#and then i was disappointed. god the designs have not been hitting

[welcometoteyvat]

yoimiya 2nd story quest ?!?!?!?!

[prettybbychim]

as a non-nilou haver and enjoyer, it just doesn’t feel all that different than what she usually wears. like it hits all the same beats imo

[a-substantial-trash-pile]

Studio TV Solutions presents Half Life VR but the AI are Self-Aware (2020) [not a real movie]. A movie with a totally improv’d script starring a moltey crew who are sure to give you a rip-roarin’ good time!

anyway hi new au just dropped. i’m calling it HLVRAIM. it’s HLVRAI but it’s a blockbuster movie and the science team are played by actors. i have many thought on backstories n stuff that i will stick under a “read more” here otherwise this post will be hella long on people’s dashes. 👇👍 pls care about this i thought so hard and much

Half Life VR but the AI are Self-Aware was put out by Studio TV Solutions in 2020 and destroyed the box office with how fun it was and how well the cast played off one another. The cast was given a general outline for the script with the goal for it to be mostly improv.

Gordon Freeman: Mannie Flores (Dominican American, age 28, he/him) - Popular Youtuber/Twitch streamer (“Radi0Mann”). Got offered the role in HLVRAI thanks to the creative things he’s done in his Youtube/Twitch career. This is his first “official” acting gig. He was pretty starstruck at first, but then as he got to know everyone, he realized they’re all a bunch of dorks (affectionate). - Started off as a gaming channel, but then started branching off into various creative endeavors as he got more popular. He still plays games too though. - One of the things Mannie did in his internet career that hit the mainstream was when he wrote, directed, starred in, and filmed his own movie in just 2 weeks because he failed a bet with his audience. Except the movie was actually really good and funny and heartfelt (i want to say it was about “a man who got left behind on earth after everyone else was raptured because god literally forgot about him”, but i think the concept might’ve been done already). - Met Benji through HLVRAI. They hit it off and now they’re dating. They tried to keep it secret for a while but Mannie had a slip-up during a stream that sort of blew it out of the water.

Benrey: Benji Song (Japanese/Chinese, age 30, he/they) - Started off as a film sound designer in the industry, then through a series of silly willy little events—possibly even shenanigans—got roped into a role in a passion indie film that became wildly acclaimed and flung him into the spotlight. Been an actor ever since, but isn’t the most proactive in taking jobs much to their agent’s annoyance. People never know where he’ll pop up next. Sometimes Benji will sneak in sound designer work behind their agent’s back. - Honestly likes background work more because everyone’s got these expectations of them as an actor that they feel pressured to meet. But he’s also afraid of disappointing people. He’s working on it. - Met their partner Mannie through HLVRAI. Totally was a fan of his streams/videos beforehand though. When they mention that, Mannie gets flustered. - Does music as a hobby. Electronic stuff mostly—enjoys mashing together all sorts of sounds and trying to make them work. After HLVRAI, Mannie’s streams gets cool new music that’s made by somebody going by “johnwicklover1994.” wink

Harold Coomer: Hau’oli “Hau” Kaleo-Kirchhoff (Hawaiian/Samoan, age 66, he/him) - Old musician who’s supposed to be retired but once in a while will release a song or even do a concert (but nothing crazy). - Hau’oli is pronounced [hh-ow-oh-lee], but he also goes by “Hau” for the haoles’ sake. :) Kaleo is [kah-leh-oh]. also Hau’oli sounds a little bit like the name Holly so that’s a fun coincidence i didn’t realize until later. - Most of his music is chill island tunes but he has been known to dabble in rock and jazz. - Married to Mose (been together for 30 years and counting).

Bubby: Mose Kaleo-Kirchhoff (German, age 69 [nice], xe/him) - Veteran actor—been in the acting industry for a long time. One of his more well-known roles was in a popular sci-fi series. - Married to Hau’oli (they got married the moment it was legal). - i went with a name that started with “M” cuz when Gordon first asks Bubby for his name, xe’s like, “mmm Bubby.” and i headcanon it’s because Mose was about to say xir own name and had to swerve last minute and the thing his brain resorted to was Bubby lol.

