#and fans will get run over because of their ridiculous rules

[spicyllewyn]

Kinktober 6. - Mirror sex.

Moon system x F!Reader

Tags & warnings. Mirror sex + hair pulling. (+18)

Word count. 2.8k

Summary. Marc got tired of Steven and Jake breaking his rules.

Kinktober masterlist.

So far, the agreement had been going relatively well. You were in a serious relationship with Marc at first, you met in a café like those silly romantic movies, with the small difference that you almost killed him by spilling your cold drink on him and tripping over him.

Neither of you could deny that things were moving very fast, but everything with him was so ridiculously easy that you weren't afraid to give him your all. You told him about the pet you lost when you were young, about the disagreements with your parents, and the occasional traumatic event in your life. He did the same.

When he told you about Steven and Jake, you joked that he was winning the trauma competition, and he could breathe easy knowing that this was not even close to being an obstacle to your relationship. He could trust you.

Things began to get a bit out of control when everything also became easy with Jake and Steven, each with their own personal charm. You never imagined being with three very different guys, but starting to experience it was a real adventure. The problem was that while you were having fun, they had endless discussions about you and the boundaries they set for each other.

Well, the boundaries that Marc set.

The main and biggest one was that marks on your body were prohibited. He understood that all four were part of the relationship equally, but he also used something he liked to call "privileges of having met you first and being the main reason why everyone is together." Or something like that, he always changed the name for it, the thing is he couldn't help but be a jealous man, he hated that Jake and Steven would forget who you belonged to first.

The first one to break the rule was Steven, unconsciously. You didn't know anyone who was a bigger fan of make-out sessions than him, and when his kisses got deeper, more desperate, he had the habit of holding onto your hips as if you were about to run away at any moment, or as if he wanted to verify that you were real and that you were in his arms, devouring his mouth as if you depended on it to live.

That, combined with the fact that he had a terrible habit of forgetting that his muscles were stronger than he thought. You tried to be as discreet as possible when his fingers left marks on your skin, but with someone as touchy as Jake, it was impossible to keep secrets about your body.

He took it as a challenge, of course. If Steven could break the rules, why couldn't he?

The next day, you could be sure that he saw you as a blank canvas because your neck, your shoulders, and even your breasts were covered in bites and hickeys. You didn't remember him being so aggressive, but maybe pleasure had blinded you.

"What is this?" Marc held your chin, turning your face slightly, just enough to get a better view of your neck.

"It was Jake." You chuckled, still distracted by your phone as you let him guide you, without noticing how his jaw clenched, but feeling his fingers tighten on your jaw.

"Darling?"

Your eyes traveled to him.

"Mhm?"

"Will you come with me to the bedroom? We need to talk."

With a furrowed brow, you obeyed because the hand that held your chin ended up in one of your hands, pulling you as if he were a child wanting to show you something very important.

"Am I in trouble?" You joked as you watched him close the door behind you.

"Sit on the bed."

"Am I...?"

His brown eyes on you were enough for you to obey once again.

"Could you explain to me what the hell is this?" His hand in your hair made you turn your gaze away from the mirror you had in front, leaving the marks in plain sight.

You immediately understood who he was talking to.

Or whom.

"Oh, come on, hermano." Jake rolled his eyes in the mirror's reflection, his arms crossed over his chest. "Steven broke it first."

"False!" The mentioned objected after. It seemed like a competition of who could make Marc lose his patience first. "I would never do something like that."

"Check her hips if you don't believe me."

Raising an eyebrow, Marc released your hair.

"Stand up, sweetheart."

If there's one thing you've learned over time in this relationship, it's that it's not worth objecting when one or all three of them are arguing, especially when you don't even know what the problem is. You stood up slowly, wearing Steven's blue sweater that you slept in, which only covered half of your thighs.

He slowly lifted the edge of the fabric, his fingers brushing your thighs and causing a slight shiver. You could swear you heard him growl when he found the damn marks that fit perfectly with the size of his hands. Some of them were covered by your panties but they were pretty visible, already turning to a purple color.

“I-I didn't even notice those were there!”

“Why can Steven do it and I can't? That’s a damn injustice if you ask me.”

“Fortunately, Jake, I'm not asking you.” He rolled his eyes while you tried to imagine what the other two boys responded to him from the headspace. "On your knees."

The cold of the floor on your skin felt good and you had to look up to meet your boyfriend's chocolate gaze. You never had a problem following his orders.

“The problem here…” His fingers ran through your hair slowly, making you close your eyes for a few seconds. “They are forgetting who you belong to. Who do they think they are to mark my girl like this, huh?” He cooed, the gaze of the other two fixed on him.

Your hands went to the hem of his pants, and when he didn't object, you understood well what he wanted. A small smile spread across your lips as you freed him from his tight black jeans, as well as his underwear.

He wasn't completely hard yet until your tongue ran along his entire length from base to tip.

“I want you to show them who was your first, my love.” Your fingers, as if you were an expert, wrapped around his cock, giving it a squeeze before beginning a slow, up-and-down pace. “Who you think about every fucking time you cum.”

You couldn't see it, but in detail you imagined the way Jake was rolling his eyes.

“It's a punishment for all 3 of you, you understand, don't you, honey?” His eyes boring into you as you kissed all around his cock wetly. “What makes you believe you should allow yourself to be treated that way?”

You parted your lips, taking the head inside before starting to suck. That always gave him chills, the way you didn't rush.

“No-oh.” His fingers tangled in your hair, those soft caresses had stopped. One push of his hand and you had half of his erection inside your mouth. He groaned.

Although you enjoyed taking your time and savoring every inch of Marc, he seemed to be in a hurry, you thought that perhaps the clumsy and aggressive way in which he was directing your head movements was part of the supposed punishment.

Were you supposed to not enjoy that?

“Push deeper.” Jake's voice caught Marc's attention, who a few seconds ago had been distracted by the messy and sloppy way you were sucking him off. He could have sworn there was a point where the only sound in the room was your saliva every time he slid over your tongue.

Marc looked at the mirror with a frown.

“Push harder.” He repeated, looking up. “Steven always fucks her mouth until she cries, if you want to prove your point push harder. Right, Steven?"

The other boy received an elbow against his ribs that forced him to look up. It seems he was enchanted by watching the way your left cheek bulged against the pressure of the head of Marc's lenght against it.

Still distracted, he nodded quickly.

It was that what resulted in you suddenly feeling him push your head harder. The brush against your throat brought tears to your eyes and you heard your boyfriend grunt. He was never so rude.

You didn't complain, though.

You tried your best to relax the muscles in your throat around him, but you were so caught off guard that a couple of gags only did the opposite, feeling you squeeze him every few seconds until he guided your head back.

Saliva ran from your lips to your chin, some drops ending up on your neck. You broke the string of saliva that joined his cock to your mouth by licking your lips.

You sniffed, looking up before giving Marc a smile.

“Oh, you like that, don't you?” His fingers wrapped around himself so he could hit your tongue with his heavy member. You kept your tongue out, happy to receive it and hear the wet slapping. “Or does Steven do it better?”

Another movement of his hips was so abrupt that you felt your nose eventually collide with his lower abdomen, having to close your eyes as your tears ran down them. Still, you didn't give up, you didn't use your well-known "signal" to ask for some mercy.

Instead you moved your tongue slowly underneath, you only managed to graze his balls with the tip of it but it was enough to get a gasp from his throat. You held on for more seconds than you thought you were capable of before it was Marc himself who pushed you away.

It took you several seconds to even out your desperate breathing, you wiped your lips on the sleeve of Steven's sweater.

"Stand up." He ordered. His chest rising and falling rapidly. Jake's smirk on the other side of the mirror screamed at him that he knew. He knew Marc would finish stupidly quickly if he kept fucking your throat like that.

You swallowed hard before standing on shaky legs, the intense heat between your legs beginning to burn through your entire body, without receiving any kind of attention the only thing you could feel was the way your insides clenched around nothing.

"Turn around." Your cheeks took on a reddish color as you remembered the two pairs of eyes that were on you on the other side of the reflection. You slowly turned your back on him, your fingers gripping the wooden cabinet that held the huge mirror. “You better not close your eyes, I want you to look at them.”

Marc's hands took care of the job, pulling the hem of the sweater up to your waist and pulling your panties down to your ankles. You didn't need instructions to spread your legs and raise your ass for him.

He positioned himself behind your body, holding his cock for help. The tip separated your lips and you flinched when it brushed your swollen clit, it was just a couple of brushes as if he wanted to collect your juices on it in order to make penetration easier.

Although with you dripping and him full of your saliva, at this point it was just his pettiness and his desire to make you beg. You lifted your hips higher.

Marc looked down, his hand positioning itself exactly over Steven's finger marks and with a single movement you felt him slide inside you. Your legs trembled as you received him this deep and rough way, an action that you recognized as more typical of Jake.

“M-Marc, fuck, Marc.” You stammered as your body tried to get used to his size. No matter how many times you had done this, it was like your body insisted on giving him that death grip that drove him crazy.

"That's it." He caught her bottom lip between his teeth in a lousy attempt to silence her gasps. “Louder, baby, remind them who's fucking you.”

Somehow you felt like Jake and Steven's eyes burned into your skin. You couldn't look in the mirror, not while you were babbling Marc's name between moans, with that look that made it obvious how cockdrunk you were with just a couple of thrusts.

When Marc hit that sweet spot that made you vibrate from head to toe, your eyes closed automatically, your head falling downward.

"No." He growled, his hand rising to place it in your hair where he tangled his fingers. The sudden tug he gave to your locks made you snap your head up and let out a loud gasp, your eyes snapping open. "Look at them."

On the other side Jake was leaning slightly so he could be at your face level, analyzing every small expression of pleasure he saw in you. Your cheeks are flushed, your pupils are dilated, and your lips are red from biting them so much.

Steven was too lost in his own thoughts to object anything, the truth is that he was enjoying this new angle he had to see his cock splitting you and making you whimper more than he would like.

“Tell them how good I'm making you feel, honey.” He cooed, his fingers giving your hair a harder tug to force you to keep your head up. “Remind them who was the first to break that tight little pussy.”

You stifled a moan, making your bottom lip bleed with a bite.

“Tell them.” He growled, his fingers squeezing your hips so hard you feared your body was going to give up at any moment.

“I-It was you, Marc.” You whimpered in pleasure as his thrusts pushed your body forward, you were already on your tiptoes so as not to end up with your entire body against the furniture.

“Repeat it, I want them to listen to you.” His entire length remained still inside you, brushing against that spot that made you lose your mind. "Louder."

Your parted lips took in deep gasps of air and you had to swallow hard to recover your voice by moistening your throat a little.

