#a map does appeal to me

[bsptourist]

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created by RileySV

[skuaclan]

skuaclan is not dead btw im still passionate about this blog im just fighting for my life (doing a university dissertation). will be back and see yous on the other side hopefully

[havenpelt]

maybe this is my ""hot take"" for the warrior cats community, but are we really as a fandom complaining about the songs people are using in maps?

i can understand it from a "there should be more diverse music used" standpoint, but getting genuinely upset with younger people in the fandom using hazbin hotel songs or making the 100th rasputin map or whatever isn't the way to get your point across-

(the only reason you should really be mad at kids using hazbin hotel songs is the fact that they're kids using hazbin songs, kids need to get as far away from that as possible, it is a very adult show- not overly relevant but thought i should get that fact out of the way; or i guess people probably shouldn't be making maps using poison, that is the least appropriate song you should be using at all, but at the very least hazbin songs as a whole are just not thematically appropriate regardless of the fact that they're too mature for kids to be using)

the same goes for tearing into people for their music tastes

i thought there were more adults in this fanbase, but considering the amount of people i've seen have that attitude makes me begin to consider otherwise

is there REALLY no better way to get across the message that there should be more diverse songs used in warrior cats maps? i guarantee you, people will be 100% more willing to get on board with that if you stopped tearing other people, their music tastes, and their own projects apart

i also think that there's a serious problem with people in the map community being put on a pedestal-

i think people are forgetting that the warrior cats map community is a part of a fandom and ISN'T a funded studio making full tv shows or whatever, you all need to really stop talking and thinking about it like that, do you not realize how harmful that is?

the warrior cats map community is a group of warrior cats fans who like to animate characters from a book series to music they like, THAT'S IT

the people in the community are not celebrities and the majority of them are doing it for fun in their spare time and do not plan to be/are not professional animators or creators and on top of that, many of them are beginners or kids looking to have fun so trying to tear into them for having fun doesn't make you anything other than an absolute ass in my mind

it's one thing to go "man, why are there so many hazbin hotel maps popping up? what about hazbin hotel screams 'turn me into a warrior cats animation' at all?"

but it's another to start loudly complaining about how "UGH THERE'S NO GOOD WARRIOR CATS MAPS ANYMORE, I WISH SOMEONE WOULD START MAKING GOOD WARRIOR CATS ANIMATIONS AGAIN LIKE *insert whatever maps you want*"

i would like to remind you, warrior cats maps are fan projects- you are also a fan! make that map you have an idea for!

"but what if no one joins it? what if not enough people join and it doesn't get made? what if i fail completely? the warrior cats map community is hard to get into"

valid concerns! but isn't at the very least *trying* better than sitting on twitter loudly complaining and waiting for someone to do something for you? that sounds much more fulfilling to me at least, and even then you can try again!

maybe it's just my corner of the internet, but i don't see a whole lot of people advertising their maps, i see people *complaining* that not enough people are making maps that they want to see and i think that's something that should really change

i WANT to see more diverse and creative warrior cats maps, but i also don't want to stop seeing people making the maps that they want to make, whether that be the millionth mapleshade map to a breakup song! i don't care, let people have fun and make what they want to make as long as they're not hurting anyone!

[treesah]

So an acquaintance of mine who is Korean and is an active member of an Evangelical Christian congregation just posted that he is very disappointed in Christians who support Israel’s apartheid state and their genocide of the Palestinians because they are purposely “blinded by false interpretations of Revelations and hold themselves separate from the line of Sarah”

I really would not like to know more about the Bible than I was forced to learn in AP English Literature for the allusions and it is absolutely wild to me that we are talking about the genocide Israel is committing in any regard except in a secular humanist, international law violations kind of way. Like who the fuck cares about a story round-robinned a couple thousand years ago by a bunch of different authors whose prose is vastly inferior to its contemporaries (like Homer’s epics)??

[emarezi-backup]

burnout from genshin is SO REAL. i keep finding flaws in this game and so so many things that i wish had been designed differently

[tossawary]

Recent "Star Trek" reboot universes have really tried to sell me on three different romances for Spock with other TOS characters whom he did not have romantic relationships (at least not positive ones) with in TOS, which makes it particularly annoying when some fans try to squirm away from the idea of ST ever doing a future reboot or remake in which Spock/Kirk are explicitly queer.

Like, "But it's not in the original! They want to be faithful to the original!" really, REALLY does not pass the "I think you might just be discomforted by queerness and you should work on that, rather than making appeals to the authority of textual accuracy to avoid being called a homophobe or transphobe" check here. Because it's not as though these reboots care about perfect faithfulness on pretty much any other front. We'll accept that the costumes and special effects get updated to move with the times, we'll accept wildly different characterization choices that essentially give these characters new personalities, we'll accept new timelines that change the entire political map of the galaxy, but you as a fan draw the line at "What if this character was bisexual this time?" Really???

To be clear, I am not trying to dunk on Spock/Uhura, Spock/Chapel, or Spock/T'Pring here, I am merely trying to illustrate a frustrating double-standard. TOS Uhura does notably flirt with Spock several times! I see it! I remember TOS Chapel's feelings for Spock being one-sided, but I also don't think it's a bad thing to try to update TOS's more misogynistic writing choices regarding female characters. TOS T'Pring did... kind of try to kill Spock because she didn't want to marry him, but again, I don't necessarily think it's immediately a bad thing to try to explore her as a character and her betrothal to Spock. It's fine! It's fine by me to explore new takes in new AUs.

It's just that none of that evidence from TOS for those relationships holds much of a candle to whatever the fuck Kirk and Spock had going on to inspire The Premise. "Amok Time" is an Experience. There's only so many times that Kirk can say something like, "The cost [of abandoning Spock] would have been my soul," before you want to put your face in your hands. They are taking shiny pebbles from TOS and trying their very best to sell them to me as the basis for romantic relationships in reboots, sure, while they are standing in the shadow of Spirk Evidence Mountain (TOS).

(Yes, I have seen the recent "Unification" short film. Yes, I enjoyed it. No, I will not consider Spirk "officially canon" until all plausible deniability for the squirmy folks has been completely, explicitly destroyed by a HUMAN kiss onscreen.)

And okay, I must admit, at the moment, I don't actually want Spirk to eventually happen in "Strange New Worlds" now that they've finally met. I'm mostly indifferent to their Spock and Kirk actors, personally, and the writing for every canonical romantic relationship in both SNW and "Discovery" so far has gotten a solid "well, they certainly are standing next to each other" from me. (Yes, even the gay marriage in "Discovery". I just haven't been into it so far.) I think the writers would fumble Spirk if they tried it in this specific show and then annoying fans would use the fumble as "evidence" never to try to do Spirk or queer retakes on other TOS characters ever again, or as "proof" against other queer ST in other shows characters generally.

I'm mostly just mildly annoyed that I have to keep watching Spock specifically, famously read by many people as a queer man, be straight and messy about it, especially when there has not really been a significant queer relationship onscreen in SNW yet, unless you count M'Benga's daughter Rukiya and her glow cloud friend named Debra, which I personally don't, honestly. I'd like an onscreen relationship with a main character with zero plausible deniability. There's definitely nothing yet that comes remotely close to the screentime that Spock/Chapel, Spock/T'Pring, and Kirk/La'an have all been given so far, unfortunately. (Sulu is not here yet. Scotty has just shown up. If Scotty gets to make out with a guy next season, or Uhura or Ortegas gets to make out with a lady, without it being part of some god-like-being's fantasy world, then I may be satisfied.) (Also, yes, I am aware of queer characters and relationships in other "Star Trek" shows, thanks. I very much enjoyed Mariner having her incredibly silly breakup with her girlfriend in "Lower Decks".)

"Star Trek" is one of those properties where some people's double-standards regarding romantic interpretations of the original series really jump out. "They can't do Kirk/Spock because they want to be faithful to the original!" Get real.

