#It was just crazy how much of a roller coaster was happening while I played it

[meteor752]

The most insane part of Scarlet and Violet is actually how fucking different the three storylines were???

The Gym story was extremely dull. I honestly expected more from it, especially since Sword and Shield had such fleshed out gym leaders who were really engaging, while for the most part I met the gym leader, they spoke for two minutes, and then boom never see them again. Plus none of them seemed to actually want to be gym leaders, like they all had day jobs and shit, what they battling a bunch of twelve year olds for? Larry was the only one that I have like a clear memory of, and that’s because he’s the only one I lost to, and he showed up in the elite four. Rival girl was also kind of dull, like I liked that she wasn’t competing with you, but what made me like Hop is that he had so much debt to him. Meanwhile she was just…there. Idk, a lot of people loved her but to me she was just meh. So yeah, dull story.

The Team Star storyline was very weird. Like, it felt almost goofy with the weird Team Star grunt designs and the Director looking like…that. Also the whole bullying thing was very weirdly made. Like Team Star just said “we were bullied” over and over again, implying that the whole fucking school was decided between two groups, Bullies and Victims, like 50/50 or smt, and then all the bullies just dropped out. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved the Team Bosses, especially poison guy, and like their designs were fricking amazing. I just wish for more debt I guess. Penny was also very underwhelming, and after she became your friend she was just really rude?? Like, she reminded me of Velma but in the worst way. Small snappy smart characters that constantly say they’re better than you aren’t charming or cute, they’re annoying. So the only thing making this storyline not straight up bad were the bosses, but that also just made it a bit of a mess.

Now the Titan story line though. Holy shit. Arven slowly being unraveled as a character and you slowly learning his motives are handled so well. I first thought he was gonna be like a Gary type rival, but then he said that he just wanted to make sandwiches which like okay! Then it’s like oh, your mom has been neglecting you for years and now completely abandoned you, and because of her your dog is dying and the reason you’re looking for the plants is because you want to save it. Fucking what. It also helps that I enjoy Pokémon bosses a lot more than fighting trainers. The slow mystery of what happened to Arvens mom, and what’s going on with your weird lizard, is easily the best part of the game. I’ve never cried to a Pokémon game and I probably never will, but this brought me close. Finding out just how shitty is mom is, to the point that an AI resisted its programming because it thought it was all a lil fucked up, like man. Also that the big threat wasn’t a bad guy who wanted to destroy the world, or make a new better world, or make the world only water, or whatever, but just a dream that went too far and that couldn’t be stopped. A mistake no one wanted. Brilliant

But it’s actually sad that the Titan storyline was so good. I spoke in the other two about how I wished for more debt in the characters and story, which I never would have asked for otherwise with Pokémon. But because they made the Titan storyline so rich and incredible, it really drags down the other two

[marcyvamp1re-blog]

We need a part two of the harley quinn mother headcanons!

SUGAR & SPICE!

pairings ⸺ Mother! Harley Quinn x Teen! Reader.

(PLATONIC FIC)

¿Request? Yes!

This is a Headcanon!

sinopsis ⸺ Every mother reaches the moment when she sees her chick starting to become independent from the nest. Harley loved you from the moment she found you in that abandoned alley, and now she finds it hard to accept that you are drifting away.

If she knew why you were leaving her behind, she would probably be thinking about putting Robin in the oven.

warnings ⸺ Fluff and Angst, Platonic Cuddling, ¿OOC Harley? Idk, Disturbing Content, Street Fights, Violence, Trauma.

A/N ── Honestly, I didn't plan on making a continuation of that headcanon, but since you asked (and your requests are sacred to me), here it is! Shoutout to @animequeen4 for the inspiration too!

When you grow up as the child of one of the most notorious supervillains in Gotham, things get a bit complicated. Harley knew this since you entered school, and especially since she separated from the Joker. She had prepared for everything: to protect you from clowns, snakes, and even snakes disguised as clowns. But what she didn't see coming, what truly drove her crazy, was the biggest challenge of all: your adolescence.

Harley noticed it almost immediately. At first, it was small things. Like how you no longer wanted to listen to the music she played at full volume in the lair. Instead, you started listening to your own songs, the ones she described as "unbearable noise." Then came the decoration of your room, which went from posters of heroes and villains to something "weird," according to Harley. “Since when do you like bats so much?” she would say with an eyebrow raised. But what broke her heart the most was when you stopped letting her dress you. She got frustrated every time she tried to put something on you that she thought looked great, and you would just say, "No, mom, I don't like that anymore."

But the worst, the worst of all, was when you entered high school. You made friends. Friends whose names Harley didn't even know. Horrible! For someone like her, who was used to knowing all the details of your life, that was the worst that could happen. And on top of that, you no longer asked for permission to do things! The worst part was that she had raised you "well" (according to her criteria), so she didn't understand how you ended up at the police station several times for vandalism and disturbances.

"I raised you better than this!" she would shout, completely indignant, while signing the papers to get you out of another detention. Inside, she knew you were going through that rebellious phase, but that didn't make it any easier to cope.

One day, Harley stood at the door of your room, frustrated because you didn't even ask her for help with your math problems anymore. She stared at you, her hands on her hips, and exclaimed, “Look, little birdie, I get you! I know you're growing up and all that, but can you please stop doing it so fast? You're slipping through my fingers!”

It was a mix of desperation and tenderness. Harley wasn't ready to see you grow up. She knew you were becoming more independent, but in her heart, you would always be her little one. And even though she got frustrated with all these changes, with every new friend or every time you snuck out to go to a party, deep down she just wanted to make sure you were okay.

Puberty was a roller coaster, and Harley was starting to realize that nothing in her villain life had prepared her to deal with it. The first thing she noticed was that you no longer wanted to go out with her for taco Fridays with the girls. Those days when they went shopping, wore neon clothes, and had laughs while window shopping stopped being your thing. Harley watched you from the doorframe, taco in hand, saying, “What happened to my buddy? Where's the kid who loved to eat until stuffed full of carnitas?”

Sometimes, Harley tried not to take it to heart, but it was hard. She crumbled a little every time you locked yourself in your room instead of watching her roll around on the sofas with the Birds of Prey or with the Sirens, planning their next crazy scheme. It was then that she realized she needed help. So, as a good mother (or as close as she could get), she turned to the only person who could understand her frustration... Catwoman.

But the chat with Selina wasn’t exactly helpful. “Harley, sweetheart, I don’t mix with kids. I don’t know what you want me to tell you, mine has four legs and purrs,” Selina said, taking a sip of her martini while checking out a new leather whip. It was a "thanks, but no thanks," and Harley left with more questions than answers.

Next stop: Ivy. Harley had high hopes that Ivy, with her serenity and green wisdom, would give her the key to understanding you better. But Ivy just shrugged and said, “Plants grow, Harley. Just like kids. You can't stop the natural process.” Harley frowned. “And what do I do when they doesn’t want to tell me who he's with all day?” Ivy, very zen, replied, “You could always... spy ” It wasn't exactly the help she was looking for.

After exhausting her resources with the girls, Harley did the unthinkable: she turned to Batman. Yes, Batman! In a conversation that turned out to be as awkward as it was effective, the Dark Knight explained to her what he had learned from raising his multiple Robins: “It's part of growing up. You just have to be there, but give them space. You can't control everything.”

Harley, of course, took it with her usual dramatism: “Give them space!? But they doesn’t even want to go for tacos anymore!?” It was as if the world had turned upside down.

Meanwhile, at school, things weren’t going smoothly either. Your new “friends” were... questionable. People that Harley, if she had known, would have kicked out. But, for your luck (or misfortune), those friends didn’t last long. In the end, the problems they brought with them distanced you from them, and unexpectedly, you found yourself spending more time with Damian again. Harley, of course, had no idea about this. To her, Damian was just the rude boy you sometimes talked to.

There was always something about him that intrigued you, and despite his constant grumbling and "I don't care" attitude, you managed to see beyond that. Between talks about anything (and often about nothing), Damian became someone important to you. Harley had no idea about this mini romance, because if she did, she would probably already be plotting a plan to scare the Wayne boy. “If you think he’s cute, go for it,” she had once said with a mischievous wink. And although she didn't think you would take it seriously, here you were, emotionally entangled with Batman’s son, even though at that time you didn't know he was Batman's son.

It all started with an idea that, in retrospect, wasn’t the best: throwing paint cans at Robin. In your defense, it sounded like a funny prank at the moment. What you didn't calculate was that Robin, being Damian Wayne, wasn’t exactly easy to evade. You ran as if your life depended on it, covering almost twenty kilometers, and the most frustrating part was that he wasn’t even sweating. Every time you turned to see if you had lost him, there he was, impeccable, with that unfriendly look and his expression of "When I catch you, say goodbye to your legs."

When he finally threw you to the ground, ready to give you the lesson of your life, you looked at him more closely. That perfectly styled hair, that look of a thousand deaths, and the sarcasm in every phrase... "Damian?!" you shouted, more out of disbelief than fear. Because, of course, it turns out your boyfriend wasn’t just a rude jerk, but also the damn Robin. The pieces finally fell into place, and you didn’t know whether to laugh or feel betrayed. In the end, you did both.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he reprimanded you with that authoritative voice he usually reserved for criminals and his family. "Throwing paint? Seriously?"

The funny thing is that, even though you were completely exhausted from the chase, your brain didn’t stop working. So instead of apologizing like a normal person, you shrugged and said, "At least it wasn't green paint. That would have been offensive." He didn’t find it so funny.

From that moment on, the romantic dates became something much more... practical. Damian decided that if you were going to get into trouble, at least you should know how to defend yourself, so starry night strolls turned into intense self-defense training sessions. "Nothing says 'I love you' like a well-placed punch," you thought every time Damian corrected your stance. And although at first you considered it the least romantic of gestures, there was something sweet about how he insisted on keeping you safe.

Of course, these "dates" weren’t just training. Eventually, you met Jon Kent, the super-sweet boy who contrasted so much with Damian's serious personality. The trio you formed was a disaster waiting to happen, yet somehow it worked. Between secret missions, night escapades, and 'lots of fun,' the three of you became inseparable. But it was all super secret, because if Batman found out, well, the reprimand wouldn’t be exactly gentle. And Harley... well, don’t even think about what Harley would say if she found out.

But Harley, being Harley, didn’t take long to notice the changes. For her, it was alarming to see how her kid, her little birdie, was starting to come home late through the window, with two colors in his hair that reminded her a bit of her own lifestyle, and some bruises that you, of course, tried to hide. "Did you fall down the stairs again? Seriously?" she would ask skeptically while helping you tend to your wounds.

Her biggest fear wasn’t that you would get into minor trouble, but that he would have come back. Harley began to suspect that the Joker had found you, and that kept her in a constant state of alert. She watched you more closely, trying not to show it, but it was obvious. Nights with Damian always seemed to fly by. Between training, talks, and that connection you both shared, the hours slipped away without either of you noticing. That was how it happened that one particular night, after a long and exhausting session, he decided to walk you home. Not that you needed it, you were perfectly capable of getting home on your own (or so you said), but Damian liked to make sure you got home safely. Plus, it was an excuse to spend more time together.

It was already four in the morning, and you were ready to say goodbye with a kiss when suddenly, three giant hyenas sprang out from under your bed, and Harley, in full ninja mode, dropped from the ceiling with a baseball bat in hand. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

You had to close the window, leaving Damian outside, to prevent your mom and the hyenas from getting to the "mom, chill," you tried to calm her, putting yourself between them. "It's not what it looks like."

"Oh no! It looks like you're turning into a mini-Harley with a boyfriend and everything, and I'm not going to sit back and watch how they break your heart like that stupid clown broke mine!"

But you managed to slow her down, and with Harley calmed down (more or less), the tension of the moment seemed to dissolve, but she didn’t stop there. The next morning, she showed up at the Batcave (Only God knows how she found the Batcave), furious, and ready to confront Batman for allowing his son to "seduce" her little birdie. "What kind of father lets his son stay out late with my kid?! This is unacceptable!"

Bruce, who was busy with his screens, barely looked up. He listened to Harley’s furious monologue while maintaining his typical calm posture, nodding from time to time. When Harley finished, he just raised his thumb calmly, as if giving his approval. "Damian has good taste," was all he said.

"That doesn’t help me, Bats!" Harley exclaimed, frustrated. But Bruce, in his minimalist style, simply added, "You... should spend more time with your kid, Harley. Don’t worry so much. And if you need help, just let me know."

Harley was left speechless. It wasn’t the response she expected, but deep down, she knew Batman was right. She sighed and, resigned, left without more than a warning for Bruce: "Just because you told me that doesn’t mean I won’t hit you with my bat if things go wrong."

But the truth is that as Harley made her way home, she reflected a little. You were growing up, and although she didn’t like it, it was part of life. You couldn’t be her little one forever, and while the fear of losing you was always present, she knew she had to trust you. After all, she had raised you well (in her own way), and now she could only let you fly a little, like that little bird she often mentioned.

Back at home, she found you lying on the couch, still with some paint in your hair from the prank on Damian. Harley watched you for a while, noticing how much you had grown. Not just in height, but in attitude. The way you had started to move through the world, making your own decisions, forming relationships outside the little universe she had built for you. And that, even though she sometimes denied it, hurt her a little. She sat on the edge of the couch, sighing as she stroked your messy hair.

Harley noticed it before anyone. First, you stopped getting excited about taco Fridays with the girls or going out to dye your hair neon. Then, it was the uncomfortable silence when you no longer sought her advice for anything. You had become more independent, but Harley only saw you drifting away.

Harley sighed and looked at you with a mix of nostalgia and worry. “You’re growing up... and even though I hate it, I know I can’t stop it. I just want you to know that you will always be my little birdie. No matter how big you get, you will always have a place with me.”

You stayed silent, noticing how difficult it was for her to say it. Harley had been many things, but she had never stopped being your mother. You smiled at her and nodded, feeling a familiar warmth in your chest. "I love you too, mom. I promise I’m not drifting away, I’m just... growing."

Harley gave you a tight hug, and in that moment, you knew that even though everything might change, you would always find that common ground, whether it was stealing marshmallows or just sharing a night under the stars. "Puberty sucks," Harley joked, and for the first time in a long time, you both laughed together.

As the hug lingered, you felt how the outside world faded away, leaving only Harley and you in a bubble of safety and love. "I’ll be here, always ready for you, even if sometimes I’m a little... crazy,” she replied with a soft laugh. “But you know that’s what makes everything more fun, right?”

You nodded, and inside, the worry you had felt about drifting away from her faded. There was comfort in knowing that even though the road ahead might be complicated and full of challenges, you had a beacon lighting your way. A mother who, with her craziness and unconditional love, would always guide you home.

"Let’s promise to do more things together, then," you said with determination. "No matter if it’s stealing candy or painting our nails bright colors. There will always be time for that."

"Deal," said Harley, raising her pinky as if sealing a pact. You smiled and linked it with yours. The connection you shared was stronger than any challenge you could face.

"And when it’s time to face the world, I’ll be your ally," she added, a spark of determination shining in her eyes. "Because we will be a team, always."

After that, everything changed, but for the better. Learning to divide your time between everything you loved wasn’t easy, but you knew you would succeed. After all, you had the strongest support: that of your strange yet endearing family, that of your partner, and above all, that of the best mother you could have ever dreamed of.

A/N ─── Thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to request anything, don't hesitate to ask. I read all of your comments and questions!

Take a Bath!

[coralinnii]

You don’t have to do this right away but Part two for idia? Its okay if you dont feel like doing it, just remember to rest and take breaks!

"If you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice"  feat: Idia genre: drama notes: sequel to “being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy” Idia ver., roughly 1.2k word count, mentions of blo*d, d*ath, and life-threatening situations, is there a gn equivalent of a himbo? cuz slight himbo!reader energy, unspecified beasts,

Finally, it’s here! The long-awaited villain/ess au sequel to the final housewarden (sorry Idia and Idia simps). Admittedly, this is not so much romantic as more fleshing out of their story :p whoops. I might make a continuation of the aftermath of this but I felt like this is a decent stopping point for now. 

Since accepting his growing feelings with you, Idia has been on an emotional roller coaster where he likes being around you but being around you makes him nervous to the point of almost puking. He finds himself glowing, both metaphorically and literally whenever you drop by and it doesn’t help when you seem to enjoy his personal space, seeing as you always bring yourself into said space. 

He knew that if he voiced his discomfort, you would make your best effort to distance yourself but the mere idea of that doesn’t make him feel too happy either. He’s grown accustomed to seeing your eyes sparkle at his new innovations, your warmth as you scoot closer to him on the couch, your voice when you share your random thoughts and questions

“Have you ever dreamt of your own death?” 

Ok, maybe he’s not too accustomed to everything you say

For a while now, you’ve experienced dreams that seem to burn themselves into your memories, forcing you to remember every detail as though the world compels you to. These dreams showed you snippets of life that seemed so real and scarily bears similarity to the real world. Your dreams foretold events in the near future which used to scare you to the point you begged your siblings to stay with you at night, assuring you it meant nothing. 

