#and Volo ended up running off

[fox0war]

doing more wof and random art rn but grrr omg I am so tempted to draw my PLA protag (appropriately oc-ified) and also maybe Volo because I quite honestly adore him and also just, lore dump about personal protag lore and-

[shiny-kaibernyte]

It's my Birthday!

March 19th and im a year closer to meeting Arceus lucky me! So here is some of my Pokémon simps headcannons as to how they would celebrate your birthday. (I was going to do my top 5 simps but they are all from different things so I'm gonna leave those to myself) There will be no Scarlett and violet characters. They will be in they're own post (There's a lot I like)

Characters: Adaman, Lysander, Raihan, Leon, Cynthia, Volo

💙💎Adaman💎💙

Adaman’s number one rule is that every moment counts. So when it comes to planning your birthday, he makes sure every second he spends planning results in the perfect outcome.

He would make sure to remember all of your favourite things to do and put as many as he can in one day without overdoing it. Adaman was always good at planning. Execution was the problem.

Headstrong and passionate don’t tend to go well together, so no matter how many hours he spends detailing everything. Planning around possible problems; as always something is bound to go wrong.

Surprise bandit attack; Alpha attack; Something happens in the Demand clan; Irida

Will that stop him from making this day all about you? Arceus no! He’s just gonna try harder to make you happy. Even if you're already beaming with the royal treatment he is giving you. Adaman won’t stop until the sun is gone, and he’s carrying you back home.

I would try and pinpoint 1 specific thing he’d do, but Adaman would do basically anything you wanted. Your wish was his command, whatever you wanted to do - he would do. Want to go on a catching spree? Sure. Want to walk along the coastal beach, when do we leave? Want to scale the cobalt mountains to reach the temple of Sinnoh? He’s already racing you up there.

You could drag him to the Alabaster Iceland's and he would follow you like a Fidough. It’s your day and he is going to make damn sure you feel like royalty by the end.

🧡☕Lysandre☕🧡

Lysandre is a busy man. Being the leader of Team flare and running his company and keeping his goal of beauty running smoothly. Time is not something he has! But for his darling's birthday, that's time he is happy to put aside.

He wouldn’t be particularly flashy about what he does for your birthday. He is a gentleman aftercall! Not psychotic at all he's fine i swear. Don’t expect Tengen Uzui level flashy. Lysandre is much more laid back than that. He won’t show you off to the world if you aren't comfortable with it.

His personal life is something he likes to keep behind closed doors, so for your birthday, the most public he would get is taking you out around Lumios, weather that be a shopping spree, a nice conversation at a quiet café. Dinner at a nice restaurant would be a must however. He still wants you to feel special so he will spoil you rotten with gifts. Dudes got the money to burn. 

I can see Lysandre planning something beforehand to keep the paparazzi distracted. Like calling in a favour with a friend high up and having them stage something on the other side of the city so you two can be together in peace.

Once you two get home, he will spend the night with you watching any movie or show you want. Reading with you, just talking with you. Anything you want so long as he can see that beautiful smile of yours. 

Lysandre will go to bed with you but… It's a 50/50 shot if he will still be in bed when you wake up. If he is there, lucky you! If he isn’t there, expect an apology note written quite detailed and a nice breakfast with a simple apology gift next to it.

💗🐉Raihan🐉💗

Battle dates. This man will take you to every single gym tournament and battle he can just to watch your excited face when something awesome happens. Seeing his treasure smile makes him all bubbly and giddy.

But don’t worry, he isn't just going to drag you around Galar showing you fight after fight. He isn’t that stupid. Raihan would definitely take you flying on Flygon so you can see the beauty of Galar from his view. Though his view won’t be on the land below.

For once, he will not mention Leon’s name once! I didn’t know that was possible but here we are. Today is about you, so Leon is flicked temporarily out of Raihan's mind and into the naughty corner.

Photo’s everywhere. Anywhere you two go, he will either stop to take a selfie with you or tell you to go pose somewhere so he can capture the moment. Defiantly will ask you before posting the photo though. Sometimes though he will sneak a photo of you when he thinks you like breath-taking. Something to keep to himself. And don't even think about saying you look bad in one of them, because he will then take a million more to prove you wrong. That or smother you in kisses so you won't say it again.

Raihan will be like Lysander when it comes to gifts. This man will SPOIL YOU! Anything you want, you’d have to grab him by the hood to stop him taking the crowd of people down with him. 

He would 1000% be down for a movie marathon as well if you would rather stay inside. He will have a fort built, snacks at the ready and every movie ready.

💜🎮Leon🎮💜

Bless his soul, he has no idea what to do. Leon would want to take you somewhere really nice he found during his travels, if only he could remember which direction it was in. Then he thought about a nice restaurant you had mentioned wanting to try. Which city was that in again? Perhaps he could take you out to the beach, where was that again?

He would leave it at. “I’ll follow you.” So just drag him around with you and he will gladly follow you and do what you wanna do. Just nothing reckless, he won’t do anything that could get you hurt. Unlike Raihan he would avoid battle arenas. 

I feel like Leon would 100% be down for a gaming day, he’d let you take him to any game store and buy every game you wanted and just play all of them. Card, board, video all of them. Single player or multiplayer he will be right there cheering you on or giving you competitive gals with a smile.

If you're up for it, Leon would ask if Hop could join you two for a little while, not long as Leon does want to spend the day with you, but Hop sees you as a family too.

Dude cannot read. So do not ask him to read anything, he can’t tell the difference between Your and You’re. But if you like reading out loud, he will have his head in your lap listening to you read if that will make you happy. 

Leon would try and make you the best cake he can! We know this man can decorate very well, the baking half is a hit or miss, definitely would have gotten help from an unknown alias. His mom.

🖤🌺Cynthia🌺🖤

Forest date. This woman would give you the royal treatment. Lysander got nothing on this Queen! She will take you anywhere you want for the day. But if you ask her to pick what you do or… a surprise!? She takes that as a challenge. You will most likely wind up on a secluded part of a meadow surrounded by nature.

Tranquil and beautiful, a place for just the two of you to spend time with one another. No champion duties, paparazzi, endless questions of your relationship. Just Her and you. 

Cynthia’s Roserade would make it subtly rain rose petals around the area to add to her love for you. If it’s raining, she has a plan for that too. No rain is going to ruin your special day! Hope you like dancing in the rain because she is already dragging you out to the flower meadows to dance with you hand in hand.

You can guarantee she has a picnic somewhere hidden, Where you will never know that. But this woman has come PREPARED! She’s prepared for everything, and your birthday is no exception.  She has everything, from your favourite snacks, drinks, everything. Even the blanket is your favourite colour. Cynthia even bought a pillow with her that you could sit on so you wouldn’t be uncomfortable if you wanted it.

Like Raihan her Pokémon would be involved. But instead of flying, she would use her Pokémon to put on a show for you. The rose petals from Roserade being just an example. Her Garchomp would show you a fireworks show when night arrived, along with the help of Togekiss.

She won’t spoil you with gifts. Instead she will have one thing she made for you herself. It won’t be very big, but it will show you the love she has for you. Whatever she made you, expect it to be incredibly meaningful.

💛✨Volo✨💛

Cynthia had to get her skills somewhere and this is where. Volo does everything Cynthia does but somehow even more extra. 

If Cynthia gives you the royal treatment, he is giving you the Deity treatment. Man has Giratina at his call, he can literally give you anything! And he will use it to his advantage at every chance he gets. He will use his craftsman skills to make you a bracelet with all of the stones on as a mark of your journey together. If you want him to make another so you can match, oh look he already did! What are the chances?

This man will take you EVERYWHERE! Even places you have never been to before on the back of Giratina, he will show you the world most don’t get to see. The world he will build for you. But he won’t spoil that surprise.

He would definitely make you food, he travels a lot so cooking is a must know skill. So your birthday with him isn't a day, it's a whole week. And every time he makes you something it is completely different. Volo is taking zero shortcuts on this adventure. He may have a Deity on his team, his Deity is sat Infront of him admiring the stars.

Speaking of Stars. Stargazing is a must on every clear night you two get. He would lay his jacket down for you to lay on and look up at the sky together.

Volo would make sure to stop around different areas and tell you about the history there, watching your expression carefully to see the enthusiasm and curiosity on it which just makes him want to try harder to get that smile to stay there. 

He will also use his trade skills to get you something that caught your eye from wherever he took you. Volo may have money but he will use his skills where he can. Giratina isn’t the only benefit he has. Dude is a travelling merchant after all. He has more knowledge than everyone combined. Expect him to show you off however. He loves you more than anything, and wants the world to know that.

[leggerefiore]

I fear now we need all of the men navigating NNN. My beloved man Cyrus would see no problem with the challenge and would probably call it dumb

Cyrus is victorious by default. His low libido makes it no challenge, after all. Though, he absolutely is not actively participating. He finds the concept dumb and sees no reason to indulge it. He just wins because he does not ever really seek sex unless it's to appease his partner or to cope with horribly strong emotions. Basically, as long as you don't demand sex nor does anything make emotions run high, he's winning without trying.