[portgasdwrld]

Strawhat reactions to a chiropractor or massage therapist joining their crew? (Sfw) I know they get injured and could use it.

I love those random ideas lately 😭helps me out if my writer block💕

📂Strawhat + chiropractor/massage therapist reader joining their crew

Mostly them reacting to you proposing them a session

Luffy

He’s so fucking excited. He’s jumping everywhere, begging to be your first client. He’s already laying down in your office to have his body cracked, but then you realize as you do it that his body is literally made of rubber and it’s impossible for you to work on him. When you tell him the news, he’s whining and tells you to try again😭 He’s all pouty so you decide to massage him and that put him out to sleep real quick. He went from sulking to sleeping. When he woke up, he commented about how good this was and truly he never felt this alive in a while.

Zoro

He would totally refuse at first and complain about how he doesn’t need it and how he only needs to rest a little (a good nap), and he will be fine. But then you actually try to convince him to do it, as you saw how much his body had to go through with his training, the battles, his poor sleep position… He finally agrees only after Chopper tells him how it can better his performance and make him feel more relaxed. He barely admits that it did in fact made him feel better, but now he jumps to the occasion whenever you propose it 🚶🏻‍♀️

Nami & Robin

The girls are so freaking happy especially Nami. She pretty much asks you for a session whenever she feels sore after working hard on maps or when she had to fight. She chats to you about life and tell you some gossips. She loves to make conversation and treat it a bit like a spa day.

Robin was down to try it, but she usually use her devil fruit if she feels sore somewhere and need to release some built up tension, because of stress or battles. Basically, she never needed someone for that, but after Nami told her how amazing you were, she gave it a try. She’s mostly silent and take this time to relax her body and empty her thoughts.

Usopp

He’s a bit scared at first because he heard some people talk about horror stories at the chiropractor. He heard some people got their bones cracked with no going back to normal or how some doctor were secretly psychopath 💀💀💀 To say the least, he really didn’t see the appeal to risk his life like this 😔 If you poke fun at his ego, he might do it just to prove it to you that he isn’t scared (his legs are shaking the moment he enters your office). He has difficulty relaxing which put you off , You have to wait for couple minutes, make him sips some relaxing tea. When it finally happens, he’s bragging about how cool it is and how everyone should do it🙄 there is legit nothing to be scared off pfff???

Sanji

I don’t know why, but I get the feel Sanji would somewhat be shy 😭 When you ask him if he wanna have a session to help with his stress, he would just look at you like 😳?? He would try to make analogy to food, like it’s a bit like how he hit(?) the meat before cooking it so it’s tender, but in that case it’s gonna make him relaxed. You kinda just stare and nod because whut 😭 He honestly could use it with all the cooking he does and the fights. He loved it but he got flustered a lot. He was red-shy when he left 🚶🏻‍♀️

Brook

He’s a skeleton.

Franky

Finally FRANKYYY, this man was BORN for this. He is so excited and is so talkative. He asks you when you started and why did it became your profession. He pretty much tell you to only focus on the back of his body because it’s less solid than the rest of his cyborg body. So you went in for a massage and he’s really vocal through it. As it ends, he tells you he’s happy you joined and he will be a regular which makes you laugh because you two are literally on the same boat lol 😭

[raidenautism]

i think there’s something that’s just so intimate about the idea of L having a partner who’s just as inquisitive as he is.

he’s the type of guy who wants to understand everything about everything, and everything about you.

so it shouldn’t be surprising that L sees a genuine and enveloping appeal to the idea of having a partner who’s just as open minded and curious as he is. maybe you’re not as blunt or as socially awkward in the same way that he is, but your brains function and perform on a level that just compliment each other so perfectly that it leaves you both satisfied at the end of the day, even if you don’t exchange more than a few brief words.

having that extra perspective that pans out the idea map to such a great scale is just something that he can’t get enough of. you make for an exceptional companion, he says, which doesn’t seem to be very intimate at all, but since his brain is consistently in a logical state of mind, you understand that his words mean much more than what they tangibly present themselves as.

the concept of having a partner who thinks in such a similar, yet different fashion than him is something he can only describe as feeling whole. the other half he didn’t know he was missing, the half he can no longer live without.

of course, he thinks dependency is unhealthy, as do you. but your closeness is so unmatched that you just begin to think of each other as an extension of one’s own self.

it’s hard not to, you prompt discussions with each other about even the most trivial of subjects. so what if you don’t play minesweeper the same way he does? well, he thinks the way you play is nonsensical. why not go for a quick time instead of flagging every mine?

yes i wholeheartedly believe that L is a sweephead are you kidding me he’s exactly the type. sweepheads stay winning btw

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

sex q. im trying to figure out what makes the hassle of hookups worth it to ppl (and thus if worth to me). but what is the appeal of having sex w another person vs just masturbating? i get the romance angle, but clearly thats not all thats going on since ONSs exist.

im 23nb and still a virgin and am wondering if im missing out on smth fun, but the amnt of fun others get out of it does not map to what i can imagine? insight into this great mystery would be appreciated

the poetic answer is that much in the same way that a delicious meal can be enjoyed perfectly well alone, it is also often very pleasurable to share your time and space with others. while you may have more exacting control over a meal taken alone, guests bring with them companionship, conversation, ideas, observations, and jokes that would not have been present otherwise, and may even contribute some of their own dishes to the meal that turn out to be your new favorite thing. ditto for things like watching movies, going grocery shopping, taking walks, etc. the fact of the matter is that many activities that can be done by yourself are just as fun for different reasons when shared with someone else.

the practical answer is that I'd have a hell of a time trying to eat myself out, wouldn't I?

[leaentries]

the moon & its stars | luke hughes

summary: luke “knows a spot” hughes

a/n: i’m so so so so soft for luke right, it’s not even funny. also im sorry if this is inaccurate, i don’t know the geography of new jersey and i don’t want to look it up

The car ride was bumpy and long. And you were getting frustrated.

Your night began early, since the Devils had a couple days off from their normal activities. Luke and yourself had every intention of staying cooped up in his apartment, wrapped in blankets..or the more appealing option: each other.

However, this didn’t last long as Jack bursted through the door with some of the guys claiming that he had called dibs on the apartment for the night. Luke tried his best to reason, more like argue, with Jack, but to no avail. Instead of sticking around the loud environment, Luke simply grabbed your hand and his keys and walked the both of you to his car.

“Where are we going, Lukey?” Your voice echoed through the empty parking garage.

“Don’t worry, I know a spot.”

You rolled your eyes at his response, “Luke, I’m serious. This is kidnapping.”

He turned to face you as he stood by the black car, “I can’t kidnap you if you’re not a kid, angel.”

“Then this is abduction.” You huffed.

Luke just smiled before placing a kiss on your cheek and ushering you inside the car.

❥.

Soft country music lulled in the background as Luke’s hand rested on your thigh comfortably. You watched as the buildings of Newark got smaller, your brows furrowed. Looking at the clock, you noticed you had been driving for at least an hour.

Breaking the peaceful atmosphere, you try to wear down Luke’s resolve.

“Lukey, can you please tell me where we are going. We are completely out of the city at this point.”

Luke laughed, squeezing your thigh lightly, “I promise we’re almost there, angel. Just a few more minutes.”

You groaned, going back to looking out of your window.

Another few minutes passed before Luke pulled up to an empty clearing. You looked around suspiciously.

“Oh my god, you actually fucking abducted me.”

Luke let out a breath, “Would you stop with that, woman. Get out of the car.”

You have him a dumbfounded look, “Out there?” You gestured towards the unknown territory, “I’ll die.”

“Oh for heavens sake, y/n. Come on.” Luke took it upon himself to open your door and help guide you into the outdoors. He walked over to the back of the car and popped open his trunk.

“I found this place one night with Nemo and Holtzy. We were bored and just started driving around. It was actually sort of traumatic.”

