#SO far removed from my og idea

[iiusia]

this story is not only taking a life of its own it is Actively sprouting legs and running away from me

[oatmealdoodles]

Beelzebub soft redesign!

I spent a lot of time on this and I’m really proud of it, I hope you guys like it too!

I want to emphasize that actually quite like the direction they took with her design. For almost all incarnations of gluttony in media, it’s always just “make them fat” and thats it. But the HB interpretation isn’t just about food, it’s about the feeling of never ever being satisfied. She’s more like the sin of consumerism for me. And an influencer-esk raging party animal fits the bill really well. I just thought the design was a bit to cluttered and lacked direction, so I’m trying my take at it.

My changes:

By far my favorite and least favorite part of the og design is her lava stomach. I love this idea so much, my problem is that the first time I watched the ep i didn’t even notice it, because the design is so cluttered. So I thought if I put her in a black skin-tight suit that would add lots of contrast and really make it pop. I also added a sudo-spine thing just for cool imagery.

I made har hands come from her stomach, sort of symbolizing her hunger reaching out and grabbing things for her to consume.

The gamer headphones were just super self-indulgent i really wanted to add them. And it kind of makes sense because the stereotypical “gamer” is a junk food loving sack of potato’s melting into their chair. So it can be a little nod to that

I got rid of the blue hair puff ‘cuz I didn’t really see the point in it and it just made the design ghn more busy, plus I really like how her sticky honey hair emphasized the almost nauseous and sickly feeling you feel when you’re full.

I didnt see any bee imagery in the original exept for the bee wings, so i decided to scrap the idea all together and just keep the honey hair. I like the idea of her being a wolf since they’re master hunters and eat a lot. 

I made two versions, one where her stomach is the same color as her hair, and another where it’s blue. I thought the stomach was still blending in too much in the original and wanted it to stick out even more, and be the focus of the design. so making it the complimentary color felt right. But I’m not sure which one i like better. 

Also added teeth, because of the you know, eating metaphor. I removed it in case it would be too hard to animate

I might change this design over time but I’m happy with this for now.

also made a lil animation to make sure it was animation- friendly:

Took a lil under 2 hours

[italianpersonwithashippersheart]

4 Minutes Theory- More Timelines

As I wrote on @lurkingshan post here there has to be at least one more timeline we are not seeing. Not just because the Thai Tea is not the OG timeline (see link) but there are other inconsistencies.

So there are more then two timelines. But how many? And where does Tonkla fall in all of this?

Here are my theories

Cold Opens Order

Cold Open in ep 5: Title gets drugged by that lady that Tonkla pays.

Cold Open in ep 2: Tonkla kills Title in the same place he killed Dome

Cold Open in ep 3: Win finds Title's body and the idea that this of revenge gets floated around.

Cold Open in 4: Win learns the name of the fingerprints of the rock. He is shocked and then Tonkla calls. Obviously that was Tonkla's real name.

Cold Open in ep 6: Win goes to Tonkla's home but Tonkla is not there @slayerkitty thinks Win is helping Tonkla (her tags on @lurkingshan post linked above and we talked about it in my post side note: I could not find the scene with the usb) which is possible.

Cold Open in ep 1: (putting this here as a tentative option there might be one more cold open that goes before this next ep) Great flatlines and Tyme gets shot.

First Tonkla

Something with potentially fuckery (time or death releated) is still up with Tonkla. He sees his dead cat in Ep 1. After Korn leaves. And for a brief second he can hear Dome call him at the end of Ep 4.

What we have seen from Tonkla so far sounds like it's part of the OG timeline. The timeline were Great let's Title kill Dome and helps him dispose of the body.

Given that his prints were in the cops database, that means he went to jail. Maybe in High School? Probably for drugs.

As it stands the timeline is: Win is still investigating, suspecting a heir of an important/powerful family. Tonkla sends Korn away. And Win regrets all of his life choices and gets his heart broken after fucking Tonkla raw. THEN Tonkla starts to get revenge by paying someone to drug Title. Obviously there is at least one scene we are missing where Tonkla connects the dots.

Of course he could have just guessed. I mean Title and Great are probably the most influencial people in Dome's class. Not a huge stretch that one of them killed his brother. Especially since Win explicitly said: I think it's the heir of someone powerful. I would expect him to start killing people after receving some more concrete evidence but you never know. Not like he was wrong.

Things to note: They never found Dome's phone. We saw Title and Great body disposal through a camera in ep 6.

Fixed Timeline Vs OG Timeline and Inconsistencies:

Great fixing of the timeline starts the day he kills the lady in the street. His first mistake/regret.

Inconsistency N°1: Tyme and his Girlfriend. In the OG timeline his girfriend breaks up with Tyme the day the lady dies. While in the fixed timeline in Ep 2 we learn that that they have been broken up for a while and that she already quit.

They meet the same way bumping into each other. Great is even wearing the same shirt.

In the OG timeline Tyme follows Great and has sex with him. Filming him in secret. In the fixed timeline, Tyme saves Great from Title and they exchange lines.

Inconsistency N°2: in the fixed timeline Tyme goes to Great's univeristy and we see the scene with the Thai Tea, were the msg on it is different. That is not from the OG timeline. In the OG timeline is Great that reaches out to Tyme again first.

They have a semi-date in the OG timeline too but it's totally different then the fixed timeline's date and Tyme tells great they should not be talking.

In the OG timeline Tyme has already send his grandma away and refused the money from Great's father. In the fixed timeline the same meeting causes him + his interactions with Great causes him to back off. He doesn't give the money back they are left in his house. And he is much more resigned/afraid.

The scene were he attacks Korn and removes his mask for Great is the same.

The fight in the hospital after that is something else Great fixes. He says he will help with Nan.

Great interveans with Nan in the Fixed timeline so when Tyme arrives he is helping them escape. But in the OG timeline he watches Nan died and then takes a while to interven when they are hurting Tyme. Then they fight.

The scene with the parents is the same. In the fixed timeline the lady he saved sends someone to kill them and shoots both Great and his Mom. In the OG timeline Tonkla kills hims and his Mom is fine.

If Fasai's father is also Title's father (I don't remeber where I first saw the idea that Title has to be connected to Fasai because otherwise that plotline would be to disconnected, if I find it or I get told from somewhere I will edit and add the post here) and he is the one that Great's father was talking about when he said my other partners are not as kind as me. Then I think we can assume that this guy is the guy that will send a goon to shoot Tyme in the OG timeline.

So My theory is that there is another timeline. I think next episode will finish up the OG timeline and tells us about the limbo part. Then it will finish with Tyme going to limbo as well and getting the oppurtinity to go back too.

Tyme 3rd Timeline aka Tyme goes back to fix things:

So if my hunch is correct then Great went back in time to his first mistake. That means that so will Tyme.

Arguably Tyme's first mistake was involve Nan instead of helping her get out. Which means that he could potentially go back in the timeline way before Great did.

So my theory is that he goes back earlier. Doesn't involve Nan in his revenge at all. He breaks up with his girfriend earlier.

