#and only release them if they win? but they make this whole big deal about having to win the duel so she'll turn them back

[aberooski]

I know they're already trapped in cyberspace as it is, but I never understood why Sarina turned Syrus and Hassleberry into a dinosaur and a car as opposed to like, locking them up in there or actually putting them in danger? Like if you want the stakes to feel actually important to the duel like maybe I should actually have to worry about what will happen to them if Jaden and Aster lose...?

I dunno it doesn't really matter, like obviously it's entirely possible that the thing is just that they're just bait for Jaden so it doesn't really matter what she does with them because all she needs is to get Jaden and Aster there so she can test them in a duel so once they get there Sy and Hassleberry don't really matter anymore at that point. But I just think about this kinda stuff y'know? I'm a fanfic writer haha

[joeyclaire]

sorry about the election, here’s a fnaf politics au

republican president william afton is trying to win reelection against democratic utah governor michael afton

his approval rating is plummeting, mostly due to the swarm of child murderer allegations he keeps receiving

secretary of state emily, press secretary crying child, chief of staff elizabeth afton, secretary of defense vanessa

michael furiously bats back nepotism allegations, insisting his father spent much of michael’s life discouraging him from politics

first lady firstname afton stands by her husband no matter what. when michael wins she calls him and informs him she’s never been proud of him a day in her life

william’s policies include support of abortion because he wants more child murder

anti gay marriage UNTIL someone (michael) leaks screenshots of him and henry borderline sexting in the work group chat

as in writing wildly intense and passionate overly long messages in front of god and everyone which other people (michael) screenshot and make fun of behind their backs

michael’s policies include raising minimum wage, has a whole big deal about working a shitty job at fazbear’s and being a working class hero

the fnaf 4 bullies are michael’s advisors, they just talk shit all day

cc releases an autobiography with a notably short chapter on the nightmare gassing. he says it made him a stronger person.

(william reading over his shoulder as he types) “and then add that story about the time you were twelve and michael and his friends peer pressured you into smoking weed with them”

michael releases a book that’s a counter to cc’s. free me i only did some of that.

“okay yeah i DID peer pressure cc into smoking weed once but what he DIDN’T tell you is how he threw up on my lap and locked himself in the guest bathroom to cry for an hour straight”

cc’s account of the weed story appeals to conservatives because they care about weed. michael’s account appeals to conservatives because they care about elected officials sounding like a pussy

many years down the line elizabeth releases a tell-all interview detailing her side of the story. also all lies. she wasn’t even there for the weed incident.

cc cries reading michael’s book, including the parts that aren't even about him

elizabeth is obsessed with becoming a meme. very active on social media in an AOC kind of way. something of a miss piggy figure to a certain kind of leftist that enjoys pretending to support a republican politician.

against all odds, michael wins the presidency. william immediately gets to work on his assassination plan.

researching the most successful assassinations making a list of his most successful murders and what went wrong from his failed attempts.

all in on this until an advisor gently reminds him that if michael is killed then vice president bonnie bully will take over and william immediately blurts out “that faggot???” because he's already had to deal with bonnie bully being at his house all the damn time gaying up the place when michael was a teenager and now he's the vice president. of the united states. of america

vice president henry emily is current under a lot of fire for the fact that he doesn’t believe in the separation of church and state

[moldsporr]

Major Akuma Kun (2023) spoilers, warning you rn

Yk what gets me about this show is that it would've been really easy to make Strophaia a big bad evil villain who simply uses Ichiro and manipulates him for his own gain. But they don't. They make a point to show that Ichiro loves Strophaia, and that Strophaia loves him, too. That's why Strophaia wants to release everyone's light, I think- or at least, a big part of the reason. He wants to free Ichiro, to have him by his side- and to do that, he needs to have Ichiro be like him.

Unless Ichiro has some special powers aside from being Akuma Kun, he's really just some normal boy. Strophaia was surprised that he had some hidden destiny. This tells me that Ichiro specifically wasn't needed to free the woman in chains. But Strophaia wanted him to do it. He didn't want anyone else to do it, he wanted Ichiro to be the one to choose to free himself and everyone. And he would have, if Shingo and Mephisto II didn't take Ichiro.

Strophaia feels as though his loved one was taken from him, was stolen. That's why he wants to torture Shingo, even after the man is near death already. He didn't care to torture Mephisto III- he was honestly just a casualty in this whole thing. Something to push Ichiro to the edge of grief so the flute would finally break. In his eyes, his beloved Aeshma was stolen and forced into a role he never wanted to have. And honestly? He's not too off the mark. Ichiro had a lot of trouble dealing with this destiny that was thrown onto him, who wouldn't?

It's Strophaia's love that pushes him to do what he does. He's older than almost everyone in the show, save for Satan. But he loves this human. This seemingly random human who was abandoned by his kind.

It's Ichiro's love that both causes Strophaia to almost win, and also the thing that defeats him. For now.

It's just... idk. In a lot of shows they have the protagonist go up against someone they hate, someone who's harmed them or their loved ones and seemingly has no good qualities. But when shows make the motivation love? Ourgh. Ourgh. It's so good. I don't even mean romantic love here. Platonic, familial, any kind of love. Love isn't this pure thing that will solve everything. Love is messy. Love is hard. And I really like how they show that. All the people Ichiro loves hurt him in some way, and he hurts them back, too. Not out of maliciousness- simply out of being human. Despite, yk, a good portion of the cast being demons. But I digress.

I really hope season two takes a closer look at all the.... conflicted feelings Ichiro definitely has. Strophaia is most likely returning, considering they didn't use that scroll. I want to see where their relationship heads. Honestly, I can see a redemption or a double down from Strophaia.

Another thing I wanna point out is how desperate Strophaia was to stop Ichiro from using the flute. He shields himself with his wings, he looks downright terrified. He's begging, repeating "Aeshma" over and over as his voice cracks. It's just. So gripping. Strophaia had all the confidence in the world that Ichiro would come back to him, and not only did Ichiro not do that- he aimed to kill him. Like. Ourgh. Obviously Strophaia needed to be defeated, man's was hurting people, but. Imagine the betrayal. Heck, how Ichiro feels. He's doing the same thing he did all those years ago, what accidentally separated him and Strophaia in the first place- what started the cracks in the flute!!! It's just!!!! Ourgh!!!!!!!!!

[iodrawsandtalks]

A long-ass testimonial as a player of Honkai: Star Rail. please read if you have the time. I wish all honkai content creators would bear to understand this

goin through exhaustion rn but thats just normal and not something id complain about. Anyways when this game released in summer 2023, I was just as hyped as everybody else. I had started playing since the last closed beta where I had gotten bailu and mained qingque cuz she felt so real for being lazy on the job plus i LOVED playing hard and winning big.

I had a fun time later when the game ACTUALLY did release though I had to say goodbye to my bailu who I replaced with Clara and mained Seele who I knew from playing Honkai Impact for quite a while. I felt like i fit in with every other HI3/HSR player, running high spd seele with bronya and taking my silver wolf to every Simulated Universe fight, and laughing about getting rolled by the blue gorilla that hates when people use skills. I laughed at the launch memes everyone else was laughing at and usually was the first person to beat new bosses fights and stories when they came out.

