#and i hope thats meaningful to others when shared

[redheadedfailgirl]

From 'Dream of a woman' By Cacey Plett.

This sums up exactly how I feel about most transition timelines. As much as they reflect people's experiences, they are also a narrative. And the narratives that get shared the most tell a lot about what our values are. The timelines that get the most attention are the ones where people go from sad, loser, nothing boys into beautiful women.

But if you go to /r/transitiontimelines or a similar place, and sort by controversial or look at what has the least likes, its people who made timelines when they still don't 'pass' yet. Even if they're happy as can be, that's not what people are looking for.

I think it says a lot about what people expect from trans women, that they only want to see us be beautiful. In some cases, that they want to believe they can be beautiful. So there is no value in trans life if you're not beautiful.

[mageofgoobygrove]

following up on that boundaries thing but thats great to hear!! in that case, could i request astarion and/or gale with a partner who doesnt like and doesnt do sex? theyre still affectionate otherwise, they just arent comfortable with sex. ❤️❤️

Imagine…

Astarion with a s/o who isn’t interested in sex.

(a/n: i was going to do both characters but i wanted to give astarion a spotlight since this is the first request i’ve gotten for him! not to mention i had SO many shower thoughts for this prompt. hope you enjoy! also if this went off track…im so sorry. so many thoughts so many thoughtS IM PLAGUED BY THOUGHTS)

Astarion’s relationship with you was strange from the very beginning.

During the tiefling party, he decided to strike. Offer himself to you and lead you down a path for his own safety. He was convinced you’d give yourself to him, he saw how you looked at him. Your eyes said more than any other part of you could.

So, why the bloody hell did you reject him? He managed to conceal his frustration and go on with his night. Perhaps you wanted a piece of Lae’zel, or Gale—it didn’t matter. There was still hope you’d come back.

And come back you did. After the party, you came to his tent with sweet bread. For yourself, of course. You promised not to give him any after he expressed distaste.

Thus, began his relationship with you. Rather than sleep with him, or another member of your camp, you wanted to sit and…spend time together. Talk once the rest were fast asleep, laugh about the little dents throughout your journey together.

He never experienced anything like it. People would come to him, take and take and take. Never was he given something so small, yet so meaningful.

Despite being a vampire, he experienced many firsts with you.

Eventually he offered himself again, teasing that he’d broken your barriers by now. Even then, you said no. And he didn’t understand.

“Well…well, why not?” He felt exasperated.

You stared at him, a little concerned with his response. Maybe you should’ve came clean earlier, but it wasn’t an easy topic.

“I’m not interested,” you stated, processing how to explain without feeling embarrassed. “I’m interested in you, Astarion. I want you, but not in that way. I’ve never wanted anyone in that way.”

For a moment you believed he’d call it quits. It was casual but it’d still hurt. You hadn’t known each other long, but you cared for him.

He didn’t leave. Instead, you only grew closer.

After your interaction with Araj Oblodra, more than a confession happened that night. Astarion took you to the outskirts of camp and opened himself completely. You had already done so, shouldn’t he do the same? But it wasn’t to be even. He found himself longing to tell you the truth, to free himself from the deceit. To express what you made bubble up inside of him.

When you hugged him, it was difficult to let go.

Later in the night you returned to camp and to his tent. As the moon shone, you held each other throughout. It became your new normal, sticking by his side and his by yours.

It was a comfort, existing with you. No pressure of sex, but still a need to keep you happy. And you were happy, either from a deep kiss or a quick peck.

Through some walks, when you were behind the rest, you’d hold hands. You’d share what sweets you found in hopes of finding a taste he’d enjoy. He’d gift you pieces of jewelry he found on bodies and polish them for hours.

Those simple pleasures only strengthened after Cazador’s defeat. When Astarion took you to his grave, he crushed the Szarr ring beneath his boot and spent the rest of the night holding you. As he looked to the stars, your eyes stayed on him.

“Do you wish it was different?” You ask quietly, hand combing through his hair. It wasn’t the question you wanted to ask, but you didn’t have the courage to face the truth.

“No,” he looks to you. His crimson eyes seemed lighter. “This is perfect.”

You smile at his response. He was perfect, flaws and all.

[ilovemilestellersmoustache]

Tolerate It

WC: 1.4K

Summary: You gave up your dreams for Connor, which was fine. But why can’t he at least give back what you’ve lost with at least being present.

A/N: It’s not the exact same as the song bc thats toooooooo angsty

Y/N had known Connor Bedard for as long as she could remember. They had grown up together, inseparable since they were in diapers. Their parents were close friends, and it was natural that they would be, too. Childhood friends, partners in crime, and each other's confidants, they had shared everything—their dreams, their fears, their hopes for the future. As they grew older, the bond between them only deepened. It was always easy with Connor; their friendship was effortless, built on a foundation of mutual trust and support.

It was no surprise when that friendship began to shift into something more as they hit their teenage years. The late-night conversations grew longer, the touches more lingering, and the looks more meaningful. It was unspoken at first, but eventually, Connor confessed his feelings one summer night when they were sixteen, sitting by the lake they had always gone to as kids.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Y/N,” he had said, his voice quiet but filled with certainty. “I mean, you’re everything to me.”

That was all it took. From that moment on, they were more than just friends—they were everything to each other.

When Connor got drafted into the NHL, it was the culmination of everything he had worked for. Y/N was there at the draft, her heart swelling with pride as his name was called. It was a dream come true for him, but there was a bittersweet undertone. Y/N had gotten into her dream university, too—across the country. They had always known this moment was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier.

The days leading up to their inevitable separation were filled with unspoken tension. They tried to act like everything was normal, like they could handle the distance, but the reality of being apart hung over them like a storm cloud. Connor was set to move to Chicago, and Y/N was supposed to head to California.

It was the night before Y/N was supposed to leave when Connor finally broke. They were sitting in his car, parked in front of her house, the silence between them heavy.

“I can’t do it,” he said suddenly, his voice strained.

Y/N turned to him, her heart clenching at the look on his face. He looked lost, desperate, like he was barely holding it together.

“Connor—”

“Don’t go,” he whispered, reaching out to take her hand. “I know it’s selfish, but I need you here with me. I don’t want to be without you.”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him, torn between her dreams and the boy she had loved for so long. She knew how much playing in the NHL meant to Connor, but she hadn’t realized how much her presence meant to him. She was his rock, his constant. And as much as it hurt to give up her dream, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him like this, knowing how much he needed her.

So she stayed.

Y/N transferred to a university in Chicago, and for a while, everything seemed perfect. Connor was thriving in the league, making waves as a rookie, and Y/N was doing well in her new school. They were together, and that was all that mattered. They had made it through the toughest decision of their lives, and things were going well.