Then He meets Great earlier. And they start to talk. They start an actual relationship and fall in love.

Tyme influence has a positive change on Great who saves Dome instead of letting him die.

Tyme does something. Maybe Great learns that Tyme approched him for revenge at first. Then he apologizes at the University with the Thai Tea.

Dome goes home in this timeline. Tonkla never has to kill anyone and never meets Win (but hopefully still breaks up with Korn)

Not sure about anything else at the moment. The finale is pretty up in the air. I am thinking either totally open ending. Or bittersweet/open ending Or obviously a bad one (honestly leaning thowards open because Dr Sammon has never done totally bad ending before).

Where they both get saved but maybe forget about each other. And the ending is them meeting again or something in a timeline where everything is already fixed (the parent's crime is resolved and Tonkla and Dome are both happy and way from the family).

Or maybe the OG timeline gets restored and nothing changes. IDK.

I personally think Tonkla deserves to get away with murder. Hopefully be happy with his brother. Everything else I am fine with either way.

[kindaasrikal]

“This, is a soul stone.”

“A…soul stone?”

“Yes. Once a soul leaves its physical form they create a soul stone to keep their…ghost-like form intact. This soul stone is surrounded by the actual projection of ourselves, similar to how a heart is encased inside the body. It cannot be taken out easily. In fact, the only ones who can remove anyones soul stone from their physical projection is the First spinjitzu master, Sensei Wu, Sensei Garmadon, and the consciousnesses of the two realms of the dead. Other then them, not even the person whose soul stone it is can remove it from it’s home, and its no easy task for the ones who can either.”

“…If all of that is true, then how are we both looking at your soul stone?”

“….Unfortunately, my soul stone had faced extreme abuse years ago, leaving it fractured and….weak.”

“Is that why it has pieces floating around it? It looks almost like a planet, surrounded by its moons…”

“An interesting comparison.”

“Ahm…that’s besides the point. Why are you showing me this? If its so delicate that it can almost never be removed from its home, then why would it help us in our mission?”

“…the merge, has shown to create unique consequences over the years. One of such, being the slow return of the Preeminent.”

“What.”

“I can’t explain in too much depth to what had happened, we don’t nearly have that much time and I need to use it sparingly.”

“What are you talking about?!-”

“A soul stone is indeed delicate, Lloyd. So delicate, so precious, that the very existence of a soul relies on it.”

“The..what?..”

“If my soul stone gets into the wrong hands, if it faces too much harm, I will no longer be able to keep it connected and in ‘one piece’ as I have so far. I will be erased from existence, and so will all the knowledge I have so painstakingly collected.”

“…Where are you planning to go, Morro?”

“…A place I should’ve visited years ago.”

——————

Will there be a fanfic of this? Probably not, since i can’t stick to finishing stories.

Anyways, take Morro from an AU i created in my head, theres no other content of it other then half completed stories in my notes/word documents and this post.

If anyone rlly wants me to, i can go more into depth of this AU and give it a name. But for now, all you need to know is that its mainly canon compliant, just with a few changes to the story of Morro and then the actual canon divergence starts during the merge. Some things before that will also be changed to fit ideas i have and things i like, such as the issue with Lloyds age.

Oh, alsooo! Morro in this drawing is still a ghost, but in this AU to differentiate departed ghosts from cursed, cursed ghosts look like how they did in the show and Morro’s og design, but departed ghosts tend to look more like how they did when they were alive (with some differences and yknow, being see- through)

So Morro in this looks like how his Departed ghost form would in this AU

I also realised that the gi itself looks a lot like Cole’s because of the black and orange. Pretend the orange is grey/green/yellow, pls and thank you.

AND MY FAVOURITE LITTLE DETAIL. Look at Morro’s gi and how its folded, see what i did there??

I had fun drawing this with another newly acquired art style, this is also one of my first few times drawing Morro and being happy with it. Turns out i am very picky when drawing characters i like over literally anything else.

[thecluelessdoctor]

Woohoo!! 500 followers let's go guys!! :DD

Genuinely I thank y'all sm.

For this occasion I have art I took 7 hours on

AH YES SO THIS IS MY REDESIGN OF PJ'S DAYCARE.

I completely removed the whole ship kid shit. It's just weird. Instead, I thought I would be a cute idea if the papyrus's were caretakers instead! So yeah sans and pap age swap fr/hj idk just role with it. Doing this made me realize how weird the concept of the original version was lmao

And they don't just take care of little sanses. They also take care of au frisk, charas, asriels/flowers, MKs, and various other characters and AUs!

So from right to left let's give names or smt idk

First up is UF pap/ Edge- the most stern and loud of the caretakers. He is the rule enforcer of the papyrus's, but despite his rough exterior he is rather soft. He is Redz older brother

Little horror tale sans/ Chompers- the youngest of the 4 other sanses, and the most bitey. When he's not sleeping he's probably 'hunting' as he calls it. Don't let him around the frisks or charas.

Little Underswap Sans/ blue- the most energetic and hyper of the sanses here. Despite his hyperness he is very smart and passionate about everything he does.

OG papyrus/ Papyrus- the main caretaker, and the most stressed. He always keeps track of everyone in some way, and seems to know everything about all the children in the daycare, even if it's their first day. He is the older brother to Sans.

Swap papyrus/ Honey or stretch- the laziest of the 4 papyruses, he's usually the one who takes care of nap time (as well as taking a nap himself). He is the older brother to Blue

Little fell sans/ Redz- the grumpiest of the kiddos, he's always seen picking a fight when not asleep. He is around the same age as blue, and has a unlikely friendship with blue.

Og sans/ sans- the oldest of the kids by far, but also the most tired. He sleeps for a disturbing amount a day.

Horror tale papyrus/ Cookie- the daycare 's main cook! Although looking disturbing, he's quite a sweetheart. However the kids seem scared of him, so he normally stays in the kitchen. And if he's not staying in the kitchen, he usually wears his scarf over his mouth. He is Chompers older brother.

And that's it for now <3 bye bye

[darth-kote]

Star Wars Fanfiction Request Guidelines

Hi! I wanna try to write more each day, even if it's just small blurbs or pairing I might not typically write or think about (: I still reserve the right to say no, of course, but to make it easier, I wanted to compile a list of what I won't write/am willing to write. My ao3 -> darthkote

Below are the guidelines to help you craft a prompt that aligns with my writing preferences.

Content I Am Willing to Write

Stories rated GA to E.

Pairings of any gender or sexual identity. If you would like narrator/characters to use varying pronouns than those used in Canon, mention it!

Violence, gore, smut, where appropriate for the plot/prompt.

AUs grounded in realism within Star Wars Canon or Legends.

Canon compliant stories (I'll do my best to stay away from fanon if you so wish!)

Clone-shipping

Hurt/Comfort, angst, whump.

Polycules. Platonic, romantic, etc.

X reader. Won't use "y/n"

Content I Will Not Write

Underage characters in sexual situations.

Modern AU. Just not into it, I'm sorry.

Basically, feel free to request anything that falls into these guidelines. If something not listed makes me uncomfortable or disinterests me, I will address it directly as it arises.

