#and i tried to explain to her that she’s essentially making me pick between her life and lives of animals

[treasureguardingdragon]

.

[snoopyhq]

TYPE: Viktor x GN Reader

GENRE: Fluff

SCENARIO: Adopting a cat with Viktor <3

WORD COUNT: 797

SETTING: Modern day, essentially

A/N: Hi chat! So first post here for this silly little sideblog of mine, hehe. First time writing an x reader too, lowkey kinda nervy. This is very much a self-indulgent, impulsive 1 AM kind of work, so I hope you enjoy, Viktor Nation ⚙️💛 Requests are open! I pretty much will write whatever, within reason, so go wild <3 :3

BONUS! Picture of my kitty Delilah at the end <3 !!! I love her :3

“Are you excited? I am,” you said, killing the engine.

“Me too. Whichever we decide on, I know we’ll both love the creature,” Viktor replied.

In front of you was a quaint building tucked between two other shops in Uptown Square. It was the same building you both had been wanting to visit for quite a while, and today was the day.

The two of you have been talking about potentially adopting an animal, and now that life has fallen into a livable routine within your apartment, it was time to make the crucial decision.

You both quickly figured you were cat people, and it was easy to agree on going to the one of local cat cafés to meet your future pet. Piltover Paws had a section in their website that showcased which cats were available for adoption, as well as brief descriptions of each one.

Lovey, a beautiful black-and-white kitten, had immediately caught your attention. Viktor, on the other hand, was drawn to Prism, a calico with a missing eye.

Even then, you were both open-minded to see how all the cats would intersect with you both.

The café staff were kind in their greetings. After rules were explained, you two were led to the cat room, which was separate from the café area. A chorus of curious meows immediately greeted you, and there were a couple other people who had booked the hour there too.

Viktor sat on one of the many plush couches scattered around the room, and you went off to mingle with some of the cats in the play area.

All the kitties were wonderful. You tried to remember which was which based on the photos you saw on the sight. Lovey, of course, had you wrapped around her paws immediately. Her purrs and chirps melted your heart, and as she batted at the toy you held out for her, you looked up at Viktor. He met your eyes and smiled softly. The sight of you melting over such an adorable critter would be one of his favorites for the rest of his days.

While you kept busy with Lovey, Viktor was observing Prism. The calico was hiding in a corner, away from the other cats. He was clearly shy, and nervous to approach. So Viktor waited. His patience proved fruitful, because Prism had slowly begun emerging, curiously sniffing at Viktor’s cane. He laughed to himself, letting the feline acquaint itself with him.

“Good kitty,” he whispered.

Slowly, he reached out his head towards Prism’s right side.

“You’re like a little puzzle piece of me,” he murmured. Prism allowed Viktor to gently pet him. His fur was soft as can be, his good eye closing halfway in contentment.

Soon, Prism had decided Viktor’s lap made the perfect napping spot. He was stuck to his seat, but he didn’t mind. When you walked over with Lovey trailing behind you and weaving in between your legs (the little troublemaker), a mutual agreement passed. You had to adopt both these kitties.

The application was filled out. The team explained they would be in contact with you two shortly to go over some general housekeeping and to ensure your home would be suitable for the cats.

The date was set.

You went home and began waiting with bated breath. While Viktor went to his study, you decided to pass some time to read some more of a recent novel you’d checked out.

It was around 6:30 when the call came through. Ten minutes conversing with the volunteer, and your adoptions were approved! You could come pick Lovey and Prism up anytime between 9:00 and 3:00 tomorrow, and you were eager to get there quickly.

By 9:30 the next morning, you two were well on your way home with the two new additions to your growing household. Prism remained quiet in his carrier, while Lovey chittered at every corner, much to your and Viktor’s amusement.

“Talkative, isn’t she?” he inquired.

“It was in one of her descriptions. Glad to see it’s true outside the café,” you answered.

“Much like you,” he teased. That earned him an annoyed huff, but the affection in your eyes dispelled any actual grievance.

“They’ll do well adjusting,” you said after a while.

The city was behind you now, the sounds of Piltover fading away. The carriers were set down and slowly opened.

Viktor watched Lovely immediately went sniffing around the living room, ducking beneath the couch. Prism slowly followed suit, making it a few steps before finding his way back to Viktor, nudging at his leg.

“I think they will,” he nodded, leaning down to pet him. “They’ll look lovely in future postcards, wouldn’t you agree?”

You couldn’t help but snicker at the thought. Holiday cards to Jayce and Heimerdinger, and any other friends, with photos of your cats in holiday gear and cheer? It was perfect.

“Absolutely.”

•• ━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━ •••• ━━━━ ••●••

here she is! my little diva 💜

[garlicsunshine]

exhaustion

gai refusing to take any pain meds. what else is new. (800 words of team gai hurt/comfort)

💚💚💚💚💚 ao3 💚💚💚💚💚

“I’m worried about him.”

“Do not worry Tenten! I am sure Gai-Sensei will make a full recovery!”

Their order is called. Lee zips over to the window, plucks the tray with their food off the counter, and strides back over to her. He sits as she takes her items off of the shared tray.

“That’s not what I’m worries about.” She swirls her tea around in its mug. “I don’t think he’s been sleeping. Every time I visit he seems more and more exhausted. When I ask how he’s doing he always says he totally fine.” She scowls and sets the mug back down on the table. Her face softens as she glances at Lee. “You were the same way.”

Lee pushes the vegetables around in his curry. “He doesn’t want us to worry.”

“I know that, but… that doesn’t mean he has to suffer. I overheard him refusing pain meds from the nurse.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Yeah.” She picks up a dumpling, and pops one in her mouth. “I waf hopeng you cul tal to em.” She swallows. “I’ve already tried, but he won’t listen to me. You though,” She points her chopsticks at him. “you’ve been where he is. You might be able to get through to him.”

“I will try…”

“We can go together, if that helps.” Tenten offers. Lee nods his head firmly.

---

“Alright! Enough is enough Sensei! You look like shit. You need to sleep.”

Gai glares at Kakashi as he suppresses a laugh. He looks to the door as his two students stride through.

Lee step in behind Tenten. “That is right! Oh! Kakashi-Sensei! I did not know you were here.”

“Uh,” Tenten raises her hands apologetically, “We can come back another time.”

Unmoving from his place the edge of Gai’s hospital bed, Kakashi smiles and waves them in. “No, no, in fact, I was just telling him the same thing.”

Gai’s scowl intensifies as Kakashi turns his fake angelic smile back to him. Great. He’s surrounded. He watches the resolves on Tenten’s face return as she strides across the room.

“I know you have been refusing your pain meds. Which means you haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Probably hasn’t slept in about a week actually.” Kakashi chimes in, too upbeat for Gai’s liking.

“Gai-Sensei!” The exasperation in Lee’s voice makes Gai recoil.

“And if you’re not sleeping there is no way your body is going to be able to recover.” Tenten jabs her fists against her hips and glares down at him defiantly.

“I—” Gai starts before he is cut off by Lee.

“Sensei, when I was in the hospital, did you not say that the road to recovery is a long and arduous one?”

“Yes.”

“And when you have a long and arduous journey ahead of you, is it not of utmost importance to be of sound body and mind.”

“Yes…” He did not like where this was going.

“To prepare for such an challenge, one must give the body three essential things. Rest, nutrients, and the power of determination. Is that not what you told me?”

“It is…”

“Well then, can you explain to me why you are refusing to give your body rest?

He tries to hold Lee’s fiery gaze, but he quickly resorts to looking down at his own hands. They are right. Why is he doing this to himself? He was so quick to tell Lee to be patient, take things slow, accept all the help that was offered him. Why is it so hard to do that for himself now.

Tenten sits down in the chair next to his bed. “I know you don’t want us to worry, Sensei. But what I’m most worried about why you are making things harder for yourself. This isn’t like you're self-imposed rules. If you keep going to the way you are, you’re going to hurt yourself, not make yourself stronger.”

Lee kneels down, taking one of his hands between his. He looks up at Gai with wet, pleading eyes. “Please, Gai-Sensei, let us take care of you like you took care of me!”

Kakashi leans his weight onto one arm, letting his head rest on it’s shoulder. He arches a brow, an unspoken challenge, 'Well?'. Gai’s eyes bubble over. He pulls Lee towards him and gathers Tenten up with his free hand, crushing them both against him. Kakashi smiles, shifting his hand to Gai’s leg, thumbing it gently.

“I PROMISE! I’LL DO BETTER! Starting right this second I will accept all the help I can get. You two have blossomed in fine young people. Your compassion knows no bounds! I AM BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL STUDENTS AS YOU!”

“GAI-SENSEI!” Lee manages to blubber out between sobs.

Tenten muffles a string of relieved thanks against a blended mop of dark hair.

Kakashi rises. Best to get him while he’s weak. He steps out into the hallway.

“Excuse me, nurse? He’s finally ready to accept pain meds.”

“Fucking finally.”

Kakashi smiles weakly as she turns to find the med tech.

[starsreminisce]

I'm know I've mentioned it before, but considering that Feyre and Rhys are both two halves made whole, Nesta's and Elain's books essentially mirror ACOMAF split into two. Nesta's journey parallels Feyre's healing from her UTM ordeal, with Rhys's full Illyrian counterpart. Meanwhile, Elain's exploration mirrors Feyre's ascension to reclaiming the High Lady title, with Rhys's full fae counterpart.

While SF may have faced criticism, Nesta had to heal through aspects that had never bothered her before, much like Feyre did, and Cassian has already worked through most of his issues, though he still acknowledges his self-worth issues. Their story seems complete, but ACOMAF hints more towards Elucien's story, especially when dissecting Rhys's chapter 54 alongside Lucien's journey throughout the books.

Though Rhys's and Lucien's experiences differ, there are enough parallels for me to draw connections. SJM loves her patterns, so it wouldn't be surprising if she continues this trend in Elucien's story as well.

Indents are from chapter 54 and orange is Lucien

He paused, swallowing. “I was chained in the mud, forced to watch as they battled. To watch as Jurian took my killing blow. Only—she slaughtered him. I watched her rip out his eye, then rip off his finger, and when he was prone, I watched her drag him back to the camp. Then I listened to her slowly, over days and days, tear him apart. His screaming was endless. She was so focused on torturing him that she didn’t detect my father’s arrival. In the panic, she killed Jurian rather than see him liberated, and fled.

A tight sigh. “His father had her put down. Executed, in front of Lucien, as his two eldest brothers held him and made him watch.”

And that night, when she kept turning her attention to me, I knew what she wanted. I knew it wasn’t about fucking me so much as it was about getting revenge at my father’s ghost. But if that was what she wanted, then that was what she would get. I made her beg, and scream, and used my lingering powers to make it so good for her that she wanted more. Craved more.

He wouldn’t meet my gaze. “She insisted. Tamlin was … Things were bad, Feyre. I went in his stead, and I did my duty to the court. I went of my own free will. And we completed the Rite.” No wonder she’d backed off him. She’d gotten what she wanted. “Please don’t tell Elain,” he said. “When we—when we find her again,” he amended. He might have completed the Great Rite with Ianthe of his own free will, but he certainly hadn’t enjoyed it. Some line had been blurred—badly.

