#I hope you like the selections for this part

[thankskenpenders]

Today we got some news regarding a big change for the Ian Flynn's Q&A podcast, the BumbleKast. As outlined in a blog post by Ian, starting in 2025, all Sonic-related questions submitted to the show will first need to be screened by Sega. (I have to assume this is also why Ian announced they'll no longer be doing live Q&As starting next year.)

Frankly, I can't say this is particularly surprising.

While the BumbleKast is ostensibly a podcast about Ian's work as a freelance writer for all sorts of things, and also just a place for him to shoot the shit about stuff he likes, he's still predominantly seen as The Sonic Guy. Sure, he also does a bunch of other freelance work for other series, and original comics like Drogune, and he's also the narrative mastermind for the whole Rivals of Aether franchise these days, but it's his insights into what goes on behind the scenes with Sonic that people really care about. Your average Sonic fan can't just go up to Iizuka or whoever and ask him a question about the current state of the lore, but Ian's inbox is always open.

Because of this, I've thought a lot about the BumbleKast's place in the fandom and The Discourse in recent years. Ian wants to be as open and honest as he can about his work, and I think that's admirable. To me, hearing about creators' struggles and the shit they go through just to get a story out the door tends to make me sympathize with them more. Sometimes a story just doesn't turn out as well as you'd hoped, but you're on a tight deadline and all you can do is move on to the next project. I've even softened a bit on Penders over the years as he's shared more about the absurd situations and odd creative demands made behind the scenes at Archie. Unfortunately, not everyone has that mindset.

Ian's basically always had obsessive haters who were eager to take everything he says out of context to try and stir up shit, but that used to be contained by the niche nature of the Archie comics. Most of the fandom didn't give a shit about what Ian was doing with Sonic and Sally's love life or whatever. Most of the fandom wasn't even reading those comics. But Ian's gone from being a writer for a non-canon spinoff comic, to being the initial lead writer for the first ever canon Sonic comic series, to being the new main writer for the games themselves as part of the official Sonic Lore Team. Way more Sonic fans care about his work now, and when he's so open about his work that makes him an easy scapegoat.

It feels like damn near every week on Twitter Ian's personal trolls have posted yet another BumbleKast clip out of context to rile up the fandom and make it look like he has no idea what he's talking about or like he has some kind of agenda. And, unfortunately, people often fall for this. Of course, it also goes the other way, with people more sympathetic towards Ian taking things he says about Sega and framing them as proof that Sega has no idea what they're doing with the brand. Which, well, let's be real, isn't always the most unreasonable thing to think, given Sonic's rocky history. But I'm surprised it took this long for Sega to start paying more attention to what gets said on the BumbleKast when fans use it so regularly as a source of drama.

I've also often felt that they just need to be WAY more selective about what messages they respond to on the show. Questions Ian can't actually answer due to NDAs, questions that are borderline incomprehensible, "questions" that are really just fan ideas. And the haters, oh, the haters. Ian does not need to put up with angry rants about how he should make SonAmy canon or what the fuck ever. Even if Ian's willing to put up with it, as a listener it can make the show just super unpleasant at times when someone aggressive pops up with an inflammatory question. There have been entire BumbleKast Mini episodes I had to skip because they were just obsessive critics of Ian's paying to grill him on a dozen different things and treat him like an idiot.

But at the same time, I get why the show got to be this way. It's become a part-time job for Ian with multiple new episode a week. Given how piss poor the pay tends to be for freelance writers, I can't really blame him for wanting to keep this secondary stream of income open, and to not have to refund people left and right for rejecting their questions. The man's got bills to pay. (And so does Kyle, for whom managing the BumbleKast seems to have become a full-time job.)

I dunno. The man's got the patience of a fucking saint. I would've quit the franchise if I was in his shoes, with people wishing he would die for shit like minor disagreements over Sonic's characterization or him misremembering an obscure old lore thing. While I do hope that Sega doesn't keep too tight of a leash on him moving forward, and I hope that he's still able to speak his mind about his work, part of me also hopes that having to be much more selective about Sonic questions results in less bullshit like this.

[valkyrieromanoff]

God bless your dad's genetics… Dilf! Anakin x son’s girlfriend!reader

PREVIOUS

CHAPTER FOUR: POOL

synopsis: during breakfast with the Skywalker family, you try to stay away from Anakin, but it seems that one way or another, his hands always end up on you.

warning: SEXUAL CONTENT, age gap (Anakin is 44 years old and the reader is in her early 20s), cheating, alternate universe, fingering, semi-public

words: 3.1k (got a little carried away)

a/n: hello there, this chapter has sexual content, a brief introduction to my intentions for this fanfic, anyway, I hope you like it, enjoy reading ;)

The morning sun filtered through the blinds, but it couldn’t burn away the haze of last night’s memories. Sleep had been a restless labyrinth of dreams—each scene replaying Anakin Skywalker’s touch, his intense gaze, and the tension that had simmered between you. The way his hand had held your ankle, warm and firm, sending shocks of electricity through you. The way his thigh brushed against yours in the pool, the charged silence heavy with everything unspoken.

What if we hadn’t been interrupted? The thought spiraled, both thrilling and terrifying. Part of you clung to relief—you were here, unscathed, with no irreversible mistakes. But was it a mistake? A dangerous whisper in the back of your mind admitted that you’d rather regret tasting his lips than regret never knowing.

A knock at the door jolted you back to reality. Luke’s voice called, “Breakfast by the pool. You coming?”

You sighed, letting your head fall back on the pillow before dragging yourself out of bed. The white bikini you chose felt simple yet daring, enhancing your figure in a way that made you feel exposed and powerful all at once. You threw on a sheer beach cover-up and slid into your flip-flops, grabbing your bag to follow Luke.

The deck was alive with quiet conversations, the hum of voices blending with the gentle lapping of water. Tables draped in crisp linen were laden with an extravagant breakfast spread—vividly colored fruits, delicate pastries, and steaming carafes of coffee. Guests, dressed in resort-chic, mingled under the shade of large umbrellas.

“Let’s sit with Leia,” Luke suggested, already piling his plate high with cakes and fruits. You shook your head, amused, and made your own selection before following him.

“Did you sleep well?” Leia’s voice broke through your thoughts. She watched you with a curious gleam, a hint of something unspoken in her eyes.

Before you could respond, Padmé joined, carrying a cup of coffee and a small bowl of fruit. Her grace was impeccable, a calm veneer that belied the tension simmering beneath. “Good morning, my dears. May I join you?”

“Sure, Mom,” Luke said through a mouthful of pastry, pulling out a chair.

“I thought the senators would monopolize your attention.” She smirked knowingly, her teasing tone reminding you of her father.

Their banter washed over you as you scanned the deck. The entire family was here—except for Anakin. Your eyes drifted, searching, your heart thrumming with an anxious energy you couldn’t suppress. Where is he? Was there another argument? Did he and Padmé fight again? No, probably not, the senator looked so good this morning, as if she had left her husband's drunken singing in the past.

Before you could spiral further, movement at the pool caught your eye. Anakin emerged, the water cascading off him in silver rivulets. His sandy hair clung to his forehead, darkened by the moisture. He flexed his arms, hoisting himself up with an easy grace that belied the raw strength beneath.

The water sluiced off Anakin's body in mesmerizing rivulets as he climbed out of the pool, each drop glistening like liquid diamonds in the moonlight. Your eyes traced the lines of his form, drinking in every detail—the breadth of his shoulders, the definition of his chest, the trail of droplets that flowed over the ridges of his abdomen. Each breath he took caused his muscles to shift and flex, a tantalizing display of raw power barely contained beneath smooth skin.