Critical Details for Prompts

When submitting your prompt, consider the following elements to help guide the story:

1. Core Concept

What is the central idea or “what if” scenario?

2. Characters

Which characters are the focus?

Are there specific relationships to explore (e.g., romantic, platonic, familial)?

Any characters you’d like excluded?

3. Setting and Timeline

Where does the story take place (e.g., a specific planet, ship, or environment)?

When does it occur in the Star Wars timeline?

Note: I haven’t fully explored the Imperial Era or beyond yet. As I watch more, I will remove this note to reflect that! I am currently on TBB s3 e9. I am progressing in timeline order in my own time. + Have watched the og trilogy.

4. Tone and Themes

What kind of tone should the story have (e.g., lighthearted, angsty, hopeful)?

Are there specific themes (e.g., redemption, survival, found family) to explore?

I worked for hours with chat gpt to compile a plethora of SFW and NSFW tropes in SW fanfic. Click here for SFW and here for NSFW.

5. Plot Details

Are there key events or plot points you'd like included?

Should the story be action-heavy, dialogue-driven, or a balance of both?

6. Relationships

Specify the type of relationship dynamics (e.g., slow burn romance, mentor-apprentice, camaraderie).

Include whether relationships are romantic, platonic, or unrequited, etc.

7. Style and Structure

Do you have a preferred POV (e.g., first-person, third-person limited)?

Length preference (e.g., short drabble, one-shot, multi-chapter epic)?

8. Canon and AUs

Should the story adhere to Star Wars Canon or Legends, or can it diverge?

If AU, how far does it deviate?

9. Visuals and Atmosphere

Do you have specific imagery or sensory details in mind?

Example: “A dreamlike sequence during Obi-Wan’s meditation.”

10. Dialogue or Scenes

Any specific dialogue or moments to include?

Example: “Have Cody reflect on his scars during a quiet moment.”

11. Avoidances and Triggers

Are there topics, elements, or scenarios you’d like avoided?

12. Inspirations

Share any inspirations: quotes, songs, other fanfics, or Star Wars media.

13. Ending

Specify what type of ending you envision (e.g., happy, tragic, open-ended).

Note:

These are just guidelines—you don’t need to include every single detail when making a request. However, please keep in mind my personal boundaries.

[misc-obeyme]

do you have a favorite story arc/subplot in OM or NB? for me the time lucifer gets amnesia in OM s2 is my absolute favorite

Why yes, I would say I do have a couple parts that are my faves~

Spoiler warning for OG seasons three and four!

This is probably a very obvious answer from me, but I am fond of the part in OG season four where Barbatos gets cursed and starts following MC around and being obsessed with them. It's funny and you know he was not happy when the curse was finally lifted and it turned out MC could've removed it themselves the whole time...

I also love all of season three of the OG. We got so much Solomon time with him guiding MC through the tasks to become a sorcerer. And then there's that whole part of it with Barbatos and his grimoire and we get some of the backstory with those guys... and Asmo in that bear outfit omg he's adorable. I dunno, I just really loved all of season three. There was also that whole part with Mammon at the cafe where they were trying to dispel the idea that the coffee makes you fall in love or whatever, so he was supposed to pretend to break up with MC but he couldn't lasdkjfldfj it was so cute! And also the butcher is in this season and I just thought that whole part was hilarious, too.

Though I have to agree that Lucifer getting amnesia is also an excellent part.

This is all OG content... if I had to choose my favorite part of NB, it'd just be all the domestic content we get with Solomon. It was hard for me to really enjoy the bros in NB so far because it's not our version of them, you know? So it was like, will this even matter? And we're still not sure on that, but perhaps we'll get more insight into it soon.

[wantonlywindswept]

Fox hanahaki fic idea that lives in my head rent free

... but I have no energy to actually write it, so. If anyone wants to play with the concept, have at it. *waves hand vaguely*

So it's OG-style hanahaki and not unrequited love hanahaki, where Fox has SO MANY EMOTIONS and so much love for his batchmates (+1) but he cannot and will not say it aloud. He coughs up blueblossoms after holocalls with Rex, spits out vormur petals after chatting with Wolffe; his office is always full of vase upon vase of gargrell flowers whenever Cody drops by to visit. He sends Bly back to his battalion with bouquets of candlewicks, and never once tells Gree where he gets the rare, carefully-potted Duran feather lilies that he gifts him every leave.

He displays his love for his Corries on his body: bruises and broken bones from taking hits meant for others, dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his jaw, shaking hands from too many stims and too little sleep. They love him back with gentle hands and rare treats and unwavering loyalty, care unspoken but understood all the same.

His love for his batchmates is a riot of colors trapped behind his ribs, hidden away in the soft dark places of himself that he protects with weapons and armor and carefully feigned indifference. He can do nothing for them, distant as they are, trapped as he is, and to tell them he loves them would invite love in return--and he cannot let them get closer to the festering rot that is Coruscant. 

So he pushes them away and the flowers bloom brighter in desperate denial; he says that he doesn't need them and roots wrap around his lungs. He coughs up pollen on mandatory joint missions and throws up half-digested petals after every strategy meeting. 

They show up anyway, all of them, concerned and loving despite everything he's done to try to make them stop, and the garden that bursts to life in Fox's chest nearly kills him.

(There is a surgery to remove it, but no surgery in the galaxy could keep Fox from loving his brothers. He wakes and there is yelling, and there are tears, and there are words spoken that had been trapped behind his teeth for far too long. His lungs are clear, and the warmth in his chest has nothing to do with flowers at all.)

[royalsnis]

When I first created my Insta post on Rusty hearts almost two years back, I wanted to give a try and make my own versions of these nasty caricatures of hers.

Although personally I wanted these girls to be as far removed from the OG source as I could get them. I wanted to actually incorporate them into my story and give them a permanent home where they wouldn't be used as fodder for this transphobe's gain. This is why they don't even appear as human as most of my ocs aren't. If I want to fully place them within my world, that would include changing other classifications as well.

While I did what I could that didn't stop Rusty from printing out my drawings and plastering them onto her wall and claiming it was "fanart."

Lucky for me, her Insta has since been removed (which she claims to have done herself but there's a change Insta removed it as well) and I no longer have to bare witness to that awful post with hundreds of redesigns Rusty pathetically slapped into her wall

But knowing all that hate art still haunts her room is still funny to me. She can delude herself all she wants, but the majority of the work she has placed, is from people who hate her. It's truly pathetic.

Anyways, here are my girls 💕

(Tiffany is definitely my favorite- to add, the moss on her arm grows whenever she's stressed or anxious!)

Here's a little about them! I have story ideas in the works for both Victoria and Tiffany, so they'll probably be the first girls yall see again on my page.

Little extra because I still love how these two doodles in particular, came out.

There's a chance that Rusty will see this, delusionally print out the images, and plaster them on that poor wall of hers, but I don't care. She has no claim over these characters and after this post any new drawing of them won't be connected to Rusty or leasebound. 🫶

(Also to other leasebound haters out there, feel free to use the leaseboundremake tag! I'd love to have a place where all the artwork can go like on Insta!)