I've realized that just because you think you fit in with people, doesn't mean they'll act like you do fit. They watch you trip, and struggle, and when the thing you like starts slinging venom at you, they let you fall. They laugh when you get hurt and protect what hurt you. Now when I started this game, as a black guy I was aware dumb, racist things were gonna pop up, as we know with genshin impact with the whole ass glass bottle floating around calling desert explorers/fighters "sand-lickers", and Honkai Impact's one black character being one who hates her dark skin and bleaches it consistently with makeup. She's also the only character to never get special outfit effects. Naturally, I did not bat an eye at the dark skin lightning guy having the SHACKLE BREAKER and SWIFT HARVEST SKILLS.

as we may know im a lore guy who thinks a lot. there is no "character reference" or wordplay that holds up here. This is dumb associations made to dark skinned individuals for doing slave work(harvesting.) and being held in chains(shackle). Anyways somehow even though this eluded me, I found it odd that the one dark skinned character in the roster was the bad one. People would make all kinds of excuses but never show anything concrete. Arlan himself is lacking the skill point mechanic which literally bars him from an entire simulated universe path. see my notes on him here . Point is this got worse as time went on, to a point where this fan that was still crazy hyped after the Xianzhou arc hype was watching every promotional video for the next region. Penacony, and got hit with the revelation that their next region was going to be based on the Jazz Age. Jazz is known throughout the world as one of the most widely celebrated creations of black people for the rest of the world, and the soul of Jazz, Funk, Pop, and many other types of music rest in black history, black stories, and black emotions. I'd rather not revisit the complete amalgation of this soul that is that dumb fucking region with the slave master and the incel-heaven slur slinger invading the quantum meta, but I should still add that the story is an incredibly half-assed take at introducing evil concepts like slavery and trying to add nuance to them. I played through so many routes where there was some implication of slavery benefitting a future society, and there was this one awful point i had to check out at where the player uses CLOCKWORK TO FIX THE MIND OF A DISCONTENT FREED SLAVE SO THEY SEEK THEIR MASTER AGAIN. There is no "makes sense in context" or "theres lore behind this" because that should be taken at face value. Their disgusting apparition of the Jazz Age should not be justified and glorified the way it is today. I believe in protecting the history of those who paved the way for me and I also would like to believe that I shouldn't have to fight to not deal with mockery within games or shows I enjoy. This whole experience I've had has tainted this game for me. I was listening through my fighting game playlist earlier and WHITE NIGHT came on. The first time I had heard it I thought it was amazing and wanted to make a cover of it and enter the 2024 fan art contest. But when I heard it for the most recent time, I wanted to vomit. This 'fun party' song was empty and felt like it was slinging lies of joy and entropy in my face. I couldn't celebrate the media that glorified excusing my people from society. And I really don't get WHY everyone else does. As somebody whose played a lot of mainstream games I've seen a crowd that acts woke to social issues and seemed to stand up in the face of injustice. I don't KNOW any internet culture so i thought activist = good person. recently ive seen and interacted with a lot of "activists" that were willing to watch this billion dollar company perpetuate racism, stereotypes and appropriation. This is usually because the company had given them a "complex" png with "emotions" that was "coded" to be made for them. and their character's emotions outrank real people's emotions in their interactions. these activists were more likely to listen to the billion dollar company's machinations of a white girl fairy princess or whatever their latest obsession was, than real people.

its been tiring and its been sickening. excuse me for being too real for a second but I AM SICK AND TIRED OF MENTALLY ILL WHITE PEOPLE ONLINE TELLING ME RACISM IS A CHARACTER TRAIT OR SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE RIGHT, OR SOMETHING THAT SPICES UP A NARRATIVE. SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. what if we had characters that were abusers, huh? or pedophiles? and what if those characters never had to deal with consequences of their actions? and what if everybody was worshipping the writing team making these hero abusers, and hero pedophiles? would it suddenly make sense then?

can people stop hyping this awful shit up? Pick up a different game or something. stain their brand. Have an audience for your star rail content? can you draw like trees or something,..... instead? this is not a good game and it does not do good things. The developers are incels with a large cult following. They are not good people, they say the right things. stop feeding them. do something else. pick something else up. play something else. I know people may find their games and content dear to yall but if racism is worse to you than losing a game, boycott these rich, selfish snakes.

[bookishtheaterlover7]

Hello, Fabulous Fans of the Fandom!!! It has definitely been a hot second.

Didn't post anything about their posts, and Pap walks, for the reason that I'm pretty sure they're getting ideas from rant posts like mine... Didn't want them getting more ideas, so no rant post.

But today, I'm making an exception. 😉

Before we begin though, 👸 wants to give y'all a small warning ⚠️

To start, let's look at this photo...

Is that who we think it is?

Is it?

Is it?

Nah, I'm just kidding. Don't worry if you thought it was Albitch, trust me, you weren't the only one 😆

Thank you, 👸 for handing me these screenshots 😁

"Funny how, Kim Kardashian's nudes made her famous. But when AB did it, to try and get attention, we constantly mock her for it."-👸

Girl! You've got a point 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Now that I have your attention, let's get to my main topic...

WTF has been happening lately?!?!

Well, for one thing, I know we're all tense one way or another about Valentine's Day. Since aside from being the most romantic day of the year, it's also the anniversary of the dreaded VDay photo dump.

And then there's the uterus-obssesed trolls from her side, expecting a baby announcement... Fuck y'all, by the way 🖕 which made me more tense about February 14.

But what happens a few hours before February 14 American time? Chris posts an adorable video about Dodger instead.

Still, that didn't help alleviate the tension. Because Dodger might help a little, but he's been used before, and it most definitely wasn't fun.

But then, it turns out Albitch isn't even in the same country. She flew to France with a bunch of friends. Friends who were seen to be posting to their boyfriends, saying how they missed them.

But why is Albitch's trip so important? Well, let me tell you. She WASN'T in the same country, when Chris just proved he's in Mass, and her friends' posts showed her WITHOUT her ring, in France.

Oddly enough, it was around this time, that photos of ringless-Chris-lookalike surfaced. The photos that were shown and sent to people/blogs that were guaranteed to get it circling the internet before the end of the day.

Seriously, are they slipping? Or was it deliberate?

Anyway, when Valentine's finally came, we were in the clear. Chris' Instagram remained silent, except for that one significant Dodger post.

Things stayed relatively quiet for a while, aside from the France trips making their rounds here and there. But it all came to a head earlier, when Chris posted on his story...

Further confirming how far apart he, and his dear "wife" really are. Who's been seen, eating out in France, still missing her ring...

I mean, really? Do y'all not eat out with finger jewelry? Is that another lame excuse y'all have for her?🙄

And three days ago, this article gets released... And the legitimacy is still up for debate, but the fact that it's here, feels like the perfect storm to me.

Not saying that it's the beginning of the end. But it's something!

Now, honestly, it's a mess in the Fandom. This whole thing is causing a shit storm, like always, and it's not pretty.

But whether or not this means something, we have to keep a level head. This could go either way. Which is why I, personally am taking the win.

Wins are few and far between right now, so, I'm taking it. And I'm also finishing two fics, and enjoying my book. Which is a pretty big deal, considering, I haven't been able to finish a book for most of last year 🥺

Thank you to my fabulous friends for sourcing me, and guiding me to the screenshots that allowed me to make my posts. Y'all truly are the best eyes and ears, a girl can ask for. 🫶

And please let me know, or feel free to add, if I forgot anything, guys😊

Until the next one!

