#also. in this scenario in which i have this level of control. the 3 day weekend will be the standard

[battywitch]

If I ever rule the entire world, one of the first things I'm doing is making it illegal for people in charge to have employees work two shifts with less than 12 hours between them.

[notrapsplease]

Werebear Halsin Headcanon

I have seen a couple other posts going around about werebear Halsin and wanted to make my own with some of my thoughts/evidence because I have been a werebear truther since I first saw the beefy elf daddy.

This doesn't really have spoilers in it, but I do touch on a couple plot points from the game. Fair warning! I also pull a lot from D&D itself, specifically 5th edition since that's what BG3 is built on.

This ended up being long, so I split it into a few different categories, they are in no particular order:

Quite large for an elf

We all know, Halsin is big. Large even. In D&D, elves are described as being slender and slight. Even if they are athletic they are not muscular and are lighter than other races of the same size (as in a 5'5" human will weigh more than a 5'5" elf). They are a little shorter than humans on average.

This puts Halsin well outside the usual elf physiology. When this is addressed in game, Halsin says perhaps he has some orc ancestry or "conventional wisdom is too narrow about what someone can or cannot be" (beautiful sentiment Halsin, you're still big).

Being a werebear offers a simple explanation for his unusual size. Werebear in D&D are described as being large and muscular, even in their humanoid form.

It's a "Wildshape"

Sure buddy.

Halsin's bear form is explained away as one of his druid wildshapes, but there are a couple things that don't line up.

First is the UI itself. Halsin’s bear form is separate from wildshape. It’s in the general abilities section not the class features. This might be just for programming reasons, but I still think it’s interesting.

Second and more incriminating, Halsin stays in bear form for too long. ACT 1 Spoilers: When you find Halsin in the Goblin Camp, the Goblins don't know he's a dude, they just think he's a bear. Even if in the stories timeline you're supposed to reach him the same day as when he was kidnapped, that's still a long time to maintain a wildshape. As per DND 5e rules: "You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down)."

So even if Halsin is STARTING as a max BG3 level druid at level 12, he should only maintain wildshape for 6 hours. Even as a Circle of the Moon druid, the time doesn't increase.

"I...lost the run of myself"

Related to the idea that Halsin's bear form is a wildshape, I need to touch on the parts of the game that indicate Halsin can lose control of his bear form.

My main piece of evidence here is that wildshape in D&D has no indication that you lose any control of your impulses. In fact, wildshape describes the opposite: "Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores."

The fact you retain your mental stats mean you are in total control. There is no mental difference between a druid in wildshape and a druid in their humanoid form. To be in wildshape is a CHOICE the druid makes.

This is in contrast to spells like Polymorph which indicate that you lose your mental stats AS WELL as your physical ones: "The target's game statistics, including mental ability scores, are replaced by the statistics of the chosen beast. It retains its alignment and personality."

I bring that up just to showcase that D&D does have that distinction, if wildshape was meant to be something that you could lose control of, or let the beast take over, they would have written it that way.

ACT 3 spoilers: This idea that he can be made to lose control is also hinted at if Orin kidnaps him from your camp. Orin's dialogue from the kidnapped victim usually indicates a deep-seated fear the victim has, or their worst case scenario. Having kidnapped Halsin describe himself losing control indicates to me that it's his biggest fear. Which makes sense as a werebear, as a druid…not so much.

In contrast to wildshape, which is a voluntary choice the druid makes, being a werebear is a curse. Halsin is obviously in good control of his werebear self (I discuss this later on), but it is still a curse and can affect him negatively, especially in impulse and instinct.

Alignment: Neutral Good

Now I've got to talk about the werebear curse a little more. And D&D lycanthropy in general.

When someone is afflicted with the curse and resists it, they maintain their normal alignment but struggle to contain the beast. If an afflicted person chooses to accept the beast they gain more control over their bestial form, but lose their alignment to the alignment of the kind of lycanthrope they are.

Both Halsin and the canon D&D werebear are Neutral Good. Which means Werebear Halsin is in alignment with his bestial side, offering some manner of control over his transformations.

Only you can prevent shadow curses.

Werebear are described as being lone hermits who guard their territories fiercely, protecting their habitat, and the flora and the fauna from any threat. Sounds like a werebear might get really obsessive trying to rid his territory of, say, a Shadow curse.

Halsin and Thaniel's relationship makes a lot more sense if Halsin is a werebear. They met when Halsin was a child, so Halsin wouldn't have been a druid yet. In D&D druids are a learned class, more like clerics. Certainly Halsin could been a child in touch with nature, but why did Thaniel single him out?

If Halsin was a werebear though, he would have already had a natural desire to protect the land, the land being personified as Thaniel.

The werebear curse is described in D&D as usually being passed on voluntarily, as in a werebear chooses who they want to bite, either a companion or an apprentice. Werefolk curses also pass through bloodlines (as in you can be born a werefolk). The general consensus is if you are born a werefolk you will naturally align with the curse's alignment so you will innately be in more control then a bitten werefolk. We already know Halsin is Neutral Good, like werebears usually are.

This is a more headcanon-y part, but I think Halsin’s family were probably all werebear, or at least one of his parents was and from a lineage that had a history protecting the land Halsin grew up on. Knowing that Halsin's family all passed away, this could also indicate why Thaniel singled him out, maybe Halsin was the last in the werebear lineage that had chosen to defend the land Thaniel personified.

Either way, Halsin and the werebear align in the desire to protect natural spaces, and Halsin's obsession with the shadow curse could stem from that innate desire.

This isn't my first time recruiting a werefolk druid

This is meta evidence, but I'm including it. In BG2 there is a druid named Cernd and he’s a werewolf! What does this have to do with Halsin? Not a lot, but it shows that having a companion who is a werewolf is established in the universe. Cernd also establishes that being a druid helps to control a werecreature curse. Cernd isn’t feral and has greater control over his werewolfism because of his abilities as a druid. Also Cernd has magic items that are from High Forest. If that sounds familiar, it's where Halsin says his family is buried. idk the connection but it's interesting.

Final thoughts

I think that's all?? I also want to talk about why I think the Werebear curse wasn't brought up in game.

One of the other posts I saw suggested that the reason it’s not brought up in game is Halsin doesn’t know he's a werebear. I get that, I can totally see that, but I don’t think that does Halsin justice. Halsin may be a beefy boy, but he isn't oblivious. There is no way Halsin has lived for 350 years and hasn’t realized he’s a werebear. 350 years is a long time not to bite anyone.

I think the more likely explanation in game is simply that it never comes up. Halsin is in control (mostly) and not worried about it. He is also not used to having people who care for him (this is a huge part of his characterization in game), and probably has had to keep the fact that he is a werebear relatively secret throughout his life.

From a meta perspective, I think it was cut for time and content. We KNOW that a lot of his content was cut already (Sorrow, anyone?). There is also the fact that originally one of the other origin characters was going to be a werewolf, so they may have decided to ease back on Halsin being a werebear so she would be more unique. Then she ceased to exist anyway. Personally I think they should have included some dialogue about it somewhere, especially after deciding not to have the werewolf companion. I genuinely can’t FATHOM that werebear Halsin wasn’t the plan all along, regardless of if they decided to cut it. Alright I'm done. Werebear believers unite!

[rogersideup]

Helloooo! May I request a Steve Roger’s fluff! ✨Where reader has anxiety and one of the ways Steve calms her down is by skin contact. Maybe he takes off his shirt at random moments and he holds her and he lets her touch his body to feel the skin. He gives her massages once in a while. Maybe even lay naked together in bed to feel their bodies and heartbeat!! ❤️✨✨

‧₊˚౨ৎ˚Skin to Skin˚౨ৎ˚₊‧

It might not be exactly what you asked for, but I wrote this last night while having a lot of anxiety and it helped me regulate so I hope you love it regardless <3

Masterlist

Word Count: 3,076

Summary: Sometimes even the hardest days have the best endings 🧸

Warnings: descriptions of symptoms of anxiety

The hallway of your apartment building was dead silent.

Usually you'd hear the faint chatter of people behind their front doors, locking and unlocking, heels clicking, neighborly hellos.

But right now, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. Or maybe it was spinning way too fast and you had no control over it. Really, you didn't know which of those two scenarios you'd prefer, but regardless it all felt like too much.

There was no chatter to distract you from the sound of your own heart pounding so hard you could hear the blood pooling in your ears, no foot steps from friendly faces to urge you to look up from your own feet, no small talk to distract you from how Steve's thumb was apologetically rubbing the back of your hand, the one that was holding his tightly.

You trailed behind him, blinking back your tears and urging them not to fall until you got inside the comfort of your shared four walls. You stopped because he stopped, allowed your emotional barriers to start slipping at the sound of his keys unlocking the front door, then the first one fell down your cheek as his hand on your lower back ushered you from the hallway right into your living room.

Shaky, choppy breaths were all you could manage as Steve put his keys in the catch-all next to the front door. There was only a split second opportunity to see the exhaustion on his face before his arms wrapped around you, pulling you into a tight hug. He cradled your head into his chest, and gently swayed you from side to side.

The smell of your boyfriend's cologne, and the ribbed cotton of his sweater beneath your hands was the last blow to your emotional barrier, that's all it took for you to start sobbing.

From the moment you woke up this morning, you were just having a bad day. It started with a nightmare, which ultimately led you to waking up 5 minutes before your alarm, not allowing much time for Steve to comfort you before you had to get ready for work.

The nightmare almost felt like a bad omen, and it sent your anxiety spiraling for the rest of the day.

The big project meeting you worked so hard on was cancelled, you forgot your lunch on the counter at home, and it unexpectedly started raining while you were wearing a white silk blouse. By the time you got home you were soaking wet in a see through shirt and hungry. You didn't have a single moment to stop and regain your composure, because you promised Steve you'd attend the Avengers monthly team building event with him.

When he saw the state you arrived home in, he urged you to stay home and promised it would be fine. But you knew deep down that he really wanted you there, so you put on a brave face and tried to salvage as much of your hair and makeup as you could, but the rain completely ruined your plans.

Instead of your hair being down and perfectly curled as planned, you had to settle for a sleek, slicked bun and a natural makeup look. This led to your outfit not looking how you wanted it, which also led to you feeling completely unhappy with how you looked and how you felt about yourself.

With hunger levels, annoyance, and sadness being very high, your self confidence, energy, and persistence was very very low.

You weren't saying that you didn't feel great about yourself, but Steve could see it in your posture, and he could tell by the way you went completely quiet. He assured you multiple times that you looked absolutely beautiful, and he wasn't lying. You always looked beautiful.

That at least earned him a small grin and a gentle kiss, but then he threw you in a room full of superheroes and their respective friends and family, and that immediately made everything worse.