Until they weren’t.

It started slowly, in ways that Y/N could almost convince herself weren’t a big deal. Connor was always busy—more and more "team activities" kept him out late, and she was no longer invited. She would see the other girlfriends and wives at events and wonder why she was being left out. At first, she brushed it off, thinking it was just the demands of his career. She told herself that the NHL was a whole different world, and maybe she just wasn’t meant to be a part of that aspect of his life.

But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, Y/N began to feel the cracks in their relationship widening. She would wait by the door for him to come home, feeling like a little kid waiting for a parent who never showed up. Sometimes she would set the table with their nicest dishes, hoping for a quiet dinner together, only for Connor to come home hours late, too tired to even notice her efforts.

Each missed dinner, each late-night out without her, each forgotten promise—it all added up, piece by piece, until Y/N felt like she was drowning in her own loneliness. She didn’t know how to talk to him about it. How could she? He was now Connor Bedard, the NHL star, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. How could she add her own pain to that pressure?

Besides, she had given up everything for him—her dream university, her own future. She had sacrificed it all because she loved him, and she wanted to believe that it had been the right choice. But now, as she sat alone in their apartment, night after night, she began to wonder if Connor even noticed how much she had given up for him.

One night, after yet another evening spent waiting for Connor to come home, Y/N reached her breaking point. She had spent hours preparing a special dinner again, hoping this time her makes it home in time for some time to reconnect with him. But when he finally walked through the door, hours later than expected, he barely acknowledged her. His face was tired, his eyes distant, and when she asked about his day, he gave her nothing but short, distracted answers.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

“Connor,” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “Do you even care anymore?”

He looked up, startled by the intensity in her voice. “What? Y/N. I’ve just been—”

“Busy?” she finished for him, her frustration spilling over. “You’re always busy, Connor. But you’re never busy with me. I don’t even know what’s going on in your life anymore.”

Connor frowned, looking uncomfortable. “It’s just… the team, the pressure, it’s a lot.”

“And I’m supposed to just sit here and wait for you? To figure it out by yourself? We’ve always gotten through things together Connor. I just get why you won’t let me in anymore. Why I feel like I’m not even a relevant presence in your life. It just feels like I’m begging for footnotes about anything you do anymore.” Y/N’s voice broke. “I gave up everything for you, Connor. And I was fine with that. That was my inevitable decision. I just thought we were in this together, but it feels like I’m just… here. Like I’m only around for when you need someone. What happened to us?”

He ran a hand through his hair, clearly at a loss for words. “Y/N, I asked you to give up your dreams for me but only because—”

“Because what Connor. What. If you’re implying for support that cannot be further from the truth. You’ve been so distant like I’m not even here.” she interrupted, her voice raw with emotion, eyes widening as she never meant to actually say it out loud “Maybe you didn’t think that decision through, but you had asked me to stay. I think you were just scared to not have anyone for the first time in your life. And I was too, that’s why I stayed, but also because I love you. But now, I don’t even know if that means anything to you.”

There was a long, heavy silence between them. Connor looked at her, his face torn between guilt and frustration, but he said nothing. And that silence—his inability to reassure her, to tell her that he still loved her, still needed her—spoke louder than any words could.

Y/N felt something inside her shatter.

In the weeks that followed, things between them grew even more strained. Y/N tried to talk to him, tried to salvage what was left of their relationship, but Connor seemed more distant than ever. It was as if he had retreated into himself, caught up in the demands of his career, while Y/N was left alone to pick up the pieces of what they once had.

The worst part was that she couldn’t bring herself to leave him. She had come so far, sacrificed so much, and the thought of walking away felt like admitting defeat. She loved him—she had always loved him—but she was beginning to realize that love wasn’t enough. Not when it was one-sided. Not when she felt more like an afterthought than a partner. Her loved should of been celebrated, but it seemed like he just tolerated it

One night, after yet another fight that ended in silence, Y/N sat on their bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t keep living like this, couldn’t keep pretending that everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t. But leaving him—it would destroy him. She knew that much. He assumed she was fine, that she was content to be there for him, to support him no matter what. But what would he do if she broke free, if she finally walked away and left them both in ruins?

Y/N closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on her. She didn’t know what to do. All she knew was that something had to change—before it was too late. But deep down she knew what she needed to do.

[arkhamknightz]

WHEN WALLY FALLS IN LOVE

pairing : wally west x superhero!reader

summary/ask: “would you be ok writing something fluffy-domestic with a gender neutral/ non-binary superhero reader? Like what they like to do together when they're at home or at the other's appartment? I personally think Wally's a huge romantic guy and that he'd love to have someone who's also very into that. Not like big/expensive demonstration of love, but more subtle/little things but very meaningful. (I would love to quote poems to that handsome and lovely redhead hahaha)”

warnings: title based off of “when emma falls in love” by taylor swift (sorry i have a song title theme going on at the moment idk why its just so cutesy to me so sorry)

notes: i hope i did this justice.. i kinda just found a poem off the internet?:?/? i dont know of many poems so i hope thats okay, i tried to incorporate like small gestures like the sidewalk rule and having your partners things all over your space if that makes sense? anywho i hope this lives up to expectations :’)

It was no secret Wally loved to flirt, even as your current boyfriend. He had an arm draped around your shoulder as you both walked down the street into your apartment. Nothing important had been going on for the last day, so you both decided to stay over at his apartment at take advantage of it.

He looked over at you and smiled, making sure he stayed between you and the street as you guys made your way to his building. A pair of headphones were being shared between the both of you, a wired earbud dangling from your ears as you walked close together. Wally claimed listening to music sounded better with his wired earbuds, although you knew it was so he had an excuse to be closer to you.

He opened the door for you as you reached the apartment building. Your hands intertwined as he walked you both to the elevator, you pressed your finger on his floor number and out of the corner of your eye, you see a smile take over his face. No matter how long you’ve both been dating, he loves you just as much as the day before. He knew the floor of his apartment wasn’t crazy information. But, you had clicked it without thinking twice. It made his heart flutter.

As you both made it into his apartment, you kicked your shoes off right next to his and jumped on his couch, grabbing your favorite blanket. The smile on his face hadn’t left, Wally completely infatuated by you. You knew to kick off your shoes without a single thought, and your favorite blanket being on the couch of his place filled his heart with so much love.

He walked up behind you, leaning over the couch to wrap his arms around you and kiss your head softly. “I love you.” You turned around to look at him, a smile across your face as you gave him a small kiss. “I love you too!”

He pulled away to walk to his kitchen, a shelf in the pantry completely dedicated to your favorite foods, snacks and drinks. You had a designated area in every room of his apartment. Your side of the bed where your bedside table was littered with little trinkets and a book you had been reading out loud for the both of you before going to sleep. You had your section of the shower and the sink, part of his closet and dressers, storage area under his bed for your suit and any other things you may wanna leave over.

