#I’m a boss in easy mode

[sunrisemill]

I'm feeling in the mood to beat Chris’ ass in Mario Kart and watch him pout like a baby

[nerdwatching]

Just finished Metroid: Zero Mission. Very fun game. Time to move onto Fusion I think.

[holydramon]

*piedmon fight 2*

takuma: think we’re gonna have to kill this guy miyuki

miyuki: damn

[kitten4sannie]

blood pact

pairing: vampire! wooyoung x human! reader (fem)

genre: vampire society au, a lil bit of angst, smut

summary: living in a city overrun by bloodsuckers is already hard enough on its own, but you’re really put to the test when one of them ends up being your only hope in the face of danger.

w.c: 4.3k

warnings: blood/injury, depictions of violence, death(s)? of a few vampires, hard-ish dom (slight tamer)! wooyoung, subby (tiny bit bratty)! reader, these mfs are nasty alr, some light brat taming, one or two little slaps, praise/degradation, pet names/name calling, blood kink obv <3 (includes blood drinking/sharing), kissing, oral (giving), throat fucking, brief breath play, pain kink, mutual masturbation, lotus position but it’s rough !!, creampie

a/n: oh mannn i’m a bit late again 😣 but im excited to share this one with you all !! i wanted to thank my dear lily for beta reading this one for me and giving me lovely feedback that helps me grow as a writer, it truly means the world to me my dear 🩷 once again i do apologize if this fic seems disjointed in any way ,, things have been a bit weird but i won’t let life stop me from sharing nasty smut >:((( lol i hope you enjoy and please lemme know what you thought <33

song rec: dirt - depeche mode (we’re taking it wayyy back with this one <3)

fictober 2024

You were never able to pinpoint exactly when humanity went to shit, as it had always been in a state of constant conflict and disarray, but somewhere along the way, it turned into a raging dumpster fire — one that was close to impossible to put out once it was lit. Unbeknownst to humans, there was a society of vampires that lived in the shadows for centuries, waiting patiently until it was the perfect time to make their existence known and feared. What better time to take over the world than when the humans were too busy being at each other’s throats to even realize they had a common enemy, one that would drain them of their life source within a blink of an eye? 

Anyone with a pulse had no choice but to fall in line and succumb to their undead overlords, having to make up their mind about whether they would like to join forces with the enemy by desecrating their DNA and joining those that single-handedly brought upon humanity’s destruction, or grovel at their feet and become a slave, a house pet of sorts whose soul purpose was to feed and entertain their blood-sucking masters.

It was not an easy choice for most, and especially for you, so you simply found another solution — blend in. If you embodied everything a vampire was, even down to their immeasurable sense of pride and entitlement, how could they tell you apart from the others? And when they saw through your ruse, you would drive a stake through their still heart. You would never join their empire, let alone be one of their toys, especially not for some pompous undead prick that would treat you like a glorified juice box. 

Yet, here you were, drunk off your ass at a gothic nightclub that welcomed vampiric guests and shunned anyone with a beating heart, unless they were owned and branded. 

“Gimme another whiskey, neat,” you slurred, holding your empty shot glass to the poor excuse of a human bartender standing on the other side of the bar. You scoffed at the jeweled collar he wore around his neck, knowing he was owned by whatever undead asshole that ran the nightclub. You had your own collar, of course, but you had taken it from someone that was…no longer in need of it. You did what you had to, to make it through another night in the corrupted world you regretfully called your home. 

“I should cut you off, y’know, especially after being such a dick to me all night,” the man mumbled, despite reaching underneath the bar to grab an almost empty bottle of whiskey and filling your glass back up, not wanting to risk angering his superiors. 

“But, you won’t. Your vampiric asshole of a boss wouldn’t like that you’re denying a paying customer.” You stuck your tongue out at the man, much to his dismay. You sipped on the whiskey, liking the way it burned as it went down your throat, grateful that you could still feel something, even if it was a drunkenness that would most likely do irreversible damage to your liver. It’s not like your life really mattered, not in this timeline, at least. 

You lazily held your glass up in his direction, blowing a few strands of loose hair out of your eyes. The man simply held up the empty bottle and gave you a tight smile. “All out. Now, would you pay your tab?” 

“Fineeee, oh my god,” you groaned dramatically, standing up from the barstool and wobbling a bit, fishing for your wallet somewhere inside your worn trench coat. When you opened it up, you came upon the discovery that it was completely empty, looking up to find fear inside the bartender’s eyes. “L-listen, I can replace that bottle, okay? I-I’ll…just need to stop by the local temp agency first.” 

“I think you should leave, before they catch wind of this…” the bartender warned you under his breath, unconsciously tugging at his collar. 

Swallowing harshly, you glanced around the crowded, dingy club past the collar of your coat, before stumbling your way past many vampire patrons that were drunk off the blood of their human pets who stayed close to them, wishing your blurry surroundings weren’t moving in slow motion. Paranoid that somebody was following you, you looked past your shoulder, only seeing the same crowd of drunken patrons. Temporarily relieved, you swiftly faced forward again, only to accidentally bump into someone face-first, your teeth clinking into the metal of their lip ring, your hands almost getting caught in the many necklaces they were wearing. “I’m so sorry, oh my god, please don’t kill me,” you automatically apologized, already knowing they weren’t human based on the lack of a collar and color in their cheeks. 

“If I wanted to, I would,” Wooyoung teased in his own special way, quite aware of the way your heart rate spiked as soon as his light, airy words reached your ears. He enjoyed playing around with his food as much as the next vampire, but lately, it’s grown quite dull, like everything else in his never-ending life.

“O-oh!” you squeaked, letting out a nervous laugh, sticking one hand into your coat pocket to wrap your fingers around the sharp stake you carried with you everywhere. 

He brought one manicured finger up to tap against the jewel sitting snugly against your collared neck, leaning in to press his lips against the slope of your ear. “I’d take you right here in front of everyone, drink you dry. Let them all enjoy the pretty sounds you’d make. Does that sound fun?” 

“Oh, you can try it, if you want,” you goaded him, looking up at him with your big doe eyes once he pulled back, wondering if he knew just how unhinged you were, just how on the edge you really were. “But, what happens if I’m poisonous? I might not be worth the stomachache.” 

Wooyoung chuckled to himself, not used to any human acting so boldly towards him. “Fair point, human.” 

“Y/N,” you corrected him, letting go of you weapon in favor of wrapping your finger around one of his silver necklaces, teasing him back in your own way. “You should at least know my name if you’re going to drink from me.” 

Wooyoung mused at your actions, studying you with his sly fox eyes, licking at the mole on his lip. He would’ve pursed you if you hadn’t suddenly gotten spooked by something, turning his head to watch you continue making your way out of the club, noticing that the owner quickly followed after you. Things were certainly getting interesting. 

By the time you inhaled the cold night air into your lungs, you had already broke out into a sweat. You let your heavy coat hang off past your shoulders and leaned back against a nearby wall, regretting all the alcohol you had subjected your poor body into taking. “Fuck me…” you groaned, shutting your eyes and leaning your head back into the cool concrete behind you, hoping that would make the world stop spinning. 

“Is that an invitation…?” asked the very vampire you had been talking shit about to the bartender just a few minutes earlier. “It’s the least you could offer me in exchange for all the whiskey you drank in my club, filthy human.” 

Your blood ran cold. “D-don’t you even think about touching me…You aren’t my owner.” 

“Oh, because of this little collar you have on? You really don’t have a clue about our kind, do you? There’s no pheromones on you, just your own filthy human scent,” the vampire chided, running his finger along the worn band of your lace collar. It made your skin crawl. You struggled to keep down all the alcohol you had drowned yourself in. Just then, he ripped it from your neck and replaced it with his slender fingers, squeezing around it until your vision grew just that more blurry. “But, don’t worry, I’ll make up for all the lost time that you haven’t been used like a proper toy.” 

Blinding rage joined the revulsion you felt for the individual that continued to toy with you as though you were a defenseless child, the culmination of it churning around inside your body like molten hot lava ready to pour out of you. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” you barked, shoving your hands into his shoulders as hard as you could, your feverish anger growing that much more when he hardly moved. 

In response, the vampire tugged your coat down and ripped open your top, causing the buttons to fly off. His abhorrent words became nothing more than radio static inside your ringing ears, once you saw red, clutching the wooden stake inside your pocket so tightly that it pierced your fragile skin. You reeled your arm back and drove it straight into the owner’s side, so violently that the wood split into shards, not letting go of it until you knew that it was lodged deeply inside him, wishing, hoping he felt even a fragment of the pain his kind had caused you. “Die,” you muttered, searching his eyes for some sign of shock, regret, grief, anything. 

Confusion overtook your flushed features when the man simply laughed directly in your face, as though he were savoring a joke that you weren’t in on, suddenly feeling a white hot burning pain inside your abdomen. Something was wrong, deeply wrong. You tried to speak, but you couldn’t, not while you were gurgling on your own blood. You looked down to see the hilt of a dagger sticking out of your stomach, reality hitting you like a ton of bricks, rendering it impossible to draw in air. 

“It never ceases to amuse me when a blood bag thinks they can stop someone like me with something as silly as a wooden stake,” he began, letting out a small hum, as he drove his ritual dagger in as far as it could go. He leaned in close to you, twisting the knife around inside you just to hear the delightful sounds of agony that escaped your red tinted lips. “I’ve been alive longer than your entire bloodline, pathetic human, and I’ll be outliving you tonight.” And with that, the club owner ripped the dagger back out and strolled back into the building, licking the crimson that still ran down the sides of his blade. 

You should’ve known this would happen eventually in a world like this. You had no power from the very start. Why had you been blind to the truth until this very moment, when all you could see was your precious blood leaving your body? Regardless, it was far too late to ruminate over trivial things. Death’s gentle whispers were lulling you to sleep, its sweet promises of rest numbing out most of the visceral emotions that coursed through your veins. Slumping against the wall, you held your middle with trembling hands, gazing up at the full moon that loomed over you, wanting to enjoy her beauty one last time — at least, until someone blocked your view. 

“For fuck’s sake, can’t you see I’m dying here? Let me look at the moon in peace…” you murmured, weakly glaring up at the stranger you had met inside that godforsaken club only a couple minutes ago.

“You still got some fire in you, doncha, sweetheart?” Wooyoung mused, crouching down so you were at eye level, reaching out to gently ruffle your hair. “But, you’ll die of blood loss soon…pity.”

“You’re very observant,” you replied snarkily, leaning your head back into the wall, your vision growing darker by the second. You let out a long, defeated sigh, choking a bit on the blood left inside your raw throat. “Are you just here to watch me die? If that’s the case, can you do me a favor and make it quick?” 

“You didn’t seem like the type to give up so easily.” He leaned in close to you, his crimson eyes shining that much brighter when he asked, “Don’t you want revenge?” 

His question echoed inside your mind, once as a whisper, and eventually as a desperate plea. “And what if I do…? It’s not like I can do much now…”

“Let me turn you.” He bared his fangs. “You’ll live, and you’ll be so much stronger than ever before.” He watched as your eyes widened, then returned to normal, figuring you were weighing your options, though they were vastly limited. “You’ll be free to take his life away, do with it as you please, just like he was going to do to you. Doesn’t that sound delicious?” 

A few drops of blood dribbled down the side of your mouth. The sand in your hourglass was about to run out. “What do you get in return?” 

Wooyoung’s lips curled up into a sadistic smile, his eyes resembling glowing crescent moons. “I’ll be your Master, of course. It’s only fair, being your savior, and all.” 

Though that was the very last thing you wanted, you were far too stubborn to die out in such a pathetic fashion. Not only that, but you were being offered the deal of a lifetime, at the end of your lifetime, to be exact, and in exchange for your mortal soul, you could enact sweet, sweet revenge and have a new tale to tell, one that no man or monster could ever take from you. 

“Speak now, or forever hold your peace,” Wooyoung joked slyly, tapping the invisible watch on his wrist. 

“Alright, deal, but make it quick–” you were barely able to enunciate, before Wooyoung was all over you, one hand holding the side of your head, while the other felt where your artery was, immediately sinking his fangs deep into your neck to start the transformation process. 

When you came to, you looked up at your savior, your eyes as red as the blood he had sucked out of you, all of the immense pain that plagued your body gone as quickly as it came, instead replaced by an indescribable thirst. 

“How do you feel, pet?” Wooyoung asked, licking remnants of your life source from his manicured fingers. 

You bared your new, needle sharp fangs to your Master. “Hungry.” 

He smiled at you like a proud father would. “I think I know how we can fix that.” 

-

The last thing the vampiric club owner expected to see when he was sitting inside the comfort of his secluded office was the human woman he had just murdered out of cold blood stomping up to his desk and tossing it out of the way like it wasn’t made of marble. 

“H-hey, we can talk about this, right?” he asked nervously, holding his hands up, along with the stacks of cash that were in between his grubby fingers. “You want money? You can have it!” 

You grabbed him by the collar, yanking him towards you so violently, he just about broke his neck. “I don’t want money. I want your life.” 

When Wooyoung casually strolled into the cush office and pressed his back against the opaque door, the other vampire pleaded at him with his wide eyes. “Wooyoung, baby, this is your favorite club, isn’t it? Haven’t I treated you good here?” 

“Y/N will treat you good too, don’t worry,” he reassures sweetly, dragging his tongue across his pointed teeth. He brought his finger up to his chin like he just remembered something, nodding to himself. “Ahh, she does bite, though.” 

Just as Wooyoung’s cackles rang out inside the vast room, the club owner shifted his frightened gaze to you just in time to see your jaw open wide, gulping at the sheer size of your fangs. And just like that, you bit down onto the vampire’s neck, getting a good grip on his skin, before swiftly turning your head and causing a fountain of blood to rain over you. 

Once you were done feeding, there was hardly anything left of the club owner. Most of him was inside you, and the rest was left splattered across the pedestrian paintings he had up on the walls. Still sitting on the floor near scattered, bloodied hundred dollar bills, you licked up the rest of him from your fingers, your entire body vibrating with pleasure now that your killer was no longer with you, and for other reasons you couldn’t quite explain. Perhaps it had something to do with your new body and your newfound love for excess.