Already feeling quite self conscious and insecure while being surrounded by people who were the smartest, strongest, and greatest in their respective ways had you feeling like you couldn't even take a breath.

Even on their worst days they could save the world, meanwhile you were on the brink of tears because Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch looked so pretty.

In a very bold self preservation attempt, you pushed it all down. Steve deserved some happy and chipper arm candy, and you already committed to being that for him so you tried your best to play the role.

To him, this was family and to you, this was a room full of people you didn't even deserve to be in the presence of. Although most of them became friends of yours and accustomed to your habits, they knew enough about you to know that something was wrong, but not enough to know that they shouldn't push your buttons about it.

It left you as the target of all of the jokes that evening. Nearly every conversation had a minimum of one passing comment. Steve tried his hardest to shut down as many as he could, even changing the topic a few times, but there were some things he couldn't save you from.

You appreciated him trying, but wondered if he would've rather you stayed home instead of damper his evening with your self pity. That also spiraled into some nasty thoughts, the meanest part of your brain convincing you that he didn't really love you, and you weren't good enough to even be around him.

Thats when you quietly slipped away to the bathroom just for a few moments to take some deep breaths and dry the tears pooling in your lash line, your mascara wasn't about to meet its fate twice in one day.

You knew that anxiety was most of the issue, you knew that you just needed some reassurance and a warm meal, maybe a hug and a warm shower. The thought of all of the snacks out on a grazing table for everyone to enjoy made you pull yourself together, you were hopeful that some food in your empty stomach could really help.

And it did, for about 10 minutes before Tony made yet another back handed, rude remark about you. So sly that Steve didn't even catch it, and when you grabbed his hand to try and comfort yourself, Tony threw you a wink.

Thats when you knew there was no turning your mood around. Your white flag waved high and proud as you spent the remainder of the night making yourself small, trying not to drag any attention to yourself or take any fun away from Steve.

He caught onto the way you let go of his hand and got up to grab some water, then when you came back you sat further from him. Shoving yourself into the corner of the couch leaving plenty of space between your bodies. Knowing damn well you were struggling, he could assume your brain tricked you into thinking he didn't love you, because really, he knew you that well.

Making his way over to you, he wasn't shy to put his arm around your shoulders and use his hand to draw little shapes in the top of your arm before giving you a very quick kiss to your temple.

You didn't speak for the rest of the night unless it was to say goodbye to everyone on your way out, or politely thank Tony for hosting. You didn't even speak to Steve on the way home, and he understood. Rather than trying to force you to speak, he gave you the metaphorical space you needed to keep your composure as he kept one hand on the wheel and one hand on your thigh.

That led to this moment, soaking his sweater in your tears. You felt pathetic, but it was also the first time all day you felt safe.

"I'm so sorry, honey." Steve spoke gently. He hated seeing you so upset, swearing he could physically feel his heart breaking in his chest. "I love you so much."

You sucked in a shaky breath before mustering up the only sentence you could speak. "Tony is an asshole."

"I know, Baby." Steve agreed, petting your hair and trying his best to comfort you. "They were all laying in on you way too hard. You didn't deserve it."

"They were just joking," You tried justifying between sniffles and cries. "but I couldn't handle it tonight."

"But they could've stopped after the first time I told them. I know they can be too much sometimes. Just because they're just joking doesn't mean it wasn't hurting your feelings." He justified. "You've had a long day, I think you need some love and food and sleep."

"I just want to stay here." You cried, holding on just a bit tighter. Finding your nervous system starting to regulate itself for the first time all day, you weren't feeling ready to let go of your boyfriend just yet.

Steve kissed the crown of your head multiple times, "We can stay here as long as you want."

He held you for a little while longer until your sobs turned into slow tears and you finally felt brave enough to let go of him. After getting you comfortable and warm on the couch, he walked away for a bit to make you your favorite dinner.

When he came back with two bowls and handed you one, it was the first time all day he saw your real, genuine smile. Though you were still crying, he was confident that he could turn your mood around.

Your favorite show playing on the TV, snuggles, a fluffy blanket across your lap, and eating dinner on the couch was a good start. When you were done eating, Steve took the bowl back from you and wandered off to clean the kitchen and do the dishes.

When he came back he hovered over you with a sad pout when he noticed how quick your breathing was and how he could practically see your pulse from the artery in the base of your neck. Approaching slowly, he gently placed his index and middle finger to your neck and left them there for a second before his pout deepened.

"Baby" He sympathized. "You've gotta slow that thing down, your heart is going to run away from you."

"I've had the worst anxiety all day long." You explained, wiping tears off your face. "I don't think my resting heart rate has been normal since I woke up this morning."

You could see his gears turning before he leaned over and gave you a kiss. "I know how to fix it, I'll be right back."

He wandered off again before coming back and holding his hands out for you, pulling you up off the couch. There were a few small complaints about how you didn't want to get up, or how you were so warm and comfortable, but he swore this would help.

Dragging you into the bathroom, you noticed he lit a candle and started a bubble bath. The sight alone made you release a long sigh, and Steve took that as a good sign.

The two of you fell into silence once more, words were useless when you already knew how this was going to go. Besides, all the talking would do was mask the sound of the rain pattering against the roof, and that was loved deeply by the both of you.

He flicked off the light switch leaving just candlelight to softly illuminate the bathroom while you both undressed and sank into the hot water.

Steve sat behind you, and you sat between his legs with your back leaning against his chest. The moment you settled in, his arms wrapped around your tummy and rested on top of your thighs.

With his soft skin against yours, and the pressure of the hot water against the whole of your body, your mind began to slow enough to start thinking rationally.

You could feel Steve's calm, deep breaths as his diaphragm inflated and deflated against your back, subconsciously making your body match his.

Very quickly, you went from feeling like you weren't good enough to even be around him to feeling an overwhelming sense of safety and gratitude for his love.

Especially when you never had to worry about what your body might've looked like while sitting down, or if your tummy was too soft underneath his arms. You especially didn't have to worry about what he might've felt beneath his wandering palms as starting moving them about your body, applying some pressure to your tense shoulders and the tops of your arms. You didn't have to worry about the pressure of being in this situation, already naked with his hands roaming about. His intentions were always very clear and he didn't even need his words to state them.

You were safe in the hands of the man you loved, and he loved you so much that you didn't have to worry. You didn't have to put out for him or give him anything in return right now, he just loved you, and he wanted you to feel better.

He gave you an occasional chastise kiss to your shoulder between massaging various parts of your body, and oxytocin flooded your brain faster than you understood.

The tears eventually stopped wetting your cheeks, and the rain only started falling even harder outside.

Your head leaned backwards and a bit sideways to rest on Steve's shoulder, and you couldn't help but to lift your hand up out of the water and reach back to cradle the side of Steve's face.

"I love you" You whispered, not wanting to ruin the peace. "I'm sorry I didn't say it back earlier."

"It's okay, baby." His voice also gentle and full of adoration. "I know you love me, you don't have to say it for me to know it. I trust that you know I love you too, even when your brain is being very unkind to you."

You very subtly nodded, understanding exactly what he was saying.

The two of you weren't unfamiliar with nights like these, skin to skin in the bathtub, or in the shower, even the bed or on the couch. Between the nature of Steve's job and your chronic anxiety, the two of you have become experts at being present for each other. When the world was spinning too fast or it came to a screeching halt, you could always trust the other person to know exactly how to grasp it and make it spin just right.

It wasn't something that came easy or naturally, you both learned a lot from each other and your methods were ever changing much like every season of life. The closer you bonded, the easier it was to understand each other's needs.

There was a fine line between needing affirming words and complete silence, needing support but also needing to be left alone. Some nights looked like a few hours of alone time, some looked like you were super glued together, but every anxiety attack was ended with your bare bodies regulating as one.

He knew you had your fill of silence, and your words told him you were ready to talk.

"You know you never have to shy away from me, I'm always happy to be with you even if you think otherwise." He reassured. "Thank you for coming with me tonight. I know that was really hard, but I appreciate you."

"I just didn't want to ruin your fun, I felt bad that I wasn't at my best and I didn't want you to have to deal with it. That's not fair." You explained quietly.

You learned very early on in your relationship to just be upfront and honest with Steve, another privilege of being with him. He never made you feel bad or weird about your true feelings, and he always knew just the right things to say. In turn, he was completely open and honest with you, and you've never trusted anyone more in your whole life.

"You didn't ruin the fun, the fun was ruined the moment everyone decided to make you a target and that's not your fault." Steve shook his head. "What's not fair is you thinking that having an off day makes you an inconvenience to anyone else. You're allowed to be sad or upset sometimes, baby. It's life, it's okay. How many times have you cancelled plans or altered your day just because I turned into a ticking time bomb of panic? I'm happy to return the favor, I enjoy taking care of you."

"It's different." You denied with a slight shake of your head. "You're a superhero, Stevie. Most of those days are because you've gotten shot or stabbed or you've witnessed and been involved in unthinkable horrors. I work an office job four blocks away and can barely handle that pressure."

"Thats not a fair comparison." Steve denied. "At the very root of it, we're both human and life will never be completely perfect all of the time. Regardless of if you're smiley and bouncing off the walls or just need a day to cry in bed I love you just the same."

You kissed the corner of his jaw in acceptance before completely relaxing your body against his. Steve's hand reached up and rested right over your heart.

"Besides," He started again. "I think that you're also exposed to all of those unthinkable horrors just from having to put up with me every day. The way you handle it and the way you treat me contributes a lot to my ability to do what I do everyday. I understand I probably make your anxiety worse sometimes, because I wouldn't even be able to handle dating me."

"It's worth every second of digging bullets out of you with tweezers, baby." You grinned, earning Steve's smile in return.

"See? You're a superhero too." He pointed out. "And your heart is slow and steady. That makes me really happy."

"You make me really happy." You replied without a second thought. "Thank you for this, I feel so much better."

"Anytime, Beautiful." He kissed your cheek. "I'm sorry you had a bad day. I know for sure that tomorrow is going to be so much better."

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#28: The Big Reveal (1.04)

gif cred: @nat111love

The second TOWL was announced in 2022 my first thought was - I’m so excited to see Rick and Michonne together again 🤩. And my immediate second thought was - we’re finally going to see Michonne tell Rick about RJ. 🥹

Rick learning that he and Michonne had a baby just like he wanted on their last day together was atop my list of most anticipated moments in TOWL. And I couldn’t have been more glad that Danai was in charge of the episode where the highly anticipated RJ reveal occurs. The big reveal happened in a way that completely shocked me but it was extremely well done 👏🏽...

What I so respect about Danai writing this episode is that she made it clear they aren’t doing mawkish surface-level trauma. TOWL proposed Rick had chosen to die while still being alive, which would do some serious damage to his psyche. And Michonne has also gone through the fire these last seven or so years. So this episode was unafraid to really go there and explore what raw, authentic, heartbreaking trauma looks like no matter how painful it is to watch. 