Grimsley is dying but trying his absolute damnedest. The gambler has the highest libido of the group and is the resident manwhore (before settling down with his partner… who now has to deal with his sexual appetite). Despite this, however, he loves a challenge. If you offer a bet to him about making it through November like this, he will agree. The price you pay will likely be something insane. He is surprisingly resolute about it all. He has trained himself to hide his emotions, after all. Teasing him seems ineffective. Though, he can and may break. In truth, it is a battle of his love of gambling versus sex.

Colress agrees. Why? Well, for one, he believes he can do just fine without sex. But, also, because this is valuable data! How will your bond with one another change due to the lack of sex? How will you react? How will he feel? He has read plenty of studies on the supposed benefits, but he is eager to see if they truly are to occur. Basically, November becomes a personal study for him. Be ready to he observed (as usual).

Nanu grumbles and says no. He is not having his schedule and sexual proclivity dictated by some internet meme. He is too damn old for that. If you want to go in on it, be his guest. He has handled his own needs before, and he can handle them now. Will not participate and cannot be convinced.

Lear is bewildered, but it is a challenge. He scoffs and says that seems easy enough. A month without sex or masturbation? Nothing in comparison to his training to be king. Behold his kingly restraint! (He breaks down halfway in and demands that you stop, too. He is about to snap.)

N doesn't know what you're talking about. He just blinks. Going without nuts for a month? He supposes that some people with nut allergies deal with this for a lifetime, so a month should not be impossible. Do not try to explain further. It is not worth it. He can win by default, too, since he's not inclined towards sex. He mostly meets his partner's needs in that department.

Volo squints his eyes at you. Why are you proposing this to him? He feels as if you are messing with him. Even if you try to explain, there is little to do to convince him. Wager the Azure Flute or something, and he might agree. His willpower is quite terrifying solely towards Arceus. Otherwise, he is not giving up sex for some frivolous challenge. Even pulling the Arceus's Chosen card fails.

Maxie ponders what the hell you are talking about and agrees because you make some comment about Archie being able to do it. Of course, he can go a month without that! He is a man of science and restraint. He suffers endlessly, and his temper is flaring. Magma grunts will beg you to call off whatever you did to their boss. He gives up nearly at the end.

Archie is going to refuse since he doesn't really see how that could be fun or anything beneficial to him. It is only when you mention Maxie apparently being able to do it that he agrees. He surprisingly makes it through the entire month. His mood is barely effected. Maxie is mortified when he hears the news.

Giovanni thinks you're insane, laughs at you, and says no. Then, when you mention it being a display of his strength, he reconsiders. Suddenly, he devotes his entire focus to such a thing and proving you wrong. He will make it through by becoming extremely pissy and by the skin of his teeth. His prize is locking you away for a day and making up for the lost month.

Lysandre supposes he has heard of something like that before. Yet, strangely, nothing can convince him to participate. It simply cannot be done. He says it is a waste of time and energy. (In truth, he simply cannot deny himself pleasure and uses sex as a way to express his love.)

[maybecoffeemixed]

MAIN PLOT LINE OF DLC HAS BEEN FINISHED, SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT (long post, be warned)

7.8/10, kieran doesn't actually kill us.

Seriously though, I enjoyed it!! Since I don't actually own the game (we poor), I watched a no-commentary playthrough so there are plenty of things I very likely missed, including optional dialog, side-quests, and whatever that thing with the professors is (still lookin' for a video without some guy over it), so I can only comment on the bits I saw! That being said, here we go.

First of all, the BATTLES!! Despite not being able to play them myself, they looked SUPER fun!! I screamed when I saw Lacey's tailwind/lightscreen prankster whimsicott, and even MORE so when I saw it was sashed! I loved the usage of competitive items, and the fact that all their teams weren't completely mono-type, each having one exception to their type (Lacey's excadrill, Crispin's Exeggcutor, Amarys's Reuniclus, and Drayton's Sceptile) that they DIDN'T terrastalize was lovely touch!! Amarys's fight was super hype in particular, despite having an over 20 level advantage, the person I watched still nearly wiped to her! Her trick room AI does appear a bit goofy, but it's a small flaw. Finally, Kieran's battle... I personally adore a good rain team, but unfortunately Kieran's politoed was frozen at the start of the battle, and remained that way all the way til the end, so I can't honestly say how difficult it looked. The one thing I will say is that before the indigo disk was out, I created a hypothetical team for Kieran, and I CALLED that Grimmsnarl!! Literally even the focus sash. If anyone's curious, here was the hypothetical team I made. I'm a nuzlocker, not a competitive player, so it very well may be shit. Apologies in advance.

Next is the characters!! Every design slapped as always, and I enjoyed their personalities! Lacey was adorbs, Crispin was fun, and Amarys might just be one of my new favorites! As for Drayton? Let me tell you, I was side-eyeing him the whole time the MOMENT after he said THIS to Kieran.

After all the hype around dokutaro/peechikeen (now know as pecharunt, apparently), and all the speculation that Kieran would fall victim to its influence, him saying "that's just peachy" made my rat brain go into overdrive. In the end, I think it was just Legends Arceus giving me Volo flashbacks.

Now, the main event... KIERAN! Let me tell you, he gave me GOOSEBUMPS. Every time he appeared, I could feel a chill run up my spine, and his battle had my heart RACING. ESPECIALLY his breakdown at the end of it! One of the best times I've had in a good while. The animation, his reaction, all of it was GREAT!! It was so refreshing to see him not immediately heel-face turn.

Unfortunately, though, what happened after that all disappointed me. I admit I got too attached to the Dokutaro Posession theory, buy it was still disappointing for Dokutaro (I know that's not its name, leave me be) to not play any role in the main story. It felt like a natural conclusion to what the game was setting up, I thought he'd throw the master ball at terapagos, it'd fail, and he'd become so overwhelmed with everything that has happened that he'd succumb to Dokutaro's control and we'd have to fight the Dokutaro-Kieran with Terapagos's aid. That's not what happened, and I felt a bit sad. His recovery from his breakdown was still set up nicely and had some atleast sufficient justification, but it still felt like too-little too-soon. It felt more like he just gave up all together rather than defeated his demons. He'd never be as strong as the player, and that's that, which is a sour note to leave off on.

We see that he legitimately has nothing. All the other students left the MOMENT he was defeated. No one came to help the kid who was clearly having a panic attack. The BB league cares about him, sure, but I wouldn't consider them his friends. They all thought Kieran getting defeated would "fix" him, and even when he clearly wasn't any better after being defeated, they didn't do anything to assist him. Sure, sometimes when someone has climbed so high, you gotta let them fall, but once they do, you can't just leave them lying on the ground. You need to be there to lift them back up before they start digging.

This isn't an attack on the BB league at ALL. Like I said, I really enjoyed their characters! In fact, this reaction is part of the reason I like them so much. It adds depth.

I just wish that Kieran DID start digging, and that it led to something bigger. Even if Dokutaro wasn't involved, I atleast wanted the final battle with him to be that big thing, and not just a turtle that can't do anything but throw out weak earthpowers.

Though the biggest failing to me is that Kieran apologizes to us, but we don't apologize to him. We as in the player, and Carmine

Kieran's actions are his own and I'm not saying he shouldn't have apologized, but he wasn't solely culpable for how things turned out. We and Carmine purposefully lied, kept a secret that was dear to him, and were the straw that broke the camel's back. Even if we the player didn't apologize, Carmine should've!! Her treatment of Kieran heavily impacted him, and he mirrored her abuse (Kieran telling Carmine to "Shut it", just like she did to him, for example).

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was in the wrong here. Kieran took things too far, Carmine behavior is a serious problem, and the played character was complicit.

I'm not demonizing anyone here, I am the number one Carmine defender after all, but everyone needs to take responsibility. Not. Just. Kieran.

I relate heavily to both Kitakami siblings, as both an elder sister with younger siblings who she's accidentally mistreated, and as a little sister with an older sibling who treats me like I'm lesser.

I've lashed out at my older sibling, and while my reaction wasn't proportional, it doesn't mean my emotions weren't justified.

I have severe genetic anger issues (that I'm now thankfully medicated for), and have unjustly taken them out on my younger siblings.

Carmine needs to apologize too, or the cycle will just continue. Maybe she already did and I missed it, or maybe it happens in the post-game. However, if she didn't? It makes me feel unresolved.

Anyways, that all I gotta say on it!! Hope someone enjoyed this overly long rambling!!

(P.S. I still don't trust dragon boy. "Thats just peachy" my ASS, you know something ya toothpaste haired cunt. Why did they request to bring ya along to area zero anyways, ya plot relevant FUCK.)

[ratwithhands]

Burst AU concept sketches!!

I'm about to head into culminatings at school so I'm not going to have very much time to draw until mid/late June. I figured I'd drop off some of the different concept sketches I've been doing in the meantime. Here are 9 of the burst designs made so far for Ingo, Emmet, and Volo.