But your final trial came, and … When she started torturing you, something snapped in a way I couldn’t explain, only that seeing you bleeding and screaming undid me. It broke me at last. And I knew as I picked up that knife to kill her … I knew right then what you were. I knew that you were my mate, and you were in love with another male, and had destroyed yourself to save him, and that … that I didn’t care. If you were going to die, I was going to die with you. I couldn’t stop thinking it over and over as you screamed, as I tried to kill her: you were my mate, my mate, my mate.

Lucien staggered a step forward as Elain was gripped between two guards and hoisted up. She began kicking then, weeping while her feet slammed into the sides of the Cauldron as if she’d push off it, as if she’d knock it down— “That is enough.” Lucien surged for Elain, for the Cauldron. And the king’s power leashed him, too. On the ground beside Tamlin, his single eye wide, Lucien had the good sense to look horrified as he glanced between Elain and the High Lord.

So Amarantha died, and I spoke to the High Lords mind to mind, convincing them to come forward, to offer that spark of power. None of them disagreed. I think they were too stunned to think of saying no.

Elain was still shivering on the wet stones, her nightgown shoved up to her thighs, her small breasts fully visible beneath the soaked fabric. Guards snickered. Lucien snarled at the king over the bite of the magic at his throat, “Don’t just leave her on the damned floor—” There was a flare of light, and a scrape, and then Lucien was stalking toward Elain, freed of his restraints. Tamlin remained leashed on the ground, a gag of white, iridescent magic in his mouth now. But his eyes were on Lucien as—As Lucien took off his jacket, kneeling before Elain. She cringed away from the coat, from him

When I went to leave you … I think transforming you into Fae made the bond lock into place permanently. I’d known it existed, but it hit me then—hit me so strong that I panicked. I knew if I stayed a second longer, I’d damn the consequences and take you with me. And you’d hate me forever.

But Elain was staring over Nesta’s shoulder. At Lucien—whose face she had finally taken in. Dark brown eyes met one eye of russet and one of metal. Nesta was still weeping, still raging, still inspecting Elain— Lucien’s hands slackened at his sides. His voice broke as he whispered to Elain, “You’re my mate.”

I heard you were going to marry him, and I told myself you were happy. I should let you be happy, even if it killed me. Even if you were my mate, you’d earned that happiness.

“My mate is engaged to a human male.” He spoke more to himself than to me. “I’m sorry if—” “I want to see her. Just once. Just—to know.” “To know what?” He hitched my damp cloak higher around us. “If she is worth fighting for.” I couldn’t bring myself to say she was, to give him that sort of hope when Elain might very well do everything in her power to hold to her engagement. Even if immortality had already rendered it impossible. Lucien leaned his head back against the rock wall behind us. “And then I’ll ask your mate how he survived it—knowing you were engaged to someone else. Sharing another male’s bed.”

“It killed me, Feyre, to send you back. To see you waste away, month by month.

Too thin. She must not be eating at all. How can she even stand? The thoughts flowed through his head, one after another. His heart was a raging, thunderous beat, and he didn’t dare move from his position a mere five feet away. She hadn’t yet turned toward him, but the ravages of her fasting were evident enough.

But I couldn’t … I couldn’t stop being around you, and loving you, and wanting you. I still can’t stay away.

Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing.

[crispy0nion]

hello it is now time for me to inflict YOU with the explaining lore to a new player curse. Essentially, this is an invitation to infodump about your favorite guy.

I've been hearing/reading a lot about Cayde-6 throughout the game (and Ikora made me watch his death), but who is he? What's his deal?

Oh this is fantastic. Get ready for a full essay (under the cut so I don't clog up people's dashes). I tried to link some relevant lore tabs, but still i recommend reading at least The Man They Called Cayde, or to just skim through the Cayde-6 section of the Ishtar Collective website.

Cayde-6 was the sixth Hunter Vanguard, a position widely considered to be cursed as all previous Hunter Vanguards have either died or gone MIA (Tallulah Fairwind, killed by an Ahamkara; Caliban-8, MIA; Aparajita-4, MIA; Kauko Swiftriver, went MIA and was later declared dead; Andal Brask, killed by Taniks The Scarred; Cayde-6, killed by Uldren Sov). The position is currently empty, but it is heavily implied that Crow will step up as the new Hunter Vanguard soon.

Now, let's try to go in order of events. Like all Exos, Cayde used to be a human during the Golden Age. He was a soldier, and it is likely that he had a gambling problem (a habit he retained in his Guardian life): simply put, he had a big debt hanging over his head. That's when Clovis Bray, the creator of Exos, approached him with a job offer. The reason Clovis approached him is because people like Cayde were exactly what BrayTech needed for the Exo Project: disposable and with their backs to the wall. Cayde accepted to essentially give his body to the Project in exchange for his debts to be cleared. The job offer itself was never explicited, but Cayde recounts being kidnapped and brought to Europa. This was around the time the Collapse happened.

We don't know everything that happened in his lives from 1 to 6. We know that for most of his lives before becoming a Guardian, he worked for BrayTech, first as a generic worker and later as a guard. This is where he had his first (and only, probably) interaction with Micah Abram, who at the time was a chid. Micah is a lore-only Exo Hunter, now known as Micah-10, known for her role as the 'mother-hen of Ghosts' - she protects upaired Ghosts from the Ghost Hunter, Cyrell. But why is Micah relevant to Cayde's story? Well, Cayde-6 would often mention how he used to have a son when he was human, as well as a wife. He refers to the kid as 'Ace', and to the woman as simply the Queen of Hearts. He talks about her in a TTK mission to retrieve his stash, and some of his journal entries are written as letters for his son - he also worked with Banshee-44 to craft a gun inspired by him, his Ace of Spades.

The interaction that Cayde-1 had with Micah - who, being a trans woman, was at the time a little boy - caused him to retain fragmented memories of a child in his current Guardian life. I recommend reading the lore tabs about their encounter (both Micah's POV and Cayde's POV). The following letter from Micah's POV also mentions how immediately after Cayde picked her up, he was deactivated.

So, the fragmented memories he retained from this interaction where what he based off this delusion of having a son, because yes, both his wife and son never existed, and Cayde himself admits to making them up as a coping mechanism in the last entry of his journal.

But if Micah Abram was his Ace, who was his Queen? Easy: Maya Sundaresh.

Maya Sundaresh was a Golden Age scientist who worked for the Ishtar Collective on Venus, and collaborated with Clovis on an occasion. She's also the founder of Neomuna, on Neptune. Cayde (between 2 and 6) was part of the batch of Exos who Clovis assigned to work as guards for Dr. Sundaresh during their collaboration. That's when Cayde first met her, and to say he was down bad would be an understatement. Unfortunately for him, Dr. Sundaresh was not only a psycho, but also a married lesbian. She never even acknowledged him, but still he fell in love with her. The memory of this feeling stayed with him through the resets and his death, and he contructed the memory of the Queen of Hearts over that.

As far as I know, we don't have any information regarding Cayde's death, other that he was resurrected near a cliff. After freaking out, running off the cliff and being revived again, he found on his person a journal, potentially the same one he keeps using in his Guardian life. Cayde believes his past self (specifially, Cayde-5) wrote and left this journal to guide him, to prevent him from taking the wrong path and becoming Cayde-7 - something he seemed to be absolutely against. Side note, but I find that to be an extremely interesting detail since Bungie's own signature is the number 7.

Regarding his years before becoming Vanguard, we know Cayde has been around for at least 126 years, probably more. He used to run with a group of Hunters, his 'crew': Andal Brask, Shiro-4 and Tevis Larsen. A fifth member, Lush, would also join them sometimes, being Shiro's protégé. Of these five members of the Hunter crew, Shiro is the only one currently alive. Andal was killed by Taniks before the game events, Tevis died at the hands of the Vex during TTK, and Lush lost his Ghost the first time the crew ran into Taniks, then died on a solo mission later on.

Cayde was especially close with Andal, referring to him as his best friend and brother. If you recall, Andal was also the Hunter Vanguard before Cayde; this actually is something that happened because of the Exo. Hunters have this thing called 'The Dare'; every Hunter Vanguard needs to have their own, since the Dare is what estabilishes how the next Vanguard has to be chosen. The Vanguard that came before Andal, Kauko Swiftriver, went missing for two years, later being declared dead, and his Dare was never found. For this reason, The Speaker - who created the first Dare together with Tallulah Fairwind - told the Hunters to figure it out and find a new Vanguard.

One evening, after the crew had already had their first run in with Taniks - an Eliksni mercenary, who claimed many Guardian lives - Andal and Cayde got drinking, and in the heat of the moment they made a bet, their own Dare: if one of them found and killed Taniks, the other had to step up and become Vanguard. They didn't think much of it, until Cayde actually killed Taniks first (side note: 'killed' isn't completely right. Taniks keeps coming back, and even after we killed him in the DSC raid there is a chance he is still alive). Andal, being a man of his word, became Vanguard; and Cayde wasn't happy about it, because it's a time consuming job, so Andal now spent significantly less time with the crew.

Now Taniks, after somehow escaping death, finds and kills Andal. Because of this, Cayde feels obliged to take the role of Hunter Vanguard. He also goes on a rampage, and quite violently kills Taniks again. He begins wearing Andal's cloak, and officially becomes the Hunter Vanguard we all know and love.

Cayde had always been one to constantly crack jokes and use humor to cover up all the ugly things, and Andal's death, followed some time later by Tevis's, only reinforced that. In addition to that, the job of Vanguard comes with a price: you can rarely leave the Tower. This was especially true for Cayde, considering he was both a known troublemaker and potentially in danger for filling the Hunter Vanguard position (after five consecutive deaths, anyone would get a bit paranoid), and it was something that bothered him deeply.

During the events of D1 and D2 up to Forsaken, he does... many things. Like blowing up Eris's ship in order to get the Guardian on the Dreadnaught during TTK. Overall, none of these are worth mentioning, considering this post is already very long.

What I want to talk about next are the events of Forsaken, starting from about one in-game year before the game events. The comicbook 'Cayde's Six' is a good starting point: Cayde was tasked by Petra Venj with hunting the Fallen Barons, who under the command of a corrupted Uldren Sov had been causing chaos on The Reef. His task was to find them and bring them to the Prison of Elders. To do this he assembles a small team (Suraya Hawthorne, Banshee-44, Jin, Nadiya and Petra Venj); they eventually succeed in their goal, even imprisoning the Forsaken Prince himself. Fast-forward to a year later, the events of Forsaken unfold: Uldren Sov and his Barons, now Scorn, escape the Prison of Elders, leaving behind a dead Cayde, who only died because he happened to stand in their way (it's unlikely that Uldren held any resentment as he was... very out of it, probably too much to care about anything but Mara).