Your mouth went dry as you watched, transfixed, unable to tear your gaze away. Desire coiled tight in your belly, hot and insistent, as forbidden images flashed through your mind. Thoughts of those strong hands on your body, caressing and claiming, igniting fires wherever they touched. Of those full lips, trailing kisses along your skin, tasting, teasing, driving you mad with want.

You squirmed on the bench, pressing your thighs together as a fresh wave of arousal flooded you. The ache between your legs was almost unbearable, your body crying out for his touch. You knew it was wrong, knew that the gulf between you—in age, in status, in relationship—made any dalliance dangerous. But in that moment, lost in the haze of lust, none of it seemed to matter.

Anakin turned, water streaming from his hair, and fixed you with a heated look, his eyes dark and knowing. A slow, wicked smile curved his lips as he walked, each step deliberately, predatory. Your breath caught in your throat, pulse hammering in your ears as he drew close.

Anakin reaches the table, the sunlight glinting off his damp skin, rivulets of water trailing down his chiseled physique. He shook his head playfully, droplets spraying in all directions, eliciting a delighted squeal from Leia and a soft, exasperated laugh from Padmé. Anakin leaned over, pressing a lingering kiss on his wife's cheek in a casual gesture of affection. Yet, over her shoulder, his eyes met yours, the intensity in their depths sending a shiver down your spine.

The weight of his gaze was palpable, a silent promise of the forbidden desires that simmered just beneath the surface. You couldn't look away, your heart racing as unspoken words passed between you. In that moment, the world fell away, leaving only the two of you, locked in a heated exchange that no one else seemed to notice.

You felt a rush of heat flood your cheeks, your body responding to the unspoken invitation in his eyes. The air between you crackled with tension, electric and dangerous. You knew you should look away, should put an end to this dangerous game before it went too far. But you were drawn to him, moth to flame, unable to resist the magnetic pull of his presence.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the moment ended. Anakin straightened, his attention returning to his family, the mask of the dutiful husband and father slipping back into place. But you couldn't shake the feeling of his eyes on you, the memory of that shared look searing itself into your mind.

As you sat there, surrounded by the laughter and chatter of his family, your thoughts drifted to the stolen moments you'd shared, the forbidden touches and heated glances. You knew it was wrong, you knew that the gulf between you was too wide to bridge. But in that moment, lost in the haze of desire, none of it seemed to matter. All that mattered was him, and the promise of pleasure that lurked in his eyes.

“So, who’s up for a swim?” Anakin’s voice carried an edge of playful energy, his eyes twinkling as he leaned back, stealing a grape from Padmé’s bowl. He popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly, his gaze lingering on the group.

Leia glanced at the pool, her brown eyes thoughtful. “Maybe later,” she said, absentmindedly tracing patterns on her plate with her fork.

Padmé shook her head politely, her smile a practiced mask of composure. 

“Not right now, dad.” Luke echoed her, grumbling about being busy, already busy on his phone.

You bit into a ripe strawberry, the juice slipping down your lip. Anakin’s eyes followed the drop, his tongue darting out to lick his own lips. The air seemed to thicken between you, his gaze like a touch.

“And you, daughter-in-law?” His voice dropped a note lower, his smile teasing as he ran a hand through his still-wet hair. Droplets shimmered against the sunlight. “Want to get wet?”

Your breath caught. You looked away, biting your lower lip, a war raging inside. The pool beckoned, a tempting escape from the oppressive heat—and from your own tangled thoughts. But there was danger here, the kind that whispered to your most reckless desires. Could you trust yourself not to fall deeper into something you couldn’t undo?

“I don’t…” The words stuck in your throat, but before you could decide, Luke’s voice cut in.

“Come on, I know you’ve been dying to get in that pool since we arrived.” He elbowed you, grinning. “Enjoy it. You deserve to relax.”

If only he knew. Each word felt like a push toward the edge, toward the very temptation you were trying to resist.

“Okay,” you murmured, your voice soft, almost reluctant. You stood, slipping off your beach cover-up. The white bikini clung to you, and you felt Anakin’s eyes trace every line of your body. His gaze was intense, appreciative in a way that made your skin flush and your pulse quicken.

He offered his hand, the gesture simple yet loaded with unspoken promises. You took it, his grip warm and firm, sending a spark up your arm. The conversation at the table resumed behind you, distant now, like the murmuring of waves.

Padmé’s eyes flicked toward you both, a shadow of something unnameable crossing her face as Anakin led you toward the pool. She watched for a moment, her expression unreadable, before turning back to Leia’s voice.

The deck’s heat faded into the cool shimmer of the pool, but the fire inside you only burned hotter. Each step toward the water felt like a step toward something inevitable. You knew you should stop, pull back—but with Anakin’s hand in yours, restraint felt like a distant memory.

Anakin jumped into the pool, the splash sending a cascade of cool droplets toward you. A soft gasp escaped your lips as the water hit your skin, a shiver running down your spine. The contrast between the scorching deck and the sudden chill sent goosebumps racing over your body.

“Come on, get in,” he called, his voice low and inviting, as he glided effortlessly through the water. The pool was deserted, the breakfast chatter on the deck fading into a distant hum.

You hesitated, biting your lip, the anticipation a knot in your stomach. Finally, you slid to the edge, dipping your toes in before pushing off. The cold water enveloped you, a sharp contrast to the heat still lingering in your skin. You surfaced, breathless, your hair slicked back, droplets clinging to your lashes.

Anakin watched you, a slow, amused smile playing at the corners of his lips. His eyes lingered on the way you wrinkled your nose, the tiny tremors of goosebumps across your arms. He swam toward you, the water parting easily around his broad shoulders.

“Cold?” he teased, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate through the water. He stopped just inches away, the edge of the pool pressing cool and firm against your back.

His closeness made the air feel thin, the water warmer. “Need me to warm you up?” The words were low, almost a purr, his eyes glinting with something dangerous and inviting.

Your heart thudded in your chest as you glanced over your shoulder, your eyes darting to the deck. The others were still engrossed in their conversations, oblivious. The fear of being caught tangled with something else—something dark and thrilling.

Anakin followed your gaze, leaning in until his breath brushed against your ear. “No one’s paying attention to us,” he whispered, his voice a warm caress that sent a shiver down your spine.

The pool seemed to shrink around you, the world narrowing to just the space between you and him. The water lapped gently against your skin, but it was his presence, his nearness, that set you alight, a fire that no amount of cold water could extinguish.

Anakin reached out, his fingers grazing your shoulder, the feather-light touch sending shockwaves through your body. You trembled under his cares, the sensation amplified by the cool water lapping at your skin. He smiled smugly, his eyes darkening with appreciation at your reaction.

His hand slid down your arm, fingertips skimming the curve of your shoulder, dipping dangerously close to the edge of your bikini top. Your breath caught in your throat as his touch brushed the side of your breast, the brief contact sending sparks of pleasure radiating through your chest. He continued his exploration, his hand gliding down your spine, his touch a sensual caress that left a trail of fire in his wake.

When he reached your hip, his hand cupped your belly, the warmth of his palm seeping into your skin, igniting a hunger deep within you. You were frozen, pinned in place by the intensity of his gaze, afraid that any movement, any sound, would break the spell and make this moment fade away.

