britcom history. Obviously it leaves out many, many current and historic comedians, because, you know, there are a lot of them.

For the people I did put on the list, I included where they came from, but also what we know of their schools, because the list was meant as a way to look up someone’s accent, and schools affect that. In general, with lots of exceptions, but if you’re trying to learn how to hear the differences among various UK accents, then in general, expensive schools will translate to a more “posh” accent, and free schools will translate to a more working class accent, in addition to the regional variations.

Here's the list I came up with when making a spreadsheet of every British comedian I could think of:

British Comedian Spreadsheet

I also made a map that has each comedian as a data point, telling you where they grew up. I find it interesting to zoom in on the UK and then click on different dots to see what name is associated with them; the distribution of the dots shows you what areas have more or fewer famous comedians come from them.

British Comedian Map

I hope you enjoy looking through these as much as I enjoyed making them, which is... too much. If you enjoy this collection of information as much as I do, you need to go outside more.