#and by that I don't mean memorizing which fish show up at what time I just wake up each day and don't know what to do

[mnonep]

I'm kind of like a baitpilled fishcel recently, really been squidmaxxing lately

[metranart]

Hawks chuckled, mirthless. “I’m too tired to jump you, my legs are too tired to chase you, my arms are too tired to restrain you, I’m too tired—… of constantly think about you...” your heart throbs at hearing this.

ft. Hawks centered, Hawks x reader, Slight! Bakugo x reader, Slight! Dabi x reader.

Hawks x UA Student! Reader (Part 9)

- Warning tag: obsessed! Hawks, possessive! Hawks, naive! student reader, violation of trust, dubious consent, mating cycles, rut response, obsessive behavior, uncontrollable thirst for reader, manipulation, forced, thigh riding, hormonal minds out of control, sexual content, first time, cock riding, teenage fuck, Dabi's toxically interested in you, Bakugo bestie yet secretly inlove wit you, love confessions, cock-drunk, Hawks trying to be good but failing miserably, gaslighting, HEAVY plot, lots of smut. -

Your jaw dropped as you stuttered. 

“...N-Nest?” 

Hawks bumped his fist at his sides, like a very uncomfortable child who was being forced to hear the `sex talk’ for the first time.  

“Yes, the nest I built for YOU.” Hawks explained, seemingly completely unconcerned with the prospect of you still being fully naked and at display, never mentioning it once. His eyes stealing glimpses from time to time. “It´s your—OUR nest.... as recently bond-...as mates.” He explained, face burning. “Please, baby bird.... p-please?”

Hawks knew there was really nothing you could do to stop him from carrying you over his shoulder like a caveman and claim you over the nest. But he wanted to atone for his misdeeds. So, he asked very sweetly, as if chirping melodically to please your ear with his voice, like a bird courting a female which he desired to impress. He was even willing to show you his best moves, but he had two left feet. Not his best bird trait.

You started to breath heavily, not believing your ears, stuttering out some incoherent words. “Wait-… what? I don´t... I mean, this is so....... WHY?” you ended up asking and he shrugged. 

“You are not going to like the answer.” 

You sighed frustrated, slowly growing angrier. “—The Rut’ bullshit.”

Hawks pursed his lips before nodding lightly. 

“And if I refuse?” You mused, hugging your chest to realize you were still naked. Your face acquired an adorable rosy color according to Hawks, even so, you felt like screaming at him for not mention it earlier. Damn that man! 

Doing your best so that your hands covered your private parts -Hawks didn't see the point, he had already memorized you in detail- you opened a drawer to fish out the first shirt you found and putting it on, it helped you feel less exposed, brave enough to ask what you really feared. 

“...Will you force me?”

Hawks seemed torn apart for a solid minute before he suddenly said. 

“Don't you like the nest that I built for you?” 

Keigo sounded disappointed, almost hurt. “If you want, I can redo it... tell me how you would like it to be....” it looked like he was holding back a fit of angst, you had never seen him like this, this feeble and confused. You only knew each other for hours and most of them, he was rutting into your conquered cunt with frenzied exhilaration, even so, he didn’t seem like himself. “I can put more fabrics around, put my feathers in a different position-…. Whatever you want, just ask.” He lifted a pillow from the ruffled of red feathers to fluff it with his hands and for the first time your eyes focused on the nest.  

It was a flurry of crimson feathers in the shape of a cradle which looked extremely soft and fluffy, like a cloud in the October sky. The clothes of both were piled up in different places, the skirt of your uniform, your shirt, his jacket, your underwear, everything... arranged in different strategic places to permeate the nest with both your scents.

Hawks stood stoically by the nest, which was situated directly above your mattress, patiently waiting for you to point out the flaws in his architectural vision. 

At your lack of words, he felt the need to fill the void. "Maybe you don't like it because I haven't explained how I vision us inside—you and I are going here" he pointed to the central part of the nest where there were more fluffy feathers "and once inside, I'm going to cover ourselves with this cloth I found-" Oh hell! That was the duvet on your parents' bed. 

“There won't be any holes but don't worry, you can breathe and sleep inside without a problem." Hawks looked so proud of his masterpiece, so expectant of the pat on the back, that your heart ended up aching for him. 

You wanted to yell at him, get mad and storm out. But you weren´t like that, you were easy going and had a nursing nature, you liked to take care of others... which is why you were in this mess in the first place, your nature was to give in to the whims of your loved ones most of the time, please them and see them happy. Neglecting your own needs. You never believed that this quality which you saw as an advantage would end up harming you. You were not a push over, not at all. You just liked to take care. Like the Hero, you wanted to be. 

Hawks looked really, REALLY hopeful and you searched for the words that would do the least damage.

“It's not that I don't like it—” You started, his whole attention turned to you, “It's just that I don't feel comfortable being THIS close…. to you.”

Hawks was stronger than you, faster- at least a foot taller, HE was the perfect mate. Designed that way to protect you. He wasn´t the problem-…. No! he was the problem—This was his rut-response speaking and ragging against your rejection to the nest, to him being close to you, to him touching you, to him trying to banish you from his mind, his instinct recognized you as his new everything but Hawks kept resisting... and he knew it, as he knew shouldn’t let it win, even so, here he was allowing himself this little slip. It was just nesting, nothing macabre or sexy had to happen, you just had to lay down beside him-...maybe let him wrap one arm around you, nothing to be this feisty about. 

He wanted to allow himself this slip, so he pretended that didn’t understand your arguments—he DID. Hawks aimed to bend your bleeding heart at his convenience. You were vulnerable and only a villain would take advantage of that, even so, he’d done far worse before. He had lied, deceit and murder for his country. This was nothing, just a whim. He was truly a piece of shit, and in his mind accepting that, endorsed him with the right to keep going. Just this one time.

“If you feel more comfortable,” he said, tapping his lips while thinking, “you go in first and once you're sound asleep, I'll go in.” He advised.

Honestly, if you continued cornering him and he decided to attack you again, the sleeping arranges would be the least of your problems here, and you knew it.

You didn’t want to rile him up- make him mad or provoke him, unleashing another round of helpless humping. He wasn’t giving much of a choice either, he wanted this. The bird wanted to nest with his mate, so you could only wait. Watching him. Waiting for Keigo to snap again at your lack of cooperation, you couldn’t, as nursing as you were, your body refused to move. 

“Just half an hour, baby bird, that’ll do—….” He took a step closer, hands inside his pants pockets, shirtless, head cocking down almost shyly. He was trying to make himself look less threatening, “I promise not to touch you…. beyond a hug,” he took another measured step. He was so tall that only two strides were enough for him to reach you, standing in front of you, waited for your eyes to lift from the ground. 

"I know you don’t want to hear it, but I'm-” Hawks wanted to apologize again but it seemed like a meaningless sentiment now. Even more when he was orchestrating everything. God! He hated himself, he hated to be doing this to an underage girl and he hated how euphoric his heart pounded at the thought of you being unable to truly deny him anything. 

“Just-… It’ll be okay, I promise. Trust me.” Your gaze snapped up at his comment, he was asking you to trust him, you didn’t remember how. Hawks, the ever-attentive bird, did not miss how your expression change.

“—how dare you ask me to trust you?” Your voice was feeble and weak. You felt emotionally exhausted. He could feel it, your smell was screaming to him that you needed to rest. 

Hawks chuckled, mirthless. “I’m too tired to jump you, my legs are too tired to chase you, my arms are too tired to restrain you, I’m too tired—… of constantly think about you” he chews the inside of his cheek, “… so, yeah?” He did look tired, you were as well and he immediately detected the change in the air, you were thinking about it, it smelled like resignation. A grin ghosted his lips, at the thought that he might have chosen the right words to reassured you. 

You squirmed uncomfortably when his hands abandoned the prison of his pant pockets, slowly reaching for you, unfaltering fingers searching for intimacy ignoring your utter disdain for this entire situation. 

“Yeah.” You heard yourself agree, even so, you slapped his hand away, hard. Sending him mix signals.

“… Yeah?” he repeated with a hint of eager confusion.   

“I'm not stupid, Hawks,” you pointed out, “I know I don’t have a say in this even when you like to pretend I do.” You were so smart, his heartbeat fluttered at having found such a worthy mate, “—you were my favorite hero, can you believe it?”  

He nodded in understanding, this time with a heavy sigh.

“It´s my carefree and jovial attitude... drives the ladies, crazy.” He joked, the smile never reaching his eyes. The posters on the wall kind of hint it to him, even so, hear it from you felt equally flattering and devastating. 

He offered his hand for you to take it. “Last thing, (y/n), I swear.” 

Eventually, you took his hand, slowly letting him guide you inside the nest. It felt strangely soft and fluffy. Hawks observing you the whole time, every movement he swallowed with attentive eyes. From you testing the softness of his feathers among your fingers, how you played with them, sending delicious and very welcome tingles to his owner. His feathers were like nerve terminals for him, he could feel everything, every move, every pinch, every caress, every sensation went straight to him. You didn’t have to know. It was useless information for you. 

Once you looked less uncomfortable, hopped inside, sitting cross-legged right next to you, discretely reading your mood swings. At first you were tense, then curious, then close to amazed and now tense again, and you were about to get more anxious at hearing him spell the next words. 

“You need to take the shirt off, baby bird.” He murmured, holding his hands up in feign surrender, like trying to diminish the outburst he knew was coming.

“Why?! This is the only thing covering me...” You urged, your voice cracking before the air exuded irritation. 

“I know... but we will need less time inside the nest if we are naked.” He tried to explain in all sweetness and slow motions. Taking off his pants, he threw them out of the nest and waited for you to follow his lead. Please follow his lead. 

“Naked? Again!? No.” You ranted. 

The air was filling with stress, Hawks scrunched his nose, his instinctual need to keep you safe and comfortable was about to unleash hell upon you. 

He growled deep in his chest. Pissed out. Was it too much to ask for you to calm down? He wasn’t going to touch you, nor fuck you, nor lick your pussy, nor hold you against the nest and breed you, humping into you recklessly like a rabbit in heat more than a bird of prey. No! he wasn’t going to do that, even when he wanted to! Even when he had been annoyingly half-hard for the last fifteen minutes, he was controlling himself. Why couldn’t you give him the same courtesy? Cut him a fucking break?! Fuck! 

His mind was more and more agitated, you were in danger, just obey him, dammit! Just submit… 

JUST TAKE THAT FUCKING SHIRT OFF.  

The shirt landed on his palm out of the sudden, it was so spontaneous that it cut short his fit of anger. His nostrils stopped from flare, his eyes regained the golden color, his muscles relaxed, and he felt air filling his lungs again. What had happened? Hawks looked confused, you on the other hand looked close to tears. 

Bunched up against one edge of the nest, Hawks crouched over you menacingly, towering over your trembling figure. When did he close the distance? He didn’t remember. Immediately sitting on his heels once noticed the aggressive posture his body had acquired. He needed to fix this. 

“Baby bird-… I didn’t mean…” Hawks could assume what happened but still needed to verify, “baby girl,” he called gently, “darling, please, come here.” You were sobbing, hugging your knees and he felt his heart clench. 

He just had a black out. 

“Did I yell at you?” he asked concerned, kneeling at arm’s reach without touching you. You nodded weakly. Apparently, he had lost control and the words he thought were only on his mind were also coming out of his mouth. 

“I didn’t mean to,” he insisted, and finding you clamped down, felt the urge to spoil you back to calmness.  

“Here,” he offered, “this-… pretty bird, this you can wear.” 

A long minute passed before you spied from under your hands to find a soft garment being pressed against you. It was his hero jacket, your big puffy eyes looked at him from the rim of your arms and he smiled, understandingly.

Understanding that he was a selfish bastard, he had been denied so much for so long that now he was unable to control himself, the greed in him was relentless, he was a bystander of his unknown possessive nature.

“I’m sorry, (y/n), about EVERYTHING.” He murmured, genuinely moved “Nothing of this is your fault, I’m the one at fault, just ME. I can’t change what I did, but I swear on my life that—” 

You rushed to him. You hugged him. You reach to him, and he melt around you. He didn’t care, he hugged you back, tight and shamefully predatorily.