“It’s you M-Marc.” He didn't give your hair a break, he was pulling with his fingers so hard that it was starting to hurt. “Fuck, Marc! A-Ah, fuck. It’s you, it’s you, only you.”

Bold of you to assume that Jake wouldn't have that in mind the next time he had his turn with you.

“Fuck her harder.” Marc looked at the mirror when the opposing voice caught his attention. “Come on, she can take it.” A mocking smile appeared on his lips, only irritating Marc even more.

Still, he obeyed.

You could hear the slapping between your bodies every time he thrusted into you. Your legs were threatening to stop supporting your body weight as they began to shake, your entire body feeling small spasms as you got closer and closer to the end.

“Marc?” Steven's soft voice caught the attention of the other two. His pupils were dilated and there was an adorable blush on hid cheeks. "Touch her."

Marc grunted when he realized that this wasn't the punishment he'd originally thought, but who was he to say no to Steven? The hand that was holding your hip slowly slid between your legs, separating your pussy lips with his fingers and then pressing his thumb against your sensitive clit.

He immediately felt your little hole tighten around him.

“Circles.”

“I know how to touch her, Steven.” He growled in your ear, only reminding you of the pair who were probably enjoying the show. The pleasure you were experiencing was too much to rescue the few grams of shame you might have somewhere on your body.

Your nails scratched the wood of the furniture in front of you.

“Cum all over me, honey.” He managed to whisper between moans. Two more thrusts of his body snatching the air from your lungs. “I bet they’ll like it.”

And that was enough for the wave of pleasure to make your body tingle from head to toe, your walls milking Marc until he followed you immediately after, filling you with his warm, thick liquid, which he pushed deeper inside you with a couple more strokes.

For a few seconds the only thing you heard along with the ringing in your ears was Marc's heavy breathing. After a moment his fingers gripped your hips, drawing your attention.

He gave you one more thrust and you squealed, sensitive, overstimulated.

“Marc.” You complained, looking up at the mirror in front of you once more as you tried to catch your breath.

On the other side, Jake's smile greeted you, almost playful.

“Let's see which name you can shout the loudest, princesa.”

Tag list. @ninebluehearts @shousha133 @unear7hly @onefinnedwonder-fm @automnepoet @lokisremainingsanity @uncle-eggy @just-a-nightdreamer @spktrgantenk @chinglewingledingledong @queerponcho @faretheeoscar @spideyman-peter

Remember to comment if you want to be on the kinktober tag list!! <3

[ms-demeanor]

Not to be rude or derailing your answer to the ask about the scorched earth post, but I do think quite genuinely that the site is becoming more openly hostile to its userbase, or at the very least its disabled userbase. While I’m not a fan of mobbing people’s personal blogs in targeted harassment campaigns, I think some people are also ignoring that staff blatantly said in a recent post that epileptic users would need to pay for ad-free to have their safety assured

I kind of don’t think that’s being ethical or user friendly, to me that sounds like they’re refusing to meet basic accessibility requests and answering with ‘pay us money to be safe’. Strobing and flashing ads aren’t just eyestraining, they can legitimately lead to serious injuries for epileptic folk, and telling people with epilepsy to just pay up or get lost is kinda… I dunno… disgusting?

So it looks like in a livestream (not on a post so far as I've been able to see) either photomatt or zingring made a glib and inappropriate response to an epileptic user asking about flashing ads and suggested that maybe they needed to pay for ad-free.

That's bad, I don't like it, and if it was supposed to be a joke it was a shitty one.

Zingring, tumblr's COO addressed that comment in a post where she said:

Buying ad-free (or gifting ad-free to someone else) is always an option, but that is not the solution (and of course, some folks simply can’t afford it). Sorry that it sounded dismissive in the session! That was not my intent.

I still think that's inappropriate (it's not that ad free isn't *the* solution, ad free shouldn't be *a* solution to accessibility), but it looks like Zingring has addressed this issue multiple times.

She got tagged in this post listing ways that tumblr could improve accessibility for photosensitive users and seems to have pretty consistently followed up; she has explained that there are rules against flashing ads that are sometimes violated by the advertisers and asks people to please report ads that break those rules so those advertisers can be blocked, has noted that there is apparently a "stop all autoplay" option in the works behind the scenes. She does also seem to take it seriously when users reach out with complaints about accessibility issues and seems to be willing to explore options.

Looking through that blog, this does not seem to be a site that is hostile to users with accessibility issues so much as, like everything else that's wrong around here, it is ridiculously understaffed so every project that someone wants to have as a priority is a project that someone else needs put on the backburner.

However, to very gently push back: how much of what you're experiencing as hostility from tumblr is actual hostility and how much of it is seeing posts like this, which suggests that tumblr is removing accessibility features because the lightbox didn't have double-tap-to-zoom on mobile for some users for a short while, claims that the blocking/flagging issue is a false flag against trans women, shared the inaccurate fearmongering post about tumblr live's ToS, and also claimed that tumblr "allowed" flashing ads that violated the in-place rules that tumblr has for advertising?

(this kind of goes with the 'nobody understands the ToS' but also nobody understands ads; tumblr does not have enough staff to look over the ads that go on their site every day, no social media company does, they rely on advertiser agreements as a sort of enhanced honor system and reports from users if the advertisers don't hold up their end of the bargain; the only way around this for any site that uses ads is to not have ads and that post is explicitly saying don't pay for tumblr because they are doing ads wrong - either they have to run ads and some bad ones are going to slip through and users will have to report them or tumblr will have to be 100% paid by the users or tumblr will go away. If you see ads that are unsafe for photosensitive users on *any* website you should report them to the site because the site almost certainly doesn't know that there's an advertiser violating the ad ToS unless someone tells them)

Generally speaking, I am actually *not* seeing worsening accessibility features, I'm seeing improvements compared to where we were five years ago - alt text on images is now built-in and devs are working hard on making tumblr more compatible with screen readers (as noted in the changes blog regularly); tumblr itself started offering different dashboard themes for users after years of complaints about contrast levels and readability; the "tiktok/twitterified" desktop dash view that everyone hates is supposed to be more readable on wider screens.

Compare this post in October of 2022 when Changes celebrated adding animations for posting (and told users those could only be disabled at an OS or browser level) with this post from July 2023 when they rolled back a feature because of an unexpected use case that could cause problems for photosensitive users.

These aren't things that I'd expect to see from a company that didn't care about accessibility, or that was openly hostile to questions around making the site more accessible.

I don't disagree with you that the comment from the stream about buying ad free was inappropriate; it absolutely was and it must have made photosensitive users feel like shit. But in the three months since that comment tumblr has been very responsive about getting flashing ads removed as soon as possible and seems to be working on more permanent fixes. I think this may be an instance of able-bodied people not realizing how shitty and dehumanizing their joke was (and it was) and taking the steps to do better.

If you don't think they're doing better, I probably can't convince you. I certainly don't think that tumblr is perfect about accessibility and I think that users need to continue pushing for improved user control of how the site displays and interacts with various devices. But compared to the kind of responses users complaints got from staff in 2018? I feel like things have improved a lot.

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

15. Maknae Down

Note: the anon person who requested this scene, show urself cuz this is for u👍

Masterlist here

(Damn she is ded)

It started with a loud, echoing sneeze—a sharp, drawn-out sound that filled the entire dorm and was immediately followed by a groan of frustration. Y/n looked up from his spot on the couch, where he had been lazily scrolling through his phone, and saw Ningning curled up under a massive blanket on the other side of the room. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were red from what he could only assume was a cold.

Guess the cold decided to transfer from Y/n to Ningning today.

“Ning,” he called out, watching as she struggled to get comfortable in her blanket cocoon. “You good?”

“No,” she sniffled dramatically. “I think I’m dying.”

He raised an eyebrow, getting up to walk over to her. “Dying? Really? From a cold?”

Ningning glared up at him, her face flushed from fever, her nose runny, and tissues piled up next to her. “Yes, really! You wouldn’t understand. It feels like my entire body is shutting down.”

Y/n rolled his eyes, half-amused as he pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “Let me guess—you left the window open last night?”

Ningning’s eyes widened in surprise. “How’d you know?”

“Girl, you always do that when it’s too hot,” Y/n sighed. “But Ning, it’s winter. Having the window open while the fan’s on full blast? Genius.”

Ningning groaned, burying her face in the blanket. “It was fine until I fell asleep, and then when I woke up… well, I felt like this. I swear the weather’s out to get me.”

“Well, congratulations,” Y/n chuckled, mocking her with a single clap. “You’ve officially caught a cold.”

“Wow, thank you, Jung Y/n-psssssss” Ningning blew her nose.

“I know you love me too much, tryna copy me when I was sick last time”

Before Ningning could retort, Karina, Winter, and Giselle entered the living room, dressed and ready for their schedules. Karina took one look at Ningning’s disheveled state and sighed. “You’re staying in today, aren’t you?”

Ningning nodded miserably. “Yeah… you guys go on without me, unnie.”

Giselle, clearly annoyed, huffed, “Great, we’ll be the ones running around while you sit here like a burrito all day.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” Ningning shot back, trying to maintain her usual sass, but her voice was too nasally to come off intimidating.

Winter leaned down, placing a hand on Ningning’s forehead. “You do feel warm. Stay put and rest, okay? Don’t make our idiot's life more difficult than it already is.”

Y/n snorted. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered. You guys go handle idol life. Minji-noona is downstairs.”

Karina glanced between the two of them, clearly unconvinced. “Alright, but if she gets any worse, call us. And make sure she doesn’t convince you to do anything ridiculous.”

“I make no promises, mom” Y/n joked, giving them a half-hearted salute as they waved goodbye and headed out the door.

Once the apartment was quiet again, Y/n turned to Ningning, who was now staring at the TV screen in front of them. He grabbed the remote and lazily flipped through the channels. “So, what now? Want to binge-watch some K-dramas or something?”

Ningning perked up slightly at the suggestion, her eyes lighting up for the first time since this morning. “Yes! You haven’t watched ‘True Beauty’, right?”

Y/n groaned. “Oh, c’mon. Isn’t that one of those sappy romance dramas? I thought you were more into action stuff.”

Ningning pouted, crossing her arms. “I AM into action stuff, but ‘True Beauty’ is ICONIC, okay? Besides, you need to catch up on your K-drama knowledge, oppa.”

“Can’t we watch something else? Like “Space Sweeper” or something?”

“No!” Ningning shouted, the sickness momentarily left her. “I’m sick today, so I rule!”

With a dramatic sigh, Y/n flipped to the streaming service and put on the first episode. “Fine, but I’m only doing this because you’re sick. You owe me.”

“Deal,” she mumbled, snuggling deeper into the blanket. “But I’m warning you, you’ll get addicted. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.”