Wooyoung clapped his hands together with giddy delight, giving the top of your head a few pats as a reward. “What a good girl. Do you feel full?” 

Shaking your head, you reached up to Wooyoung’s waistband, undoing the belt buckle and easing his pants down, licking at your red stained lips all the while. The burning, mind-melting desire to consume didn’t leave you, it only multiplied. It clouded your mind, made you feel like you might lose your mind if you didn’t make it stop. “Not enough…my throat…need it filled…” 

“Ahh, I see,” Wooyoung sighed knowingly. This always happened with the humans he turned; they turned into insatiable monsters, always driven by their need for more. He could never get tired of it. Leaning his back against the dripping wall, he reached down to slide his fingers into your soft hair, angling your head upwards, cooing softly at you as he pushed his way into your mouth. “Be careful with your fangs, sweetheart.” 

Relaxing your throat upon the sudden intrusion, you opened your mouth wider, as to not pierce Wooyoung’s cock with your new fangs, feeling content once the entirety of his twitching length fit snugly inside. It was when the vampire thrusted further into your throat that you made a wet gagging sound, tears forming inside your crimson eyes, closing them. 

“Ah, ah,” Wooyoung tutted, giving your cheek a light smack, smiling sweetly down at you when your eyes opened back up. “That’s right, you better look at me with those pretty eyes of yours if you’re going to take me down your throat like this. That’s what a good pet does.” 

Once Wooyoung started to fuck your throat, eager to fill it with his cum, his pale fingers pulling tightly at your hair, you did your best not to choke around him, welcoming him in again, over and over, until saliva and pre-cum dripped down your chin and along your bare chest.

“Mmnh….nnnhmm…” you moaned in approval, reaching up to hold onto his bucking hips, digging your nails into his protruding hip bones. You blinked more tears away, wanting to see Wooyoung’s sadistic face without the constant blurriness that plagued your vision. Whether you had a penchant for punishment or you were simply bloodthirsty, it caused you to prod at the vampire’s cock with your fangs, the tangy flavor of iron joining the abundance of precum that lubed up your throat. 

“Fuck, you’re a naughty girl, biting me like that,” Wooyoung hissed in between violent thrusts, suddenly holding your head still when the entirety of his cock was inside your throat, your nose brushing against his pubic bone, satisfied with the filthy gurgling noises you couldn’t help but make for him, feeling more of your spit drip down his heavy balls. He smacked his hand against your cheek again, watching it grow rosy, before pinching your nose tightly. “But, you can’t help it, huh? You just want to be put in your place. I can’t blame you for that.”

The sensation was suffocating, the feeling of being used added onto the constant buzz of pleasure that was running through your veins; it was nothing like you’ve ever experienced before. It almost made you wish that you had let yourself be turned a long time ago. No one could stop you now, not even him. Maybe your humanity was slipping away from you, much like your sanity with each passing moment. 

It wasn’t until you could breathe again and something warm, heavy, was pressing down on the tip of your tongue that you faded back into reality, just in time for Wooyoung to shoot a seemingly never-ending cumshot down the back of your aching throat.

“You’ll swallow, won’t you?” he asked sweetly, giving the bottom of your chin a light tickle with his clawed fingers. 

When you stuck out your tongue to show him that nothing was left, Wooyoung grabbed you by the chin and yanked you towards him, biting the tip of your tongue to draw blood. You watched him suck it off with half-lidded eyes, having to close your thighs together to keep a fresh wave of slick from dripping out of you. 

Before you knew it, he was on the floor with you, not even needing to pull you into his lap, groaning into your mouth as you climbed into it yourself, the heated kiss you shared consisting mostly of tongue, pointed teeth, and blood. You swapped red-tinted saliva back and forth, your hands working in tandem to tear off each other’s clothes and grope one another wherever you could, trying to create as much friction between your lower halves as you could, Wooyoung’s stiff cock rubbing deliciously into your clothed cunt. 

You broke the kiss when your thirst once again grew too strong to ignore, reaching up to run your index finger over the mole on Wooyoung’s glistening bottom lip, hissing softly when he pierced it with one of his fangs. You both watched the blood slowly trickle down along your skin, sharing a similar look with one another, before you leaned in to lap it up, your tongues meeting in the middle. 

As though telepathically connected, you reached to slip your panties off from underneath your skirt the same time Wooyoung undid the buttons of his pants, immediately rubbing at yourselves in order to get off as quickly as possible. 

“Look at me when you cum,” Wooyoung demanded between huffs of air, staring you down past his wispy lashes, the speed at which he was stroking his cock producing lewd squelching sounds, his slender fingers slicked up with his abundant pre-cum. 

Trembling, you opened up your teary eyes to look at Wooyoung, the indescribable pleasure etched into his face causing you to throb nonstop, curling your fingers up in just the right way to launch you into a world of ecstasy. “C-cumming…” 

Wooyoung groaned at the sight and feeling of your release spilling into his lap, squeezing his hand tightly around the base of his cock, hot spurts of cum landing on your abdomen and dripping down your bare cunt, not even caring that you both dirted his designer jeans with your shared arousal. “I’m gonna make you do that again, on my cock this time, you hear me?” he growled at you, lifting you up like you weighed nothing and dropping you down onto his growing erection. 

“Fuck,” you gasped sharply, holding onto his shoulders to keep your composure, your thighs still shaking from your residual pleasure, a low, burning pain present within your core  as your hole stretched to accommodate the vampire’s size. “T-too much…” 

Wooyoung’s ego just about doubled in that moment, his ringed fingers closing in on your soft waist, suddenly bucking his hips up into you like it was his sole mission to do so in the afterlife. Smiling smugly at the small, broken noises he was punching out of you with his vicious thrusts, he couldn’t help but let out a few crazed giggles. “Can’t take it now that I’m rearranging these pretty guts of yours, huh?” He mirrored your pout, his lower lip jutting out. “But, I thought you were my cum slut, my good little blood whore.” 

“I am…! I–fuck, I am, Master…!” you found yourself crying out, tears inside your hazy eyes, tasting dried blood when you wet your dry lips, knowing you wouldn’t even recognize your reflection if you saw it now. You were a new model, remolded, changed for the better. 

His hypnotic eyes began to glow. “Be a good sleeve and take it for your Master, yeah?”

You did as he said, taking everything he gave you like a pliant doll, letting him lick, bite, drink from you, and fuck you dumb for as long as his still heart desired, wondering if he was even aware of how much your blood boiled inside you. 

Wooyoung was just like the others. They were all the same, treating you like a helpless toy, using you for their enjoyment and tossing you aside when they were bored, viewing your humanity as your downfall, and perhaps they were right. Like two magnets, you couldn’t live without the other, and now, you were a monster like him, one in the same. 

Just as you both reached your climax together, holding desperately onto one another, Wooyoung’s bewitching gaze no longer holding captive, you felt a supreme power rise within yourself. You didn’t need him, not when you were now your own Master. The only thing you served now was your endless hunger. 

Wooyoung couldn’t get you off once you latched onto his neck, gasping and sputtering, his constant struggles only forcing your fangs just that much deeper into his skin and the artery you had targeted, digging his claws into your back as a last ditch effort. “But, we…we made a pact,” he coughed out, his gravelly voice reflecting the immense pain he felt. He couldn’t fight back any longer, simply slumping back against the wall to accept his fate, holding his hand up to his torn neck, despite it not doing anything to prevent the crimson from flowing through his fingers. “I don’t understand…” 

“I recall warning you that I was poisonous,” you replied softly, licking remnants of his precious life source from your stained lips. 

He couldn’t help but smile, his eyes resembling half-moons. “Fair point, human…”

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© kitten4sannie, 2024.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese BL Starter Pack

It’s been awhile since I dropped a rec list, so I am here today to share one that is very near and dear to my heart—a Japanese bl primer for those who are new to the jbl game. I created this for @neuroticbookworm to help her on her journey when she decided she wanted to start getting into Japanese works. The fandom (on Tumblr and generally) tends to focus primarily on Thai shows because they are the easiest to access for international fans, since Thailand is working its way toward world domination via ql media and wants us all to be able to watch. But there is a lot of great stuff to watch beyond the easy access Thai channels, and Japan is the country where this genre originated, so its shows are important for anyone who considers themselves a bl fan. Japan doesn’t cater nearly as much to the international audience so tracking down the shows sometimes takes some ingenuity and can-do spirit, but that’s part of the fun!

And so, the list! Bookworm is about halfway through it and having a ball, so I figured it was time to stop hoarding it and share it with anyone else who would like to dip their toes into jbl and isn’t quite sure where to start. A few notes: 

I am not here to teach you about the deep roots of the jbl genre or give you a primer on yaoi manga. I am by no means an expert and there are other places to find that information. Start here with this great post by @nieves-de-sugui and then maybe wander over to @absolutebl to read up more on the evolution of the genre.

This list is by no means an exhaustive accounting of every important Japanese bl ever made; it is simply a nice sampler platter of the cream of the crop among various styles you will find in jbl. Watching through this whole list will not only expose you to some fantastic shows, but also give you a sense of what makes jbl unique and how the country’s style differs from others, and point you toward the types of jbl you’ll like most (they tend to put shows in pretty specific style and tone lanes and once you find the ones you like there are lots more where that came from). 

If you’re coming to this post as a jbl lover and you don’t see your favorite here, I promise it’s not because I don’t love it very much; I simply had to make some choices to get this down to a reasonable shortlist. Feel free to leave extra recs for others to find! 

I’m putting these in a loose suggested watch order that will take you through the various jbl lanes in a kind of popcorn style, because I always think it’s good to change it up so you don’t get too stuck in one mode, and it works its way up to most of the extremely Japanese stuff (you will know what that means by the time you finish). But do what’s in your heart and change up the order if you want, friends, I am not the boss of you! 

Cherry Magic (Crunchyroll or grey)

gif by @liyazaki

I believe everyone on Tumblr is pretty familiar with this one, which is not a coincidence—this is one of the most accessible jbls. Not in terms of actual access to watch it, mind you (we’ve all jumped through shady internet hoops to watch it) but in terms of its content and style. Cherry Magic is a classic workplace romcom with a magical twist, and it is charming af. It’s a great exemplar of Japan’s light and zippy comedy lane for bl—a lane in which, importantly, the romances stay chaste even when the actual plot is about sex, or lack thereof. My friend @waitmyturtles would kill me if I didn’t make sure you know that Cherry Magic also has a lovely follow up film. And bonus: there is now a Thai remake airing so if you watch the original you can get in on the discussion about the different adaptations between countries. This is pretty easy to find these days in all the usual places, but I strongly recommend watching it here.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Viki)

gif by @liyazaki

Moving on to a slightly more mature workplace romcom. Old Fashion Cupcake, another Tumblr favorite, is an age gap boss-subordinate romance, and it’s both very adult and somehow wholesome af at the same time. Sure, there is a lot of carnal desire going on here, but there is also a lot of wooing via fluffy pancakes. It’s a tight five episodes and a fantastic example of what Japan, with its extreme technical precision in writing, directing, editing, pacing, and acting firing on all cylinders, can do in two hours. There’s not an ounce of flab on this thing and you’ll want to watch it over and over again.

Utsukushii Kare (Viki)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Time to get a little weird! Weird is a key feature of Japanese media, and lots of jbls explore unusual relationship dynamics rooted in complex psychology. This is the first show on the list that will likely feel very Japanese if you’re new around here—my advice is to lean into it and finish the show, even if you get uncomfortable along the way. In Japanese media, discomfort always serves a purpose. This is a high school story with a twisted relationship at its center, and I’m not saying any more than that. Don’t spoil yourself and go watch it! This one also comes with two sequels—one short second season and one movie—that continue from the original story. They are less essential but still excellent.

I Cannot Reach You (Netflix)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Next up, another high school tale, but with a totally different vibe. This show is kind of a revelation in its willingness to tell a story about overwhelming desire—including sexual desire—with young protagonists. It’s rooted in a classic but often misunderstood trope, friends to lovers, and takes the angst of it seriously, giving us a low stakes story that feels extremely high stakes to our leads. It’s also gorgeous and uses a classic Japanese visual style (bokeh) that you’ll be dying to learn more about. 

His (Viki)

gif by @gabrielokun

Time for a break from high school, and we’ll sprinkle in a movie for some added flavor. His is a jbl film featuring a second chance romance between a stoic, introverted man who moves to a remote town to start over, and his ex-boyfriend who follows him there unexpectedly, adorable child in tow. Importantly, this movie does not take place in what we often refer to as the “bl bubble” where homophobia doesn’t exist; the leads’ experiences of being gay men in a homophobic society are hugely important to the plot and themes of the story. It’s a beautiful film and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. @bengiyo would surely also like me to tell you that this film follows a brief prequel show called His: I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love about the characters originally meeting in high school; I do not think it’s really necessary to watch it but completists can start there.

The Pornographer series (Gaga)

By now you should be ready to get into some classic Japanese fucked up psychosexual material, right? Right! The Pornographer series is told in five installments in this order:

The Novelist, a six episode miniseries

Mood Indigo, a six episode prequel series

Spring Life, a 15 minute short

Pornographer: Playback, a two hour film

Spring Life Continued, a 15 minute short

Confused by that distribution model? So say we all; sometimes Japan likes to make us work for it to make sure we really appreciate its many gifts to us. The story across these installments is about a very difficult to love protagonist, what makes him the way he is, and the also-unhinged-but-in-a-different-way man who finally gets through to him. It’s an extremely satisfying love story and one of the best character arcs I have ever seen, full stop. For this one, you’ll want to just pull the word problematic out of your pocket and store it in a drawer; nearly everything that happens in this story is problematic and that’s the point. Lean in! All of these installments except for the film are on Gaga, if you get that far hmu and I will supply you with the final puzzle piece.

