#I'd love if other people did this as well that'd be fun

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

hey love your writing! Could you maybe do 9 and 14 with Dwayne please

9. I thought we were going out for dinner?

14. "I knew from the minute I saw you -" "What?" "That I had to bite you."

I hope you like this!

----------------------------

"And don't come back until you succeeded!" My dad stood in the doorway, looking at me as I left for the boardwalk. I sighed - it was the same old discussion. The family business. I had to be a part of it, I was part of the family, was I not? And yet, being a part of the family and acting out there commands were to very different things.

Still, even if I didn't think I was ready, I had to try. Maybe tonight I'd succeed. So, even though I didn't like it, I had taken along my knife. And a switchblade. Some razorwire. A bit of ducttape. You know, the usual.

And yet, when I entered the boardwalk, I didn't think about what my family wanted. All I could do was enjoy the sights and sounds, and before I fully realised it, I was in line for the rollercoaster. Riding the carousel, dancing around with the crowd at the concert. I laughed, sang along, screamed - and forgot about the world back home. I danced with many people until one individual stood out from the crowd.

He was tall. Handsome, with a hint of danger around him. He looked at me, and I smiled. Yes. He'd be perfect. He continued to look at me as I danced, and when I moved away from the crowd, he followed.

"Nice moves."

I nodded, smiling. "The music was good." I said before introducing myself.

"Dwayne."

We walked together in silence for a moment when I - and I was certain he did as well - heard my stomach rumble.

"Do you want to get some dinner?" He asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" I smiled brightly, my fingers itching. Dinner was indeed great. I could maybe subdue him, ask him to come home with me for more, and then my family would see that I could carry on the family business...

He took me to his bike, a nice model, helped me onto the back and drove off. There was something about the way that he drove, with not a care in the world for speedlimits or trafficrules that made me wonder if he was more dangerous than I thought.

He drove for a while, passing the Santa Carla town border, entering the desert like surroundings of the town.

"I thought we were going out for dinner?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the rumble of the engine.

He chuckled. "We are."

I frowned. Something was off. Carefully, I loosened one of the arms I had around him, moving to grab my knife. I was prepared for anything now.

"Then where are we going?"

"You'll see. It's just a couple of miles out."

"Bullshit! There's nothing here. I'm not some dumb tourist, Dwayne!"

Suddenly, I flew forward, my face pressed against his back. He had stopped driving, stopping in the middle of the desert.

"No?"

"No." I jumped of the bike, my voice calm and collected.

"That's a shame. Tourists are more fun."

I shrugged. I remember my sister saying the same thing.

"Why?"

"They just are."

It was quiet for a moment, both of us staring at the other.

"You know, I knew from the minute I saw you-"

"What?" I asked, sounding unimpressed. I frowned in surprise as I saw his face transform from human to something somewhat demonic.

"That I had to bite you." He was about to run towards me, ready to bite my throat out, when I spoke up.

"Wait, wait, hold up! You kill people too?!"

He stopped. "What do you mean 'too'?"

"It's my family's thing." I shrugged. "You know, killing people. My dad even went so far as eating the meat, but after accidentally eating some brain he doesn't do that anymore."

Dwayne just looked at me, as if I had grown wings.

"And its actually kind of nice, to meet another killer who's not a member of the family? How did you get into it? Were you forced, or was it like an urge you always had or-?"

"Vampirism."

"Oh yeah, that-" I stopped, looking at him. "Wait, for real?"

He nodded.

"Ah, so it was an urge thing then. Oh, speaking off - my grandma always makes sure to collect the blood of our victims? So like, if you ever need to get some emergency blood, you know?"

"Why do you still assume you get out of this alive?"

I smiled. "Because we've been driving some time, and it's -" I checked my watch, "about ten minutes before sunrise. So you can either kill me and burn, or-"

"Or what?"

"Take me home and I will give you some blood."

Dwayne sighed, probably wondering how this happened and why - before nodding. I grinned, pointing him towards the family home, and dragging him inside the second we arrived.

"The basement is sun free. Do you need anything else, besides the blood?"

He shook his head, not saying anything as he went down. I couldn't help but grin as I looked through the fridge for a jar of blood. I might not have made my first kill, but at least I found someone who could maybe help me make my first one.

[brineffxiv]

Hi!

Er.. So. Dawntrail is imminent. I have been meaning to make this post for some time? But I procrastinated. I sort-of hoped that I would be able to catch up to my huge backlog of posts? Ah, but I suppose I should confess, I finished the game!

I loved it. It was awesome. Incredible. I cried so much.

Yeah. Kind of a poor excuse for a "liveblog" at this point, eh? So, when we last spoke... I got to the end of Elpis, and then that biiig cutscene happened. And I couldn't manage to articulate how I felt about it. Like. The first time I saw it, I was so upset and cried through the whole thing. I loved it. I hated it. I was so very angry with Venat. But I couldn't put it into words why. In the end, I was very glad I'd taken screenshots of it, and could go back through it and see it slowly, because my initial impression of what happened, turned out to not be what actually happened when I looked at it again?

I am still angry with Venat. But not necessarily for what she did in the moment, more, a collection of her actions and her overwhelming need to be in control at all times. Her mistakes were made long before the sundering, and I think at the time she did the best she reasonably could. Unfortunately, her best wasn't good enough.

BUT! These are all conclusions I should save for that post.

Which I still would like to write.

That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. See, like I said, I finished the game. But. I kept taking screenshots all the while, expecting to write posts. I had just hoped to have caught up before this point. Because as I understand it, Dawntrail will bring with it a significant graphical upgrade. And then it's not really possible to pretend that this is still a "live" blog, yeah?

And I mean, regardless, pretending it's all still "live" wouldn't be fair to you all. That'd be telling lies. And that's bad.

So how do you feel about this? When I get to writing posts I will still call them a liveblog, and I will try to write them in the mindset I was in when I first played through them. But we all know that it's not truly live.

The other option is I can just... not write the posts and quit the liveblog.

I don't know. Up to you to decide, I suppose. Do you even want to see the rest of it?

Anyway. So what happened was, I stalled out on writing that post, but I really wanted to keep playing. So I thought I'd play just a little... And, well, you know what happens with "just a little" - before I knew it I was in Ultima Thule facing down the Endsinger. And I still couldn't finish that damn post.

I did a lot of fun stuff after finishing the game!

I did all of Eureka! I cleared the Baldesion Arsenal enough times to complete 4 sets of gear and 4 Relic Weapons! I even did calls and led some of the runs through BA! It was a lot of fun! (I did it through the ABBA discord, which, while there are some lovely people there, upper management are assholes and I would not recommend sticking around long term. Use them and lose them is what I'm saying)

Then I went and did Bozja! I ran Delubrum Reginae Savage (with the Lego Steppers discord. Very well managed run. Full stars) and got my Cerberus mount. I hate Bozja! I'm not going back there! You can't make me!

I joined a raiding static and cleared EX6 when it was current! Then we cleared EX7! Then last Monday we cleared P9S! Such fun!

I joined a second raiding static! I was asked to leave the second raiding static! Because I am not very good at raiding!

Hmm... what else did I do? I maxxed out my Island Sanctuary. I got all my Blue Mage spells and completed the Masked Carnivale. I even got my umbrella! And I completed all my Splendorous Tools! I have 25 fish left to catch in the game!

I won a Medium house and decorated it. If you want to come see it some time, it's on Marilith, Mist, Ward 17 Plot 29. I filled it with secrets. And a little shrine to my favorite character (It's Emet-Selch, of course it is).

I even built a personal FC with my alt and am experimenting with subs and airships!

Speaking of alts. I may have made too many.

I did the raids (and cried), I did the tribal quests (and cried). I did a lot of crying! But it was good. It was worth it! I love this game!

I am so looking forward to Dawntrail (and I hope you are too!).

[nevarroes]

I love your art. I find it interesting that you chose to draw this very specific feeding kink and get super indulged in it - with the willingness to lose a lot of people who might turn away from the art (as you started very differently). Was this always your *main* goal (to draw fetish art) or did it just develop with your OCs over time? There are a lot of very successful fetish artists so it really is all about audience, do you plan to approach this more, or do you think you will ever go back to be more "mainstream"?

