#I find myself very intrigued by this special....

[kaythefloppa]

Activate Kid Power: Thoughts - [Part 1] [SPOILERS]

Fuck it, I'm gonna live-blog the special because I'm that hyped for it. Y'all know how it is, spoilers (also since it's a two parter, I'll more than likely be splitting this review in half). Let's gooo!

Out of all the intro variants for the one-hour specials, this is probably my favorite. They locked the fuck in here (also where the fuck are Gavin and Ronan)

Given how most episodes of the show, ESPECIALLY in the modern seasons are aired out of order, I was very surprised at how they managed to properly place Bumblezzz before this episode (and given that it was in the previous batch of episodes, it feels very nice to see some strong continuity here).

Also the Bumblebee Power Suit is fucking awesome, I cannot stress this enough how much of a win this is for me.

More CPS lore I shall FEAAASTTT

But also.... there were episodes where the brothers activated multiple Creature Powers in rapid succession (the biggest example I can find is the Christmas special). If the efficiency of the capacitator is in need of an update, they must be using it a LOT here. I'm not gonna pretend to fully understand it, but one way or another, this actually does check out.

This rescue is very low-stakes but you know what? I fucks with that heavily! I like it!

But also... could Martin have not activated his suit so that they could both carry it?

Callbacks, callbacks everywhere!

Given how badly the wildfires have devastated Australia several years back, and the effect it has had on the populace as well as the wildlife, the episode shedding a light on this as a conflict is in very good taste. So far so good.

This is the second time in a row where a musical number in a Wild Kratts special HASN'T sucked... and again that's just because of the low bar.

This is the most 5/10 song in the entiredy of the series. It's clear that there was far more musical direction here than in the other songs from previous episodes but still... their singing is.... not great. The one thing that saves it for me is the fact that they actually had Pure West provide a chorus in the song's second half which is something that I've wanted to see in the show for years since they did a great job on the theme song. Like, literally skip to the chorus and this song is far easier to stomach.

But they immediately undercut it by making it so short. On one hand, it's mercilessly short like the song from the Earth Day special but on the other hand, I feel like had they just given things more time to cook this would've been... more decent than it is (it's still better than Disney's Wish but again, low bar). Also, this feels like it's ripping off Lin Manuel Miranda, either that or I've listened to the soundtrack of Mufasa: The Lion King.

That being said, the visuals are fucking amazing. It actually manages to carry the song in the way that the vocals and direction doesn't. Also this confirms the existence of a Humpback Whale Suit, meaning this episode is INDEED aired out of order, or there was a Humpback episode that for some reason wasn't televised. Still, PEAK!

Oh my god we FINALLY got to see Martin in Adult Kangaroo Power! Finally some retribution after seeing him in the bloody Joey Suit for over a decade in any WK supplementary material (now show Chris in Joey Powers and the world will be balanced).

And Koala Balloon?? Holy shit, cakes!

Somebody save that poor baby 🥺

What... the fuck?!

I literally have no words for this, I... I genuinely don't. Did Aviva friggin' make multiple Plant Power Discs besides Oak Tree and Grass? Because yeah that's a cool concept, but they are aware of all the sh*t the bros have gotten themselves into in the Plant Suits right? Right? Martin getting pissed on and almost chopped down, the brothers nearly getting chomped by bison, Chris almost getting gobbled by an elephant as a nut? Like, it's funny, and it is lowkey interesting, but still I cannot help but ask.... What the fuck?!

Also, Aviva made a Creature/Plant Power Suit with EDIBLE LEAVES that can be yanked off of the user and eaten. At this point, the body horror AUs just write themselves.

Again, I must ask, why the fuck is this even a thing??? Aviva made a plant power suit... without the ability to move or even deactivate?? We know from Season 3 that she modified the Grass Suits to go mobile which at least allowed them to run. Why is it not the case here?? Much like the stupid "rewind and re-activate" bs from the previous special, it just feels like a total asspull that leaves me gobsmacked.

Obviously this can't be Paisley's doing since she's good now, but then... what does this mean? Is it a random road? Is this Rex's doing? I'm curious.

That hole looks at least 2-3 feet deep. I am pretty sure the mother bear can just hop in, pick up the cub, and climb out. What is this framing?

Ecstatic that my prediction was right and that we'd be seeing Elk Powers but now I'm very interested involving the timeline (bc ofc I am). Because we've seen a Humpback Suit, a Eucalyptus Suit, and an Elk Suit. How many un-televised adventures were they? I'm going to assume that these were all just off-screen, because if this episode indeed WAS aired out of order, well then...

Ok this suit I can buy because the suit was mentioned back in Season 1's Octopus Wildkratticus, and the disc was also portrayed in the show's merchandise.

That out of the way HOLY SHIT YES KOALA POWERS!!!! I FUCKING LOVE IT SOO MUCH I WANNA HUG HIM!

...I am somewhat off-put by the fact that he's human sized... but idgaf I love it.

NINA HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU!!!

You still haven't invented one for Jimmy tho.

Also, on one hand it feels weird for Aviva to not be concerned about the Power Suits' capacitiy, especially considering how sensitive the equipment is (as she says so herself). But at the same time, years of using these suits and pulling off rescues would naturally desensitize her, and we've seen her flaws in the show be overconfidence and/or hubris (especially in the earlier seasons). It's either accidentally out of character or insane levels of character development, either which deserved a mention.

I think this is yet another time to praise the art direction, because it is awesome. Season 7's animation overall has been pretty stellar, a massive step up from the previous seasons whilst retaining to the show's art style (once again, a result of the 2 year long hiatus between Seasons 6 and 7 to get new builders onto the team for rigging). The colors are composed perfectly and the linework is beautiful, and this is one of many times in the special where it's just so pretty to look at. Nina actually looks older, which wasn't the attention, but it's a happy accident because her animation is THAT friggin' good.

Another continuity bit: In the Season 4 premiere "The Last Largest Lobster" the brothers suggested Aviva programs a blank disc into Seagull Power. This episode has so many deep cuts I f*cking love it.

Red zone babeeeeyy time for some ANGST!!

I love the trope where the hero loses their powers/trademark abilities and they have to rely on other assets at their disposal. It's a fun trope for a reason and allows for some really ingenuitive writing and good morals. Bottom line, I like it, and I like how the special sets this up by having the kids interact with the crew in the first half of the episode. It's exhibited in the typical kids' show fashion, but that's exactly what makes it beautiful.

So it's very clear that this one hour special will NOT feature any villains. And on one hand, part of me thinks this special could have benefitted from it. But on the other hand, the story is delivered in such a way to where it CAN work without them, especially to allow the message to shine through. We're long overdue for a one-hour special that doesn't shoehorn in a villain team up and can actually generate an interesting conflict without them and... this kinda delivers. I am surprisingly okay with this!

Oh and it's also really charming as well!

Again, this episode really wants to take its time with how it portrays its moral and story. I thought that some scenes were going to be rushed, but no, they allow it to cook for the right amount of time.

SECOND HALF OF THE REVIEW HERE:

[blkluci]

𝑴𝑯𝑨 𝒃𝒐𝒚𝒔 and healer reader...

CHARACTERS )) katsuki bakugo, shoto todoroki, denki kaminari, izuku midoriya, hitoshi shinsou.

PLOT )) a headcanon of mha boys dating someone with a healing quirk.

A/N )) this is purely based off my imagination!! requests are open:)

[ 𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈 ]

... secretly worries for you

... comes to your dorm with new bruises after training

-> "i know how to take care of myself."

... bakugo knows that your quirk isn't best for combat so he protects you while in battle

... jumps in front of attacks aimed at you

... therefore becomes your trainer and spars with you

... when you defeat deku in a close combat battle he's so proud

-> "YEAH!! you got your ass beat ya damn nerd! >:D"

[ 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎 ]

... he's intrigued

... often asking questions about it

... "do you have a special move?"

... he appreciates when you heal his wounds after practice

... "thank you l/n :), your quirk is very useful."

... he allows you to practice your quirk on him

... does research on your quirk secretly

[ 𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐊𝐈 ]

... your personal patient

... always asking you to heal his boo-boos as he says

... gets jealous if you use your powers on someone else

-> "i have boo-boos too babe! heal me!! :("

... you help when he short-circuits

... begs you to roleplay mercy

-> "c'monnn, it'll be fun!"

... praises your quirk to make you feel valued

[ 𝐈𝐙𝐔𝐊𝐔 ]

... has a book related to your quirk

... also does research on your quirk BUT proposes new ideas to you

-> "i think this will help you improve your quirk :D"

... gives you mini heart attacks when gets extremely hurt

... feels shy when you heal him but enjoys watching you use your powers

... another one who praises your quirk

-> "your quirk is amazing!!"

[ 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐎 ]

... your test dummy in some retrospect

... he's constantly curious about your quirk and wants you to use it on him

... he finds comfort in the fact that your quirk reflects your nature

... enjoys when you help him to sleep with your powers

-> "so warm.. (´～`)"

... another that protects you while battles and helps you with combat

-> "can you keep up?"

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

[chatlote]

Thank you everyone for all your questions. I will be putting an end to this askblog after this post and returning it to its owner. I didn't know what to expect when I created it, certainly not this… but I guess this wasn't such a bad ending.

Without further ado, here's my replies to all the questions I left unanswered. And goodbye.

During these past few years I had a lot of time to think, and I realized I care about being useful, or meaning something to someone. That's why I kept working at the rehab center after settling my debt with them, though I was never all that good at caring for the people there.

In terms of physical objects, I've come to care about my home and possessions quite a bit. I didn't have many things that were my own when I was the detective prince, but this home is something I worked for and gained all through my own efforts.

Ten years is a long time. I pride myself in being resourceful but even then I'm unsure if I would survive that long.

… Though in some ways I feel as if I've been lost these past few years too.

Watch movies, especially the ones that make me think more deeply about myself. I find the journey to find oneself quite inspiring. The original featherman movie trilogy is quite good at that.

I wasn't miserable in those interviews, but well… I suppose I wasn't quite myself in them either.

In relation to your questions: 1-I have picked up writing, mostly of the mystery genre, I have no plans to publish this, especially since some are inspired by confidential cases, but I enjoy it. 2-I have not travelled outside of Kyoto since moving here, I have not been recognized more than a handful of times, I keep my hair up and dress differently so no one connects the dots. 3-Galaxy Studios Park is just a short train trip away, I loved visiting when they had some special rides and attractions dedicated to last year's featherman movie. (Not that the movie was that good, but it was still fun. The wait for the rides was a nightmare, though.) 4-Yes. I enjoy no longer being in the public eye. It's freeing being allowed to be myself, even if I'm still figuring out who 'myself' is. 5-No pets, but have considered getting them... now that Akira is here (and seems intent on staying) I will have to discuss it with him.

I'm in a Reddit thread for ARG's, they are intriguing, and harmless, but still exciting to try to solve. Unfortunately, I can't participate in many due to parts of the mysteries being related to real world locations.

I think they are nonsense, no one's fate should be decided by another, much less by pieces of paper, they are also obviously just vague enough so that it applies to anyone. Still, I know Akira likes that sort of thing, so I try to not...judge too much.

Taiyaki, I wasn't the biggest fan before, but there's a vendor near where I live, I especially enjoy the matcha flavor since it's not overly sweet.