❤️ Booky

[aerodaltonimperial]

I cried through my therapy session today, I am STRAIGHT UP NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME, I am fantasy booking and no one can stop me, but we all see what's been set up as a possibility here, right?

The Bucks attacked Darby and Sting after they won the tag belts. This was sort of the first "seal," let's say, to be released on the new heel run of the Bucks, and it was obviously a big deal since it set up the eventual retirement match. But it also set up Darby coming back as an anti-hero; he's well primed for it, considering he's always occupied the somewhat murky gray middle waters as far as morality is concerned, and they've loaded the magazine already so the fire makes sense. Darby and Sting were the first "focus" of the EVP Bucks, and it makes sense that they will call back to this now that the Bucks are established in the new Elite storyline. Even the poster for the match they made framed the whole thing as vigilante good guys Sting and Darby going after the evil corporate overlords.

Darby is currently alone. One of the big sticky points with Jack’s original summer heel run was that he was alone, because it's hard to run a story when you don't have any other threads to weave in. Darby is minus Nick, and that storyline is pretty SOLIDLY wrapped up, and he's minus Sting. Darby works in the ring well enough on his own, but he NEEDS people out of the ring to really land story beats well. They need to put him somewhere, and there's no obvious opening with Copeland sliding into HoB storylines.

They are setting Jack up to eventually turn on the Bucks and Okada. It's subtle enough now, but there: he is always slightly off to the side when they post photos together, they are essentially a 3+1 setup right now, and the way Jack is spinning the Scapegoat character will eventually come to a head against the Bucks when their priorities no longer align. He's definitely being written as someone who follows his OWN compass, and it's gonna bite the Bucks, for sure, when he flips. Given the little hints on social media, I WANT to assume that his flipping will eventually line up with Luchasaurus finally betraying Christian, which would give us all a REALLY AWESOME heel Jurassic Express that's rooted in "fuck the systems that are broken" and it feels solid.

But the Darby vs Elite story is there, hovering on the horizon. And Jack and Darby’s loop from the Pillars story remains open, indefinitely at this point: they made that big deal about Darby not trusting anyone and how Jack had finally gotten a bit of an in only for MJF to ruin it (and then a few months later, Darby was Mr. Forgiveness to AR Fox lol), Darby is the reason Jack didn't win the PPV (wouldn't hit him to cheat), and Jack is the reason Darby didn't win the PPV (Jack broke up Darby’s pin on MJF and they also made a big deal out of this moment in the match where they literally slapped each other like it was some kind of BETRAYAL). Nick is literally still Jack version 2.0 with Christian. Their stories have been hilariously close to each other for a long time without ever managing to overlap, due to extenuating circumstances. This current setup puts them in line for a potential collision.

I'm just saying that I, personally, would be fixed of all mental illnesses if Jack turning on the Bucks happened to come down when the Bucks try to take out dissenter Darby like they did Kenny, given that should Jack ACTUALLY say, hit Darby with a steel chair, he would be finally betraying the only person he canonically has not turned on yet. Would be cool if, y'know, he couldn't seem to do that. Again. And honestly, it would be really cool if Darby eventually aligned with Jack and, lets say, Luchasaurus, considering there was kind of a thing in those fall matches where I thought it was not impossible that Darby was gonna be the one to break that hold Christian has on Lucha. It would make a neat trio: a lot of unfinished business.

I don't know how long they are gonna run the new Elite. And I don't know how much longer Lucha is going to be under this thrall, but it's already been longer on that one than I expected, and usually when that happens, there was some sort of delay involved. There have been a good number of people out in the past half year, but Jack is really the only one there that makes sense. ANYWAY I am just fantasy booking to keep my mental health from crumbling before the end of the work day lol

[and-a-pidgey-in-a-wepear-tree]

good [insert time of day here] i realised i never thought to ask you amid my delight of you being the most interactive follower i have that isnt an irl friend do YOU have ocs or blorbos. i wish to know. for reasons.

OH hello yes thank you for asking!!! I have several OCs but most of the time I simply Do Not Explain on here; I have lots of ideas and doodles but I make it mostly for myself and don't think to share — doesn't mean I don't want to tho! exhibit A: this absolutely massive post I'm about to make lmao. putting it under a read more bc Oh Boy, the floodgates have been opened

most of my OCs are for two different projects I have: The Visitors and my D&D Dark Star Campaign.

The Visitors is just a lil worldbuilding project I've been chewing on for.... oh wow, over a decade at this point??? I love all the OCs I have in there very very much, but they're definitely never intended to go in an actual story, I just enjoy the speculative biology and character / world building process.

Val is one of my oldest OCs, and she's changed SO MUCH over the years! nowadays, she's a sort of insect/dinosaur mashup alien who uses gravity warping magic and a very large axe to hunt demons. a huge issue for magic users of her species is keeping cool, as magic generates heat and can literally cook you from the inside out, so you'll notice the multiple vent-like spiracles across her body for this purpose. she was born blind and so relies heavily on her best friend, Django, to be her eyes and keep her safe. fortunately, Django has Too Many Eyes. he's a dragon genetically engineered by those in Val's species to be the perfect vessel for storing and releasing massive amounts of mirror-based magic. this kind of magic gives him many abilities, including seeing around corners, creating illusions, or multiplying attacks when applied in different ways, and he acts as Val's seeing-eye dragon. in battle, she likes to get up in the action while he holds back and gives her cues on what's happening, only jumping in himself if she's in major trouble. she's very friendly and excitable, and loves to get into the culture of whatever planet they're visiting, while he's more interested in observing and snooping. there's a lot of espionage and hijinks.

these are some of my most recent sketches of them, tho I'm sure the designs will changes in the future. specific colors don't matter at all, it's all about vibes! not pictured in the halfway colored one is Val's big iridescent black cape thing that has a slit down the middle for her rigid tail, nor her weird arms since I wanted to figure out where the torso vents could go.

Duke is another Visitor who visits planets and solves problems, but his path to get there was a whole lot different! I made him up as a coping mechanism when I was 12, and I'm still very fond of him.

he started life as a human video game speedrunner and modder prodigy. in a "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" situation, a devil (very distinct from demons!) struck a deal with him, challenging his gaming abilities with his soul as the stakes. he won despite the devil's cheating, but that's where the resemblance to the song ends. in this world, a devil winning your soul allows them to fuse with you and gain total control over your body, mind, and actions; but if YOU win, the control is reversed! and like any 14 year old who suddenly has the power to rival minor gods and a chaotic creature living in their head.... he goes off the rails for a while. Val and Django eventually find him and help him cope. his powers include electricity, glitching reality, flailing his glaive around, and being a menace to evil overlords.

you can't see it very well in this picture, but his eyes and the segments between his tail glow lime green! I'm not a fan of drawing clothes, but in my head he's relatively fashionable for a teenager and refuses to wear anything other than black. also, he decided to tell me he was trans a couple years ago, thanks for letting me know buddy 😂

my other project does actually get to see the light of day, if very slowly — I'm running a homebrew D&D campaign for my irl friends called the Dark Star Campaign! none of em use tumblr so WHEEEE I get to post all the spoilers I want! there's a kinda staggering amount of lore behind it and a ton of minor OCs, but the two I rotate in my head the most are Anya the Timekeeper and The Master, aka Armageddon.

