#I just HAD to start somewhere

[lovegaloreplays]

PT. I A very tired and overworked, Prue McCormick, on her flight back home to San Myshuno. She’s coming from a business trip in Komorebi, that wasn’t nearly as exciting as she’d hoped. Her first time visiting and she spent the entire weekend in the hotel at conferences, and meetings. The long flight is just what she needed to decompress. Needless to say, she was asleep before the plane took off.

Moments later as the flight attendant began her greetings over the intercom she was interrupted by a last minute passenger, boarding the plane.

“Welcome to United Airlines on this lovel-.. OH MY G-... oh umm, please excuse that. Where was I? …. Yes.. Welcome to United Airlines.…” she went on to continue her greeting, and all the pre flight warnings and instructions. The passenger found his way to the last remaining seat... which was next to Prue, who was already sound asleep. Snooze, by SZA humming through her headphones as she slumped in her seat. Meanwhile… Bad Benny, the hottest Latin rapper, was getting cozy in the seat beside her..

She was getting cozy as well..

Some would even say a bit too comfortable.

[verflares]

collection of some loz origin au stuff i've been chipping away at for awhile now ^_^ with a healthy amount of dunmeshi insp for good measure LOL (the ooccoo isnt relevant she's just here for size comparison purposes)

feat my beloved good friend @linkvcr's hylia design also. because i am obsessed with her and you should be too 🫵

[ruporas]

cheers to the future of humanity (and the future of us)

[ID: Digital illustration in color of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun. The illustration takes place during the ship/home arc, specifically chapter 21. At the center, Vash is grabbing Wolfwood by the collar and pulls him into a kiss in the middle of a celebration. The pair is colored in vibrant warm hues while their surroundings are colored in cooler colors like green and teals. Luida, Brad, Meryl, and Milly are shown amongst the crowd, occupied in the celebrations as Vash and Wolfwood share a moment by themselves at the center. END ID]

[tangents-within-tangents]

Hot take:

Crosshair does not have the Imperial disillusionment and redemption arc of The Bad Batch

Emerie does.

Crosshair has an arc for sure yes but it's not that.

I was thinking about this scene:

and how it got right what this scene kinda didn't:

(It was so close but then bad writing decided to undercut the moment with a joke rip)

And I think it's really interesting that these characters who were more or less raised into the Empire/First Order and chose to leave it are all directly asked why.

But take a look at Crosshair's answers in comparison:

Different context for the asking, yes, but still, compare that to clones like Howzer, Cody, Slip and Cade who left or turned against the Empire because they knew what the Empire is doing is wrong and they weren't just going to blindly follow orders:

Crosshair - Loyalty, Purpose, and Survival

Crosshair didn't choose to join the Empire (though the show isn't very clear or consistent about how much control the inhibitor chips have) but he did, for whatever reason, choose to stay. By the end of S1 we know his chip has been removed and as he definitively says "This is who I am." There were likely still other influences on his decision, but listen to how he talks about the Empire in the S1 finale:

Hunter: Crosshair, I've seen what the Empire is doing. Occupying planets and silencing anyone who stands against them. You know it's not right. Crosshair: You still don’t see the bigger picture, but you will. Hunter: Can't you see they're using you?

Crosshair: We’re not like the regs, we never have been. We’re superior. The Empire can’t protect the galaxy without strength, this is what we were made for. Think of all we could do, together!

Crosshair: You all are meant for more than drifting through the galaxy. It’s time to stop running. Join the Empire, and you will have purpose again.

Hunter: They destroyed an entire city! Crosshair: They did what needed to be done. Kamino, regs, the Republic, that time is over. The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it. Hunter: Don't fool yourself. All you'll ever be to them is a number.

He undeniably knows what the Empire is doing, but he does not care. In fact it sure sounds like he actually supports it and finds self-meaning in it. Hunter spends those episodes trying to convince him it's wrong, he doesn't change his mind. In the end they offer him an out and he doesn't take it.

Wrecker: You coming with us? Crosshair: None of this changes anything. Hunter: You offered us a chance, Crosshair. This is yours. Crosshair: I made my decision.