These designs are mostly set to different timelines/parts of the story; Chandelure, Haxorus, Durant, and Galvantula are all bursts that the twins have when they're in Unova, with Chandelure and Galvantula being their "starter" burst hearts. When Ingo gets eebied he loses his burst hearts (which Emmet holds onto while he's away) and ends up finding a Gliscor burst heart hiding in the dirt of the highlands.

Now, depending on the good or bad ending of the story, Emmet either makes friends with Celebi and gets permission to use its burst, or Emmet goes hunting for burst hearts worldwide until he finds Nihilego and keeps it to make wormholes.

As for Volo, he got a little present from a "friend" and that's how he got his burst hearts. Though, much like the twins, the fact that he has them is a secret that most people don't know.

Anyways it was really fun to design these!! I think my faves from this batch are Durant, Nihilego, and Chandelure. What are yours? Also, semi related, but I tried running some battles in Showdown just for fun and to say the least I found some *interesting* results. Definitely going to make for some funny battles later in the story.

Alright that's all, hope you like the art and tell me what you think! Have a good night, see you guys later ^^

[happyflux]

Saw a really long post today where someone was talking about D&D vampire lore, compiling what different sources say about it (including the Baldur's Gate games) and, y'know, for the most part it was a good post, it's a useful and good quick reference on what the different sources have said about vampires.

(readmore because this turned out long oops)

But then at the end, and in an addition to the post replying to a tag someone had put, the post began talking about applying all this lore to BG3 specifically, and it made me think. Because the takeaway that post had seemed to be that the things about vampire lore which are consistent to the rest of D&D do apply to BG3 as well, and that Astarion is simply an exception due to his extremely strong willpower and sense of self. And that just doesn't seem right to me at all. It feels like missing the point.

BG3 did some very specific, very interesting things with the lore of D&D. In terms of vampires, yes, but also more generally, BG3 pretty consistently gives the message that the things that are said in the rulebooks are not necessarily true, but are oversimplifications and generalizations that are believed to be true in universe.

BG3 got rid of racial ability scores, giving every race the same "choose a +2 and a +1" that variant humans can have in D&D. BG3 not only got rid of racial alignments, but got rid of alignments entirely - there is no detect evil and good, protection against evil and good has been replaced with a spell that mechanically protects against outsiders of various kinds, there is no alignment selection for player characters, no alignment showing up on inspection despite pretty much entire stat blocks being visible, and the companion characters all have complex morality that doesn't fit neatly into any alignment box. BG3 establishes and many times repeats that Volo, the in-universe author of a lot of the texts we have access to about Faerûn, is an incredibly unreliable source. BG3 has Halsin, a large-built and hairy elf (something which the rulebooks claim is impossible as elves are slender and graceful and have no body hair), say that "sometimes I think conventional wisdom is too narrow about what someone can or cannot be".

On the topic of vampirism specifically, BG3 has Jaheira (who is established to be wise and knowledgeable due to being an experienced and well travelled adventurer) say "They say that the only thing a vampire can feel is hunger. Nothing else touches them - not grief, or mercy. Or any sense of what is just. Who knows. There is often more ignorance than insight in what 'they' say", in response to Astarion remaining a spawn. And, on an Astarion origin run, it is established that at least half of his siblings can be convinced to want to oppose Cazador (it's just that non-origin Astarion chooses to antagonize them instead), and they can be persuaded not to feed off of people, and even without Astarion suggesting it Dalyria will take the initiative to help and take care of the other spawn. And, and this I think is crucial, every vampire we see in BG3 aside from possibly Vellioth is established to have been through circumstances which could easily twist someone and turn them horrible, no magical twisting of emotions or inherent existential evil required.

To play Baldur's Gate 3 and take away from it that the things which D&D lore has previously said about vampires apply to this game, and that Astarion is just somehow Special because of his Extremely Strong Willpower and Sense of Self feels like completely missing the point. Vampires in BG3 are evil because they're stuck in a cycle of violence and suffering and aren't able to escape, and when they are given an escape from that cycle they are able to heal and recover and be more than what they were made. Astarion does not have exceptional willpower, Astarion got lucky. He got out, he made some connections, he got a chance to heal and unlearn the things he'd been taught before being thrust back into Cazador's presence, and that's why he's able to break the cycle. Or, alternately, if the people he finds when he gets out don't push him to unlearn the things Cazador taught him and instead reinforce those beliefs, he becomes just like him. Again, no magical twisting of emotions required.

[spitdrunken]

ok but like... merchant!volo drugging you OR. alternatively. fucking you after one of you or both of you get hit with a poekmon's 'charm'

notes: noncon, drugging

volo. drool.

you think it's so nice of him to offer you some free food to share while you run into him in the middle of the wilderness, but he makes a good merchant for a reason- nothing he hands over ever comes without a cost.

for you, your tab catches up to you in the drooping of your eyelids, and the loosening of your limbs. volo manages to catch you when your legs give way underneath you, and gently puts you down in the grass. he thinks it'd be best for you if you just laid down for a moment, friend. it'd be no good at all if you got hurt all the way in the middle of nowhere! he can do a lot of things, but saving you from dropping off a cliff isn't one of them.

his roselia's sleep powder was incredibly effective in knocking you out. volo's hands tremble as he puts his fingers in your mouth, but no matter how far he puts them inside, there's absolutely no response. with the dose he gave you, nothing could faze your body now. not even when his cock is what ends up slipping down your throat, your skull crushed in between his knees. your mouth is the perfect cocksleeve in this state.

the slaps of his balls against your chin are loud enough to scare off any wandering pokémon in the area, and as his cum is show right down into your stomach, there is no evidence of his defilement left once it's over. except for the sore throat that you complain about for days afterward, that is.

[choochooboss]

Happy 1st Anniversary Pokémon Legends Arceus!!

Yes, this is a Gintama reference. The legend. The anime ever.

I just wanted to recreate this particular scene with pokémon characters, but then people got so confused on Twitter (which was kinda the point), I came up with this silly context:

"Knowing Ingo's whereabouts, Emmet makes his way to the past by some unorthodox mean and finds himself in Jubilife Village. There he's escorted to Galaxy headquarters where Kamado is shocked to see "young Ingo" which leads to Emmet asking his whereabouts. Kamado, who's suspicious of these space-time-strangers (if they're actually a threat & if Ingo has been faking his amnesia for some devious cause), personally escorts Emmet to Pearl Clan's settlement in Alabaster Icelands where Ingo was last seen (visiting Irida). The clan members tell he left the village with a funnily dressed merchant just a moment ago. Emmet & Kamado follow their footprints deep into the wilderness until they find Ingo and Volo having a conversation (Emmet remembers seeing timetravelling Volo visiting the station a couple of times just days before Ingo's disappearance). Ingo sees Emmet and is very confused, doesn't realise who he is immediately (suspects him a zoroark illusion) while Volo is surprised to see Emmet there and doesn't want him to ruin his plans. Altercation between them follows which leads to Emmet challenging Volo to a pokémon battle. The fighting gets rough, somehow Kamado ends up KO'd as a collateral damage. Meanwhile Ingo is watching the two duke out and suddenly his memories start rushing back all at once and gets so overwhelmed he collapses and starts sliding down a snowy slope; Emmet & Volo see this and run after him. Volo trips Emmet and reaches Ingo first; then Volo gets this crazy idea for an easy escape and hops on his back. Emmet makes a quick decision to copy him and boards Kamado." And so the race starts! His shouting echoes through the icy wilderness... "BLAST OFF!" "FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

TL;DR: I thought it was funny Had I never played Legends Arceus, I would not be here gushing about these two silly train men with you to no end. I really hope there will be more Legends games, and of course, that they would conclude Ingo's story eventually. There's a lonely blorbo somewhere in the universe who needs his twin brother back! Legends Celebi is very potential in terms of the whole time traveling theme... keeping a sharp eye on the future!

[kharmii]

The slutty pose in manga form.

I'm done watching the Black Clover anime so should move on to the manga, but instead I found a bunch of visually appealing Zora panels on Twitter:

Where they left off in the anime was kind of good but kind of aggravating at the same time. I liked how it was finally revealed who Yuno actually was. That would mean he's not in the running with Asta for Wizard King, like I was hoping they'd be co-Wizard Kings someday. They have that 'Two Halves of a Whole' aesthetic with their one wing on opposite sides of their bodies...light and dark.

They went and introduced new characters right in the last couple episodes. I thought Liebe was cute with his Inosuke voice. Nacht came across a douche. He reminds me of Volo with his smiling all the time but having a contract with a demon (like how Volo has the relationship with Giratina but he's secretive about it whereas Nacht is out in the open). I didn't like how Nacht said he hated the Black Bulls only focusing on their faults without acknowledging their virtues. I'm like...screw you then, Dick Bag.

Whoa, behind you!