Our Dining Table (Gaga)

You could probably use a break after those last two, so it’s time to shift over to a heart-tugging twofer: family trauma mixed with the cutest shit you’ve ever seen. ODT is an example of another classic type of Japanese show: the food drama (you will see the GOAT in this category at the end of this list). In Japanese culture, food is love, and the act of preparing food for your loved ones is a common path to romance. You’ll love this story about an isolated office worker who meets a pair of brothers, learns to cook as a way of connecting with them, and begins to heal from his own trauma as a result. The image above is a scan from the manga, which @troubled-mind curates to make extremely cool comparison sets like this one. Many jbls are faithful adaptations of yaoi manga source material, so it’s good to have a bit of familiarity with them.

Minato’s Laundromat (Gaga)

gif by @liyazaki

Japanese media loves to explore taboo, and often manages to do it in a way that is surprisingly light and chaste. This is an age gap romance between a teenager and his adult neighbor that explores internalized homophobia, emotional repression, and falling in love across seemingly impossible social chasms. It’s also a great example of old school yaoi seme-uke dynamics that still show up across the bl genre. Also, take my advice: end your journey with this one with the first season and just pretend season 2 doesn’t exist.

Eternal Yesterday (Viki)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Remember what I said about weird? Time to do that again, but with a heaping dose of grief and pain on top. It’s not a spoiler to tell you this show involves a major character death; a major character death is, in fact, the root of the entire story. This is a magic realist tale of first love turned tragic, and it will hurt and heal you. It is one of my favorite dramas of all time.

Restart After Come Back Home (Gaga)

And now for a break for your poor exhausted brain. This film is basically the jbl version of a Hallmark original movie, about a city boy who goes back home to the country and falls in love with a total sweetheart while working together on a farm. Enjoy it, bestie, you’ve earned it! 

Tokyo in April Is… (Gaga)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

You’ve probably noticed by now that emotional repression and failed communication are big themes in Japanese works. This second chance romance has plenty of both, and it’s a great example of a kind of muted emotional style that Japan does so well, where the surface of the story seems almost placid and calm even as deep emotion roils underneath. This one (and Eternal Yesterday above) are part of a special line up of jbls on Japanese channel MBS called Tonku (Drama) Shower. The shows air one after another in the same time slot on Fridays (in Japan, perhaps Thursdays for you depending on where you live) and you truly never know what you’re gonna get, but they’re all interesting. Warnings on this one for sexual assault and trauma. 

The End of the World With You (Viki)

Time for sexy and weird again, but even more so! This has to be one of the most unique bls ever made; it goes to some truly divine and strange places, and it feels incredibly queer while doing it. Made by the same screenwriter/director of the Pornographer series with a lot of the same sensibilities, but in a more heightened apocalyptic setting. This one has existential angst, a road trip, a redemption tale, and a variety of interesting side characters in the mix.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Gaga)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of the list and your reward is watching one of the best bls of all time, and a perfect slice of life food drama to boot. WDYEY now has two seasons (along with a couple specials and a movie that fall in between) because the universe clearly loves us. You can now get it on Gaga for easy access but I’m partial to the versions over at @kinounaniresource for better subs. Wherever you watch, settle in to get cozy with Shiro and Kenji and make sure to always eat before you hit play.

[solar4seekstron]

Chapter Five: I’m Done Saving You

Transformers One x Reader: Awakening Chapter Five

Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Six

Transformers One x Cybertronian!GN!reader

Introduction Movie Masterlist

TW/Tags: non? Based on the title you already know what’s coming. Good luck nerds.

(Chapter 5 is finally here and I’m pretty excited for this one. Sadly there is much to add for Elita and reader so most likely in the next chapter. Sorry guys the movie isn’t making it any easier for me or just can’t think of any that doesn’t ruin the movie too much. I was dreading to type in the scene where D. Shoots Orion and it didn’t feel right to add in the expressions of Y/N, Elita and B because that moment is for D-16 and Orion in my opinion. Oh boy the next chapter is gonna hurt but I want to make y’all happy so here we go.)

(The next chapter will be the last one and then 5 bonus endings after)

*At Iacon City-

Y/N was about to sneak into the city the same way the gaurds were able to. Paying o mind if others see them as they fly in their alt mode. Landing in an alley between buildings. The view clear of sentinels tower. They would then look around and say. The bots they once saw to be taller then them was now around the Sam seize as them having a cog now. They would let out a sigh and then walk out making their eye to the tower. Knowing if they were in their alt mode. They would be questioned. But as they walked passing the road and walking on the side walk as they walked around. Seeing that there’s an alleyway that seems to lead to the tower sooner. They. Go down that path. As they walk someone then grabs their hand. Causing them to quickly turn around pin the person against the wall.

”Woah easy there friend I just wanted to tell- Y/N” It was Deadlock

”Lo- uh sorry you got me confused with someone else.”

They would then try to leave but deadlock would grab their wrist and pull them back and turns them around putting his had on their shoulder.

“Y/N it is you! But. But you have a cog!” Y/N was just 5 inches shorter then him now.

”Uh yeah I should really get going.” Deadlock would rests his hand on their hip as he looked at them. They would place their hands on his shoulders to try to create some distance

”Y/N where have you been and how do you have a cog. Come on lets catch up.”

”Deadlock I would love to but I must go. My friend is possibly in danger and I should go make sure they’re safe.” Deadlock looks almost disappointed. Then over the comm its heard his boss is calling for him. He then sighs

”Fine but seeing that you have a cog now. Come by the club and we can catch up.”

”Will do Deadlock now I must go. Good to see you friend.” They pat his shoulders as he finally out his hands off them. Watching as they leave before turning around to head to work

Y/N continues to walk to the tower then once seeing the security they come up with an idea remembering what sentinel said the day of the race. They would then go up to the two guards

”Heeeey guys name’s Y/N sentinel said he was expecting me?” The two gaurds look at eachother then at them. Nodding then letting them in after giving them directions to the personal quarter sentinel told them to tell you to go to

Y/N would then walk in able to go through a door to the others sneaking around trying to find the room while also being quiet. Soon they would peak through a door and see D-16, B-127, and the other guards on their knees and their hands tied behind their back as sentinel walks past them in a line speaking an d having his average smirk on his face

“I don’t understand. Why are we still alive?”

“Look at this rowdy bunch. The High Guard. You know you guys have been tough to find. Every trip to the surface I have been searching for you.”

“Tracking the bots in the cave led me right to them.”

“You captured Starscream.”

“It was too easy.”

“I’m going to rip you apart piece by piece and that your death is painful and you’ll regret the day you”

“You sound ridiculous. It’s weird. Oh D-16 what a tragic story you’ll be. Atop the leaderboard in your sector. Secretly a traitor.”

“I’m not the traitor. You’re the traitor.’

“Nuh-uh. You. All of you are traitors. You’ve been working with the Quintessons to sabotage atoge my expeditions You’re the reason I haven’t found the matrix of leadership yet.”

“None of that is true!”

“Oh trust me all of that will be very true when I am executing you in front of all of Iacon because down here the truth is what I make it.”

Sentinel would get into Bs face before D would take a step.

“Well well. What’s this about?”

“I’m not kneeling in front of you.”

“Feeling confident are we?”

“You dont scare me. You wanna know why?”

“Please.”

“Because I don't anything else left to lose. You took it all.”

“I sure did.”

Sentinel would then punch D.

“Ah megatronus prime. Of course you are a fan. Megatronus was the coolest prime! The biggest. The Baddest. The Toughest! That's why after I killed him. I took his cog for myself.”

“He was greater than you’ll ever be!”

“I don’t know I’m pretty great but I can understand why you would wanna wear his face over mine. Here, lets make sure it doesn’t come off.”

Sentinel would put the sticker back then starts engraving the deception insignia into his chest. The others only able to watch. Y/N knows that they have seen enough and without a second thought they open the door and as the others were about to notice in a moment Y/N was running pulled out their blade. Putting the blade against his neck catching him by surprise. The gaurds and airachnid pointing her guns at them

“Shoot me and he dies!”

“Ahh Y/N I see you have a cog as well-“

“Shut up! Sentinel prime is it true you did it all for power…Is it?!” Sentinel then scoffs

”Well of course. Any Prim-“

”You are no prime! And I swear in the memory and honor of my friends…to B and D I’ll-“ Then Y/N is shot on their side by one of the guard causing them to fall onto their knees as sentinel stands before them.

”Well isn’t this just a shame. You know I was pretty excited to work with you. Of course it not including the two miners you so cared for. Maybe there is use for you seeing that you’re all about honor. And you’re not labeled dead yet by the public.” Y/N still on the ground. The bullet almost through their waist almost to the center

”We’ll be sure the best doctor of Iacon will take care of that wound” He would then grab their chin making their face look up fullly facing him after he took a knee. he then snaps his fingers. Two guards walking and grabbing them by the arms picking them up.

”Make sure they’re well taken care of” Y/N was then dragged and taken towards the door they cam from.

*Orion-

“Ooookaaay. I-I can do this.”

*At the mines-

“You can’t be serious. We just worked 22 shifts without a break. These miners need rest and time to repair.”

“Sentinel Prime wants more energon. So get back into the mines! Before I make you go back in-“

“Is that-“

“Orion?”

“Jazz.”

“Is that really you?”

“Yeah I know I uh- look a little different.”

“Little? There’s nothing little about you.”

“How is this possible?”

“Sentinel told us you died from your race injuries.”

“Sentinel is a lair. Look, I know sounds coming from me. I was never the most focused. Miner but as you can see everything’s different now.”

“I went to the surface. And I learned the truth. My friends. We were all born with transformation cogs. And then sentinel. He stole them from us! He took away our ability to make our own decisions. He stole our freedom. But now I’m offering you your first real choice. You can work a twenty-third shift and mine yourself to death. Or fight back against sentinel with me. Right now.”

“How are we supposed to do that?”

“We can’t fight. We don’t have cogs.”

“What defines a transformer is not the cog in its chest but the spark that resides in their core. A spark that gives you the will to make your world better and that spark sentinel can never take from us.”

“There’s not enough of us. We need an army.”

“And we have one. Elita is bringing troops. We are not alone in this. If we want to be in control of our own destiny we will have to fight for it. Now is the time for us to stand up. For ourselves! Stand up for this injustice. I promise you this fight will be worth it. Follow me! Nothing can stop us when we stand together. Together as one.”

“Elita it’s time.”

“You got it. Buckle up blinky. We’re going in.”

Back to the others D heard everything sentinel and Y/N said. Hearing the guards take Y/N away as they groan in pain. He the tried to stand up again.

“Not a good idea.”

“D stay down.”

D would stand up once more

“Well that’s a shame. You really were a great miner.”

”D! Run!….”

Sentinel points his blaster at D as D watches. Waiting.

“We’ve got a breach! Protect Sentinel!” A guard would hit D to fall back again as another would join them to protecting sentinel. Y/N was still carried away. Now further from where the direction the train was heading as the guards noticed

“Ok they spotted us. It’s about to get bumpy.”

“High Guard. Eject.”

“There’s too many! We have to abort.”

“We’re not going to make it.”

From there many miners with jet packs fly up and start fighting sentinels guards. Helping the others

“Lets break some protocol.”

“That’s what I’m talking about Pax!”

Pax was then attacked against the front of the train by Airachnid

“Ooooh that’s intense.”

“You can’t win miner! I see everything!”

“That’s right you do! Except the tower we’re about to crash into.”

Orion would then kick Airachnid off him. Hitting the window with his elbow breaking it to get in and the train soon hits the tower. Hitting Sentinel

(HE DID THE POSE FHGFGJFGVUDKKYKUCFKUVU)

“Hey!”

“What has he done to you?!”

“This is nothing! Compared to what I’m going to do to sentinel.”

”Y/N!!” The guards have left leaving them on the floor. They would then stand up and put a sort fo tissue over their bullet hole. Something ratchet gave them before. They would make their way to the two limping a bit. Orion going up to them

”I’m fine. We need to stop sentinel.” They say as they look at Orion and D. D unable to take his eyes off the energon coming of them as Orion does the same

“Soundwave, free the prisoners.”

“I know how to stop him. Airachnid is the answer-“

“I’m doing this my way!”

“D!”

“Yes! Woah! I got a battle mask. Elita! Battle mask! It appeared when this guy tried to- Knife hands? I have knife hands! Haha! Baddassatron!”

“Where’s sentinel?!”

There was then an explosion causing D, Y/N and Orion to fall forward. They would then hide behind some rocks as they then hear sentinel

“You pathetic little twits. Did you really think you can knock down everything that I have built?!”

“It’s over sentinel! You can’t escape the truth!”

“What truth? That I pluck the cogs from your newborn chests. Forced you to mine so that I can pay off the Quintessons and live like a king. None of that matters! Because the truth is what I make it!”

“In coming!”

D and sentinel will then have their own fight as the three try to think of a plan

“He’s too strong!”

“I have a plan. We need Airachnid.”

“Airachnid?!”

”Are you crazy?!

“We need her memory.”

“Where is she?!”

Elita was tackled by Airachnid

“Found her!”

“Elita. Do not break her. Bring her to the broadcast station. We'll meet you there.”

“Easier said than done!”

“I said don't break her!”

“Relax I’m being. Very. Gentle!”

“Orion! Orion look! Knife hands!”

“I can see that!”

”Yeah Bee!!” They then show their sword blades they picked up earlier showing they glow as well. B then cheers excited

“I’m gonna cut these guys watch! Come here!”

“You can jab them later!”

“GO! I’ll stay here and help D!”

”All right b careful!”

“Yeah!”

The three make thier way to the other tower. D and sentinel continueing to fight eachother. Y/N staying behind and joining the fight with D

“Um. E-excuse me, you can’t be in here.”

B then starts destroying the place

“B. These are not the ad guys.”

“Why did you cut the door?”

“What? No I didn’t cu- I didn’t- uh that wasn’t- I didn’t- it was ready like that. Right?!”

“Yes that’s right It- it was already like- yeah-was already like that.”

Orion then got to work and Elita made sure Airachnid was on the table her hologram memory showing.

“Attention. Iacon city. Stand by for a live transmission from Sentinel Prime.”