This later caused the Young Wolf to go on a rampage, finding and killing all the Barons and Uldren himself (a very nice parallel to the Taniks-Andal situation). Forsaken also brought a new exotic hand cannon: the Ace of Spades, Cayde's beloved weapon. The quest to obtain this weapon, Ace in the Hole, is quite interesting: the YW has to travel across the system to find Cayde's secret stashes, that he specifically left for when he would die. These chests, other than parts to repair Ace, also contain recorded messages, each adressed to a different character. Eris, Taniks, Drifter, Petra, 'the minds behind the DSC', Hawthorne, 'any hunter who kills him' (which he speculates could be Marcus Ren), Zavala, Ikora, and the Young Wolf. Ten messages for ten meaningful people, in all senses. He left them with the intention of having these people listen to them in case they were the ones to kill him. They are very interesting, I recommend looking them up (here's Byf's video, where he also does a bit of analysis).

Many things emerge from these messages, but there's only three that i wanna talk about: Petra's, the voices's and Ikora's messages.

Petra's message is highlighted by the presence of an encrypted message Cayde asks Petra to relay to someone called 'Paladin Oran'. This 'Paladin Oran' is actually an Awoken code to indicate that the next thing he will say is a secret message. The message essentially boils down to the sentence 'It's on Enceladus'. To this day, we still don't know what is on Enceladus. The most popular theory is that Cayde thought the DSC was there, since it was only rediscovered on Europa after his death.

The message he adresses to 'the minds behind the Deep Stone Crypt' introduces us to the Long Slow Whisper, something all Exos seem to be affected by as a side-effect of, well... being an Exo. Long story short, it's the voice of the Darkness: the reason Exos hear it almost constantly is because Clovis used Clarity, a power born from Darkness, to create them. We discover much more about Exos, the LSW, Clarity and the DSC during Beyond Light.

Lastly, Ikora's message. Not much to say, other than how heart shattering it is. In most messages, Cayde still maintained his humorous personality, however this one is the only one adressed to an ally in which Cayde unmasks. He knows Ikora sees through his facade anyways, and since he's dead, he might as well be honest. Here, he admits to thinking most people dislike him; he is convinced Ikora hates him, and makes sure to specify how 'it wasn't mutual'.

Once you find all 10 caches, you unlock the Ace of Spades, and Cayde's story ends there. He says in the message adressed to the YW that every story has it's end, and this is his. He instructs us to burn his journal and move on. And that's all. At least it was until a year ago, when Bungie released the TFS Teaser Trailer, officially bringing back Cayde for this last stand against Darkness.

As we recently discovered from the Unforseen Consequences Ship's lore tab, it is very likely that he was actually brought back because of a wish Crow accidentally made to an unnamed Ahamkara (likely Riven), disguised as Mara. This means that the chances of Cayde fading away at the end of the TFS campaign are very high, but I guess we'll find out on the 4th!

This is all I got. Anyone who reached the end, feel free to add to this if you noticed I missed something.

[galactic-knightmare]

Yet another Au!

So, I had mentioned a slime rancher au in the bowuigi discord, and soon enough me and a couple others were just brainstorming and slapping it together, and this is (one of) the results!

(also tried a different artstyle. its kinda a mix of my usual style and canon lmao)

So Essentially, the bros move in to their own ranch, and their neighboring ranches being home to Bowser, Peach, and Daisy. Daisy and Peach share a ranch, with Peach usually handling the basic care of the slimes and plants (hence why I gave her a more gardener-kinda outfit) while Daisy usually goes exploring for new slimes. their Neighbor, Bowser, mostly specializes in Boom, Fire, Crystal, and Rock slimes, preferring the more volatile ones since they can’t really do much to him. (he’s still a koopa here, mostly cause I just didn’t want to make him human lmao) He’s also best friends with Peach- no romance there or anything.

He ends up meeting the bros when Mario ends up disturbing his boom slimes somehow (either with extremely loud music or something else). The two end up in an argument and there is Immediate dislike between them. Luigi, knowing how intense and... dense, his brother can be sometimes, decides to come over to Bowser’s ranch and apologize for it, and Bowser ends up thinking “alright, his brother’s not bad, so I guess I can tolerate them being my neighbors” and they just slowly befriend each other over time.

As for the slimes, there’s bits of ideas on those too!

Mario seems to attract literally every cat-like slime in existence. He goes for a nap under a tree and then wakes up under a pile of tabby slimes. You turn your back on him and when you look over again he’s got Hunter slimes all over him. He has a single Saber slime that is his baby and definitely spoiled named Pawline. (I headcanon Mario with a Calico cat named Pawline, so this is her in the au I guess XD) Luigi tends to be swarmed by batty and phosphor slimes, mostly as a reference to the Luigi’s Mansion games, but also because Batty Slimes are cute. They don’t swarm him as much as the cat slimes swarm Mario though. He also has a Yolky Slime named Sunny. When the two first saw Sunny Mario wanted to try and cook them because they looked like a giant egg. thankfully, Luigi said no and took Sunny in (and away from the stove). Sunny usually just sits around in the chicken coops, though every now and then you’ll find them Hiding in Luigi’s hat.

Peach has a bunch of Pink Flutter Largos... I don’t think I need to explain my reasoning there LMAO And Daisy has a bunch of tangle slimes, mostly because she thinks their cool, but also their one of the few plant slimes, and well, plants, flowers, daisies... you get the idea... XD

Bowser, since he’s a koopa and essentially heatproof, just isn’t affected by boom slimes and fire slimes. he’s also too big for a vacpack, so he just. picks up a handfull of slimes whenever he needs to move them around. At one Point Luigi is just. watching, as Bowser moves a bunch of boom largos, completely unaffected by the largos exploding in his arms. We were a bit(?) torn on what to do with the Koopalings and junior? Someone suggested that their a bunch of boom slimes that Bowser babies, though Personally I prefer them still being his kids. Maybe at the start of the au their all on a trip with their grandpa kamek? I just find the idea funny that during their talks, Bowser mentions he has kids to Luigi, but doesn’t mention that he has eight. So when they do get back from their trip, Luigi is just stunned at the sheer amount of kids he has lmao

Anyway yeah, that’s.. essentially it I think. I have other ideas so we’ll see if I make more lmao. I won’t write anything for it though, aside from maybe a oneshot here or there. (though I do think there’s at least one person from the server who is writing a fic for the au. Memory ain’t that great...)

[oldiesstationlover11607]

okok i may have gotten ahead of myself with the christmas themed ask LMAO even tho you totally killed it and may or may not have put me into a holly jolly mood- ITS OCTOBER I NEED TO SLOW DOWN (slowtown reference?)

in honor of spooky season, may i request tyler x reader on tour during october, where reader totally goes crazy with the spooky decorations?

stickers, fake spiders and spiderwebs, fairy lights, and other decorations allll over the tour bus, backstage, tyler's instruments, etc.

maybe a bit of that tiktok trend of people covering their partners car and face with cutesey stickers lol!!

imagine tyler appearing on stage in Serious Clancy mode with cute halloween stickers all over his face, arms, and mic 😭🥹

trust, this will not be the last halloween themed ask i conjure up this month 😌

i look forward to seeing this come to life!!

hope all is well 🫶🏼

🕸🕸🕸🕸

Haunted Bus - Tyler Joseph x Reader

Warnings: none! :)

Word Count: 2614

A/N: This was so much fun to write lol I had so many ideas - halloween is my favorite holiday so I was so excited to see this request. I made it a bit niche by adding that the reader is from NZ like me where we don't really tend to celebrate it which explains why she goes crazy :) also featuring debby and josh bc we luv them! can't wait to see the next request!

It had taken everything in me to stay home while the boys were touring in October. Tyler knew how much I loved Fall and Halloween—it had become our thing. Every year, we’d transform our house into a spooky wonderland, with pumpkins lining the porch, fog machines hidden in the bushes, and skeletons dangling from the eaves. No matter how hard we tried to adjust the schedule, this time, it just wasn’t possible. The best he could do was promise we’d be home by October 14th, just in time to celebrate. But in the meantime, I was determined to bring Halloween with me, no matter where we were. By the time October rolled around, we were only a few weeks away from the end of the American leg of The Clancy Tour, and I was itching to dive into the spooky season. Debby, always my partner in crime, knew exactly what I needed. That morning, we woke up early, leaving Tyler fast asleep, and made our way to Target.

“Oh my god, look at all this!” I practically squealed as we entered the Halloween section, grabbing a red basket and darting toward the decorations. “This is like… heaven. We don’t have anything like this back home!”

Growing up in New Zealand, Halloween had never been a big deal, so the over-the-top decorations in American stores still blew my mind. There were aisles of fake skeletons, glowing ghosts, fog machines, and everything in between. It was like stepping into my dream version of Halloween.

Debby chuckled, shaking her head. “I still don’t get how you survived so many years without a proper Halloween, Y/N.”

“I have no idea,” I replied, pressing every button on the animatronic toys until they were all blinking, buzzing, and screeching. Halloween had become a serious obsession for me. The first year I started dating Tyler, Debby and Josh invited me to their legendary Halloween party, and ever since, I was hooked. Now I talked about the holiday year-round, planning decorations and themes months in advance.

“We should totally make the buses look haunted,” I said, grabbing a couple bags of fake spiderwebs and tossing them into the basket. “We could go all out.”

Debby laughed. “You know we don’t have that much space, right?”

“I know, but we have to get spiderwebs. At least those will fit!” I said, grabbing a few more packets just to be sure. Debby picked up a few boxes of orange fairy lights and handed some to me.

“We used these last time around Josh’s drum kit, and it looked amazing. He told me to pick up more. I’m sure you can find some use for them on your bus.”

Before long, our baskets were overflowing with decorations—candy corn, ghost window gels, pumpkin stickers, and all the spooky essentials. The thought of surprising—and slightly annoying—Tyler with a fully decorated haunted bus made me feel like a kid again. I was practically buzzing with excitement as we headed back, already plotting out how to turn our bus into a Halloween wonderland.

When we got back, Tyler was still fast asleep, so I tiptoed into the bus, trying not to wake him. I got straight to work, channeling my inner Halloween decorator. I stretched fake spiderwebs over the cabinets, stuck glowing ghost decals onto the windows, and placed a pumpkin spice candle on the counter. The bus was starting to look like a Halloween explosion, and I couldn’t help but grin as I imagined Tyler’s reaction.

Tyler eventually stirred, letting out a groggy groan as he reached out, his hand searching for me on the other side of the bed. I crawled beside him, watching as his sleepy eyes blinked open. His brow furrowed slightly, and I could tell he hadn’t noticed anything yet.

“I’m right here, hun,” I whispered, smiling as I leaned in closer.

“Good morning,” he croaked, his voice thick with sleep. His nose wrinkled, and he squinted toward the kitchen. “What’s that smell?”

“Pumpkin spice candle,” I said, biting back a grin. 

Tyler stretched and yawned before his eyes finally took in the scene around him—the fake spiderwebs stretched across the kitchen, the ghost decals on the windows, the plastic spiders scattered across the counter. His sleepy expression morphed into one of amused disbelief.