Look at that sexy mofo. At the end of the anime, the fights with demons drug on too long. I was sitting there thinking, "Ya know...I wish my guy Zora would get more screen time. -Like they could have him in the bath, and Gordon would spawn like a Minecraft creeper saying, 'Hey bestest best friend Zora. How about I wash your back, and then you wash mine?' Zora would reply, 'I'm down..' (Because that's an actual running joke. *eyebrow wiggle*)"

How many aura points does Zora get for putting his arm around the Wizard King and giving him rizz eyes when they've only just met?

NOOOO!!!! Don't die Zora!!1!1! -Or maybe the thing just wants to disintegrate Zora's clothes, like, "I've seen most of it, and now I want to see the rest."

This is a good look for Zora. (Sassy hand on hip).

Do you mean it like 'back door to Hollywood' you hoe?

The gang of delinquents.

Zora's secret base where he puts together the most complex spells ever made.

I'm guessing that's not a fist bump between bros. Zora has the runes written on his own body, which means he's in real trouble. I hope they animate the rest of the manga someday because it's probably epic, and my guy gets more screen time.

The Purple Orcas cape covers up too much tiddies.

*A non-Zora related side note* I like how they prettied up the based Praying Mantis Guy (kekek), like I used to ship Jack x Nobody, but he's in the running now.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

Obligatory Volo romantic/🥰 hc?

well if you INSIST (assuming the romance is with the player character here. also keeping these pretty positive and healthy, even though obviously there are plenty of uhhhh messier hcs to be made for this character specifically. i think tumblr will auto-shorten this post but please let me know if it doesn't and i'll add a cut)

in general, any iteration of volo wishes to demonstrate his devotion and usefulness to his partner through action. while he imagines a lot of grand gestures, it usually ends up being pretty mundane in practice. like getting things off tall shelves and tidying up a living space (he's a total neat freak). the exception is volo in a canon divergence where he actually becomes a god, in which case every gesture would be a grand gesture, and it probably gets out of hand

it's extremely important to him that togepi/togetic/togekiss loves his partner. he is genuinely so concerned about this, and fears what would happen if she didn't, despite togepi/tic/kiss being the literal embodiment of joy and love. this insecurity almost certainly stems from the fact that he still can't believe that togepi/tic/kiss loves him

he has read a lot of books and he loves to hear himself talk. also, he's been method acting for like five straight years and makes a living selling people things. the man has a way with words, take that as you will

he's a strict vegetarian (also doesn't eat eggs) for ethical reasons and knows how to cook extremely well to fit his dietary needs. one might expect him to be an "i'll eat a chicken because a chicken would eat me" kind of guy, but because humans have higher intelligence and the capacity for morality, volo holds them to higher standards than animals. therefore, it wouldn't be wrong for a chicken to eat him, but it would be wrong for him to eat a chicken. anyway this is a romantic headcanon because he really really loves to share his cooking, especially if it's a traditional recipe he found while researching history

he has a naturally pleasant singing voice and near-perfect pitch. the volo i write grew up on the mainland and came to hisui as a young adult, so i like to think that he grew up playing the piano and is very skilled, although out of practice. he occasionally hums or sings in front of his partner and it's very nice to hear

he knows how to sew and offers to help the player character make some modern clothing garments they miss from the future. also makes some clothing for them based on his own ideas, because he thinks they would look nice dressed up to his tastes :)

doesn't half-ass anything, especially not in terms of relationships. if he says it's casual, it's because his partner asked to keep it casual and he wants to respect their boundaries and honor their wishes, which is within itself something he does with intention and care

he is simultaneously very aware of the fact that he's beautiful in situations where it benefits him, and completely blindsided by his partner's unprompted acknowledgements of his beauty

loves going on hours-long walks with his partner and sharing/listening to enthusiastic diatribes about niche interests. bonus if the interest is totally unfamiliar to the other person. basically, ancient sinnoh video essays

he likes having regularly-occuring shared activities to look forward to. like, weekly game nights with his partner or taking their pokemon to battle at the training grounds as a team when they know some highly-skilled opponents are going to be there

likewise, he just really likes battling as a team. like if he and his partner run into the bandits in the wild, it's a genuine pleasure, because it means he gets to wield train his pokemon alongside someone on his level (also he likes being the hero sometimes, especially if he's upstaging arceus's chosen hero)

volo loves pda for several reasons: he's touch-starved, he's possessive, and he's a performer at heart

some fourth wall breakage, as a treat: he'd absolutely read romantic fanfiction about himself and leave multi-paragraph comments making corrections and highlighting lines he particularly appreciated

[doodlejoltik]

the unwinnable game

[~2.7k words. Read it here or on Ao3]

Zugzwang (from German 'compulsion to move'; pronounced [ˈtsuːktsvaŋ]) is a situation found in chess and other turn-based games wherein one player is put at a disadvantage because of their obligation to make a move.

Centuries after their battle atop Mt Coronet, Rei confronts Volo in a nondescript forest, somewhere on Pasio. But the answers he's seeking aren't so easily given.

aka. a continuation of that one dialogue cliffhanger in the Mysterious Stones chapter because I'm extremely normal about these two

///

“There's something you'd like to say, isn't there… Rei?”

Volo turns around and Rei musters up the bravest expression he can.

Now that he's here, he doesn't know what to say first; all his planned questions bounce around his head, clamouring for dominance. Why are you here? How? Since when? You have a Togepi and a Togekiss? Why a tournament? What do you know about the mysterious stones?

Were we ever really friends?

That is, it takes an embarrassingly long time for Rei to respond. In the end, what he says isn’t a question at all. “That Togepi in the ruins was yours.”

Volo only shrugs. He's got a languid smile on his face. “It might've been. She likes running around.”

Internally, Rei is relieved. So he hasn't been seeing things. But he doesn't let it show on his face, and crosses his arms. “Why’d you hide from everyone for months, and only show yourself now?”

“Now, I wouldn't call it hiding,” Volo replies, waving his finger. “This is a big island, and I've made a good few acquaintances here on Pasio already! Perhaps our paths simply didn't cross.”

With the number of times Rei has visited the ruins for mysterious stone research, the odds of that are vanishingly unlikely. “But why didn't you even try? It's not like I've been keeping a low profile.” Of course, the reason is probably something like I tried to end the world and it would be awkward. And that's what Rei needs Volo to say.

The Arc Phone sits heavily in his belt satchel, recording every word.

“Oh, I was just preoccupied. The ruins here are simply fascinating! Even though they're replicas, teasing apart all the ancient cultures used in their construction is such a fruitful area of study. You know me.”

Yeah, I know you. “Find anything interesting about Arceus?” Rei snarks.

“Not particularly!” Volo shakes his head, looking disappointed. Then he perks up, and continues, “Now, Dialga and Giratina however…”

“Oh?” Rei seethes quietly. Of course he had been watching. Why hadn't Giratina said anything?

“It’s curious, isn’t it, how they have seen fit to partner themselves with new wielders?” Volo smiles. “And Palkia too, I’ve heard.”

“It is interesting,” Rei forces out, adjusting his scarf. He recalls Volo's last parting line about Arceus, all those months ago. “Nice to know that they've bonded willingly with people in this time,” he says pointedly.

Ignoring Rei's tone, Volo continues, “That man, Cyrus, who controls Palkia. What a character, wouldn't you say?”

Rei has a lot of thoughts about the Sinnohans’ decision to allow Cyrus - a man who has literally tried to remake the world and not disavowed said goal - to keep the embodiment of Space with him. He'd thought Adaman and Irida had to be joking, at first. What would the Captain think if she saw what her descendant had turned the Galaxy Team into…

“I suppose you see yourself in him.” Rei says flatly.

It's only the two of them here, in the middle of a forest, in the dead of night, so Volo should have no reason to be evasive. And yet -

“Hardly,” Volo laughs off. “Intellectual curiosity, nothing more.”

This is going nowhere. Does Volo seriously think he can fool him again? Probably not - every remark is undoubtedly purposeful, but with just enough plausible deniability to appear innocent. So maybe he just wants to mess with him. Great.

A different strategy, maybe. He’ll surely make a mistake at some point if Rei keeps pushing. “This… tournament that you proposed,” Rei says. “I suppose you're participating?”

“Naturally!” Volo says cheerfully. “Battles on Pasio are done in teams, are they not? Perhaps you'd like to-”

“No.” Rei glares at him. Oh, now, that was going too far. Going to shut that line of conversation immediately.

“So hostile,” Volo sighs. “A united Hisuian contingent would've been a sight to see. Well, the clan leaders should be more receptive, at least.”

“Not if I can help it,” Rei says, crossing his arms. He’s well aware of how childish it sounds, but the thought of his friends falling for Volo’s innocent merchant act, again, is too horrible to consider. Mentally, he rapidly revises his priorities - he has to meet with Adaman and Irida as soon as possible and explain everything. Tomorrow, ideally. Does he have the energy for that? It’s something like one in the morning, right now. He's dead on his feet. But he’ll make it happen. He has to, before Volo does.

But what if he’s already too late? When had Rei last spoken to them? The dance competition, that wasn’t that long ago, right? At least a week, maybe more, his mind supplies. He'd just been so busy… and surely they would have told him if they'd met Volo.

