#I love Vaste so much tho I will never give up on Vaste but I also do feel that WoC anger that Human anger

[squintsintwink]

Cyberpunk 2077 is my favorite anti-capitalist game that I spent 70 dollars to play

[unabashednightmarepizza]

𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑, 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐴𝑟𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑒𝑛

A/N(1): Considering Gaming is pretty much like me in every aspect and a weird sagau-like thing happened to me where, whenever I make a 10 pull, I always get Gaming and now baby boy is C5 already( THREE of them were on the same pull btw), and that we need to spread more love for him... Here I am with this impulsive piece of work that suddenly came to my mind where us, the reader who is the Creator of Teyvat and all the universes, descends only for him and IS the one who grants Vision to people. (Visions are not some shitty way of controlling people here)

A/N(2): I know Lantern Rite is over but damn, did I loose inspiration to finish this so soon so, I divided this into two parts.

Warnings: Spoilers for Lantern Rite and Gaming's backstory, Reader giving good parenting advice and literally being a grandma who would slap someone with a slipper and commit homicide for children, communication problems between parents and children.

"I think the Creator isn't too fond of me y'know?"

Lumine and Paimon sweated at the mention of your name, the former one rubbing his defeated shoulders for comfort as she looked at her companion.

Paimon worriedly looked up where her mother was as she floated above Gaming, the now peaceful and serene Celestia floating above them with the rightful owner in it. After gathering all your essences back and helping you come back once again - and learning that her emergency food was actually the Creator's daughter-, Lumine had the chance of meeting you quite a lot actually.

The reason for it was pretty simple: Lumine and Paimon had become inseparable.

They had been travelling together for years, all alone with only having each other to rely on. Sure, they made great friendships over the years and they were always happy to reunite with them whenever possible... But none of them could come with them on their journey.

Especially since it was unknown when exactly it would stop.

But although they thought to be alone as they discovered the truth about both Lumine and her brother's story and Paimon's origins... Lumine knew they weren't really all by themselves in such a vast and seemingly endless world.

She could feel it in her soul... With the warmth that never left her ever since she woke up near that shore, the one that had never left her even if she was starting to loose hope, always pushing her to fight for one more day.

There was no way you wouldn't love one of your own child.

"Ahhh... Why do you think so, Gaming? Have you done something to offend Her?" Paimon asks cautiously, with a hint of softness Lumine rarely heard since she was often sarcastic just as you were, as she patted his head warmly with worried eyes. This was one of the rare times that Lumine really saw You in her, that Paimon had more than one thing common with You.

Except Your love for food, that is.

She, better than anyone, knew how You were, after all, as a daughter... She felt your unconditional love even when she had no recollection of, well... Everything that happened.

Even when she didn't know what or who she was, she knew one thing clear: The Creator loved Her creations so dearly... The one on the throne could never be Her.

"Uhhh, Paimon really doesn't think so! Her Highness is known to be so loving and kind and also supportive of Her creations-" she nervously stuttered, looking up to where you were supposed to be as she gave as much comfort as she can. She didn't need to be an expert to know that most of the people in Teyvat adored their Creator, and all of them respected You for... every single thing You did for them.

Including setting new Heavenly Principles to ensure peace all across Teyvat, after millenias of destruction caused by the Usurper which tainted the soil, the very core of Teyvat and the souls of people and gods alike.

Gaming, of course not surprisingly, was one of those who admired you the most. Chenyu Vale, after all, was known for their tea and tea ceremonies, especially those of Adepti and the Creator. The stories of your both heroism and creation was one thing told throughout the land... And then there was the parental ones they had heard and read about thanks to their Archon, Gods and Adepti wanted to preserve for Your and their sake...

To remember those peaceful times they all used to sit with You and eat, drink to their heart's content as they shared stories and what they had been doing with their humans... Before either Barbatos or Menogias and Bosacius "ruining it" with their banter and over all "idiocy" with one of them begging to drink wine with You while the other two argued about the fact that Bosacius shouldn't enter where you are, alongside the ladies, practically half-naked as a mean of respect.

Menogias was not the one describing such events with much disdain, it was Rex Lapis' rather "dislike" towards a certain God of Freedom as those who read your stories sweated awkwardly at his descriptions of " that drunkard who wouldn't stop hogging the Creator all to himself and had no brains too actually give a thing for rules"... All the while You cackled with the "ladies" at the back with a comedic look on your face, betting on how many tries it would take for them to finally agree.

It was good old days... that seemed far, far away from reach as the years passed and now Teyvat was becoming another version of itself, one that You would be proud of no matter what.

Safe to say, most people praised your name and prayed to You through those ceremonies. Liyue and Chenyu Vale were the one who was perhaps the earnest with their belief, and the tea leaves they were proud to grow with Your blessing...

And with the dim-sum they had as a breakfast, to reminisce and pay respect to You and all the Gods who dined with You above the sky once.

But back to the modern days, where three youngsters were having a meltdown for different reasons...

Gaming, because he just told them- two once strangers and now his friends- his biggest secret and insecurity after his problems with father.

Paimon who almost bawled her eyes out from sadness because of the drop of his head like a kicked puppy at the slight sign of his insecurity of failing her mother.

Lumine, because these two were being total dummies and she was wondering how the hell Paimon could be related to You, who was always the logical one and always choose the rational side of things.

"I-I know that, and trust me, I am very grateful to be acknowledged by Her but... Well, I mean, I am surely in no position to complain but life wasn't the easiest for me. Especially since I chose to indulge in Wushou Dancing. You guys already know my story and... And I'm afraid that I didn't satisfy Her with how I failed at making Wushou Dancing popular-"

Gaming ranted in one breath, his face contorting in pain, both from the possibility of such thing being true and from being breathless, as he looked like a kicked puppy with his huge brown eyes from where he stood in front of the petite blond, who stared at him with a confused and troubled look.

" Woah, woah! Easy there, calm down, Gaming... So you think she is upset because of... This?"

Lumine couldn't help but frown while pointing at him and back to his vision, confusion and slight worry clouding her golden eyes as Gaming gulped and looked at her through his lashes, head turning away and eyes trailing over to stare over the tea fields. She only hoped he didn't think it was because she was belittling his worry, but rather, she didn't understand why he worried.

You were always so proud of your creations, did they really not know this?

"Uhm, y-yeah? Why wouldn't She be? She saw potential in me to make it so popular and well-liked by people yet, hehe... Here I am, as a complete failure. Just like my dad predicted..." He rubbed the back of his neck embrassed, sweating from the nervousness at the intense glare the duo was giving to him.

Logically thinking, he knew there was absolutely no way of knowing anything about the Creator, especially something as trivial as this. Both because of a) you must be too busy to care for such a small and childish thing and b) you were the Creator, how were you not supposed to love what you made?

But poor boy's insecure mind was too consumed by the self-hatred he had kept inside for so long that it started to consume hım whole... Enough to question everything he had been taught all of his life, questioning himself for the first time ever since that day if all these struggles were worth it.

Paimon, seeing and having a guess at his state, quickly budged in to divert his attention elsewhere.

"B-But I am sure that mot- I mean, Her Highness didn't bless you with a Vision and showed her favor while expecting something in return!" Paimon suddenly shot up to the air, her short legs kicking at the air angrily as her face was contorted in pure anger for the way he was thinking. And Lumine, for the first time ever since meeting her, cold sweated because of how scary she looked at the moment.

"But..." Gaming sighed dejectedly, coming down from the shock of her sudden burst, head hung low and feeling the familiar sting of his eyes of many nights he spent alone on his bed and looking back to his decisions, trying to determine if he regretted them or not, thinking about his beloved mother and Creator...

And what you both must be thinking of him.

Had he... Failed both of you?

You, who created the whole world with so much love, "The Mother of All" and his own mother, who never shied away from showing her support to him even when his father was angry at her for "spoiling" him...

"But..." he couldn't help but get frustrated at himself, and the tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. How long was he going to act like a kid? How much more would he trouble others because of his problems, much like he was doing now to even his new friends that he just met? He knew he kind of failed at his biggest dream, although his stubborn father didn't know about it just yet and he intended for it to stay that way...

Actually saying it out loud made him realize how... futile, his hardwork had been.

He really didn't make any progress at all, huh?

Before he could get any other self-deprecating thoughts, he contiued with gritted teeth as shame slowly filled him and he moved to get up. "...I was given a Vision because of my ambition to make Wushou Dancing popular in Liyue Harbor, at least that's how I see it although I know not everyone's jumping at watching it... And if I can't make it come true then..."

Another dejected sigh as his hand subconsciously went to his Vision, feeling its comforting warmth as he clutched the glass orb tightly. He always believed that the Visions' warmth, apart from containing the aspirations of the holder, had always had a part of you as well... That the comforting warmth that accompanied him much like other holders, was because of your love and hopes for them. To see what path they would carve for themselves while watching over them...

And there was no way he made anyone proud with what he had become. His relatives? They didn't particularly care about him, they couldn't, right? And his father was another story with the restless and hurtful quarrels they used to have every day, especially after his mother's death. He wouldn't even talk to him, yet alone look at his face, why would he care to come looking for his son?

How would a young boy like him ever know that the reason his father couldn't look at him in the eyes was because he was also reminded of his mistakes and hurtful words he uttered towards his own father when he was his age? How would he know that his own father, though he didn't show himself like that, lacked the way to express his guilt to his own son that he hadn't seen in a long time?

How would he know that his own father was drowning in his own guilt, but too afraid to say anything to his son when he too, was drowning himself in guilt and self-hatred?

His, and unknown to him... his dad's, mind was clouded with their own sadness, all the while never leaving their eyes from the clear sky while Paimon's and Lumine's worried eyes were on Gaming's melancholic ones, as the duo shared a stare only they could understand... with a question after years of being on Teyvat suddenly popped inside their mind.

That they had to reach to you as soon as possible...

And learn how the Vision-giving process actually worked.

"Then, what am I?"

Meanwhile, up in Celestia, you were merrily decorating your place in Liyue themes, since the Lantern Rite night was coming closer, and watering the many plants you had as a gift from your children was taking too long, you opted to keep yourself busy with humming a soft tune.

Completely and blissfully unaware of the chaos in Liyue.

But you know what they say: A mother intuition always works and is always right.

"Hmm... My mom senses are tingling yet once again. Could it be my daughter?" You curiously asked to yourself, a slight worry deep in your heart as you walked back to your throne room to check on her and her companion, the music still blasting inside your head.

Those "earphones" your Fontanian kids called, was really something else as they blasted of your son Barbatos' one of the many ballads, only requiring a magical jade to store that tune. Perhaps you could visit your son and see how they are all doing after that whole Usurper ordeal?