First of all thank you!💜 and I mean hmm.... the thing with this question is I do not consider myself a fetish artist in that way anyways because I am uninterested in drawing this kink in a way that'd be generally applied, if that makes sense. Like I have no interest (and also didn't really have much of it before since it fit no character that I was writing) to draw any other character in such a dynamic or just to draw the kink, so it feels disingenuine to say that. I'd say I'm just drawing whatever I'm interested in oc- and dynamic-wise without really caring about who it may drive away or attract. it's none of my concern really since I'm not a professional artist that needs to curate what I post and I just see it as not attempting to separate any of my interests

So.... with that being said, no It was never my goal since I still don't think that's a thing I "achieved" or anything. however the thing that do I wanna point out is that back then I had a lot of personal issues with art. As in... even if I did a lot of OC stories that touched on kinks and other stuff in private I'd never post anything that is less than polished/rendered when it came to art, which made it seem like I'm only an illustrator or character portrait artist while nowadays I'm finally comfortable drawing simpler stuff as well as dynamics/interactions so I do think I'm where I wanna be in that regard. Again though I really do not care about who or what exactly my audience is, I don't intend or ever did try to actively build an audience. I appreciate everyone that sticks around right now and enjoys my content and I enjoy every interaction a lot, but I'm not trying to make a name in any specific niche or something like that, I'm quite literally just sharing my art and stories for fun and if that at the time aligns with fetish content to the extent that I would be seen as a fetish artist then I suppose it does, same as with mainsteam-y art, it doesn't really concern me🙏

[merbear25]

For the event x readers (this is so cool and I love the prompts btw) I'd love prompt 16 with Vash and a m/reader, nsfw would b cool but I'd be happy with sfw also!!

Thank you for all the work you put into what you do<3

Thank you so so much for requesting this and your kind words, lovely! Inspiration hit me like a truck, so I was so excited to write this for you 💜💜 I really hope you enjoy it. Fun fact: when I write my own stories, which aren't fandom related, I prefer writing from a male perspective.

CW: NSFW! MDNI! m!reader, mentions of drinking, angsty, mutual masturbation

Taking a risky leap at love

You'd been traveling alongside Vash for quite some time. There were flickering moments on your journey that reminded you of how you first met: aiding him in evading one of the many skirmishes he found himself in, which led to the beginning of an unfaultering friendship.

There were many stops on this seemingly never ending road to peace. However, this was the least of what was weighing on your mind. You'd be lying to yourself if you said romance wasn't budding between the two of you. Whether or not this was one-sided was still unknown to you; a hunch was all you could go off of, but as you stood by and watched him fawn over others, puddles of doubt formed at the bottom of your heart.

Pushing these all too familiar feelings aside for the night, you chose to enjoy unwinding at the local tavern with him. With the collection of mugs increasing and your tab rising, the flushed face of your crush was becoming too difficult for you to ignore your pressuring pining.

Light touches, playful jokes with flirtatious undertones: his bashful reactions to your advances gave you a fluttering courage that tugged at your heartstrings. Further testing the waters, you placed your hand on his thigh and dared to give it a light squeeze. To your surprise, he gently laid his hand on yours, giving you a sincere smile that melted your heart. However, your confidence was struck down when you leaned in for a kiss.

Regret for your previous actions washed over you as you saw discomfort replacing his cheerful demeanor. Apologizing to him, you felt as the answer which you'd been so anxious of hearing was going to shatter your heart to bits.

He tried to reassure you that everything was fine and not to worry about it, but you knew him too well—he was a people pleaser and only wanted to deescalate the situation.

Calling it a night, the two of you went back to your shared room. Despite the room accommodating you with two beds, you'd hoped that tonight would be the one night to allow you to explore your feelings for him more intimately.

Even with every fiber of your being telling you not to, you couldn't hold back from asking, "Maybe I misread the situation back there, but it felt like you wanted that kiss just as much as I did, so why did you pull away?"

"I don't know. I just can't allow you to get mixed up with someone like me."

"Please don't imply that this is for my own good. Don't do that...don't act like you don't feel this too." Your words trailed out of your quivering lips and wrapped around Vash's heart, squeezing at each heartbeat.

Watching his chest falling and rising, you took a cautious step forward. Holding out your hand, he took it and let you pull him into a passionate kiss with fireworks igniting between each slight pull away.

Eagerness to indulge in your mutual desires, the both of you tugged your pants off leaving the other exposed to your watchful eyes.

Letting your fingers wrap around his length, he followed your lead. With each stroke, you exchanged moans. The lust that'd been building up was finally being given the attention it'd so desperately been after.

This high you were feeling was quickly approaching its peak and you could feel Vash approaching it fast too. Each caressing squeeze and tug sent shivers down your spines and made you rut into each other's hands. You never wanted this moment to end, but unfortunately, the finish line was within sight.

Feeling Vash grip at your shoulder, you anticipated your own release: shooting hot streams of cum onto each other, the sudden splash on your body sent another thrilling rush through your lower half.

After easing yourselves down from the hights of ecstacy, you exchanged thoughtful smiles. This night and all others to follow would be accompanied by the more loving side of adventure you, as well as Vash, had always yearned for.

[blueiight]

IWTV E4 “A Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child’s Demanding.” Claudia discussing how it feels to escape poverty to being adopted into wealth, struggling in her existence without peers even during her second childhood and how she does not even care to have the veneer of mortal manners around Louis’s family, what Charlie as her last peer meant to her, and her mortal upbringing prior to Lestat + Louis.

And I realized, what I thought was Heaven was just some nice room. And what I thought were angels were really hell demons.

Uncle Les and Daddy Louis were rich. They had nice clothes and a nice auto carriage and a funny way of being nice to each other.

I gotta go to bed when the rest of the world wakes up, so there's less kids to play with...

Daddy Lou said I had been away from people too long. I didn't know how to behave right anymore. But Uncle Les said, I behaved just fine.

Diary, his name is Charlie. He's got veins like rivers. They flow right down his arms. …Charlie's death ushered in one of the darkest eras in our lives. The oh-so-delicate balance of our oh-so-delicate household was shattered. For Claudia, all humans died with Charlie.

And, diary, you'd think a girl whose mama died in childbirth... whose daddy gave her away to a mean old auntie who beat her 'cause no one said she couldn't, who died in a fire but came back by the blood magic of two demons, well, you'd think that girl wouldn't know what funny was. But you'd be wrong, diary. And if I told you, dumb diary, that that same girl was being raised to kill like her demon parents did, to take two souls a day so she could stay in the same flat-chested, hairless-crotched 14-year-old baby doll body as her mind and spirit turn 19, 20, 25, 63, 358, you dumb, dumb diary, I bet you'd say to anyone who'd listen, "Fun? Fun? How does she even get up in the morning?" Well, let me tell you something, you stuck-up, flower-covered, three-dollar fancy fսcking paper diary, I'm doin' just fine. (diary pages read aloud as Claudia self harms at the end of e4)

IWTV E5 “A Vile Hunger for Your Hammering Heart”. Claudia discussing her life/reckoning with the fate of her premature existence.

"Dear Diary, am I gonna be a virgin every single time I do it? Won't my skin down there grow back like my hair does when I cut it?"

Who am I supposed to love? You two have each other. Who's my Lestat? Who's my Louis? I’m not human. What human would want me? Perverts? Like the uncle at the roomin' house who used to watch me pee? Or little boys? And 40 years from now... still little boys? How are you gonna fix it, huh?… (turns to Louis) [Lestat] treats us like shit and you just take it! And you, [turns to Lestat] cruel as the devil ever made, to deny me one love when you’ve got two.

[Talking to Louis in her room after the confrontation at the dinner table] I remember the night I was made, the fire chokin' me, you carryin' me out through the flame and the smokes. But then why'd you take me home? Why not a hospital? …. But I was breathin'! Maybe I'd have a handsome husband by now. Or maybe he'd be plain but with a good disposition. That'd be fine, too. I'd be sweepin' floors, makin' dinners, nursin' babies. Maybe I'd go to church. You think on that some.

How does Claudia react after her rape? She exhibits textbook behaviors.

Co-dependency.

