#And I haven't even gotten into the other characters.....

[xsoldier]

I always found it interesting that Widowmaker basically exists stuck in this nigh-untouchable niche of instant hitscan burst damage, because they took away things that were similar to that. She is a glass cannon in her game design niche… but not in her kit as a character.

As a character, there's the mobility-lacking glass cannon character like Zenyatta who initially had a charged projectile burst fire that could headshot at a distance, but that projectile volley release specifically got slowed down by 15% to lower the burst damage potential, so that hitting long-range (counter) snipes would be more difficult. Glass cannons HAVE to be able to erase characters, otherwise their advantages don't outweigh their weaknesses as a design.

Thus, as they kept making the extremely sharp edge Zenyatta had more dull, they had to bolster his glass survivability by adding things like his snap-kick in OW2. The game was making its glass cannons less & less into ACTUAL glass cannons, but Widowmaker can't lose that aspect to her core design as hitscan head-clicking. It's overlooking that her gameplay necessitates other characters being glass cannons to counter her, because that's what that kind of FPS skillset is, but what a MOBA isn't.

Over time, those sorts of changes just kept making it so that Widowmaker had fewer and fewer possible burst counters to be able to suddenly peak & erase her at various levels of play other than just… another Widowmaker, until that's all that was left. The more that they levelled out everyone else to a different playstyle that couldn't burst down — the more locked into that impossible niche Widowmaker became, even more at the highest levels of play.

There's also the core issue of hero-swapping. For that to work, Ult charge rates HAVE to be consistent across ALL characters to be able to preserve them regardless of swaps to prevent it for having a MASSIVE weakness that costs the whole team. As soon as that wasn't true, hero swapping was NEVER going to be fluid & dynamic counter-picking, and thus pick/ban phases were really the only way to stop that issue with Widowmaker via another means… except that pick/ban is a problem for lower-level one-trick players who ALSO can't dynamically swap & contribute value — and won't learn how because of the Ult reset problem.

That's a self-reinforcing issue that's based in not balancing ALL the Ults directly to one another, so that swapping characters could be done without losing that charge. Essentially, the issues are embedded in design-level choices that anyone could tell you about things mechanically eroding into those problems being impossible to escape by following the types of changes they made.

Even early things like Torbjörn & Symmetra as Defense/Builder characters had a core design around a wholly different type of playstyle that 2cp and other map types were designed to emphasize, but again — those approaches to the gameplay were totally undercut by having the ability for a character like Widowmaker click heads from across the map being a high skill ceiling where auto-aiming turrets would be either overly-effective at that niche for certain levels and utterly nothing at higher levels, while also making the skill investment feel massively uneven… making universal balancing impossible.

It was the biggest weakness in translating the MOBA & FPS elements into the team hero shooter, because they were a universal problem felt differently at different levels. On top of that, the hitscan sniper pulled in the FPS pros that they needed for eSports attention, that was NEVER going anywhere. There were a number of things that made the game start to fall apart from early forms of what it might have been early on, and they were all ABSURDLY amplified by needing to rapidly cater to the eSports experience above all else.

I haven't followed anything closely with Marvel Rivals, but it seems to have gotten the message about some of that right off of the bat, and it also has the advantage that people who like it's characters can ACTUALLY go enjoy stories about that world, rather than having Blizzard constantly lie about expanding those elements for years and kill the game just to be able to feed everyone OW2 as a predatory Live Service model because they made a bunch of governments aware of predatory loot boxes are. It was all about extracting value from their audience and not providing it TO them, while also just emphasizing having fun that COULD draw that crowd rather than betting the farm on it.

If Blizzard had actually just DONE FUCKING ANYTHING with the world that they created from Overwatch they'd have been able to absolutely print money for the same reason that Mortal Kombat sells so many copies compared to other fighting games — the casual audience is what funds your cool projects. People just wanna have fun playing cool characters that they're into. Even though the eSports pros stay linked into the core property and have the POSSIBILITY to boost that popularity & revenue like StarCraft did, the casual fans are the ones buying books, and various other things that can give that legs and long-term investment.

That's why Riot can spend more money than any other animated show in history on Arcane and not give a single fuck about the short-term return on investment — because the whole point is that they make that because they value their audience and provide that value to them. They sell skins to make shows like Arcane, they don't make Arcane to sell more copies of League of Legends.

Meanwhile OW2 lied about ever making its PvE experience that a massive part of the OW1 audience was always waiting for from the day the cinematic announcement trailer dropped, while remaining locked into this fractured formula that would ALWAYS suffer from built-in issues that was burning away its player trust at both ends. They managed to eventually break from 2cp as the game style shifted, but it's clear that as the OP mentioned, they're locked into the other flaws.

