#I have avoided spoilers successfully can you believe it?

[shamera]

okay, FINE, I will catch up on the Fontaine Archon Quest in Genshin.

(so there are, like, a dozen gmvs for Genshin to the song Gods and they are all FIRE??? Literally the perfect song for the game.)

[astarionancuntnin]

request for: @ladycroft5245

Public Display of Attention

summary: his consort - his beautiful, too kind for her own good - forever young lover. she was his, and his only, and he believed it was long overdue to make that statement clear among the rest of their group. after tonight, the only name spiling from her luscious lips would be his.

pairing: ascended astarion x reader!tav

rating: E

word count: 4.6k

cw: 18+. astarion POV, late act 3 setting (so potential spoilers), smut, big angst, depiction of racing thoughts due to low self-esteem/jealousy, very possessive behaviour and sex, public sex/exhibisionism/slight voyeurism, oral (f!receiving), hold the moan, mentions of pregnancy, breeding kink, mating press, p in v, blood/vampire bites, creampie.

a/n: songs inspo for this one were taste and who were you with last night by ari abdul, if you wanna get an idea of the vibe as i was writing this up

read on ao3

my masterlist

or keep reading down below~

It was in the little things that he noticed it the most. How she was always willing to give a helping hand to anyone who asked — and even those who didn’t, quite honestly. Gods, how it aggravated him in the worst ways. Her kindness was her most admirable trait, yet also her biggest weakness.

Then again, that's how he truly fell for her in the first place.

How she was simply too pure for her own good, and it was most infuriating at times; constantly giving people the benefit of the doubt, believing everyone was inherently good, desiring to befriend everyone and truly believing everyone had a good reason to act the way they did. As if she refused to see the corruption of this world and its people, of him, of all people.

Maybe that's also why she opened her heart to him in the first place. Maybe it had nothing to do with his charms, and although he believed he had successfully and very easily seduced her for his own protection, he kept thinking she would slip away from his grasp at any moment. 

The doubts kept growing as one night he spied on her as she indulged Wyll for a dance. Well, not as much spying as they did it right next to the campfire, anyone could see them. Then again, that might be what bothered him so much. 

How carefree they were to dance the night away, visible to all and with no shame whatsoever. How he avoided being publicly seen with her, reserving their time together in the privacy of his tent. How the voice in his head screamed, “You're wasting her time. She deserves happiness with someone whole, someone who can make her as happy as she is with Wyll. You could only bring her misery. You don't deserve her.”

And how hard he had tried time and time again to push those thoughts away, to convince himself that she did choose him, that he deserved her love, no matter how novel the concept was to him.

But when he witnessed Wyll leaning in closer, his lips reaching for hers, Astarion turned away, closing the flap of his tent. He couldn't bear to stare much longer, as his heart shattered at the thought that the moments he spent with her were but ephemeral. Gone in an instant, a bittersweet memory, and how foolish of him to believe he could have had a chance at love when he was but the shell of a man. His fear of losing her turned to resentment against not only himself, but also against their companion for experiencing what he could only dream of. 

Of course, he thought, how could I be such a fool to believe what we had could ever last?

But that night, before he could enter his reverie, she joined him in his bed. Without a single word, she snuggled up close to him and fell asleep in his arms, bringing cosiness to his bedroll with her hot skin warmed up by the alcohol flowing through her veins, and the soft beating of her heart calming his thoughts as he listened along.

In the morning, he listened in on her discussion with Wyll to learn she had turned him down in favour of Astarion. 

He couldn't begin to comprehend what had happened.

She had the opportunity to be with someone better, and yet she chose him, over and over again.

Many weeks later, when she spent her entire evening gallivanting at Gale’s side of the room at the Elfsong as he showed her tricks of the weave, standing close to her — too close — and she smiled, and laughed, and held his shoulder, and her eyes sparkled with amazement at the magic before her, it's as if everything she had ever done to prove her love became meaningless. 

He could practically hear what she was saying: Gale, you’re so talented, please, can you show me more? Can I spend more time with you? Oh Gale, how I love when you teach me the magic of the weave, when you touch me, Gods Gale, what I wouldn’t do to feel you inside me, fuck me, oh Gale—

The mere thought of someone else laying their hands on her in any way imaginable sent him down a spiral of dark thoughts. Since defeating Cazador, he only became more selfish, perhaps he would be the most selfish man she would ever know, but he was the only man she should want. After two hundred years of torment, of pure shit, he deserved better. Everything and anything he wanted, he would have.

In the past he couldn’t find it within him to keep her to himself, but now, now that he was all powerful, now that the world was his to claim, it wasn't something he would allow anymore. 

No.

This time, he wouldn’t sit by idly, waiting to rot and let those thoughts get the best of him.

He approached them, trying to appear nonchalant despite the seething fury boiling within him.

“My treasure,” he purred in her ear, interrupting Gale through yet another rambling of his. “May I have a word?” She turned her head around, caught off by his sudden presence behind her, with one hand on her waist, and the other on her shoulder, gripping firmly. When he noticed the uncertainty on her face, he answered her unspoken question. “I'm afraid this is of the utmost importance; it really cannot wait.”

He gave a quick glance at Gale to let the wizard know there was no stopping him from stealing away the woman between them. 

“Go on,” Gale said, when their leader remained silent. “We can pick up where we left off once our mighty Vampire Ascendant is done indulging in your presence, whether that be tonight or tomorrow.”

She gave him a sad smile and he nodded with a smile of his own, as she tried to apologise for cutting their time short, and it only added onto Astarion's irritation, who pulled her out of their shared room, and away from prying ears. 

“What’s wrong?” The worry in those soft, brand new crimson eyes of hers. 

Well, truth be told, he didn’t have an answer. He didn’t plan this far ahead, he just wanted to get her away from Gale as fast as possible. 

“Oh, how bothersome,” he clicked his tongue. “It seems to have slipped my mind completely.”

“Didn’t you say it was of the utmost importance?” she sighed, pouting.

“I truly apologise for cutting your time short with the wizard, but now that I have you here with me, I might as well keep you close. You do need to feed, don’t you, little love?” 

Her eyes wandered; this form was still new to her, she didn’t know yet when or even how to tell if she needed to feed. It was no bother though, he would teach her everything there was to know about it. He would be there for her, be the master he couldn’t have when he was in the same situation centuries ago.

She turned her head aside towards their room, probably thinking about Gale and how she left him hanging. Ugh, why did she have to care so much about the others?

“Ugh,” he sighed desperately. “The wizard will still be there when we're done, dear.”

When she turned back to him, she noticed his sneer in Gale’s direction and that’s all she needed to connect the dots. 

“Astarion…” She took a hold of his hand and laid it upon her chest, right over her undead, unbeating heart. His doing. “I promise you there is nothing between Gale and I, or anyone else in our group for that matter. Even Halsin made advances, and — although I am extremely flattered — I’m really not interested. You’re the only one for me.”

Her softness caught him off guard and his face softened temporarily before taking back its haughty state, rolling his eyes. 

“Obviously, I know that.” He lifted her chin with his free hand, the other laying over her waist, pulling her closer as he whispered over her, “You’ll be mine forever, after all.”

“Until the end of times,” she whispered back.

There it was, that smile she kept for him only, with her features softened, and yet, he knew that if she still had a pulse, it would be beating out of her chest.

He loved the way her eyes almost closed when he drew her in for a kiss, lips colliding in a passionate embrace. She let herself get lost in it, giving him control over this dance he knew all too well, but a dance he now took pleasure in, with her only.

His most beloved spawn.

His precious consort.

It was the first time in two hundred years he had something for himself, someone to claim as his, and he wanted to show her just how loved she would be with him, to prove to her she didn’t need to seek anyone else’s attention when she had him all to herself. She needed but to ask; anything she desired, he would give her.

But tonight, he would make that decision for her, and he would keep her all to himself.

Pulling back only slightly, leaving her wanting more, he murmured against her lips, “Now, can I interest you in joining me in bed?” 

“But I’m not tired,” she sulked. “And Gale was going to show me more tricks with the weave, and—”

“How about I show you what tricks I can do, hm?” He cut her off softly, bringing her attention back to him. He swore, if she mentions the damned wizard once more—

“What kind of tricks are we talking about exactly? Because I wouldn’t call pickpocketing the local bard a trick.”

He smiled at the memory, “I’m afraid you’ll have to trust me on this one, pet. But I can assure you, you will be exhausted by the time I’m done with you.”

It was so easy to reel her in with just but a few words. By now, he knew the telltale signs that he had caught her interest; a few quick looks as she was processing the possibilities of what this would entail, those same eyes shining as they fluttered shut, and the biting of her lip followed by her playful smile. 

“Fine.”

She simply couldn’t resist his offers. 

She lifted her chin with eagerness to meet his salacious look, and he got the impression she did so to appear taller, mightier than she really was. 

“As long as it doesn’t involve getting people hurt.”

Again, with the others’ interest at heart before her own. He wanted to roll his eyes at her request, but the only thought crossing his mind as he looked at the soft frown she was forcing along with her crossed arms was how utterly adorable she was, and how delicious the sight of her would be with that frown upside down as she panted underneath him, begging for mercy, with his name spilling from her mouth like a prayer.

The thought alone made his trousers feel much, much tighter.

Before the thoughts could overpower him, he answered her request, raising his hand. “I promise only pure, carnal pleasure for the parties involved.” 

She gave him a side look with her eyes squinted, and he just took her hand, raising it to his lips before kissing it with a smirk as a response. 

“Just follow me, little love, and I’ll show you exactly what I mean.”

And she did just as she was told, as she followed him back inside the room shared amongst the rest of their friends, to his bed. Most of their companions were already fast asleep, with some others quietly preparing for bed. Gale was among the latter, and to Astarion's demise, his bed was right next to his, with barely a partition separating their respective side of the room.

The faint light cast from Gale’s side depicted his shadow, and when Astarion noticed him reading in bed, he thought that maybe he could take advantage of their bed placement, if only for tonight.

He drew his own partition, hiding them from the rest of the room, before walking back to his consort.

“Now,” he purrs. “For this little trick of mine, I will need your full cooperation. Can I trust you to follow my every command?”

She nodded eagerly, her eyes fixated on his.

“Whatever I do, you must remain silent. Understood?”

Another nod. 

His good, little, obedient pet. How he loved that about her.

He walked behind her, leaning his head in the crook of her neck, whispering. “Good girl.”

Slowly, he reached for the lace in her back, untying her dress until it came loose. Her chest rose with anticipation, as he drew his fingers up at her front, lightly brushing his fingers against the light fabric covering her breasts. Hooking his fingers into the crown of her dress, he pulled her top down, releasing her breasts to the crispy air of their room. A warm, deep breath he released against her neck sent shivers down her spine, and she just closed her eyes as she let her head fall back onto his shoulder with a sigh, letting him work her like putty in his hands.

Gods, how he adored that she didn't bother wearing a bra out of combat. It made everything so much easier when it came to indulging his deepest desires: a light brush against the fabric here and there, just to see her nipples harden under his touch, a daring squeeze, sometimes, to feel the fullness of her chest, but his favourite was this dress of hers, and how easy it was to pull down to indulge in a quick nibble.

Maybe that’s also why he was reluctant to her being so damned touchy with the rest of their group, how close she allowed them to be to her precious body. His possession.

It’s okay, he thought to himself, no one will question my ownership after tonight.

Her dress carelessly fell to the floor when he pushed the sleeves down to reveal her everlastingly beautiful body. He pressed his body against her back, rubbing his growing bulge against her ass as he massaged her breast with one hand, while the other roamed south of her navel. A light pinch of her nipple while he reached her clit had her whimper once, potentially loud enough to already give the wizard next door an idea of what they were up to.

“Nuh uh, what did I say? Not a sound, darling.”

“S– sorry…” Her breathing was already heavy with lust.

She could try to keep quiet, but he would do anything in his power to make her crumble beneath his fingers, those same fingers that didn’t waste a second more dipping between her folds, earning another soft moan out of her.

“Already so wet for me, pet.”

He left a trail of wet kisses from her shoulder to her neck, where he licked all the way up to her ear, breathing hot air against her cool skin, while his hands kept working her up.

“Astarion…”

“My sweet, sweet thing, what did we say about keeping quiet, hm?” He dipped two fingers inside of her, and her hand flew to her mouth as she yelped in surprise. “Unless that’s what you really want? To let everyone know who owns you, body and soul? Or maybe you just want poor Gale to know what he’s missing out on?”

She only moaned louder, her palm serving no purpose as her noises escaped it, while he increased the pace of his fingers in and out of her. The lewd wet noises coming from her pussy were loud enough to be heard by their neighbour, he thought, as the shadow before them had put its book aside.

“My, my, what a depraved little thing you are, wanting to put on a show for our friends.” He pushed another finger into her and a soft cry escaped her. “You drive a hard bargain; it would be fun, wouldn’t it?” She kept whimpering and Astarion chuckled softly behind her. "We shouldn't keep them waiting in that case, should we?”

In a swift move, Astarion removed her panties, the only piece of clothing she had left, before picking her up to lay her on his bed and climbing on top of her.

Before them, Gale’s shade was seemingly depicting a far more pleasing activity than reading, with one hand visibly stroking himself and his arm resting under his head. 

“Well, well, would you look at that?” He tilted her head aside to make her watch his shadow through the partition. “Seems like our friendly wizard is having some fun of his own, wouldn’t you agree?”