Anya the Timekeeper is a chronomancy lich from an alternate universe! she used to help Armageddon travel the multiverse and gain power, but she's decided she's tired of being evil, and now hides in a mansion on a tropical island where she breeds dinosaurs for fun. though she's now very determined to help the party, they'll eventually have to kill her past self to prevent a paradox. her familiar is a little archaeopteryx named Trix who steals hats!

(I commissioned this art from @/goodlouse a while ago! highly recommend checking out his blog!!)

Armageddon is the BBEG and he's SO EVIL and SO MUCH FUN. he's an ancient amethyst dragon who, up until a while before the campaign's beginning, was steadily finding alternate universe versions of himself, killing them, and eating their souls to gain Unlimited Power™. unfortunately, his partner in time (hah) Anya told him to fuck off, so the quest for Unlimited Power™ has been kinda slow lately. fortunately, a D&D campaign started, and he cheated his way into existing at the players' table as The Master! my players can ask to talk to him sometimes, and I'll put on a mask of his head I made specifically for this purpose — very useful for not breaking character when the character is supposed to literally be the one sitting at the table talking to the players. I don't try to hide the fact that he's evil and they all know it, the fun is in giving them little hints and tidbits of lore to munch on. right now he's being very docile and helpful but things will get very very interesting eventually as more of his nature and plan is revealed..... =)

I'm still playing around with what he looks like as The Master, but I really like this recent design I did. his eye glows dark and menacing. I haven't found a design for his dragon form I'm really pleased with yet tho :/

okay wow thanks again for the ask, I have many many ideas in my head and it felt pretty nice to get em out!!

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases Dec. 12, 2023

The Black Cat & the Vampire vol. 2 by Nikke Taino

Studious Yuki Hasegawa found himself pursued by the unbearably popular Jean Michele and embroiled in a potentially deadly search for a monster hiding among the students of Blanc College boarding school. When Jean accidentally bites Yuki after their school dance, Yuki is forced to come to terms with the idea that vampires are real and Blanc College is full of them. When Jean explains the cruel power of a human's love, Yuki wonders if the only way to keep vampires from feeling that cursed urge to drink blood if for humans not love them. Will Yuki be able to stop his budding feelings for Jean now that he knows what fate awaits them...?

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense (novel) vol. 11 by Yuumikan and Koin

A bunch of talented new guilds are ready to give Maple Tree a run for their money. But Maple’s not too worried. The thought of chances for more PvP has her fired up! Between scouting out other guilds for info on their rivals and looking for new skills to make themselves even deadlier, Maple Tree has plenty of work to do as the Ninth Event kicks off!

Hirano and Kagiura vol. 4 by Shou Harusono

Ten seconds a day. That’s how long Hirano agreed to let Kagiura do the touchy-feely thing he insisted on. Hirano’s not sure it’s really doing anything, but whatever floats his boat, right? In any case, between all of Kagiura’s grumbling and Hirano’s friends’ reactions, Hirano is left pondering—what exactly counts as doting on his roommate...?

I Married My Female Friend vol. 1 by Shio Usui

Kurumi and Ruriko made a deal: if they were both single in five years, they would marry each other. Five years later, neither woman is attached, so it’s time for a wedding! Marriage is full of firsts, especially for two friends, so they have a lot to learn about each other in their newly shared home. But will they continue this arrangement like two especially close roommates…or will a different kind of love bloom between them?

MADK vol. 3 by Ryo Suzuri

FINAL VOLUME!

Makoto has long been ostracized because of his odd hobbies and a sexual kink others see as disgusting. After summoning a demon from hell called Archduke J, Makoto sells his soul to him and is reborn himself as a demon in hell. As he learns and grows in his new role, his infatuation with J turns into an obsession - an obsession to surpass the very demon who birthed him!

Magic Knight Rayearth vol. 1 by CLAMP

Contains updated translation and lettering created for the 25th-anniversary release.

Three girls who couldn't be more different meet on a school trip to Tokyo Tower--and find themselves beamed into a parallel world called Cefiro, where the mysterious Pillar has recruited them to avert a calamity! With the help of a motley troop of rogues and wizards, they will unlock the power of three transforming giant dragons known as Rune Gods and rush to the Pillar's aid...but there's more going on at the heart of Cefiro than they know!

My Mate is a Feline Gentleman: UK Arc Over by Arata Asanae

Toushirou, an omega, and Alex, his Nyartigian alpha mate, are now living together in bliss. But one day, Alex is called for a short-term assignment in the UK…and included is a special note that his mate can accompany him. Though Alex hesitates because of the dangers, Toushirou’s desire to visit a foreign country wins out, and the two set off on a journey to a new land…

Pink Heart Jam vol. 1 by Shikke

For college student Haiga, starting school in the big city is a chance to make new friends and try new things. On the first day of classes, he spots an impossibly gorgeous upperclassman named Kanae strumming a guitar and decides to join the school’s rock band. But later, when a drunken dare gives Haiga the opportunity to visit a male brothel, he finds his crush employed there as a sex worker!

Haiga lets Kanae introduce him to gay sex, and afterward his innocent crush on Kanae is replaced with a whole new type of attraction. Even as their bond outside the brothel strengthens, Kanae will only be intimate inside its confines—and only in certain ways. What will it take for the two to go beyond experimentation and forge a real relationship?

The Witches' Marriage vol. 2 by studio HEADLINE

Melissa only entered into a "Witches' Marriage" with Tanya as a means to opening the Door of Truth. But as she gets to know her pure-hearted wife, they grow closer, and Melissa's feelings start to change. Will joining a class for witch couples cement their bond, or undo all their progress?

[madsims4finds]

Me when they canceled life by you:

I just KNEW there was something fishy. I was happy for the delays cause the game just looked undercooked and so the cancellation…was a surprise, I’m not gonna lie lol. But once the initial shock wore off, I just shook my head. It’s giving they didn’t want to suffer through another launch like Cities Skylines 2.

I’ve said from the beginning that Life By You did not look good. It did not have any practical features that I could see that would make gameplay enjoyable. No family play, empty world, and whenever a “human” went to work at apparently the only place hiring in town, the grocery store, it was like 2 other “humans” there. I mean those gameplay videos they were doing just got hard to watch. The game just seemed like it would be dead on arrival. And then on top of all that, a company like Paradox is releasing early access. Red flags all around. I wrote a dissertation I’m sure no one read, but there were too many things that I could see Paralives doing right that Life By You was doing wrong. Something as simple as being creative enough to come up with a name for these digital people. We have Zoi’s, we have Paras, we have Sims, and Life by You had…humans? How lazy is that? I get that it’s a life simulation game but there should still be some form of lore. Something that the world is grounded in. Something unique and immediately recognizable that makes the game stand out. And Life by You never had that. Their whole gimmick was “mod the game” how you like. But like I said before it was more about being able to deeply customize your game, not mod it. At least from what we were seeing. They made such a big deal about custom dialogue, story creator, color wheels, tailoring your characters personality to the most minute detail, etc. But they forgot to develop the rest of the game. At least that’s what it sounds like to me.

Devs are saying they were blindsided, which they probably were. I don’t think the game should have been canceled out right, but I think paradox’s impatience (since apparently it would “take too long” for the game to be done) probably stems from their desperate need for a win. And they knew Life by You wasn’t going to give them that. They did a great job of hyping up the community, enlisting every popular sim tuber they could, and I’m sure they would have made some sales. But I’m also sure the backlash for the state of the game would have been bigger. I mean seriously, look at older videos of Paralives and where they are now. And then look at Life by You.