I spend time following Louis and Lestat now that I am my own woman... with no obvious sense of why I follow them, other than meaning slowly disintegrates without them...My companions in immortality.

but wait.. u might ask: doesn’t this contradict what she said years earlier in this same episode about wanting ‘her own Lestat and Louis’? is this Louis or Armand somehow forging Claudia’s diary? or is this a rape victim shortly after the actual experience struggling with her emotional+ mental state and in that frame of mind going back to the immortal family she finds to be a more familiar sort of ‘evil’ than the unknown vampire that raped her, especially after witnessing Louis weep over the grave Grace made of him? to Claudia here, being Louis’s ‘sister’ is balm put onto a bleeding wound.

Hypervigilance over her wider situation ad an Enmeshment with Louis, as they both have endured incredibly traumatizing events (with Claudia being raped + shortly after, witnessing Louis being beaten) and are without Lestat for six years following the end of E5 picking up the pieces. it is Claudia who tends to Louis in his most vulnerable here, and Louis struggles with that, wanting to be ‘her knight in vengeful black’ in return.

She's grown very protective of me. That's what this is. It's why it's hard. She came back altered when she left us. There's a darkness in her that wasn't there before. Give her a little time. [Louis is trying to appease Lestat here in their ‘compromise’, but there is a key bit of truth in his observations here.]

Claudia learned very early on, as early as E4 when Louis asked her mentally about Charlie, how to block her mind off from Louis. and with her traumatic experiences, its all but said that hypervigilance protects her mind further (as shown in the S2 trailer when Armand comments on it). When Lestat steals her from off the train, he also threatens her:

Because if you try this again, Claudia, I won't snap your leg, defile your pocket, and zoom off on a motorbike. I'll turn your bones to dust.

Is it any wonder Claudia draws the comparison to Bruce when she talks to Louis, especially when Louis in the season finale plays the role of a honey trap to the very same lover who almost ‘killed Louis’, as Claudia [and Daniel alike] frame the ending of E5 as abuse + attempted murder, as Claudia seethes , is ‘done enduring?’ and just before she creates her own murder plan:

Or did you kill him, like you did Antoinette, and how you tried to do with Louis?

I have to wonder why, over a year from airing, blogs and reviews claiming to be dedicated to the series rehash the most juvenile questions that the episodes themselves directly answer? How can S2 spec or complex discussion occur, if callout PSAs shutting down any sort of canon-compliant discussion is the way to go? If people constantly exhibit their refusal to meet the show where its at and engage the material for what it is, where can we go from here? AMC IWTV is very didactic. ‘The absence of metaphor is striking’. Yet for all the waxing about loving ‘fucked-up gothic romance’, there is a willful ignorance in understanding where & what makes the situation fucked up to begin with. Or even an interest in understanding the basics of the setting!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

‼️ aita for looking out for a friend?

(all 17, pronouns provided for everyone included other than me)

so I have a relatively small friend group, including people who I'll call T (they/them, my best friend), G (he/him, the friend the title is referring to), and B (she/her, we don't get along). B and I have been on our high school theater team for 4-ish years together, right from the first show post-quarantine to (hopefully) our last senior show in April next year. Last year, my friends T and G joined for a murder mystery show and G LOVED it. we performed it, went into summer, and came back for our senior year. Now, it's important to note that B, T, and I are also on our school's robotics team and off season events typically fall around the same day of theater competitions (dont ask why there's theatr competitions, we mainly do them for fun). B has already said that theater is more important to her than robotics, so our theater director decided to do a two person show.

Our director had already said she wanted B and G to play the parts in the show, but we all asked for an audition anyway. Auditions come around, all four of us audition. We actually talked about doing a different show in our senior meeting a week before that had 5 roles, but everyone agreed that the two person show would be better. B decided to bring up a year old issue we had where I was venting about only getting minor supporting roles where I either die or spend half the show off stahe. I had said in that conversation that before roles were casted, I wanted B's roles. It was the biggest role in the show with no time off stage and I felt like I was at a point i could handle it, but B got the role and it was fine! I was chilling with my yelling role. Well, B heard this and interpreted it as me saying I could do her role better and stormed out of class after yelling at me about it.

This went unresolved for a YEAR because everytime I tried to talk about it she'd either yell at me or change the topic. And now she was using it as a petty argument to show that I'd be upset if I didn't get a role. This isn't even the worst thing that's happened between us, but let's get back to the aita.

So, as of the time I'm submitting this it's only the first week of rehearsals. B and G are both almost off book, which is impressive for G because this is only his second show. He's absolutely amazing at his role but has a habit of getting the idea of his lines and paraphrasing them (if that makes sense? like if that line is "it'll only be a second, let me check." he'll say "let me look ill only be a second"), but beyond that he's REALLY good at making you feel the proper emotion already. The Main issue with him already is he's missed two days of rehearsal, which wouldn't be bad if we weren't so late starting. He missed one day for a sport meet and one day for his sisters birthday, which was understandable to everyone other than B.

B lives, eats, and BREATHES theater at this point and if you don't take it as seriously as she does, she'll try to get you kicked off the team. Since G missed two days, B thought he wasn't taking it seriously enough and decided to tell our director. G was absolutely devastated, he was already misses an event that'd get him really good contacts for the field he wants to go into because B asked the director to make all of the rehearsals mandatory BECAUSE he wanted to do the event. He came to T and I to talk about it and I decided to go to rehearsal that night to warn the director B was trying to get G kicked off. B's full reasoning for trying to kick him off was that he wasn't prioritizing rehearsal and hadn't memorized his lines yet (again, first week).

Rehearsal went absolutely amazing, they were both almost completely off book for one of the longest scenes and did it so soso SO WELL. Once rehearsal ended after 3 hours and B left the room, I went to go tell the director. The director immediately shut me down and told me if B had something to say I don't have to warn her. G and I left trying to wrap our heads around what to do. I didn't want him to be kicked off and deal with the shame of not feeling good enough and he felt insulted that someone he thought was his friend would go through so many hoops just to pretty much sabotage a hobby of his. We agreed that if the director went through with kicking him off we wouldn't go down without a fight.

But, that was that, and I got home and joined a call with some other friends to decompress from how stressful the entire situation was. I would've been completely de-stressed if it weren't for the fact B texted me an hour after rehearsal ended with just "what happened between us?" Apparently, our director had told her that I was trying to warn her that B was gonna say something. I realized that B still thinks we're on good standing, friends even, when I absolutely do not.

I don't know how to go about telling her that any thread of friendship between was severed a long time ago, but I think me trying to protect G and keep him on the team was the final straw for her. I can't tell if I'm just blinded by my dislike of her or if I really fucked up in this situation.

What are these acronyms?

[thefreelanceangel]

(Count)Down to Dawntrail: FREE DAY

July of 2019, I downloaded the trial for FFXIV.

Up until then, I'd been in GW2 for over seven years. It'd given me a roommate (ilu Rory) and helped me reconnect with the man who I ended up marrying (ilu honeybun). It'd also become a game I couldn't even look at without sighing heavily.

(That fucking map currency grind... UGH.)

I wanted to try something else, see if I could find a game that'd be fun to play. And as both my "screamy baby brother" (ilu Chaos) and one of the people I'd admired most in GW2 (ilu @mirugaidoesthings) were in FFXIV, well...

I made a catgirl, named her after an old tabletop NPC (RIP the OG Callie...) and started poking around.

I very quickly slid over to Mateus (because up until FFXIV, I was an RPer first, content later... maybe sort of person) and ... well, I fell in love. With C'allie, with Eorzea, with the gameplay and mechanics, and definitely with GPose. (July 10, 2019 is when Chaos told me about the GPose feature and... well I never quite stopped.) And as I dragged my then-boyfriend into playing, he fell in love with Eorzea, too.

It's hard to really explain just how much time, energy, fun, frustration, and enjoyment we've gotten from FFXIV in the years since. Or how much the story of Eorzea came to mean to us. (The Ceremony of Eternal Bonding music was playing at our RL wedding.) We've met some amazing people--the players of Thravnar, Zale, and Targur for instance--and it's given me the chance to reconnect with old friends. (@mirugaidoesthings & @rylen-ooc <3)

Shadowbringers might as well have just been written specifically for me. Monstrous angels, a complex villain, a story with such resonating themes... I'd enjoyed A Realm Reborn and I'd cried over Heavensward (yes, over Haurchefant... who I ended up naming my cat after) but Shadowbringers might as well have been marketed with my name on it.