Boring. I'm stuck in bed because I have a leech clinging onto me, otherwise, I suppose it's an alright day. If you meant yesterday… it was stressful, but it worked out.

I saw this ask before deciding to leave because I realized if I left him to his own devices he would blow up half the city trying to find my apartment.

Thank you, I think. I just wear them when I'm at my laptop, the blue light filter is helpful.

I got worried of what he would do once he came to the town I've started calling my new home. Can you blame me?

It was... alright. It still feels a bit surreal, I'm still not sure if this is happening or a dream. But it's nice to know he still cares.

... Yes. It seems as if you are correct.

I always recommend the classics of the mystery genre, Conan Doyle and Edogawa Ranpo. But... Well, if you like rivalries between thieves and detectives I recommend checking out Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes.

...Not my type of song.

Turns out he is not as harmless as I previously thought.

I very much doubt that anyone else from the queer community has a similar relationship to ours. If so, my condolences.

I don't think I will be waking up alone ever again. But while I was on my own… I just looked for the small things I still cared about. Working on a rehab center helped. You get a lot of coworkers that are constantly mentioning that as long as you keep going, you will find a purpose in your life again.

And so I have.

---

That was all the questions I received. I will be logging off now permanently.

Thank you again. I was angry at first of how several of you got Akira even more pumped up into finding me, but I not understand your intentions were not malicious ones. We have a lot to talk about still, but I am... looking forward to it, I think.

Goodbye. Goro Akechi, former detective prince.

[rucow]

some placements im soft for<3

♐ sagittarius sun: my everlasting obsession. the most magnetic people ive ever met. they're insanely beautiful and enigmatic, they fascinate me. i have no sag placements myself, so idk why im so in love with this sign, but to me they're ethereal and regal in a way. they give me a heartthrob. i adore their facial features and their personality, i love their blunt honesty. these people are majestic and special to me. also very silly.

♏ scorpio mercury: this placement could tell me to jump off a bridge and i probably would. their words and tone can have full control over other people, they have so much power in their voice! even if they speak very quietly, the impact of their words is immense. singers and performers with this placement are impeccable at delivering the most raw emotion to their audience. every time they speak, i feel like i can see and feel their soul. which makes sense, because their mercury is conjunct my moon. i feel compelled to listen to these people. they put me under a spell anytime they speak (or sing). also, i love it when they go detective mode trying to solve a ~mystery~

🌠 mercury-neptune conjunctions: ethereal, mesmerising, haunting. i noticed that a lot of singers i listen to have this placement, and you can really feel it. ive always had dreams (and nightmares) about songs written and sung by people with this placement, they're absolutely haunting in such an addictive way. they're out of this world. beautifully poetic people.

♎ libra moon: some of the sweetest people ive ever met. they're so soft and sensitive, even if they don't seem like it. somewhat of a role model to me, i looked up to them so much only to find out im a libra moon myself in sidereal astrology. i have an urge to protect these people and reassure them that their feelings are valid. they have the most beautiful smiles.

♊ gemini moon: maybe it's because my own moon is in the 3rd house, but i find these people very relatable. the amount of hate and misunderstanding ive seen them receive is plain cruel. i think these are some of the most genuine people, and i appreciate it when they speak their mind. silly factor off the charts

♑ capricorn placements (any): i haven't gotten to know you too well yet, but you're always like a breath of fresh air. im intrigued by you! i feel i have so much to learn from you.

♏ scorpio sun: the kindest most understanding people ive ever met. sure, there's been a few bad apples here and there, but so many scorpios ive met have helped me heal, even if indirectly. they've had a huge huge impact on me and im always thankful for that.

♐ sagittarius mars: i adore these people's energy. my mars is in aries but at the 9° degree (a sagittarius degree), and i feel like being around these people is so fun. very very playful people with an outstanding positive energy, they are silliness personified and i love that about them.

♒ aquarius venus: i didn't care much for this placement at first, seeing as it's my own, but looking through works written by aquarius venus artists has hit something deep inside of me. there's something sad about your heart being in this saturnian, fixed sign. it's like a prison. you fully commit to people once you think you've found "the one", and break-ups can be brutal for you. you don't show it on the outside, but your suffering shows in your art, and im sorry i didn't see it sooner. your understanding of the world is very real and fascinating, and you're such a devoted friend. ive grown to understand and appreciate this placement a lot more than i did before.

though i only talk about a few specific placements here, every sign is special in their own way. ily all, take care of yourselves 💖

[turvi]

Chicks Dig Bad Boys

Rodrick Heffley x Reader

According to Y/n, Rodrick was just another emo boy, a loser, a typical teenage dirtbag. At least, this is what she heard from Heather Hills. Y/n was shocked Heather even chose to talk to her. Not just because Heather is the 'it girl' of Westmore High School.

Y/n had cracked the code to deal with high school, and that was to avoid joining any kind of group and not get noticed by anyone. Even if you somehow develop a crush on someone, keep it a secret. So she was surprised when Heather sat beside her and decided to talk to her. Y/n merely shrugged her shoulder and nodded at appropriate times as she spoke, tuning out the blonde girl.

Of course, you were aware of the crush the boy was harbouring for Heather especially when he made a show of ruining Heather's birthday. Y/n saw it all happen and thought how Rodrick actually had a nice voice and had potential. So when Rodrick happened to sit beside her in the English class she off-handedly complimented his voice.

Y/n had expected him to give her a smug smile or make an inappropriate joke. What she didn't expect was to find a very flushed Rodrick who was trying to find the correct words to say to her. She couldn't believe her eyes. She never saw Rodrick become so flustered.

"Uh..th..thank you...it...it means a lot." Rodrick wanted to slap himself for speaking like forgot how to speak. Yeah sure he got a few claps and hollers when his band played but no one complimented his voice.

"Was that the first time you sang?" now she was intrigued. Rodrick looked up and saw a genuine smile on her face. He took a breath of relief. He had thought she was making fun of him.

"Uh..yeah. I only sing when we perform in my garage. I wanted to do something special for Heather. But clearly, it went wrong." he said as he ran his hand through his hair. Y/n almost extended her hand to fix his unruly hair but dropped her hand when she saw him smile. She felt her heart flutter

Shit

Now she had something to say to Rodrick, but she forgot when she saw him smile like that. Boys like him were not supposed to smile like that. He was not supposed to have such a soft smile. Her trance broke when she saw him smirking.

"I saw you last night...not in a creepy way. I mean... obviously, during all that chaos at Heather's birthday, I saw you." there was that damned smile again. "I didn't know you were friends with her." His tone had a genuine wonder.

Y/n chuckled. "I helped her a few times with assignments..not really a friend, but we know each other, plus free food. Who can say no to that?"

Y/n felt her cheeks warming up under his gaze and tried to hide it under the curtain of her hair when she suddenly felt his fingers against her cheek as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. At that moment, she realised Rodrick actually saw her. She realised Rodrick was more than a teenage dirtbag that the world told her to stay away from.

She cleared her throat "I have heard your band play...when I come to tutor Greg."

Rodrick's hand grew sweaty. He knew how loud his band practice was, mainly to annoy Greg and his best friend Rowley. But he can't help but felt guilty as he realised how much of a nuisance it would have been for her.

"I am so sorry if our practice disturbed you guys"

"Oh no it's ok..I actually don't mind. I like that kind of music. Although it would be nice if the volume is a bit low."

"yeah...yeah absolutely...no big deal we can even practice a bit later."

Rodrick looked ahead trying his best to control a giddy smile. He did not expect his morning to be this good.

"Great...so I will see you in the evening..if you don't mind"

"yeah yeah totally" Rodrick quickly responded with a big smile. He was looking forward to meeting her this evening...after he locked Greg in the basement again.

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen the boy who got me into bad boys. Rodrick Heffley. I couldn't stop myself from writing for him. I feel like a teen again. REBLOG AND COMMENT if you like this.

[skykashi]

Samaa!! I wanna know-

How does your love story with Kakashi look like? When did u start crushing on him? When did you realise you were in love?

My feelings for Kakashi in Og Naruto were like a rollercoaster 😂 I thought he was interesting during the bell test, like, I was intrigued but there was nothing special yet.. then came the wave arc and he had so many cool moments in that arc like when he emerged out of nowhere when everyone thought he was dead and then he crushed 2 grown men with his bare arms like it was nothing

And when he saved Naruto from Zabuza's giant shuriken with the back of his hand and scared the living 💩 out of Zabuza

I was like, whoa! what a cool guy 😳 but then in the Chunin exams when he left Naruto's training to Ebisu I was sooooo mad at him and was like, "okay, I think I don't like this guy anymore" because I was an idiota who didn't understand his very legit reasons at the time and throughout the rest of OG Naruto my feelings for him were kinda neutral and then came Shippuden and I don't remember when exactly I started falling for him but I gradually started to look forward to seeing him and then catch myself really staring at him with 100% of my focus whenever he's on the screen and sometimes I find myself thinking "dang it! He's so handsome 😳❤️" and then just like that, one time it clicked! I was staring at him in absolute fascination and that's when I realized "I think I'm in love" I don't even remember which scene that was but I think it was some time in the gaara rescue arc

[synnamonroll666]

Angel Kisses

Pairing: Fujin x Fem!Reader Description: Fujin invites you to a special garden to show you just how special you really are to him... Warnings: Smut, P In V, Unprotected Sex, Creampie, Third Person POV, Fluff, Public Nudity, Public Sex, A Tiiiiny Bit Of Fingering, And Sliiiiight Size Difference If You Squint... Word Count: 2.2k A/N: This fic was a request from the wonderful @mornandil. Girl, I sincerely apologize for how long this took. I hit probably the worst writer's block of my life recently and the second I felt myself coming out of it, I went right to writing this fic for you. I know how much you love Fujin so I wanted to make this as special as I could for you. I hope you enjoy it. 🖤 Main MasterList: 🖤 Synny's Angels: @lorebite, @koexchange, @yesitsloulou, @mistmoose, @jasonexo, @fortune-fool02, and @raven-the-cryptid. (If you want to be added to the taglist, let me know in the comments! 🖤)

𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐

When you get invited on a date with a God, you cannot be late. Fujin—your boyfriend of 1 month now—had invited you to this unique garden this very evening. He said that when the sun would set, these special flowers would bloom and glow, lighting up the whole garden with their lights. He called them "angel kisses."

Intrigued by this, you hurried out the door and to the location he asked you to meet him: the forest. You weren't too afraid to walk in the woods alone at this hour. You knew that if trouble came your way, he would find you. He had this special way of knowing whenever you needed him the most.

So you rushed down the pathway that split the cluster of trees and bushes up, the excitement filling your heart fueling each quick step you took. Eventually, you found exactly what he had told you to expect—a wall of stone that stood about 8 feet tall. It seemed both man-made and created by nature at the same time. Your eyes roamed over the rocks carefully, trying to seek out that one different one. Once your orbs settled on the slightly different-colored stone, you pressed your palm against it.

Though you expected it, you couldn't repress the startled gasp from escaping through your parted lips as you heard the sudden shifting of the stones. Dust and dirt stirred in the air as a door opened within the wall, revealing a beautiful sight. Your feet slowly began to take subtle steps—almost subconsciously—into the hidden area.