"My children truly exceeded my expectations... If only they didn't nearly destroy Khaenri'ah all those years ago, give them a very unnecessary curse and give me one week of detailed work before the new year..." You couldn't help but sigh out "tiredly" and crack your back, rubbing your neck as you opened the huge white gates of the throne room.

Khaenri'ah, your dear children, were unfortunately caught between the crossfire of Celestia and the misled Archons, getting either killed or cursed with monstrosity and immortality. With yet another scheme of the corrupted Heavenly Grounds combined with them being too blind from their greed, the evil surged to the surface near Khaenri'ah and thus... since the only God they believed in was you, the biggest enemy of the Second... They were nearly destroyed completely.

But now, after a very brutal battle on the very same grounds you now peacefully walked on, Teyvat and your children were finally free with no blood of them dripping to the ground. You gave a new hope, a new world where people would thrive and live in harmony.

Children no longer in pain and crying, not being without parents...

Mothers never having to cry for their fallen children and fathers going mad...

However, just like you always thought of your children... They didn't hesitate to surprise you, and on some occasions scare you, with their quirks... It was only natural to be scared for your children, most importantly your baby, right?

Listening to the conversations of your daughter and Lumine with their other companions had always been a joyful experience for you, even when you were yet to take a form and were shackled. Often they joked with each other, or threw sarcastic quips at each other much to your amusement as you saw yourself in your daughter as clear as the day.

With how easygoing and cheerful their conversations would often be, you didn't think there was anything alarming happening as you looked into our orb.

There were times even you, the Mother-of-All, were left speechless...

As soon as the foggy and disturbed watery surface of your orb cleared out with a wave of your hand, and you were able to see the worried eyes of your dear vessel and daughter looking at a young boy with red and brown hair, their conversation made your mom senses 100 times worse.

"Gaming... Are you okay? Did you sleep well? You look like you are about to fall asleep any time!"

"Not really. Just yesterday, I stayed up all night playing cards..."

"Huh? Stayed up all...night? Isn't that- Isn't that a bit concerning for humans?" You worriedly asked your royal guard as he shook his head just as worriedly from behind you, although disguised it better than You did as you repeatedly looked between him and the orb, picked on your lips and pulled on it in worry as if it could somehow make you understand what you just heard.

He wasn't the Mother of All, after all. It wasn't in his nature to worry about the young ones.

"This boy... He surely doesn't give a single care about his health! I didn't create sleep for humans for nothings! One thing they need for completely resting and-and look at this! Unacceptable!" You groaned with a deep, threatening tone, angry and not understanding why humans tried to go against their nature like that, hands on either sides of your hips as you stared at Gaming's reflection and see... Just how really tired his soul was.

Going between a great dilemma for his future, a hard time for him, one that hangs heavily upon his shoulders and the soul you crafted quite carefully and gently.

What was it that made a boy so young such as him so deeply upset that it affected him deep to his core?

Yet... Made him still so sweet and... pinchable?

"Hmm... They seem to be getting along well nonetheless." you affectionately expressed with a hand under your chin, trying to be still positive, lovingly looking at the content smiles of all three children as your daughter feasted upon food after food and was being spoiled to no end by none other than Gaming himself.

The young boy's willingness to pay for everything and not "disturb" other's, even if he earned that Mora in the hard way, impressed you and his kindness and easygoing side was something you had never seen in a human before.

And considering you were the Creator, that said a lot by itself.

But still... His way was one that could be considered as... "Self-destructive", one that rang the alarms of a troubled childhood even from miles away, and also one which needed to be stopped at one point.

Even if it required the two most essential weapons of a mother: "The Mom Voice" and "The Slipper".

Your thoughts were cut short when you saw your daughter's shy yet puffed out cheeks as Gaming cooed at her, you couldn't help but chuckle as well, leaning down over the orb with both hands on your cheeks and heart combusting and running up the walls from the sudden surge of love you felt for the three young children as the other two coddled your daughter, in their own ways of course.

Aww, a fed Paimon is a happy Paimon, huh?

"And just like that, Gaming is her new favourite friend." You giggled at Paimon's flushed cheeks from the orb you watched, Lumine's smug yet peaceful smile after all the traumatic events she went through brightening your face. Gaming's bright smile wasn't so behind on the race of "radiance", his eyes twinkling in happiness at Paimon's happy and wide smile, feeling proud with himself that he was the reason she was a full and happy child at that moment.

That was exactly what you wanted for your children and people to have: Get along well with each other, learn from each other as everyone experienced the world you served beneath their feet... Not fight for their lives in greed and selfishness.

You sighed in relief when you realized that they were fine and happy, a bit tired perhaps from the hard work earlier but still... They were finally being what they were supposed to be from the beginning as they joked together already.

Two teens and a child, though the latter was questionable since Paimon has been there ever since "the Beginning".

"Gaming is one unique boy, just like many of Your creations, Your Highness... Easily well-loved, and befriended even by 'two outsiders'."

You absentmindedly nodded, you attention straying away from the scene before your eyes as you looked at one of the pillars of Celestia in deep thought.

It was no shocker that humans were... weird, in the eyes of other gods.

You created them with compensation and empathy, with the need to socialise and friend others in their journey. The way they would do it, however, entirely depended on their choices and often times, even when shackled, you watched them in amazement with the different routes they had taken with their life.

Some gods didn't want to question your authority, but couldn't help the questions linger in their minds: Why would you built paths for them when you knew the end? When you knew how they would act?

Well, that was the question forbanother day...

But even with knowing it all, Gaming's behaviour shocked even You, who was the one to set the order.

The sixteen-year-old just... gave and gave and gave at an alarming speed, without ever stopping... Without even asking for anything in return.

That wasn't good at all... A person who gives and gives, who is very self-sacrificing with absolutely zero care about their own emotions, trying to gain people's gratitude so that they would continue the relationship/ friendship, definetly experienced a situation where they felt... Invalidated for their feelings.

And You saw it... Even your daughter, who loved food and tea more than anything, hesitated to accept his request for more food and treats to eat after all the things he bought for her.

But in the end, she was just a child. A child who loved treats, especially if it came from someone else.

"You really liked it, huh?... You know what? I'll buy you a whole bunch and pile them so high, you could swim in 'em!"

"You... You noticed what Paimon likes?" you could hear the slight wavering of your little baby's voice as a gentle smile overtake your whole face, your insides filling up with an unexplainable need to crush her to your chest with many kisses all over her chubby cheeks... Although what he said he would do was a bit impossible.

You always knew your daughter had a very soft heart behind her "ugly nickname giving ceremonies" or her sarcastic answers, even when she unintentionally ( or not, at least when she saw someone she didn't like) spoke too much and too loud.

Lucky of her that she had people who loved her anyways.

It seemed Gaming and Lumine also thought the scene to be wholesome as they both smiled with closed eyes at her obviously touched state, Lumine snickering under her breath as Paimon sniffled and blushed while glancing away from Gaming, who also supported a brotherly smile at her.

"Wait... Seriously? Paimon was just joking, you don't have to do... that!... But if you are going to get us something anyways, we would much rather have Winter Melon Cake instead! And you said you hadn't eaten it for so long, so Paimon calls it a win-win."

"Ah, don't mention it! Just think of this as a thank you for all your help." He waved his hand dismissively as he prepared to leave, doubts and anxiety still swirling in his eyes and soul. Yet, he hid all those behind a warm smile and saddened, downcasted eyes.

But there were things he couldn't hide from one entity...

"Besides, the thing between me and my family... It's a long story. It might take some time to tell. You get all hungry in the meantime as I prepare everything, goodbye!"

With that, Gaming sprintered away from the two travellers who looked from behind him with perplexed eyes. Poor Lumine couldn't understand what had just happened, with both Gaming's "story" and the way he abruptly ran away.

Paimon was busy with getting agitated, having had enough, though.

Fortunately, they weren't the only ones who felt that way... Although Paimon's reasons were different than You and Lumine.

"Is he underestimating Paimon? Hah! The audacity! She is just gonna have to show him how much-"

"Paimon could eat, perhaps?"

"Mama!"

Paimon's angry rambling and flapping of her cape ceased, her happily exclaiming as her eyes lightened up with stars when she zoomed in to where you were waiting for her with a closed eyes smile, leaving a trail of constellations in her excitement, head slightly tilted and arms wide open for her to come crashing into and nuzzle to your warm chest.

It had been such a long time after all, the last time you were peacefully together being Sumeru where you had been hiding to gather all your powers back and lead Lumine to where you were.

After a very emotional reunion, answering a lot of questions about the creation in general and the Abyss and Celestia, saving the Sumeru (as in entirety) and their Archon who was apparently your freakin' granddaughter who was very eager to finally meet her grandmother whose voice was the only thing she was able to hear in her dream...

All of you decided to wait for a bit more until everything settled and this silent war was over, to "descend" onto a very much so eagerly waiting Teyvat and declare Paimon as your youngest daughter.

Oh the amount of war flashbacks some people would have because holy shit, they treated and even insulted her- the Creator's child- so badly, they were sure they would get a very torturing punishment...

"Hello, Your High-" A hard, yet teasing, stare of your starry eyes was all it took for Lumine to sweat anxiously and correct herself with a shy smile, cheeks flushing at your serious yet still soft eyes. It wasn't in your nature to chide and get mad easily, although your eldest children would beg to differ about the previous one. However, for your dear ones, they didn't have to use such honorifics when you were all tightly knitted through the fate you let happen.

Besides, Lumine was just so cute with her bashful forgetfullness of adressing you casually, even when you often reminded her.

"Y/N... I hope you have been fine lately?" You hummed pleasantly as you nodded, patting your daughter's back as she nuzzled to your neck for warmth with a toothy smile.

"Hmm... I really was, thank you Lumine. I hope your journey on Chenyu Vale wasn't so harsh?" You inquired with a turn of your body, the floral designs on your dress and the edge of your long sleeves flowing as if they were slowly moving and your mighty crown standing on your head, shining blindingly and setting fear on enemies.

But it only amazed her further, making her stare at you for the power you held in amazement and how easily you could destroy everything and yet, chose not to.

"It was not as harsh as it was then Inazuma's, it was quite pleasing." She answered after a few seconds of pondering, making you laugh out awkwardly and sweat as she smiled kindly at you, knowing how you still held yourself to blame for what Ei had done to both of them and her own people.

I couldn't show her the right path when she needed her mother the most... Of course, I'm one of the people to blame...

That was what you said when you witnessed the pain Ei's grief and twisted thinking of "Eternity" caused to her people. Grief... Grief often blinded logic and the truth right in front of people, which resulted in unwanted situations and the hurt innocent people would have to face.

The sight of lightining scars across Lumine's petite body, a crestfallen look painted with grief raking through her body as your soft hands slowly touched her scars that you offered to heal... You never felt more disgusting and a failure than you did at the moment.