He grabbed a red and white blanket out of the car, “Holtz had google maps pulled up, but somehow got it turned around and going the wrong way. Next thing we know my tires’ blown out and we had to pull over here.”

You helped close the car door as you followed him further into the clearing, “How come you’ve never told me this story?”

He shrugged, “Don’t know, I guess I wanted to surprise you one day.”

You smiled at his confession. Even the little things he does is enough to make your insides all warm.

Luke continued a for a short while, before laying the blanket down and plopping himself right on top. He looked up at you expectingly, patting the spot next to him.

“C’mon, angel. I won’t bite.” He smirked at you.

“That,” You laid out next to him, “Is a lie. You have bit me before.”

Luke shrugged once more, brushing off your statement, “The past is the past, baby. Let’s focus on the present.”

“I genuinely dislike you.”

Luke gave you a cheeky smile in return.

He moved to lie on his back, gently pulling your body to lie on-top of him. You snuggled closer to his warmth, taking in the sound of his steady heartbeat and the smell of his cologne.

You closed your eyes for a moment, before you felt Luke’s nose nudge into your hair.

“Hmm?” You hummed out to him.

“Look up at the sky, angel.”

Peeking your eyes open, you looked up. You felt your breath disappear as millions of stars shone back at you in their blazing glory. It was very rare to see a sky full of brightness like this back in the city. You wished you could take a picture, to be able to frame this moment forever. But you knew nothing could bet do it justice.

You were speechless. Nothing you could say or do would be able to show how happy you were in the moment.

“You’re my moon, ya know?” Luke’s voice came out in a hushed whisper, “Something that brings light to the darkness. And helps guide me through the night.”

You sat up as he continued talking.

“I always feel connected to you when I look at the moon. Even when we are apart. Sometimes when I’m back in Michigan, I’ll look up at the moon when I miss you.”

Your chest clenched at his vulnerability. You don’t think you could ever love someone as much as you loved the boy in front of you.

“If i’m your moon, then you’re my stars.” You smiled at him, “Because one is never without the other.”

Luke felt his throat tighten with emotion, quickly pulling your face down to his. The both of you remained there until early into the morning, relishing in each other and the night sky.

The drive home was soft and warm, the glow of the early sun kissing your face. What the night brought had been changing for you and Luke, feeling closer to each other than you ever thought possible.

But, after-all, the moon is never without its stars.

[valkyyriia]

Trecento

Words: 3500+ CW: Female-bodied Reader, Bondage, Daddy Kink, Spitroasting, Cuckolding (for a bit; consensual), Blowjobs, Cunnilingus, Cum Swallowing, Established Relationship (Comte x Reader) with Third Party Sexual Partner (Leonardo) | NSFW Pairing: Comte de Saint-Germain x Reader x Leonardo Da Vinci

Note: I saw that screenshot and I kinda took it and ran with it. I have no idea where the screenshot even came from other than I saw it and had an idea, haha.

Screenshot in question included at the bottom.

A huge thank you to @natimiles and @candied-boys for some ideas and the support while I was writing this. You guys are amazing!

Also posted on AO3 here.

"C'mon, cara mia," Leonardo purred, gently grasping your chin and forcing your gaze to his. "Looks like Daddy says I have to tie you up. But in a fun way this time."

Leonardo took ahold of le Comte's discarded clip-on tie and wrapped the silk around your wrists and through the bedframe, finishing the knot with a bow.

Leonardo threw you a crooked grin, his fingers running sensually over the golden fabric binding your wrists above your head. He checked the tightness, making sure it was secure enough to hold but not enough to hurt.

“Does that feel okay?” He asked, eyes the color of burnished amber searching your face for any signs of discomfort.

You pulled on the binding, testing its fastness and making sure it wouldn’t cut or otherwise injure you. The last thing you needed was to end up with an open wound while in a room with two extremely horny pureblooded vampires. To your delight, while the smooth fabric of le Comte’s tie held your wrists securely, it was a comfortable kind of restraint. Something you could get used to.

You nodded, and Leonardo smirked, looking over his shoulder at the other vampire in the room.

Le Comte de Saint-Germain, in his shirt and trousers, overcoat discarded and clip-on tie binding your wrists together, sat behind both of you in his armchair. His golden gaze alighted on you, sat so demurely on his bed. The look in his eyes was a mix of unbridled lust and pure adoration as his eyes raked over your figure.

He crossed his legs and leaned back, ready to watch the show.

“Remember, if you feel uncomfortable at any point, just tell me and I will stop, no questions asked,” Leonardo implored, forcing you to look at him. “What’s our safe word?”

”Le chat noir,” you breathed.

“That’s a good girl,” Leonardo replied, tousling your hair affectionately. He then gave you a devilish smirk, leaning in to capture your lips with his. “Time to let Daddy watch you for once,” Leonardo growled, pulling away from you.

Leonardo’s large hands expertly unbuttoned your blouse, parting the fabric to reveal the voluptuous swells hidden beneath. A thumb, calloused from centuries of painting and drawing, teased the tip of your nipple, causing your back to arch as you hissed.

“Bellissima,” he murmured. “Molto bellissima.” Leonardo looked over his shoulder again at le Comte, who was watching you both with rapt attention. “I was surprised when you suggested I join you both this evening, ‘Comte’, but I can’t say I had never thought about it.” His other hand caressed your bare side.

You couldn’t lie either; you had certainly had the thought before as well, but never once considered it would ever come to pass. Leonardo’s very being oozed sex appeal, from the hands that had created some of history’s greatest masterpieces to the beautiful, mysterious amber of his eyes, to the toned muscles of his form. You would have to have been blind to not find him attractive, and even then you weren’t sure; the low baritone of his voice was alluring on its own.

Frankly, it wasn’t fair.

Leonardo’s gloved hands explored your body as if it were a work of art, mapping every feature to memory. The attention normally would have embarrassed you, but between your hands being suspended above your head and the exquisite pleasure he was giving you just by caressing your skin, it wasn’t like you could hide your face. All you could do was gasp in response.

“I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet, cara mia, and you’re already whining for more,” Leonardo teased, grasping your breast and giving it a squeeze. You arched at the contact and the feeling of his glove against your sensitive skin, pulling at your restraints. The golden silk of Comte’s clip-on tie held fast. You whimpered, rubbing your thighs together.

The thought of your partner watching his best friend touch you in the most intimate ways made every touch, every glance, all the more gratifying. You made eye contact with him over Leonardo’s shoulder, noting the darkened haze of desire in them. He looked at you and licked his lips. You saw the barest hint of a fang peeking out from his mouth. The added eroticism from seeing your partner’s raw desire like this caused warmth to pool in your belly.

Le Comte was so graciously allowing you to sleep with his very hot best friend. The least you could do is make it more fun for him, too.

You looked up at Leonardo imploringly. Fortunately, the other vampire was good at non-verbal communication, and responded with a cheeky grin and a wink before leaning forward, his lips settling on your neck. His tongue lathed over the smooth skin there as he mouthed along your pulse point. You gasped at the sharp pain before whining as Leonardo’s tongue soothed the red mark he left behind. His fingers gently brushed against the inflamed skin.

“Bellissima,” Leonardo repeated, voice reverent.

You could hear le Comte shifting in his chair, the leather creaking as he moved. Your gaze drifted back to your partner. He was wholly focused on Leonardo’s lips and hands at the moment, watching how they caressed and kneaded your flesh in ways that only he had done before. You could see how his pants were growing tighter and watched as he swallowed hard, his fingers digging into the plush fabric of his armchair as though he were having to hold himself back.

Considering this entire situation was his idea in the first place, you’d have expected him to be less possessive. You were pleasantly surprised to find out that you were wrong on that front.

“You make the most exquisite noises, cara mia,” Leonardo whispered against your heated flesh. “I want to hear you screaming so loudly you can’t speak tomorrow.”