It wasn’t until TOWL episode 3 that I realized the odds are very high that the big RJ reveal is going to come in the midst of Richonne conflict. Beforehand, I had pictured 1000 scenarios of how Michonne would tell Rick about RJ and in my head it was always going to be revealed in a moment where they’re in a good space because I’m so used to them rarely having internal conflict between them.

I believe Danai said one thing that might surprise viewers with TOWL is the Richonne conflict. And I remember hearing that and being like 'bring on the conflict' cuz it’ll be interesting to explore and I had the utmost confidence that Richonne would come out on top of any conflict. My one thing going into it was just as long as neither of them hit below the belt.

(and tbh I wasn’t worried that Michonne was going to say anything below the belt…but that Sergeant Major Grimes on the other hand. He had me a little worried lol. Before this episode aired, I said the one thing that would be most below the belt to me is if Rick at all suggests Michonne made a bad choice for coming to look for him, which…

So after that steamy eye contact moment with the PRB, Michonne walks over to the bookshelf and I love the way she can take control with just her presence alone. Like her just walking around examining what books this place has had me feeling like 'Rick, you’re in danger friend' because Michonne has something cooking right now. Idk what, but I knew she was getting ready to let it all out with how calm and composed she was being. 😅

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Again, you’d never guess that just moments before she had yanked the two of them out of a helicopter. And this calmness in itself sorta adds to her crazy lol.

Michonne spots the Beverly Cleary children's book 'Ramona the Pest' and smiles as she says, “This was one of my favs growing up. This little girl listening to her own rhythm, free-spirited, just like Judith.”

I love how she’s thinking about her daughter and knows her daughter will like the same book as her cuz that’s her mini-me, both following their own rhythm. Also, I just love how the Grimes family are readers. 🥰📚

gif cred: @nerd4music

Rick looks at her, quietly listening, and I feel like the man is still sorta reeling from everything that's going on. But also it has to hit him hearing a bit more about his daughter and who she’s become right now.

Plus, this made me think about how one of the last things Rick did with Judith was read her a book. 🥲

I also love that Rick gets to see Michonne’s love for Judith in this moment. Like you can tell Michonne never goes a day without thinking about her kids and she wants to be able to talk about them.

There’s also something a little hilarious about this to me, because Rick literally just tried to end things between them not too long ago, and Michonne’s casual energy now is really like...

She knows he didn’t mean that breakup mess. 👌🏽

So Michonne continues, “I loved her so much I thought I was meant to be a writer for a while there. Judith’s gonna love this” Spoken like a mother. 🥰 And I love how Michonne’s face always lights up when reflecting on her kids.

Then we get more insight into Michonne's life from before which I’m always here for when she says, “I thought I was a computer scientist myself once too. Then art history. Then creative writing again. Then I dropped out.” First off, yes versatile queen. 👏🏽😋 Second; I love knowing she studied creative writing. She’s just like me for real. 😊

I also always wonder if perhaps the dropping out might've been impacted by/coincided with the passing of her mother, just cuz I remember she mentioned Joycelyn being there for her when she lost her mom and it seems like Joycelyn was mostly around during college. Idk. 🤷🏽‍♀️

But Michonne styduing art history also makes perfect sense considering TWD hinted at her penchant for art a few different times.

Then Michonne reveals she really was going somewhere with all that college majors talk when she turns to Rick and says, “You’ve become a bit of a creative writer these days.” And then she stares him down in a way that makes it clear Rick is all the way in the dog house.

gif cred: @figmentof

This is another reason I so badly wanted Rick to have kept all the letters he wrote her because he actually was writing her some pretty beautiful poetic stuff in those. But it makes sense that Michonne would be upset over one of the only notes she got to see in the getaway boat.

gif cred: @figmentof

I’m glad Michonne now gets to address exactly how she felt about that whole getaway ploy Rick tried to pull after she hadn't verbally addressed it in ep 3. It’s her turn to talk and I’m here for it. 👌🏽

She says, “That note in the getaway boat?…Poetry.” And the delivery of that line is just classic. I love it. Like so many moments in episode 4, this line and delivery was stuck in my head for awhile. 😋

gif cred: @figmentof

And the way Rick is looking at her after she says that.�� Issa husband. A husband who knows he's in hot water too lol.

Another reason I love this ep so much is because they are so completely married. Like this really is scenes from a marriage and I love this exploration of Richonne specifically as husband and wife, even in a fight.

I know Rick was truly being sincere with the note on the getaway boat but still, that was not a move he should have ever thought was going to sit right with Michonne ‘I Don’t Leave People Behind’ Grimes.

It’s interesting that Michonne hones in on the writing aspect of Rick's getaway ploy. I feel like it’s because she’s thinking - did he really think that if he wrote something nice enough I could just leave him here knowing good and well he's alive and needs my help? No amount of poetic words would convince her to just leave Rick trapped here. She knows he knows better than that.

gif cred: @figmentof

Then, it's definitely giving married when Michonne grabs a journal and pen and says, “Oh here. Why don’t you give another masterpiece for your children?”

Now y’all, my jaw dropped when I realized we’re doing this right now. 😦

Like I thought I was gonna see the RJ reveal coming but in a great turn of events Michonne just gets right into it, talking as if Rick already knew he has multiple living children.

gif cred: @figmentof

This is of course news to him and the second she says 'children,' Rick looks like that’s the only word now ringing through his brain.

gif cred: @figmentof

I feel like he’s quickly putting it together since he could already sense that Michonne had something big to tell him about their immediate family in ep 2. 

gif cred: @figmentof

Michonne goes onto say, “Because I’m not going to be the one to tell them that I found their father and he sent me away and chose not to come home to them.”

I’m glad she said that because that was my thought last episode too. Like what was she supposed to tell the kids after finding out their dad is alive but won’t be coming home to them ever? 

gif cred: @figmentof

Rick proves that there really is one word going through his mind right now as he asks, “Children?”

gif cred: @figmentof

And then Michonne uncrosses her arms, sucks her teeth, and walks past him seemingly realizing this isn’t the way she wanted to do this reveal. But at this point, she couldn’t really put it off any longer with the way Rick stayed trying to get her to leave before she even gets the chance to tell him.

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Rick turns to her and says, “You said 'children.'” And I know he’s very eager and anxious to know what that’s about because he hasn’t heard he has more than one living child in over 8 years. 

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Michonne sighs and then she turns to look at her children’s father. And as she prepares to tell Rick this big news, I love how 'Mother Nature' wanted to get involved with a thunderous drum roll before she says it. Both real-life Mother Nature and fictional Mother Nature are Richonners. They know when Richonne is about to have a milestone and they want to be a part of it, what can I say. 😋

So after the thunder drumroll, Michonne finally tells Rick about RJ by saying, “His name is Rick.” 🥲

I love that that’s the way she says it. 😭 It immediately tells Rick that this boy is theirs and he’s his namesake.

And then they cut to Rick who quickly looks down taking in this shocking news as Michonne says, “We call him RJ.”

Seeing a shot of Rick while hearing Michonne say 'RJ' just felt surreal. We finally arrived at this point of Rick learning about RJ after wanting to see this for 6 years. 🙌🏽🥹

gif cred: @nat111love

Rick silently reacts and then looks up at Michonne when she tells him, “I was pregnant when the bridge happened.” I loved hearing that.😭 She finally got to tell the one person she most wanted to tell that she was pregnant.

And the one who got her pregnant is definitely letting this big news sink in as he remains quiet and appears to both have a million thoughts racing through his head while also feeling like time is standing still from this huge news.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then Michonne makes me want to cry when she emotionally says, “He’s…he’s almost 8.” 🥺

In this moment I just see the mom who loves and misses her son so much and is pained to think about how she’s missed a year of his life and how Rick has missed all 7 years of his life.

I feel like the way she says this, it's clear that she feels for her and Rick that they’re not with RJ right now and she feels for her baby boy who she knows misses her too.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then she looks at Rick awaiting his initial response to this lifechanging news.

There have always been two parts of the anticipation regarding the RJ reveal - How would Michonne tell him & how would Rick react. And well now we saw how Michonne told him about their son so it was time to see how Rick would respond. 😬

First, Rick responds by taking this breath which, again, breathing very much tells the story in this episode and has its own little arc. His breath here feels like this is, as I suspected, overwhelming for him on all fronts.

Like you can just see how bittersweet and more prominently how overwhelming/stressful this is to Rick. He already feels like a failure for losing the face of his first son and it’s almost like learning of his second son means the risk of another family member to let down and lose.

And he also now knows he wasn't able to be there for Michonne while she had their baby and that he's not just missed out on years of raising his daughter but his son too. It's a lot. 😓

gif cred: @nat111love

On top of that, learning of RJ means there's instantly another person now added to who Rick longs to protect. So after looking down seemingly struggling to compute all this, Rick looks up and shocks me completely when he just reaches out his hand and says, “You need to give me the PRB.”

gif cred: @nat111love

Y’all...🙃. When I tell you I yelled "What?!" at the exact same time Michonne did. Truly...

gif cred: @nat111love

Of all the ways I pictured Rick first responding to the RJ news I never once had Rick having no verbal acknowledgment of his son on my bingo card. This was wild and admittedly had me wanting to fight despite being able to empathize with why Rick might be responding like this. 

Michonne says, “What? I just told you you have a son. I don’t know who you are anymore!”  And girl, me neither. Like I’m so sorry I hope I don’t sound ridiculous but I don’t know who this man is.

It made me sad that this was his response cuz you only get one time to learn you have a baby and his first verbal response is still about needing the PRB so he can call the CRM and try to get Michonne home without him. Again...

Rick says, “I’m trying to keep you and them alive. You need to give it to me.” And one; I do like how quickly RJ becomes a part of who he’s trying to protect. At the same time I was like - Rick, you didn’t even know your son was included in this ‘them’ until seconds ago, don’t you want to address that a lot more??? (And he does, but he can't let himself go there just yet).

Two; you know this is not our Rick when he’s telling Michonne ‘you need to give it to me’ like Rick is more of the ‘I’m giving it to them, are you gonna let me?’ type and rarely ever just tells Michonne what she needs to do. But again he’s so convinced that this PRB is part of the solution to protecting his family that he’s become one-track-minded. He wants what’s best for his family and he thinks this is how to do it but it’s blinding him to how very hurtful he’s being to his wife right now. 

Rick saying he needs the PRB is his way of showing he's more convinced than ever that sending Michonne home and him staying behind is the way it has to be. We know from his note in the getaway boat that he already felt Judith needed her mom even if she never gets to have her dad in her life, and now knowing they have a little boy out there - Rick seems to be immediately deciding that their son needs their mom even if he never has his dad in his life as well.