I figure that Marvel Rivals will just bury that game now that it can manage all the issues and seems to have all the good will that everyone deservedly lost for Overwatch. At this point, it's well beyond deserved. The only tragedy is that it was so tunnel-visioned on being that ONE thing stuck with those issues it couldn't overcome that it'll never be able to be anything else other than a forgotten Live Service model game that one day, that not even retro gamers of the future will be able to play.

the three game design albatrosses around overwatch's neck are hero switching, widowmaker, and 2cp and sadly they're stuck with two of those

[sleepymccoy]

I've had these two characters in my head for a long time and whenever I try to write them they end up sanitised and boring cos I haven't built a fucked up enough world for them to live in

But I think I landed on it tonight. So I'm writing it down to make sure I don't forget the idea!

It's Obed and Quail. Obed is a shut in, he's entirely self reliant and doesn't want to develop friendships. However, he's a highly experimental wizard. I usually have Quail be his employee to run the store and make money

Quail is always a bit of a whore, with a traumatic backstory that he hides by cracking jokes. He and Obed don't always get along but they always adore each other.

I always try to give them this deep (unspoken) love for one another, bordering on obsession, and not handled healthily. This is hard to do in a story where they're meeting for the first time cos that kind of commitment is hard to rush. So they end up being old friends but then it doesn't work cos surely old friends wouldn't be as bad at communicating as I make them

I like them to end up being able to express their love romantically. Obed is thoroughly aro ace and Quail is Not so it's not a standard relationship, but their friendship ideally morphs into something more intimate to reflect how comfortable they become

Anyway the idea I've had tonight to speed run the obsession and loyalty, while keeping the unhealthy attachment and lack of communication skill, is that Quail is killed by someone and Obed brings him back to life. So there's some thrall aspects, some love for the man who moulded your soul, and some love for your successful science project rolled into it.

Quail wouldn't mind telling Obed he loves him, but in this setting he's not sure how much of it is genuine vs part of the spell. So he keeps it quiet for a while

I think it's cool, it gives a valid reason for Obed to keep Quail locked up and treat him badly while also giving a reason for Quail to tolerate and even like the treatment. And then as Quail finds his feet and pushes back Obed will begin to like him and warm to him.

Could end up with some really fun scenes with strange tensions.

Just gotta see if there's a plot to go along with it! I'm thinking something more political, perhaps even Quail's killer coming back into the mix. And some stuff around necromancy and reviving the dead being illegal. There's often a story to be gotten out of people who've been forced into hiding. I'll have to think about what's worth telling that'll sit alongside a queer romance nicely tho

[lesbianherald]

hey why did you leave twitter? i used to follow you but saw you werent going to post anymore

i'm not fulllly gone! i check mentions and I'll retweet coming home art, my friends works, updates, etc. there were a few reasons.

1st.

i find it very negative. i tried so hard to currate my space on there but ultimately even some of my most beloved moots were kind of only just. fighting other people in the end. the whole environment felt less of a celebration of fandom and what we enjoy and more of a constant fight all the time. there was always something pointless people were worrying about. different "sides" of the fandom always fighting each other for no reason. rampant lesbophobia I was constantly afraid of facing. i just felt it was a very negative space. people are very nasty and unforgiving to and about each other. always a callout. never a call in. lots of weird public shamey stuff.

2nd.

i just wasn't agreeing with the general perception of arcane on there - a lot of the, like, common takes on there I just don't agree with to be honest. i think a lot of character nuances get lost. i think people take defending the honor of fictional characters way too seriously.

also just small things like twitters content filtering system being completely broken - big things i cant filter out and small things. like things as big as eating disorder stuff to as small as some weird ass ships and takes on there that I really don't fuck with and its impossible to just mute words because elon makes it broken as hell. there's certain stuff I just don't want to see and you can't do that on twitter! the website is literally designed to make you angry and it was working on me !

3rd.

it became very apparent to me after coming home came out that people felt very entitled to talk about me and my work in whatever way they pleased. very publicly. to my mutuals. where I could see. it started feeling a bit ... idk... degrading? upsetting? i made a longer post about this phenomenon on tumblr this am that was received with a lot of understanding and respect while I think it would have gotten me absolutely pummelled and harassed on twitter.

all these factors just made me constantly anxious and on edge to be honest. i really thought I was going to want to come back but honestly. the improvement to my mental health since I haven't subjected myself to that site makes me want to make it more permanent. kind of embarrassing honestly how dramatic the difference was LMAO.