He knew you were only looking for comfort, any kind of release, you were exhausted, you didn’t want him per se, but he ignored that truth and just pressed you against his chest, laying you on the nest locked his arms around you, your hair sprawled on his shoulder. You snoozed off at the sound of his heartbeat. You were his, for the time being at least, he´ll take it. 

Knock! Knock!

Who dared to disturb your peaceful nap? Go away!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“W-What's...what’s that noise” you stirred in your sleep, words smothered against Hawk’s warm pecs.

“—Housecleaning?” Hawks mumbled still sleep.

“You are not-... in a hotel, y-you spoiled...spoiled bird.” You yawned, reaccommodating inside his arms. You were so close together that your bodies could fuse. 

“I´m not spoiled-...baby...awwww.... bird” he yawed, long and lazy, “I'm just too busy with... Hero stuff.”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Ranking up on the charts... must-must be exhausting-” you teased back, too comfortable inside his heat, almost wanting to forget how much he hurt you.

Hawks grinned like a fool at how much joy this little witty exchange brought him-...if only you could stay like this forever, half-sleep and willing, and his. He hugged you tightly rejoicing in the laziness of the cute momentum. He still felt tired, so tired. 

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

“Dinner is ready. One-chan~…... mom sent me to get you, one-chan?” Your younger brother singsong from the other side of the door.

His childish voice seeped into your exhausted brain and your eyes opened. 

"Toji...?" you drawled, lazily, what was Toji doing in the UA dormitories? You wondered wiping traces of saliva from your mouth with the back of your hand. 

“One-chan...?”

“Toji~...OMG! Toji!” you finally went out of the drossiness.

“T-thank-thank you, Toji...ehmmm, give me a sec...” you yelled back, your voice sounding groggy.

“Open up, I want to show you my drawing.” The little boy insisted.

Shaking Hawks to wake him up was like an impossible feat. The young hero had gone back to sleep with you trapped in between his arms, it would be futile to try to open the lock in which he held you, the most euphoric hug. 

"Hawks," you whispered, close to his ear. “Hawks!” you tried a little louder. 

"You tickle me, baby~" he beamed lazily, still half-slept.

"Hawks!" You shook his frame more vigorously, but he still saw it as playful teasing from his playful mate. "I like when you tickle me.... so niceeeeeeee.... do it again, baby-...baby bird."

“Dammit! You lazy bird! Wake up!” There was no way to move his body, he was anchored to the nest.

“Can I come in, one-chan?” You saw the doorknob turn slightly and terror seized you when you noticed that the lock was not on. "Just a minute, peanut, don't open the door...."

“What's taking you so looooong~” The small child complained. 

Why Keigo was so strong, this was ridiculous! You scratched at his arms.

“It will be only a minute—” you pleaded to your little brother.

“Then I'm making the countdown....1.....2.....3” the boy playfully started. 

“HAWKS! HAWKS....please wake up......” The Hero merely rolled his body to the other side taking you with him to then snuggled you harder, “Five more minute, darling-… I can barely keep my eyes open...AWWWW-” he yawned loudly.

“4....5.... 6....7....8....” 

“Fucking you that well is a victory on its own buuuuut-…. AWWWW.... was not easy task, it took a toll on me,” he gloated, silly grin curling his lips haughtily, eyes still closed. “It´s the curse of the Alpha bird.” 

You rolled your eyes at his manly show of ego. You needed to think and fast.

“9....10....11....12...13....14....15....16....17....18....19....20!”

Time was running out because you knew that Toji only knew how to count to forty. You'd already tried everything except this, "Please don't attack me." You implored and reaching his exposed neck you laid your lips softly. 

"Someone-e... someone got up naughty~" Hawks teased, smirking and letting out a goofy giggle, but that sound turned fast into a deaf scream that you had to muffle under your palm when instead you bit him hard on the neck.

Hawks would have bolted from the nest if he hadn't had you on top of him, your teeth digging into the tender skin of his neck until you heard him frantically mumble under your palm. "...Are you finally awake?" you asked clearly annoyed, jaw opening.

"Jeez, baby bird!" Hawks growled, the skin around his neck turning red among your saliva, "I like it rough but not this early."

Hawks was still confused, it wasn’t early in the morning, it was almost night, and you weren’t one of his easy conquests. 

“21.... what was that noise, one-chan?”

Hawks felt stunned when hearing a child's voice on the other side of the door. He turned to see you worried and you immediately nodded. "It´s my little brother."

"-You said there was no one else in the house." He reminded you.

"It wasn´t, surely he came later -...with my dad." OMG! Probably your dad was home as well.

"One-chan?" Touji insisted.

"Uh-...I hit my finger against the bottom of my bed, peanut." You lied and heard him laugh mirthfully on the other end, "You always sound like a man when you yell." You deadpanned at his too clever comment for a five-year-old. 

The little boy had no filter yet, everything that came out of his mouth was either extremely humiliating or extremely cute, there was no middle ground. Hawks was trying not to burst out laughing but he was having a hard time.

“Really?” you chastised the Pro Hero.

“I already like Toji—” Hawks chuckled lowly, making sure to muffle the sound against his bicep. 

“—Too bad because you are NOT meeting him.” At last, you were free and without acknowledge the change of mood in the winged man due to your comment, you set out to collect your clothes, which you balled up in your arms to then offer his to Hawks and speak. 

"Get dressed quickly and get out of here." You spatted coldly. Ignoring the hero's furtive glances, Keigo wanted to make eye contact with you, while both got dressed, he looked for your eyes, but you never turned his way.

“22....23....24" Toji kept going.

“Why is he counting?” Hawks mused, keeping his voice low while tied the laces on his boots, expecting for you to at least turn around to answer him, but not such luck. “He's counting the seconds for you to leave.” You said sharp and unapproachable.

Regardless, Hawks grinned, he really loved this witty side of you, maybe a little less biting and cruel.... Nah! He loved it. Even so, he ought to try yet again. “Have you seen my visor?”

“How would I know. I did not undress you—” your back was still to him, so you missed how he snorted a laugh.

“Baby bird~” 

“You have the money to buy other, get out NOW!” 

You opened the window with a harsh tug and the fresh air entered ruffling the few feathers that were still attaching to his back. Without looking at him, you took a step back and waited for him to leave. 

“25....26....27....28....29"

“I understand how upset you must be, but I can't leave if you don't even look at me.”

Crossing your arms in front of your chest, you fumed, finally turning around. "You understand how upset I must be? Seriously, Keigo?" Your voice was low, like an angry whisper.

You saw his feathers ruffle excitedly and it angered you more. “You sick fuck—”

“30....31....32"

“I can't control it, okey?... don´t call me a sick fuck,” All his feathers dangerously flared acquiring a sharper look, each one now attached to his back and making him float a little off the ground, “it's like when you run a finger over the sole of your foot... tickles are automatic, that's how it is-…" he hesitated a little but ended up saying, “—to hear my name from your voice.”

“How romantic! I'm melting away for you, KEIGO.” You scoffed. “Is that one of your pickup lines? Pfff! What am I saying? Of course, it is! Bachelor number one of the country.”

“33....34"

“I don't know if you're angry or jealous, anymore....” Hawks snarled, getting frustrated by your changing attitude. “I'm trying to have a civil conversation with you...MY mate.” He pointed out and you gasped audibly at his nonsense, you were definitely not jealous more like superbly resented, “at least give me a fucking chance to—”

 “35....36”

“To what? To rape me again!?” this time you closed the distance rushing towards him, your index finger poking at his chest viciously as you glare at him, defiantly. Hawks just stared down at you, unreadable look on his face. “—Why do you ALWAYS refuse to leave, Hawks? Is the only thing I ask! Fly away from here and don't EVER come back.”

 “37...38….39”

“I cannot.... I cannot-…. baby bird” His hands found the way up and without asking for permission nestled your warm face between those cold fingers, his golden eyes were mesmerizing up close, like molten gold shinning in the dim light. You couldn't move, his grip was fierce and stubborn, why did his eyes keep tracing the shape of your lips? Why was his face suddenly SO close? His lips kept babbling something. 

“Ask me for anything, (Y/N), I will be the genius of the lamp for you, infinite wishes, all you can dream of.... everything money can buy, it's YOURS! Just don´t ask me to leav—”

“40!!!!” 

The doorknob turned completely, Hawks brushed your lips uncaringly as the door slammed open, and chaos entered. 

COMING SOON PART 10....

⭕️ In my PATREON you will find NSFW art of this story and more spicy MHA NSFW art and exclusive smut fanfiction. ;)

@wtvbabes @dreamlessnight @naomi1247e @alicecil87 @geniejunn

[ritzcuit]

PART 2 of "looking at all the times datz says something gay or familial that drives me crazy." i guess?! should look at part 1 if you havent yet

soj spoilers ahead obvs. part 1 here in case u missed it

i skipped A LOT between the last post and now, bc datz doesn't show up for. a while. Well like he does a little bit but it's not gay or anything. it doesn't matter. what matters is that we're back in khura'in now, we're apollo now, and athena is here

and um, dhurke is arrested for murder. lol. but talking to athena in one of those "what to do" segments gets this.......

which up until this point i haven't actually seen yet. the noise i made. DATZ HAVING A HEART ATTACK? IM GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK!!! WWAAAHHH!! :(!!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!! THINK ABOUT DATZ SCARED OUT OF HIS MIND FOR DHURKE'S SAFETY. THINK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! i don't exactly know what "wanted datz to go to him" means exactly. go to dhurke? well it doesnt matter i guess. cus the way they know damn well datz would freak out and try to bust dhurke out of jail...Sniffle... Sob........ i love datz so much.... loyalest man alive fr dont play with me

and then a Lot more bullshit happens, but good news;

theyre at the defiant dragons hideout again ^_^ with the photos ^_^ if you investigate them, you get this! here comes datz jumping at the chance to talk abt his (friend's) family again. the day WEEEEEEEEEE all went out fishing. shut up. WE!!! i always knew datz was there, in my heart, taking the photo... earlier, dhurke says "the three of us [dhurke, aj, yuty] living in the mountains", but clearly datz came by often enough. WE! WE WENT FISHING! WEEE!!! its just so easy to imagine... datz insisting they take a photo .. i cant take it... how many times was datz there. fishing w them. helping cook dinner and dealing w two rambunctious boys...crying

he also takes the chance to be hurt over yuty again.. datz has a lot to say about nahyuta.

investigating the sign [sic] gives datz a chance to geek about how cool dhurke is. "his fame as a lawyer spread far and wide!" i'm sure that's how they intended for datz knows about dhurke's lawyer days, but again, i like to believe datz was his weirdgirl. he probably was the advertising campaign if we're honest 😭

now we're talking to datz directly again ^_^ asking him about the sahdmadhi law offices. "and i quote" is so annoying. i know he's doing a deep voiced impression of dhurke right there. Stop memorizing shit he says. Gay

then! he says dhurke mentioned he wants apollo to take over the offices one day...which cute and whatever, but this isnt abt dhurke's dadliness, this is about datz being such a FUCKING GEEK! he's talking to dhurke directly, right, so why are you gassing him up 😭😭 TO HIMSELF! HE'S DHURKE! "must've been because of you, dhurke!" he's too much of a good friend. he's convinced everyone thinks dhurke is as cool as He thinks dhurke is. it's insane. the fanboy behavior will never end

it's nice to see dhurke and datz interact too. we really don't see much of that in this game. dhurke always seems kind of understated with datz as compared to when he's being Boisterous Dad or Rebel Leader in public... how many quiet moments did they share together... just sharing news and shooting the shit...dhurke doesn't have to put on big leader charisma 'cause datz uplifts him no matter what. Gay

Why Do You Know That, Datz

well, it's obvious why he knows that. BC HE WAS THEEEERREEEEEE of course, as a friend of someone, you wouldn't be totally blind to how they raise their kids, but we KNOW datz was there running around! paying attention. noticing these things. crazy. knowing another man's parenting style is crazy. "that much i'm sure of" knowing another man's Thoughts is crazy. Gay

also just makes me emo :( datz rly got front row seats to dhurke's parental anguish. i can imagine a hundred convos just like the earlier one, where dhurke regrets it, and datz is trying to cheer him up, same as always ...

datz has a lot to say about nahyuta. (asking him about nahyuta obviously) actually it isnt that much. but it's so funny. him being a hypeman for both sahdmadhis is so cute... and also him seeming frustrated that he doesn't know Why yuty is acting this way...'cause he cares :( he cares for his yuty :( CAUSE HE HELPED RAISE THAT DAMN KID!