This little anxious spiral must be evident on Rei’s face somehow, because Volo chuckles, stepping closer. “The world doesn't revolve around you, Rei. Not here.”

“You don’t get to act all high and mighty,” Rei snaps. “Not when you’re pulling everyone along on your own strings. I suppose you think you make the world go ‘round.”

But Volo has a point, no matter how much he hates to admit it. Rei’s been assuming he was someone significant to this whole saga. The appearance of the mysterious stones coincided with his and Akari’s arrival to Pasio, after all, so was he really wrong for thinking that?

And Arceus spoke to him first. That had to mean something.

“On the contrary, I simply meant that we’re all on equal ground,” Volo says. For the first time, goes unspoken.

“I’ll still beat you,” Rei vows. He’d done it before, he could do it again. No matter if he was still favoured by Arceus or not. “Because my bonds with my Pokemon, and my friends, are real. And you don’t know what that feels like.” Though intended to be a sharp jab at Volo, instead, a deep bitterness colours those final words.

Volo’s expression twists into something briefly unreadable before it settles into a polite half-smile. “You’re quick to assume the worst of me.”

“Quick?” Rei barks out a harsh laugh. “No, it was exactly the opposite.” He’d been strung along so thoroughly, accepting every strange behaviour as simply one of Volo’s little oddities. Only up at the Celestica Ruins did those allowances start to crumble – and by then, it was too late.

Volo’s look at Rei is one of intrigue. The way Rei's seen him examining ancient ruins, like he's something Volo wants to observe, or study.

And Rei has had it. Enough dancing around the subject, trying to draw it out of Volo; clearly it’s never going to happen. “Is this all just a game to you? You tried to destroy the world! You want me to think you care about anyone?”

Volo raises an eyebrow. “That's a bold claim. Surely if that had happened, it would've ended up in the history books, somewhere.”

Well – okay. The only person who knew what happened was the Professor, sort of. And Cogita. Arceus knows how she found out. But Professor Laventon didn't know half of it, even, Rei had just incoherently vented everything emotional and hurting at him, swore him to secrecy, and then hoped that he'd never have to unpack that again.

Clearly Arceus had other designs.

“We were friends.” Rei’s voice cracks a bit, there; he hates how true it is. “I thought we were friends. But you were going to kill me for standing in your way!”

Volo frowns. “Now, why would I do that?” He takes a few paces towards Rei and smiles, purposefully, grin stretching tight across his face. “I wouldn't want to lose my favourite customer, after all!”

Stumbling backwards to regain the distance, Rei exclaims, “I’ve bought maybe one thing from you. Stop calling me that!”

“Recipient of free samples, semantics,” Volo shrugs, entirely unaffected, and Rei wars with the competing urges to punch him or bolt into the treeline.

“Play dumb all you want,” Rei hisses, “but you’ve already shown your hand. I could tell them everything. You won’t be able to fool anyone ever again.” Least of all me.

Volo tilts his head with a smirk. “Well then, why are you here?” he asks, calling Rei’s bluff.

And though he can’t know that the Arc Phone is listening in Rei’s satchel, Rei realises that his motivations must be laughably transparent. Maybe Volo thinks Akari, or Cynthia, is watching the whole thing from the treeline. The specifics of it don’t matter, really. Rei’s been outplayed from the very beginning.

Volo makes a little movement with his hand. There's a sudden rustle of movement behind Rei, and he whips around, hand on Decidueye's Pokeball -

But it's just Volo's Togepi, who warbles in alarm and quickly toddles past him.

“What would people rather believe in?” Volo says lightly. “The accusations of a boy who jumps at shadows?” He bends down to pick up Togepi. “Or in the innocence of their friend?”

In Volo's arms, Togepi lets out an adorable squeak.

Over the Pokeball on his belt, Rei’s hand is trembling with misfired adrenaline. He carefully drops his hand to his side and raises his head up high. “Cynthia trusts me. I’ve been here for months, and we’ve worked together on the mysterious stones since they were first found.”

“And so?” Volo shrugs. “A working relationship is hardly worth much. I thought you would've known better, with what Kamado did…”

Rei flinches.

The worst part about it all was that no matter what ulterior motives Volo might have had, back then, when he’d been thrown out into the wild with barely a few days’ worth of supplies – Volo had been there for him when nobody else was.

Volo had seen Rei fall apart and put himself back together with forced cheer. And so, he knew exactly where the cracks were, where to strike with his words to disassemble Rei all over again.

Of course Rei knows Cynthia is responsible, and smart, and has been nothing but friendly to him – but he doesn't really know her, does he? And Volo is her ancestor. Which is pretty obvious, honestly. She’d probably like him immediately.

Just like everyone else did. Including Rei.

“Besides, you're not the only one who's been making friends in high places,” Volo adds smoothly. “I’ve heard that Bettie’s word is quite well regarded.”

So now that Rei had wised up to Volo's true nature, he'd gone and found himself new people to use. “You’ve always been like this, then,” Rei huffs. None of it had been real; their entire ‘friendship’ had been predicated on Rei's usefulness. “They deserve to know the truth about you.”

“Truth? Or your own opinion?” Volo scoffs. “You think so highly of yourself, Rei, but you're not the beloved Hero of Hisui here. No…” he smiles. “You're entirely ordinary. Do remember, it was everyone in that stadium who heard Arceus' voice.”

Admittedly, that stings. He'd thought - maybe - that Arceus was finally telling him why He'd brought Rei here. What he was supposed to do in this strange new land. But he'd failed, unable to clearly hear Arceus’ voice.

Rei spares a thought for the Arc Phone, once a vessel for divine inspiration, now reduced to recording mortals’ petty feuds. His messages to Arceus have been left on read for months. He's probably allowed to be a bit petty, at this point.

Volo continues, “Imagine! Any one of us could become Arceus’ champion.” Togepi makes a little noise. “Yes, even you,” he says indulgently, lifting her up to face him, and she goes cross-eyed following his waving finger.

It's horribly cute, the sort of thing Rei would've been charmed by before. And it's clear Volo is no longer taking Rei seriously at all.

What starts out as a wavering thought suddenly asserts itself with startling clarity. “I don't need anything from you,” Rei realises. He'd told himself he was here for evidence, something concrete he could hold against Volo, and that was true. But beyond that, he'd been after something entirely more personal.

He can walk away.

“I don't need anything from you,” he repeats, with force this time.

Volo turns his attention away from Togepi, and this of all things is what finally seems to make him genuinely confused. “Leaving so soon, Rei?”

Rei doesn't elaborate. He turns on his heel to stalk through the forest back to civilisation. Now, because if he says anything more he doesn't know if he'll ever bring himself to stop. Because he's asking for something he'll never get.

Volo's saying something. He doesn't care to catch all the words, though some of it filters through - “challenge”, “tournament”, and “rivals” among them. The general shape of the message is clear. They'll meet again; Rei's powerless to stop that. But as best he can, he'll shake off whatever lingering grip Volo still has on him.

He doesn't stop walking as the trodden earth turns to paved cobbles under his feet, and he makes it all the way up his building's winding stairs to the little studio apartment that he's been given. Home, for now. Collapsing onto the lone armchair, he takes the Arc Phone out of his satchel and turns off the recording. Thank Arceus for divinely bestowed infinite storage, he supposes.

Rei knows that if he were to listen to it, there'd be nothing of use. Only hidden barbs and Rei’s own ugly, wounded anger. It feels fitting to delete it, to banish the whole encounter to memory, and perhaps eventually, less than that.

He doesn't, and instead tucks it away in a folder several layers deep.

Maybe Professor Laventon wrote about the whole disaster in his private diaries. Rei knows he has them, bless the man. He'd once stumbled into the Professor's office late at night, after an exhausting, terrifying escape from an Alpha, ready to tell Laventon off for sending him there – and startled the Professor fiercely, who quickly shut the manuscript he was writing with a blush. So even if Rei had sworn him to secrecy, he might have confided in the written word.

That's something he can set Cynthia on digging up, then. Even just the suggestion that Laventon, the First Pokemon Professor, had such personal writings, would probably send her into an unstoppable research frenzy. That much about her, at least, he knows. If it still existed in this era, Cynthia would almost certainly find it.

And maybe he doesn't need evidence. Not for the people who matter, anyway.

Akari’s only a few doors away, their apartments close neighbours just like back in Jubilife Village. If he wanted, he could wander over there once the sun rose, have her fantastic tamago rice, and tell her everything.

Is he ready to take that step into thin air? To trust that he'll be believed, in something that's infinitely more convoluted and improbable than the simple plea – “I don't know why the sky is red, it's not my fault, I only ever did what you told me to” –

Well. Volo might've been the last one to break his trust, but he was in no way the first.

Can he make good on those words that he’d levelled so confidently against Volo? That his bonds with his friends are real?

Akari had never doubted. And Adaman and Irida had gone against Kamado's will, risking the standing of their people, just to help him. He would be doing them a disservice if he didn't at least try.

