#and i'd never made that connection before

[faithhearted]

Though Ben was quite the catch, at least in her opinion, the fact that he didn’t currently have any prospects of his own (outside of their atypical entanglement) did speak volumes. Bekah, however, chose to assume the fault must have rested upon his partners, even if she was a little biased. 

Of course, that was before he mentioned bringing Shakespeare into the bedroom. With a dejected sigh, she shook her head and ran a hand down her face. 

“Is it sad that I can’t tell if you’re serious or not? 'Sides, you’d probably chastise me for my habit of paraphrasing rather than be turned on.” 

Regardless, Bekah scribbled down ‘Shakespeare’ under Ben’s name, if only for the humor of it. 

The sudden self-conscious look consuming his expression told her he was becoming a little more serious, more honest on the matter. 

"I've never been intimate in nature...there's always been a sort of appeal in that, just being out in the elements. Though not in a park where anyone could just come across us, 'cause the world doesn't need to see my bare arse." 

Before she could toss a quip, he held up a finger, "And there'd be a blanket involved, 'cause I'm not eager to get dirt in my hard-to-reach places."

“I wouldn't be opposed to that. We’d need to think about where we could try it without risk of being fined,” she chuckled, “I'd suggest the beach, but we’d probably run into a similar issue.” 

Something told her that the famous kiss scene in From Here to Eternity wasn’t quite as romantic in reality as it was on screen. It made her wonder if people like Burt Lancaster or Deborah Kerr ever faced such trivial problems, like getting sand in their nooks and crannies while trying to sell an iconic moment in cinema. 

She must have gone quiet for a little too long again, because Ben nudged her while smirking, "And what about yourself? Though my question is toward your kinks, not your preference for dirt-free romps."

“Oh, uh…” tapping the pen against the paper, she took a second to mull it over. There were certainly a lot of common kinks that came to mind, but nothing that immediately stuck out as something she was desperate to try. 

That’s when a few rather racy images monopolized her thoughts, no doubt turning her cheeks pink as she smiled sheepishly. 

“If we do doggy style again, maybe we’ll try it in front of a mirror.” 

Bekah lightly winced, worried Ben would quickly connect the dots and understand it was because she wanted to see him take her. With a quick clearing of her throat, she used her free hand to rub at the nape of her neck. Her next sentence was practically a mumble, as she was even more abashed by the second suggestion. 

“Or start out watching each other…you know...”

What, are you twelve? She reprimanded herself, Just say the damned word, you coward! 

“Masturbate.”

The word tumbled from her mouth like a helping of alphabet soup. She held her breath, bracing and waiting for the crippling and inevitable judgement to hit.

"They say those who can't, teach," Rebekah teased. "I wouldn't sweat it though. You're pretty good at plenty of other things."

"You're right," Ben agreed. "After years in the classroom, I'm an excellent finger-painter. Not that my fifth graders are too keen on that, of course, but why not live a little?"

Rebekah nudged him with her elbow, grinning as she pulled the blank paper forward. "Based on what we just did, I can't imagine you're more vanilla than ice," she reassured.

Ben snorted. "And what's so kinky about missionary? That's the oldest one in the book. And from behind? Intermediate at best."

Not that he was an expert, but the less Rebekah knew on that front, the better.

She nudged him again. "Of course, we're gonna write it together. Gotta kill time while we wait for 'za anyway."

"Don't say 'za,'" Ben admonished, though he was smiling. "Back when I taught kindergarten, one of my kids called pizza 'za,' and I don't think that's the effect you were going for."

Not that "za" could be considered sexy to begin with.

Rebekah glanced at him. "Okay, level with me, Ben. Is there anything remotely kinky you've ever wanted to try?"

He hummed, pretending to mull it over. "Well, maybe going down on you while you recite Shakespeare...though that'd put me in the wrong position for this whole thing to work."

Chuckling, his expression grew a touch self-conscious. "I've never been intimate in nature...there's always been a sort of appeal in that, just being out in the elements. Though not in a park where anyone could just come across us, 'cause the world doesn't need to see my bare arse." He held up a finger. "And there'd be a blanket involved, 'cause I'm not eager to get dirt in my hard-to-reach places."

Leaning forward on his elbows, Ben nudged her with a smirk. "And what about yourself? Though my question is toward your kinks, not your preference for dirt-free romps."

[icewindandboringhorror]

More misc. daily life pictures and such

[molagboop]

I just think it would be fun to make Raven Beak smooch Samus' other dads.

[seafoam-taide]

You know I thought for awhile that I was just a rare type of person who sure, liked people well enough but was okay being alone didn't necessarily need anyone and NO. NO. NO. OH MY GOD . YOU GIANT DUMBASS. NO HAHAHA NOOO NOPE

[blackcatxmagic]

"Pssh, whatever," Leo scoffed playfully when Arjun started giving him a hard time. "My ego would have to get pretty big before I needed help carrying it. I mean, look at me." At this, Leo raised his free arm and flexed before curving it back downward to flex his chest and abs as well, but it was all for show because then he began to laugh. Leo wasn't vain - well, except for maybe his hair - and he actually didn't have that big of an ego at all. He was very aware of his flaws. But with Arjun, Leo was a different person, one who saw all the good things, and he thought that that was probably because he was seeing himself through Arjun's eyes. Still laughing, Leo looked over at Arjun, wanting to see his reaction to the little show he had just put on; making Arjun laugh was one of his favorite things. "Yes, majestic," Leo confirmed. "That doesn't just mean like royalty. To me, it's kind of like...just having a fuck ton of grace, dignity, poise...beauty. You know, that sort of thing." His face felt just the slightest bit hot at his comment; Leo was always saying things like this to Arjun, and he often had this reaction because it just was not like him at all, not with other people at least.