Tommy Coolatta: Luis Tanglao (Filipino, age 37, he/they) - Child star who dropped out of the industry when he hit his teens and then came back years later as a comedian. He has material about how fucked up being a child star was. Will only take acting roles if it interests them. - They don’t care about how the public/media sees him. He’ll speak his mind and call out BS when he sees it. Interviewing them can be a war zone. - Hosts a popular podcast with some buds they discuss things like video games, their lives, news, etc. Just shooting the shit. - Sunkist is their actual dog and she modeled for the png photo that was used. Her name is actually Biko. She is a very good girl. <3

Darnold Pepper: Sage Haven (African American, age 40, he/her/they) - Famous cooking show host who gets offered roles in movies. Got popular by how unconventional her meals and cooking methods are and how funny he is. - Has had multiple food/cooking/baking shows over the years. Every competition-based one they’ve had focused more on good vibes, fun, and encouraging one another rather than drama. One show involved people competing to see who could make the best full course meal with the catch being they could only cook everything in a microwave. Many microwaves perished. - Changed their name to Sage Haven during their transition. They chose it because it reflects his passion and also is a play on the phrase “safe haven”, which is what she wants to be to others. - He has an adoptive daughter named Kit. She helped them think up bits and jokes. She also had to help explain what Half-Life was.

haven’t gotten to gman and forzen’s actors yet unfortunately. thinking gman’s actor could be a talk show host? because that would be funny. anyway thanks for humoring me on my shenanigans. bye

[theemporium]

💰 charlos finding out that their sugar baby is sick and pampering her with the best items they can find, constantly sending medicine, etc.

totally not inspired by me having COVID rn

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

.

You were stupid for thinking the maid would take the puppy dog eyes in full stride and not report back to your boyfriends.

The boys had been away for a double race weekend when you found yourself coming down with something. It hit you far harder than you expected and after a whole week of trying to push through it, you found yourself in bed with snotty tissues and a cough that made your chest feel like it was caving in. 

It was rough. And it sucked to go through alone, but you didn’t want your boys to feel bad. You had managed to avoid long calls or facetime attempts fairly well since it was the last week before they flew back. But what you failed to realise was that the maid who the boys hired to come by and clean the apartment a few days a week would snitch you out to her bosses. 

The messages you received from Charles and Carlos were a mix of concern for your condition and disappointment for you hiding your condition from them. You apologised and told them you couldn’t wait to see them when you were better (which only upset them further when you insisted that they weren’t allowed to see you at risk they would get sick). 

The race on Sunday had been at a fairly decent time, but the flu had knocked you out before a third of the race had even passed. 

You woke up hours later when the sun was no longer in the sky and the snotty tissues on the bed had been replaced with bags and boxes. Multiple bags and boxes that had designer labels on them no matter where you looked. 

Your brows furrowed together in confusion. 

“Ah, mon amour, you’re awake,” a voice sounded to the side of you, and you had little time to react before Charles was placing a kiss on your forehead before cupping your face in his hands. “Hm, your temperature seems to be getting better.”

“Charles?” You mumbled, blinking a few times before everything seemed to click together. “Oh my god—”

You had completely missed the race. Not only that, you had been asleep so long that the boys were able to fly home and apparently turn your bedroom into the next designer outlet.

“You need to leave,” you breathed out before you began to shake your head. “I’m going to get you and Carlos sick—”

Charles frowned as he reached for you. “Baby—”

“—and then you won’t be able to race and…oh my god,” you shuffled away from the boy, looking around the bed in confusion. “What—”

“You must think so little of us if you think we are going to leave you when you’re sick,” a second voice spoke up and your head snapped around to find Carlos standing in the doorway, a tray of food in his hands.

“Carlos—” You started but he quickly interrupted. 

“You’re ours, amor,” Carlos stated simply. “You’re ours to care for and spoil and look after. And that’s exactly what we will do.”

“But your races,” you argued weakly, sniffling a little but you didn’t fight it this time when Charles reached for you and pulled you against his chest.