[sinfulauthorwrites]

Dream Machine - A Mettaton x Reader Fic

As you lie awake in bed, only able to focus on your worries, your boyfriend Mettaton offers encouragement and help.

So, not so fun fact: while I had this idea rattling around my head for a while, I only got down to writing it while I was in the psych ward 🙃 Though, writing fic by hand in a journal without autocorrect or Grammarly made me feel like one of the OG Star Trek slash shippers in the 60s, which was a really fun feeling! Aside from word choice and a few extra sentences, the typed version remains relatively unchanged from the handwritten one, though I may still share the pics of my journal on Tumblr or Twitter! Also, the title comes from the Steam Powered Giraffe song of the same name!

Rating: General Audiences

Ship: Mettaton EX x GN!Reader

Word Count: 891

Applicable Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader Has Anxiety (the anxiety isn't specified, it's more open-ended for the reader to project onto), Self-Worth Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Meditation, Sleep, Crying, Fluff, Established Relationship, Pet Names, POV Second Person, Not Beta Read

You lie awake in bed next to your android boyfriend. He was already powered into sleep mode for the night, as his LED eye displays were dimmed and his tail-like charging cord plugged into the nearby wall. You look at him for a moment before turning to the pink canopy of the bed above you, starting at the shadows in the fabric formed by the lights from outside your shared penthouse apartment. The darkness warped, presenting visual manifestations of the problems keeping you from sleep. 

Yes, you knew Mettaton had his worries, but as the Underground’s biggest star now on the surface, he had much more significant concerns compared to yours. Tour dates, filming, recording sessions, the list goes on. Yours are small compared to his. Insignificant. Human. You feel your stress tug your eyelids open, preventing your “beauty rest,” as your boyfriend lovingly called it. As you shift once more and pull the satin sheets closer to you, you hear a familiar boot-up sound and fans whirring to life. Oh shit. Your tossing and turning set off Mettaton’s motion detection, a vestigial feature not yet removed since his purpose was changed.

“D-darling, is something the matter?” The robot’s voice glitches momentarily, his now-illuminated pink eyes looking at you with concern.

“Y-yeah! I must’ve rolled over too far,” you nervously chuckle. “I didn’t mean to wake you, babe. Get some rest, as neither of us wants you low on battery tomorrow.”

Mettaton purses his lips, not taking no for an answer. “Darling, look at me.” His tone sharpens when you curl up tighter with your back facing him. “Look. At. Me.” With a resigned sigh, you turn to face him. “Oh, beautiful,” he sighs, cupping your cheek with his gloved hand, his thumb circling below the dark bags and worry lines underneath your eyes. “How much sleep have you been getting lately?”

You mumble your response, prompting your boyfriend to look at you sternly. “Usually only two hours a night, especially when you’re not here,” you fess up.

You can see the guilt hit your boyfriend, causing you to quickly run your hand through his synthetic hair and reassure him. “It’s not because of you, I promise!”

“But why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Despite being the biggest celebrity of the century, Mettaton still immensely cares for you. You’re his star, his world, his everything. Seeing you suffer makes his SOUL feel like shattering.

You inhale deeply. “I-” you quickly correct yourself. “It just feels all so unimportant compared to you. I mean, you’ve got so much amazing stuff going on right now. And with me, it’s just…” You hesitate momentarily, unsure if you want to continue, until you see Mettaton nod with understanding and compassion. Soon, your words flow out of you, every insecurity and doubt leaving your lips. Tears begin to fall from your eyes, leaving small damp spots on the pillowcase you rested on. Mettaton extends his arm in back of him to pass you a tissue box, the lotion-infused tissues a welcome relief for your sore eyes.

“Did that help you feel better, sweetheart?” You nod, and Mettaton presses a soft kiss to your forehead. “Good. Now, I want you to listen to me very closely.” You nod, and the robot cups your cheeks once more. “You will never, ever be inconsequential to me, darling. You mean so much, not just to me but to everyone around you! Don’t ever feel like you don’t matter, or whatever you’re going through doesn’t matter, either. I care, we care.” He kisses you on the lips this time. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you murmur back, held tight in his embrace.

After a few moments, Mettaton lets go. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep now, darling?”

You let out another breathy, anxious chuckle. “Probably not, to be honest. It’s alright, though. I’ll make it up tomorrow during the day.”

“There has to be something we can do, sweetheart.” Mettaton’s pupils shift from his usual hearts into turning gears before changing to a lightbulb emoticon. “Hey! It’s not technically released yet, but Blooky and Alphys were working on music to benefit monsters and humans!” He shoots you one of his signature grins. “Co-produced by yours truly, of course!” Mettaton finds the demo CD in the nightstand drawer, preparing to play it from his speakers. “How would you like to be our first test subject?” His eyes sparkle with encouragement, and you just can’t say no to him. 

The robot pats the bed, motioning for you to lie down. He loads the CD into one of the slots built into his EX form, his other hand drifting down to hold yours. The ambient tones soon lull you into a reverie, with the faint sounds of rushing water mixed into the track. It’s an obvious callback to the family of ghostly cousins’ original abode, but it soothes your mind as your anxieties flow away. As you close your eyes, you feel the sensation of the water surrounding you, floating through space and time and easing your body and mind. Mettaton’s hand is a tether to the physical world, keeping you grounded as your mind drifts away peacefully. Although they were once wide and bloodshot, your eyes become heavy and worn as you finally sail away into a restful sleep.

Liked this and want more? Check out my AO3 here!

[synergysilhouette]

Making Netflix's ATLA an AU instead of a strict remake: some changes I'd make to Book 1

It's my personal opinion that since ATLA was great as-is, it didn't need a remake (even if it is underrated). But if Netflix was gonna make one anyway, I'd prefer they made it an AU and make significant changes without marketing this as "this is exactly like the show you enjoyed as kids/teens." (Note: Possibly controversial changes below)

Sexism against male waterbenders because of Kuruk--Due to what is viewed as a "failure" on Kuruk's part to properly manage his duties as avatar and his spiritual corruption, male waterbenders are believed to lack the necessarily gentleness and spirituality in order to bend properly, with combat or healing. Given how Harun was removed (at least from season 1), he could've been rewritten as a waterbender here, with Pakku as his uncle, who still holds onto tradition, even if it holds him back. Due to being male AND the Avatar, Aang isn't taught waterbending at the North Pole while Katarra is, and she teaches Aang in secret with Pakku's help, which inspires Harun to learn as well. Eventually when he's found out, he and Harun are banished from the tribe (because beliefs can't be changed in a day or two). The sexism also fuels Sokka's inferiority complex; while male waterbenders are seen as lacking control, Sokka's lack of bending at all is seen as a loss of water tribe culture in the south and since the north has much more waterbenders, his role as a non-bending warrior is kind of reduced.