Leo thought it was difficult for Arjun to talk about his mother, so he didn't ask about her; he knew his friend would share with him what he wanted to. So it was always nice when Arjun talked about her. That was something else Leo and Arjun shared: they had both lost their mothers, and nothing had been the same since. This tragedy was one of the things that connected them. "I understand why she said that," Leo told Arjun. "She was proud of you, and I get it. I'm proud of you too." He knew how much Arjun struggled sometimes, how much he had gone through, yet he just kept going. Leo on the other hand, he was a total mess. "My mother wouldn't be proud of me," he said softly, a thought he'd never said aloud before. But Leo was thinking about her a lot today; he thought he probably always would on his birthday.

As the two of them danced, Leo thought about their first meeting, smiling at what Arjun said. "Guys do that to you a lot, don't they?" he asked, shaking his head; those guys didn't know what they were missing out on. "Their loss," he added. Laughing, he told Arjun, "But you know, at the very beginning I thought kind of the same thing. I'd let you talk, take you back to my place, and then that would be that. But then I actually listened to you, and...well, here we are, like you said." Leo wasn't sure what it had been about Arjun exactly that had made him give the guy a chance, but he was glad that he had. He'd gotten a best friend out of it.

Then Leo laughed even more when he heard Arjun's confession - that was so like his friend, very much something he would do. "So you're telling me you broke the law and entered my home without permission?" he asked, but Leo was smiling as he said this; obviously he wasn't mad. More seriously, Leo reassured Arjun, "It's okay, yeah. I wouldn't have told you where I hide my spare key if it wasn't." When he had told Arjun where they key was, Leo had known full well that his friend at some point would use it. "Plus I'm getting a birthday surprise out of it, so how could I be angry about that?"

Listening to Arjun recall birthdays past, Leo realized another thing they had in common. They'd been so isolated from their peers in their youth, though there had been well-intentioned reasons for both of them. However, that didn't take away the sense of loss they felt because of it. "The last time I had a birthday party was my seventh birthday," Leo replied. "Sometimes if I had a friend in one of the new places we'd moved to, my mom might take us to the movies or something, but usually it was just the two of us." She'd done her best to make his birthdays special though, and Leo felt a sudden wave of sorrow. But it was hard to stay sad when he had his best friend here. "I hope you know that your next birthday is going to be fucking epic," Leo told Arjun with a wide grin on his face.

Though they were still dancing, Leo said, "Arjun...I kind of want to go see my birthday surprise now. You should have known it would be all I could think about." Grinning playfully and feeling a little like a child, Leo asked, "Can we go see it? Please?" He gave Arjun his best puppy dog eyes as he asked this.

Arjun laughed at Leo’s comment about “King Leonidas” going to his head, nudging his friend as they swayed to the beat. “You’re right. If your ego grows any bigger, I’ll have to call in backup to help carry it around,” he joked. But the teasing melted into something warmer when Leo called him majestic, the weight of the words settling over him with an unexpected fondness. Thankfully, the Spock ears covered most of his ears and hid how they turned red.

“Majestic, huh? You’re the first person to ever call me that,” he admitted with a grin, his eyes fixed on Leo. “My mother would say Chand - you are my greatest success.” I don't know what I did to be a success -- but there you have it." Leo had a way of grounding him, making him feel like he could take care of the woman he missed. It was like Leo’s acceptance allowed Arjun to breathe easier, like he could let down walls he didn’t even realize he had up.

As they danced, Arjun couldn’t help but notice how natural this felt, Leo’s arms steady around him, a comforting anchor in the noisy, crowded venue. He laughed softly as they moved, glancing up with a playful glint in his eyes. “If ‘your majesty’ is going to your head, then it’s definitely worth it. A little confidence never hurt anyone.”

But as Leo admitted what he’d first thought when they met, Arjun snorted. “I thought maybe you’d be one of those guys who’d listen to my stories for an hour, humor me, and then I’d never see you again,” he said, his smile lingering as he recalled their first encounter. “But here we are.” He knew Leo enjoyed the intimacy of physical touch and connection; he didn't begrudge him that -- he did wonder though why Leo had thought of him the first time they met.

Dancing with Leo felt like the best way to celebrate his friend’s birthday—all right, really it would be the cake that he had left in Leo's fridge and hot chocolate but this was also very good. To have the cake, he'd have to admit it was there in the first place.

As they swayed to the music, Arjun finally admitted, “You know, there’s actually more waiting for you back at your place. Just a few things—I, uh, may have let myself in and decorated a little. Nothing big.” He chuckled, scratching his neck in a bashful gesture. “Hope that’s okay.”

Admitting that much felt easy with Leo, like he’d finally found someone who wouldn’t mind his quirks or small surprises. He wasn’t sure why, but something about celebrating Leo’s birthday had felt like it was something he important he wanted to do.

“This is all new for me. I never celebrated birthdays with friends growing up. My mom was amazing, and she’d fill the house with philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, even the occasional guru… anyone with a brilliant mind, but never kids my own age.” He smiled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “I learned a lot, but I always kind of wondered what it’d be like to have… well, a night like this, with people who actually felt like friends.

He gave Leo’s waist a playful squeeze, the honesty leaving him feeling a little overwhelmed. “So… I might have gone overboard.”

[ningningkittie]

im in love w him not only bc of who he is as a person nd how drawn i am to his personality, but also bc i feel like he's the only one who has ever wanted to see me. who i am, like deep down. he's the only one who i feel like i've ever connected with, in an easy nd genuine way. the only one who i feel has ever gotten me. he's the only one who's ever made me feel like we actually have a connection we're both in on, bc i havent had to pretend or put up a fake front for him bc he wanted the real image of me.