“How did you…?

“Debby took me to Target,” I said innocently, suppressing a giggle.

He shook his head, his lips curving into a small, knowing smile. “Of course she did. You just love spooky season, don’t you?”

“More than anyone,” I declared proudly.

Tyler sighed, running a hand through his messy hair as he surveyed the Halloween transformation. “You’re going to drive Josh insane with all this.”

“Josh will love it,” I shot back, hopping off the bed and heading toward the kitchen. “Besides, Debby helped me pick everything out, so he doesn’t get a vote.”

Tyler chuckled, rubbing his eyes as he padded toward the shower. “I don’t know what I’m more scared of—the haunted bus or how far you’re planning to take this.”

“You have no idea what’s coming,” I teased, winking as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Once he was gone, I pulled out the rest of the decorations Debby and I had picked up and headed to the venue. Debby and Josh were already there, decorating Josh’s drum kit with the orange fairy lights, while I set to work sticking pumpkin stickers across Tyler’s bass and even sneaking a few onto the piano keys. We scattered more fake spiders and webs throughout the dressing rooms and across the arena, adding to the overall spooky vibe. By the time Tyler joined us, he was stumbling across Halloween decorations every few steps, muttering under his breath each time he found another sticker or plastic spider.

But no matter how much he tried to act annoyed, I could tell he was secretly enjoying the chaos. Every now and then, I’d catch him peeling off a sticker, only for me to stick another one somewhere else when he wasn’t looking. His exasperation was growing, but so was that mischievous smile he couldn’t hide.

As the afternoon wore on, the whole crew had gotten into the Halloween spirit. Josh was drumming with little skeletons dangling from his kit, Debby was sticking glow-in-the-dark bats onto his drumsticks, and even the crew had added their own decorations to equipment cases and dressing room doors.

Tyler, meanwhile, was wandering the venue with a bemused expression, fake spiderwebs clinging to his jacket and tiny pumpkins stuck to his guitar case. I had to stifle a laugh when I saw a bright green ghost sticker on his shoulder that he hadn’t noticed yet.

“You’re really pushing your luck, Y/N,” he teased, giving me a playful glare when he caught me giggling.

I grinned, leaning back against the soundboard. “You love it. Admit it.”

He opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by Josh shouting, “Tyler, look at your uke!”

We all turned to see Josh holding up Tyler's ukulele, now with a large spider sticker plastered right at the base of the neck. Tyler groaned, running a hand through his hair, but he couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips.

“How did I not see that earlier?” he muttered, shaking his head.

Debby and I exchanged a mischievous look before bursting into laughter. “You were too busy focusing on the tiny pumpkins I stuck on the piano keys,” I teased.

Tyler sighed dramatically but couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. As the evening approached and the fans started filling the venue, the spooky decorations spread everywhere. The stage, the dressing rooms, the buses—everything had a touch of Halloween madness. Fans even showed up in costumes, snapping pictures of the stage decked out in orange fairy lights and haunted decor.

When it was finally time for the show, Tyler stepped onto the stage, falling into his intense Clancy persona. The crowd erupted in cheers, and for a moment, he was completely focused. But then, mid-song, he noticed the bright orange pumpkin sticker I’d placed on his mic earlier. His lips twitched as he tried to maintain his serious expression, but I saw him bite back a smile. It got worse when he caught Josh’s eye. Josh, sitting behind his drum kit surrounded by glow-in-the-dark bats, was giving Tyler a look that screamed, What have we become? Tyler cracked—he turned away from the crowd, pretending to adjust his in-ear monitor, but I saw the laugh he was holding in.

As the night wore on, the decorations became part of the performance. Fans pointed out the tiny pumpkins and skeletons strung across the stage, snapping pictures and laughing at the haunted spectacle. Tyler, still fighting to keep Clancy intact, kept getting caught off guard by the random Halloween touches I’d added. His mic, his guitar, even his water bottle had tiny pumpkins and spiders stuck to them.

During the encore, he finally gave in. As he came back onstage for the final song, he raised his arm to reveal the black cat temporary tattoo I’d sneakily applied earlier. The crowd erupted in laughter, and Tyler just shook his head with a grin.

“You’ve really outdone yourself,” he said into the mic, holding up his arm for the audience to see.

The fans cheered louder, and I felt my cheeks flush with pride as I stood offstage, watching him with a satisfied grin. Tyler finished the set with the stickers still plastered all over his gear, and by the end of the night, I knew I had succeeded in turning the tour into the ultimate Halloween experience.

As the last notes of the encore rang out and the lights dimmed, Tyler came offstage, still shaking his head in amused disbelief. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close as we made our way back toward the dressing room. The sound of the crowd's final cheers still echoed in the air, filling me with a sense of joy that felt as electric as the Halloween lights strung throughout the venue.

“You're lucky I love you,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my temple, a sweet reminder of how special moments like this were to us.

“I know,” I replied smugly, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “And you’re lucky I didn’t cover your entire face in stickers.”

Tyler groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Please don’t give them any ideas,” he said, nodding toward Josh and the crew, who were still cackling about the Halloween chaos. “I’ll be peeling stickers off my stuff for weeks.”

I shrugged playfully. “Totally worth it,” I replied with a wink, letting go of his waist to gather up a few stray decorations left behind.

We entered the dressing room, which was still littered with remnants of our Halloween takeover. Fake spiders crawled across the table, and a few pumpkin stickers had managed to find their way onto crew members' gear. The atmosphere was light and buzzing, filled with laughter and excitement from the show.

As I started collecting the decorations, Tyler leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me with a smile. “You know, this has actually been kind of fun,” he admitted, a hint of sincerity in his voice. “Even if it is a total disaster.”

I shot him a teasing glare. “A total disaster? This is a masterpiece! Wait until next year; we’ll have the whole tour bus covered in cobwebs and pumpkin lights.”

“Next year, huh?” he mused, clearly already imagining the chaos I had in store. “You might need to start planning now.”

“Oh, I definitely will,” I replied, laughing as I tossed another handful of stickers into a bag. “I’m going to need an entire month of preparation for the ultimate Halloween tour.”

As we finished tidying up, Josh sauntered in, his hair still slightly damp from the post-show shower. “You guys seriously went all out. I can’t believe how many stickers you managed to get on our stuff,” he said, shaking his head in amusement.

“Hey, you’re just as much to blame for this,” Tyler shot back, gesturing toward the decorations that surrounded us. “You encouraged her!”

Josh held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just here for the fun, man. But next year, I’m putting my foot down. No more pumpkin stickers on my kit, alright?”

“Challenge accepted,” I said with a grin, leaning closer to Josh as I started to plot out my next Halloween invasion.

The conversation shifted to plans for the next few shows, but I could feel the warmth of Tyler’s arm resting around my shoulders. As he leaned in closer, I felt a flutter in my stomach. This was what I loved most about being on the road with him—the spontaneous moments, the laughter, and how easy it felt to share the chaos of life together.

After a while, as the laughter faded and we began to wrap things up, Tyler turned to me, his expression softening. “You know, it’s these little moments that make everything worth it,” he said quietly, glancing around the dressing room, now a blend of spooky decor and lingering laughter.

“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied, leaning into him, feeling his warmth seep into me.

With the decorations finally packed away, we made our way back to the bus. The excitement of the show still hung in the air, and I could see Tyler’s contentment reflected in the twinkle of the fairy lights strung up in the bus. He opened the door, and we stepped inside together, the cozy atmosphere wrapping around us like a warm blanket.

“Okay, but we have to leave a few decorations up,” I said, grabbing a couple of leftover spiderwebs and tossing them onto the couch. “Just to keep us in the spirit till we get home.”

Tyler chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”

“Not a chance,” I replied, smirking as I sank into the couch, pulling him down next to me. “This is only the beginning.”

As we settled in, I snuggled up against him, the bus rocking gently as the night wore on. We spent the rest of the evening recounting our favorite moments from the show and joking about the fans’ reactions to the Halloween madness. With each laugh and shared glance, I could feel our connection deepening. The world outside faded away, and in this moment, it was just us—wrapped up in our own little universe, where the spirit of Halloween reigned supreme.

“I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble we’ll get into next year,” Tyler mused, a playful grin spreading across his face.

I smiled back, feeling a rush of excitement. “Next year? Just wait until we turn our house into a haunted mansion!”

“Bring it on, spooky girl,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “Just promise me you’ll let me get through one more tour before you unleash your full Halloween arsenal on me.”

“Deal,” I replied, biting back a smile. “But I can’t make any promises about the off-season.”

As the night wore on, we sat in comfortable silence, the glow from the pumpkin spice candle flickering softly around us. I leaned my head on his shoulder, soaking in the warmth of the moment. Halloween may have just begun, but this tour had already turned into an unforgettable adventure—one filled with laughter, love, and more than a few stickers.

And I knew, deep down, that as long as I had Tyler by my side, every season, every tour, and every moment would be just as magical, chaotic, and full of laughter as this Halloween had been.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[iwanttobeliv]

Yo soy Betty, la fea (Now and then)

Man, I’ve been meaning to write something ever since I finished watching the very first episode of Betty la fea, la historia continua but there were too many thoughts and feelings and too little coherence to make it happen, and yet, here I am trying it anyway.

Even in Brazil, a country that culturally embraces telenovelas, every now and then when I said Betty, a feia was my favorite, people would look at me funny. And it’s kind of difficult to explain or make people understand that there is just so much more behind Betty’s fringe, braces, and very peculiar laughter. Yes, Armando did yell a lot. And there were perhaps too many episodes focused on Sofia and Efrain's drama or those final ones with Inesita’s ex-husband, and when I managed to rewatch the whole thing, boy was I glad to be able to fast-forward these parts. Some of the sets, like Betty’s room were very clearly low-budget and full of strange choices that I could never quite figure out, and yet, none of this really mattered because the writing was phenomenal. The characters were engaging. The actors were brilliant. And the love story, that was just the best.

So I watched and rewatched. I managed to come across friends who were happy to talk about it and dissect all the things that made it work so well, and so subtle is the distinction that despite the many many adaptations worldwide, to me, none have ever been better than the original Betty.

When Betty was first aired in Brazil, I was about 15 and I can’t begin to explain how seeing a young woman who never belonged anywhere due to her looks resonated with me. Someone who was made fun of for being different and used a sense of humor to keep going. Someone who had hopes and dreams and felt none of them were within reach. And someone who managed to survive all the terrible things life would throw her way in pursuit of her happy ending.

And I guess this feels like something that needs to be said first.

As far as I'm concerned, what makes Betty so fundamentally brilliant is the fact that in YSBLF, when it comes to the love story, the guy falls in love with her being exactly who she is. No more or less. There are so many stories about the ugly duckling who manages to be seen after becoming a swan, and yet there it was, a story that showed that the duckling didn’t have to be anything else to be deserving of love and happiness.