The next we see Crosshair in "The Solitary Clone" (S2:E3) he follows orders and shoots the Desix governor, right after Cody heartbreakingly tries to do what's right and find a peaceful solution.

Cody: Tell me something, Crosshair. This new Empire, are we making the galaxy better? Crosshair: We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done. Cody: You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices. And we have to live with them too.

After this (glorious!) conversation, Crosshair stays. Maybe this began to seed some doubts, but he actually smiles a few scenes later when Rampart assigns him another mission. It seems like for him it truly is as he said in S1:E1 (chip not enhanced yet but still influencing him enough for his brothers to notice he's acting strange):

Crosshair: Republic, Empire... what's the difference.

Crosshair: Orders are orders.

This unethical mission that finally pushed Cody over the edge does not change Crosshair's mind about the Empire, at least not enough for him to take action.

But what does?

Mayday: And here we are, the survivors. Combat troopers stuck babysitting cargo shipments. Crosshair: Mission’s a mission. Mayday: Yeah, I used to say the same thing.

Mayday: After all the clones have done, all we’ve sacrificed. We’re good soldiers, we followed orders. And for what?

This mission has nothing to do with how the fascist Empire treats the galaxy, it's about how they treat their soldiers. It's about how Mayday loyally fought and served his whole life and Lieutenant Nolan let him die

Lt Nolan: He served his purpose as a soldier of the Empire. Crosshair: You could have saved him! Lt Nolan: Perhaps you didn’t hear me, he is expendable, as are you.

Crosshair thought he could find purpose within the Empire, and Nolan shows him exactly what that will be.

His turning point is accompanied with this powerful visual of the ice vulture, a symbol (and threat) of death, and also set up within the episode a symbol of survival:

Mayday: Vicious creatures, but you have to admire ‘em. They find a way to survive.

This critical moment (that gives me chills, oof this episode is a masterpiece!) comes right after Nolan calls him expendable and directly threatens him:

Lt Nolan: And if you speak to me again with such disrespect I'll see to it you meet a similar fate, clone.

then Crosshair sees the vulture's shadow and turns to Mayday's dead body (ahh visual storytelling my beloved) then makes his decision:

Crosshair turns against the Empire not because he believes Hunter was right about this:

Hunter: I've seen what the Empire is doing ... You know it's not right.

but because he was right about this:

Hunter: All you'll ever be to them is a number.

Redemption (both in fiction and irl in my humble opinion) comes with making amends and reparations (which is why death 'redemptions' bother me so much but that's a rant for another time). Unlike Emerie, Crosshair never explicitly denounces the Empire or his own actions within it. He never says anything to specifically show if and how his views have changed from what he said on Kamino. He makes amends with his family (sending the warning message, helping Omega escape, making up with Hunter) but that's about it. The most we get in terms of acknowledgement is this:

Crosshair: I thought I knew what I was getting into with the Empire. I thought I was being a good soldier. Hunter: Nobody really understood what was happening back then. Crosshair: I’ve... done things. I’ve made mistakes. Hunter: I have regrets too, Crosshair. All we can do is keep trying to be better, and who knows there just might be hope for us yet.

Which is nice and all but it's more about them making up as brothers so it's way too excusing tbh ("no one knew what was happening back then" ummm? "The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it" remember? And even if at first Crosshair was being controlled by the chip, the fact that he chose to stay after it was removed* means he condones and is therefore still accountable for those actions).

There's also a bit of self-destructive guilt:

Crosshair: Omega, don't risk anything for me. I belong in here.

Crosshair: Omega needs you both. So I’m doing this alone, it’s what I deserve. Hunter: Don’t even think about plan 99, Crosshair. Omega needs all of us.

(which thank you Hunter for pushing back on the death redemption bs and oh look is that a wrap up for the purpose thing?)

But there's no action taken on his part to make up for what he's done or to stand against the Empire (aside from the bare minimum of help with Tantiss, only after it became personally relevant, which like yeah he had trauma to deal with but still).