As soon as you entered, the door slammed shut behind you, earning a yelp from your frightened form. It was a large contrast to the slow manner in which it had moved to begin with. As you placed a hand upon your chest to help calm your fast-paced heartbeat, you couldn't help but feel that it was almost as if it were being forcefully closed by someone nearby. That's when you heard the fond chuckle of someone familiar.

"I was wondering when you would join me." The soft voice of Fujin spoke with a sense of peace and kindness in his tone.

You turned back around to see the garden—so full of life and love. The air around you was fresh and inviting. A peaceful bliss fell over your body, causing your shoulders to slump slightly and your heartbeat to lower as you began to relax. White flower buds littered the deep green bushes around you, and a stone pathway led you to your man, who stood where the bushes broke apart, revealing a cliff edge and a gorgeous sunset. The sky was hues of vibrant pinks and oranges as the sun set into the skyline. And there stood Fujin before you, the sun's glow behind him, making him appear as some sort of angel.

Without taking much more time to investigate your surroundings, you ran to your lover, kissing him with need. You swore that your heart had grown two times its size at the very sight of him. He was wearing this silky robe—something like a true god would wear. It was far different than anything you had seen him in before—considering that most of the time, you would see him in combat or in meetings with the other champions and Radian—but you weren't complaining. It took a good minute for you to gain the will to pull back from the kiss to gaze up at him through your lashes—to admire how his eyes glowed with love and how his white hair cascaded down his neck and shoulders like a river.

His soft smile broadened just a bit as he reached up and gently caressed your cheek with his large hand—gentle, like you were more fragile than a delicate flower to him. His eyes lingered on your own for just a moment, before lowering to your lips.

You could see the thoughts swirling inside his mind. He had this playful look in his eyes, like he always had. But there was something else in his eyes that day—something alluring and tempting. Then he leaned forward once more, to place a more tender kiss on your lips, taking a moment to savor your taste. It was something he could never get enough of, and neither could you. You were addicted to each other—like each other's personal drug, though completely harmless and safe in contrast to others out there. With Fujin, you were never in harm's way.

"You're my angel, (Y/N)." He breathed while pressing his forehead against yours. Though your eyes remained closed, you could see his movements within your mind—the way his eyelids flickered subtly and how that soft smile remained in place. "Let me show you how much you mean to me."

He turned you to face the cliff edge and stood behind you, his chest pressed firmly against your back. You could see the continuation of the forest down below, with trees stretching out for miles and miles. That's when you felt his fingers trail down your arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Each touch of his skin on yours feels like a blessing, bringing you closer to heaven each time he caressed you. It's something special that you have never experienced before—hell, not every girl gets the privilege to date a god—but you thank the Elder Gods each day that you have the honor of calling this man your lover.

"Close your eyes." He whispered, his breath fanning the shell of your ear gently as he did.

You did as you were asked, letting your eyelids fall shut as your heart beat quickened ever so slightly in anticipation of what he was planning. Before you knew it, his presence was no longer felt behind your back, but a subtle breeze was caressing your body. It felt much more warm than something done by nature—warm like the touch of his soft fingertips. It came from all different directions, like a ghostly embrace around your small form.

"I'll be the wind beneath your soft, angel wings, (Y/N). I'm going to treat you the way an angel should be treated." You could hear him call out, though his voice was now more of an echo, nearly transparent in a way.

His voice—like a siren's call—beckoned you, so you reached out to feel him, but only a breeze flowed through your fingers like strains of hair. It was relaxing, to say the least, sending you into a trance-like state in an instant. That's when you could feel a familiar pair of hands on your sides, sending little shocks of energy flowing through your veins.

"Hold still," You could hear his voice whisper in your right ear when you flinched, his breath once again grazing your skin. Though now, a few octaves lower than before.

His hands then slowly slid down your stomach, letting those electric sensations linger within your blood. You could feel how tender his touches were through the fabric of your dress, and the urge to tear yourself out of it to feel his skin against yours grew strong.

This he must have sensed, because then his hands moved down to caress your thighs before stopping at the hem of your dress, his fingers toying with the seam of it as he patiently waited for consent. As you nodded your head, you could hear your lover let out a soft scoff. In this moment, you knew your error. But Fujin would still remind you anyway.

"I would prefer your words, my sweet." He expressed, a subtle amusement thick in his sentence.

It sounded as though he was smiling at your shy nature, which held you back from being very vocal in these situations with him. Not that you were in these situations with him often. The closest you had gotten before was a pretty intense make-out session, which ended in both of you cuddling up by a warm fire under the stars for the night. But something told you that tonight would be different.

"I consent, Fujin." You accepted his offer coyly, though there was a hidden confidence breaking through the cracks. You wanted this just as much—if not more—as he did.

With that, Fujin lifted your dress over your head, revealing your bare body to the world around you, although only you and him were present. The setting sun casted a golden glow over you both, and you could feel the heat radiating off of it seeping into your pores. It made you feel like a goddess—his goddess.

Your body finally relaxed again, and you took a deep breath in, inhaling the sweet scent of flowers around you and the scent of Fujin as well. It was different, to say the least. It was so unique and special that it was unexplainable in a way. And somehow, it was comforting to you. A pleased grin toyed with the corners of your lips, and you opened your eyes to see the continuation of the forest down below the cliff edge.

The sound of birds getting ready for a night's rest could be heard all around you. It told you that this was the home of many and made you feel grateful that you would be able to share it for a night with the man you loved so deeply. Fujin pulled your hair to the side and began pressing soft kisses to the column of your neck while carefully pulling your panties down your thighs and, soon after, your legs.

A shudder crawled down your form as a warm finger gently glided through your already dripping folds, and you could barely keep yourself from moving against him. And when the pressure of two digits entering your core met your senses, you were already seeing stars—putty in his godly hands. Seeing your need for him, Fujin discarded his fingers and then his robe, leaving him in absolutely nothing. When he returned behind you, you could feel the muscles of his broad chest press firmly against your back.

The sudden feeling of something thick and moist met your entrance before gliding through your folds, repeating the same pattern his finger made moments ago. Knowing what was coming, you couldn't help but smile. Anticipation grew quickly as he took his time to prepare you for what was to come. And when he finally pushed his long, girthy member within you, a soft moan broke your lips apart as your chest heaved with a pleased and trembling sigh.

Holding you from behind, Fujin's arms squeezed you ever so lightly as he waited for you to adjust. All it took was a soft utterance of confirmation that you were ready, and Fujin began at a slow and steady rhythm, thrusting in and out with loving care. The way his member dragged across your insides, the way his tip tenderly kissed your sweet spot, the way his lips met the side of your neck and found every pulse point to make your knees weak—even the way he breathed on you—had you already on the brink of letting go.

Getting lost in the sweet melody that was your pleasured voice, Fujin began to move faster, his hips snapping back and forth to edge you right where he wanted you. Your eyes—though just barely open due to the high—gazed upon the sunset. It was as if you could see him in its rays. It felt as though you could see him everywhere. He was your world, your God, and your everything.

But then the sun set completely, cutting off all sight with a sudden darkness. Though that didn't last long, as the flower buds finally bloomed, the white petals opening up to reveal something you could have never imagined being real. The flowers glowed brightly, like heaven's light calling forth spirits to come home. It lit up the garden as well as your heart, as suddenly you did not feel as if you were in nature but in an entirely different universe. It made every emotion felt in that moment feel 100% stronger.

And that, combined with a gentle press of his finger on your swollen mound, was all you needed to get that coil within you to snap. Your knees buckled as you finally released, but Fujin was quick to catch your fall. He held you tightly as your threads of sanity came undone by his love.

Your eyes rolling into the back of your head as you moaned, you missed most of how the garden's white light lit the two of you up. But you felt it in your soul. Like how you felt Fujin release inside of you. Softly whispering what sounded like a thankful prayer in your ear as he filled you up. And after he finished, his lips returned to your ear, brushing its shell once more.

"You make me feel what it is like to be human." He murmured before placing a soft kiss on your now tear-stained cheek. You hadn't even noticed that you had started crying from the emotional overestimation of it all.

The garden's light had died down, and the two of you were left in darkness. But it didn't matter. The comfort of being in your lover's arms as your body relaxed from the intensity of your lovemaking was enough to bring you back to the light.

𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐

(Some extra gifs I found because why not? 🤭)

(Man— 😍)

[arrow-translates]

Jan 10th 2025 Paradox Tribe TRANSLATION [Chungsung & Shion]

Chungsung - 17:03 Everyone, I do hope you are doing well. I am Baek Chungsung of AMPRULE. I’m here today to speak with a member of the Winter Variety team.

Shion - 17:04 Yup, it’s me today, lol

Shion - 17:05 Everyone good? Did you watch the video already?

Chungsung - 17:05 My, Kaida-sama. What an honour to meet you. Thank you kindly for your time today.

Shion - 17:06 Mhm, nice to meet you too.

Chungsung - 17:07 Thank you very much for the recording session the other day.

Shion - 17:07 Aah, my bad. I’m not great at this kind of formal conversation. Is it cool if I just speak casually like this?

Chungsung - 17:09 Of course. Please do as you like, Kaida-sama.

Shion - 17:09 Tysm

Shion - 17:11 By the way, is it alright if I ask you something?

Chungsung - 17:11 Go right ahead.

Shion - 17:12 Are you perhaps that kind of person as well? I feel like we have the same aura, lol

Chungsung - 17:13 Now then, what is it that are you implying?

Shion - 17:14 It’s just, when our Shibaken was cussing you out, you seemed to be rather enjoying it, lol

Chungsung - 17:16 Ah, so that it what you meant

Chungsung - 17:17 I’ll leave that up to your imagination

Shion - 17:18 Well of course, lol  Does everyone already know about this side of you?

Shion - 17:40 I feel like it’s pretty much expected, just from what I’d heard, lol

Chungsung - 17:42  I’m quite unsure how to respond. If I were to add one thing, I would say that my interests are a little different to yours, Kaida-sama. I am more interested in the arts of pain and injury.

Shion - 17:43 I see.. but isn’t that okay? I’ve done that kind of thing before too. Done it to them as well.

Chungsung - 17:44 Is that so? What kind of things do you have in mind?

Shion - 17:45 It’s really nothing special lol I only really care that I’m enjoying myself lol

Chungsung - 17:46 I see… What is it you usually do, then? I imagine it’s rather hard to go out in your current situation…

Shion - 17:46 I like hookah, guitar… I sometimes play darts. Well, anything that I’m allowed to do in the prefab, really.

Shion - 17:47 The day Inukai finds out about my activities outside, it’ll be a real hassle

Chungsung - 17:48 So I can imagine.

Chungsung - 17:49 About Inukai-sama… I sense that he’s a little like us as well, but what do you think?

Shion - 17:49 He’s not like us, no, lol But if you make him flip out he’s totally uncontrollable

Chungsung - 17:50 Oh? How come?

Shion - 17:51  I guess it’s like he’ll destroy anything he can get his hands on?

Chungsung - 17:51 I could never imagine this kind of behaviour from Inukai-sama, whom I have had the honour of meeting, but…

Shion - 17:52 You’ve seen the guy up on stage before, right? It’s that guy.