As the first episode played, Ningning provided commentary for every dramatic moment. Y/n, despite his earlier protests, found himself getting a little too invested in the story. By the third episode, he was sitting up straight, eyes glued to the screen, reacting alongside Ningning to every twist and turn.

“See? I told you it’s good!” Ningning giggled, nudging him with her elbow. “You’re hooked, aren’t you?”

“Okay, fine,” Y/n admitted, his face scrunched up. “It’s better than I expected. But seriously, how do they make every scene so intense?”

“That’s K-drama magic,” Ningning replied, sniffling again as she wiped her nose. After a beat, her voice softened. “It’s kind of nice… watching these with someone.”

Y/n glanced at her, sensing the sudden shift in her mood. “Yeah, it’s fun. We don’t get much downtime to just hang out like this.”

Ningning hummed in agreement, staring at the screen with a distant look. “I miss it sometimes, you know? Just being at home, watching shows with my mom. I’ve been away for so long… sometimes it hits me harder than I think it will.”

Y/n’s chest tightened at her words. He’d always known that the idols dealt with homesickness, but hearing it so plainly from Ningning made it feel more real. He hesitated for a moment before placing a hand on her head, ruffling her hair gently.

“I get it,” he said quietly. “While I can't say that I'm the same as you, I can say that you got your second family here, right? Your unnie-dul, me… maybe?"

"Of course you are in there!" Ningning groaned, her usual annoyed yet adorable tone began to recover.

"Aight, aight…but we got your back, Ning-ah."

Ningning smiled, her eyes glassy but grateful. “Yeah, you guys make it a lot easier. Especially when you let me make you binge-watch K-dramas.”

“That's Y/n's package for you,” Y/n chuckled, trying to lighten the mood again. “I’m just here for moral support and terrible TV commentary.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the soft glow of the TV flickering across their faces. Eventually, Ningning shifted, resting her head on Y/n’s shoulder.

“You’re not as bad as I thought you’d be,” she murmured sleepily.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Y/n replied with a small grin. "You're more fun to hang out than I thought."

Just as Ningning started to drift off, the front door opened, and the other members trudged back into the dorm, looking tired but relieved to be home. They paused when they saw Ningning and Y/n on the couch, Ningning now fully passed out, her head still resting against his shoulder.

“Looks like the patient’s finally knocked out,” Winter whispered with a smirk.

Y/n gave a thumbs up. “Mission cleared. Though I’m not sure who’s more tired—me or her.”

Karina grinned, walking over and gently draping an extra blanket over Ningning. “Thanks for looking after her. I knew we could count on you.”

“No problem,” Y/n said, feeling the weight of the day finally catch up to him. “Let’s hope she’s better tomorrow.”

As they quietly gathered around, the dorm filled with the familiar warmth of friendship. Even though Ningning had caught a cold, it felt like one of those rare moments where everything was just… okay.

-

A few days had passed since Ningning's cold turned the dorm into a temporary clinic. She was back to her usual self—energetic, mischievous, and constantly teasing the other members. Y/n was glad to see her better, though he missed the quiet moments they had shared while binge-watching ‘True Beauty’.

It was a Saturday morning when Ningning barged into Y/n's room, her signature grin plastered across her face. She clapped her hands together excitedly, bouncing on her toes. “Y/n-oppa! Get up, get dressed! We’re going out!”

Y/n, still half-asleep and wrapped in his blanket like a burrito, blinked up at her in confusion. “Huh? Where are we going?”

“Just get ready!” she said, pulling the blanket off him with a mischievous tug. “It’s a surprise. You did a lot for me when I was sick, so I’m treating you today!”

Y/n groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Ning, it’s too early for surprises. Can’t we just chill?”

“Nope!” she insisted, practically dragging him out of bed. “You’ll thank me later. Now hurry up or I’ll pick out your outfit for you.”

That was enough to get Y/n moving. The last time Ningning had chosen his clothes, he ended up in a neon green jacket and pants combo that made him look like a human highlighter. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.

“Are you paying for everything?”

“That’s right, I’m your sugar mommy for today, oppa!”

Y/n facepalmed. “Ning, please never repeat that again.”

-

As they left the dorm, Ningning pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie of them both, sending it straight to the group chat.

Ningning:

Taking Y/n out for a day of fun! Wish us luck, ladies 😉.

Within seconds, the responses started flooding in.

Winter:

Oh boy, this ought to be good. Don’t kill him, Ning!

Giselle:

I’m keeping track of this. Take lots of photos.

Karina:

Stay out of trouble, you two.

Ningning giggled, stuffing her phone back into her pocket. “Let the adventure begin!”

-

A little over an hour later, they were out the door and wandering through one of the city’s many bustling shopping districts. Ningning was in full tour guide mode, pointing out random shops, food stalls, and people as they walked.

“First stop,” she declared with a grin, “the arcade!”

Y/n raised an eyebrow, glancing around at the neon lights and the sound of beeping machines. “You dragged me out of bed for video games?”

“Yup,” Ningning said proudly. “Consider it payback for watching ‘True Beauty’ with me while I was half-dead. Besides, I know you secretly love this stuff.”

She quickly pulled out her phone again, snapping a picture of Y/n standing in front of the arcade and sending it to the group chat.

Ningning:

First stop: arcade. Y/n thinks he’s gonna beat me at these games. He’s so cute when he’s wrong.

Y/n peeked over her shoulder, groaning. “You’re sending updates to the others?”

“Of course!” Ningning laughed. “How else are they going to keep track of your inevitable losses?”

"Oh don't test me, Yizhuo." Y/n rolled up his sleeves.

With those words, the two of them spent hours bouncing from game to game. Ningning was surprisingly skilled at racing games, and Y/n couldn't stop himself from getting competitive during skee-ball.

At one point, Ningning managed to win a stuffed animal from a claw machine, rubbing it in Y/n's face with exaggerated pride.

“Beginner’s luck,” Y/n muttered, trying (and failing) to win his own prize.

“Sure, sure,” Ningning teased, snapping a photo of him concentrating hard on the claw machine. She sent it to the group chat with the caption:

Ningning:

Y/n’s face when he loses... again.

Winter:

LOL, poor idiot. How many tries is that now?

Karina:

He’s got that determined look... Go easy on him, Ning.

-

After a few more games and much teasing, they decided to take a break at a nearby café inside the arcade. Ningning pulled out her phone once more, sending a final picture of Y/n with a pile of stuffed animals they had won (mostly Ningning’s doing).

Ningning:

Look at our haul! Aren’t we the best team ever?

Winter:

Nice! But you sure it wasn’t all your work, Ning?

Karina:

I see a lot of plushies there. Are you guys going to share?

Y/n shook his head, laughing as he sipped his drink. “You really enjoy teasing me, don’t you?”

Ningning smiled sweetly. “Only because you’re so easy to tease.”

“…all I know is that Jeong will annoy me like you do right now when we get home.”

Ningning grinned slyly. “Oh, speaking of Minjeong-unnie…”

Y/n shot her a wary look. “What about that crybaby?”

“Well,” Ningning said, her voice dripping with mischief, “she’s been acting a bit... different lately, don’t you think?”

Y/n furrowed his brows, trying to play it off casually. “What do you mean by ‘different’?”

Ningning stopped at a snack stall, buying them both some skewered tteokbokki, and turned to Y/n with a teasing grin. “Oh, come on! You know what I’m talking about. Ever since we teased her about setting you up on a date, she’s been a little... defensive.”

Y/n nearly choked on his tteokbokki. “Defensive? No way. She's just—”

Ningning interrupted, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Face it, Y/n-oppa. She got jealous.”

“Jealous?” Y/n scoffed, though the thought made his stomach flip in a way he wasn’t ready to admit. “That girl is not the jealous type. She’s just... stupid.”

“Sure, sure,” Ningning said, clearly enjoying his reaction. “Keep telling yourself that. But the way she’s been acting lately? I think someone might have a little crush on our dear manager.”

Y/n rolled his eyes, trying to shake off the teasing. “Aish, you’re binging too much K-drama now.”

“Am I though?” Ningning smirked, taking another bite of her snack. “Because if you ask me, she’s got a soft spot for you. You should’ve seen her face the other day when you went to the gym without her.”

Y/n felt a heat rising to his cheeks that had nothing to do with the spicy tteokbokki. “That’s because we’re all friends. We hang out. It’s normal.”

“Mhmm,” Ningning hummed in that infuriatingly knowing way of hers. “Whatever you say. Let's go back and beat you again."

"Tsk. I'll win everything on this second set. Ms. Yizhuo." Y/n flared up.

-

After the massive win from Ningning, the youngest dragged Y/n to a few more places—a dessert café where they shared a massive bowl of patbingsu, a photo booth where they took ridiculous selfies, and even a random bookstore where Ningning insisted on picking out a K-drama guidebook as a joke.

Y/n had to admit, it was fun. It felt like a proper break from the usual hectic schedules and responsibilities. Although the constant update to their group chat felt like a child updating his mom about his whereabouts.

As the afternoon wore on, they finally made their way to the park, where Ningning collapsed onto a bench, fanning herself dramatically. “I think we’ve officially walked the entire city. How are you not tired?”

Y/n chuckled, leaning back on the bench beside her. “I was tired when you dragged me out of bed this morning. Now I’m just used to it.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching as the sun dipped lower in the sky. Y/n glanced over at Ningning, who was unusually quiet.

“You okay?” he asked, noticing the thoughtful expression on her face.

Ningning nodded slowly, but her usual brightness had dimmed. “Yeah, just... I guess I’m feeling a little homesick again. It comes and goes, you know?”

Y/n felt a pang of sympathy. He knew how hard it was for the girls (especially Ningning and Giselle) to be away from their families, especially with their demanding schedules. “I get it. It’s tough. But we're here for you.”

Ningning smiled softly, her eyes a little misty. “Yeah, I know. You guys are the best. But sometimes I miss the little things—like my mom’s cooking or just lounging around at home, not having to worry about schedules and performances.”

Y/n nodded. “I think everyone misses home sometimes. It doesn’t go away, but I guess that’s what makes coming back to it even better when you do.”

“…it’s weird that you do make sense from time to time.”

“I am not that big of an idiot.” Y/n nudged. “But if you miss your mom’s cooking, ask her the recipe of any dish and I’ll try to learn it.”

“Really?” Ningning’s hope went off the roof. “Is that ok?”

“Mhm” Y/n patted her head. “I am your manager, at least, and I’ll be your brother, at most.”

Ningning leaned her head on Y/n’s shoulder, her voice small. “Thanks, Y/n-oppa. For everything. Today was fun.”

He smiled, resting his head against hers. "…this will DEFINITELY be on Dispatch tomorrow."