Still sad that they shut down the whole studio and all those hard working folks lost their jobs. That part sucks. They should at least have been given the chance to make the game better. Smh.

I hope we’re able to see the other two projects to completion. Cause at the end of the day, the goal is to make sure EA no longer has a monopoly on this genre. The goal is NOT paying over $1200 in DLC for a $40, oh excuse me, now free to play game. Also can we stop charging for a game only to offer it for free later? Cause they sure ain’t giving refunds when that shit happens. 😭😤

Anyway, I’m rooting for everyone who’s not EA to be successful in their endeavors.

[hey-haven]

Oops I am ranking TWST books (minus book 7 cause I’m not going into it till it’s released in the english version)

I will be making these seperate posts cause I have too much to say, but I will link each on in order from worst to best starting with the worst

6: Book 2

Easily the worst one, Book 2 just does not do Leona any form of Justice. Despite being one of the smarter characters, Leona’s plan simply does not make sense. Like yeah sure injure some of the stronger players so the competition would be easier but then his grand plan with the Diasomnia Dorm is literally unleashing a stampede to idk crush them? Injure them? Kill them???? (Okay maybe not that far). He does this in a public setting that could have easily gotten innocent bystanders hurt. Plus it’s Malleus we’re talking about, a stampede would not have done the kind of damage Leona would have wanted it to. It just feels like for a character who is often written to be a master strategist, his big plan for the competition wasn’t well thought out like at all. It paints Leona as someone who’s all bark and no bite when it comes to his arrogant attitude about his intelligence, which is annoying because HE IS VERY INTELLIGENT AND SHOULD BRAG ABOUT IT! It’s just this ONE book that doesn’t serve him justice on this aspect of his character!

Another issue the book has is that it paints Leona in a really bad light to the point that I strongly disliked him for a while till reading some vignettes and realizing “oh no he’s an interesting character it’s just that the main book really fucked him over”. We have to remember that Leona is a grown man at 20 years old who made it his mission to literally harm teenagers just to win a sports competition, and while I understand the competition itself is a big deal it does not at all justify Leona’s actions (nor does his backstory). That was all BEFORE he overblots where the harm can be somewhat justified under uhhh temporary magical influence of insanity lol. And at the end of the book he straight up goes “I actually am not going to learn and grow from this.” And he does a little after the events of the book good for him, but when the main theme of each book being about growth and healing from past scars, why the fuck immediately backtrack on that theme right in the second book???

AND! Shdgss another thing that annoys me is that shortly after learning what an overblot is and how it works, following that logic that the audience was literally taught; Ruggie should have overblotted. He was the one constantly using his signature spell, he was the one having to hurt himself to get others hurt as well, he was the one who nearly got directly killed by Leona. That stress and overuse of his magic should have lead to an overblot but it didn’t only because Ruggie isn’t the twisted version of Scar, it’s Leona.

The book very much tried to use Ruggie as a red herring making us think he will be the main boss when it was Leona, but it was done so poorly that looking back it doesn’t even make sense with the in universe explanation on the function of overblots. Yana cared more about making a not so surprising twist than actually putting the effort in making that twist make sense. The fact that I ended the book caring significantly more about Ruggie than Leona is a sign that Leona’s character in this book was more of an afterthought.

You can just tell that Yana did not put the amount of thought and care into Book 2 as she did with Books 1, 4, 6, and even 5 despite that one also not being that good either though for completely different reasons. She heavily relied on the story beats of The Lion King to work with Book 2 leading to a messy and rather uninteresting story that actively paints the main character of the book as a less interesting person than what he actually is shown to be in later chapters and vignettes. It’s especially disheartening when you do get to Leona’s backstory and see the potential was right there the whole time, it just was not given any ounce of effort in the execution.

[rose-and-thorn-fanfics]

THE DARK KNIGHT FANFIC: PART 5 (Joker x OC)

Lottie waited as the elevator took her up to the top floor of Wayne Tower, Bruce Wayne's penthouse. The elevator finally came to a stop, and the slick, fancy metal doors opened smoothly. She stepped out onto the level, dragging her suitcase behind her, then stopping abruptly to take note of the clean and luxurious surroundings. 'This place makes my parent's penthouse look like a cheap motel room.' Lottie thought. Money didn't mean that much to her. She liked to live comfortably, but she'd never understand why people made such a big deal about it. She shook her head, realizing she was daydreaming. 

     "Can I help get you settled in, Miss Wayne?" Alfred Pennyworth offered, smiling warmly at Lottie. "I'm so sorry about what happened to your parents. Kent and Elizabeth are no doubt terrified for your safety."

     Lottie coughed. "Assuming they're still alive." 

     Alfred blinked. "-Of course. But we can only hope for the best in times like these."

     "Right." Lottie sighed. 'Fingers crossed they don't make it', she thought, smiling secretively. She was happy to have her parents gone. 'Now I can wear and do whatever I want without those selfish prudes punishing me.'

     Alfred gave Lottie a confused look, and she realized she forgot to suppress her smile. "Anything on your mind, Miss Wayne?" 

     "No... well, I was just thinking of something one of my friends texted me." She said quickly. "It was a joke." 

     "Heyyy, how's my favorite cousin doing?" a smooth voice said from behind Lottie. She spun around to find Bruce Wayne himself walking towards her. Setting her suitcase down she ran over to him and gave him a hug. Bruce pulled her close, making his best effort to comfort her. "You're safe now, you hear me? Nobody hurts a Wayne without paying." He whispered in her ear reassuringly. Then he released her from the hug and patted her on the head. He was much taller than her, and was strikingly handsome. His dark eyes were intense but welcoming, and he smelled like very expensive cologne, perhaps something Dior. 

     "Thanks Bruce. It's great we get to spend more time with each other. I've always looked up to you." Lottie looked up at him, eyes shining. For once she didn't have to lie. She adored Bruce. As an only child, he was the closest thing she had to a big brother. He spoiled her every excuse he got with cool gifts that her parents would reluctantly let her open. Her favorite gift her had given her was an expensive vintage porcelain doll when she was 10. She had packed the doll with her, not having the heart to leave it at her parent's penthouse. 

     "No need to thank me, Lottie. Now, Alfred and I will be showing you your new bedroom, private bathroom, and library, won't we Alfred?"

     "Of course, Master Wayne." Alfred said, graciously taking Lottie's suitcase and beckoning for her to follow him. Bruce walked with them, and they arrived at the guest bedroom. He opened the door and Lottie gasped. 

     There were floor to ceiling glass windows, overlooking the glittering skyline of Gotham. A queen sized bed was piled with a fancy white duvet and the walk in closet was big enough to get lost in.  "I hardly have enough clothes to fill a single rack! This is incredible!" 

     "I guess you'll have to go on a shopping spree in the near future," Bruce said, smirking.

     Lottie burst into tears of happiness. She wondered if the Joker knew how good the accommodations at Wayne Tower were, and if that's why he abducted her parents. 'Its a win win situation,' Lottie grinned, hugging her cousin. 'No parents, cool time with my cousin, and best view in the whole damn city.'

     Bruce laughed, not caring that Lottie was getting mascara tears on his custom-made suit. "This isn't even half of it, you're just seeing the bedroom and closet portion. Just wait til you see the private bathroom and library!" He said, leading Lottie by the arm through one of the glass doors in the bedroom's walls. 