Chungsung - 17:53 My, my… That intrigues me greatly.

Chungsung -  17:55  Kaida-sama. It appears our time is up, so if you could please say your goodbyes to all of the Heads.

Shion - 17:55 That time already? Well, everyone, look forward to our new song. I may be in the Winter team, but I’ll keep you nice and warm with my verse, lol

Chungsung - 17:57  Thank you very much. It was an honour to talk to you today. Sometime in the future I would be glad to talk with you again at our leisure. 

Shion - 17:57 You caught my eye every since we played that game, so let’s talk again. See you thenn

Shion - 17:58 I’ll see you all again very soon too, so be good for me while you wait, lol

(T/N: They're both being very vague for this entire convo for reasons I feel you'll be able to guess. I've put all the purposeful obscurity in italics so you get the feel the sheer amount of innuendo they're throwing at eachother, lol)

[heart4gyu]

just for show pt.3 || mc!heeseung x mc!reader

|| pt.1 || pt.2 || note: i’m sorry it took so long TT but i hope y’all enjoy this i enjoyed writing for my hee again (a little jealous heeseung moment i HAD to ahhh) i haven’t proofread this so i’ll probably make some adjustments when i have the time okay byee <3

the way you smelled, the way your eyes gazed up into his, your hand on his chest, and the way your lips were almost on his was all he could think about.

he had let almost a week pass since the whole “dressing room incident.” but there wasn’t a moment that passed when heeseung wasn’t thinking about it, thinking about you.

staff and fans had also noticed the slight change too. the way he stared just a bit too long after you’d finish talking and the light pink that dusted his cheeks when you would touch his arm had people talking. though it was impossible for him to pay attention to any of that when he was finally coming to terms with something:

he felt something for you, and he had to know if it was mutual.

today would be the day. the day he finds out if you are possibly feeling the same thing he’s feeling. when heeseung arrives, he immediately heads towards the ‪mc dressing room.‬ his heart tight in his chest as he hears your bubbly laughter float down the hall.

a smile making its way onto his face before he even realizes it himself. did this always happen when he heard your laugh? even just your voice? could the tightness he felt in his chest around you not have meant nothing after all?

he stops just as he approaches the open door. another voice. a man, someone familiar, but making you laugh nonetheless. a laugh he hasn’t heard from you for a while now. he barges in.

“heeseung,” you say, surprised at his abrupt entrance. “oh uh… yeonjun was invited to be a special ‪mc this week.”‬

heeseung bows, politely, a bit embarrassed about how riled up he was at just the thought of another man making you laugh.

“ah no need to be so formal, just wanted to introduce myself to y/n before the show,” yeonjun said, flashing you a charming smile.

you looked down as his eyes met yours, unable to hide the smile that played on your lips. and heeseung noticed it all. a different feeling tugging at his heart, one that he wasn’t used to. but how could he be upset when he hurt you first, when you weren’t his…

“i think we should probably start getting ready…” heeseung said, awkwardly, walking over to his side of the room. you watched as he sat at his vanity and started scrolling on his phone. something was wrong but you just didn’t know how to approach him anymore.

everyone got ready individually, but everytime yeonjun spoke to you, you could feel heeseung’s lingering eyes. now you understood, and how could you not use this to your advantage?

once you were on stage, heeseung was back to his normal self. of course, everything was perfect for the audience. and everyone loved your trio. yeonjun was the perfect host, it was no wonder they always invited him back.

heeseung’s biggest issue right now was that yeonjun’s charisma didn’t stop once the cameras were off. he made you laugh so easily and he never let the conversation die. and from what heeseung could tell, you were very intrigued.

he couldn’t help it, the twisted feeling in the pit of his stomach. he could never hate yeonjun, he considered him a good friend. but the thought of you being swept away by someone else made him feel sick.

the next couple days were terrible in heeseung’s eyes. yeonjun would help you put your hair back in place when a strand fell out, let you read from his cards when yours got misplaced, he even got you coffee each morning. even if he didn’t know your taste exactly, heeseung knew you were the sweet ‘it’s the thought that counts’ type of person.

it wasn’t until yeonjun’s last day as a special mc, that heeseung had enough.

yeonjun was gifted a bouquet of flowers to which he regifted to you, kindly, when the three of you made it back to your dressing room.

“i do have a schedule this next week but maybe we could hangout sometime,” yeonjun said, making you blush down at the flowers.

yeonjun’s intentions truly were only to befriend you, and you didn’t particularly feel anything more than appreciation towards him. but in heeseung’s eyes? that was a whole confession.

he didn’t hear any part of the rest of your conversation and almost completely missed when yeonjun dismissed himself from the room. but as soon as he realized the two of you were alone, it was go time.

“y/n,” he said, approaching you at your vanity once again. an all too familiar atmosphere around you. “are you planning on going out with yeonjun?”

his directness baffled you a bit but you couldn’t help play along with how cute he was being. “well i might take him up on his offer,” you said, looking at him though the mirror.

“would there be a problem, if i did?” you asked, turning to face him. he was closer than you realized now that you were practically chest to chest.

with his eyes glued down to the ground, he shook his head. you smiled at the way he didn’t realize his lips were in a pout. “hee, is there something on your mind?”

“i’m still sorry that i hurt you with what i said… i’ve been thinking it over all this time. and now i realize that everything i thought i was doing for the audience was really because i liked- like you. i like you and i wanted to deny it to myself back then but now i just want you to know.” he said, finally meeting your eyes.

you couldn’t find the words. after having such strong feelings for him and then trying to make yourself get over him. all you could do was shake your head at the situation you found yourself in.

he took a step back at your reaction, not wanting to make you uncomfortable with his proximity and confession. but you reached for his hand pulling him back in, a bit closer this time. he felt his heart bloom with hope.

“it took you long enough,” you said, a playful smile on your lips as you reached a hand out to his cheek. he leaned into your touch, a content smile on his face too.

“do you feel the same as me? do you like me too?” he asked, taking another step into your space. you felt your breath get caught in your chest when he turned to kiss your palm. all you could do was nod, your face heating up quickly.

“i wanna hear you say it,” he whispered, impossibly close now but somehow you couldn’t pull your eyes away from his.

you lifted your head slightly, your noses almost touching at the movement. “i like you too, heeseung.”

he smiled, and you returned it shyly. you felt him backing up and couldn’t stop yourself from wrapping your arms over his shoulders. lips crashing onto his in an instant.

his soft lips molding into a smile as he kissed you back immediately. though you felt his hands hesitantly pull your waist into him, tilting his head slightly to deepen the kiss before finally pulling away.

“…well i was gonna ask first, but i wouldn’t mind if you did that whenever you’d like from now on,” he said, hands finding home at your hips, swaying you gently.

you smiled up at him, blushing. your hands sliding down to rest at his biceps. “what does this mean for us?”

“well, i hope it means that you’ll be mine, cause i am definitely all yours,” he said. both of you swaying side to side now, as if to song that only you two could hear.

“yeah, i think we can make that work,” you nodded. and he leaned down to kiss your lips once (or twice) more.

[futuremrscameron]

how the !readers celebrate valentine’s day

bahamian!reader

bahamian!reader is neutral about the holiday but rafe is excited and going all out. their first valentines was the most laid back and it was a first class trip to the bahamas

every valentine's day is a friendly competition to see who can outdo the other's romantic gesture. before the kids they would either spend the day in bed, hit the beach, or go to a club in new york. post-kids the spontaneous traveling has died down but the romance and adventure is still very much there

after dropping the kids off at school the couple have the house to themselves and sleep in til lunch. they have lunch at the country club, ordering every valentine's special available. rafe is intrigued but disgusted at the idea of to-go boxes but that does Not stop bahamian!reader from asking for them

"i guess i just don't get it." rafe watches her effortlessly position the uneaten dessert into a box.

she shrugs, "what's not to get? couldn't finish the food, don't wanna waste it, still want it, i'm takin' it home."

he frowns, "right..."

"it's not that strange rafe. no different from leftovers and i know you know what leftovers are rich boy."

he blushes, "i know what leftovers are."

"well then there you go! this isn't all for me you know? not that grabalishous." she closes the final box and licks the cream cheese from the cinnamon roll of her finger. she taps the table, "fuck that's good. i'll give you folks that, you make good treats."

rafe blushes at the casual act made vulgar by his own mind. he looks down at his watch, "we have an hour before school let's out."

"i miss our chirren too but bringing them up on a date is what you rich folks would call a faux pas no?"

he sighs, "no i mean.- we have the house to ourselves..." he tilts his head and squints.

a grin slowly stretches across her face, "ooh you're nasty." she chuckles, grabs the bag full of takeout boxes and stands up. she points at the table, "pay then meet me in the car."

he watches her strut out the lounge, "yes ma'am."

they share their sweet treats with their kids and listen to them talk about their mini valentine's day celebrations at school (and yes they do take some of their candy)

after putting the kids to bed they take a dip in their pool, reminiscing on the times they would get drunk and skinny dip and reslize how dangerousbtaht was

they end the night sleeping soundly on the couch, cuddled up together after a valentine's day different from the ones of the past but still a success in their book (who gets the point for this valentine's will become discussed the next day)

academic rival!pogue

academic rival!pogue always imagined library dates as the extent of pope's romance before she realized she had feelings for him. the reality is a welcomed surprise.

she spends the night at pope's the day before after getting permission from both their parents.

pope stares at the ceiling in his room, "is it a good or bad thing that our parents think we're virgin loaers?"

she stops kissing his neck to meet his eyes, her glare tells him that was the wrong thing to say.

"i wouldn't describe myself like that." she removes herself from his lap and plops down next to him.

he shakes his head and sits up, trying to meet her eyes. "no of course not. i just mean- you know- i'm happy you're here and i have so much planned tomorrow and-"

"pope." she glances at him.

"yeah?"

she pushes him back down and throws her legs on both sides of his legs. "stop talking."

he nods, "okay."

pope wakes her up with coffee just how she likes it and gives her an itinerary list of their day. she hates that this has made him 1000 times hotter in her eyes.

10:00-11:00 breakfast/get ready for bookstore

11:30-1:00 bookstore shopping

1:15-2:00 reading at the park + lunch at the wreck

2:30-5:00 movie

they get ice cream after the movie and head down to the pier which leads them to the beach and collecting as many unique shells as they can find. academic rival!pogue comes up with the idea of putting shells on each other and taking pictures of their work

next valentine's day they both give the pictures they took with decorative frames

kitty!reader

wake and bake. arts and crafts (card making) in their shared pajama set while they eat breakfast

"okay that's cheating." she stops kissing her envelope and turns her attention to him.

"what?"

"kisses? on your envelope? that's like ten sexy points. "

"you literally have color pencils and markers, 10 points for creativity, we're evenly matched and if it's that much if a big deal you can borrow my lipstick?"

"that's not the point."