[bonefall]

NEVER STOP!!! everytime I get mad over DOTC I just come onto your page and read your Gray Wing slander and immediately feel better, thanks muchly! 😌✨️

I am but a humble DOTC Slander ranger, riding across the sunlit horizon with a big iron on my hip, putting every hater's formless frustration into the words you felt but did not realize how to say ✨️

[zepskies]

Omg thank you so much, Liane!!! 🥹💓💓 Pls, you never have to apologize for sharing your thoughts on my writing -- however short or however long. I love it all!!

Still can't say much about Beau, since I still haven't gotten around to watching Big Sky yet (I definitely plan to, especially after your recommendation -- I just don't have Disney+ currently 🥹), except that his was the sexiest imo😮‍💨 Their dynamic is the most sensual.

Oh Beau comes in on the last episode of season 2. I've seen that through season 3, and Sheriff Beau Arlen is an absolute delight. 🥰 But omg I find it so interesting that you actually liked his part the most. I definitely had fun with his part -- and that line in particular. 😏❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Now, for Dean, you always capture his character so perfectly, Alex. ❤️❤️ You hit the nail on the head again! Especially with how he articulates via facial expressions. Those eyebrow wiggles are 100% Dean. I can picture his stupid, pretty grin so vividly and it fits so well here. He's so silly and playful with the reader, it's so cute!!! Feels so domestic and comfy.

That compliment means so much to me, thank you! 🥹🥹 To me, when Dean's comfortable and happy, he's all jokey and grinning and eyebrow waggly loll. That "stupid, pretty grin" right? 😂

Even in non-spicy scenarios, I know for a fact he'd love to rest his head on her thighs, her tummy, her chest, her butt -- she's his favorite pillow fr.

Omg yessss I absolutely love this!! I need to incorporate that thought in the Midnight Espresso-verse for sure. 💗

Also, side note, but a favorite headcanon of mine is Dean having gained a little bit of weight in the later seasons himself. He's not in his early to mid twenties anymore, bodies change, his love for greasy food doesn't. And he absolutely deserves the joy of that pizza followed by three slices of pie (as well as having a partner that matches his appetite, someone after his own heart). Dean with a soft tummy owns my heart and soul.

Oooh you know what, this is so realistic and I've seen writers incorporate this into their AU post-season 15 "fix it" stories especially. I totally agree with that now that you put that idea in my head. 💞

And Ben... Of course he jumps to the wrong conclusion at first. Like, yes, he's obviously self centered, but also: I love that somehow it didn't even occur to him that maybe she's feeling uncomfortable/insecure. As if, well, she's hot to him, so she's hot, end of the story -- that sounds about right. 😭😂 You nailed it, again.

Ahaha YEP, that's pretty much it. And if she doesn't think so? Well, he's got ways of showing her otherwise. 😏

Btw, before I read Ben's part, I literally thought "well, more for him to grab and manhandle, he's gotta put that superhero strength to use somehow" haha! Pretty sure we can all agree that he thinks modern beauty standards are ridiculous.

LOLL that's exactly where my thought process was too! Women of the 40s-50s were actually allowed to have a fuller figure. 💞

Fantastic job on all three of these. Such a nice request and a great exploration of this topic. <3

Thank you again so much. 😭😭 This is why I hang on to requests like this that I know have the power to potentially touch other people the way it struck me. 💗💗

Headcanon: Body Insecurity/Appreciation

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Reader, Beau Arlen x Reader, Soldier Boy/Ben x Reader

AN: This one was requested by one of my lovely Patreon members, @roseblue373. 💜 It's a special one to me personally, being plus-sized myself and having gone through my share of insecurities. Wish I had one of these guys to make it better lol!~

Prompt/Request: Great job with the latest Dean/Beau/Ben reacts vignettes! I'd love to see one where reader has put on weight and isn't happy with their body, and how each would make her feel better!! IF the muse agrees, of course! ❤️

HC: How Dean Winchester, Beau Arlen and Soldier Boy (Ben) would react to your body insecurity.

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only! Established relationship, body insecurity (but also body appreciation), thicc thirty, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, spiciness/smuttishness.

Dean Winchester

You've started breezing past mirrors when you get out of the shower.

Because if you catch sight of your own reflection, you can't help but utter a sigh, your lips dipping into a frown.

In the privacy of the room you share with Dean in the bunker, you take a risk in unwrapping the towel from your body in front of the mirror.

You inspect yourself with growing dejection, noting all the places that are rounder, heavier, less firm than they used to be.

Looks like no amount of running down leads and killing monsters has been enough to keep you in shape.

Too much shitty fast food, too many times you indulged yourself with snacks and dessert alongside your foodie boyfriend.

"What'cha doin', sweetheart?" Dean asks. He steps into the room while wiping donut icing from the corner of his mouth.

Speak of the devil.