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Had a dream about a magic school AU. Like... Literally my school but with magic and with Roxy as a protag because Blorbo. She was the only one in the school without magic so every magic lesson, she'd literally just take a nap on the desk. What else is she gonna do?

But also I dreamed how she was compensating for not having magic. She was mixing chemicals into explosives to win fights and like... Yeah it's kinda hard to argue against the dog with Potion of Kaboom™️

However, because it was a dream, my brain combined the Glams with the cast of Ni No Kuni 2 and got very confused when I woke up because the Kuni 2 cast actually fit a magic environment but FNaF guys do not lmao

There was also a bit where Roxy not having magic means naturally, she doesn't rely on it to solve problems. So while everyone was given the task of making a candle go out without blowing on it, she just. Stared in absolute bafflement as everyone around her immediately dove to figuring out spells that extinguish flames. Instead of just. Water. From the tap. Right next to them.

She decided to freak them out a bit for fun and when the teacher asks for volunteers to come forward to show what they've come up with, she immediately puts her paw up and gets called on. She wets her paw under the tap before anyone has their attention on her, walks up to the candle at the front desk, turns so everyone can see, says all professional "Today, I've learned..." pauses and then... just pinches the flame out. Literally just pinches the wick between the paw pads on her fingers and it goes out immediately. "That you guys are idiots." And walks back to her seat in silence with a smirk.

Naturally, a bunch of kids are yelling that she can't just do that what the fuck?! But she did just do that. It took her half a second to do what's taken all of them a good forty minutes to figure out at least. Teacher asks how she knew that would work and she just "you can't have a flame without oxygen. Obviously." and you get a chorus of "WHAT" and "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?!" She's so damn smug about it lmao these people make showing off too easy sometimes.

Like sure, she physically can't pass a mandatory magic exam unless she's able to figure out ways around it, but she can at least fuck around in lessons lmao. She tried skipping them but they started getting on her family with all the typical mandatory attendance shit so she has to go now :/ she just sleeps in them or fucks with people for fun since everyone likes to flaunt their magic on her every day anyway. Eat shit assholes she knows how to put fire out with minimal effort!

I think there was also a bit about her trying to convince teachers that a non-magic sports club would be a good idea?? And failing miserably because they just don't see the value in a magic school with non-magic sports. Thinking now, she could probably make her own club after school but probably wouldn't get that much traction with it... Resenting her family and teachers and every power that be forever because she could be a top student and could be doing amazing in school if she was just in a non-magic focused one. But she's stuck here and it sucks.

I don't know where I'd go with the story but eh it's neat I like it! Definitely different to my normal stuff!

[greentypewriters]

today i spent an absurd amount of time making my wii remote work with windows so i could play fear and hunger with it. and it was worth it

[buildingshitwithcrab]

Absolutely wonderful <3 If you're still prototyping: if you can get one side of the roof to hinge open and snap shut, it can be storage for all the 2nd floor pieces without simply piling them onto the 1st floor.

started trying to make a little toy house

[areyoudoingthis]

i had an even better theater class today i love doing things that move me and inspire me

[kurthorton-moving]

oh twitter bookmarks, facebook saved, instagram saved, tiktok bookmarks, tumblr likes, my beloveds (i will never ever open them again)

[entitled-fangirl]

Manhood.

Virgin!Cregan Stark x virgin!wife!reader

Summary: the two newlyweds lose their virginity together.

Warnings: sex, it's just all sex, foreplay, undressing, kissing, breast play, p in v, fingering kinda, all of the things you could've guessed were in here. :) and Cregan being a VIRGIN

A/n: phew. Based on an ask.

Part 2

Masterlist

............................................

"What are you saying exactly?" She asked him. 

"I… I have not laid with a woman before," Cregan admitted.

She froze. The Lord of Winterfell. The Wolf of the North. Cregan was a virgin?

He was always so confident. Now, she could see a light tremor in his hands. 

"Never?"

He shook his head, "It was not for a lack of girls throwing themselves at me. I just… never… wished to partake in such things until… the time was right."

She nodded. "And… is the time right?"

He grinned and cupped her face, "You're now my wife." He kisses her lightly, "What better time than now?"

She smiled and reached back, unlacing the outer layer of her wedding dress, letting the fabric fall to expose more of herself to him.

Was Cregan Stark blushing?

His eyes trailed anywhere but her frame, the tremor continuing.

"Touch me, Cregan."

He let out a heated groan, an obvious tent forming in his pants. 

But when he did not move, she took it upon herself to help him. She grabbed his hand, bringing it up to her body, moving his hand to trail up her stomach to rest at the base of her breasts. 

"Why are you so nervous?" She asked softly.

He let out a shaky breath, "My whole life, I've waited for this. I've imagined this moment a million times, imagining pleasuring my wife. But now that I'm here… I'm at a loss."

She grabbed his other hand and placed it on her hip. "Tell me."

He almost visibly gulped. "W…Wha-"

"Tell me all of the things you imagined doing to me."

Gods, if he wasn't hard yet, he definitely was then. "It's… it's hardly something a lady sho-"

"Cregan, tell me."

She reached up, untying his cloak and letting it fall to the ground behind him.

"Well… I imagined I'd start by undressing you…"

His fingers became brave and he reached back and began to untie the rest of her dress.

"Then?" She tilted her head up to look at him. 

"I'd kiss every inch I undressed."

Her breath hitched when another layer of her dress fell, leaving her in her shift.

Cregan grinned and leaned down, brushing his nose against her neck as he began to trail kisses down it.