Leonardo’s lips drifted further down your chest, taking a peaked nipple between the blunted edges of his teeth. You arched further, pushing your breast further into his mouth as you struggled against the fabric of your restraints. Leonardo’s free hand massaged the neglected flesh of your other breast before switching sides, his talented fingers teasing your saliva-dampened nipple.

“Leonardo,” you breathed. “You’re such a tease.”

He released your nipple with a lewd pop, looking at you with a Cheshire grin. “Have I ever given you any indication otherwise, cara mia?” His fingers dipped below the waistband of your skirt, slowly easing the fabric off of your hips and maintaining eye contact while doing so.

The sinful look in his eye caused you to clench around nothing, your thighs shifting in discomfort.

He sat back, fully admiring the view. You made to close your legs but Leonardo clicked his tongue, his hands quickly moving to hold them apart, his thumbs caressing your inner knees. “Maybe we should have gotten ties for her legs as well, ‘Comte’.”

“I’ll have a word with my tailor in the morning,” le Comte replied instantly, his voice deep with desire.

You bit your lip in response. With Leonardo holding your knees apart, there was no rubbing your thighs together to relieve any pressure, nor could you hide your arousal.

Leonardo’s hands moved up your thighs, his thumbs running over the soft flesh there. “You truly are beautiful, cara mia,” Leonardo murmured. He released your legs, sitting back for a moment and shucking off his shirt, followed by his fingerless gloves. He left his pants on for now, turning his head to look at le Comte. You adjusted yourself so you could see your partner as well.

Le Comte’s breathing was ragged, his nostrils flared; his eyes had darkened to the point they almost appeared black in the already dim lighting of the room. The vampire’s fingers were harshly gripping his armchair as he watched the both of you. From your position you could see the glint of Comte’s fangs peeking out over his bottom lip.

You shuddered. Le Comte’s gentleman façade was all but gone, replaced with the visage of a hungry, possessive vampire.

“Are you sure this is still what you want? It’s not too late to stop,” Leonardo asked his friend. His tone was amused, but you also knew he would stop if asked to. By either of you. You inadvertently let out a small sound of protest, causing Leonardo to chuckle under his breath.

He released the arms of his chair, leaning back in the plush seat as he breathed deeply, trying to re-center himself. “Continue,” Comte finally said, voice clipped.

Leonardo grinned coyly, his attention back on you. “We’re almost there, cara mia,” Leonardo purred, his now completely bare fingers settling on your calves. “You’ll get what you want soon.” He hooked a hand around the back of a calf, tossing it over his shoulder as he gazed at you hungrily. The deep amber of his eyes was almost like molten gold, smoldering with a barely restrained desire of his own.

You gulped. When agreeing to this situation your mind had glossed over the fact that both of your partners were in fact pureblooded vampires, instead focusing on the fact that two extremely attractive men with several centuries’ worth of sexual experience desired you enough to share you. Damned hormones.

Leonardo pressed a kiss to the inside of your knee, slowly kissing further and further towards your weeping folds. He dragged his fangs across the meat of your inner thigh, sending a shiver up your spine, a breathy whine escaping your throat.

Leonardo pressed a couple more open mouthed kisses to your inner thighs, eagerly tasting of the moisture dampening them, before swiping his tongue straight through your glistening center.

You gasped and moaned loudly, throwing your head back. You pulled at your restraints, wanting nothing more than to card your fingers through Leonardo's thick hair. Unable to do so, you instead locked eyes with le Comte, your eyes glazing over in pleasure as his best friend tasted every last inch of you.

Through your own haze of lust, you could barely make out the shape of your partner watching you, completely enraptured. His hand had drifted to the crotch of his pants and he had begun to lazily palm himself through the fabric. Every time a sound fell from your lips, Comte would squeeze his shaft through his pants.

Leonardo eagerly lapped at your folds, his tongue sweeping away your wetness. You whimpered as he slid a bare finger inside your aching entrance. “More,” you begged, your thighs spreading apart as though to invite him in further. Leonardo obliged with a sensual chuckle, slipping another finger inside of you all the way to the knuckle. The throaty vibrations spreading across your sensitive flesh was almost more than you could take, but you continued to endure.

Looking back at your partner once again, you saw one of Comte’s fangs digging into his lower lip. His eyes snapped up to yours when he noticed you looking at him. The look on his face was familiar; he was barely holding onto a semblance of restraint at the moment. You weren’t sure he’d be able to take much more before -

Your thoughts were cut off as Leonardo chose that moment to seal his lips around your clit, sucking hard on the sensitive nub. You let out a strangled cry at the sensation, your eyes falling closed in bliss as you clenched hard around Leonardo’s long fingers and you came on Leonardo’s skilled tongue. Your fingertips dug harshly into the smooth silk of Comte’s tie as you writhed around on your partner’s bed, simultaneously chasing the pleasure and trying to avoid overstimulation.

Leonardo finally pulled away from your pussy, releasing your clit with a wet pop. Your chest was heaving as you opened your eyes and turned your attention back to Leonardo. He grinned up at you from between your thighs, your slick coating his lips and chin. The sight was so sinfully erotic that you thought you might be able to come a second time just from the view.

There was just something about coming on your partner’s best friend’s face while the man in question willingly watched it happen; perhaps it was how utterly taboo the situation was, or maybe it was just the thrill of trying something new, but you were more turned on than you remember ever being before.

You looked up to see Comte’s reaction to everything that had just happened and were somewhat surprised to see that he had tugged his pants open and had his thick length in his hand, his thumb almost absentmindedly running over the swollen head. The tip of it was glistening with his own fluid, the sight making your mouth water. You wanted to taste him, feel his heavy cock slide along your tongue as he -

Leonardo pressed a kiss to the inside of your thigh, drawing your attention away from Comte and back to the vampire between your legs. “Are you ready for me, cara mia?” He asked, voice deepened with lust. You shivered and nodded your assent, unable to speak.

He pulled away from you and reached down to his pants, pulling apart the fastenings. Leonardo hissed as his erection was freed from its confines and he stroked it twice in anticipation, kicking his trousers off the rest of the way. You just barely caught a glance of the proud length jutting out from his hips, but your inner walls contracted in anticipation. He was longer than Comte, and at least as thick. Before you could really think about it, he settled himself between your legs, his flushed head pressing against your slick folds.

“Remember, just say the word and I’ll stop,” Leonardo reminded you as he dragged his cock through the wetness pooling between your legs, the tip catching on your entrance as he did so.

“I know,” you breathed. With a grunt, Leonardo’s length pushed inside of you, stretching your walls even more than his fingers had. You and Leonardo both moaned at the feeling, your head thrashing to the side as he filled you completely. He rocked his hips a couple of times experimentally before grabbing ahold of the backs of your thighs and pushing on them, folding you in half. You made unfocused eye contact with Comte, watching as the other vampire pumped his fist in time with Leonardo’s thrusts. The fingers of Comte’s other hand were digging into the arm of his chair again, his own eyes glazed over as he watched Leonardo impale you over and over again.

You whimpered and tugged on your bindings, attention returning to Leonardo, wanting to grasp onto the vampire’s back as he fucked you into Comte’s bed.

“Papi,” you gasped after a particularly hard thrust. Leonardo stilled inside of you, looking at you in surprise.

“Papi?” He questioned. Your response was an adorable flush to the cheeks and you looked away from both him and le Comte. Leonardo clicked his tongue, gently grasping your chin and forcing you to look at him once more. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it, cara mia,” he said with a smirk, resuming his ministrations with an even more punishing pace. The room was filled with the lewd, wet sounds of flesh slapping against flesh.