In truth, you wondered if you were given a strange and powerful gift but one thing about your visions stopped that train of thought. In your dreams, you tend to behave and act in ways you never would. The you in these dreams was spoiled and mean, especially to the Shroud family which you could never bring yourself to do in a million years. Because of that, you assumed your strange visions to be your imagination going wild. An alternative reality that didn’t happen.

But for the past few weeks, you were visioning your terrible end taking place in an expedition alongside your brother. You saw yourself perish at the hands of a feral beast with your brother then seeing your sister cry over your body and proclaiming to avenge your deaths, believing it to be the doing of the Shroud family. 

“What a strange dream, right?” You laughed in hopes to play off the absurdity of it all. “It’s just that…I've been seeing that dream more often now. I guess I’m more nervous about the expedition than I realise”

If it were someone else, you may have been considered strange or even going crazy. You thought Idia would see you that way or at best, try to convince you that it was nothing more than a wild fantasy, like your family does. 

But Idia was not a typical man. 

To be fair, you were not a typical person to him either. If it were anyone else, Idia wouldn’t care less about their troubles or at best, do the bare minimum to get them off his back. But it was the person who unknowingly stole his heart and watching you visibly affected by your disturbing visions persuaded him to seriously consider your words. 

“Tell me everything you saw” 

And lucky he did.  

Your father taught you a lot of things. How to swing your sword with gusto, to grit your teeth and dig in your heels when anticipating a blow, and to stand your ground no matter the odds. But he never told you how painful a racing heart can be or how loud the sound of blood rushing through your system is. Although, you supposed you can forgive him since he would never want to imagine you coming face-to-face to a deranged beast as your own blood blurred your vision. 

During your expedition, you and your siblings encountered a group of disorientated beasts and while this was nothing new to you, these creatures were more unpredictable in comparison to your previous encounters with this species. It was as though they were fighting something internally and your squadron was unfortunately caught in the crossfire. The large beasts were demolishing things in their vicinity, indiscriminately knocking down anything and anyone without care. 

Their unpredictable attacks ultimately led to one of them taking a vicious swing towards you and your brother, sending you both over a tall cliff with the large beast tumbling after from the force of its own attack. 

You vividly recalled this scene, as it was foretold in your dreams. You were trapped and wounded with your brother unconscious after taking the brunt of the attack when shielding you. You willed yourself to keep a strong grip on your sword. If your dreams truly turn to reality, you and your brother will meet an untimely end here. 

“Great heavens, give me strength to protect my brother” you prayed as you took one more long breath before letting out a feral roar. 

You ran full speed towards the rampaging beast, putting all your strength into your swing to sever its leg, hoping to incapacitate its movement. Unfortunately, your depleted strength and eyesight left your attempt with a sizable wound but not enough to deter the giant. 

Your blood has now ran cold as you realise the severity of your situation. Partially blinded and hurt, you were helpless in front of the deranged beast. Your tears mixed with the blood that cascaded over your eyes but you thought there was no use in wiping away the mess on your face. 

In your fearful madness, you thought you might as well make your last moment memorable. You turned your head towards the sky, intending to stare at the beast with as much defiance, refusing to show fear towards any foe. 

But something was odd 

Since the encounter with the beasts, they were nothing but aggressive monsters, agitated and reckless in motion and action. Every moment with them was spent defending yourself from their endless attacks. 

So why does it seem peaceful? 

Even with a wound on its leg, the beast’s body was relaxed like it was in pure relief from whatever was ailing them. If you weren’t just glad you’re still alive, you might have been a little offended by the lack of interest the beast had on you. 

With the rush of adrenaline slightly fading, you started taking notice of your senses a bit more, your injuries were being recognised, you felt the burn in your legs from the stress…and you felt a strange sensation on your wrist. 

Looking down, you found the source to be the beast radar device made by Idia. You found it strange since it wasn’t nearly this hot even when you first came in contact with the beasts earlier but now, the device was evidently warm and you could sense an aura-like energy being emitted from it. You weren’t confident but you wondered if Idia added something more to your device. And it was affecting the beast before you.

Daring to test your theory, you slowly stepped back from the beast, angling your wrist further from the beast, observing the facial changes of the creature. True to your hypothesis (but unfortunately so), the beast’s body started shaking as though something unpleasant had returned to it. You wanted to celebrate your eureka moment but acknowledged this may not be the best time. 

Then, like a gallant warrior, a figure appeared seemingly from the heavens and with a swift motion, speared the beast’s head from above. The creature let out a final painful roar before crashing down before your feet. You looked above to see your sister perched atop the beast, covered in sweat and blood. 

Your sister jumped from her position and ran to you, encasing you in a tight embrace. You noticed how your sister was shaking with palpable fear. 

“You’re alive. Thank the heavens you’re both alive” your usually level-headed sister cried into your sister as she wrapped her arms tighter, which you’re impressed she still could. 

Although, you were grateful for the embrace as you felt your legs give out under you from exhaustion. Your sister worriedly called out your name as she supported your weight but incredibly, you just let out a laugh. 

Against the odds and contrary to your haunting dreams, you were alive. 

Was it strange you thought of Idia when you realised that? 

[alwaysonthemend]

Author's Note: Well, I’ve had this one halfway finished for like a week and a half but my stupid laptop broke. Finally got a new one so here we are! I dedicate this fic to @takenbythemadness – your post about Jake seeing a producer flirt with the reader inspired me in the best way. Hope y'all enjoy :)

Content Warnings: Fem!reader, smut, p in v sex, unprotected sex, choking, use of vibrator, overstimulation, dom Jakey, sir kink, pussy slapping, face slapping, dirty talk, orgasm denial, edging, passing out. 18+ MINORS DNI

Word Count: 4470

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Dating Jake Kiszka has been a roller coaster from the start – crazy and unexpected, yet fun and exhilarating all the same. Dating a rockstar comes with its ups and downs, but the two of you have managed to find a wonderful harmony with each other that even an earthquake couldn't shake. Jake makes you feel safe – protected and loved in a way that you’d never gotten to experience before. Jake has never been one for large and loud declarations of love – and he’s told you before that some of his past relationships have suffered because of it. But you have never doubted Jake’s love for you. He shows love in actions; small, little things that show you just how much you mean to him. All those other people that he’s been with in the past just weren’t paying attention.

He tells you he loves you in so many ways you lose count of them. He says it in the way he always makes sure you’re comfortable when the two of you go out. He says it when he always somehow seems to know that you’re feeling insecure or upset and he whispers in your ear how gorgeous you are. He tells you he loves you by sending you flowers to your job if you’ve told him that you’re having a bad day. He tells you he loves you when he buys you things he notices you eyeing in stores that you put back because they’re too expensive. Hell, he tells you every time you get in the car with him and your favorite songs are queued up to play. And of course, every night before the two of you fall asleep, he makes sure that the last thing he whispers to you before he drifts off is “I love you.” In fact, your relationship with Jake has been the best thing that’s ever happened to you. The two of you have a perfect synchronicity with each other – complete understanding of each other’s wants and needs.

Part of that synchronicity between the two of you is the dance that you were currently engaged in with him while he was getting ready for an interview and photoshoot. It’s a game that the two of you have played only a handful of times during your time together – but each one has been more than memorable. You're not really sure what causes it – sometimes it’s you starting it and sometimes it’s him. But it always ends with the same result: Jake fucking you so thoroughly that you can barely walk the next day.

Today is one of those days where that itch settles itself beneath your skin. You need it… badly. And there’s not much that you won’t do to get it. And the opportunity to do just that presents itself in the form of a cute producer who’s on the set today that has been intent on flirting with you from the moment you all stepped through the door. Jake was being forced to do an interview – despite his numerous and spirited protests, and he’d asked you to come with him. You’d agreed, hoping to find a chance to play your game. So, as much as you want to admire how attractive Jake looks in his all black outfit, you instead turn your attention to the cute producer.

“I’m Oliver.” He’d said, giving you a sweet smile as you and Jake had walked in.

“Y/n. It’s nice to meet you.” You gave him your hand to shake and the grip lingered longer than necessary – and Jake’s dark eyes hadn’t missed it.

“Are you Mr. Kiszka’s assistant?” He asked, completely ignoring Jake as he focused all of his attention on you.

Just as Jake opened his mouth to not-so-kindly let him know who exactly you are to him, you speak up first.

“Yes, something like that.”

Immediately, you see Jake’s shoulders tense and his eyes narrow at you. You just give him a smile and slide past him, just barely brushing your shoulder against his as you pass. Oliver follows you as you take a seat off to the side, in view of where the interview will be taking place. Jake gives you one last sharp look over his shoulder before walking over to sit in front of the camera.

Body thrumming with adrenaline, you turn back to Oliver and give him a smile.

“So what’s your job around here? It seems like it would be fun.” You lean in close to ask the question and give him your best flirty smile. You can see Jake from the corner of your eye, watching your every move.

“Oh, it’s very fun.” Oliver says, obviously happy that you’re engaging with him again, before launching into what he does with the company.

You do your best to listen – occasionally asking questions to keep the conversation going, but your attention is more centered on Jake as he does his interview. He’s giving wonderful and thoughtful answers to each question, but his eyes often sweep over to where you and Oliver are. Tiny glances that aren’t outright enough for others to notice… but you can. You know him too well and you can clearly see that your plan is working. Every so often, just to dig your own grave a little deeper, you reach out to put your hand on Oliver’s shoulder if he says something funny. Your conversation with him is hushed in order to not interrupt the interview, so Jake can’t hear what the two of you are talking about – all he can see is your flirty touches and the love eyes that Oliver is giving to you.

Eventually, your conversation is interrupted when the director loudly announces that the interview portion is over. You glance over to see Jake making his way towards you.

“We’ll need you back here in a moment for some pictures, Mr. Kiszka.” He says, and Jake just gives him a curt nod as he strides over to you and Oliver.

“Hi.” You say, plastering an innocent smile on your face.

“What have you two been talking about over here?” Jake asks, and his voice is laced with faux interest. To Oliver, he seems perfectly normal – but you can see the storm brewing just beneath the surface.

“Oh she was just asking me about my job here.” Oliver tells him with a polite smile.

“Wonderful.” Jake says, voice falling a little flatter. “Y/n, can I speak with you for a minute?”

“Right now?” You ask, glancing at Oliver. “We’re kind of in the middle of a conversation.”

Jake’s eyes narrow into dangerous slits and you almost regret your words. There’s no going back on your game now – but the promise of what you know is to come spurs you on even more.

“Right now.” He says coldly.

“We can talk later, Jake.”

Just as he opens his mouth to reply, another set member comes over and saves you.

“Mr. Kiszka? We’re ready for your pictures now. If you could just follow me?”

“Of course.” Jake’s tone is smooth as silk as he turns to leave, but his brown eyes lock onto yours and you can’t look away. They’re ablaze with anger and the parting smile he gives to you and Oliver isn’t convincing at all. You give Jake another sweet smile before turning your back to him, heart pounding. You’ve sealed your fate.

Oliver quickly launches back into your prior conversation, but you can barely pay him any mind – instead, your mind is awash with thoughts of the trouble that you’ve gotten yourself into. All that’s left is just a few promotional photographs of Jake and then the two of you will be on your way back home… and the thought of what lies in wait for you makes you clench your thighs together in excitement.

Both lucky and unlucky for you, the photographer is finished with Jake quickly, and you watch with wide eyes as he strides determinedly over to you as Oliver continues babbling on about something or other in your ear.

“Are you ready to go?” Jake asks, interrupting Oliver’s endless chatter.

You open your mouth to protest but you stop short upon seeing the face that Jake is giving you. One eyebrow raised – almost as if in challenge, eyes venomous and dark, and his mouth is set in a hard line. You snap your mouth shut and give him a nod.

Oliver, noticing Jake’s body language, stops short and stares between the two of you.

“I, um…” He mutters, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “I think I’ve gotta go do… something or other over there.” He jerks his head towards where the director is talking with some of the other crew members.

“Oh.” You say, turning away from Jake to give Oliver your best doe eyes. “Well, it was a pleasure getting to meet you, Oliver.”

He smiles despite the tension in the air.

“It was great meeting you too. Maybe I’ll see you again some time.”

And with that, Oliver scurries away, leaving you and Jake to stand in stony silence. You glance up at him but all you see is his back as he walks slowly towards the door.

“Don’t make me have to wait on you.” He says coldly, and you frenziedly jog over to catch up with him.

The drive home is silent. You fold your hands in your lap, nervously fiddling with a stray thread on your shirt. Jake stares resolutely ahead, his grip on the steering wheel so tight his knuckles have turned white. In a desperate attempt to ease the tension, you reach over to turn the stereo on. The smooth notes of Dan Fogelburg spill through the speakers, easing the awkwardness for a moment. Without looking away from the road, Jake reaches over and turns it back off, plunging you back into silence.

By the time you arrive home, you’re sweating and a dull ache has taken up residence between your legs. Jake slams the car door shut and you follow swiftly behind him, excitement and fear thrumming through you. You enter your shared home and Jake still hasn’t looked at you – instead, he walks slowly over to the kitchen and grabs a glass from the cabinet. He grabs a bottle of bourbon and pours himself a generous amount. He takes a sip, still refusing to even look at you.

“Jake, I-”

“Shut the fuck up.” His eyes finally snap to yours and you shrink back from his angry gaze. “I’ve heard enough from you today.” He drains the last of the bourbon. “Go upstairs and strip.”

“But-”

“I told you,” he slams his glass down on the counter, “to shut the fuck up.”

He’s not yelling, but there’s nothing but pure rage in his voice. Figuring you’ve dug your hole deep enough, you practically sprint up the stairs and into yours and Jake’s bedroom. It’s dark out, and the only light in the room is spilling from the floor lamp in the corner, bathing the room in warm light. With shaky hands, you strip your clothes off you, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Your heart is beating madly in your chest and your hands are clammy as you stand naked in the middle of the room.

You snap your eyes to the door as you hear the floorboards creak.

There he stands, anger rolling off him in waves. He’s barefoot now, and his hat has been discarded elsewhere. His black shirt is completely unbuttoned, allowing your eyes to roam freely over his gorgeous torso. His eyes are stony and his face is completely void of any emotion, leaving you with nothing to gauge what your punishment is going to be.

“Get on your knees.” He orders, slipping his shirt off his shoulders. You practically collapse onto the floor and you wince, thankful that the floor is at least carpeted.

Jake strides over to you, his dark eyes pinned on yours as you look up at him. Slowly, he reaches a hand out to you, gripping your jaw tightly. He leans in close, face just inches away from your own. You can smell the liquor on his breath.

“Do you remember your safeword?”

You nod and his grip on your jaw tightens even more.

“Words, y/n.”

“Gibson, sir.”

He releases his hold on you and straightens back up.

“Good girl.”

You release a shaky breath as you glance up at him through your lashes, mouth watering at the way he’s looking at you – like he can’t decide if he wants to yell at you or kiss you. You stare, waiting for his next instruction. You can’t help but notice how close you are to his cock, hiding behind his black slacks. You want it – badly.

“You just gonna sit there and stare or are you gonna do something?” Jake asks you coldly.

“You haven’t told me what you want me to do. Sir.” The brattiness in your tone makes Jake’s eyes widen momentarily before he smooths over his expression.

“You’ve been acting like a slut all day… flirting with that stupid producer right in front of me. You really think you’re in the position to be acting like a brat right now?” He gives you a sickly sweet smile but you don’t answer him.

His hand shoots out suddenly and tangles in your hair. You let out a surprised squeak as he pulls your head back roughly, exposing your throat. He leans back down, so close that his plump lips almost touch yours.

“You’re so fucking desperate for it that you flirt with that guy just to piss me off?”

You wrap your hand around his wrist where it's tangled in your hair. You bite your lip for a moment, debating your next choice of words.

“What makes you think I’m so desperate for you? Maybe I wanted Oliver instead.”

Jake growls and the sound makes wetness practically gush from you. You can feel it dripping down your thighs.

“You really think he could fuck you the way I do?” He pulls away from you suddenly and begins to undo his belt. “Think he could make you feel the way I make you feel?” He slides his pants off himself, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

You know that no one could ever come close to bringing you the pleasure that Jake brings you, but apparently you’re a glutton for punishment.

“Maybe he could, maybe he couldn’t. Only one way to find out, though.” You give him an innocent shrug.

Without warning, Jake’s fingers wrap around your throat and squeeze. Your vision swims and a choked, meek little noise falls from between your lips.

“That little twig couldn’t fuck you half as good as I can and you fucking know it.” His grip tightens even more and your chest burns as he cuts off your air supply. “Fucking brat.”

Just as your eyes begin to roll back into your head, Jake releases you. You take in a staggering breath and cough.

“Suck my cock. And maybe I’ll think about letting you cum tonight.”

You waste no time in sliding his boxers down his powerful thighs, and your mouth waters as you take in his dick standing proudly at attention. No matter how many times you get to see it, you’re always overcome with how pretty his cock is.