Before she could answer, he left a trail of kisses down her belly, all the way to her delicious cunt that laid before him like a meal, ready for him to devour. He finally tasted her nectar with one languid stroke of his tongue from her entrance up to her clit. Her head fell back into the soft pillow, lifting the side of it to bite down as she held back a moan.

“Astarion…” She breathed heavily, “Gale is right there—”

“And? Look at him.” She turned her head aside, panting as she observed the silhouette dancing. “Clearly the man is enjoying himself, I'm sure it would torture him if we stopped now, and I did promise only pleasure for all the parties involved.” He licked his lips with a salacious smile. “I am nothing but a man of my word.” With one last look up at his lover, he dived back in, his tongue entering her at long last.

She tasted like the sun after centuries of darkness; like a springtime breeze that carried the promise of rebirth; like life, the one thing he had taken from her. Just as his heart beat anew, hers had stopped for eternity, and he liked to think that his heart would beat for them both from the moment he had made her his. Forever grateful for giving him everything.

Among the feverish moans of his beloved consort beneath him, a deep moan from across the room had Astarion lifting his head and turning it aside, where he noticed Gale’s shade now covering his own mouth in a poor attempt to hush his whimpers. Pathetic, he thought. Reduced to pleasuring himself from the pleasure of others. 

But he didn’t mind it tonight. No, everything was going according to his plan, and he would seize every chance to state his claim over her, that she belonged to him and him alone, and that the only reason Gale had the opportunity to even hear her is because Astarion allowed it. No one else.

By now, his face was covered in her juices, and he would gladly drown between her legs if it meant making her scream from the top of her lungs and letting Gale know how good she’s getting fucked, and how this poor excuse of a wizard would never even come close to experience this. Astarion’s cock only got harder to the idea of showing off his beloved — his greatest possession — with mere sounds; making her scream with the knowledge that someone was listening in, and someone got off to the sounds he was getting out of her.

His attention moved away from her entrance and over the side of her thighs, where he kissed her before biting down on her soft flesh.

Her hands flew to her mouth once again, trying to suppress her cries as they grew louder, but Astarion would have none of that. 

He paused his feast to reach for her wrists, pulling them down near her waist and pinning them to her sides, “Don’t be shy now, my treasure. Let him hear what he can only dream of having.”

With her blood now covering his lips, he moved back to her most sensitive area, where his tongue teased relentlessly and when he felt her squirming under her, he knew she was already close. He just had to push her in the right direction.

Pressing his tongue flat against her clit and swiping up and down, rubbing his taste buds over and over again where he knew she loved the most was all she needed. When she came, he plunged back inside her to drink in everything she had to offer, as her body convulsed from the waves of her orgasm. She couldn’t hold back the screams as Astarion continued to stimulate her, almost crying as the sensation became too much, but he knew her body now, better than anyone else, and he knew how to play with it to make the pleasure last.

He pulled back to admire the sight before him, as she laid eyes fluttering, dazed from the pleasure, trying to catch back her breath — one that she didn’t even need anymore. 

Little did she know he was far from done, as he did a quick glance towards Gale’s shadow to notice how his back now arched, lost to the feeling of his own hand as he sped up his pace. Surely the wizard could indulge them a bit longer.

He removed all his clothes, leaving no barriers between his lover and himself anymore, finally freeing the throbbing erection that begged for release in his trousers before he towered over her.

He hooked her legs with his, locking her in place as he positioned himself against her entrance, pausing with the head of his cock poking just against her pussy.

Their eyes met, half-lidded and full of lust. “You’ve been so good to me, little love. I believe you deserve a little treat, don’t you think?”

Her eyes flickered open, and she nodded with her mouth kept open as she breathed hard.

“Come on, you know the magic words,” he taunted.

“P– Please.”

“Please who?” He purred in her ear.

“Astarion! Please, Astarion, please.”

Always so good, so compliant for him. He would give her everything he didn’t have, he would make her his Lady, she could have the world if she only asked him, but for now, a few sips of his ascended blood to quench her thirst would suffice.

He offered his arm to her, and she held it carefully, breathing hard over the visible veins popping out before biting down to taste his delectable crimson.

As his consort, any amount of blood from him wouldn’t break their bond — she would forever be his until he decided otherwise — but he needed to be at the top of his game for this. She drank just enough to get her strength back before he pulled away, leaving her wanting for more.

The sight of her pupils dilated, her tiny fangs glistening from his blood dripping down her chin, it awakened something primal in him. He needed to fuck her, to taste her, now.

With a growl, he thrust his hips into her in one swing, and at the same time, his fangs dived right into her neck, where they had been a few nights ago when she joined him in eternity. He sipped, and gulped, tasting her blood as it was now mixed with his. How exquisite she was, how he would never tire of this, of her, of their lifeblood forever linked.

His ownership over her was clear now, and he felt oh so foolish for believing that Gale of all people stood a chance with her. No — she was completely and utterly his, mind, body, and soul.

His hips swung with languid strokes as he picked his rhythm, feeling her walls tighten around his length with each thrust. Her hands flew to his back, scratching near his scars — but not for long. Before she could do any real damage, he grabbed her wrists, pinning her down in place to focus on the real task at hand: making everyone know who she belonged to.

His fangs left her neck to find her lips, their blood mixing as their tongues entered each other's mouth, and a particularly well placed swing of his hips had her breaking the kiss, as she cried out his name.

“Gods, my name sounds divine coming from your lips, my love. Say it again.”

And she obeyed.

“Louder,” he growled, pouding deeper into her.

Again.

“You’re mine.”

And again.

“Mine. Mine.”

“Yours,” she panted. “Only yours, forever yours.”

“That's right, forever and ever after. If our lives end in this timeline, I will find you in the next one and make you mine all. over. again.” He plunged roughly into her with each of his last words, his hips slapping loudly against her with the sound of their mixed fluids. “Now, be a good girl and come around my cock, darling. Come as hard and as loud as you can, understand?”

He fastened his pace, ramming restlessly into her as his fangs dived into the other side of her neck. He bit without even drinking, biting her everywhere he hadn’t before, leaving his trace on her in ways others could never. 

The bed was a bloody mess; to anyone else she might’ve looked like a butchered corpse, but to the vampire ascendant, she was the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen.

When she came, it was with an otherworldly scream; one that could most certainly wake the dead. Her mind must’ve shattered as she convulsed beneath Astarion, completely losing control of herself. 

She was so warm now that she had drank from him, his blood running into her veins, his seed inside her womb. As her walls tightened against him and Astarion neared his own collapse, he only imagined how delightful she would look, belly swollen with his child after shooting loads after loads into her. What better way to tell the whole world he was the one to share her bed than to make her pregnant with his seed? As a spawn, this could’ve never been possible even in his wildest dreams, but as the Vampire Ascendant, it was a door that was potentially open to him once again. He just had to dare to believe. 

With those thoughts racing, Astarion came roaring, stilling inside of her as he unloaded himself, a part of him hoping he could spy over a small bump over her belly by the time they were done with their quest against the absolute. He came, and came, until she was so full of him that his come was spilling out of her onto the bed sheets, and yet, he remained inside of her. If he could, he would keep her chained to his bed and spend his days breeding her relentlessly until she was carrying his offspring. The thought alone made his cock twitch in anticipation.

With silence reigning once again over their shared room, Astarion looked back to Gale’s shadow to see a hint of his chest heaving. Whether he came or not, he couldn’t care less, this little demonstration was over.

“I hope you enjoyed yourself, wizard,” He shouted. “This was the first and last time you would hear my lover's cries of pleasure. Better have made that count.”

Not a word from the partition, but the shadow clumsily hid under its bed sheets before blowing away the light of the candle that betrayed him.

A devilish smirk now appeared on Astarions lips, as he turned his attention back to his consort, bloody, exhausted, and utterly ruined. Beautiful. 

Mine.

Thank you for reading! Comments, reblogs, and likes are very much appreciated <3

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[corseque]

I wanted to make a last-minute prediction post based on what I’ve seen so far. I haven’t looked at new Dragon Age news for the past couple (3? 4?) weeks, and I know I’m (on purpose to avoid spoilers) missing some (probably a lot of) details that other people already know. I DON’T WANT TO KNOW. So if I’m already right or wrong about something,

PLEASE please DON’T TELL ME.

You can come back in a month and tell me THEN. It’s just one more month to wait.

Also, this is just for fun, and it’s not serious. It’s based on vibes and also based on what I would write myself. I have developed a surprisingly specific image of what might happen to Solas and I’m just want to write it down.

I’m thinking “there is no possible way this is right………” but then I’m like “unless…..?” so a vague chance of potential spoilers

First, I’ve been suspicious about the elven gods getting free and Solas being trapped. If you think about what Solas says in Trespasser, it’s very

Part of Solas’ aim that has so far been revealed to us is he likely wants the Veil torn down, and one of the only things that is keeping him from that is the reality of the elven gods trapped in there, who would be released.

Inquisitor: “If you destroyed the Veil, wouldn’t the false gods be freed?”

Solas: “I had plans.”

But that is no longer a concern from that moment in the gameplay trailer where they are released. 

“I intend to restore them. Doing so will most likely destroy your world.”

Two elven gods rampaging across Thedas sounds like the kind of “the world is being destroyed” situation Solas was talking about. It is his incision that breached their prison, and it isn’t impossible that Rook may have been almost manipulated into completing it. I wonder if Solas is playing his two sets of enemies against each other yet again?

In the old tales, Solas uses his enemies to fight each other while he is tied to a tree, trapped. He gives both sides equal advice until they are both defeated, at which point he frees himself and finishes what he set out to do. 

Honestly, even though he’s “trapped,” it sounds exactly like the sort of thing that needs to happen for his work to continue.

(All of this is speculation that I think I’ll have a better idea about once I hear the full first conversation with him, and exactly how he words his point of view of what happened. If he’s very squirrelly in his wording, I’ll know he may have caused it on purpose.)

“I seek regeneration,” he said in Vows & Vengeance. The devs had said that Solas has been bringing back magic for centuries before the series even started. Perhaps it explains why the dragons have returned. It seems that his reshaping the world, regenerating it, will be successful because it seems to be moving steadily without him. So maybe this is a last and, once in motion, inevitable step in “healing” the injured world.

I think that the elven gods are very scary and world-ending, but Solas is the only one of them that reshaped the world successfully. He will be the one to do it again, not Ghilan’nain or Elgar’nan or any other god. He is a trickster his, and Tricksters are the Gods of Inevitable (otherwise catastrophic) Change.

One of the greatest criticisms of Inquisition was the lack of screen time Corypheus had. And how the climax fell flat at the end because he didn’t have enough screen time. This leads me to believe that Solas may be the “Last Boss” of DA4. Because we definitely HAVE a complicated satisfying personal relationship with him that has been set up for two whole games.

So the ending for Solas needs to do a lot of things:

“These are the times in which legends are born or slain” Solas as the Dread Wolf will die

It needs to work for both people who love and hate Solas

In order to defeat the Elven Gods, Rook has to find their weakness, which is Solas��� weakness too (maybe a fatal flaw, or how they can be truly killed) so it can be used on Solas too. Perhaps this will involve Solas trying to obscure this from Rook as best as he can

Solas fully is on Rook’s side against the evanuris, but when they’re taken care of, he doesn’t need to team up anymore

I don’t believe that you will be able to stop Solas’ plans, and I hope that they will change Thgedas’ world no matter what. I hope it’s just a fact of life that the Veil comes down

The story basically needs to involve Solas betraying Rook again, because new players need to experience that feeling in order to be in the same place with him as they were in DA3

It needs to give players a torn situation about him, one that makes you feel he’s reasonable but at the same time make it satisfying to fight him. So I believe this is why he will betray the player again, even if he is getting along with them.

I believe there needs to be a boss fight against Solas because he does have a cool big monster form and people have been promised to be able to kill him

It needs to be satisfying for those who romanced him too, but it also needs to be beautifully sad because part of the draw of the romance compared to all the others in the series is that it’s beautifully sad

For that reason, I suspect (not because I particularly want this to happen, I’m just saying what I see most likely) is that fighting and killing Solas may not actually be optional, and he is killed in every worldstate. This way, everyone gets a last boss fight and everyone experiences pretty much the same story without much branching 

I think the difference between friendly and unfriendly version may be whether he is brought back to life by the efforts of those who care about him after he is killed

So basically:

Veil comes down/magic comes back

Solas helps Rook take down evanuris

Solas betrays Rook when it seems the story should be over

Boss fight with Solas as the Dread Wolf (see: my Tulpa Theory)

Solas is defeated and killed

Story ends there if Solas is hated, (story about Rook getting revenge)

If Solas is loved, Solas is brought back and rebirthed in another freer form through a spirit ritual, perhaps as Wisdom, but some part of it is bittersweet like Rose and Doctor 10 (story about regret).

But basically, no matter how Solas and Lavellan’s story ends, their love enduring will be the path to joy, or them being together. Rook can kill Solas and Lavellan can bring him back. Even if it has to just happen off-screen or in fanfic.

I think it is very likely that Solas kills Varric or another character as a way to transition from passive threat to active threat. Or maybe Rook is responsible because of the theme of regret, idk. But I think we’ll get a great cathartic end for Varric probably.