Leonardo released your chin and moved his hand back between your legs, his fingers circling your clit in time with his thrusts. You came hard and fast, moaning so loudly you wouldn’t be surprised if half of the household could hear you. You found you didn’t really care at the moment, though. Not that you were capable of much coherent thought at the moment, what with the intense pounding you were receiving. Leonardo’s relentless pace didn’t so much as falter; if anything he somehow moved faster.

Suddenly, Leonardo stopped, pulling himself from within you with a sinful squelch. “Took you long enough,” he laughed, a roughness to his voice that you hadn’t heard before. Before you could really question what was going on, you found yourself turned onto your stomach, ass in the air. A pair of hands roughly caressed your rear, teasing your hole, before your pussy was filled again, a familiar preternatural growl echoing around the room.

You moaned as the hands around your hips moved up to your waist, harsh thrusts forcing your face to press into the mattress of Comte’s bed, mouth open and drool dripping from the corner of your lips. Comte was fucking you so hard you could almost see stars, your vision being overtaken by bursts of white.

In your sex-fueled haze, you were surprised to see Leonardo move in front of you, swiftly untying your hands and tossing Comte’s tie towards the back of the room. You were about to question why you were untied, but quickly understood what was going on as you propped yourself up on your elbows.

“Think you can take us both, cara mia?” Leonardo asked, his cock edging close to your mouth. You nodded as best you could, your entire body shaking with the force of Comte’s rough thrusts into your wet heat. You adjusted yourself slightly to give him a better angle and Leonardo pressed the tip of his length to your lips. He groaned as his cock slid along your tongue. You could feel every ridge and vein on his shaft and taste the remnants of your mixed fluids as he pistoned himself into your throat.

Comte’s thrusts forced you to take Leonardo’s throbbing cock deeper into your throat, and Leonardo’s own thrusts pushed you back onto Comte’s shaft. All you were really capable of doing at this moment was taking what you were given from both of them as you were pushed and pulled in two directions. You were moaning on Leonardo’s dick as Comte’s hand found itself between your thighs, stimulating the sensitive nub there.

As Leonardo’s cock slid deeper into your throat, you started to apply pressure to the sensitive frenulum with your tongue. “Cazzo,” he swore, his hips stuttering as he pulled his length from your mouth. You kept your lips open, watching intently as Leonardo stroked himself a couple more times before finding his release. He groaned low and deep, his ejaculate coating your tongue in thick ropes. You swallowed every drop he gave you, the eroticism of it resulting in you clenching tightly around Comte’s thick cock, your third orgasm of the night tearing through your body in waves of pleasure.

Le Comte hissed through his teeth, pounding into you a couple more times before flooding your insides with his seed. Comte grunted, sinking into your warmth as far as he could before pulling out. You collapsed onto the bed, entirely spent. Your eyes drifted shut, nearly falling asleep where you lay.

Comte gently ran his hands over your rear, in clear contrast to the punishing pace his hips had made. Leonardo affectionately brushed hair out of your sweaty face, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead, before looking over at the other vampire. With a subtle nod of Comte’s head, Leonardo stepped away from the bed and moved to grab a soft towel from the corner of the room.

“Are you feeling okay? Does anything hurt?” Comte asked, looking you over for injury. You were barely awake enough to reply at this point, completely exhausted.

You managed to mumble out a quiet “’m fine” before adjusting yourself to a slightly more comfortable position. Leonardo had returned with the towel at this point, handing it to Comte. Comte gently cleaned you up with it before carefully lifting you up. You let out a noise of protest and he laughed lightly, kissing your nose.

“I did tell you, ma cherie,” Comte murmured. “I may appear to be a gentleman on the surface, and I do try to remain kind and considerate to you, but in truth I am neither gentle nor man.”

When Leonardo had returned, he had tugged his pants back on and reclined in Comte’s bed. Comte laid you down on the bed in a much more comfortable position, with your body half laying on Leonardo. You contentedly snuggled into his warmth, Leonardo chuckling tiredly at the feeling.

“My bed isn’t large enough for three, unfortunately, so it’ll be a bit cramped. I apologize.” Comte was addressing his friend. You were just barely holding onto a wisp of consciousness at this point, feeling the bed dip behind you as Comte took his own place. He wrapped an arm around your waist, settling behind you. The combined body heat from both Leonardo and Comte quickly soothed you into sleep.

The last thing you heard before completely falling asleep was a murmur from Comte to Leonardo. “We can talk specifics later, old friend, but I wouldn’t be opposed to doing something like this again.”

Dividers by @/natimiles

Taglist: @natimiles @queengiuliettafirstlady @candiedcoffeedrops @goddesswitchmother @candied-boys

@fang-and-feather

Let me know if you'd like to be added!

[kimeoshi]

hello it's me again! Your biggest fan (LMAO) The one who asked for tips on coloring...

Another question has came up on me while I was coloring (finally aughhh). How do you shade hair? Without it looking unnatural?

Thank you for your help before!!! 😊

Hello and welcome back! I'm glad my previous advice helped! That is a difficult question as I do admit it is a bit challenging to me as well. It is guesswork + studying references, adjusting tid bits until it looks right, my own process relies on a trial and error approach.

Therefore, I suggest you pick some pieces you like where you find the hair gorgeous, and figuring out how the artist does it, or how might they do it, per active learning principles. Try to deduce it. While the following guide can be good for your starting concepts too, it's important to adapt it to your style and preferences. And I even encourage you to go against it, as creativity thrives on experimentation.

That said, I'll guide you through my own thought process, however. (With a quick Ratio sketch, because I really love to shade his hair; fluffy hair is very forgiving.)

Let's start off here (I'll be skipping the black and white part for simplicity's sake from the previous guide. I'll also be using a white environment with a pale overlight):

For highlights, I begin laying down a Glow Dodge layer with a hard brush that doesn't have full opacity, and draw a halo-like shape. After that, I refine the shape by erasing parts of it with a rough eraser to get the desired effect.

Alternative to the Glow Dodge layer, you can use pure white, or other layer types such as Lighten, Screen, Add and Overlay, etc.

In the following pictures, note that I adjust the layer's opacity freely.

Above, I simply blended it a bit to my own liking.

With an airbrush I softly start introducing shadows (Multiply layer, dark purple/blue color).

Then, I start introducing sharper shadows in a separate layer.

You can use a lasso tool for this to map out a jagged like shape which should remind you of mountains. You can blend this out too at certain segments.

(Sidetrack: if you feel like, I suggest reading up on the balance of hard and soft edges in painting, the topic is very interesting and I am still trying to grasp it as well, yet I find it immeasurably useful. This can come in handy upon rendering principles. A very skillful master of it is the artist Yuming Li.)

Furthermore, I add reflections. I've used a Lighten layer with a subtle blue color. As this is subtle, I want to point it out that it appears on the lower parts.

For a final touch, I pick out the skin's color and airbrush, shift the picked color to a more saturated one and apply it near his face/to the bangs, with an airbrush.

For the fundamentals of hair shading I usually wrap it up here and go off to rendering. I use a painterly brush to do this and pay attention to the jagged shape I mentioned earlier. The brush I use is already tilted, so it's easy to manipulate to make such shapes.

Additionally, I experiment with Overlay, Multiply (or any!) layers with either airbrushes or hardbrushes— as I said there isn't a specified way of doing this. Go wild; for such is the nature of hair. Add any shapes or lines you find appealing, introduce new colors from the environment nearby too to make it moredynamic and interesting as well.

EDIT: An addition! On Rendering tips and advice

(apologies on leaving this out initially! I only realized I should include this now )

Including astray curved lines to simulate how hair flows also builds to the hair-like quality. I also prefer to use it closer to the silhouette of my character as it adds further detailing and a fluffier look in the end!

Attempt to render each strand according to this diagram in mind, note the parabole-like(?) shape for the light, and note standard 3d spheric shading for shadows.