So Rick is determined to do anything to get Michonne back to their kids. Immediately believing the three of them need each other in their lives more than they need him, and that his role must be to protect them from afar.

He's not yet able to acknowledge the absolute joy of having a son with the love of his life or be curious about what his little boy might be like and look like. After already losing the image of one son, to begin to imagine the image of another son - knowing how quickly it can all be taken away, knowing that even the images of the ones you love most can fade, is too raw of a pain.

And I also think that the good parts of the news that he has a son, are parts Rick doesn't even feel he deserves to enjoy since he feels he died a 'failure' at getting home to his girls and now his son too. 🥺

So instead keeping his family alive is the only thing Rick can let himself think about. And he's terrified that he could be the reason his wife, son, and daughter's lives are in jeopardy, hence him having a response rooted so deeply in fear.

As the conflict continues, Michonne wants to address more of Rick's audacity from episode 3 when she frustratedly says, “What did you say? ‘Everything we have is broken’? After saying that we were going to get away.” One; I like how she says 'what did you say?' and then proceeds to give a direct quote of what he said. Richonne stays remembering each other's every word. 😋

And also two; I love that she addresses this because this is how much whiplash this man is causing her. Rick went from promising her multiple times that they’d get away together to saying everything they had is broken. Crazy work. 

Michonne points at him and passionately says, “I don’t know what game you’re playing, Rick” and I love that she says that too because while Rick is the one man Michonne will defer to when necessary, she’s also never one to play with and so she’s like look these Crazy-Offs and reindeer games need to stop immediately. Especially cuz Rick was fast approaching his final strike imo.

Rick says, “You have no idea who we’re dealing with. You need to give it to me!” After experiencing several thwarted escape attempts it’s clear Rick is pretty convinced that escaping is impossible.

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Honestly, I’m very here for this whole yelling Richonne moment. 👌🏽We haven’t really seen them like this before but even in this heated moment, it’s clear this fight is between two people who passionately love each other. And the acting is A1. 👏🏽🔥

Also, this is another way we know Rick and Michonne's relationship is special and different, because Lori stayed wanting Rick to fight back with her but he wouldn't. But with Michonne, what they have is worth the fight and the fighting to him. 

I love when Michonne claps and says, “Raising our kids. Believing you were alive and you were…with them!”

One; just hearing her say ‘our kids’ is great. Mom and dad for real. 🥰And I love that she gets to express how she feels in all the fullness of her emotion. It’s such a welcomed thing to see. 🙌🏽 This also shows how comfortable she is with Rick to be this vulnerably expressive. I always love the little hand movements she does too. She’s just cool in everything she does to me. 😋

And Danai also has a great yelling voice too. It’s rare to hear Michonne yell but I was here for it, even tho I of course don’t relish seeing Michonne upset and hurting. 

That ‘with them!’ part always hits me. Because underneath the anger I hear the hurt. This hurt over the fact that for years she was raising their kids, holding onto her belief in Rick and meanwhile the CRM got to have him when she would have given anything for Rick to be with her and their family. Yet another reason she and I hate the CRM. 

And when Rick hears this, he then breaks my entire heart when he earnestly says, “You think I didn’t want to be with you? I tri- I tried everything!” 😭💔 Andy killed that delivery. 👏🏽 The high-pitched breathiness of it - the sincerity is palpable.

And I love that he says “be with you.” He tried everything he could in the hopes of being with Michonne. When he says 'I tried everything,' I genuinely felt the weight of everything he’s tried and the toll it’s taken on him.

In this fight, Rick and Michonne both get some insight into how the other has spent the last eight years. Michonne has spent it raising their kids and believing he was alive. Rick has spent it wanting to be with Michonne and trying everything to get home to her and their family.

And then Michonne’s teary-eyed response after Rick says he tried everything. 😢 This episode did such a good job of conveying Richonne’s love - including the pain they feel over being without each other's love for so long.

Like they both have spent almost eight years longing to be with each other, starved of the love only the other can give them, living with a soulmate-sized hole in their heart. And now here they are - in the same building but not yet on the same page. 😔

They just have to talk some things through to fully find their center with each other again. (Well talk things through and make love some things through. 😌)

Rick says, “We need to go back.” And then because this stellar episode has a bit of everything we get some comedy as the thermostat says, “Your preferred temperature will be reached in one minute” and then Rick takes out all his frustration on the system as he yells, “Where is that thing!?” like he’s ready to box a temperature controller lol.

gif cred: @figmentof

And the way Michonne looks at him like she’s thinking this country boy is doing the most. 😂 I like how Rick knows he can’t be that on ten with Michonne so he only raises his voice to this level with the thermostat.

The temp controller really was a clever device to use within the episode and the temperature really will rise as Richonne dives further into this fight. 

I was very curious how the rest of this episode would play out now that Rick officially knows what we've longed for him to know which is that he and Michonne have a son together. And Danai continues to craft a fascinating exploration of Richonne as this conflict continues. 🥺👌🏽

[intimidating-fettuccine]

YAYYY!!!!! first request, I’m relatively new and I missed it last time lmao😭- pls may I request a scenario with poly Ben and Jeff where reader is known for being emotionally strong and independent, and really struggles with being vulnerable (crying, opening up to people emotionally, etc) and sorta has their first moment of vulnerability with the boys?

Like- maybe they’re all gaming and reader slowly starts to talk or make comments about how they’ve been feeling, maybe some traumatic things that have been on their mind, slowly opening up, which ends in them crying/breaking down Infront of the guys for the first time? Just some comfort, cuddles, etc (I live for comfort w best Boys >:D)

Hcs are alright too if you don’t fancy a scenario, love ur writing!! Have a lovely day/night, take care of yourself <3

I really wanted to write this one but I do need to go with the HCs. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you also have a lovely timezone! &lt;3

You're not the only one in the trio who has a hard time being vulnerable, but perhaps that's what drew you all together. I've even mentioned before how BEN has emotionally discreetly opened up to Jeff over some video games, so it seems fitting that you would do the same. I could see why you might be hesitant to open up and expose all your vulnerabilities to them... They have so much going on themselves, always stressed from work and their own issues, and so even with them constantly encouraging you to be more open with you, your own sense of independence constantly takes over, making it harder and harder for you to finally open up to them until you've bottled it up so much that you begin to overflow, and that's where we find ourselves today.

The three of you were sat bundled up together, trying to stay warm from the growing winter air outside, Mario Kart on the TV and controllers in each of your hands as you just try and relax and have fun together. Eventually, though, the warmth of the atmosphere starts to eat away at you, and the stress you've been holding in from recent and past events in your life finally begins to bubble up over the carefully crafted vase you've been hiding it away in. It starts with your hands, shaking and trembling, and then your jaw and lips follow behind, and then the tears begin quietly falling down your face. Your voice begins level, mentioning how you've been so tired lately. How you've been having those dreams again, and how you just feel like you haven't been doing well enough. Their eyes remain trained on the screen, not wanting to make you uncomfortable by watching you as the three of you continue to race. It's not until you've fallen off the same part of Rainbow Road for the third time and your sniffles reach the air that they both turn to you and notice what's happening with you physically, your whole body shaking and tears they've never seen before traveling down your cheeks. 

They're left breathless, unsure of what to do, their hands reaching out for you but unsure if they should make contact. When the first choked sob comes out of your throat they lose all hesitance, Jeff scooping you into his lap and BEN hugging against your back as you bury your face into Jeff's neck and wrap your arms around his back. They're both holding you tightly, whispering that it's okay, that you're alright, and they're there to protect you and keep you safe. As you continue to sob and open up about what's been bothering you a deep ache fills in their chests. They blame themselves for not noticing sooner that you've been this stressed, for not probing deeper into the issues you'd alluded to before. They sit quietly as you open up to them, occasionally asking questions to make sure they have a deeper understanding of what it is you've been feeling the need to keep to yourself. They tell you not to hide things like this from them anymore, that if you ever begin to feel stressed or if anything is making you depressed or bothering you or giving you anxiety, to please open up to them and let them help you, because you always do the same for them. They are your partners, and they want to be able to support you and love you, and they can't do that if you don't let them in. 

They hold you close as your tears begin to die down, covering you in gentle kisses and whispering words of comfort and love. When you're fully calmed down and feeling better they'll work at implementing a check-in system with you while you get used to opening up, but for now... For now, it's time to rest and be close. BEN goes off to get you all some snacks and some hot chocolate to relax with, and Jeff continues to hold you in his lap, running his hands through your hair and pressing delicate kisses to your forehead. They won't allow you to be lost and alone like they were, not if they can help it. You took them in emotionally and gave them a home in your heart, a place to belong to, and they're going to do the same for you. They love you too dearly to let you continue wandering alone, and it's time for you to come home to them, where you're warm and welcome and cared for, no matter what. You deserve to be at peace with them, no matter what your brain has told you all these years, it's time for you to be open and free.

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

Adding to the “Velvette is the glue of the Vees” convo (and possible slightly out of character interpretation)

I feel like Vox and Valentino definitely need somebody to confide in other than a fuck-buddy y’know?

Like just a (somewhat) stable friend or business partner no sex involved

…Who they’ll sometimes cuddle on the couch with and bitch about their day to each other

I hc Velvette in all her independent girlboss glory can grow clingy towards those she’s attached herself to - that being Vox and Valentino

Say Vox and Val have an argument Velvette wasn’t around for, so they’re both pissed at each other - Velvette comes to their little shared common space, completely drained from work and drapes herself over whoever is there

Valentino; will immediately start bitching to her but also scoop her up and plop on the couch, maybe get some snacks and drinks as they both recharge

Vox; stays quiet - doesn’t like talking after an argument but will do something similar, maybe go into his office instead to stalk someone while having Velvette in his lap. Velvette is just there doom scrolling on her phone or taking a nap while Vox rubs her back

Whoever Velvette runs into first - she can sense the argument happened. So once she’s recharged and taken care of herself - she’ll text them something stupid like “Can’t sleep. Come here. Now.” without telling Vox or Valentino that the other one will be there - both of them go in her room and are - pissed lol

(Think of that Spongebob episode where Squidward tries to make Patrick and SpongeBob be friends again 💀)

But yeah uhmmm Velvette’s gonna 1. Address the issue directly 2. Force both Vox and Valentino to sleep with her bc she’s too tired to deal with them but will force them into the awkward situation cause she wants the entertainment

If scenario 2 happens Velvette is obviously sandwiched in between Vox and Valentino while they stare at each other angrily. Whoever speaks way too loud first gets punched by Velvette (happens multiple times) so they’re forced to quietly “discuss their issues” while Velvette is playing dumb and pretending to sleep - eventually things do work out and they all fall asleep

I don’t even know where I was going with this it’s incredibly disorganized I just like ranting about the Vees help - love silly Velvette headcanons where she’s the one who’s in control I guess lol

I totally agree with like half of what you've written - with the part taht Vox and Valentino both need someone to confide with. None of them has a lot of opportunities to be just comfortable with another person. Sure they have each other but romantic relatisohips are often more "loaded" than frienships and while they can grant deeper connection, they also generate greater tension. That's why lifelong frienships are way more common than lifelong romances.