And in this dangerous game, it might be the only winning move.

Even as he makes this decision, he feels the pull of sleep. It's offensively late, or early, in the morning now, depending on perspective, and all of this is Tomorrow Rei’s problem.

There's no energy left to even stumble to bed. Rei falls asleep right there in the lumpy armchair, hand loosely gripped around the Arc Phone, Adaman and Irida’s Poryphone numbers on the screen, ready and waiting.

And, though Rei will certainly wake up sore with a crick in his neck come the morning…

For the first time in a long while, his dreams are not restless.

[onestepbackwards]

In the self-aware AU what would the characters react to the player having a little sibling.

Hearing the player give a tutorial and run around in their own save file. Letting their sibling be the one to catch their own Pokémon, customize Akari or Rei to their wishes, take photos with Pokémon and speak their opinions about the cast.

This may derail from the other headcannons with the characters becoming self-aware overtime. Unsure if this fits.

What about the sibling liking the game so much they decide to play the game on their own account. However, every character is still just as self-aware having memories of the original players save file, and the new one.

Even possibly having the ability to roam around the game, but they are still forced into a cutscene after a certain threshold is made.

Volo being invested in knowing the “True God’s, and Little God” entire ancestry and lives outside the game, as the player isn’t watching.

Telling the child what he is forced to do to them, begging for forgiveness, and doing his genuine best to both befriend the child despite such strings. Establishing enough trust to ask them about their days at school, and things about their “holy” family.

Now even questioning who’s the one pulling these canon strings? Arceus? It would only make him hate the creature even more.

Questioning the intentions behind their sentience, who had started it and why?

Two stories happening on a screen just which is better staying in script entirely to fulfill their purpose of entertainment, or leap into the unknown with the possibility of never seeing either players again.

Then there’s Ingo who can see the red flags, and would inform the player. At first he would be trying to give the child battle advice, and to trust their instincts if something is wrong.

I wonder whether he’d be in the wants to fulfill purpose of play and look after the child but at an expense of never being played again…. I’d think he would make the sacrifice if it meant the player and their family would be safe in the end.

Ohh, the moment they all realize it’s your sibling, it becomes a trial to make the best impression for them.

Volo, like you said, would no doubt try and get close. He’s be one of the firsts to openly break the code to talk with your sibling, warning them he’s being forced to betray them in game later, and to please forgive him.

If your siblings agrees, then Volo will take it as a blessing, and make his move, trying to figure more about you and your family. He’ll be the best friend your sibling could ask for, even if its just to learn more about you.

Akari and Rei, whoever your sibling didn’t pick for their playthrough, also help out your sibling, wanting to genuinely be friends. Though they don’t appear as often as Volo does. Maybe they’ll have the courage to reveal themselves to you too?

Ingo is the most wary about doing this, unsure how you would react. But he does end up stepping in if Volo or even the others get too close or comfortable. Being the most familiar with the code, if he can’t get then to back off peacefully, he isn’t above teleporting then elsewhere.

Ingo wants to be friends, he genuinely does! And he sees s much potential in your sibling!

But he doesn’t want to risk things too much. If you find out, and get upset, it could mean the literal end of their world. And he recognizes what Volo is doing is especially manipulative. He doesn’t want your sibling getting upset or to be used just to get to you.

It doesn’t deter Volo though.

Meanwhile, you hear a lot about the characters in game. Your sibling happily goes on about his journey so far, and he seems to have an attachment to Volo.

You don’t think much of it, until they mention Volo asked about you.

Its something you shrug off, but it does make you wonder if your sibling may be playing pretend with Volo.

You decide it’s best to keep an eye out. Especially if they haven’t been betrayed yet. If your sibling is this attached, you don’t want them getting too upset later on.

Though the stuff your sibling keeps bringing up is a bit weird. Yes, you will be keeping a close eye on them indeed.

[forgeofthenine]

Baldurs gate 3 characters and their 500 playstyle

For anyone that doesn't know, 500 is a card game often played with four players set up as two pairs of partners that have to call for the trump suit before trying to win the amount of 'tricks' (rounds) they've called. My family plays it all the time so I got inspired by all the cards played over Christmas lol. I also really like this format, let me know if you guys like it too :)

The table talker

The table is never quiet with these guys around. Whether it's joking about bad hands or chatting about the last trick, it's impossible to shut them up. Whenever they're around the table it's going to be a certified chatter fest, anyone that's against table talk will be wishing their partner was anyone else

GALE, Halsin, Wyll, Isobel, Geraldus, CAL

The high caller

Maybe they're confident in their hand, or maybe just excited. Sometimes, they just want to end the game faster. Either way you already know that if they're sitting at the table there's going to be at least one 9 call, most probably more. It'll be a quick game either way, either ending in success or with the both of you going out the backdoor.

Dammon, Lae'zel, KARLACH, Rugan, Aylin

The off suit leader

It doesn't matter what they call or how good of a run they have, you'll almost never see them lead with one of their trumps. Whether or not it's a laughing matter depends entirely on where the tricks fall. This is one of the players you'll hardly ever see call no trumps, despite it seeming perfect for their playstyle.

Alfira, LIA, Haarlep, Oskar

The bluffer

The one person who's happy to force you into upping your no trumps call by calling diamonds, despite only having a single diamond in their hand. As their partner they can be hard to read, but watching them up calls only to realise what's actually in their hand makes for great table talk afterwards.

Minthara, ASTARION, Shadowheart, VOLO, RAPHAEL

The card counter

These guys have an uncanny memory for exactly what cards have been played and readily use it to their advantage. They're the ones that spend extra time to double check a trick that's just been played, and most likely they're also the one keeping score.

MOL, Zevlor, ROLAN, Jaheira, The Emperor, MATTIS

[r0-boat]

[Request]

Cynthia fills you up with that FAT STRAP 🙏🥵❤️‍🔥✨

∾ 【 Rouge Anon 】

GIRRRRLS MOARRR GIRRRRLLSSS

Cynthia x gn! Reader

This was supposed to be porn but it ended up turning into something really sweet :,)

( when the Volo leaks into Cynthia my bad lol)

The Champions eyes burned her head pounding, yet there were still mountains of paperwork to finish... Cynthia sitting alone at her desk in a bedroom that wasn't her own miles away from her lover.

Her fingers pinch the bridge of her nose throwing her pen to the side, only to sign frustration as she watched it roll off the table.

Cynthia loves her job she truly does but sometimes the job of a champion was too much... instead of being cooped up in a hotel doing mountains of paperwork for a meeting she will have tomorrow, while she much rather spend that time cuddling up to her partner in front of a warm fireplace, drinking hot cocoa as the diamond dust flutters to the ground blanketing Sinnoh in pure white.

Maybe she should finally take her vacation hours... it would be nice to have some time for just you and her. Cynthia grumbles resting her chin on the desk.

She just wishes you were here right now....

She could be doing so many things with you... to you.

Mmm... it has been quite a while since she's last touched you...

Her head perked up when a knock at her hotel door snapped her out of her thoughts.

Strange she didn't remember ordering anything to her room?

Cynthia stretched when she got up from her chair walking over to the entrance of her hotel room her eyes wide and when she saw a familiar pair of eyes staring back at her when she opened the door. Did Arceus answer her prayers?? Hear you were standing right in front of her a smile on your face and a backpack on your back.

"Baby?! What are you doing here?" Cynthia couldn't help but smile, when you threw yourself into her arms.

Your girlfriend snuggled her head into your shoulders wrapping her arms around you giving you a loving squeeze.

Her heart fluttered when you peppered kisses on her face.

"I missed you."

Aw you came all this way to see her she missed you too but technically she is still at work and this work needs to be done.

" I miss you too but, baby I do have a meeting tomorrow so-"

You frowned " Please let me stay just for a little bit, and then I'll go back home,"

Your eyes deep and full of love she knew she could never say no to you.

" oh all right... " she relented " but only for a short while I've been feeling stressed out all week and all I want to do is finish this work."

You put your backpack down on the ground perking up a little when she mentioned being stressed.

Your poor girlfriend was stressed out from work and here you were your body craving her so much so that you traveled all the way out just to see her.

"I- I could probably help with that," you stutter. The heat already rushing to your face.

You could feel her eyes on you.

"Oh?" Shivers run down your spine, you could hear the smirk on her face. Your hands tremble as you slowly and zip your backpack, pressing your thighs together knowing that your girlfriend right behind you could see what was inside

" Did my sweet partner come all this way just to get fucked?"

Oh sweet Sinnoh...

Your back arches when her fingertips graze over your shoulder.

" not what I had in mind tonight, but how could I possibly refuse when you offer your body as a toy for me to take my stress out onto."

A whimper escapes your throat as you take out the toy and harness out of your backpack.

" On the bed. Don't expect me to be gentle."

"yes ma'am." You obey laying over the edge of the bed and spreading your legs your fingers playing with the rim of your pants before sliding them down off of you. Cynthia's teeth sink into her lip. She could never get over how quickly you submitted to her.