And then in late November-early December of 2021, Endwalker's release coincided with my soon-became-husband's cancer diagnosis. I played through the first section of the MSQ while he slept off his first round of chemo. I was scared and emotional and trying my best to deal with the stress of keeping our finances together while visiting him during his hospitalizations and juggling everything that such things require.

Endwalker hugged me. It told me that life is scary, that life is a struggle, but we do it because we have each other. And I desperately needed that. Endwalker was the story I needed right then and right there. Facing down the Endsinger felt so cathartic, as if I was able to beat my husband's cancer and my own stress and fear with my WHM staff.

And Endwalker is the expansion where I had to make a Warrior of Light, I couldn't separate myself from the story long enough to just experience it anymore. I needed to create a character who changed in relation to the story, who lived it, who could have the same emotions I did about it.

I've met lovely people through FFXIV--a lot of them here on Tumblr--and I've found a creative outlet I'd never imagined possible. (Thank you *coughcrimetoolscough*) I've created characters, written stories, built friendships, and found deep, personal comfort in Eorzea. I cry when I hear "Answers" now and I can list the Scions off without pausing. I've baked Norvrandt's cookie biscuits, hung FFXIV art in my house, and can recognize more of the music than I've EVER listened to for ANY other game.

Dawntrail is the next step in a journey I'm eager to continue with all of you. May we ever walk in the light of the Crystal.

[qcoded]

To be fair, I don't think it would have been that much of a good idea in terms of storytelling or plot for Belos to actually have freed The Collector. Considering that we know how far the kid's powers can go (Examples: Moving the fucking MOON, being able to dollify people, rearranging mass at will, etc).

Can't really blame him since there was a good chance The Collector was going to cause even more chaos.

Buuuuuuuuut, at the same time, I would have honestly loved to see how The Collector's and Belos dynamic would have been affected specifically, and how in turn that'd affect the fate of the Boiling Isles (considering that The Collector was the one who stopped the draining spell but like. mostly focusing on dynamics here).

I know damn well that if Belos tried, he'd basically have his whole plan set in stone. He spent so much time with this child, probably having to deal with The Collector's silly questions, tiring games (whatever games a shadow could play), and more, promising them to eventually set them free once in a while if the other asked for reassurance.

And eventually, he DOES end up freeing The Collector. The child would be the most happy he's ever been in centuries, because his 'best friend' actually freed him! He fufilled their promise, and they'd play so many games, just as they said years ago. So hey, it'd only be fair for The Collector to repay Philip for his kindness.

Take in mind too, Belos knows the in's and out's of this kid. After all, they did spent atleast 200+ years together, he's been emotionally manipulating this child since the start. And what happens when you pair that with complying to a request that was made from the very beginning? Unconditional trust.

I'd imagine that after The Collector was freed, he'd probably make the kid make another promise, probably along the lines of "Only listen to what I have to say, ok? The others wouldn't understand you at all, not like how I do. That way, we'll have even more fun as we play." (Honestly I made that up on the spot but you get the gist).

And y'know, Philip actually fufilled his first promise! So surely he isn't lying with this one either, so of course, Collector accepts.

Belos would probably be the most gaslighty he's ever been too.

Collector starts to doubt him? Words of affection and reassurance would be thrown his way immediately, probably even physical displays of it too.

Collector does anything that's against Belos wishes? Taking back all those previous positive reinforcements, saying how disappointed and hurt the man was after all he's done for the child, only to be doubted? Manipulation 101, everyone.

It'd all end with The Collector running back to Belos, because after all, he'd probably end up alone again, and that's the worst thing that could happen.

Honestly I could say so much more, but they're dynamic in canon is honestly complex enough and I don't have the braincells for it xd

[brave-little-pauper]

1/2/3/?

Young Love

Big City, Mario and Luigi's home. Their only home as far as they knew.

"Here is where you'll be safe." Said Mama.

"You gotta think about the long run." Said Papa. "Don't ever look back."

Luigi took it to heart, and though Mario did too, he remained ever curious.

Now on their own, the bros stick together as they scrape by. Luckily, Mario found work as a carpenter. It was a demanding job, but not only was it stable, it was also his chance to go to many places within the city such as the local amusement park, where he would meet an up-and-coming singer.

Pauline had such a presence that could turn the rundown stage into a great music hall. Yet, she was down to Earth, thanking Mario for his renovations compared to others who treated him and his fellow co-workers as a nuisance. They started to chat while eating cheaply made (and possibly code breaking) park food.

To avoid Luigi's constant teasing, Mario worked up the courage to ask her out ("To HANG out, Lu. To hang out. It's not a date!). Soon enough, the pair would sneak into the construction site during their breaks to view the dusking skyline.

"You ever wonder what you'd do if given the chance?" asked Pauline.

"Mamma mia, where would I start?" Mario laughed. "I've thought about becoming a doctor. Maybe an athlete. Oh! I've never tried racing before. That'd be fun. Luigi said that with my driving, I'd be a natural, haha! Or how about- ..." He stopped, glanced away, and tipped his hat. "Sorry, got a bit carried away there. What about you?"

"Don't worry! I'm glad you got some ideas. As for me...Well..." She then sighed. "I enjoy singing. I think it helps people forget about their troubles for a while. It's just...I don't know. The park's not that great. They keep promising some big spectacle coming soon, but nothing has happened. I want to do something more, but what's out there?"

"We could go explore the world. Who said we have to stay here for the rest of our lives? After all, what's wrong with a little change? We could save up. My bro could come along! We'll never look back!"

"That would be nice..." Pauline smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

[Original post date: 3/28/23]

[longbobmckenzie]

THTH Season 3 Thoughts

It's been awhile since I've done a thoughts post, but we're over halfway now, and I definitely have some thoughts.

Overall, I'm enjoying the season - I adore Taz, and I look forward to playing it every week. However... I also have a lot of criticisms.

The Love Interests

The love interests are carrying this season!! Taz is the only one I'm really in love with, but I think they're all really good and well-rounded, and there's something for everyone. They have a lot of depth, their loyal routes develop at a really nice pace, and I love that they can be customized! They're the best part of the season and imo they're what make it as enjoyable as it is. Unlike...

The OG "Friends"

I hate them all, and I have since the very first week. Sean is a self-centred annoying asshole (I know some people like him and think he just needs to mature, but he's a big fat no from me). Victoria is an ugly bitch who just uses others to get off. Julian has annoyed me from day 1 with his dramatics, and I didn't like Giselle either but she's only gotten worse and worse. Like girl, if you don't even like Sean that much, maybe don't have sex with him? She's being treated as a sympathetic character, but she wasn't being manipulated or emotionally abused, and she could have spoken her mind. Asshole.

I honestly have had no desire to take the options that give friendship points, so my meters are barely filled for any of them and as a result I lost money when they didn't agree with me when I wanted to forfeit $10k when Poppy and Julian were in the suite. Oops.

The FTL Routes

I really like Avi, and while Poppy was annoying at first, I know people who are doing her route are really loving it. I love the slow burn friends-to-lovers thing so I really love this element - however I would have much preferred it if they were OGs. For Avi especially, it didn't really make sense that he kissed us on the date only to immediately friendzone us. I think it would have made so much more sense if he were there from the beginning and we started out purely as friends.

The "Spy" Storyline

Not a fan of this. Bad Lana is one thing (we'll get to that) but I think this just... doesn't make that much sense? idk. I don't have a fully fleshed out opinion on this or how I'd do it differently, but I think it would've been better in a season without Bad Lana.

Bad Lana

I watched the new season of the show where Bad Lana made her appearance, and I do think it's really neat that they were given that info ahead of time to add it to the game. However, I wish they'd followed how it was done in the show, where the Bad Lana ruling period was at the beginning (they did mention that they had this as well and had lots of fun with it), and then the two people who took advantage of it the most were sent into banishment. Having another Bad Lana ruling period (and then adding the banishment which is coming up in the next episode) right in the middle of the show just doesn't work quite as well to me?

Also, what is the point of getting green lights during Bad Lana's ruling period? We could kiss without them anyway!

MC as the Bombshell

I have mixed feelings on this - I loved being the bombshell and getting the free pass, however... there's just no impact. You pick an LI, you automatically connect, and other than Carmen, none of the partners really care? I would've preferred coming into a situation where the couple was actually a couple and I had to work a bit to turn their head (or maybe even switch to the other person, that'd be fun).