During thre fight D and sentinel keep fighting all ove the room causing more damag. Y/N waits for the right moment and once sentinel was believing he has D. Y/N jumps and transformers their alt mode on its side and spins fast pushing him off D (Think like that scene Megatron does in TF Earthspark to skyward during that big battle scene.) Scratching his paint job as they land right next to D pulling out their blades protective over D.

”D are you alright?!” D stands up and shakes his head a bit trying to stay awake

”This is my fight. Go to-“

”Will you quiet that! You can finish him off after I get a good hi-“

Y/N was then tackled by sentinel being pinned to the ground as they were far enough from D. Y/N would fight him getting a couple good hits and sentinel getting a few more hits on them. After kicking him of them D then side body slams sentinel. Y/N struggling to stand up as D then starts fighting sentinel again. Y/N is badly injured and struggles to stand. When they look up at the two. D is back on the ground and sentinel on top pointing his blaster as him again

“What’s wrong D-16? Rise up!”

“That’s why after I killed him. That’s why after I killed him. I took his cog for myself. Cog for myself. What truth? That I pluck the cogs from your newborn chests. Forced you to mine so that I can pay off Quintessons and live like a king! What truth? That I pluck the cogs from your newborn chests. Forced you to mine so that I can pay off Quintessons and live like a king! I’m working my miners as hard as I can. I swear I’ll get you the rest! I’m working my miners as hard as I can. I swear I’ll get you the rest!”

“Lier!”

“We trusted you!”

“Traiter!”

“Pax, we did it!”

After sentinel was distracted Y/N was able to make their way to D. Helping them up while holding their waist where they bleed a bit at. D would stand back up with their help.

”Stay back you helped enough!” He yells at them. Knowing they helped make sentinel get weaker after hitting him with their blades.

“D NO!”

D then charges at him. Causing them both to fall off the tower.

“D!”

The two would fly across the city hitting towers until they eventually land. Y/N would transform as they gain more strength while swirling a bit they’re able to make it but pretty far from the two transforming and is still weak staying on the knees as they watch the two fight. Slowly standing up.

“D-16. We can lead Cybertron together! Don’t have to do this.”

D would walk up to sentinel pointing his canon until Orion runs and jumps D. Stopping him.

“What are you doing?!”

“It’s over D. Everyone in Iacon knows the truth”

“So do I! He took everything from us! I have to do this!”

“No you don’t! Rebuilding Iacon cannot begin with an execution.”

“He deserves to die! Can’t you see that?!”

“We’re better than this. Don’t be like sentinel.”

“Pax. You need to get out of my way before I move you myself.”

“D listen-“

D would punch Orion and kick him further for Orion to stay on the ground. Then walking back to sentinel as sentinel was still on the floor. But Orion soon gets in the way. Orion wa shot shocking D and the others. As Orion was about to fall off the cliff D was able to catch him in time by the wrist

“No. No no no no no. Why..Why did you do that! Why!?”

D would be breathing heavy as so many emotions went through his head.

“D….no”

“I’m done saving you!”

[razorblade180]

Streamer AU 7

Streamer AU 6 <-

Dearly Beloved plays

Weiss:Oh wow, this sounds nice.

Blake:You’re going to be saying that a lot.

Weiss:I absolutely believe it. Also can we discuss why this menu had multiple games.

Jaune:One hurdle at a time. We just need to focus on one.

Yang:Now I know you said no backseating, but you will be a coward if you don’t pick the hardest difficulty.

Ruby:Oh! We should have a death counter!

Weiss:Chat, you see how they want me to suffer?

“Do it!”

“It’s not that hard”

“No balls!”

“Godspeed”

“5 subs if you do”

Weiss:Don’t try and bribe me!

Blake:Weiss, as someone whose played this game way too many times to count, you can handle proud mode.

Jaune:This game might be easier for you than FFX. It’s not turned based, but it’s also not as evil.

Weiss:…I want those gift subs you promised. *hits Proud Mode*

Yang:Peer Pressure wins again!

“I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately…”

Ruby and Blake:Eeehehe~

Weiss:The game just started, shush!

The curious girl pays attention to the words, not looking at chat or even how Jaune himself is rather giddy. Clearly this game means a lot to them. Still, to be this excited so quickly when nothing has-

“🎶Oh~🎶”

The music came out swinging as the screen lit up with visuals. Suddenly, Weiss’s eyes lit up.

Weiss:Oh I might like this song already.

“🎶You’re giving me~ to many things, lately🎶”

Weiss:Oh fuck…

xxxxx

The opening ends and Weiss is left with her hands in front of her mouth as she tries to rationalize what she just experienced.

Ruby:Ah yes, the face of someone processing greatness.

Weiss:Listen, I’m so torn right now. That sounded fun. I kinda want to grab my keyboard and see if I can play the melody but that derail everything.

Yang:Weiss if you start doing that now, I promise you that it will happen for every track.

Weiss:Fiiiine. I will play the video game.

Photo Bunny gifted 5 subs

Jaune:Thank you Velvet. And just like that, your 100 sub goal is met.

Yang:Aye! Now she has to dress like a character from something she’s played, right? I vote Chica!

Weiss:Denied.

Blake:I’m sure she already has plans.

Weiss:Umm, should I be concerned about what I pick and give up?

Jaune:Would it stop you from picking the staff?

Weiss:*smiles* Probably not.

Jaune:Heh, then go ahead and pick it. It’s your play through.

Yang:Even in a game, you stick to your core.

Weiss:*gives up sword*

Yang:Or maybe not. Colored me surprised.

Weiss:You made me pick the hardest difficulty. I’m not giving up a shield.

Yang:Chat, she’s using critical thinking. It’s all over.

Ruby:We’re you trying to put her on the hardest path!?

Jaune:That’s actually evil.

Yang:Weiss is a big girl. She beat a Resident Evil game. This should be easy for her.

Weiss:This is why Jaune is my co-host and not you.

xxxxxx

Boy: What are you afraid of?

Weiss:….*squints*

Jaune:*smiling* What’s up?

Weiss turns the camera around to see a aburn haired boy with a very distinct choice of clothes.

Weiss:That’s Wakka! Is- Tidus!?

Jaune:Yes that’s your favorite boys

Weiss:Yaaaaay! Okay, this game is cool. Wait, who’s the girl?

Blake and Ruby:Nobody important.

Jaune:Ren is going to kill you both.

Lotus Chef: “SHE’S IMPORTANT TO ME!”

Ruby:Ren, I need you to pick better Final Fantasy characters.

Lotus Chef: “Says the Hope fan girl”

Ruby:Nora, get your man.

Weiss: “My journey begins at midday” wait, this changes things too?

Jaune:It’s your leveling curve basically. You’ll have steady growth the whole game.

Weiss:I can live with that. Yang on the other hand…

Yang:Oh I already knew your choices were gonna be. My interference stopped after you didn’t get rid of the shield. You’ll probably beat this game in four streams without much trouble.

Weiss:You almost sound disappointed.

Yang:There’s a boss I had to help Ruby with years ago. I just wanted to bond over hating it with you but it probably won’t happen now!

xxxxxxx

Weiss:I’ve known Riku for five minutes and I already don’t like him.

Blake:Please don’t slander my son.

Yang:You’d like him if he hated his dad.

Weiss:Correct. I’m biased, and will continue to be so. Tidus starting a journey to say his dad sucks is amazing. In case nobody has gotten it yet, he’s the costume I’m picking.

“Complete with no undershirt?”

Jaune:*casually times user out*

Weiss:Pfft-

Jaune:What?

Weiss:Nothing~ Just listening to the music. Man, this kid has big shoes.

Ruby:He’s supposed to resemble traits of Mickey Mouse.

Weiss:Oh yeah, so is anyone going to explain why this game had Donald Duck and Goofy on the cover?

Everyone:….

Weiss:Alright, fair enough I guess.

Yang:Enjoy the whimsy. Did you see a lot Disney growing up?

Weiss:My recitals when I was little were a few songs.

Jaune:That’s kinda adorable.

Weiss:Until the tunes get stuck in your head. Speaking of which, I can’t ignore this. Jaune, if you would?

She points over to her bed since he’s closest. He grabs her keyboard and hands it over to her. Weiss presses a few keys slowly, trying to guess the correct notes before suddenly playing the Destiny Island theme

Yang:Damn. Why are you huntress!?

Weiss:Music doesn’t pay bills often enough. This melody reminds me of a commercial I did for sunblock .

xxxxxxx

Sora and Kairi: *watching the sunset*

Weiss:…I think I’m going to like this game.

Blake:One of us. One of us.

Big Bags & Miniguns: “Sora’s shorts are killing me inside.”

Weiss:I’m focusing on the half jacket.

Jaune:I like that it has a hood.

Weiss:Gee, I wonder why you like it.

“Kairi cosplay when?”

Weiss:Give that to Ruby.

Ruby:Bet. I already have the hair! You have to be Donald.

Weiss:As i- why is it dark and stormy night?

xxxxxxxx

Weiss:Ya see, I knew Riku was bitch. He’s mad I beat him.

Blake:Play the game!

Weiss:Hahaha!

Jaune:Chat this going to be a fun stream.

[colduncrustable]

the martin antis working so hard to make waves is so funny. like, you are very much allowed to like/dislike any character you please! but making it your whole personality or acting like you’re cooler for it is a little bit silly. you are not morally or intellectually superior for hating on a fiction character.

not to mention all of the characters in tma are very nuanced and complicated, just like real people (!), and erasing all of that to serve a certain narrative is a complete disservice to the entire body of work. jon and martin’s relationship was never meant to be easy, they first and foremost worked closely together as boss/employee, and in a workplace that was actively putting them in dangerous and horrible situations. the whole point is that they’re both super fucked up but they have each other anyway. they both have flaws, they both have gone through a great deal both with and without each other, but they found love anyway. the idea that the dynamic change in s5 is due to martin just being this villain is so wild? like he’s not a doormat anymore but he also loves jon so fiercely and stands by him over and over again?

jon hated him, jon ignored him, was verbally horrible to him again and again, literally sent him on a dangerous investigation and said if anyone had to die might as well be him, jon accused him of murder, screamed at him, jon was on the run, jon died. martin was his number one defender through everything, even when honestly? he didn’t do a lot to prove he deserved it. but martin was strong in his loyalty and did his best to be a supporter anyway. he picked up extra work, he thought of him kindly when no one else did, he mourned him, and he put himself directly in the line of fire for jon. for everyone, yes, but especially for jon, he says that. because after everything, protecting jon is still his number one priority.

it’s so important to his character that he isn’t s1 martin anymore—that he learns to be a real person who has thoughts and feelings and a backbone. jon wanted that, and does it not say something that they don’t work out until martin learns to have a little bite? there’s a difference between being a real complicated traumatized human person, and just straight up being evil, or an asshole. jon had to learn how to be a lot of softer things but martin had to learn how to square his shoulders and stick out his chin. they had different arcs, and that doesn’t make either of them inherently evil or bad. it makes them real and not perfect and very multilayered, yeah.

martin didn’t handle every choice or action perfectly, he made a lot of mistakes, and he never claims to be the best person ever. but jon also fucked up, a lot. it isn’t a competition or a comparison, that’s really not how that works. but they work because of their flaws. that’s a big part of them fitting together. martin represented the humanity they were saving, with all his good and bad. jon was well beyond that, and while that doesn’t inherently compromise his character, it does mean he’s viewed in a much different light.

(meaning i think jon’s sins are seen very very different to martin’s.) (to be clear i think both deserve to be looked at critically, but hating either of them devoutly seems sort of silly.)

i’m not sure how you can listen to tma and all the ways it dissects and reflects on humanity and turn around and run blogs or make posts in the fandom about how you hate one of the main characters for being all of that.

jon never would’ve made it through without martin, even if martin wasn’t the key to everything, he was the reason to push through and not give up. martin is why jon didn’t go full monster mode, why he held onto who he was and his humanity, even with the whole ‘kill bill’ thing. martin gave him a reason to keep going, to try, to care so deeply. obviously there were other factors but jon says it himself, martin you are my reason.

if you can’t handle the fact that martin isn’t a grade a soft boy by the end of the show that’s a lot more about you than it is about him. he grew and maybe not always for the better but he could be a real person for jon instead of some kind of mirror or blank slate to be reflected on. i genuinely don’t understand how he can be misunderstood so deeply.

they’re both fucked up ! and if they are alive Somewhere Else you bet your ass they’re having long talks and going to therapy and fighting and making up and pacing the floors and figuring it all out together. it isn’t clean or easy or necessarily enjoyable all the time, but humanity isn’t either, love isn’t either. they went through unimaginable trauma, and expecting either of them to be holding it together any better than they already are is wild. context, it’s important. but let’s not turn multi-dimensional characters into flat one word answers.

it’s very human to like and dislike, love and hate based off of bias and experiences and perspective. but also opinion does not make fact. everything is relative, everything is subjective, everything everything everything. it’s an open discussion yada yada idk i’m just screaming into the wall about all the nonsense.

and beyond all of that, discourse is so useless. criticism and constructive conversations are really really important but discourse is pointless! oh you ship these people? well that inherently threatens my ship! oh you like this character that i hate? well that makes me feel invalid for hating them. like what you like, hate what you hate, have your feelings. but if you post shit on the internet you will get people who disagree, sorry, that’s how it is. partaking in little arguments over who is right or wrong when it doesn’t actually have to do with anything harmful or unhealthy makes no sense though. posting on the internet about all the hate you have in your heart when the world is already so full of it doesn’t actually do anything but add more bad to an already very large pile of bad.

things can be discussions not arguments sometimes, i promise. it’s not always tooth and nail, and let’s not forget, most of it is over things that never need to be fought over.

[callsign-dexter]

Surprise!