While I do think the implications/follow-up of Crosshair's turn should have been handled better in S3 (like rip Howzer! he deserved an apology, but that's a rant for another time), I don't necessarily** think this arc is a bad writing choice. It's just saying different things than we expect:

Maybe Crosshair's story is not about standing up against an unjust system, like we see with many other characters (who deserved more screen time but that's a rant for another timeeee). Maybe his story is about how even those who are loyal to the Empire, who actually believe in it, still suffer under and within it's rule. Not to garner sympathy, but to show that there is no winning.

Crosshair has another 'so what changed' convo in S3:E14 with Rampart, in which they draw parallels to each other:

Rampart: You used to believe good soldiers followed orders. Crosshair: Depends on who's giving them. The Empire betrayed us both. Rampart: And you think you can fight them? That's not you. You're like me, loyal to no one but yourself. Crosshair: I've changed.

(note how he says who's giving the orders, not what the orders are)

"Loyal to no one but yourself" describes Rampart much more than Crosshair, since we often saw Crosshair pride himself as a loyal soldier of the Empire whereas we saw Rampart abuse power to be self-serving within the Empire (like when he killed Wilco to save face). But they were both betrayed either way. Vice Admiral Rampart, snively Imperial opportunist through-and-through, shouts "I was following orders!" as he is arrested for the Empire's purposes. (Edit: and where Crosshair rejected the Empire and found new purpose fighting for his family, Rampart was still self-serving in the finale. He still tries to gain power for himself and he gets his comeuppance).

Even Hemlock, the final boss immoral Imperial scientist, who has to be benefiting the most from this system, echoes the expendability idea:

Hemlock: What I am working on is beyond your understanding. Something so vital to the Empire it makes me indispensable.

Then there's CX-2, also set up as a parallel/foil to Crosshair (fight me), who in the end is discarded as no more than a weapon, a tool that served it's purpose, showing us what would have become of Crosshair if he had stayed.

There is no winning in the Empire. Loyalty is not rewarded, it "doesn't go both ways." Everyone has to fight for their value. Even high ranking individuals** who for a time benefit from the injustice, in the end are just pawns to be used up and cast aside at a whim for the Emperor's gain. Even people who are motivated by self-interest alone cannot survive within this system, the only viable option in this galaxy is to fight the Empire and dismantle that system. (unless you conveniently find a magically safe island to hide away on but that's a rAnT fOr AnOtHeR tImE)

Which brings us back to...

Emerie - Cooperation, Compassion, and Choice

(Okay this post has already gotten away from me but I still want to talk about her to show the contrasts.)

Emerie may not have been given a lot of screen time to really flesh out her development, but there is a lot that is pretty clearly implied with her:

Crosshair: They’ll never turn her [Omega] over. Hemlock: They don’t have a choice. She is a clone, and therefore Imperial property. *Camera cuts to an angle more centered on Emerie’s face*

Crosshair: Give me your access card! Emerie: It won’t get you outside!

Emerie: I tried to warn him what would happen if he did not cooperate with the Doctor.

Emerie: Prisoner? Omega, you are no such thing. It will take time to adjust, but you will acclimate. It is far safer in here than out there.

Emerie: You should go back to your room. Crosshair: You mean her cell?

Emerie: Why children? Hemlock: Children are easier to attain and more agreeable to the subjugations. They are unaware of why they are here and what they possess.

Emerie: They're children. Like I was... Was your plan to discard them too? Nala Se: The Empire will keep them in order to control them.

We don't know a lot about Emerie's background, but it's clear that she had a lot less choice than Crosshair and less opportunity or ability to leave. Unlike Crosshair, we never directly hear Emerie's views of the Empire (and she was most likely 'taken under Hemlock's wing' before the Empire even came to power), but lets look at how she talks about the Tantiss:

"Remain calm. Cooperate and you might survive."

"Don't make this worse, Crosshair! There is no escape!"

"All of us serve a purpose here."

"The Doctor will inform me, if it's necessary."

"It's best not to ask questions."

"Escape is not possible, Omega. This is for your own good."

She honestly does the best she can within the system she is also trapped in. She tries to help Crosshair, Omega, and the vault kids in the only way she knows how (warns Crosshair about the hounds and security, tries to protect Omega from Hemlock, tells Scorch his "actions were extreme" with Jax, insists on overseeing Bayrn's retrieval, double checks his m-count (to give him an out), and tries to find out where he came from). When she gives Omega, and later Eva, the doll, I think it shows just how little she really is able to do here (and it's kinda heartbreaking imo).