More focus on the Water Tribe--The idea is supposed to be that waterbenders were wiped out, but I do like the idea that we still explore aspects of Water Tribe culture, as well as making the territory larger. Given the fact that most of book 1 takes place in different regions and the Netflix remake kinda condensed things, I do want more episodes to take place in WT territory. Kyoshi Island for example is an EK territory, but is also close to the Southern Air Temple and the Southern Water Tribe, so their culture could be shown as more mixed, maybe even with some hidden waterbenders there. Another (albeit controversial) idea could be introducing Bumi in book 2 before introducing Toph, given that Omashu and Gaoling aren't super far from Each other. We could also introduce Hama here to share more of the SWT culture and introduce the concept of bloodbending much earlier so it's a conflict for Katara throughout the whole series. Perhaps maybe even adapt "The Swamp" episode in this season, since I'm not entirely sure it'll be made in the next season.

Ozai's psychology is explored more--In both the OG show and the remake, he's presented as the pinnacle of evil at a first glance, but that's not completely true. Just like everyone else, he's complex, with his evil being brought about by his upbringing. He isn't trying to rule just because; he truly sees it as his divine right, which makes his persuasiveness that much more powerful. He isn't quite as aggressive as other fire nation antagonists and relies more on his manipulation and charisma. As such, he's good and making people fear him, love him, and second-guess themselves. The remake had Zhao and Azula take him for a joke, tbh, so that would need to be fixed. I'd also make him more acrobatic and agile like Azula rather than just a hard-hitter, and he essentially tells Zuko the half-truth of Ursa's banishment, making it seemed like she killed Azulon and was planning on killing Ozai and Iroh next so that she could have the throne. In reality, Azulon died of natural causes, but Ozai made it appear as though he was murdered in order to frame Ursa. When she confronted him, he banished her and told her to stay gone in order to stop influencing their children. In fact, keeping with her storyline in the comics, Ursa does change her appearance, and Zuko meets with her several times throughout the series (removing the amnesia stuff here).

Lu Ten is alive (for a while)--Something I'd enjoy seeing for a minute would be evil Iroh. Let's say Ozai managed to best him in an agni kai for the throne (inspiring Zuko to do this with Azula later on), and Iroh volunteers to go with Zuko on his journey with the hopes of turning him against his father. With time, he develops affection for his nephew and becomes a better father than Ozai was. He believes Lu Ten won't be a threat to Ozai since he now has the throne, but Ozai sends him to help with the Siege of Ba Sing Se, where he ultimately loses his life. This puts Iroh at the crossroads of destiny like Zuko, but he chooses to defend Team Avatar instead. During his imprisonment in the Fire Nation, Iroh tries to calm the turmoil in Zuko's heart, which confuses Zuko due to Iroh's previous speeches and proverbs about power and triumph over his enemies. And I'd also make a rather odd change: both Lu Ten and Iroh are skilled in chi blocking. I definitely feel like Iroh would be well-versed in the art and teach it to his son.

More emphasis on Avatar Roku and Sozin's friendship. Seeing how Roku is Aang's past life and his friendship with Sozin was part of what led to the Hundred Year War, it should definitely take more precedence outside of book 3.

Iroh is Aang's first firebending teacher--This is super weird, I know, but if we're not gonna have Jeong Jeong, I like the idea that while evil (at first), Iroh is still super wise, and does give Aang a few tips on firebending, which he tries on his own, but lacking guidance he burns Katara (or Sokka; it'd feed into his insecurities as a non-bender if he gets hurt and Katara heals him).

Sokka/Zuko and Katara/Azula rivalry--I remember a video once explaining how Sokka and Katara are parallels of Zuko and Azula, given that their mom was gone at an early age and their father influenced them greatly. The big brother wants his father's love and is insecure, while the little sister seems more powerful and has issues regarding her mom. The big difference is that Ozai was a manipulative father while Hakoda was compassionate. In my revision, Zuko wouldn't take Sokka seriously at first since he's a non-bender, highlighting Sokka's concern of being useless, and his growth would make Zuko feel more insecure in turn. Eventually when Zuko joins the team, they often work together. Azula is rational and a prodigy while Katara is emotional and still learning, but Katara gains confidence while Azula loses it. Just like Zuko, Katara sees it as her mission to stop Azula and sees the pain she goes through. I would also gives Azula a bit more frustrated moments to highlight her youth; a lot of people say she's beyond redemption despite only being 14 and the victim of growing up in an emotionally abusive environment.

[skullytotheark]

Hi Hi!

I don't usually share my art here BUT lately i've been growing more comfortable w/ ppl seeing my art [as u can tell w/ latest creepyhornets entry]

So I wanted to share My some drawings i did for my fanfic series!

Click more for Art!

[i have alot of readmores on my post so i can navigate my account easier LOL]

Tobias Rogers / "The Colorado Axeman"

Age: 19 [current/present age in fanfic]

As you may remember from the last time i shared his design, His jacket is heavily inspired by the reboot buttt I did eventually change it to better fit his 'colour pallet' [or colours i associate toby with heavily]. Now having a slight 'foresty' colour pallet associated with him in this canon

Lore:

At this stage Toby is struggling alot w/ his own thoughts on Slender to the point he regrets Becoming a proxy in the first place. After returning to his old burnt down house Toby finds a old metal box that contained his sister's jacket. To this day Toby wears the jacket as asort of comfort and kinda like a pass me down jacket as memories of once were begin to haunt him, Along with 'unsuspected guests"

Age 16 / year one proxy: [Past Toby]

For a very good while i've been struggling w/ a 'year one' toby design but within time the og hoodie grew on me, So i gave him the og hoodie but I removed the blue hood. As you may know, Toby was much younger when he became a proxy in my au. Spending most of his time homeschooled within a tense household

Lore:

At this stage Toby had just killed his father and narrowly escaped, Unknowing hypnotized Toby believes that he owes Slender his LIFE to the point he's willing to serve Slender with every order.

Chernabog / 'Eyeless Jack'

Ever since Chernabog joined Slender as a proxy or servants of sorts. Chernabog or better known as eyeless jack dawns a somewhat iconic / original inspired design. A black jumpsuit along with a balaclava underneath his iconic mask [also i'm still VERY new to drawing plus size characters [im also kinda proud how it came out] and kinda hc him to be slighty plus size. Mostly cuz i wanted him to have a unique silhouette comapired to other characters. That and I also think it'd add to intimidation if you just see this 6'7 silhouette in the darkness watching you]

Lore:

Some time after agreeing to work for the Operator / Slenderman, Chernabog better known as Eyeless Jack. Roams inbetween towns collecting fresh meat not only for the Operator but for himself with his new boss's permission.

I know you've probably seen this but I really like how this came out for being a slightly rushed doodle, Featuring The Operator and my Oc Grimace! Grimace has his own little entry into my fanfic series and will have entries featuring him every now and then!