ill smack dhurke rn he pisses me off so bad sometimes. datz is out here worrying over YOUR CHILD! and you're leaving him out to dry :( datz really loves that family...thinking about him trying to nudge answers out of dhurke, but respecting his boundaries all the while...GRRRRRR he's too good for you dhurke. you need to treasure what you have

asking datz about apollo's biological father leads to another Datz Exposition Dump in which i lose my mind bc he remembers too much about this fucking family. it's almost like he cares for them or something. "dhurke's the kinda guy who can become%$^%&#$%^" THIS ISNT ABOUT DHURKE QUIT GUZZLING HIM FOR 5 SECONDS! STOP!

this part is key to me cause, again, WEEEEEEE. *WE!* it proves that datz had been friends with dhurke before anything happened... a lot of his Datz Yapping could have just been recited stories, stuff he knew secondhand, but being close enough with dhurke to help him look for an orphaned baby's mother While fending off accusations of terrorism..... it's key. real ones get it. it isnt just "oh datz is a family friend" it's "datz was there at the beginning of everything". before the dragons started at all! Gay

presenting dhurke's law book gets this. not explicitly dhurke guzzling rly but idgaf. I also refuse it being metaphorical. give datz a gay chest tattoo. COWARD! just imagine it. how intimate it would be... who was doing the tattoos for the dragons at that time anyway? a stick n poke by dhurke would be cool and badass, but then asking dhurke to do a whole chest piece on his best friend... dhurke's like, "are you sure? that's ... pretty intense," but datz's burning passion for the revolution is intense, isn't it? fellas is it gay to impart your personal symbol of revolution onto your best friend's chest by candlelight? because i'm making it by candlelight now? Hello

presenting amara's assassination file. "i got the whole thing memorized" i should smack him genuinely. ive had enough of this man for real. CUS WHY ARE YOU MEMORIZING THAT? his loyalty knows no bounds. also datz sad about yuty again.. omfg i know he is SO SAD about that boy

he is genuinely the sahdmadhi's number one fan. him being dhurke's boyfriend would be less gay than what he has going on now. like despite everything there's still Something to be proud of yuty for...even if it's being a turncoat enldkfngd ... datz cant help it...that's his lil baby 😭

there isn't a lot left in the way of like, anything, but there is this

datz coming in at the last second with Dhurke Can Do No Wrong again. not very gay but i do like them existing together :)

he's just so. ugh. i wonder what happened here so bad. how did dhurke and datz meet up at all? but dhurke asked datz to break him out and datz was like OKAY YAY ^_^ bc he probably was itchy about dhurke being in custody at all. sorry aj! objectively it looks bad but datz is, i think, incapable of seeing dhurke in a critical eye, so he just assumes dhurke's Got A Plan and he's totally coming back 'cause why wouldn't he :) he doesn't even think dhurke got caught again or anything. hes like. well surely dhurke did escape, because he's dhurke and he's the coolest most capable amazing perfect man in existence. Obviously

(those who know..)

:(

honestly, a little underwhelming all things considered, he bounces back immediately right after this because he is A Freak. well, no, it's bc he knows damn well it's what dhurke would have wanted, dragon yielding and whatnot. but seeing his sad little face devastates me. he tries to put on a determined face at first, only to revert back to this sad pensive sprite... datz... honey....

how freaky is it that datz was running around with the ghost of his bestie without even realizing it? well, that dhurke's been dead for so long... even "you're a sight for sore eyes" is with ghost dhurke, right?!

oh he got over it

"like how dhurke always wanted" WHAT ABOUT YOU. DATZ. YOU. AS A PERSON. YOU ALSO WANTED THIS. YOU COULDNT SAY "WE"? well it's in memory of dhurke, right? to honor his death? that makes sense. surely this is the last time he attributes something to dhurke specifically

STOP

and that, actually, is it. well roughly? considering i found a new section of dialogue that i totally missed up until this point, i wouldn't be surprised if something slipped my mind. I also have no idea if this was worth anyone's time, but i had fun with it anyway :3

if u read this far then cheers!! if u have any thoughts abt these specific morsels then tell me about them..!! again, like, i know it is Literally datz's purpose as a character to be the sahdmadhi lore dump in lieu of dhurke and yuty, but that just means they created an uncle who loves that family with all his heart. if we ever EVER!!!!! got any canon acknowledgement of khura'in again, which i doubt we will, i'd pray and beg for another crumb of datz content. please...

[sixty-silver-wishes]

ranking every hyperfixation I can remember having

Fish: Since I was two years old up until like, middle school, I was obsessed with fish and sea life in general. I wanted to be a marine biologist for years. I still cry when I go to aquariums because seeing all the kids watching the fish reminds me of myself at that age. 8/10. Basic hyperfixation, but fish are still pretty cool

The American Flag: For some reason, I remember having an American flag phase in preschool. Not even having to do with America or American history or some other reason; I just thought the flag itself went hard. I can't tell you why. 2/10 because my patriotism levels are at an all time low as of now

Spin the Globe: Spin the Globe was the animated host of National Geographic's "Really Wild Animals," a series of wildlife documentaries for children. For some reason, I latched onto this guy HARD when I was in kindergarten.

I watched the ocean one every day, to the point where I memorized it and spent the whole class day writing down the script from memory (I don't understand how I didn't get my ADHD diagnosis until I was an adult). I rewatched the ocean documentary last year for some nostalgia, and I found out that Spin was REALLY FUCKING ANNOYING. I don't know what 5 year old me was thinking. 1/10.

The Wonder Pets: This was my favorite show when I was in, like, first grade. Unfortunately, that's right about the age where kids think it's cool to joke about brutally murdering children's show characters to prove how mature they are, so really liking a children's show was social suicide. The animation in Wonder Pets did slap tho. 4/10

Power Lab VBS Bible Buddies: Like I said, my hyperfixations were weird as a kid. I was raised Baptist Christian, and every year, my church held a VBS (Vacation Bible School), which for those who don't know, is basically a five-day Christian summer camp. Each day, they would hand out these figurines called "Bible Buddies," which each were supposed to represent a different lesson about the Bible. One year (I think I was in second grade?) the theme was "Power Lab," which had a science laboratory theme. These were the "Buddies" for that year:

I used to play with the figurines of these guys all the time. I can't tell you why, but I thought they were so cool. I also think I was enamored with the lightning bolt lady for some reason? Anyway I'm giving these guys a 4/10. Low score for lameness, but points for originality.

Word Girl: I was raised with PBS as a kid because I didn't have cable until maybe second grade, and I LOVED Word Girl. And I majored in English, so I think that explains a lot. The humor of that show still holds up, and I was so happy to see it made a comeback with fans last year. 8/10; would watch Word Girl again

The Future is Wild: When we finally got cable, my sister and I watched a lot of Discovery Kids. Our favorite show was The Future is Wild, which was a sort of speculative evolution sci-fi for children. These characters would go on adventures in the future and learn things about the animals that lived in environments that had been altered due to global events, and I really liked all the creatures, especially the "Ocean Phantom." Also looking back I think I may have had a crush on CG? Her annoying-ass voice and drama trying to balance working for her father vs. being loyal to her friends had me in a chokehold

6/10. Batshit insane show (I mean. it is in the title), but we love women in STEM

A Series of Unfortunate Events: This is the mother of all my more recent hyperfixations. Something was set in motion here that could not be reversed. 10/10 hyperfixation. this book series made me who I am

Guardians of Ga'Hoole: Along with Unfortunate Events, I was also into the ridiculously violent middle-grade animal xenofiction series in elementary school. I loved these books, and I was so disappointed when the movie came out because of all the ways it diverged from the plot. 8/10 for antifascism and owls, but points docked off because I could never get far in the DS game

Pokemon: So, my mom was pretty sheltering when I was really little, so there was no Pokemon or Harry Potter in the house until I was in 4th grade and she loosened up some. I'd wanted to get into Pokemon for a long time because everyone brought the cards to recess, and one of my friends gave me a holographic Mew card that she said was "really special." My mom threw it away, along with the rest of the cards my friend gave me, because she didn't like the words "psychic" or "evolution" on there lol. But once I was allowed to play my first Pokemon game (Heartgold), I got really into it. If my old Deviantart can be found somewhere in the dark, dark corners of the internet, it was filled with awful Pokemon MS paint drawings. Sometimes I still think about them. 7/10, because I still like Pokemon a lot, but docking points off because my Pokemon hyperfixation introduced me to the more unsavory parts of the internet at a young age.

Harry Potter: This one goes hand-in-hand with the Pokemon thing. Because Harry Potter was forbidden fruit in my household until my mom eventually decided it wasn't that bad, I got really into it when I was a kid. It was less about Harry Potter itself, but more about the fact that I could finally experience something that everyone else had been enjoying for so long. Obviously now that JK Rowling is, well, JK Rowling, I've distanced myself from Harry Potter, and have begun to think about it more critically, but just like everyone else that used to be into it, it did give me some fond memories. 1/10, with the 1 point going solely to Neil Cicierega.

My Little Pony: Got into it in fifth grade and watched it up until freshman year of high school. Not a lot to say about it to be honest; I liked some of the fan works well enough, and I don't have any strong feelings on it now. 5/10

Doctor Who: Oh god; who didn't have a Doctor Who phase in middle school? This was me at my most obnoxious. I constantly wore my 10th Doctor "Allons-y" shirt everywhere I could, and even insisted on wearing 3D glasses at times (I still have them). I quoted the damn show in every conversation (I used to be able to recite the "wibbly wobbly timey wimey" monologue word for word). I'm just glad I didn't get the Hot Topic TARDIS dress that I wanted for so long. I keep finding Doctor Who merch in my room, long after I thought I'd cleared it all out. To be clear, I don't hate Doctor Who, but it just brings up a lot of memories of the annoying kid I used to be in the past. 6.5/10

Celtic Woman: Celtic Woman was the first band I actually got really into. I'd been introduced to their music through Endless Ocean 2, and I would spend hours listening to them and watching their concert videos. Unfortunately, being a middle schooler and listening primarily to Celtic folk music and inspirational songs is not a very good combination, but it is satisfying to see all the people who probably would have bullied me back then dancing to "Teir Abhaile Riu" on TikTok. "Dulaman" was my favorite song, and I was tragically determined to sing it for a good while, despite not knowing any Irish Gaelic. I miss the original band, but their new stuff is all right. 7/10

The Legend of Zelda: More specifically, Skull Kid. My first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, but Majora's Mask was really the peak of my hyperfixation. Skull Kid was easily my favorite character, and I once dressed up as him to school during Spirit Week. I also really liked Fierce Deity Link, and would roleplay both him and Skull Kid on DeviantArt. But the biggest impact my Zelda hyperfixation had on me was kickstarting my love of playing music. I took piano lessons for a short while and started out playing Zelda songs, and I was always listening to video game soundtracks. I switched over to violin later and also took up the ocarina (which I did get pretty serious about for a while. You won't see me playing video game songs anymore, but I still love to play.) 8/10 for the impact, with points taken off because I kept starting games but never finishing them

Lord of the Rings: Got really into Tolkien in high school. My best friend and I bonded over the books, and I also ended up reading the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. I didn't really get into the fandom because I was sort of "outgrowing" fandom culture at this time, but even though it's been a while, I still really like Tolkien. 9/10

The Aztec Empire: Did a report on the Aztec Empire in high school and was really interested it for a while, especially Aztec mythology and sacrificial rituals. 7/10 because I feel like the sacrifice stuff held my attention a lot more than it should have, and I feel like I absorbed a lot of misinformation about it

Medieval Europe: I have an on-and-off Medieval European history phase that comes and goes. Mainly, I'm interested in literature; I read Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales for fun in high school, and I was unfortunately very obnoxious about that. I did study Medieval history and Arthurian legends in college though, so that was neat. 7/10 because saying you're interested in Medieval history sometimes has to come with a disclaimer

Sweeney Todd: My favorite musical, and a big hyperfixation for a while. My best friend played Judge Turpin in high school, and we were both really into "Sweeney" to the point of permanently adopting lines from it into our regular conversations, even today. We even went to see it on Broadway together, which was awesome. 9/10, with one point off because I hate explaining to people why the Tim Burton version Sucks

Classical Music History: Specifically Shostakovich. I like a lot of other composers too, but this was a BIG phase. We're talking three years of research, writing long essays, Russian language and Soviet history classes, working for a Shostakovich journal, learning music, etc. I wasn't even doing this for a career; I just really, really liked Shostakovich a lot in college. I started getting into classical music in high school, but college was when I stopped being an idiot about it. 9/10, with a point taken off because I used to be an idiot about it

Sea Shanties: This falls into my wider love of folk music, but shanties and sea songs got me through college and working a minimum-wage job during the pandemic. 9/10; very fun to sing while in the car with friends

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Currently hyperfixated on classic films, but this one in general. You've seen my blog. 8/10, because it's a great movie with a lot to hyperfixate on, but points off because it's so hard to want to discuss this with people in public.