The framing of this shot especially (after Jax's escape attempt) visually shows how Emerie herself is trapped/imprisoned:

Despite the fact that very little of this is Emerie's fault, she has very little power and she is doing all she can, the narrative does not excuse her role in the Empire:

Nala Se: What will you do, Emerie? Emerie: There is nothing I can do. I don't have that kind of power. Nala Se: Don't you?

Emerie: I- I was doing my job. Echo: Yeah, I’ve heard that before. You’re a clone. How can you be part of this?

These fighting-the-Bystander-Effect conversations parallel these exchanges:

Hunter: We made a choice, and so did you. Crosshair: Soldiers follow orders. Hunter: Blind allegiance makes you a pawn.

Crosshair: We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done. Cody: You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices. And we have to live with them too.

which did not change Crosshair's mind. And honestly, all respect to Echo's disappointed mom glare™ but I think it's clear Emerie had already made her decision, she just needed help to actually be able to do anything about it. When she stopped Echo, with her voice wavering on the verge of tears (ahhh v good voice acting), she clearly had no intention of turning him in. She's on her own in the Empire's most secure facility with very little resources, if she had tried anything on her own she most likely would have failed and been killed

Omega: Emerie, you don't have to do this. Emerie: (sigh) I’m sorry, but I do.

but as soon as she is enabled by an ally, she immediately turns around to help: giving information and getting Echo through security, helping the kids escape, and giving Omega the tablet that allows them to free the other clone prisoners.

Where Crosshair's turn is accompanied by the symbolic imagery of the ice vulture, Emerie's is the removal of her (literally rose-tinted!) glasses:

Symbolizing how she has shed her previous views/indoctrination that altered her perception of the Empire and blinded her to it's wrongs. It's disillusionment.

Emerie's story shows us that even those who are raised and indoctrinated into this system can, should, and will escape (with needed help). Even those who did not choose to be apart of the Empire and are not making the decisions still have the responsibility and ability to act on what they know is right.

Emerie, whose name means 'Home strength' 'Brave' and 'Powerful', and "reflects the importance of leadership and authority in the workplace".***

While Emerie is only in one more scene after her turn, so the wrap up is a bit rushed, she still very simply does what Crosshair does not:

Emerie: Because I was wrong about this place. And I'm trying to do the right thing.

Echo: I’m sure Senator Chuchi would find what you have to say very helpful for our cause. Emerie: I have a lot to make up for. I’d like to help out however I can.

She admits wrong, takes accountability, commits to making amends, and leaves with Echo to go take on the Empire (which hopefully we will get to actually see more of some day).

So, in short, she's showing us how redemption is done right!

---

Notes:

*Whether this writing choice was good/logical/in-character or not is another discussion entirely, but I'm going off of what we were given, what the show is presenting in the canon text and (reasonably inferred/intentional) subtext. Crosshair is pretty multifaceted and I could only touch on so much here. There's a lot of ways to interpret his character/choices, but I tried to avoid the realm of speculation or fanon explanations (even if they sometimes make more sense lol).

**History and political theory are not my area of expertise at all, so I have NO idea how well this aligns with real-world fascism stuff and therefore what implications this storytelling choice could have. I think the message of like 'if you think you could survive or gain power by doing what the Empire/fascist system wants you are wrong' could be good (like how everyone is actually harmed by the patriarchy type of a thing), but I hesitate bc maybe there are those who would benefit, since it's a hierarchal system, right? If anyone more knowledgeable than me has incite to share, by all means

Either way, I do think it works in-story and in-universe though. It's just in the execution. The main problem (even from a strictly theme/character arc stand point) is the lacking follow-up/consequences for Crosshair in S3. Like you gave your character accountability by removing the chip and I think that's great setup for an arc but you gotta follow through with that and actually hold him accountable!