The Idea for The Operator's design in my au is kinda to be more tree like! In this image the tentacles Slender is known for comes from the roots at the base of his feet [at his feet?? I mean idk if he has feet or not at this current point. I mean he might] he also appears somewhat statue and organic like, As if a human was kinda made from bark, roots and what not. I also just really love drawing Slender like this it's funny

--

That's all I think i can share for Creepyhornets so far But i've been really happy with how some of these drawings are coming out. I dont say it much but i'm extremely proud of the process i've made with this year even though i only just started spending time on practicing how to draw. If I showed u before & after of my art you'd def see alot of progress

Anyway that's all for this post! I'll try to draw some more creepyhornets related stuff eventually! Hopefully draw more of these two since I'm happy with how they came out with my latest drawings

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Sections of the Terfs and "Gender Critical"

'cause the rule is "Know your enemy" and as soon as you make them into one amalgam, you've lost.

So I've been paying attention and they come in these categories...

The Religious Right

There is no such thing as gender.

But women have to be the most oppressed.

Gender and sex are the same thing.

The Religious Right

Usually they are Christians, I haven't really met any of any other religions.

They usually come with the Bible and Bible thumping.

While they are Bible thumping, the people they are most likely to quote, since people have narrowed them to not use Jewish texts... since Jews are not Anti-Trans by an large and people have soundly defeated them about Genesis and what Genesis was truly about--they are likely to quote Peter or Paul, Paul more likely than Peter.

I bothered to read the whole thing for context. And often the people that claim to have read the Bible, don't remember it. I, unfortunately, do and often pull the context from the quotes they pull from.

Paul was the OG incel, at least to me. He had all these opinions about women, but never had any relationships with women. He also was the least liked by his peers according to religious scholars and because of this went off the sulk (these are not my words, BTW, this comes from the mouth of Christian theologians from the Real Face of Jesus documentary, etc). He also never really quoted Jesus in any of his texts. He referred to various speeches in his letters of conversion, but he never really quoted or retold Jesus' stories in any of his work, rather this is more like what he thought Jesus' work meant.

Peter, the said-to-be-first Pope is less likely because the majority of the non-Catholics don't like him as the first Pope. They tend to see him as a sign of corruption of the church, etc. He also tends not to quote Jesus, but if you want the person who made the whole freaking list of long rules in Leviticus into the 10, this is Peter. Peter is also anti-women in many ways and also talks about things like submission—which is useful for a non-Trad Christian type. For the Trad Christian type, they are usually too far gone.

The next likely person they'll pull is Matthew. Matthew, for context did often quote Jesus, but if you read his text in full (for one, he reads like a Jew, at least to me, as a Jew...) He wrote in Hebrew, BTW, which the majority of the people don't read. The majority of the texts are about acceptance of the other. The whole of the ideas is to not limit who can join the Church. And, in fact, he refers to different genders that were outcast at the time, quoting and talking about Jesus accepting those genders. And in Judaism, there are 6 or 8, depending on if you go Torah or Talmud.

Poor Luke... I suppose they don't want to deal with him. The top three are always those three.

Jesus specifically said that all "Eunuchs" (which is a poor translation of the Hebrew, BTW, because it doesn't translate well) were welcome in his Church, though he recognized there were 2 sexes as defined in Genesis. This is probably better defined as men that voluntarily have their organs removed were considered unclean by the Jewish religion at the time. Later texts revised this. (So men who got castrated or vasectomies) And also under this was "men who are impotent" who were allowed in.

They are not considered genders now, because of mainly Thomas Aquinas, who worshiped Aristotle. And if you notice, Aristotle and the Greek Scholars that Thomas Acquinas took from were not Jesus.

Meaning Jesus, the real OG recognized all genders and said they were welcome, while a non-Jesus Christian who worshiped Pagans did not.

Thomas Aquinas also gave the world ideas of women being inferior in Christianity, and the ideas of ensoulment, which are not in the Bible, but taken from Greeks. Greeks who are not Christians, and people should really examine if they want to worship pagans as Christians.

In addition, God wears a Dress on the Sistine chapel several times over. He did not care.

Pink, was only a feminine color after about the 1950's, though it's a bit more complex than that.

But even so, it doesn't matter.

The reason they hate it is because they think it's Bible Tradition, when it's not Also in Matthew is the story of the Good Samaritan which is about a Sumerian traveler who helps a Jew regardless of religion.

They want justification for their feelings of disgust and because they engage so much, they think that the other side is "invading." But the rule is often their quoting is out of context and they didn't read the whole thing, which is the worst game of telephone I've ever seen.

Usually when you say then read me the books of Matthew and direct quotes from Jesus, they lose steam. Because often they haven't read the Bible, and only quoted from what they were given, and fail to see their arguments are really from pagan-lover Thomas Aquinas who was neck deep into agricultural thought at the time and needed to justify the subjugation of women, thus pounding on the idea of only two sexes and genders with women as inferior was useful to him.

Often, too, they are reliant on the English translation, rather than being able to pick up the words, which is why one can defeat their arguments about Genesis easily since Genesis is about the invention of language as gendered, as much as it is about the invention of the world. Thus a Jew can defeat a Christian because often a Christian doesn't know enough about Hebrew of Judaism to understand the full context from which Genesis was birthed. (Maybe intentional; pun). So they don't know the rib is a penis bone aka Baculum, for example. The man and woman part if you understand the Hebrew context is talking about the invention of gendered LANGUAGE and why the language has gender to it. But English lacks for the most part these genders, so the separation doesn't work this way.

Then they lean on Noah, 2 by 2, and then you have lizards that are mostly female and reproduce by Parthenogenesis. The Lesbian lizard, The almost all female Mourning Gecko, for example. There are males, but they are mostly infertile.

There are Christian websites that argue that Jews just don't know their own lore well enough, but most of those also refuse to cite the Hebrew words because if you look up the Hebrew words, the Jews and Hebrews flat out say there are more than 2 genders and then the Christian argument is sunk.

By here, they either rage block while you're having fun knowing the Bible more than them, or they start trying to empty preach at you because they got nothing else. The second you can acall them on because they got nothing and they can't accept what God really said, thus are they Christian or trying to use their religion for hate, which BTW, Paul, ironically had words for. But it also ignores the whole of Matthew's ideas that all should be accepted in their natural state. BTW, if they are conservative--there are always conservative white male politicians you can find who get into grooming scandals or are pro-child marriage recently and statics you can utilize from RAINN.

2. There is no such thing as Gender

This camp believes usually these things:

Sociology is useless because they don't agree with Sociology.

That biology proves their point. (though it doesn't)

Therefore gender doesn't exist. There is no male, not female, no woman no man.

What they want is hardcore proof of the existence of gender itself. Though going a few rounds teasing them they are sounding very agender, which is trans is entertaining. I won't lie, it's not helpful in the long run.

There are science articles about the make up of the brain to show that gender does exist and gets programmed in over time.

BTW, hormones can change a person's sexual orientation, but not their gender. More testosterone makes men more likely to be same-sex attracted.

Yes, the most masculine men are gay, yo. Haha. People will flip outtttt.

While they are claiming they don't like sociology, Sociology also designs the internet, road and most of civilization itself as researchers apply it to make roads better the internet more usable in UX models, etc.

Usually the people who claim to this argument are white men, and they have a poor ability to read the articles in question. So they will try to back behind not having any proof on their side at all by saying well they just don't believe in gender.