Request: Okay okay, you got me with protective Jake !! 😱This makes me think of an idea where the reader is his childhood friend but they haven't seen each other in a while due to his job. So you decide to surprise him at the base when he doesn't expect it, to tell him as well you're moving back to San Diego and he's more than speechless and unbelievable happy. So you catch up on the lost time and he gets always into protective mode when the other guys come near you but you become friends with all the daggers and Jake's mood lightened up 100% since you're here and it's all perfect ? 🫣

Pairings: Jake Seresin x Best Friend!Reader

Warnings: fluff

Masterlist

San Diego, the sunniest and probably the warmest place on earth. You had just arrived and stepped out of your car in sunny San Diego. You loved it already and would continue to love it for the whole time you would be living there. The reason you were here was because you wanted to see your childhood friend, Jake Seresin, and you would be moving here after a wonderful job opportunity at none other than Top Gun. No, you weren’t a pilot but you were going to be the new maintenance supervisor for the F-18s. You were excited to say the least. You didn’t have a lot of stuff due to moving around. You needed a place to stay and quickly since you started tomorrow. First you needed to get to base and say hi to your bosses, which is where you were now. It was easy to get onto base considering you had your military ID. You knew that Jake was here and you were excited to see him.

As you walked into the building you passed many people in their military uniforms. You weren’t in yours considering you had just arrived. When you were halfway to Beau “Cyclone” Simpson’s office you heard a voice that you hadn’t heard in forever and a smile popped onto your face and you followed it. You walked over to the voices and saw the tall, blonde, and green-eyed man he was going on about something nobody had seemed to notice you besides a blonde haired and blue-eyed man with glasses and he smiled and waved and you waved back. As Jake took a break in his little back and forth, he was having with a darked haired woman you decided to speak up. “Don’t believe anything he says. He tends to over exaggerate on stories.” You said and you could see him tense up and started to turn around.

“How the hell-” He began and then he saw you and the tension melted away and had the biggest smile on his face “Y/N? What are you doing here?” He asked, bringing you into a hug that you missed so much.

“Well, I decided to surprise you! So, surprise! Also, I’m moving here.” You said and hugged him back and closed your eyes.

“Wow, I don’t know what to say.” He said as he pulled away.

“Bagman, not knowing what to say? That’s a first.” A man with a mustache said and everyone laughed as Jake flipped him off. “You gonna introduce us?” He asked but Jake couldn’t stop looking at you smiling and you shook your head.

“I’m Y/N “Galaxy” Y/L/N, the new F-18 Maintenance Supervisor.” You said

“I heard we were getting a new one but that was about it. Hi, I’m Natasha Trace callsign Phoenix.” Natasha said “Let me just add, thank you for finally getting Bagman here to shut up and it’s going to be so nice having another female around here.” She said and then pulled you into a hug and you laughed.

“I’m Javy Machado callsign Coyote. Jake here has told me a lot about you.” He said and you chuckled.

“All good things I hope.” You said with a chuckle and elbowed Jake you had rolled his eyes at you but the smile never left his face.

“I’m Robert Floyd callsign Bob.” Bob said and you smiled at him.

“I love the callsign. It is so simple and I love it. Plus, your glasses make you look cute.” You said and he blushed and ducked his head. There was one thing about you that Jake loved and that is that you said what you thought and took crap from anyone.

“I’m Bradley Bradshaw callsign Rooster.” Bradley walked over and took your hand and kissed it and you smiled and Jake did not like that one bit.

“Back off, Chicken.” Jake said, taking your hand out of his and pushing him away and you just shook your head.

“Mickey Gracia callsign Fanboy. Maybe that you're around Jake will lighten up and stop being well Jake.” Mickey said and you turned to look at Jake.

“Have you been a jerk to them?” You asked and he shook his head.

“It’s called tough love.” He said

“Tough love my ass. I’m Ruben Fitz callsign Payback.” He said and shook your hand.

“Galaxy? How did you get that name?” Natasha asked and you smiled.

“Jake gave it to me first then my old squad gave it to me despite not being an aviator. I loved looking at the stars and knew everything about the galaxy and space. I geeked out once and the name just stuck.” You said with a smile and so did Jake he remembered when it happened.

“I love it.” Natasha said

“Why thank you.” You said and then looked at your watch “I need to go and meet Cyclone. Jake, do you want me to show me the way to his office?” You asked and he nodded his head and put a hand on your back as you both turned and started to head off. “It was nice meeting you all. I look forward to working with you and hanging out with you.” You called over your shoulder as you got a chorus of ‘you too’ and ‘goodbye’.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Jake asked as you walked.

“I literally got the call about it yesterday.” You said and leaned into him briefly.

“I just can’t believe you’re here and staying.” He said and you smiled. Jake was like a brother to you. He was there through every breakup and every emergency trip. The thought of you two dating didn’t sit well with either of you so it was never pursued. You both were happy being friends. “Have you found a place yet?” He asked and you shook your head.

“Nope.” You said popping the p.

“Well, you’re in luck. I need a roommate.” He said

“Jake.” You started

“I’m not taking no for an answer.” He said and you sighed.

“Fine. I’ll meet you at my Jeep after I’m done here.” You said as you both arrived at the office.

“Deal.” He said as you knocked on the door and heard a faint ‘come in’ and you turned the handle and walked in giving Jake a smile.

——————————————————————

The meeting went great and as you said your goodbyes to Cyclone, Warlock, and Maverick you walked to your Jeep where Jake was standing and he smiled when he saw you. “How was it?” He asked and you smiled.

“Went really well! I'm excited to be working with y'all.” You said as your southern accent came out just a tiny bit like it always dies when you were around Jake.

“Great! Now I know my jet is in great hands under a person that I trust.” He said and gave you a little nudge. “Now let's get to my place where you'll be staying.” He said.

“I'll stay until I find myself a place.” You said as you opened the driver's side door and he shook his head.

“Not a chance.” Jake said and you chuckled.

“We'll see about that. I'll follow you.” You told him and he nodded as you got into your Jeep and him into his truck that was right beside yours. It didn't take long to get to his place and he lived close to the base and a bar called The Hard Deck which you think you'd really like. He pulled into the driveway and you pulled in right next to him. You were just about to get out when he opened the door for you.

“Now we can catch up and then meet everyone at The Hard Deck.” He said as you got out “We can unpack you later.” He added when he saw you looking at your stuff about to grab it. You huffed he always knew what you were thinking.

“Fine.” You said and followed him into the cozy little house and when you walked in you were surprised by how warm it felt.

“Beer?” He asked and you nodded.

“Please.” You said as he walked to the fridge as he set his keys down and you did the same. He grabbed two and then pointed towards the living room where you followed and sat on the couch. He opened the beer and gave it to you.

“So, what have you been up to? It’s been forever and I missed you.” Jake said as he took a drink of his beer and then looked at you as you took a drink of your beer.

“Well, let’s see I was last stationed at Naval Air Station Fallon in Fallon, Nevada and then we got deployed to South Korea for 6 months and then we came back and I got stationed at Top Gun. My mother died 2 months ago due to an incurable illness and then dad died a month after. My brother and sister never talk to me and they only showed up for the funeral and then left. My boyfriend of 5 months broke up with me because he cheated on me while I was deployed.” You told him and he looked at you with an unrecognizable look on his face, one that almost was of pity. “Don’t look at me like that.” You said and turned to look away from him as you took a drink of your beer.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry.” Jake said not knowing what to say.

“It’s alright. I’ve always had a rough life so this is nothing new.” You said and looked at him and he shook his head.

“You don’t deserve this. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve been down there in an instant.” Jake asked you set your beer on the coffee table and turned to look at him fully.

“Because we hadn’t talked in years. We saw each other at graduation and then you were heading off to basic training.” You said “I went two years after you. I was taking care of mom. I didn’t want to go but she didn’t want to hold me back and told me to go and so I did.” You said with a shrug and he sat his beer down on the coffee table next to yours and pulled you into a hug.

“I’m here for you now, Galaxy. You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon, I promise.” He said and hugged him back and sunk into his embrace you truly did miss his hugs and his smell. You closed your eyes taking in the warmth and felt him drop a kiss onto your head. After a few moments of being in each other's arms you both released each other. You two stayed up and talked about your lives and just catching up in general and then you both ending up falling asleep.

——————————————————————

The next morning you both got up early and had breakfast together and then you both were heading off the base. Neither you, Jake, or any of The Daggers saw each other throughout the day, due to you being busy getting into a routine and meeting your teammates that you really liked and everyone got along unlike your last squad. Before you knew it, it was time to leave while packing up getting ready to leave Jake and The Daggers showed up and you smiled when you heard Jake calling out your name. “Hey, Galaxy! We’re heading off to The Hard Deck. Wanna join?” He asked and you smiled.

“Of course! Let me finish up here and I’ll be there.” You said and went back to finishing up what you needed. He turned to the others.

“You guys go on. We’ll meet you there.” Jake said

“Woah! Jake waiting up for someone? That’s new.” Mickey said and Jake rolled his eyes.

“I can be nice when people deserve it. Now go on. We’ll meet you there.” He said and they left. You smiled and shook your head and in no time you were done and you both were heading off to The Hard Deck.

When you reached your destination he opened the door for you and the both of you walked in and straight to the bar. You saw a nice blonde haired woman working and she smiled at Jake. “Jake, I see you finally decided to join! Who is this you have with you?” She asked.

“Penny meet Y/N. Y/N meet Penny. She is the owner of the bar.” Jake said and you and Penny smiled at each other.

“Hi Penny! Nice to meet you! You have such a lovely place.” You said and she smiled.

“Oh don’t flatter me. What can I get you?” She asked

“Let me see if I still remember it.” Jake cut in and you tipped your head in a motion like ‘go on’ with a smirk “She’ll take a Long Island Iced Tea with lemon and put it on my tab.” He said, looking at you as you nodded.

“You got it.” Penny said

“You actually remembered.” You said

“Of course. How could I forget?” Jake said as Penny came back with your drink and what you were assuming was his original.

“Thank you, Penny.” You said and smiled and nodded and you both headed over to the group where you all greeted each other.

“Where have you been all this time?” Natasha asked and you looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” You asked her.

“Ever since you have come here, Jake has been so much happier and so much more friendly and he hasn’t been leaving anybody hanging.” Natasha said and everyone agreed.

“She makes me happy. I would do anything for her.” He said and you nodded and it was left at that. As the night went on you had been hit on more times than you could count or liked but you didn’t have to worry about it for long because Jake was always there to scare them off and you were grateful and you weren’t looking for a relationship right now. You were quick to make friends with everyone especially Bob, he was quiet and reserved and you really liked that and he didn’t try to hit on you.

As you mingled about with the squad Jake stood back watching and smiling. He was definitely glad to have you close and it was true you did make him happy. He was a little protective when the guys tried to hit on you and he was there ready to step in but you handled and they quickly backed down. Everyone quickly became protective of you especially when it came to strangers coming up to you and trying to get with you and let Jake back down on his protectiveness some but not all the way. Jake was just happy to have his true friend that he had known for years back in his life and he was not letting go this time.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

[emelinstriker]

☆ Playing Monkey King VR ☆

That episode is still engraved in my head with how much the game MK was playing looked like an actual game one could play irl, and I'm still salty about how it's not an actual game.

Also my hyperfixation picked these three for these headcanons- And I'm aware about how the game is implied to have been created by Wukong himself, but we shall ignore that fact for a sec-

☆ ~ Headcanons ~ ☆

☆ Sun Wukong

>His ego just skyrocketed and won't be coming back to earth for a long time; may Buddha have mercy on your poor soul

>Expect him to watch you play everytime with a smug grin

>You can clearly see his tail swish around happily whenever he sees you react to one of the Sun Wukong character sprites (Especially towards the images of him being buffer than usual)

>You know how the game's Wukong would keep stopping the game's MK just to give him a bunch of tips and tutorials? He's actually doing that to you while you're playing, but with a lot more telling on what exactly he wants you to do (Backseat gamer smh)

>"Go back! Go back! You ran past an important quest item for the endgame!"

>Will distract you a lot by leaning into you from the side or from behind, or wrapping his tail around you in the middle of a battle

>You're struggling with a boss (cuz of him distracting you lmao)? Hand him your controller, right fucking now, he'll use his knowledge to beat the shit out of them for you

>Don't get your hopes up of him doing minigames and puzzles for you however, he absolutely sucks at even those easy-level ones

>If the game has a PvP mode and you have a second controller, expect him to want to duel you just to show off

>You can distract him by scratching his fur or touching his tail in the middle of it as revenge though

☆ Macaque

>Bro would be so salty if he sees you play this game it's not even funny

>He was actually thinking you were talking to the actual Sun Wukong when he heard his voice coming from your living room

>Once you give him a description of the game, it doesn't exactly lower his saltiness over you playing a game based on his nemesis and his successor

>"Why do you not have the option to fight Wukong?"

>"Be happy this isn't a dating sim, Mac..."

>"...The fuck is that supposed to mean"

>I would highly suggest playing whenever your monkey's out of house just to avoid the risk of him deleting the game from your console- It was a paid game after all with roughly 10 hours of playtime on your save file

>You can't tell me he isn't a master at any puzzle at any given difficulty. He could do all puzzles for you!

>Doesn't mean he would

>Jk, he would solve them when you're not looking or when he's bored- or even reluctantly with you if you beg enough cuz he loves you too much

>That doesn't stop him from either leaving you with a clone or spy at your gameplay as a shadow when he got time

>Unironically enjoys watching you play and beat up all those enemies with a smile

>Will deny it if you ask him if he's been watching you play from the shadows

☆ MK

>Excited noodle boy

>Would try to figure out if there's a way to co-op the story quest part

>ABSOLUTELY will play it himself when you introduce the game to him; I mean, it's about Monkey King??

>WILL gush about his hero, Monkey King, despite being his successor

>Will be lowkey annoyed if you refuse to skip cutscenes and are actually listening in on the tutorials and stories- It's evident by his constant whining and groaning

>But it's all good, he could never stay mad at you over it!

>You actually have to pry the controller away from his grasp from time to time- He will not stop to take a break until this boss is down!

>Dear gods, he's been playing for like 12 hours straight now, please knock him out and get him to bed- He won't be beating the boss like this

>Has a lot of fun doing easy-level minigames and puzzles, but does struggle with puzzles later on so you better help him

>"I'm getting the hang of this! But why isn't the strongest skill in the game working on this guy??"