Teasingly, you begin leaving little kitten licks over his head, just barely brushing your tongue against him. Before finally, you slowly wrap your lips around him and sink down until his tip nudges the back of your throat. You relax your jaw and breathe in through your nose as tears prick your eyes. Jake brings his hand to the back of your head and pushes you even further down on him, causing you to gag around him. You brace your hands on his thighs as he begins to rock his hips, fucking your mouth so deeply its taking all of your focus not to gag even more.

“Fucking take it.” Jake grits out, and you wish you could see what his face looks like as he fucks your throat. You can imagine what he probably looks like – brows pinched together and his head thrown back in pleasure. He groans and you whimper in response, more wetness dripping down between your thighs.

Jake pulls his cock from your mouth with a lewd pop and you take in a gulping breath.

“Look at you…” He says darkly, running a finger along your jaw line as he takes you in – mascara streaming down your cheeks and your hair a tangled mess. “Ready to admit who it is that you really want?”

You nod, whining as your pussy throbs with need.

“Say it.”

“You.” You tell him, and your voice sounds just as ruined as you feel. “I want you, sir.”

“Get on the bed.” You scramble to your feet, legs shaky and thighs a complete mess as you climb onto the bed. You sit in the middle and watch as he drinks in your form.

The bed sinks as Jake climbs into it. He crawls over to you and props himself up on one arm. With his other hand, he runs his calloused fingertips through the mess on your thighs, so so close to where you want him most.

“You’re fucking soaked, angel. Jesus.”

You whine and spread your legs wider, desperate for any type of relief.

“Please, Jake..” You cry, eyes screwing shut as his fingers ghost over your folds.

“Who’s pussy is this?”

“Yours, sir. All yours.”

“That’s right.” He says, swiping a finger through your folds and just barely brushing against your swollen clit. “All fucking mine.”

Without warning, he plunges his middle finger into you and you let out a wail at the stretch. He pumps into you as his thumb circles madly over your clit. It’s too much and not enough all at the same time. He adds a second finger and you cry out again, before grinding your hips downwards to meet his hand.

“Ah uh. Nope.” He pulls his fingers from you. “Don’t fucking move. You wanted to act like a slut. Now you’re gonna lay here and take it like one. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” Your entire body jolts as he slaps his palm against your cunt, drawing a pained yelp from you.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

He inserts his fingers once more, fucking into you at an agonising pace. You moan and whine, but you diligently stay in place, resisting the overwhelming urge to rock your hips in search for more.

Slowly, Jake plays you into the edge of your orgasm, and your cries only increase as you draw nearer and nearer. Just as you’re about to fall over the crest of pleasure, Jake stops his movements completely and you whine.

“Did you really think I was going to let you cum that easy, angel? After how you acted today?” He shakes his head and tsks at you. “Silly girl. You don’t fucking deserve to cum yet.”

“Jake, please.” You whine, body strung so tight you feel like you might snap, “Please give it to me.”

“Give what to you, baby?” He asks, voice saccharine and filled with faux concern.

“You know what.”

“Oh, do I?”

Slowly, he begins to circle your clit again. Over and over again, he brings you right to edge before pulling back before you can finish. It’s agony, and tears leak from the corners of your eyes as he brings you to the edge for a fourth time before he pulls away.

“Fucking hell, please! Jake, please!”

Jake just chuckles at you.

“Baby gonna cry?” He asks you with a shit eating grin.

You clench your fists in desperation.

“If you’re not gonna let me cum you should have just let me take Oliver home instead. He wouldn’t make me wait for it.”

Your head snaps to the side as Jake’s palm connects with your left cheek. The blow is hard, causing you to bite down harshly onto your tongue and the taste of blood fills your mouth.

“You just don’t know when to shut the fuck up, do you?” He asks, but he’s not looking for a response from you.

He sits up and reaches over to your nightstand and pulls open the drawer.

“No…” You whine, regret filling you as you realize what he’s about to do.

“Yep.” He says, pulling the cherry red vibrator out and shutting the door back. “Act like a brat and you get treated like one.”

He clicks the button and turns the vibrator on, and you can immediately tell by the sound that he has it on the highest setting. He settles himself between your thighs, hovering the toy just above your dripping cunt.

“Color?” He asks you, dropping the act for a moment.

“Green.”

No sooner had the word left your lips and Jake pressed the toy onto your clit. You yelp and your thighs instinctively try to close but he stops you easily. The stimulation is so much and your whole body feels like it’s on fire as Jake begins to make slow circles on your clit with the vibrator. White hot pain and pleasure course through you and you whine loudly – high pitched and desperate.

“Jake. Jake! Oh shit.” You grind out through clenched teeth.

“I don’t give a fuck.” He says, and presses the toy onto your clit even more. “If you wanna cum, you’re gonna cum from this.”

You could sob at his words. It’s too much and your body practically vibrates as he continues his assault on your clit. And yet somehow, you feel the coil starting to tighten in your belly. It hurts but the pleasure is still there despite the overstimulation as you moan and cry out.

“God, look at you. You gonna cum from this, angel? I know you can.”

You squirm beneath his ministrations and crack your eyes open to see him staring at you, eyes blown wide with lust. He’s rocking his hips into the bed, grinding his cock into the soft covers as he looks for some relief of his own. Your eyes roll back into your head as you hear him groan.

“Cum. Do it, angel. Cum for me,”

The band snaps and you're cumming, hard and violent. Your head feels like it’s in the clouds as the pleasure courses through you. Jake pulls the vibrator away from your poor clit and turns it off, tossing it to lay on the bed beside you. You lay there, brain fuzzy as you come down from your high.

“You ready for my cock, y/n? Ready for me to fuck you?”

You nod your head feverishly, body too weak to do much else. Your whole body is covered in sweat as your chest heaves.

“Get on your hands and knees, angel.”

You comply, rising shakily to get into the position he asked for. You sink your weight down on your forearms so that your ass sticks up in the air. You wiggle backwards, renewed desire for his cock coursing through you.

Jake pumps himself a few times before he nudges his tip through your folds, sliding through your wetness before he presses his cock into you. Slowly, he bottoms out, and the both of you moan loudly. He places both hands on your ass cheeks, digging his fingers into the meat of them as he begins to thrust into you. The stretch feels so good on your abused cunt, and all you can do is whine with each thrust into your pussy.

“God, you feel like heaven wrapped around me.” He groans, still thrusting into you agonizingly slow.

“Jake…” You whine, pressing your ass back into him. “You feel so good.”

“Yeah?” He whispers, picking up his pace slightly. “Who else can fuck you like I do, angel?” He punctuates his question with a particularly hard thrust that has you clenching around him.

“No one, Jake. No one.”

“Roll over. Wanna see you.”

Jake pulls out and flips you so that you’re on your back. He grabs your leg and tosses it over his shoulder before he guides his cock back into you. The new angle has his tip brushing against your cervix with each thrust and you wail his name. Sweat beads along his hairline and drips down his neck and his face is flushed as he pounds into you. Little grunts and moans fall from his lips and all you can do is just lie there and take it. Your tits bounce with each thrust and the sound of his hips hitting yours is loud and ridiculously pornographic.

“Angel, I’m so fucking close.” He groans out. “Give me one more.”

He places his hand on your lower belly, feeling himself inside as he fucks into you.

“You feel that?” He asks, voice sounding wrecked. “Feel how deep I am? God, fuck!” He curses, rhythm beginning to falter. He’s trying to hold on, waiting for you to cum first.

And you can feel him. He’s fucking you so hard and deep it’s like your brain can’t remember anything but the pleasure he’s giving you. You aren’t thinking – your mind reduced to nothing but Jake, Jake, Jake.

Again, that familiar feeling begins to claw up inside of you.

“Jake!” You scream, raking your nails down his back and leaving red marks in their wake. “Don’t stop. Please!”

“Fuck, y/n. I’m so- fuck.” He whines loudly and the sound pushes you over the edge.

You clench around him and you can feel him spill into you as your orgasm tears through you. Jake’s mouth is open in a silent scream as he cums. He keeps fucking you through both of your releases and you scream his name over and over as your climax keeps fucking going.

You open your eyes to see Jake’s chocolate eyes staring at you, filled with concern.

“Fuck, are you okay?”

As you become more aware of your surroundings, you notice that you’ve been cleaned up and Jake’s sweat-damp hair is beginning to dry.

“Yeah. I’m okay.” You paused for a moment before adding, “I think.”

“You scared me. Are you sure you’re okay? I shouldn’t have gone that hard…” He trails off, staring at you looking like a kicked puppy.

“Jake,” you smile at him, “I promise I’m okay, More than okay, actually.”

“Don’t ever do that again.”

“What exactly did I do?” You asked, sitting up to look at him more clearly. “Did I pass out?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, shit.” You giggled, shaking your head.

“It’s not funny!” He protested, but his lips quirked into a smile despite himself. “You scared the fuck out of me.”

“Well, I was asking for it.”

“Fair. You were being quite the brat.” He said, laughing lightly.

You shrugged.

“Had to get you riled up somehow, didn’t I? Besides, that was totally worth it.”

“I am pretty good, huh?”

You slapped his chest playfully.

“I’m never gonna hear the end of this, am I?”

“Angel, no one is going to hear the end of this.”

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

if you're reading this, i love you!

taglist:

@sacredjake

@ignite-my-fire

@demolitionndann

@brujamagik

@mybussyinchrist

[puella-1n-somn10]

⚔️Puella Magi Madoka Magica x Pokemon Sword/Shield: Hop and his Witch Form⚔️

Word count w/o intro: 11,703

Look, I know that the Traveler from Genshin won that poll, but...if I may be honest, I am not ready for what concept I had for them to completely topple apart all thanks to a single shred of lore being aimed at my head at mach speed. Trust me, fellas, I saw the roller coaster that is the Fontaine chapter; if shit is that crazy while we are halfway through the main story, then I dread the revelations that will befall us all when SNEZHNAYA rolls around-!

With all that being said...welcome back, ladies, gents, and those who have casted the dreaded concept of gender out of their lives! For those who are unaware, we are here today to witness what would happen if I were to take the worldbuilding of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and apply them to other media. Today's unfortunate guest for today is none other than the goat himself, Hop!

...Not funny? Ah, alright-

Yes, I am aware that Hop's reputation amongst the fanbase is...controversial at best. Generally speaking, I've noticed that the negative image of this character was formed by the fans prematurely judging him based on his initial lines of dialogue, passionate (which is often mischaracterized as cheerful) attitude, and, I shit you all not, animations (which is more of a fault caused by tight release schedules and the developers being rushed than that of the character himself). From these alone, he tends to be placed on tiers lower than the fucking Gen 6 rivals (no hate towards them, promise, I just wish they were fleshed out more)- which proves to me that not only are those types of Pokemon fans purely visual beings, but that media literacy is dead, rotting, and its tombstone has been Hyper Beamed to Hell and back-

BUT we're not here to rant now, aren't we? My...personal, burning distaste towards those who call him a Hau clone aside, we are here to dissect his character- in more literal ways than one! If I may be honest, this analysis post thinly disguised as a silly, crossover ficlet was created as a thought and writing exercise for myself, and it was quite fun, if I must admit! So I hope from the bottom of my heart that you guys find as much joy in Hop's pain and suffering as I did while writing it!

Just a few quick warnings, this post will contain mentions of child neglect and favoritism, implications of social ostracization and public shaming, and, I cannot stress this enough, mentions of self destruction/S-H/su-c-de. If any of these themes are too triggering, especially that last one, please, please click away! I am being serious here- take the utmost care, and be safe!

Of course, spoilers for Madoka Magica, Magia Record (Anime ver.), and Pokemon SWSH are right up ahead! If I may be honest, I haven't touched upon the DLCs yet, so spoilers regarding them will be minimal at most. There will also be shades of PostwickShipping (Hop <3 Gloria) present, so if that isn't your cup of tea, I sincerely apologize.

It would also be fitting to play some Decretum on the side, too, especially when we get to the despair bit- God damn, he and Sayaka need to be buddies.

-The Wish, Possible Powers, and Soul Gem-

"Before we ever started out on this journey… I remember watching Lee on the telly. He was like a bright star, so strong I could hardly bear to look right at him. But now, I can tell just how strong he really is… And what he's got that I haven't…"

Now, I could go the easy way and say that he'd wish to be as great as Leon- to become as strong as the champion and equally undefeatable, but, honestly, not only does this feel cheap, it feels so...unlike Hop as a character. He doesn't just want to defeat Leon- he wants to prove his worth and make his mark as a trainer. Hop, like the rest of Galar, idolizes his brother- so much so that he copied his strategies and every move; a mistake that had gotten him to lose the fight in the Circhester stadium even after facing off against so many trials and tribulations-

After all, as Bede said it in his own...brutish way, if people looked down on Hop, they will do the same to Leon - the man who Hop looks up to as not just an older sibling, but as a symbol- as an unshakable LEGEND, and not just as a human being -. So if the perception of the man who Hop saw as a hero was to shake all thanks to him...it'd be quite devastating, to say the least. It was this possibility that hit him the most- where his worth and identity came into question.

Hop may dislike losing - a sentiment that grows stronger every time you defeat him -, but what he fears even more is disappointing others; lowering his and his brother's worth in their eyes. He wanted to be number #1 because it was expected of him to do so, by himself, by the public, and, when you think about it, even by his family - whether consciously or not -...

After all, just look at his home- do you see any pictures of Hop around? Left and right you find memorabilia and trophies belonging to Leon, but how much mementos of Hop can you find? Whether or not he was aware of it, Hop craved not just the glory of his brother, but also the validation and positive attention.

This was his path in life- no, this was his destiny, as he'd put it; to become as strong as his hero and receive that blazing torch after living in his shadow for so long. To live up to his splendor, to inspire others to get up and take a stance, and to make something out of himself. His brother was a hero- so it makes sense to imitate someone as amazing and strong as him.

So, after analyzing his character for a bit, his wish could go along the lines of wanting to be by his brother's side, or, more appropriately, to make an impact on the world and the lives of others like he did. After all, we are assuming that he made the contract a bit before his constant losses began to fuck with him; he had confidence in his abilities at least during the beginning, and was certain that he was going to emerge from the final battle victorious.

The powers resulting from this wish could go in a lot of different ways; after all, wishing to make an impact is quite abstract. It isn't like he wished for someone else to get healed or to win on a lottery; so trying to make powers based on that would be tricky. My best guess is that his powers are associated with memories and legacies, which, once more, also fits in really well with how he documented and tried to mimic Leon's strategies and actions.

Now, before we focus on his soul gem and witness it crumble along with his self-esteem, we're going to take a good look at his attire upon transformation into his Magical Boy form- an aspect that, regrettably, I've forgotten to cover back while I was analyzing Medic. Now, this part may be a little unclear to some upon first reviewing the designs present in PMMM, but a pattern is there- and one of the most common reasons behind a magi's design is the intent behind their wish and their desires before or after taking on the contract. In order to prove my point, I'm gonna list some examples:

Sayaka Miki is a knight in shining armor; she wanted to uphold the ideal of a magical girl and fight for what's right

Homura Akemi's outfit is rather...funerary, for lack of a better term; she made her wish as result of her losing Madoka, and had more or less doomed herself to watching the demise of her beloved over and over again

Nagisa's outfit looks like an everyday, ordinary outfit for someone her age; she craved a normal life where she was able to be just like the other kids around her- not having to worry about living in a dump and caring for an unstable parent

Iroha's design invokes the idea of a ranger or even a mercenary; she is dedicated to finding her sister at what cost, even if most of the evidence (or lack there-of) pointed towards Ui not existing in the first place

Being in the spotlight of someone else's life, looking up to his brother, and making said champion an example on how he should lead his life...I think a stereotypical, legendary hero might do it; the main protagonist of tales like Beowulf or even your everyday JRPGs. Hop often made references to him 'weaving his own legend', so this would make perfect sense!

Speaking of-

Regarding his soul gem's shape, simple- upon transformation, it would look just like a small flame placed on his solar plexus like a brooch or button. Comparisons to Leon's charizard aside, it is a simple and straightforward symbol representing his personality; passionate, competitive, hot-headed, and bright- but all flames are prone to dying out one way or another. Hop's association with fire is also presented to us in-canon in his second league card, with him pulling off Leon's signature pose as flames wildly danced around him.

This also brings the idea of him burning himself away to fit into his ideal of a champion to mind, or literally burning himself out. A raging fire ready to render all that is in its path into ash- including himself.