"okay so you're just talking to talk. take your L like a man."

after swpaping cards and calling the competition a tie they go to the park. they smoke on the swings and talk about the morality of child free spaces until one of the kook parents call the cops on them. kitty's kookness saves them from getting arrested but they have to leave the park

grocery shopping for pizza recipes goes better than expected, they get everything they on their list and almost no one can tell they're high as a kite

watching courage the cowardly dog reruns while they try to make a heart pizza. kitty is running that kitchen like the navy, it's the most intense pj's ever seen her and he into it

they eat their heart pizzas while playing dress to impress. kitty makes comments on how accurate it is to the fashion and modeling world

puppy!reader

the first half of the day is a half date half treasure hunt. puppy gives him a bunch of kisses (paper) with her favorite things about written on them and he gives her two tickets to the fair

they go to the beach bright and early because john b is meeting someone ther but puppy is none the wiser. he doesn't rush them to the next destination immediately but it's less out of the kindness of his heart and more because he doesn't need to be there til much later

on the way back from the beach puppy spots a trail and says they should see where it leads. john b worries that this impromptu hike will mess up his schedule but he doesn't wanna look sketchy so he agrees

puppy brings her picnic basket in hopes that they'll find a good spot for a picnic. they do.

"isn't this amazing?" she takes in the beautiful meadow they found once out for the woods.

john b holds his knees to his chest and anxiously taps his foot against the picnic blanket. "yeah it's great."

she sits down by his side and tucks a strand hair behind his ear, it calms his nerves somewhat. "don't worry baby, we'll make it in time."

he feels his heart drop, "how did you-"

"i know you, remember? and i know what someone keeping secrets looks like?" she looks down at her lap, "can you tell me next time?"

he kisses her forehead, "of course lady."

john b spends 30 minutes at the fair before he heads off. he refuses doesn't bring puppy to the mysterious location out of fear of her getting hurt but it doesn't make it any easier for either of them. he promises to make it up to her and tells her that jj will pick her up before zooming out of the parking lot leaving a heartbroken puppy

she's woken up by a hand over her mouth and screams before recognizing the familiar hand, john b. she screams some more at his horrifying entrance and curses ever giving him a key

"what the hell are you doing here?" she turns on the lamp on her nightstand to get a better look at him.

"i told you i'd make it up to you." he takes three steps forward and caresses her face before leaning in for a kiss.

hislips on hers almost melts all the questions out her mind. she softlt psuhes at his chest, "john b. where did you go? what did you find?"

he softly smiles, "don't worry about that right now." he kisses his way down her face, to her neck. she pulls him down on top of her, trying to keep up with his kisses and wiggle back onto the bed.

he slowly lifts up her shirt, placing kisses around her stomach before stopping at her boxers that look very familiar. "you missed me that much."

she looks down at the boxers, "i wanted to be close to you."

he smiles, "i missed you too" he roughly pulls the boxers down. she whimpers in anticipation and at his manhandling.

"shh it's okay." he kisses her cheeks as he pushes his pants down.

"you ready?" she nods. he slowly pushes in, making her grip his shoulders. his breathing grows heavier from the overwhelming feeling of her warmth squeezing around him.

he lokks down. she's having a similarly hard time. "you forgive me yet?"

"mm-hm." her eyes are squeezed shut.

"huh?" he thrusts, "hey. open your eyes baby."

she grips his curls, "y-yes! yes!"

"yeah?" he picks up his thrusts.

"yes!"

he gives her a soft but passionate kiss. "i love you."

"i love you johnny." she wipes her tears.

he slows down his thrusts to lean down and whisper in her ear, "don't cry. i'm sorry."

"it's okay."

"i won't leave you alone again." he wraps an arm around her waist lifting her onto his lap.

she drops her head in his shoulder, "johnathan."

"i got you baby."

'warm' is the only word that comes to their minds when they collapse side by side.

"promise you'll tell me what you found tomorrow?"

"promise."

bestie!kook

they've spent every valentine's together since high school but finally being official stresses them both out. rafe shows up at her house with flowers and balloons and she makes them heart pancakes. it's awkward for a couple minutes before they fall back into their usual routine

rafe gives bestie!kook a letter detailing how he feels since "he's not the best ar words". first time he realized he was in love, apologizing for using her, wanting her to move on with him, they're all in the letter. she cries of course

jewelry shopping after breakfast. bestie!kook picks out a pink heart diamond ring which rafe immediately puts on her finger. makes them think of marriage which leads to them crashing a wedding

talking about the future and hopes and dreams like they used to do on the roof at family parties. they leave early and go to a hotel

a rose petal bath to unwind and two glasses of wine to celebrate a successful valentine's day

weird girl!kook

weird girl!kook drives to tanneyhill to wake jj up, knowing he crashes there 9 times out of 10. she gives him a wet willy which makes him wake up screaming and cursing until he realizes it's her. irritated that she went through the trouble of getying a box, a gift, and gift wrap for this spoiled brat she calls her boyfriend

"beautiful girl what did i do to deserve this?" his voice us muffled as he whines into her side.

"you were supposed to pick me up at 12." she pulls his hair causing him to wince and remove his face from her side.

"i know. forgive me?" he pouts. she drops her hold on his hair and stands up causing his face to hit the bed.

"gross." she tosses his gift box on the bed, "here's your gift."

he rips it off within seconds and gasps when he sees the contents. "babe! a lighter? and it's got my name on it?" he pulls her into a hug, she pats his head.

"i love you."

"i know."

can't stay mad at him for long espeically when he gets her the paint/brushes she's been talking about for months and shares his weed with her

they go back to weird girl!kook's so she can check on her babies (ferrets) before they head out

jj surprises her with dinner reservations to her favorite outdoor restaurant. he's on his best behavior which freaks her out so bad. she drags him to the photo booth and kisses him stupid

she only comes up for air after feeling his hand on her butt. she grips his face; "stop whatever you're doing?"

"wha do you mean?" it comes out slurred so she let's go.

"this well adjusted normal guy act. it's freaking me out "

he laughs. it makes her eye twitch. "you're the one that told me to be on my best behavior."

"yeah, your best behavior not your best serial killer impersonation."

he pinches her side, she pinches him back. "you're a really complicated woman you know that?"

she huffs.

he shakes his head and sighs, "i hope no one took our photo. though someone perming off to picture of us making out is kind of flattering, no?"

she shakes her head, "freak." her smile tells him it's a compliment.

going to the abandoned exhibit to paint the walls using the new brushes and paint jj got her. jj's supposed to be lookout but he's too enamored by her painting to notice the sirens, nearly getting them caught

biker!pogue

biker!pogue doesn't think the holiday is that big of a deal while rafe sees it as the ultimate indicator of whether or not a couple is meant to last

he gets her flowers and a motorcycle charm for her keychain. she's genuinely surprised at his thoughtfuless and can't help but wonder if he's only doing this out of his misguided belief that valentine's day is some fortune teller or out of actual love for her

it's proven to be the latter when he takes her to an arcade. not just any arcade, but the arcade that helped her hone her motorcycle riding skills. he talks about his intense attitude the whole day and gives the closest thing to an apology he knows

racing on the beach until the sun starts to set. rafe loses back to back to back but insists 4th time's the charm. it's not, he loses again. takes his loss semi gracefully.

they stop at a grocery store in figyre eight and the heywards' in the cut to get everything she needs for the dinner she's got planned. she makes rose-shaped pizza rolls and heart-shaped garlic bread

angel!reader

originally, angel was supposed to go to a church event but rafe somehow convinced her to take a trip with him, mostly as an apology for everything

shocked by how much fun she's having at the getaway, angel starts to think of her future and what she wants in life. making heart shaped cookies and the trial run life with rafe is nice but it reminds her too much of her old life

rafe thinks the resort will cheer her up because he's having a ball but angel doesn't care for it. choosing to go on the tour of the nearby forest instead. it's there she has her spiritual reawakening

she meets rafe back at their cabin and is surprised to find him eating the cookies she made. she apologizes for ruining his planned day but he's not bothered at all

they eat sweets for dinner and feel that pain on the drive back to the outer banks

bunny!reader

rafe actually loves valentine’s day-- not the holiday itself but that he gets to prove his worth, take care of his bunny and show her off, so he goes all out. a weekend stay at a resort leading up to the big day.

the first gift of the weekend, a trip to the salon and a new purse filled with 100-dollar bills, because what kind of man would he be letting her pay for her own nails

after the salon they relax by the pool, bunny working on her tan and rafe glaring at anyone that stares too long at her

the second day has bunny lounges by the pool, new nails shining under the sun as she works on her tan. rafe tries to take it easy on the drinking so he's sober at dinner later

candlelit dinner at a classy restaurant rafe bought out just for them. bunny has been dying to go there and is estatic when rafe tells her their dinner plan. squeals and jumps into his arms, covering him in glossy kisses.

"oh thank you thank you thank you!"

"yeah yeah, look save it for later 'kay? i paid good money for this shit, don't want us to be late."

bunny makes him coordinate with her (not those godawful pastels). she gives him a color palette and expects him to stick to it which he does, not wanting to hear her rant about the "color palette for valentine's day" again

rafe goes all out, renting out a limousine for the day driver takes them to dinner

ending the day over the moon and completely lovestruck

foxy!reader

they're still not officially together so they don't celebrate together, they just happen to be in the same places at the same time. foxy is still getting used to not hating rafe and rafe is getting used to her not hating him and getting over the betrayal he felt after she helped the pogues. things are rough.

they're both invited to a work event but don't bring a plus one just in case the other is there. they are and they do.

foxy feels rafe's eyes follow her every move and it is just as irritating as she remembers but when she moves to confront him he's chatting with not just any lawyer, but a lawyer at a rival firm who hates her.

she's up for an award but loses to said rival. she goes outside for a smoke and rafe follows suit

"that's a nasty habit you got there."

her bloods runs cold at the sound of his voice, "yeah well considering the circumstances, i think i've earned it."

he leans against the railing, "the circumstances being?"

"should i listen them alphabetically or chronologically?"

he hums and lets them sit in silence for a few seconds. "you deserved that award."

"i know." she exhales, "i think this is karma for all those years i worked for you guys."

he scoffs, "you know i don't believe in that shit."

she puts out her cigarette and turns to him, "what do you believe in cameron?"

he gives her a half smile.

spend the rest of the evening talking shit about the attendees. it's the most fun they've both had in a while.

[generalhumancloudalmond]

Puzzle

Platonic!Yandere!Kafka x Child!Fem!Reader

'I thought after his death he would give me his projects, not the child, if I would help him! Stop looking at me like that! You useless, short-lived brat!'

You sat quietly in a stall on the territory of the divination commission and prayed to all possible aeons that neither the cloud knights nor the monsters of Mara would find you tonight. In your hands, you randomly sorted through the puzzle that your father gave you before his death, now more than ever it helped you calm down and distract yourself. Ideally, you wanted to escape from Xianzhou and never come back. Such a short-lived brat as you have nothing to do here.

Suddenly, your peace was disturbed by approaching footsteps. Knights?... Mara's monsters?... In the blink of an eye, you prayed that they were knights. If someone will gonna find you, then let it be knights! However...

There was a growl. The man in front of you was like a wild beast that was about to pounce on you. You saw him swing his sword sharply, and have already managed to say goodbye to life.

"Bladie, listen to me..."

Tears immediately ran down your cheeks when you realized that you were almost killed. The fear of death hit you so hard that you practically didn't hear what that woman was saying to her friend.

"Child, could you please vacate this kiosk for an indefinite amount of time?"

Not remembering yourself, you flew out of a small room and sat down nearby.