"Aish, shush it. I'm tired, oppa" Ningning accepted that she will never escape from Y/n's annoying retort.

Y/n chuckled. “Anytime, Ning. You deserve it.”

They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the quiet moment as the city buzzed around them. Eventually, Ningning perked up again, a mischievous glint back in her eyes.

“Oh, and by the way,” she said with a smirk, “don’t think I’ve forgotten about Mindoogie. You know she’s going to be extra nosy when we get back, right?”

Y/n groaned. “Can we not?”

“Nope,” Ningning giggled, standing up and stretching. “It’s too much fun watching you squirm.”

As they made their way back to the dorm, Y/n couldn't help but wonder if Ningning had a point about Winter. The thought lingered in his mind, but for now, he was just happy that Ningning was back to her usual self. And if teasing him about Winter made her day a little better, then he could live with that—for now.

[bunnybird-afk]

i actually have a few ideas in mind for a modern au for the graveborns :D

Niru

• A military doctor (based on his lore) that constantly works day in and day out, becoming the dad who went to get the milk (body counts) to the point where he just sleeps at the hospital if so desired.

• He's also obsessed with the anatomies of a human body to the point where he had intrusive thoughts of wanting to.. 'inspect' on it more

Viperian

• Goes by Victor in this AU, a college professor who teaches biology/chemistry for foundation students, you could say that he's very great at explaining the concepts as he goes VERY into details, which makes him one of the profs that the students go for if they have any questions, despite his creepy appearance

• Little did they know that he has been having a secret past time of kidnapping people and experiments on them at midnight... (He also does this with Niru when they got the time, theyre practically besties)

Cecia

• An opera singer (based on her beta lore) that went viral on socials due to her beautiful voice and pretty appearance, guys and gals would be head over heels for her, if she were to be in any opera stages, tickets would sold out quickly

• Though, she's kinda a brat, she's too arrogant to the point where she would mistreat her butler, Mr. Carlyle (not that he mind, he's devoted to her) and takes her fans for granted

Ludovic

• Rich man in Whiteridge, holding a high title as he owns the place, fancy clothed, looks very serious and stern, with a hint of sadness in his eyes

• Though that sadness goes away when you see him painting a very beautiful landscape or portrait based on his self-grown flower field and his family... He looks the happiest in there. He would also give flowers occasionally to his people! Ah, such a great heart at a young age

(Also he's the type of person to watch a streamer/hear music while painting I don't make the rules)

Igor

• Works as a daycare attendant (and a good one at that) since he likes to play with children, the other workers there said that he has a himbo energy when they met him, his mind may be empty but his care for the children is very devoted. Their first impression of him is quite different though,,, (they crapped themselves seeing him because of how ridiculously tall he is + he has a menacing look)

• At night I'd imagine he'd become a faceless streamer (based on Ranboo), where he'd engage in horror content and silly goofy games, might also chat about funny things that happened during his life. (And yes his Vtuber is a zombie knight like in AFKJ. Again i dont make the rules)

Yeah that's all I could think off atm, i'll write the other characters if I got time

I love the idea of the graveborn nobles lowkey being from like, old money families. Especially Cecia, Thoran and Ludovic.

Also, if this was a mystery thriller/dating sim like the arcana, bodies going missing from morgues and hospitals would be one hell of a plot point. Especially if we work with @twilight-melodys lore about Hogan being a former FBI agent and Valen being his subordinate. Like imagine Hogan asking his old friend (former work partner?) for help investigating a case because he can't actually get involved in an official capacity but he trusts their abilities.

Cue Merlin and Valen investigating and realizing that this conspiracy goes way deeper than they initially thought. The local Forestry Department (the Wilders) reporting weird things happening to the local fauna, some Maulers going missing inexplicably, the local gang boss (Sonja) coming forward about what happened to her sister, and realizing the corruption that runs deep in the towns upper-class socialite society. You could go absolutely insane with this idea. At that point a romance sub-plot is probably the least of Merlin's worries (though personally I'm going a little feral over the idea of Valen in an FBI uniform).

Also, love the idea of Igor just minding his own damn business and not getting involved with all the drama. Hydrated (he's a gamer so probably not) , staying in his lane and thriving, as it should be.

[justsomekpopstuff]

seventeen as a baseball team - part 2

A/N: I have had so many thoughts recently, I just had to share!

part 1 | current masterlist | fic recs

team colors are white and serenity blue, and every now and again they get ones with rose quartz accents (its my au i'll do what I want)

their team mascot is something whimsical that has a cloud and diamond theme along with it

the whole team goes absolutely nuts the first time that center fielder!Dino gets voted into the All-Star Game

When they find out, they throw an absolute rager of a party in the locker room complete with champagne showers. When the All-Star game actually happens, instead of taking vacations, the entire team shows up to the game. All of them are wearing Dino's jersey, have their faces painted, and come equipped with horns and signs all cheering for him. It is the worlds most perfect Embarrassing Dad Cheering Section™️. Dino is bright red for the entire game because he can hear them from all the way across the stadium every time he takes the field.

third baseman!Wonwoo, on the other hand, despite being incredibly good, BEGS the fans to not vote him into the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby

He just really enjoys his time off...but alas, one year the fans absolutely do not listen, and he gets voted in with flying colors. He is, unfortunately, forced to go by catcher!Seungcheol. Despite not wanting to be there at all and tired all the time, Wonwoo ends up completely blowing the competition out of the water. In his final interview after winning the All-Star Game and receiving the MVP award, he begs the fans to never do it again.

the whole team holds a fun exhibition game every year during spring training where they all scrimmage against each other

The whole game gives major Savannah Bananas vibes, as well as that one kickball episode of GoSe. They have ridiculous rules like when the other team scores a point, the team on the field has to endure a "punishment" chosen by the fans. Inflatable costumes ARE used. Synchronized rehearsed dances are a must-have and they put their whole CHESTS into it. The fans love it and look forward to it every season.

right fielder!Joshua can always be seen playing catch in the outfield with some of the younger kid fans in the stands during warm-ups

He is very sweet with all of the younger fans, and has a reputation for always taking time to sign autographs and take silly selfies. He is, also, a chaos creator. He has absolutely stolen Red Vines from a child after making a catch that almost went into the stands.

starting pitcher!Woozi will deny it until his dying day, but he absolutely did cry the first time he threw a no-hitter

The whole team went absolutely nuts for him and stormed the field. Hoshi 1000% took pictures of Woozi crying. Woozi found out and threatened to absolutely kick Hoshi's ass if he ever showed those photos to another living soul. Hoshi listened.

first baseman!Mingyu has tripped running around second base more than anyone on the team...probably more than anyone in the league

There are multiple compilations each season of him tripping over second. He swears its an accident every time and that he does not trip over the base intentionally. The team places bets at the start of the official season for how many times he does it during the regular season. Winner gets all the cash pool and first pick of dugout snacks next season.

closing pitcher!Jeonghan has always been secretive about the reason why he wanted to become a closing pitcher

He will always say he wanted to be a closing pitcher because he loves the idea of being able to hold down the lead for the team, or give them opportunities to win. Jeonghan will swear that he likes being relied on and is good under pressure (which, to his credit, is technically true). However, the actual real reason he wanted to be a closing pitcher is so he wouldn’t have to run as much.

despite being injured, catcher!Seungcheol still attends every home game

He is usually sitting in the same place in the dugout, close to where the manager usually stands. Seungcheol, despite not being the manager, is absolutely yelling directions from his crutches in the dugout. The team will often listen to him better than their actual manager. The whole team is taking bets on whether or not Seungcheol will become a coach when he retires.

[justenjoythegossip]

THE DANGERS OF OVER-SELLING

The new Medium article and the one about the split…

We just got a new article by Medium about Chris titled: "Meeting your heroes..."  I wrote my thoughts about the previous Medium article that made quite the splash, if you want to check it out... https://www.tumblr.com/justenjoythegossip/742890431073992704/will-albas-immaturity-racism-and-alleged?source=share

But this new one takes the cake. Here is the link, if you want to check it out… https://medium.com/@elijaheros/meeting-your-heroes-b14db09791a4

Of course, the article starts by saying that, as a general rule, "you should never meet your hero". However, they paint Chris as the perfect exception to the rule as he "stands out as a shining example of integrity, compassion, and genuine kindness". The article ends with this: "sometimes, meeting your hero can be an experience that exceeds all expectations!"

Well, well, well... I am going to try be as kind and diplomatic as I can about this "article". 

I suspected the article detailing their split was a work of his PR/crisis Management team but that they tried to pass it as the work of a fan. The main goal was to give as much hype as possible to his appearance at the Con in Seattle which will be broadcasted live on YouTube. It seems all the clearer now after this piece that basically paints him as a saint...

The issues with that new Medium article…

I will say that Chris and his team seem totally oblivious to the issues they are facing at the moment and it looks like one more provocation. One too many in my opinion. If one thing has appeared clear in the last couple of years, it is that Chris lacks basic integrity. You don't kind of marry a fat-shaming, racist, anti-Semitic, Nazi sympathizing teenage looking woman for real or for PR purposes if you value morals and principles. You just don't. Of course, mods will tell you that Abba is pulling the strings, that he is blackmailed into doing this… They will come up with any excuse to make him look like a poor innocent victim, when it couldn’t be further from the truth. 

As for the picture that is painted here, it's very similar to the previous article about the split, it has little to no credibility. Why? Because it is SO over-the-top, it is absolutely ridiculous. Christopher’s Haven is making a comeback by the way. I was waiting for the line that said that Chris reads to the kids with cancer as they get their chemo but the "author" didn't cross that line. I wonder why they didn't, it would not look any more fake as it currently stands...

There are two main issues here. First of all, his team seems to fail to understand why Chris has received such a severe backlash from his fans. The reason for it is that the disconnect is far too great between the brand/persona he was selling to the public and his true self. Because, and I am sorry to write this, this man has lied to the public for the past decades about who he is. Whether he is in a purely PR relationship with Abba or whether they are really married, he is not who he has portrayed himself to be. He has lied!  The second issue here is that the article over-sells Chris, holding him to an impossible standard. How can he live up to that? He can’t. Especially not now…Nobody could.

The dangers of “over-selling”…

Over-selling tends to do more harm than good and it can have a negative impact, especially in the long run. It can raise serious doubts in the mind of fans who will no longer be able to trust the actor’s brand, especially when it is currently in crisis. When the trust is broken, it’s almost always impossible to get it back. Obviously false expectations can never be met. 

Why publish such an article even if it is passed as a work of fiction by an adoring fan? It does way more harm than good. And since his Con is allegedly sold-out, if it is supposed to help him get more views on Youtube, It seems desperate as hell. But this whole stunt has looked desperate. Ridiculous, lame, cringe, tedious, unimaginative, corrupt and desperate.