But I don't find the idea of Velvette's infantilization appealing, sorry. She strikes me as a person who craves to be feared and respected, to the level that it feels almost like overcompesating for her young age (compared to other Overlords) and non-threatening form. I don't see why would she allow anyone, even her friends to treat her like a plushie. Especially when those friends are power hungry maniacs who nutoriously prey on people they see as weaker.

That doesn't mean I think your headcanon is wrong or bad. It just doesn't allign with my own interpretation. Which is perfectly fine, they can't even be compared in their accuracy in relation to canon because we barely have any canon. So please, don't take it personally - I love you have fun with your ideas, that's the most important part of fandom <3

[apoptoses]

Lmao I just wanted to be sure you'd be open to me ranting in your inbox! ofc I'm willing to share 🥹

So, the first scenario that came to mind was the one described by @lovevamp, and it's something that you've already explored to a certain degree before (marvelously, needless to say, and you dedicated it to me!! 😭), although narratively it didn't necessarily focus on Daniel being in control/adopting a more dominant role in their relationship. I think it'd be interesting to revisit that scenario with that dynamic in mind, and go a little deeper into the whole... what it must've been for Armand to submit so willingly to Daniel. To go all pliant and supple and enjoy it. Because it's not just about giving Daniel what he wants, although that's always a priority, but it's also about Armand choosing to re-embrace his naturally submissive side after so long, and choosing Daniel to be the one to do it with. And Daniel not actually knowing why it's a big deal but at the same time being extremely aware of it and rising up to the occasion, struggling between loving to feel in control for once, genuinely enjoying the feeling of power and being extremely turned on by it and the thoughts of ravishing Armand and being rough and careless knowing he can't actually hurt him, and also him actually caring and being soft and sweet and gentle because he's Daniel and at the end of the day he's a very gentle man.

Second scenario is post-canon. Because their post-canon dynamic and what it must've been like for them to get back together in the way they did, with Daniel readily choosing to go back to Armand and doing so in a time of such chaos for all of their kind (which seems to be a pattern for them lol). I feel the whole court thing would be relevant here with Armand feeling left out, frustrated and homesick in France, and feeling like most of the vampires there 1. fear him, 2. treat him with contempt or pity or 3. are actual loved ones (Marius, Lestat) who simply can't take most of the shit he says seriously even when he's right, as much as they love him, which hurts him greatly. And that's when my man Daniel comes in. Strong, gentle, SANE Daniel who would choose Armand over anything and anyone, always, no matter what, and who's there to remind him of it every day. It's them against the world even if Daniel doesn't really care about the politics of it, he's the devil's minion till the very end. He'd caress his face, kiss his lips, brush his hair, let him cry and scream and rant (preferably while sitting on his lap), and then give him a good spanking and rough him up because he knows that's what Armand craves and needs and under those circumstances, Daniel's the one he trusts to do it to him.

That's basically it lmao this has been in my mind for some time so your post really resonated with me 🥹 I'm sure I'll go insane over whatever you end up writing as usual 🥹 xoxo DA

Ahhhh DA you're reading my mind 🥹

Because YEAH definitely on situation #1, because that's the core of it, right? Armand choosing to want this, the inherent vulnerability of it and the level of feeling safe that would be required to have it happen. And on both ends, right? Because if he very abruptly laid back and told Daniel to take charge I don't see either of them ending up in the right headspace.

Or like Armand getting all up in his grill and demanding to know why 'daddy' is a popular term for boyfriend in the 70s, and what that implies in the bedroom is just going to end in Daniel being a mess lmao

And maybe that's what would need to happen first, a total misfire that leaves them both uncertain of what just happened and what they wanted to get out of it. But they don't really communicate well at this point either. So it would take one of them (probably Daniel) to stew and unravel the whole situation, and initiate another try.

But ALSO situation #2, god, that's been on my mind for a while. Not post-canon like you've described (and described so fucking well might I add) but upon their immediate return to Night Island post-Akasha. What their first attempts at intimacy now that Daniel is a vampire might look like, how they'd fumble through some immortal on immortal action. And maybe Daniel isn't fully with it at the time, but feeling a little off kilter and high on his new life would allow him the guts to feel like he can do anything, up to and including pushing Armand around.

Which then leads to a replay of that moment via your scenario because I think about Armand in France a lot! How he's not in control there because it's not his home, he's not the one playing host, so there's nothing to distract him from the difficulty of being surrounded by current and former flames (and the occasional frenemy or unrequited love).

He would 1000% need dangled by the ankles and paddled until he stops overthinking and stressing himself out, and Daniel is the only one disconnected enough from court affairs to make that his whole job while they're there. No thoughts, head empty, just there for the vibes and to straighten his maker's head out when he gets too pressed to function.

So TY my head is so full of thoughts I gotta marinate now 🥹 Love you DA, you can always be counted on xxxx

[campgender]

do you have any tips for online cruising? I’m new to kink in general but have lost a lot of mobility recently and my ability to socialize offline has diminished so while I want to amp up my sex/kink life I realize it needs to happen primarily online for now…

ooh what a fun question, i’m honored you asked me❣️ + i hope things are going as smoothly as possible for you in terms of adapting to your new mobility level! i went kind of broad here but you’re more than welcome to ask any other questions 💖

ofc all of this is with the major disclaimer that like, i’m just some faggot, i can only speak to what i’ve experienced + read, what works for you may differ substantially & that’s totally okay! on that note this is at times specific to tumblr or a similar posting platform as i’m not personally familiar with grindr etc

it’s fairly common practice in tumblr cruising spaces to make a notes app list or something similar with selected kinks, boundaries, etc, that way you can send it to a play partner for easy reference without necessarily sharing that information on a blog at large (though some people put similar reference lists in a pinned post, which is fine too!) not a requirement by any means but something you might find useful

consider what types of virtual sex acts you’re interested in / comfortable with (of course, it’s okay if this changes). options include sending and/or receiving photos, videos, or audio; a synchronous audio, two-way video, or one-way video call; and long distance app-controlled toys (eg Lovense)

what kind of check-in would you want afterwards, if anything? this can of course vary depending on the person & activity. at the expense of making a vast generalization, it’s my impression that in-person kink spaces promote norms of checking in a day or two after a scene by default (at least that’s what the texts i’ve read across various decades claim, which are certainly biased towards a positive portrayal of these communities in other ways) whereas in my experience (and to my dismay lol) this isn’t as much of a thing online, like there definitely have been people who’ve checked in with me without me asking but they were the exception

it can also be helpful to think about your feelings about fantasizing about scenarios you can’t physically do for disability reasons. there’s absolutely no right or wrong answer, it’s just another conversation i’ve had to hone over time lol. for probably 3 years i wouldn’t sext about stuff i couldn’t do (kneeling, for example) because it made me feel like shit about myself; then for a long while when “stuff i couldn’t do” almost always included “have sex in person,” i got more flexible about that, to different degrees with different people

you don’t have to talk about your sex life with anyone you don’t want to, but when possible it can be helpful to have a buddy (whether they cruise / have casual sex / whatever themself or not) to talk things out with if you have a negative experience or are worried or confused about something. i am very good at construing any situation to be my fault so if i’m triggering it’s helpful to give one of my housemates the basics of what happened & them be like you didn’t do anything wrong / they shouldn’t have done that / etc. i’m also happy to be a sounding board (as long as any ask/dm has the relevant content warnings) with the caveat that i can’t guarantee a prompt response. sex-positive resources like Scarleteen are also good grounding tools for me in terms of like, other people believe in these consent practices too

one aspect to consider especially with D/s play is the (potential) difference between messaging about a shared fantasy versus one person telling the other what to do in real time (for example, “and then i’d make you shake your tits for me” versus “now shake your tits for me baby,” or whatever).

for a lot of people the latter is a different set of boundaries, including being totally off the table. being told what to do, even without videoing it or otherwise ‘proving it’ to the other person, can be an incredibly intense experience and might create feelings in someone that they weren’t expecting

as an example of a boundary i learned the hard way, someone once told me like “shut up, stop typing. do XYZ” & it made me feel like i couldn’t message to safeword if i wanted to. ig just like, even if it’s not a big deal to you be aware that it could be a big deal to others, you know? & if it is a big deal to you that’s okay

personally i tend to tell play partners i’m fine with casual sexting whenever but need to set aside a dedicated time for a scene (for example, telling someone how to touch themself) which usually means scheduling in advance

it’s absolutely not your fault if someone does something without asking, but if you’re interested in subbing, it could be helpful to have a plan ahead of time for how you want to respond if someone just starts ordering you around. there’s nothing wrong with not responding the way you planned, i just feel less overwhelmed & more in control when i’m less caught off guard

as far as like finding virtual play partners i only know what i do lol

go into relevant tumblr tags for what i’m into, sort by most recent posts, read until i find something i’m into, see if that person is looking for hookups. if so check out their blog based on my, like, cruising criteria or whatever lol; if not maybe follow them if other posts are good. repeat

different like communities & kinks & such have different norms for getting around tumblr censored tags, sometimes making things one word or various positions of periods or slashes. “example k!nk” (that’s an exclamation point instead of an i) is a common format, same with adding “nsft” (not safe for tumblr). if you’re looking for disabled play partners and/or disabled porn the “disabled nsft” tag could be a good place to start!

i look in the notes of posts i think are particularly hot (or my own posts) for tags that are hot, interesting, or well-organized & check out those blogs

same for posts that make points about consent etc that i particularly agree with

so you’ve found somebody whose posts you think are hot who’s looking for / open to new play partners, now what? ofc everybody’s different but some of the stuff i look for when deciding whether to message someone:

do they have a tag or similar for serious posts, such as about consent, stereotypes, communication, etc? do they seem to have compatible views to yours?

can they recognize when they should (or when you’d want them to) drop character? some people’s blog personas are “always on” in a way that’s not compatible with what i need; someone adding an aside at the end of an ask they’ve answered to clarify or provide reassurance goes a long way

i’m not sure how to describe this exactly but like, is there flexibility & room for disagreement in their language? this is again a personal preference but while people taking a firm tone & making (unconscious?) assumptions & whatever can still be hot when i’m jerking off or something, it’s super stylistically incompatible with what i want in practice. the play partners i’ve been most compatible with are the ones who’ve answered asks more like “are you into X? if so i would do Y. or if not that’s totally fine, i’d just do Z 💕”

do they express their boundaries with other people?

i hope some of this is helpful! best of luck to you & have fun❣️

[lumiereandcogsworth]

okay kinda random bc I haven’t seen this season but I saw queen charlotte gifs awhile back and someone was trying to stop the king from being by his wife’s side during child birth (I think ??) and now I’m curious if anyone could’ve stopped Adam in that scenario? I feel like no, absolutely not but 👁️

ooooh my gosh dude okay. okay. OKAY. OKAY!!!!!!!!!!! you have no idea how long, how many Years, i agonized over this topic. AGONIZEDDDD. the constant flipping around between historical accuracy and wanting them to share That Moment and knowing both of their personalities and OH MY GOSSSSHSHDHDJFNEKFJSKDJEKDJDK. alright. let’s get into it.

the fact of the matter is: i have put all 3 of their children’s births into my canon (not Graphically obviously but. the days have been recorded and are on ao3 🫡) so i can explain my thoughts quite thoroughly on how those three magical days went down. i know them quite well!

to answer your question, firstly, (and that scene in queen charlotte IS so good and i love that mini series IMMENSELY) no, there is absolutely nothing that could stop adam from getting to belle. proof of that is right in the movie, with that man doing gymnastic-level LEAPS across the castle roof while being shot at in order to get to his girl!!! so, no absolutely not. he WILL get to belle if needed.