When Dean finally catches you frowning at yourself in the mirror, you inhale sharply and close the towel back up.

"Nothing. Just need to get dressed," you reply quickly. "Shower's open."

You try to offer him a smile, despite the pang of jealousy when you eye him.

He gave you the first chance at the shower after the latest case wrapped up, so he's still wearing most of his FBI suit, sans jacket. The white dress shirt is rolled up to his elbows, a few days of scruff neatly trimmed across his cheeks.

The man can cram an entire pizza down his gullet and wash it down with three slices of apple pie, not to mention countless beers. And still, Dean stays looking downright edible.

By comparison, you feel...fat. Like you've let yourself go.

You turn away from him to grab your well-worn sweatpants and an oversized shirt; you plan to change alone in the bathroom, but Dean grabs your arm.

"Who says you need to get dressed?" he says, popping his brows with a suggestive grin. He slips his arms around your waist, but your instinct is to shy away from his hold. You chuckle awkwardly and avoid his now curious gaze.

"Sorry, babe. Um...I'm wiped. I just want to get to bed," you say.

But Dean isn't fooled. His spidey sense is tingling, and his gut is almost never wrong.

His hand slides down your arm and grasps your hand, tugging you back into his arms. You utter a little gasp, but you ultimately smile at his familiar grin. There's a perceptive gleam in his eyes though.

"You know, seems like you've been pretty wiped lately," he says, raising a brow. "It's been a while since we, uh..."

He waggles his brows playfully, squeezing your hips. You want to smile, but you can't let yourself. You can't quite look at him either.

For Dean, it's another glaring red flag. His lips form a frown, and he dips his chin to find your eyes.

"Hey," he says. "What's goin' on? Talk to me."

His tone is so sincere, you have to blink against the sting of tears. Your lower lip wobbles, and Dean frowns in earnest. He presses a hand to your cheek and gets you to look at him with your watery eyes.

"Sweetheart, you gotta tell me what's wrong," he says, more gently, but serious.

Eventually, you're able to get it out. You can't bear the thought of him touching you, because lately, you can't even bear looking at yourself.

"I know I've been gaining weight, I just..." your voice breaks, and you gesture haphazardly at your body. "I'd get it if you're not really into this right now."

Dean's heart clenches. He's downright shocked at your confession, and more than a little disheartened. He presses a hand to your cheek and guides you to look at him.

"All right, hold up just one damn minute."

His calloused fingers gently brush away your tears, but his hands keep moving, slowly traveling down your body. They slide down your bare arms, skimming the sides of your breasts.

Your breath hitches. Your hand is still fisted over your beating heart, keeping your towel closed. His hands continue to move, molding to the curve of your waist over the fuzzy fabric.

"I'll admit, we've been pretty busy lately with everything we've got going on. But if you think that means I'm ever not into this delectable, sexy, voluptuous, goddess body you got rockin' the house?" he says, grinning that utterly Dean grin of his.

You bite your lip against a bubble of laughter. He's too fucking much sometimes.

Dean tugs you closer, until your hips fit snugly against his through his slacks. His tall, broad frame crowds you. His lips skim your cheek, then over your lips in a tease.

He squeezes the flesh of your hips, tender and sensuous.

Your heart flutters at the feeling.

"Mmm, I like you nice and soft," he murmurs against your cheek, close to your ear. "Feels that much better when I fuck you."

A small gasp gets trapped in your throat, while the gravel depths in his voice go straight to your pussy in a pulsing throb of warmth.

By the time he claims your lips in a devouring kiss, you're all too willing to let him peel your towel open, drop it to the floor, and guide you backwards onto the bed.

There he'll take his time, forging yet another mental map of every plush square inch of you.

Beau Arlen

Beau is a busy man. You understand that.

As Sheriff, his job demands a lot from him. He's also a father and has an ex-wife to contend with. (You knew that going in, and you've come to love Emily too.)

However, you can't help but start to take it personally when your sex life begins to suffer. He's often claimed being tired...but there's another suspicion that's been taking root in your mind, feeding your doubts and insecurities about how your boyfriend sees you, and about how you see yourself.

When you slip into bed at night, a kiss goodnight is all he gives you lately, before he's sighing deeply and closing his eyes, his soft snores soon filling the room.

One night, you try touching his shoulder, leaning in to kiss his bearded cheek. He hums at the pleasant feeling.

"You wanna...?" You trail the question in his ear, pressing more sweet kisses down his neck.

"Aw, sweetheart," he groans. "I'd like to, but I think I'd just smother you. I'm about to pass out."

You huff a laugh. You teasingly walk two fingers across his chest. "What if I make it easy for you?"