"Thanks. Also, could you be very quiet?"

You nodded your head, unconsciously, and clamped your hands over your mouth. You're lucky that this woman was too busy at that moment, and you had a couple of minutes to recover.

Out of the corner of your eye, you started watching her with curiosity and caution. Your little fingers were still sorting through the puzzle. After a couple of seconds, you looked into the corner of your eye again and shuddered when you caught her gaze.

"Hmm... And what is a kid like you doing late at night in a place teeming with monsters? Are you lost? Or maybe you're hiding from someone?"

Your heart skipped a beat and she laughed softly at your face.

"So you are hiding. Relax, I won't give you away. To tell the truth, I'm hiding myself."

Her smile was sly, but her voice was soothing.

"What is that in your hands? Some kind of puzzle?"

"Y... yes."

"Can I take a look?"

"Of course..."

Hesitantly, you approached her and carefully handed her the puzzle.

'Among all the places and options where we could meet, this is it. I see.'

Her face was relaxed and even satisfied as she twirled in her hands the thing invented by your father. Suddenly her hand came down on your head and lazily patted it.

"Are you good at solving this puzzle?"

"I... Not... Not really..."

"I see. Then I can offer you my helping hand in this matter a little later..."

The future may be completely different, but as a rule there are common points in it. And for some reason, your meeting with Kafka became such a point. It intrigues her to some extent. What is so special about an ordinary timid child?

Despite her maximally relaxed facial expression, her eyes are sharp and they study you very carefully. Kafka sees your indecision and understands it, but...

Does not accept it.

"Listen, you won't deny me my desire to help you, will you?"

[eggroll-sama]

Touchstarved Demo Review

Played the demo of Touchstarved and I can’t get it out of my head. Refreshing tumblr every three seconds to read people’s stances on the game so I’m going to do it myself. Here’s are my current stances on the characters.

KURAS

Rather secluded and to himself, initial reactions wise I was disappointed in not getting to know more about him in the demo. but at the same time, the demo set the stage for what exactly I could expect from his route. Slow-burn. Much like what I expect Mhin’s route to be like, but moreso focused on getting to know his past. He doesn’t voice his internal struggles because he has a firm barrier he sets between himself and other, probably hates getting too close to human’s because he is immortal and doesn’t like the idea of getting attached to things that are temporary.

Also, after listening to the Q and A on YouTube and how supposedly Kuras will do some messed up shit in his route, I’m really excited to see what’s up with this tight-lipped doctor. He is definitely not the nice, charitable doctor that he is known for in Lowtown.

On a positive note, his design is probably my favorite in the game! Very unique, gorgeous, and ethereal, so pretty that I know if he existed in real life he’d be out of my league and would be popular just because of how jaw-droppingly gorgeous he is. Mr Steal your girl, but he’s respectful so he won’t be a home wrecker.

(More reviews under the cut)

LEANDER

A character that I thought looked so suspicious and weirded out, but fell in love with when playing the game. I thought he looked like a psychopath!

Because I’m a stupid, easily manipulated dumbass, I initially didn’t really capture his red flags when playing the demo. Every time he let me touch him, my heart beat wouldn’t stop! And his blush is so adorable. He seemed like the trustworthy nice-guy that just wanted to help a poor soul out. And uh, chest. The chest really had an effect on me and his entire outfit didn’t help. Black turtle necks awaken something in me, yknow? And the belts? Hoe energy.

After replaying the demo a few times, it just stands out to me how much of a player he is. Before realizing MC was at the bar because of Kuras, he was in flirting mode and probably considering MC to be part of his escapades. The disappointment in his tone and face when he found out MC was there for business 😂😂.

We get the most information of Leander from the special conversation with the characters so I am quite pumped to know what exactly this guy is about, cuz each person has varying, colorful opinions on him. I find it so funny that Vere, the most flirtatious in the game, is weirded out by shameless Leander is. Maybe that is Leander’s flaw? The leader of the Bloodhounds, envied by many and respected by most, is the most submissive and horny bitch on the planet. Ok ok, I’m done. But I could go on and on about this man.

(Side note, Mhin and Leander definitely had a drunken one night stand. And Mhin absolutely regretted it)

Even after reading all the theories on how sus he is, his interactions were probably my favorite in the entire game. I’m just so intrigued by him.

VERE

Not the biggest fan of Vere. I’m not into animal ears and tails.

Im going to be honest in real life I would be flustered by Vere’s advances and probably feel a sort of fascination towards him echen to attraction, but he’s not really the type that I want to romance in games. Also the fact of the matter is is that sexual innuendoes just not my thing, especially when it comes to first impressions. And my first impression was getting my key stolen so nice.

Irl Vere can be acquaintances at most. I would be there just to hear the juiciest details about some drama. He would always have some snarky comment that would make me laugh. I love some dark humor. But at the same time, he’s dangerous af. I wouldn’t want to get too close to him. He has major issues and idk when he would snap, that’s the scary part! If I tease him playfully and he was not in the mood, off goes my head.

I like his relationship with Ais, adds more juiciness to the story. Love me some love triangles. Reminds me of Rime and Felix relationship in Last Legacy.

I would like the challenge of winning him over though. Because his route would probably be so unpredictable and challenging, I feel more motivated to play and invest in his story

AIS

I love his character design! Probably my second favorite in the game. Ais exudes confidence, competence, and strength. Major main character vibes from Ais. I’m guessing that’s why Leander hates him. HOW DARE YOU BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, LITERALLY THE CENTER OF ALL THE PROMO ART YOU FUCKIN BASTAR-

I personally do not feel that much of a love connection towards Ais as much as Leander. More like, I chill with you. I could grab a drink with you and talk about life. Yes. Maybe when I play his route they’ll prove me wrong. Im still curious about him so can’t wait to play his route. But I don’t see much of a red flag in him as the others, he just seems like a chill guy that went through hell. I’m guessing he’ll show his dark sides in his route.

It’s concerning that he’s attracted to Vere cuz Vere is…Vere. Problematic. Chaotic. An Asshole. Hmmm, is Ais technically an enabler? Yes, but Ais also starts bar fights. They’re both bad. It’s also interesting how generally people would say ethically good qualities on why they are attracted to someone but no, Ais is just like “yeah he’s an asshole, you can trust him just don’t listen to anything he says.” It’s hilarious. That also contrasts with Leander’s bio how he sees Vere as a damsel in distress cuz he’s delusional and has white knight syndrome, while Ais sees people who they are because he’s the black sheep “that have the clearest view of the world.” That’s probably why Vere loves him. Ais is the only person that sees his crappiness and still likes him. What a Chad :,)

MHIN

They reminds me of a friend I have. Quiet, standoffish, takes time to open up, a MASSIVE sweet tooth. I really want to pet their heads but I know they’re going to smack it away if I even try to touch. 😭😭

Mhin, the angsty teen. Considering Mhin’s bad temperament and similar curse thing with MC, I’m going to guess it’ll have major Beauty and the Beast vibes. Tempermental Mhin and MC who would turn them into a better person and teach them how to love themselves, with or without the curse.

The friendship with Mhin and Kuras make a lot of sense. Mhin feels at peace with Kuras cuz he’s a good listener and the only introvert in the friend group. Mhin needs someone that won’t try to annoy them like Leander or Vere. But I remember listening to the stream with the developers, and they were saying how terrible Kuras is and can’t wait for people to find out about it. Will Mhin feel betrayed when they find out the truth about Kuras? Do they already know? So many questions.

[shyalia]

Happy One Year Anniversary

to The Day the World Broke by @saladmix!!! She deserves all of the recognition for writing such an incredible and in-depth story, please go show her some love!!

To celebrate and show my immense appreciation, I spent the last two months working on an animatic for it. It's not perfect, but the vision is there and I'm honestly proud of myself for completing a major project like this. 100+ frames later (not all of them made the cut, unfortunately) it is finally complete just in time for the anniversary!

I'm about to ramble, I apologize in advance lol. Feel free to scroll down to the next blue text to see the animatic, please mind the spoiler and trigger warnings!

This fic is so important to me and holds a special place in my heart. I came across the first chapter the day it was posted, so early that it didn't even have any hits or kudos yet. The title and little description intrigued me so I clicked on it, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance because I was hooked from the first paragraph. Little did I know how much it would impact me that evening after raving about it to my best friend, during and after reading it. I'm not kidding when I say it has been on my mind every day for a full trip around the sun. Its AU is so unique that I haven't read anything like it before. The writing is beautiful, the storytelling is captivating, and the characterizations of the boys are so in-depth and relatable and a joy to read, the plot is insane and every chapter blows my mind... I could go on about it forever!!

I've read that first chapter more times than I can count, and the rest of it several times as well because even at 300k+ words, every single word is worth the time and energy. I'm always finding subtle details that are easily missed in earlier chapters that come up again later and I have a "WAIT HOLD UP" moment, like @saladmix is a genius I swear. When going back through chapters to locate details for my artwork to make it as accurate as I can, I always find myself getting lost reading because it just pulls me in, even though I already know what is about to happen... it's just that good.

Honestly, I can't get enough of this story, it means sooo much to me. It has inspired me to become a better artist, to have the courage to write my own stories, my enjoyment of reading has been rekindled, and most importantly, it brought friendship. @saladmix is such a kind person, she is so supportive and funny and a pleasure to talk to, I'm thankful to have her as a friend. Keep on being awesome, girl!!

Okay, I'll stop rambling and let y'all see this animatic that I worked so long on! xD

Please be forewarned that it contains spoilers up to and including chapter 23, so if you have not read that far and want to avoid spoilers, save this to watch at a later date!

TW for brief images of knives and guns, and for light sensitivity as some very bright frames come up. I apologize if you're sensitive to those types of things!

[starwarsmum]

Day 13 of Maribat March is Eyes Wide Open and a continuation of Valentines day 1, Meet Hurt

@maribatserver

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62690302/chapters/163677532

Damian had endured an entire four days of teasing thus far from his brothers. Tim had told Jason about his supposed ‘special treatment’ of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the designer that had met with Lucius Fox. From there, Jason and Tim had taken to asking him if he had met any more damsels in distress, their tones mocking and full of glee.

In addition, Tim had found the footage of his - in his opinion - very ordinary rescue of said damsel. He played it regularly, asking both Steph and Jason to weigh in with their opinion on whether he had been pleasant enough with the girl or if he had ‘blown his chances’. It was maddening and he resolutely ignored them all whenever it was discussed. 

The cut on his arm had healed remarkably quickly, and he wondered after a couple of days whether it had been as severe as he had initially presumed. So, on his next volunteering session at the hospital, he asked if one of the nurses would mind taking a look at it, just to ‘ease his mind’. Their findings made him curious as to whether Marinette knew she had started healing his injury or if it was something unconscious she had done.

Regardless, he wanted to speak to her again. She was attractive, and he had been intrigued by the casual way she had sacrificed her own outfit to dress his wound. As she was a young fashion designer on her way to an important meeting he was impressed by her priorities. So he was frustrated that he couldn't ask Tim for information about the next time she was due to be at Wayne Enterprises without giving the annoying man more ammunition to tease him with. 

Fortunately, six days after their encounter, he bumped into her in the building. She was dressed impeccably, her outfit sharp and not a hair out of place. She was waiting for the elevator and he approached her quietly, his only intention to learn more about her.