“We’ll be fine for our races,” Charles reassured you before pressing another quick kiss against your cheek. “Now let us take care of our girl.”

You sighed and both boys grinned triumphantly. 

“The gifts are over the top though,” you told them with a shake of your head. “You need to return them.”

Carlos scoffed. “I think the fever is making you delusional, mi amor. Now eat up, you need the energy to recover.”

“Carlos—” You started but Charles shushed you with another kiss.

“We lost the receipts,” he lied badly before grinning. “And personally I think the little red set would make you feel much better—”

“Maybe when I’m not coughing up a lung,” you snorted. 

“I can be patient,” Charles retorted with a grin.

Carlos snorted. “Sure, amor, sure.”

.

[milksnake-tea]

hello my favorite star rail writer i am back bc i saw you reached 1k followers (CONGRATS BTW I DIDNT SEE EARLIER BC I STARTED CLASSES) and im a sucker for mutual pining its sickening to see two ppl so in love and blade, so blade + fluff prompt 10 would be amazing :D

extra points if mc isnt a fellow stellaron hunter, like in my head reader is sighing dreamily while march 7th is all "thats a wanted criminal"

❀ ˎˊ- prompts: You two have been pining over each other for God knows how long, and your friends are sick of it. ❀ ˎˊ- 1k followers event ❀ ˎˊ- character: blade ❀ ˎˊ- warnings: none! just fluff :D ❀ ˎˊ- a/n: IM SORRY THE LAST PART MADE ME LAUGH SO BAD GOODBYE I LOVE THAT !!! also..... IT GOT KINDA CRACK IM SORRY GOODBYE IT'S LESS PINING MORE DAN HENG BEING DISAPPOINTED IN YOU

It wasn't often that Blade strayed outside the mission.

Just as the sword he wielded, Blade cut through his missions with precise cuts, following Elio's script like law. While Kafka and Silver Wolf would take liberties with their scripts, going off to shop or to fight, Blade stayed at his designated spot, staring blankly at the clock until he was called upon once more. He never did more, never did less.

So to see him gazing off into the distance, a hint of a smile on his face, was definitely out of the ordinary.

"What's on your mind, Bladie?" Kafka asked, her pupil-less eyes peering at her partner from behind her drink. "It's rare to see you so... restless. Has the mara been bothering you?"

Blade shook his head, a disgruntled sigh escaping him. His gaze reached past Kafka, focusing on the silhouette of your person as you chatted away with Dan Heng.

Kafka hummed, tilting her head as she played with her straw, mindlessly stirring her beverage. "Hm... Then is it them?"

Blade's fingers stilled. Kafka smiled, knowing she had hit the spot.

"So it is," she mused, stifling a giggle as Blade shot her an annoyed look.

"They're talking to him," Blade muttered, laying his hand flat against the table. Surprisingly, the mara did not strike, nor did Blade become irritated. His voice was gentle, soft like the breeze.

"Indeed they are," Kafka took a sip, licking her lips at the burn of alcohol. "Do you wish that was you, Bladie?"

Her teasing wasn't lost on the man, but he didn't bother with a reply.

"No," Blade murmured, resting his head in the palm of his hand. The artificial sunlight of the Xianzhou bathed you in a heavenly glow, your carefree laughter a sweet symphony. "I wouldn't dare disturb such beauty."

And yet, it seemed as though fate had glanced his way, just as you had. Your eyes met with his, and you smiled, waving at him. Blade's heart thudded in his chest, and for a moment, life returned to him.

His hand twitched, wanting to return your greetings, but the rough drag of his bandages stopped him. Blade averted his gaze, hiding his slowly flushing skin behind his palm.

Kafka snickered at his predicament, quickly snapping a photo of his flustered state and sending it to the other Stellaron Hunters. Instantaneously, Silver Wolf sent back a vomiting emoji, while Sam excitedly congratulated Blade on his newfound emotions. Elio didn't reply, he never does.

"Aren't you adorable," she cooed, turning her phone off and tucking it away. "You know, I doubt they'll mind if you just walked up to them."

Yes, you certainly wouldn't mind. However, your very disturbed friends would.