[words-4u]

right person (1/3)

pairings: luca x reader, marcus x reader (platonic)

wc: 1.4k

a/n: immediately started planning a three part series on luca while watching the bear s2. that's what a tatted will poulter does to me (the bear is an incredible show btw pls watch if you don't)

warning: swearing

part 2 / part 3

"denmark?"

"yes! we are sending you and marcus to denmark for two weeks to stage at this really great restaurant. you're gonna learn to do three new desserts for us. carmy knows the head pastry chef. says he's really cool so it should be fun, right?" sydney explained.

"that does sound fun! i'm in!" you smile.

you look at marcus who was deep in thought. if you had to guess what he was thinking, his mind is probably on his mom who was currently bed ridden at a hospital.

you put a hand on marcus' shoulder. "you good with that?" you ask your co pastry chef.

he broke out of his thoughts and nods. "yeah, i-i'm great. i'd love to."

"great! cause you guys really didn't have a choice. your flights are already booked for tomorrow afternoon sooo thanks!" sydney offers two thumbs and an awkward smile before she leaves what used to be the kitchen.

"holy shit," you whisper in shock. "staging at a michelin star restaurant in a country i've always wanted to visit. could this be any better?"

"i have to go tell my mom but give me a call if you need a ride to the airport tomorrow. chester will probably take me and we can swing by your place if you want?"

"dude, yes! that'd save me a shit ton of money that i would've spent on uber."

"cool, see you," marcus grabs his bag and heads out the door.

after helping fak, riche and gary with fallen ceiling debris, you decide to leave a bit early to pack and clean your apartment before your travel.

it was noon on the dot the next day when marcus calls to check if you were ready for the airport. since you packed the night before, you had a rather peaceful morning. chester talks your ear off the whole way to the airport and you guys get there he demands to see your passports because he wants to make sure you and marcus actually had it on you.

"chester, can you do me a favour and check in on my ma when you get the time?" marcus asks.

"dude, i'm way ahead of you. gonna check on her every morning on my way to work,"

"i appreciate it."

chester looks at both you. "now, i want you take a deep breath and let the good in. you guys are gonna kill it."

you grin at marcus' friend. "thanks chester. okay we're gonna have to leave now before we miss our flight."

marcus says his farewell to his best friend and the two of you head to your gate.

the plane ride to copenhagen was smooth despite marcus' worries. you guys hop on a train to explore the city before heading to where you were staying.

"trains here are way cleaner than the ones in chicago," marcus leans over to whisper.

"waay cleaner," you agree.

the two of you exited the station and stood in awe of your view. clear blue skies. cool fresh air. colourful buildings. and the smell of hotdogs which was incredibly appealing after your long journey.

you and marcus lock eyes. "oh yeah."

marcus got a hotdog with dried onions and pickles on top while you had a plain jane moment with just ketchup.

"this is the best thing i've ever put in my mouth," you say with in between bites.

"just what i needed honestly," marcus says.

after your quick meal, the two of you continue to wander the city taking in the architecture most of all.

marcus was using the maps feature on his phone to find the place you were supposed to be staying at.

"uh i don't see any apartment buildings near," you say. "are you sure we are in the right place?"

marcus led you to a canal where some boats were docked. "i am 99.9% sure. you're staying in 286 and i'm in 287."

you glance at the boat in front of you and saw the gold numbers plaque on the side. "well, mystery solved. this is your place and i'm guessing this one is mine." you moved further down to the boat behind marcus' one.

"sick," he smiles.

"i'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"night, y/n!"

you walk down a couple of steps before unlocking a door that lead to a kitchen and dining room. it was spacious and you were grateful for the many windows it had. the stairs to the left led up to the bedroom which was a lot smaller than you anticipated having only space for your bed and a small cabinet for clothes.

you flop on your bed and exhaled. you didn't realize how tired you were until your head hit the soft mattress and while everything in you wanted to knock out, you knew you had to get up and unpack because you wouldn't have time tomorrow.

one thing you were not was a morning person and yes you should have gotten used to it by now working in the restaurant industry but getting up at 4 a.m. will never feel natural. regardless, you had a twinge of excitement for your new job and excited to learn under this new chef that carmy spoke so highly of.

once you got ready for the day, you hear three soft knocks.

"morning," you say. "you ready?"

"born ready," marcus says as you lock your door and head to the restaurant.

it was only a 15 minute walk from where you were staying so the two of you arrive with time to spare.

you walk into the bright kitchen and suck in a breath. the kitchen was stunning with it's high-end equipment, gorgeous green tiling and the young hot chef moving bags of flour from one table to another.

"chef. i'm marcus brooks and this is y/n y/l/n," marcus begins. "and we're from-"

the chef looks up for a quick second. "i know. i'm luca, pastry. we start at 5 a.m. your section's at the end of the bench."

the english accent takes you by surprise. your knees could have buckled right then and there.

"yes, chef," the two of you say in unison.

now your excitement turned into nervousness. not only were you to create three star-worthy desserts for the bear, you had to learn from someone who is so extremely good looking it hurts.

marcus and you head to the back to change into your uniforms which was a basic indigo t-shirt and a green apron like luca had.

when you went back out, you immediately wash your hands and got ready for whatever luca had in store for you guys.

luca had marcus rollout croissant pastry while he led you to a table where he had prepared a dessert. your task was to place pieces of peanuts at a certain angle as part of its presentation.

you study luca as he shows you what to do. he had small black tattoos scattered up and down his arms. that alone is having an effect on you.

"here, you try," he says passing the tweezers to you.

your fingers brush as you took the small tool from him. luca didn't make eye contact but you did notice his jaw clench.

"nuzzle that sliver into the pudding just to lock it in."

"yes, chef," you say.

taking one of the small nuts from the bowl, you place it on the pudding but it slipped last second.

"no. again, chef," he says in a calm yet assertive tone.

"sorry," you say and try again and it's worse which luca picks up on.

"hm, worse."

he takes the tweezers from you and picks up the piece. "don't be afraid to just stick it in there, you know," luca takes the nut and slides it in perfectly. "just be confident about it."

"don't second-guess yourself," he says finally locking eyes with you.

you nod. "yes, chef."

you took the tweezers back and third time was the charm because you placed the nut in the pudding just like he'd showed you. smiling to yourself, you put the tool down.

luca's face stays expressionless. he looks up from the dessert. "you know how to make shiso gelee?"

you absolutely do not know how to make whatever he just said but there was no way you were gonna let him know that.

"yes, chef."

"alright."

luca steps away to grab some ingredients which gives you the opportunity to whip your phone out and google the gelee. "dextrose? what the fuck is that?" you whisper to yourself.

luca came back and places a tray in front you. "recipe," he says tapping some blue index cards.

you felt your face burn. "thank you, chef."

end of part 1 omggg. not much luca x reader but it’s warming up trust me. i already have ideas for part 2 and 3 with some potential alternate endings... stay tuned

if you enjoyed, please let me know (through my bio) if you have any the bear requests, send them my way!