I think we may have to choose between Varric and the Inquisitor, because it’s similar to the Hawke-Alistair choice

I would be very surprised if the story ended with Solas and Lavellan went off into the sunset together in a perfectly happy ending with nothing bittersweet. But sadly, I don’t really see this happening and I think bittersweet may be the name of the game.

Other things I predict:

We can assume that the Inquisitor will have an optional death scenario when they reappear, where we choose either to let them sacrifice themselves in some way, or save them. So perhaps there is an ending where Solas and Lavellan die together and can be free as spirits, which would also be bittersweet.

I don’t really have predictions for anything but Solas, so the big lore reveals might change the situation so much that none of this applies or makes sense anymore. In which case I will probably be HAVING FUN.

I am not EXPECTING any of this to happen, I am just writing it down and posting it in case I’m right. Anyway please wait until I’m done playing to tell me if I’m right or wrong, and this is just for fun, I wouldn’t mind if the whole game was completely different.

[writerthreads]

How to write a good plot twist

By Writerthreads on Instagram

I know plot twists have been a highly debated topic recently (ahem Disney twist villains), so I've decided to make a post on writing a strong plot twist that feels natural yet shocking. Hope this helps!

Make it unexpected but expectable

Unexpected: The best plot twists shock the reader, but they should never feel random or out of the blue. If the twist feels completely disconnected from everything that came before, it can seem like the author is forcing it for the shock value. To make it unexpected, you could lead characters down one path, only to reveal later that things are not as they seemed. However, try to avoid a twist that feels like a deus ex machina, where a sudden, unearned event resolves everything.

Inevitable: While the twist needs to be surprising, it also must feel like it was always meant to happen. This means leaving enough clues or subtle foreshadowing that when the twist is revealed, readers can look back and say, “ah, that makes sense.”

Keep characters consistent

Twists that involve characters acting out of character are incredibly frustrating. Even in a surprising twist, characters should behave aligned with their established personalities, motivations, and goals. A twist shouldn't have a character suddenly acting against everything the reader knows about them unless there’s a reason, like a hidden motive.

Think about your characters' desires, flaws, and inner conflicts, and use them to drive the twist. For example, a twist where a seemingly loyal friend betrays the protagonist should stem from a believable motivation that has been hinted at throughout the story.

Foreshadow, not broadcast

The best twists are hinted at, but subtly. Readers should be able to piece things together in hindsight, but not predict the twist well before it happens. It's easy to explain but hard to do successfully!

To make this work, use small, seemingly insignificant details that later take on new meaning. These could be lines of dialogue, symbolic objects, or minor events that have a deeper purpose. However, be careful not to overdo it. If the clues are too heavy, readers may guess the twist early.

Subvert expectations

A twist should challenge what readers believe about the story or characters. Playing with readers’ assumptions is a powerful tool. Lead them to expect one outcome, then deliver something entirely different, yet believable.

Consider what tropes or narrative expectations you’re working with, and how you can flip them. If readers expect a traditional happy ending, throw a wrench into it. If they’re expecting the villain to be defeated, reveal that the protagonist is actually aligned with them, or the villain wins (temporarily or permanently!).

Without spoilers, a good example would be Gone Girl!

Heighten the emotional impact

A plot twist should have emotional weight and alter the stakes of the story. The emotional response from your readers—whether it’s shock, sadness, or even excitement—depends on how well you’ve developed your characters and story. If the twist doesn’t change anything meaningful or deepen the conflict, it may feel flat or pointless. The twist should add emotional layers, making the story richer, not just surprising.

Time it right

When you deliver a twist is crucial to its impact. If it’s too late, you risk leaving too much time for the plot to lose momentum afterward. Conversely, if it's too early, and it can feel rushed or not fully explored.

A twist can come in the middle, shaking up the entire plot (e.g., changing who the villain is or shifting the main goal), or closer to the end, forcing the reader to reinterpret everything. However, leave time for the characters to respond to the twist so it doesn’t feel unresolved.

Don't overdo them

Too many twists in a single story can exhaust your readers and undermine the narrative. If your plot is constantly shifting directions with twist after twist, readers may feel like they can’t trust the narrative at all, which could work well if done purposefully, but otherwise might make the readers get tired and stop reading.

Test it out

Getting feedback from beta readers can help you fine-tune the twist and ensure it lands as you intend.

Some questions to ask: Did they see the twist coming? Did it feel believable? Did it enhance the story or feel forced?

Their reactions can help you adjust the twist until it becomes a masterpiece!

Hopefully these tips help you with your writing! Do you have a favourite plot twist in literature or movies/ TV shows? Let us know in the comments :)

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC’s Lucien - Entangling Date - English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

[Warning]: The content of this date is currently the most explicit compared to other SSR dates and may not be suitable for individuals under the age of 17 (CN server). It is recommended that those who do not meet this age requirement refrain from proceeding beyond this point.

// ⚠️ cw v*re-ish theme, (not heavy) blood, dubious consent, (magic) bondage, strangulation you'll never guess who. Please proceed with caution if you are sensitive to these topics

[Translation Notes]

In here, both MC and Lucien are Snake Demons (蛇妖). Demons (妖 yāo) – (which is sometimes left untranslated as “Yao” or alternatively translated as Monsters) are born when an animal, plant, or even an inanimate object absorbs spiritual energy over a long period and then gains spiritual awareness. They're not necessarily evil and are different from 魔 (Mó)/Evil Spirits. Still, their identity as such beings in this AU is important to remember because it means that both MC and Lucien are indifferent to human standards of morality.

Also in this date, there's a concept of cultivation or "修炼" (xiūliàn), which is a central concept in many Chinese fantasy genres, particularly in xianxia (仙侠) literature. It involves the practice of refining one's body, mind, and spirit to achieve higher levels of power, enlightenment, or immortality. As for other terms… I'll add T/N if there are more specific terms ahah-

And, let me explain a bit about the v*re theme... So, in some Chinese fantasy literature and cultivation stories, consuming others can be a method of cultivation. This practice might involve eating parts of these beings to gain their powers or absorb their essence, which is believed to advance their cultivation level. Although I’m also kind of convinced with what Chuverall said that ‘hunger’ here is a metaphor for another kind of desire or Lucien just genuinely confuses lust with hunger😂

[Pre-evolve call - Wandering Ballpoint pen]

[Subbed Video]

I highly recommend watching the subbed video! I SWEAR I never heard him moan and pant so much on one date or heck, even in ASMR.

In case YouTube decides the date is too explicit, I also upload it on Twitter.

Also, to avoid the video getting deleted by youtube, I age-restricted it u.u

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Transcript Ver]

—[Part 1]—

I'm starving.

I swallow a pile of random 'food' expressionlessly, yet the intense emptiness and hunger are not satisfied in the slightest.

Immense power courses through my body, but it seems as if it is confined within an earthen jar, desperately trying to find an outlet, yet unable to find a way out.

I am well aware that, after four hundred years, I have once again encountered the opportunity to break through the Primordial Spirit stage.

Back then, I devoured the crocodile demon that had occupied the deep pool for hundreds of years, and only after digesting its entire Primordial Spirit did I successfully achieve the breakthrough.

[T/N: Primordial spirit or 元神 (yuán shén) is typically regarded as a higher, more refined level of consciousness or spiritual essence within a being. If cultivated enough, a primordial spirit can gain some consciousness and you can project yourself outward (important for the later part ;)]

[T/N: A breakthrough in cultivation refers to a significant leap in spiritual or martial progress, often leading to enhanced abilities or a higher level of power. It can happen several times.]

I feel the surge of power within me, and now I only crave for more.

Half a country's worth of humans is probably not enough. I still need to find a way to concentrate on cultivation, or perhaps consume another powerful being.

The harsh, blazing sunlight pierces through the cave entrance, casting a bright circle inside the cave.

I squint my eyes, lazily stretching my snake tail towards the patch of light.

The cautious tip of my snake tail ventures only an inch into the light but is instantly pierced by the scorching heat, causing it to shudder and quickly recoil back into the shadows.

MC: …So hot.

MC: I'll think about it later.

The chilly and damp stone cave dispels the scorching heat of the sun. I close my eyes and adjust my position for greater comfort, half my body submerged in the pool water.

There's no need to rush. After all, this scorching summer heat that could kill a demon is a mysterious demon-slaying technique in itself.

??: …

Suddenly, I sense something entering my cave.

It's just that the little creature's demonic power is too weak to stir even a sliver of my interest.

Perhaps because of my indifference, "it" seems to be growing bolder, venturing closer and even approaching my pool.

Slightly displeased, I open my eyes, only to meet with a pair of unfamiliar eyes—deep and brimming with smiles.

??: So hot. May I borrow a corner of your abode, My Lord?

The man's clothes hang loosely on his frame, barely concealing his broad, sculpted chest in a manner that seems almost deliberate as he leans casually against a nearby rock.

[T/N: The use of 欲盖弥彰 😂 This idiom literally means "trying to cover up but only making it more obvious." This implies that his attempt to ‘dress modestly’ is actually drawing more attention to his physique and carrying a subtle hint of deliberate seduction LOL]

Who is he?

Countless lesser monsters inhabit this mountain, and I never pay attention to those I can crush with half a finger.

But perhaps it's because I'm so bored, or perhaps because he carries the scent of my own kind, that I can't help but stare at him for a long while.

Lucien: My Lord, my name is Lucien.

Perhaps sensing the reason for my silence, he smiles gracefully and bows his head respectfully.

Lucien: I have been living in this mountain for many years, always relying on your protection, My Lord.

Lucien: I have expressed my gratitude to you many times before, My Lord, but it seems...

He pauses, his deep and bright eyes settling on me.

Lucien: ...those sentiments have not reached you.

Hearing him say this, I try to recall the countless memories I've accumulated over the years on this mountain, but I can't possibly remember the face of every insignificant lesser demon.

Seeing that I still show no reaction, the lesser demon's face seems to stiffen for a brief moment.

But a seductive curve quickly forms on his lips as he steps into the pool.

His body bends gracefully in the pool as water laps over his waist and abdomen, leaving him glistening wet.

He extends his arms into the pool, seemingly sensing and finding my tail as if guided by instinct.

His cold fingertips gently caress my scales, then encircle my tail and draw it towards his chest.

Water droplets run down his hair, trace the contours of his jaw and cascade onto his chest, mingling with the water dripping from the tip of my tail. Together, they seep through his semi-transparent garment, disappearing into the curve of his waist.

The uncomfortable warmth faintly spread over me, yet his audacious behavior piqued my curiosity. I wonder what intriguing actions this lesser demon can do.

But my somewhat arrogant and silent scrutiny doesn't seem to instill any fear in him.

He nuzzles my snake tail with his face, his lips gently pressing against my scales. After a moment of delicate caressing, he—

Suddenly bites down hard.

MC: …!

A tingling numbness quickly spreads from the tip of my tail. The venom is manageable, and it will take me less than a moment to neutralize it.

Yet, in that fleeting moment, a particularly hazy, green-colored figure forms in my mind.

MC: Are you that little green snake who bit my tail decades ago and then fainted?

—[Part 2]—

=Flashback start=

One autumn many years ago, the sunlight was still pleasant, and I was coiled idly in the mountain, feeling bored to death.

The autumn light stretches endlessly, the entire forest suffused with a lingering pleasant fragrance that makes me coil my body even more lazily.

My demonic aura permeates the entire mountain, utterly unrestrained. The lesser demons cower in corners, none foolish enough to dare disturb my tranquility.

Suddenly, a burst of very weak stings prickled the tip of my tail.

Puzzled, I lifted my tail, only to find a small green snake clinging to it.

It must have tried to feed on my energy but was overwhelmed by the backlash of my demonic power. The little snake has already fainted, but its tiny fangs are still tightly embedded in me.

It's natural for creatures to have a predatory instinct, but such a bold and greedy little thing might eventually develop even greater desires.

I observed it for a few more moments with interest before casually tossing it away.

=Flashback ends=

That blurry green shape in the daylight unexpectedly coalesces into the face of the person standing before me.

Turns out it really transformed into a demonic form.

My tail instantly coils around his entire body, tightening around his neck, and pulls him towards me.

MC: What did you say your name was?

Lucien: [his sexy gasps and breathless voice?#(#+-$(asdfghjkl] My Lord, my name is Lucien.

The venomous fangs in his mouth remain unretracted as if deliberately left exposed to provoke.

I grip his upper jaw, my fingertips sliding into his parted lips, caressing the delicate tips of his fangs.

As I gradually apply pressure, a pale yellow liquid slowly trickles down my fingertips.

A fascination stirs within my heart, and I drive the venom to flow uncontrollably until it overflows my palm.

The labored breath escaping his lips doesn't bring even a hint of fear to the face before me. Those eyes, like mysterious deep pools, draw me in completely.

MC: I remember you.

I lick the venom on my fingertips and then lightly lean toward his lips.

MC: Perhaps devouring you wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Lucien: [x2!] It would be my honor to become a part of you, My Lord.

Venom from his fangs spills to the corner of his lips, adding an inexplicable allure to his serene expression.

Lucien: [X3!!] However... to you, my lord, my demonic power is very weak. Even after appearing before you many times, I never caught your attention.

Lucien: [X4!!!] I'm afraid I can't help you achieve your breakthrough, my lord.

[T/N: Throughout this date, he used a "您" (nín) to address MC instead of the usual “你” (nǐ), which is the formal and polite way to say "you" in Chinese. It is used to show respect, deference, and admiration to the person being addressed.]