He grabs a new snacks for the both of you before sitting next to you on the couch. You pick up the other half of your blanket, placing it over his legs with a smile on your face as he sets the snacks down on the coffee table. He hands you the remote as you log into his streaming services, clicking on his profile before settling on a movie you both had talked about wanting to watch.

He looked around, a smile on his face as he knew both of your apartments were crawling with each others items. He even made sure any of your favorite foods that needed to be frozen or kept in the fridge was in your own area so he remembered not to eat them. Wally made sure to keep his apartment stocked for you, checking each area every week before grocery shopping to see what he needed to stock up on for you.

You consumed his every thought, he was so helplessly in love with you. Everything he did in his day to day life made him think of you. Out on a mission and he speeds by some flowers? He makes a mental note to bring you a new bouquet or pick some of the ones he saw on the way back home. Going to the store? He keeps an eye out for anything else you may want, like a plushie or a new snack he think you would enjoy.

He sees a dog out on a walk outside? He’s snapping a photo to send to you or tells you about it once you both get back home. It’s no secret Wally’s scared to loose you. What you both do is dangerous, so he makes sure to appreciate every little thing about you, even the things that remind him of you deserved to be appreciated.

You both sat in silence watching the movie, no words needing to be spoken between the both of you as you sat cuddled on his couch. You were practically sitting on his lap, both of his arms were wrapped around you, his body chest against your back as he rested his chin on your shoulder.

His hand soothingly rubbed against your skin, an occasional kiss was landed on your neck as you watched together. There was nothing you appreciated more than Wally’s small gestures of love. He planned every date with as much effort as your first, your vase of flowers that you kept in your apartment hadn’t been left empty since you both met. Even while on long missions he made sure you somehow got your flowers.

By the time the sun had started to set, Wally brought you both up to his apartment buildings rooftop, a place that you both commonly hung out at together. A small poem book was held in your hand as you both sat against the wall, your head instantly landing on his shoulder.

You opened to a random page, a small smile gracing your features as you looked at the sky, then at your boyfriend who had a wide grin on his face. You took a look back down at the floor before beginning to read.

“I love your hands. They are big hands, firm hands, gentle hands. Hair grows on the back near the wrist, I have seen the nails broken and stained from hard work. And yet when you touch me, I grow small… and quiet… and happy. If I might only grow small enough, to curl up into the hollow of your palm. Your left palm, curl up, lie close, and cling, so that I might know myself always there.. even if you forgot.”

He smiled, a small chuckle leaving his mouth. “If we don’t get married one day I’m gonna be so pissed off.” You smiled at him, a laugh escaping from your lips. “Really? Like how pissed off scale from 1-10” He pretended to think for a moment. “100” “That wasn’t an option.” “I know but 10 wasn’t big enough to prove how upset I would be.”

He looked over at you with a smile. He always seemed to be smiling while he was around you, huh? A single look at him and anyone could see how in love he is with you. Coming up on the rooftop and reading a page out of a small poetry book he had gotten you was a nightly tradition. No matter what time it was, before settling down, no matter where you were, the small booklet was brought out for a page reading.

The red haired boy took a look at you, the sunsets remaining light making you glow. You both stood up after spending a few more minutes outside quietly speaking to each other. You both walked hand in hand back to his apartment, kicking off your slides before changing and hopping into his bed.

He walked in behind you after a few minutes, your favorite coffee mug in his hand. “Got you a drink.” He smiled at you, a small kiss being placed on his cheek as he placed it on your bedside table. “Mm gonna go shower and get changed alright?” He looked at you, a soft expression painted on his face.

You looked up at him and smiled brightly, eyes full of love as you nodded and gave him one last kiss. “Mmkay, just don’t take too long” He let out a soft chuckle. “I won’t, I promise.” He took one last glance at you before leaving to walk into the bathroom, a small grin and a light blush was left on your face. Wallace West is completely and utterly in love with you. And he knew that would never change.

[ardbar]

Dear ardbar,

You look like a funny guy. Can you share any Mavbo headcanons you have?

With love /p, Mavbo brainroting anon

Oof okay I have so many I'm not quite even sure where to start.

I start at the beginning I guess. I wouldn't even call this a head canon I consider it fact. EMF was 100% the one to ask out Evbo. I think this for a variety of reasons but mainly because I don't think until EMF asked him he totally understood his own feelings. Evbo has practically lived his life with little to no other human interaction. Like besides the guards but I wouldn't consider that as like real connections. So given that he had never really had any friends nor a crush I think he would struggle telling the two emotions apart and only when introduced to the idea would he ever realize that was an actual option.

Following this same train of thought I think of the two EMF is definitely the one initiating most of the physical contact. This might be a controversial one but hear me out. As said before I don't think Evbo has had really many if any meaningful relationships. So I think at least in the early stages of their relationship Evbo was hesitant to touch EMF because he just wasn't used to contact being a loving thing. However, to go along with this I think after their relationship developed more and as he warmed up to it more EMF's personal space became their personal space. I can def imagine Evbo just popping up out of know where and immediately draping himself over EMF no matter what he's doing.

Since I'm already on the note of basically love langauges I'll go into that more. I think Evbo is def the type of person to show love through gifts. I think this is somewhat caused by the 3 most important relationships he has/had. First if we look at the memory with Seawatt while he did have him doing parkour for the diamonds it wasn't really a big ask and more of a gift, so this first implanted the idea to Evbo that giving things to others is a sign of friendship. This is further supported by the Old Man giving him the barrier block and EMF giving him the totem. All of these people are important to him and all of their friendships started with them giving him a gift. I think that would def leave an impact on him and how he views showing love.

This is getting long and I don't know if you expected all of this so I'll only give one more and idk if you want to hear more you can ask i guess. I think this is a popular one but I think Evbo loves to stare at EMF. Now you might say oh thats obvious he's in love so of couse he'd look at the person he loves. However, I think it's for a different reason. So it's kinda implied that because the layers exist the people at the bottom can't really see the sky. So I think that before becoming a master his first introduction to the sky and specifcally the night sky is from EMF and his starry skin (If you want an example of this courier-roku does it really well). And even after becoming a master he still prefered his friend over the real thing.

Okay those are a few of my silly little headcanons hope you like them ^_^

[cinamun]

i'm anon who sent the question and the link. wanted to say that i love your story and I've been following since hope ran away. every morning i log onto tumblr dot com and search up your page for updates before i get started on my work for [redacted] class/degree! and I've definitely sent my fair share of anons (most notably the victoria monet one... i turn 21 next month lmao!) and when I'm not showing my age over music or remembering irrelevant trivia (i was also sent the anon about the elliot ham sandwich-suicide foreshadowing) that i wanna ask about, i'm definitely sending asks about how much i appreciate ur story and the details you put into it (which is what makes it so engaging tbh)! i just wanted to make it clear that i respect u as a creator and think you're such a talented simmer and put any issues the other anon had to rest. anyways i'm going back to studying, but i hope your saturday night is going well miss cin, and that you have time to meditate <3

Why do y'all always make me emotional?