[moodywyrm]

basketball!abby, or just abby in general really, is such a golden retriever masc stereotype. and she loves it! she completely embraces just following you around like a lost puppy with love in her eyes as you wander about a store or something. she wants to give you the world, and dammit she’s gonna try

she is such a golden retriever gf!!! with no shame!!! she will gladly let everyone know just how in love she is, because she thinks you're fucking incredible!!! she carries everything for you, is always opening doors for you, bringing u lil drinks n treats, following you around whenever you need to do anything. truly one of her favorite ways to spend time with you is to run errands with you. #1 target buddy, also really fucking loves going grocery shopping with you. it just makes her feel so domestic n cozy, going grocery shopping with her girl for food that will probably be made at her place bc you've basically moved in.

she is also just ,,, so distracted whenever you show up. I touched on this in another basketball! abby drabble, but you literally cannot show up to practice any sooner than 5 min before it's over, because she will get distracted. their coach literally had to ask that you refrain from showing up (or letting her see you) too early, because she needs abby focused. don't worry though, even her coach loves you <3 funnily enough, the same rule does not apply to games. ur her good luck charm, she literally needs you at games because she performs her best when you're supporting her. this also goes for any classes if you have them together (bookworm! reader hello?), she focuses better when you're next to her.

ur her rock dude!! she is your number one fan!! she is such a golden retriever it's ridiculous. literally like 90% of the time she's with you she has her lil :] smile on her face, you just make her so giddy.

oh also! not every reader is like this but I feel like abby would be such a good fit for the golden retriever x black cat relationship dynamic <3 her more quiet, kinda mean lil gf who only acts super soft with the people they love (like abby) is literally the light of her life <3

[johnandrasjaqobis]

okay time to actually make a proper post about this, hey u Neverafter fans, the season is over and was glorious and now. perhaps. you find yourself wanting more dungeons and dragons that delves into horror.

because come on, the death, the briars, the corruption, the chance for death at every turn, it's dope

may I then draw your attention to the Fool and Scholar podcast, d&d actual play, Dark Dice

Six travelers set out searching for a town's missing children. Their journey leads them into the ruinous domain of the Nameless God. Even if they do manage to return, they will never be the same.

like. holy shit my guys, Dark Dice is so good. Fool and Scholar has won a frankly insane number of podcast awards (including a fully Webby) for their shows, for everything from writing to music to sound design, and all of it shines in this podcast. Originally played as an ice breaker before the cast of another of their shows (The White Vault) met for a live performance, Dark Dice has taken on a life of its own and it is a masterpiece.

Travis, the DM/sound designer, edits the actual table recordings extensively to cut down on the slow moments (especially in combat) of doing math or rule clarifying for the new players, but leaves in the little bits of ridiculous table talk that can't be avoided even in a horror campaign. All npcs are fully voiced by other actors, longer bits of dialogue are sometimes rerecorded for better clarity, but the whole story is just as the game was played and it makes the show straddle the line between actual play and just a full on audio drama.

And as I said. good lord, this is a horror campaign.

There is not, I will note, nearly quite the levity that D20 brings, though imo that does make the jokes and ongoing bits all the funnier. The stakes are high -- higher than the characters have any concept of at the start -- and death is a very real threat at all times. Travis made his own critical hit chart to roll on that can have devastating consequences (because you might get an even better hit than you expected on an enemy with a roll, but they can also just as easily crit against you), there's a stress mechanic similar to Call of Chtulhu's that can steadily make the DM an unreliable narrator, have a character questioning what they're really seeing, even turning on the party, etc etc

anyway. Dark Dice is incredible. content warnings are included (and should be minded) at the end of every episode description wherever you happen to find the podcast. They have free transcripts for every episode on their Patreon. Jeff Goldblum (yes that Jeff Goldblum) plays with them in season 2 because Travis decided on a whim to write a nice email and then people just kept not telling him no.

Get your next horror dnd fix. Meet the absolute asshole that is The Silent One. Give Dark Dice a shot.

(and if you are perhaps into the idea of running this game yourself well, Domain of the Nameless God is currently under a revamp but should be available again soon, I have run it two times now -- two and a half if you include the speedrun that was absolute chaos -- and it is a deep and heartbreaking and immersive story to subject your table to)

[quietbluejay]

Horus Rising 12

oh yeah fun thing about the interex i'd forgotten they're followed everywhere by music

the kinebranch follow them around everywhere playing accompaniment wait no, i think the meturge players are human they're just modified also interesting point about the weapons they use

i.e. the ones that work best on daemons this is a funny moment because it feels like we're meeting the protagonists of a completely different story oh we're doing a flashback of the first meeting abnett's really a fan of jumping around time-wise huh he makes it work though

Shehn hms a bit

jazz hands the full reveal of why, exactly, Abaddon and the others are so set on war

so the kinebranch have been an interstellar civilization for 15000 years

that's a while oh yeah i remember this kind of depressing that this is the more moral option as compared to the imperium

so, what lessons did the interex humans take from this war?

abaddon is very uncomfy abaddon: sometimes communication is not enough "in our experience, most xenos types are wilfully hostile" lmao Shehn tells the story of the megarachnid "advanced but not sentient in a way we could understand" they exist only to reproduce and develop territory so they went to war with them and then gathered up the survivors and dumped them on the murder planet

yes that did in fact happen Horus did just apologize! abaddon is NOT happy ranting and raving also abnett here banging on pots and pans "DO YOU GET IT THE IMPERIUM IS NOT JUSTIFIED IN THEIR XENOCIDES"

lmao 1. torgaddon is a gem as usual 2. yeah because you tried killing them all 3. yeah im not surprised it's loken pulling this trap card on abaddon, mr. hangs out with the iterators

so the meetings with the envoys last over several days

eventually they decide to call a summit on an interex world

Horus also has other problems

Lion Lion wants to talk to him I really wonder if we ever found out what that was about

"there was now a vast body of bureaucratic material relayed by the Council of Terra that required the Warmaster's direct attention" that he had been putting off lmaooo

im in physical pain now imagining lion as warmaster imagine that like emperor and malcador get extremely drunk on warp juice and name lion warmaster by the time they wake up with hangovers, it's too late horus and sanguinius are running around trying to put out the fires, guilliman is just chilling in ultramar like "Yikes ™️ but nothing to do with me"

oh there's more people here arriving too on the imperium's side the alpha legion???

l m a o Horus: Alpharius is dreaming in technicolour Horus: this is crazy I can't commit myself to this! also unfortunately Malcador sent administrators

rathbone: the imperium needs to start supporting itself horus: are you seriously expecting a place that's in wreckage from the war to START PAYING YOU TAXES??? he said it a lot nicer and more diplomatically than i put it lol

horus: the conquered worlds are rebuilding, they can't deal with a tax burden at this time rathbone: the emperor demands it horus: did he. did he really.

after she swishes out lol, Horus speaks Horus: you know I used to think it would be the Eldar who overthrew us. Sometimes I've thought the Orks. Horus: but no. I was wrong. It's going to be tax collectors. somewhere out there, Huron is nodding karkasy is also writing sardonic poetry about tax collectors

yeah so this is where the whole "rule by the people who conquered the galaxy rather than civilians" came from surprisingly more reasonable a beginning than you'd think Horus thinks this could trigger civil war in some regions so he's going to have to keep these guys busy with ridiculous amounts of material that they are required to read to figure out tribute levels etc it's only going to be a delay lol anyways im sure this won't go wrong and i'm a little sorry this plot thread basically vanished into the aether

Sanguinius sniggers a lot in this book, huh

oh yeah Erebus is here now! "a sombre, serious figure"

lol lmao it's something to read after reading multiple books consecutively having characters dunk on Erebus

so Erebus has been helping out as an advisor since he got here since he's just such a great guy everyone admires him oh it's the loken-lucius duel coming up

huh he's actually good, i forgot about that loken thinks lucius is childish which, true lucius fights erebus first, it lasts 16 minutes wild the mournival heckle the entire time lol loken is like "you're all crazy i don't want to fight these guys" but he's in

honestly loken handled that well

the conference is going to be held on a planet named Xenobia not a bad reference lol we get some nice description of the area the city they're having it in is surrounded by rainforest

fun some of the remembrancers are coming too Loken figures Horus is trying to make a better first impression on the interex by showing he's not just about war honestly aside from the jungle i really get Italian vibes from the city description just really reminds me of some places in Tuscany I've seen well that plus some of the names there's a big parade which impresses the imperials

you all know what's coming well aximand figures that the interex are mocking them with a museum of weapons

sindermann: how does that work naud: we just don't know sindermann: so maybe like…a curse? (the ominous music in the background becomes diegetic) (the aria, lol) naud:…sure. a curse. sindermann to loken: do i detect some pagan superstition

let's timeskip forwards two weeks there is still no agreement so Horus is dealing with, what do you do when you get told politely "no, we don't want to join you, but we don't want to be enemies" the usual suspects have the usual opinions abaddon: since when have we cared about hurting people's feelings? (zero paraphrasing, actual quote) meanwhile Horus says they can't afford to have a war here

ooooooo

Sanguinius: hahahaha why are you looking like that hahaha Horus definitely isn't going to defy the Emperor his father hahaha everything is fine i know i'm quoting a lot of this bit but I feel like this is relevant given…certain arguments

yeah Horus: the Emperor made me his regent Horus: and all of that was born out of the Age of Strife when we were surrounded by enemies Horus: if the Emperor were here with us today he would immediately embrace the need for adaptation

honestly…thinking back…would the Emperor have gotten mad at Horus it's hard to know, as has been discussed elsewhere, he reacts very arbitrarily like there was zero reaction to Curze nearly killing Dorn for example I think tbh he wouldn't actually get mad at Horus but he wouldn't tell him good job, and he'd probably renege on any alliance made with the interex and try to gobble them up later

friend: I feel like the Emperor would get mad at Horus, but not for going against his laws, for but having independent thoughts Same reaction, different underlying reason

that's a good point yeah it's also true that Horus was one of the primarchs the Emperor was actually invested in well those being Horus, Russ, kinda Magnus

[fireangelsstuff-inactive-2024]

The man is near broke, that is why he is in this sht. He got his own self into it by spending too much, taking care of too many people and trusting the wrong people to handle the money. This is what happens when you let others go unchecked and run your life. It’s CAA, his family and his friends who all had a hand in getting him into this mess. He was and still is in debt up to his neck and creditors were about to take him to court, and part of his private life would have been open to the public which he did not want, that is when this hairbrained idea was presented to him and he was so desperate for money he took it. Since then he has tried getting out of the contract but the only way to break it is to pay up and he can’t. He’s selling off his stuff for a reason. It’s not because he wants to or because of his crazy ass fans. The man is trying to save his ass from public humiliation from being sued and bankruptcy. Let this be a lesson don’t let other people control your money or your life. The man doesn’t even know how to pay his own bills that’s how bad it is. And that’s why he’s broke. His family and others took advantage and now he’s paying the price. If he had the money that trash wannabe porn star would be long gone out of his life, but he doesn’t have the money to get rid of her so he has to honor the contract which is not over by far. He honors it by letting them do the fake sightings so he really doesn’t have to be near her. But come premiere time, you will see them together again because he doesn’t have any money to end the sht. This has always been about money, no more and no less. They are not married. They do not even like each other. It’s just for money.