The emblem on the middle of its egg form is a little harder for me to interpret fully. I could go with the easy way and say that it's probably the same as its form upon his Puer Magi transformation, but we all know that my perfectionist ass would not just simply settle with that. The options on our hands are as follows;

The easy option, the Hop flower (symbolizing how becoming a professor is his true calling in life)

A coat of arms (royalty themes- also, a pun on Eternatus' eternamax form, coat of ARMS, heheh)

A spiral (symbol of futility, continuation, cycles, and a downward spiral)

A coat of arms WITH a spiral in the middle (look at the above two points)

A flag (him wishing to create his own legend, and how he was initially a foot ahead of us during the start of our journey together)

A windmill (...we'll get to that, but let's assume it's because of Postwick for now- I personally prefer this one)

A shield with two crossed swords (again, royalty and hero themes)

As for its color, here is where things get interesting; I already spoke about how most soul gems correspond with the eye color of their respective magi, since "eyes are the windows to a person's soul", so a brilliant gold would fit both with this unwritten rule and thematically. However, then I got thinking- Red is also an applicable color, right? It fits his personality, and would clash really well with the cool purples and blues...until I realized that not only is red already going to be present as a sort of secondary (if not primary) color to go along with the existing cool palette in mind, but the added gold highlights would embolden it and make sure this design really pops.

Besides, making red a central color for his magi outfit also adds in to the idea of him still mimicking Leon, whose associated colors are purple, gold, and, of course, the reds of his cape! We aren't completely sure as to how much control a magi has over the outfit they'll don upon transformation, but we do know that Madoka actually designed her own magical clothing, so some input from the magi themselves, whether consciously or not, does contribute to the matter. This would also make a cute little homage to his champion outfit in Pokemon Masters EX!

One last point before we get to the part you've all been waiting for, we have to look at his weapon; yes, his powers are probably associated with memories or even perception, but, according to my research, one's weapon doesn't necessarily have to be tied to the wish. As a matter of fact, aside from Mami's ribbons (symbolizing her being tied to the life of a magical girl and her capturing others in this web of malice whether consciously or not- a literal lifeline), most of the cast's weapons are unrelated to the wishes made, and, like the aforementioned outfits, are more tied to the magi's intents or even personalities;

Nagisa's is a trumpet that blows out bubbles. She wanted her mother to hear her, but she's only ever able to let out little squeaks; the dichotomy between her desire to be acknowledged and wanting to be a decent daughter to a horrible person like her mother.

Homura's is a shield; she wishes to protect Madoka, but a shield alone cannot deflect everything threatening her sweet rose. There's also the symbolism of her hiding behind a shield, both as Moemura (shy and reserved) and Cool Homu (covering her emotions with an aloof exterior); in both cases, she's hiding herself away from the world.

Sayaka's is a cutlass sword. Go figure.

I am not completely sure on Madoka's; she dislikes brutal fighting, so it would make sense for her to use a long-range weapon that she's able to use to snipe enemies from a safe-enough distance. I also heard that a bow and arrow have some sort of significance in Christian lore, but, to be frank, I am not completely sure about this; this section requires further study.

Again, I gotta thank @bluethepearldiver for saving my butt here and on the upcoming natures section! According to them, since I had already removed swords and shields from the equation in order to make space for both Gloria and Victor, a polearm type of weapon would fit him the most! In their own, brilliant words, it is "representing how unattainable his goal ultimately is", and, in my opinion, it is a mid-range weapon- when utilized correctly, Hop would be able to conquer battles that would require either long or short ranged attacks to clear! Also, personally, it brings the image of a sheep herder to mind.

As for the specific type of polearm, that one would require a lot more creativity, but, since Hop comes from Postwick, a weapon that originates from Europe would be fitting. After thinking about it, I believe his weapon is probably a Halberd, due to how it can pierce, chop, or slash depending on the situation. It would also symbolize poor, bright-eyed Hop constantly changing his strategies and teams in order to catch up to us- to finally match us in strength. Every time we met him, he would have different strategies, a different team, a different outlook- he tried every viable, effective strategy, tearing apart the aspects of himself that were deemed roadblocks, pushing himself until he was burning himself way too brightly for his own good, yet...

-Descent Into Despair-

He lost. He had lost yet again, hasn't he?

His grip on the pokeball was shaky. The eyes of the crowd fixated on him as the last of his pokemon fell to the ground. Frozen air filled his lungs; his eyes felt like they were turned to stone, as did the veins in his arms.

The whispers grew louder; the crowd's collective judgement was being passed from one attendant to another. His teeth were about to shatter from the pressure around him alone. Not even Melony's concerns were registered on his mind; all the words around him amalgamated into a brute cacophony that choked all the will and rationality out of him.

His heart was on fire. His lips were dried as he stared at the nothingness before him. It was so hard to continue standing up- fucking impossible to focus on anything but this blunder forged by his own hands- which he now sees as nothing but useless vestiges. His heart was a war drum in the midst of conflict; beating as though the drummer's life was on the line if they were to dare and drop the pace. How he wanted to gouge his own eyes out and rip those ears out...

"Pitiful."

What on Earth was he missing?

He tried to change his strategies, he really did. The sad look on his pokemon’s eyes broke him every time, but they just couldn’t be of good help…he had to be a better trainer.

That’s what good trainers do, right? They make sure their teams were optimal. After all, strategy came first; that was what he learned from all these battles that long moved his heart.

"Foolish."

Another loss.

He looked down at his final, fallen comrade, not taking his shaking hands into account. Was it the cold? The stress? The sheer disbelief of what was before him?

Or was it frustration? A poison seeping between his clenched teeth- ready to curse out himself and direct his anger to the world? Readying him to pound against the earth beneath him until his knuckles were mangled and bloody?

No...no, this can't be it. He had to push himself further- he had to be better. Not a single Pokemon of his would listen to someone as fragile as he was; he had to make an example out of himself if he had to be a strong leader- a hero to them...

"Hypocrite."

Wooloo...

You promised, didn't you?

He stifled his own sobs. Oh, how could you have done this to them, Hop? They were the closest thing you had to a childhood friend! They were right by your side to the very end! All you had to do was to keep their head up, tell them it wasn't their fault, and that you would still enter the league together if you both focused! All you had to do was stay strong-

But you couldn't. You just had to up and leave them; cast them to the dirt where you dragged his good name through.

In the end, he couldn't even uphold that.

"Pathetic."

Over and over...over and over, he had repeated this fruitless, pitiful endeavor- all to no avail.

Finding himself floating adrift, Hop feels as though his very existence was slowly slipping from his fingers; becoming one with the very void surrounding him. He couldn't even feel his limbs, much less his face.

No matter how much he had stretched himself so thin, it just wouldn't work. The evidence was there before him, for all of Galar to see- his true rival and his brother on that field together, the latter holding the other's hand and raising it up in the air...that no matter what he did, all the sacrifices he had made, it was all up there in the air like smoke. His dreams, hopes, and ambitions- gone with what shine in his eyes that were left.

Oh, little sheep...do you not realize that you have tangled yourself within this spider web- the very definition of insanity?

"Worthless."

He's tired.

With each loss, it got a lot harder for him to get up and walk away.

His legs were shaking, and not just due to the harsh winds around him. The winds were picking up their pace, but the eyes, the eyes, the eyes-

Why must you insist on further embarrassing yourself, young man? Can't you tell when it's the time for you to just drop everything and move on with something better for everyone else's sake?

You're just embarrassing yourself at this point- nothing more than a clown attracting disrespect and shame like flies to a rotting carcass much like yourself.

...

Yeah...

What if...it was him?

He couldn't take the watchful gazes of the crowded streets anymore. Oh, how he wanted to hide away in the corners of the world- render his own face into nothing but a crimson pulp just so their judgemental glares, mocking smiles, and whispers would finally leave him alone and hollow.

His heart was racing- his veins were on fire, and his arms were about to burst.

It was too much... Upon stumbling upon a silent, empty, dirty alleyway, he slumped onto his knees as he shook from both the cold and pressure of all the bottled up frustrations in him. At long last, the waterworks finally broke out. Only the night sky and howling winds were his current company; doing little to distract him from his pained heartbeats and dried up throat.

He couldn't hold on to his victories, no matter how feeble or small. It didn't matter what he did or how much he tried, all that he's tried holding on to will just slip away from his fingers, like the breaths of fresh, cold air escaping him; inhaling just enough as to not allow him to pass out on the spot, but it was only that much.

The sound of metal clanging on the ground escaped his ears. It was only when he was finally slumped on the ground that he had noticed the fading luminescence just before his reach. Even as his body shook from the mental strain and the cold, he still recognized the jewel that was on the dirtied ground. Hands shaking, he slowly picked up the once brilliant object...

Through jittering teeth, he just couldn't help but sob whilst instinctively smiling; the sound coming out like a sort of soft giggle...

Hahahah...oh, don't tell him- don't tell him he couldn't...

What a mockery- look at him, everyone! Not only had he failed the challenges before him, but, oh, this poor damn pest- he couldn't even look after his own damn soul gem! The very thing he had traded away what was left of his identity outside of the league for- and even then, with his wish, it only made sure that his mistakes would return to him in even stronger, more merciless manners. Was it due to him being unable to focus on both perfecting his strategies and his duties as a puer magi?

For all Hop cared at that moment, it was just another sign of his pathetic, useless existence. Worthlessness- no, he was way beneath that; he had failed. He had failed, he had failed, he had failed, he lost, he had motherfucking lost.

Answer yourself this, Hop- Do tell how you expected to come so far like this! How you have managed to shamble and shuffle through the league challenge like the worm you are, with nothing but another's achievements to your name- and you couldn't even take good care of that!

"...Useless..."

Hop shakily breathed out.

"Hah...if only I wasn't born so useless..."

His grip on both sides of his head grew tighter. As he gritted his teeth and his eyes twitched, one last thought flashed in his mind-

"There's...nowhere left for me..."

"Everyone else is moving on without someone...some pest like I am..."

With all the air that was left in his lungs, Hop roared into the night and unleashed all the grief in his heart. His anguished wail was interrupted by a sudden crash, and all that was left were the howling, autumnal winds...

.

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.

Word of the contestants' escalating behaviors grew amongst the people of Galar.

At first, it manifested as deepened anxieties; competitors being so overwhelmed by the upcoming events that it caused them to hyperventilate, shake uncontrollably in between sobs and unintelligible screams, or, at worst, completely melt down; faces reddened by tears as they were unable to remove themselves from the ground due to the paralyzing nervousness and hysteria. Initially, these incidents were brushed off as being related to the individuals' worries over the nature of the Gym Challenge, on top of the resulting trauma caused by the Darkest Day; even after the region was granted another chance at seeing the bright, blue skies, tensions were still at an all-time high, so, at the time, this appeared to have been the most rational conclusion.

It was when they've descended into thrashing bitterness and violence, however, that concern was finally demanded and raised- and, along with them, a whole basket of questions that craved all the answers in the world; anything to make sense of what was unraveling. Many a stadium had to close down - some even in the midst of these breakouts - for investigation purposes in order to get to the bottom of this anomaly.

Before long, rumors began to spread amongst the Galarian public- both on the streets and on social media; ranging from a contamination of sorts, to possible side effects of the Darkest Day that the current chairman was uninformed of. In the end, one by one, the majority of the gym leaders had to step forward admit that they knew as much as the rest did regarding the matter, but that did little to help stop the creation and spread of conspiracy theories, and they soon devolved into a competition of its own; on whose hypothesis is the most click-worthy and attention-grabbing.

Nothing was stacking up; everything had been tested - the water, the air, the soil, and especially the power spots -, the stadiums were inspected from top to bottom, and even the gym leaders were interviewed; it all came back negative.

The chairman himself had gone dark.

In the midst of the mass hysteria, right everyone's noses, the range of whatever was influencing these stadiums, the...being that has sending all these people into these frenzies...was growing.

Violent breakouts and missing persons reports spiked without ever showing a sign of slowing down. Nay, not even the gym leaders were spared- with Bea finally coming to her senses while Allister tried to subdue her and not hurt the rest around her, and Milo's herd of Wooloo going completely berserk and in complete panic not unlike the contestants and their own pokemon.

It was at its assumed worst when it had finally reached Postwick Town. Most of Galar had succumbed to what was engulfing it with its malice and twisted hopes, and, according to theorists, they doubted it would stop there. The people residing in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra were given the order to lock down and cease all functions until further information's released, in the vain hopes of preventing the spread of its influence.

And then-

Silence.

Everything around them was completely dim, with nothing but small flickers of flame and their own eyes' adaptation to help traverse them through what became of the region; a dim, cold land with ashy skies overhead, overrun with scared wildlife and...monsters- beasts you have never seen the likes of before. Perhaps staying still while you're able to recognize Galar while you could would be the wisest choice; stray far enough, and the world around you will fade, shift, and turn, until you find yourself not outdoors anymore, but in a dingy, suffocating hallway filled with cracks and little to no light-

and, soon enough, you will realize that you are not alone.

To the most fortunate (or unlucky, depending on the perspective), the sight of the missing people was there for them to see; lined up for their next battles and subsequent executions. Days of being trapped, fought, beaten up, and isolated in pain did a number on their psyches, and that is without mentioning the existing effects that have already engulfed Galar; plunging them into insanity.

By the braver and most informed few, most of the missing people have currently been accounted for- most, had it not been for the unfortunate casualties resulting from...all that has been unfolding around them, whether they were still yet to be found, were done in by beasts swarming through these twisting tunnels, condemned by whatever's waiting for them at the center of this cursed maze, or...just couldn't take it anymore, is still up in the air. Those whose statuses have not yet been confirmed included the younger brother of the former champion himself- who, quite possibly, may have been one of the earliest victims, if the timeline was to serve them right-

Oh, but if only they knew better- that the bright-eyed, enthusiastic Hop was right back to where it all started; watching the competition from atop the stage, waiting for the next match to begin. The empty husk that was once "Hop" was silent; slumped to the back to his seat with his dull, milky eyes staring into the distance, as the crowds roared once the hero and his new challenger entered the fray.

Yes...yes! Cheer for him! ONLY HIM!

Shaking from the cold and the tension of her surroundings, Gloria's attention darted from the armored monstrosity to her unconscious rival amongst the masses. His colors all but completely desaturated- it was nothing short of a miracle seeing his body still somewhat intact, though his sunken face and sloughing skin - some even falling as soon as she grabbed on to him; revealing pale bone -...without thinking, the armored girl screamed.

Contrasting Gloria's priority shifting from grabbing on to Hop's corpse and make a break for it to taking down that thing who must have caused it, Leon was...silent. His heart sank as he fell on his knees- his eyes shook as he fixated on the monster before them. His blood ran ice cold; it was so hard to breathe without sobbing...

Gloria and the gym leaders who have finally located the arena - those who have and haven't contracted - deemed that being a monster- Hop's God damned murderer, but Leon knew better.

The gold hues that were pooling from what's assumed to be the monster's eyes were unmistakable.

His own little brother was right before him, waiting to fight him in the middle of this arena-

Just like how he had promised- like how he had always wished for...

-The Witch's Nature-

Ah, the most unpredictable section of this post- the one where yours truly is expected to agonize and sob over all the options before me. Character complexities are complex! Multiple reasons behind despair! Oh, how is your truly ever going to choose the perfect nature for a warlock that would not only encompass the magi's goals and history with only a few words, but one that would also feel fitting for a spooky being like a witch?!

Welp- once more, I have thank Blue for their brilliant input once more! They've decided that his nature would be Admiration, and, honestly, it's genius! It not only fits his overall character, goals, and what caused his sanity to go downhill with the brakes cut off, but it has the right amount of dissonance that the witches of PMMM are known for! Again, this has been your reminder to support them- c'mon, chop chop, that's an order.

Of course, nothing wrong with mentioning all the other, though scrapped, natures. Again, you're all free to reinterpret the warlock to your hearts' content, and if you do have any other suggestion that would fit, please let me know! I not only want to understand Hop's character better, but I do wish to improve my character-deciphering and writing skills. Once more, I encourage all sorts of fair criticism heading my way, and, with all that being said, here's the losers' club:

Reflective

Smitten

Idolizing/Idolization

Competitive (decided that this one might fit Nemona better if I ever got into ScaVio and made a witch for her. Later. Inshallah.)

Self-abandonment (look at the above, but with Bede instead)

Self-immolation

Guilty

To yearn/Yearning (again, Nemona)

-The Witch's Appearance-

"It's not enough! I've got to try harder! And harder and harder till no one's laughing!"

Alright, first thing's first, before we dive into ANYTHING, we need to touch upon Hop's self-image and how it transforms through the course of the game. From the beginning, he is just so confident in his abilities and goals; it wasn't just a desire, it's a goal- he will beat Leon! He will become champion! One day, he's going to be on that stage; he WILL fight Leon, and he WILL beat him- just we wait!

And 'wait' we didn't.

For all his talk about creating his own legend, of taking up the mantle, we have done nothing but drag his face through the dirt without failure.

The more we beat that poor fella up, the more...desperate he became, and it gets cranked up to 11 once Bede humiliated him; calling him a waste of space, and that all he is doing is tainting his brother's legacy by trying, so it would be best for all parties involved he should just stop that. If he just stopped trying at all. If he just gave up at once. He still tries to maintain the spirit of friendly competition between the main character and himself, but the constant humiliation has been getting to him, and the talons that are digging in to his mind are sharp.

It is then that we finally realize that the once-confident trainer who initially accompanied us is no more. This hatred towards himself only grew with time, and, even when he had reintegrated Wooloo/Dubwool into his team, his self-worth was still nigh-non existent; he dared not accompany us during even the post-game story, believing that he would just be slowing us all down, and how we would fare and be better without someone like him around.