😭This is why I told anon #2 that we're not making this a thing! This is not Pennygate™ I can tell it was a genuine ask and its actually really dope that people like you pay such attention to detail like that. I'm a pay-attention-to-the-details person TOO and I think that makes it extra meaningful when it doesn't go unnoticed. Not only that, I've been writing TFA for so long that things absolutely might get missed on my part and thats okay!

OMG THE VICTORIA MONET ASK when I went on my rant about the original version?? LMFAO I love you and happy early birthday friend. I appreciate you, this ask AND irrelevant trivia!

[old-stoneface]

my ship chart for the five main characters of camlann 😁 notes on the categories: best friends and romantic are self explanatory. for 'complicated' i just mean that they arent 100% sure how they feel abt each other, whether their current feelings are leaning towards positive or negative, thats just a blanket category for complex feelings. 'self recognition through the other' is about how the characters interact with each other; for example, morgan and gwen's conversation abt their trust in each other in episode 8, or perry and gwen both being obviously dedicated to keeping people safe in a very physical way. in the case of gwaine and gwen, their conversation in episode 9 makes me think that they have a lot to talk about when it comes to trust, because gwen doesnt trust other people enough to show her true feelings, and gwaine doesnt trust other people enough to form meaningful relationships, but they each have a tendency to be very clear about when theyre unhappy with how something is being handled. for gwaine and perry, this element goes hand-in-hand with how similar they are to their namesakes. perry is very honest and self righteous, always doing whats right as a matter of moral imperative, and while they do have a temper, its because they are angry at themself for being selfish or unfair. they put a lot of thought into being a good and fair person, very selfless, and because of that they build relationships with other people really easily. gwaine, on the other hand, comes across as very self centered and selfish. it is not easy for him to open up and rely on other people. he seems very isolated and always puts himself first, trying to build relationships with other people in order to gain security (making the feast and bringing all that food as an apology without actually saying sorry), only figuring out how to be selfless at the very end of season one. but their similarities are interesting too: the high temper, the self reliance, the protectiveness of their loved ones, etc, not to mention their shared affection for dai... i havent tried to put this all into words before but i think im phrasing this in an understandable way dfkghafh anyway the last category i should explain is the 'story connection' one. thats just to refer to the fact that their namesakes and the stories thereof draw them together and make them bounce off each other like magnets. the closeness and complexity of relationship is influenced by who they are named after - thus, the slight knightly rivalry of gwaine and perry, the complicated and intense familial love between morgan and dai, the messy connection and strong similarities from gwen to morgan and how morgan, as a magical figure, has so much more freedom than a queen would, no matter how much alike they truly are.. i have more thoughts on all of this, but this is already really long, and i didnt plan on writing this all out hfgsalkdhfskj hope u enjoy my light analysis! special mention to how much i love the romantic undertones between dai and perry in their friendship and how bad i want gwaine and perry to attack each other in a gay way

[dwritesit]

Your Raindrop fics and drawings are so good!!! I noticed in Shotgun there was a quick mention of water ghoul Dew. I know people have so many different thoughts and ideas around Dew's element change from water to fire, I wondered what your faveourite head canons/thoughts around Raindrop and the element change are? So interested to see your take on it!!!

oooh!! thank u so much, u are so sweet! and thats a good one, i definitely have some ideas hehehe

regarding dews element change, i hc it as something (sadly) forced upon him by the upper clergy, and that it takes him a while to heal from it. he goes thru a lot of physical and mental and emotional changes with it, and when rain is summoned, hes still in a lot of pain and dealing with accepting himself like that.

both of them are extremely drawn to each other even from the moment rain is summoned but dew doesnt allow himself the comfort for a long time. thankfully rain keeps reaching out to him, keeps trying to be there for him.

eventually dew gives in a little, when the pain is really bad and hes way too hot, rain is the perfect cooler which starts him sleeping in rains room (hehehe) all curled up together. rain helps him a lot from there, offering his cold hands to help dew cool down, keeping him company when he cant sleep, and they start talking of course, getting to know each other.

dew gets really bad migraines from the change, and rain, who knows dew loves piercings, is the one who researched and discovered the daith piercing which helps with migraines and encouraged dew to get it

rain is the first one to Fully see dew after the change, even tho he never got to see dew as a water ghoul, he still knows its meaningful to be allowed to see all of dews scars and he falls heaaaad over heeeels. he tells dew that hes beautiful and that helps dew start feeling more comfortable with his new appearance, even starting to let the other ghouls see him with his hair up (so they can see the gill scars)

rain is also the one dew feels the most comfortable being in the water with, he used to play in the rain but after the change it made him feel really distant. but after rain is summoned, he loves playing in the rain and now its one of their favorite things to do together. when its raining in the middle of the night, and rain wakes dew up so they can dance outside together, sharing sweet kisses

sorry its so long! i hope its what u were looking for and idk if anyone wants something more indepth but id definitely love to write it out

[skymagpie]

Mists of Pandaria literally took a dwarf character, previously rightfully depicted as a scumbag villain because he wiped out an entire tribe of tauren whilst citing imperialism and racial superiority, and depicted him as a good guy out to protect the pandaren whilst vilifying the tauren for resisting him!

Not to mention that they retconned nearly the entire orc race as evil in that expansion with countless promising orc characters previously depicted as honorable and likable like Zaela, the entire Kor'kron organization, Bloodhilt, ETC becoming Garrosh clones simply because they were orcs and "orcs are inherently bad".

Or that the tie in novels for Mists of Pandaria like Tides of War literally had Baine freaking out and exiling tauren for resisting human and dwarf colonization of their lands.

Vol'jin, one of the only Poc coded monsters to be depicted in a decnet light in MOP, was literally described by the Alliance player as "Disgusting", "savage", and other terms, with the game even adding flies around Vol'jin for this quest.

Before you say thats just the Alliance player's view, white characters never get this description like say human characters when you're playing Horde.

For reference, Shadowlands demonized Dambala, a revered and famous real world loa worshipped in Haiti and many other parts of the World.

The same expansion almost exclusively had PoC coded monsters in the Hell portions, like Zul'jin was in Hell for protecting his lands against colonists that are so proud of their genocide of trolls, their leaders name themselves after it(Trollbanes) the recent Sylvanas novel even clarified that the humans and High Elves knew that it was the Amani's land when they made their homes there from the stone obelisks decorated with troll holy symbols and writing.