>"The tutorial literally tells you to counter him, dummy"

>"Ugh! Why does it keep healing itself?? It should've died like half an hour ago!"

>"If only you read the boss description at the start of the battle..."

> Link to Masterlist <

[velvetjune]

Alan Wake 2 Lake House DLC spoilers/review (also spoilers for Control):

Had a lot of fun with this DLC! It’s short (unfortunately expected this), but sweet, although I wish I didn’t watch the trailer for it. It would’ve been amazing experiencing this with no knowledge. As a massive Control fan, I was practically thriving off of all the reading and FBC style. I have some sympathy for fans of Alan Wake who might hate Control, but these games are far more than a crossover by now and moving forward. I can see how this wouldn’t work for people who dislike that.

Personally, Remedy has done well at connecting their stories without it clashing! The AWE dlc for Control was a mixed bag for me, mostly because the story wasn’t really there and the darkness mechanics were bland. This could be because I’m very biased towards Control, but this was a great example of how to merge the settings and traits of both games in an interesting way.

The marital and mad scientist drama was terrible in the best way. I was dying every time one of the Marmonts was “hmmm Wake says we’re going to die horrifically and become monsters, but im personally better than that.”

DR DARLING… <3 He should’ve had more appearances </3

After all the deserved hate directed at AI and producing content rather than art, it was heartwarming to see promotion for Poe. I don’t know the details, but she’s barely been able to release music over the last 20 years (some songs here and there), so having an entire area dedicated to her with links to a (fingers crossed) site about an upcoming Poe project was lovely. Lots of love put towards artists in this.

Ed being there was and thinking he was in an immersive experience was incredibly funny. I’d have to look it up, but was the manuscript page in his room detailing when he was taken HERE and not him dying to taken? Was this DLC happening during the start of aw2 or right before?

I’m in love with Kiran Estevez. She can be judgmental and tries to maintain a level of calm over the situation, but her disgust, fear, humor all shine through in funny ways. Hope that she, along with at least Saga, get to be in Control 2.

Only found this out after checking Reddit (which imo is too harsh over both Night Springs and this DLC), but apparently the Dylan part is skippable. It was SUCH a highlight of this DLC. The shifting environments, the Not-Oldest House, Dylan in the “panopticon” post-Control, etc. was surreal and captivating. Usually with set ups teasers, I don’t particularly care (e.g. the AWE dlc ending was alright!), but man. The way to get it was perfectly strange. Poor Dylan. Just like Control’s “hidden” ending cutscene, this really seems to put Control 2 in the wider NYC.

Having a “person who’s only seen Boss Baby” moment: thought of tma (the podcast) with the tapes, archives, panopticon, all the weird shit. It didn’t influence this game, but I was getting flashbacks to when I listened to it (stopped caring for it, but the first few seasons were fun in a creepypasta way)

I liked the calendar puzzles. I’m not a huge fan of puzzles in games, but these were easy enough to follow without dragging on. however I did spend five minutes confused just because I got Friday and Saturday mixed up :(

The boss fight was easy in story mode lol

Diana brutally killing the taken Jules was one of the only “gross” moments of Remedy’s games and it was great! It’s not much gore, but I’ll take it.

I accidentally pressed the option to instantly destroy (?) the painting :( So im so sorry to Rudolph and I’ll be replaying this dlc soon to see what the other option is.

For my problems, I was sad that the paint monsters were mainly annoying to run from (also they’re cute). I don’t know if it was an issue on my end or a bug, but even once I went to story mode, I still wasn’t finding healing objects until the last fight. The reason I switched to story was only because my low-ish health kept instant killing me by the Painted 😭 Maybe it’s because I haven’t replayed Alan Wake in a while, but this DLC was wildly difficult. If Remedy didn’t add a whole list of assists, I’d be more frustrated, but thankfully it’s there. The map also would keep question marks and loot up even when I interacted.

I prefer the Night Springs DLC, but this was a great look into Estevez, Control, and what art is. Now, Alan Wake 2 is officially done!

[realityjoey]

MOVING DAY (RILEY ANDERSON MC x EVAN BUCKLEY)

Evan Buckley stood in the middle of their new living room, arms crossed and a small smirk tugging at his lips. Riley Anderson was next to him, eyeing the large, blank wall in front of them, a roll of wallpaper dangling loosely from her hand. Boxes littered the floor, half-unpacked, filled with books, decor, and remnants of their old apartments. Their new space was full of potential, but for now, it was a chaotic mess.

“Alright, boss. Where do we start?” Buck teased, nudging Riley gently with his elbow.

Riley rolled her eyes, her thick Northern accent slipping out more when she was in work mode. “First of all, you’re doing the heavy lifting. And second, you don’t get to call me boss, Buckley. Not when you’ve been hiding that awful lamp in one of these boxes.”

Buck laughed, unbothered by the jab. “That lamp is a classic. You’re gonna love it once you see it in all its… weird, wobbly glory.”

Riley shot him a look, but there was a playful glint in her eye. She couldn’t resist teasing Buck—it was practically their love language. “If that thing’s going anywhere, it’s the bin.”

With a mock-wounded expression, Buck sighed dramatically. “Fine. But only if you admit that you need my help with the wallpaper.”

Riley bit her lip, glancing back at the wallpaper roll in her hand. “I don’t need your help, but it’ll be faster if you do what I say.”

“Ah, so I’m the assistant now? Got it.”

Buck grabbed a chair and moved it to the center of the room. He stood up on it, reaching for the ceiling where the wallpaper would start. Riley positioned herself next to him, carefully holding the end of the roll, her fingers brushing his thigh as she worked. Buck didn’t miss the opportunity.

“You know, we could just stop now, order pizza, and leave this for tomorrow,” Buck suggested, his voice dropping just a bit as his eyes lingered on her.

Riley shot him a quick glance, her lips twitching with a smile, but she stayed focused. “Oh, no, you don’t. We’re finishing this wall if it kills me.”

Buck chuckled, but he couldn’t help admiring her determination. She was always the one to take charge when things needed doing, and in a way, it balanced out their relationship. Riley kept him grounded, and he made her laugh, pulling her out of her head when she needed it. They were good together—better than either of them could’ve imagined when they first started dating.

As they worked, hours slipped by. The wallpaper was harder to align than either of them had anticipated, leading to plenty of lighthearted bickering and more than a few laughs. Buck’s attempts to smooth the paper down were clumsy, and Riley’s patience was tested when she caught him using the wrong brush for the third time.

“How did you survive as a firefighter for this long with such terrible coordination?” she teased, standing on her tiptoes to fix his work.

Buck leaned down, his face inches from hers, his breath warm against her skin. “I save people, not walls.”

Riley tried not to smile, but Buck’s charm was disarming. “Just hold still for a second, will you?”

He did as she asked, but his eyes stayed locked on her, watching the way her brow furrowed in concentration, the way a strand of hair fell loose from her ponytail. He reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear, his fingers lingering just a moment longer than necessary.

“Are you ever not distracting?” Riley muttered, though there was no heat in her words.

“Not when you’re around,” Buck replied, his voice soft, almost tender now. “You’re too easy to mess with.”

Despite herself, Riley blushed. She was always better at hiding her feelings than Buck, but moments like this reminded her just how much he could get under her skin—in the best possible way. She finished smoothing out the wallpaper, finally satisfied with their work.

“There,” she said, stepping back to admire their handiwork. “Not bad, huh?”

Buck jumped down from the chair and stood beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist as they both looked at the freshly decorated wall. “I think we make a pretty good team.”

Riley leaned into him, her body relaxing against his. “Yeah, we do.”

For a moment, they stood in silence, soaking in the feeling of finally settling into a place that was truly theirs. It had been a long time coming—moving in together. After three years of dating, after all the ups and downs, this was the next step. The apartment wasn’t just a place to live; it was the beginning of their shared future, one they had both wanted for a long time.

“You realize,” Buck said after a while, breaking the silence, “this is the first time we’ve actually had our own space. No roommates. No shared walls with weird neighbors. Just… us.”

Riley smiled, her head resting against his chest. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Buck murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Really good.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking, hanging up pictures, and arranging furniture. Buck, true to his word, handled most of the heavy lifting, while Riley meticulously planned out every corner of the apartment. It wasn’t long before the space started to take shape, each piece of furniture and decoration reflecting a blend of their styles.

As evening settled in, they collapsed onto the couch, exhausted but content. Riley curled up beside Buck, her legs draped over his lap, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

“You hungry?” Buck asked, his fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on her arm.

“Starving,” Riley replied with a sigh. “But I can’t move. You?”

“Same.” He grinned. “How about that pizza I mentioned earlier?”

Riley nodded, already half-asleep against his shoulder. “I suppose you’ve earned it.”

Buck chuckled softly, reaching for his phone to order. They sat in comfortable silence, the glow of the setting sun filtering through the windows, casting a warm, golden light across their new home.

“Hey, Riley,” Buck said quietly after a moment.

“Yeah?”

He turned his head to look at her, his expression softer than she’d seen all day. “I’m really happy we did this. Moving in together.”

Riley smiled, her heart swelling at his words. “Me too, Buck. Me too.”

They exchanged a look, one filled with love and understanding, before Buck leaned down and kissed her—slow and tender, like the promise of everything they still had ahead of them.

The future was bright, and in that moment, in their cozy, half-finished living room, surrounded by boxes and unpacked memories, it felt like home.

A few weeks after moving in, Riley Anderson and Evan Buckley were ready to show off their newly decorated apartment. The wallpaper had been fixed up, the furniture perfectly arranged, and even Buck’s questionable lamp had found a quiet corner where it wouldn’t disrupt Riley’s carefully cultivated aesthetic.

Now, their home was ready for its first test: hosting the 118 for dinner and drinks.

“Are we sure this was a good idea?” Riley asked as she set down the last of the plates on their dining table, glancing nervously at the space around her. It still felt strange, having a place that was truly hers—hers and Buck’s—after years of apartment hopping and barely unpacking before moving again.

“It’s going to be fine,” Buck reassured, popping a bottle of wine open with a practiced twist. He poured a glass for Riley before filling his own. “We’ve been over to everyone else’s place plenty of times. Now it’s our turn to show off.”

Riley sipped her wine and shot him a wry smile. “I’m not sure they’re coming over to admire our interior design skills. More like to see if your crazy lamp survived the move.”

Buck chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Hey, you said it could stay.”

“Yeah, well, it’s in a corner. If it stays there, I can pretend it doesn’t exist.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You love it.”

Riley rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at her lips. The truth was, she loved their place. It felt like them. And more than that, she loved the life they were building together.

Before Riley could get lost in thought, there was a loud knock at the door, followed by the unmistakable chatter of their team outside. Buck shot her a look, his eyebrows raised, and Riley smirked, setting her wineglass down.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Always,” Buck grinned, walking over to open the door.

As soon as he pulled it open, Hen, Chimney, and Eddie poured inside, all talking at once, their voices overlapping in a familiar, comforting way.

“Buckley! Finally decided to let us see the place, huh?” Chimney quipped, immediately looking around. “Riley, you’ve got my condolences for whatever questionable design decisions this one forced on you.”

Riley chuckled, hugging Chimney as he stepped inside. “I fought most of his crazy ideas off. But… there’s still the lamp.”

“I knew it,” Eddie said with a mock-sigh, shaking his head as he walked in, giving both Riley and Buck a warm hug. “That thing’s probably indestructible.”

Hen grinned, stepping up last, pulling Riley into a tight embrace. “Well, the place looks amazing. You guys did a great job. I’m just happy to see you two settling in.”

“Thanks, Hen,” Riley smiled, feeling her usual nerves settle in the presence of her team. “It’s still sinking in that this is ours.”

They all wandered into the living room, admiring the place in their own way. Eddie walked around quietly, nodding appreciatively at the decor, while Chimney made dramatic commentary about every little thing. Hen kept Riley by her side, offering genuine praise for the design and how well they had blended their styles.

Buck, always the host, started passing out drinks, pulling beers from the fridge and pouring more wine for those who wanted it. The atmosphere quickly turned into the easy, comfortable chaos that always followed when the 118 were together.

As everyone sat around the dining table, plates full of food Riley and Buck had prepped earlier in the day, the teasing began.

“So,” Chimney started, glancing between Buck and Riley with a grin, “how’s it been living together? No major blowouts yet?”

Buck laughed, but Riley could already see the teasing glint in his eyes. “Not yet. But there’s still time, right, babe?” he teased, nudging Riley.

Riley, used to his antics by now, just smiled sweetly. “Well, Buck still can’t cook without making a mess, and I’ve had to confiscate at least three of his random gadgets from cluttering up the kitchen, but other than that, we’re surviving.”

The table erupted in laughter, and Chimney raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

Buck, ever the joker, leaned forward, catching Riley’s eye. “What can I say? I’m just trying to keep things interesting. Wouldn’t want you getting bored.”

Riley shot him a look, her lips quirking up. “Trust me, Buck, boredom isn’t the issue.”

Eddie grinned, glancing between the two. “It’s good seeing you two in your own space. Feels… right, you know?”

Hen nodded in agreement, a warm smile on her face. “You’ve both come a long way. I still remember when you were hiding this relationship from the rest of us. Buck could barely keep his eyes off you back then.”

Riley blushed, though she quickly tried to hide it by taking a sip of wine. Buck, on the other hand, grinned, clearly proud. “What can I say? She’s impossible not to look at.”

“You were so obvious, Buck,” Chimney added with a laugh. “We all knew something was up long before you two admitted it.”

Riley rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face. “You might have known, but Buck was surprisingly good at keeping things under wraps. Mostly.”

Buck leaned back in his chair, a content smile on his face as he watched the banter unfold. He loved these moments—when the team was together, when Riley was at his side, when everything felt like it was in its place.

The evening wore on, filled with more drinks, more laughter, and plenty of teasing. They shared stories from calls, joked about Buck’s clumsiness, and even reminisced about the early days of Riley joining the 118.