Watching her we went through all ranges of emotion. I remember closing my eyes as I tried to watch her going through her first ‘transformation’ and the disaster it was. I remember feeling joy for her, for having such a good friend in Nicolas and such loving parents. I remember watching Armando as he was, having his feelings change little by little, all while she became an essential part of his life and work. And then, watching expectantly as we had to go through the awful plan he and Mario came up with and all the repercussions that would come of it. I remember thinking that JEA had to be a pretty great actor and that Armando had to be very well-written otherwise it would be impossible to feel anything but disgust for him and what he did. And then watching him fall for Betty utterly and completely. I remember sharing her fury and thirst for revenge when she found the letter. And then drinking up on every interaction between the two of them, knowing what she knew and waiting for the bomb to go off. And then to watch Armando go through hell and lose everything that meant something to him, and Betty trying to pick up the pieces of herself and survive the worst of times. And finally her triumphal return and what would soon enough lead her to a happy ending.

Last year, when we got the news of the remake and the OG was made available on streaming, I watched it once again and felt all those things all over again. But now, almost two decades later, with a very different understanding. I still loved every minute of it, but there were things I would have liked to be different.

Like many soaps, as soon as the main couple manages to patch things up it’s a quick jump to the expected happy ending, and while I fully expected Betty to get one, I couldn’t help but wonder, how a relationship could ever work after such a thing. Sure we knew Armando’s feelings were real and there, and all of that way before Betty, the ugly was made beautiful. But she didn’t. How could she truly forgive and trust someone who managed to betray her trust and make her go through hell as a result of deliberate actions? I would have liked to see more of it. It’s the one thing I don’t particularly enjoy in so many love stories and most soaps. How they are always in such a hurry to end the story as if by being together there was nothing else to be told about these characters and their relationship. Oh the potential wasted by their need of getting to the wedding and a baby on the finish line.

And then, much to my surprise, they decide that there’s more to tell. That the story didn’t have to finish there. [Yes, I’m aware of ���Ecomoda’ just as I’m aware of the universal consent that it never managed to do justice to the characters we loved and cared for. Which is why, I think, the sequel now also made the choice of ignoring it.]

So now I’ve watched the first four episodes. And I have thoughts I would very much like to share and discuss. Things that I don’t particularly like, but understand. Things I wish had been done differently. Things I absolutely love. But this post feels already much too long. For now, I just want to say, I never expected the sequel to be perfect or to perfectly preserve what the OG managed to perform. But I’m genuinely happy we get to see Betty again. And to be able to laugh and cry with her, with all of them. 

It takes me back and it fills me with expectation for what’s yet to come.

Is it Friday yet?

[theriu]

River Reads Midnight Sun

Well met, traveler! This is the starting post for my experiment, wherein I, who have never read the Twilight books or seen the movies, read Midnight Sun (basically Twilight from Edward's perspective) and commentate for (hopefully) your entertainment! I decided it would be easiest to do this a chapter at a time, and my commentary will essentially be a summary of each chapter so people equally unfamiliar with the story can follow along. You can follow or block this experiment with the tag #river reads midnight sun.

I think that should do it! Let's get started with:

Chapter 1: First Sight

In which Edward finds high schoolers very Boring and Inane, and also nearly goes bonkers over a potential snack.

First things first: Can we talk about how gross pomegranates look? Is the cover art SUPPOSED to resemble an optical illusion between a halved pomegranate and a bleeding heart? Either way, EW.

Right, on to business!

Edward is bored, you guys. He is SO BORED. High school is so boring. Purgatory is mentioned, as well as “tedium” and “monotonous.” He really wants us to know how bored he is, even though the word “boredom” is not used until the sixth paragraph. But trust me, he’s very bored. One begins to wonder why the immortal 100+-year-old vampire is choosing to hang out daily in such a boring place, but I’m sure it will be explained.

Now we learn about his mindreading powers! This is also very boring because most of the minds he has to read are petty high school minds. By the way, the inane sheeple chatter in the school mindscape today is all about the new girl! I wonder who she could be! Ed sure doesn’t care! He can see every angle of her face via peoples’ thoughts, and he is NOT impressed. Half the “sheep-like males” are crushing on her. Edward’s disdain for them is palpable, almost as if it's not totally normal and fine for human teenagers to find new things like a new student exciting. We may be witnessing a smidge of superiority complex, which is shocking, no doubt.

Mind-reading as a way to introduce other relevant characters is handy, I will grant the author that! Of course, Ed tries not to mindread his fellow vampires out of courtesy, but he KNOWS what they are probably thinking, and boy is he ready to tell us!

Rosalie: Is either actually super hot or super thinks she is, and apparently this debate encompasses her every waking moment. She only compares herself to VAMPIRES, of course, because humans could never be comparably hot. Related to a stagnant pool. Wow, Ed.

Emmett: Hyper competitive guy who has no new thoughts because he says EVERYTHING he thinks. Compared to a glass-clear lake. I suppose that means Ed maybe thinks he has depth? Maybe? We'll err on the side of optimism.

Jasper: Suffering. That’s literally the entire description.

Alice (who can see the future) introduces herself by beaming thoughts at Ed asking how Jasper is doing. Jasper is not doing well. Apparently he is so ready to eat people that he has forgotten how to Human and is sitting in a corpse-like rigor, because it seems when you become a vampire you lose quirks like restless leg syndrome and blinking? This feels full of potential hilarity to me, but I fear such hilarity will not be realized in this Very Serious Book.

Anyway, back to Jasper, who is SUFFERING. Alice asks if there is any danger. Edward signals no. Half a page later, his exposition about Jasper's problem adds, “Jasper was very dangerous right now." Okay, so which is it?! PICK A LANE, ED

(On a genuine note, I already like Alice; she counters Jasper’s fantasies about eating a girl by telling him her name and a few personal facts in a way that shows Alice makes an effort to know her classmates as more than just The Humans. Yay empathy!)

Btw, Ed’s internal monologue indicates they’re hanging out at this school to build their strength and endurance by being around humans and not eating them, and to that I say REALLY??? You chose high school for that?! The one where you’re SUPER BORED?? GO HANG OUT AT A COFFEE SHOP OR SOMETHING

Ope, plot progression! Bella has entered the chat lunchroom. Literally everyone is thinking about Bella, including Jessica, no doubt the requisite catty high school rival who crushed on Edward previously. She has many disgruntled thoughts about Bella, Bella noticing the Cullens, everyone noticing Bella, etc. Ed, who has been doing a great job keeping us up to date on the general thought processes of the student body, takes this moment to assure us once again how much he finds all of this chatter inane AND petty AND trivial, and he’s definitely going to try harder to block them out (again).

Wait, oh my word, was that a line of HUMOROUS BANTER between the Cullens just now?! I have renewed hope for this Very Serious Book!

So Edward is the vampires' mental scout who checks for people suspecting he and his family are inhumanly weird (as opposed to acceptably weird), and naturally he does a brain scan on Bella. Oooo but he’s not hearing anything! And now they have locked eyes! Her eyes are very odd, because of the DEPTH of them! Already, Bella is very Frail and immune to mindreading and somehow has “deeper” eyes than I guess any other human Edward has met in his 100+ years? Ed, I think you need to make eye contact more.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled torrent of inane high schooler thoughts! Amazingly, they are all still focused on Bella and being attracted to or jealous of her, because of course real high schoolers are all Inane and Tedious. (The one exception is Angela, who is busy thinking about homework. I like her, she seems normal.) Jessica is being catty again, and what’s this?! Ed suddenly has this STRANGE URGE to SHIELD Bella from this nasty girl! How very odd and unusual! Especially from a guy who very clearly finds all human teenagers Inane/Petty/Trivial! Bella must be special, except she is also “very unexceptional." Also, Ed is highly frustrated that he can’t read this girl’s mind, despite him constantly reading her like a book and her having “deceptively communicative” eyes.

Rosalie breaks Ed out of his frustration-driven contradictory spiral, and they all go to class, Ed casually mentioning his two medical degrees in an internal dig at his biology teacher (again, why are you hanging out at high school???) Naturally, Bella shows up and the only seat available is the one next to Edward, because Plot everyone is subliminally terrified of him. Ed has a moment of panic wondering if not hearing one girl’s thoughts means he has a vampire disease and is gonna lose all his mindreading, and then he has another moment of empathy for Bella having to sit next to the Scary Vampire.

Then she walks in front of an air duct, and Edward is suddenly overcome with INTENSE BLOODLUST THE LIKES OF WHICH HE HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE!!! He wants to eat her SO BAD, you guys! He spends roughly EIGHT PAGES brooding on how badly he wants to eat her, noticing how delicious she smells, crushing the underside of a desk with his intense self-control grip (but having the presence of mind to “destroy the evidence” by rounding out the finger-shaped hole he just made), analyzing the logistics of eliminating a roomful of witnesses and whether to do so before or after eating her, seeing his monstrous reflection in her eyeballs, angsting over how bad he will feel when he murders a bunch of people, plotting ways of murdering her that WON’T result in collateral damage, questioning Bella’s sanity for daring to SHAKE HER HAIR IN HIS VICINITY, angsting about how disappointed his wonderful adoptive dad Carlisle will be (aww, that’s actually sweet), stubbornly deciding “she can’t make me,” hating Bella with the fury of a thousand suns for daring to smell so delicious, and shutting off his breathing so he has at least some self-control, which does sound uncomfortable but I applaud the effort.

Then class finally ends (for him and for us), and he goes and hides in his car. Which, honestly, relatable.

The car timeout helps restore his sanity, and he determines he does in fact not need to kill her and that hating her guts for smelling like an eight-course dinner probably isn’t fair! He just needs to avoid her as much as possible. Bless your heart for your optimism, Male Lead of a Paranormal Romance Novel.

The solution he comes up with is to charm the poor secretary (who keeps having to remind herself mentally that he’s too young for her, which, augh) into switching him to a different sixth-period course. Bella chooses this opportune moment to walk in, which he doesn’t notice until her DELICIOUS SMELL is blown over him (I question why someone with such advanced senses can only notice powerful smells when he is downwind of them). Edward’s Amazing Vampire Vision kicks in, allowing him to once again see his Monstrous Face in the reflection of her eyes, despite her being over against the wall. He briefly contemplates double homicide, then . . . uh . . . gives up on changing classes so he can walk away. This doesn’t feel like a long-term solution, Ed, but Kudos for the self-control.

The chapter wraps up with him jumping into his car (it’s the end of the day, so the others are waiting for him) and breaking the speed limit out of the parking lot. Alice uses Future Sight (it’s super effective!) to see that Ed is either going to book it out of Forks (the town) or go and murder Bella in her house. I once again have reason to like Alice, who orders him not to do it, adding that it would metaphorically kill Bella’s dad. He drops them off and races away again, not yet sure if he’s going to tell Dad Carlisle that he’s leaving or going to go eat the delicious new girl. And Scene!