She melted against him, enjoying the feel of his hands around her waist. "What after?" She breathed.

"Patience, my wife."

The way the control flitted back and forth between them made her head spin with lust. Both so eager to take the reins, but just as eager to let the other. 

He was quick to pull his tunic over his head and lead her backward to lay on the furs of his bed.

Looking at her and seeing no distress, he gathered her shift and pulled it off of her, leaving her bare.

His eyes wandered over her frame, a low breath leaving his lungs involuntarily. 

What a beautiful girl.

She leaned up on her elbows with bright eyes, watching him intently.

He smiled and began to crawl over her, capturing her lips with his.

A spark lit between the two, each letting the flames rise as their bodies brushed against one another.

He pulled away just enough to speak, "Has anyone touched you, my girl?" He whispered softly.

She let out a moan at the soft tone in his voice. "Only… only I have, Cregan."

He nodded, connecting their lips again. 

The makeout continued for quite some time, their tongues clashing as they both became nervous about moving past this point.

She reached to the side to take one of Cregan's hands. The tremor was still there.

She pulled it down her body, moving his fingers to brush over her clit lightly. She jerked at the feeling. 

He took the initiative, taking time to tease her as his fingers brushed over the nerves. 

Eventually, he settled on gently rubbing his thumb over the area.

She disconnected her lips from his as her mouth gaped open and a sinful moan left her throat. 

Cregan felt himself smile a bit, proud that his nervous movements had made such an impression on her.

He continued for a while, experimenting to see what made her hips jerk up or what make her scratch his back. Each noise from her throat was like music to his ears. 

A shaky hand pushed him away, making his brows furrow. "Love, is something wrong-"

She pushed on his shoulder, and he sat up in confusion.

But the confusion was quickly erased when she sat up with him and clambered into his lap. Her nose pushed his head up as her lips moved to his neck. "I want to finish together." One of her hands moved to his small clothes. "Take it off," she panted out.

Cregan let out a shaky gasp as she began to suck on a sensitive spot on his neck that he didn't even know was there. His hips jerked up, making her hiss lightly when his clothed erection brushed against her slit.

"Easy, Cregan."

His voice was a breathy pant. "S…sorry my love. I am… trying to-" 

A whine left his throat as she did it again, and he could feel her pause her actions when a smile came over her face. "Do not tease me…"

He lifted his hips lightly with one hand and the other pulled off his small clothes, quickly discarding it to the side.

She leaned back, admiring the naked form of her husband. He felt himself flush as her eyes moved up and down his frame without shame. 

They simply stared at one another, unsure of what to do next.

"What did you imagine next?" She asked.

He finally gained some confidence back, "I never finished the first thing."

With her still in his lap, Cregan pulled her close to him, his lips moving to her chest. 

She let out a hum.

With his hands supporting her, he leaned her back and his lips moved to her breast.

Her hands gripped his hair as he began to suck on her nipple, pushing him closer to her as her back arched up.

"Feels good?" He asked.

The vibration of his voice made a whine come from her. He took that as answer enough.

He continued, giving small kitten licks and teasing her. 

He lowered her to the furs completely now, resuming his position over her. "Think you're ready?"

She nodded, pulling his face to hers, kissing him deeply.

He moved his hips forward, his tip barely entering her. 

"You're sure?" He asked one last time.

She nodded again. 

With that, Cregan pushed through, carefully watching her reactions. The room filled with the two's moans.

He paused as he felt the resistance of her maidenhood.

"Cregan, just… just fuck me already."

He pushed, moving his lips on hers when a pained cry came through. 

Once seated completely, he pulled his head back again. "Breathe, sweet girl. I'll stay like this as long as you need me to."

She laid there, her eyes shut tightly as the pain started to subside just a bit. Her body adjusted and she panted, "move. Cregan, move, please."

He nodded, beginning to move his hips at a steady pace. 

His hands were shaking again. 

The two let out desperate whines and groans at the new feeling between them. 

"I..." He groaned. "I imagined you like this... taking me... so pretty.."

Already lust-driven, they didn't last long. 

When he decided to repeat his past actions against her clit, her hands pulled his hair, "Cregan… Cregan… ugh… there's… there's a feeling…"

He nodded, forcing his hips to continue. "Give into it."

"Witho… without you?"

He groaned, only nodding again when he didn't trust his voice.

She came soon after, her nails leaving a path down Cregan's back that she'd no doubt feel guilty for later.

With her walls clamping down on him, he hissed and was at his high not long after. The strong man shook with a whine as he did so. He had highs, yes. But none were like this. 

The two only panted as they looked at one another in sex-filled bliss. 

He pulled out from her, watching his seed begin to leak out. 

Confused, he took two fingers and gently pushed the substance back into her. She jerked her hips back, flinching at the sensitive feeling.

"Sorry. Don't want to waste any of it," a genuine grin spread across his face.

She chuckled, coming across unsteady.

He laid himself down next to her, bringing her to him as he did.

The two laid in silence as Cregan's hands brushed through her hair. 

"Guess we should get you cleaned up," Cregan finally said. 

Soft snores answered him back. 

He untangled himself from her, laying her down onto the bed. 

He returned with a wet cloth, gentle not to disturb her or dishonor her in sleep. 

When she was deemed clean enough for him, he threw the rag aside and joined her in bed, letting sleep welcome him as well.

…

When she was too sore to leave the bed the next few days, Cregan was attentive to her needs. The two bathed, ate, and chatted the days away. 

The North rejoiced when her moon blood was late after that.

...........................................