At one point, Eddie stood up, glass in hand, and tapped it with a fork, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Alright, I don’t normally do this kind of thing,” Eddie began, his voice serious yet warm, “but I just want to say how happy I am to see you two like this. Buck, you’re like a brother to me, and Riley, you’ve become family just as much as anyone else here. You guys have been through a lot, and seeing you settle down like this… it’s pretty special. So here’s to your new home, and the life you’re building together.”

The table erupted in cheers and clinks of glasses, and Buck’s eyes met Riley’s across the table. There was a quiet understanding between them, a sense of belonging, of having found something more than just a home—they had found a family.

As the night wound down and the team began to trickle out, hugs and goodbyes were exchanged. Hen pulled Riley aside for a quick word, her hand resting gently on her arm.

“You two are good together,” Hen said softly, her eyes filled with warmth. “I’m really happy for you, Riley.”

“Thanks, Hen,” Riley replied, feeling the emotion welling up in her chest. “That means a lot.”

When the door finally closed behind the last of their guests, Buck turned to Riley, pulling her into his arms. “Well, that went better than I expected,” he murmured, his voice tired but happy.

Riley leaned into him, her head resting against his chest. “Yeah, it did. Feels good, doesn’t it? Having everyone here, sharing this place with them.”

Buck smiled, his hand gently rubbing her back. “Yeah, it really does.”

They stood there for a while, just holding each other in the quiet of their now-empty apartment. The place still smelled like dinner, the remnants of their night scattered across the table, but all Riley could think about was how lucky she felt.

It wasn’t just the apartment. It wasn’t just Buck, though he was a huge part of it. It was the life they were creating, the family they had found in their team, and the future that felt bright and full of promise.

“Home,” Riley whispered softly, more to herself than to Buck.

Buck tightened his hold around her, kissing the top of her head. “Yeah. Home.”

[halfmoth-halfman]

la douleur exquise

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x GN!Spider!Reader Word Count: 2.6k Warnings: canon-typical violence, fluff, whump, slight body horror

It isn’t easy being one of Miguel’s best agents. He’s a hard man to impress and even harder to get close to, but somehow you’ve managed to do both.

You take pride in your friendship with Miguel; it’s not something easily accomplished and more often, a feat people are too afraid to try for. You get it, he can be intimidating, but you’ve gotten a glimpse beneath that rough exterior. He isn’t some terrifying monster waiting to attack at any given moment.

If he was a monster, he wouldn’t take time out of his day to make sure you eat three meals a day.

He wouldn’t ask for your advice on handling anomalies, much less listen as intently as he does.

He wouldn’t let you literally hang around his office and annoy him to no end during your downtime.

You know Miguel’s a good man. Is he a little too stern with the others? Yes. Does he take his job too seriously sometimes? Also yes. But you couldn’t imagine you’d be any other way if you were in his position.

He’s a good boss and a good friend—quite possibly your best friend—someone you trust with your life, and you’re about ninety-eight percent sure he feels the same about you. At least, you hope so. It’s that, or you’ve suddenly become really bad at reading people.

“Widow, come in.”

Speak of the Devil.

“If it isn’t my favorite boss,” you smile, looking down at your watch just in time to see Miguel roll his eyes.

“I’m your only boss.”

“Still my favorite,” you laugh. “What’s up?”

“I need you to meet up with Jess. Lyla—”

“Oh, wait, let me guess! Lyla detected another anomaly, and you need your best spider-person to get the job?”

Miguel doesn’t even look at you, too busy with whatever’s on his monitors, as he lazily shrugs, “Yes, actually—”

“Wait, really?”

“—But he’s stuck on Earth-13122, so you’ll have to do.”

“I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” you sigh, smile still playing at your lips. You catch the quirk of his lips, the tight swallow as he fights down a laugh.

It’s a shame; he has such a nice smile.

“Jess will fill you in on the details,” Miguel continues, back to business as usual.

“No problem, boss.“ Giving a mock salute, Miguel disappears, and you’re left gazing longingly after his visage. A small sigh escapes you, heart aching at his absence.

So, maybe Miguel isn’t just your best friend. Perhaps you’d like him to be something more, but you’ve been holding on to that hope for years with no indication that his feelings for you run deeper than platonic. It hurts having to deal with that fond pinch of your heart every time you see him, but you’ve resigned to dealing with it.

“You done pining yet, or do you need another minute?”

You damn near jump out of your skin at Jess’s voice, whirling around to come face-to-face with her.

“Oh hey, Jess! I didn’t see you there.” You try to laugh it off, looking everywhere but the woman smirking at you.

“Sure,” she teases. “You were too busy making eyes at—“

“Miguel said something about an anomaly?” you cut her off quickly. She gives you one last look that says you’ll definitely be talking about this later before shifting into business mode.

“We got a report about an unusually strong anomaly,” Jess explains, tapping away on her watch. “Due to the conditions of the universe he’s stuck in, Miguel thought you’d be the best for the job.”

A swirl of inter-dimensional orange mixes with the lush tropics of your universe’s floating islands behind her.

“He…did?” you ask with a tilt of your head.

“His exact words were, and I quote, There’s no one better suited for the job. He asked me to come along to help you.”

“No, he didn’t,” you scoff. It isn’t unusual for you to be one of the first ones called to deal with anomalies, but it’s certainly not normal for you to take point.

“You can ask Lyla,” Jess shrugs as the portal blinks opens.

“Why? What’s up with this universe that I’m needed, specifically?”

Jess’s mouth quirks into a knowing grin, waving you over with one foot in the portal.

“You’ll see.”

“I thought you said it was one anomaly!” you scream at Jess, tucking and rolling down another massive sand dune to dodge an incoming swing from the amalgamation of muscles, tendons, and cybernetics that make up the anomalous Lizard.

“There was!” Jess shouts back, kicking off the undead Electro, who looks a little too much like an oversized Frankenstein’s Monster for you to take him seriously.

“Obviously not!” you huff. The unforgiving sun bears down on the four of you, the golden light of this universe’s eternal sunset reflecting off the molten sand. The grains scratch at your suit, visible heat waves rolling over the endless desert.

You duck from another swing of The Cyber-Lizard’s tail, sliding across the sand as he gives chase. You can see the heated sand pulling the moisture from his skin every time he touches it, the coarse epidermis cracking and splitting open.

Miguel was right about one thing, you think. The burning sunset colors of your suit shift with the sands, your skin absorbing every heatwave that rolls by to energize you. There really was no one better suited for the job.

The next time Cyper-Lizard leaps for you, you turn and run, trying to get closer to Jess and the Zombie-Electro. She holds her own well enough—you’d expect nothing less—despite having to abandon her bike to the difficult terrain of this universe.

“Jess, get down!” you shout, sliding down a sand dune toward her. She crouches down, and you launch yourself off the dune, soaring over her.

Zombie-Electro takes the opportunity to attack, one arm extending with a horrendous groan. The jagged bolts of electricity keeping him hovering in the air spark and stretch up his stitched-together body, preparing to launch from his hand.

You beat him to the punch, shooting a web that blocks his hand as you collide with him mid-air. He groans and swats at you, but you’re too quick, attaching to webbing on his hand and crawling around the length of his body.

You’re a chaotic blur of sticky silk, oranges, and reds, webs shooting from every direction as you wrap Zombie-Electro into a massive cocoon, trailing webs around him and shooting off the sticky fibers to tether him to the sandy ground.

Using his head as a springboard, you launch off of him, landing gracefully next to Jess.

“Not bad,” she laughs, staring up at your makeshift monument to watch your webs solidify.

“All in a day’s—“

“Move!”

The blunt force hits you first, the searing pain of heated metal sinking in a second later as Cyber-Lizard’s tail slams into your torso and launches you into the air.

You hear Jess shouting, and your watch beeps. The sand sparkles, a flash of orange across the ocean of molten gold beneath you, and something pulls you out of the air.

You land at the base of your Zombie-Electro tower, or rather Miguel lands with you held firmly in his arms.

“Oh hey, boss,” you say airily. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Though you can’t see his face, he groans, and you know he’s rolling his eyes. Miguel sets you on your feet, waiting an extra second to make sure you can stand on your own.

Pain blossoms across your torso, but your suit works fast to absorb the heat from Cyber-Lizard’s tail and use it to relax your muscles.

“I’m good, promise,” you wheeze, leaning against one of your web pillars. “Go help Jess.”

“Stay here,” Miguel commands before taking off.

“Yeah, no problem,” you nod, waiting until he’s joined the fight to slide to the ground and collapse against your webbing. “I’ll just hang here with my new friend.”

Zombie-Electro groans, a slight shock of electricity traveling down your webs to zap your shoulder.

Your peace doesn’t last long, a massive roar—more the sound of metal screeching against shredded vocal cords—echoing across the dunes. You barely have time to react, getting to your feet—ribs screaming at you in protest—just as Miguel and Jess come flying toward you.

Jess recovers easily, bracing herself and sliding across the sand to stop on your left, while Miguel collides with the harsh structure of your webs on your right.

“Welcome back,” you laugh, holding a hand out to Miguel. He takes it with a huff, using your body as an anchor to jump to his feet. “Think we should call for back—“

“No,” Miguel snaps, and you exchange a look with Jess.

“Miguel—“ You step forward, reaching out to him, but pain shoots up your ribs, knees buckling. They’re quick to catch you, Miguel wrapping an arm around you to keep you upright, and Jess keeping your head from hitting the web-scaffolding.

“We should—“

The familiar shiver crawls up your spine, settling into your brain, the chittering hiss echoing in your mind.

You react a split second before Jess can, the surge of adrenaline giving you the added strength to shove Jess and Miguel away from you as Cyber-Lizard’s claws tear into your back.

You react on pure instinct and survival.

Both hands braced against your web scaffolding, your suit expels all its collected heat in a massive blast. Cyber-Lizard roars as the heat hits the alloy of his cybernetics, the metal already beginning to melt.

He stumbles, but the base of your webs liquify under your touch, and you use the tacky silk to pull him into you just as the entire scaffolding collapses.

Everything feels…heavy.

Distant.

A constant ebb and flow of consciousness like you’re trapped underwater, waves crashing over you whenever you break the surface.

You’re awake, but you aren’t; still present in your body, aware of your surroundings, but unable to move or react.

You hear people talking around you, sometimes quietly, sometimes urgent. There’s beeping and whirring and occasionally the phantom pain of something pinching into your arm.

It all settles into quiet, and you’re left with your scattered thoughts and a gentle pressure in the palm of your right hand.

Thirst is the first thing to hit you when you wake up.

Your throat’s too dry to make noise, but your eyes peel open and instantly move to take note of your surroundings.

You’re back at HQ, lying in the infirmary without your mask.

Guess the anomalies were taken care of.

You feel the dull ache across your body, and you’re sure you have a collection of bruises and bumps to take care of. You can already feel the heat of your suit encasing your skin and working to help you heal. You wiggle your toes, roll your shoulders, then flex your hands. Everything’s working fine, except…

You flex your right hand again, feeling that same solid pressure in your palm. You squeeze, putting as much strength as you can muster into it.

What is—

“Stop it.”

Your head snaps to the right, ignoring the pain that shoots down your neck. Miguel sits in a chair beside your bed, eyes shut with one arm crossed over his chest and the other…

You turn your hand, fingers lacing through his as you squeeze again, far more gently this time.

He opens his eyes, peering down at you with his best stern look. It’s hard to take him seriously when he looks so tired, with deep bags under his bloodshot and swollen eyes, and stress lines more prominent.

“You look like shit.” You rasp out a laugh. Miguel raises an unamused brow, giving you a blatant once over as if to say have you seen yourself. You roll your eyes, carefully turning your head back to look at the ceiling.

“Did you catch—”

“Yes.”

“Is Jess oka—”

“Yes.”

“You’re mad at me.”

“Furious.”

You nod, eyes sliding shut as you wait for the inevitable lecture. You wait a few seconds, then ten, then thirty. When Miguel doesn’t speak after a minute, you chance another glance at him to find him staring down at your linked hands with a look of blatant worry on his face.

“I’m okay,” you say softly, thumb running hesitantly across the back of his hand.

This is uncharted territory for you. Of course, he’s been worried about you before, but nothing more than asking if you were hurt after a mission.

He says it so quietly you almost don’t hear him.

“You flat-lined.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry.” It’s the only thing you can think to say. Miguel scoffs out a laugh, turning to look at you with a shocked expression.

“You’re apologizing? For almost dying?” he asks in pure disbelief. You shrug, eyes focused on the ceiling. He shakes his head, muttering something to himself that you don’t catch.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say,” you mumble. Miguel sighs, hand sliding out of your grip—you already miss the warmth—as he leans back from you. A hurricane of emotions swirls inside you: shame, embarrassment, anger, heartache.

You could accept him being mad, but the least he could do was thank you for saving his life.

Your bed dips, and suddenly Miguel is hovering over you, large hands cradling your face and claws gently scratching against your temples.

Your mind goes blank, unable to look away from the intensity of his earthy brown gaze.

“You’re supposed to say, I’ll be more careful next time, Miguel,” he says, stern and low.

“I’ll be more careful next time, Miguel,” you repeat, blinking up at him.

He leans closer, voice soft, “I won’t put myself in harm’s way again, Miguel.”

“I won’t put myself in harm’s way again, Miguel.”

He leans closer again, inches away from your face.

“I promise to never leave you, Miguel.”

Your breath hitches, and you bring your hands up to lightly caress his. You know what he's gone through, the things that he's lost, the distance he's put between himself and any sort of real connection. It had been one of your main reasons for keeping your feelings to yourself, content to treasure your friendship.

You never imagined that he pictured you as anything more.

“Miguel—” he stills at the sound of your voice, “—I promise to never leave you.”

You barely get the words out before his mouth is on yours, years' worth of swallowed feelings and tension pouring out.

If this is a dream, you never want to wake up.

Miguel pulls away first, pressing his forehead to yours with a long exhale. “You know you’re not going on any missions for a while, right?”

“I could use a vacation,” you laugh, leaning up for another peck on his lips. “Spend some time with my favorite boss.”