It has also been confirmed in recent novels that the tauren gods are fake whilst the night elf gods are real...

And the tauren's oppressor whom had been frequently terrorizing the earth throughout World of Warcraft's history, Magni Bronzebeard, literally got the role of voice of Azeroth like the true Mighty Whitey he is.

Warcraft III for all its racial coding never had anything like this and Warcraft I and II did not have this much racial coding.

So the Doubling down on the racial coding and the "PoC Coded monsters are evil" stuff was done by the modern writers that go "look at how woke we are, two white women are gay an we retconned another white character to be trans, now lets kill some voodoo worshipping savages in the Jungle together!"

Anyhow, sorry I have strong feelings about this as someone whom isn't white myself.

This is sadly a very extensive list and I have no doubt is only part of the problem. I used to play WoW when I was 13 which was 13 years ago and I didn't speak English then so I didn't really know lore. I came back only recently and the few things I played were some BfA (Kul Tiras side), all of Dragonflight and some Legion and a bit of Shadowlands. I haven't touched the other things aside from the vague knowledge of what is going on. I have to keep an eye on these things as I play on because I didn't know most of it.

Hell they do stupid colonialist tropes even with white-coded races, like I am sure the Drust are supposed to be Celtic coded and yet they also have them portrayed as bad for not wanting the Kul Tirans on their land.

I feel like when they do something good for the non-white coded races, it is always played safe for the general playerbase of the cishet white dudes who want their racist stereotypes intact. They always seem to be pussyfooting around the issue without making any meaningful change. They want to make sure they won't offend their biggest racist consumer base and that is so sad. Blizzard has potent racism 10 years behind everyone else.

Also I am sorry you have to write so much, but thank you for sharing this and I hope more people are made aware of it. It's okay to always vent here for anything, and I will eventually catch up with playing the content.

[muniimyg]

Oh my god oh my goooood omgomgomg CHAPTER 16 WAS SO BEAUTIFUL, PAINFUL AND HEAVY BUT BEAUTIFUL. Like one comment, I didn't expect all of this when I started reading bbydaddy and wow that's a lot of plot... BUT I LOVE IT AND I'M HERE FOR IT.

Also I think the build up is crazy and the hype for the angst lived up lol. Nonlinear stories can be annoying BUT NOT IN THIS STORY. Srsly I think u caught all of us off-guard lol

Also also the 9 MONTH PERIOD LIKE WHAT THATS SO EXACT????? THE TIMING??? RAHHHHHH. Very super genius writer of u pls. Their whole "fight" was so sad and this is gonna be cheesy but it was also beautiful, being a moment to just let it all out.

HOPING FOR THE BETTER BEST FROM HERE ON OUT 🤝🏻 also also also thank you so much for writing and sharing to us, I'm very glad to have found ur account!! 💜

omgomgomgggg hiii

thank u so much 😭 i also didn’t expect bbydaddy to be this entire concept,, i posted it initially as a one time thing… now look where we are 🧘🏻‍♀️

LOL the build up was def smt… it was so hard keeping the plot to myself but also constantly editing and fixing the delivery of it. it was all worth it since u’re saying the angst lived up to the hype 😛 i feel like a psycho,, being so happy that this part took ppl by surprise and beat them up (emotionally)

idk abt super genius writer,,,, the 9 month thing was a fucking brain teaser for me HAHAHAHAHAA. i’m glad it worked out the way it did,,, i think if u reread their texts msgs and the other chs, it’s easy to pick up the hints and truths of their relationship. their fight and moment of grief was such an intention move… i went thru so many drafts of how the fight could organically unfold,,, i’m glad i went with what i posted! i think it was the easiest way to digest all the content being poured out

thank u for sending in ur thoughts! i truly appreciate them and find them so heartwarming. for my work to be loved and thought of the way u have expressed is seriously so meaningful to me. i am so glad to have a reader like u 🫶🏻

[most-canon-non-canon-ship-poll]

literally hoping they break up in the last season

Why Mileven is shit - a submission-based essay, part 2/3

Mileven - a currently canon het ship from the Stranger Things fandom between Michael (Mike) Wheeler and Jane (Eleven) Ives/Hopper/Byers/IDK

they NEED to breakup (AGAIN) in the final season let's start w their character arcs rn. el was born in a lab and was raised VERY strict to be a weapon and shit. she escapes and now her whole arc is finding herself and being who she is separate to what people tell her she is. mike comes from a lowkey conservative family with parents who are married only to fit into the normal, not because they love each other. his arc, similar to his sisters' struggle in earlier seasons, is to not fall into conformity just because you feel like you should. both of these stories line up with the main moral of the show: be who you are even if it isn't "normal" ot whatever now how does mileven go against this? mike, and a bunch of ppl around el, in the earlier seasons keeps telling el what she should do/be. even in the later seasons we see mike refering to el as a "superhero" (which she doesn't like). neither of them feel free to be themselves around the other (shown by el lying to mike and mike being WAY out of character around el, etc). mike literally can't tell el he loves her while not under pressure. mileven sometimes parallels mike's parents' and sta.cy (a failed conformity relationship) and other bad relationships ANYWAYS it also reallyyyy pains will byers (who's been canonically in love with mike for like years, and mike's best friend) to see this. also, milevens keep harassing will/mike shippers on anon even months after the last season. like they have a hate discord server just for it. anyways i love mike and el but ohhh my god there is still SO much i haven't mentioned about how bad they are together (and how bad shippers often are, sometimes being violently homophobic and calling bylers delusional and shit)

OOOH IT FUCKING SUCKS THEY ARE SOOOOOO BAD FOR EACH OTHER JESUS THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE LIKE EVER THEY ARE BOTH CLEARLY IN IT BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTATION OF A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN'T CONFIDE IN EACH OTHER THEY DON'T SHARE ANY INTERESTS THEY'RE HAVING CONFLICT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THANK *GOD* I AM UTTERLY CONVINCED THEY ARE HEADING FOR A CANONICAL PERMANENT BREAKUP. NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE BOTH GAY AS HELL TO ME. YOU SEEN THAT "THIS SHIP IS SO CANON AND IT'S A LESBIAN AND A GAY MAN" TWEET? YEAH. FUCK THIS STUPID FUCKING SHIP NOT TO MENTION THE SHIPPERS ARE FREQUENTLY OPENLY HOMOPHOBIC. UGHHHHHHH KILLING BITING (this is my fave btw)