Tying this into the Bad Lana point above, I think it would've made a lot more sense if MC were an OG in this season to experience the Bad Lana period at the beginning. Kiss a couple people, get sent to banishment. To me, that would've been a lot more interesting.

Branching

The branching has been fine (although there have been some continuity errors if you stick with the same LI each time), but I think it was better in S2. I remember always being blown away by how much branching there was in S2, and this season just hasn't had that. It's still good and nothing to complain about, but I'd like to see improvements each season, or at least keeping the same level, rather than taking a slight step back.

Especially now that there are some people who are being banished despite not breaking any rules? How does that make sense? At least in S2, you could be eliminated or not depending on your choices.

The Spicy Scenes

These have been great so far, and I love that they're personalized to each LI and stay consistent with their character. No criticisms here!

The Confessionals

I love, love, love that we don't have a whole episode dedicated to confessionals anymore. And no more dumb quizzes

Cliffhangers

Please, for the love of donuts, not every chapter needs to end on some dramatic soap opera cliffhanger. This week alone, the chapters end as follows:

MC is shocked to walk in on Jirayu and Carmen in the sauna

MC is shocked that someone is having sex (despite the fact she literally just had sex in my route)

Lana's announcement

It's just kinda cheesy at this point, especially the 2nd chapter ending. It's Bad Lana's ruling period, people are having sex, what is there to be surprised about? And the fact that sooo many chapters end like this? Walking in on other people, jumping to conclusions, etc. It's getting old. It's one thing if the whole episode has a cliffhanger of some sort (still not really necessary), but each chapter? c'mon. Let's stop with the dramatics.

Edited to add:

Background Characters

It's kind of disappointing that if you're not romancing one of the LIs, you just... never see them. The storyline is dominated by the "friends" and your own LI (and Carmen/Jirayu with a minor plotline), and then there's always that one other couple that breaks rules, but otherwise, they all fade into the background. It's a lot like S1 again, whereas one of the things I appreciated about S2 was that the LIs you weren't romancing were still a big part of the story. In S3, if you don't choose their scenes, you just never see them. I hardly know anything about Beatriz, Carmen, or Isla, because I don't take their scenes and barely interact with them. On my Taz route, I've barely spoken to Jirayu or Matthias.

Now that we're pretty much locked in, maybe those characters will start being included more (like in today's episode where we had the chance for a threesome with the couple we've interacted with the least), but I would have really appreciated them being included more up to this point. It's a noticeable change from S2 and since I hate the OG "friend" characters, it's a real negative.

I feel like I had more things to touch on but I've forgotten them, so I'll stop here! Would love to know if you agree, disagree, or have anything else to add!

[tobiasdrake]

Finally, we're off to sea. If that's what you call this.

You know, this just occurred to me. If Patches has to keep his eyes shut to use his magic, how do we navigate? Like. Is it someone's job to rotate him? Take him by the shoulders and turn him left or right?

In any case, at least we're on our-- Hey, where the hell is Teaks? Did she miss the boat or fall overboard? Or was she the only one of us with enough good sense to go, "Hahaha nope, I'll wait for the next one."

I'd heard that no one ever returns but I'd just assumed the Dweller of Woe was eating them or something. Are they. Like. Community building instead? That'd be weird.

Kind of, then. It's like a psychic ranch. She keeps people as livestock and occasionally takes them out to slaughter.

Oh shit yes. Can we board it now? Trade in this dinghy for the spoils of our conquest? TELL ME we can do this side quest!

Aww, I wanted it to be ours now. But okay. Fine. We can do my thing first. Pout.

Hold up, how can the night be everlasting if we're expecting an eclipse? Night isn't what happens when the moon is present; It's what happens when the sun is absent. The moon has no authority over the night and day cycle, and is in fact frequently in the sky during day.

You cannot have an eclipse without a sun in the sky. The sky doesn't work that way.

Is the eclipse going to, like, magically pierce it somehow? Because, again, you can't have an eclipse during perpetual night.

Well, I guess if it's a lunar eclipse, you can. Those are pretty common.

You know, I kinda expected you guys to pull up close and make us swim the rest of the way while you hightailed it away from Psychic Cattle Farm Island. Surprised you were willing to stick your necks out like this.

Means a lot to me. I will try not to let you get eaten by the Dweller.

T_T I'm sorry I made fun of your stupid raft. This is really touching and now I want to be besties forever.

Guess we should set up camp and figure out--

TEAKS!

She did wait for the next boat. Or she swam. One or the other.

It's great to have you with us, Teaks. I'm sorry if you end up doomed forever because of it.

There are illusionary treasure chests hiding ghost ambushes. I hate this--

Oh. Pardon me. These are woodland spirits. Illusionary treasure chests hiding gaea's vengeance. The metaphysical consciousnesses that guide the natural order of our world want me dead for some reason. Can't imagine wh--

...okay, so perhaps I have not always been the most reverent of Solstice Warriors. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot. But. It doesn't have to be that way. I believe that, with maturity and grace, we can learn to understand each other and-- RANDOM BULLSHIT GO.

HAHAHA GOT 'EM. Test me, fuck-os.

You know, this is a nice little town the cattlefolk have made for themselves. We've got electric lighting. Nice homes. You almost don't even notice the gloom.

There's even transparent ghost people wandering near their graves! That's great. It means when the Dweller eats once of your loved ones, they come right back to you lickity-split.

You know, I was wondering. I figured there was some sort of low-level psychic barrier that just convinces everyone to stay, but no. It's threat of force. Everyone lives here in uncertainty wondering when the Dweller will summon them to be devoured, but if you try to leave then you're summoned immediately.

Denial? Your bar is denial? That's pretty clever, honestly. Points for that.

GARL NO

Do not give these people hope. They have no ability to influence what's about to happen in any way. If we win then they'll be free to go whether they knew it was coming or not, but if we lose then they'll be crushed by false promises. Hype is an insidious monster that strangles reality in its bed.

Let's just kill what we came to kill, and then we can start talking about it. It isn't news until it actually happens.

There's something about this place. Like. A commentary on the way we use escapism to distract from the hopelessness of living in a world that seems to be getting worse by the day. People meeting at The First Stage of Grief to share fictions of what they want their lives to be like, it resonates with our moment in time.

This place is really interesting.

Hold up, the squiddy on the end of Patches's staff is alive? I honestly thought that was a woodcarving.

Yeah, I have nothing to add to that. This place is a sobering reminder that action and glory are meant for something. In all seriousness, the end-goal shouldn't be the enrichment of the self, but of society.

An organization that claims ownership of violence for "the greater good" must always be cognizant that what they are doing is for the betterment of people's lives. Not of "society" as a whole even, but specifically, "Is the service I'm providing making people happier?"

[yuseirra]

Oh no... I am so sorry for annoying you with my ask about comparisons between ONK characters with other anime characters, I truly did not mean to annoy you at any single way or bring any sort of trouble, I made this tumblr just to formally apologise I do am ashamed to talk on my main so I am a coward but still I just feel I am dumb while i read thus can't have a good judgment but... and I like reading from people I know is smart for sure and I won't bother you again with fandom discussions I will just support you correctly I truly hope you can forgive me, far from my intentions to bother you in any single way I am so so so sorry

Hello~ I thought of replying this to you privately, but since it's not an ask sent through your main according to what you say, I hope you don't mind me replying on public! I feel the need to clarify what exactly I felt as I was answering you on my end as well..!

Oh, no, I wasn't so annoyed earlier, I just... didn't think the answer was something that'd need to be asked because isn't it so obvious? If you've been watching and supporting me, you'd know what answer I'd give! XD The take you brought up was quite extreme... things usually don't tend to be so black and white, even if it's a manga, so the answer I could give felt like a given. I understand you need assurance sometimes, I've been there! Was that what you were looking for earlier? It's nice to see similar takes and get some confirmation! I appreciate you having trusted me to give out some good insight about a topic you're interested in. But.. at the same time, I didn't want to state that people are necessarily wrong about their takes on my answer. I've never seen them, so I can't be sure enough to judge, and I could only talk about my own feelings. I may not agree with it, but they're a different person and I don't know enough to disagree with something I haven't seen. And I don't think I'll try and see takes like those on purpose either... even if I came across it, I'd just pass through it...