In Hop's eyes, he was a burden; a waste of space, and, no matter how much he tried to fight it, those words would persistently repeat in his mind. His constant defeats didn't help, either, whether it was by our or any other trainer's hands-

Hell, it can be argued that Hop's earlier confidence and passion were nothing but "fronts"; he had always cheered Leon on and idealized (dare I say even worshiped) him to no end, but, aside from the promise that he would, one day, defeat his brother and become a champion, what other positive things did he say about himself? What other dreams did he hold? He owed so much of his own knowledge about Pokemon battles to Leon, after all. This can be seen in the third episode of Pokemon: Twilight Wings, if we choose to interpret Wooloo's actions as reflective of Hop's- trying to be something it is not, and, ultimately, causing it to stray far from "home".

He wanted to be the hero of his own story. That's all he wished for. Instead, we've shoved him into the sidelines- face first on the dirt, without even realizing our strengths.

History repeats once more- the tale of Leon and Sonia all over again.

The image of a knight, a warrior, a hero is definitely a strong base to start it all off. The ideal knight in shining armor, he who stands up for everything right- the unbeatable champion of the people. Not just a person to look up to, but a symbol- that's all he wanted to become; just like how he saw his brother.

When he realized that his current tactics didn't work, everything had to go out the window. We aren't saying this lightly- everything. His plans, his . He had to change everything about himself- until he realized that the problem weren't his teams or his plans...it was him. It has always been his fault- he was just weak, nothing more than a pathetic worm.

The armor is scraping every fiber of his being. No matter what, he still cannot attain the strength and glory of a champion- so he has to keep doing this; break and melt himself. It isn't right, it hurts, but he deserves that pain- he deserves the agony and so much worse for the sin of his existence.

But it's not enough. It's not enough, and it will never be enough. Flaming hot, red daggers will forever pierce through his flesh and skin; melting and reshaping him not necessarily just to fit his desired goal, but as punishment.

It doesn't matter, though. It doesn't change his sheer, fucking incompetence. He'd bash himself against the wall, turn his knuckles bloody, and have his howls of torment be drowned out by his observers' whispers and harsh judgements, but it doesn't change the fact that he deserved every second of it. He had to keep molding himself, he had to suffer, he had to pay for being such a pest to everyone's lives and for being so weak...

No matter how much he tried, it doesn't change the truth that he is no damn hero; he is here as a prisoner, present to repent for his crimes of his pathetic existence...

Oh, yeah. Futility is not just a present theme, but we are running to the HILLS with it.

Next up, we look at his actions- the "spice" and depth this brings to his warlock's design.

Let's retrace our steps a bit and look at Hop's character before and after the main story; as soon as we boot up the game for the first time, there we see Hop being so excited over his brother finally coming home- he was practically shaking and jumping by the news of it alone! He just couldn't wait to see him again, much less what he must have brought back with him- and, when he laid his eyes on the starters and chose his, he was over the moon and the sun; this was the beginning of his legacy! Ah, even his own mother said that he had to learn some patience.

Compare and contrast to his attitude in postgame- he's a lot more mellowed out, but that can be better described as him finally being burnt out. He had nowhere to go, no goal to attain, and not a single strength to his name. Bede and Marnie are training to become gym leaders, Leon's the new chairman of the Galar league, Sonia is on the way to become the new regional professor, but Hop? There was nothing left for him. There isn't anything he was able to do that others could do even better- all that was left for him was to rot in the fields, forgotten and cast away like the object of shame he was.

"I don't know how much I can really help... If I come along, I might just end up slowing the rest of you down..."

I've already established how the warlock might be imprisoned in a sense; all to symbolize how he must have felt during his downfall and the lengths he went through in order to become someone worthy of becoming champion- of sharing his brother's legacy, but we should also take how he first started off into account. We already have the pain, but where is the tragedy in it all? The downfall of his confidence? The fall of Hop, the once bright-eyed, confident, and proud young man? How could we symbolize the face that we have flicked his passion and convictions away with the push of our buttons?

Passion...glory...destruction...hotheadedness...Lee...Charizard...

"Fire- and lots of it!"

Yeah, this should not come off as a surprise - given how I have already mentioned it dozens of times already -, but, hey, if Ophelia has a lot of flames in her design to symbolize the tragic end of her family and her own hotheadedness, then I can't see why the same cannot be applicable to our uncrowned prince of Galar. Truth be told, I think the fire is burning at him to this day; as I already mentioned, he is in a constant state of melting down and reshaping himself to no end to fit an ideal that is so far away from him, and what better way to do so than by forcing himself to endure these flames to no end- not just to burn away all his mistakes, but to subject himself to what rage and disappointment he believes Leon must be feeling? You cannot ask for a more fitting punishment, no? Quite ironic as well, if you'd ask me.

Plus, as a warlock, he wants the people to cheer for him- only him! What better way is there to grab their attention and love than by becoming the brightest thing on the battlefield?! Yes, it's all worth it in the end, hearing the people of Galar scream just for him alone- oh, he couldn't be happier! That is all he desires! If we thought Oktavia craved attention, think again.

Speaking of lengths he went through to become someone he is not, let's talk about him changing his teams; this is his point of transformation as a character, where the cracks in his confidence begin to grow alongside his desperation. At this stage, Hop was willing to make any sacrifice necessary to meet that goal of his- if he fails, not only were his dreams on the line, but so was Leon's reputation. The only constant between these teams is the starter Leon gave him- with teary eyes and a regretful heart, he had damned the experiences and memories he shared with the 'mons he caught along the way, for all that mattered at that moment, all that was worth keeping, was the one thing that held any sort of direct connection to his future glory; the very gift his brother gave him. It should be worth it though, right? He's only becoming better, becoming stronger, becoming the best trainer he could be-

Isn't that right, Wooloo?

Oh, man, wooloo. What kind of Hop-centric design would this be if I didn't incorporate this cute little sheep in some form or another? If not the sheer GUILT he must be feeling? Since I already covered how the warlock would be forever unsatisfied with his form, let us talk about the promise he made with Wooloo, and how him breaking it must be haunting him. Just up and abandoning them, his lifelong partner pokemon must hate him for such a cowardly decision- it should hate him; he had backed out of such an important vow between them, and implied that it was their fault that he was unable to reach his goals. Ultimately, it is his guilt and self-hatred that got him here; whenever he wasn't melting down and reforging himself, he was always fighting for the audience's attention- a whole herd of sheep who constantly demand a spectacular show. It felt right for his first partner pokemon to judge him, after all- he must be condemned for his disloyalty...

Building upon the last point- since Wooloo, his very first pokemon, was also removed from the team, this would translate beautifully into him removing parts of himself to fit that perfect mold, and what better way than to add in sheep elements to his design? The warlock having hooves as dark as obsidian for feet? Broken horns that might be mistaken for parts of his armor? Heck, even the gnarly skeletal system resulting from us combining that of a human's and a sheep's? While I am not too sure about what exactly is going on underneath his helmet, I will just assume that at least its base form resembles a mutilated black sheep's face, because of, well, Hop seeing himself as the black sheep of the family. Combined with his halberd, which I am certain would carry on from his last form to this one, this would bring the idea of a twisted sheep herder of sorts, on top of the existing themes of sacrifice that are already associated with cattle in multiple religions.

Of course, we can't go wrong with referencing him copying Leon's tactics in battle and said worship! This, too, will be a source of pain to his warlock; not only does his armor resemble draconic scales (again, Charizard), but the base of his helmet would bear the shape of Leon's beard. This also ties in to the above point of him trying to reshape his form to that of the champion's in order to achieve prestige and victory by following in his hero's footsteps, but its ultimate purpose in the end is the further erasure his form and himself; all that made Hop 'Hop'. He is constantly slicing away at his being just to fit that mold....

Yes, he also gets to keep the cape; much like his halberd, I can't see why this element of his magical boy form would not get carried over here, as it also assists with establishing the theme and desire to be like a big shot like his brother. Its red coloring would also be of nice contrast to the ashen grey or deep darkness of his armor, although it is tattered and not as magnificent as it used to be in his eyes. The armor already boosts the idea of a hero, but, combined with all of the elements from above and Hop himself going down the slippery slope, this monster right here invokes the idea of a fallen hero; bright-eyed protagonists who have become jaded over the course of their journeys or have decided to outright give up on their ideals and goals- some even opting to join the opposing side of the narrative outright.

I should also mention his inability to look at Leon in the face and how he didn't want negative attention to be drawn towards him in spite of Hop's desire to face off against his brother- some eye trauma, maybe? Would the mementos of Leon in his barrier bring him pain? Or...would the warlock be unable to see past the "glory" of the champion and his dreams? How his mistakes are blinding him? Maybe what he saw was so bright, so brilliant, that it blinded him to everything else; turning his eyes into burning pools of blood resembling molten steel?

Now, we calculate his karmic potential, his emotional volatility, and how they contribute to his warlock's strength.

While I was first working on this post, I thought that maybe he would have cracked after he had lost against the gym leader of Circhester Stadium - Melony -; after all, he must have been devastated, with all these eyes watching him as his final pokemon fell, but then I remembered two key details-

His self-esteem did not get any better by the end of the game's main storyline. In fact, it was at its lowest during postgame- and he even brought a comically large shovel to dig wayyyyy deeper, courtesy of Sordward and Shielbert!

His karmic potential not only stems from him being the champion's little brother, but his role in stopping the second Darkest Day.

So, in a way, that loss would be considered to be more of a catalyst for his despair rather than the straw that broke the camel's back, not unlike Sayaka learning the truth behind the soul gems or Hitomi's confession to Kyosuke. He may have brought Dubwool back to his party, he may have appeared okay-ish after we've defeated him in the semi-finals, he may have helped us save the day, but his internal conflict didn't dissolve just like that- you cannot erase all these years of constant comparisons, long-standing dreams, horrible impostor syndrome, and such an inferiority complex just like that with the snap of one's fingers.

Truth be told, he was supposed to finally give in after said semi-finals, but, out of urgency, he held on just for a little while- for just enough time to assist us with finding Leon and stopping Rose's plans. Now that everything was said and done - now that everything was laid to rest -, the eyes just wouldn't stop staring at him, the whispers didn't cease, and Hop...he was tired- he was oh so tired. Falling on his shaky legs and the harsh thoughts in his heads still not slowing down, Hop had finally closed his eyes and gave out his final farewell...

Also, Sordward and Shielbert will die by my hands for making his self esteem go further down the toilet in postgame, I swear to Allah-

From all that, we can see that not only are legends, prophecies, and destinies HUGE themes for when it comes to the design of his barrier, but that his warlock is gonna be powerful. Now, I don't wanna be redundant by saying that he, too, would be as tough as Walpurgisnacht (we've already done that with Medic, though, after thinking about it, he'd be more comparable to Hyades Daybreak), but saving an entire region is, putting it lightly, a huge feat, and that's without us touching upon his supposed connection with the legendary pokemon, one of Galar's heroes of myth, Zacian. In between being tied to almost a hundred destinies (Madoka) and saving the entirety of France (Tart), putting an end to the apocalypse - The Darkest Day - has got to be up there.

I know this sounds like a sort of repetition on my end, but remember what Homura said back during episode 9; "from here on, for every person (one) has saved, (they) will curse another". So, while Medic got his powers thanks of a combination of his own karma and how he had fused 8 other souls into him, Hop's karma was all his. In short, by this logic, Galar is beyond fucked.

Oh, and, y'know, the whole deal with him being the champion's little brother and Gloria's childhood friend. With all that in mind, bro's warlock is not just stupidly powerful, but outright broken. Not at Ultimate!Kriemhild levels, but that's still not good news in of itself, isn't it?

In the end, whether he had completely given up after he had lost to Melony or during some time between the events of the main story and postgame is up to you and your interpretation of Hop as a character. For the sake of this segment alone, I will just go with the idea that, if he despairs before the climax of the main story, his warlock would be a formidable foe, but not yet a world-ending threat like either Walpurgisnacht or Crépuscule de La Reine.

For comparison's sake (and to paint a clearer picture), I'd say that he could be as powerful as Gisela, if not moreso. From the PSP games, we can see how resilient and tough that witch is - so much so that she is tied to both Mami's and Kyoko's backstories -, so surpassing her strength is still a commendable feat. Much like his depiction in the section above, the warlock would still be capable of cursing many stadiums at once and cause such intense panic in order to take the league challenge down with him by making the contestants to go completely berserk, and, if he so wishes, he could render an entire village into ash.

However, if you guys wouldn't mind, I'll still be running with the idea that, thanks to the player, Bede, Sordward, Shieldbert, his family, and Galar's corrupted celebrity culture, the entire region has yet another apocalyptic event to go through, and only Arceus could save them now- basically what happens during the above despair segment. Good job, everyone! Enjoy listening to Grass Skirt Chase while ya could! /j

Now that we got the basic picture of the warlock down, let's cut to the chase and dive in to his barrier. I've had a lot of fun with this one, so buckle up!

As I already mentioned in my previous Medic post, a witch's labyrinth is stated to be the "mental landscape of the magi before they turned into a witch". From analyzing the barriers of the Holy Quintet and the other existing witches from the original anime, I've already deduced that they must be tied to either core memories, coping mechanisms, or desires-

HOWEVER,

A more simplistic take on all that would be "a place that rubs salt on the magi's/witch's wounds"; makes more sense, no? Candeloro is forever alone in her little tea party, Charlotte is in a silent conversation with another doll- unable to speak about what's on her mind, and, for goodness' sake, Ophelia's barrier is underwater. It is just logical to see that a labyrinth is designed to keep the witch miserable; specifically made to remind them of their own shortcomings, mistakes, broken hopes and dreams, and all that they've lost by the act of contracting with an uncaring trickster like Kyubey.

Unsurprisingly, with this idea in mind, I think the barrier would be a twisted version of a stadium, lit up by raging fire. The audience is present; their eyes ever-staring at you as their yells echo throughout the arena. You just know that your actions and failures will be recorded for future generations to see, mock, and spit at- after all, you are now trapped in a legend that is yet to be completed! Yes, even the style of your surroundings looks like it could fit right in an old storybook or any of the murals present across the region. Not too far away from this labyrinth's center, you are able to find multiple cages housing the victims he had captured; fighters worthy enough for him to test his skills on or put on a spectacle for all the audience to see.

In the middle of the battlefield, in the shadow of a large statue behind him, lies the warlock; broken, battered, burnt, and practically melting, but his duty remains clear as daylight- bound to his punishment and his own selfish desires, it has become his goal to defeat you before the audience. It is his destiny to be bound to this stage, having to pay for the sin of his existence.

The trinkets of Leon - or a silhouette that resembles him - that surrounded him in his own house are also present; after all, they are tied to his motivation, admiration towards Lee, and his wish to become champion. Even until now, the warlock and his familiars take good care of them, though he despises the reflection cast by them.

I should also make a quiiiiiiick note Pokemon Masters EX; you see, upon activating a character's sync move, they are displayed in front of locations present in the canon of Pokemon known as their "mindscapes", and, fellas, upon finding out that said places are significant to each person's story and life one way or another, I've realized that I have stumbled upon a hail Mary for PMMM/Pokemon crossover fanatics out there, myself included. Of course, I wouldn't recommend using these mindscapes alone as a sort of easy way to make barriers, but they do act as nifty, optional blueprints or spices to make those labyrinths look more colorful or representative of these characters.

When it comes to Hop, his mindscape, unsurprisingly, depicts Postwick Town. The location doesn't change when he becomes a Neo Champion, with the only alterations made to the artwork is that it is now nighttime and the presence of small flickers of flames dancing around; burning as brightly as the stars above - one more point towards fire being a persistent theme here -. Perhaps if you've gained enough of an upper hand and luck in battle to grant you some time to look at the ground, you can see that there's specks of white paint that faded away with time; the surface still resembling that of a soccer field's to this day, not unlike the one in his backyard.

To reflect his mental state and emotions of worthlessness and futility prior to him crossing over the point of no return, well, here's where the fun and pain come in-

The halls of the labyrinth are...suffocating; as soon as you enter, you realize that the area is only wide enough for a single person to traverse through. It's so dark, too; only the oil lamps and unmaintained lanterns present provide any form of luminescence, and even then, you have to be careful; one small misstep, and it is you who will be up in flames.

You also get the sinking feeling that you are being watched through the cracks and holes of suffocating halls; a feeling exemplified by the sounds of rain and howling winds just outside. The oil lamps do nothing to alleviate the bone-biting cold around you- the warmth provided is minimal at best. Not too far away, peculiarly enough, you can hear what must sound like...a radio; the details of what is being said is unclear, but the language is actually understandable if you happen to know Arabic. Through static and compressed sounds, you can hear that the voice on the radio is...reciting a nasheed; one chanting about the light of honor, victory, and divine heroism in the face of adversity, with determination being a repeated theme peppered in. No matter which hallway you turn towards, you cannot seem to get any closer to the source of the sound.