His thumb traced lazy circles on your thigh, the touch both soothing and maddening, teasing you with its proximity to where you think to be touched. Lower and lower his hand crept, until he was skimming the edge of your bikini bottoms. You bit your lip, stifling the moan that threatened to escape, praying that Padmé and the others were too thickened in their own conversations to notice the charged exchange playing out mere feet away.

"You're blushing, darling," Anakin murmured, his voice a low purr that sent shivers dancing down your spine. His eyes flickered to your flushed cheeks, the corners of his mouth curving into a knowing smile. "Flattered by my attention, are we?"

You couldn't respond, couldn't find the words to express the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside you. 

Anakin's thumb rolled over your most intimate place through the thin fabric of your bikini bottoms, the pressure igniting a fire deep within you. You bit your lip to stifle a moan, your breathing growing ragged as he caressed you, stoking the flames of your desire. He smiled, pleased by the effect he was having on you, his eyes dark with lust and possession.

"Shhh, angel," he murmured against your hair, his breath hot on your skin. "You don't want them to hear you."

His fingers deftly pushed your bikini bottoms aside, exposing your sensitive folds to the cool water. A gasp escaped your lips at the sudden contact, your body trembling with anticipation. Anakin's fingers teased your most intimate places, his touch both gentle and exciting, building the tension within you with each deliberate stroke.

"So wet already," he purred, his voice a low, seductive growl. "Is this all for me, angel?"

You couldn't respond, lost in the haze of pleasure as his fingers danced over your sensitive flesh. The water lapped at your bodies, hiding your illicit activities from the prying eyes around you. Anakin's other hand gripped your hip, holding you in place as he continued his sensual torture, his fingers circling your clit, dipping into your entrance, teasing you with the promise of more.

"Look at me," he commanded, his voice husky with desire. "I want to see your face when I touch you."

Your eyes fluttered open, meeting his intense gaze. The heat in his eyes feels a shiver down your spine, the forbidden nature of your encounter only heightens your arousal. Anakin's fingers moved faster, pressing harder, his touch relentless in its pursuit of your pleasure.

Your body tensed, coiling tighter with each deliberate stroke, the tension building to an unbearable peak. Anakin's fingers moved faster, pressing harder. "That's it, angel," he encouraged, his voice low and seductive. "Let me feel you"

Your thighs trembled, your hands gripping the edge of the pool for dear life as he brought you to the edge. His eyes never left yours, drinking in every micro-expression, every quivering breath. The intensity of his gaze only heightened your pleasure, the forbidden nature of your encounter adding fuel to the fire that consumed you.

"You're so close, aren't you?" he purred, his thumb circling your clit with maddening precision. "I can feel how much you want it, how much you need it."

A whimper escaped your lips, muffled by your fist as you fought to contain the impending explosion. Your walls clenched around his probing fingers, desperate for more, for the release that hovered just out of reach. Anakin's eyes darkened with lust, a triumphant smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched you unravel.

"Come for me, angel," he commanded, his voice a low, authoritative growl. "Let go, give yourself to me."

With a final, powerful thrust of his fingers, he feels you tumbling into heaven, your orgasm crashing over you like a tidal wave. Your back arched, a silent scream tearing from your throat as ecstasy consumed you. Anakin held you steady, his fingers still moving, prolonging your pleasure until you shook with the force of it.

Slowly, he withdrew his hand, bringing his fingers to his lips. Your eyes widened as he sucked them into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the digits coated in your essence. He groaned, the sound lost beneath the splash of the water, his eyes never leaving yours.

"Delicious”

Your heart raced, desire and shame warring within you as you watched Anakin walk away, his casual demeanor at odds with the intensity of what had just transpired. The casualness with which he winked at you, as if he hadn't just brought you to the brink of ecstasy, felt a thrill of excitement through you, even as it filled you with a sick sense of longing.

You glanced at the table where the Skywalker family sat, oblivious to the forbidden attempt that had just taken place mere feet away. Padmé laughed at something Leia said, her eyes bright with maternal love. Your stomach twisted with guilt, the weight of your betrayal threatening to crush you. You had allowed your desire to override your better judgment, risking everything for a fleeting moment of pleasure.

Anakin's parting words echoed in your mind, his mischievous tone sending a shiver down your spine. "See you later, angel. I still want to taste you in my mouth." The promise in his voice was clear, a tantalizing hint of what was to come. 

You knew you should put an end to this dangerous game, should focus on Luke, he was your best friend, after all, and you were lusting after his father.  But the memory of Anakin's touch, the way he made you feel, was too powerful to resist.

With a heavy sigh, you ducked beneath the surface of the water, hoping to cool the burning desire that still coursed through your veins. But even as you submerged yourself, you knew it was futile. Your desire for Anakin only grew stronger with each passing moment, a forbidden fruit too tempting to ignore.

As you surfaced, you caught Anakin's eye from across the pool. He smiled, a secret, knowing look that felt a thrill of anticipation through you. You looked away, your heart pounding in your chest, your body aching for his touch. 

You knew you were playing with fire, but at that moment, you couldn't bring yourself to care. All that mattered was the promise of more stolen moments, more forbidden pleasures, and the man  who could make you forget everything but the touch of his hands on your skin.

[s-wave-entertainment]

Well, you asked-

For the record, I selected "too morally ambiguous to give an answer." I've thought really hard about J in the last couple of weeks (largely because my feelings about her after ep. 8 were so goddamn convoluted that I still don't know how I feel about her) and I've come to a couple of conclusions that ultimately end up in feeling... bad, for her. So hear me out:

J is a resigned antagonist.

She did bad shit, was extremely shitty to N, and definitely stood on the wrong side of history. But your honor, I have reason to believe she didn't necessarily want to.

The episode 8 exchange she had with V gave us some insight into her I think, particularly the lines "It tricked you! If I promised you anything, it tricked me too." And also "You know there's no escape, even in DEATH!" So offbthe bat, I assume two things:

1) J was initially under the belief that maybe they'll be returned to earth (assuming she didn't know that Earth was gone), or that they'll be spared if they did their jobs properly. Through prolonged interaction/possible dialogue, she probably began to realize that no, they weren't getting away with this, and she was being lied to/tricked. This leads to the second piece of knowledge:

2) I hesitate to think that J was just *okay* with helping the Solver, and tried to get away from it herself several times. But not following orders (refusing to kill) only hurt her by overheating, it didn't matter where she went on the planet because it could still find her, and even dying - to worker drone or uh. Otherwise - had her waking up right back under it's control, under its command. Finally acknowledging she had no way to run, no way to get away from it, she dropped her reservations and began to display the loyalty we see in her throughout the series.

Now I also have an additional headcanon here, so take this bit with a grain of salt, but in ep. 2, N claims that J "was getting orders from *someone.*" I'm sure at this point we all agree it was the Solver, but I argue that she didn't always know that. Me personally, I think all 3 disassembly drones suffered amnesia when they landed on C9. This has relevance, I promise, because if J was the head honcho and was receiving orders from someone, there's very few people I think she would just Listen To without having proof that they were somehow higher in command than her. The Solver could prove that by hurting her, yes, but we know that its main tactic isn't physical harm, rather manipulation. And with the knowledge that the Solver can impersonate voices to a t, I argue that so long as J was still under a degree of amnesia, the Solver could have been using Tessa's voice in J's head. This way J obeys without question; but eventually she put the pieces together that something was wrong, and yadda yadda yadda, already said this part. I also have a little analysis on J that I'm not quite sure how to reword (sorry bestie I'm cramming to try to finish assignments before my finals next week) but I do have the conversation where I tried to explain myself to my wonderful boyfriend, which I will place here for your consideration:

In conclusion, J was manipulated like the rest of them until she put the pieces together and realized that something wasn't right - but every time she tried to run, she just woke up right back at square one. Silently resigned, she decided to stand with the Solver in hopes of protecting herself. Maybe she got enjoyment out of it, maybe she didn't. I'm still figuring that part out.