     "What in god's name-" Lottie's voice dropped off. there was a spa-like bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and another window that showed the skyline. They were up high enough for there still to be complete privacy, and the vanity was made of slick black Italian granite. She looked at herself in the big mirror, curtseying to herself and doubling over, laughing uncontrollably. "This mirror makes me look like an adult!" Lottie laughed.

     "You are an adult, Lottie," Bruce said, pointedly, helping her out of the curtsey. 

     "Shhh Bruce don't say that, someone might hear you! I'm still your baby cousin, remember?" Lottie said, playfully winking at him.

     "Of course, of course." Bruce said. "And last but not least, your private library." 

     Alfred Pennyworth opened the next door, which led to a cozy, well furnished library with a slick glass fireplace in the wall and the other walls lined with books of all kinds. "Oh my god..." Lottie gaped. "Th-thank you. Both of you. This is every girl's dream, and I get to live in it!"

     "You're very welcome Miss Wayne. Now Master Wayne and I will give you some time to settle in." He said, bowing and leaving through the door. Bruce lingered a bit longer, watching his cousin flip through the collector's edition volume of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Then, satisfied, he left quietly.

     After a while, Lottie looked up from the book, realizing her cousin and the butler were gone. She set the book back on the shelf, and walked through the bathroom back into the bedroom. Unzipping her suitcase she pulled out her clothes and began hanging them up, humming to herself. The Joker card she had found under her pillow the previous night was at the bottom of her suitcase. She sniffed it, inhaling the scent of gasoline mixed with the Joker's cologne, smiling to herself. Undressing, she hopped in bed, sticking it in her lace bra and pulling the soft duvet over her body. Lottie drifted off to sleep.

[internerdionality]

Every time a customer is like “I’ll never purchase another [redacted] again!” and we’re all like…

Coz like the thing is, we actually don’t mark up our product that much. The profit margin on our cheapest model is like $400, and even on the most expensive model it’s only a couple grand. And I get paid like $35 bucks an hour for tech/escalations support, right? So if you’re going to be that entitled customer who is gonna demand hours of my time trying to teach you 3D design from scratch and shit to try or give you gift cards and loads of emotional labor to make up for your imagined slights, it’s *genuinely cheaper* for the company to just break up with you early.

Like, I had this customer the other day, they dropped like two grand for our cheapest model and expect gold star service. Oh and they didn’t even buy it from US they bought it from like a Best Buy but the warranty is through us as the manufacturer so I still have to deal with them, cause as it happens one part of their system arrived broken, right? Okay, no big, right? We order them a new one and they Karen at the frontline tech who had the misfortune of dealing with them enough that he decides to give them an exception and ship it in advance instead of waiting for them to ship back the broken part first.

(This isn’t a huge deal, we just have to put a hold on their credit card and then manually release the replacement order rather than tying it to the returning order but it takes more staff time so we’re not supposed to do it very often)

Anyway, they apparently get the idea that this exception means they’re gonna get the replacement like, the next day.

(Which, I have this whole other rant about how Amazon is screwing things over for other companies by using the incredibly abusive labor practices that they do, because customers now expect that they’re gonna get things tout de suite and it shouldn’t cost them anything but even Amazon bleeds money on shipping, it’s just that the monopoly it gives them makes up for it. But no other company can do that without hemorrhaging money cause we have to pay fulfillment center and shipping companies that aren’t literally killing their employees. And people who run small business, like most of our customers, don’t understand that when they’re paying us for shipping, they’re paying for the warehouse staff we contract with to get the right thing off the shelf and pack it and put the right label on it, not just whatever FedEx or UPS are charging for shipping, because they don’t consider that labor when they doing their own budgeting).

But ANYWAY so they call in like 19 times (not exaggerating even a little) in the two days after this all goes down, wanting the tracking number for their part. And it turns out that whoops! the tech who diagnosed the problem made the exception to ship in advance but the service rep who processed the order was kinda operating on autopilot and forgot to manually release it.

At which point they go absolutely apeshit and the whole thing becomes my problem.

And they’re just Karening and Karening in my ear about how they’ve had to spend so much of their time working to fix this, and they made commitments to their customers based on the tech rep telling them it would definitely ship the next day (he didn’t, and I listened to their entire 40-minute call to prove it) and are now out thousands of dollars (why the hell would you commit to making “thousands of dollars” of product with a machine you JUST bought, that you only spent two grand on? This is our lowest model, we don’t even market it as a business tool! Sorry dude, your bad business plan is not my problem) and I have to “prove” to them that we’re going to stand by our product or they won’t further invest in our company, and oh by the way, they have friends who have millions of followers on social media, and I should know what that means, so I better really try hard to win back their trust…

And I’m just like….

Please, dude. Please go fuck yourself and never spend another dime with our company. You’ve *already* blown through our entire profit margin on the machine you bought by sucking up so many hours of staff time. You are literally more trouble than you’re worth. PLEASE just go away so I never have to hear from you again.

"i won't be coming back here" is the funniest possible thing you can say to a customer service worker. you're at your place of work and someone comes in, acts like a jerk, ruins your day, and then, paradoxically, finishes up by reassuring you that this interaction is now over and you'll never have to see or hear from them again

[rjthirsty]

Ikemen Princess Prologue

Based off the otome game Ikemen Prince, I've created an AU where the princes are (mostly) female, and MC is male. Several character names have been changed to suit their new gender (notes will be provided), and lore has been altered to work with the new setting and my accompanying headcanons.

Words: 2k Tags: AU with Gender Changes, My First Long Fic, Chaptered, Scheduled Release A/N: You can find this and other chapters located on my ao3 account or on the Ikemen Princess Masterlist on my tumblr blog.

Chapter Nine: The King and the Rose

“Thanks, but no thanks!” I quickly responded to Nokto’s proposal. I wasn’t really interested in being seduced by anyone, let alone a princess who is aiming to be named Queen of Rhodolite.

“Ugh, I can’t listen to another word of this!” Yves shouted. “Seduce him? Seriously, Nokto, do you have any pride or even self-awareness of your position as a princess?”

Thanks, Yves… I think. But I’m not sure you’re on my side for the right reasons here…

“If that’s how you feel, do me a favor and don’t make any moves on him.” Nokto gave Yves a meaningful look, unperturbed by his admonishment.

“And why should I have to listen to anything you have to say?” The prince huffed. I was beginning to suspect that Yves just took the opposing position to whatever Nokto said, and Nokto was aware how easily she could maneuver him with that.

“What’s that, Yves?” Jean joined in. “You’re interested in seducing him after all? You’re always so mercurial, you are.”

I was still grappling with the enormity of what I’d agreed to, and it seemed surreal to hear them talk about it so flippantly. I just stared at the three.

Is this how royalty is? Or is it because they’re related?

Whatever the case was, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I thought running a country was a big deal, and here they were joking about it and how to “win” me over to choose them.

“He may be a commoner, but he’s still Belle. I need him to recognize that there’s no one more suited to the throne than I am.” Yves announced, answering Jean’s teasing with honesty.

“Yes, yes, you’re quite right,” Jean nodded. “Totally agree.”

“Uh–” I raised my hand to bring attention to myself. “There are plenty of other ways to do that besides attempting to seduce me.”