"What are you doing?" Dan Heng hissed as you waved to the Hunter, grabbing your wrist and snatching it down. "You know how dangerous that man is."

"But isn't he so cute?" you chuckled, the tips of your ears flushed. "Besides, he hasn't done anything to hurt me yet."

"Yet being the operative word," Dan Heng sighed in exasperation. "I hope you didn't forget how he threw a sword through me."

"I try not to think about it." You stretched back your arms. "Don't get your tail in a twist, Dan Heng. I'm just being friendly."

"That's not what your face says," Dan Heng commented, poking your cheek. "I can still see you mooning over him."

"I am not- mooning over him!" you objected, swatting his finger away. "I was just... thinking."

"Of course you are. Thinking of the man who stabbed me, that is."

"And he looked good doing it- Dan Heng!" you yelped as Dan Heng elbowed you. Your friend only crossed his arms, raising a brow at you as you glared at him. "Alright, alright, fine. I just- I know I shouldn't like him, but..."

"There's a but in this?"

"His arms are really toned, okay? Have you seen his muscles?"

Dan Heng gagged, pretending to throw up over the railing. "Far closer than I'd like to admit- Point being, he's a wanted criminal."

You stared blankly at him. "So?"

Dan Heng stared back. "What do you mean, 'so'?"

"I can fix him."

The only words you could use to describe Dan Heng's face was pure disappointment. Swiftly, he turned on his heel, and promptly walked away from you, quickening his steps as you chased after him.

"Hey! Where're you going so quickly-"

Dan Heng stopped for only a moment, his expression unreadable as he glanced back at you. "I don't talk to people who kiss wanted criminals."

You held up a finger. "To be fair, I haven't kissed him yet-"

"I'm leaving."

reblogs w comments are appreciated !!

[comicaurora]

Have you seen the new Superman show on adult swim? Himbo Clark Kent rights

It's off to an extremely encouraging start! Thoughts under the cut!

I like how they portray Clark's super-strength and how comfortable he is flying and using super-speed. They really feel like innate characteristics of his body rather than powers he switches on and off - things he keeps toned down when people are watching, but things that are always present regardless. The number of times I've pulled a push door or shoved something that was stuck and thought "if I had super-strength I wouldn't get a Take Two on this because my hand would've gone straight through that" is clearly something the showrunners have also thought about. This Clark lives in a world of cardboard and physically cannot stop himself from putting his hand through it at least once a day.

There's a physicality to the way Clark takes hits that really communicates how little he feels them most of the time. Eyes open, mouth closed, immediately getting back into the fight after getting punched into a crater. This is stuff I also think about when I draw supernaturally tough characters in combat situations, and it's cool to see someone else doing it - especially since one of my very few complaints about the older DCAU is that Superman always took every hit like it was a fully incapacitating blow, which Worf'd him pretty constantly.

I also like that we have so far never seen Clark angry. We've seen him scared, flustered, disappointed - but not angry. Even in fights where he's taking serious hits, he's only motivated by wanting to protect and save people, even his opponents - he so far has never been motivated by a desire to destroy. That feels like very good writing for Superman.

It's currently a little unclear how exactly his powerset is scaling - it looks like the blue-eye-glow-and-suit-emblem thing is a legitimate powerup that lets him hit harder and recover faster than his normal baseline, but how exactly that works isn't clear yet - although that is very obviously going to be a plot point later, since they keep giving him little flashes of the story of Krypton's destruction and what shenanigans they were getting up to when it exploded.

On that note, Kryptonian tech has never looked or felt so otherworldly. I love the distorted electronic backward-voice choir they use exclusively for when Clark is on the ship. I love that hologram Jor-El can't speak English, but can clearly understand Clark - also this is the coolest Jor-El has ever looked. Some comics wax poetic about how Clark is an alien space god who only pretends to be human, but I like how this show is firmly putting Clark on the side of the audience with regards to how unsettling the "alien space god" vibes truly are. He can't understand the nature of the ship or the words of its holographic inhabitant, he's not really interested in what it means or where it came from - he just wants to know who he is, or rather who Superman should be. And I like that he concludes that Superman should be him - the heroics he was already doing, except this time on purpose. Superman should not be this spooky glowing alien god thing, even if that's the vibe we get from Krypton itself.