To which she always replied with " They do not hurt anymore, Your Grace..." with a tight and secure squeeze of her hands over yours as she hugged you, the Creator who felt immense guilt for something that happened out of Their control, because of the wrong doing of something else.

A Creator that felt sadness and compassion for one of Their creations so openly...

"Ah, apologies once again... I wish it was just as pleasant as it was with Liyue and Mondstadt but you know-" you shut yourself up with a forced cough, not wanting to remind her of her bad experiences as you stared at her golden eyes, to which she averted eyes and looked at the horizon bashfully under Paimon's judging eyes.

She really better had a little talk with her about Lumine's treatment towards her mother... Before something else came to her mind.

"Mom... There is something Paimon wants to ask your help with!" She excitedly chirped as she got out of your hold and made a flip, kicking her legs as you laughed out at her energy. It wasn't every day that she would ask something from you, especially that happily as if her request was a bright idea.

"Of course, darling of mine. What is it?"

"It's about Ga-Ming and his family!"

Lumine's smile froze on her face as she nervously looked at Paimon, fiddling with her fingers while hinting at her to stop, to which Paimon ignored. "I don't think it is our place to do something about his family, Paimon."

It wasn't that she didn't want to help him, she did. She already loved Ga-Ming and his energetic bursts, how he was always ready to lend a helping hand. She already considered him to be a friend and as his friend, of course she wanted him to be happy.

She knew the value of family more than anyone else, especially after loosing it, but... She was also aware that some things were supposed to stay between family and solved by them, not by some outsiders.

However, it seemed that Paimon had other ideas. As she started to reject Lumine's idea, saying how much he helped them and gave them and that they had to repay back some way, you raised a brow in question at their banter.

You already had a brief idea of what was going on with his family, courtesy of having 15 children directly related to you with different personalities, and what the problem between the father and son was, but it wouldn't hurt to hear it from them.

"Do you mean his father, sweetheart?"

She nods enthusiastically when Lumine budges in to cut her talk. "Yes, Y/N... But I do think that his problem runs a little bit deeper than we can help him with..."

You nodded at her understandingly, knowing the miscommunication going on has been prolonged far longer than it was necessary. Children often didn't notice much, didn't accept or wanted to accept their parents' expectations of them. They wanted to fly with their own wings, even if it could hurt them at first.

The parents didn't make it easy for them either and most of the times... They didn't want to accept their children wanting to go away and be themselves.

And as a result, both sides would drift apart until the other saw from their point of view, not caring that one wanted freedom and the other wanted safety and security for the other, even if it ended with their child angry at them. As long as they were safe and sound to do so... It was all that would matter, even if it seemed like a disrespect in the eyes of the child.

The stubborness of each side would only result in a distance that would severe the bond more and more with each passing day.

Perhaps... All they needed was a little nudge for them to see what both sides were loosing while they were drowning in their own stubborness?

"You are right, Lumine... However, there is nothing that could not be changed with a little help and a nudge towards the right." You hum with a hand over your chin, forefinger tapping your cheek in thought as you cross your arms over your chest. You soon broke out in a smile, having made your mind as you happily made a little jump.

"I shall help you two achieve your goal! The New Year is coming up and I do not wish any of my children to enter a new year full of new chances while being sad and alone."

You would make sure of that.

[oh-my-may]

hi hi hi!

Wanted to pop in rq to talk about recent game stuff again :)

I played Cyno's story quest! After noz liking his first one, I gotta say that with this second one they really stepped up the game and I'm glad about that. I feel like Sumeru kinda got thrown under the bus after giving us some of the most important in game lore when it comes to Khaenri'ah and Irminsul. I've seen lots of people talking about how they didn't like Sumeru as much, criticising the Archon Quest etc.... which I never understood. The desert expsnsions were vast and did get on my nerves a bit but since I love the exploration process it wasn't a huge problem for me. The AQ of Sumeru is my second favorite because you can really see the change in comparison to the other nations... even the story quests of characters were largely really good - Nahida, Tighnari, Alhaitham, Wanderer getting a whole Interlude Quest...

Just Cyno's fell kind of flat following the "old" pattern of the quest somehow completely shifting focus to some NPC and barely having significance to Cyno. THE SECOND QUEST HOWEVER. So good. It really falls in with other recent story quests (that I have all enjoyed): involvement of other playable characters that we as pöayers care about, interaction between beloved characters, spinning in some big lore that ties to the characters and thid time IT ACTUALLY IS ABOUT CYNO. HIS BACKSTORY. HIS ORIGIN. YESSSSS.

I think people should experience the quest for themselves so I don't want to talk abput the plot too much but just... so many Sumeru characters made an appearance and it was so nice to see them again :(( i miss them. It was about time we visited Sumeru again, there has been a suspicious lack of Sumeru content throughout the Fontaine patches, whereas other nations got bigger events etc...

SETHOS MY BELOVED. I can NOT wait for his release. And the fact he's gonna be on Clorinde's banner <333 my collection of electro characters continues. Really like his character design (especially his hair omg???) and generally think it's so interesting of hyv to introduce this story... him and Cyno being two parts of one whole thing but growing up so differently... yet somehow understanding each other when they meet face to face... HIS EYES ARE SO CRAZY TOO LIKE??? HUUUUH???

The cutscene of their fight be my favorite now (not counting Archon or Harbinger fights). IT WAS SO LONG??? EPIC?? The way they were so similar with using the power?? The parallels? Insane.

So yeah... I really enjoyed it. Hopefully Sethos gets a Hangout event soon. I'll definitely build him when he comes out. However I wasn't able to watch the 4.7 livestream (yet) because of my horrendous work times yesterday... gonna do it this evening after work I think. Definitely excited to finally get Clorinde tho <33 depending on how nice she is to me I might try snd get her weapon too ... but I at least have enough pulls atm to get her no matter what (and hopefully some Sethos too...)

So far so good! I actually took some screenshots during the story check it out!

[silenceinternalmonologue]

do you wish to talk about naruto… like I’d love to hear your thoughts on sasuke’s characterization…

oh my god someone asked me about sasuke's characterization. holy shit my time has come. i hope you don't regret this because i'm about to be very annoying

it's such a broad question i didn't rly know where to start so i think i'm going to go through some popular misconceptions people have on various aspects of his character uhhhh

loyalty: not to be all 'sasuke never did anything wrong' but he didn't really do anything wrong. leaving the village and his friends behind was out of a belief that in order to avenge his clan he had to be far more powerful than he was as part of team 7. he was manipulated by itachi (love him tho) and orochimaru who deliberately exploited him as a very young child. he was also given absolutely no support to counteract these influences. kakashi tried to give him a speech, but it was far too little too late

sasuke coped with the loss of his clan by telling himself that being alone made him strong, and being around people made him weak-- because if he had bonds, he would have something he was afraid of losing. and to go after itachi he would have to have nothing to lose. it's not that he didn't care about his friends: it's that he cared so much that he knew they would get in the way of his goal

it's worth remembering that goal was the only reason he had survived up until that point, as he says when facing itachi at the hotel. i have a headcanon that he would have become suicidal if he hadn't fixated so hard on this goal and lived for it, and think itachi also thought this which is why he insisted on getting sasuke to hate him and have something to live for

friendships: a lot of people say sasuke doesn't care about his friends, mostly because he has tried to kill them (specifically naruto and sakura, also karin and he left the rest of taka/hebi behind). again, he does care, to a painful extent. during the fight against gaara's ichibi form, he says 'i won't let anyone else close to me die'. from their very first mission in land of waves, he's extremely protective of team 7 despite convincing himself that caring about people again will be his downfall

although he's already depressed and traumatized by the time he joins team 7, he grows fond of them very quickly and protects them with his life. he also indulges in their shenanigans even though he usually acts like he's above them... but he's just a child too after all. same with taka/hebi: sasuke is supposedly colder than ever by this point, but he helps his teammates and builds a dynamic with them despite always keeping them at arms length

yeah basically people mistake sasuke's quiet exterior and snarky comments for him not caring and use his darkest moments as proof of that. but he's just very introverted, naturally sarcastic and afraid of connecting with people due to his trauma and when he does snap it's because of how much he cares, not because he's a crazy violent murderer

morality: for the vast majority of the show, sasuke is vehemently against killing anyone and even ensures that no taka/hebi members kill either. kage summit arc sasuke is at his very lowest point: konoha had led him to kill the only family he had left after killing an entire clan and traumatizing him for life. it makes sense for him to have a breaking point

it's also worth remembering that here everyone (except naruto) had given up on him and were aiming to kill him. i'm not going to go as far as to say that sasuke fought out of self-defense, but it is clear that he was fighting not in his right mind

sasuke was right to kill danzo, who orchestrated the genocide of all of his people and allowed him to kill his brother who was also a victim of that system. he was also right to want to kill the elders who were similarly responsible. the only goal of his i don't agree with is wanting to destroy konoha which he states at final valley but i'm honestly not even sure how much his heart was in this. i think he just wanted naruto to fight him but that's a topic for another post

basically sasuke did nothing wrong umm anyways on to lighter (?) topics

personality: there's a common trend in this fandom that sasuke's quiet and tough exterior is entirely an act and that he's secretly very soft. i do agree that he's silly (dumb sense of humor similar to naruto's in a lot of ways) and obviously very caring, but i also think that he's genuinely very pragmatic, calculated, and introverted. i think that in a relationship though he would have moments of vulnerability, he still wouldn't be a desperate or submissive type. he shows affection by doing concrete things for other people and helping them even when not asked

his cold demeanor is partially a defense mechanism since he doesn't trust people after the massacre. but it's also because he doesn't place value in pleasantries or hierarchy, and (lovingly) has supbar social skills.

emotional intelligence: sasuke is more emotionally intelligent than people think he is. i think it's easy to see this from the few monologues we get from him, where he's very aware of his own emotions. i think his main issue is putting things into words and communicating his feelings, not that he doesn't understand them

bonus - sexuality: vaguely related to the last point??? but mostly silly, i think because of this emotional intelligence sasuke figured out he was gay pretty early. i mean... he never shows even feigned interest in any women, and no straight person dresses like that COME ON. i think he felt some guilt due to being the last uchiha with a duty to revive the bloodline, but that he also didn't imagine himself living long enough to have a relationship so it didn't really concern him

tldr sasuke is an extremely caring character who loves deeply and desires justice for those people. he's very mentally ill, mainly as a result of a government-sanctioned genocide against his people and being given absolutely no resources to cope with that. he's also incredibly gay. and i love him so mmuch god please put me down before i write anymore

[dawninlatin]