[ganondoodle]

still thinking about how even just the decision to basically act like the shiekah tech never existed is just ... so baffling to me

bc again you could have done all the sonau tech does with shiekah instead, and they were perfect to be explored more in a sequel, why wouldnt you grasp that potential, the literal building blocks for more??

if you are that tired of shiekah tech .. dont make it a fuckign sequel to the game prominently featuring it???? totk doesnt take place generations after botw in which things could have changed drastically, its just a few years afterwards??

you want to reuse the map and get rid of shiekah tech? ok fine take LINK into the past then and the focus is for you to find a way to return; do some neat twist where its revealed that link was the one who sealed gan bc he couldnt defeat him without zelda or something if you dare (they wouldnt)

want less work than that and still reuse the map and get rid of shiekah tech AND reuse characters? ok then make it some alternate universe thingy like majoras mask in which everythign is the same but also isnt, its weird and creepy how characters you thoguht you knew suddendly dont act like themselves, shiekah tech doesnt exist, malice is now miasma, etc, it would give reason to why you feel so much like something about this world is familiar yet also very wrong

as far as im aware every "sequel" we have had so far were either generations apart from the first one, some alternate universe or a different location altogether- in all of which its plausible that things are different, things seem weirdly familiar but also wrong, or that another continent just works different from hyrule

but totk does none of that, its supposedly just a few years after the first game, same world same character, but its BUILT like some strange jumbled mess of stuff from botw and new stuff out of nowhere that just .. doesnt fit, but feeling a strange sense of otherness, a déja vu of something you know but it acts off, like an imposter, thats NOT intentional and it shows, its a mess of botw stuff, from stuff that people missed from the old games and entirely new stuff; i dont doubt it CAN work but the way it turned out is like a mix of 3 different puzzles forced together and being told 'see it fits!' even tho you can clearly see the pieces dont look right in these places

again it feels like a sequel that desperately wants you to forget the first game happened, that anythign from it mattered at all

and that isnt really ... the sense of a sequel? why insist on it being one when it only creates problems? is it marketing?? just like it was marketing to call age of calamity a telling of what happened before botw but then it wasnt that at all and that is still the sole reason why i dislike it? bc i was lied to? totk is like 10000 times worse than that, its a main title and doesnt even have the excuse of yeah its basically an excuse to play all your fav characters in fun ways and the game beign well aware that being its main appeal; what is totk appeal? a toybox with botw aestethic and none of the flavor?

(on a sidenote; the sonau tech doesnt even .. matter? in botw at least calamity ganon was made of shiekah tech parts and him overtaking other tech is a big point, the sonau tech doesnt serve anything but .. idk minerus useless mech? gan doesnt even aknowledge it, he doesnt care, all it is is toys for the player, not link, but the player. the monsters mining the tech materials? what for? gan doesnt give a damn and they dont work for the yiga either??)

i said it before but it gives me the feeling that the way botw invited you to theorize, to look beneath the surface, the way it intrigued you and laid the groundwork for so many interesting things without denying anything.. was accidental? or perhaps put in the game without the directors noticing? i cant stop thinking about them saying sth like "after botw zelda wondered if the kingdom of hyrule needed to keep existing the way it had been before the calamity, but then totk happens" bc it just feels like they realized too late that botw naturally led into questioning the status quo and they scrambled to fit it back into a flat and boring road we have seen so many times before (or even worse really) with totk

zeldas character naturally leads into her questioning and reexamine their history and set of rules? we gotta teach her a lesson of why she is importante god given monarchy girl that has to keep it bc what if evil brown man shows up again for no reason

maybe im grasping at straws here but looking at it this way the sonau .. make more "sense"; the shiekah were a group that was under the rule of the royal family, and misstreated before (oh no look soemthing interesting) so they dont lend themselves well to be used for teaching zelda that lesson- the sonau however are tailored really to be just that; they are a supposedly godly race from the literal sky that founded this version of hyrule, that had tech even more advanced and better than the shiekah, she gets put in the past to meet the perfect god king of goodness personally, also his very fridgy wifey that zelda later replaces in a way, shes put there and treated like family and then gets to see just how evil that evil big man from the desert is, sonia is falcon-punched to death solely so zelda can feel obligated to take over her role, have her new, better 'family' hurt by gan; similarly so raurus sacrifice, look what a noble and good king he is, he payed the ultimate price to lock that evil man away, now zelda you cannot let their sacrifice go to waste, rebuild that divinely good kingdom like it was!!

and even though they go so much out of their way to put the cart back onto the rails of black and white-good and evil in an even flatter way than the old games, it still doesnt feel right, at least to me, it still feels like zelda shouldnt have gone along with all of that, it feels like even her character from botw was walked back entirely, except for the intro, it made her feel like a stranger to me-

because this is a sequel, i know this zelda, she wouldnt act like that after all that shes been through, this feels ... off

and it all just insulting to anyone who cared about botw more than surface level, or the zelda lore in general, i dont even care much about the timeline, but theres alot of lore and themes beyond it that felt ignored, especially so given that .. its a damn sequel, non AU, not generations apart, directly part 2-

but its not.

it even feels very "corporate", put zelda in a dress again, people liked that, put crazy abilities in the game to flashbang people with how insane it is even if its not the best for the gameplay or the story, put a new asthetic into it out of nowhere bc its 'new' and act like its been there the whole time, put gan in there bc people miss him and find him sexy even if his role is just as flat as that of an evil cloud monster-

*sigh*

you know, i saw a post that said aoc was like a bad fanfic (affectionate) and totk was like a bad fanfic (derogatory) and tbh thats like one of the best comparisons/summaries i have seen ..

[oneatlatime]

Lake Laogai

This Lake had better have Appa in it. With little water wings on.

Skipping the commentary as usual.

The Previously On section suggests that a whole lot of plot threads are about to crash into each other. Strap in folks.

Lefty Sokka!

Beat up Sokka quota fulfilled by his sister's critique of his art skills. It's not like he had paper to practice with at the South Pole.

Sometimes I forget that Aang is 12, then he does something like attempt to rescue his pet from a nefarious city-wide conspiracy of silence with lost cat posters.

"Good tea is its own reward." That means no, he isn't paid enough.

Remember what I said in my last post about Iroh bringing too much attention to himself?

"senior executive assistant manager" someone on the writing team has worked retail I see. Nothing like meaningless promotions with no raise attached! It's right up there with employee pizza party.

I have to pause here and point something out. This whole scene with Iroh? This is an adult fantasy. I don't mean dirty, I mean this whole scene was put in specifically to appeal to the adults who got roped in to watching this kids' show by their children. A rich man walks through the door of your shitty retail job, immediately spots your natural greatness, and offers you a much better paying job with unlimited creative freedom and a better house to go with it? Find me a burnt out retail worker who hasn't conjured up this fantasy five times a shift.

And so the plots come crashing back together. This won't end badly.

"patience really pays off" I checked. He waited literally three seconds.

Shout out to Toph in the background playing catch with a ball she can't see. Casual flex of epic proportions.

Remind me never to go to Lake Laogai. Sounds like it's lousy with Ju Dees.

So the Ju Dees don't know about each other? Because she seems honestly confused. Does Ju Dee think she's the only Ju Dee? What happens if two Ju Dees run into each other in the street?

Posters are illegal but I haven't heard a peep about recarving a bunch of fields into a zoo.

This is maybe the second time Aang's blown up over Appa. Frankly he deserves more blow ups about the whole situation.

I don't think knocking down walls will help find Appa, but I applaud Toph's spirit.

They took out a whole wall and then exit by the door anyways. That's funny.

I really hate this guy, but I have to admit that he may be the first truly competent villain of the series.

'The Jasmine Dragon' also lets anyone with half a brain know that you're Fire Nation. Try the Jasmine Badgermole instead.

Zuko really can't catch a break, huh? He wasn't happy being a tea server, but at least he was resting. But every time he gets five minutes to himself, the main plot reappears to drag him back into the action, whether he wants to or not. Although he hasn't figured out that he doesn't want to be dragged back yet.

Every line of dialogue in this scene is a good point. Zuko's right, Iroh's right. The Zuko's right again, then Iroh's right again.

YES YES YES GET HIS ASS

That was satisfying!

I'm not understanding why Sokka is the voice of reason here. Is he incapable of holding a grudge? He's the one that had all the animosity with Jet to begin with. Shouldn't it be Aang who wants to hear him out?

Toph is a living lie detector now? I can't think of an example off the top of my head, but I'm sure that could have come in handy previously. Any other incredibly useful skills we should know about?

Jet is oddly defensive for someone who claims to know he did wrong.

Ever get so excited that your spine malfunctions?

Sokka just has a metre long map in his pocket. Good friend to have in a pinch.

Avatar first! Katara is rude to an old person!

I'm going to have fun with Toph's new ability.

Toph, you have never been more right. It is the worst city ever. You are really shining this episode.