As you make your way to the center of the barrier, in spite of the lack of windows present, you decide to be a little brave and take a peak through the torn cloth or any of the cracks on the wall; you find that not only are you not at all far away from the hallway you've already visited, but that you appear to be going down a spiral- but this can't be possible! It is like you've done nothing but repeating the same steps over and over, only for your determination and desires to bring you down...

The winds have gotten louder - clashing with the noise present in the halls -, and your legs feel so tired...

You cannot take it anymore. You finally deduce that, if you want to face off against the warlock right then and there, then you better take a nosedive; break through the halls and descend further and further until you reach the arena, and face off against a furious gladiator- angered and heartbroken by the prospect of you destroying these mementos. How could you?! Such an act is beyond heinous in his eyes! You are no honorable opponent like the rest of them- nay, he is here to strike you down, to restore and clear the champion's name...

To rub salt on his wound a little more, let's add in more references to the people who affected Hop's life- those who have sent him down a spiral, whether consciously or not.

At the end of some of these hallways, you can find shrines that are clearly meant for worship; moreso than the memorabilia that are already present. A large statue rests in the middle of it, surrounded by worn pictures depicting a silhouette of a man and damaged, worn-out books and scrolls. The scent of smoke is present, alongside ashes on the ground; the warlock or one of his familiars must have been near the shrine not too long ago.

Some parts of the halls, namely what items made of organic material like cloth, are clearly damaged- whether caused by burns, cuts, or, most strangely of all, moths. The bothersome nature of these little creatures not only represent Bede tearing apart at his self-worth, but also his reliance on Chairman Rose- such a depiction may symbolize his actions and words' effects on Hop's self-image and life, but it also acts as a subconscious, final "fuck you" to white-haired youth; at the end of the day, Bede is just an unwanted, insignificant insect who gravitates towards any source of light while causing great disaster to others, even at the detriment of his own life.

...but...isn't that what you have cursed yourself into, Hop? Having to prove yourself to someone who is so far away for all eternity? To mimic them? All for a part of their attention and approval- much less a sliver?

They have both locked themselves in a cycle of attempting to appease to someone in their lives at the detriment of their own health...

Upon his defeat, once the crowd cheers at his defeat, the walls will crumble, and the debris will crush and pierce the warlock - whether he was still alive or dead by then - as you finally get a look at the outside world... Rolling hills that span for miles greet your vision as the grey, rainy skies conceal the afternoon sunlight- but it still is brighter than the suffocating arena and its connected halls. Not too far away, you are able to spot a windmill, still going on for what seems like several vicious years, if its poor state was any sign. Ah, if not for the chaos around you, the flickering silhouettes of round sheep in the distance and the smell of grass and rain really makes it feel like you're right back home...back in Postwick...

To end all this on a high note, let's touch upon his witch's kiss/warlock's whisper/evil cutie mark. Thankfully, I got it as soon as I could; one of those old emblems that acted as tickets to a gladiator match depicting a simplified sheep's head! To add some freakiness, the sheep face is stripped to the bone on one half, and glaring right at the person looking at it on the other. A circle of hop flowers surround the disfigured head, and the emblem itself appears to be half-melting.

-Witch Card-

Sayf Al-Muharib. The Gladiator warlock, whose nature is admiration. The light of an old hero's glory - eternally out of his reach - had caused his sight to turn into searing, painful ichor; blinding him to all but his own failures and shortcomings. As penance for the sin of his existence and weakness, the warlock is in a constant state of breaking down, melting, and reforging himself whilst in preparation for his next battle in the hopes of searing away all the flaws in him - all that lead him to his incriminating mistakes - and achieve a perfect form. He is unable to recognize the being beneath his armor anymore, nor could he remember the vision he had prior to his entrancement.

The cries and cheers of his familiars herald another chance for the warlock to prove himself and absolve the legacy of his hero once and for all- but, no matter what, the crowd is never satisfied, and neither will he ever feel proud of himself for the victory. He will never be an inch closer to the light of legend he craves so badly. To emerge from the battlefield victorious, one must not lose sight of their promise in the midst of battle.

(His name is inspired by Sayf bin Omar/سيف بن عمر, a Muslim historian and compiler. It should also be of note that the reliability of Sayf's ahadeeth have been a point of controversy to this day. When translated, the warlock's full name means "The warrior's sword".)

(The fact that his first name literally means "sword" bears two meanings depending on the protagonist- if it's Gloria, then it reflects how he tags along with and respects her though he is seen as incomplete without her presence in the eyes of the rest; while if it's Victor, then it's the clash between their friendly rivalry and his growing respect towards him. Either way, it also symbolizes how the MC stole his spotlight and destiny, and how they broke him and his dream apart throughout their journey.)

(Also, Homura fits the criteria needed to defeat him, let's GOOOOOOO-)

-Familiars-

Batel (plural form: Abatil). The gladiator warlock's minion, whose duty is preservation. A scholar at heart, the warlock analyzes the actions of the hero of legend to learn from them for future endeavors. Prioritizing the opulence and safety of these treasures, these small followers of his are on constant lookout for anything that would posses a danger to these sacred masterpieces while archiving the feats of the champion for future re-readings.

Unfortunately, their master despises the reflection cast on the memorabilia; forever reminding him of what he will never become. He will hang his head down in their presence out of both respect and shame, lest the sight of the failure he had become shatter what was left of his original heart once more.

(Symbolizing Hop's knowledge of battling in general; jokes about type advantages aside, he was always analyzing Lee's battles and was eager to use his knowledge during battles. It's also one of the key reasons as to why he chose to become a professor in the end.)

(Yes, the warlock himself also does his job at chronicling the feats of Leon - even going as far as to imitate them to this day -, but not only are the Batels there to assist him (I mean, they are his familiars), but they also sort of symbolize how...exaggerated Leon's achievements can get, especially in the eyes of others- including Hop's.)

(Its name is a play on words in Arabic; "Batal/بطل" means "Hero", but "Batil/باطل" can either mean "of no good use" or "useless". Leon was the hero, his hero, his ideal- Hop, on the other hand, was just dead weight to him.)

(Another note to add is that Hop's uniform number is 189, which, when read in Japanese, can mean "Hiyaku"; leaping. While the warlock himself would be struggling to walk with these hooves of his and his mutilated form melting and meshing with the armor, I can also see that the Abatil's only way of moving around is through leaping, since they would probably have only one leg to stand on. Ah, I love the smell of symbolism in the morning.)

-

Al-Daja (plural form: Al-Dajij). The gladiator warlock's minion, whose duty is to uphold competition. Ever-so excited for the upcoming battle, the crowd will explode into applauds whenever a new victim enters the stadium and comes face-to-face with their master. Their never-ceasing cheers always demand for more, and, not wanting their wide, unblinking eyes to stare at all his faults and mistakes, the warlock complies.

The warlock will try and not show a sign of degradation to his opponent- he'll hold out until they sing songs of his glory and his story gets passed down from generation to generation. However, these minions will often times become so entranced with the relics and spectacle that they would forget the identity of their master altogether, and even start cheering for the new challenger once the warlock is thrown into a corner.

(Based on Hop's personal drive - to become as glorious and powerful as the unbeatable champion himself -, how the losses have been affecting him, and him not wanting what negative attention he garnered along the way to affect Leon directly. The audience can be quite the chatterboxes; all it takes is one small piece of gossip for everything to go out of control. Its name, ألضجة, means "The Noise".)

(They also symbolize how everyone else already act around him all thanks to his brother's legacy- looking down on him for every little mistake he makes, while each victory earns him another comparison to Leon. He doesn't want to disappoint them- not the crowds, not his friends, not his family, and not himself, so he carries on with his useless endeavor; constantly chasing after a dream that is so far from his reach. The fact that this familiar is prone to forgetting who they are serving exactly is indicative of Hop forgetting himself.)

-Inspirations-

In-canon:

Sacrificing aspects of himself just to come close to that aforementioned ideal; going as far as to remove his lifelong friend, Wooloo, from his team

Trophies and other memorabilia of his brother being found in their home- almost no mementos of Hop being found there

Corviknight, one of the 'mons he gigantamaxes upon the release of the DLCs (the other is his starter pokemon, which I will assume is Scorbunny)

The fact that he is evidently Arab/Muslim-coded, especially in the French translation of the games where his name is Nabil (fun fact, Raihan is also an already-Arab name)

The third episode of Pokemon: Twilight Wings

Dubwool being able to learn a fuck ton of self-destructive moves

The statue of the Hero of Galar in Wyndon (Motostoke in the anime)

Outside Influences:

The Sealed Vessel from Hollow Knight and their theme; actually, wanna bet that he is trapped in a similar manner as they were if we were to assume that his power is equal to Isabeau's? That he has been gathering power from the mass hysteria resulting from his influence over the stadiums?

How sheep, lambs, and goats are associated with sacrifice, slaughter, deceit, and rituals (to tie the aforementioned wooloo/dubwool and self-abandonment points mentioned earlier)

The golden calf

The fact that some gladiators were prisoners and had to fight and put on a spectacle in order to regain their freedom

nana825763's "My house walk-through"

That one segment from Valle Verde part 2 which starts at around the 3:58 mark

The Devil Within by Digital Daggers (not my dumb ass imagining an animatic in which Bede is this warlock's first victim)

Cause of my Death by Itoki Hana

Dolus Vel Pedica, Area Strigae, and Delusio Summa from the Madoka Magica PSP game

The concept of living armor, but with added body horror

-Closing Statements-

Phew! Well, thank GOD this didn't take as much time as Medic's warlock did! (unless if we count my sick days- then yeah, it took just as much) To say that this was a WILD ride would be the understatement of the century!

I wanted to nail the vibe the witches had before we, as the audience, learned the truth about their origins - that he must have been born out of competition and the impostor syndrome that comes with such high-stakes contests -, and the idea that he, Sayf, was vengeful not just towards the leagues and the people who had beaten Hop while he was down, but also towards himself. I am unsure of whether or not I've completely succeeded on that front, but, if you guys have better ideas and/or criticisms, please do let me know! I aim to improve my writing in general and my abilities to break down character motivations and symbolize their actions in more abstract manners.

Being Bede is suffering; his ass is getting haunted on one hand, and Leon is able to smell his fear from a mile away on the other. He's not fucking winning this, lads :'3

...With all that being said, there is one shred of information that I've been withholding until now- the final piece of the puzzle that, once we step back, paints a rather grim image of what would occur if we were to combine the worlds of Pokemon SWSH and PMMM...

Outside the league challenge, the story of SWSH tackles the eldritch origins of Dynamax/Gigantamax; that the very vessels that allowed the people of Galar to utilize it must come from the remains of the invading Pokemon, Eternatus. Its initial awakening from its 17,000 year slumber heralded the event known as the Darkest Day; in which it had absorbed so much of Galar's energy that it caused its form to change and a dark storm to envelope the region, causing the pokemon to dynamax/gigantamax and go berserk. With the emergence of said storm come what is now known as "Galar Particles"; other sources of energy that, after the defeat of this threat, were utilized by humans for generations to come; rebuilding Galar from the ground up to the region we know today.

Now, a theme that both medias apparently share here from this fact alone is "energy". In a sense, you could say that Eternatus itself acts very much like a living grief seed; absorbing "impurities" in order for its true form to "hatch" and release boundless amounts of concentrated energy that can be used in a useful manner later down the line.

So....what gives? Why is Eternatus such a key element to this concept if the focus of this post is Hop? What does that creature beyond out comprehension have to do with the one we currently have in our hands right now?

See, not only does Hop's karmic potential stem from his destiny to stop the second Darkest Day alongside the main character, but his brother was also tasked by Chairman Rose with capturing the beast and delivering it to him; this was planned out in order to solve Galar's energy crisis that was going to unfold in the next several years or so, and, though it was a hard decision, the Chairman believed that now was a better time than never. The future of Galar, in his eyes, relied on him...

Obviously, Rose's entire plan fell flat on its face, so it was up to us, our bestie, and a very gud boi an' gorl (Pokedex entries confirm Zacian is Zamazenta's older sister) to save an entire region's ass from a wicked, unfathomable threat once more, but what if things went a little differently in this timeline? Obviously, one of the heroes who was supposed to assist/had assisted Gloria fell into despair and became the next world-ending threat she's going to have to put down, but what if this wasn't the only deviation from the norm here?

After all, Rose wasn't the only one who had sought out the means to prevent and remedy a sort of entropy issue at any cost necessary...

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @kaylinalexanderbooks!

Wip Questionnaire

Rules: answer as few or as many as you'd like!

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

For Honor's Outcasts, it was the Trench. There was this game I played a lot while waiting for my sister to get out of cheer practice called Seashine, and I guess I just imagined what would happen if people were trapped down there and how they'd survive. That's where Izjik came from. When I decided she needed a friend, that's how I came up with Sepo. (If any of you want to play the Trench simulator, Seashine is free on mobile)

For Mortal God, the first thing I came up with was the villain, Vermir. I needed a villain for an arc in my dnd campaign, and I figured some crazy lich trying to encase her body in steel while experimenting on the local population was threatening enough. Mashal and Astra were created as a way to get my... less than clever party to her hidden layer. I liked them enough that I decided to write a book about their story.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Honor's Outcasts' intro would be War Pigs by Black Sabbath. I think the intro sequence would be a bunch of their battles stitched together chronologically, so you could see everyone's abilities change and grow. Maybe some short sequences from End's siege of the Watchtower mirroring that too.

Mortal God intro would be Night of the Living Ted by Hillbilly Moon Explosion. It's got a country sort of vibe and even though the lyrics don't match at all, I think it fits the chaos of the story.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

Good lord, that's a tough question. I like all my characters. If I had to choose though, I'd pick Izjik for Honor's Outcasts. She was the first one I made, and it's mostly her who drives the story forward. Also, her POV is just really fun to write.

Astra is my favorite from Mortal God, despite all the difficulties I've had with refining her character. She's just a lot of fun, and she's also a sort of plot catalyst like Izjik.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

I mean, any high fantasy books. I think Honor's Outcasts and the Lies of Locke Lamora would share fans because of the pirates and found family vibes, though Locke Lamora is a lot grittier and less magical.

Mortal God would have a place with the steampunk crowd. A lot of people also compare it to Star Trek? I've never seen Star Trek, so I don't know how accurate that is. In my own mind, I compare both series to Mistborn eras 1 and 2, in that they take place on the same planet, but the second series is some time in the future.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

The making of the Honor's Outcasts plot was an absolute roller coaster. Every book I wrote like it was the end of the series, only to go, wait no, this doesn't feel done.

With Mortal God, I had more trouble with the characters. I knew I wanted a romance, but I'd never written one before, so setting up that early chemistry between Astra and Mashal was rough. Also, riding that edge of making Ivander a likable jerk wasn't easy.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Uh, I don't really like to write pets. I always forget about them and my characters move around too much. Case in point, in Honor's Outcasts book 2, Sepo has a horse. When they teleport post haste to Unity, they leave poor Landhorse behind, and we never see her again. (She just ends up with their neighbors, don't worry)

Similarly, Astra has a cat named Mercher's Day. In book 2, she leaves him with her parents so he's not in danger when they travel north. The meta reason for this was because I knew she was going to have to leave her vardo behind at the end of the story and I didn't want to abandon poor Mercher in some icy city.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Transportation changes between the series due to the time jump. In Honor's Outcasts, the quartet's main mode of transport is by boat, at least until Twenari learns to teleport people. Even then, she can only do it once per day, and only with a physical piece of the place she intends to go, so they're still walking a lot.

In the time of Mortal God, trains have been invented and are a common mode of transportation for rich city folk like Ivander. Astra prefers her vardo. The DuClaire Extraordinaire is a steam-powered, steel crocodile-legged, self steering vardo wagon covered in bright paint and electric lights. It isn't fast, but it's her home and it can make it over almost any terrain. It's very much based on Baba Yaga's chicken house.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

The Honor's Outcasts series (still gotta come up with a real name for that) is written. I'm working on finding beta readers, saving up money for professional editing, and working up the courage to query.

Two books of Mortal God are written, with plans for a 3rd under way. I need to find readers for the first two and maybe a developmental editor before I finish the series.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

People eat found family up, so hopefully that'll mean they like Honor's Outcasts. There's so much found family in those books. Also, queer characters, no romance, and some spooky eldritch horror.

In Mortal God, I think the slow burn between Astra and Mashal will make the romance subplot people happy. There's also robots and I love robots, as well as some themes of classism and empire.

For both series, I think it's my worldbuilding that really shines. I read a lot of high fantasy with super detailed worlds and magic systems, so it's my hope that my books approach some of that.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I want to publish both of them. Not really for the money, but I just think it's the best way I can get my stories out there, you know? I long for the day when I'll be able to read fanfic someone wrote of my books.