Hello anon,

For once I am in complete agreement with someone

How the fuck did that happen? 🤣🤣🤣

Here's the thing:

I don't understand why these people don't run themselves as a business better

Even I do it and its ridiculously easy

Register your business

Go with Limited Liability, be the sole shareholder

Have all income invoiced and paid to your business

You should be registered as an active NFE, don't go registering for anything extra until you have done your homework on what you can claim etc (seek advice from an accountant for this as rules can be different in different countries)

Set aside your calculated business tax or GST or whatever into a savings account where it earns you free interest until your bill is due

Pay yourself a minimal shareholders stipend to reduce your personal tax rate but set aside your estimated tax in a business savings account to earn you interest

Have the business pay for your phone, accommodation, internet, heck you can lease the office space in your own house back to yourself as a reimbursement if you have a dedicated home office or ever use any part of it for work

By being a business you have more time to pay your tax bills and therefore can keep the money in your own business accounts even longer earning your business even more interest, free shit is free shit

Anything done for work is a business expense and the business pays for it; travel, accommodation, clothes, fuel, consumables, props, decor, meals etc etc

As a business if anyone doesn't pay their invoices on time you can end them to debt collection and fuck with their credit rating

Keep in mind that your overall business tax rate will depend on the threshold based on total turnover so its good to have your business pay for ALL work expenses to offset this

Figure out what you can claim back

It protects your finances a lot better and your business will earn the interest instead of the fucking government

Put the shit you own personally into trusts, you do not need to stipulate any children as beneficiaries of a trust as your Will can do that for you

All hail the accounting overlords

(This is how the 1% pull it off, they hide their money in businesses they own and wait until it's useful or convenient to pay themselves more)

[shift-shaping]

What are your top ten video games?

Tagged by: @ellana-lavellan-rp (thank you :D)

Tagging: @veshialles @keturagh (pick which ones are least bad ig) @mallk-z @dreadfutures @redinkofshame @inner-muse @skiitter @storm-of-feathers @dreadwxlf @drakonovisny @little-lightning-lavellan @kirstinetheartist @first-flower-of-my-house @sugarspunquill @disasterdrvid and anyone else that wants to!

I am going to enforce a rule on myself of only one game per series. In no particular order, and based on how I am right now currently feeling:

1. Pokemon Insurgence - Cringy, edgy, and over-the-top in the best way while also delivering a challenging and genuinely very fun experience. I love the canon Pokemon games, but a good fangame can really bring out the best of the series while catering to longtime fans and Insurgence does just that. My Insurgence team is still the one I remember best out of all of my Pokemon teams. Cannot recommend enough if you can handle a little "i'm twelve and this is deep" writing. It's ridiculously fun.

2. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - Everything about this game is beautiful and haunting and it fundamentally changed me as a person. The world it creates is one of profound isolation while the characters and themes emphasize the importance of connection and hope. Everything I have ever written carries some of its DNA. It is also a kind of boring hack n' slash dungeon crawler with a lackluster remake and a really annoying difficulty curve in the endgame. i never successfully played it in multiplayer as intended because i did not have any friends. It also made me bisexual.

3. Hades - Extremely fun and challenging with fabulously tactile and energetic gameplay. If you have not played Hades, you really should. Also Megaera is there. 4. Stardew Valley - everything you could want in a farming sim, especially with its excellent mod support. My only issue is: where does everyone poop?? 5. Skyrim - Obviously. if you think skyrim is bad you are kidding yourself. skyrim is the most video game of all time.

6. Dragon Age Inquisition - even more obviously. The apex of the series, though it is far from perfect, especially in its pacing/story construction. Still, Origins has its pacing issues too, and Inquisition has much better/more fun gameplay. I will not argue on this. Block me if you disagree i guess. Bad hair though. 7. Subnautica - Stunningly beautiful and terrifying, even on the goddamn Switch where it barely runs. I put so many hours into it on creative mode that I broke my save and had to send it to the devs to fix. They never did get back to me... 8. Disco Elysium - hnnnnngggggghhhhnggggn it's so good you guys it's sooo good it's so fucking good guys it's soo gooooood

9. Fire Emblem Three Houses - i love these stupid anime kids so much. i love big titty byleth. this game is so bad. i think about it daily. do not play this game 10. Animal Crossing New Horizons - just a lovely little game. being able to customize your entire island is A++++, enough so that i'm willing to forgive how many features it is straight up missing and how bland the dialogue gets.

Honorable mention: Wingspan - BIRDS AAAAAAAAAAAA

[shipcestuous-two]

A bit of news from Italy that I think you and your followers might find funny, or at least interesting.

So, in 2017 young writer Erin Doom posts her original story Fabbricante di Lacrime (I think the title it eventually got in English was... Tear-Smith? The Tearsmith? Something like that) on the Italian side of Wattpad. The story is a success with her audience, so eventually, in 2020, she pulls it from there and self-publishes it on Amazon. Big, important Italian publishing house Salani hears about its success and decides to publish a new edition in 2021. The book tops best-sellers charts in Italy and becomes a bit of a media sensation, both for its number of young female fans and its history, but also due to Erin Doom's attempts to avoid the limelight (iirc, as of now she's done only one major interview on a famous talk show), until in 2024, Fabbricante di Lacrime gets a movie adaptation to Netflix, starring two young and relatively unknown actors (one of them, iirc, on his first filming experience as he's mainly a model and rapper) in the roles of the two leads.

In between all this, though I'm not as sure of the timeline here, Italian BookTube notices the book. Two Youtubers best known for their hilarious reviews of terribly-written books, in particular, both choose to review it and, in doing so, put it on the map, so to say, in Italian social media, sparking both conversation and memes about it. When the movie comes out, at least one of these Youtubers (afaik) is pestered with requests to review it by his followers, and eventually agrees after posting a reaction to the trailer. After that, reviews, commentaries, and even parodies of the movie by other Youtubers start to appear. Some more serious, criticizing the way the movie handles some very serious topics in half-assed ways and the messages it may send to young audiences, and some just making fun of the cringy dialogues, general lack of logic in the plot, and the attempts to make the story look like it's set in the US because that's "cooler" when Erin Doom simply put an "American high school show about transgressive troubled teens" coat of paint with the occasional dash of pseudo-"Gothic" England over something that might as well have just been set in Italy and then the movie made that effect even worse by having most of the actors have thick Italian regional accents that instantly ruined any "exotic" atmosphere.

Now, why am I telling you all of this? Because the book and movie that sparked such conversation are about a romance between adoptive siblings.

Here's what I remember of the plot (I'd like to point out that most critiques of the story do have a point, as it is absolutely a confusing mess, so might be missing something or forgetting some stuff that wasn't as ridiculous as the rest): Nica loses her parents as a small child and is sent to an orphanage that might as well be some kind of Victorian workhouse, run by the tyrannical Margaret, who doesn't even allow the children to keep any of the personal objects they might have when coming to the orphanage and subjects them to terrifying punishments if they break any of her awfully strict rules even on accident. There, she meets Rigel, Margaret's favorite and her enforcer, who seems to immediately just hate her and spends the next years picking on her and bullying her.

Fast-forward: Nica and Rigel are now seventeen, and Nica is finally about to be adopted by a nice couple. But just as they're about to take Nica home with them, they hear someone playing the piano in another room... that's Rigel, and the couple is so impressed with his talent that decide to adopt him, too. Nica is understandably very anxious about this, fearing that Rigel will make even her new life hell, but he threatens her, claiming that if they don't think the two of them can get along like a real family, they'll just send them both back. Nica is angry and upset with him and compares him to the villain of a fairy tell the orphans used to tell each other, where once upon a time, in a town far away, everyone lived happy and peaceful lives, free of any pain of sorrow, until one day the Tearsmith forged crystal tears and put them in everyone's eyes, thus making them able to cry. (I'm mostly including this to explain the seemingly nonsensical title. This fairy tale doesn't actually have much weight in the story beside Rigel turning it on Nica and telling her "no... YOU are my Tearsmith" at one point. It doesn't even have a real meaning. Is it a kind of Fall from Grace thing, with humanity losing its innocence because of the Tearsmith? Or is the Tearsmith a misunderstood hero, because you can't have true, meaningful without also know what it's like to suffer? Who knows! The whole thing is kind of put aside anyway for another, somewhat clearer fairy tale reference, comparing Rigel to a wolf to say that, like wolves are just animals and not inherently evil but fairy tales always cast them as the villains, Rigel himself isn't evil but felt he had to embrace a role that was imposed on him... even if, tbf, even this is ruined a bit by Rigel calling Nica "moth", because she's named after a kind of butterfly, instead of continuing the comparison by calling her "little lamb" or "Little Red Riding Hood" or anything else a little more more fairy tale.)

Nica tries to make friends at school, and succeeds to an extent, but she's naive and sheltered and kind of a fish out of water. This attracts the attention of Lionel, a seemingly very nice boy who starts shyly hitting on her. Nica is unsure but sort of just goes with it, until she finds out Rigel has beaten up and threatened Lionel, telling him to stay away from her. Rigel won't tell her why he did that, and Lionel is determined not to let himself by intimidated, even as tries asking Nica to tell her "brother" to leave him alone. Meanwhile, Rigel flirts with Nica right in front of their oblivious adoptive parents to make her uncomfortable, as well as doing stuff like getting all up in her space and grabbing her wrists and whatnot in private, but he's still emotionally distant and aggressive, even forbidding her from ever coming into her room.

Obviously, that doesn't hold. Her adoptive mother tells her to bring him his clothes she's just washed and she walks in right as he's taking off his shirt. She catches him brooding and soulfully playing the piano one evening when the parents are out and then all of a sudden he has a fever and she has to drag him to his bed and take off his shirt again to make sure he doesn't overheat, but being ill apparently makes him vulnerable and needy so instead of kicking her out after that, he asks her to lie down with him and cuddles up to her so that their parents almost find them in a compromising position. And other stuff like that, until Nica convinces herself that Rigel is really just a poor misunderstood little meow meow (even if he's not actually treating her any better when he's lucid) and buys him a birthday gift despite him telling her he didn't want one... even if Lionel accidentally bumps into her, causes her to drop the gift and break it, and then gets super jealous when she' gets upset over that and is all like "I thought you didn't even like your violent asshole brother!?"