“Hello, Marinette,” he said in a low voice, biting back a smile that threatened to emerge when she jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned to him with wide blue eyes and he tried not to stare into them for too long. “I'm glad to see you are still in one piece.”

“Oh, yes, um, well that's pretty much entirely thanks to you,” she said with a squeak. Then she grew more serious, eyes flickering to his arm where he knew his wound was mostly healed. “How's your arm doing, monsieur Wayne? I hope there was no deep, lasting damage.”

“It is healing perfectly, thank you for asking,” he said in as warm a voice as he could manage. He thought he saw a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes which he found interesting too. Perhaps she was aware of her abilities. “I had meant to check whether you had replaced your phone as well. It can be highly frustrating when your easiest form of communication is removed.” 

“Ain't that the truth,” she muttered, face taking on an intriguing shade of red as she glanced up at him. “Um, yeah, I managed to buy a new phone pretty quickly and everything from my old one has been transferred. Which is good, because I did not want to explain to my family and friends how it got damaged.” 

He huffed a laugh and they lapsed into silence as they waited for the elevator. It was pleasant and Damian found he didn't mind her company at all, something he had noticed when he first met her and hadn't expected to upon meeting her again. He was debating venturing into another topic when the elevator arrived and revealed Tim. 

“Oh, good morning Damian,” he said, glee written all over his face. “Miss Dupain-Cheng, lovely to see you again. Off to see Lucius or here for…someone else?” 

“I'm here to sign the papers with Monsieur Fox,” Marinette said brightly, apparently oblivious to the way Tim was glancing at Damian. “But surely you were on your way somewhere, Monsieur Drake? And I must excuse myself, I couldn't bear to be late a second time.”

“Oh, I'm sure Damian doesn't mind walking you there,” Tim said with a smirk. Damian scowled at him but didn't deny it as he followed Marinette into the elevator. He had really only come to Wayne Enterprises to speak with his father but if Marinette was available to speak to…he would hardly turn down the opportunity. 

“I must apologise for my brother, he is insufferable on a good day,” he said after a few moments. She looked at him with clear, blue eyes and he forgot what they were talking about momentarily. She said something in response but he was struggling to focus, something that was mildly alarming. 

“Well, this is my stop,” she said with another smile and his brain successfully deciphered it. He watched her walk away until the doors to the elevator closed on him, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 

_ _ _

Marinette was having an excellent meeting with Lucius Fox. It started with signing papers that would officially begin her contract with Wayne Technologies. Then he had taken her to review their current projects and she was delighted to get a look at state of the art gadgets. 

It was while they were perusing some still in progress defensive pieces that the building alarm sounded and Marinette tensed up. She still flinched whenever anything remotely sounding like an akuma alert went up and it had been well over a year since that had ended. Lucius glanced around and beckoned for her to follow him.

As they neared the exit to the Research & Development area, a blast of cold air made her pause and step back, smoothly tucking the head of her new department out of sight. She was fairly confident that she could play dumb for long enough that she could figure something out and get her new boss out of the way. 

But she wasn't given the chance, a henchman decked out in winter wear - in the middle of August - grabbed her and pulled her against him. She grimaced at the contact but decided against making a move before she knew what she was up against. She was eighty percent certain it was Mr Freeze but it could always be a villain that was just visiting Gotham. 

Eventually she was dragged over to the door leading to the more experimental tech and she immediately started babbling in French, trying to convince them that she was useless. Unfortunately they didn't seem to care until they got to the door and she couldn't open it. 

The man holding her shook her harshly, demanding that she open the door if she didn't want to end up as an ice sculpture. She desperately wanted to correct him and let him know that because she would merely be being frozen she wouldn't technically be a sculpture but didn't want to give away that she knew English. 

It was at that moment that hell broke loose. Someone came crashing through the door and threw something that filled the area with smoke. The grip on her tightened as the henchman started to swing back and forth wildly and she tried to see what she could through the smoke. 

It became clear very quickly that she wasn't going to see through it, at which point she decided to act. Picking up her heel, she jammed it down onto her captor’s foot and jabbed an arm back simultaneously. From the coarse language spewing from his mouth, and the way she was let go, it was highly effective. 

She kept a hold of the henchman's arm and used that to get an idea of where she could do some damage on the man. She wasn't sure if someone would be there to help her shortly but it would be easier for her if she just dealt with it. And after several swift hits to soft parts of the man, she had him writhing on the floor in pain. 

Dropping towards the floor, the air was clearer and she could see several pairs of legs that were twisting nervously back and forth as they searched for the source of the smoke. The noise was chaotic and she slunk over to the closest person to take them down too. 

Working through the room, she quickly found that she wasn't the only one dropping goons. She managed to stay out of the way of whoever it was and the smoke was clearing. By the time she could see clearly again the threat had been neutralised and she could finally see who she had been working with.

“Oh, hello Monsieur Robin,” she said brightly, taking another piece of scrap fabric from her pocket and binding a man's hands. The vigilante looked down at her in surprise and she grimaced before standing up. “I'm sorry if I got in the way, I just wanted to get them squared away as quickly as possible. It's my first day and I have a lot to learn.” 

“Tt, do not be absurd, I appreciate how quickly you moved to aid in handling the situation,” Robin said in a firm tone. She shot him another smile before realising that she hadn't checked on Lucius yet. 

“Monsieur Fox, are you alright?” She asked, rushing over to the older gentleman. 

“Marinette, I think we can drop the formalities,” Lucius said with a bemused smile. “I'm absolutely fine - largely thanks to yourself. That man didn't hurt you when he took you hostage, did he?”

“No, I'm perfectly alright,” she began to say, only to find herself being turned around and checked by Robin. He was quick and clinical and absolutely ignored her protests. Eventually she sighed and relented, allowing him to give her a thorough assessment. 

“It seems you are in excellent health,” Robin said eventually, releasing her. She smiled up at him and was rewarded by a small quirk of a smile from the notoriously stoic vigilante. “I shall leave you to your work.”

As he was about to leave the door opened again and Red Robin stepped in. He was clearly agitated but stopped when he looked towards Marinette and Robin. She gave an awkward wave to the second vigilante and expected them both to leave to deal with whatever they needed to. So she was very surprised when Red Robin turned to Robin with a mischievous grin on his face.

“I see you stopped to check on the civilians,” he observed. Marinette glanced at Robin who looked much more like the menacing man she had researched before coming to Gotham. His lips were pressed in a tight line and his hand was now resting on his katana. 

“Yes, one of them was held hostage and I did an assessment of any potential injuries,” Robin snapped, though there looked to be a reddish tinge to his cheeks. “Don't you have other things to be doing? Things that don't involve you hovering over me?” 

“Ooh, touchy,” Red snarked, still smirking. Marinette frowned and stepped back towards Lucius with a questioning look. Lucius just shrugged, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as Red Robin continued. “The building’s clear of Freeze so we just need to round up.”

“Well, thank you for your work on getting us free, Robin. I still have work to do if you don't mind…” Lucius said, looking amused. Both vigilantes nodded and set about collecting the thugs and dragging them away. It didn't take long and Lucius made a point to take Marinette back to the more experimental tech to discuss their plans further.

_ _ _

Damian resolutely stayed away from the R&D department for the rest of the day. He knew he would never hear the end of it from Tim if he didn't and he had had quite enough of his brother's meddling. So it was pure coincidence when he came across her as he was leaving for his volunteer shift at the hospital.

“Oh,” she said as she spotted him, her face brightening in a smile. “I hope you stayed safe during the lockdown earlier, Monsieur Wayne.” 

“Likewise,” he murmured, glancing down at her as she entered the elevator. “And you needn't be formal with me; I don't work for the company.” 

“Oh, but-”

“I'm afraid I will not be answering if you address me as Monsieur Wayne again, Marinette,” he said with mock severity. She flushed and he over exaggerated a scowl. “Unless you are calling me that because you have forgotten my name?”

“N-no! I haven't forgotten your name, Damian- Monsieur W-” she seemed to stumble over her words in her mild panic and he took pity on her.

“I have done nothing to deserve the use of a title and I am in no way your superior here at your work. I would much prefer you call me by my given name,” he said softly. The elevator was approaching the ground floor and he dropped his voice even further. “Please, Marinette?” 

“I'll…I'll try, Damian,” she replied with a small smile, and he tried not to smirk too smugly. 

“I've heard that practice makes perfect; perhaps we should spend some time together to help you grow accustomed to it?” He suggested as they stepped into the foyer of the building. “Perhaps we could get coffee? Or dinner, if you think you might need longer to practice?”

She blushed and stammered a yes before exchanging numbers with him. And if he was in a better mood that evening, only he was privy as to why.

[sockysucks]

HI TUMBLR!!

ive come to create a incredibly lengthy post about the new mascot horror game called Indigo Park

I need to ramble ( haha rambley ) about it as i have just quit twitter for an indefinite time for my own mental health as an autistic cannot last on there at all

anyway, im going to talk about all the reason why indigo park is so good and what i hope from it!! and any criticisms i have for it, i honestly dont have many even though its so early to talk about.

how i found out about indigo park:

UNIQUEGEESE!! naturally, i was watching one of masons past streams on his youtube playing FNF after having rejoined the FNF community after its update and finding out about the mod HIT SINGLE; the mod masons was playing( people know it mostly for the silly billy song ) and he had mentioned about him making a mascot horror game which i shrugged off naturally because i am not a fan of modern mascot horror as most of it seems to be low effort and genuinely unappealing, i knew he had made something that was definitely made with love but i didnt have the will to check it out until a announcement trailer dropped which i then saw snippets of the game and the characters and environment, which i was definitely intrigued so I played the game myself.

My thoughts playing the game:

and found it surpisingly good compared to any other mascot horror game, it was unique, genuinely had awesome character designs and very high quality’s graphics and beautiful models and lighting were stunning, again really surprised having endured the hideousness of other low quality mascot horror games, to then find a game with fucking great models ( unlike banban, 2 billion polygon remote or whatever lmfao ).

I started the game and to be real as a extremely gay furry who loves little silly furry boys i felt like i was gonna explode during every single rambley voice line and animation played and fell so in love with him, now a massive comfort character and ive draw. him like 12 times prior to the games first chapter being released like 2 days ago lol, ive never gotten so attached so quicky in my life which definitely makes rambley and indigo park a really special game.

I really love this game, the pacing is really well done, the horror isnt low quality, the like actual character models for lloyd and molly are really gorgeous, i just think the hair and some of the texturing is over done slightly, but definitely made me shit myself multiple times despite this, all while i was laughing with my new silly raccoon boyfriend 💜💜💜💜

hugeeeeww shoutout to team neutron for the the absolute gorgeous expressive rambley screen animations and the credits theme that left me almost tbe same way portal 2’s credits effected me the first time i ever played and definitely huge huge props to otterboyva for the super adorable voice of rambley.

what do I hope for the future of Indigo Park

I hope for the future of this game that content farms and bootleggers disregard it, but this doesnt give me hope seeing that one rambley plush that a company made before the first chapter even released that was completely unlicensed. I will be avoiding social media in efforts to not see people start shitting on this game if it becomes on the same level and milked by content farms like what happened to the amazing digital circus ( i watched this on the day the pilot released, and was equally devastated as many others to see it being used as low effort bait in shitty kids cartoons on youtube shorts )

in case you didnt see i did a little animation at the top of this!! very rough but yeah

I love tgis game PLEASEEEE i cannot wait to see more high quality content from this really passionate creative team uniquegeese/mason has formed

in case you wanted to play it for yourself, heres a link to the steam page!! the first chapter is free and a kickstarter started a couple days ago has been completed funded so…. CHAPTER 2 IS CONFIRMED!!