Rb and all that jazz

[kitnita]

what do you do when giffing non-white players to keep from whitewashing them?

so! first of all, the non-white player i gif the most is obviously robo. every human person's skin looks different — what i do for him him won't work exactly for every person you want to gif, but i think generally that there is no one kind of coloring that works universally on every person in every video or clip or whatever. i'm advocating for not whitewashing non-white players, but i'm also advocating for letting everyone's skin look like Their Skin.

second of all, i love a stylized coloring, but mine usually focuses on enhancing the warm tones in people's skin. so: my exact advice may not fit everyone's preferred style. even if what i do doesn't work with what you like to do, i hope talking through my process helps someone figure out how to go about finding what will work with their style.

third of all, this is my second time ever putting together a photoshop tutorial so please bear with me. the actually informative part has a lot of text & screenshots & gifs, so it's below the cut!

i guess to illustrate what i meant in my first post on this subject, i'm going to use a coloring i saved from a fairly distinctively colored otter gifset from last season & show how it would look if i tried using it for robo unchanged.

the spots where the harsh locker room light bounces off the high points of jake's face are very obvious with this kind of coloring. the contrast is high — he's wearing a dark color in front of a dark background, so even though my coloring enhances the warm tones in his face, there's a lot of 'white' coming through his skin.

here's an unedited screenshot of the same postgame, just to show how much this coloring makes the already-harsh locker room lighting even harsher:

& here's a screenshot from jason's most recent media availability, which i'll be using as my example here:

they're pretty similar shots! both guys are wearing a dark color and are looking in the same direction so the light is hitting their faces in about the same spots. the locker room lighting washes both of them out, but it's still clear that robo's skin has a deeper & warmer tone than otter's. the spots where the light hits the high points of his face don't read as white, whereas the bridge of otter's nose & apple of his cheek do. jason doesn't have significantly darker skin than jake, but it's noticeable that they don't have the same skin tone.

now, here's the coloring from the gifset applied to both clips at the same point as the above screenshots:

the difference isn't as noticeable now!! the shadows on robo's face have a deeper tone, but the 'white' points on his face are much more pronounced. if i use the color picker on the white on both of their cheeks, the colors i get are way more similar than they should be.

to fix this, i'm going to first look at the group labeled 'base,' which is just the set of basic adjustments i do to every clip before going in for more fun coloring. even when i'm reusing a previous coloring psd, i typically do a new 'base' group for every clip so it can be as tailored as possible. the ice doesn't always look the same in in-game clips, the lighting isn't always the same in every locker room, etc.

the first screenshot above is robo with the same base as the original otter gifset had, and the second screenshot is with a custom base. the levels & vibrance are practically the same. the main difference between the two is that in the second screenshot, i did not touch the color balance, and did add a selective color layer where i made adjustments to white, which can be seen in the screenshot. additionally, in the first screenshot brightness is at a +15 when it's at a +10 in the second.

here's what the rest of the coloring looks like on top of that base:

and he's less whitewashed!! the coloring is still obviously & intentionally not true to life, but it doesn't wash jason out as much. the high points of his face don't reflect the harsh locker room lighting as white, which allows his skin tone to read as deeper without touching my more 'fun' stylized coloring.

final steps that i take for any gif before i post it:

adjust the speed. most movements look too fast if you leave the speed as-is, so for media availabilities i'll typically slow it to 80%; for clips taken during games i'll slow it to 75% unless i want it more slowed down & then drop it to 65%.

then i adjust the image size — tumblr's preferred width is 540, so for a wide gif that's what i use.

once the image size has been adjusted, i'll add my actions overtop layer 1 of the video group, which is just the clip.

the final products:

i'd say both gifs still look pretty distinct — you can tell they were made by the same person using the same coloring techniques. but robo's frankly insanely clear skin has a deeper tone than otter's, as it should! it's distinct and stylized without making robo look whitewashed. he also doesn't look so different from otter that it would stand out from the rest of my gifs if this was the default coloring i always used for media availabilities.

it takes some extra steps to make the same coloring used for white players work for non-white players … but honestly not that many extra steps, and it's so worth the effort!!! i hope this was at all helpful but if you have any more questions please feel free to send them my way <3

[diminuel]

Ace confessing he was thinking about using Edward hit me hard in the feels because yeah, that is on one hand funny and on the other angsty:

🔥: Nearly used your name, glad that I didn't now because that's embarrassing.

WB: no no, please feel free to use it, you're my son now, we can tell everyone Rocks was you being a rebelling teenager

🔥: 😦

But on the other hand I can see that revelation about Crocodile considering him at one point as a father/family bringing up guilt. When going with Rocks D. Crocodile, I headcanon that Whitebeard either assumed him dead and felt guilty about it, or that maybe Big Mom took him because she's big about family/that's a bloodline she would be interested in keeping. Either way, years later Crocodile hunts him down and confronts him about how he claims all these people as his children but abandoned him when he was a literal child that grew up with him, and they fight and Crocodile looses a hand due to that tho I think that would be either an accident or because of other circumstances surrounding the situation (I read a story once in which he lost his hand because he tied himself to something so he wouldn't drown but consequently killed the blood flow after leaving the Moby). Ace being on the Moby could maybe lead to him tentatively seeking out Croc again to see if they can finally reconcile or at least find some closure.

And yeah, Marineford is really weird when you get more information later on, like Sengoku is confirmed to have cared for Rosinante so it's weird that he should care that much about parentage with Ace. I think the WG basically forced the Marine's hand and ordered the public execution to eradicate the Roger bloodline and display their might while also hoping to get rid of WB. And they had to announce Ace's parentage because they needed a reason for this kind of spectacle, especially when we see who else just gets thrown into Impel Down, executions in the One Piece world seem kinda rare, either the criminals die before they're caught, they end up in Impel Down, or the WG just Buster Calls everything but executions by the Marines? Can't remember any besides Roger's and Ace's.

There's a lot of potential to give Crocodile a sad/ traumatic backstory when it gets to his loss to Whitebeard. I like pretty much everything! No idea what I'd go for (though in my Rocks D. Crocodile post I suggested that Crocodile reached out once for help but WB denied him - it would still fit in with Croc's potential rage that WB takes on everyone needing help, a home, a family. Everyone but him.)