Then, various drama. The adoptive parents throw Rigel a birthday party and for some reason invite both a "family friend," who turns out to be actually the girlfriend of their secret and recently dead son, and a friend of both Nica and Rigel from the orphanage. The dead son's girlfriend rightfully calls out the adoptive parents both on trying to bury the memory of her boyfriend and replace him with some new kids without even disclosing anything about it to them and also on randomly picking up random orphans like there's a special offer at the supermarket, but is made to look like her own pain is making her totally unreasonable. The friend from the orphanage takes Rigel aside and tries to make him admit that he only ever bullied Nica because he's been in love with her since they were little children, but he says that he can't allow her to fall in love with her (which is why he can't treat her with basic kindness, I guess), then tries to convince Nica to be a witness in a trial that will be held against Margaret because to many of the orphans are afraid to speak up on the abuse they suffered, but Nica wants to put it all behind herself, so she refuses. The school both Nica and Rigel go to organizes this annual event where girls have to keep their lockers open so their secret admirers can sneak in a rose to declare their feelings, so Rigel puts a black rose in Nica's, but then Nica's friend who's a little bit goth tells her that black roses mean an unhealthy, obsessive love, so Nica figures it out and literally runs out of the school and goes home to confront Rigel (who, it seems, had a free day despite also briefly coming in to leave the rose?) about it, and while he denies everything, she kinda tries to push herself on HIM for once and he seems into that, but naturally the parents come home just then so they have to stop and leave the whole thing hanging and unresolved.

After all that, Nica accepts to go out with Lionel, but he's fed up with how she seems to care more about her brother (yep, he keeps calling him that!) than about him so he tries to rape her. Luckily, Rigel comes to the rescue, but Lionel isn't done yet and, before running away with his tail between his legs, he tells them that he's figured out what's going on between them and that he's gonna tell everyone, including their parents, that they're both brother and sister and lovers. Nica, shaken by what's just happened, has /consensual) sex with Rigel.

Finally, some time later, Lionel tries to run both Nica and Rigel over with his car and, to save themselves, they have to jump out of the way and into the river. Nica's fine, but Rigel need to be taken to the hospital, where the doctors inform her and their parents that he has some vague neurological problem (which is why he had that fever that made him half-delirious in the first place) and the fall put him in a coma. Nica is devastated, and so are the parents, but they explain that for them the situation is even worse because Rigel's just rejected his adoption as it was about to be finalized so now they don't know how to handle everything that's just happened. Nica figures out that Rigel only did that to make her happy (or protect her, or whatever) and that he was willing to go back to the orphanage fro her sake, so she calls her friend who wanted to get her to be a witness in Margaret's trial and tells her she's in.

On the day of the trial, Nica is asked to give her version of the events and, instead of giving an account of the suffering and humiliations SHE was put through, she talks about how Margaret actually hurt Rigel the most. The defense argues that what she's saying can't be true, because if Rigel refused to be adopted by a perfectly decent couple, than that means he loves Margaret and sees him as his true mother, which in turn means she can't be that bad. Nica replies that, by singling out Rigel as her favorite, Margaret actually isolated him from the other children and taught him that he was a mother like her, which was really the greatest torture of them all, because he never learned how to love. Her speech is so moving that everyone stands up and starts clapping (no, I'm not joking) and Nica tirumphantly runs to the hospital to tell Rigel they won. (No, the trial isn't actually over and no verdict has yet been given.)

Rigel suddenly wakes up, obviously. And, because they aren't technically brother and sister anymore (no, there's no thought spared to whether Rigel will stay with Nica and her adoptive family, be adopted by someone else, or be placed in a foster home for a year until he ages out of the system, since it's apparently a given that Margaret will end in jail and the orphanage will be closed for good) they kiss without worrying about anyone seeing them, at last.

And... that's it really. But, I suppose, at least for some of Erin Doom's young fans, it might be Baby's First (Pseudo-)Incest. Maybe they'll move on to, say, the Italian dub of Marmalade Boy next. And who knows where they'll go from there...

In the meantime, I'll just be eternally amused that we got an adoptive brosis YA best-seller!

Thank you for laying out the entire story so that we have all the info. I'm going to check out the movie. I'll either find the angst unbearable or I'll love it.

I'm thrilled to hear that an adoptive sibling romance was so popular! And Erin Doom has quite the success story, from Wattpad to Netflix adaptation! It's inspiring, really.

[astronomodome]

what is blaseball

Ok so first of all thank you for sending in this ask because it gives me an opportunity to infodump about something that's really important to me... Blaseball! There's no way I can fully explain the game or what it meant to people but I can absolutely try!

Now, you may ask (and you did), what is Blaseball? Blaseball (with an L) was an absurdist eldritch horror online baseball simulator hosted at blaseball.com. Each week, 24 teams with names like the Canada Moist Talkers or the Atlantis Georgias consisting of simulated players with names like Brisket Friendo or Jessica Telephone would play game after game for the enjoyment of fans, who mainly gathered on discord to watch and cheer on their team together. Fan interaction consisted of betting on games and using the currency (peanuts) gathered to vote in elections at the end of each week, which determined new rules and game mechanics to add into the simulation.

Eventually, several godlike entities (including a giant peanut, a capitalist coin, and a friendly squid known as the Hall Monitor) would make themselves known and add commentary in between games, try to get the fans to pick a certain option, threaten the audience for picking the 'wrong' option, and so on. Meanwhile, fans would regularly screw with the system as much as they could, finding weird ways to bend the game to their advantage and creating ridiculous scenarios.

One of the most iconic events from the early seasons of Blaseball involved working around the mechanic of Incineration, in which players could randomly get Incinerated by rogue umpires during games and sent to the Hall of Flame, where they were 'killed' and unable to play. The fans were able to manipulate a Blessing (a type of vote during an Election) that would send the #14 most liked player in the Hall of Fame (distinct from the Hall of Flame, fans could give peanuts to players to rank them higher) to the team that won the Blessing. Fans carefully maneuvered Jaylen Hotdogfingers, the first player to be Incinerated, into the #14 spot. When the Election was over, Jaylen was pulled out of the Hall of Flame and back into the game... with the tragic consequence that they now had a 'debt' modifier on them that would make players who played against them more likely to be Incinerated themselves. I don't know, Balseball is weird. But it's this weirdness that made it so much fun.

The fan space of Blaseball was hugely creative, mostly because the site itself was very minimalist and there wasn't much information canonically available about the players. Thus, fans were able to pretty much build their favorite characters to be whatever they want, and they did so. Every team in Blaseball is its own subcommunity with traditions and extensive fanon of its own, and that is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in a fandom space, honestly. I highly highly recommend checking out the fan-run wiki for just a glimpse at the absolutely massive amount of fan lore that the community came up with. It's this that truly made Blaseball the cultural phenomenon that it was and I'm proud to say that it inspired my art and my creative process in huge ways.

Now, you might be wondering why I've been referring to Blaseball in the past tense. Well... despite regular dev updates since the ending of the second 'Era' (story arc, basically) and a faltering attempt at starting a third, on June 2, 2023, the dev team suddenly announced that it would be shutting Blaseball down permanently, citing financial issues. This came as a shock to fans, who had been keeping the fandom alive on discord and elsewhere for months with no sign of anything too bad from the dev side of things. We were given a few hours' notice to say goodbye before the discord was archived. It was a really difficult time for a lot of us to see the foundation of a whole community just kind of vanish into the wind, but many folks carried on in their own side discords and on tumblr and twitter where regular fan spaces are. I was pretty far from fan spaces by that time, but the news still affected me a lot. I think it's super important that I keep its spirit alive in the best way I know how: by talking about it and being annoying on tumblr.com. I hope I can keep its spirit alive in everything I create. :)

A few more things that anyone interested in Blaseball and its legacy should definitely check out:

@waveridden's google doc A Brief History of Blaseball, which explains the details of Blaseball much better than I ever could in an easy-to-understand way.

The official Blaseball Recap, in which a put-upon Anchor gives a chaotic summary of the events of Blaseball and gets progressively less sane in the process. Genuinely a fun watch even if you don't care about the rest of Blaseball.

The Garages, an incredible band (idk their genre they just do what they want and thats based) composed of Blaseball fans who sing songs about it. Genuinely really really good. You don't need to know about Blaseball to listen to them but it does make things make more sense. I have an art project that's almost done that is in reference to their music so look out for that also. :P

[0perfectimperfections0]

Just Like Us: Part 4

The deal was that he had to get through this lesson first. Everything had to go as normal so the robots wouldn't think anything differently. Moxy and the others swore to stay in the office and not cause a commotion.

It was a good thing he had predetermined that the students would be doing written tests. He could hardly focus on anything other than the fact that he was harboring fugitives in his office. The robots had full access to his office -- privacy wasn't allowed when it concerned him. They monitored nearly every second of his waking moment.

"Fill out the papers within half an hour. If it takes you longer than that, something's wrong." Lou had his arms folded behind his back, walking along in front of the desks. "Don't know an answer--skip it. Everything should be common sense." His eyes caught one of the robots in the distance headed toward the mansion. Lou looked toward the stage. Another robot was staring dead at him. He straightened and tried to appear indifferent. "Timer starts now."

<><><>

"Huh," Luckybat was looking through the shelves of books. There was one placed solitary from the others. It was huge. He hopped up on the stepstool and pulled it down. The weight of it nearly toppled him over, but he managed to steady himself. Setting it on the ground, he read aloud the title: "Prototype Rulebook?" He flipped through a few pages. Rules after rules. The others wandered over to peer over the pages. "Rule #1: All dolls are allowed to run the Gauntlet, excluding the prototype."

"Prototype?" Moxy echoed. "What's that?"

Lucky answered as he kept skimming over the rules. "It's like...something that's a trial run, of sorts. Like the original that the rest are based on." His wing hovered underneath another rule. "Rule #10: Prototype must not allow any dolls who do not meet the company's standards to go to the Big World. They must...be recycled."

Ox frowned, nudging Lucky to the side so he could read it for himself. "This...This is Lou's rulebook. He's a prototype." He flipped back to rule number one, rereading it. "That's why he didn't pass the Gauntlet."

"And whoever gave him this book isn't a fan of us, apparently. Or anything ugly," Wage noted dryly.