You shift onto your side. Resting a hand on his chest, you lean down to kiss him. He hums at the softness of it, but the more passion you try to imbue into each new kiss, Beau isn't as responsive as you would like. Eventually, you stop all together.

You frown, becoming disheartened. "You're not into this, I guess."

He opens his tired eyes, gazes up at you in apology. He opens his mouth to reply, but you beat him to it.

"You know it's been a month since we've had sex," you say.

Beau frowns, sliding a hand up your back. Only now does he notice, with appreciation, the familiar silky négligée you're wearing.

"Nah, that doesn't sound right," he says.

"Well, it is," you say. "I know you say you're tired, but I mean, you've had this job for as long as I've known you, Beau." Your eyes fall away from him. "So is the job, or...is it me?"

Beau's brows furrow. "Now wait a minute."

The mere thought dredges up what's been plaguing your mind recently, and it has your throat tightening. Tears of embarrassment and upset well up in your eyes, no matter how much you try to push it down.

You push away from him and turn away, crossing your arms. You try not to look at yourself in what used to be your favorite lingerie.

You can't stand the extra weight you've put on, mostly in your hips and ass, but in your middle and arms too.

You've gone through your own stress at work this year, with less and less time to try and take care of yourself, along with making sure Emily gets to and from school, cooking for the three of you, going to PTA meetings when Carla can't make it (since Beau often can't), and every other proverbial hat you wear.

Beau follows you, sitting up and laying a hand on your back. "Sweetheart--"

"I know I've put on a few. Hell, more than a few," you admit, hastily wiping under your eyes. "God, I can't even look at myself right now, let alone have you--"

"Hey. You stop right there," Beau says, more firmly. He gets you to turn around with his hand on your shoulder. He doesn't like the way you're curled in on yourself, as if hiding your body from his gaze.

That, and the sight of your tears damn well break his heart.

He cups the side of your face gently and presses a tender kiss to your forehead, followed closely by your lips.

You don't want to melt, but you just can't help it. You cling to the front of his shirt and lean into his kiss, like you've been lost in the desert, and his lips hold the breath of life.

You almost don't realize it when his arms slip around your waist. He earns a surprised yelp from you when he gathers you close against his chest and rolls you underneath him.

You land against the pillows in a huff. You stare up at his playful smile, his green eyes glinting with amusement, with fondness, and also with desire as they roam over your breasts, barely contained by dark green satin and lace.

"I've been neglecting you, haven't I?" he says. His voice is a low, earthy drawl as his gaze rakes over you. His big hand runs down your side and over your hip, then down your bare thigh, squeezing soft, tender flesh. He slips that hand under the satin night gown.

His hand can't span your entire thigh, but it's not for lack of trying. Your heart beats a staccato rhythm at the way he looks at you, your breath hitching when his thumb dips between your legs, brushing against the damp, silky fabric of your panties.

"It's not because I don't find you sexy as hell. Believe me, darlin', I do," he says. "You're so fuckin' beautiful, especially when you're all laid out for me here."

And he means what he says. You know it by the hardness you feel pressing against your hip. You slip your fingers into his hair with a sigh.

He bows his head to press kisses along your neck; down and down, he noses at the thin strap of your night gown. His path of kisses continue, and he indulges himself by dipping his tongue between the valley of your breasts.

"Filling out this lacy little thing so nice," he murmurs into your skin.

Your upset has turned to abject relief, but you still have to blink away the remaining urge to cry.

You let out a slightly tremulous breath.

"Oh, yeah?" you ask.

Beau pauses. He pulls away, just so he can look up and meet your eyes. He still finds insecurity in yours, so he meets you with a kiss filled with heat and intent.

He's now wide awake. He plans to take his sweet time taking you apart, inch by inch.

In fact, in the back of his mind, he also plans to do better about letting his deputies help him out more at the precint so he can have a better work-life balance.

(Because going a whole damn month without the taste of you is "no bueno," in his words.)

Soldier Boy (Ben)

The man may not be very patient, or particularly perceptive, but he's not an idiot.

At least, not about sex.

He knows that you've been feigning tiredness, and generally avoiding his touch.

What's strange is that you haven't been avoiding him. You still cook for him, still share conversation with him, still insist on having him spoon you on the couch while catching him up on the past four decades of TV shows and movies.

But when he begins to sneak a hand under your oversized shirt (an old one of Ben's), caressing your hip, then dipping down to your softer stomach on the way to your panties, breaking your concentration from the movie as unease laces down your spine.

You grab his wrist on reflex, instead lacing your fingers together.

"What's the matter now?" he asks.

You look over your shoulder at him and find him frowning at you, a divot between his brows. You don't manage to hold his gaze for long.