Tom Waits: Another current one. I listen to at least two full albums every day, usually "The Black Rider" (which could have its own spot on this list). Meeting a fellow Tom Waits fan in public is the best feeling ever, but telling someone that you like Tom Waits to someone who doesn't know who Tom Waits is sometimes means weird results. Like, someone asked me once if he was a new indie musician. I just want to know what they thought his music was like. 10/10 hyperfixation. no notes

Honorable mentions for smaller hyperfixations I've had over the years, in no particular chronological order:

Gila Monsters (9/10)

Klaus Nomi (9/10)

Hamilton (3/10)

Victorian literature (7/10)

Current events (0/10)

Japan's Torii Gate (5/10. I just thought it looked really cool when I was a kid)

Deaths on Mt. Everest (8/10)

The Oceangate disaster (3/10)

Parakeets (7/10)

House of Leaves (10/10)

Encanto (7.5/10)

My best friend (9/10. Great friend but unfortunately I misidentified it as a crush for many years)

My first ex (0/10)

W.I.T.C.H. (4/10)

This thing:

(Its name is Mathra and it's from an educational kids' game called ClueFinders. I pretended it was my friend when I was little and I drew it all the time, then got embarrassed when people asked what I was drawing)

Lord of the Flies (7/10)

Finding Nemo (6/10)

The Russian language (7/10)

Edgar Allan Poe (8/10)

Ivan Ivanovich Sollertinsky (8.5/10)

Nikolai Gogol (8/10)

In conclusion. it's weird to me that I think my most niche and bizarre hyperfixations were from when I was a really little kid lol

[expectiations]

Do you think River would get jealous? Because I don't think we've ever really seen her jealous in the show? (Except maybe that time with Cleopatra, though I'm not sure if that really counts?)

On one hand I really feel that she would be because the Doctor is her's goddammit. Her spouse. She's the woman they (intentionally) married!

On the other hand I've seen a lot of fanfics where River and the Doctor have an open marriage (which... I do not agree with, to say the least). I also feel like with Rivers thors opinion of her loving the Doctor so much more than he loves her, if he even truly loves her at all, she'd surpress any jealousy because at least she has some part of the Doctor in the first place? Does that make sense?

I'm always worried about interpreting someone wrong and genuinly don't know the answer to that question, so I'd be very interested in your opinion 💜

Ah, jealousy—a word that can stir up a storm in Doctor Who discourse, especially when River Song is involved. I am going to approach this carefully and thoughtfully because River, as we know, is an immensely layered character.

Does River feel jealous?

The short answer is: yes, I think she does. But not in the stereotypical or possessive way one might expect. Jealousy often stems from insecurity, and while River exudes confidence, she's also riddled with trauma and vulnerability beneath the surface. She's endured so much: being raised to kill the Doctor, having her childhood stolen by the Silence, and living with the knowledge that her time with the Doctor is finite. That's a recipe for insecurity, no matter how fiercely independent and self-assured she appears.

But here's the thing: River is mature enough to suppress her jealousy when it arises. Not out of apathy, but because she loves the Doctor so deeply that she won't let her insecurities come between them. Her love is selfless and vast—sometimes heartbreakingly so, as we see in her THORS monologue about loving the Doctor so much more than he could ever love her. That doesn't mean she's immune to feeling those pangs of jealousy; she just prioritizes what matters most: the time they do have together.

I don't think we've ever seen River explicitly jealous in the show, but there are moments that hint at it. Take their exchange in THORS when the Doctor brings up her side quest involving King Hydroflax and it devolves into them bringing up names. Is she annoyed? Obviously. (Oh, how many times? I married the diamond.) Jealous? Possibly. (Spoilers for the Nine x River audios: Honestly, the Marilyn the Doctor accidentally got married to turned out to be River herself. She just couldn't remember because that timeline got reset. Which I find hilarious because they both really just get jealous of themselves.) But she brushes it off with her usual wit and charm, proving she's more interested in being playful and in control than letting jealousy dictate her actions.

And then there's THORS, where her insecurity takes center stage. When she doubts whether the Doctor even loves her, that's a kind of jealousy—not of another person, but of the Doctor's own mysterious and aloof nature. Her worry isn't about competing with someone else; it's about whether she's truly enough for him.

The Doctor may have an inkling of River having these insecurities, and in their own way, they try to assuage them. The lengths they go to—breaking the rules of time to give her unforgettable moments like "kidnapping" Stevie Wonder to sing under the bridge during the Last of the Great Frost Fairs for her birthday—show how much they want her to feel loved and valued. And let's not forget the subtle ways the Doctor listens to River in ways they don't with anyone else.

Calderon Beta. Easter Island. Whatever memorable adventure they had with Jim the Fish. All those other adventures/dates between them we have no idea of. The fact that River is famously (or infamously) known as the Doctor's consort. These aren't just extravagant gestures—they're declarations. Not one living thing is worth you. You are always here to me. They're the Doctor's way of saying, "You are my equal, my partner, my wife. And I do love you."

The idea of River and the Doctor having an "open marriage" is, in my opinion, a misinterpretation of their relationship. Their marriage isn't about exclusivity in the traditional sense, but it's also not about detachment or a lack of commitment.

If anything, their marriage transcends traditional labels. The Doctor may have had prior relationships with others, but it's clear that River is the only one they've intentionally and deliberately married. She's the exception—the woman who they break all their rules for.

River's jealousy, if it exists, is subtle, mature, and deeply tied to her insecurities—not petty or possessive. And while their marriage may not fit conventional molds, it's undeniably rooted in love, respect, and an unparalleled connection. River is the Doctor's wife, partner, and equal, and no amount of timey-wimey shenanigans can change that.

[misscrazyfangirl321]

is it just me or is tumblr letting me send a lot of asks tonight? anyways au where will and henry, platonic, are room mates? collage or just mundane au or whatever?

"Dude, what is wrong with you?"

"Depends on which psychiatrist you ask. Why?"

Henry doesn't respond immediately, just continues to stare as Will flips through his novel. He may have the stories memorized, but rereading Sherlock Holmes and catches new details every time is one of his favorite hobbies.

Finally, he looks up, to find Henry looking past him, horror in his eyes, at Will's bookshelves.

"What, you don't like books?"

"You can't just-" Henry shakes his head. "That's not how that works, okay? Look, I've got to take a picture of this to show the doc. This is just... Wrong."

It's not like Henry's the first person to criticize Will's book storage, but honestly, Will doesn't see the issue. It's effective, he knows where everything is, and it looks nice. "I think outside the box. I thought you said she liked that."

He isn't sure who this mysterious doc is, really, but Henry talks about her a lot. Not a girlfriend, he's decided, or anything along that lines; possibly Henry's mother, though it'd be weird for him to call her doc in that case. Normally, the stories kind of make Will want to meet her... Normally.

"Trust me, this would be too far, even for her." He gestures to the shelves. "You can't just stack books on other books. Why would you even do that? You can't get to the ones underneath."

Will arches a brow, sets Sherlock Holmes fully aside, rises to his feet, and makes his way to the shelves. Slowly, dryly, he lifts up a stack of books, pulling out a volume from the lower row. Wordlessly he meets Henry's eyes, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, and now you've completely messed up your nice display. Now it just looks like a bunch of books." Henry shakes his head. "I mean, it is, but-"

"You know, I was going to order a huge pizza tonight, but now I'm thinking I should just skip it. You weren't wanting any, right?"

Henry grins, holding up his hands in surrender. "Your bookshelves are the best. Pepperoni?"

In spite of himself, Will laughs, reaching for his phone. "Fine, but we're not getting anchovies this time."

"They're just fish-"

[annabtg]

8, 13 & 15 for the nationality ask game!

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

I don't really find myself often in situations where people could've get me mixed up - or rather, I expect people have Thoughts when they see me abroad but I wouldn't know what they think.

Once, though, I went to a cafe with my Spanish teacher and we spent the afternoon talking in Spanish. When the time came to pay the waiter, he asked about our languages and we explained to him we were just practising. He said "oh, I thought the girl might have been Spanish".

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

Ooh definitely, lots of them! We've already talked about drinking from another person's glass ;) To stay in that vein, it's bad luck to clink your glass with another person if it's empty or it contains water, and you're not supposed to clink glasses during a funeral meal. Speaking of which. a funeral meal may also be an unusual tradition outside of Greece? Basically, after the funeral service, the attendants are supposed to gather and have lunch all together, courtesy of the deceased person's family. And the food traditionally served during a funeral meal is... fish soup!

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

Again, LOTS of them! I'll pick a fun one:

There's this Greek sitcom, Konstantinou Kai Elenis (of Constantine and Helen, Wikipedia link). It came out in 1998, ran for 2 seasons and has basically been on re-run every afternoon ever since. Lots of people have gotten sick of it by now xD but for all its shortcomings (it's 25 years old by now, let's not forget), it was super quotable and the characters were such perfect caricatures that they have become synonyms for certain characteristics.

For instance, Mánthos Foustános, one of the show's side characters, is now a (derogatory) synonym for skirt-chaser, and his line "Peggy, my only love" (spoken to his official girlfriend) is used to denote someone who is lying about being faithful. Eg.:

Girl #1: He said he needs some time and it's not me, it's him.

Girl #2: Peggy, my only love. (Which means: he's seeing someone else, duh.)

I am the type of person who memorizes these sort of lines and feel such kinship with people who also have a good database of K&E quotes! xD

[queer-froggit]

the thing I hate about League is the characters' skins, but more specifically their "Special Edition" ones (as in the ones other than their classic skin).

the issue i have the most is that none of them have some form of a trademark, for lack of a better word.

like, look at this skin, and take a minute to guess who it is:

have your guess? well you're fucking wrong because this is Jinx.

yeah, that's right-- blue-haired, braids to the floor, manic pixie dream girl, Vi's sister, Jinx.

let's do another one, shall we? look at this skin, and i want you to think really hard about who this could be:

got it? whatever you said is probably wrong, this is Vi.

you see the problem here? you wouldn't have known who these skins belong to if i hadn't told you, unless you're some intense League fan who's memorized each one (also the outfits are really just bad but that's a ramble for another time.)

and you can't tell me that they do this "for the budget" or "they don't have enough artists", because not only is League one of the biggest games in the world, they have their own fycking show for crying out loud, but also because a few amount of characters actually do have a trademark.

for example, my favorite skin from Caitlyn is her "Arctic Warfare" outfit:

not only does the card look cool as fuck, along with the drawing being immaculate, but you can easily tell that's Caitlyn. i mean, look at it! she has her Piltover rifle, her hair is the same blue and straightened style, and she looks ready to go to war the way a sheriff would be willing to be in order to protect their town.

it's the same with her "Battle Academia" skin-

again, blue hair, except this time her sheriff element isn't there. why is that, you ask? because now she's a schoolgirl, she doesn't need to be keeping the peace or preparing for war, so instead they give her a prestige look. everyone in this photo is waving their flags and cheering her on, and she simply looks down at them and expects them to, because she's from Piltover.

she's literally positioned above them, and she has gold in her design just like Piltover itself is covered with, because Piltover essentially embodies prestige and privilege. and guess what? she looks amazing! i would honestly buy this skin if i played League.

because the thing is, if you ask me, being able to recgonize characters can make their skins better.

take Miss Fortune for example. even though she's kind of sexualized to hell, i think she's one of the champions who has the best skins! in all of them, her hair is flowing in the wind, she's holding her signature twin pistols, and she looks like she means business while still looking gorgeous.

and now i'm not just saying, "oh, that skin looks cool." instead, i'm thinking, "oh wow, that Miss Fortune skin really fits her style, and it looks really cool, i love it!"

so obviously, League's not going to listen to this post, and they probably won't see it in the first place. but deep down, i hope they do, because as someone who designs their own clothes, i think me (and maybe others) would enjoy champions having their own unique trademark.

my last examply is Seraphine. i love Seraphine as a character, and majority of her skins are stunning. my personal favorite would probably be her "Prestige Ocean Song" skin-

i mean, first off, it's called "Prestige Ocean Song", obviously referencing her role as a songtress, which is why the fish are drawn to her (which looks adorable!). the background looks wonderful, the design and colors of her outfit are ethereal, her beautiful hair is even longer, and instead of pink it's an almost strawberry blonde that fades into pink, then fades into a nice purple. she almost looks like a mermaid, and it's overall just a nice skin.

but then i look at her "K/DA All Out Superstar" skin, where her hair is tied up instead of let out in all its glory. her charming, happy-go-lucky personality looks more toned down, and her signature pink and purple elements are overrided with blue. i find that i just can't say the same.