This is easily defeated by picking up on socialization cues and they will quit because they won't want to admit anything that might feminize them.

If you ask, did you play dolls and dress up wear pink frilly dresses, because your parents didn't care... you never were called "gay" as an insult as a child... this is about when they will quit because all of those things come from culture. And saying that gender is not socially constructed and doesn't give feedback to you on your behaviors is a path that fragile white man doesn't want to go down.

If they are in defense of Rowling, well, that's even better. Because Rowling is definitely not in this camp.

She's in the next camp.

3. But Women are the most oppressed.

So this camp believes there are men and there are women, and they ARE socialized differently. By and large this is mostly white women. They do not want the religious arguments because they think the Catholic Church are oppressors.

Often they argue things like Trans people are a threat to their well being because Trans people are lying about their gender.

But they also are often coming off the back of a trauma with get this... cis men (usually white). That's the case with Rowling also. She's deflecting her trauma with her ex-husband and father onto trans women because subconsciously they are easier to attack than cis men, because to her, trans women aren't women, but men as a threat.

And it's fair of me to talk about because look, I've gone through r***, and abuse that I probably shouldn't share because it'll trigger someone, but I don't think that her habit of displacing her anger and grief on minority groups is that healthy. She did it with adoption too (which I posted about already).

The core of this is the victim mentality which gets you a TON of attention, which feels *good* after a lot of abuse, but the thing I have to say having gone through it so many freaking times is that high doesn't last long when you're not looking at self-care and perpetuating hate, so you need a new supply of what might feel like schadenfreude, but it isn't.

They think they are being embraced for their traumas with cis men, but they aren't. And I'm here to say they need to reach for survivor because victimhood isn't a good mental space to be and launching yourself into hate campaigns against minorities won't help heal the hurt and pain when you can't take power from your true oppressors. Hate is isolating which is often why on the path of survivorship there is forgiveness asked for.

So, the argument here is to ask them why they won't go after white cis men who oppressed them in the first place and the core of the patriarchy which they are too afraid to fight.

4. Gender and Sex are the same thing.

Usually white again, but I've seen other races mixed in.

So the argument usually says that women are all female and then all men are male (and excuse this language) intersex [people--though this word isn't usually included either.] are mutants only worthy of scorn. (Even if they cover the same population as the population of Mexico as of 2024 in the entirety of the human pop proportionally. Though when facing this fact, they usually hesitate to say that Mexicans don't count in the world pop because they'd get marked for racism.)

This says it's a binary model. If you go test it it usually goes this pathway--you test mourning gecko, they say but that's in REPTILES and REPTILES don't count. Only mammals do.

Which is about time you counter with the Lions that turned masculine.

And the general weirdness of cats in this area.

And then they narrow it to humans.

So the argument goes the gender is the same across the board.

Around here, There is Thai, Native American/Indigenous American, Bugis of Indonesia, and historical articles. And Japanese men use questions which in English are gendered for women. If gender and sex are the same they should be the same internationally, but they aren't so the argument is racist.

Often they try to argue that this gender ideology thing is "new" which is why I usually pull Eleanor Rykener around this time and point out that they were ordered to dress female all their life.

The very gay James I. And also the whole of Shakespeare while we're at it.

Showing changing gender norms over time will often cinch it. Because do thy think wearing silk stockings, a dress, lace, etc is "appropriate" for a man?

Then they usually back into the "Well I don't think children should be groomed and have sex reassignment surgery."

And then there are PLENTY of articles disproving this to be the case and pointing out what puberty blockers are for and the process to get them.

Usually around here, you either get blocked or they try to call in reinforcements.... in which case you should argue that you want to know their opinions, not anyone else's. And then they fold.

The truth is they want to hate someone they think is weak. But if they find a strong opponent it won't be fun for them anymore which is why they usually slink off or try to hit that report button, etc.

BTW, avoid using the word "cis" and use "cys" on Twitter (deadname Twitter hard).

The thing with Terfs which isn't true about the trans community, is if they disagree or see someone taking an argument different from theirs, they abandon them.

The thing about the trans community, is though two people might not agree on what trans-ness is for them, and what it means to them, or how to describe the thing, there isn't abandonment, because there is no thrill or schadenfreude. There is more thrill in sharing stories of being trans itself and sharing the identity. Someone identifies with he/they. I'm not offended at someone who is open pronouns. Someone is a trans woman. I'm not offended as an NB.

But terfs and anti-trans, yo—they jump ship and scold their own fast. It's sharks out there. I've seen it in real time when you win an argument they will turn on that person and try to eat them alive.

[pen-and-umbra]

sephiroth in first soldier ec blew up a few fan boards. ppl are so divided and raging, like jesus HAVENT y'all see the compilation??

To be fair, I have reservations about Sephiroth's portrayal in Ever Crisis, but my dissatisfaction stems from how it is presented rather than what is presented.

Having said that, I can see why EC Sephiroth could have ruffled many feathers. There is a subset of fans who are... Let's say conservative and OG-oriented, why don't we. These people had grown accustomed to seeing Sephiroth as the original FFVII depicted him: aloof, cold, and arrogant, far above the player's level. And why not, post-Nibelheim Sephiroth essentially merges with Jenova and aspires to rule the world, becoming less human and more of an alien demigod.

However, EC rips that mold to shreds. Suddenly, young Sephiroth isn't the arrogant, too-good-to-talk-to-you edgelord that many assumed he was. Sephiroth is sheltered and inexperienced with other people! Sephiroth is modest! Sephiroth expresses regret! Sephiroth does not cling to his heroic legend; instead, he admits that it is a deliberate fabrication. He laughs! He cracks a joke! He doesn't scream "How dare you touch me?!" and instead lets people comfort him! He's suddenly much more than a kid who thought he was better than everyone else. He's a kid who, like any other orphan, wants to find his family. All of this brings him down from the demigod realm, and he's no longer the figure older fans remember from the original.

You could argue that FFVII had numerous sequels, including Crisis Core, and I would agree. EC does not add anything new to the table; rather, it expands on the ideas presented in CC. Sephiroth in Crisis Core has a similar vibe: he's a little awkward, isn't particularly excited about killing, and isn't conceited about his fame. However, in my anecdotal experience, there were people who either skipped CC entirely or thought Sephiroth was prideful due to how the English localization misconstrued certain lines from the game. Last but not least, some people mistake emotional detachment for snobbishness or callousness; a sad but true fact. They consider characters cold if they do not make an overt emotional display, whether it is concern or support.

Then there are those who simply want villains to be villains. And I can understand such a viewpoint, even if I do not personally share it. An explicit, unsympathetic personification of evil is an ideal foundation to bounce off; it makes it easy for the heroes to juxtapose themselves against. It establishes clear objectives and instills a sense of moral superiority in both characters and the audience, and sets up a clear distinction between what is fair and unfair. Finally, it's easier to fight and kill something you don't recognize as a human being. However, by humanizing Sephiroth EC has effectively removed that option from the players and long-standing fans. It's no longer black and white. It's no longer as simple as "Cloud wins because he's always been a better person" and "Sephiroth loses because he's always been a self-important jerk who deserves it." It's in various shades of gray. Sure, there will be those who despise the game for making the villain sympathetic. It takes away our easy sense of moral superiority by asking us:

would we feel/act any different in villain's shoes?