THAT BEING SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! adam actually is not present in the room at renée’s birth! there were Reasons i ended up doing this. (and, just to say, i am still REALLY proud of this fic. i had been thinking about that day for years and then it all finally came to me one random night and i am immensely proud of it. plleeeaaassse read it if you find the time 🥹)

anyway, here’s the thing about adam and belle. as MUCH as those two love each other, as MUCH as they always want to be near each other, and invading each other’s space, i really and truly don’t think this particular (albeit, magnificent) event would strike them as something to be shared together. YES, there ARE plenty of recorded points in history when the man, against the status quo, stood by his wife while she had their children. queen victoria is probably the most famous example. and while i DID factor this in, VERY heavily, i just couldn’t shake the feeling that adam and belle wouldn’t be this way. it may seem counterintuitive to some people but listen, they’ve lived in my head for so many years, i just don’t question them much anymore. especially when it’s sort of Against the obvious fluff that i would love to see, ya know?? but here were my thoughts:

i think belle, having lacked a mother-figure and just like, girlhood & womanhood community in general all her life, would sort of Want this day to be a very, well, womanly experience. she only wanted midwives, there wasn’t even a male doctor present (which would have been weird for a queen!!!) and i think she was very intentional about this decision. she’s HAVING A BABY! and she hates that her mother isn’t here to help her through it and i think she’d just really want to take control and make it as special, in this regard, as possible.

(also adam definitely made sure she had the TOP midwives in the country. he vetted them Thoroughly)

and! i really feel like adam would not have particularly Wanted to be present. OBVIOUSLY HE WANTS TO SUPPORT HIS WIFE AND BE THERE FOR HER OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!! but, given HIS upbringing, i don’t think he would actually genuinely REMOTELY want to witness a birth. even if it Was the love of his life, even if it WAS his child. he has so many complicated issues around manhood and fatherhood and i think that would kind of cloud any other ideas.

i don’t even think they truly talked about it, just given the times. it wasn’t like belle ever asked “hey do you want to be there?” because husbands rarely were. and she was already very set (and very excited!) about having this very WOMAN!! experience. and adam equally wouldn’t have inquired, already being so clouded with the Everything about it. (and, i think his worry about her having to go through that would trigger him to want to avoid it, unfortunately, but it IS okay since she wasn’t expecting him to be there anyway!)

SO !!!!!!! finding their reasons so very sound, i made that decision and wrote it that way! but the whole first chapter of the fic is adam being an anxious DISASTER pacing the floor just down the hall from The Room so i mean, there’s still plenty of fatherly nerves in there. and after he goes to meet his precious darling, belle tells him how much she wanted him there the moment she was born!!!!! so like. they DO LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH and very much Wanted to be near each other. just not for the birth itself! which is valid and i stand by this decision <3

the other two births are kind of wild lmao. and don’t ask me why! i just work here!!

juliette was born a MONTH early. she’s perfectly okay !!! but just tiny and very unexpected. so unexpected that adam was LITERALLY NOT HOME‼️ ough. not to spoil the whole opening premise of that fic but yeah adam was in versailles doing king things. and belle would have come with him but she was quite pregnant! and carriage rides were UNCOMFORTABLE! (and their toddler is VERY attached to her mama!!!) so belle stayed home. and let me be clear, adam DID NOT want to leave. he knew they only had a month to go and his worries about belle only increased by the day. but belle, Of Course, was like dont worryyyyy nothings gonna happeeennnnnn!!!! he was only going to be gone a week anyway so. WHAT COULD HAPPEN?🥲

i don’t know WHY belle went into early labor, don’t ASK me that, i just WORK HERE, but she did. it all happened quite suddenly and it was the most scared belle has ever been. both because she thought she was going to lose the baby and because adam wasn’t even home so everything just felt wrong. one of her ladies in waiting wrote adam an urgent letter and some galant postman hopped in his horse-drawn carriage and told them to fly like the wind, bullseye!! to get the letter to versailles. which obviously took multiple hours because uhhh country big and horses small.

so this time, belle gave birth pretty scared and also more distressed because she knew adam 1. Was Not There Waiting For Her and 2. WOULD BE LOSING HIS MIND THE MOMENT HE RECEIVED THAT LETTER AND STARTED BOOKING IT BACK HOME! gosh. it’s just a very very stressful day 😭 that fic is INCREDIBLY dear to me though because it’s mostly them FINALLY reaching peace. adam returns and meets his second baby girl and belle is at peace now that he’s back and that their baby is okay. (though,,, i do think belle has some postpartum depression because of how intense everything was, and how worried she still was about juliette. she was just so tiny!!! but she really did handle being an 18th century premie like a CHAMP. at one point adam says “that’s because she’s strong, like her mother” 🥹🤧 so anywayyyy adam wasn’t there for that one either but for a wildly different reason!!! i do truly think that if he HAD been there when belle went into early labor, she would very much have summoned him because i think for a moment she wondered if she herself was going to make it and wanted him with her. (which of course made her more distressed that she literally couldn’t ask for him! AH!) anyway the 18th century was craaaazyyyy lol let’s move on !

last baby!!! le prince!!! hooray!!! okay HERE you go i finally give you the fluff we so dearly crave. ADAM WAS AT THIS ONE!!!!!!!!! it happened for a couple reasons. mostly, it was unplanned, lmao. even though maurice came on time, not early like juliette, the labor was also pretty quick and sudden.

(i didn’t even SAY this earlier but belle was in labor with renée for like a full night and day before she even TOLD adam. she’s so stubborn. like GIRL? i know Exactly how that entire day goes but i haven’t actually written about it. i should though. but she basically avoids telling adam because they had a small but “important” luncheon with some dukes and nobles and such that day and belle was like “well obviously i can’t Tell Adam because then he’ll cancel the thing he’s been super anxious about!” not for a moment thinking about THE OTHER THING HE’S BEEN SUPER ANXIOUS ABOUT FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS— anyway. she’s ridiculous. adam really had to hold back his scolding when she finally told him but oooooh boy he was PISSED. OUT OF CONCERN‼️ but anywaaayyyyy)

this last labor started in the evening when adam and belle were winding down for the night. the girls were already tucked into bed. adam’s reading a book on the sofa and belle is milling about with some project. and then all of the sudden it’s like WHOAH HEY HELLO ! ! and she HAD felt some slight pains earlier in the afternoon but being her usual “you’d say you were fine if your arm had fallen off” self, she just kind of ignored it (you’d think she’d have learned? after the first two? but no💖) but suddenly it’s like REAL and CANNOT ignore. so she tells adam and he’s like WHOAH !!!! and then he’s like aaahAAHHHH OKAY— and they Start leaving for the hospital wing.

(oh yeah i think renée was born in like this nice medical room of the castle. part of belle’s whole Plan. but juliette was born in the west wing since all that happened so intensely and they happened to be closer to their chambers than the hospital wing. they just needed a BED at that point.)

so anyway, my gosh, MY TANGENTS!! so ANYWAY, they Try to start heading to the hospital wing but belle’s like uhhhhhh frankly my guy i do not think i can do all those stairs. this is Happening. and adam is like oooh my gosh and gets worried and Knows how scared she was last time so with all that adrenaline and Husbandly Concern he just takes control of the situation!!! and says that okay, she’s going to have the baby here, and he’s going to send for the midwives to come up, and he’s not going to leave her side. so he doesn’t !!! he helps belle to bed and steps out of their room and tells the nearest guard to get the midwife girlies !!! (who come and stay at the castle around the six month mark of each pregnancy, just to be able to do check-ups and such) and then adam pulls a chair to belle’s bedside and sits by her.

and he just. like he’s SO scared but he isn’t the same guy he was when renée was born !! he’s been a father for seven years! a husband for NINE! he’s grown A LOT ! he’s still not super excited to witness this but at this point he is fully just concerned about belle. he helps her as much as he can. he gets a rag to dry her sweat and lets her nearly break his hand from squeezing it so hard. and she definitely, (stubbornly), tells him multiple times that he can GO and she’s FINE but he’s like yeah nice try + i’m here now + deal with it. and she does! and the midwives come soon enough and things Occur and adam gets to witness the birth of his SON‼️ im not sure what time he was born but it’s like just before sunrise. like 4am maybe.

(they were all born at night !! renée is born around 11:15pm and juliette is born in the early evening, maybe like 7pm or so. (adam doesn’t show up until like 10 or 11pm😭))

and boy it is a WILD experience for adam, my gosh. obviously none of it is truly processed in the moment, with all the worries and adrenaline and utter JOY upon seeing their baby. and it’s so !!! exciting because the midwife basically cleans the baby up and puts him in adam’s arms without much thought. so they keep tending to belle with the afterbirth and all that, meanwhile adam is like ‼️‼️‼️‼️ holding his baby boy feeling like nothing is real AT ALL. and he cries (he tears up upon seeing aaallll his babies) and he’s just. gosh. so happy. SO HAPPY. so happy that their baby is okay and so happy that his belle is okay too!!! he soon puts the baby in her arms and he kisses her forehead and they can’t stop smiling. and a bit of time later, the midwives give them some time alone and leave for a bit. adam gets up and circles the bed to climb onto his side, and he just wraps his arms around them 😭

this fic takes place a couple hours after all that chaos. it’s early morning and adam eventually goes to wake the girls so they can meet their little brother!!

the silliest part is, that after ALL THAT! i do think that adam and belle would both agree that adam Should be there. so they talk about that “for next time.” but little do they know, baby reecy was their last little darling 🥹🥰 so that’s the only birth adam was at!! but wow!!! wowie i love this family of mine!!💖

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

Writing asks: 10, 11, 38

10: Top three favourite fic tropes

Transformations - Vampires, alien goo, zombification, demonic corruption, dragon mode, I eat this shit UP! Day fucking one my mom asks little 3 year old me what kinda imaginary story I wanna play and I am immediately transforming motherfuckers into various animals, monsters, and strange shapes. I've been on my freak with this since birth.