[rpgsocialservices]

RPG Review: The Forest of Drizzling Rain (2022)

The Forest of Drizzling Rain is a largely exploration based horror game, in which newly orphaned college student Shiori goes to her parents' childhood village in an attempt to reconnect to a past she has no recollection of. The original version came out in 2013, and then a remastered edition was launched on Steam in 2022. I have not played the first edition, so this review will focus entirely on the remastered edition. There will be spoilers, but not in detail.

Plot: The game begins right after Shiori buries her parents. It is established that she has no recollection of her early life, and she decided to visit the village her parents grew up in (and where she spent her early years) in an attempt to piece together her history. I won't go into detail, but essentially a long time ago a man was driven crazy when he angered a forest spirit, and killed a woman's husband and unborn child when he imprisoned her unjustly. She turned into a vengeful spirit upon her death, and would tempt the village children into the forest and kill them so their spirits would be her children. Shiori's family were guardians who could ward off the spirit, and she and Koutarou (the other main character) have both been hunted by the spirit since they were children, and have to (essentially) break the curse so the spirit can pass on.

The first half of the game has a lot of build-up, but the tone carried throughout the events, characters, and character interactions all work together very well to convey a deep and disquieting sense of mystery and unrest. There's not a sense of urgency until the second half, but in the first half you know that that urgency is coming, and you're simply waiting to trigger the event that sets it off without knowing when or what it will be. For that reason, an unspoiled first run is ideal for this game; the air of mystery and impending doom is heightened drastically when you don't know who you can trust.

While the spirit's history ultimately fell flat for me personally, and I think the game would've been tighter and more cohesive if it had been done differently (though I do understand why people would like it), the second half of the game where you try to get rid of the spirit makes up for it. The shrine and the cave maps especially manage to capture the same uneasy feeling that the museum does in the beginning of the game.

Gameplay: There's no fighting, but there are chase sequences and occasional puzzles. The puzzles largely come into play in the second half of the game with a couple small ones in the beginning. This game is very dialogue and flashback heavy, in a good chunk of it comes across more like a visual novel than anything else. Unfortunately I do think that is to this games detriment, as the strongest sections are the exploration and puzzle ones. This game suffers a bit from telling instead of showing, which is ironic considering Koutarou doesn't talk, but if you get past that (or if you like it even) the other elements of the game make up for it. There is a fishing minigame, but the game play for it isn't the best and I found it nearly impossible to get the achievement for it.

Characters: The characters are by far the strongest element of this game. They have tangible personalities and traits which help or hinder them depending on the situation. They react in ways that realistically fit their characters. Character interactions are organic and unforced, even when the interaction is with a background character (who are memorable in their own right). Each character has clear motivations that drive them, which makes it easy to like them.

Extra: The largest element of this game that didn't work for me is the disjointed vibes. I really wish I could put it into words better, but essentially the spirit's storyline and the way its told comes across as a completely different story from the main one. I mean, in game obviously it is two different stories, but there should be a greater sense of narrative cohesiveness between the two. It might have worked better if they had told the spirit's backstory some other way, like if the only bits the player got was what Shiori is able to find out.

Despite the less than stellar mechanics for it, the existence of a fishing minigame is always a plus for me. The maps are visually interesting and don't take long to walk through, and mostly add to the atmosphere. The multiple endings are, aside from the characters, my favorite part of the game. I found each one interesting and realistic in its own right and thought they each added to the story and to the character arcs.

[casspurrjoybell-27]

Claimed by the Beast - Chapter 13b

*Warning Adult Content*

Possession - Part 2

After they head back to Knox's bedroom and shower, separately, they get dressed in fresh clothes, grab a bite to eat in the kitchen and then Knox finally takes Everett outside to show him his favorite spot by the river.

They walk and talk about everything and nothing, time passing by quickly as they get lost in one another.

Something that's been happening frequently.

"Wow. It's crazy beautiful out here during this time of the evening," Everett remarks. "I bet it's terrifying at night, though. All these big freaking trees everywhere. Hell no. I'm glad I never tried to run away because my dumbass would've immediately gotten lost out here."

Knox chuckles, glancing out at the river coming into view.

"I know this place like the back of my hand. I'd have found you and dragged you back to where you belong."

"And where might that be?" Everett asks, teasingly.

"Wherever I'm at, obviously," Knox smirks.

"Come on. We aren't that far away now."

The clubhouse sits at the front of the fifty-acre property owned by Gavin.

Massive trees cover most of it, including the perimeter and near the south end is where the river passes through.

The path that Everett and Knox walk hasn't always been around but Knox has since kept maintenance up on the area to prevent it from being taken over by weeds and other debris.

Contrary to what Everett believes, Knox finds that it's most peaceful out here at night.

"This is it."

Knox leads them into a small, secluded section where the grass fades into dirt and rocks.

A perfect spot to settle into if one enjoyed fishing.

"This is where I come to clear my head when the demons start to get too loud," he speaks quietly, so low that Everett almost misses it. "It ain't much but it's mine. Brings me peace, if only temporarily."

"I love it. I think it's absolutely gorgeous."

Everett sits next to Knox on the ground, his eyes scanning and memorizing the area.

Across the river are more trees, presumably the ending of somebody else's property.

"The sound of the river and all the insects chirping around us..."

Everett closes his eyes for a few seconds, soaking up the sun's warmth.

"God, I bet I could take a killer nap out here."

Knox laughs.

"I have once or twice before. Wouldn't recommend it unless you bring along a can of bug spray."

"Yikes. I can imagine how bad the mosquitoes get all the way out here. No fucking thanks," Everett says, opening his eyes.

He glances at Knox's profile, secretly admiring him.

All sharp features until you get to his stormy grey eyes.

Right now, they're the softest they've ever looked.

"Do you ever wish that all this could be yours? The clubhouse, the property..."

"No," Knox says without even thinking about it. "Can I afford to purchase something like this for myself? Yes. Do I want to have it all right now? No. There's still too much work left to be done."

"What do you mean by that?" Everett asks.

"When you join a MC, you're in that shit for life. At least I am," Knox says. "Something drastic will have to happen to me before I willingly step down from my position and leave the club and my brothers behind. I'm not ready to settle down. It ain't my time yet."

Everett nods in understanding.

"You said you could afford all this, which is honestly blowing my mind because you definitely don't look or act..."

"Like I have money?" Knox questions, smirking.

Everett nods again, blushing.

"Yeah, well, you should know by now that I'm not exactly the flashy type. I don't wear my wealth to prove that I have it. I think that shit is corny. I don't give a damn about what people think of me. If I did, I'd never get any sleep at night."

"I feel that," Everett says.

"Let me know when a job opens up around here because I have student loans to pay off and your Pres seems to give out pretty generous salaries," he jokes.

"You have options. Strip club, motel or funeral home?" Knox asks.

"We dabble in a little bit of everything, but there's always an opening at the strip club. We don't discriminate when it comes to hiring dancers."

Everett gasps, confused.

"You're serious?"

"Hell no. I'm just fucking with you." Knox laughs, shaking his head.

"I mean, yes, we do own a strip club, motel and a funeral home because they're extremely profitable businesses but someone like you wouldn't last a day at either of our establishments. No offense."

"None taken," Everett mutters. "I remember you told me once that MCs primarily make money through illegal means. Is that what you guys use the businesses for? A cover for whatever illegal activity you've got going on?"

Knox meets Everett's gaze, briefly flashing a smile filled with sadness and something else the latter can't quite decipher.

"I talk too much around you."

"So what? I like you better when you're talking versus being all broody and mute," Everett replies.

He scoots closer to Knox and grabs his hand like it's something they do all the time, carefully interlocking their fingers together.

Anything to get rid of that wounded look in Knox's eyes.

"Don't worry. All your little incriminating club secrets are perfectly safe with me."

Knox laughs again.

"I know they are."

As they watch the river, silence falls upon them but it isn't loud or awkward.

Quite the opposite.

And that's precisely why Everett ignores the alarm bells ringing in the distance, trying to warn him that what he's doing right now isn't right.

Getting closer to Knox on a deeper level, having easy conversations with him, kissing and touching him when what he should be doing is doubling the distance between them and closing off his heart completely.

Fuck.

The bastard's already done it, hasn't he?

Knox has somehow managed to climb over the walls that have kept Everett's heart intact.

He's practically moved in and made himself at home.

One he'll eventually have to be evicted from because none of what they have going on right now will ever become a permanent thing.

The Fallen Angels' war with The Jackals will end one day.

Everett will have to go back to his mundane way of living, return to school, get his degree and then step into the next chapter of his life.

One where Knox doesn't exist.

"I'm curious," Knox says moments later. "What does your future look like? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?"

Somewhere, anywhere, with you…

"I don't know," Everett mumbles instead, resting his head on Knox's shoulder.

"What about you?"

"I guess you better start living each one to the fullest, then."

Everett produces a half smile, squeezing Knox's hand.

"I'll help you."

Until it's time for me to go.

"I'd like that."

Knox squeezes his hand back, the rational part of him knowing he can't take any of this to heart.

"You've got yourself a deal, kitten."

[tartrazeen]

Look. I have a theory.

I've had this theory for a long time. It's even one of my crack AUs for my precious Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog daydreams.

It's this:

Being able to know the future would be annoying as fuck.

I don't think I could handle it! I think I'd have to turn every fortune I tell into a binary search that answers a yes/no question. You don't get to ask me what happens, only if something specific has happened.

Why?

Because ohhhh my god, watching people struggling on epiphany-based riddles when I already know the answer is SO FRUSTRATING.

I grew up in love with brainteasers. I read every single one I could get my hands on. Did I like solving them? No, they were hard, I just wanted the answer. But that means I have now - as an adult - memorized all of those answers. I made a game out of the game, which is what I'd have to do if I was an oracle: I'll look up your future for you, but I'm gonna try to predict (no magic) what part of your future you're gonna ask me to look up.

That's why I'm always writing these elaborate predictions for any mystery I watch: at the end of the day, I'm not gonna be impressed by the actual answer. I'm gonna be impressed by how early into whatever-it-is I can work out the ending using all the clues and foreshadowing put in place. (That's also why I'm so outrageously disappointed when a show careens away from its clearly established, early logic.)

So there's little me, trying to interrupt people with answers as fast I possibly can:

The poison's in the ice.

It was daytime.

Fold the rope in two before you burn it.

Light the match first.

They were fish.

Leave the wolf with the cabbage and bring the sheep back with you.

He lived in a lighthouse.

On and on. So many memorized. Maybe a third of them that I figured out myself, many of them I can now extrapolate, but I wouldn't trust myself to actually escape out of these death games if I was ever in one.

With that said

CAN YOU PEOPLE MOVE ON FROM THE LIGHTBULB RIDDLE

WHAT IS THE OBSESSION

"HURR HURR EUREKA LIGHTBULBS GET HOT" ENOUGH

IT'S DONE TO DEATH

SOOOO MANY DIFFERENT DEATH GAMES HAVE THIS, AND THEY MAKE WATCHING THE CHARACTERS FIGURE IT OUT SO GRUELING

I hate watching people have epiphanies for something that's dead-simple obvious in hindsight arrgghhhhhh I don't care how hard it would've been for me to figure it out the first time, I know what it is now, move onnnnn

I would be in agony if I had the future memorized and I only got frustrated watching people stumble over something that they're gonna go, "Ohhhhhhh that's clever" over.