I haven't been drawing Aqua so much lately, but if you'd like to see my takes on the character, my drawings would reflect my feelings! I believe I've still drawn a few! Never got to depict his warm sides as much as I'd like, recently, I've been drawing him very annoyed about his dad bc how the story's been but if things turn for the better in the manga, I'd love to try drawing him that way :)

It's my personality, you see, I don't really enjoy debates, my friends do though? If my friend was here, they'd have had a lot of fun with your ask. I just tend to prefer keeping to my thoughts most of the time (except for the things I'm really passionate about!) Some people may really enjoy getting these asks, I'm... it really depends on the question, but maybe I don't enjoy it as much as some others may. I might enjoy some really cute and uplifting type of things... but hearing Aqua being taken as a heartless person's kind of sad; I do care about that character too. He's a character that's been suffering, he shows signs of PTSD. When I first read the comic, I felt pretty immersed towards his emotions and I sympathized with him a lot.

I'd like to say I didn't intend for you to get all apologetic and nervous! Wow, you even made a blog to apologize? but you really didn't have to! It's very hard to convey the tone of voice through words, ain't it? I was being really casual with that reply earlier. If I could just read it over in my voice, you'd have heard it and figured this person isn't so mad about it. I was talking the way I usually do! So no worries, I'm glad I got to hear from you again and hopefully I could lift you of your feelings you're having. Um, I'd be happy if I could provide some good takes about this series you can agree with :) We may not be able to agree on everything, but I have a feeling you might end up enjoying how I view things regarding this series. Will you still support me despite having felt this nervous about it? I'd like that to happen! Hope you have a nice day!

[diverbots]

could we get a master list of zenyatta headcanons (or honestly whatever comes to mind first) (maybe this is a repetitive ask. if so, I beg for your forgiveness, king)

It's alright don't worry, anyone can send as many asks as they'd like, I'm just slow to reply sometimes. As for Zenyatta headcanons I'm drawing a blank on a lot of them (it's 12 AM here and I have to drive my friend to work in the morning lulz) but here's some off the top of my head:

Zenny is almost at Dva's skill level in terms of gaming but he's very casual about it - he likes the competition! You could argue it's cause he's an omnic that he learns so fast and is "naturally good", but he personally wants to separate himself from that, and just let loose and play like how anyone else would. He also likes the community aspect of gaming and hearing how much love people put into just creating something fun and engaging to connect with other people. He likes to 100% complete games as well.

Zenyatta hates juggling because he can't actually do it. The amount of skill required for it sucks, and whenever he attempts he accidentally brings out one of his transcendence arms out of habit and messes it all up. Whenever he tries to fake it, it looks horrendously bad and he's just stopped doing it altogether to prevent further embarrassment (Ramattra was the one who made fun of him for it) He's a bigger fan of just spinning his orbs in his hands - or just yo-yos.

I'm still thinking over this (PVE will probably confirm or deny) but Zenyatta got his name from Mondatta when he entered the Shambali (if they happened to have the same name when they met though that'd be fucking funny cause I'd imagine Mondatta literally lighting up when he hears another omnic has a matching name as him. Ramattra gives him a side-eye cause he was *this* close to being named Zenyatta if he didn't come up with his own name. Instant baby brother). He was nameless prior to it, and it upsets him sometimes that he couldn't have given himself a name.

Zenyatta may have been the one to push Ram on the ideas of achieving justice for omnics, though it obviously didn't go very well and it ended up in a heated debate between Ram and Datta when Ram brought it up, which caused Ram to leave. It made Mondatta very upset to lose someone so close, and Zenyatta felt partially responsible for it.

This is already somewhat established in canon but I think he's very reluctant on opening up about himself and showing his own grieving process to the point where he'd just avoid thinking about them altogether. This may just be an issue with Zenyatta having very little lore for years in general, but yeah, having Ramattra leave and hearing about Mondatta's death (imo the two support beacons in his life, the two who had MUCH clearer goals than he does) just shattered him and now he's doesn't really know his own purpose. (It's probably why he won't tell anyone about what he did prior to the crisis, the only person I see him talking about it with is Mondatta and it's very barebones.)

[starset21]

Standard Disclaimer: I only own my original characters, I've done some research but there will likely be Navy/military inaccuracies, and I do not consent to the posting, translating, or publishing of my work to any 3rd party site, the only place it may be found is on tumblr and Wattpad under @.itswildflower

A/N: This story is heavily inspired by the hallmark movie of the same title and is very self-indulgent. I'm also trying a different format than I'm used to using so it may change in the future chapters.

Looking for the other chapters? U.S.S. Christmas Masterlist 

Summary:  Kate agrees to go on the Christmas tiger cruise, will she run into the handsome aviator she met at the ball?

Chapter 2: Departure

“Picasso diner's two best customers, the Wells kids, Merry Christmas.” The siblings are greeted as they walk into the dinner they’d been going to since they were kids.

“Merry Christmas, Sharon,” Kate greeted.

“Your favorite table is available. Here you go,” Sharon handed them the menu’s.

“Thank you,” Jackson told her, offering a smile.

“So, Kate, I read that story this morning about the bank president. He's been in here. Seemed like a good guy,” Sharon lamented.

“Well. Goes to show you never really know what's going on with people,” Kate shrugged.

“That's for sure. And Jackson, I saw the photo that you posted of the Norfolk Christmas lights from your jet. That was absolutely stunning,” Sharon complimented.

“Oh, yeah, that was on my night hop last week,” Jackson told her. “As always, thank you for your service. So, the usual?” Sharon asked.

“Semi crispy bacon and hash browns.”

“And a Chocolate donut with coffee for me,” Jackson added.

“Last one. They went fast today,” Sharon told him before heading off to put in their order.

“You are so lucky,” Kate spoke up after a moment of comfortable silence.

“I know. I don't know what I'd do without my morning sugar fix,” he laughed.

“No, I mean, 'cause you love what you do,” she told him. 

“What about you, though? You've loved writing for as long as I can remember,” Jackson’s brow furrowed.

“Yeah. Yeah, I… It's just... I don't know, it's not as much fun as it used to be. Remember when I was in college and I wrote that article about the firefighter who adopted the baby, and it was dropped off at his fire station on Christmas Eve, and he named her Noel?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah, that was such a heartwarming story,” Jackson recalled.

“Now she's ten years old, she's a straight- "a" student, and she just played Mary in her Christmas play, I mean, that firefighter changed her entire life, and… Just wish I could write more stories like that. Especially around the holidays,” Kate told him.

“Yeah, I can understand that.”

Kate looked out the window at the people passing by and sighed. “Maybe I'm just burned out,” she lamented.

“But you had fun at the ball, right?” Jackson asked.

“Yeah, of course. Your fellow Navy people are very nice.” Kate looked at him.

“Did anyone, you know, catch your eye?” he questioned and Kate rolled her eyes.

“Jackson! You are relentless! No! Besides, I mean, come on, you remember what it was like. Every time you and Jordan deployed I was was so worried. I don't know, it's too much for me,” she told him.

“Yeah, but you guys didn't work out because your personalities didn't match,” Jackson pointed out.

“I just don't want to do the military thing. You remember how hard it was on mom,” Kate told him with some finality.

“Yeah, I know,” Jackson sighed. “You could use a break, Kate. Why don't you come on the Christmas tiger cruise?”

Kate shook her head. “No. I told you, I don't want to go, okay, and besides, I have work.”

Jackson deployed his puppy eyes. “The chill of the fresh sea air will help clear your head,” he tried.

“The chill of the air? You mean the freezing air,” Kate laughed. “And honestly, I don't even actually know if I could be away from my phone that long,” she added.

“Maybe that'd be a good thing,” Jackson laughed.

Kate’s phone buzzed several times. “Sorry, it's my boss. Apparently the bank president's brother has now been arrested,” Kate apologized.

“Look, think about it. No breaking news, no annoying texts from your boss. We'll be in the middle of nowhere,” he told her. “And you'll be without mom and me right before Christmas, which is your favorite time of year,” he tempted.

“Okay, now you're just playing hardball,” Kate sighed.