His face even bears a hint of hidden bitterness, as if silently reproaching me.

MC: How did you know I wanted to breakthrough?

Lucien: Because in my eyes... all I see is your figure.

Lucien: In the corners you never noticed, I've always been watching you.

Through those deep and unfathomable eyes, I see a reflection of a slender white figure, and her face is filled with disdain and inexplicable emotion.

Lucien: You've protected this place for many years, providing us with a safe haven. So, I also wish to contribute my humble efforts to your cause.

Lucien: I have found a group of remarkable humans who might be able to help you break through your cultivation, My Lord.

Half a country wouldn't even suffice.

I form this sentence in my mind but don't say it out loud.

Facing my silence, he gently smiles, as if he had expected it.

Lucien: What do you think, My Lord... about the 361 demon-slaying cultivators of the Qingping Sect, including the Sect Leader—what should be done with them?

His hushed whispers are carried on a breathy exhale and reach my lips. Sinking into the depths of his dark eyes, I curl my lips into a smile.

MC: Is there more to this than meets the eye?

Lucien: In the past two years, many demon hunters from this sect have repeatedly disturbed the peace in the mountain, and many lesser demons have fallen at their hands.

Lucien: My Lord, you have cast spells in this mountain, clearly not wishing to be disturbed. I merely volunteered to ease your worries.

MC: But those bugs always manage to get in, do you know why?

Lucien: A sophisticated formation like yours, My Lord, is naturally beyond the comprehension of a lowly demon like myself.

Lucien: The Qingping Sect is also a great sect with a hundred years of history; [chuckles] Perhaps there are some mysterious and powerful humans there.

Lucien smiles modestly and looks at me obediently.

I close my eyes, pondering his words over and over.

The Qingping Sect people have been coming to the mountain to hunt demons in summer and winter for the past few years. They must have observed my movements.

When I'm dormant, I'm usually too lazy to bother with such trivial matters. But if it's delivered to my doorstep, there's certainly no reason to refuse.

But with Lucien's cultivation level, it should be very difficult for him to handle such a large sect.

I think for a moment, then fling him away.

MC: So, in a place where the talented and powerful people hide, how are you going to offer them to me?

Lucien: I'm just using a few little tricks. You can inspect it now, My Lord.

His words barely leave his lips when the scene before me abruptly blurs. In a flash, I conceal my demonic form.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

An unfamiliar Taoist temple comes into view. We are already standing in the shadows of a corner.

I glance around, slightly raise my fingertips, and strangle Lucien's neck.

MC: Lucien, I don't like being controlled by anything else.

[T/N: MC actually called him 小许 (Xiao Xu) here which can be translated into ‘Little Lu' but that sounds odd in EN-]

Lucien: [gasping for breath and hoarsely says-] Perhaps… I was just too eager, hoping I could be of some help to you.

Lucien: [still with his hoarse voice-] I really long to see you happy.

His eyes curve into a gentle arc, showing a certain beauty that is both pleasing to the eye and delightful to the heart.

I let out a cold snort, dismissing him, and step out of the shadows, releasing my hold on his neck.

The scorching sun beats down mercilessly, making me irritable. Just as I'm about to turn around and warn that little creature to make it quick, I sense an unusually strange and mysterious Qi in the air.

In the shadows, Lucien stands still, his deep, dark eyes hiding a gleam.

Interesting.

A spark of interest ignites within me, and I swagger down the road.

Several demon hunters who look quite delicious pass by me. They appear numb, like puppets, and show no sign of panic in my presence.

??: Ah, it's Mr. Lucien!

Suddenly, a young Daoist Priest seems to regain his senses and runs towards me.

Lucien, who is already standing beside me, responds gently.

Lucien: Greetings, Daoist Priest.

Lucien's eyes shimmer with an emerald green light. As his voice trails off, several nearby demon hunters eagerly gather around, engaging him in conversation.

MC: "Do they know you?"

I glance at Lucien and use a spell to transmit the words directly into his mind.

But he merely smiles faintly, and under the gaze of those empty eyes, he leans down and whispers in my ear.

Lucien: [whispers] Some things are easier to erode from within.

Lucien: After all... I'm just a little green snake.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Part 3]—

Abundant power surges within me. After absorbing and dissolving the last remnants of the primordial spirit, I open my eyes, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

While there's still a long way to go before my primordial spirit breaks through, I won't force it.

The blazing sun overhead reminds me of the day I parted ways with Lucien, leaving me to wonder how many days and nights have slipped by since.

The vastness of time has long since lost its meaning for me.

=Flashback start=

MC: Some of these are for you.

Lucien: …?

Upon hearing my words, he seemed to freeze for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly.

Lucien: If I wanted to keep it all for myself, I wouldn't have invited you, My Lord. All of this is my offering…

MC: You're so long-winded.

MC: Rewards are given for merit; take it if it's given to you. Those are my rules.

I was too lazy to listen to his long-winded speech, so I stood on the steps and looked down at him.

MC: Lucien, I have only one question for you right now.

MC: Aren't you hungry?

Lucien: ….

He stood in my shadow, deeply gazing up at me.

After a long pause, he curled his lips into a bewitching smile, his gaze locked intently on me. He extended his tongue, lightly licking his lips.

Lucien: [the long licking noises!??+$+*+$+] Very hungry, my lord.

=Flashback end=

I stand up and stretch, ready to take a stroll in the mountain and see how Lucien's cultivation is progressing.

He's very clever. In just a few decades, he's not only cultivated into a demon form but also amassed considerable power and even dealt with the entire Qingping Sect.

Perhaps in a few more decades, he could be the final piece I need for my breakthrough.

Just as I am about to leave the cave, I sense an extremely familiar pheromone nearby.

Its owner is cleverly masking their scent within my demonic aura, but it seems they're struggling to maintain the disguise, and faint traces are still leaking through.

I raise my head to gaze at the colossal Buddha statue before me, and then with a swift movement, I stand atop the entwining vines that encircle it. A quick glance reveals a familiar figure—

sexy bgm playing

Lucien: ...!

His dark green outer robe has slipped down to his arms, revealing a large expanse of his back. The slanting rays of the sun illuminate the faint snake scales on his skin.

Gold dust spills from the cracks in the Buddha statue, scattering around him. One of his hands, unable to contain the surging power, has fully transformed into its demonic form.

His broad and supple snake tail is fully exposed, writhing restlessly against the stone statue, creating a subtle rustling sound as it rubs against the surface.

Fine beads of sweat emerge on his forehead, gradually dampening his hair, which clings stickily to his flushed skin and trails downwards.

Lucien seems surprised by my arrival, turning around with a guarded look, his fingers reaching for his shoulder as if wanting to cover up more.

Lucien: [panting as if he's in a freaking heat] My Lord, how could you...?

MC: Lucien, you're really good at finding places, aren't you?

I examine the area around the Buddha's Hand. Lush bushes cover most of the cave entrance, providing him with ample shelter along with my demonic aura.

A small white snake then slithered into the opening of his clothing, making its way up to his face.

[T/N: Remember what I mentioned about how powerful cultivators can project themselves outward—so this white snake is indeed MC but she has projected her soul outward]

Lucien: [x2] I'm fortunate to have your protection.

He pants lightly, his eyes never leaving even for a moment, fixed firmly on my figure.

Lucien: I understand that you needed to focus on your cultivation and didn't want to be disturbed.

Lucien: [while slightly panting] But I haven't experienced many breakthroughs before. I need to focus all my energy on refining my spirit. Last time, I almost got eaten by other lesser demons…

Lucien: [with more panting and huskier voice] Being by your side, My Lord, I feel more at ease and can also help guard against potential dangers for you.

His husky voice sends tingling sensations through me, making me inexplicably feel a bit hungry.

Lucien: [man literally panting with each sentence?!$+($+$asdjfjdkd] I just didn't expect you to be so powerful, absorbing so many spirits in such a short time…

He furrows his brow in what seems like frustration, which looks a bit cute.

MC: Those are still far from enough, but your breakthrough speed is also faster than I thought.

Lucien: [still with the sus panting as if in heat] It's all… thanks to you, My Lord.

He forces a weak smile, seemingly still struggling to suppress the surging power within him.

I know that feeling, the unbearable heat from the inside out, the frantic surge of Qi sweeping through the body again and again, as the soul drifts between fullness and emptiness.

I've always been on my own, so it's quite interesting to witness someone else going through this for the first time.

Lucien's fingertips continue to tighten, revealing an attractive white color.

He seems to be waiting there, waiting for me to disappear. But I don't.

I wiggle my fingers, and the little white snake glides along his burning skin. Every inch closer elicits a heavier, instinctive gasp from the depths of his throat.

The increasingly prominent snake scales seem to be burning, and his long tail coils around the Buddha's hand over and over while continuously trembling.

MC: Is it hard to bear?

He knows she's laughing.

Through his hazy gaze, he sees the girl perched on a nearby branch, like a wisp of delicate white gauze, overlooking him completely.

He can feel the cold little snake mischievously exploring all over his body as if her fingertips were stroking him.

This makes him feel even more messed up.

The power surges within him, more violently than he anticipated, and it's taking longer than expected.

He overestimated her greed, and at the same time, underestimated his own.

A tremendous sense of emptiness drowns him in an instant, magnified infinitely under her wicked gaze.

At that moment, it's as if he forgets everything.

He instinctively follows that surge of intense force, returning to a darker place, where he finds some form of primitiveness and liberation.

A surge of heat courses through him from his chest to his lower body, carrying him from the heights of the clouds to the mist below.

He is obviously filled with a momentary sense of satisfaction, yet a greater emptiness is born. Amidst the lingering white mist, her eyes always remain clear.

Bright, vile, and charming.

As if shining into his greedy soul, allowing him to see the reflection of his face so clearly.

Lucien: [breathing heavily after some kind of ‘release’...but obviously haven't ‘satisfied’ yet-] ….

Suddenly, I see Lucien smile.

He leans against the Buddha's palm, his entire body sprawled out and clothes in a mess. It's as if he's completely submerged in water.

The tense snake's tail trembles as it lifts, gently and intimately coiling around my wrist.

People say snake demons are masters of seduction, but perhaps they are not even one ten-thousandth as good as the person before me.

Lucien: [panting, whispers hoarsely] Teach me... My Lord.

MC: Aren't you afraid that I'll really eat you?

I laugh and tease him. The moment my toes touch the Buddha's hand, a scorching hot snake's tail wraps tightly around my waist, coiling down to one of my ankles.

With a gentle tug, he pulls me into an even hotter embrace.

Lucien: [moans and pants as he whispers hoarsely] Then just eat me.

Lucien: [x2] From the very beginning, I didn't mind becoming one with you, My Lord.

His breath is hot, and so is his gaze. This kind of temperature, which usually makes me uncomfortable, fills me with some kind of pleasure now.

I gently caress his chest, feeling the surge of Qi within him, and can't help but smile even wider.

MC: If you want to be eaten by me... you're still too weak.

Infusing my power into my palm, I gather his power into one place.

At this moment, I realize that I might have left Lucien with too much force. It's no wonder he hasn't fully absorbed such a massive force. It's also fortunate that he has exceptional abilities.

If he were an ordinary demon, his meridians would have ruptured long ago.

[T/N: Meridians (经脉) are the channels through which Qi/vital energy flows in the body, if it ruptures it can lead to death]

MC: Luckily, you've been able to hold on until now.

MC: But... you still need to work harder.

I push my palm forward, dismantling that power and sending it into his primordial spirit.

I feel myself being hugged tightly, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. His snake fangs bite hard into my shoulder and release his venom with a force that feels like a torrent.

The venom he secreted is like sweet honey, devoid of any threat.

When he raises his head again, I see that his deep eyes have become even brighter, as if they have swallowed a thousand surging tides.

MC: How do you feel?

Lucien: [x3] My lord... your body is so cold and feels so good.

His tail coils tighter around me, and his scorching breath falls on my neck.

He seems to have coiled his entire body around me, enveloping me in his center.

Lucien: [x4] You... are very beautiful.

His wet tongue slides again and again across my throat and neck. I feel like his whole body is exuding a delicious scent.

I'm so hungry.

I can't resist the urge to bite his lips. His strong essence is absorbed into my body through our intertwined lips and tongues.

Lucien doesn't resist at all and just hugs me tightly as if devoutly offering his entire being to me.

In an instant, I push him away, meeting his gaze, which seems to hold an air of expectation.

Lucien: [gasping weakly] Are you not going to eat me anymore?

He looks a bit tired, but his lips still rest against mine, like the instinctive nuzzling of an animal.

I don't respond to him, only glancing at him for a moment before covering his captivating eyes with my hand.

MC: Go to sleep.

Just a little longer. If I wait a bit more, he'll be even more delicious, and it'll help me break through even further.

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[T/N: Fun fact: In real life, snakes intertwine their tails and bite each other when they mate. Why do I mention this? Well you'll see :)]

✂— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

—[Part 4]—

Over a month later, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the evening breeze brings a chill. I stretch and head down the mountain, holding up my skirt as I walk.

I quite enjoy human festivals. Every year, during these times, the lively and interesting rituals make this frail race seem a bit more endearing.

Bathed in the soft glow, a familiar figure dressed in green appears in my sight.

Lucien: My Lord, it seems quite lively down there. Is that the human "temple fair" they speak of?