[duhragonball]

Daima 1: Conspiracy

So I don't really want to liveblog this show while it's still ongoing, but I'm not sure how else to describe what I'm doing. What I want to do is delve into the show's characters and plot, and kind of get into what makes it tick. I just saw Episode 4 earlier today, and I just keep finding myself impressed with the way Daima keeps getting story beats so *right*. So maybe if I write about it enough, some of that talent will rub off on me.

To start us off, Episode 1, "Conspiracy", is 32 minutes long, and as far as I can tell, this is done to accommodate a ten minute segment that introduces the audience to the Dragon Ball concept. It's a lot like the opening sequence of Super Hero, but longer and more detailed.

If I hadn't seen it myself, I would be tempted to call this a mistake, because a ten-minute lore dump is pretty tiresome for an audience to sit through, but it turns out to be highly effective here. eight minutes of this is two of the main villains, Gomah and Degesu, watching a highlight reel of the Buu Saga and reacting to all the crazy stuff that happens. This works for the following reasons.

First and foremost, Dragon Ball Z kicks ass. Most movies and TV shows would benefit from having their characters just vegging out and watching about 65 episodes of DBZ in a row. And it's a visual feast, because Gomah has some magic dome with dozen of screens floating all around them, so they can see everything going on, and all of the footage is gorgeously re-animated for this episode. They could have gotten away with using clips from Dragon Ball Kai, but they went the extra mile and made it special.

Second, this is a great way to introduce the villains and demonstrate their relationships with the other characters. As they watch, it becomes clear that Gomah and Degesu know the bad guys. Dabura is their king, Babidi is their enemy who enslaved their king, and Majin Buu is a monster capable of conquering all of creation. They also know the Supreme Kai, because Degesu is his brother, and they don't seem to like him very much. They also recognize Piccolo and Dende as Namekians, as well as the Dragon Balls. Apparently they have that stuff in their own Demon Realm too, but they didn't know the Namekians had left the Demon Realm to settle in the outer universe.

On the other hand, Gomah and Degesu have no knowledge of the Saiyans who fought against Majin Buu. They don't know how Goku and Vegeta transform or shoot light from their hands, and they have no idea how they can be powerful enough to keep challenging Buu and holding their own. Degesu suggests that they might be Majins themselves, except they don't have pointed ears. Apparently Demon Realm races all have pointy ears. The exact distinction between Majins and Demons is still unclear to me, but we'll get into that later, I'm sure.

The point is that it makes sense for Gomah and Degesu to watch all this footage. They knew Dabura had left Demon Realm for a rare trip to the outer universe, but they didn't know why or what happened to him. Then they find out Babidi mind-controlled him into helping with this Majin Buu plan, which is a huge threat to their kingdom. Then Buu kills Dabura and Babidi, and then gets defeated himself by a band of warriors they know nothing about. Oh, and there's Dragon Balls on this one planet and they're easy to use and grant three wishes. Any one of those developments would be huge news in Demon Realm, but Gomah learns about all all four all at once.

That's the key, I think. If you opened "Empire Strikes Back" with eight minutes of the Emperor watching clips from "A New Hope", it would suck, because all he really needs to know is that Luke Skywalker used the Force to destroy the Death Star, and it doesn't take that long to get that information across. Also, his reaction would be pretty muted. At most he'd kind of look irritated or intrigued. Gomah pulls this off because he has a conniption every time something important happens. When Dabura dies he's horrified, then Degesu reminds him he's next in line for Dabura's throne, so he's overjoyed to be the new king, but then he starts panicking again because he knows Babidi will send Buu after him next. It's fun watching him squirm over this eight-minute scene, because he has so much invested in each new development.

To use an example from Dragon Ball, there's an episode of Z where Master Roshi explains the history of the Red Ribbon Army to Maron. It happens some time during the Goku vs. 19 fight, so we're already knee-deep into the Androids Saga. The flashback was probably worth doing just to bring newer viewers up to speed on why Dr. Gero hates Goku so much, but most of the characters in the show already know the story, so there's not really anyone else to tell it to except Maron, a filler character who doesn't care and vanishes from the show soon afterwards. That scene only happened because the anime needed to pad out another episode so the manga could "catch up" to their production schedule. I think fans at the time at least tolerated it as a clip show kind of thing, but it served no purpose aside from keeping the TV show from skipping a week. If they had done that kind of thing for multiple episodes in a row, I think they would have risked losing viewers.

Anyway, the next six minutes of "Conspiracy" show Gomah discussing this new post-Dabura world with Degesu and Degesu's sister, Dr. Arinsu. This sets up the plot. At first, Gomah is bewildered by the events of the Buu Saga, but Degesu assures him that with Buu's defeat, his reign as king is now secure. With Babidi, Buu, and Dabura out of the way, there's no one left to oppose him. But Dr. Arinsu reminds him of the warriors who defeated Buu, and what might happen if they decided to come after Gomah next.

So it looks like these three characters--King Gomah, Degesu, and Dr. Arinsu-- are the main villains of the series. The important lesson here is that they work because they have very different motives and goals. If they didn't, then there would be no need for three villains at all. It could just be one bad guy.

This was something that GT and Super both struggled with back in the day. Lots of fans point to Baby as a highlight of GT, but Baby constantly surrounds himself with Machine Mutants and Tuffellized slaves who basically agree with everything he says. The Super 17 saga featured Dr. Gero and Dr. Mu teaming up to control two versions of Android 17, and all four of them had a single motive to share between them: Kill Goku. The two 17's merged together, and Mu turned on Gero, but it hardly mattered because their agenda was so thin.

Meanwhile in *Super*, Goku Black and Zamasu were literally the same person. This was probably intended to be creepy and weird, and I suppose it did help illustrate Zamasu's narcissistic worldview, but it also limited the possibilities for the story. There was never going to be any dissension between the villains, so every time they talked to each other it was to congratulate themselves on how well they agreed. Then they merged together and it didn't matter, because they were so alike from the start.

The Super movies corrected this problem well. Frieza and Paragus had very different plans for Broly, and Magenta and Dr. Hedo had very different plans for Hedo's creations. There were also characters like Berryblue and Carmine who basically backed up their leaders, but they still had their own personalities. Berryblue liked to press Frieza's buttons a little, and Carmine was a lot less diplomatic than his boss.

In Daima, it goes like this: King Gomah wants to secure his new position as ruler of the Demon Realm. He's weak and he knows it, which is why he seems to receptive to the counsel of Degesu and Arinsu. Meanwhile, Dr. Arinsu depends on the research funding she was getting from King Dabura. Gomah isn't too keen on continuing that funding, so she suggests that he might be in danger from the Z-Fighters. And that convinces Gomah to go to Earth to defeat them first.

This is where the Dragon Balls really shine as a story engine. It sounds so simple that it feels weird to explain it, but you collect all seven balls and you get a wish, so there has to be a discussion about what the characters wish for. Gomah wants to use one wish to neutralize the Z-Fighters, but he'd get two more, which leads him to consider another desire: The Evil Third Eye. We don't find out much about this, except that it's really powerful, and the previous Demon Kings used to have it before it was lost. So it makes a lot of sense for Gomah to want it, since he's all about consolidating his power.

What about Degesu? Well, for the most part he sure seems like he's content to play the faithful advisor. Somehow he wound up working for Gomah, and now that Gomah is king, it seems like his career is really paying off. But while Gomah is considering his third wish, Degesu asks if *he* could get a wish for himself. Gomah says he'll think about it, and we never find out his answer, but it's enough that Degesu asked at all. He must want *something*, and that something must not fit into Gomah's plans, or else Degesu would simply talk Gomah into wishing for it himself.

And that's what makes this trio so interesting. Gomah's pretty much an open book. We know exactly what he wants and why. Degesu wants something, but he's playing a long game, and it might be a while before we find out what it is. And Dr. Arinsu... Well, she wants funding for her research, but I think it's also clear that she wants Gomah to go to Earth and set this story into motion. How does that get her funding approved? And why didn't she just go to Earth and try to use the Dragon Balls to make her own wishes? Very mysterious.

The funny thing is that these three could easily be described like they were some fan OC's. "Hey, here's my cool villain team. Their leader is Dabura's son maybe, and the other two are the Supreme Kai's brother and sister, so they're like Kai's, but they're *Dark Demon Kais* and they're evil." It just goes to show that every character is somebody's OC. What sets the good ones apart is the personality and motives you give them. Stop worrying about power scaling and what color their auras are, and start thinking about what they want and how their goals conflict with other characters' goals.

Once Gomah is ready for his trip, he brings along Neva, an ancient Namekian who is apparently the only one who didn't leave the Demon Realm to settle in the outside universe. Neva created the Demon Realm's set of Dragon Balls, but he also set up powerful guardians called Tamigami to protect them. So no one in the Demon Realm can actually use the Dragon Balls to get a wish. This vexes Gomah to no end, but he figures he can still make use of Neva's abilities to exploit the Earth's Dragon Balls.

As it turns out, Neva has the power to immediately locate Dragon Balls, even when they're stones. He can also summon them together instantly, and on top of that, he can force them to reactivate for an immediate wish. So he's a pretty impressive guy. Dende can't even stop them, because his only leverage here is that he knows the Dragon's name is Shenron, except Degesu took notes during their viewing of Buu Saga, so he already knows how to summon the Dragon.

And that sets up the big wish to make Goku and the others into children. Gomah reasons that the Earth's Dragon would never be able to grant a wish for murder, so he figures the next best thing is to make Goku and his friends small children instead. This way they'll be weaker and easier to deal with. And that's the part everyone knew going into this show. The first episode closes with that de-aging scene, which is pretty impressive to me. We all knew it would happen, so it seems like a weak cliffhanger, but it works because the beginning and middle of the episode sets it up so well. We now know how and why the gang got turned into children, and we also know that there's more to this than just making another wish to undo it.

The stakes aren't entirely clear yet. Gomah seems like he'd be content to reign over the Demon World unchallenged, but if he could defeat the guys who beat Majin Buu, if he could obtain the Evil Third Eye, then maybe he might consider picking up where Babidi left off. With no one to oppose him why can't he conquer the outside universe for himself? And there's still the question of what Dr. Arinsu is planning behind the scenes. Oh, and maybe Neva is more than the senile Namek that he appears to be. So there's a lot to unpack. Oh, and also some blue guy was spying on Gomah when he cooked up this whole plot, so we'll have to find out what his whole deal is.

There's other stuff to talk about in this episode, like the timeline placement, Kibitoshin getting unfused early, and that shot of mpreg Goku with his polycule, but like I said, I don't want to do a whole thing on this show while it's still airing. For now, I'm just basking in the glow of this unfolding plot.