“Do it for us! Come on!” Jackson exclaimed.

“Ohh fine. I suppose I haven't taken even a fraction of my vacation time. So, sure. Yeah. Yeah, okay. I will go on the tiger cruise. I'll just tell Mr. Carmichael he has to deal,” Kate gave in and Jackson grinned.

“Yay! That's amazing!”

Kate put her head in her hands. “Ohh, it's gonna be freezing,” she lamented as Sharon came back with their food.

“Oh, wow, look!” Kate exclaimed as they walked up the ramp to board the ship.

“Oh! Your dad used to tell me that they decorated the ship for Christmas, but I had no idea it was this gorgeous,” her mother fawned.

“Hi, tigers! I'm Jackson, I'll be your cruise director,” her brother came over, dressed in his khaki uniform.

“Oh, get over here! Hey, honey,” their mother opened her arms for a hug.

“Hi,” Kate greeted him, bringing him in to a hug when their mother let him go.

“I'm so glad you came,” he tells her.

“So, where's my little fruity drink with the umbrella on it?” Kate teased.

“Would you be okay to settle for eggnog and a Christmas feast with all the trimmings?” Jackson asked.

“Wells family!”

The family turned to see Ron Kerner approaching them.

“Ron, Thank you so much for hosting us,” their mother greeted.

“It's an honor, Elizabeth. I'm so glad you changed your mind Kate,” he smiled at her.

“Thanks for making it happen.”

“Oh, here he is. Just the man I wanted you to meet. Lieutenant Jake Seresin. One of my finest f-18 pilots, and I don't say that just because he happens to be my son. Jake, this is Elizabeth and Kate. You remember, I served with Sam Wells,” Ron told him.

“Yes, of course!”

“I knew you when you were this high,” Elizabeth reminisced.

“Well, nice to see you again,” Jake told her mother before turning to Kate.

“And nice seeing you. Again. Didn't know our fathers flew together or that you're Wiz's sister,” Jake raised a brow.

“You two know each other?” Jackson, her mom and Ron all asked.

“We met at the Christmas ball,” Jake explained.

“The wine incident,” Kate whispered to Jackson.

“Would you guys like to join us for dinner tonight?” Ron asked.

“Yes, thanks! We'd love to!” her mom exclaimed.

“Great. I'll see you at 1800 hours,” Ron smiled before he and Jake walked away.

“Let's get you checked in, get you to your stateroom,” Jackson took the ladies bags and led them away.

“This is it. Watch your head,” Jackson told them as he led them over to his jet on the deck. Lt. Jackson Wells, "Wizard", was painted on the side of it.

“Someone figured out that dad’s callsign was Merlin and decided to tell, the crew decided to chose something close to it,” Jackson told them.

“Oh, honey, that is so sweet!” their mother cooed.

“Call signs aren't supposed to be sweet, mom. The other pilots choose 'em. But I got pretty lucky. They can call me Wiz any day. He's the whole reason I became a pilot,” Jackson smiled.

“Attention, tigers. The USS Polaris is now departing. Happy sailing, everyone!” The intercom clicked off. 

[feedmethecat]

unsafe and insane

500 members options

Alley way toy (short story, dark sexual fantasy)

( Before you read, firstly, I'm a bisexual sub male, and this story will be written from the first person perspective of a male, and will feature sexual themes, a variety of kinks, of male/male interactions. Secondly, while I'd love to make this story a reality, this isn't an ad, it's a sexual fantasy. Third, and lastly, I'm fine with messages about this story, but please don't spam me for attention, I don't mind conversation but I get busy, I respond to people when I can, and sometimes it takes an hour or two.)

The walls practically thumped with the bear of the music. Before me the door, a blue steel door, with the word "EXIT" on it in big gray letters. I could honestly not give a fuck about the music. Some new age hip hop or something? I liked rock, metal, rap, I was a 90s child. The genre wasn't the problem, the only genre I didn't like was country, and even then I still listened to specific things like America "horse with no name" or Poor man's poison, or something. I just didn't care for new shit. I shoved the thought out of my mind, forcefully.

"Okay A- umm Amy!"

I said to myself, almost breaking a rule, I wasn't allowed to use my old name. In fact, like the other property around here I was dubbed nameless. We were only allowed to use girls names. Simple enough. There were a few others. Our "job" was simple, lure customers to the club. It wasn't a job, it was more a task, as we didn't get paid in a traditional manner. Some "gurls" walked out, and lead customers back by promise of a fun time, others promised a lap dance, and some got fucked in the bathroom. I however wasn't trusted to leave the club, and I was the low slut on the totem pole. So, instead, I was to be in the alley. I pushed the exit door open, and stepped outside. The alley way was fenced off, with barbwire at the top. I couldn't leave if I wanted to, well I could, I was actually very resourceful, but I didn't want to, regardless I wasn't allowed to leave. There was one lamp, pointed one direction in the middle of the alley, that barely lit anything, lighting only from the first 10 feet of the alley near to the side of the alley closest to the street. I walked from the lit side of the alley into the darkness.

I was wearing quite the get up, in fact, my outfit made me feel embarrassed, ashamed, it made me feel slutty, and sexy, I loved it. My stomach, and Lowe back were completely exposed, I was pretty skinny now a days, not starved, just on a strict diet. The top, my chest, was covered by a tube top, thin enough that if someone looked closely enough at the black material, they'd be able to make out the piercings on my nipples. My nipples felt perky, in the cold night air, it was could enough to see my breath. It was also cold enough that I felt shrinkage, the back band of my chastity cage felt more tight, while the head of my chastity cage felt a little loose. My small tip, felt numb. The shorts, my daisy dukes, were short enough, that you could clearly see my bulge in them, and the back part of them, a strand about half an inch thick, wouldn't have hid my buttplug if I bent over. They did nothing to ward against the cold. I also wore thigh high netting, matching netting gloves, which felt great. The only other thing I wore was a collar, literally, a dog collar, from Petco. Apparently mine was on clearance? It was a pink dog collar, with a pattern of dog bones on it, a little degrading, even had a dog tag on it, in the shape of a heart in a pink metal. No doubt, an oxidized titanium nitrate over aluminum, I was many things, including nerdy.

I checked my pockets, I had my cellphone, which very much worked and had cell service, in fact, given to me by my owner. Then I had a vape pen, which I absolutely hated, I liked cigars, cigarettes, but I wasn't allowed to have anything that'd leave a scent during operation hours. Lastly, I had a small pager. With a press of the red button, bouncers would be to my rescue. However, I could handle myself firstly, secondly I liked it rough. Satisfied that I had everything on my person, I leaned my back against the wall and waited.

The alley was dirty, and had a dumpster back there that had a bit of a smell. Part of why I chose the dark side of the alley was that it was the opposite side of the dumpster. The other reason, was an attempt at privacy. Plus I could only smell the city on this side of the alley. I was between two different brick buildings, and the other building was a "empty" building that housed us. It wasn't as big as the club, but we each had our bedrooms, and between the two floors of it, it housed 12 of us comfortably with our own rooms.

First person of the night, came out. All club customers were members, and had to get regular screenings, I also had to get regular screenings. I didn't have to worry about an STD. The rules were simple, I get fucked, I suck dick, they could cum in me, on me, piss in or on me, in me, write things on me with a marker, and I couldn't refuse. Not that I would. I was a rape toy, for members, male, female, whatever. They weren't allowed to beat or abuse me physically, however spanking my ass, groping, pinching, nibbling, bite marks, hickies, were very much allowed.

My cock twitched in its cage eagerly, and I felt arousal and anxiety wash over me. I spoke, calling out to the male.

"Hey sweety, I'm Cindy, and I like cock~"

I cat called, it was bad, it was corny, but they loved it. Which was good, because I was bad at flirting. I however wasn't bad at fucking. The man, looking to be an older, fatter white male, spoke.