Omegaverse - I've only half written the one fic for it myself, but I find A/O/B very fun and extremely gender affirming. I could honestly rant about the appeals of this one for a while, but half of it would be NSFW and the other half would be railing against one specific anti-omegaverse argument that genuinely makes me want to fist fight people lol, so suffice to say, I do really like it.

Edgy Panic Button Powers - uhhh so idk what the proper name for this would be, but I'm talking like superpowers that are overwhelmingly powerful, but have some kind of cost that necessitates that it can only be pulled out in absolute emergencies, and I want that shit to be edgy as all hell. Ichigo's Hollow mask thingy is a good example of this. Rin from Blue Exorcist doing his demon thing is another great one. Alucard's control level zero (might be getting that name wrong??) from Helsing Ultimate OVA. Dante's Devil Trigger and Jason's All-Blades could be the same kinda sauce with the right tweaks. Bonus points if the Edgy Panic Button is a transformation.

...Just realized this one isn't exactly a fic trope, have another one

Only One Bed - something about this one strikes just the right balance between fools getting put in awkward scenarios against their will and character choice. The bed forces temptation, and it's up to the characters and their own foibles as to who breaks how. Have yet to write this one yet, but it will happen someday, mark my words.

11: Three tropes that are fine but overrated

continuing the trend of only half staying on topic, some of these are more like tropes of unknown rating that don't jive with me? I have a hard time saying something is getting undue praise, but I tried

Soulmate AUs - I think they're simultaneously underrated and overrated. They get treated like they're THE exemplar of romantic storytelling in fanfiction, especially in terms of talking about hating it and wanting it subverted into dust because it's supposedly this hollow hedgemonic whatever, when really like... It is not the core and pinnacle of pure romance, nor is it emblematic of what's wrong with the kids these days. It's just a trope, with narrative strengths and weaknesses the same as any other trope. It's fine.

coffee shop/flower shop/mundane job AUs - These are simply incompatible with me. I do not like normalcy; normalcy does not like me. I have a really hard time imagining my weirdo blorbos being so normal without exploding out of their own skins trying to find something more. Tim and Jason would attempt to throw hands with everyone and God in every world I think, but at the same time, maybe I kinda get why people like it? If I wrote the same kind of slice of life fic about Jason and Tim working together as assistants in a necromancer's lab I'd really like it. I can respect a trope that's comforting and has a routine that puts the characters in proximity with a craft they can mutually share and have passion over. Still feel like it's kinda over-done tho

Wing fics - I am way, way too anal retentive about speculative biology and speculative anthropology for 98% of these, which prefer to focus on using the wings as thematic and emotional indicators. I get why they're popular, they're cool and lend themselves well to dope ass art, but also they do sometimes make me want to scream about wingspan ratios and improper joint placements.

38: "This never happened" fix-it fics or "this happened but" fix-it fics?

"This happened but" all the way. I find taking the concepts that didn't work in comics execution and improving upon them to be a fun challenge. I firmly believe that with effort and care, you can make a good story out of nearly any starting concept, and there's a ton of advantages I have as a reader/fanfic writer that the original comic writers didn't have (like hindsight and a lack of executive demands), so idk I pretty much always feel like I can take the comic's basic beats and figure out a way to improve it.

I'm also just way more forgiving than a lot of other comic readers I think? Like I have gone on record as a defender of both Brothers in Blood and Pill Helmet Jason and some of my first comics ever were Lobdell's Red Hood and the Outlaws new 52 stuff and that somehow didn't turn me off of comics lmao, it takes a LOT to make me say "this is too garbage for me to want to use any of it". I enjoy going into comics looking for stuff that works or could work better if ___.

The only "this never happened"s I really go for are the ones that are like specifically in service to keeping a character's cool magic power or transformation curse or whatever intact. Like if the story's happily ever after involved the main character no longer turning into a sicknasty demon form when mad, I will hate that enough to pitch it out entirely lol

anyhow, thank you for the ask Laufire! I might send u some questions back as revenge :3

[hypnotisedfireflies]

So I'm not sure if anyone has ever asked this before, but what if things had been different in the museum, and Joel was bitten instead of Tess.

How do you think Tess would have handled the whole take Ellie across the US adventure? (Don't have to be crazy detailed here, I guess I'm just wondering if you think the same points would have been hit.)

Let's say just like Tess is Drifters Dusk Joel doesn't turn. Do you think Lachie still would have helped him, would Joel have helped himself?

If Joel does get out of the firefly stuff alive, how do you think the reunion in Jackson would have gone?

Okay, hope I did not double up a question or ask too much.

Hi lovely! Thanks for your ask. <3

"I'm on your side, you dumb cunt!"

- Lachlan Maynard, losing his shit with Joel Miller in this scenario.

I think ... everything would've been different. Alike though Tess and Joel are, I think it's pretty unlikely anything would've gone the same way.

Tess would've taken Ellie to Bill and Frank's, but she would've stayed there with her for awhile. Tess still wants to find Tommy, but she doesn't have Joel's unrestrained urgency. I think she would've used the time there to rest up, to plan the journey and to assess what Ellie is capable of. Ellie would've gotten the gun a lot sooner with Tess than she did with Joel, and had some lessons right there in Lincoln.

I don't see it likely that they would've encountered Henry and Sam. Tess wasn't going through any big cities. So I think after leaving Lincoln, their journeys would have barely overlapped. An entirely different adventure.

I know people like to shit on Joel and say Tess would've done it in days or whatever, but that's not much fun. Her journey would've been fraught and challenging in other ways.

As for Joel and Lachie - yes. Absolutely yes. While Joel and Lachie didn't have the relationship that Tess and Lachie did, the Firefly still would've helped Joel - he wouldn't have even stopped to think about it.

Joel would've been a lot harder to control, however. Tess was level-headed to stick with Lachie even when the other Fireflies wanted her dead. There's a little ficlet that touches on that and I think it's also somewhere else but idk anymore. But Joel would've been difficult enough for drama to kick off earlier, and then he'd probably abandon Lachie to try and follow Tess and Ellie by himself. Lachie would have to chase after him and be like:

"I'm on your side, you dumb cunt!"

But we know how good Joel is at listening to that kind of thing. It would've worked out eventually between the two of them I'm sure, probably when Lachie started telling Joel nice Tess stories. Stuff like, "She was the first person who made me feel safe," and "Tess reminded me of my cousin." Etc.

However, they would butt heads a lot. Lachie's laid-back but he's not a doormat and he wouldn't take Joel's shit. There are probably several tussles.

"What the fuck does she see in you!? You are the moodiest cunt alive! Everyone thought that in Indy, you know that? Everybody wondered what the fuck she was doing with you."

Which ofc Lachie didn't mean and is a total lie, and as they lay on the ground bleeding and hurting afterward Lachie would be like:

"Actually everyone thought she was a heartless bitch and you deserved each other. They thought you were a match made in heaven."

And Joel would start laughing and Lachie's all, "that's not a compliment, dipshit."

Lachie gets sick towards the pointy end of his journey with Tess. That's probably the real turning point of Joel and Lachie, and Joel would get him safely to Jackson.

The reunion would play out differently. Tess made Tommy wait a few days before telling Joel she was alive so he could recover, but you'd better believe the Miller brothers didn't have the same foresight. Joel's probably on the gate the day Tess and Ellie come back.

[fyodior]

Okay so I also agree with you that fyodor's breakdown might have been partially genuine bc yeah I also doubt asagiri would show that entire scene (which was kinda long too) only for fyodor at the end to be like "lmao it was all a trick I deceived you". Imo when fyodor read that note in russian smth did happen inside of him and the start of his breakdown might have been somewhat genuine. But then there's that scene where he stops screaming and goes "...", I think in that moment he might have gone back to normal and may have realized "wait sigma is still there with the gun pointed at me, I have no other way to protect myself, I could probably keep up this act, make up some lie and trick him to drop the gun" so then he probably made up that whole story of the double personality and the magic sword to kill him

OR there's the possibility that what he said about the double personality and the magic sword are at least somewhat true as well in some way, but then he switched back to his regular self and went "yeah I was totally lying, I totally do not have a double personality, it was all just a story I made up trust me bro" to confuse sigma (and us readers) even more

The fun thing about this is that we have no idea which of these scenarios is the correct one and that there's a possibility that neither of them are right and there's actually a secret third option we might find out in the future

This is not the first time fyodor keeps up an act like this to get out of a situation. He used that same technique with ace when he pretended the entire time to have an ability that trapped people inside his mind. But I also agree with you that we've never seen fyodor act so distressed/ooc (the most we got was that 😳 face he made when dazai showed up at the café he was in). So basically what I'm trying to say is, this man has an iron grip on my brain and my puthy and I need him to step on me

- 💍

rambling under the cut bc it got long LMAO

yeah like it'd be insane to dedicate 75% of a chapter to an interaction that had no meaning and like all the shit he made up about that dagger??? i don't think we have all the pieces yet to actually make an accurate hypothesis but im thinking less and less that it was just him lying like that's too surface level. we also still have no fucking idea what that "help me" note was???? and maybe it was his "other self" trying to communicate to him ??? my god this is so complicated

and yes this isnt the first time he's fabricated an entire situation to get out of something but he's alwayyysss stayed calm and collected bc to him having control over the situation or at least pretending to is the most important thing. if he's having a meltdown 1) that's incredibly uncharacteristic 2) he's lost control over the situation and that just isn't what he does.

but the other thing is he just didn't need to go to that extreme to get sigma to put the gun down??? like sigma is just. so naive (to no fault of his own he's literally 3 years old) and is so easily swayed in his opinion bc he never knows what to believe. fyodor is incredibly good at manipulation and absolutely could've just manipulated him into lowering the gun, at least for just long enough to kick it out of his hand or whatever. and like i said before this motherfucker has a gun pointed at him every other fuckin day he's not a stranger to having to sweet talk himself out of that.

in short i think we have no fucking clue what happened and we probably won't for a while but there's no way its just "he lied for funsies".

[frosty-mage]

YGO OC Week Day 3: Deck

Penelope uses Crystrons, a WATER Machine Synchro deck that focuses on synchro summoning during the opponent's turn. In addition to the standard methods of quick synchroing, the maindeck tuner monsters have the ability to make a machine synchro during the opponent's turn using themselves and one other material in another zone. Quan can use a non-tuner from hand; Citree can use a non-tuner from the graveyard, banishing both; and Rion can use a non-tuner that's banished, shuffling back both.