they have no chemistry or buildup unlike the other st couples. they kissed season 1 right after she asked if he would be her brother. hes very obviously compensating for something. i think i gagged when they made out in season 3. speaking of. thats all they do. make out. they dont really have meaningful conversations. this also comes from the fact that when mike met her she was fresh out the lab that abused her for like 11 years. she was not socially ready to understand the bounds of a platonic relationship let alone a romantic one. anyway mileven break up s5 will happen i believe it. if nothing else. cross ur fingers gamers

the sheer homophobia and general toxicity that the fans of this ship create is absolutely insane when their perfect (read: mischaracterized) straight (read: homosexually-coded) couple is judged for having toxic or incompatible elements is insane. the only good romantic aspect between these two characters is in a cringefail "wow this really doesn't work at all" i-want-to-put-this-dynamic-under-a-microscope-and-study-it-because-it's-an-absolute-trainwreck" kind of way. el has been abused and cut off from society her whole life and at 12 years old she immediately gets together with this guy at whose earth shattered after his best friend went missing who then has surviors guilt after she almost does which is misconstrued as romantic rather than unhealthy obsession and trauma. and so on and so forth.. there's just so much wrong they lie to each other So Fucking Much despite truthfulness being very important to them and they ignore their friends to make out (which is filmed in a way that is meant to feel uncomfortable btw lmao) and el doesn't understand mike's trauma from bullying and he doesn't understand how she doesn't want to be built up into being a superhero etc etc. and it's just so increasingly bad I want to rub my temples just thinking about them. they're just so bad for each other and their relationship has done nothing but make them worse in general but for some reason their ship is viewed as fluffy or cute or whatever the hell. anyway mike is so heavily coded to be fucking gay and in love with his best friend (and el can be interpreted to be lesbian coded) and I just need to get them out of there amen

I'm gonna make a list bc the reasons are many: 1) their first casual interaction they get together but in the same conversation she asks him if she can be like a sister to him 2) all their "cute moments" are them making out in the 3rd season with still absolutely no chemistry 3) their only actual cute scene is them dancing at the snowball yet in the same scene they portray the same way two couples that are not romantic 4) mike becomes a terrible person when he's with eleven 5) eleven literally GOT OUT OF A LAB SHE WAS RAISED IN and this is the first guy she dated 6) she can't even say he's a good kisser 7) mike can't tell her that he loves her (bc he doesn't) and the only time he does he makes this whole ugly ass speech up about how she's his "superhero" even though she doesn't want to be seen only for her superpowers 8) in said speech, while listing the things that he loves about her, he only names her superpowers + he lies multiple times 9) EVEN AFTER SAID SPEECH she is still mad at him and won't talk to him (probably bc she saw right through his bs) 10) she spent a whole 6 months lying to him about all of her life 11) mike is clearly gay and is meant to be with his childhood best friend will 12) mike idolizes her and doesn't see her as an actual person 13) eleven needs to be her own person (ffs she just got out of a lab) 14) the ship sucks and even the authors and actors say so

they have NO chemistry. they kissed after one week of knowing each other when they were 12 and eleven didn't even know what a romantic relationship was at the time, given the fact that right before mike kisses her she says "will you be like my brother?". they spent the entirety of season 2 apart with mike calling el on his walkie and el watching romantic movies on the tv for a year (then will is in trouble and mike says 'fuck it' and goes full protective boyfriend mode but this isn't about byler so i digress) and start dating soon after they meet again even though they haven't had a SINGLE conversation and are barely friends. season 3 comes along and the writers do their utmost best to show us how incompatible they are. their makeout scenes are uncomfortable, they break up at the beginning of the season and neither one of them seems particularly bothered that their first relationship is over. in fact, the happiest we see el in the entire series is during the time they're broken up, when she gets close to max (who she actually has chemistry with, by the way) and finally experiences freedom, being a teenage girl and etc since mike had been "keeping her all to himself" for like, a year. aside from that, he doesn't go after her at all after she dumps his ass (literally) but when he and will have a fight, he bikes across town in the rain just to apologize, that boy is GAY. finally, the theme of season 4 is lies and once again, mike and el spend the season apart (once again, mike spends the season with WILL) and right before they part ways, they have a big fight about mike being unable to so much as WRITE "love, mike" on his letters to el, let alone say it, and he bullshits his way through it and refuses to say the actual reason until vol. 2, when he apparently "confesses" that he's afraid he'll lose her if he says it (okay, amigo, you're gonna lose your girlfriend who was literally begging you to say 'i love you' not even a week ago, aham, totally valid excuse). conclusion: they don't know each other and they don't act like themselves when they're together. mike hides his nerdy nature, el feels like she has to be the amazing superhero he's always viewed her as or else he'll lose interest and it just feels like they're both grasping at straws because this relationship has been dragged on for too long that they don't know how to break up permanently. they are afraid of losing each other, but not romantically, as mike was el's first semblance of family after escaping the lab and mike feels like it's his duty to protect and care for el. also, mike is gay. in other words, FREE THEM.

[sleepgarden]

I would love to hear more about that quote if you’re comfortable sharing!!

Yes! Okay I'll write it under a readmore- content warnings for abuse and trauma, in this specific case sexual. ...It ended up very long, I'm sorry >< !! I hope it all makes sense at least.

Now that I'm actually about to write it I realize how much context i need to give, so I'll try to do it as simply as possible but this is actually the first time im talking about this piece in depth, so it may still be a little messy..

At the time of making the piece I was at the end of a very long and hurtful relationship. During that relationship I was coerced, taken advantage of, and had my decline of consent ignored (that's one way to put it.. its hard to talk about lol). The timeline leading up to the illustration is hard to explain, but some time before is when i started accepting that i was trans. I allowed myself to see me as i am, explore my identity, approach my own thoughts/feelings with curiosity instead of fear. I gained a lot of confidence in that time (at least, compared to what i had before!) but i kept it a secret from my then-partner as they werent exactly accepting. With this newfound confidence though I expressed some desires to them that they gave a very clear and solid no to, so I immediately dropped it and moved on. (I should also say, i never really asked for anything in that relationship before. The things my partner did made me think that i was asexual for years, lmao) Later, nearing the end of it, is when i started realizing how truly awful the things they did were and how deeply it affected me. I felt like I had given (been taken from, actually) so much and had nothing to show for it. I also had the realization when thinking back about when I myself asked for something too but was told no, just how easy it was to accept that. In fact is was impossible to imagine not accepting it and getting them to do what i wanted anyways.

So to now explain the phrase "and now with thorns of his own, its the roses call to endure" The thorns are the shift of the dynamic, where as before the rose was the only one with them, the character in the illustration had now grown his own. Equally awful to touch or be touched by. He calls on the rose to endure just as he did. But, of course, I didnt feel that way. I would never want to do that to someone. I could never expect that from them, you know? How could I? And thats just it- thats where the anger came from: How could they?