And a Whitebeard and Crocodile reconciliation via Ace does sound very nice ;w;

Yeah, Marineford was a trap for WB and a display of their might but it seemed like a pretty foolish decision on the Marine's side because so many things could have gone wrong. And since it was broadcast - but only selectively (they conveniently cut out the parts of it that would show the marine's less than savory actions), they clearly wanted to tell a particular narrative. Still. Hmm. *squints at Sengoku*

[chokisnumber1fan]

reblogging this at 2 am so my thoughts are SUPER incoherent and very offtopic and tangential, sorry about that </3

this is such a good analysis of nagi's possible backstory! and while i haven't read past the BM v MC match yet, to me this gives a lot more depth to the relationship that nagi and reo have. i might be delusional since nagi is one of my favourites and also since i don't know much about the later chapters other than a really vague direction but i think this serves as a good reminder that neither nagi nor reo are inherently 'bad' or take up an antagonistic role— they are just two boys that got too codependent and need some space away from each other to develop on their own.

i see a lot of people jump to antagonising either nagi or reo, or judge their duo as a good/bad one, but imo it's more important to view them from a more neutral lens since this isn't just about football or just about their personal lives outside of it— we can see just how much their 'personal' affects their 'field relationship' and vice versa.

from here on out i'm probably straying from the main point that OP is trying to make, so you've been warned!!!

also, if we were to assume that nagi is indeed one of the neglected to some extent kids— then i believe that chris and agi could truly have done better with how they handled nagi. it's pretty obvious that nagi is heavily dependent on reo, but instead of cutting reo out entirely they could have trained the two of them together in a way that allows them to still play together but not be completely dependent on the other. but then again i can see why this would be a much harder task to pull off because of their respective goals and their feelings towards each other (more specifically, reo's feelings towards nagi) that would definitely get in the way. like, reo is entirely capable of scoring goals on his own but he chooses not to because his main objective has always been to assist nagi— and because of this, nagi's had everything handed to him on a silver platter by reo. their formation served them well in the initial stages of blue lock but it's falling apart now, in major part because it was mostly an emotionally driven formation, which makes it a lot easier to predict especially if you're someone like isagi who knows them and their relationship.

nagi and reo are somewhat unique in that their struggles are against their own inherent natures and pasts and not because of them lacking in some sort of skill or whatever. nagi doesn't have the drive to do anything unless he has a solid goal that he wants to reach— he just won't bother putting in effort it (just like OP mentioned).

reo is willing to give nagi the attention and validation he needs; and while this was fine in the beginning, you could say he's almost starting to smother nagi now— almost mirroring the relationship reo has with his own parents, ironically enough. it's gotten to the point where reo cannot be trusted as a narrator since he let his feelings distort the words that nagi really said to him at the start of the second selection. he projected his worst fears regarding nagi and made them true in his mind. i think that reo has a problem with idolising and devoting himself to people to the point of detriment, especially to himself.

lord help me i have rambled so much about this, honestly i don't think i'm even making any sense right now. i feel like that deranged connect the dots meme man right now. somehow this all links up and makes sense in my head so i hope my disorganised addition to OPs post will somehow telepathically make sense to anyone else reading this too 🙏🙏🙏👍👍

I have this foreboding feeling that while we are prepared for Sae's and Shidou's backstory, Nagi's backstory is going to sneak from behind and punch us in the gut.

No, I don't think it's going to be straight up depression like Kaiser's, but I do think that it'll hit close to home.

You see, Nagi got Laissez-faire parents which means they never really interfered with his life. Like, these type of parents—as I have read on some websites—will basically set their child free and let them do whatever they want with no or very few rules/restrictions. They will not tell you, "Oh! You should do this!" or "Oh! You shouldn't do this!" They will simply let you figure out your life all by yourself.

I'm not an expert on this and I'm not calling this type of parenting bad in any way. Every child is different with different needs, and I'm sure there are many who grew up in this kinda family and liked this parenting method. However, I do think that Nagi didn't like it that much, and I got two reasons to think this way:

1. "That's nice."

When Reo said that his family constantly meddles in his life, Nagi's immediate reaction was, "That's nice" instead of being surprised or disgruntled. If Nagi really liked his parents NOT meddling in his life, then he should've said something like, "Really!? Sucks to be you, Reo. I can't imagine living a life like that!"

You getting me?

Also, we all know how Nagi is—he definitely feels that telling someone to do or not to do something is a hassle, so he, probably, feels that if someone is doing all this for you, then you are important for them.

And before any one says, no, I don't think Nagi was tying up his tongue thinking, "They are his parents. They wouldn't want anything bad for their own child, right? I shouldn't say anything against them and should say good things about them just to be safe." I don't think he has this kind of filter in him.

2. "Don't die ."

So, why would you not want someone to die? Of course, because you care for them and want them to be with you.

"Want"

That's really what I'm tryna highlight.

It's a pretty common knowledge that some children are just naturally more independent while others are a bit more dependent and seek guidance from the elders. Considering Nagi's first reaction to knowing about Reo's parents' meddling, I think that Kiddo!Nagi falls into the latter category—someone who likes to be guided and helped by the adults. Now, place Kiddo!Nagi with his Laissez-faire parents... You are getting where I'm going with this one?

That's why I think that Kiddo!Nagi, probably, thought that his parents didn't love him/care for him. And what happens if someone doesn't love you or care for you? Yeah, they don't care if you die which, somewhat, explains why Older!Nagi was happy to hear, "Don't die [before us (probably)]" from his parents.

I have already talked about his potential backstory before too, so it was actually when I heard he had longer bangs as a child that made my head turn to him again—something felt odd.

I understand that having long bangs is not a big deal—Niko's bangs literally cover his eyes, but having it as a kid is way different, y'know. Once you are like 12-13, you somewhat become capable of doing your own hair and clothes by yourself, so you can manage whatever aesthetics you prefer. However, for a kid younger than that, it's the parents' responsibility to look after his/her hair and clothes, and we all know that long bangs are quite bothersome—blocks our vision, sometimes stabs the eyes, and even irritatingly itches the nose.

All in all, till his backstory drops, I'd firmly believe that he was, though unintentionally, a neglected kid—at least, emotionally.

Now I can't get this image out of my head where Kiddo!Nagi is longingly staring at other kids in a park where everyone is learning things like riding a bicycle or maybe playing baseball and stuff with their parents while he is just.. there, probably, all alone.

[aelswiths]

Alfred's Facial Expressions Throughout the Seasons: Season 2

Part 2/3 (1)

Requested by @daviddawsonfangroup

[hellyeahsickaf]

Having grown up with pretty severe undiagnosed ADHD one of my core memories will always be the teacher in 6th grade that would go out of his way to humiliate students that weren't reading enough. Idk how common this was but we had AR points. Essentially a system where if you read a book you could take a quiz on it and get points if you passed, with each book being worth a different amount of points. A very short book might be 3 points, a book the size of Harry Potter might be worth 40-70. You get it

I was actually good at literacy, I had the highest literacy score in that class. But audiobooks weren't really much of a thing yet and sitting down to read a book was virtually impossible, it's something I still struggle with and thought I was stupid for. I knew how to read and was great at it, even liked the material, but physically sitting down and reading a book was close to impossible. There were kids with hundreds of AR points and I had idk, probably less than 25.

And every few weeks this asshole would have all of us line up from most points to least. He'd go through, first hyping up the front of the line saying how impressed he was. He'd tell the next few they were doing well, to keep it up. Further down tell them to pick up the pace, but god help you if you were within the last 6 or so (some of them had the same issue as me, VERY likely also something undiagnosed)

He'd spend most of this time on those last few students. Berating these 11 year olds individually and intentionally humiliating them, telling them how there are 7 year olds who read more than us. He'd say we had no future, at least nothing better than minimum wage at McDonald's. That or we'd be on the streets. He was the type to bully neurodivergent kids every chance he got and boy that was damaging.