"Sorry," you say quietly. "I'm just, um, tired."

Ben doesn't believe you, and he's direct when he calls you out on it.

Reluctant to put what you've been feeling into words, you pause the movie and leave the couch (and him) behind.

Ben is annoyed enough to follow you (and underneath, he hides an edge of concern). The conflict leads into the bedroom, where you're still unwilling to open up.

He finally stops you from walking away from him, pinning you against the dresser by your hips. He practically looms over you as he demands an answer. He knows you're hiding something — something that's had you reluctant to let him touch you.

"Is there something you wanna tell me?" he says, a raw edge of warning in his tone. "What, are you fucking somebody else?"

Shock flashes in your eyes, making you angry. "What? No!"

"Well, you seem to be getting your fill somewhere, and it hasn't been from me--"

"Are you fucking serious? I'm not..." Your lips purse. You're actually hurt that he would hurl that accusation your way--and it couldn't be farther from the truth.

You tug your long shirt downwards and cross your arms, but it's more like you're hugging yourself, shielding your body away.

Ben's brows furrow a little bit more.

Eventually you get it out; you haven't been feeling up to being intimate because you're having a hard time even looking at yourself lately.

"I know I need to, um, get back in shape," you say, taking in a shaky breath to try and steady yourself. Your throat constricts, the beginnings of tears stinging your eyes. You want to look at anywhere but at Ben. "I just haven't had much time, with everything going on. But Annie gave me this guide on some different diets, like intermittent fasting, Keto--"

"Fasting," Ben intones. "What, you wanna fucking starve yourself? What the fuck is Keto?"

You sigh, barely resisting the urge to roll your eyes.

"No, not starve myself. And Keto's just..." The idea of trying to explain the new diet craze to your boyfriend is too daunting a task to consider. "Never mind. The point is, I have a plan. My hips, my thighs, my ass--"

Ben squeezes your hips at the mention of them. He happens to like the softness.

"Yeah, you've got a little extra. So fucking what?" he says, his voice deep and exacting as his gaze roams over your body. "Just gives me more to hold onto when I'm fucking you."

You utter a shocked laugh. "Ben!"

He grins lazily, and he turns you this way and that, admiring you from all angles. In his eyes, he doesn't find a side he doesn't like. You can't help but blush hotly under his gaze.

"Sweetheart, do whatever you want if it makes you feel good. But you don't need to starve yourself." His hands move to your ass, squeezing a bit harder on the plush flesh.

A yelp escapes you; he's pressing into you from the front as well, and you feel him heavy and already half-hard against you. You grab onto his arms for stability as your breaths quicken.

His attitude kind of surprises you, even though it soothes the frayed, insecure part of your soul that wants to be as beautiful and attractive in his eyes as he is in yours.

Ben is literally a super soldier. You're actually kind of jealous. The man can drug and booze hard and eat whatever the hell he wants, but his super metabolism just seems to absorb it into his washboard abs.

(The more you think about it, the more you want to smack him.)

Nothing about him isn't hard and lean, muscle and strength.

Only his hands have a measure of gentleless when they're holding you like this.

"I've just got so many stretch marks now," you begin to complain, in an emotional whisper.

He snorts. "And? You think it's anything I haven't seen? I'm not afraid of a little cellulite either."

At that, your head tilts in consideration. Butcher's Granny Fucker remark comes to mind. You bite your lip against a smirk.

Ben crooks a curled finger under your chin. He guides you to meet his eyes, before he lures you into a lusty kiss.

It's somewhat rough because of his beard, but you still smile afterwards, leaning against him now.

"Ain't nothing about you that I can't handle," he adds, all smirking and cocky. To prove his point, he hooks those strong hands behind your thighs and lifts you onto the dresser.

You gasp and cling to his shoulders. From there, he makes quick work of ridding the oversized shirt from your body, revealing you to the cool air and his hot gaze.

You take his face in your hands and bring him in for an even steamier kiss, your heart lighter and trembling with anticipation.

You've held yourself from him long enough, Ben thinks, and he has every intention of devouring you right on your old dresser -- before you two even get to the bed.

AN: 😮‍💨 I feel like each of these could've been even longer with their own one-shot loll. I wrote the Midnight Espresso-verse for Dean, partially to explore what his relationship would be like with a plus-sized reader. 💖💖

Let me know which one you liked most this time!