The realization of what its like on the other end to be told "no" and to imagine pushing them to deal with it regardless was infuriating. The illustration calls on the rose to endure, but the anger in the piece is about asking it to do so. It's such an impossible thing to imagine doing, but something that I experienced for years. I was angry with myself for going through that, I was angry with them for everything they did, and i put it all in that illustration. It was genuinely one of the most healing illustrations ive ever made, and i officially ended the relationship soon after.

With all illustrations there really is more to it than can be said with a blanket explanation like that. But the major emotional force was driven by those things, if that makes sense? I am glad people can connect to this piece or see themself in their own way, however they interpret it. I've had people say they feel seen with it, or that its satisfying to them, and it fills my heart so much that it aches. As i said before, its bittersweet, but so meaningful to me.

I wrote this earlier today and while reviewing the draft I see how messy it is, but I'm going to post anyways! I apologize if it's incoherent- it's hard to tall about complex emotions like that. And due to how personal it is (the most personal I've ever been online I think) I'll delete it sometime in the future. Anyways, thank you again for reaching out about it! I don't get a chance to talk about my work very often. ♡

Thank you anyone who ready all that as well!

[6of575]

my goal is to try and make at least a post a day on here, even if its nothin very interesting to anybody else

i feel like,,, if i can finally successfully make it a habit to post and engage, it might just trick my brain from task avoidance

so! post done and heres the part for me thats fun:

(under a cut since its ramblin long)

the books im currently reading concurrently are some conlang construct books mr am got me that have been on my wishlist for ages, along with a very cool book about black holes and theories surrounding them, which mr am loaned to me from his collection

one of the things we share is a love of science and space, and more specifically, stars and time travel and all the things about our known universe that black holes straight up break

i have a lot of fun chatting with him; i really cant overstate the value of a friend so genuine, who i am never too much of, and i can talk about all my interests without the reflexive dread creeping on in

all that bullshit i learned growing up, yanno the kind: "im boring, im dumb, who could possibly enjoy swapping rock facts, much less listen to hours of it even when it our interests DONT align"

like, theres so much else about my friendship with him thats meaningful, but thats top tier right there

and lately? ive gotten a few others in my corner, who when i share, im starting to feel like that with them, too

its so weird! to have gone from one person to a tiny community of folks (and i mean little! its like,, five? six? of us max usually) that thrive on a love of the weird and the cringe and the stubborn hope

plenny others have waxed more eloquent than me about this sorta thing--how fandom spaces come sorta pre-fab with common, shared interests that its fans bring, and they build their fort and theres rules already laid out, and it becomes a second (sometimes first) home, of sorts

but when its starting from scratch, when its about stuff and is made by people that others just wouldnt ordinarily invest in or look at without outside prompting, thats not the same! its not a bad thing, more neutral, but its stressful, its really such a lonely feeling

except--when you finally find it, that person, and thats a community of its own, and it can grow, and suddenly you swappin stories, throwing jokes! and memes and links and hey inevitably, theres also those what ifs about your little guys

and everything is srs and sacred and everything is hilarious and "i cant believe this is real life" levels of stupid

you get to learn habits and quirks and whole personalities

"hey this reminded me of you" "hey, check out this view" "oh, thats right, yer the possum dude" "you love medieval lore--and i read this, and what do you think about it, too"

its suddenly kind of a fandom space after all, and its like, still work of course, reaching for and keeping more and being a person with, it aint that neat or pretty

but its got warmth and joy and expansion, after a lifetime of making yourself small enough to try and fit

you end up fans of your friends, fans of their life, hyping each other up and up and up about the most mundane shit and it starts to look like not even the skys the limit

planning things to do together, spending long hours into the night to parallel play with vidgames or watchin movies like time aint nothin thisll last forever, right? (it doesnt, always, but thats also part of this, and the ones that stay, the ones that work with you

those are the ones waking up to backread your chats like its the morning newspaper

and your life matters

like its better than the best hot goss, its saturday morning cartoons and their favour ice cream flavours

only now we adults and its also commiseratin over breakups and bills, and cross-country moves, and its celebrating that i saw chickens in the yard today and you finally got your boygirlthemsomethin gender fuckery juice)

idk idk idk

i feel some kinda way about all that

i never thought id make it so far that im nearly forty

never thought id get to ask "okay, well, now what? what do i wanna do, and try, and be?"

im... starting small i think, and im for reals happy, happier than i have been in years; i learned how to be alla my friends biggest fans, and im starting to finally believe

other people can feel that way about me

i just really think thats kinda neat

[snaillock]

I totally understand how you feel, I've been feeling similar for months. I feel like people in the bllk fic part of the fandom on Tumblr has gotten so much less.... responsive? I rarely get fun tags or feedback and you know how often people send requests without reading my rules. It's become tiring.

I saw that in general, fanfic readers have become more silent and reblog less, comment less and give less feedback, no matter what fandom :( it's so sad because the whole reason to share fics is to bond with others who enjoy the same stuff. Bllk tumblr felt so different a year ago.

Take your time and return whenever you feel like it. Even if you just come here to post and reblog stuff that's not your fics, it's always nice seeing you on my dashboard :3

And remember. If snaillock has 100 fans im one of them‼️‼️ if snaillock has 10 fans im one of them‼️‼️ if snaillock has 1 fan thats me ‼️‼️ if snaillock has 0 fans i am dead‼️‼️

oh my god you get it you fucking get it!!

it’s so nice to see other people agree and relate to this. i would see fics in the blue lock fandom posted a long time ago and all the nice tags in the reblogs. it was so cool to see genuine discussion and commentary from the readers. it really makes me wish i started writing way back when.

i remember it would genuinely upset me whenever i posted a lazier piece with a simple format and it would get so many likes especially way more compared to the other stuff i would actually put my love and effort in. even then there was barely any meaningful interactions.

and you’re so right it doesn’t feel like sharing a mutual love for something cool anymore. it just feels so shallow now and has been for a while. maybe people aren’t seeing fanfics as a something someone put their heart into and instead as something to consume then move on to the next. no shade but you can definitely tell by what type of fics are always at the top.

it really sucks bc i just want a community to share to and there’s hardly any here.

man i really appreciate you mao!!!! you’re one of my greatest mutuals. i hope people start learning how to read so you can actually requests that don’t blatantly break your rules for once.

but i gotta say its always so fucking funny whenever someone breaks your rule and requests fem reader so you just change it into a trans or lesbian reader. i love it so much i can’t imagine their reaction.