“Hey, could you all stop already?” The others fell silent as Lucinda stood up from her chair. “He’s right here, you’re making him uncomfortable.”

The three looked at Lucinda, and so did I. She seemed to be the only one in the room actually paying attention to me rather than talking about me. She moved next to me and I realized how tall she actually was now that we were standing face to face. “It was… Emmit, right?”

I gave a small nod. Her presence was kind of intimidating and I fought to not take half a step backwards.

“If you have any problems, you come see me, yeah?” She offered with concern etched on her face.

“Oh. Thank you very much, Princess Lucinda.”

“Ehh, don’t do that.” She grimaced and shook her head. “Just call me Lucy.”

“I don’t think–” I started, but Lucinda interrupted me.

“You called Leanne by her name, right?” She threw the question at me with a nod of her head in Leanne’s direction. I glanced over at the other woman still sitting at the table. “I don’t really like the whole ‘princess’ thing.”

My eyes moved back to meet Lucinda’s, they were warm and welcoming, offering me to feel at ease around her. She may be intimidating on her own, but everything she has said has been really comforting. “Well, okay then. Lucy it is.”

She smiled in response and made an appreciative noise, “Mmm.”

I feel like I just gained a protector. Or a big sister.

“Hang on,” Yves voice cut through that nice, comfortable feeling I was enjoying. “Aren’t you just seducing him too, now?”

“Naw, not our Lucy. She’s just a natural flirt, that’s all.” Jean grinned, pulling a lollipop out of her pocket. “But the rest of you oughta put your heart into it. Lucy will win Emmit over before you all get the chance, otherwise.” She popped the candy into her mouth.

“You make it sound like it has nothing to do with you, Jean.” Leanne glanced at the other woman.

“It doesn’t. I couldn’t give a crap about the throne.”

I was not expecting that.

“Well, I do care about the throne, so as a sign of how closely we’ll soon be acquainted, you can just call me Nokto.”

“I don’t approve of any of this! Make sure you call me Your Highness.” Yves made his displeasure known. And loudly.

“I’m not a fan of formal titles. You can call me whatever you like.” Jean shifted the lollipop’s position in her mouth with her tongue, a clicking sounded as the sugar tapped against her teeth. I was transfixed at the way the stick rolled across her lips, it was oddly seductive and I averted my gaze, feeling like I just witnessed something I shouldn’t.

I cleared my throat. “Ahem. Okay. Thank you, all of you. So, Nokto and Jean it is.”

“This is stupid.” Leni got up from her chair. She had been so quiet I actually forgot she was even here, this was the first thing she said since she introduced herself.

“Leni, you don’t have to be so cold all the time. You’ll end up with no friends, you know!” Yves was on to the next person he was scolding.

I think Yves might be a mother hen to his sisters.

“I never had any to begin with. And I don’t need them.” Leni retorted emotionlessly, avoiding everyone's gaze with her eyes downcast.

“There you go again, so determined to rush off all by yourself and– Wait! Where are you going, Leni!”

“Back to my room.”

“Leni…” Her twin’s voice caused her to stop, though she didn’t turn to look back at the group. “Aren’t you interested in the throne?”

“...That’s not even worth answering.” With that she quietly slipped out of the room.

“Really, that girl…” Yves gave a sigh.

“So, some of you really want to hold the throne, and some of you aren’t interested at all.” I hadn’t meant to say it outloud, but I did.

“We may be related, but we all have different mothers, and we’re all very different ourselves.” Leanne answered.

I turned to meet that golden-amber gaze head-on. “What about you, then? Do you or don’t you want to be queen?”

I don’t feel I really got to hear Leanne’s opinion this entire discussion. She was just watching, like an outsider looking in on the rest of the group.

Instead of a smirk like she had been showing me all day, she gave a smile more regal than I was expecting and I was almost left breathless in its wake. “I want you to decide on your own whether I have what it takes to be queen.”

I nodded and whispered “Okay.”

Leanne could really turn on the charm when she wanted to.

I was just realizing how many layers each of these men and women had, even the ones that weren’t looking to be crowned the next ruler for Rhodolite. My thoughts were whirling as I tried to get an idea of just who everyone really was. A sharp clap cut through my thoughts, bringing everyone’s attention to Suriyel.

“I apologize for interrupting your pleasant chat, but I still need to show Belle around, so perhaps we could call it a day.”

Everyone essentially gave a nod or agreed to the suggestion, and Suriyel led me out of the room. We made our way through countless other hallways, all of them looking similar in fashion to the point I was lost by the time we reached our next destination. Soon we were at another grand room, even more opulent than anything I had seen so far. Plush red carpet ran down the center of the room, leading all the way to the lavish throne that sat at the far end.

I was hesitant to even enter the throne room, it felt almost taboo for someone of my standing to get to walk through those doors. I had felt out of place since I first entered the palace, but now that I was about to visit the throne room where the king had held audiences with other foreign dignitaries… It didn’t matter if I was Belle or not, this was a sacred place where few were permitted and I felt overwhelmed at the implications that I’d be standing in there.

After only a few moments to gather my nerves and courage, I quietly followed Suriyel into the room. She stopped just before the throne and turned to face me again. My eyes wandered to the portraits of the previous kings and queens of Rhodolite lining the walls, and before making their way back to Suriyel I spotted a pedestal next to the throne. Atop it sat a single rose, sealed away inside a glass dome.

“What’s the rose for?”

“It is traditional for a single rose to be prepared when His Majesty The King passes away. And it is tradition that the next ruler must be chosen by the time the last petal falls.” Suriyel folded her hands together, watching me.

“So I have a time limit.” I eyed the flower curiously.

“That is correct. The rose is of a unique variety, and it will continue to bloom for approximately one month.”

“Month?! You said month, right?” My eyes flashed to her.

“I did.” She inclined her head. “Is that a problem?”

“What– No. Of course not. No, no, it’s fine.”

That’s eight members of the royal family I have to get to know in 30 days. So we’re talking 3 days with each of them… and I’m sure I could close the bookstore early so I have more time…

“All other matters related to the position of Belle are recorded in this covenant.” With a snap of her fingers, several servants appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

This was just like in the bookstore! Do they just follow you around and wait for you to do that?

I watched in disbelief as the servants placed a table in front of me, piling it high with pages scrawled with impossibly tiny text. Then they exited as quickly as they had arrived and I was left staring at the ‘covenant’ sitting between Suriyel and myself.

“Please tell me you don’t expect me to read ALL of this right now?” I leafed through the papers, trying to count how many there were, but a glance at Suriyel made my hand freeze in place.

You’re completely serious.

“I’m surprised to hear you state the obvious as if it were a question.”

I stopped counting and slowly brought my hand back to my side, trying to keep the exasperated and exhausted sigh that was building up from escaping.

“Once you have read the covenant in its entirety, please sign your name here.” Suriyel tapped the papers to indicate where my signature would be required.

“... I feel like I’m about to sign my soul away to the devil here.”

[mavdrones]

Will Drone Shows Replace Fireworks?

As technology takes flight, traditional fireworks may soon be grounded. Yes, drone shows are set to replace fireworks, and for some excellent reasons. Let’s dive into why this shift is gaining momentum and why it’s more than just a passing trend.