"Yeah I bet you'd love my dick, you little fag, turn around and face the wall. "

I faced the wall, bending over, pressing my hands, chest, and face against said wall, an arch in my back. He couldn't wait, undoing his pants behind me, and then leaning himself over me, the warmth of his body against mine. He pulled my shorts down and panties away, revealing plugged ass. The slimy sensation of warm lube in my rear, mixed with the sensation of rubbing as he grabbed the plug. He ripped it out my ass like he was trying to start a lawn mower and I let out a loud gasp. Feeling a shooting sore pain, my left eye watering lightly. I felt an emptiness as I could feel my ring wink, my asshole flexing and twitching. The feeling of emptiness was immediately replaced by pleasure as he pushed his cock in, the tip spearing it's way up into my ass. There was no foreplay to it, it was just me getting used, he rammed all the way in as he gripped my hips. I grunted at the pressure as he gasped, my ass clenching eagerly on his cock. In, now he pulled back, and pushed in again, rapidly. He thrusted, into me, there a rhythm, fast, and steady, as he used me. I moaned, loudly, intentionally, I was a submissive little piece of fuck meat, and I wanted him to know it, I wanted him to feel like I was loving the ass raping, because I was, I enjoyed it. I didn't need to moab at all, I just did, I loved making doms feel like they were doing something to me, because they were, so while my moans were exaggerated, my pleasure wasn't.

He didn't last long at all, he stopped had groaned, pressing his member up me, as hard as he can, almost awkwardly pushing me into the wall, his cock tip twitch deep inside me and shot it's load. His member had been quiet large, and I loved it, but even if it hadn't been, I'd still have loved it. It was the fact I was being used, that I got off on. He drew a tally mark on my right ass cheek, and left, after fixing his pats.

I felt the humiliation hit me as my thoughts returned, the humiliation of being used, only increased my arousal. My poor dick, twitched in it's cage. I put the butt plug back up my ass and pulled my panties and shorts up. Thinking about my locked dick pressed up in its chastity. I was very horny. I had eight inches, which I was told was above average, but I didn't care about it. I had a few ex girlfriends who liked it, sure, however the thing I liked about my dick, was when it wasn't hard. When I was flaccid, I was actually small, very small. Small little balls, small little dick. Fully erect I was eight inches, but when I was flaccid like this, I was only a few centimeters, above average when erect, but below average when flaccid. Locked in chastity, it was a little clit. I repeated the phrase "little clit" in my mind several times, deriving arousal from it. I never stayed hard while getting fucked in my ass, but I enjoyed the chastity cage, as it drew attention to my member, and I love the humiliation, I craved it, being told it was tiny, a clitty, that I was less than a man, a micro dick, or a little baby dick. I shuttered in arousal at the thought. There'd be plenty of that this evening, hopefully.

I do have to wait much longer for the next person, a man, younger, black male, bike garb, black leather outfit. I could definitely dig it, when I was younger I wanted an outfit like that, like the terminator in t2, in an ironic way, one of my other outfits was black leather biker gear but it was more feminine and slutty. The man, had to be around his mid twenties. I was thirty, but I looked younger due to being feminized.

"Hey bitch, get down on your knees, and give me some love."

He got his pants undone and had his cock out when I dropped to my knees, on the dirty ally way ground. He pushed his dick and balls against my face, his limp member growing hard as I got a face full of his natural manly musk, his unshaven hairs, tickles my nostrils. I opened my mouth as he grabbed the back of my head. My mouth finding one of his balls, I sucked on it, moving my tongue around it, eagerly. I preferred when they shaved, because I didn't like swallowing hair, or getting on my tongue, however we don't always get what we want. Besides, hairy dick, was better than no dick. He stroked his member with one hand, while I played with his balls with my mouth. He pulled back, his twelve inch dick, now stiff. He slapped me in the face with it and spoke.

"Like that bitch?"

I replied.

"Yes sir."

He slapped me in the face with his dick, again, it was degrading, and I loved that too. He then tapped it against my cheek, despite my mouth being open. I tired opening wider, to see if maybe that'd get him to rape my little whore mouth. He smiled at that, but instead slapped me in the face with his member again. He then finally put his cock in my mouth, just the tip. He didn't move, the message was clear, I was supposed to do all the work, and I did. I started by licking and playing with the tip, eagerly, before moving down, using my spit to coat his dick as I bobbed up and down. Training and gotten rid of my gag reflex entirely. However I liked to intentionally choke on dick, do I did, forcing myself deeper, and clenching my throat, making myself choke and gag on his dick, I then pulled up, my drool coating his dick, and leaking around my lips, I was a cock hungry slut, and I enjoyed this as much as anal. He enjoyed it moaning, so I kept it up. My jaw was quickly getting sore, but I ignored my discomfort, deriving pleasure from being of use. For the better part of several minutes, this continued, until he stopped me, holding my hard down, I felt the familiar sensation, of a cock twitching in my throat, the warm sensation of him shooting semen down my throat, I swallow it, gulping it down, he the pulled out of my mouth, and I kept my mouth open, to show him I had swallowed it all.

"Keep your mouth open slut"

He said. His dick growing mostly flaccid. I knew what that meant. he aimed his member, with one hand, for my mouth, and let a hot stream of piss into my mouth he filled my mouth with piss, and I closed my mouth to swallow it, as I did, he aimed lower, pissing across my chest staining my clothes with the wretched sent of of usine, from someone who'd been drink alcohol. I shuttered and balked at the taste of piss in my throat, but leaned into the stream, as I opened my mouth, and closed my eyes, he had no problem, painting my face with it, and then he place this tip in my mouth, I closed my lips around it, and swallowed what he gave me, drinking mouthfuls of it. He finished, and pulled up his pants. Leaving me there. Despite being drenched in it, and the cold, I wasn't done, I wasn't allowed to be done.

I had all night to be used, and I could see more customers coming out to use me.

( There will be a part two, don't worry. I enjoy comments about it though. )

[aethergate]

⭐

REWIND & CHROMEDOME

okay well i feel like this ones obvious. but it's because it's true to me i love these two. i think their dynamic is so interesting what if we decided to not end it all for the sake of each other.. but there's this strange thing happening where they know each other but not as well as before, because they're different versions of the person they knew. i'd love to go more in depth about how that shift effects them, and how they adjust and end up loving each other still but somewhat differently due to circumstance. their dynamic is so interesting i could ramble on about it but for the sake of this post i will not. as for plots i diverge a bit as for how they end up, instead him him getting stuck in his alt mode, he's working on expanding his archive to earth and other colonies connecting to cybertron! fun stuff. i'd love to write just about anything with them honestly.

TAILGATE & MEGATRON

I think these two are really funny based off the premise that Tailgate sorta missed the whole war and pretty much everything Megatron did. If I remember the time where he was before getting knocked out I think he missed everything actually. Which is really funny to me, because while Tailgate very much understands why other people are wary, he sort of... doesn't personally get it. There's a disconnect there. This is a stranger to him who he's only heard has done bad things. Obviously he gets to hear more and more about stuff he did, and see Megatron talk about it directly, all that stuff, but I feel like it's a really interesting aspect of their dynamic to discover. As seen by everything with Cyclonus at first, he's very hard to properly shake or make properly regard you as unreachable. So I think it'd be really fun and interesting to see how that plays out with these two.

okay and now i'm gonna hit you with a quick list of other ones i'd be interested in with maybe a few bullet points but nothing in depth. TAILGATE & RATCHET , because while I haven't read MTMTE in a HOT minute, I remember them having a fun friendship! WHIRL & WHEELJACK because, I don't trust myself to actually WRITE whirl until i reread the older comics and mtmte, i feel like there's history there or at the very least a very fun dynamic to be had. BUMBLEBEE & TAILGATE for the vibes I feel this in my soul. and if you'll let me cheat for a second and bring up sideblogs, i feel like this is obvious, STARSCREAM & MEGATRON. I have a MTMTE / LL verse for her, and I think it'd be super interesting to see how they'd cope with dealing with each other after the war. I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words here, but the war is lost, and I think it'd be interesting to see them navigate around each other with new circumstances. Lot of complexities to sort out between each other, trying to avoid falling back into old toxic cycles where they bring out the worst of each other. I have too many thoughts that'd make this post longer than it is, but if you'd ever wanna brainstorm something there just lmk and I'd love to discuss :]! Both for like these ideas for them and just in general cause I wanna make sure we can handshake and I don't wanna step on your toes at all ever. last but not least if i can cheat and mention a sideblog of YOURS, KNOCKOUT & STARSCREAM eaugayagah i LOVE their dynamic so bad SO BAD i think they're so interesting. I know yours is a mix, and I find that inch resting as well and would love to see how that blends together!