Her hand slips under your shirt helping you take it off leaving you bare in front of your girlfriend who is still fully clothed. Your hand wanders to her pants only for your hand to be slapped away.

"No, I like this you underneath me naked, pathetic, and horny, where you belong"

Oh fuck... if this is what Cynthia's like when she's stressed then you should visit her on her trip more often.

She purrs when she feels yourself back against your hand, her fingers playing with your sex. Her fingers just barely grazing against your entrance threatening to penetrate.

The head of her plastic toy pressed against your entrance; for a moment, she thought about shoving the entire thing inside you. Watching you squirm and ride as she feels you up with her fat cock in one thrust. But instead, she watched as you slowly engulfed her cock, your tight hole stretching around her length.

Watching you grasp at the bed sheets, your whole body shaking while pushing yourself against her, hungry for more.

She flips you over on your back wanting to see your face twist in pleasure.

Her Pace almost immediately picks up, practically slamming into you with each thrust.

Her big cock reaching the deepest parts of you,

She knows every part of your body, she knows exactly how you like it she knows how to make your toes curl and cum for her.

Grabbing a hold of your legs she folds you in half your legs resting over her shoulders pulling you closer towards her, she pounds down into you.

You tighten around her already so close.

" you're so cute like this, almost makes me want to ruin you~"

You felt her hands wrap around your neck, making you see stars as you cum for her. Creaming around her cock as she continues to drill into you. You are your back trying your best to silence your screams of pleasure.

"That's it, cutie. Keep cumming for me; I'm not done with you yet. You're going to be good for me, and take it until I'm satisfied. Maybe if you're good, really good, I'll let you stay and warm my cock while I finish my work. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

[gotta-pet-em-all]

[Audio begins. There are a few moments of silence, before Fluff says, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, not really. Oh, are those pokepuffs?”

“Mm. I figured I’d bring some over for you, here.”

“What, ‘cause you’re afraid you’ll get rejected if you don’t bring food to people?” Rei asks wryly. 

“….do you want them or not. Also, fuck off, having social anxiety sucks.” Fluff definitely doesn’t sound happy about being read for filth like that. 

“Ah, sorry. My social skills have, uh. Declined.” Rei doesn’t sound especially sorry. “You’re here to ask me about Hisui, right? Are you the short blonde’s lab partner?”

“Something like that.” She doesn’t elaborate. “More about the people who came with you from Hisui.”

“Well, the other guy took a train home. I don’t know a lot about the Miss Fortune sisters; they’re a sort of found family. They… despite being from Hisui, they weren’t as suited for it as me.”

“You enjoyed being in Hisui? Why?”

“It was thrilling,” Rei says quietly. “I had a divine patron who wanted me to do research. They’d been… well, Giratina’s banishment meant Arceus was separated from the world for a long time as well. And they wanted to understand how the land was faring. So I surveyed for them. We learned about Hisui together. I never got hurt too bad; if I lost enough blood to get worried, there would be this golden light and I’d wake up in the infirmary.”

“You weren’t worried about going home?”

“I’m seventeen, you know,” Rei says wryly. “Without going into too much detail, I had a mental health scare as a kid. Bipolar, and bad. It took a while for my parents to let me go on my journey, and when I did, I felt… alienated, like the world was too small. But Hisui? It was amazing. It was a dream. I wanted to stay and help these people. Until I didn’t.”

“So, about Volo… you guys don’t get along?”

“That’s personal,” Rei says bluntly.

Fluff gives a small cough. “They broke out of quarantine rather than stay with you.”

“...we have history.”

There is a brief mental calculation of ages and likelihood of romance. “So, you guys weren’t— or, rather, you didn’t have any—”

“There was absolutely no situationship or unrequited romantic feelings going on.” Rei sighs. “Frankly, I… don’t know how to explain it. But they’ve been nothing but polite and accommodating here, so I don’t think it’s right for me to go spreading rumors that don’t matter anymore. Why do you want to know so bad, anyways?”

“I visited them, and just…” Her voice sounds a little choked up. “I was uh. Quite literally raised under a rock. Like, very deficient in vitamin D. So I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the real world. I guess I can relate?”

“Wait, what.”

“What part needs clarification here.”

“The— raised under a rock???”

“Underground cult, but I try not to tell people that when I’ve first met them because I’m trying to break the traumadumping habit, actually.” She sniffles. “Fuck, I’m going to have to wash my hoodie. Point is. Uh. Ah, where was I even going with this. Is it really that weird that I want to help? I want to believe the best in them.”

“The Miss Fortunes frequently tried to mug me, you know.”

“Yeah, you’re not special,” she mutters under her breath. Then, louder, “Sometimes people trapped in a bad place do fucked up shit to survive. Don’t they deserve redemption too?”

“Maybe. I just don’t have any interest in it. I’m not going to stop you, but I’m not going to help. I’ve done my part, and frankly, I’m a little sick of getting betrayed.” His voice is tight. “Volo likes places with history and places with shade and running water. Check the ruins and the little meadow north of the gnarled oak tree. And don’t ask me about them again. However much of their friendship was real, it’s over now. All of it.”

Recording ends.]

[volostogekiss]

for a moment of your time

No warnings. GN!reader, kinda bittersweet, a lot of conflicting feelings, open ending. Can be read as either platonic or romantic! Basically some thoughts on if you were allowed to just... talk to Volo instead of having to battle, and if he’d asked for the plates instead. Because I’d give them to him if that meant you could meet Arceus and ask why it forced you to come to Hisui and never let you go home, even after everything you did for it. (Also, I think it wouldn’t show up for him anyway, or just let him reset the world. :x) Summary: If there were another option during your confrontation on Mount Coronet, maybe things would’ve turned out differently.

▷ “If you want to keep this world from disappearing, then face me in battle! Not that you have a choice.” Volo leans in toward you with a menacing grin, a certain darkness flitting through his eye. “Even if you don’t wish to battle me, I’m not above using force to take those plates from you.”

▷ Despite your urge to step back, to recoil at everything he’d just revealed to you and that he was… threatening you, you won’t give up any ground to him. Not even when your heart almost freezes at his words. “Are you… threatening me?”

▷ Volo cocks his head to the side, then extends a hand to you in a faux act of peace. He points an index finger at you, like he often did, and strangely, now you can see how his mischief had always disguised the danger behind it. “Oh, it isn’t a threat, per say, rather that my patience has merely run out.”

▷ “Yeah?” you counter, holding out your arm in front of Typhlosion, who’s growling and rearing to incinerate the man across from you. You’re trying to keep your emotions under control, but a ferocious anger and depressing exhaustion are fighting within your heart. So he’s always thought of me like the rest of them... those that he held at such a great distance. You want to scream at the unfairness of it all. He hid it well, then. “Why couldn’t you just ask me like a friend—like I thought we were?”

▷ (You don’t have the heart to confess that you believed you were closer than just another friend, too. Maybe it had been too arrogant of you to think you both held a special place within one another’s hearts.)

▷ His expression wavers at your question, along with the obvious hurt in your tone, in your countenance. There’s no way to look at it differently; he’s going to betray you, and no matter what you say or do, he won’t relent, he tells himself.

▷ (Volo knows that you’d thought so. He’d… even thought the same, saw you as more than the one who could grow so close to him, saw you almost as everything he’d wanted and loved in someone.)

▷ So Volo stays silent, unable to answer you. But you’re not done. You plant your feet firmly, toss your head back, and then fire off pointedly, “And, don’t you think my patience has run out with Arceus, too?”    

▷ His head snaps up. He’s staring at you with a wide eye, and you can’t tell if it’s a cold fury that’s left him so still, his face unreadable. Even though you want to be upset with him, want to berate him for how he’s about to throw you away like nearly everyone else in Hisui had, you can’t; it’ll do you no good now, not when you need to stop him from becoming someone you don’t recognize. You want to have some hope left that Volo isn’t going to walk away from you. That he won’t fall to whatever shadow pervades his heart.

▷ “If you want to meet Arceus, then, fine, you can have them.” You gesture to your satchel with a snap of your hand, the motion conveying more frustration with the situation than your neutral tone admits. “I have my own questions for Arceus I’ve asked every day since being forced to live in Hisui.”

▷ You don’t know if Arceus will really appear or not, even if you do give Volo the plates. If he’d been beseeching such a withdrawn being for years and it had never shown itself to him, your optimism for its arrival now, even less knowing that it would be forced to appear, is severely dwindling. Only once before had you met the deified Pokémon, in some void of your mind or existence—what it was you could never tell—but even then, it had never answered you, despite your pleas. You’re supposedly the Chosen One of Arceus, but it wouldn’t reveal itself to you, even with all the plates here now. You had little hope it would ever present itself at all. Both of you are simply nothing in the eyes of Arceus, aren’t you?

▷ Volo doesn’t look like he believes you. How could he, if he’d been meaning to turn on you all along? He’d have had to think you were always the enemy, and right now, you’re unsure if you can convince him otherwise. Still sneering, Typhlosion levels a burning glare at your adversary, but you know that she cannot be beside you if you want to placate Volo. With a steady hand, unlike how your heart is pitching back and forth in your chest, you reach for Typhlosion’s Poké Ball.