1. Environmentally Friendly – Zero Pollution, Zero Waste

Fireworks have dazzled us for centuries, but they come at a price. Each burst of light and color releases harmful chemicals and contributes to air and noise pollution. Enter drone shows! These high-tech marvels create stunning displays without the smoke, debris, or noise that frightens pets and disturbs wildlife. Drone shows are powered by clean energy and don’t leave a trace behind, making them a win for the environment.

2. Safety First – Say Goodbye To Accidents

Let’s face it—fireworks can be dangerous. From accidental burns to major mishaps, they come with a risk factor. Drone shows, on the other hand, are operated with precision technology and strict safety protocols. The chances of accidents are significantly lower. With pre-programmed flight paths and automated systems, you get a safe, breathtaking spectacle without the hazards.

3. Limitless Creativity – When Sky’s The Canvas

Fireworks are spectacular, but they’re limited in terms of design and storytelling. Drone shows can create intricate patterns, logos, and even animations, all choreographed to music. The possibilities are endless! Imagine a fleet of drones painting your brand logo in the sky or telling a visual story that leaves the audience spellbound. It’s next-level entertainment that fireworks simply can’t match.

4. Tech-Savvy – The Wow Factor

Drone shows are futuristic, and let’s be honest—they’re just plain cool. As the world becomes more tech-savvy, people are looking for entertainment that pushes boundaries. A well-executed drone show is not only visually stunning but also showcases innovation and cutting-edge technology. It’s the kind of wow factor that today’s audience craves.

5. A Personalized Experience – Tailor-Made For You

Fireworks are a one-size-fits-all experience, but drone shows offer customization like never before. Want a show themed around your company? Check. Need a special message in the sky for your big event? Done. With drones, you can create a personalized spectacle that speaks directly to your audience.

Why Choose Mavdrones?

At Mavdrones, we’re not just dealing in drones—we’re redefining what’s possible in the sky. Whether you’re planning a corporate event, wedding, or public celebration, our drone shows bring a unique blend of creativity, safety, and eco-friendliness. We’re passionate about making your events memorable, mesmerizing, and sustainable.

Ready to light up the night in a whole new way? Get in touch with us, and let’s take your events to new heights—literally!

Feel free to reach out through this PAGE if you need more information or want to book a show. The future is bright, and it’s drone-lit!

[where-dreams-dwell]

Thinking again about the Eternals and how bad they fumbled that potential. Because you have an Oscar winning director, who ensures breathtaking cinematography, solid performances from capable and exciting actors, with set pieces and choreography that is honesty very good.

And you fuck it up with the script.

It’s the same issue we had with Batman v Superman: there’s 3 good movies fighting for space in 1 film.

Firstly you could focus on relationships, exploring the found family/ageless guardians/eternal love story route with the ‘urgent problem’ just being a more powerful or capable version of the Deviants. From Friends, to The Umbrella Academy, via The Avengers, Avatar the Last Airbender, Big Hero 6 - we love a found family trope, especially if they’ve been brought (back)together to save the world. Ultimately the other Eternals are the only beings on the planet who can truly understand and empathise with each other so let’s explore and show that bond. Tell their story across the ages of the Earth with proper time spent to flesh out these conflicts and moments which define the group as a whole and how they individually relate to one another.

Tell the eternal love story of Sersi and Icarus, but consider the view of the brilliant Only Lovers Left Alive: Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swindon convincingly portray an ageless love, unconcerned with immediate worries. They are currently living apart but both know that eventually they will make their way back to one another, and they are in constant contact across the globe. Sersi and Icarus could be that: they have been/are/will be together but as they measure life by millions of years living separately for a couple of decades is nothing. They will be drawn back together again and in their hearts only the other can truly know and love them for all that they are. Explore this while they fight for the planet they both have come to love.

Or consider the less brilliant but arguably more entertaining eternal love in Hitchcock: Charlize Theron and Will Smith are thousands of years old and have been driven apart by circumstance but now Charlize loves another man and wants to spend his moral lifespan with him. Both acknowledge that it’s inevitable they will be together again as some point in the future but for the next 60ish years they will live apart so she can experience that love. Maybe in the time they’ve been apart Sersi has come to love another and now that war has brought Icarus back into her life and they have to fight together their different assumptions are being tested; Icarus assumed they would fall back into their love, while Sersi wants another 60 years with her mortal lover. All to the backdrop of fighting to wipe out The Deviants forever and be released from their duty.

Secondly you could tell the story of soldiers betrayed by their general and commander, using the same plot from the actual movie. The Eternals are foot soldiers stationed to defend the human population and have devoted their lives to their growth and safety. They’ve even stood aside when other threats revealed themselves (the MCU up to this point) because their mission was Celestially Ordained and to deviate from it would compromise their purpose. To realise that devotion was twisted and they must now stand aside and allow those they spent their lives protecting to die horribly would be traumatic; explore and tell that story. Again we love an underdog discovering they have been lied to or used and turning on their previous corrupt commander; Mission Impossible, Gladiator, all the Bourne movies. We *like* the story of cogs in the machine realising they have been used and standing up for their principals. Have them discover this news earlier and the movie then deals with their decision to accept their assigned role or rebel against their commander. Add Athena’s PTSD and past memory revelations to bring home the stakes of their choice, with a ticking clock counting down to ‘emergence’, and you’ve got a real tragedy brewing,

Furthermore, weave in the power struggle between Sersi and Icarus regarding who will be leading them with Ajax dead. Icarus is the loud and commanding ‘leader” type stepping forward to assume command, but Sersi is the reassuring rock for the team who each member finds themself turning to for advice, guidance, or to ask what she wants to do next with the expectation they will follow her. Or Ajax isn’t dead here but Icarus has fallen in line as her loyal lieutenant, assuming the rest would follow his lead. Instead of the eternal love story being the focus it’s instead a clashing of ideologies and personalities; upon learning of the betrayal and their assumed role Icarus and Sersi react very differently, showcasing what kind of leader they would be. The team being forced to fight one another as they also split along lines of ‘acceptable collateral’ allows for personal stakes and drama for the audience as well; we’ve spent the movie learning about this family and now they’re being forced to destroy one another…? In the words (and voice) of Benoit Blanc ‘it compels me’.

Finally, you could tell the mystery of an unknown threat present on the planet who takes out Ajax without warning or explanation. The team must gather or be gathered to solve the whodunnit, assuming Deviant involvement despite flimsy and unconvincing evidence, and the shared mystery brings the group together once more, forcing them to confront buried history and historic disputes while they plan an attack on the remaining clusters of Deviants. The Umbrella Academy S1 followed similar lines but you’ve got a list of movies that also circle this plot: R.E.D, The A Team, Watchmen. The revelation of betrayal from within doesn’t need to go hand in hand with the Celestials betrayal plot , as long as Icarus has another reason for turning on the team.

This plot could dive more into the tensions and strain of their posting to Earth; they’ve had different opinions on how problems with humans should be solved, leading to fall outs and separations. Sometimes one or other of them has ‘called it wrong’ and another has had to come bail them out of a situation they created. But what unites them was a shared purpose and assumption that they would what’s have one another. Losing that surety is scary and forces character exploration.

All of these ideas were present in the actual movie, but were fighting for screen time to do their plot lines justice. The Eternals was such an interesting concept and honestly was executed well in so many regards. But trying to tell all these tales, while also encompassing the breadth of time and circumstance they encompass, and allow for personality and individuality in each team member to be showcased… that movie is bursting at the seams and the poorer for it.