The first couple of puzzles in this movie? Thank God they brushed those off as either being too obvious to answer, or just very easy warm-ups (I liked the three boxes riddle though 👀 #memorized). I liked that. Call it what it is, and then move on.

But this is like the third or fourth death game where people bring out the lightbulb riddle and treat it like the most elaborate, complicated, Smart Person struggle and I'm over it 😭 Spit it out, skip to the next one, let's goooo, you're gonna get crushed, I already understand it, move move move move move

On the bright side, once we get past this, we should be back to fresh puzzles again ☺️ Or at least 'good' ones that don't just rely on an epiphany and insist on a long, drawn-out explanation of what that epiphany is. Just say "lightbulb hot, feel it for a minute" and go.

We use LEDs now anyway 😭 Those don't get hot!

New death game movie: Fermat's Room 👀

I don't know what it is about murder-puzzles, but I love murder-puzzles. I guess it's the stakes? Or else there's just some part of me deep down that lives to be like, "HELL YEAH, PUT THOSE NERDS IN A BOX AND SQUISH 'EM 'TIL THEY SPIT OUT MATH."

[mxvladdy]

HI I LOVE YOUR WRITING! aaa sO I don't know if you still accept prompts but if you do could you do one with MC being fascinated by the brothers' demon forms and seeing the brothers react to them carefully inspecting their horns/wings/tails??

AHHHHH I love that you love it! And of course! :) Horns are my weak spot lmao. Hope you like!

Lucifer

Hmph. Isn’t ecstatic about you wanting to nose around in his business at first. No matter how touched starved he is, just the thought of your tiny human fingers exploring him…Well on the other hand-

At first, he thought you had some weird fetish for his demonic form. Wouldn’t be the first time a human had. But slowly he realizes you are genuinely just enamored with him. It strokes his ego sky high.

He loves it when you stroke and pet his horns. The bases of which are super sensitive. The amount of time you have spent just looking at the gold-tipped bone, he is certain you probably have memorized the number of chips and notches in them.

You start bringing ornaments and tassels for his horns. Things you made or found pretty when out shopping. He doesn’t wear them in public but likes it when you put them on him in private.

It takes him longer to let you get your hands on his wings though. Looking at the mess of his back isn’t pleasant for him.

He has a dust bath. He loves dusting, and when you help him. Ugh-it’s like his own little paradise.

He teaches you how to preen and find broken feathers to pluck. Your cooing over his soft feathers just makes him fluff up more.

He shows off his horns and wings just a touch more in public now.

Mammon

Hells yeah you can see his demon form. Why wouldn’t you want to? He is absolutely delighted to have you lovin’ all over him. He’s big on scenting.

He is especially proud of his wings, in all his forms. Leathery or feathery, they are his favorite part of his body. They are strong, reliable, and fast if he needs to protect you.

He makes sure you are extra careful about his horns though. The spirling columns of bone aren’t smooth like Lucifer’s and have a wicked sharp point on the tips. His horns grow a lot faster than his brothers. A lot of his horn upkeep is him shaving them down and oiling them.

You take delight in doing that for him. The keratin of his horns flakes quickly so you like to help with that too.

He doesn’t have much feeling around his horn area so you won’t get too many reactions from him. Now his wings~

He gets a kick out of watching you open and close his wings. You are mesmerized by his leather wings stretching to their full wingspan.

His wings look fragile upon closer inspection. You can feel the beats of his hearts through the thin membrane stretched over black bones. It almost makes you forget that you’ve seen him bludgeon demons to death with them before.

You’re so enamored with his wings you miss how flustered he gets when you trace your fingers around the base of his wings. Right where the limbs attach to his back. It’s a very tender spot that hurts most times when he touches it, but maybe because it’s you it feels really good.

Leviathan

He is apprehensive to have you inspect him at first.

Doesn’t have wings and is kinda jelly. But he has a bitchin’ tail, and you remind him often of it.

His tail is strong. A lot stronger than you originally thought. You can feel the slide and pull of thick muscle underneath his leathery skin when he swifts around.

It took you a while to get him to understand you are 1000% ok with his tail and horns being out, in public or private.

He notices that you can't keep your eyes and hands off his tail. While he never does it in front of his brothers he loves to pick you up with it. Your giggles and gasps of awe, while you dangle above him in his secure grasp, brings a huge smile to his face.

He has the most strenuous care routine out of all the brothers. His tail sheds a lot and dries out easily. It is usually a very intimate affair. Lucky for you, he likes you.

He shows you how to use his dry brush to sluff off the dead skin from his tail and scaly parts of his back. It's therapeutic to him. He talks about his newest hyper fixation while you brush and pet his tail.

His horns are a bit more persnickety. They are made up of a delicate ecosystem of coral and sea vegetation. It’s a beautiful vivid array of purple, pink, and blues. Henry and schools of smaller fish make little homes in it when Levi is in his tank.

It has to be kept moist and landscaped or it gets overgrown. He has a knack for aquatic horticulture and gives you a chance to learn too.

It naturally changes size and color based on the Devildom seasons. Your favorite displays are during the warmer seasons.

You buy little tank ornaments to decorate his horns to post on devilgram from time to time. It gets so many likes he gets so excited.

He wears your work proudly, even if it’s not up to his usual standard. His water monster brethren are jealous of the attention, and that’s what matters most.

Satan

If you bring up your interest in a scientific or educational manner, he is more willing to share. He has had far too many run-ins with witches and humans vying for him to be comfortable flaunting his demon form.

As the only born devil out of the group you have to be extra careful with his horns and tail. The bony structure of them is like fine sandpaper. Rough, course and far too abrasive for your tinder human skin.

You have to wear gloves when handling his horns and tail. He apologizes a lot about it. It angers him that he is the one brother that has to be so careful around you.

You really don’t mind though. Even through the thick leather gloves you feel the pulsing heat of his magic. You like the tingling feeling of his magic through your gloves, it’s like licking a battery.

He doesn’t need maintenance on his horns and tail as much as the others. But his horns do fall off like deer antlers.

He gets really irritated when it’s shedding season. The itching and throbbing of his horns when they are ready to fall off is maddening.

You always know when it is horn season due to the deep gouges in the stone walls around the house. You help him though this by scratching around the bases of his horns. It feels so good to have it scratched, and it’s 10x better when it’s not him.

Normally he would just dispose of his horns when they fall off or use them for alchemical purposes. Now, he gives some of them to you. You collect them and have turned a few sets into some lovely pieces of art in his opinion.

Asmodeus

Very much like Mammon- who wouldn’t love his horns and wings? He loves them, so obviously everybody should.

Absolutely eats up your praise and curious touches. He shows you the best places to pet or stroke.

His wings are leathery like Mammons but 1000x more sensitive all-round. He can sense air currents with them, so sneaking up on him to touch a wing is out of the question. As much as you would like to.

Loves see you try though. Will fake being surprised when you come at him from behind to lovingly touch a wing.

He shows you the best places to touch and examine his wings and horns. His smaller set of wings have this one spot underneath their pit that is super ticklish. When you find it, exploit it. He has the best laugh.

He admits to you that he dyes his horns. What can he say? Pink is the best color and his horns just look that much more fabulous in it.

You can convince him to try different colors, but only if you help him dye them. Starts matching colors and outfits with you and his horn color of the month.

His cleaning and maintenance routine he likes to do himself. Sorry! Nothing against you, but he is too meticulous to ask for help. But please stay and watch!

He shows off a lot more when cleaning and moisturizing his horns and wings. Stretching them out, or making sure his horns are shiny enough to catch the light of his room.

Absolutely soaks up for enamored gasps and wide eyes stares.

Beelzebub

Just shrugs when you ask to see his wings and horns.

Of course, he doesn't mind you touching them. He just finds it odd. Kinda forgot that it's not a normal occurrence in the human realm.

He has no issues with you touching or rubbing on his horns. He doesn't have any feeling in them anyway.

But, unfortunately, you can only look at his wings. The cuticle is very fragile so he can't just flare his wings out whenever he feels like the others.

You find the hard casing that protects his wings just as fascinating though. The iridescent sheen of it is mesmerizing. Your eyes can't pick up all the colors that it gleams, but it's still beautiful regardless.

You have a hard time getting any of the shell bits when they shed. Beel normally eats them and he is much faster than you.

But he will temper himself and save a few for you once he figures out why you are pouting.

His paper-thin shell casing resembles stained glass when you hold it up to the light. You have taken to making a large wind chime out of the shedding of the brother's horns and wings. His chitin is the perfect addition to give the slightly macabre piece some color.

He-and the other brothers find it kinda odd that you collect essentially garbage to them, but they chalk it up to a weird human quirk.

If it makes you happy-*shrugs*

Belphegor

Like his twin, doesn’t get the hype around it. But, if it means you’ll be spending more time with him then he won’t complain.

You pet his tail a lot when he is sleeping. His tail is soft and fluffy. It wraps around you while he slumbers, locking you in place by his side.

He wakes you up by tickling your nose with the tuft of his tail. He teases you when it makes you sneeze.

If you thought his bedhead was bad, wait till you see him struggling with the tangles at the tip of his tail.

You offer to help comb it out. Maybe even convince him to invest in a good bottle of conditioner. He takes you along to buy it and lets you choose the scent.

He has a penchant for cucumber and melon scents when it comes to his detergent and pillow sprays so you keep to that realm.

He cannot express how much he doesn’t care about upkeep so if you want to brush his tail and examine his horns go to town, means he doesn’t have to do it.

Belphie gets addicted quickly to you doting on his form. He sleeps harder and better after a session with you brushing his tail or rubbing at his horns.

You’ve learned just how to massage his scalp and where to scratch around his horns to help him fall asleep. He doesn't realize he does it himself as a self-soothing mechanism until you bring it up one night.

When you hit the sweet spots at the base of his tail or horns he can’t control the twitching and movements of his tail.

[marvelship-oneshots]

ITALY (STONY)

AU where Steve and Tony fall in love one summer in Italy, inspired by this beautiful fan art made by @vindemiatrix-moonpies

Tony had been left at the altar. The wedding was organised down to the very last detail, everything already paid for by Tony. Everything was perfect, everyone was there. Everyone except the bride. Mary didn't show up. Nor called, or texted. She just disappeared. Tony found out later that night that she had ran away and eloped with her lover. She could have had a perfect life with no one less than the Tony Stark, but in the end she had chosen love. 'Plenty of fish in the sea' Tony had told himself, because it was true, every single lady, and some single lads, was willing to marry Tony. Who wasn't? Mary apparently. The problem was that Tony loved Mary. He really wanted to marry her, she was not just another strategic economic move. He really thought she was the love of his life. But he wasn't hers. This was not going to stop Tony from enjoying his 3-month-long honeymoon in the sweet Italy. Tony laid on his bed the tuxedo, hoping that it wouldn't be there once he came back, he probably had to leave a note to Pepper or Happy. He definitely didn't want to see that suit ever again. He jumped into the first sweatsuit he found in his closet and, without even bothering to take his suitcase, drove to the airport.

Steve was 18 when he decided that America was not his home. As soon as he was out of High School, he took the first plane for Barcelona and went backpacking through Europe. He had always known that, eventually, he had to come back, but then he found the perfect little fishermen's town in the south of Italy, a place that he could finally call home. It was true, what the stereotypes were all about. Italian were indeed nice and friendly and welcoming and when Steve was offered to work for the son of the nice old lady who was kind enough to give him a roof over his head when he got lost in a storm, he felt like he had found his place in the world. Steve hated bad weather, after all he didn't know any fisherman that didn't hate bad weather. But that storm, that storm was a miracle, it might have put him on the wrong road, but it sure showed him the right path. Little did Steve know that he would have to thank bad weather once again.