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Dean Winchester Imagines

Dean Winchester Masterlist

Beau Arlen Masterlist

Soldier Boy Masterlist

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Dean, Beau + Soldier Boy Tag List (Part 1)

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@hobby27 @kazsrm67 @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @mostlymarvelgirl

@thebiggerbear @roseblue373 @this-is-me19 @emily-winchester @riteofpassage77

@deans-spinster-witch @deans-baby-momma @sanscas @mxltifxnd0m @suckitands33

@kaleldobrev @spnwoman @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @pieandmonsters @trashmoutth

@globetrotter28 @adoringanakin @midnightmadwoman @chevroletdean @tayl0rfanatic

@chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @spnfamily-j2 @everything-is-all-clear

@deansbbyx @sarahgracej @chernayawidow @mimaria420 @stoneyggirl2

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like @waywardxwords @waynes-multiverse @twinkleinadiamondsky

@my-stories-vault @kayleighwinchester @rizlowwritessortof @cookiechipdough @sixxteenbullets

@tmb510 @syrma-sensei @artemys-ackles @malindacath @mrsjenniferwinchester

[frankencanon]

pet peeve: video games that give you dialogue options but they have absolutely no effect on the story whatsoever (and even the other characters' responses to your choice are the same either way)

[dollypopup]

listen, i'll say it

if S3 doesn't give us significantly more Colin scenes, it'll be a failure

Colin is completely underdeveloped as a character. He has gotten just about 0 POV. All we know about him is either filtered through Penelope or in an ensemble scene with everyone else. And at this point, even if S3 is half and half, it still won't be fair. To balance out the discrepency, it should at *least* be 75% Colin and maaaaaaaaybe 25% Pen because we've gotten nothing for him

I ship Polin, I like Pen, but I'm over getting Pen's POV all the time. We've had enough of it. We've certainly had an unfair amount of it in comparison to his. I'm sick of seeing all the Whistledown behind the scenes and all her quiet contemplative moments when Colin doesn't so much as get 5 minutes focused on him being on the boat, or on his travels, writing his letters or talking through a problem to himself.

I love Colin. He's my absolute favorite character. And it sucks to have a favorite character who is *supposed* to be a lead but has had a grand total of nothing. Bton stripped him of character qualities and threw them onto Benedict, gave Colin like 5 lines, and filtered near all his 'development' through Penelope. Aside from his 'everyone says that [I'm Daphne's favorite]', our literal second scene of Colin is through Penelope's eyes. Everything he says, everything he does: it's always through Penelope's eyes. And I'm over it. I wanna see the world through *Colin's* eyes. And it would only deepen the narrative if we do.

Listen, the directors and showrunners have called Colin 'stupid' or 'dim' or 'not smart enough for Penelope'. The fandom has been rather blatant with their disregard of him, calling him boring, that he's not leading man material, writing him as a cardboard cutout in fics, assuming he's an empty charmer (hmmmm, just like what he's upset about in the books), and it's all because he's been denied a narrative. Colin is a rich, nuanced character. He's funny, he's kind, he's compassionate, he rejects toxic masculinity, he's got imposter syndrome like nothing else, he has a very unique role in his family and experienced a very unique perspective after his father died, he has hobbies (writing, boxing, fencing, studying, traveling) and strong values. But we've barely gotten any of it. Sure, we're *told* some things about him, but we never *see* it.

So if S3 is going to be his time to shine, his season, his falling arse over elbow in love era, they *have* to give us his perspective, and I don't fucking want it all to be his perspective about Pen. I am *tired* of Colin as an extension of Penelope. Penelope has had so much room and time and care to be a character on her own. Colin has gotten nothing. And that kind of dynamic does not a good love story make. And if all that underdevelopment wasn't to pull an Uno Reverse on us and give us a season that focuses on him and builds him up, what was it even for?

S3 should be Colin's story

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

If there is at least one thing I can credit FE for doing better than Tales in localization, it's not trying to actively go out of their way for an entire game to avoid subtext or direct text between two men that is romantic or implied romantic. Funny when it's so present that the attempt doesn't even work; infuriating that it was attempted to begin with.

So as much as I often have issues with some of FE's localizations, at least they have a leg up on loc Tales for that.

[lord-squiggletits]

No offense but I feel like among IDW1 Megatron fans you can lowkey tell who's read multiple series of the comics (namely, phase 1 and early phase 2) and who's only read MTMTE by the way they talk about, headcanon, or write Megatron. And like it does genuinely make a huge difference because I feel like MTMTE Megatron in general is a different flavor of Megatron from the rest of the series..... not OOC, that's the wrong word, but like....... more as if JRO had a very specific vision of him and janked the reins of the series to drive Megatron down a specific interpretation of his character, which is still in-character but is very different from the way he was characterized early in the series.

But in terms of Megatron fans, you can really tell the difference between MTMTE-only readers and other-parts-of-IDW readers.