Can I have a sketch with Manorian where Manon is pregnant and Dorian is taking care of her??😭 I love these vanilla

Hiii anon🌞

By sketch, I sincerely hope you mean drabble, bc I absolutely cannot draw🫣 I can write tho, so I hope you enjoy this teensy tinsy snippet since I’m currently on vacation in Copenhagen without my laptop😌 (yes i’m just typing on my phone so pls forgive all errors lmao)

Hi this is me again two days later, at home with my laptop:) As usual what started out as a drabble turned into a whole-ass fic, but I hope you still enjoy it:):) Also I've never been pregnant (and thank god for that) so I take no responsibility for any inaccuracies....

~~~

Manorian one shot, canonverse, 1,5k words

Manon slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the morning sun shining through the curtains. She wasn’t sure what had woken her up this time, but the sunlight meant she’d gotten a few hours of sleep, at least.

With a sigh, she tried to get comfortable, even if that was impossible these days. Next to her, a still-asleep Dorian shifted, throwing an arm over her middle and snuggling close. 

He mumbled something Manon couldn’t make sense of, but she just shoved at him, hissing «Don’t touch me.»

«I just wanna cuddle,» he murmured, his lips caressing her neck in a way that usually would have had Manon wanting and ready.

Instead, she let out a huff, and gave a weak attempt at swatting him away once more, when he didn't move. Manon was usually strong enough to just push him away from her, but right now she couldn't find the energy to bother.

«Just cuddling is what got us in this situation in the first place.» Manon looked at her round belly as she spoke, the thing so big she resembled a beached whale. She couldn’t fathom how she still had a month and a half left to get even bigger.

Safe to say, Manon wasn’t particularly enjoying pregnancy. In fact, she hated it, and couldn’t wait for it to be over so she could have their witchling and her body back. 

She was nothing like the insufferable ladies at court, though, who only spoke in hushed voices about avoiding strechmarks and staying tight down thereso that Dorian would still desire her.

Yes, she missed sleeping comfortably and moving freely, but in the end, the only thing that mattered was that their witchling was born alive and healthy. 

And her current state did nothing to quell Dorian’s desire, it seemed, given by the stiff cock pressing against her thigh at the moment.

That’s his problem to deal with, Manon thought grumpily as she once more pushed his shoulder.

There had been a few months in the middle of her pregnancy, after she’d stopped puking all day and night but before the constant fatigue and body aches, where she’d been insatiable, jumping Dorian at any opportunity, but sex these days required too much moving on her part, so their couplings were few and far between.

«Dorian, move. I’m too warm and clammy for cuddling.» It sounded more like a whine than she’d like, but whining seemed to be her default mode for communicating lately.

Manon also really had to pee, but she always really had to pee, so the heat was the most unbearable at the moment.

They had arrived in Rifthold three days ago for the King’s upcoming birthday celebration, but given that Dorian had been born in the middle of summer, it had been three days of bright sun, no wind and a much too high temperature.

Already, Manon longed to return to the Witch Kingdom. Yes, it may be summer there as well, but it’s location on the western coast of Erilea meant a constant, cooling wind blowing in from the vast ocean. She would give anything right now to feel that wind on her face.

The plan had been to stay for two weeks to attend the royal birthday celebration, and then return to the Witch Kingdom together, where they would remain until well after their witchling was born, but Manon’s hips and pelvis had been aching for days now, the pain only increasing, and she wasn’t sure she could make the trip back to the Wastes if it got much worse. The mere possibility filled her with anxiety. 

They had discussed this long ago, how important it was to Manon that their child was born in the Witch Kingdom. Both because she wanted the comfort of being surrounded by her own, but also because while the curse had been lifted, witches were still wary of giving birth on the previously barren land, fearing it would lead to a stillborn witchling, so if their heir was born on foreign soil, it would send the wrong kind of message.

Manon couldn’t lie still for a moment longer, so she gave the still-sleeping king one final shove, glad that he actually moved this time, then rolled out of bed and waddled her way to the bathing chamber, as she’d done so many times earlier that night.

-

After what seemed like an eternity, Manon returned to their bedchamber to find Dorian awake and out of bed, pulling on a shirt. It annoyed her to no end that he could look so good after just waking up.

How miserable she felt must have been written on her face, because the king gave her a look filled with sympathy. «How was your night?»

Stopping in the middle of the room, Manon sighed «Terrible.» The day had barely begun, but she could already feel tears trying to escape. That was another thing she hated with being pregnant. There were so many emotions. All. The. Time. In one moment, she could storm out of a room in anger simply because Dorian’s presence annoyed her so much, but then in the next she could come back crying, needing to be in his arms, sobbing that «she was sorry for being so mean».

It truly marveled her, how she’d gotten to this point. Standing in the bedchamber she shared with the King of Adarlan, her husband, whom she had married not for alliance or plotting, but love, wearing a loose linen dress, the only item of clothing comfortable enough and big enough to fit her enormous belly because she was so very pregnant, and trying not to burst into tears in front of said husband, which was no worry, really, since she did it all the time now, but she still tried to keep some of her dignity.

Sensing that she neared another breakdown, Dorian came over to her, standing behind her. Manon leaned against him, her back to his front, and his hands immediately went to her belly, caressing it. «How can I make it better?»

Manon didn’t answer him, only closed her eyes, savoring the comfort of his arms. How clingy she’d gotten had been one of the first signs of her pregnancy, as it was common for witches, along with the nausea.

Then Dorian did something incredible. He placed his hands underneath her belly and lifted it, taking  almost all the weight off of her hips and pelvis.

Feeling her whole body straighten, Manon let out a moan, her head falling backwards to rest against Dorian’s shoulder.

When in addition, an ice-kissed wind summoned by the king’s raw magic caressed her face, the relief was so great Manon did start to cry.

«What’s the matter, witchling?» Dorian asked as silent tears trickled down her cheeks. 

She merely leaned into him further.

Manon had spent 117 years of her immortal life locking every emotion, every fear, deep within herself, never showing any weakness or vulnerability, so getting to a point where she could be real and raw with Dorian had been hard, and she still struggled with communicating her needs at times.

Dorian pressed a light kiss to her jaw. «Talk to me, love.»

«I want to go home.» The words came out as a whisper, but Dorian heard them. He hummed, a phantom hand brushing her hair out of her face. The pure love in those simple gestures urged her to go on.

«I can’t take the heat here. I’m always uncomfortable now, but the heat makes it unbearable! It feels like I’m suffocating. And what if I can’t make it back to the Wastes in two weeks? What if I’ll have to give birth here?»

«Then we’ll go back now,» Dorian said, his calm voice grounding her, if only a little. «I need a few hours to arrange things, but if you need to go back, we’ll go back.»

Even if it was exactly what she wanted, Manon shook her head, feeling selfish for making him drop everything just for her. He was a king, after all, and while they had spent as much time together as possible throughout her pregnancy, he still had responsibilities here.

«We can’t just go back. You need to stay here for your birthday celebration, and I don’t want to go back alone.» She let out a sob at the thought. Witches going into labour early wasn’t uncommon, and the thought of giving birth to their witchling without Dorian there scared her more than anything.

«Fuck that. The people care more about the celebration in itself than what they’re celebrating.»

Manon was about to protest, but Dorian stopped her.

«What’s most important to me, is you, Manon, and our witchling,» a phantom hand stroked her belly at that, «and if traveling back to the Wastes is what’s best for you right now, that’s what we’ll do.»

Placing her hands over Dorian’s, Manon nodded once, feeling a little less scared, a little more ready for what was to come. «That’s what we’ll do.»

Taglist: @fireheartfaery @bookishwitchling @celestialams @darklingswhxore @onfma @ireallyshouldsleeprn@sayosdreams @rowaelinismyotp @rainbowcheetah512 @mirubyjane @zoyalovesbooks

[dawn-moths]

I just recently read your fic bout Itto and I was so amazed by your vast imagination in writing. I could never 😭 Plus I really really love Itto so much 🥺💞 Would it be possible to write a same Itto x reader wherein he totally lost control of his animalistic side? But s/o liked it in the end tho XD (Gahd, blame my immoral kinks) Also his s/o giving him a head. (Again, blame my weird fantasies lmaooo.)

If you're not comfortable with it, please ignore this. Still thank you! I'm amazed by how good you are in writing 🌻💓

Well, anon, I certainly didn’t think my first fic of the new year would be something this… intense 😅 But I’m happy to write your request nonetheless. Also thank you so much for your nice words on my previous Itto fic. I plan on writing a part two to that one in the future :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy~!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

“It Feels Better Biting Down”

Itto Arataki x Female Reader

word count: 3600+

disclaimer/content warning: 18+ content! minors dni! this is just full on smut no plot not gonna lie, dubcon, rough sex, reader is called “little one” and “good girl”, biting, manhandling, oral (mutual), blood, hair pulling, choking, aftercare, title taken from “Biting Down” by Lorde, hope i did well by you anon lol.

*ao3 mirror*

***

It comes on quickly, too sudden to change the course of the storm before you already find yourself swirling within the eye, the worst still yet to come.

The way he morphs from being his usual jovial, goofy self one minute into a dangerous, feral monster the next.

Sometimes all it takes is a taste, a scent, a single look, and something about you has Itto forgetting any and all of his learned humanity.

The amber of his eyes dilates from a thin ring around blown out pupils, his gaze overflowing with adoration for you, to all that gold swallowing up his affection, a predator honing in on its prey with a vicious kind of focus.

The moment his grip flexes harder on your hips, tugging you closer, his jaw clenching, you know it’s too late. You could try and get away, put up a fight, as feeble as you know such an attempt would be, but testing that theory in the past only earned you deeper scratches, darker bruises, and a worse aching between your thighs when all was said and done.

So instead, you sit there, trying not to wince as you swallow down the dry lump forming in your throat. The first few times you experienced this, it felt like it was choking you, but Itto taught you soon enough what it really was to suffocate with his two large hands wrapped around your pretty neck.

He holds you close, not in a way to comfort you, but to keep you. Control you.

Your eyes widen with nervous anticipation, a shuddering breath exhaled through your nose as you see Itto’s nostrils flare. He used to joke about being able to smell your fear, the sweet scent getting him drunk the more you squirmed and struggled. Now you think he’d been telling the truth all along, the sharp points of his fangs glinting as one corner of his mouth pulls up into a wider smirk, mean and selfish and hungry.

Yet still, you attempt to bargain. “Itto…” you begin, slow and stern yet with a little tremble of trepidation etched in your tone. “Why don’t we just—” But the rest of the suggestion never comes. It’s sliced in two as a sharp gasp cuts through your words, your back meeting the ground as Itto grabs both your wrists and pins you down, squeezing them until you let out a squeak of pain and start to writhe.

His mouth fills with saliva, sticky and warm with the promise of how delectable the salt of your skin will taste once he latches onto you, how hot your blood will run once his incisors pierce your shoulder and let crimson burst into his mouth.