▷ “See?” You’re aware of how Volo is unwilling to trust your word, which stings, but you return Typhlosion anyway, much to her disapproval, and even your own. “I’m serious—just as you were about betraying me, right?”

▷ Tucking her Poké Ball back into your bag, you stare right at Volo, but nothing has changed on his face, even with your snide remark. His expression is still blank, and you wonder if he’ll even accept your offer now. Shouldn’t he? I’m giving him what he wants. With a confident stride that doesn’t match your conflicted feelings, you approach him, opening a hand to him palm-up. This is your last chance to make this effort count, for you don’t want to fight him. You don’t want to lose someone who’s become more important to you than anyone else in Hisui.

▷ “Volo…” you speak his name with every heavy emotion weighing on your heart, as you stand beside him. You need to calm yourself. “Will you sit with me for a moment?”

▷ Unable to look at him any longer, you crouch down on the altar, angle yourself toward the temple’s entrance, and then stretch out your legs. Your satchel thumps onto the ground beside you, the clinking of the plates inside it fully drawing your attention to the current predicament. You want to think of this moment like all the others you’d shared, atop the hills of the fieldlands, in your quarters, together in the ruins... However, there is no joy in your eyes as you offer him the place beside you, a subdued wave of your hand prompting Volo once more to sit. You don’t know why you’d made such a request; maybe it was some silly, yearning part of you that wished you could reach into his heart. Despite being so close to Volo, you don’t… know anything about him, really. He’d never told you about his past. You don’t see him doing so now, though you hope, with everything you have, that he might.

▷ (I wish I could’ve reached you, sooner.)

▷ He doesn’t move, not that you thought he would, since you can feel the impatience and uncertainty curling from him like a wintry chill. But still, you continue on, “I don’t… necessarily disagree with some of your sentiments about Arceus, you know.”

▷ A surge of rage pulses through you suddenly, when you remember that although it’s Arceus who had caused you to lose your life from before, who has ignored every one of your strangled cries for help, it had been Volo who had opened the space-time distortion that wrenched you from your home, as he’d so proudly boasted earlier. Or maybe Arceus had watched that all happen too, planned for it, accounted for it, and had mocked you both for the twist of fate it had woven into your paths, sewing in your star-crossed meeting.

▷ “You’re part of the reason why I’m stuck here!” You don’t know if you’re blaming Volo or Arceus at this point.

▷ The man beside you startles, and he looks down at you, a mixture of sympathy, hatred, and reluctance coiling in his chest. Your agitation is visceral, almost painfully so, but he doesn’t know what he should do anymore. You’re right, but I’d always foreseen myself at the top of the world alone. Before this moment, he would’ve knelt down and reached for your hand, comforted you, and whispered that it would be all right, if you were with him and he with you. But had he forsaken that privilege now? Volo doesn’t know. Perhaps it’s that thought he needs to now put to the test that has him slowly lowering himself to the altar as well. Somewhere in his heart, he knows that he hadn’t wanted to hurt you. He doesn’t want to lose you, either.

▷ You notice that he’s finally sitting down next to you—you assume then that he’s accepted your tacit stipulation for relinquishing the plates to him—but you don’t bother to look over at him. Instead, you unclip your satchel, your voice somehow even when you speak up again, “Hold out your hand, Volo. You can count them as I give them to you.”

▷ There’s another unspoken addition to your statement, that you’ve only said such a thing because you don’t think he’ll trust you, that this is still some kind of trick. Despite how your heart prickles with discomfort, you want to stay rational about this. Even with the plates, and even if he’d use the Celestica Flute (you’re sure Arceus knows how many times you’d played the blasted thing in an attempt to gain an audience with it), you don’t think Arceus will decide to finally show up. Why would Arceus answer either of us now? How could he subject it to anything of his will when it clearly hasn’t deemed it worthwhile to listen and respond? Part of you doesn’t think it’s wise to give Volo all the plates, but part of you hopes that this will quell his wrath, if only for a moment, so that you can bring him back to you.

▷ “Why are you giving me the plates so freely?” he asks you as you pass him the first—a blue one, from Lord Basculegion. You’re serious. He should be glad you’re giving them to him, right? His heart should be singing at the prospect of accomplishing his goal, and yet… A note of incredulous hesitance slips into his voice, and you laugh at him loudly, the abruptness of it all catching him off-guard.

▷ “‘Why’! ‘Why?’ he asks, as I’m already giving these damn things to him, like he wanted!” Maybe you’ve lost it. You don’t know. Your thoughts are spiraling, and you’re grasping the next plate too stiffly. Why are you giving him the plates? Because you know that he will fail again, as you had failed, and as he had failed before—that Arceus won’t answer you. Is it so that you could fail together? So he could see how useless it all was? So that he would give this up? So that you could stop him?

▷ “I don’t know, Volo, maybe because I like you,” you snarl out, unintentionally rough. “Maybe because I’m angry with you, but I still want to hope you’re the same person I always knew you as. Does that make any sense? Is it selfish of me to want you to pull Arceus from its throne in the heavens so that I can demand answers from it as well? I don’t know, Volo.”

▷ Your reply isn’t what he’d expected. Stunned, Volo almost drops the Flame Plate he’d plucked from your involuntary stranglehold; it had surprisingly yielded the second his fingers had brushed over yours. I don’t understand why. The next plate. Then the third—yellow. A fourth, the Meadow Plate, joins the growing stack beside him. Volo isn’t sure he can really believe this is happening. Perhaps he should have just… asked you in the first place. He should have trusted you, like a friend would.

▷ “I hated the world as I was growing up,” Volo murmurs, and why he’s telling you anything of his past, he isn’t sure. Maybe I’m a fool and I still wish to be close to you, even though I feel undeserving of such. Is this his way of apologizing to you, of trying to tell you that he still trusts you?

▷ Steadily emptying your bag of the plates, you’re quiet beside him. You let him speak of his childhood, terrible experiences you couldn’t possibly fathom as he had, and the torment that had consumed him every day before he’d determined his purpose. His resolve. Another plate is in his hand, then set alongside his collection on the altar. Why he had to see Arceus now. And another. Why he couldn’t wait any longer. Is it only one more, now?

▷ “That purpose…” Volo doesn’t know if he’s missed the last plate deliberately, his hand drifting to yours instead and remaining there. “It’s why I had almost decided to give you up. Pathetic, that my envy would know no bounds if you stood before Arceus as I had wished to, but you’ve selflessly allowed me the chance to do so, instead.”

▷ Is it selfless of me? Your heart plunges deep into icy dread. Is that how he sees it? You dare not say another thing, dare not pull your hand from his, as the plate remains forgotten between you two.

▷ He won’t concede, however, and he stares upward, at the shattered spires rending the sky. Why? Is his voice cracking, just as the crumbling pillars are? “But I won’t give up either you or my purpose. I’ve often thought it impossible to reconcile the two, but you...”

▷ Volo hasn’t turned to you, but you haven’t turned to him, either. The pair of you sit in silence, Volo seemingly unwilling to elaborate on his discovery any further, and you unwilling to press him for an answer. Maybe both of you are afraid of hearing it, even if you know what he’ll say.

▷ (“But you’ve made me think it isn’t so impossible, after all.”)

▷ The final plate now lies with the others next to Volo. You slide the Celestica Flute between his fingers, and it morphs and bends in shape, glistening azure instead of ivory white. Finally, then, you find the courage to lift your head, to see how he’s now looking at you. Ashen and beaten. Anxiety swimming behind the sheen of silver confidence that had glowed so brightly as he’d confronted you. A sense of immeasurable loss, painted over by newfound anticipation, a tide of gratitude washing in, built by torrents of desperation and addled love.

▷ Your heart aches. Why? Shouldn’t you be happy, too? You want to meet Arceus as well, and you won’t let Volo lose himself again, you know you won’t, but… there’s the doubt, once more. Should you feel hope for this cause, that you really will meet Arceus?

▷ You don’t know if the two of you will ever be the same after this. How could you be? Things have changed, even if you hadn’t wanted them to at all.

▷ Volo stands, still refusing to let go of your hand or your gaze, and you rise with him. He’s much more reassured about this endeavor than you are, but you cannot voice your reservations to him. If it’s meant to be this way, then it will be, and nothing you can do will change it.

▷ But still, he smiles at you, like you mean something more to him than you could possibly understand. “Thank you.”

▷ You shake your head. What is there to thank me for? You’re afraid that regardless of what will happen next, you are somehow the one who has broken him. You would be responsible for giving him this chance to see everything fall apart around him once more, as Arceus would fail to appear. And even if you had denied him, you would have still been responsible for crushing his dream as Arceus came to you instead of him.

▷ Volo raises the flute to his lips. You look away. He tightens his grip on your hand. You squeeze his palm in yours.

▷ The first note sounds in the air, eerie and ethereal. You shut your eyes. Nothing will be the same, will it?