I'll tag @mk-writes-stuff @somethingclevermahogony @nbwriteschaos @autism-purgatory @cssnder and anyone else who wants in :)

Blanks under the cut

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

[gealachros]

Thoughts while reading Trimax Volume 11 part 1

Here we go again

Omg I love her so much, I supports womens rights and womens wrongs 100%

Lol it really is major wiplash for everyone who knew Razlo to see Livio now

I love Trimax so much lol, the humor Nightow has is amazing

Wow thats really interesting, the plants are such an interesting concept. Also how it seems that Vash and Knives have some control over them

Oh shit the ships are here, man everythings really coming to an end soon. Somehow we still have 3 more volumes after this???

OMG Meryl!! Her reaction to the guard is so funny

And Milly!! Its been a minute since we've seen them, glad to see that theyre doing alright

I love seeing the redraw of the Nebraska family fight, its great reflecting on everything thats happened

Oh interesting he used his power to get rid of the gun? That wouldve made his life a lot easier earlier in the series if he could do that before lol

AWWW I love seeing them reunited, they all need some therapy after everything they've been through

OH INTERESTING, thats how they're gonna talk to the fleet? Thats pretty cool

Oh I see, any radio can hear it. That makes sense but that means Knives will definitely find out soon

WHAT THE HELL, thats so sick but also shit Knives is gonna find them immediately

Yeah I can see why hes avoiding that topic

Aw shit...

Yeah I think she can guess what happened... Wolfwoods deaths still hits so hard

Oh my god lol, man what a roller coaster Trimax is

Aww Vash collected figures

Oh interesting, theyre just normal coins but they have a part to play

Lol Brads great, he is pretty responsible and mature but hes just as dorky as everyone else is his own way

Marlons a real one, he has great advice

Omg Vash is so cute

WTF did a nuke just go off???? Also Zazie is in two pieces??

Oh wow, so this is how Zazie is trying to attack Knives. Thats crazy, Legato is using a ton of strings he made out of the coffin to puppet himself with his powers. Nightows creativity is insane

Thats relateable as hell lol, I like how my hair is but it is annoying when it keeps getting in my face. Especially on a windy day

WHAT???? HELLO???? Thanks for giving the coin I guess??? Who are you???

Oh they are a plant! I wonder if that means that the humans with the ships are more closely connected with plants

My reaction exactly lol, that makes more sense now, Zazie controlled this person. Also I love how the panels get smaller as they run away. Also also, they have all the coins now... hmmmm

LOL Livios reaction is great

Of course Legato is the kind of person to make it just a invitation to a fight, never beating the edgy teen allegations

Oh my fucking god, this made me laugh so hard

Aww this is really sweet

And now back to death and destruction

Oh theres the bag, makes me a bit nostalgic. It really doesnt have much plot relevance but its such a fun detail

Fuck I need more space for images, time to make a part 2!

Also very glad that theres a lot more fun jokes and good times in this one after the overwhelming despair and trauma the last volume gave me. Still love Trimax nonetheless

[jiwonnieee]

"HOW DID YOU GET IT ON THE FIRST TRY?!"

LizRei oneshot ft. IVE members

warnings: none! all fluff :))

a/n: if there's some sentences that don't make sense, please do tell me. this is actually my first time writing a oneshot 😭 I'm just posting this because I was bored and all that yk?

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

Today, members of IVE were visiting a theme park! They were running around having fun with the many rides, food stalls, souvenir shops and whatnot.

Right now all 6 members were riding one of the fun roller coasters the park provided. Gaeul and Yujin sat at the front, Leeseo and Wonyoung and finally at the back were Rei and Liz.

The members were having fun and screaming with the adrenaline they'd gotten from the speed of the ride. And poor Rei, who sat beside Liz, was sure she almost went deaf from how high pitched Liz's screams of terror and excitement were.

Despite that, Rei was still having fun nonetheless. She was holding Liz's hand the whole time, their fingers intertwined together. Rei was laughing every time Liz made the weird noises she always makes, but she herself was also screaming from how scary the ride was.

After the ride, they all got off, panting and breathing heavily. Two members even coughed from how sore their throats were after screaming so much (It was Liz and Yujin).

"*chuckles* Liz unnie, your hair looks so crazy!" Leeseo tells Liz while she was chuckling. Rei looks at Liz with a soft smile on her face and fixes her hair for her.

"Yah! You should look at yourself." Liz fights back, pointing at the maknae's messy hair then fixing it. Leeseo giggles softly as she thanks the second youngest of the group with a smile.

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

To spend the rest of their time at the theme park, they all decided to go to the arcade. Their eyes all sparkled when they saw the cute plushies and figurines in the machine, waiting to be captured and taken home.

They all immediately went to the claw machine with sanrio plushies, meanwhile leeseo was left alone at the claw machine with cute tiger plushies. After being left alone for a while, Gaeul and Wonyoung decide to join the youngest. Wonyoung holding a My Melody Plush that Yujin got for her.

Meanwhile Liz, Rei and Yujin were now at a different claw machine. Liz was trying so hard to get a chuck plushie for Rei.

"*laughs* Yah, Jiwon-ah. You'll be wasting your money if you keep playing over and over again." Yujin says, flashing her signature idiotic grin.

Liz ignores the comment, continuing to waste her coins away. "*groans* why is this so hard?!" Just then, the claw caught one of the plushies. "OH! OH!" But then it fell back, not going into the hole.

Rei and Yujin laugh at their friend's funny reaction to almost getting the plush.

"Jagiya. Here, let me do it instead." Rei takes over and starts to play the claw machine. She took her time, slowly calculating the position where the claw should be.

"Imagine if she got it on the first try." Yujin comments, a chuckle following behind.

And then, Rei got the plush that Liz tried so hard and so much that she wasted so much coins and money.

Yujin immediately laughed out loud, meanwhile Liz was shocked and just frozen in place.

"Yah! How come you got it on the first try?!" Liz says with a shocked and annoyed tone. She crossed her arms and pouted cutely.

"*giggles* I guess I'm just lucky. Now you don't need to waste coins to get this for me anymore." Rei smiles and holds the chick plushie close to her chest.

While Yujin wasn't looking, Rei leaned close to Liz's ears and whispered softly in it. "Thank you for wasting so many coins just for this. *giggles* you're so silly, I love you." Rei then kisses Liz softly on the cheek.

Liz was a blushing mess. She immediately covered her face and turned away. When Yujin turned around, she saw Liz's signature tomato face. "Why are you blushing? What happened?"

"Nothing." Rei replies back with her innocent smile.

"N-nothing.." Liz mumbles softly.

Yujin raises an eyebrow at them while tilting her head, but she doesn't pry into it.

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

a/n: the end! Did you like it? I hope you did. See you whenever I have time to post. :) I feel like the lizrei part was so short it didn't even count as a lizrei oneshot 😭

[g-on-ef]

Omg 👁️👄👁️ hell nah 🤯🤯🤯 like I just saw the asks and that's crazy... Like bran going missing for a whole year 🥺🥺🥺 that's gonna put so much of emotional stress on everyone especially lan and I can already see bran having a severe mental breakdown because of that ( maybe worse than lia's) like not seeing any of his family will put one into depression ( like he is already depressed to the point of cutting himself) damn I just know now how much angsty it will get.

And I agree with you, we didn't get to see much bonding among the king siblings and cousins like yeah we know that they are close but it would have been better if we would have gotten to read about that too.

And I know the reunion between the brothers will be so good too . I am now more curious to see who finds Bran first. Now I am just praying for niko so that he can survive.

I can already see protective Levi, but are we also gonna see protective Johnathan and Aiden? In the book Aiden really did threaten niko

I am just so excited for the next chapters of to kidnap a lotus flower

As for born sinner damn that stalker is so crazy man, like to use bran's vulnerability to get to him. If he can go that far then I can't imagine what that stalker will do. I hope niko and lan team up again to save bran.

Also I can't wait to read the mafia arc and the kidnapping arc in the heart was build to break. I am so excited to see how niko will react about the bruises and learning about bran's past on why he harms himself. I also wanna see what actually triggers niko to take bran away and as I can assume here also bran goes missing for a long period of time. I can't wait to read more of this

Also I am excited for your other fics too

Oh honey Bran is gonna be a mess !!! Especially after seeing his brother being beaten down and the state Creighton was in poor baby is gonna have the worst case scenarios with Remi he's gonna be a hot mess.

Be prepared for the water works Bran is gonna have a severe case of depression and he and Niko are gonna be in for one emotional roller coaster that is gonna take a long while to heal especially with Bran and his cutting.

The Kings relationship is gonna play a huge role especially Glyn and Lan I wanna heal this relationship and make it better and I want them both to realize they fucked up Glyn with her willing to understand Kill but not Lan and Lan never giving Glyn a reason that he loved her or even cared about her

Jonathan is gonna be the biggest mess ever !!! Chapter 3 is gonna show how much Bran means to Jonathan but he's also gonna hate himself the most because he can't do anything {I'm so excited for yall to read why he can't and your reactions to it ^^}

Aiden is gonna have PTSD and flashbacks on the time he was kidnapped and left wondering if something bad is happening to his innocent nephew hell the poor man is gonna be a mess when he sees his son and the pain he's in

Niko will survive but will he try kidnapping Bran again after they come back since its gonna be a shit show ... ... ... hmmm 👀

But yes once Lan and Bran are reunited they are gonna be inseparable more on Lans part than Bran ^^

The stalker is gonna be a huge pain and yall are gonna how far he'll go no one is safe not even the girls {spoilers one of the girls ends up badly hurt to the point she ends up in a comoa because bran did something he did not approve of}

That stalker is not one to mess with and niko and lan are about to see the extent this crazy fucker will go ^^

Trust me no one is more excited for this arc than me I can't wait for yall to see the Mafia arc especially when Bran finds out omg I'm not gonna say anything else because I don't wanna spoil it ^^

Can't wait for yall to read the rest of these stories and see your reactions ^^

[ardent-fox]

✨️ Joy List ✨️

Got tagged by the wonderful @metalheadmickey, @look-i-love-u and @deathclassic to create this joy list, thank you my darlings! 🥰

💙 Coming out bi after 20 years of feeling all the feelings. It only happened 3 weeks ago, first here and then to a handful of close people. I grew up and still live in a pretty conservative, close-minded country where saying such a thing could get you in trouble, so having the opportunity to be myself here has been very important to me. Putting a finger on this in this stage of life has been a strange, emotional roller-coaster, but I already feel like a happier, more confident person for finding the balls to ride it.

💙 This place, all of you, the friendships I've made and all the things I got to learn and experience because of them.

💙 The bunny content that Myn @vintagelacerosette shares with me! It's so sweet and thoughtful, especially when life is crazy and I'm not that active here.

💙 Fanart! Fanfics! Gif sets! Headcanons! Having my mind blown by everything on a daily basis cause the boy dolls inspire us all so much is a beautiful thing.

💙 Maintaining a healthier sleep schedule. I'm a person that has to actively keep it going cause it doesn't come naturally to me and being able to experience sunny mornings while in the right state of mind has been amazing.

💙 The job applications I've been sending out. There’s only one I'm really coveting, but no matter what happens it's been great finding decent ads to inspire some daydreams.

💙 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend marathons. I've just finished binging season 1 and the theater buff in me has been living, it's so good!

💙 The fact that my brother and his family will become my neighbors this autumn once they finish renovating the apartment in the building across from ours. Can't wait to have my nephew live so close and have him play in our building's park as he grows up, what a small world.

💙 Our plan to start major renovations on our own home in the summer of 2024. A few things have to line up for that to happen and it's going to be a challenging thing to live through, but the idea of it makes me excited like nothing else.

💙 Going to the movies more often lately and getting tickets to two upcoming local concerts. Hubby and I decided to prioritize experiences over gifts to mark certain occasions and I think it's the best decision we've ever made.

💙 The decision to invest in myself this year and change up my wardrobe and style a little once my financial situation is a bit more stable. I feel that I've neglected this while working from home for 5 years and am ready to introduce Lyds 2.0 to the world.

💙 How happy Jasper the bun has been lately. Just running around, doing binkies and honking his little heart out for no particular reason.

💙 The day getting longer and the mild, winter sun keeping me warm on my walks lately. It feels like spring is around the corner and I couldn't be more glad.

💙 Just hope. After the last few crappy years, I realized I've been afraid to feel it because of all the hardships that kept dashing it. But I'm slowly finding my way back to it as I try my luck out in the world again, and realizing I can restart my life an infinite number of times makes me want to hold on to it with all I have.

That's about it for this time around, I feel like this was an intense joy list and I probably should have journaled some of this shit out instead, but oh well 🙃 I'm a little out of the loop so ignore me if you've done this already, but I'm tagging @look-i-love-u, @celestialmickey, @gallawitchxx, @vintagelacerosette, @heymrspatel, @thisdivorce, @crossmydna, @squidyyy23, @mikhailoisbaby, @auds-and-evens, @sickness-health-all-that-shit, @imikhailotakeyouian, @too-schoolforcool, @tanktopgallavich, @ian-galagher and anyone who sees this and would like to play!

[ikemenomegas]

I love love the character of the alpha in jjk. their relationship with gojo is super complex and the alpha's character itself is super complicated itself and thats why i love them sm. you mentioned before that they keep their silence when things get bad and i got reminded of my own experiences as the youngest child in a family where i had to shut up about my own sufferings just to keep the peace in the family and sooner or later, the person will blow up and thats what makes this character so interesting because you see how theyre keeping themselves together but we can also read their thoughts and we know that they are not okay and you're just waiting for the moment they'd go apeshit. And i also like how their relationship with gojo is the way it is because they both are shamans before they are two human beings deeply in love.

ANYWAYS BACK TO BEING IGNORANT OF CANON

Nobara sending a message to gojo asking why tf didnt he turn up for class to which gojo replies with a picture of of himself and his alpha beside him in disneyland wearing mickey mouse merch and telling her he's on a busy and dangerous mission

the alpha and nanami talking and purposely ignoring gojo annoying them

Thank you anon! It's been super fun putting together a layered character who suits this world but also a lot of work haha.

Oof, I'm the eldest daughter (and eldest child) in my family and I think this is something the eldest and the youngest often shake hands on, is that you frequently have to put aside your own suffering in order to be responsible or keep the peace. And this emotional pressure cooker eventually does blow up, but because it's everything, and when it goes on long enough there's nowhere to aim those feelings, it means that complicated feelings go everywhere, there's no single person or situation at fault so it feels like it's everything going wrong. One thing that's also a curse of the youngest is probably seeing every interaction between the rest of your family, on top of how the you are feeling, and being incredibly disturbed by how those interactions play out and are affected by personal bias and selfishness.

I think we forget a lot that even though there's only two kids, Megumi is the youngest and part of his "I only want to be responsible for my people, not the rest of the world" comes from that place of seeing how everyone around him takes on so much responsibility and justification it makes them crazy and his resentment at the world for doing that to them.

But yes!! Back to the fun happy times hahaha:

Oh my gosh, can you imagine how many curses there would be in a place like theme park where emotions and desires and disappointments are running high??? There probably are curses lurking around and they are at work but the "busy and dangerous" part is Gojo trying to get alpha to go on all of the roller-coasters together.

If Nobara complains loud and long enough, the whole first year class might "end up with" a surprise extra day off and oh look, Megumi just happens to have a set of tickets lol. Satoru is a troll, but even he would agree with getting the kids out to a theme park at some point - however the tickets aren't from him, the tickets are alpha who felt bad that Satoru was making fun of her all the time XD. Except Satoru makes them clean up some curses while they're in the area so it's not much of a vacation...

Alpha and Nanami, their cute kouhai, trying to read a map or something while Satoru has shown up to check on them and make a ruckus is killing me haha. Eventually Nanami's hinting "please deal with that" glances get to be too much and you have to buy Satoru a snack to shut him up for a minute and remind him he's cared for.

[lulue-xie]

I write something !

unquired past prideshipping / violetshipping

Post-canon / post DSOD

please note : english is not my native language, i didn’t write outside of RP since a really long time and never directly in english + i have dyslexia so, it not strange for me to forget how to write stuffs correctly, be indulgent and correct me kindly

Have a good read !

While Seto continue to be a good CEO for Kaibacorp, Jounouchi start his dream to be a pro duelist, that how they start to hang together more frequently, they have the same place to work, the same subject in head, the same event to go.

Their story start out of nowhere, it’s not like they were know to be in good term, always going to find bugs in other hair but time pass like a rocket after their graduation and help to ease the tensions.

Events that speak about duel monster but also money, where you get bored easily wearing your best clothes, start to drink a glass to much and to speak with your old classmate and rival just to realise how much you have in common, how much you love his humor finally and maybe the end of the day what not so bad and it will be the start of something new for both of you.

Jounouchi didn’t believe it will be almost 3 years since he is in couple with Seto and it’s been a hell of a roller coaster, at first because they have to ajust to each others, then because they have obligations and travel a lot, reducing their time together.

He discover multiple faces of his boyfriend during those years but one in particular always worry him when he was so far away, that part of Kaiba that was so obsess about things and paralysis him into the past, it was hard to pass by something, to not think about it.