Wasn't the first or last teacher of mine to bully and shame kids and other teachers knew he did this so they'd send them to our classroom. He'd sometimes take an entire hour (I'd counted) out of our class time just humiliating this kid or few kids sent in for things like not doing their work or causing disruptions. He'd sometimes put their sloppy unfinished work or something on the projector and make fun of it. If the kid started crying he'd tell them to suck it up or call them names. And he was actually really well liked by the students, just the ones he wasn't an abusive motherfucker to

[hana-bobo-finch]

I’m shadowing at the vet clinic in 2 days and I’m clearly not nervous at all because I definitely didn’t have a long winding, distressing dream in which the veterinarian made me play a game in which leif had to throw food at people and maki kicked his ass so bad that leif fucking died but don’t worry because the vet was there and he has magic healing powers and he brought leif back to life but he made sure to mention for some reason that leif doesn’t have chlorophyll because he’s not a plant

[beaversatemygrandma]

Interview. Interview. Oh Another interview. Interview. Interview. Guess what's next? An interview that a manager is like "Today at 2pm sound good?" which I took bc yeah, it was good...

I'm tired.

Now will ANY OF THEM ACTUALLY Call Me Back???

[nachtwandeling]

.

[selectivechaos]

if you hear me talking to my cat, no you didn’t.

if you hear me sneeze, cough, breathe, no you didn’t.

if you want to mimic my voice, no you shouldn’t.

if you want to mimic my AAC voice, speak over it, or laugh at pronunications or spelling mistakes (text to speech), no you shouldn’t.

if am mute around you and someone tells you something i said, or you hear a recording, no you didn’t.

in all seriousness, it’s not funny to point out when situationally mute people make sounds. (to clarify : it’s factually correct but morally wrong to point these things out. technically you did, but it is kinder to act like you didn’t.) it makes sm worse. 🌹🌹

[weaselle]

i had to make a solution for this for myself, mostly because of depression, but it makes a nice How To for folks who are low on spoons or could use some help in the kitchen.

Fortunately i was a professional cook for over a decade. UNfortunately the first post i made explaining it was suuuuper long. Let's see if i can do better

So you select any protein that you can cook in a frying pan -- chicken breasts, ground beef, pork chops, sausages, steak, chicken thighs, whatever. You also select one or two types of veggie (mushrooms or tubers also work, i just did this with potatoes and carrots for dinner tonight).

[i like cooking for vegetarians, but this is how i cook for myself when i'm low on spoons - perhaps i'll do another post for meatless meals]

You'll also need some kind of oil, and a sauce or two of your choice in a bottle. All cooking gear is a large frying pan with lid (i prefer non-stick) a spatula, a cutting board, and a knife.

You cut the veggies into bite size pieces, cut up enough for two meals. One kind of veggie is fine, or you can do mix two or three

Put frying pan on medium heat with a little oil. Tubers or mushrooms or go in the pan a few minutes before the protein. 2 portions of the protein goes in the pan, about 5 minutes with lid (don't worry you can still get a good sear on both sides)

Now flip your protein if it's flip-able and add normal veggies, put the lid back on another five-ish minutes.

Take your protein out and put it with one portion of the veggies in a microwave safe container. That's going to be your lunch tomorrow. Put the other portion of protein on a plate to rest (you have to let a cooked protein sit a couple minutes before you serve it or when you cut into it all the juices run out and it goes dry - the liquids thicken as it cools, preventing this drying out if you let it rest, the goal is to serve it very warm but not hot hot)

While it's resting, pour some sauce from your bottle in the pan with the rest of the veggies and turn up the heat. A single sauce/bottle is fine, i like to get fancy and mix a couple. Two examples of personal favorite mixes are 1: bbq sauce and a hot sauce like sriracha 2: roughly equal parts low sodium soy sauce and worcestershire (makes something similar to a teriyaki sauce) A swallow of wine is almost always a great option if you want to add that to your sauce too, just add it to the pan before the other sauces so the alcohol has time to burn off.

...

Here is the important bit. While your veggies are finishing, wash your cutting board and chef knife. Then when you dump your veggies and sauce over your protein on the plate, while it is still too hot to eat, you wash your frying pan and spatula before you eat. Now the only dishes you have left to do are your plate and fork. Maybe a steak knife.

...

The whole thing takes about 35 minutes even with washing the dishes, and that includes your lunch for the next day- just pour a different sauce on and stick it in the microwave for a couple minutes (or five minutes back in the frying pan) and you have a full healthy lunch with a different flavor

You can use this technique every single meal and it yields hundreds of combinations, from pork and potatoes bbq, to salmon and broccoli teriyaki, to chicken and zucchini in a soy glaze.

It will keep you down to less than an hour of kitchen time per day total for both lunch and dinner including all dish clean up, uses the least dishes, the least effort, requires the least technique, and is, depending on what you pick out, very affordable

here are a couple more examples from this month; i didn’t take pictures of the salmon i did recently, but you get the idea

it's not super fancy, but it is easy, affordable, quick, and any flavors you want. Hope this helps some folks

Happy Cooking!

[juuheizou]

“[character] eats people” not in a condemning hannibal or whatever as immoral art kind of way but “they eat people” in a trying to get people to appreciate the lack of easy answers to tokyo ghoul morals way

[readwritealldayallnight]

(part of the Wife at First Sight series)

When Ghost had asked if you would help him with something, you’d answered yes without a question. You didn’t ask for details, smiling and thanking him every time he opened each door that led to the base’s parking garage, giggling when he even insisted on opening the truck door for you. You’d come to grow fond of your work husband, appreciating how he never failed to make you feel special.

You sometimes wished his affections were genuine, rather than part of what you’d assumed was a strange hazing ritual in the military (which you couldn’t deny kind of worked, the two of you had grown closer hadn’t you? Was that the point of hazings?).

But you knew that line of thinking wouldn’t lead anywhere, other than potential heartbreak. He surely was only joking around, wouldn’t return your feelings. That’s why you played along with the ruse, but tried your best not to fall too hard for the man who was making that more and more impossible.

Still though, you couldn’t deny the pang in your heart when you discovered the errand he requested your help with, was to go look at engagement rings.

Did he actually have someone special in his life? Someone he hoped to propose to?

You felt guilty, thinking there might be another person out there that he loves enough to ask them to marry him, all the while you’re enjoying his attention at work, pretending he could ever actually want you as his wife.

You follow him into the shop, eyes widening at the never ending cases and displays of shiny, glittering jewelry, as far as the eye can see.

He chuckles at your expression, telling you not to worry your pretty little head over any price tags, just to pick out whichever one you liked.

You appreciated that he trusts your judgement so much that he wanted your opinion on which ring to buy his partner, and so you take your time looking through them all, even if it makes you sad to picture him slipping this ring onto another person’s finger.

Gaze scanning the displays, your eye is instantly caught by one ring and one ring only. You point to it, Ghost humming in agreement, signalling for one of the employees behind the counter to unlock the case.

The man pulls the ring out, handing it to the Lieutenant who examines it in between gloved fingers.

“Let’s see how it fits.” He murmurs, taking your left hand in his and slipping the band onto your ring finger, both of your eyes locked on the movement.

“Like a glove.” The employee says with a smile, moving to gather a selection of ring boxes he hopes to show you both, seeing that the ring has evidently found its owner and fits perfectly.

“It’s really beautiful Ghost.” You tell him, admiring the ring as he admires your expression. “Your wife’s a lucky woman.” You add, thinking of the mystery woman you’re convinced he’s buying this for, assuming you must have a similar ring size to her or something, if he’s having you try it on.

Your eyes meet his own warm gaze as his hand folds your fingers, bringing the ring up to his lips to press a kiss through the mask.

“Not as lucky as I am to be her husband.”