It took Tony three days to realize that staying in his luxurious hotel room,drinking scotch and snuggling with self loathing wasn't going to take him anywhere. Eventually, he had to get back on his feet. "Stark men are made of iron" his father would say. One morning, he set the alarm way earlier than his usual. It was a nice day outside, although he could feel in his bones that a storm was arriving. The Tony of just one day before would have taken that as a sign to stay in bed, but not the new Tony. He only had 3 months to spend in what in his opinion was the most beautiful country in the world. He had his fancy breakfast, got into a nice linen shirt and drove out of the parking lot of the hotel with the beautiful red Ferrari he had rented for Maria. He drove to a nice little private beach, bought a straw hat because why not, and started walking on the shore, in search of a boat to rent. Tony eventually found one that he could rent and take out without any particular licence. Tony had never sailed a boat before, but he did drive some expensive cars, so he figured it wouldn't be that different, nor much more difficult. Also, he was a fast learner. Indeed, after listening to the renter explain how the boat worked, it wasn't that big of a deal for Tony. At least not until the big storm arrived. It started with the sky turning darker and the wind blowing harder. At that point, the waves were way too high and violent for Tony to come back. If he had had any experience sailing, he probably wouldn't have had any problem going back to the shore. But he didn't know how to face an angry sea and he panicked, which is something that every fisherman would tell you not to do.

The storm was finally over and Steve was walking on the shore, looking for possible damage caused by the storm. It was nothing out of the ordinary, storms happened in summer and that one wasn't any different. No boats were damaged, but he liked walking on the beach after the rain, the sand was humid and fresh and there was a nice breeze. He was collecting nice little seashells for his collection, he already had a handful, but he let them go as soon as he saw something laying on the sand, something that should not have been there. That something was Tony's unconscious body, dragged here by the waves. Steve needled by Tony's side trying to wake him up. He checked his vitals and looked for injuries that luckily were not present. He picked him up in bridal style and took him to his house. From there, he would decide whether he needed to go to the hospital or not.

Tony woke up in Steve's bed. He was feeling exhausted. There was a little ray of sunlight coming in from the window that was hitting him right on his face. Tony rolled over, trying to hide from the light, but fell on the floor with a loud thud. As he loudly growled, more from the frustration than for the pain, Steve ran in the room, as if he was standing right out of the door, which he was, kind of. "Hey, hey, do you hear me?" Steve asked in Italian. Tony was not sure if he understood him, but he could hear a thick American accent in his voice. Truth was, that, no matter how long Steve had been living in Italy, he could not produce an authentic Italian accent, although he knew the language like his own. "Water" Tony mumbled, closing his eyes. Steve ran away and came back with a glass of water. "Here" Tony took the glass with both hands, eagerly drinking it. "Do you know where you are?" Tony shook his head. "Do you know who you are?" Tony nodded "Anthony...Tony" Steve held out his hand. "Very nice to meet you Tony. I'm Steve" Tony shook his hand. "How are you feeling?" Tony nodded. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" "N-no I'm fine" Tony replied nodding. "Ok, let's get you something to eat, ok?" Steve got up, holding his hand out for Tony, waiting for him to take it. Tony looked around while walking to the kitchen. Steve's house was extremely small, it was all on one floor and it consisted of the bedroom, a small kitchen and what Tony could only assume was the bathroom. Tony sat at the rather small table while Steve fixed him a plate of pasta salad and sat next to him. Once he finished eating, Tony got up and reached for the door. "I-I have to go" But before Steve could reply, Tony collapsed on the floor. "It's late and dark, I think it's best if you spend the night here"

Despite wanting to leave the very first second he was conscious again, he soon realised that the quiet little fishermen's town and Steve's company were all he needed. Steve would go to work in the morning, before sunrise and would be back just in time to have breakfast with Tony and they would spend the rest of the day together. It was nice for Tony not to think about Mary for a while. But the dream had to come to an end, eventually. Tony had obligations and a multi billion dollar company to run waiting for him in New York. It was the beginning of September, the days were shorter and the nights were chiller. But it also meant that the town was quieter. Almost every last remaining tourist was leaving. In town there were only the fishermen and their families. Even they were starting to go back to their winter houses because the kids were going to start school in a few days. Soon Steve would be among the last remaining people in the town, with some old ladies. To them, Steve was a saviour, taking care of their groceries and their errands. That could only mean that it was the end of summer and, despite being the saddest time of the year for the residents, it also meant that the happiest days of the summer vacation were coming up. Every single free moment there was, was used to organise a more memorable feast than the year before. And Tony helped. Well, he mostly founded the feast, anonymously. He hadn't told Steve, nor anybody else, who he really was, he figured that, if no one recognised him, he would be nice to live like any other normal person for once. What he didn't take into consideration was the possibility that he could become attached to a certain muscular blond man.

The last night of the feast was also Tony's last night in Italy. He had already begged Pepper for more time, but she couldn't give him any more. There was live music and fresh seafood for everyone. Everyone was smiling, singing and dancing, celebrating the great summer they had. Tony was sitting at a table, a kid had just come to say goodbye. He was running out of time, and that little time he had, he wanted to spend it with Steve. "Steve" "Heeey Tony" He sounded slightly drunk. "I need to talk to you" Steve nodded and took his hand, walking him to the brickwork in front of the sea. "So, tell me" Steve was sitting facing the sea while Tony was facing the other way. "I'm leaving tomorrow" "I know" "I'm...not sure you know who I am" Steve looked at Tony. "You're Tony" "I am Tony Stark" "As in..." "Yes, as in Stark Industries" Steve sighed and looked back at the sea. "Ok" "Just ok?" Steve shook his shoulders. "Yeah, I don't care. It just explains how you could pay for everything" Tony giggled. "I don't want you to go, Tony" "Yeah, I don't want to go neither" Tony put his hand on Steve's. "Steve?" Steve hummed and slightly turned his head towards Tony. "Ithinkimfallingforyou" Steve giggled. "What?" Tony inhaled deeply. "I think I'm falling for you. Deep, like really deep" Steve smiled and caressed his hand. "I fell for you a long time ago, Tony" Steve turned to Tony, sitting astride the brick wall. He put a hand on Tony's cheek. "Can I kiss you?" Tony nodded, biting his lip. Steve put their lips together, pushing Tony back, making him lay on the wall and standing over him, while Tony threw his hands around Steve's neck. Tony mumbled. "What are we going to do?" Steve rolled his eyes "I don't know. We'll think about that tomorrow, now shut up and kiss me" Tony smiled, biting his lip again. Steve smiled and kissed Tony, trying to gain access to his mouth, that Tony kept denying. Steve bit Tony's lip and Tony gasped and Steve, catching the opportunity, slid his tongue into Tony's mouth, feeling Tony's body relax under his touch. Everything was going to be fine, the end of the summer meant the beginning of a life together.

[subject-2-change]

4 10 13 21 52 67 68 87 157 and 167 sorry it's a lot of questions but it was also a lot of questions :)

THIS IS SOOOO LATE. Forewarning, it is almost 2am my time and that means long answers to some things. I am not sorry. You quite literally asked for this.

4: What was your favorite video game growing up?

Animal Crossing and The Sims 2. Now I'm older. And I like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and The Sims 3 and 4.

10: Are you allergic to anything?

Yeah. Pine trees. As you can imagine, I'm thrilled about Christmas season.

13: Are you a cat or dog person?

Answered in the last one, but basically both. I was a dog person, but then got a cat who changed my whole view and then thought, "por que no los dos?" and now I'm both. huh. Funny. Same reason I'm bi.

52: Favorite movie? (same as #30, which I answered, but I shall again because why not? I took the time to make the gif.)

Best movie. Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles. What more could you want?

67: Favorite meme:

This is gonna date me and also show how fucking dumb my humor is. But this one gets me every time.

meme in general? I like the relatively recent "perks of being a marine biologist." The meta amuses me. Meta, irony, and absurdism are my favorites.

68: What is your MBTI personality type?

ENTP : The debater (me? What?! Never.../s)

87: Do your socks always match?

No, but it's a choice. If ever they don't, it is because I bought a set that doesn't match intentionally, because I like the aesthetic of the two socks, or the very rare occasion I am out of matching socks. V fashun.

157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious:

I'm not a particularly anxious person. But two things about kill me. The ocean and learning new languages.

The ocean because WHAT THE FUCK IS IN THERE?! I have also been stung by jellyfish 5 times and almost drowned twice (that I know of). It's dark. It's deep. It's scary. I don't like it. Whales in particular. Not sharks. I love sharks. BIG THINGS in the ocean. Ya know how fish can grow to the size of their tanks? WHAT IF 70% OF THE WORLD WAS YOUR TANK I DON'T LIKE IT OH MY GOD

New languages because, though I have tried many, it is the one thing education wise I have always struggled with. I'm not SO bad and pick up colloquialisms pretty quickly when I travel. Really, I'm self conscious about my accent and I have a hard time with vocab. I hate rote memorization. I'm bad at that part. Conjugation, fine. Grammar, fine. Vocab, I'm the worst. ASL I picked up pretty fast, though. Makes more sense to me than the spoken English language does.

167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created?

Actually? Not really. But theoretically? INFINITELY. Talk to me sometime about any creation myth, origin, or scientific theory you got and I am there for it! I love creation myths. I also study astrophysics (more of a hobby now). If you are asking because you want to discuss, hit up my DMs. It is one of my favorite topics. That and death of the universe.

21: Are you religious? GOOD QUESTION (put this under a break because it got long because you caught me in a mood. tw: religious talk)

"religious?" depends. I am Christian, but I've had issues with The Church™️. #spiritual I guess. I heard emphasized in church something once:

(Matthew 22:37-40): “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Since then, I've lived my life by two main rules: "Love God. Love people." I keep judgement out of mind as much as I can (he who cast the first stone and all that). Who am I to judge? Who am I to be unkind? God loves all of his children and we are all his children. What kind of person would I be to do anything less than love others?

It really grinds my gears when I meet Christians who don't meet these tenets. The only thing I judge people on is how they treat others. Fuck racists. Fuck homophobes. Fuck Islamophobes (and hatred against any other religion or lack thereof). Fuck body shamers and slut shamers. Fuck cringe culture. Fuck etc. It is literally not our job to determine who is 'virtuous' or whatever, based on our simple mortal perception. And, just from a basic human desire, let people enjoy things. Life has so few joys, let people be happy with everything they can find.

Subsequently, this made me realize... who am I to do anything but love myself unconditionally. That is something I'm definitely still working on. But how can you "love your neighbor as thyself" if you don't love thyself? That's why I started going to therapy. But now we are getting into too much late night conversation.

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 10

Connections

A half-elf conwoman (and the moth tasked with keeping her out of trouble) travel the Jewel in search of, uh, whatever a fashionable accessory is pointing them at. [Campaign log]

Last time, the party arrived in Cauterdale, the heavily-fortified port city at war with nature. They arrived in search of members of the Deathseekers' Guild- the organization of professional adventurers and monster-hunters that likes to be very up-front about its mortality rate- to handle a dragon problem that they're personally a little underleveled for.

While Looseleaf had a fateful encounter with the Plot at the Temple of Andra, Saelhen and Oyobi were headed to the barracks of the city guard, to speak to "Mags", the guard on duty when the local Deathseekers were last seen leaving town. And there...

You remember Medd Cutter, right? Highly-memorable Medd Cutter, the NPC who got oneshot by a T-rex and whose life the party saved? Well, to spite Rex... whatever his last name was, the pro-patria-mori asshole guard captain guy, Saelhen has decided that she's going to start spreading the word of Medd's heroism.

Oyobi, unfortunately, is bent on spreading the word of her own extremely ill-advised heroism, and so the two are having some sort of hype-off as they make their way into the barracks and effortlessly charm their way past the guards to where their quarry is posted.

These two are manning some sort of huge brass contraption, bristling with lenses and dials. One of them is a yuan-ti pureblood- which there are an unusual number of in the city guard, compared to the general population. Weird. Saelhen politely introduces herself, and Verity Truescale refers them to Magnaranth aka Mags, the loxodon who last saw the Deathseekers leave town.

Mags doesn't have a huge amount to tell them- the Deathseekers, evidently, were going hunting, out east somewhere. They brought a lot of torches, so apparently they were headed somewhere dark? Underground, maybe? They were pretty cagey about what exactly they were going out to do. Still, Mags can provide the names and addresses of the Deathseekers in question.

...And Verity, checking the instruments, notices that something is wrong with the tides- apparently something large is disturbing the waters, but they can't quite pinpoint what- it's not any of the usual suspects, which include things by the name of "Darkie" or "Unnessie". Ominous!

After that, the party meets up at the local Temple of Iska, their designated rendezvous point. They catch each other up on their gains, and decide... well, the Deathseekers are going to be back within a couple days, so they'll just wait for them in town and get going with them, to make sure things in Barley and Wheat go smoothly.