Kaiba was so obsess about winning to the pharaoh in the past, he didn’t feel like Atem acknowledge him like he wanted, it’s almost make him crazy just to think about it, it make him construct a whole system to go in the after life, he didn’t even remember how he come back in the real world but that was the end, that was when he finally decide to turn the page about him, he understand now that his love was to much for himself and the both of them maybe, since Atem didn’t even look at him this way but something, something when he was alone at night in their house, the one he choose with Jounouchi, he think about it, he think about all the time he had and lost in this story and it make him depressed and lost in his own head.

But Jounouchi always come back with the sun, he know how to keep him outside of his own head, that what he loved the most about him, always bright and ready to bring positivity into his live, after all this time he know he can be loved at the end of the day.

***

He just come back from an other travel, get in America to play in championship for two weeks and have Isono to pick him up at the airport, the flight always wash him off but what he wanted to most was to see Kaiba’s face before to take a good shower and sleeping in his arms.

He turn the light on and can see Kaiba’s back on the couch, it was a bad sign to see, surely the loneliness start to eat him up again.

“hey, what happen ?” he say while closing the front door, manifesting his presence, standing in the entry, he can see Kaiba in the livingroom looking at him over his shoulder, even with the low light he can see shiny spots on his cheeks where the tears was not so long ago.

“Kat i just” closing his eyes one second to no break down again “you know, thinking about him” admitted it in a tiny voice before putting down his head

A softly “oh” emanate of him and he took off this shoes, let hi bag lie on the floor, before crossing the entry way to sit next to Kaiba, putting this arm around his shoulders and he lift his head with a soft hand “that ok Seto, we all miss him”

“yeah but” he don’t look Jounouchi in the eyes, too raw, too ashamed to always go back at the same place in his brain “i loved him so much and i hate the fact he still haunt me when i have you” he put his hand over his face in despair, just wanted to stop, stop all of it, stop to think, then strong arms encercle him and he feel the warm of Jounouchi body, listening to his heart make him feel instantly better

“shh ok, you have just a rough time here, time to think about other stuffs” Jounouchi start to play in his hair and they just stay like this for a moment, it could be a minute, a hour, more important is to be together again, far way from his spiraling mind, Jounouchi stop to take his hand and start to kiss his no-so-wet-anymore cheek “and you know, it's not because you loved him back, that you don't love me as much today” he give him is big sunny smile, the one that can melt any ice and Kaiba manage to give him a little smile back, feeling a lot better.

“Let’s stop that “ Kaiba say after some silence

“stop what ?” 

“To travel i mean”

“oh yeah” say Jounouchi in a little sigh, “that a good idea, i m tired anyway and want to be home with you” finally he get his welcome home kiss.

[ladyxskywalker]

I know a lot of people have been following this personal life saga with me for a while now, listening to me ramble on about b; the updates have either been annoying, beautiful, or complete chaos. an emotional roller coaster of me basically trying to navigate new feelings, & a partner who at times I can't fully understand. most of you friends have been team pxk's personal well being & have supported me fully with this entire thing from the start. I really can't thank you enough for listening, for offering messages of kindness, support, & even the hard truths, tough love that I didn't realize I needed. sometimes I don't really have someone to talk to about this & it just helps to shout into the void. even if I feel totally silly for it.

there are some happy things that I do wish I could talk about, that I want to tell someone about - but after a very confusing time within the last 2 wks, I feel like a total crazy person to even consider feeling joyful about anything with him. he still continues to surprise me in ways I could have only wished for. he's been very upfront with me since the rough times, gaining alot of clarity with some very hard in person talks. learning more about him & why he is so hesitant about moving forward with us. things on his end that he feels like are one huge mess that he doesn't want to drag me into. how he doesn't want to rush into anything because of past trauma & now current grief. possible struggles with mental health that makes him scared. a bittersweet look in his eyes that is just full of love & his own torment at the same time. a balance of moments of comfort & happiness whenever we are together again, holding onto one another in silence.

I can't fix everything for him. but despite all of this, I feel like he came to me at a time when I had just healed from being completely broken by losses of my own. as if the universe was listening to all the things I would quietly daydream & cry about before going to sleep every night.

I will never be able to explain how this feels.

the parts when we go to the park by the water at night, looking up at the moon & wishing on it together.

him spinning me around on the baseball field where he plays, putting his hat on me & kissing me in the dark.

the way he touches my face, kissing me with both hands as if I'm going to disappear forever.

how his blue eyes glisten into grey in the light when he looks at me, the beautiful tears that well up into his eyes when he tells me about his dad - bonding over simple things that mean a lot to both of us.

I hope that whatever happens with us, that I will always hold onto these incredible memories, the good kind that reminded us both of why we fell for each other in the first place.

either that - or I'm just crazy. romanticizing things in life too much, or feeling everything too deeply with my whole heart.

I hope that the anon & friends who have spoken with me recently about all of this don't hate me for saying any of this either or think that I'm stupid

sorry to everyone for spam rambling here xx just late night thoughts

[findroleplay]

Greetings! 💫 19 female looking for roleplay partners! My time zone is CET, but I am available during the day from six am to ten pm— maybe you will catch me staying up way longer, just maybe. But anyways, I was interested in My hero Academia mainly, oc×cc with double threads (I play a canon character for your oc, and you play my love interest for mine). I love mediveal themes a lot, I love mermaid/merman characters just as much, and I absolutely adore forbidden love! I don't shut out Vampires and other mythical creatures either, they are very much welcome too. My english is pretty good— I think, atleast it is.. I use it on a daily basis while it is not my first language, so please forgive me if I make little mistakes here and there. Speaking of which, literacy: I write multiple paragraphs per reply that can vary from three to six, and I almost always go over discord's writing limit. No one liners please! As mentioned, I roleplay on discord mainly, however I don't mind trying out any other platforms, as long as we can talk it through and we communicate well (another important thing— communication). I am friendy and I do enjoy talking out of character too, I love sharing memes and send playlists/songs that could fit the theme and the mood or the roleplay itself :) if that isn't your cup of tea, no problem.

Nsfw is very much welcomed (no minors, again, pretty please <3) but not necessary. I have triggers and boundaries, such as noncon/dubcon, gun and knife play, bathroom stuff and watersports, and I do not tolerate pedophilia at all (all characters in the roleplay would be aged up). My triggers are direct actions of s*lf h*rm, s*icidal actions and abuse towards any of the current time characters (or— I don't know how to put it. If it happened in the past and it is mentioned, then it is no problem, but if in the current time there would be any way of abuse towards any characters, I would NOT tolerate that). Gore is fine if it's not too extreme (ex.: limb loss)

I enjoy romance, angst, hurt/comfort, emotional build-ups, emotional roller coasters, horror/thriller, and I am open for AU's too, as well as to multiple threads. I reply daily from one to three times, and the least I would do is three times a week if things get a bit too crazy (change in schelude for example). Communication, again, is a very important thing to me, not only roleplay wise but out of character too. If you dislike something, let's talk about it! If you no longer want to continue a thread (by any reason), that is okay too! Just don't ghost me, don't leave without a single word, and while I know we all have things going on the outside, I would appreciate it if you gave me a little warning before you disappear. This is all I can get out from the top of my head, so, if you are interested, interact with the post and I will get back to you! 💫

-

[theflixdiary]

Mubarakan (2017) directed by Anees Bazmee

English title: Congratulations age rating: 13+ genre: comedy, family, romance duration: 2h 36m country: India language: Hindi screenplay: Rupinder Chahal, Balwinder Singh Janjua

major cast: Anil Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Athiya Shetty, Ileana D'Cruz, Ratna Pathak Shah, Neha Sharma

plot summary: twin brothers Karan and Charan (both played by Arjun Kapoor) lose their parents when they were babies and end up being raised by different relatives. Karan grows up in London with his aunt, turning into a smooth-talking, confident flirt, while Charan is raised in Punjab by their uncle, becoming the mild-mannered, traditional one of the two. when it’s finally time for these two to settle down, a whirlwind of mix-ups and misunderstandings kick off, creating a chaotic yet heartwarming rom-com. their eccentric Uncle Kartar (Anil Kapoor) steps in as the unlikely hero, masterminding a hilariously twisted plan to juggle his nephews’ love lives and keep peace between both families.

if you enjoyed this post, don't forget to show some loves by leaving comments / likes / reblog / help me to spread the words. follow me for more reviews!! ❤︎❤︎

read my review below (may contain spoiler):

I don't know why this movie is hated by many and considered flop because this movie had me laughing from the first scene right to the last! Mubarakan has that perfect blend of chaotic family drama, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and just the right dose of emotion. imagine the quirkiest family you know, add a ton of misunderstandings, and sprinkle in some dramatic match-making moves, and that’s exactly what this film delivers. the plot is ridiculously over-the-top, full of mishaps, misunderstandings, and impossible situations, and honestly, that’s what makes it so much fun. who knew a family could have this level of complex miscommunication? every twist just builds on the previous one, leading to an absolute comedy roller-coaster that had my stomach aching from laughter! Arjun Kapoor deserves applause for his portrayal of both Karan and Charan, and somehow he makes it feel like I’m watching two completely different people. he’s like the Bollywood version of Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. the visual effects are seamless too; I barely noticed any flaws in the twin scenes.

Anil Kapoor, as their eccentric uncle Kartar, is just a powerhouse. he brings this youthful energy that’s honestly mind-blowing—does this man age backward, how does he look younger than he was in the 1990s? Kartar's witty, carefree personality lights up the screen and adds an extra punch to the comedic chaos. then there’s Athiya Shetty, who plays Binkle, Charan’s love interest. I couldn’t take my eyes off her! she’s stunning, with this unique, captivating beauty that really sets her apart. that jawline, those eyes—they’re mesmerising, she kinda reminds of Miranda Kerr, but without the dimples! she doesn’t get nearly enough screen time, but every scene she’s in, she owns. her chemistry with Charan is sweet and endearing; I found myself rooting for her the entire time. Seriously, if I were a guy, I’d happily be Charan’s rival. Ileana D’Cruz as Sweety is also fantastic and brings her own lively charm, perfectly balancing the fiery and confident Karan. yes, the film goes a bit overboard at times—some situations are so far-fetched they could only happen in a Bollywood rom-com. but that’s the charm of it! the absurdity is part of what makes Mubarakan such a blast to watch. there’s an energy here that I don’t find in just any comedy, and despite all the craziness, the film sneaks in a warm family message by the end that ties everything together. this is the movie you put on when you’re in the mood to laugh, relax, and forget about everything else for a couple of hours. Bollywood fans, or anyone up for a feel-good family comedy, will find it a delightful watch.

poster credit : IMDb edited using canva

[djarintreble]

eddie at disney world hcs…

im at disney world in hollywood studios. i got my tie dye rockin roller coaster shirt, my denim vest, rings and my white high tops. styled my messy bangs and im out here repping my favorite metal head. in my head, eddie is well and i took him to ride this ride. he’s head banging to crazy train and we’re having a blast don’t worry guys.

in other words, eddie at disney hc i wrote while in line.,, somewhat time accurate somewhat not…

- he acts like he doesn’t really care to go to disney with you but secretly he’s excited cause he never got to go as a kid and he sees how happy you are to be there

- wears a first time button

- he keeps falling in love with you over and over again on this trip. especially when you ask to go shop for “the kids” wanting to bring back a few little trinkets for the hellfire club to make up for cancelling the campaign this week for you and eddie to go. it makes his heart grow twice in size anytime he sees you care for that group of sheep as much as he does.

- replaces his usual hellfire club shirt for a baseball tee shirt with a mickey mouse design on it labeled “1971 Walt Disney World”

- you put your minnie ears on his head and he gives you a grumpy face before a soft smile appears as you grab his hand and skip off to the next ride

- he’s constantly eating popcorn

- he buys guitar picks from the rockin rollercoaster merch shop and talks about how even though they’re flimsy, he will think of this trip with you every time he uses them

- by around 2pm when the sun is blazing hot, you finally convinced him to let you pull his hair up. low bun? braids? maybe a little ponytail? you choose and he just deals with it cause at this point his neck is thankful for the breeze.

- eddie actually really likes the idea of pin trading and is set to find the perfect pins to add to his vest or turn around and give to you for your collection

- if you find yourselves in EPCOT in the UK pavilion. Just know if you go in the store, Eddie won’t walk out without one of their swords. It’s a souvenir he can bring back to use as a prop for the hellfire club and it looks badass. “i have scavenged this fine weapon from the land of the future!” he says as he shows dustin when you get back.

- imagine eddie just standing there with a balloon in his hand not knowing what to do and he looks over at you just like 🧍🏻 “where do we go now?”

- when you’re eating, eddie looks over to the table next to you guys to see a a family of 4 with really young kids. one of the kids is sitting in their dad’s lap and talking about how fun he’s been having that day and loudly explaining what happened when he rode space mountain with his mom. “we were in space, daddy! in SPACE! and we flew around and it was so COOL! can i ride it again but with you dad?” eddie smiles as he overhears the conversation but apart of his heart breaks as he thinks back on his experience as a kid with his dad and how he didn’t really have any fun experiences with him. he swore then that, hopefully with you, he would create fun memories like that with his own child one day.

- eddie is the guest to point out all the things around the park that may or may not be obvious. he’s a little kid and you love him for it. you go on splash mountain? “here comes the drop” well duh… but you smirk and tell him to pose. of course he does his little devil ears and sticks his tongue out while you jokingly put your hands together in a prayer motion with a sweet smile. the devil and the angel pose. small world? “there are so many dolls in here.” really? wow? but you smile and hum along to the song while eddie fights not joining you. walking down the main street? “there’s a lot of people here.” yes it’s a weekend in july, eds. but you take his hand in order to lead him through to go ride pirates of the caribbean’s.

- you go through fantasyland and the light sounds of once upon a dream plays. eddie stops walking without warning you, causing you to jerk back when you keep going while your hands still find themselves wrapped around each other. “what’s wrong?” “dance with me, princess.” he says before he spins you around into a lazy waltz hold. you two dance around the small side area of fantasyland away from the crowd. it’s just you two, feeling like little kids again, forgetting about the rest of the world.

- you find a little disney patch you want to add to his vest. he’s hesitant about it but let’s you buy it because he’s so smitten for you he can’t say no. you looked so happy when you pitched the idea for getting it. how can he resist you?

- the idea of bringing a family to disney world sticks with him the rest of the day. he can’t stop thinking about it which makes him feel weird or that you’d judge him but when he says “i can see us coming back in the future with our kids.” your heart flutters. the idea of thinking of the future scared you but if the future consisted of days like these with you and eddie? yeah, you could deal with that.

- eddie wearing black jeans in the middle of the summer. his knees end up having burnt red circles later from the ripped holes. you told him to just wear shorts but he feels more comfortable sticking to his regular wardrobe. secretly he’s regretting this decision but won’t tell you.

- “eddie, can we get matching shirts?” “absolutely not. nope.” “pleaaase.” “i would rather die.” “they’re star wars themed.” “really?” “mmmm knew you’d want to”

- he always touching you somehow. whether it’s holding hands, a soft hand on your back to lead you through the crowd, arms wrapped around your waist as you wait in line, an over shoulder hug, maybe at one point his hand sneaks it’s way down past your waist. “munson… i know what you’re doing.” “what? idk what you’re talking about.” while he has a smug look on his face. at one point it gets too hot for you to be constantly touching each other but he doesn’t care. there’s a lot of people here and your touch makes him not be so nervous.

- he just keeps staring at you. you just love it here and he loves being here with you. you have such a radiant glow to you as you walk around and it makes him so happy. he can’t help but admire you.

- along with the sword, you and eddie both buy one of those kid lightsaber toys. they were perfect for your star wars movie marathons and you felt like kids dueling with them.

- in longer lines, he pulls out his dnd notebook and you help him plan out his next dnd campaign for when you get back. other times, you find yourselves going between light banter to figuring out what ride was next to deep serious conversations.

- the ending of rockin rollercoaster shows an after party and it makes eddie dream of getting out of hawkins with his band and getting huge gigs worthy of after parties.

- if he’s not eating popcorn, he’s munching on a pretzel or a bag of honeycombs you brought in specifically for him.

- he can’t stop saying i love you. maybe it’s the magic. maybe it’s the fact that it’s just you two with no distractions… but he loves you and something about disney makes him want to say it more.

- it’s cheesy. he knows it is. you know it is. but when the love theme plays during the fireworks, he grabs your chin to face him and there’s a smile on his face. he pulls you in for a kiss right when the fireworks go off and he swears he’s never felt this bliss before. the rest of the fireworks, he has his arm wrapped around you and he’s humming any of the tunes he’s familiar with in your ear. at one part, he fully goes behind you and wraps his arms around your shoulder for your to hold on to his forearms and leave your head back on his chest.

- “i had fun on this trip, my love. im so glad we got to do this.”

- “you bet they’re going commando under that mouse costume?” “it’s mickey mouse to you, sir. don’t disrespect.”

- “ugh how much longer of a wait?” “patience my young padawan”

- “do you think they’d notice if we went behind the cast member only door?”

- apparently there’s an underground area that the workers go through” “no way!” *eddie starts stomping* “i wonder if they could hear that.”

-idk what this is but here you go