“Hurts— Itto—!” You weakly try to plead with him, his fists curling tighter around your wrists, pulling your hands up above your head until he can take both your wrists in one of his massive palms, grinding your bones together and drinking in every whimper and whine that spills from your quivering lips as he forces his mouth against yours, his tongue savoring the flavor of you, wanting more, more, more like even if he consumed all of you it could never be enough.

And you bite his lip.

Hard.

Hard enough to draw some of his blood. It’s only a fair trade. Only, none of this is ever really fair, because Itto’s so much bigger than you, so much stronger, able to effortlessly dominate you even in his gentlest and most grounded state. But you continue to allow yourself to count the taste of iron on your tongue as a victory, as it’s probably the only one you’ll be able to claim during this whole ordeal.

And the oni actually laughs when he pulls away to see the dark red of his blood spotting the corner of your mouth, but it’s not a sound of amusement or joy. It’s the low, dark rumbling of a vengeful growl, a vow that he’ll get you back for that.

“Little one wants to play, huh?” he teases with a sinister rasp, flipping you over so that your chest is pressing into the patch of grass he’s pinned you down on, painfully twisting one of your arms behind your back while the other stays shackled against the dirt in his clawed fist. “Fine—” He hooks a talon in one strap of your tank top, gathering the other thin strip of fabric under the same nail and pulling back hard, ripping your shirt and fully exposing your shoulders and clavicles to him, hinting at what he’s planning next. “Let’s play.”

Itto licks his lips, takes in the sight of you like this, completely and unquestionably at his mercy. You feel the hand that had been twisting your arm ball up in the waistband of your shorts then, tugging them down with the sound of tearing threads until they’re tangled up around your knees, being kicked off to your ankles and then abandoned completely.

His teeth always come as a surprise, no matter how many times you feel the shape of his bite imprinted on you, moulding themselves into your skin as if to terraform your body with his molars and incisors, scraping along your pulse to carve out new trails and excavate those sweet, helpless little sounds from deep within the unexplored caverns of your chest.

You might’ve thought the initial sting would be less by now, become dulled the more times you felt it, but it never does. Not quite. And the moment just before he applies enough pressure to break the skin, your eyes well with tears, all your muscles tensing in tandem with the urge to outlast this torment, to prove you can take it.

Because you can.

You can and you will.

As blood trickles down the curve of your shoulder and spots the damp earth beneath you, you hold back a scream, choking on it as you feel it thrash around wildly behind your clenched teeth. Itto laps up your blood, nursing the wound newly created only to gift you with a fresh one minutes later, this time on the other side over the meaty spot right between your shoulder and your neck.

That time, the ghosts of a shriek slip past your lips, the pain sounding like the curling tendrils of fading smoke, elusive and never the same twice. You feel Itto smirk against you before removing his mouth, a few viscous strands of his saliva keeping the two of you connected for a moment before they snap, mixing in with your blood and making you hiss.

More of your tears fall, meeting under your chin in thick droplets that conjoin into one bead that races down the raise of your throat, one of Itto’s palms guiding to lift your chin, craning your neck back as the other hand begins to spread you wider for him, collecting your arousal on his taloned fingertips and spreading it through your folds, pleased with how wet you are for him already.

“Itto— Please—” you can barley utter, your voice a mere whisper as the strain on your vocal chords worsens, his grip curling a little tighter until you’re only able to draw in frantic, panting breaths, feeling like it wouldn’t take much more to turn your vision black and numb the rest of your senses for a little while.

But Itto’s become accustomed to this routine as well, the small sliver of him that remains in control during these animalistic impulses knowing how to read you to ensure that you actually do want this to some degree. And if the desperate pulsing of your needy little hole isn’t the perfect indicator of your mutual craving of him, then it’s the pounding of your heart he can feel against his wrist in your lower stomach as he reaches around to tease you from a new angle, reveling in the way your belly tightens and lurches as he toys with your neglected clit, rubbing tight circles over you relentlessly until your eyes roll back and your jaw goes slack, your own breed of feral moan clawing its way out of you.

“That’s it…” he seems to coo at you, though with a sharp-edged kind of praise, like a shard of broken glass learning how easily it can cut through a sheet, wanting to test its limits until it becomes dulled and the flowing fabric had been reduced to ribbons and shreds. “So good for me— Fuck—!”

He slips a finger into you, feels how your body sucks him in like the first breath of air after breaking through the surface of deep water, relieved but greedy for more. So he slips in a second and you keen, back arching as his thumb continues to nudge at your clit, overstimulating you until your vision spots with bursts of violent vibrance, flashes of gold forming fissures and cracks in your mind, little pathways that always lead you back to him.

You’re about to spill over the edge and he can tell, but then he’s withdrawing his fingers and turning you back to face him, causing a whine of frustrated protest to sneak through your veil of satiated exhaustion as the coil in your core that had been so close to snapping slowly starts to relax.

You want to argue that it’s unfair, that the agreement the two of you made for when situations like this arise is that, so long as Itto pleasures you, he can be as rough as he wants. But the moment you look down and see the intimidating bulge in his pants, you know what he wants. And you’ll give it to him, for a price.

“Are you coherent enough to remember the deal?” you nearly spit at him, face furrowed with what might’ve been fury— a challenging dagger of a glare— if not for the masochistic undertones your desperate little doe-eyes were implying.

Itto nods, though the vacancy in his stare tells you he doesn’t care to honor it, that he hadn’t even been listening in the first place, so when he gets close enough, you comb your fingers into his mane of shaggy white hair, form a fist, and give a sharp tug.

“Then say it to me,” you order, a small groan of pleasure stuttering past the oni’s lips as your grip remains unrelenting.

Itto cracks another one of those sharp-toothed smirks, his eyes shimmering with mirth for a moment before remembering that he was the one in control. He pulls you on top of him as he leans back, you already beginning to unbuckle his belt as he answers with only a hint of sarcasm, “I’ll do yours if you do mine.”

As his aching cock springs free, already dripping with that pearly pre-cum, more leaking from the blushing tip as you take it in your hand, you say with a sharp, warning tone, “Don’t forget it.”

And, while you always looked forward to the magic Itto could work with his mouth over and inside of you, the deep, rumbling groans and stifled, high-pitched whines you were able to draw from him as your lips wrapped around his tip, tongue teasing along each vein and curve of him as you worked further down his shaft, new tears wetting your lashes as he hit the back of your throat and made it hard— if not damn near impossible— to breathe, well…

Those sounds were more than enough to keep you going.

Now it was his turn to take a fistfull of your hair and tug, needing something— anything— to tether himself to as your warm, wet mouth and tightly constricting throat washed wave after wave of pleasure through the shores of his body. He was so lost in the lust-fueled haze that he nearly forgot that he liked it best to be inside that tight little cunt of yours when he came. Not that he would’ve minded watching you wince and struggle to swallow the bitter ropes of his thick, white seed, but he knew that, if this were to be allowed to continue he needed to make sure you felt good too.

“F-fuck…” Itto stuttered through a sigh, unsure whether the fist balled up in your hair was trying to pull you away or force you to take him deeper, his cock twitching as you choked on him, your eyes beginning to flutter and roll from the lack of oxygen. “Alright, alright, alright—” he stammered, finally gaining enough willpower to pull you off of him lest he finish before he could start his real work on you. “Fuck… You’re too good at that…”

For a second, it was almost as if that blinding ferocity had melted away, even the most jagged of rocks worn down smooth when placed in the path of a river for long enough. But then the softness of his placated desire seemed to return to itself, all that raw power and fanged instinct flooding back into him as the dam broke and the smooth rock of reprieve was completely washed away.

Itto pinned you back to the ground with a force hard enough to rattle your bones, stirring fear back into your bloodstream and injecting it into your marrow as he slid you closer to him, fingertips digging into the plush meat of your thighs, hooking one of your knees over his shoulder before pushing the other closer to meet your chest, splitting you open wider for him like he would a ripe pomegranate with his bare hands, eager to lap up the sweet, tangy juices that burst from the ruby fruit.

But he makes good on his promise, on your deal, and that’s all that really matters, right?

How’d he put it? I’ll do yours if you do mine. Yeah, that sounded about right.

“Fuck— Itto—!” you moaned through a shuddering gasp as his tongue pressed hard and flat against you, laving up your drenched cunt to suck on your throbbing clit, once again twisting that coil in your gut into a near painful kind of pleasure. When he speared his long, wet muscle into your neglected hole, you cried out loud enough for the upturn of your pitched moan to echo through the little glade you two had found for yourselves today.

Good thing camp was more than a mile away. Though, if you really stopped to think about it, if any of the others had ever heard what you and their leader got up to during the off hours in the day and the odd hours of the night, would they dare say anything about it?

You often thought how Itto’s love was a lot like how some animals eat their young— the mothers devouring that which is weaker than them to give themselves more strength— the way he wanted his mouth and teeth and tongue to know every single inch of your being, especially when there was the anticipation of a battle on the horizon, the intensity sometimes causing you to question your own safety. Though, the oni had yet to truly go too far and scare you to the point of making you reconsider whether you wanted these kinds of relations between you two to cease entirely.

Plus, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t crave the thrill of it all from time to time too.

By the time you were coming completely undone for the first time that session, Itto’s face was shiny and slick from the obscene mixture of his spit and your glistening arousal, his tongue repeatedly poking out to lick at the corners of his lips and collect the excess so as not to waste any parts of you he was lucky enough to get, all the while watching as your trembling, broken form lay in the grass, limbs sprawled out in this angle and that as you failed to register anything concerning your own body beside the immense pleasure that was fading as the slow drip of reality fused back into your veins.

But the two of you were far from done.

Itto hadn’t even come yet.

And, by your own moral standards, that wasn’t very fair, now was it?

Just barely able to feel the grass under your back and catch your breath again, Itto was back on you, slotting himself between your hips and allowing his shadow to engulf you, blocking out the glare of the setting sun behind his silhouette.

“Think you’ve had enough?” the oni taunted, cradling your face in his palms, burning the image of your fucked-out expression into his mind. When you didn’t respond, he gave your cheek a light slap, startling you back to the situation at hand. “Well, I guess that doesn’t matter…” he chuckled, wrapping his hands around your throat. Once again, it was too late for you to react before you realized what was about to happen. “You’re done when I say you’re done.”

The fading embers of your adrenaline burst back to the scorching life of a raging wildfire, not even given the chance to finish sighing out your current exhale before your right to breathe was confiscated.

You clawed at his hands, his wrists, his arms, fighting with everything you had to steal even a quarter of a breath, but Itto wouldn’t allow it. He’d only surrender to your struggling when all your fight had died and you fell limp beneath him. He liked it when you went all soft and slack for him, pliable like the beautiful red clay that sometimes lined the cliffsides near the shore, their natural dyes bleeding into the lapping ocean. 