Part 2

Taglist: @misswynters, @cosmosnkaz, @sithapprentice, @kaniromi, @lovemesomevesey, @its-jackie-bb, @8812-342, @thorins-queen-of-erebor, @kingdomzeldaquest @nyxbranwenn, @callsignwidow, @a1lexh-blog, @alyssa-dayne, @ethereal-athalia, @ashovertheriver

[euniexenoblade]

since we're talking about call outs lately, i've been called out many times, most of which are made from lies and sometimes by altering screenshots, but the most effective call out i ever got was like, in early 2015 there was a tumblr user everyone knew was a terf, but she would say "actually i support trans women" this was before crypto terfs were as talked about so the language wasn't really there to say "hey this person is a crypto terf." but yeah some people put posts of this woman on my dash and i made a random post on my blog "why do yall reblog her shes a terf" and of course she searches her own name daily, found my post, and replied to it that me calling her a terf was racist. that was it. no other interaction. but she went on all night talking about me being racist and just making things up as she went "oh i bet she says the n word all the time irl" kind of shit that had, like no basis? But her follower base took it 100% and i literally had thousands of anons telling me to kill myself, trying to goad me into being racist (didnt work), and the most concerning thing was i got hundreds of anons being like "what was the point of doing hrt if you still look like that, you should kill yourself." It was like, violent and overwhelming. and on top of it I'd get random young teenager trans people who followed her and bought into her bioessentialism showing up in my messages being like "you give trans people a bad name" "you're why transphobia exists" etc etc it was fucking crazy.

but i lost like, no followers because everyone around me understood, this woman was a terf. this all set up the real one though.

later in the year a teenage "communist" trans girl made some snarky comment about me being racist on a post of mine blowing up. i ignored her cuz like, who cares it's just some random teenager. but i guess people were looking for a reason to hate me cuz that blew up, lots of people just took that at face value no need to investigate. when someone finally did send the girl an ask being like "hey how is she racist" she replied "I dont remember but I know she is" and even more people just took this as 100%. the thing is, i do remember her being one of those "you make trans people look bad" terf following young trans people, it's not that she didn't remember, it's that she didnt want to admit she followed a terf and she believed a terf just saying shit. I lost like 3/4s of my followers, i had a lot of people i thought were my friends just stop talking to me, and going forward every time i got a call out there would usually be a line of like "also she's racist, everyone already knows this" all cuz this girl needed to make a snarky comment cuz she just loves terfs.

the thing about the "i dont remember" bit is it made some weird game of telephone. "I dont remember" became "oh she's racist, i think she says the n word" which became "she called black bloggers the n word" like people just made shit up about me and connected it to this call out. and when id be like this isnt true id be met with a "this is just known, youre a known racist" and it's like, to this day i will still find people be like "hey good on you for growing as a person and not doing that any more" and its like I NEVER DID IT TO BEGIN WITH

[maxwellatoms]

In one of your last answers, you said “series reboots are usually pretty gross and sad”, and I was wondering if you could expand on that? Assuming “reboot” covers any kind of continuation of a currently cancelled or finished show (and maybe that’s the wrong assumption!), from the outside looking in it feels like a pretty mixed bag. On one hand, if I love XYZ Show, it’s cool that I get more stories with these characters and another chance to support XYZ Show and its creators. On the other, it definitely feels like a lot of ideas can only get funding if they’re tied to something already, meaning creatives are having to now tie whatever cool idea they have to some reboot/relaunch/retread, which can feel pretty disheartening if you don’t want to do a reboot/relaunch/retread. Is that a similar feeling from your side of the industry?

Thank you so much for all your answers and insight!

Usually reboots and spin-offs are just cash grabs. It happens a lot in animation. In fact, I would argue that the entire industry is just one big cash grab now. In the 80s, everyone complained that cartoons were just half-hour commercials for toys. And they were right. And we're right back there, but now that you can't legally push toys all day, it's just general "IP". Mugs, posters, more spinoffs, whatever.

I was offered three show running gigs over the pandemic. All reboots that I would consider unwise to pursue because they were "of a different time" and didn't (in my opinion) have anything more to say. Two of them were properties created by notorious sex pests, so there's also that. The animation industry loves to prop up its sex pests.

I turned all of them down, partially because I didn't respect the original creators but also because none of them had anything going for them except just being "more of the same".

I don't think any of those projects survived the intervening years, so in retrospect I maybe should've taken the job. I'd probably feel a bit gross, but at least I'd have floors in my house.

The entertainment industry is in a bad spot. The whole thing. I've had I don't know how many pitch meetings in the last few years, and they all start the same way:

"Hey! Before we start, we just want to let you know that we're not actively producing anything right now. We think maybe soon, but we won't be picking anything up today..."

And then later:

"The little we are doing is IP, so if you have a new take on our IP or a new IP you're connected to that you can bring in, that'd be great."

I always wanted to make original stuff. There came a time when I'd had my fill of Billy & Mandy and wanted to do something else new and original. That never manifested, and I was constantly being offered IP to produce. I turned too many of those down, maybe, before deciding that it was probably better that I run the IPs that mean something to me rather than having some hack do it.

But now those jobs have all gone to celebrities and fallen live-action writers, who are also slowly being eaten by the system. WB was hot for Scooby stuff a few years back, so I pitched some ideas. A few of them were turned down for being "off-brand" in a variety of ways. WB has now made (I think) all of those off-brand shows (or something close) with celebrity show runners.

I was going through a whole Midlife Impostor Syndrome thing recently where I was wondering if maybe I don't just suck. Like, it's weird that for a couple of decades I'd have people calling me trying to get me to run shows, and now nobody will call me back about the possibility of a design job.