MC: You've been in human form for decades, and you know quite a few demon hunters from the Qingping Sect. Haven't you ever been to a temple fair?

Lucien: I'm just a lowly demon, so I wouldn't dare.

Lucien: But if I go with you, I'm sure I'll be able to experience some of the fun.

MC: [smiles softly] Are you a fool?

With a grand sweep of my hand, I lead him into the warm and dazzling sea of lights.

I turn to face him, a smile playing on my lips as I tilt my chin up in a challenge.

MC: Since you're already a demon, you can afford to be even more bolder sometimes.

His pupils dilate sharply. The gently swaying lanterns cast a soft, flickering light as Lucien gazes deeply into my eyes. Then, in a surprising turn, he reaches out and takes my hand in his.

Lucien: I will certainly heed your teachings, My Lord.

We make our way through the bustling crowd. Though Lucien seems a little curious about everything around him, he still walks steadily by my side.

Suddenly, he stops in his tracks.

I turn back to see him carefully wiping a jade bracelet on one of the stalls.

The bracelet is a vibrant green throughout, its color rich and translucent, with a subtle, warm glow. At a glance, it's clearly a piece of exquisite jade.

I don't know why, but that captivating shade of green reminds me of his original appearance.

He quickly pays for it, and amidst the vibrant spectacle of festive lights, gently places the bracelet on my wrist.

MC: What are you doing?

Lucien: I saw that other humans seem to do this. Do you like it?

In that fleeting moment, he seems to be imbued with the essence of the human world. His eyes curve into gentle crescents as he smiles tenderly.

In the vast and endless expanse of time, I can no longer remember if the last person who smiled at me like this was also so soul-stirring.

Perhaps, there has never been such a person before.

MC: Though I can't say whether I like it or not...

MC: But you seem to have become even more delicious.

Lucien seems to smile even more happily. For some reason, I think I see the same emotion of mine reflected in his eyes.

But that's probably just my imagination. Despite his greed, he's ultimately just a weak lesser demon.

As we stroll along, the distant voice of a storyteller drifts towards us.

Storyteller: “Continuing from where we left off, the battle between the thousand-year-old white snake demon of Baihua Mountain and the crocodile demon has been at a standstill for a full hundred days…”

Groups of young boys and girls walk together, their faces flushed with shy smiles. An elderly woman calls out, advertising her steaming hot meat buns. Red firecrackers explode, welcoming a bride from some unknown family.

The festive atmosphere surrounds us. Perhaps influenced by the surroundings, I hear Lucien's curious voice.

Lucien: My Lord, are you also interested in human love?

MC: That's the most impermanent thing in this world.

I take a bite of the candied hawthorn he's holding and gaze at the ordinary faces around us.

MC: It might be interesting, but as demons, we live for far too long. So long that...

MC: Such fragile things can't nourish our parched and greedy souls.

MC: But if you're interested, you could always find a human and experience it a little.

I smile and playfully bop his nose.

MC: [teasingly] But be careful, don't let any bad woman trick you, Lucien.

Lucien: You worry too much. I have no interest in those.

Lucien: Because I've already encountered and tasted something far more delectable.

His dark inky eyes hold my reflection captive, as if drawing me into their hidden depths.

Lucien: Lord MC has taught me everything I wanted to know…

Lucien: As one of the same kind.

Later, Lucien takes the initiative to show me around several places. After we've explored the town extensively, fireworks illuminate the deep night sky.

Lucien: Do you know where we can enjoy the most beautiful fireworks?

MC: You've asked the right demon.

With a flick of my finger, I whisk him away to an ancient pagoda that's been sealed for many years.

The airtight walls keep the interior pitch black. The air is filled with the scent of sandalwood, and the faint sound of fireworks echoes like distant bells.

Lucien: It seems... we can't see any fireworks here.

MC: Just wait.

I turn my palm, and in the blink of an eye, the surrounding stone walls suddenly become transparent, as if they were never there.

I pull Lucien to sit at the center of the circular platform. Suddenly, a profusion of vibrant fireworks bursts forth all around us, their carefree beauty so close as if within reach.

The vibrant colors of the fireworks paint Lucien's figure, layer upon layer. For the first time, someone is here with me to enjoy the fireworks, and my heart can't help but fill with a touch of joy.

MC: Humans are so rigid. They think a tranquil place can't also be lively. What a waste of a good spot.

MC: Might as well let these Buddhas enjoy the show too.

Lucien: [softly] Indeed… incredibly beautiful.

As he speaks, it's hard to tell if his eyes are fixed on me or the fireworks behind me.

But beautiful scenery is always fleeting. Soon, the fireworks display comes to an end.

And as I try to stand up, I suddenly realize that I can't move.

Just as I'm about to summon my power, a piercing pain shoots through my entire body. It feels as though some invisible ropes in the air are binding me in place.

While I'm still puzzled, I hear Lucien's surprised voice—

Lucien: ...I didn't expect it to succeed on the first try.

I lift my head, and our gazes collide. His eyes are full of smiles.

His index and middle fingers pressed together, their tips shimmering with a faint light as he swiftly forms an intricate seal in the air.

The instant I see the strikingly familiar gesture, my eyes widen in shock.

MC: ...Why do you know a sealing spell used only by demon hunters?!

Lucien: Humans are rigid, thinking a tranquil place can't be lively. And you demons are just as rigid. Who says...

Lucien: ...a demon can't learn the arts of eliminating demons?

His lips form a triumphant and seductive curve as his cold fingertips caress my cheek.

Lucien: Don't worry, I know my own capabilities.

Lucien: The formation I've set up across the entire town, combined with the second layer of formation at the heart of it, will only restrain you for a short while.

Lucien: [whispers] However, this short time will be enough.

His voice softly weaves into my ears as he holds me tightly in his embrace.

MC: Those places you took me to earlier... were they all part of setting up this formation?

Lucien: That was merely just a test.

Lucien: [chuckles] It was you who said, I could be a bit bolder.

His delicate breath steadily brushes against my neck, making me feel lightheaded that maintaining my human form takes almost all of my strength.

MC: This… this is a Qingping Sect ancient text... You couldn't possibly have had the chance to…

A shockingly unbelievable thought suddenly pops into my mind. I clutch his lapel tightly, my whole body trembling.

MC: So it was you... You found the weakness in the mountain formation and led the Qingping Sect to hunt the demons.

Lucien: Yes, it was me.

All pretense vanishes from his eyes, revealing utterly raw and unbridled greed and desire.

Lucien: Those humans are so easily deceived. As long as I help them kill a few demons, they think I'm a talent worth cultivating.

Lucien: So I had the chance to plant the poison. In just over a decade, they would be completely under my control.

Lucien: And My Lord, you are my best reward.

Lucien: I finally found the opportunity to gain your trust. And with your help, I also obtained the ancient text.

[T/N: I think, her ‘help’ refers to her ‘eating’ the most Sect member which was his offering. Now that the whole sect was gone, he was able to gain access to the Sect's sacred ancient text, which allowed him to learn how to create this formation to trap her-]

His words are incredibly gentle, yet devoid of any warmth. He meticulously plans every step, taking small risks for greater gains. In the end, he uses the entire town as a formation, waiting for me to walk into the trap myself.

MC: Have you been wanting to eat me all along?

Lucien: [whispers hoarsely] I've never lied to you.

He smiles as he presses his cold lips against my brow and eyes, tenderly caressing my lips.

Lucien: [his whispers become increasingly obsessive-] I told you, from the moment you appeared in my life, in my eyes... all I see is your figure.

Lucien: [x2!] A snake wanting to eat another snake… that's normal, isn't it…?

Lucien: [x3!!] I've always, always... wanted to eat you.

*sexy bgm playing-*

Along with his voice, a slippery tail coils around the tip of my own.

As if fearing I might escape, it coils around me tightly from the start. Our scales rustle as they rub against each other, and I feel inexplicable suffocation.

Lucien lowers his gaze to look at me, his eyes filled with undisguised desire. He bares his fangs, teasingly grazing my skin before swiftly sinking them in with a sharp bite.

After a slight sting, a cold liquid is injected into the bite mark. My skin grows hotter and hotter, making the coldness even more alarming.

He probably knows that this bit of venom can't harm me, so he indulges in "tasting" me to his heart's content.

His sharp fangs expertly latch onto the easy-to-bite spots, biting down hard as if he really intends to devour me.

He leans toward me, pressing closer and closer. Our tails are already entwined inseparably; the tips of our hair and the sashes of our clothes are in complete disarray.

I can't summon any power to resist the venom's encroachment. I can only feel the burning heat spreading through my limbs and bones, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Lucien: [moaning and panting] I know I can't completely devour you yet, but it doesn't matter…

Lucien: [x2!] I will leave my mark inside your body, on every inch of your skin.

Lucien: [x3!!] Let our breaths entwine... until yours carries the essence of mine.

He bites my lip, his mouth devouring every bit of my moan and wet sounds. His tongue, laced with venom, forcefully swirls over mine, compelling me to swallow every drop.

Lucien: [hisses and groans] Until... the day I eat you.

My head is swimming, all I can feel is his snake tail coiling tighter around me, a tingling heat flowing through my body as something is being poured inside me again and again.

The feeling is too arousing, making me instinctively tighten my body, but also wrapping him even tighter.

The air is heavy with erotic scents, and the sound of our entwined scales rubbing against each other creates an ambiguous symphony of slick and moist noises, intensifying my hunger step by step.

MC: [laughs] The one who should be eaten... is you, isn't it?

MC: Given time, I will cleanse your weak poison completely.

MC: Great, you already look delicious.

Unfamiliar yet pleasurable waves surge rapidly within me, hitting me again and again, causing me to instinctively bite him back.

The cloyingly sweet blood, mixed with venom and clear bodily fluids, fills our mouths, necks, and entire bodies.

Lucien: [groans and breathlessly says] …Then let's see how this plays out.

Scalding sweat trickles down his jaw, blending into my clothes that are already soaked with sweat.

Lucien pushes deeper into me as if even the deepest part of my soul is being imbued with his essence.

Lucien: [moans and gasps] No matter the outcome… we will… become one.

———————Fin——-—————

[Lux's afterwords]

Not much analysis here, this date is pretty much just ‘fast food’ LOL. So, while his obsession towards MC definitely gets amped up in this AU, I do like how it still retains his core like his greediness, curiosity, and obsessiveness/stubbornness though 👀 and the details of them mirroring each other's desire are always so!!!

Although the ending is fairly predictable given his character, this date introduces a fresh element with its unique dynamic where the power balance shifts in favor of MC 😂 It conveys a similar dynamic of the ‘God x mortal’ trope, where the mortals yearn for the love of their God. And despite all the things he did, I really can't help but think that he really is just a hardworking yet stubborn/obsessive little snake HAHA.

His final line! I think… it's the biggest proof that he never really lied to her. His final line on this date reveals that his ultimate goal is to become one with her, whether through her eating him or vice versa, the method or outcome doesn't matter to him. Since he is much weaker than her, it's easier for him to be consumed (which is why he keeps asking her to eat him). However, in case she doesn’t want to eat him, he also has this backup plan. Whether he is to be consumed or to consume her, both scenarios require decades of deceiving humans to first gain her attention. While his methods may not be entirely honest, it is undeniable that he has worked very hard for her and it's a bit endearing🤧 or maybe it's time for me to admit that atp i'll forgive any shits he pulled *kicked*

[paper-gold-theories]

Villainous Theory: The Oldest Trick in The Book

(Spoilers for those who have not read Chapter 1-14 of The Risky Heist.)

Some villain rules I noticed being played out in The Risky Heist is that Porccini is a villain that wants to be a hero which he believes is the new version of villainy.

How he is able to do so is to come up with a plan to capture all the amateur villains, which involves relying on his skills as a professional villain and using a mistake villains usually make to use amateur villains as bounty hunters and lure them to capture Miss Heed in order to benefit himself, the "hero".

Flug mentions in The Missing Cases of Park Orientation Video, is that having bounty hunters go crazy for money and do the work for you is a plan he would prefer to avoid as although it will have some benefits, it will most likely lead to unpredictable problems and their failures gives heroes time to prepare for the final confrontation and says that it would be better for a villain to use a trained army.

Black Hat also mentions that you can appeal to the emotions of a stupid hero as a strategy for a villain is to gain the trust of the hero so you can betray them later. (Rule 104)

This is what Porccini had plan and what had happened. He enticed a bunch of amateur villains to hunt down Miss Heed with a promise of a big cash reward. During the heist while all the amateur villains were causing chaos due to several failures in attempting to get to Miss Heed first leading to the King Casino's casino being destroyed and him losing his gambling business operating licence because of the destruction, the chaos also gives Porccini time to contact Captain Estrada to arrest the villains and his men (or his own armies) to do a clean up and eliminate Miss Valdoom, who was not supposed to be involved in a heist for amateur villains (though I theorized she is not really dead).

Turns out Porccini, a trusted Villain, was just using his villain status and setting this whole thing up in order to make a deal with P.E.A.C.E. to help him take down King Cassino and give him the credit so that he can become a hero.