***I'm always curious when clones have 'normal' names, like why did they chose the name Emerie of all things? So I looked it up. Idk how reliable sources are for name meanings so take it with a grain of salt but it's still fun. Fits pretty well, and clones names have definitely had significant meanings in the past (like how Rex and Jesse both mean 'king') so I'm pretty sure it was intentional.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my tedtalk

[canterbury-bell]

Available as a sticker here (within US)

Just some lingering imagery from Episode 3 😜

[art-is-kayos]

Everlasting A5

[thresholdbb]

I have a gripe about the Star Trek mugs...

Picard's teacup is a delicate, fragile little thing held by a strip of plastic and a dream. That thin glass will break if you look at it sideways. And where do they put that ridiculous tiny cup? On the Enterprise, which is always being dragged into conflict

The DS9 raktajino mugs are hefty, wide-based things that are meant to not tip over. They're called no-spill mugs. They have a foam piece on the bottom so they don't slip. They're incredibly sturdy – meant for ships and traveling! Where do they put them? At the station, which is arguably the most stable place they could be cause DS9 rarely gets knocked about.

Far as I'm concerned, Janeway's the only one doing practical space mugs correctly. Come on, a metal travel mug that's as strong as her coffee is black? Takes a beating through 70,000 light years of bridge shakes fighting off the Borg and the Hirogen and still holds a hot drink? Now that's a space mug

[forgettable-au]

I'm curious... Are we gonna go back to the surface at some point? Would it be often like every other chapter? Absolutely adore Flowery and Papyrus' interactions they're wonderfully written

YES THEY WILL APPEAR AGAIN

Papyrus and Flowey are basically the B plot :D

They're gonna appear from time to time and they're doing their own separate thing ^^ (wich connects to the A plot)

[avernine]

wahoo I keep forgetting to upload thing so here's a wip from earlier this year. it's snakes.

[coolnonsenseworld]

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

----

I'm catching up with comms so in the meantime here is a page from KF 2022 PDF, which I drew to substitute for a NSFW post!

I hope you will have a great Monday <3

52 weeks of KICK Fridays - what is it?

It's 3 PDFs made out of my Patreon content where I published Klance each Friday (Kick Fridays) since 2020. You can buy them by lowest price Patreons could pay each year to see it (1/month) on my shop (payhip.com/mezzy). I publish something for each sold PDF 💞

[uniiiquehecrt]

Voice actors are NOT the same as actors.

It takes a specific kind of skill-set and training to be able to warp and meld the voice. It takes a certain kind of talent and dedication to hone that talent into the ability to meld the voice and invoke emotion with one's voice alone. Actors are used to using their voice secondarily to their body language and their facial expressions. It's all mirrored back on camera. They do have nuance. But it's a different kind of nuance and a different kind of training to produce that nuance.

Voice actors might get their likeness transposed on their character's design, and maybe their mannerisms might seep into the character's animation. But when it's all said and done: their presence is in their voice. They are bringing a character to life, showing that emotion in their voice, trying to keep a specific accent, drawl, pitch, tone in that voice and keep it consistent for their recording sessions.

The voice actor is like a classically trained musician who can play first chair in a competitive, world-renown orchestra. The actor (who fills the voice actor's role) is like a moot who played violin in beginner and intermediate high school orchestra and thinks they can get into Juilliard with that 2-4 years of experience.

This doesn't mean that the HS orchestra moot can't play. They can even be really good at it. Maybe they won competitions and sat first chair. But they are not in the same league as the person who's been training their whole lives and lives and breathes to hone their craft using the instrument and all of the training they've ever acquired to perfect it. They are not meant for the same roles. They are not in the same caliber. You do not hire the HS equivalent when you want to play complex music in a competitive orchestra.

Actors are not the same as voice actors.

And furthermore, actors - especially big name actors - taking the roles of animated characters for big budget films or TV pilots makes no sense anyways when - at least in the case of TV pilots - there's not a point to hiring a big budget actors anyways. That money could be used elsewhere (like paying your animators), and the talent that is brought onto the screen for X character could then be hired on to voice said character no recasting required.