Talking to some friends and realizing that they were in a similar situation helped me feel like I wasn't alone. That was nice. Talking to some of the most talented colleagues in my industry made me made me realize that those people weren't getting jobs either. That was unnerving. Talking to complete strangers in other parts of the entertainment industry now has me thinking that the whole house of cards is coming down. That's real concerning, yo.

It's hard not to think it's purposeful, when deranged billionaires own the entirety of our media and want to shape a society where they can't be criticized. We're letting wealthy tech bros firebomb the very heart of our culture, and it's weird that no one is talking about it. Because (for now) we still have that capability.

[wandamaximoffsbadgirl]

On the Edge of Innocence

Corrupted!Wanda Maximoff x innocent!fem!reader

Word count: 1K

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, dubcon, power impalance, edge play, memory alteration, manipulation, gaslighting, Mommy kink, magic-induced immobilization, magic used like a drug

Authors notes: Sorry it's a little late everyone!

The atmosphere between you and Wanda had been easygoing from the start. After Natasha introduced you to her at the coffee shop, you felt an instant connection, unaware of the storm brewing beneath Wanda’s calm surface.

She found you refreshing—a break from the usual chaos that surrounded her. You had a certain innocence that drew her in, a softness that made her feel powerful in ways she couldn’t resist. It didn’t take long for Wanda to learn just how easy it was to make you blush, to see that flash of bashfulness in your gaze when she gave a playful tease or brushed her hand against yours.

But that innocence awakened something else in her. Darker desires stirred as she realized how little you understood the effect you had on her. And she had power. Her magic allowed her to erase the memories of those moments where she’d let that hunger slip, when she’d let her hands wander or leaned close enough to breathe in the sweetness of your innocence.

Each time, Wanda would reset you, erasing the moments when her magic had coaxed you to the edge, leaving only traces of warmth and longing you didn’t understand. You thought it was natural—the flutter of nerves whenever she looked at you too long, the way her fingers lingered when she brushed them along your arm. And, each time, she’d bring you right back to the start.

Only Wanda knew how many times she’d used her powers to draw you in, to unravel that innocence bit by bit, savoring every innocent smile and lingering gaze. And she’d keep it that way—your best friend, the only one you really trusted, the one who held every secret, every forgotten moment, in the palm of her hand.

It was a quiet evening, with only the sound of the espresso machine humming in the background. You were about to close up when Wanda walked in, her eyes glinting in a way that made your stomach twist—part nervousness, part thrill. She smiled as she stepped closer, her presence warm and intoxicating.

"Hey, thought I'd keep you company while you close up," she said smoothly, her voice low, a little too soft. You nodded, always grateful for her company, though the way she looked at you sometimes made you shy.

As you went about cleaning, you could feel her eyes on you, watching closely, like she was studying every move. You turned to face her, your cheeks pinking as you noticed how close she was.

"Wanda… do you, um, want some coffee?" you offered, trying to steady yourself.

Her lips curled into a knowing smile, and she shook her head. "Not coffee," she murmured, her hand reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. "I was thinking something a bit sweeter." Her fingers trailed slowly down the side of your face, grazing your jaw, making your breath hitch.

There it was again—that feeling, warm and heady, making you forget the world outside of Wanda’s gaze. You wanted to pull away, the intensity overwhelming, yet you couldn’t move, held by the softness of her touch and the way her voice wove around you.

“You’re so cute when you’re shy,” she teased, her fingers now tracing lightly over your collarbone. “All that blushing… like you’ve never been touched before.”

Her words sent a flush through you, and you dropped your gaze, feeling both flattered and utterly vulnerable. You never understood why her words hit so deeply, why they made you feel both embarrassed and needy in a way you’d never experienced before.

Unseen to you, Wanda's eyes glowed faintly as she reached into your mind, blurring your memories, pushing a wave of calm over you to cloud any hesitations. The moment she was ready, she murmured, "You can trust me, right?"

You nodded, unable to resist the soft spell of her voice. "Of course, Wanda."

She leaned in closer, her breath warm against your skin as her fingers grazed along your waist, her magic keeping you still. Each touch was electric, sending a shiver through you, but her hold kept your thoughts fuzzy, soft. Her mouth was so close to yours, just barely hovering over your lips, leaving you gasping for air and yet unable to move.

“Just let go for me,” she whispered, and her magic pulsed in time with her words, melting away any remnants of resistance. She guided you, leaning you back against the counter as her hands settled firmly on your hips, her eyes dark with desire.

For a fleeting moment, you felt something shift, something that told you this was more than it seemed, that there was a different intent behind Wanda’s warmth. But before the thought could form fully, Wanda’s magic washed over you again, taking away your doubts and leaving only her touch, her scent, and her quiet commands.

A wave of her hand and you look down when you feel something hit your thigh. A red strap with her magic swirling around it. 

“W-Wands…I–” you start, but she cuts you off.

“Shhhh just be Mommy's good girl like always and take it.” She says and you don't have a chance to respond as your words turn into choked moans. She's pushed herself fully inside of you and started pistoning her hips. 

“Fuck Y/N you're always so tight for me. You always feel so fucking good.” Wanda growls by your ear as you cling to her moaning. 

You don't know what she's talking about when she says ‘always’. This is your first time. Maybe she's fantasized about this? Yeah that has to be it. 

You feel yourself building up fast, you've never experienced pleasure like this, but just as you're teetering on the edge she stops and pulls out. A whine escapes your lips as you try to pull her back to you. 

“Oh no moya dorogaya. You aren't allowed to cum just yet. Mommy is going to savor you like she always does. We aren't over until I say we are and when I'm finally finished you won't remember a thing.” Wanda whispers by your ear, sending a chill through you. 