He shakes his head, looking down at you with nothing but unfiltered affection. He kisses you again, quick and chaste, before leaning up to kiss your head, lips murmuring against your skin, “Get some rest.”

You nod, and he pulls away, standing from the bed. You expect him to leave, to head back to his office, but instead, he takes the seat next to the bed and leans back.

He works from his watch while you nod in and out of sleep. Exhaustion finally catches up with you, and the last thing you see is Lyla appearing on his shoulder with a wide, teasing grin, laughing, “About time.”

some spider facts!

✧ reader is based on the noble false widow spider, more specifically, the genus Steatoda Nobilis!

“Oh hey, Jess! I didn’t see you there.” You try to laugh it off, looking everywhere but the woman smirking at you.

✧ false widow spiders are known to have poor eyesight!

A swirl of inter-dimensional orange mixes with the lush tropics of your universe’s floating islands behind her.

✧ false widows were originally found in warm, tropic areas before spreading across the united kingdom and the us! they are also known to be ambush hunters, often going after flying prey from high up!

Miguel was right about one thing, you think. The burning sunset colors of your suit shift with the sands, your skin absorbing every heatwave that rolls by to energize you. There really was no one better suited for the job.

✧ false widows are often a combination of burnt red and orange colors, and can survive and thrive in extremely dry and hot areas without water!

You’re a chaotic blur of sticky silk, oranges, and reds, webs shooting from every direction as you wrap Zombie-Electro into a massive cocoon, trailing webs around him and shooting off the sticky fibers to tether him to the sandy ground.

✧ false widows often use the "attack wrap" against prey where their silk is quickly wrapped tightly around their victim

“Not bad,” she laughs, staring up at your makeshift monument to watch your webs solidify. *

✧ false widow cobwebs are similar to sticky fibers, while their scaffold silk is exceptionally strong! i embellished here a little to make reader's webs able to transfer between the two as they need it!

[pocketseizure]

King Mode

Using his parachute cap, Luigi arrives at the final castle early only to find that it’s not set up yet. Bowser invites him to talk, and Luigi confesses his disappointment that his green hat has become synonymous with easy mode. Bowser puts this into perspective before making a confession of his own.

complete at 1,350 words . ( also on AO3 )

. . . . . . . . . .

Luigi glided to the upper balcony of the castle. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the green hat in his hands shrank down to its normal size. He pushed back his hair and replaced his hat on his head as he stepped across the threshold.

He expected to be met by traps, but instead he found a koopa and a shy guy sitting on a bench and eating sandwiches. The koopa greeted him with a wave.

“Hi Luigi! You’re here early,” she said. “We’re still getting set up. The boss is in the back. Just head down this hallway and take a right. It’s a bit of a mess, but you’ll be fine.”

Luigi didn’t know what he expected. “Okay,” he replied. “Thanks, I guess.”

“Nice place, isn’t it?” the shy guy added.    

It certainly was. Bowser’s team had been taking care of the castle flowers, which looked as healthy as they’d ever been, and the carpet running down the center of the stone floor was freshly shampooed.

“Yeah, it is nice,” Luigi agreed, not knowing how else to respond. “Well, enjoy your afternoon.”

He set off down the corridor. Piranha plants were already arranged along the walls. A few offered their snouts, and Luigi pet them absentmindedly. He took a right at the end of the corridor and abruptly found himself in a cavernous hall whose floor was submerged beneath a swamp of bright purple ooze.

This would have been a problem if he didn’t have a magical hat that doubled as a paraglider. While everyone else had to navigate obstacles by trial and error, Luigi could just glide and enjoy the scenery. That was why he was here early. So early, in fact, that the scaffolding over the poisonous pit hadn’t been removed yet. A few gnarly vines thumped lazily on the boards of the shaky wooden platform, but Luigi had the luxury of ignoring them as he crossed.

The throne room lay on the other side of the makeshift bridge. Aside from a thick jumble of electrical cables snaking across the floor, the chamber was empty. With nothing else to do, Luigi seated himself on one of the oversized plush chairs and made himself comfortable as he studied the colorful mess of objects occupying the room. He couldn’t make sense of most of it, but it was clear that Bowser intended to pull out all the stops for this performance.

If he waited long enough, Luigi decided, Bowser would show up eventually. Sure enough, as soon as the thought entered his mind, there was the man himself.

“Luigi! Good to see you,” Bowser called out. “I was just taking a break. Want some coffee?”

“Wouldn’t you prefer to battle to the death?” Luigi asked as he accepted a mug.

“Maybe later,” Bowser offered affably, seating himself on the throne next to Luigi’s.

Luigi tried the coffee. It was surprisingly good. “Is there any way I could convince you to give the Flower Kingdom back the… what was it you took this time?”

“Just their castle. Sure, I’ll give it back. But I’m not done with it yet.”

“Don’t people live here?”

“Would you want to live in a giant castle with bad plumbing built over a poisonous swamp? I’m telling you, this place was practically begging for renovations.”

“That’s a fair point. Sorry for getting here early, by the way.”

“Don’t apologize! It’s good to see you.” Bowser flashed his teeth. “And besides, the Yoshis have been running around the castle since this morning. They’re handy little buggers. Who do you think made this coffee?”

“Yoshis drink coffee?”

“Don’t dinosaurs drink coffee where you’re from? Listen, I want to show you something we’re installing on the lower level,” Bowser said as he passed Luigi an electrical panel adorned with a comically large red button.

“I’m not sure I should push this.”

“Come on, I’ve been working on it for weeks. You’re gonna love it.”

Luigi shrugged. What was the worst that could happen?

As soon as he pushed the button, a set of wall panels dropped to reveal cannon barrels. An explosive bang reverberated across the room as missiles fired into the room. They moved slowly, their flight governed by motion stabilizers. Each trailed a puffy cloud of rainbow-colored smoke.

Luigi considered how he might navigate this hazard. Jumping from missile to missile would require keen reflexes and precise timing. Or, as he had done up to that point, he could simply glide. Not much challenge there.

“That’s impressive,” Luigi said, doing his best to infuse his voice with enthusiasm.

“Damn right it is,” Bowser agreed. “You could even say these missiles pass with flying colors.”

Luigi nodded. “I like the rainbow. It’s always good to take a shot in the bright direction.”

The missiles hit the far wall, and the castle shook. Luigi cringed as the thick electrical cables hanging from the ceiling swayed with a menacing looseness.

“You don’t seem all that impressed,” Bowser observed. “I can take critique. Lay it on me.”

Luigi knew that Bowser could not, in fact, take critique. Mercifully, it wasn’t Bowser’s work that was the problem.

“I was just thinking about how it’s a classic combo, the bullet bridge over the poison swamp,” Luigi said. “It’s a fun obstacle course to navigate, if you have the skills, but that sort of thing always gives me trouble. I assumed I would get better, but I never did. Now I probably never will. I’m starting to feel bad for using my hat to bypass traps like this.”

“Why would you feel bad?”

Bowser seemed confused, so Luigi told him the truth. “It’s like I’m going through this on easy mode.”

“And what’s the matter with that?”

“It feels like cheating. And worse, I hate that it’s my green hat that’s become the symbol of just gliding through a level.”

“Hey, I worked on this project for years with the help of my staff and the entire Flower Kingdom. Don’t you think I want people to see as much of it as possible? No one is going to appreciate the full extent of my brilliance if they quit halfway.” Bowser laughed and clapped Luigi on the back. “You keep saying ‘easy mode,’ but I think they should call it king mode!”

“Don’t mind that I got here early?”

“Of course not. Junior’s away from the castle, and everyone’s busy with last-minute prep. I don’t have much to do until Mario and the princess get here, and I wanted to spend time with you. That’s why I made those adjustments to your hat. Didn’t I tell you?”

Luigi finished his coffee, savoring the moment. Bowser, who normally couldn’t keep his mouth shut, hadn’t said anything about this before now. Luigi supposed that he didn’t mind. In a world built for people like Mario, it was nice to feel welcome and included.

“So, now that I’m here,” Luigi prompted, “what do you want to do?”

“I was hoping you’d ask! Did you get a chance to try the wonder seeds on your way to the castle?”

“I took every chance I could get. Wonder seeds are way better than mushrooms. Back at home, there are so many mushrooms that I’m always tripping on them.”

Bowser snorted in approval. “I can see how that doesn’t leave mushroom for adventure. But wouldn’t you know it, I happen to have a high-quality batch of wonder seeds not available to the general public. This is the king’s own stash,” Bowser boasted as he presented Luigi with a velvet bag.

Luigi selected one of the chestnut husks and pulled its sprout, revealing a seed of an unusually brilliant turquoise blue. Something this neon couldn’t be healthy, but Luigi’s time in the Mushroom Kingdom had taught him not to be picky. With any luck, this wouldn’t be the strangest thing he’d put in his mouth before the day was over.

“Here’s to king mode!” Bowser toasted before emptying the bag of seeds into his mouth.

“Here’s to king mode,” Luigi agreed. He took a bite of the wonder seed and sat back to enjoy the show.

[jadedrrose]

Sooga is not 10 feet tall…

Ok. I keep seeing posts on here mentioning that he’s anywhere from 9-12 feet tall and because I am a loser that has nothing better to do, I am presenting my evidence that proves he’s actually around 7’1”/215 cm or so.

Age of calamity just…. Sized everyone up/down in weird ways. Idk. I’m assuming they did it to make Sooga feel more “scary” or like a big boss character, if that makes sense. So anyway, Sooga is the same height/scale as the blademasters in AOC. Really, he’s sort of a “reskinned” one but with extra stuff (his hair, collar, swords, etc). The game even refers to him as a blademaster sometimes. Now… because I don’t know how to do render/model stuff, I tried to take a screenshot of him and a blademaster side by side in game. That… did not go well. Even on easy mode, the blademasters would not sit still for even a second so, this is the best I could get:

And here’s Sooga compared to Link (in AOC)

Now if we look at the blademasters in BOTW/TOTK, you can clearly see that they’re much shorter than they are in AOC. Here’s one compared to Link:

Now as for how I got my estimate of 7’1/215cm. It’s not the greatest method (and I suck at math so there’s no way I can figure it out through the render sizes). It seems people generally believe that Link is around 5’2”, and considering the amount of npc’s who call him short, I think that would be about right. So what I did was get on one of those height comparison websites and get a 5’2” guy and then put in different heights until I got one that matched where Link stands compared to a blademaster. And keep in mind, I’m not including the hair on Link or the blademaster in their height estimates. That and, the blademasters wear hoods, so I took a couple of cm off for that too. Another thing: obviously I can’t get the exact shape of Link/the blademaster so while it may look a bit off, I’m like 99% sure it’s not.

And there you have it. So while I can’t “confirm” Sooga’s actual canon height, I can at least prove he’s not 10+ feet tall, lol.

[dxl44]

hi! I’m getting project arrhythmia today and I was wondering if there’s any levels/series’s that you’d recommend i check out? The only 4 I can think of are Black Heart, Dark Delirium, the pack with Kitcat and the series with Pandex (can’t remember the names 💔). I know there’s more I liked but I can’t remember them for the life of me

MY TIME HAS COME. LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS. YES.

First off, play the base game's story mode so far. It's come a long way, there's a proper tutorial there and proper easy levels that should get you eased into how the game works. Though I feel like that's obvious, but people do like to jump right to customs since they're the most popular.

So...some stuff I'd recommend. I'll start off with stuff that isn't a story, like creators or "recommendation collections" pooling together a bunch of levels in one place:

Anything by MysteriousShep. They're a really good new creator who's been putting out awesome levels with really fun gameplay. A lot of fun gimmicks going on here, and they have a really good visual style where it's enough to be interesting but virtually never gets in the way of you playing a level.

MotionIII is another one of the newer creators who's insanely underrated for how fun his levels are. He makes awesome stuff, go play it.

The same goes for Mr. Neon. I'd say pretty much anything by him is worth checking out too, though Lights and Limit Break in particular are his best work.

Jolly Jack's levels are absolutely beautiful, and they play well too. Absolutely give them a look.

The No Boss Zone collection is a collection I've organized of every good level without a boss fight that I can find on the workshop. If you ever want a change of pace or want to see the stuff that's unfortunately less popular, go check that out!

Now....storylines! I recommend a lot of these for their story, their gameplay, or both.

The Cracked Masonry is a complete three level "mini-storyline" with three short levels. It's a short romp with fun gameplay that's honestly a great start as far as playing storylines goes.

The Crystal Monarchy has a really interesting story it's building up and has insanely fun levels. It's setup so each set of levels is a "world" in a different location. It also spaces out the boss fights a little bit with "mini boss" levels in between most of them (usually each world has 1 boss and 1 miniboss)

Aetherborne Collection is a bit weird as a "story". This is an ongoing project to make levels with all of the songs in the Aetherborne album by Chime, with its own original story that follows after the album's plot closely. The problem with that is, they're being made out of order so there's a lot of gaps, but I still 100% recommend this as a pack of levels to play. Plus, most of the story relies on the music and visuals rather than dialogue, which is super unique!

Void Untold has the thing going on where its earlier levels are kind of bad because they're the first the creator (dragonw1414) made, but the later ones are REALLY good. Only the first 2 levels here are bad honestly, so you might want to skip them/play in zen mode esp since you're new to the game the rest are freakin' awesome. It also has my favorite antagonist in a level storyline.

The Polygon is super fun and has Enchart's great visual style throughout. It recently got its first level in years, so absolutely give it a play.

Heartstrings. This has INCREDIBLE story and worldbuilding for a PA storyline, but a lot of it is in supplemental material like video cutscenes. I recommend checking those out on noodlekin's youtube channel if you can, but even without those, you can enjoy the story a lot by itself - it's great. Though unfortunately, it's cancelled...but what there is done of it is awesome.

And last but not least, Khed's JSAB Pack has some of the best JSAB-styled levels on the workshop if you ever want something like that game.

Hope all of these recommendations are useful, please do let me know what you think of these as I always want to improve my recommendations to people. I know this is a lot - I definitely recommend just going down these lists, I put the sort of better stuff to start with at the beginning. Thanks for asking me for suggestions :)