[danko420]

So I've been playing this game called Wildmender where you wake up in a desert and have to build an oasis (and unblock or cleanse other springs, plant vegetation and help regrow the desert- all while being attacked by wraiths and trying to purge evil from Gods shrines so they can lend you their powers- and lots of other stuff, its great)

(pictured above: Wraith- sometimes they just spy on you and don't attack and lemme tell you i've jumped out of my skin more times than I can remember from turning around to spot one, just silent and still, staring at me from the other end of the garden. Much scarier than being chased by like 10 of them hurling fireballs)

But mostly it's just an incredibly beautiful game

Highly recommended, check it out if you're interested in this type of game!!

[andessence]

so cruel to be stricken with blorbotions for a character in a mediocre source material. i love u ma'am but ur covered in bad writing grime!! idk if there's anything i can do for u....

[wereh0gz]

Having. More boom!werehog thoughts. Rotating him in my brain

He's not really angrily aggressive towards anyone, especially not his friends, and doesn't really attack anyone out of maliciousness. He only ever gets aggressive when he feels threatened (which is. A lot of the time actually) but he holds back. Just growls and hisses and bristles his spines so people stay away, because be genuinely doesn't want to hurt anyone

The only exception is Shadow

Just catching a whiff of his scent in the air triggers pure, animalistic rage to bubble inside Sonic and make his blood boil. He knows all Shadow ever wants to do is fight. He's hurt him. He's hurt his friends. They're not like Modern!Sonic and Shadow, who actually have a mutual respect for each other. Boom!Sonic and Shadow don't have that same trust in each other.

So, in his feral, enraged, and brain-fogged state, Sonic decides to fight him ON SIGHT and he won't stop until he tears Shadow to shreds (or until morning comes, which by then he'll turn back to normal and be too tired to keep going)

[demenior]

Now that we're officially 2 chapters in and hitting The Meat of the problems in Howled, I have to restrain myself from babbling in circles abt the character analysis-es I've been doing on/using for Fjord, Jester and Eadwulf bc it has been a LOT of "I know [they] would not fucking say that but what are the exact circumstances that i can put them in to make them fucking say that" and especially in relation to tossing this grenade into FJ's rock solid relationship

And also I'm so happy bc like everyone in the comments is picking up on the fact of "oh no if Fjord would just be honest about his fears this would be fine, except there's NO way he would be honest in this situation bc of who he is". My heart is so warm rn.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Looking back on how the One Piece Live Action series is perceived at the moment - especially in regards to how well the actors seems to get along with each other -, I could not help but think once again how EASY it is to fall in love with the idea of shipping main characters with various other characters.

Look, it’s no surprise that I’ve been feeling that way about Digimon for a long time, but it goes for so many franchises out there, anime or not.

And I feel like that can have several factors, depending on how the main character is portrayed. If you asked me about Luffy for example, my personal impression of him is - he is absolutely asexual and I may even go that far as to call him aromantic as well. What makes that interesting to me is that he is still such a great example of a person who attracts people, who also is (somewhat) possessive of others and also devoted, passionate to a degree that is just very... Main character-esque.

Because that is what you usually have - a character who attracts others just by being the way they are: Being caring, being devoted, being self-sacrificing, finding the right words in the right moment. Because they DO have a big heart, they usually embrace other characters the way they are - which doesn’t mean that they don’t clash or don’t have disagreements or fights, nope, not at all.

I feel that way about Luffy, but obviously also about Taichi (OG and reboot) and characters like Usagi. I often joke about how these series should all probably just end in a big polycule, because the devotion, the chemistry, the attraction is definitely THERE. Of course some bonds are stronger than others (and everyone has their preferences in terms of dynamics), but you can tell in all of these cases that the (majority of the) other characters adore the main character. (Including minor/side characters as well.)

To some degree, you may argue that main characters are also written to be kind of self-inserts. They are often idealistic, but they do have their flaws, their faults that make them relatable. But they’re still being loved for how they are. That is also something viewers/readers may crave for in their lives - in addition to the general power fantasy that you witness in these series. In sum: You are a hero, you are powerful, you have strong companions by your side - and you are also loved and adored. What more could you even want?

There are so many more examples out there and I am sure you know a lot of characters where that category of “main character syndrome” applies too.

[dan-crimes]

OH SHIT I TOTALLY FORGOT like ages ago I wanted to make abstract pieces on my OCs so that I could post them here but I have so many drawing ideas so often with zero drive to actually DRAW them that I totally forgot

[amplexadversary]

I'm re-watching episodes of G Gundam to look for character quotes and for a supporting character Marie-Louise is actually pretty delightful.

She lies, she simps, she goes out of her way to eavesdrop on people and get her hands dirty, she locks Rain in a bathroom, and she is extremely 14 years old while doing all of it. Dirt bag princess.