Itto’s flesh was marked with dozens of tiny, red scratch tracks now, your little nails biting into him until the asphyxiation claimed you and you stilled, your eyes fluttering shut as your chest convulsed and stuttered. Itto let you go then, of course, but got straight back to his main objective while you slowly returned to the land of the living.

By the time you were registering your surroundings again, the vast canopy of trees overhead sending lilac sakura petals drifting down with every new gust of wind, Itto had already positioned himself between your thighs, his aching cock in one hand and lined up with your drooling hole.

He didn’t even warn you that time, just buried himself down to the hilt inside of you with one harsh thrust, knocking the wind from your lungs in an entirely different way as your body struggled to accommodate the sheer girth of him.

You only had a moment to adjust, though, with someone of Itto’s size, even when you two were taking it slow and he was being as gentle and considerate as possible, it was still hard to get used to the sweet, stinging stretch of his length.

You were sure he was going to tear you in two, split you right down the middle until you were broken and ruined and unraveled in a way that only he knew how to put back together again. So when his pace quickly became the ravenous, relentless speed that it often was in the end, all you could do was lay there and let him take you, gripping his horns in your sweaty, trembling fists to anchor yourself to something other than the pain that someone with so much raw power could bestow upon you.

But, as Itto knew well by now, he had a responsibility to ensure that you were able to enjoy this too, even if only by a fraction of the pleasure you allowed him to pillage from your body when he got like this.

So he let you come again, your insides constricting around him in tandem with your final, tortured whines and finally giving him exactly what he needed to overflow you with his balmy love.

There was always so much of it— so much that your body could never quite contain it all, both your combined juices dribbling down your ass and staining the tender insides of your trembling thighs— and no matter how many times the two of you engaged in your bodies’ mutual desires, the bulge that formed in your belly from how much he’d filled you up always came as bit of a surprise.

“That’s it…” Itto sighed, sated, nearly collapsing on top of you as he started to go soft inside, always loving the way you felt cockwarming him in the afterglow of your orgasms. “That’s a good girl… Knew you could take it… So good for me…”

And just like that, with the monster inside of him now fully fed— for the time being, at least— you had your gentle giant back.

Itto carefully pulled out of you, scooping you up in his arms and cradling you against his chest, feeling your warm breath fanning over his dewy skin as your heart rate steadied and the post-sex sleepiness began to overtake you.

You looked like you’d just been through hell— all bitten and bruised and hair mussed in a tangled mess— but Itto stared down at you dozing off against him like you were his little angel, perfect enough to rival the Archons themselves.

He found you beautiful in every way he’d ever seen you, but when you looked like this, with proof that you were his, only his marked in reds and blues and violets across your tender flesh…

It might’ve been his favorite.

So, after carrying you the short distance to a little cave he’d scouting out near the glade, Itto made you comfortable while he cleaned you up, gingerly tended to your wounds the best he could, and then snuggled you back up to his chest, smoothing your hair away from your face and watching you drift off into sleep, already looking forward to when your bruises and bites would inevitably fade and he’d catch you out in some deserted area of the island by chance, both of you ready to partake in this feral ritual all over again.

Because, similar to sinking your teeth into the tender, juicy flesh of a ripened fruit, Itto’s love felt better biting down.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

[dulltoned]

I stand with the hc that Branch has one hell of a stomach, and that sweets aren’t his strong suit- he doesn’t mind the occasional cupcake or cookie, but he definitely doesn’t have the same tolerance as Poppy or any other troll-

I like to think the brothers all have different levels of tolerance to sugar, and their diets are a lot different than a common pop troll (seems like pops are the only one who ever really live off a lot of sweets from what we’ve got- correct me if I’m wrong tho-)

JD, I feel like, has the most similar diet to Branch, since he lived a lonesome life and most likely had to feed off of what the forest had and what little he could get his hands on, such as berries and whatnot- like Branch, he wouldn’t be as tolerant to sugar, but it isn’t half as intense as Branch- or maybe he’s just not that big of a fan-

now, Bruce, from what we’ve seen of his restaurant, seems more into sea food than anything, so his diet most likely consists of that- since he has kids, he’d be a lot more tolerant to sweets since you cannot tell me this man didn’t sneak in a few whenever the kids got to eat some- he gives “cool dad” vibes that shares everything with his kids- he’s open to anything new (another quirk he attained from having kids) and he isn’t that picky when it comes to food

Clay’s diet consists of fast food, such as fries, burgers and whatnot- definitely a lot of sugar too, so out of all of them, he’s definitely the better one at keeping sweets down-

for Floyd, I feel like the food he ate was rather vast- we aren’t entirely sure what he did during the 20 years alone, but I like to hc that he explored troll kingdom, most likely trying out the different dishes in each territories and just evolving his preferences and all- between all of them, he’s got the biggest range of tastes, and he’s never afraid to try out something new- sweets are fine for him, he just doesn’t go overboard unlike some others-

-🪶

I've always loved the idea that Branch doesn't stomach sugar well, but while it makes sense for him as a character I also acknowledge that I'm projecting onto him. Sugar makes me ill and it's interesting to have a character that I think can relate to that.

I think it'd be an interesting thing for Poppy to realize. Poppy is obviously a very excitable and very giving troll and I imagine that she'd give Branch a lot of sweets just because it's customary amongst Pop Trolls. Branch, the poor lovesick idiot, would feel bad letting Poppy's hard work go to waste so he'd just eat it and endure the stomach ache later.

At some point or another Poppy would discover Branch curled up, unwell over the sugar overload, and he'd be forced to confess that he doesn't really do sugar. Poppy would feel so guilty and Branch would feel even more outcasted from the Pop Trolls even after he'd regained his colors.

Poppy starts making him muffins and scones instead, less sugar and no frosting, and Branch finds that they actually aren't that bad. He still can't stomach the whole thing at first but he finds that some pastries are actually pretty good. His favorite is the lemon poppyseed muffins. No reason. Don't look into it too much.

[aqua-dan]

What advice would Mera and Arthur give teenage Garth if Roy was bullying him

Sorry that it has taken me so long to answer this, but to be honest, I've had a hard time formulating a response to it. I feel like there's so many different nuances that I have to explain and I don't even know where to start...

Okay, I suppose I'll try to answer the base ask first: They probably wouldn't have much advice for him. It would probably be something along the lines of "ignore him" or "try not to worry about it." Unfortunately, I doubt that either Mera or Arthur would have much good advice for him in a situation like that.

Beyond that, it really makes me want to ramble about Roy and Garth's early relationship because it is so messy and complicated. To be honest, Garth really wasn't around Roy all that much during his teenage years. They converged on a few missions through the Teen Titans, sure, but after Roy joined the team permanently, there wasn't all that many times that Garth got to interact with him. (Retcons have changed this a little bit, but.... I prefer this version...) In those few interactions they had, most of them were negative. Roy had a lot going on in his life and that caused him to lash out at people. This wasn't fair to them, mind you, but he did it to just about everyone.

Eventually, Roy started to grow a lot as a person and stopped being so much like that. The other Titans got to see his growth and they all grew pretty close. But since Garth was absent most of the time, he didn't get to bond with Roy the same way the other Titans did.

Because the very limited interactions they had were mostly negative, Garth held onto the idea that Roy was a total jackass and specifically didn't like him.

On Roy's side, that's not at all true. Yeah, Roy was definitely a douchebag when he was younger, but he does not hate Garth. The things he said to Garth that came off negatively weren't specifically about Garth. He would have said it to anyone in those situations.

When they started to interact as adults, they held two VERY different views of how their relationship was. Garth thought Roy not-so-secretly hated him (and also thought he was racist towards Atlanteans), and Roy probably felt fairly neutral towards Garth but also had a little bit of nostalgia about him by proxy when talking about the old Teen Titans. I think that he WANTED to be closer with Garth, so he defaulted to the old jokes and jibes that seem to have worked for the other members regarding Garth.

Garth... wasn't fantastic at standing up for himself when he was younger, so he didn't make it very clear how much those comments upset him. He would tell Roy to stop, but never really enforced it much, thus allowing Roy to think it was all part of the little "game" between them. He thought he was coming off as affectionate in his teasing, and Garth never set the boundaries in an adult fashion to make it clear how much he didn't like it. (That isn't to say that Roy shouldn't have stopped when asked-- he just didn't understand HOW serious it was.)

That was until Gargoyle manipulating their emotions sort of forced them to confront this whole thing. I very much wish that comics meta hadn't made it so the confrontation became slightly moot after that point. Regardless, Roy's reaction to Garth actually telling him what he thought about him/his actions is VERY telling about Roy as a character and how he viewed all of their interactions.

They still clashed after this, but also had some very interesting conversations where they were able to meet in the middle.

If I were in charge of writing for them, I would LOVE to go and explore their relationship more and build off of that conflict. I would love to set up a situation where they are forced to confront this stuff again.

I'm off topic now tho.... But my point here being that Roy really didn't bully Garth in the classic sense. He absolutely DID put Garth down and make him feel awful, but the vast majority of it came from misunderstandings, miscommunication, and simply not being around each other much. So many of their issues could be resolved if they just TALKED.

So idk if the opportunity for Garth to ask Arthur or Mera advice on this would even arise, necessarily? Garth didn't really talk to them about this kind of stuff, and also the situation was far more complex than your typical childhood bullying.

I hope this provides at least a somewhat satisfactory answer! And sorry that I don't have more specific things to say on the Arthur/Mera front!

[rahleeyah]

Hey Leah,

Have you watched M’s interview/panel for SAG-AFTRA? It’s so good and gives insight to her career. She continues to kinda call out Dick Wolf about what he says Olivia can and can’t do. It’s so maddening how she has to fight for her character to be more human and multifaceted.

I haven't seen it bc I have a disease that makes me allergic to watching videos however I have seen people talking about what was said 🤣 the thing I've been thinking about is like yes, obviously, to portray a woman realistically, humanely, she has to be multi faceted. But. Olivia was, from the jump, multifaceted. She was the one, in literally the first episode, who wanted to let a killer go free; her struggles with the warring parts of herself were there from the first episode. She's gentle and violent, sad and furious and compassionate; we have seen her with lovers, with friends, her brother, her child. We have seen her Liv laugh loving for a quarter century and it would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to imo find a character who is more layered and developed than her, anywhere.