Of course, the question then is "where do we stay?"

Options aren't great- Cauterdale is crowded, and the B&B market is incredibly shitty. The best lodging is on Eman's Knee, the island just off the coast of Cauterdale, but getting the ferry over there is expensive, and resort lodging on a tropical island is also expensive.

That- you can't just- I mean, just because- I'm- I'm allowed to be predictable, okay???

(And anyway, it's Corolos where I ended up doing a murder mystery.)

So, Looseleaf gets a 24 investigating the town's B&B market, and finds a pretty good place! It's a weapons shop Saelhen noticed earlier, which is renting out rooms. The place has a huge fence topped with spikes, so they probably won't even get robbed!

Aria of War, as it happens, is run by an elderly yet ripped-as-hell tabaxi man, who Saelhen... vaguely recognizes.

Benedict I. (GM): So, this shopkeeper's coat is familiar to you. It's definitely not the same person, but you once knew a girl in Timber Towers named Toothbrush, with almost the exact same coat. Could be a relative! Saelhen du Fishercrown: Yeah, tabaxi have a lot of coat variation; it's not a safe bet that they're related, but Saelhen is willing to go out on a limb with him. "Good evening, sir, and I'm sorry to bother you, but I felt I had to ask..." Fish Especially: "No discounts." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Do you have any relation to a..." Was Toothbrush her real name? Benedict I. (GM): As far as you know! Tabaxi have weird names. Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Toothbrush?" Fish Especially: He looks surprised. "Hold on, you know Toothbrush?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...I knew I knew that speckle pattern." Saelhen smiles widely and without guile. "I met her in Timber Towers a while back. She played the violin." "More specifically, she couldn't play the violin, but she always failed very effectively." Fish Especially: "I'll be! Her theatre troupe doing all right for itself, then?" "Even with the noise of that awful thing?" "I never know what to think when she writes those letters..." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Last I saw of them, they were doing pretty well for themselves! To be honest, I did a stint with them for a bit, they wanted advice on a traditional elven piece..." Saelhen leans in on her elbows. "Oh, she mangled it, but she compensated with charm and that one face. Her confident face, you know the one, where you think she's so confident that maybe it's supposed to sound like that?" Fish Especially: He laughs. "You do know my girl!" "She hasn't written in- I think a year, now. How's she been?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Oh, it's been so long, I'm barely an authority by now -- but I remember she was talking about taking classes in -- what was it..." "...oh, where are my manners -- I'm Saelhen du Fishercrown, it's a pleasure." Saelhen reaches out for a very unelven handshake.

That she says this is notable for one big reason: this is the first time she's used her real name, and not "Lady Noeru de la Surplus". Nobody else in the party has heard this before!

It's also notable because according to Fish Especially, Toothbrush thought Saelhen was dead- and he's going to let her know otherwise.

Anyway, the deal for rooms goes through without incident, and the night also goes without incident! As is entirely normal, they hear Vayen in the halls making some sort of attempt to sneak into Saelhen's room in the night... and this time, sighing and going "never mind" without even attempting to pick the lock for some reason.

In the morning... Looseleaf grills Saelhen on the name thing, and she confesses the truth of the matter to the whole party- who take it fairly well.

After team bonding, the party heads to the Temple of Andra to check in and see if the Deathseekers have showed up. And by the stablehand's account, they have- or at least, a bunch of weird old people showed up to meet with Gabbro.

Gabbro seems surprised to see them- he was under the impression that they'd leave the matter to them. The further involvement of the party should be unnecessary, right...?

Looseleaf: "Oh, yeah, I was going to let you know we were staying in town and ask for you to let us know when the deathseekers showed up, but, uh, judging by that meeting we interrupted, they're already back and right here." Gabbro: "That is correct," he says, as the stablehand leaves. "I was just briefing them on the mission, you see." "The situation is well in hand, so you needn't concern yourselves with it any longer." "That pesky dragon shouldn't be an issue." Looseleaf: "W-well, uh. I was, uh, we were, kiiiinda hoping to travel with you back to the dragon's tower." "I mean, it's our quest, so, it'd be nice to, for us to see it happening so we can be sure of it, y'know?" Gabbro: He looks somewhat taken aback. "That... seems... risky, don't you think?" "To bring along... certain... people?" Looseleaf: "We're going to stay very very far away from the action! We're not that dumb!" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...I assure you that we have no intention of fighting the dragon ourselves, sir." Gabbro: "Ah, yes, of course not..." "However..." He gives Looseleaf a pleading look. Saelhen du Fishercrown: "And there are... certain persons in the nearby town, whose safety I would like to check up on. Personally." Looseleaf: He doesn't seem to want people witnessing the fight? It could be explicable through just, him being worried we'll get hurt. But it could also be, 'their deathseekers fight with methods that Orluthe in particular should not be allowed to witness.' Gabbro: "Ah, well, if that's the case... if you don't mean to get involved with the Deathseekers and their work..." Looseleaf: "We're not going to- we don't want any claim to the loot in the tower either, if that's a problem! Everything in the tower is you and your group's prerogative to deal with however we like."

Gabbro seems... put slightly more at ease, and decides to introduce the group to the ones who'll be their traveling companions shortly- the Cauterdale Deathseekers.

In order:

Doon Softbreeze, half-halfling rogue and all-around Grunkle Stan-type, friendliest with the party.

Kevin Softbreeze, Doon's soft-spoken herbalist husband and that's it, probably, just a gardener.

John Human, an extremely decrepit extremely human man who seems to make weird buzzing sounds when he speaks, as if with mouthparts instead of human lips.

Ryuusatsu Takuma, totally silent elf (not present at this meeting with Gabbro) who probably just doesn't like talking, is all.

Lady Fidelia Greatholder, heavily-armored and heavily-everything human noblewoman (also not present at this meeting), who- well, she shows up next session.

Gabbro makes a point of making clear to those present that Orluthe, who they'll be traveling with, is a cleric of Diamode- apparently they need to know this for some reason!

Doon's pretty friendly with the party, and offers to take on their job pro-bono- on the basis that, c'mon, if they could actually afford them, they wouldn't be knocking on their door for help. So it looks like they've enlisted some highly-capable dragonslayers with no ulterior motives! Fantastic.

Next time: The road back to Barley, and the tying up of a few loose ends in town. Saelhen needs to get her kimono back!

[your-ace-cousin-clover]

ahhhh hi sorry for the LATE response, life's been kinda wild lately

anyway, i'm really glad you liked the poem & i don't mind you sharing it :)

(plus, a new prompt sounds nice)

(&btw, richard siken's new book is gonna be called "blue jupiters" (as far as i know copper canyon press will publish it))

also, happy you liked the recs! i found it cool how you said "the way god chooses to escape from his own reality through someone who does not believe enough in him to question him at first"! couldn't have put it better myself.

(sorry if this ask seems all over the place, i just have to get somewhere and i'm gonna be mad late - but i really want to finally send a response)

i enjoyed your recommendations a lot so let me elaborate real quick-

the problem with travel:

right off the bat, same.

traveling does always make me feel like i'm starting a new chapter and i should act accordingly.

love "kill the kid stuff, start to act my numbers" - the choice of words you use when writing is so important. (thats why i cant judge anyone who spends a long ass time on thesaurus! sometimes writing really does feel like looking through a lost & found or fishing the right word out of a goodwill bin! flipping through a magazine in search for the right word to cut out and stick on your collage!) imagine how substantially different the poem would sound if limon had written "start to act my age" instead of "start to act my numbers"

"[...] - we’re small

and flawed, but I want to be

who I am, going where

I’m going, all over again."

this^ part kills me in a good way

accident report in the tall, tall weeds:

"my ex got hit by a bus"

gets right to the point. kinda like a short story? an immediate jump into action

i might've said this before but i like it when poems tell stories (i mean i guess they all do, in a way, but i specifically mean the ones that have clear characters? if that makes sense)

"No tampering with the great universal brake wires."

ahhh yeah - when you feel like a thought can cause real life consequences

"When the plane went down in San Francisco,

I thought of my friend M. He’s obsessed with plane crashes.

He memorizes the wrecked metal details,

the clear cool skies cut by black scars of smoke.

Once, while driving, he told me about all the crashes:

The one in blue Kentucky, in yellow Iowa.

How people go on, and how people don’t.

It was almost a year before I learned

that his brother was a pilot.

I can’t help it,

I love the way men love."

^ don't you love it when a poem beats your heart to a pulp?

"What I saw in the men who came before,

sometimes I don’t want to say this out loud,

was someone I could hold up to my ear

and hear the ocean, something I could say my name into,

and have it returned in the inky waves."

self recognition through the other! yeah! sometimes people are people and sometimes people are mirrors and i know this wasn't her point but aren't we all just saying "hey! this is how i feel! do you feel like that too?" and sometimes "language is complicated but i think you know exactly what i mean and i know what you mean too!" and "when our experience overlaps the cosmic alone-ness becomes bearable!"

shit i'd love to drop another rec but i REALLY have to go now! hope to hear from you soon

-cat

Well, lmao Cat now, I'm the one who's late in replying, but yeah, I've been really busy. Now, I've got a bit of a time to reply to your ask.

First of all, "Don't You Wonder, Sometimes?" by Tracy Smith is a really interesting poem especially centred around Bowie. I love how the poet makes Bowie into a mythical being, like a sort of a spirit rather than a mortal man.

"Not God, exactly. More like-

Some thin-hipped glittering Bowie-being"

I love how the poem takes in the spirit of Bowie as something that will keep living on -

"Saying nothing is lost, that everything lives on waiting only

To be wanted back badly enough?

Bowie will never die. Nothing will come for him in his sleep

Or charging through his veins. And he’ll never grow old,"

It's just a beautiful way to think of the artist living on despite their death. They live through those they have touched with their art as well as their art themselves.

"In which I’m forever a child looking out my window at the night sky

Thinking one day I’ll touch the world with bare hands

Even if it burns."

And I just simply love these lines ^^^ . I love the poem touches up on reincarnation. It's interesting as it mentions how people are reincarnated a few times and then, they go to the beyond.

"And how many lives

Before take-off, before we find ourselves

Beyond ourselves, all glam-glow, all twinkle and gold?"

And finally, I love how the deification fo Bowie continues making him into a cryptid? That's the best way I can describe it honestly.

"When a man his size can meet

Your eyes for just a blip of time

And send a thought like SHINE

SHINE SHINE SHINE SHINE

Straight to your mind. Bowie,

I want to believe you."

(I followed your style of picking up lines and talking about them - it's a pretty fun thing to do)

{Purple happens to be my fav colour so, yeah I annotated with purple}

And yeah, language is funky like that. Honestly, I love the fact that people swap art with each and it's like every though we're different, you go through the same emotions. No matter whatever niche emotion is, someone has already written about it! If they haven't, you can always write it!

This reminded of a favourite poem of mine (tw : homophobia and sort of death ? though) which reminds me of the awkwardness of telling people I'm queer / coming out to them. It's called Three A.M. by Jill McDonough.

Also, I've been reading some more stuff to rec them and to hear your thoughts on them. It's all food - themed because I really got into food poetry last week. And as I was talking to a lovely mutual about the intimacy of cooking food and feeding someone.

I'd highly rec the movie "Big Eden". It's a wonderful gay rom-com movie with no homophobia at all and a lot of intimate cooking and wanting to make sure that your crush is loved and taken care off.

But anyway -

Having a Coke with You by Frank O'Hara

Perhaps the World Ends Here by Joy Harjo

The Orange by Wendy Cope

For Grace, After A Party by Frank O'Hara

Eating Together by Li-Young Lee

And these two posts are where I got these poems from, so perhaps you could read the other ones in the list.

Food Poems 1

Food Poems 2

And also, you're into Succession! Yay!! Are you into Tomgreg? If you're not, that's chill. But, like more Tomgreg people the better. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the show too! :) And like I said before, I really enjoyed your Kendall edit! Did you get a chance to watch my Tomgreg edit? It's called Don't Blame Me, I put it on my Tumblr. (No pressure if you can't)

And I have to ask, because I forgot, what are your pronouns, Cat? I use she/they. I just wanted to ask what you want me to use while referring to you. And let me know if you wanna do another poetry writing swap again.

Anyway, that's it for now! Let me know what you think! I hope to hear from you soon :)