Well, that wasn’t as painful as I feared, so huzzah! I kind of appreciate the internal look at his thoughts and how his mindreading lets us see other characters even when they can’t talk. Got a bit long at times, especially with how Inane and Petty and Trivial high schoolers are to Edward! LOTS OF DETAIL about how badly he wanted to eat Bella and possibly murder all bystanders, which I guess does go to show how bad the bloodlust is, because dang! (But why do none of the others have this reaction to her yet? Maybe they just don’t have classes with her. You must be this close to the Bella to ride the maniac vampire train!)

And with that, I have earned a much-deserved break before delving into CHAPTER TWO: OPEN BOOK! I’m sure Edward will totally succeed in his plan to skedaddle out of Forks and never see Bella again! Stay positive, Ed! =Dd

Chapter 2->

[baldurs-gape]

Untethered

The fight had been brutal but they made it out alive. Exhausted, running on fumes and in desperate need of a meal, more healing and rest, the four trudged back towards camp. Shadowheart and Wyll helped each other along at the back while Astarion was out front. Even though he tried to look his usual, nonchalant self, his movements were heavy and less than gracefull as he climbed over fallen tree. Karlach wasn't far behind him, equally tired but less caring about appearances.

She saw the moment Astarion tumbled and hunched over. An arrrow was sticking out of his shoulder. Any other day he would have probably spotted the assailant but, given their general state, he and all the others had been taken by complete surprise. The goblins were more intelligent than expected, keeping to the high ground and trying to pick them off rather than rush in. Karlach could only do so much by throwing things in their general direction, Wyll and Shadowheart were out of spells and Astarion wasn't having an easy time.

"For the Absolute!" One of the goblins yelled. At least that explained their higher than average intelligence in their attack. Another arrow loosened and Wyll went down. While Shadowheart tried to help him up, Astarion looked back at them and then Karlach. "Cover me!"

In a fight there was no time to think. Karlach had enough trust in Astarion to do as told, she shielded him as he crouched down, eyes scrunched up. Something stirred. It wasn't the air, that had gone deathly still. Still, it felt as though a sinister wind was blowing through their minds, whispering unintelligible words. Gradually, the voice cleared into two overlapping layers of someone familiar. The one that was stronger for the Karlach, Wyll and Shadowheart whispered "stay strong, close off" yet the other voice was a seductive rumble of "kill yourself, make the Absolute proud". It was Astarion's dulcet tones and Karlach felt herself torn between the two conflicting commands. Around them, the goblins seemed to be fighting a similar yet losing battle. One by one they went down by their own hand until it was just the four of them left on the road once more. As Wyll got up, Astarion keeled over, limp as he toppled from his crouch.

"Shit." Ever eloquent, Karlach tried to shake him awake to no effect. "He needs healing! Don't give up, soldier."

Frantic searching revealed that there wasn't even a stray drop of healing potion left between them. No healing spells or scrolls either. They needed to do something to get Astarion back on his feet though.

"Blood?" Wyll suggested tentatively. "A well-fed vampire heals faster, right?"

"Where do you propose we get him blood from? I don't exactly see vampiric health boutique." The jab was just another sign that Shadowheart was worried.

Rather than deign to reply, Wyll grabbed his dagger and swiftly sliced along the back of his arm. Blood welled and dripped in a rich flow. Thankfully, Karlach was more on the ball and she helped turn Astarion's head, lips falling naturally open. Droplet by droplet, blood began to stain his teeth, lips and tongue. Swallowing was a reflex and Wyll gave his arm a squeeze to get a bit more blood out.

None of the expected the low, pained moad from Astarion. Then again, maybe they should have. He thrashed and Karlach had to hold him still so Wyll could give him a little more blood. Even though pale eyelashes fluttered, Astarion's face contorted in pain as he tried to squirm away from the blood.

"It's hurting him." Statement of the century from Karlach as she fought against Astarion's increasingly frantic movements. "Fuck, is your blood like Gale's to him?"

It hadn't crossed Wyll's mind and he quickly withdrew. Astarion definitely looked better yet worse for wear. The wound from the arrow was closing but his pain levels seemed to be getting excessive.

"Maybe. Shawdowheart, maybe you could counteract it?"

Not shying away from what was essentially a blood offering, Shadowheart cut her palm. Her blood mingled with Wyll's on Astarion's lips. If anything, it made things worse. Astarion's back arched off the ground as he screamed, needing to be held down.

"Shar is bad for him?" Wyll asked as they tried to keep him safe.

"I don't think mine would be any good, would boil him before it did any good." Under them, Astarion writhed in seeming agony. There was nothing they could, couldn't even move him until the cries dwindled into small whimpers and gasps. It didn't look like Astarion was quite with it. Karlach scooped him up. "We need to get him to camp."

Fatigue slowed them somewhat but there was a new sense of urgency. Astarion wasn't fully conscious, whimpering with each jostle even though his body seemed mostly healed from the worst injuries. All but running into camp, they were all calling for help jsut as dawn threatened to break.

Gale was on his knees next to Astarion, turning him onto his back. Though he had no healing spells prepared or a potion to hand, he gently brushed the damp hair from Astarion's forehead.

"I wish I could offer my blood to help. But I'm afraid I'd only do more harm than good."

"Let me try." Lae'zel pushed him aside and slice her arm deep for a rich flow. After the first swallow, Astarion seized. Twisted and rigid to the point that his bones creaked, even the scream died in his throat.

That was the point Halsin appeared, potion bottles in hand. "I didn't think your blood would be too alien for him," he rumbled. "But maybe he's sensitive. Let me help him."

The gentle light of healing didn't achieve much. Nor did the potion Halsin poured down Astarion's throat with Gale's help. Through it all, Astarion whimpered and cried, delirious with pain.

"One more idea." Halsin drank a healing potion and cast a spell on himself before pushing his arm into Astarion's mouth, forcing his fangs to break the skin. In theory his blood should carry the healing properties of spell and potion over to Astarion. In practice Astarion twisted with renewed agony but Halsin followed him, brows furrowed in concentration.

Spasming body slipping from Gale's grip, he tried to think of a way, any way to ease the pain and stop the horrors.

"What if it's the blood?"

It made Halsin pull away. After a few more quivers, Astarion settled into soft trembles of exhaustion. Another minute and his eyes fluttered open. Another whimper of pain left him. As least he seemed to be more aware. Rather than fearsome, he looked pathetic with blood smeared over his face, eyse watery and tear tracks on his cheeks.

A huff was followed by a soft "ow".

"I'm so sorry," Halsin rumbled, "we were only trying to help."

Not looking at him, Astarion's eyes were fixed on something else. A little moreforceful "ow" left him and his outstretched arm wriggled.

"I know-"

"Halsin!" Gale's voice was tight with shock. "Cover him, he's burning!"

The camp once again exploded into disarray as Astarion was simulaneously bundled into a bedroll and also rushed to the safety of the nearest tent. It just so happened to be Wyll's.

"What the fuck is going on?" They all congregated in the small space. "Shouldn't the tadpole be on top of this?"

Shadowheart grabbed the astral prism and shook it. "Hey, Emperor. We need to talk."

While they waited, another healing potion was gently pressed against Astarion's lips. He gulped it down with a dazed sigh as his hand recovered from the lick of morning sun. Eyes slowly drifting from face to face like he was seeing them for the first time, he licked his lips and cleared his throat.

"I can't hear any of you." Which made no sense. But now that they tried, Astarion's usual presence through the tadpoles was absent. A watery laugh broke through Astarion's lips. It turned into a cough and a sob. "I'm free."

"The tadpole is still there, I'm afraid," Gale replied, eyes wild with concern as he looked to the others for help.

"No. No." Astarion curled onto his side hugging himself into a ball. "He's gone. I don't need to go back."

Exchanging glances, the others tried to figure out just what Astarion was on about. The disembodied voice of the Emperor echoed through their skulls.

"It seems he's overexerted his tadpole. Such a thing is unheard of." Again, it didn't explain much but nobody dared question it. "His effort to protect his friends while killing the goblins was an unexpected success but it nearly destroyed the tadpole in his brain. It is currently unable to offer any of the protection it previously had against his condition as a spawn."

Understanding dawned on Wyll's face. "The compulsions."

"Thou shalt not leave my side, or whatever that bastard drilled into him. You don't feel compelled to go back to him?"

Astarion's reply was a shake of his head and another soft sniffle.

"How?" Gale stroked through the mess of white hair, more to sooth himself than Astarion with the touch.

It was Halsin who drew a deep breath. "Our blood. One of the rules was 'thou shalt not drink the blood of a thinking creature' was it not?"

"To go against a compulsion is agony. Madness inducing pain that kills."

"Unless you've spent 200 years getting acquainted with torment," Lae'zel cut in. "Which his master had made sure he was intimately familiar with."

Struggling to sit up, Astarion scrubbed at his face. A little lost, he wasn't certain what to do now. Everything still hurt but he needed to test the theory beyond simply not returning to Cazador's side.

"We need to test this."

Without a word, Halsin offered up his arm. Everyone watched with bated breath as Astarion cradled it in two hands, obviously gearing up for failure. His lips opened, fangs settled over Halsin's arm and he bit down. Eyes fluttering closed, a small moan left him as blood rushed into his mouth. No agony of even attempting to break a compulsion. Only the bliss of thick, rich blood. It tasted even better than when the tadpole was shielding him. The difficulty was stopping but Astarion just about managed, licking a little of the smeared blood from warm skin. For the first time in two centuries, a real smile graced his lips.

[vulturereyy]

Lurimol time baybeee!!! How do Lurien and Hegemol deal with the beetle breeding season, where stag beetles are essentially filled with the 'I must flip others at all costs' instinct? Ik Heg is a big softie, but if Lurien uses damselfly courting methods, I wonder how Heg might show off how big beetles show they're prime stock

Lurimol time !!! Thank you.... This one got a bit away from me eheheh so I'm sorry it's a bit long.

Hegemol is the biggest softie and is also the world's most repressed idiot, a deadly combination ashtrh. He's very, very happy and truly honored that Lurien invites him to learn damselfly dances, but... hoogh. He was able to repress the urges before and just keep himself rather set away from others when it was Time To Fling, but now that he has an actual person of his desires, and a 'potential partner' he wants to show off to... that's getting a little harder.

He may start trying to invite Lurien to come watch him spar with his other knights, who are all partially confused when The Watcher shows up and just. Does as he does (watches). But when hegemol flips Ogrim, something he really doesn't do, I think it would finally click for Ogrim what's happening as the other beetle in the group ashffh. [SpongeBobgrin.png "You like Lurien, don't you Hegemol.]

I think this would culminate in Hegemol entering and inviting Lurien to a knightly tournament that's being held for the masses, something he's explicitly expressed disinterest in before ("Ah, I'm too old for those games" or "I've no need to win adoration" etc). And coupled with a poster of a beetle hunk as part of the advertising it finally FINALLY clicks for Lurien what is Happening.

And Lurien bless his heart tries to. Help? By saying "You don't need to win my affections this way, you know. I don't even have a preference for strength." Which is intended well but makes Hegemol [deflating balloon noises] internally because sorry Lurien his mind is still in flinging mode and takes that to mean he's not the strongest and may in fact be a pity pick.