I wouldn't say voice acting as a profession is in danger exactly, but it's certainly being disrespected and overlooked for celebrity clout, and this has ALWAYS been an issue. Shoot, even Robin Williams knew that much - which is why he tried so hard not to be used as a marketing chess piece for Aladdin and got royally pissed off when it happened anyways. People shouldn't go to any movie (but especially not animated films) because "oh famous actor is in it". People should go because it's a good movie and the voice acting is good.

People who honest to god think that voice actors are replaceable because "oh well anyone can voice act" or "I like xyz celebrity so naturally it'll be good" ... Honestly I just wish you'd reassess your priorities because you're missing the point and are part of the problem.

Voice Actors ≠ Actors.

[starwarjotta]

this is absolutely what happened in episode 2 of the Bad Batch season 2. yup.

[fruitsofhell]

I used to be one of those guys when I first joined the Kirby fandom, but everytime I hear a discussion of the series writing that starts with "So the Lore is InSaNe-" and not like, "Kirby has a fun writing style that takes advantage of its cute exterior to tell cool stories that reward player's curiosity and leave lots of room for imagination-" I cringe so goddamn hard.

I kinda just hate that people approach things that encourage investment when they don't expect it as inherently absurd. Like it is fun to joke about how absurd Kirby lore can be, but it really often comes with an air of disrespect or exhaustion rather than like, appreciation that these games are made by people who want to tell interesting stories when they could easily make as much money just making polished enough fluffy kiddy platformers. And when it's not met with exhaustion, it's met with - like I said before - that tone that it's stupid for a series like this TO have devs who care about writing stuff for it. Which is a whole other thing about people not respecting things made to appeal to kiddie aesthetic or tone.

Maybe the state of low-stakes YouTube video essays just blows cause people play up ignorance and disbelief for engagement, but like I STG I hear people use this tone for like actual narrative based games sometimes. Some people don't like... appreciate when a game is made by people who care a shitton in ways that aren't direct gameplay feedback. And they especially don't appreciate it when it comes from something with any sense of tonal dissonance intentional or not.

Anyways, I love games made by insane people. I love games made by teams who feel like they wanna make something work or say something so bad. I love that energy, especially when invested into something that could easily rest on its laurels or which obviously won't be taken seriously. I love this in a lot of classic campy 2000s games, I love this in insanely niche yet passionate fanworks, and I love it in the Kirby series and its writing. Can we please stop talking about it like it's an annoyance or complete joke?

[snoopeie]

Art, BPD and Splitting.

It's the way that, prior to meeting Tashi, Art accepted that he will spend the rest of his life playing second fiddle to Patrick. I mean, "I'm already at peace with the fact that you're going to win" is literally the foundation of their dynamic. Art was content to watch himself lose, to be teased by Patrick constantly, because it meant being close to the one person that offered him a sense of identity at the time. He thought Patrick is so cool, so talented, that anything he wanted, Art wanted 10 times more. Patrick wanted to be fire, so Art wanted to be fire (this wasn’t in the actual film, it's a line in the script). Patrick was fantasizing about Kat Zimmerman, so Art asked to be let into that fantasy. Patrick wanted Tashi, so Art wanted Tashi so much it made him sick (he wanted Tashi so much that she became his next FP). You get the gist. Meeting Tashi, another person Art thought was so cool and so talented, made Art see another version of himself, another identity he wanted to consume (Mike's words, not mine). That's what made Patrick slip off the pedestal a bit, but it wasn't until Art felt like Patrick was taunting and humiliating him, with the same traits Art previously wanted for himself mind you, that he fell off completely. You can see this seething anger he has towards Patrick in the sauna scene, anger that has real pain and hurt behind it, the pain of allowing himself to be sidelined by a person he loved. That moment where he told Patrick "It's not about where you come from in tennis Patrick. It's about winning. And I do. A lot" that's him saying "see, I took these things from you and I actually made something of them, something you couldn't do". The "you never grew up so and I'm so mad at you for it, because at a certain point in time, I respected you so much that I wanted to be you".

source : https://lifeasalunatic.substack.com/p/borderline-personality-disorder-bpd

[lenreli]

i smile to you

[AO3]

Title from this song! :D

E, 1.5k. PWP featuring cockwarming. Also a bingo fill!