Ox skimmed a few other rules, his distaste growing more defined on his face. "Rule #15: Prototype must remain in perfect condition always to uphold company standards. Failure to do so will result in punishment." He narrowed his eye down to another rule, "Number 20: Prototype must not engage with other dolls beyond teaching. Failure to do so will result in punishment." The bunny shakily flipped through the plethora of pages. "Result in punishment...result in punishment...punishment...punishment...it's...i-it's nothin' but rules and punishments."

"Punishment like what?" Moxy wrung her hands together.

"It doesn't say," Ox shook his head, flipping to the back of the book to see if there were any answers. He skimmed over the last few rules: "Prototype is not allowed to go to the Big World. All included in that are forbidden as well. Any sign of an attempt to leave will result in punishment...Rule #346: Prototype will be monitored by the installed chip. Any attempt to remove this chip will be fatal. Do not attempt. Failure to heed to this rule will result in punishment if still sentient." He couldn't read anymore. It was putting a nauseating knot in his stomach. He stepped away from the book, brushing a paw over his ears.

Luckybat kept reading some of the rules while they talked. Moxy glared down at the book. "So, all of that before...the training, the recycling, everything...that was because of this book? All these ridiculous rules he has to follow?"

"Who even made this book?" Wage tilted the front part up while Lucky read. "And how'd they even manage to think up so many rules?"

"Guys," Lucky got their attention. "Look at this last rule. Number 350: Prototype is not able to pass through the portal. Attempt is futile. Failure to heed this rule will result in punishment."

<><><>

His fingers tapped against his wrist anxiously as he stood on stage. The students had about ten minutes left, and the robot headed toward the mansion had disappeared into the building. He was praying that it wasn't headed to his office. The other robot was still staring him down.

Eight minutes...

He clapped his hands together loudly, startling the students. "Early dismissal! Whatever you have on your tests will have to be turned in as is. The Big World doesn't give you time and neither will I." They trudged over and handed in their papers nervously. Lou barely looked them over. He straightened them out and placed them in his folder. The robot stood before him as he turned to leave.

"Lessons must take the allotted time."

"I'm aware, thank you. This won't happen again." It better not. Lou slid past the robot and -- as nonchalantly as possible -- walked briskly to his office. Hopefully the office door was locked. But the robots have a key...maybe the dolls hid? Would they know to hide? They weren't too good at hiding during the Gauntlet. They were far too loud and boisterous to stay secret.

His heart seemed to overcome the soft clicks of his shoes down the hall. There was no one at his door, which was a good sign. Hand on the knob and taking in a breath, he let out one final prayer before opening the door.

It was locked.

Lou blinked and turned the knob more forcefully. Panic began rising in him--

"What's the password?" A voice came from the other side of the door.

Lou's eyes twitched. Of course the little sock puppet would do this. He forced his heart rate to slow down. "What password?"

"The secret one, duh." Moxy even sounded like she was rolling her eyes.

"Its me, idiot. Now let me in."

"How do I know it's you?"

"Because who else would it be!?"

"I don't like your tone!"

Some rustled on the other side. "Moxy, please, just open the door for Doll's sake." There was a clock and Ox appeared on the other side. Lou slid in, shutting the door with his back. "You're early."

So the little bunny hadn't forgotten Lou's schedule. Fascinating. "I saw one of the robots head toward this building."

"Aw, you were worried?" Wage crossed her arms with a sneer.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'd just hate to waste all the trouble you've caused me because you all can't keep your mouths shut." His eyes met Moxy's. She was glaring up at him, water brimming her eyes. "What?"

"I'm sick of you lying to us," her voice was strained.

Lou blinked. "I'm not lying! I ended class early--"

"About the stupid portal, Lou!" Her hands were fisted by her sides. "You know you can't get through and yet you told us you would! You told ME that you'd be coming and you lied!"

Lou was speechless for a moment. "Look, I don't know where you got that from, but--"

"From your huge rule book!" Moxy pointed to the hefty object laying on the floor. Lou stared at it with wide eyes. "What in the world is all of that? You're banned from doing anything! I'm surprised you're allowed to breathe! And what the heck are the punishments that's listed on every page!?"

He took a steady breath. "Look, Moxy, it's none of your concern. We need to focus on getting you all to the Big World."

"Forget the Big World!" She flared her arms out. "I'm not gonna walk through that portal to run away when THIS world needs to be fixed." He, for once, didn't have anything to say. "You promised me, Lou..."

Lou calmly walked up to her, kneeling down. She wasn't stupid enough to be blind to the tears forming in his eyes. "There's nothing that can be done. I was made to be here till the day I die. I've accepted it. That being said, YOU aren't bound by that rule book. You can leave. So do it. I...," His voice wavered for a moment, "would give a lot of things to be in your place. Don't waste that."

Moxy had tears streaming down her face. "So, what?" She whispered. "We just...leave and you stay here to do the same thing every day until you die? You really think I can live with myself if I let that happen?"

"There's nothing you can do to make it not happen, Moxy."

"You don't know that--"

"I've TRIED...everything. I've tried so many times to escape this place and each time I've failed. It's not meant for me. This place is my home and it will be my grave. Please...understand that and move on."

Moxy looked down at the floor. She shook her head, smiling shakily. "I'm sorry...but I can't do that."

"Moxy--"

"I'm either going to get you out of here or make this my grave too. I'm not letting you suffer any more than you already have."

Lou stared at her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She whispered in his ear when he slowly hugged back. "I'm not walking out on you, Lou."

[kustas]

top 5 manga authors >:)

This isn't really a top because I can't rate them one above the other ... Instead it'll be some authors who really influence me

My absolute favorite manga author is obviously Taiyo Matsumoto. I've read five of his series and been to art exhibits, seen artbooks and interviews online... Writing is what hooked me to his work first, by how natural his characters were in their dialog, behavior and interactions, but also how kindly written they were despite most of them being complex fuckups at the edges of society. His art also rules though, as someone who grew up on BD and varies art styles a lot it blew my mind that his process is based on those two things. My man. His work is so above everything else I read on the regular I would encourage any manga fan to try it

Second one I'll name is Naoki Urasawa. I'm a fake fan because I've only read a single of his series, but his art and specifically his linework and faces have been so big to my own art for over a decade I am surprised nobody called me out for ripping him off. I have three of his series on my to-read list I really gotta get to it

....Mr Togashi.....again fake fan I've only read HxH and seen a little bit of YYH but man. They are so different and yet share an unmistakable vibe of adventure, fun and discovery that blasts my brain with childlike whimsy, and this two seconds before the writing pulls out some clever, alien horrific concept. It's the essence of shonen fun at incredibly potent levels and I love it. I also do love his art, which gets better and better. Not a fan of his designs but they DO have an iconic style.

Ryoko Kui: again I've only read one thing of hers but her attention to detail that feed her design and character philosophy is ridiculously up my alley. Her artwork is incredibly solid, not many master anatomy (including animal), architecture, action and expression work, but she does and it owns. Once dungeon meshi finishes I am going to be waiting for her next thing like a wagging dog at your ankles when you're carrying out the bbq meat

And the last that might be a surprise for my following given I talk little about him... Hiroyuki Asada. A long running influence of mine, his style is extremely elegant and dips into lovely stylization. I love his watercolors and the unmistakable vibe of what he draws. Unfortunately my favorite thing he worked on was an aborted 30yo series who's physical edition doesn't exist in my country, but that single book of manga overcomes me with inspiration when I read it. The only major series I read by him has a lot of flaws but I can't deny how important his work has been to my life

[nimblermortal]

I forgot what a pleasure it is to watch bad media. It just releases me totally from any need to respect artistic direction.

Netflix recommended I watch My Happy Marriage. According to Netflix, the plot is

that a girl who has been very abused (emotionally, forced labor, etc) for not having a magical gift is assigned by her dick family to marry Incredibly Prettyboy Kudo, who is from a great magical family, has a strong gift, and oh yes, just happens to be 80s fantasy levels of pretty. Oh, and he keeps losing fiancees, rumor has it they're dead.

It takes them an entire episode to establish that this betrothal is going to happen, and it takes Prettyboy less than an episode to figure out his latest fiancee is abused. They have this hilarious meetcute where he's all, "I expect you to obey every command I give. If I say die, you die" and she goes, "Oh yes of course thank you for explaining the rules in advance."

---

So in my head, they're scions of magical families whose gifts are utterly useless because the demon beings they're supposed to combat have been effectively wiped out already. They are trying to justify their existence in defending from magical attacks, but all of the magical attacks at this point are just families vying among each other for supremacy. Prettyboy as a scion takes this duty very seriously, possibly because he's inbred and not too bright, since he also takes very seriously the oath he swore never to give his father any grandkids.

The oath was in return for his own abusive upbringing, which was more on the lines of 'you're not good enough, train harder, privations' extremes, which sort of. Fell apart when they put him into military academy and he met all these other scions who are just so lazy and entitled. So he went home and killed his dad, and feels much better about life for having done so.

The oath was also because he's hella gay. He's being deliberately ridiculous about his rules for his wife because it gets rid of fiancees pretty quickly. He's actually screwing his aide - they're not in love, but the aide loooveeesss when he hears a new fiancee is coming because he gets dicked down so good when the fiancee runs off. So new fiancee comes, and Prettyboy goes, "Yep, uh huh, die if I say s- did you just agree?"

Meanwhile Friendly Serving Woman is giving every kind of wink she can manage to tell the Young Master to marry this girl, because when Protagonist arrived she gave Serving Woman a very innocent, very gay once over, and Serving Woman went, "Fan-tastic, this is the perfect woman for Prettyboy."

Side details include:

-Prettyboy cannot drive. Oh, he can keep the car on the road, but the reason they stopped by his workplace with the car? was so he could make his aide park it. He lives in terror of parallel parking. (He is in fact pretty bad at anything except magic and stamping his signature on papers.) -Every time Prettyboy tells of his aide for flirting with his wife, it's because he's having a really wtf moment about his boyfriend flirting with his platonic fiancee. Aide is of course doing this on purpose. -IT'S SO CUTE that protagonist decided to celebrate their relationship by inviting her future husband's boyfriend over for dinner -At some point they are going to go burn down Protagonist's family's house as a fun couple's outing. This will probably involve the awakening of Protagonist's latent Protagonist Magic, which is apparently going to be mind control? so maybe they'll make the parents burn it down for them. -Prettyboy is starting to regret killing his dad, pre-awakening of latent gifts. He really wishes he could summon his dad's spirit to say, "So you know how I told you I'd never give you Gifted grandkids? Well not only will I not be giving you any, but I will not be giving them to you with a woman who, herself, does not have a Gift." It would be so rewarding. Alas, necromancy is not in his impressive portfolio of Gifts. -when Protagonist's magic starts to awaken, he hopes a bit for necromancy