Her ace monsters are a joint effort between Phoenix and Quariongandrax; the latter would be the one she'd pick if she had to choose. The massive mechs emphasize both of the advanced forms of synchro (accel synchro and multiple tuning, respectively), forcing her to push her advancements even further beyond.

Penelope finds a particular bond between herself and Citree; the monster is a critical part of her strategy, but is also great for dragging someone out of their depths or failure and making them into something better. She sees a bit of herself in it, and thus it's one of her favorite cards.

While she worked with her father to build the deck, she's stuck with it because it matches her personality: adaptable and ready to respond to whatever the situation may be. No one option is perfect for every scenario, but the flexibility and understanding of the opponent makes her a formidable foe. It also allows her to try all sorts of creative plays, many of which the opponent won't see coming.

Of course, no duelist worth their salt would lack a series of summoning chants and voice lines, so here's some of Penelope's (this is designed to be read like a DL "all voice lines" video, with some cards cut due to lack of interesting lines):

"Crystron Quan's effect! I can Synchro Summon a Machine during your turn using it and a monster in my hand!"

"Crystron Citree's effect! I can Synchro Summon a Machine during your turn using it and a monster in my graveyard! Scrap Synchro!"

"Crystron Rion's effect! I can Synchro Summon a Machine during your turn using it and my banished monster! Dimensional Synchro!"

"Become the instrument that reforges my monsters for battle! Synchro Summon! I craft the level 3 Synchro Tuner monster, Martial Metal Marcher!"

"Martial Metal Marcher's effect! When it's summoned, I get back a tuner from my graveyard, but its effects are negated."

"Show off the integration that will form the future! Synchro Summon! I create the level 4 Synchro Tuner, Crystron Quandax!"

"Quandax's effect! I can synchro summon during your turn using monsters I control!"

"When Quandax is destroyed, I can summon back a non-synchro Crystron from my graveyard."

"Crystals combine to craft a defense against your assault! Synchro Summon! Appear, level 5! Crystron Ametrix!"

"Ametrix's effect! If it's synchro summoned, all of your special summoned monsters are switched to defense position! Gemstone Guard!"

"When Ametrix is destroyed, I can summon back a non-synchro Crystron from my graveyard."

"Metal forms a carapace to protect me from your attacks! Synchro Summon! Appear, level 6! Powered Inzektron!"

"Inzektron's effect! It can't be destroyed this turn, and I take no more damage!"

"Combine your forces to forge the engine that topples dynasties! Synchro Summon! Appear, level 7! Samurai Destroyer!"

"When your card effect makes Samurai Destroyer leave the field, it can bring back a machine from the graveyard!"

"Samurai Destroyer returns itself!"

"Machinations combine to form the apex dreadnaught! Synchro Summon! Come out with a splash! Level 9, Navy Dragon Mech!"

"Navy Dragon Mech's effect! If it's summoned, I negate a card you control for every tuner in my graveyard! Short circuit 'em!"

"The fire of my passion burns bright enough to stop you! Synchro Summon! Appear in a blaze of crimson to shatter my enemy's hopes! Level 9! Vermillion Dragon Mech!"

"Vermillion Dragon Mech's effect! By banishing a tuner, I can destroy a card on the field!"

"The contributions of many combine to form the greatest advancements of all! Synchro Summon! Channel the souls of the machines to lead me to victory! Level 9, Crystron Quariongandrax!"

"Quariongandrax's effect! For each material used for its summon, I can target a monster from your field or graveyard, then banish them all!"

"When Quariongandrax is destroyed, I can summon any banished monster back to my field."

"The technologies of the present combine to form the advancements of the future! Accel Synchro! Forge yourself from the bleeding edge in a crimson flash! Level 9, Crystron Phoenix!"

"Phoenix's effect! If it's synchro summoned, I banish all spells and traps from your field and graveyard!"

"When Phoenix is destroyed, I can summon back another monster from my graveyard."

"My tactics have led me to completely outsmart you! I activate the trap card, Linear Equation Cannon!"

"The conditions are just right, so I can shuffle your cards into your deck!"

@ygoc-week

[songmingisthighs]

I have resurfaced from hanging out with cthulhu

nahh jk it's been a bad 3-4 days

but i'm gonna rant about what happened

I had an "argument" with someone and that "argument" caused a physical reaction (me crying obvi) that triggered a whole issue with my parents (esp my mom) which then triggered a behaviour most of you wouldn't approve of. I couldn't sleep until 10 am the next day and after i epke up, I spent the rest of the day just crying in bed, trying to calm myself down, but basically chilling in my depression hole while thinking or planning on how i can talk to the person i "argued" with bc i wanna talk like rational adults. but then the next day, i woke up to a hate message from the person i "argued" with and i was being blamed for something i had NOTHING to do nor do i have control of and then the argument continued while i was still having a concussion but this time another person dmed me and started a whole "you put yourself in a situation you're not supposed to be in". and also, i was put on an anon blast with accusatory statements but without the explanation of what happened or even my side of the story and that painted me as the WORST type of person/friend ever. and that led me to a whole new level of depression and thoughts a lot of you would be worried about like you'd call the cops on me or smth. thankfully i had enough sense to seek help from a friend and we vced and she kinda talked me down and talked some sense into me. and kinda made me feel understood and supported because i legit blamed myself for the whole issue, thinking that maybe those two people were right, but apparently my side was totally valid and understandable considering the circumstance. bc crazy part is, this whole "argument" was based on a pattern this person does that in the past had caused two communities to completely implode and revealed the other parties as crazy ass bitches bc of the drama they created. I'm just trying to hold onto the little amount of friends i have made bc i don't make a lot of friends bc it's hard for me.

initially i had such a bad breakdown and meltdown because of like 20000 stress piling on me with no support and my parents making everything worse. but when i woke up to the hate message and accusation and the my partner > you thing, it kinda truly broke my heart and broke the trust i made on friends or having friends. I spent years building that trust only for it to be broken down in one easy swing

in conclusion, i'm dealing with a sans!hwa situation (not completely ofc) and yes i'm (y/n) in this scenario and the two people i seek counsel from are sans!woosan

no bc how are you supposed to function after being told "that's my partner, ofc i'm gonna side with her" from your (maybe to them it's former at this point) best friend ??? and the other person just wanted me to drop it just because while i've been carrying my burden and pain while they happily pushed all the blame on me

truly i should've been worried when my ex started making sense

anyways that's the gist of the shit i'm dealing with. have y'all missed my socially awkward crazy ass self ???

[patrocles]

if aemond survived the war, how do you think his relationship with alys would progress? would he marry her or just bring her with him to KL to be his mistress?

this is a great question!! i will keep it 100%, i am extremely biased so i'm writing all this with only their happiness in mind lol

first though i think if he survived, they would absolutely be stronger than ever, and extremely committed to each other. i'm talking astronomical levels of Power Couple and enough ego to introduce electricity to Westeros. also like she's pregnant with his child. regardless of any outcoes of the war in general, he's not having a bastard nor is he giving any of them up. you just survived a war together! that's a bond that never dies easy

HOWEVER. there are also things to consider with the outcome of the war that i think are interesting when you think of like the mechanics of their relationship working after the war

does he survive and the greens win? does he survive and the greens lose?

does he survive and vhagar dies? does he and vhagar both survive?

all of it matters for like a bunch of reasons, let me kinda parse thru them as best i can

SCENARIO 1: aemond survives, the greens win

he's definitely marrying alys one way or the other, regardless of who it pisses off. if aegon survives and still reigns, he could take over the betrothal that aemond broke. that would probably be better for borros anyways considering they were already planning one for aegon anyways at the time of his death. if aegon still dies, well aemond becomes king and, well sucks to suck borros. there's no way for borros to win with all the cards in aemond's favor, alys becomes queen and their kid legitimized. maybe he works out a peace agreement with cregan, betroths rickon and jaehaera later down the line to fufill the pact with jace or something. even if vhagar did die, borros could threaten revolt out of pissy feelings, but it would die immediately.

the AU of my dreams is alys and aemond moving to oldtown to raise their kids (if aegon and daeron lives and aemond leaves daeron to help watch over things or something). just love the idea of him introducing alys to the witchy lore of his family. @saintaemond and i have an EXTENSIVE au regarding this

SCENARIO 2: aemond lives, the greens lose

lets say the greens still lose and vhagar dies, aemond has considerably less power. he's still aegon's male heir, which makes him valuable. he could assume the throne for like 3 days and he'll probably still marry alys anyways cus yolo and nothing matters by the time the blacks retake KL and cregan seizes control. if aemond hasn't already escaped with alys to live in exile before that happens, he's absolutely getting executed for a laundry list of war crimes so it won't even matter. and even if somehow vhagar survived, it would probably just be easier to take the L and flee to the free cities.

but i guess either of these scenarios really depend on how you think aemond would treat alys-- book!aemond maaaaaaaybe i can see just keeping her as a mistress if he didn't have a choice in the matter, but like everyone knows she's the number one. with show!aemond we don't know the nature of his relationship with alys, BUT what we do know doesnt suggest to me that he's the mistress-keeping type. and if it came to it he would probably choose alys and treat her the honorable way (even if breaking his betrothal with the baratheons was also dishonorable?) but like he's a daddy now. also he just likes her so much

and like maybe i'm just extremely idealistic!! who knows!!

[sweetmage]

Dom or sub Abdirak?

Sorry anon, I let this rot in my inbox all day for the reason of uhh.... I was not sure 😅 Ultimately I think I'd say switch, but I tend to write him leaning more submissive? I should note that everything I am saying mostly pertains to my Tav!Abdirak, I haven't given as much thought to him outside of that AU 😅 Anyway, I came to the conclusion that I HC this for a few reasons: [Under the cut because NSFW!]

1.) He can mention a few different times/ways that he tends to prefer to worship with his own pain but that he can provide his services to others. Ultimately that probably doesn't really mean much of anything, I just used it as a basis for the headcanon. 2.) I mostly write him with Astarion and while I do certainly think there are many scenarios in which Astarion can benefit from letting someone else have control in that situation, I personally just have more interest in Astarion getting to set the stage and pacing and play out his power fantasies in a way that's safe and controlled. With Shadowheart uhhh... mixed opinions and feelings and stuff on that one but that would get into late game spoiler territory so I'll save it unless asked specifically to go into it.

3.) There are some serious traumas that I've written into his backstory and because of things that would take too long to explain here, I personally just HC that under these circumstances he would find it most cathartic to explore that sort of intimacy at the mercy of someone he could trust in a safe environment.

4.) Related to point 1 and 3, I also HC that he does have a preference for being in a submissive and receiving role when it comes to pain, but has basically never experienced it from anyone but himself due to not having that sort of trust level with others before meeting Astarion and Shadowheart and getting close to them.

Those are just my silly little thoughts and opinions! Thanks for the question <3