-

The night starts with Hob going to a concert, grinning brightly and mouthing along as the band, called Jinjer, performed, the lead woman vocalist with an astounding range― 

And like so many times lately, the night ends with Dream and Hob falling into bed together, and Dream’s still amazed at this turn of events, after a century in cold glass, to feel the warmth of Hob’s touch. That Hob brings him to laughter and joy, the sensations almost alien, and Hob smiles and touches him gently, and Dream’s orgasm inside Hob is secondary to the way they’re touching, a rough yet gentle hand in hair as Hob gasps, joining him over the edge. 

Dream has a split moment of sadness, as he moves slowly out of Hob―then a hand on his waist stops him, “no, stay,” Hob says, almost falling asleep as he moves around to bring Dream’s arms around his waist, fingers interlocking with his own. Dream pauses, blinking down at the other man, softening cock still inside as he plasters himself to Hob’s back, feeling Hob slip into the Dreaming. 

“Inside?” He asks, patting the hair on Hob’s belly as he pushes his face into Hob’s shoulder. 

“Mmhmm,” Hob answers, curling inside his arms even more with a pleased sigh and Dream stares at the soft skin in front of him, faint scars littered around the area. In all his many years, has never had this, always going on to the next act, or to his job, and he can’t quite fathom it, that Hob would want him inside in a way, still. And how much he enjoys it, something keeping anchored and warm.

Conjuring up a dark blanket to cover them, he marvels at the feeling, the constant warmth, closing the eyes of his Waking body to join his partner in the Dreaming. 

-

After, he couldn’t help thinking about it. About maybe Hob being inside him, warming him up from the inside as he goes about his duties. Surely it would also be good the other way around? “I know that look,” Hob says and Dream looks away as Hob sits next to him, green sofa of Hob’s flat comfortable as it always is. Hob smiles and leans into his side, fingers coming up to twirl a black lock of his hair, “come on. My work’s done, we can do whatever you want now.” 

Dream looks into Hob’s eyes, affection plain to see, and for all that Dream knows many ways he could phrase it, all the sentences at his disposal, he leans in to kiss him instead, Hob quickly kissing him back, hands on his shoulders as they slowly make their way to Hob’s room. 

“On a mission today, huh,” Hob mutters between biting kisses, Dream’s hands pulling off the other’s clothes in the hallway to Hob’s room. “Mind sharing with me?” Hob asks, a hand coming up to caress his cheek, content to be pushed against the wall as Dream magicks the other’s socks off. 

“No,” he answers, tugging Hob in by his belt-loops so he can bite down the other’s jaw, licking up the stubble of his throat as Hob laughs, the feeling of it under his tongue spurring him on to tug Hob into the bedroom. 

“Not even a little?” Hob asks lightly, brown eyes bright as he sits on the bed, cock hard as Dream stares at him, fingers twitching at the miles of skin and hair ― though, he is on a mission today, so he only gives himself a few indulgent moments before sitting on Hob’s lap, the other’s hands coming up to his waist as his clothes vanish. “A hint?”  

Tilting his head, Dream blinks as he puts a hand on Hob’s chest, gripping the hair ― and Hob’s hasn’t looked away from his face, and Hob makes a choked wheeze when Dream settles in the other’s lap, other hand going to guide Hob’s cock into his cunt, the warmth of it, the length of it making him moan. 

“Dream,” Hob moans, fingers digging into his waist as he moves, Hob whimpering as he leaves him, and Dream shudders as takes Hob back in, the rhythm slow and making them both gasp. “Dream,” Hob croaks desperately, a hand tugging him down by his hair into a kiss, dark eyes on him all the while as he rides Hob. 

“Just like this,” Dream whispers into Hob’s mouth, bliss twisting up slowly, as he claws at Hob’s back, melting into the solid warmth of his body as he noses at Hob’s neck. 

Hob whimpers and clutches him tighter, nails digging in deep enough to make him bleed, not that he cares over the way Hob’s dick fits inside him perfectly, and Hob lets out a particular wail that lets Dream know that he’s close. The cock twitching inside him more and more also tells him as he grinds down hard, skin slapping as Hob keens, coming inside him with a gasp, unintelligible noises coming from his mouth as nails claw up his back. 