Anyway Aedmond the butler comes to the rescue that night while making Lurien his tea and explain that he just accidentally turned down Hegemol's courtship advances, and that the *ritual* of it all is very important. And Lurien's single braincell devoted to social things is like OH.................. thank you Aedmond this is why I hired you above all others.

So he still goes to the tourney and Hegemol immediately perks up upon seeing him from the ring like a goddamn golden retriever of a man and starts fuckin beetle brawling with the utmost intensity. And with every fling he glances up at Lurien in his secluded box seat (with Aedmond) and Lurien makes sure to always appear leaning forward maybe with a hand on his heart or something akin to a taken aback swoon, even if he wouldn't normally.

Hegemol ends up getting into the final match against his own first squire, Gytha, who is my huge Trans Hercules Beetle and she's definitely here to get some bitches. She and Hegemol normally brawl whenever they see each other, it's their tradition, but *normally* Gytha wins. She's younger, more spry, and as his squire knows a lot of his weak points as he's the one that trained her, and she's since developed her own fighting style and methods once she was knighted. She also has the huge Hercules Beetle horns that make it easier for her to grab and fling even huge bugs like Heg. (She is also, notably, the only non-enemy bug Hegemol will ever use his full strength against, because he knows she can take it.)

Their match may even go longer than the preliminaries because when Hegemol actually cares about what losing means (it means nothing to Lurien but yknow, Fling Brain in full swing here), he doesn't just give up on the first grab from Gytha. He squeezes his hands into her horns right before she flips him and wrenches them off of him, he traps her neck between his horns in a move that she's barely able to get out of, all sorts of shit that has the crowd going wild and Lurien now *fully* invested because I don't think he's ever seen Hegemol really display his strength like this. And Aedmond sits there like :> (sipping his drink) because oops my lord has actually fallen for the beetle courtship for real. What a shame, what a shame.

Gytha and Hegemol get to the point where they're both shaking from exhaustion after such a long bout, she can't even heft him to fling if she wanted to, and she's also caught on by the fact that her old mentor keeps looking up at *something* that he, for once, has a stake in this. She goes in for a misplaced grab that she knows will be met with resistance and all but helps to throw her weight into the hurl as Hegemol uses the last of his strength to send her skidding on her back toward the edge of the ring. She'd never tell him she did that on purpose, but also in her mind it's better to have helped her old man get some than to admit she was defeated for real (which she would have been and she knows it).

Crowd goes fucking wild, Lurien finally lets out that breath he's been holding, Aedmon sips his tea and hands Lurien a fan, Hegemol is named this year's beetle brawl champion. And all is well.

He does get a few days off after that because grandpa definitely pushed himself too far but hooogh he's the happiest bug in the world.

And after that, he doesn't super get the urge to join the brawl again once Lurien and he are rather committed to each other. He does still get cycles, but the desire to "prove himself" as a mate fades significantly. He may still toss Ogrim if Lurien happens to be watching, but he's content to know he 'won' his spot at Lurien's side.

[uvachic1991]

Gundam: Witch From Mercury Thoughts

***Spoilers and a long post below***

This is my first Gundam show and i absolutely want to watch previous series! 

I love that despite all the heartache she has endured since the beginning, Suletta ultimately is a good person with a good heart! Like she lost her wife Miorine, her sister/Gundam, her mother and her school has been attached TWICE! Yet at the start of episode 21, Suletta is handing out towels and offering up tomatoes because her kindness can make a difference, even if it is a small one. That’s her character core! 

In fact, in her first appearance back in episode 1, the first thing we see Suletta do is save someone because that’s who she is. A good person with good intentions. And now that she’s away from Prospera’s influence, she can really shine!

And I think/hope Suletta’s inherent goodness will come up when Miorine and Suletta reunite. Because while Miorine felt the option she picked was the only way to save Suletta from Prospera, there were other ways to get Suletta to see the truth about her mother. Suletta is a good person, with or without her mother’s influence. With time and a meaningful conversation (or two or more), Suletta would have realized the truth about Prospera. 

I keep comparing Guel’s confession in episode 17 with Miorine and Suletta’s last real conversation in episode 16. It’s interesting how Guel confessed his feelings to Suletta and how with time and a bit of work, Suletta understood what he was saying. And how if Miorine tried something similar, if she was persistent, then maybe Suletta would have understood what Miorine was trying to say. They could have avoided so much heartache! Cause Suletta didn’t understand and instead of trying to explain herself, Miorine ran and made decisions that hurt both of them! 😭😭

Speaking of the Suletta/Miorine reunion: I don’t want it to be easy. I’m not saying I want Suletta to give the cold shoulder or anything. (That’s not in line with her character) But I definitely want Suletta to express how much Miorine hurt her, I want Miorine to sit with that for a bit and promise to make it up to Suletta, to regain her trust. I want them to explain their respective sides and recognize that communication was sorely needed. If there is another season, there is time for them to grow as a couple. I don’t want it to pick up where it left off. 

Clearly there is going to be a confrontation between Eri, Prospera and Suletta. I’m of the firm opinion that Prospera never cared for Suletta, she just loved what Suletta represented (i.e. a physical version of what Eri could have been if she lived). But I think Eri genuinely loves Suletta and that love is what is going to save Suletta. Whether Eri sacrifices herself to protect Suletta, teaches Suletta how to navigate the data storm for herself or some other option, Eri is going to be the key that keeps Suletta alive. (Kind of a reverse of how Suletta was the key for Aerial earlier)

Other thoughts about the upcoming episodes:

I hope there is another season because I think there is still a lot left to explore! BUT if the remaining episodes are the final ones, I could see the series having a satisfactory ending. One of the major conflicts is Prospera vs everyone else and we’re reaching the conclusion of that conflict. There’s more to be explored, but to me that feels more supplemental than essential. 

With both Petra and Delling in a coma/hospitalized, I feel that one will live and the other will die. For some reason, I don’t see both waking up. (Though I could be wrong here cause I was certain Petra died at the end of episode 20!) Since Prospera wants to both take revenge on Delling and build a world that Eri can exist in, I’m leaning towards Delling waking up and Petra dying. I think Delling will bear witness to how Prospera destroyed everything he built. 

I do wonder who pulled Petra from under the rubble? My guess is Suletta since she was physically close to Petra. And if that is true, will that play a role in the Lauda/Miorine/Guel confrontation that is now being built? 

The Benerit Group is about to be completely destroyed! Not only is the Space Assembly League coming after them, but I also believe Prospera’s use of Quiet Zero will likely physically destroy the group’s headquarters/base of operations. 

And Miorine has SUFFERED plenty, but if the group is destroyed it will be another, painful reminder that her plan to separate Suletta and Prospera did very little good. 

Last point because this is long: depending on how the final showdown goes, Shaddiq and co will probably escape. (Not without some casualties/deaths). If that happens, it will be interesting to see what he does when his access to resources is limited/non-existent. 

[reaganridleyenjoyer]

Reagan Ridley X Caring Male! Reader Oneshot

Hello, this is my first ever oneshot. I hope y'all like it !

Also as you can tell by the title, the Y/n in this will be male because there's essentially no Reagan Ridley X Male Readers on here last I checked. (Besides this one and the headcanons that I made)

And with that injected into your brain, let's begin !

P.S : The relationship between you and Reagan isn't ever mentioned in this so you can imagine the relationship in this as either platonic or romantic.

It was the middle of the night as you laid on your bed, wide awake when you should be asleep. You couldn't help but remove the blanket on top of you as you made your way towards the Living Room to check up on Reagan.

And to no surprise, she's out like a light on her desk. You silently sighed as you thought of anyway you could help, you've tried dragging her to bed but she woke up instantly and broke free from your grasp as she was a lot stronger than she looked. Any other idea wouldn't be helpful as she was asleep so what could you do ?

Well... you could just make sure she was warm and place the blanket you were using onto her. 'Yeah, good idea Y/n.' You thought to yourself as you went back to your room, grabbed the blanket and gently wrapped it around Reagan.

It's not like you needed it as you weren't cold in anyway and she was clearly in need of it more, so overall you had no issues giving the blanket over to the sleeping Reagan.

(Timeskip to the morning after.)

Reagan slowly began to open her eyes as she realized that she had yet again fallen asleep while working, she quietly sighed as she raised her head up from her desk. And that's when she noticed the blanket wrapped around her.

"The hell ? I didn't have this blanket on me." Reagan whispered as she removed the blanket from her body, she soon noticed you placing a cup of water down next to her aswell as some pancakes.

"Morning sleeping beauty." You playfully taunted as you placed Reagan's food next to her, but given her expression she seemed... confused ?

"What are you doing Y/n ?" Reagan asked much to your surprise, as she seriously never been properly taken care of ? If that was the case... then looks like you'll have to teach her how nice it feels.

"I'm just making sure you're doing well, also I gave you that blanket earlier."

"But.. why ?" Reagan questioned.

"It is only natural to look over somebody I care for, it's how I roll." You explained.

Reagan by this point was at a complete lost for words, she never expected for somebody to genuinly care about her well being. After all it's not like she did, so why are you ?

"C'mon your food is gonna get cold. Here I'll feed you." You picked up a fork and grabbed one of the pancakes with it.

"I- I can feed myself." Reagan said but you simply shook your head.

"Just eat." You bluntly responded as you brought the pancakes near her face, Reagan finally decided to take a bite and her expression and mood seemed to have brighten up a lot.

"T-that actually tastes really good !" Reagan exclaimed with a small smile on her face, damn she had a cute smile...

"I'm glad you think so ! Now c'mon eat up the rest." You happily responded as you kept feeding Reagan her pancakes.

After she was done with her food and water, you could swear you saw a tear in her eye.

"A-are you crying Reagan ?" You asked, both confused and concerned.

To your surprise, Reagan engulfed you in a big warm hug. "Nobody has ever taken care of me before Y/n, not even myself..." She explained as some happy tears falling down her face.

All you could do was smile and hug her back.

AAAAAAAAH I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO COME OUT I SLACKED AHHHH !

Anways... I don't have anything funny to say here.

Goodbye for now !