[pearlymel]

A dance— Capitano

Synopsis : your relationship with him grows, and he seems sweeter than ever.

Wc : 3.2k

Warnings : contains NSFW content, fem!reader, reader is mostly called 'wife', he's super sweet, soft sex, unprotected sex, breeding kink kinda, reader wears a dress and heels.

Notes : part 2 is heree! I highly recommend reading part 1 here. And part 3 is out here!

You've tried creating art, you've tried cooking (with the help of your personal maid, Marina), you've even tried planting.

Yeah, you're a plant mom now. Not only that, you're a cat mom too. Saving the poor kitty from the harsh rain one day, you couldn't leave the poor little one outside. It's mother seeming to abandon it.

All because you have become extremely bored on the days where Capitano wouldn't be here, and he forbade you to even clean your shared bedroom because he thinks it's useless when there are servants present to do the job. (He doesn't want to tire you out.)

Come to think of it, the last time you saw him, he kept avoiding you. Whenever you tried striking a conversation during dinner, he would only hum and nod. Or when you suggested to have another picnic, he flatly refused, and it felt like the hardest rejection to your face.

It's like he had his own mood swings that you had to deal with. One day he would indulge you in the activities you wanted to do, then the next he would refuse.

Like last week.

“I used to do this when i was young.” You tell him with the softest smile to yourself, your fingers working carefully with the flower petals and strings. You were determined to make this flower crown, and you were taking your sweet time just to have him by your side.

Capitano silently listened to your words, his gaze fixed on your gentle movements as you delicately fashioned a flower crown. The air between you was calm, "You have a talent for making flower crowns," he eventually responded, his deep voice breaking the tranquil silence.

"Did you learn it from someone?”

“No… just by myself.” He couldn't help but be impressed by your innate ability to create such an intricate accessory without any formal instruction. "Self-taught." He mused, "You have an unusual aptitude for discovering things on your own.”

You hum back while adding the finishing touches, and he watched your proud display of the finished flower crown.

“this is for kitty!” You smile at the thought of the little one purring with a pretty crown on it's head.

Kitty? Capitano is confused once you start talking about the cat, you seem even more excited when you described how you cuddled with it.

"You just happened to come across this crying feline in the rain, and you brought it home with you?”

“yes! Ah, well… i hope you don't mind.”

“i don't.”

And that was the last of your conversation, and it's been a week since you last saw him.

“my lady,” You recognise the voice of Marina as she knocks on the door, and you grant her the permission of her entry.

You set the sleeping kitten on the fluffed up pillow to reach for the letter she hands you.

An invitation to the grand ball… you read the contents of it, scanning every word as you pull the paper down.

“like a party?” you ask, glancing up at her, "Yes, that is correct. A grand ball is taking place tonight. It's a gathering of the higher-ranking Fatui members and a few... select guests.” she trails off, unsure of what else to add on.

“I can see that this invitation is for Capitano, not to me.”

“lord Capitano doesn't normally attend these grand balls. So my lady, you will have to go instead.” Marina explains this and you feel like you're going to have a headache.

All you wanted to do today was sleep in with the kitten. Not to trouble yourself in some party.

But… if it's for the sake of your husband's reputation, then you are willing to do it.

You hope you don't pass away too quick from your social anxiety.

“Marina, does this really suit me?” You stare at your reflection, and Marina looks at you approvingly, her eyes taking in your stunning appearance. "Sì, my lady, it suits you perfectly," she assures you, "The dress brings out your features beautifully and fits your figure perfectly.”

“and the colour?”

"Oh, yes, the color is exquisite. It complements your skin tone perfectly. You look like a princess attending a royal ball.” and you smile shyly as you take your seat, “You flatter me too much, you know?”

Marina chuckles softly, moving behind you to work on your hair with practiced ease. "It's not flattery if it's the truth. You look truly radiant today." She begins to style your hair, weaving intricate braids and pinning them in place with delicate silver pins.

Though you can't even lie to yourself, you looked absolutely gorgeous, even when you felt a little down since you would be going alone, and you barely knew anyone.

Marina pauses in her work for a moment, her expression becoming sympathetic as she sensed your nervousness. “It's natural to feel that way. But I believe you will be fine. You are strong and independent." She resumes styling your hair, her fingers moving nimbly to create elegant curls.

You smile at her, looking at her from the mirror, “thank you.”

"It is my honor to serve you.” As she finishes your hair, she steps back to admire her work, a satisfied expression on her face. "You are ready, my lady.”

You are ready.

You are not ready.

Because why was everyone's eyes piercing bullets through you as you entered the main hall?

The whispers and murmurs start almost immediately, the guests clearly intrigued by your presence. However, you manage to keep your composure, straightening your back and walking forward with confidence, just like how Marina taught you.

Stay calm they won't eat you, you tell yourself, trying to maintain your composure under the weight of their gazes.

You were here to make friends, hopefully.

You scan the room, hoping that someone would approach you to engage in conversation. Yet nobody, not a single soul, seems to have the courage to do so. The guests continue their conversations and dances, seemingly ignoring your presence.

And so, you find yourself standing alone, sipping on a glass of champagne, feeling lost and slightly out of place.

Well this is boring. You could've stayed in with Kitty and Marina, but at least you get free food. They always taste better, right?

Everyone went silent all of a sudden, but you ignored it at first and continue taking sips of your drink.

But the silence becomes uncomfortable, just what happened to the party?

You turn around, your eyes widening immediately in surprise as you see Capitano walking towards you. Your heart seems to skip a beat as you watch him approach, his presence commanding attention and authority in the room. Capitano stops in front of you, you can't make up what his face must be like right now, but you think he has a stoic expression on his face as he takes in your appearance. His eyes roaming up and down your figure, seemingly appreciating the elegance of your dress.

“husband?” You blurt out, setting your glass aside to greet him.

"Wife," he says simply, acknowledging the fact that you have finally addressed him by that term.

The tension breaks when soft, elegant music begins to play, signaling the start of partner dances in the middle of the ballroom.

Capitano seems to realize this as he glances around at the couples already making their way to the dance floor. He then turns back to you, his expression unreadable as he silently contemplates the situation.

He can see the slight tension in your shoulders, the way your hand clutched at your dress.

"I suppose we should dance, wife.”

“you want to dance?”

"Yes," he responds. "It appears it's customary for couples at these events to dance together." He extends his hand in your direction, gesturing for you to take it. You take his hand, wrapping it gently around his gloved one. His fingers close around your hand, his grip gentle yet firm as he leads you towards the dance floor.

You notice the whispers and murmurs among the guests growing louder. But you chose to ignore them.

Capitano guides you to the center of the dance floor and positions himself opposite you, his hand settling onto your waist, and your hands on his shoulders.

"Do you know how to dance?" You whisper to him, making sure no one listens, and your eyes are on him.

"I may not engage in these social events often, but even I understand the basics of dance." His hand on your waist pulls you closer to him, you follow his lead.

Interesting.

He leads the dance with of assurance and grace, his movements fluid and confident. As you follow his lead and swirl together across the dance floor, your eyes meet his, and you find yourself unable to look away. The closeness between you makes it feel as if the rest of the world has faded away, leaving only the two of you dancing together.

You notice how he seems to turn his head slightly to look at others, mimicking their movements swiftly, it makes you smile to yourself.

His hand on your waist feels warm, almost burning even through the fabric of your dress. It's a strange sensation you've never felt when touching him, despite having already kissed (once) before.

”my dress,” you whisper amidst the graceful dance, “what do you think of it?”