Ultimately, it could be argued that it is an exercise in empathy. Human beings simply dislike being reminded that the bad guys aren't all that different from us.

[alicole-sideblog]

Getting sexually exploited by Rhaenyra is very Lancelot of Criston

In The Knight of the Cart (the OG Guinevre/Lancelot story, for more background see here) the knights bring no camping equipment with them on their quest. Every night they find a host to stay with. (I have no idea whether this was a real custom of travelers in a time where sacred hospitality was big, or whether this is merely a literary trope.)

On the second night of his quest, Lancelot stays with a woman who offers to host him — if and only if he has sex with her. She (like most minor characters in this story) is not named, but I will call her Horny Hostess for clarity.

Horny Hostess: Sire, my house is prepared for you, if you will accept my hospitality, but you shall find shelter there only on condition that you will lie with me; upon these terms I propose and make the offer. Lancelot: Damsel, I thank you for the offer of your house, and esteem it highly, but, if you please, I should be very sorry to lie with you. Horny Hostess: By my eyes, then I retract my offer. Lancelot: *he, since it is unavoidable, lets her have her way, though his heart grieves to give consent*

So they have dinner together, then Lancelot goes for a walk. He comes back to find another knight holding Horny Hostess naked and pinned to the bed. She shouts to Lancelot for help. He fights the man off. Then more men charge into the room, and Lancelot is preparing to fight them all, many-on-one. Then Horny Hostess claps her hands and dismisses them. They're her knights, and this whole thing was a farce staged to test Lancelot's character.

So now it's time for Horny Hostess and Lancelot to have sex. The narration really stresses and lingers upon the point that Lancelot does not want to do this. He is super uncomfortable about this. But he's already said he'll do it, and he can't back out now because he's really into the "I gave my word" variety of honor.

The damsel lay down first, but without removing her chemise. He had great trouble in removing his hose and in untying the knots. He sweated with the trouble of it all; yet, in the midst of all the trouble, his promise impels and drives him on. Is this then an actual force? Yes, virtually so; for he feels that he is in duty bound to take his place by the damsel's side. It is his promise that urges him and dictates his act. So he lies down at once, but like her, he does not remove his shirt. He takes good care not to touch her; and when he is in bed, he turns away from her as far as possible, and speaks not a word to her, like a monk to whom speech is forbidden. Not once does he look at her, nor show her any courtesy.

Then he waxes poetic in his head for a while about how he's a monogamous simp for Guinevere and not interested in anyone else.

And then Horny Hostess changes her mind:

The maiden clearly sees and knows that he dislikes her company and would gladly dispense with it, and that, having no desire to win her love, he would not attempt to woo her. So she said: "My lord, if you will not feel hurt, I will leave and return to bed in my own room, and you will be more comfortable. I do not believe that you are pleased with my company and society. Do not esteem me less if I tell you what I think. Now take your rest all night, for you have so well kept your promise that I have no right to make further request of you. So I commend you to God; and shall go away." Thereupon she arises: the knight does not object, but rather gladly lets her go, like one who is the devoted lover of some one else;

How would this whole exchange have been understood by the original audience (1100s French nobles)? I have no idea, I'm no medievalist. Just to guess, based on stereotypes here — take this with a bunch of salt — I would assume that the faked situation (a woman physically forced by a man) would be considered rape. Horny Hostess uses the phrase "he will wrong me before thy eyes" to describe it. I assume the real situation (a man interpersonally forced by a woman) would not be considered such. I doubt they'd have any words for it at all.

So I find it interesting — and heartening! — that even without the criminalizing language of today, the idea that "strong-arming a reluctant person into sex is not something you should do" is still obvious and intuitive! This is not contingent upon a contemporary sexual ethics worldview. You can start from somewhere else and still arrive at the conclusion that people ought not treat each other that way.

In conclusion:

Lancelot and Criston become the targets of sexual exploitation by women whose favor they logistically need.

There's some parallel to be drawn between Horny Hostess's fake rape test-of-character for Lancelot, and Rhaenyra turning to Criston after Daemon ditches her. Lancelot and Criston are perceived by the women as safe and biddable. This makes them ripe for exploitation.

The endings diverge. Horny Hostess backs out at the last minute, and this is the soft, everything-works-out-in-the-end version. Rhaenyra actually does it, and this is the harsh, everything-just-gets-worse-and-worse version, because that's the vibe of Planetos.

[misc-obeyme]

Smart Mc...

I know I have no choice in this but... What about my job and house? I can't leave for a year and expect to still have my job and house, plus if I do, my bills are gonna skyrocket....

Diavolo who didn't think of that:

Lucifer who also didn't think:

Barb who did think but wanted to see how it played out:

So... Uh.... I can't risk... You know... Being homeless after I get back...

Seriously though, how did that work out.

Bows for barb

OH.

I have thought about this. I have written about this in response to an ask before, I think, though it's been a while and I'm wayyyy too lazy to go find it lol.

But this is something I have thought about a lot because that is me.

I have a full time job that I will lose if I just stop showing up. I also have a house with a mortgage that I will also lose if I stop paying said mortgage. I live alone so if I'm not paying the mortgage, nobody is! I would indeed be homeless and unemployed upon returning to the human world.

I mean, yeah, they'll turn off the water and electricity and all that, too, but there won't even be a house if I don't pay the mortgage for a year. And the mortgage company can't get a hold of me? My family can't either? Or my job? Completely MIA as far as anyone can tell?

They're gonna assume I got murdered. Or maybe kidnapped. Or that I just decided to walk off into the woods never to be seen or heard from again.

Now I don't think they'd have me legally declared dead in a year's time. But I'd probably come back to find an open and active police investigation because my family reported me missing.

And even if all that doesn't happen, I will, at the very least, be unemployed and homeless.

This is the first thing I personally would discuss upon being summoned into the Devildom and told I was part of some random exchange program. I'd be like hang on, what about my job and my house, huh? Don't get me wrong, I am all about this, I love the idea of demons and angels and magic, I want to stay. But you'll either have to pay off my mortgage so I don't lose my house and I dunno... find me a new job when I get back or somehow secure my current one (good luck lol) OR allow me to stay here for the rest of my natural life...

Anyway, sorry to rant but this is something I have thought about too much.

I like to think that they've somehow worked out these details. Diavolo owns a corporation in the human world, right? Maybe he just hires MC as a virtual assistant so they can work from anywhere. And he does pay off any mortgage or rent or whatever they need while they're in the Devildom.

That'd be nice. While he's at it, do you think he would pay to have my house painted? I've been wanting to do that for a while. It needs a new fence, too. And I need to have several bushes removed. I could also do with a new backsplash in the kitchen. And the shower needs to be recaulked...

Or he could just replace it with a nice mansion, I'd be okay with that, too. SPOILER for OG Season Three but they do give MC Serenity Manor, so. It's not like it's totally out of the question!!!