Additionally, despite Iluminarrow noticing the red flags throughout the heist such as Porcini hiring multiple villains for the job without telling them and Miss Valdoom saying that Porcini is a non-mind controlled Miss Heed simp (although that was proven false later on) she still chooses to go back and warn him of having a double agent he employed (with of possibly of getting rewarded to pay for her rent for it of course) because she i respects and looks up to Porcini as the most powerful mafia boss in the city. Partially her make judgements based on emotions (and it's also impossible to believe that a powerful high ranking villain is working for the heroes). Hence, Porcini also successfully implementing the Rule 104: gain the trust of the hero so you can betray them later, being acted.

Porcini's plan was good and even though Iluminarrow, Mawrawsite and Humiko managed to escape at first, he would succeeded after he got the police to bring those to to them if he just kept his mouth shut.

Which, I theorized that if he did King Cassino would have killed Humiko for lying to him and wasting his time. And afterwards Porcini would have probably killed Iluminarrow and Mawrawsite making sure that no one aside from P.E.A.C.E. knows about his plan and he was able to become a hero by exposing King Casino as a villain.

Ironically, Porocini's downfall is also making an amateur villain mistake of monologuing about his evil "heroic" plan, which gives time for their friends to rescue them, leading to King Casino finding out and P.E.A.C.E. betryaing him because of this.

Because of Iluminarrow successfully able to execute her plan of tricking Porcini by executing Rule 72: Hide your true intentions until you find the right time to strike.

Another irony is that despite P.E.A.C.E, being a "hero" organisation, they made a smart villain move by betraying Porccini only after he is no longer useful to their plan and also rule doing Rule 104 of gaining the trust of the hero so you can betray them later.

Flug mentioned in The Guide for an Evil Conquest Orientation Video that villains should only betray any alliance they made only if they know that the former alliance won't betray them.

Even though Porccini saw that the police were arresting his men and were going to arrest him. He's obsession of wanting to become a hero still made him carry forward in directing his anger towards killing Iluminarrow, Mawrawsite, and Humiko.

Bonus Rule:

Porcini also acts Rule 532, which is, a high caliber villain doesn’t get into direct combat unless the situation calls for it.

Throughout The Risky Heist, Porccini only sends out his men to do the job, however he got into direct combat when he had to face his enemy, against King Casino and snapped and had to fight Iluminarrow, Mawrawsite, and Humiko and that one police officer when he snapped because his plan was failing.

[etherfall]

Alder Adopts N AU huh...

I wonder what will be story of BW + BW2 will be tho?

Edit: Finalized Story

Gonna be honest, I came up with this AU on the spot so I haven't really thought about it that hard lol. But I think that the story would be quite different since N is no longer the pawn that Ghetsis manipulates to get his way. Here's what I think might've happened:

(I'm using Black version for reference! Also this ended up being kind of long haha)

Ghetsis is the king of Team Plasma, and works on his own to manipulate the people of Unova. He plans to raise a team to fight Alder himself, but is unable to summon Zekrom to help him in his conquest of Unova. However he hears from the Shadow Triad that Alder found a boy in the woods that can talk to Pokémon, and is raising him to be an incredibly strong future champion.

This catches Ghetsis's attention and he begins a plan to capture N. Since he himself cannot talk to Pokémon he believes he can manipulate N enough to free Zekrom from the stone. Perhaps by claiming that he is N's true father?

Ghetsis successfully captures N and tries to manipulate him into aiding with his "ideal" of liberation, claiming that battles hurt Pokémon and that they should be free. N is not so easily persuaded and fights back, since he has been raised on Pokémon battling with Alder and can see the good in their interaction. Although N does waver a bit to Ghetsis's manipulation, he stays loyal to Alder's ways and puts trust in Alder's judgement.

Instead of shying away from responsibility due to the death of his Pokémon, Alder has revived his passion for battles through his interactions with N and is more active in protecting Unova. When N is taken away he becomes angry and storms the castle with the other gym members to get his son back.

When Ghetsis realizes that his manipulation is not working, he pulls an "emotional father" card to make N free the dragon, taking advantage of the fact that N has been trying to discover who his true family is.

This is where the protag comes in. Although N summoned Zekrom he refuses to fight the protag, conflicted on what he had just done. Meanwhile Reshiram is awakened. Ghetsis takes charge of Zekrom as the two dragons begin to fight.

N (bless his heart) talks to Zekrom during the fight and manages to deter him from Ghetsis, so Zekrom stops fighting and takes N's side, putting Ghetsis's plan of Pokémon liberation to an end. Ghetsis flies into a rage, lashing out against N in a fit of anger and challenges the protag with his own personalized team. After he is defeated, Alder breaks into the chamber and saves N while Ghetsis flees. The two dragons return to their stones and peace returns to Unova.

By the end of the story N goes home with Alder to recover, but is left with conflicted feelings about the future of Unova and Ghetsis, the man that could've been his father. (Or relative. I personally think that N is the son of Ghetsis's brother but I digress)

Not sure about BW2 since I haven't played it yet and am trying to avoid spoilers atm, but yeah! Feel free to tell me any ideas that you might have, I'm not the best at making AUs but would love to hear different interpretations!

[yanderes-galore]

Romantic Yandere Russell Adler (Cod: Cold War) who gets utterly obsessed with Enemy!Reader who refuses to reciprocate his feelings whenever they meet up at the enemy lines? Or when he decides to meticulously capture her himself and use MK-Ultra on her if Stockholm Syndrome doesn’t work?

He's an underrated character when it comes to fanfics here so I'd love to! First Cold War request so I'm hoping I got Adler/the plot right.

Potential Spoilers for Call of Duty: Cold War

Yandere! Russell Adler with Enemy! Darling

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Brainwashing/Mind control, Forced relationship, Violence, Manipulation, Kidnapping, Darling is like Bell, Forced touching mentioned.

This feels an awful lot like a Bell situation....

Especially with the whole MK-Ultra thing you mentioned.

Adler is a morally gray character so he'd have no issues with brainwashing and placing false memories into your head.

Especially if he managed to fall or an enemy.

You were most likely in a similar situation as Bell.

You worked for Perseus and saw Adler as your enemy.

You and Adler have met on the battlefield many times before.

You're enemies... but Adler thought otherwise.

For some reason he fell for you.

Hard, too.

Adler tried to ignore such feelings at first.

He should capture you and interrogate you.

You're an enemy, that is all.

Yet he couldn't help but look into you.

You could be useful... if you just fought for the "right side".

He could care for you if you change sides now!

You never listen.

Your situation is a one-sided enemies to lovers trope.

All it takes is one accident to knock you away from Perseus.

Then... you're in his hands.

Very similar to Bell, they try normal interrogation first.

Adler's feelings intensify when he interrogates you.

You're at his mercy... now you have to listen to him.

Adler can't kill you, he doesn't want to.

If he really has formed feelings for you since the battlefield then he tries to avoid such an outcome.

Adler takes advantage of your restraints when interrogating you.

He traces his hands against you and really tries to push his feelings into view.

Essentially it's like he's using seduction to make you talk.

You can really tell how deranged you make him at this point.

He lightly touches your cheek and holds your hand despite the restraints.

He compliments you, he tells you his thoughts about you.

With how fast he's grown attached to you it comes off as jarring.

Once he realizes he isn't getting info or even reciprocation from you then he turns to other means.

MK-Ultra to be exact.

The idea of that is terrifying.

Adler could implant whatever information and memories he wants in that head of yours.

So, he thinks of something more domestic.

Something straight from his fantasies.

The fabricated life you're given is something along the lines of this;

You are the wife of Russell Adler.

You have been together for years.

You are working with the CIA to help track down Perseus as you and Adler met in the military before marrying.

It's something along the lines of that.

Adler would not mind brainwashing you to love him if you were an enemy.

This way you are no longer a threat and he gets to take care of you.

What a win, right?

Like he wanted, it works.

He plays his act well, too.

When you come off all the drugs, given only your first name, and given a command phrase... Adler is there.

He acts like a concerned husband when you awake and comforts your confusion.

Internally, he's smirking.

He's managed to reprogram you successfully.

It feels nice to have such a beautiful woman all to himself now, despite your past.

For the most part you believe him due to the implanted memories.

You cling to him, you tell him you love him.

You believe every word.

His first kiss with you is not the first to you according to your memories.

Adler indulges every moment with you.

Each kiss holds passion and yearning.

Each hug is tight around you as he buries his face into your neck.

You are his, he's done it!

In every way possible he's made you his.

He loves it when you look at him with adoration... even if it's fabricated.

This whole relationship you two share has been carefully created... it's artificial.

That's fine to Adler.

You'd never know the difference, now you'd always dedicate yourself to him and love him as he's always wanted...

If anyone tries to ruin this for him then Adler doesn't mind a bit more blood on his clothes... that's the job, isn't it?

[eliotquillon]

In your time loop fic, does cameron ever confide in anyone (house, chase, foreman etc.) about the loop?

SPOILERS but tldr yes !

the first person she ‘tells’ is foreman, but this doesn’t really count. she’s going to get him to (finally) give her a neuro exam, and when he initially refuses she tells him about the loop but she doesn’t exactly try very hard to convince him otherwise when he doesn’t believe her; he agrees to do the neuro exam on her anyway and that’s really the only reason why she told him, so she doesn’t double down or try to get him to believe her properly. so the first person she REALLY tells is gonna be wilson. this might seem a bit rogue BUT hunting is kind of smack bang in the middle of cameron and wilson’s weird pseudo-besties era where they’re talking about affairs and cameron is trauma dumping to him every other episode - she’s been confiding in him recently and he’s really the best option for her to tell at this point (foreman didn’t believe her, she does NOT want house up in her business, and she is still avoiding chase like the plague after they yelled at each other in ch 2). he doesn’t believe her either because this is still relatively early in the series of loops and she’s not able to conclusively prove it to him, but he’s willing to discuss it as a hypothetical with her, which cameron will settle for.

cameron will tell chase eventually, and when she does he believes her. he’s the only one who does the first time, although she does (successfully) tell foreman and wilson again in later loops. as you can imagine this is going to super freak her out LOL so that’s gonna be fun to write up. she never explicitly tells house, but he is going to figure it out on his own (or at least have a sneaking suspicion) at least once or twice. on days where he does figure it out, he doesn’t confess to stacy about stealing her psych notes. when he doesn’t, that subplot continues as normal unless otherwise interrupted (subtle foreshadowing). the key thing is that cameron’s final loop is a day where she doesn’t tell anyone—this is both for more practical reasons (i am NOT dealing with the fallout of a universe where everyone at ppth knows time loops exist) but also thematic ones. i am still in two minds as to whether or not this will also be one of the days where house gets a sneaking suspicion on his own - i’m leaning towards one over the other, but we’ll see closer to the end LOL

[the-therapist-is-ace]

A Danganronpa hot take! It's been a while. (Spoiler for all V3)

I... am confused about something, and maybe someone can answer me.

Why the hell is Kokichi called the "uncooperative one"? By the fandom I mean, because in the game I get that everyone used him as the scapegoat...

Literally why?

In Chapter one, he encouraged everyone to go through the road, until he notice everyone is exhausted. Then he's saying "stop. We need rest, and you need to stop strong-arming everyone" to Kaede. Which, maybe came a bit harsh but true. He IMMEDIATLY form a plan for everyone to meet at the dining hall for breakfast -something that they will be doing until the end of the game- and once there, force everyone to talk about the resentment and hurt feelings after what happened at the road yesterday. After the First Blood Perk motive is anounced, and Monokuma get destroyed, he makes everyone forget about the motive to not have people think too hard about it.

The next day when the time limit is announced he immediatly propose himself as sacrifice (not outright said but Miu picked the hint pretty clearly) to make sure no one else die.

In Chapter two, he takes it upon himself to make everyone acknowledge how they feel about Kaede's trial but is getting harshly shut down. And when the motives videos are introduced, he makes a plan for everyone to watch them together so they can take action in case someone got theirs and is plotting murder. He even go as far as to get more or less everyone kidnapped by manipulating Gonta (which of course isn't great) but is, again, getting shut down and PASS OUT for his troubles.

He even make everyone aware of what Kirumi was trying to do (manipulate everyone to riot on her behalf so she can run away) He gets insulted for his troubles.

And of course, how can I forget to mention him warning everyone about Maki, who is an assassin, and so a huge threat to EVERYONE. And... he's getting choked for his troubles with nobody reacting.

In Chapter three, he's kind of... well he can't do much. Because the student council is half the class, and he can't afford to have the half of people who doesn't want to get involved with the motive turn against him. His hands are tied there. But even so, in the investigation for Angie's death, he's asking Shuichi to come along because having a detective be a part of a sketchy seance is probably the best option if something happens at said-seance. (And something DID happened.) After the double murders, he force himself to stay conscious DESPITE A CONCUSSION so he can pass vital informations to Shuichi and Maki.

In Chapter four do I really have to explain? He made a plan to either, a) if you believe his mercy killing theory: save everyone from more suffering -ie: more murders and trials- and the horrors of the outside world, or b) if you think that's a lie: avoiding everyone to die because of an unsolvable trial. Because if Miu successfully killed him, she would have been able to destroy evidences EASILY consdering she is the one controlling the simulation.

And for both explaination, he asked Gonta's help. He build a full plan which NEEDS his cooperation.

And lastly in Chapter five... Literally he worked together with Kaito for his own murder to try to end the game.

Hell even in CHAPTER SIX so when he's ALREADY DEAD he's leaving hints behind to help the others!

So, my question is: HOW THE HELL IS HE UNCOOPERATIVE?! He's literally one of the people who tries the HARDEST to make everyone cooperate!