The show was is always has been always will be a procedural. Which is a really, really compelling format bc it develops the characters in the context of the work that they do. It shows us, in small glimpses, over the course of years, who these people are based on how they respond to the remarkable circumstances they find themselves in. It's hard to actually thread that needle well, balance the mystery of the hour against the characters' personal stories, but the push and pull between the two is why we watch. We pour over every detail, watch breathlessly in the hope that maybe this time we'll see some small clue that confirms our suspicions, lose our minds at the big moments precisely because they are rare, small, fleeting; too much and it's no longer special, but rather expected.

There are other shows - this is us springs to mind, Parenthood, I'm sure there's more recent ones but I'm not up on new shows - that focus on who the characters are at home. That's an entirely different format, tho, is antithetical to what l&o is. There are other procedurals that lean more into the personal; people talk a lot about castle, for example, and how they did things over there, but castle was always a comedy. It was the odd couple gags, and romance was central to its appeal - yes it was dramatic but broadly its goal was not gritty drama. It is not the same kind of show.

All of this to say - of course Olivia doesn't go on vacation in the show, except that we know she went to the Bahamas with Brian. Of course we don't see her getting drunk with her friends in the show. Except, of course, trauma in a pear tree, which I thought rode the line of tension between "who are these people when they're off the clock" and "we have to show them doing their job" in a good way. We saw Olivia get drunk in a moment where she's struggling with heavy emotions, around her son, around Elliot, when she's spending time with arguably one of her best friends, in a place where they literally don't have anything else to do. We did see her let her hair down and we did get to catch an unguarded glimpse of her heart. But it maintained the same tone as the rest of the show, and it was so special bc we'd never really seen that before.

So much, the vast majority of, the characters personal lives takes place off screen. That's baked right in; that's how the show works. And I don't think we need to see everything in order for Olivia to be multifaceted, and like I said up top we have seen so much. I don't think there's a single corner of her heart, her life, we haven't seen.

And something else I've been thinking about a lot recently is that Olivia is herself more legend than woman. She is remarkable, in unrealistic but deeply compelling ways. Enduring and righteous and unbreakable. She is built of all of the thousands of tiny moments of personal life we've seen, and all of the thousands of earth shattering horrors we've experienced with her. She is not Olivia, without the horrors. The show isn't gonna give us Olivia at home for more than a few minutes at a time, isn't going to show us Olivia at the grocery store unless it helps bring home the point the show is going to make, bc that's not the kind of show it is, but also bc in order to maintain the legend some kind of mystique must also remain. To be a legend she must be legendary; if she is too ordinary, she is no longer remarkable. And for all that we complain about how long it's taken to get eo, it is the chase that compels us. The fervent desire to glimpse behind the curtain, the hope that maybe this time, that's what keeps us coming back. If they gave us everything we wanted when we wanted it we'd have all stopped watching years and years ago. It is precisely because the personal moments are rare that they stand out so strongly, resonate so deeply.

[elbdot]

Jesus christ so hey congratulations on completing tha dubs! Excited to experience them later this month 😄

I do want to take this opportunity tho to ask about your overall thoughts on S&V? Like what you think of the stories, characters, and....Paldea's possible inclusion in these comics 👀?

Excited to hear your thoughts!

OKAY I've gotten a bunch of Pokemon S&V Questions since November and now that I FINALLY played through the game I can FINALLY answer them HERE WE GO

POKEMON SCARLET AND VIOLET IS... GOOD

IS REALLY GOOD

It has some really nice storylines, some weaker, some stronger, I REALLY liked the characterization of all the Team Star Admins (even though the team's backstory is a bit all over the place), Arven was my favorite, followed by Nemona and Penny is- Penny is certainly there 😶

Geeta is not really a memorable champion...I don't really care much for her, but I do find it interesting that she's apparently quite unpopular amongst the Gym leader for her strict management. I don't think we ever had an in-universe unpopular Champion before.

My favorite part of the game was undoubtedly exploring the region with my Pokemon! Taking on the Gyms was more of a chore I had to do to be able to catch and train higher leveled Pokemon but I gotta say, the Gym challenges were always really fun and sometimes I reseted my game just to play the mini-games again :D

But I THINK I spent the most time trying to take selfies and pictures of me and my Pokemon whenever something fun happened or I found a really nice location or the sun was about to set. Taking photos is a HUGE hobby of mine and games that give me this kind of freedom with the photo-option are a HUGE plus in my book (You have NO idea how much time I spent in the USUM Photo Club Mini game)

I gotta say tho the Pokemon of this Region...?

BIGGEST weak point in my opinion. WEIRDEST bunch I've ever seen. Weird doesn't always have to mean BAD but in this case...yeah no there were a lot of weird AND bad ones in there, sometimes great concepts but VERY STRANGE execution that left a lot to be desired for me personally.

I was very open to what kind of Pokemon I would catch in this game. I ended up having only ONE new Paldean Pokemon on my team. And it wasn't even an all new Pokemon, it was Paldean TAUROS :'D Gotta say tho, I never cared THIS much about Tauros before. REALLY love my big black bull (ye I have the regular one, the rare ones are cool but I fell in love with this big fella)

I had a Kilowattrel and Amarouge on my team for a bit, but I switched them out after a while, I was really hoping I'd click with Amarouge more, but in the end I gave space for old and familiar faces instead. Kilowattrel I really like tho! But the fact I could walk around and interact with some of my favorite Pokemon overworld made me SO obsessed with adding them onto my team, THIS is the kind of Pokemon experience I've been waiting for for quite a while :DD

I haven't played through post game yet and I haven't finished all of the school classes yet, but I'm looking forward to complete them, as the cast of this game is really vast and fun!

In case of the comics however, just like with Galar I don't think we'll see an inclusion of this region within the story. Given the narrative of Scarlet and Violet, it would also be difficult to tie in its story with those of EAA and to be honest - I know you guys want to see El and her friends in other regions, which is very sweet, I'm happy you care so much about her that you want to see them travel around the world! But...I NEVER felt the desire to make this comic a world travel tour and I don't really understand where this idea came from that so many people expect El to leave Alola any time soon :'D

"El's Alolan Adventures" will continue to be about El's Adventures in Alola :'D I still love Alola and since El is currently Alolas Champion, she doesn't have any plans to leave the region any time soon and there are still SO many stories to tell with the cast of the Alola region! DON'T FORGET Gladion's Arc I still need to finish!!

HOWEVER

I THINK it's a fair assumption that you'll definitely see SOME fanart from me for this region :D In fact, you can already see my first (ANIMATED) piece on patreon! ☺️

AND I'll show a few more of my "travel pictures" as I've taken...A LOT of them... BUT YEAH Pokemon Scarlet, best main-line game since Sun and Moon for me!! OH and Legends of Arceus was REALLY FUN too of course

[blade-that-was-broken]

How does Rosiepuff react to seeing all the boys again and learning all about, well, everything?

In I’m Still Here au.

Rosiepuff kinda be like ‘sweet I get to see my grandsons again.’ When they left the first time, she didn’t actually think she’d ever see them again. In honesty she never thought she would end up leaving the Tree either. So seeing them is a pretty joyous occasion. Obviously seeing JD would be a shock considering she’s thought he was dead for the last several years.

I think a tiny part of her might be like where has he been? Kind of mindset but the vast majority of her conciousness knows he loves his brothers way too much to purposefully put Branch in that position and give him that pain (of thinking he was dead). She, correctly, guesses that something bad happened and it was just a crappy coincidence.

Rosiepuff doesn’t have a ton of hard feelings towards her daughter in law, although of course she doesn’t agree with her actions. She’d be surprised to hear that was originally who they were going to rescue. She doesn’t think her daughter in law would ever contact them. I think Rosiepuff might theorize she is dead but idk it doesn’t matter.

So yeah I mean she’s pretty happy. Seeing her grandsons again is pretty awesome. Learns she had great grandchildren which makes her feel super old. Idk if she’d travel to vacay island or not cause that’s pretty far for someone her age but maybe?

I kinda want Rosiepuff to do the pinching and smushing face child thing with Clay (even tho I don’t think she generally does that) cause he’s got a baby face (idk a little bit maybe) and I think it would be funny and ironic.

[petrichorium]

fandom spaces are so skewed with regard to pregnancy and parenthood it is all one note of course a baby makes life better and everything will go great and even if you want to be a parent that kind of fic gets old and i know there are a lot of people who never want kids so where are the lets get an abortion fics? the hold my hand and tell me im brave and awesome while i get an iud fics? the you getting a vasectomy is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me fics? i would love love love to read stuff like that and i have a bunch of half baked fics that will never ever be seen because im the worst in the world at writing dialogue

Yeah I made a lil post about it but in most romance circles having children is portrayed as just. Part of the happy ending. And that puts a bad taste in my mouth obviously because to me that’s literally HORRIFYING and society at large thinks I’m a selfish pig for it when for the vast majority of women motherhood means giving up who you are for the sake of your husband’s precious little progeny. And like!!! if u wanna fantasize I’m not gonna shame u obviously u can write what u want and that’s perfectly fine but u also don’t get to silence me and my fantasies when I talk about them. I get to write what I want and I get to have a reaction to trends and it really is not about a single person ever so like get over yourself if ur taking it personally. (Literally not directed at anyone but the anons who consistently jump in my inbox when I talk abt this stuff)

Anyway I don’t plan to write abt much of this stuff (tho admittedly the initial gojo post began as a let’s get an abortion post that I started writing and then… decided I didn’t have the spoons for today) but I do have a bunch of “no children talk” fics in the works bc I think that’s v fun to explore!!!

[megarywrites]

For the Writer (& Artist) Ask Game: 1, 10, and 26? ^.^

thanks! gonna put it under the cut because you know how i get lol

1 | Who was your first ever OC? Do you still "use" them? How have they evolved over time?

Zurri my love my angel my sweetheart. She's one of the 4 POV characters from the WIP I'll be returning to once I've completed both books in Seafoam, and she'll actually be the first one who will be introduced when the book starts. She has evolved.................just so much since her creation lol. She's been my best babygirl since 2012 when my sister and I were working on her story and what will be the Cycle of Dracrie (CoD) series. The story she is (technically, no I won't elaborate) introduced in will be called Visions from the Pool, and it's an extremely loose Snow White retelling, with little miss Zurri as our leading lady. At the original conception of this story, the world and magic system was so vastly different than what I'm doing now...I can't really figure out where to begin to describe her differences. What has stayed the same, though, is her feeling of being an outsider and a sense of not belonging to the place she was raised in. She feels lost in life and curious about the world beyond the borders of the encampment she grew up in. There will be a chance for her to escape and experience life for herself and find somewhere that she can truly call home, but it'll take some time.

10 | OC you most struggled to make?