Tomorrow, like she'd said, you’d remember none of this—the press of her body, the whispered promises, the way her hands had claimed you. You’d remember only the warmth you felt, the lingering shyness, and how, in Wanda’s presence, you always felt so safe, so completely hers.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Wait, I was reading your posts and came across something I've found confusing. How is Adrien asking Ladybug wth she is doing in Volpina a bad thing? From Adrien's perspective, Ladybug's a celebrity tracking down a middle schooler with zero clout and humiliating her for lying about meeting her before. That's, uh yeah? Imagine if that happened irl lmao. Millions of teenage girls would perish at 1D's hands. My middle school would be a horror story. And it's made clear multiple times in the episode that her motivation is jealousy. It's one of the few episodes where the lesson Marinette gets makes sense I think, because she was genuinely spiteful in shitting on this random girl in front of her crush. That's significantly different than Ladybug just asking for a retraction from the Ladyblog. It's also one of the few times when Adrien's celebrity background actually affects how he acts, and it makes sense that Marinette doesn't make the connection between superhero=celebrity=not allowed to scream at middleschoolers in public. If half the kids in her school didn't lie about meeting Ladybug before, my suspension of disbelief is gone.

I've seen this argument before and it makes no sense to me, especially in the context of the lie that Lila actually told and the way the Lila confrontation actually goes down. A lot of people who have this take seem to think that Lila's lie was, "Ladybug saved me," and that Ladybug made a big public confrontation which is not what canon actually gave us. The confrontation was done in a mostly private setting and, while we never see Lila's full Ladyblog interview, this is how Ladybug sums up the interview in Volpina:

Ladybug:(sarcastically) Well hey Lila! How's it going? Long time no see. I saw your interview on the Ladyblog, awesome job. Oh sure! I remember our instant connection when I saved your life and we've been really good friends ever since! Practically BFF's! Uh actually, when did I save your life again, Lila? I don't recall. Oh yes! Of course, now I remember. Never! And we're not friends either! Miss Show-Off here was trying to impress you and everyone around her.

Lila didn't just lie about meeting Ladybug, she lied about having an ongoing, close relationship with Ladybug, two very different things. And Ladybug isn't just a celebrity, she's a superhero who is fighting an active terrorist. If I had to rewrite this confrontation, I'd keep it pretty much the same and just change the "Miss Show-Off" line to something like:

Miss Show-Off here was trying to impress you and everyone around her, putting herself and all of you at major risk! You know that Hawkmoth would do anything to get these, right? (gestures at her earrings) Did you even stop to think about what he'd do if he learned the identity of my supposed best friend? Of course not. You were too busy trying to look cool to stop and think things through like an actual superhero! We keep our identities and relationships secret for a reason!

Is this the kindest, most gentle way to confront someone like Lila? No, but it's very in character for Marinette to be filled with righteous fury when she sees someone using her name for their own personal gain. I really can't blame her for getting incredibly angry at this total stranger presenting herself as a Ladybug authority and using that authority to manipulate Marinette's friends. As I've said before, take away the crush complication and Marinette's actions still make total sense to me.

I'm not a huge proponent of virtue ethics. That's the idea that you need proper motivation for an act to be morally justified. If you do the right thing for the wrong reason, then the act is bad no matter how good the results and vice versa. If you view the world that way, then sure, you could possibly argue that Marinette's actions were wrong just like you can also argue that Gabriel's actions were totally fine, but I don't view the world that way. Switch Marinette's motivation from jealousy and a little righteous fury to pure righteous fury and almost nothing changes. She'd still need to confront Lila, the words would just be a little different.

It's not like this confrontation stops Lila, either. Chameleon gives us this:

Lila: (in flashback) Not only did Ladybug save my life, we've become very close friends. Marinette: She lies with every breath. Nino: Wait. You eavesdropped on Lila and Adrien? That's not cool. Alya: A good reporter always verifies her sources. Can you prove she doesn't actually know Ladybug?

Quick mini rant before I give the next Chameleon quote: this isn't how verifying your sources works, Alya! You should be verifying that Lila does know Ladybug, not the other way around! Right now, Marinette and Lila have equal authority on the topic as far as you know and there is no evidence to support either claim, so you should be looking for proof that Lila isn't lying! Proof isn't a first come, first serve problem even though a lot of people fall into that trap. This is especially true since Lila goes on to make claims like this:

Lila: Of course Ladybug saved my life. She never misses an opportunity to rescue her best friends. Max: Didn't your tinnitus give you vertigo when you went up the Eiffel Tower? Lila: Oh no. Ladybug knows me so well that she brought me an earplug to stick in my right ear.

So Lila keeps right on lying about her relationship with Ladybug, presenting them as close friends, making it even harder for me to get on the "Marinette was in the wrong for privately confronting Lila" train. If anything, Marinette was too tame! She needed to go full scorched earth and have Alya post a public retraction that included a message about the dangers of claiming to be personal friends with someone you don't actually know.

If the show went that route and had Ladybug give an equally furious smack-down and Alya posted it without a second thought, THEN I'd probably be on team "Marinette needed to tone herself down because she went too far" because that isn't a heat-of-the-moment reaction. It's something Marinette would have time to think through. But Volpina didn't go there. Instead, we just get Marinette reacting live to someone using her name to flirt with her crush. Remember, this is the setup to Marinette transforming and jumping in to stop Lila:

Lila: Not only did Ladybug save my life, we've become very close friends because we have something very special in common- it's what I wanted to tell you about. I'm the descendant of a vixen superheroine myself, Volpina. Adrien: Volpina? Marinette: Volpina? Adrien: Wait a minute! I think I read about her in my book. Lila:(stopping him from grabbing the book) Of course she's in your book. She's one of the most important superheroes. More powerful and more celebrated than Ladybug. Between you and me Ladybug doesn't even make the top ten. My grandma gave me this necklace. [Marinette runs off to transform] Adrien: (holding Lila's necklace) Are you telling me this is a Miraculous?! (Ladybug lands in front of them)

This wasn't a planned confrontation. It was Marinette reacting live to some pretty massive lies. If Ladybug had been swinging by and just overhead this, then the scene once again wouldn't change much. That's why blaming Marinette for confronting Lila in the "wrong way" feels so victim blame-y to me. "How dare Ladybug not be perfectly poised at all times and react with grace when someone lies about being her close friend and teammate!" is not a take I'm ever going to agree with. And if you want to use the middle schooler defense? Then it applies to Marinette, too. She and Lila are the same age. Why the different standards just because Marinette has fame that she never asked for or sought out?