[bisexualmaedhros]

aside from the fact that your art is amazing and i love seeing everything you make and post- art doesnt have to be any semblance of good or be about potential its a deep instinctual need to create and for anything at all ti be made from that feeling is beautiful and important so deeply meaningful. the act of creation at all is a skill most are scared to learn but you have learned it and thats singlehandedly the most important thing about art ever, to just make it. i know its hard not to compare progress or think about what you arent able to do yet, but youre doing something so profound and amazing by creating anything at all AND sharing it with the world online like you do... your art inspires and drives me to want to create more, not to make it look better necessarily or to be as good as you or as good as i could theoretically be capable of- but to just create something that i enjoy making and seeing and sharing. to put something of my own into the world just like you are. progress is a hard thing not to get hung up on when it comes to art but youre already accomplishing the most important core parts of what art and creating are about.. to bring something into this world, a part of yourself, and gift it to the rest of the world to look at. to be vulnerable in sharing empowers and inspires others to do the same. i hope you never give up on art, i hope the act of creation is good to you. im sorry youre feeling so down about it all :( what youre doing is profound and important no matter how you think it measures up to other peoples creations

this is really sweet and it means a lot that you would take the time to send this ask, anon. i’ll be holding it very close and trying to internalize it. i don’t know, i’m inclined to make another post about how i’ve been feeling lately but i hate to be a downer, it’s always so embarrassing after the fact. i hope i haven’t worried you; i don’t think quitting art forever is an option for me, as much as i sometimes wish it was.

thank you for making things, and for being kind to me.

[lunarifie]

Hollow Fantasy AU part 3:

part 2 / part 4

Days pass as the group grows closer as friends. Eventually, Vanessa flies as Skeet speeds forward, both of them rejoining the group and exclaiming that there was a village not far off. Everyone cheers, picking up pace and reaching the village in no time. When they near the village Mira nudges Adam. “Do you think he’s going to be here?” Adam involuntarily perks up at that before immediately frowning and shaking his head, ignoring her. Vanessa raises an eyebrow at that and Skeet sighs. They enter the mundane village and rent a room in an inn. The sky darkens as they prepare for bed. Adam mentions that he’ll be staying up to look at the map and try to figure out where exactly they are after learning the name of the village. Mira scolds him while Skeet and Reeve object. Adam insists. That is until Reeve knocks him out with a sleeping spell, explaining to the others that it only works on people who are thoroughly exhausted. Everyone else continues to get ready for bed, Vanessa breaking the silence. “What were you talking about before? That someone might be here?” The group grows quiet, only for Mira to pipe up and talk about their old red-head friend who’d runaway under mysterious circumstances. She explains that they were all pretty close and shares stories of Kai from the few days he stayed with them, Reeve and Skeet interjecting with their own stories as well. Mira finishes by saying they all hope that they’ll find him on their journey. “If I’m being completely honest, deep down I think Adam might care about finding Kai more than the Ishibo. But he’d never admit that. He was always trained and told- as a guard! That he would find the ishibo, so he knows thats more important.” Vanessa agrees, stating it was best to focus on the goal at hand.

They wake up the next morning to loud scratchy exclamations outside the inn. They get up, preparing their stuff and walking outside. Once they leave the inn they’re met with a huge crowd surrounding what appears to be two monks standing on the townsquares wooden stage. They shout out to the crowd in their monk robes, waving a flier around, “come everyone come! And hear of the great warrior… AKUMA!!!” The monks roar the name, exclaiming that Akuma is the mightiest warrior in the land, with his glowing weapon that could poison thousands. Adam perks up at those words, straining his ears to listen. “We’re looking for your strongest fighters! Whoever can enter Akumas arena and beat the ghastly beast will be rewarded handsomely!” Adam straightens, maneuvering through the crowd until he was right beneath the monks. “Is the beast a dragon?” He asks. The Monks share a weird glance, “why yes, lucky guess!” Adams hopes skyrocket. “Is the reward the ishibo?” One of the monks look bewildered, “what? No. Its just money…” they answer. Adam frowns at that, face furrowing. “Adam what are you doing?!?!” Adams friends join him in the middle of the crowd, sharing looks of incredulity. “Id like to join the arena!” Adam proclaims. The crowd grows silent. “Excellent!” The monks cry, handing Adam a map, “this’ll direct you to the location! Good luck! You’ll need it!” The monks leave, the crowd dispersing, eyeing Adam while whispering to one another. Adam unfolds the map as his friends surround him to look over his shoulder. The map showcases that the arena wasn’t far from where they are, probably just a day or two, or a few hours on horseback if they’re able to afford a ride. Fortunately, a horse is not needed. The word of a new-maybe-champion spreads, a carriage soon presented to the group to escort them to the arena. Adam stops his friends, explaining to then that this was his prophecy, his legacy, and that they shouldn’t have to come. That they could stay safe inside the village. They all ignore him, and his meaningful speech, hopping into the carriage. Adam sighs in exasperation, climbing inside as well.

They travel through foresty terrain until they reach a clearing, bringing them to dry Akki Mountains. It was a medium sized town with rocky roads and red houses. The carriage bumped uncomfortable, clay monks of all sizes staring as they pass, some grin from the sidewalk, other laugh from their houses. It sends the group an uneasy chill down their spines. Finally they reach the center of the town. The friend group looks around, Skeet asking the carriage driver where the arena was. The driver points up and they all tilt their heads, finally spotting long chains holding a gigantic floating rock in the sky. The carriage driver dumps them out in a hurry, speeding off and out of the creepy town. The friend group glance around to see multiple clay monks staring at them and decide to begin their climb. Skeet and Vanessa take turns carrying people to the top. Once they reach the peak, they stand on smooth dirt flooring, staring ahead and spotting the fighting arena. The arena is humongous, stadium walls reaching the sky. The stadium is the first thing they notice, the second thing being a red tannish temple right in front of it. They walk towards it, a looming dark archway that leads inside the temple beckoning them. They all enter the temple, realizing it was in fact a monastery. They eye what they assume is Akuma, sitting upon a throne with monks by his side. “Which one of you volunteered to battle the beast?” He asks. Adam walks forward, apart from the group, “me.” Akuma grins, “very well then, I hope you’re ready, most people aren’t. Now, for the fact that you’ve gotten this far and havent let cowardice drive you away,—” “I have no interest in your reward.” Adam interrupts. The monks tilt their spears towards Adam, glaring. Akuma puts up a hand. “No reward?” He questions. “I didn’t say that,” Adam answers “I said I have no interest in your reward.” Akuma hums, “what do you have in mind?” Adam points to the staff in Akumas hand. “the ishibo.” The monks are on guard. Akuma blinks at him for a second before laughing. “I agree to your terms.” He swings the staff around in his hand, obviously disbelieving that Adam will even escape the battle alive. “You may enter the armory and pick a weapon,” a secret entryway from underneath Akumas throne opens. “From there you will enter the arena and make your way towards your death.” He gestured towards the rest of the group, “your companions will be escorted to the stadium,” he moved his hand to the entry way, “good luck.”