I know this is a serious scene, but I need to point out that Jet's guyliner is on point.

This shot is jarringly out of place. I think it's because it both black and white, and live action. Those have to be real clouds.

So the Blue Spirit can talk after all. Careful, your Zuko is showing.

Wow Zuko is good at sewing. And fast too.

Sokka is having far too much fun with this whole 'prompt Jet's memory' thing. Maybe he does have a bit of a grudge after all.

Katara can reverse brainwashing now too? Everyone's levelling up this episode.

This scene with the planks is a very cool and disorienting visual.

Didn't have 'the gaang breaks into a brainwashing facility' on my ATLA bingo card.

Pretty.

OMIGOD IT'S AP- did Zuko just break the fourth wall?

Everyone always forgets to look up.

So this fight is going to be Toph v. all of the Dai Li while everyone else tries not to get in Toph's way.

That's a boat.

Toph could probably take all these guys out faster if she wasn't having to constantly break off to save everyone else from them.

The Dai Li prancing up walls is a really cool visual. It's very Ty Lee of them.

I love watching her work.

Why don't you let Long Feng escape? He's no longer threatening you, and you're down there to rescue Appa. Just let him go.

The security on Lake Laogai is a joke.

Big words from someone who also had no plan whatsoever at the North Pole.

Zuko knows that Iroh's right. He knows, and that's important. I don't think Iroh is saying anything that Zuko hasn't thought and then hurriedly pretended to have never thought about before. It's why he says 'stop it' rather than being completely confused as to what Iroh is referring to.

Poor Appa's like 'can you have a crisis of self after you free me please?'

'You've chosen your own demise." No. You chose it for him. That's some top tier deflection/victim blaming right there.

Longshot can talk!

That's one hell of a set up and pay off re: Toph's lie detecting abilities.

Poor Jet. A double tragedy: to be likeable only when you're brainwashed, and to dedicate your life to wiping out the Fire Nation yet being killed by the Earth Kingdom.

Hi Appa. It's about time buddy.

Shockingly in character for Appa's first actions to be to single handedly save the Gaang from a threat.

You skip that bastard like a stone.

Everyone go and listen to the sound Appa makes when he spits out Long Feng's shoe. It's delightful.

I am framing this.

And this too.

I can tell there's some shmymbolism here, but it's gone right over my head.

Final Thoughts

Appa is back. The Gaang has Appa back. I have Appa back. Ok. I can relax now. With any luck, this means we can leave Ba Sing Se.

This episode felt like City of Walls and Secrets, Part 2. I think it was a good decision to have a couple of episodes between the two, but I think there would be some tonal whiplash if you binged this section of season 2. Which wouldn't have been a problem for a show designed to air once a week, so it's a moot point.

So Zuko freed Appa from his chains, and presumably pointed him in the direction of a door or something. Or maybe not; Appa has a ridiculously hard head, he could have busted his way out. Either way, Zuko broke the chains. Thanks Zuko!

In season 1, Zuko finds the Avatar the world had lost. In season 2, Zuko finds the Sky Bison the Avatar had lost. So in season 3, Zuko will find something Appa has lost. I wonder what that will be?

Jet being killed by the Earth Kingdom is so deliciously ironic, and tragic, yet very in character for the Earth Kingdom's approach to this war. It's also literally this:

Smellerbee and Longshot have really gotten the short end of the stick over and over this season. They were the only ones to decide to stick with Jet. Presumably they were the only ones who believed that he had had a legitimate change of heart. And they were kind of wrong. They get to Ba Sing Se only for Jet to immediately backslide way past even where he was at his worst in Season 1. He completely discounts and dismisses their legitimate concerns for his methods and his overall health. Then Jet gets arrested and disappears for two (?) weeks. So what do they do now? Get jobs? Steal so they don't starve? Then suddenly Jet's back but he doesn't even remember them. Then suddenly Jet's dead. The whole point of coming to Ba Sing Se just died, in a way that shows very clearly that their desire to help with the war is not welcome at all in the city. So what now? Do they leave and try to fight in the war from outside the walls? Do they settle down and try to forget about the war? Things did spiral completely out of Jet's control once the Dai Li got involved, but you have to admit that he's left his only remaining friends up a creek.

Sokka had some good jokes but was oddly ok with this episode's events. Toph had some great lines and got to shine with a new skill that any writer with half a brain will bring back in future episodes. She felt like the audience substitute this episode, which is usually Sokka's role. Toph was episode MVP for sure. Poor Aang took a bit of a back seat this episode. Zuko finally hit the crisis point, and may well have made his first indisputably correct decision of the series. But, as previous episodes have gone out of their way to show me that Zuko being good always goes badly for Zuko, I'm sure freeing Appa will somehow come back to bite him.

Iroh's question of "who are you? And what do you want?" was Zuko's entire character arc this season. He took a shot at answering the "who are you?" portion in Zuko Alone, and sort of halfway got there before messing up at the end of the episode. As for the "what do you want?" Zuko will tell you (often and repeatedly) that he wants his honour back. But I think he just wants to go home. The thing is, I strongly suspect that the home Zuko wants to return to hasn't existed since his mother left, if it ever existed at all. Which means that while "who are you?" has an answer Zuko can work towards, "what do you want?" has an answer that is kind of impossible. So Zuko is going to have to learn to want something new.

RIP Jet. Your life was fucked to Hell long before you were old enough to try and salvage it. You'll probably be missed by more people than you strictly deserve. War sucks, amirite?

[erisenyo]

I've been processing and reflecting to try to make sense of things, and it strikes me that Trump won because he:

incited fear

of tangible things

And positioned himself as the solution

He tapped into people's fear of the other (immigrants, trans people, etc) which *feels* immediate as you experience it, and therefore tangible. And maybe more importantly for the swing right we saw compared to 2020, he tapped into fear of economic harm--which people are experiencing today, now, in real ways.

And then he presented himself as the solution, with a few specific consistent talking points that might have been ridiculous and extreme but that people could hold onto. As a result, voting for Trump becomes a direct solution to your immediate fears.

You can counter fear by

alleviating it

explaining why it's unfounded

giving someone something worse to be afraid of

And at least from what I saw from the messaging I received as a swing state voter...Kamala tried to mainly do the latter but with *hypothetical, conceptual fears.*

Loss of rights, decline of the conceptual institutions of democracy--for some people these are immediate. But for most they're intangible, vaguely situated in a future that may never come to pass. Which means they are less acute, less likely to balance out today's active, tangible concerns.

She didn't explain how she would alleviate those immediate fears of the other (I would say her foray into immigration policy was poorly received by all sides, and reinforced Trumps stance). And probably more importantly, she was unable to cogently explain why people's tangible economic fears were unfounded OR how she would solve them. While rhe ad buy format is obvipuslt limited, her economic stance *as communicated* was about how Trump would make it worse (future oriented, hypothetical, non-immediate), not about any tangible solutions and policy she would put into place.

Which means her campaign basically came down to relying on a large, motivated group of anti-Trump voters...and those people were already activated against him. And she wasn't able to present anything to build on that beyond intangible, hypothetical fears and she just...wasn't going to win with that.

So what does that mean? It feels like future policy communications may be more effective focusing on specific policies that appeal regardless of demographic group (free daycare, broad healthcare affordability, education costs) rather than appeals to ideals like rights and freedoms. And that there likely needs to be a shift away from why the opposition is so scary and ridiculous, to why the opposition is *wrong.*

A move toward the tangible, and a reconceptualizing of major goals that *are* more focused around rights and freedoms in terms of the tangible steps to realize them--which will also provide a road map to follow.

(Theres obviously the confounding factor of Kamala being a woman - a lot of people wouldn't necessarily articulate that as a reason not to vote for her, but they'd be the person shaking their head at Trumps rhetoric but just believing he'd be better at managing the country no matter how nasty his language)