I've never been much of a fan of holding celebrities to an "always on" standard where their every interaction needs to be done with poise and grace even if the interaction happens out in the wild and not at a planned even where the celebrity can be mentally prepared for dealing with fans. That's extra true for accidental celebrities like Ladybug. Marinette didn't take up the earrings for fame and they certainly haven't brought her fortune, plus she has no PR training. Expecting her to be a PR master who knows how to handle her accidental fame is, once again, a little too victim blame-y for my tastes. Ladybug is here to save the world, not sign autographs. You can hold her to politician standards when you start paying her for risking her life on the daily.

There's a version of Lila where I would have a different take. A version where the lie really is minor and Marinette really did "overreact", but even there my lesson wouldn't be "Marinette was totally in the wrong" because I genuinely think that sends the wrong message to kids and kids are the show's target audience. Think about what you're actually saying here, "Because Marinette is famous, she needs to accept that people will lie about her and just ignore them even if people believe the lie."

While that isn't exactly a wrong take, it's still really messed up. It's not okay for people to use Marinette's name like that just because she's famous. The reason she needs to learn to let it go is because that's what's best for her mental health, not because her fame makes her lesser than others when it comes to things like personal privacy. The lies are not magically okay just because she's well known.

Remember, Marinette is a fictional character, but the kids watching this show are very real and they're way more likely to be Lilas than Marinettes. And the kids that do relate to Marinette in this episode? They'll be kids who have dealt with the rumor mill spreading lies about them or their friends without the celebrity complication. The show should not be telling either set of kids that Marinette is the one in the wrong here. That is the wrong moral and why I hate this episode so much. I might feel differently if the intended audience was teens and if this plot was allowed to be more complex, but none of that is true. The show is aimed at kids ages 5 to 12 and every episode is supposed to teach its own moral with Volpina's moral being "Marinette was explicitly and totally in the wrong here."

This is the age of internet personalities where there are more easily-accessible celebrities than ever and where many of them do not have the wealth needed to protect themselves from fans nor the PR training to know how to handle extreme fans if there even is PR training for that! That means that it's honestly really important for kids to learn to view these individuals as people who it's wrong to lie about and who deserve the same respect as non-famous people. Treating celebrities as public commodities is how we get things like the Kit Connor scandal where an 18-year-old actor felt forced to publicly come out because the internet wouldn't shut up about his sexuality. Oh, and since you brought up one direction, I'll also note that the band members have publicly stated that online shipping discourse has negatively impacted their relationships. So, yeah, I'm never going to agree that kids should be told that it's okay to lie about celebrities or treat them as fictional characters to play with and that the celebrities are the ones who are wrong if they get upset about that behavior. That shit is toxic.

If we go the "minor" lie route, then my version of this episode would be a very sad one where Marinette learns that people are going to ignore her boundaries and lie about her and there's nothing she can do about it. A lesson in mental health training that will hopefully help kids who are dealing with bullies, but that does not present Marinette as totally in the wrong. It just teaches her when to pick a fight and when to let it go, which is a very important skill to learn even outside of lies about your own person. There will be many times when you hear people say something that you vehemently disagree with and it's important to learn when to pick a fight and when to just let it go, knowing that no good will come from speaking up even if you're 100% in the right. It's a very sad, but also very necessary skill.

I think Adrien has a place in that story. A place where he still tells Ladybug to let it go, but it should NOT have been played the way it was in canon where he acted like Ladybug was totally out of line. He needed to be way more compassionate and understanding of her very justified anger. I've written Adrien giving advice on this topic before and it's always presented as, "people are going to be assholes and you have to learn to ignore them for your own well being," not as, "you are wrong to be upset about strangers telling lies about you. You agreed to deal with this when you decided to be a hero" because what kind of asinine lesson is that?

You could also keep Adrien's canon reaction and have the lesson be him learning that it's okay to have boundaries. That his fame doesn't negate his bodily autonomy and right to be treated with dignity. That people chasing him down, invading his personal space, and otherwise preventing him from living a normal life is wrong. I love it when fanfics take this approach to Adrien's part in the Lila conflict. It's very cathartic to see his friends supporting him and protecting him from Lila.

I really have tried to see Volpina from the "Marinette was totally in the wrong" perspective because I've come across it several times, but I just can't wrap my head around it. If you've got a counter argument, then feel free to try to change my mind because I've given you my full thoughts here, but know that I'm probably not budging on this one. You'd have to make some pretty dramatic changes to canon for me to feel like this take has a point. I think the only way that I'd be on Lila's side is if it was very clear that no one believed Lila and Marinette still had the same reaction that we see in canon as that does feel like going too far. But everyone believed Lila so that's not a solid argument and I'm just never going to agree that people have to be cool with others lying about them just because they're famous. I honestly despise celebrity culture so much and hate that people are basically forced to deal with that bullshit if they want to be successful in certain artistic fields.