[randomnameless]

I’m surprised at the amount of billy asks you get. Does it mean that they’re popular? All i know for sure is that they certainly seem to interest a lot of people. And i agree that they really do have the bones for a fascinating character, but the developers couldn’t be bothered to build something from those bones because 1) sim shenanigans, you can’t have your self insert react strongly if you’re meant to project 100% onto them, but billy does have traits that keep getting mentioned by more than one person plus the few actions they do choose and a backstory, which doesn’t seem like cardboard to me imho, but also 2) earl gray, and what invader added is the most damning detail of them all. Or rather, not a detail, but the anchor that sank billy. I know we’re meant to keep flamey and edelgard separate in our minds because edelgard is marketed as a poor sad waifu you must feel compelled to rescue, but it doesn’t erase her actions or flamey. When we have evidence saying that silver snow is meant to be the primary marketed canon route and so much of the conflicts across two games come down to the actions of one person plus a poorly thought out loptous stand in, all it tells me is that the main character was doomed to fail because the developers could not decide how to write a school mystery + romance of the three kingdoms sympathetic to cao cao so they tried to “fix” that or make it “gray” by turning it into a dating sim to artificially raise the emotional stakes. At least to me it says they didn’t have confidence in billy as a main character at all because so much of it hinges on centering edelgard and the players picking faves out of the rest of the cast, and to make it more insulting the compensation is being able to kill billy in the spin off? I myself don’t really have any big faves in the games because i only play them casually and read your blog, but what i do know is that it makes me hate edelgard for essentially being the gravitational center of the games like a narrative black hole and the developers being too cowardly to really cement her as a villain, and it doesn’t make me like warriors either because it doubles down on trying to explain her position instead of telling a story and because shez fans are extremely annoying and rude online, no surprise that many are also edelgard fans.

I'd say it's a cumulation of everything!

I think the fandom (myself included!) might have been a bit harsh on Billy because of their avatar status, even if I still think Rhea's S-support "aloneb4u" is shit and Seteth not giving any fucks about her and centering his support and convos on "we must find her so she will reveal da truth 2 u" is bonkers and both of those instances can't be only attributed to Hresvelg Grey but to "only the player is important", like the theory i came up with the self-insert scissors.

But yeah, I feel like at one point, Supreme Leader hijacked the "main character" or "character at the center of the plot we want to tell" spot, all gravitas went to "can u kill the student who loves u and bear with the sad uwus for the rest of your run ??" instead of, you know, the greater plot Nopes teased us with a Larva vs Sothis that never happened?

I compared FE16's story to many things earlier on, but the general thing is "why are we talking and following the least interesting parts of Fodlan", Supreme Leader's war of unification is meh, bias or no bias, I would have loved to see a War of Heroes game, or even a game set during the Sothis vs Agartha era (or the two why not) - but here we just have Ashnard lite with an uwu glazing, without even tackling a traditional or underlaying issue from the FE series about coexistence between people and acceptance and whatnot.

(the reason why AM is still, imo, a letdown because it ignores the dragon in the room)

What was Billy supposed to be? Supreme Leader's luf interest? A character that can conceptually fall (if they pick Tru Piss) thus can ascend in other routes? A self insert? The character you're supposed to navigate the world with?

I think Billy being a silent protag was a disservice to them - despite all of its faults, Nopes at least gives more light to Billy and it's refreshing, even if the game will never add 1+1 because Hresvelg Grey.

TBH I think Fodlan has its own share of fans being annoying regardless of the character they support - and while Barney is pretty chatty, ultimately Barney is the deviant art OC with two swords because why not, a sekrit past that is never explained and somehow stronger than everyone who is actually as empty as an oyster shell. We don't know what Barney wants, to be a merc? Yeah, but why? Is it because Barney is searching for somewhere to belong - just like Billy in a way - ?

As for the cardboard mention, it's most likely again in relation to Hresvelg Grey and Fe Fodlan's writing - the games don't spend enough time to build a sense of friendship and camaraderie between the cast to make the "betrayal" hurt or even the "y must we kill people we knew :'( " meaningful, so we only have the "wah sensei why didn't you pick me :(" or the general "i'm sad to fight against you" but like, mate, who are you? Why are you lamenting having to fight against Billy - someone who is opposing/invading your country and everything you stand for - like Billy and 12 months in Rhea's rocky mansion meant so much to you, much more than the 17 years of life (with acquaintances, friends, family, etc) you had?

But it's also in relation to Hresvelg Grey and the silent protag - why no one can give a reason - save for Supreme Leader "lizards BaD + MAGA" - to join this route, heck, not even Billy can say why they joined this route...

In French we have a saying that goes "comparaison n'est pas raison" more or less meaning you can't always compare things bcs context and all, but after TS's protag Serenor - who also has Gary Stu moments! - Billy not saying a thing about Supreme Leader's nonsense, frowning at Dimitri and being silent during Claude's monologues is... annoying.

But when Billy isn't in Fodlan games, they can talk and there's still the forbidden rule of not adding numbers - never ! - but they shine more.

[tr1ck5]

(Part II of II) I do like how, in more recent years, more people are coming to Rinoa's defense, and more people are looking at her more positively. I think it really started when she became playable in Opera Omnia and Dissidia NT (both in 2018), because she's a Game Breaker in both games (and she's actually a Game Breaker in FF8 if you know how to use Angel Wing properly), and when she didn't reunite with Squall in Dissidia NT, so many people were pissed. So many people still want them to reunite in Kingdom Hearts. And almost every YouTube video I've watched of Opera Omnia where Squinoa interacted and were cute with each other, pretty much all of the comments have been positive AF

I admit, I myself wasn't the biggest fan of Rinoa or Squinoa when I first played FF8 20 years ago, even though I did use her in the active party as much as possible and tried to make Squinoa's optional interactions positive. I wouldn't say I was an anti back then, but I just didn't care for her nor their relationship. But now, after revisiting and replaying it 20 years later, Rinoa and Squinoa have grown on me. I can't really explain how my views changed; maybe it's just me maturing in the last 2 decades and understanding Rinoa's characterization and backstory and Squinoa's relationship, as well as having access to some of the few officially-translated Ultimanias, a lot better now than I did when I was 12 🤷🏻‍♀️

Certainly, for a lot of things in life, what you thought or believed in when you were 12 is gonna be way different when you're 32 👀

Sorry for the split Asks, it ended up becoming so long that I had to send 2 Asks 🤪

Oh I also absolutely agree that there is more, WAY more to Rinoa's character than being made to be saved all the time. But there IS a bit of that though, especially in the beginning... and that's completely reasonable to me considering she is essentially a civilian; she wasn't brought up in a military way and hasn't had the training that the others have had! And what I love is that it is something that she notices and brings up to the group herself: Rinoa: "I guess...I'm just scared. Sometimes...when I'm with all of you...I... feel like we're on the same wavelength......you know? But when the battles start happening, it's different. Everyone's tempo seems to pick up and... ...I get left behind. I try to catch up, but it's no use... How far is everyone going? I can't hear anyone... Once I catch up, I wonder... Is everyone safe? Will they welcome me with open arms? ......Is everyone ok? Will we all make it back together? When I start thinking like that..."

But she eventually makes up for it, because she is resourceful and smart and stubborn! And that is something I like to bring up in my own fanfic (warning: total headcanon territory); Squall himself sometimes forgets she hasn't had the same training they all did. She's a quick learner!

I also agree that by the time the game ends, with everything that's happened between them, yeah, the Seifer crush is definitely dead. What I like to think though is that Rinoa still hurts over the good memories she's had with him; grieves over the Seifer she knew pre-war crimes lol. There's a beautiful bittersweetness to it that I think is worth exploring a little, at least.

I think the 'don't interact, block and move on' strategy is always the way to go for much of online discourse. And I don't mean that when talking about stuff like politics, economy or philosophy etc; debating can and does have its place (when done in good faith of course) but there's... nothing to debate when it comes to personal tastes. No one's gonna convince you to like guacamole if you don't and you're not going to convince someone who loves it to suddenly hate it. That's how I see fandom preferences. Life is too short. Eat or don't eat the guac. Love or don't love the Rinoa. It's aight. It doesn't matter lol!

I think we definitely all collectively aged up and matured for sure! I do remember that back then people seemed more critical of Rinoa's character in general; maybe it was because we were teenagers ourselves back then? And now as adults we're more forgiving of what we couldn't realize back then was 'typical teenager behaviors'?? Haha I'm armchair-theorizing around, here. 😛

Add to that the fact that a lot of stuff like character growth and themes in FFVIII is subtle af. You kind of have to dig through a lot of optional dialogues and read between the lines on a lot of things to really 'get' the whole picture. I know 10 year-old me definitely did not have that attention span back then haha!

[willothewispwisteriadawn]

Thanks for plugging your Until Dawn poll, I looove polls! Some of your Qs got me thinking though and I'm curious about your thoughts:

About the group's relationships with their parents: Ranked from best to worst, how do you personally feel each member gets along with their parents? One reason I ask is because I've always wondered how that conversation went down between each character and their parent(s) about Josh inviting them back up to the same lodge with the same group where tragedy struck (from their own poor choices) only one year ago? Granted, the group are all legally adults by this point and can make their own decisions, but I believe that doesn't mean their parents were all clueless/uncaring about the matter or had no input about it.

So essentially what I'd love to pick your brain about is this: of the 8 playable characters, which of the 8 do you believe 1) confided to their parents about the invitation (or possibly concealed it), and 2) who valued their parents' advice and who did not?

SORRY THIS HAS BEEN IN MY DRAFTS FOR WEEKS

Here’s what think for each :)

Ashley: I think she loves her parents and often gets along with them, but they also get into fights where everyone is just like glaring and sighing at each other for days until it fizzles out. Ash can hold a grudge. She explained where she was going, and her parents weren’t pleased about it. It took her a bit to convince them.

Chris: IDK why but I think he has a good relationship with his mom. Not a bad one with his dad, but a closer one with his mom. They’re protective of him and won’t let him do certain things, but they aren’t helicopter parents either. I think his mom talked him through returning to the lodge and brought up lots of concerns, but Chris framed returning as wanting to be there for Josh, and she felt guilty. She told him to be careful at night and everything.

Emily: She’s snarky with her parents but she also takes care of herself and her grades and is efficient around the house, so there are some spats but also an equilibrium. Additionally, she keeps to her room when she’s in a bad mood. She probably vented about this (especially how Mike and Jess would be there) to her parents. They suggested she don’t go, but didn’t worry too much when she decided to.

Jess: She’s very teenagery with her parents and they can bicker and tease each other. She’s very “ugh!” towards them sometimes and they still cut off stuff like financial help and phone payments when she’s being bratty (I’m thinking about when she loses her phone and is worried her parents are going to be mad). She either begged until they let her or straight up lied about where she was going.

Matt: I honestly have such a hard time sensing background info about Matt. But I think his parents raised him to be polite. They were probably mad at him after the first trip (“You were involved in what happened to that girl? Matthew, we taught you better!!!”). He may have just lied and said he was traveling for football (and gotten his teammates in on it!). If he didn’t lie, his parents had a firm talk with him about it.

Josh: Strained relationship with his parents due to his medical history and the twins’ deaths. They definitely had a great family relationship at some point because Josh has good memories of them going up to the lodge and playing games together. Now, I think they feel sorry for him and have tried to help but are starting to be at a loss of what to do. He clearly hid stuff about the trip and lied about things. He likely pulled the same thing he did with his friends like: “I just want closure.”

Mike: Really independent. He doesn’t have a bad relationship with his parents, but does his own thing a lot. He didn’t even tell them about this. They think he’s still at his university while the events of the game are going on.

Sam: She’s similar to Mike. She has a good relationship with her parents, but is very independent as well. She mentioned the trip to them so they’d know where she was, and they were like “okay,” not thinking much more of it.