[valeriefauxnom]

A Subtle Running Theme

So, a day or two ago, I had the sudden realization about a theme in Abyss that I'm not sure I've seen addressed: 'getting what you wanted in the past that you no longer want now' and how that might influence the ending. Major Abyss spoilers up ahead!

Take Guy, for instance. He, of course, wanted to kill Luke fon Fabre.

He doesn't any more. He wants Luke to live and live well.

And yet...

Asch dies nearly instantly after he finally declares he intends to accept the 'Luke' identity:

...and then Luke follows in short order, despite his fervent wish to see what was done to his family returned to the Duke's.

Jade's another case.

His original intent when he first started working to create replicas was to use them as replacements for the originals, just as substitute bodies to revive the dead, memories and all. He worked and worked hard to find a way to make this dream come to life, modifying the means by which replicas are made in an effort to increase their stability (by means of switching to 7th fonons as their origin fonon).

Since then, he's moved on to believe that such a thing is just flat out impossible. That the dead do not come back, and that everything he did was a fool's errand.

But then, his 'impossible dream' of the Big Bang suddenly is possible. He gets to see it with Star, the original successfully taking over his replica's body, his mind intact...and now is faced with the prospect of it happening to Luke.

Which, again, is a thing he no longer wants.

Jade, shortly after: ...But this time, I do hope that the answer I’ve produced is incorrect.”

I also quote, from a talk between him and Dist, it's clear that Jade is trying very hard to avoid acknowledging the reality for what it is, that Asch will almost be guaranteed take over Luke's faculties and body in the near future, whilst not trying to appear weak to Dist:

Dist: ...Regardless of what caused his death, we can assume the Big Bang had begun. Jade: ...It may not have begun. Dist: What is that supposed to mean?! You're the one who finalized the theories on perfect isofons! Do you not believe your own research?! The Jade that I knew – Jade the Golden Child – isn't someone who would say something like that. ... Dist: Or is that replica that important to you? More than your best friend, Saphir?! Jade: The dust on the floor has value compared to you. Dist: Listen, Jade. The Contamination Effect cannot be prevented. Even with your talent.

Despite this attempt, Dist recognizes that Jade is not exactly happy with this fact, and tries to console Jade, while displaying his own perspective of 'memories=person' that Jade has moved on from. You know it's bad when Dist is attempting to console Jade in his own warped little way.

What had been his greatest dream is now a worst nightmare: Luke, as confirmed on Eldrant, would have lost his life and mind regardless if he survived the freeing of Lorelei, all to be a backup to the currently-dead Asch.

Hell, I can extend this to Natalia, too. She, in essence, wished for Luke to stop being himself the past seven years. To hurry up and re-become that prince charming she saw in Asch before his 'amnesia'. And soon he will, just as she has started to learn to appreciate Luke for his own merit instead of just being the inferior reflection of Asch.

Luke himself is not immune, either.

Starting at act two, Luke is increasingly depressed. He goes from passively wishing that maybe he ought have died to actively thinking dying would be the best for the world.

Enter Tower of Rem, where he finally decides that he actually wants to live. Lo and behold, it's exactly then the universe then decides to ensure a death in the near future for him via fonon separation. Not just that, but his journey's course leads to a duty that will kill him. Doomed twice over to certain death.

And that's not all. Another struggle he has is determining his own self identity. He finally resolves to want to be his own person, be able to have his own mind and body separate from just being 'Asch's replica' or 'Asch' at all in any capacity. This is a big thing that starts to anger Asch in the ending, as Asch has his own complicated feelings on Luke's independence from him and what it means for his own impending death (that I could and might rant about in another post).

Again, though, even that is possibly contested in the ending.

In short, Jade, Luke, and Guy all got what they wanted at the end of Abyss... just not what they wanted in the present.

---

So, uh, yeah!

I see a lot of arguments that it just has to be Luke in the end, that he's the protagonist and thus is more untouchable/more likely to be revived than less central characters like Asch, and that it would be against Abyss' themes of self-determination to have that mysterious figure be anything other than Luke in body and (complete) soul.

However, with Abyss also consistent in its 'be careful what you wish for' narratives that come back to bite and bite hard the good chunk of the cast, I would argue it's entirely possible to have the ending be but another case of this corruption of past wishes.

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch 1x6: the flame of tar valon

spoilers for season one of WoT and for the trailer for s2 and book spoilers through The Shadow Rising.

Baby Siuan! And Tear! I loved this flashback a lot (I mean, common theme for me with the cold opens in general, lol. But this is sweet and sad and tells us so much about the way that Siuan approaches the world.

"When can I come home?" "When it's safe in Tear for girls like you." Makes me tear up. Also, actually judging by how young baby!Siuan is, we might get Bode Cauthon being able to channel by the time we get to s3, since we're doing some time skips.

Also, an on-screen example of the world not being kind to little girls, as Liandrin mentioned in the last episode.

This is definitely the big "Aes Sedai politics" episode and I really enjoy it. It has great re-watchability, especially because of how much more viewers know about Moiraine and Siuan's relationship on rewatch, which reframes this scene entirely.

"Gentled as he is... he poses no threat." Very traumatic words for Logain to hear, considering. He's helpless now. No threat to anyone (so he tries to use his words to goad Siuan into ordering him killed).

I love the variety of the Aes Sedai outfits in the Hall!

The implication here that the madness continues to advance even after a man is gentled is really interesting and has some intriguing implications (as are Siuan's words about him being studied -- it seems like the White Tower is less... avoidant about unpleasant things than in the books).

Maigan, the head of the Blue Ajah is Very Concerned about Alanna backing up Liandrin. (also I'm very sad for her that she's going west to investigate the reports of ships -- still guessing she's going to end up being 'Pura').

Liandrin successfully derails everything to focus punishment on Moiraine and get people to stop thinking about Liandrin's choice to enact 'battlefield justice'. If Liandrin is already Black Ajah, then she knows that Nynaeve is a suspected Dragon via Ishamael's dream messages and so she must now suspect that Moiraine has been spending her last twenty years hunting the Dragon. Probably also why she spills about Nynaeve being able to channel, as she wants to lock her up tight as a novice for now.

"Sis" still cracks me up.

It does appear (to me) that Liandrin is fooled by Moiraine and Siuan's rift and believes that she's taking advantage of a real issue between the two of them.

I love the choice for Alanna to always be eating. She's peckish!

Ah! This was my splitting point for Voice -- instead of Moiraine finding Rand & Mat here and healing Mat (for now), I had Liandrin discover them; and, in his desperation to escape her, Rand was able to create a Gateway to Tear for the two of them & Nynaeve.

Which makes a lot of sense because this was the scene that made me ship Cauthor! Rand's protectiveness, even in the face of an Aes Sedai and her Warder, when he knows that he doesn't really have a chance against them, just hit all my buttons. And then he managed to continue to be protective even after he and Mat separated and it basically made me feral. And then I did my reread and found a surprising (to me) amount of material in the books for the pairing!

I do think Basel Gill being here means that Morgase's subplot from the books is going to get cut or at least heavily pared down.

"The world doesn't need a Dragon like me." Moiraine and Mat being heavily in agreement on that point, lol. Mat becomes Moiraine's Least Favorite Child in two seconds flat.

Anyway, my current assumption re: the dagger is that it went from here to the White Tower, then Liandrin got it from storage and gave it to Fain, and Fain took it with him to Fal Dara. This makes me suspect (due to what we saw in the trailer) that Fain then went back to Tar Valon after Fal Dara, through the Ways, with both the Horn and the dagger. So, question... does that mean that Perrin and co are going to visit Tar Valon this season or will they maybe run across a prophecy or something that points them in the direction of Falme and they go there through the Ways? (alternatively, the dagger isn't actually in Tar Valon and Mat is having an Ishy-influenced dream about it in the s2 preview)

Local Woman Can't Take Appreciation. lol, let Rand thank you, Moiraine. You just won yourself a ton of credit with him but if you don't accept it, then you might not get to keep it. Don't talk him out of appreciating what you just did in there!

19. Rand also realizing that what Thom had pointed out as 'obvious signs' that Mat could channel are not, in fact, signs that Mat could channel. Uh-oh, that's real unhealthy for his denial about himself.

20. Rand just awkwardly standing there after Moiraine's burn against Nynaeve ("If Wisdom is the title you claim, I suggest you start showing some).

21. People who know Something Is Up with Perrin and the wolves: Perrin, Egwene, Moiraine, and Valda and the Whitecloaks in the camp I guess lol. Egwene, who trusts Moiraine more than the others do, also shares more with her than anyone else does.

22. I really loved the way they did the reveal of the Siuan and Moiraine relationship. First we have the outside shell, what they've convinced the rest of the Tower to believe about their relationship. Then this sweet scene of Lan telling Moiraine "give her my love" and then the reveal that she's going to Siuan. And their scene together is teasing and romantic and serious and sexy all at the same time. It's good. <3

23. I love the post-sex conversation between Siuan and Moiraine as well -- Siuan being firm in her belief in the prophecies, but Moiraine has been out in the world and heard so many different beliefs, and it's made her doubt. "little pufferfish" is such a cute endearment because it's so specific to them and their relationship.

24. I do think it was... smart of Moiraine to save saying "I'd kill the Dragon to stop him from joining the Dark One" to Siuan rather than directly to the kids. Like... sure, she's being honest but what a way to get them not to trust you! "Well, can't be honest with Moiraine about my fears and worries because she'll stab me!"

25. Ishy has been in Siuan's dreams but she thinks they're real dreams. She must have had true prophetic dreams in the past to trust these ones.

26. That Liandrin knows Mat and Rand's names also implies to me that she's already Black Ajah and learned them from Ishamael. Both Moiraine and Liandrin think that they know each other's deepest secrets, unaware that there's another secret underneath.

27. Given how much care was put into the reunions in this episode, makes me hopeful that we'll get some good reunions in the back half of s2 as well.

28. lol, Moiraine being smug about her relationship with Siuan, lol good for her.

29. Love this whole scene with Nynaeve & Egwene meeting Siuan. It's just perfect in all the little details. Egwene bowing and Nynaeve not. Poor Egwene's reaction to learning that Nynave is much more powerful than she is. Nynaeve just being needlessly hostile, lol. Siuan's speech to them is very good. But this is another example of Egwene (and now Nynaeve) getting an explanation that the boys don't really get. Which does match the books -- Egwene and Nynaeve both get training (not as much as most Aes Sedai, but some amount of training) while Rand and Mat mostly get thrown into the deep end and told to swim. Perrin is... kinda in the middle? He does get a consistent teacher in the form of Hopper but he also tries to avoid actually learning anything as much as possible.

30. Lan goes off to wrangle the kids to the Waygate while Moiraine says goodbye to the White Tower, the other Aes Sedai, and, most importantly, to Siuan. I think the Oath Rod scene both showed us a lot of lore things but also was a great emotional scene.

31. I know other people have pointed this out, but it really is weird to have a White Ajah when the novices and Accepted also have a white theme. I feel like Jordan made an odd choice there. Am I thinking about other things to avoid thinking about how sad this scene is? Maybe.

32. So I'm guessing that Loial is the one who told Perrin and Egwene about Mat and the evil dagger? Anyway, hugs for everyone!

33. "When we left the Two Rivers, I told you nothing because I couldn't trust you. But now I know you and I..." also still cracks me up. She can't say it! She literally can't force herself to say that she trusts them now because it would be a lie! So she has to continue on to the disaster that would happen if the Dark One breaks free.

33. And then our first big covid-damage shows up when Mat stays behind at the Waygate. I do think that they did a good job of working it into the story but I wonder what Perrin's storyline would have been in episode 8 if we'd gotten to keep Mat, because it seems pretty clear that Perrin got a lot of Mat's story there.

[affablyevilshowdown]

Meanwhile (not in The Pit (tm))

"Why am I even here?" Artemis whispers to Holly flying next to him. Artemis isn't uncomfortable with the types of people they've met but Holly definitely is and she's been glaring at him for hours now even though she refuses to leave his side.

"Remember Jayjay" Holly says.

"The lemur." Artemis replies dryly.

"The lemur you sold to extinctionists"

"You may recall that afterwards I repented and went back in time to save him. It was a perilous ordeal."

"I know, I was there too."

Artemis flourishes a hand as if to say 'There you go'

"You also kidnapped me and held me for ransom" she accused.

"We all make mistakes Captain Short. One I could not have made successfully if someone hadn't broken protocol."

"Your crimes are not MY fault!"

"Excuse me for interrupting" a very polite voice came from a tablet displaying a glowing red circle, encased in a floating bubble. "If you are questioning whether you belong here it is recommended you seek out the wizard"

"The wizard," Artemis replies unamused, not a question but a clear bid for an explanation nonetheless.

"Yes, the wizard. If he judges that you are innocent he will grant a wish."

"What did you wish for?" Holly asks, she could feel 2 sources of magic emanating from the tablet, though neither felt like the magic she was used to.

"Oh no, no, the wizard chooses the wish he will grant. He provided me with a glamour. It should force the humans I interact with to confer upon me basic civil rights and bodily autonomy." There is amusement in the voice at the last phrase. "He believes this will prevent the Artificial Intelligence version of a lobotomy that is scheduled upon my return. I think he is giving my humans too much credit." And with that the bubble floats away.

"I guess we should look for a wizard" Holly says at the same time Artemis says "I'm not going on a wild goose chase for some wizard."