You figured you always needed to give him a little push when initiating things.

His attention drift down to take in the sight of your dress once again. His gaze roams over the fabric, lingering on the way it clings to your figure, and how the color contrasts against your skin.

"It's... " he pauses, you're just wearing a dres, but he finds it difficult to describe what he feels, "Very pleasing to the eye.” he manages to continue.

"You look rather well tonight, as well.”

“Thank you, wife.”

The music suddenly shifts to a slower tempo, and Capitano instinctively adjusts his hold on you, pulling you slightly closer as he continues to dance with you.

You totally ignore how your face is almost pressed up against his chest.

As interesting as the party was, the worst part of was walking back to the estate. Why? Because the carriage decided to break down, or maybe the horses were sleepy, you don't know.

You're glad your husband is with you, or else you might've been sacrificed to the dogs at night, now even ants will fear this big guy.

But what's worse? Your damn heels are killing you. The sides of your pinky toes are already aching that you are sure it will cause nasty blisters by tomorrow.

"Perhaps next time you should wear more comfortable shoes." He stated bluntly, his deep voice betraying no pity for your situation. “but they look pretty, plus i feel elegant in them.” you stop at your tracks, looking up at him with a defeated expression.

"I'm well aware." he says dryly, "But at what cost? You're practically torturing yourself with those heels.”

He's half right, your point still stands. Beauty is pain. And now you'll have to sacrifice your beauty.

Bye bye heels. You slide them off your feet, bow having your poor feet to walk on these rocky grounds. You do feel a little better after, though.

“stay still.” He utters, and you're confused, until he takes your heels in one hand before you feel a shift of your weight off your feet, finding yourself being carried into his arms.

you wrapped your arms around his neck silently, your eyes glancing up at him as he continues walking like he you weigh nothing.

The air around you is peaceful. You feel safe with him, he's not like the scary man you hear from the others. Maybe to others he was, but to you? He was soft for you.

Your head leans on his chest where his heart rested, the beats of his heart makes you sleepy, but you refuse to sleep just like this, you want to spend every single second savouring this feeling.

Capitano carried you all the way to the estate, and through the dark corridors, making his way to your shared chambers.

The soft moonlight filtering through the windows was the only source of illumination, the atmosphere around you quiet.

He gently deposited you back on your feet, you're back home safely.

“thank you.” You whisper, your hands reaching to take the pins out of your hair to let it breath from the scruffy yet beautiful hairstyle, and Capitano starts taking off the heavy layers off him as well, with the helmet out.

You don't notice how one of your dress straps seem to fall off your shoulders, but he notices, and oh did that make something in him stir.

His steps closer from behind you, his hand reaching to put the strap back in place, but instead, he glances at the other strap.

It looked rather lonely being on your shoulder, his fingers delicately sliding the strap down which makes you ultimately still in your place.

Your entire body trembled slightly as Capitano's hands caressed your skin, tracing gentle paths across your shoulders and back down to the zipper on your side. “May i.. help you out of your dress?” His low, gruff voice, asking for permission to help you out of your dress, made your heart beat faster.

You could only nod in response, your voice silenced by a mixture of anticipation and desire. Capitano's touch was meticulous, his thumb and index delicately moving down the zipper with deliberate slowness, prolonging the tension.

Capitano lets out another low hum as he watches the dress slide down to your ankles, now leaving you only in your undergarments. His hands traced the contour of your body, his touch delicate yet possessive. His own breathing became ragged, the sight of you partially undressed igniting a fire in his eyes.

“Will you allow me to touch you?”

The question makes you turn your head, of course he can.

When you don't stop him from wrapping his arms around you, his chest pressed against your back, he takes it as a green light to continue.

His hand first brushed your hair out of the way, to allow his lips to come in contact with the nape of your neck, “you're so beautiful..." he whispered, his hot breath sending jolts of electricity through your core.

“I don't…” he hesitates, wanting to move his hands away, “i don't want to do anything you don't like.”

And your expression softens at his concern, you turn around to take his face into your hands, your thumbs caressing the apples of his cheeks and he nuzzles into your touch, wrapping a hand around your wrist before pressing a kiss to your palm. You further reassure him by littering his face with your lips, giving every empty space of his skin with at least one kiss.

“Allow me to experience this with you, and i shall take care of you till i take my very last breath.” he hoists you up easily into his arms, rough hand under your thighs as you wrap your legs around his waist, he laid you down on the soft sheets, his body covering yours as he looked down at you.

“You occupy my every thought,” he starts, “that it feels sinful to even look at your way.” He leaned down, his lips capturing yours in a searing kiss as his hand continued its exploration, ripping your bra off to cup your breast, feeling your nipple harden under his touch. He rolled it between his fingers, pinching it gently as he deepened the kiss when you gasp, his tongue delving into your mouth, savouring your taste and angelic sounds.

He leaned down afterwards, his mouth latching onto your nipple, sucking it into his mouth and your hands find his ling strands instantly, tugging on them while being careful not to hurt him.

His fingers traced down to your hip, giving them a firm squeeze before ripping your panties off next, his thumb rubbing circles on your clit, feeling you writhe and tense up under him.

It felt like an unknown territory you've yet to explore.

Upon sensing your discomfort, he presses his lips to your eyelids, then to your neck, taking his time until you relaxed, until you started feeling good based off how you were bucking your hips now.

Oh how he wanted to take his time with you, but he was aching so bad that if he continues touching you he might just burst embarrassingly fast in his pants.

“Let me in, my wife.” He gently starts massaging your thighs as he parts them, making you feel more exposed than ever, but he distracts you by softly kissing you again and again while he's unbuckling his pants and pushing them down, revealing his throbbing thick, hard cock.

“Capitano—!” you try to squirm away when you feel his tip push into your tight hole, your lips parting from the way he stretched you open, but at the same time you felt relaxed with his soft whispers of ‘take your time’ and ‘you’re doing well, my wife.’

Your cunt soon takes in every inch, swallowing him whole until you were a panting mess, and you didn't even start.

Capitano then began to move, his thrusts slow and deep at first, letting you get used to his size, to how you feel, to how he feels as he makes love to you for the first time together.

You feel your heart up to your throat and ears, it felt incredible, something you've never felt before, your soft moans echoing in the air along with a few groans coming from him.

He shivered when he felt your fingertips trace the few scars littering his shoulders and back, his dick twitching almost instantly before his thrusts grew faster, more urgent.

His hand reached down, returning back to draw circles around the bundle of nerves, and he could feel your body tense, your walls clenching around his cock as he continued to rub your clit.

“come for your husband,” he breaths heavily next to your ear, and you come undone, your moans filling the room as he felt you milk his cock. He could feel his own release following after, his balls tightening before he slammed into you one last time, spilling thick ropes into your womb, until you were filled to the brim.

Your legs were shaking slightly around him, yet his warm embrace afterwards made you melt, eyelids heavy with him still being buried inside you.

—

You groggily woke up, still half in a dream-like state, the room bathed in shadows due to the closed curtains blocking out the morning sun.

As your senses slowly returned to reality, you heard a soft meow next to you, and sure enough, your little kitten had made itself comfortable in the middle of the bed. To your surprise, Capitano, who was still asleep beside you, didn't seem bothered in the slightest by the creature's presence.

“pst,” you whisper to your husband who only hummed in acknowledgment of your attention. “Can we go have a picnic this early morning? With our baby kitten of course.”

Tags: @sayastyx, @nastylilcvnt, @bigboygoose,