in terms of Seafoam, I'd probably have to say Geros (the Diamo, aka who most will consider the main antagonist of the duology). I think creating villains is one of my writing weaknesses, and I hope I'm doing his charisma and gentle yet violent nature justice, but we'll see. for CoD...again, probably the main antagonist for the entire (15-book) series. I've been thinking about him a lot lately and trying to sort out his motivation (spite, mainly, but also a love of chaos) and the actual logistics of redacted plot things lol he's gonna be fascinating, hopefully tho...very puppet master-esque in terms of his role in the fate of Dracrie/Thiortha (i hope i can pull it off lol)

26 | What are your favorite books?

oh jesus uh....okay

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende - magnificent. if you've never read it, I cannot recommend it enough. It's a childhood favorite of mine and I was as wrapped up in the story as Bastian was when I first read it, and, in my opinion, it still holds up when reading it as an adult. Also, I've just always loved the use of color in the actual text, switching between green and burgundy when going between Fantasia and Bastian's real life

The Starless Sea but Erin Morgenstern - the aesthetics of this one...the non-linear story telling...the poetic prose...it's all chef's kiss. it was the first book I read in ages, because I had been going through a reading slump (depression lol) and it had been literal years since I picked anything up and I decided to give it a try and I loved it. Her prose is so beautiful and she's one of the authors I'm inspired by when it comes to learning from them with regards to my own writing.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - I mean, obviously, right? He's the father of the high fantasy genre, my dog is named after Frodo, ofc I love his work lol I try to listen to the audiobooks whenever I go on hikes just to feel included, it's great. He's another one of my inspirations when it comes to writing, because I just adore how vast his world-building is, how he writes male characters, and the earnest and authentic message of hope and fighting for what's write that so beautifully alive in this story.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - a stunning and evocative piece of literature that has captivated me since I originally read them way back when. She, again, is one of my writing inspirations because of her masterful use of first person pov, which is something that I generally dislike to read, and her impeccable story structure (which is something I'm leaning toward using with Seafoam)

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - okay, hear me out. I know she is a controversial figure now, but no one can deny the grip that this series has had on the world since it was first released. The wizarding world was so rich and inviting that even I, who wasn't allowed to read/watch it at all when I was growing up (because of religion) wanted to be a part of it. That in and of itself is something I'd like to strive for with my world-building--creating something so tangible and fascinating that readers flock to it. Probably never to that degree of success, of course...gotta be realistic lol

and last but certainly not least

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini - aka my first introduction to the fantasy genre. I used to reread it every summer and whenever a new book in the series was coming out. Life has unfortunately gotten in the way of me reading the most recent addition to the series (a spinoff starring one of the important side characters) but it's patiently waiting for me whenever I do have the time to dedicate to a proper reread and first-read of the new book

send me author/artist asks?

[newbie-i-guess]

Hi! Zuko or Aang for the headcanons game?

Hi leaf!!! Ok so I’m going to do only zuko cause I really don’t think about Aang all that much (I should tho I love him), in other hands I think about zuko and the fn royal family way too much for my own good. So let’s go!

Zuko

Realistic: I like to think of firebenders as more sensitive to the cycle of the sun than they actually are in the show, specially in relation to sleep patterns. So if zuko would be to go live in the south pole it would be absolute hell for him, since in summers he’d be an awful insomniac and in winters he’d be basically hibernating.

May not be realistic but it’s hilarious: I love the idea that in adult gaang Zuko turns out to be second shortest, getting just behind toph but not by much. And it’s not even that unrealistic!! We see in the Kyoshi novels that air nomads tend to grow really tall, and that’s one of the reasons Kyoshi herself is so tall, bc she’s half air nomad. I’m a tall katara truther, and Sokka also has a lot of potential to fill up. Iroh is also really short so it’s really not that much of a stretch.

Heart crushing and awful but fun to inflict on friends: I really love when in fanfics they make Zuko actually deaf and actually blind in his scarred side, so that’s what’s true in my mind. Also he can’t cry out of that eye. That would be such an interesting detail.

Unrealistic but canon is my clay to play with: ok so I really hate that he immediately became fire lord. Yes he’s deserving, yes he’s capable, yes he wanted it. BUT BRUH HES A SEVERELY TRAUMATIZED 17 YEAR OLD. That is too much pressure, he just started actually living his life in the end of season 3 and immediately has to sacrifice it for a soul crushingly lonely job. Now, who’s is an Adult, considered Wise for the vast majority of people who come across him, who is Prepared for the position because he spent at least the first 60 years of his life being crown prince? FUCKING IROH. how could he leave his so called beloved nephew alone? Like not even an advisor?? I get the tea shop was his dream but damn man, you’re the adult here, step the fuck up. Not saying he should never take the throne but like make him second in line, it’ll give zuko a good few decades to actually live and heal.

[honey-tragedy]

what TMA alignments the batboys would have

dick: stranger all the way! full on stranger, he is the strangest little guy and we love him for that. hes got the circus motifs, hes got the wild and wacky outfits. hes got the constant identity issues and the name changes. dicks even got the body horror, uncanny valley aspect down to a science with his " look at me i dont have any bones" flexibility.

the stranger would take one look at that little dude and the proceed to fist fight bruce wayne in a denny parking lot for full custody over dick. Honorable mention goes to the buried for this one.

jason: most would assume jason would be slaughter or end aligned but i think thats for fools and cowards. jason todd is just to perfect of a fit for the corruption or the lonely. look me in the eyes and tell me jason, the only proof my dad loves me if is he kills this guy for me, todd doesn't radiate corruption vibes.

tell me with a straight face that jason, "if our fredship ment anything to you at all." "it didn't",( it did, i just wanted to hurt him), todd wouldn't fit so so well into the lonely.

im gonna have to give it to the corruption tho, the coffin bugs hes got in him are like his only stable healthy relationship at this point. Honorable mention to the vast tho.

tim: the eye would take a single look at the boy and claim dibs. although the web is a very solid second. tim just fits far to well into the mastermind it cant be ignored but like bruce his obsession with gathering information and knowledge means that manipulating other falls to the wayside. his smarts and detective ability are second to non and his origins have such quintessential eye vibes it just fits so well. i mean, the stalking, the figuring out of identity. its just so hoarder of knowledge the eye is the one true choice.

the only reason he doesn't fall more into the web is his stalking

nobody can convince me that Annabelle and tim wouldnt get on like a house on fire, property damage and casualties included so its probably better thats he eye aligned. plus the parallel bettwen him and bruce is to good to pass up.

Honorable mention to the desolation if only for his glorious distruction of the league basses.

damian: damian is a hard choice, im split almost 50/50 between the desolation and dark. ironically both haveing a cult or religious aspect just adds to the overalls feeling. while the desolation fits will with his time in the league im gonna have to go full in with the dark over all.

he was never afraid of the dark but in his idolizeation of batman became an almost worshipper of it. ergo the dark, even if the desolation would make such a great character motif for him. it also adds that little bit of angst over him and bruce being total opposite.

along with tim being serving the same patron as bruce means damian was even more fight on site then he would have been normally.

Honorable mention to the desolation of course.

quick alignment,

bruce is eye aligned,

cass is ironically slaughter aligned but in the most round about way possible

steph has big spiral vibes and i will not elaborate

duke also has the partial power set of a dark aligned yet his character seems so much more vast-like i honestly couldn't tell you which is better.

i would also add that oracle is web or eye aligned

[nicohischier]

get to know me

tagged by: @hischiersjohnston thank you bestie

didn't tag anyone* due to my chronic fear of being annoying but pls snoop all you like

do you make your bed? no, i'm simply way too lazy in the morning to make my bed.

favourite number? 8! i was born on 8/8 so i guess the number just stuck out to me lol

what’s your job? i'm currently in that super fun period of being recently graduated with no prospects, no experience, and no network. also a lot of anxiety. i'm working on it.

if you could go back to school, would you? yeah. i still might go back in a few years to do education or something.

can you parallel park? once upon a time i could, but now i don't drive (classic lack of car woes) so i'm pretty comfortable in saying i can't parallel park anymore.

do you think aliens are real? yes, absolutely. i'm not saying i believe that there's a whole civilized society hanging out a few billion light years away, but the category of aliens extends into every living life form, no matter how insentient or microscopic. the universe is simply too vast for me to even entertain the idea that earth is the only planet or other celestial body capable of sustaining plant life or single cell organism or whatnot.

can you drive a manual car? no! tbh at this point it's been so long since i've drove period, that idk if i'm even allowed to say i can drive an automatic lmao

guilty pleasure? i cannot deny that i have spent money on genshin to get characters/weapons and while i fully acknowledge that i've given into the gacha trap, i spend responsibly and never in excess. it's a game i genuinely love and i do believe that adults are free to spend their money wherever they wish. some people buy cigarettes, i buy little anime characters.

tattoos? world's saddest no. i would like to get some tho, i'm just generally the type of person who gets super invested in something for a while and then drops it after a while, which includes tattoo ideas. right now i'm flirting with the cassiopeia constellation (name of my favourite kpop groups fandom), "we don't need the memories" which is a team motto from haikyuu, line art of a cat because i'm a cat person, and some others with personal significance. and some more fandom ones. but fandom ones are finicky so. shrug.

favourite colour? i do dearly love the colour red. also a big fan of taupe, which is. probably the most boring answer i could give. "oh yeah my favourite colour? beige." god.

favourite type of music? to the surprise of hopefully none of you, i'm a kpop fan. i also really love whatever genre of music guys like alexander stewart and lewis capaldi make.

do you like puzzles? yes so much! i got so into a puzzle the other day that i was up until 5am doing it like i fr just didn't notice how long i was doing it 😭

any phobias? i used to have such a bad fear of spiders. now it's just big ones that freak me out or ones that are on me. i'm working on getting over it though. bugs in general make me feel a bit sick to me stomach tho i won't lie.

favourite childhood sport? i used to be a gymnastics kid lol. was super into pro gymnasts for a little bit, but generally it was a sport i preferred actually doing.

do you talk to yourself? yes and it's so embarrassing because i fucking do it in public without realizing. one day i was in the bookstore talking myself through choosing a book to buy when someone turned the corner and was like "oh! it's just you!". that was almost my 13th reason i am so fucking serious.

tea or coffee? tea if it's hot, coffee if it's cold.

first thing you wanted to be when growing up? wanted to be a vet soooo bad. then i grew up and realized how scary chemistry and biology are and figured maybe i would leave that to the science brained people 😭

what movies do you adore? well my letterboxd top movies are inception, les miserables, the outsiders, and the old guard which is. sorta accurate. the first three are definitely true. i could slot miracle (2004), brokeback mountain, legally blonde, kingsman, etc. into my fave movies list over TOG if i'm being honest but. yknow how it is.

tagging: @sportsnet tyler do this or else.