Dream hums, melting even more into the other’s hold at the feeling of Hob’s spend inside, fluid leaking out as Dream presses down, his own orgasm slow and dragging as he his cunt squeezes around the softness of Hob, making him cry out. “Fuck,” Hob pants, hands stroking up and down his back, dark eyes staring up at him in worship. “You haven’t,” Hob chokes out, a hand moving around to, two fingers pressing right into his folds, and Dream shudders, pleasure spiking. 

He feels Hob’s cock start to slip out, which he stops by grabbing the other’s hips, keeping it inside as fingers press inside, fluid squelching as Hob crooks his fingers, Hob staring at him with a bitten-red mouth. Hob’s cock tries to slip outside and he grunts, digging claws into Hob’s waist, “stay inside,” he scolds. 

Hob’s throat works, a new spark in his eyes appearing as he grins, “my Dream, wanting me to keep you warm?” He asks softly, stretching up to kiss him gently and Dream whines happily as Hob fingers him to another orgasm, helped along by the filth of Hob’s words, “or is it you keeping me warm, with that lovely velvet cunt of yours?” 

Dream cries out as the orgasm washes over him, hands digging into Hob’s chest, mind only honing in on Hob underneath him, inside him. “Yes,” he breathes, biting at the stubble of Hob’s jaw, delighted with the come and liquids gushing out of him. 

Hob whines, another finger entering him, helping him towards another shuddering orgasm, gasping and whining, “at this rate I’m going to get a personal record for getting hard again,” Hob says, voice strangled and Dream smirks, nibbling at Hob’s ear as he grinds into the digits. “How long do you want to stay like this, then?” 

Sighing, he strokes the back of Hob’s head, other hand still on the hair of Hob’s chest as he considers, “forever.” 

Hob lets out a breath, almost a chuckle as fingers slip out of him, Hob’s cock slowly twitching back to hardness, filling him up deliciously, “sure. We can do that.” 

-

“If I would’ve known centuries ago to keep you around was this, I would’ve tried even harder to get you into bed then,” Hob muses, fingers stroking his cheek as Dream hums, Hob’s soft dick nestled inside his arse, back pressed into the warm textures of Hob’s front as a hand plays with his hair, fingers softly trailing down his neck. 

Dream’s thoughts are slow, hours of like this pulling a veiled haze over him, the only sensation of Hob quieting his mind. “Aren’t you meant to be working?” Blinking, his face presses into Hob’s shoulder as he looks at the laptop, which has now been turned off. 

“Got all the work done I could today, especially considering the lovely distraction I have right here,” the smile is obvious in Hob’s voice, fingers tugging his hair slightly until he gasps, eyes fluttering shut as Hob begins to get hard.

Dream preens as Hob’s other hand trails down his torso, pleasure slow and languid as it builds up, as he grasps at Hob’s hair. “It quiets me,” he confesses quietly as fingers stroke the inside of his thighs, avoiding his own arousal. “And there is no Matthew to show up with something, so everything must be,” Dream gasps, heaving as fingers circle his cock and balls, teeth nipping at his bared throat. 

“I’m happy to hear that, and I’ll try not to let it get to my head,” Dream glances up and presses into the stubble of Hob’s grin, “too much.” 

“I fear it is too late for that already, Hob Gadling,” he intones breathily, and Hob laughs and strokes him softly, slick pre-come coating his fingers as they quickly drive him towards orgasm.

“You may be right,” Hob says severely, matching his own tone as Dream stutters and twitches, arching into Hob’s cock, sparks flaring behind his eyes as it drags against his prostate. “So beautiful,” Hob breathes, biting behind his ear and sucking marks on his neck as he whines, come coating his front and Hob’s hand. 

Dream shivers, luxuriating as a tongue licks up his neck, the cock inside only rocking lightly, Hob more focused on marking up his neck, a hand scratching up his stomach to flick his nipples, the edge of overstimulation close with his orgasm, but selfishly keeps Hob close. 

[Fin] 

[l0ganberry]

I wanted to try something new and more cute, so here!

Puppy Barnaby with caterpillar Howdy!!

💙🐶💚🐛