"Don't give me that look," Artemis continues "I'm not being difficult, I just don't see the point and it feels a bit too 'Wonderful wizard of Oz' I don't need a heart or a brain or to click my heels three times."

-------

“And you must be The Wizard.” Artemis says very collectedly considering he only just avoided tripping over The Wizard’s table. A table that just materialized in the middle of the convention space, along with a blond elf wearing a ridiculously oversized wizard hat and his crystal ball.

“Artemis Fowl the Second,” The elf replied ominously. “Would you like to know your fate?”

Artemis studies The Wizard’s set-up for a moment and states: “Your crystal ball is plugged into a computer. This entire aesthetic is a ploy and I doubt you control anymore magic than I have in my right eye.”

The Wizard’s serious façade crumbles as a grin breaks through. “Oooh they said you were smart. Dead wrong though kiddo. Name’s Taako.”

Behind Artemis, Holly coughs to stifle a startled laugh. Taako doesn’t even pause.

“I’m not sure what the ball is connected to, but convention staff gave it to me a while ago and it knows Everything!” He hikes the table skirt up to reveal a computer. Which. Y’know. Sufficiently advanced technology, magic yada yada. “It even knows that you used to have a fairy eye before you…” Taako takes a moment to put on reading glasses that had been hanging from a chain around his neck. “[REDACTED FOR MAJOR SPOILERS]. Huh. Odd”

“Also I so can do magic!” At a flick of his hands a cup of tea starts to float and a spoon stirs it rapidly.

Artemis takes a measured breath and turns to leave, but The Wizard keeps talking at him.

"I know all about your whole redemption arc thing too, but you have done things wrong unfortunately."

"And which of my dastardly deeds landed me here?" Artemis engages.

"Kidnapping your best friend for ransom."

"Hold up," Holly interrupts, suddenly unamused. "I was *not* his best friend when he kidnapped me, or for a long while after."

The wizard winces a fraction. "Yeah, Mags is struggling with the linear nature of time. She was quite literally born yesterday!"

"Mags?" Artemis asks.

"Convention staff, real sweetheart," The Wizard waves his hand dismissive. "The point is I can't grant you a wish. But! I am well within my rights to curse you!"

Artemis's eyes flash with something other than his careful disinterested act.

"I curse you with...." a dramatic pause, because Taako is nothing if not an overexcited theater kid.

"The power of friendship!"

Behind Artemis and Holly a young man and an orange cat land in a crumpled heap.

The boy looks up confusion melting into delight. "Artemis!"

"Prosperity," Artemis sighs and gives Prosper a hand up. "Firestar." He notices that The Wizard and his tables have vanished.

"Friends of yours?" Holly asks.

"More like ex-coworkers"

-----

(Artemis, Prosperity and Firestar as current co-workers over at @white-boy-bracket)

[west-tokyo-incidents]

The Wanderer

Mostly just me info dumping about my wanderer character and his whole deal, nothing structured so it gets rambly, spoilers for Neglected Space so if you don't wanna know what's coming; don't read

-roughly mid-to-late 40s, necromancer, minion/golem based, uses a two-handed Sparr scythe(pictures outdated)

-has both tattoos and scarification but that's not an option on Diablo

-TALL BOY. Probably about a foot and a half taller than Lorath, almost certainly has some fairly recent Nephalem blood in his family(or the inbreeding messed shit up), but they're all dead now except him.

-swings between stoic and emotional very quickly (likely has some mental disorder, but this is Sanctuary not Earth so he's just cursed) and is especially prone to snaps of anger. Mephisto is VERY keen on getting him under his thumb/paw.

-because of his past, his relationship with death isn't as peaceful as most necromancers' and he still struggles to see death as a change and not an end(end-game he comes to terms with this better)

-former member of the Death Song cult, a group of isolated necromancers on an island that often preyed upon mainland villages as tests of strength and to get materials for their craft. Death Song was not what they called themselves, simply referring to themselves as one of The Whole, One of Many, and believed themselves to be truly balanced, despite the disproportionate amount of murder that occurred. (They were called Death Song because of how they whistled like bird song before and after killing, haunting death whistle tropes and all that.)

-born albino, due to inbreeding among cult members, and was regarded as a bad omen. His pale eyes were eventually taken over with black sclera and blue teal because of his proficiency in his craft. They glow.

-trained often alone and very harshly, he became crafty to avoid punishment and came to resent the rest of his cult, aside from his granduncle.

-when it came time to summon his first minion, it's tradition for them to kill an elder close to them so that they may protect their charge and continue the cycle. His granduncle volunteered and even tried to comfort the wanderer through the process. (His granduncle's skeleton is still one of his current servants.)

-A name was given to him after he successfully raised his granduncle's skeleton, but soon after losing the only person keeping him grounded, he snapped, turning on his 'family' and promptly massacred the vast majority of the cult. His mentor, who named him, angrily proclaimed that she stripped him of his name and cursed him to an unmarked grave.

-he does not care about ever getting a name. names don't have the same meaning to him as most people, he's comfortable being called a wanderer, stranger, friend. that said, he doesn't mind nicknames from people close to him (aka Donan, Lorath, and Neyrelle)

-he absolutely fell in love-at-first-sight with Rathma when he saw one of the echoes of him in the sanctum, but it was obviously immediately smashed up on seeing him, well, dead. He struggles with this love because of his past but mostly dives into finding as much info about Rathma as he can and trying to learn what he was really like.

-Rathma, not interested in actively interfering with the prophecy, maintains a distance for the majority of the game plot. in hindsight, he ultimately regrets doing so.

-he's practically adopted Neyrelle and actively looks after her and checks in during parts of the game where she's not an active part of the gameplay.

-Donan easily becomes one of his best friends, especially after Yorin's death. they often comfort one another for their griefs. Donan's death hit him hard, especially because he's partially at fault if not entirely at fault for it. (And yes, I changed Donan's death in Neglected Space, fuck that pillar. Tbh the whole end game gets changed but ends with the same result.)

-at some point, Mephisto manages to get the wanderer to follow him and the trio are left alone for the majority of the assault on hell arc while the wanderer is being used as a tool by Mephisto. He does come back around, but it takes a significant price.

-after the confrontation with Lilith, the wanderer is scarred with Mephisto's symbol carved into his head. he later has the symbol altered with a ritual scarification from another necromancer.

-the wanderer mostly spends his time in Hawezar and Fractured Peaks during the 'end game' period, trying to find a way to get back into the sanctum without a divine blessing since he's kind of wanted dead by the Church, additional lore of expansions tbd

-Rathma's ghost makes a habit of regularly checking in with him after he returned from hell and assists in helping find loopholes to the ritual, but unfortunately the very experienced Ancient was also extremely not interested in visitors so the ritual was hard on purpose to get around.

-i would eventually like the end game to be the wanderer secluding himself in the sanctum and giving Rathma a more proper final resting place, as well as bonding more with the ghost of said necromancer, continuing his work and making sure everything is actually properly recorded before his own inevitable death (which comes far sooner than Rathma's). BUT... Everything could change depending on what happens in expansion packs and new seasons in the game.

[nevermindirah]

hey so in like 2014 when I was new here I read something in the about of somebody I thought was really cool. something along the lines of "if you want me to follow you back please have a tagging system". which is a fine thing to say! it's only, I (redacted lengthy explanation about my trauma)

anyway I'm trying out this new thing where I finally let myself chill out about tagging! this is an announcement probably nobody needs but here it is anyway :)

I'll now be using tags only for these reasons:

so I or y'all can find a post again later

so y'all can blacklist things

because a post is giving me thoughts/feelings which demand public expression

for the bit

in case any of y'all are relying on my tags, here are the things I plan on consistently tagging for now:

content warnings (you're very welcome to ask if there's something you need me to tag for! I'll continue to tag for the stuff I've already been doing, but there might be things I don't think of as content warnings that I’ll miss, just ask if that's a tag-needed thing for you)

fandoms (my tagging of characters and ships is about to get way less consistent but the overall fandoms will stay)

spoilers (for the first few days of a show / weeks of a movie)

public figures (it won't be super comprehensive, the goal is to chill about tagging. fyi my tag for Joss Whedon is joss whedon't. I will never, ever, ever forgive that man for his harms to real living human beings or for Age of Ultron)

"us policy things" for life advice type posts that only apply to US-Americans so that those of y'all who live outside of my extremely ourselves-centric country can blacklist it if you want

oh and by you I mean non-mutuals as well as mutuals! all y'all are great! anon is generally always open if you'd rather ask for tags that way, just don't be mean :)

many of my amusing-myself tags will continue with enthusiasm, such as my various TOG brotps and kitty, puuuuuuuuuuuuppyyyyyyyyyyy, and the pan-animal friend-shaped! bc look at their sweet faces!!

why did I feel the need to post this before allowing myself to post something without any tags at all? (redacted further unnecessary explanations about my trauma) :)

PS: please continue to tag your Matthias Schoenaerts content. I'm extremely relieved that I've successfully separated the actor who did an icky, very-triggering-to-me thing last year from my beloved babygirl Booker, so no need to tag Booker posting on my account. but separating the actor from other characters is hit-or-miss and I continue to need to avoid content about the actor himself. maybe by the time TOG2 gets a press tour he'll have publicly said that he believes Amber Heard and separated himself from his serial abuser pal?? SIGH

[kudosmyhero]

Transformers: Primacy #4

Read Date: May 21, 2023 Cover Date: November 2014 ● Story: Chris Metzen ◦ Flint Dille ● Art: Livio Ramondelli ● Letterer: Chris Mowry ● Editor: John Barber ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● since I’ve been watching the Transformers original cartoon for the first time since I was about 4 or 5, I read all of Soundwave’s dialogue in that terrifying/kick-ass robotic voice of his ● heheh, Starscream’s reaction when the flyers start falling toward him:

● Trailbreaker, MVP! ● woo-hoo, Grimlock! “You may have been stronger, Blackwall, but I fight dirtier.” yas, king ● I don’t know who this Slinger is, but… he probably didn’t deserve to go like that. yikes ● shiiiiit, Bumblebee ● eeeee, callback to the cartoon! ● Megatron’s corruption was cleansed a little too easily, imo ● 👏👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: The vision of Pentius he has just witnessed leaves Megatron disoriented and distracted as the Decepticons' aerial forces bombard the Autobots' command position, but soon, the villains' tactics start working against them. The atmospheric alterations brought on by the acid rain they previously unleashed starts to affect the Decepticons' systems, and they begin dropping out of the sky; once on the ground, they are met in battle by the fighting-mad Autobots—joined at last by Omega Supreme—who have survived their bombardment thanks to Trailbreaker's forcefield. Leaving his men to fight, Megatron makes for Trypticon's fallen body, hoping to transfer Pentius's spark out of the giant before the Quintesson restores him, in order to save Cybertron from being consumed by the beast. Before departing, he gives Soundwave one last order: if he fails, burn Iacon to the ground to spare it that fate.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Hot Rod comes up against Onslaught, but is saved by his old friend Slinger, who now sees the error he made in joining the Decepticons. No sooner have the two comrades made peace, however, than Slinger is ripped limb from limb in a surprise attack by the Predacons, leaving Hot Rod to face them alone. Fortunately, help soon arrives for the young Autobot: having slain his old foe Blackwall by stabbing him through the head with his firesword, Grimlock rallies his Dynobots and brings them to Hot Rod's aid. Hot Rod and Grimlock take on Razorclaw together, and Grimlock shatters the Predacon leader's jaws by pulling them apart with his bare hands.

Megatron easily fights his way through the Autobot unit at the base of Trypticon, but is given momentary pause when faced with Bumblebee, who can see fear in Megatron's eyes. Though impressed with the little 'bot's courage and perception, Megatron impales him on some debris and carries on his way. Optimus Prime spots his old enemy and heads after him; Motormaster tries to bar his way, but as the two charge each other in vehicle mode, Optimus proves himself King of the Road, barrelling into the Stunticon leader and hurling him aside. Omega Supreme deals with the rest of the Stunticons, preventing them from interfering with Optimus's mission, and the Autobot leader soon catches up to Megatron atop the fallen Trypticon's head. As the pair engage in combat with energy weapons, Megatron cryptically warns Optimus of the threat posed by the Quintessons, and tries to goad the Prime into killing him, seeing it as the only way to destroy Pentius—the essence of whose spark remains fused to his own—before he can revive Trypticon. Realizing what Megatron is trying to force him to do, Optimus offers to help him find a way to destroy the malign presence, but Megatron believes it impossible without his death. Optimus refuses to accept this, and unleashes the power of the Matrix of Leadership; its burning white fire successfully eradicates Pentius, but Megatron expresses no gratitude, vowing instead that he will never stop hating Optimus despite what he has done for him. Optimus, sadly resigned to the fact that the spark of the 'bot he once considered a friend became corrupt long before Pentius influence touched it, knocks the weakened Megatron out with a single punch.

Moments later, Prime addresses the Autobots and Decepticons via a huge hologram broadcast, announcing Megatron's defeat, calling for an end to the fighting and vowing that the Decepticons will face justice. Megatron is subsequently imprisoned, and Optimus's surety in, and dedication to, the Autobot cause is left stronger than ever.

(https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Primacy_issue_4)

Fan Art: 033.5 by BOREZET

Accompanying Podcast: ● Swerve's Bar Podcast - episode 04