I like that the ship gave Superman his modern no-underpants-on-the-outside suit and Ma Kent was like "we can do better than that" and added the underpants back on.

I also like how much setup there is for future plot stuff that a DC-familiar audience can see coming. Clark hasn't used any of his vision-based powers yet, and it's possible he doesn't know they exist. No sign of Lex Luthor or Kryptonite yet, two problems we know will become more severe with time. We've already got Amanda Waller being stoically nefarious in the background. Young Hot Deathstroke is a hell of a design choice and I am Here For It.

I also appreciate how many little referential jokes are packed into the dialogue, ranging from the obvious "it's a bird it's a plane" to some hella deep pulls like Jimmy Olson's youtube channel.

And fundamentally I love how this show starts from the jump with the thesis that friendly, humble, Normal Man Clark is the real person, and Superman is the job that Clark Kent does. The title of the show is "My Adventures With Superman." The POV character is Clark. He is the "my" in that title. This is Clark's story about Superman.

I really, really hope Batman eventually shows up, because this Superman would make that hilarious.

[yuri-is-online]

I'm sure Leo is keeping it for dirt especially if it's someone he knows, Sho doesn't want to cook him the spicy food? Do you want him to ask the NPC if they can pull your hair and see if you are in a better mood? Romeo is teasing him a bit too much? I might not have as many brand deals but at least I wasn't begging last night for the NPC to praise me, He might not know Subaru's secrets but now he knows he cries and sniffles during sex, even if it won't help him with anything other than embarrass him

referencing this

Leo is stupid embarrassed at first just because he doesn't want to picture anyone having sex with Honor Roll, but if he can find a way to slide what he knows into conversation without looking like a perv then he absolutely will.

SHO- It's less that he calls him out and more like Leo wants to tease his friend a bit because he expects this to be something Sho'll hit and quit but like... why is he blushing. There's plenty of older people who will yank his hair while fucking and suck him off if that's what he's into. He cannoT be thinking of dating that basic bitch is he insane? Sho is getting dragged to the club this weekend and Leo is going to be disappointed when Sho is turning people down; he needs to get his boy out of this school it's starting to affect his brain.

Alan- I know my post references him spying on him and Thoma but if Leo followed him thinking that he was meeting up with three eyes only to hear him hooking up with MC... personally I think Alan would want to be a gentle lover and treat MC sort of like glass but Leo refuses to even think the words "making love." Yeah he's getting bullied, Leo wants to see if he'll really lay hands on someone for talking shit about his partner. Best part is when he gets shoved up a wall he can just ask if MC likes it like that.

Subaru- He's subtle with it because Leo wants Subaru to be a bit paranoid about what he knows and feel embarrassed, but I could see this being something that makes Subaru genuinely angry. It's one thing to make fun of him for crying, it's another to shame MC and imply they're dishonorable in some way for indulging him. It's still a win in Leo's book since he gets to see Subaru not being perfect.

And Subaru absolutely cries during sex, he can feel your arousal and love for him when you touch and it overwhelms him to feel so safe. Sure he's been horny before but he didn't think sex could feel so good...

Romeo- Leo seems to respect Ro Ro's taste but this seriously makes him question that. Why would he be with something so cheap? Does he get on his knees for Honor Roll before he takes it up the ass or would that ruin his slacks? Romeo is flustered over his comment sure but deep down, he is also sort of smug that he has someone who praises him as much as the MC does. He's heard what you have to say about Leo so he knows it's real. Also is it just me or with how much he flexes his spending, do you think that would extend to things like lube too? idk I just feel like even that would have to be designer for him (¬_¬")

Taiga- He isn't even sure you were having sex; whatever happened in that room is between you and the C.I.A. at this point because Leo knows for damn sure god hasn't been anywhere near you in a while.

[butchbarneygumble]

Imagine how I must feel as one of the only fans of Mighty Magiswords. You know. A headcanons-and-fanfic kind of fan. I even cosplayed Prohyas once.

Of course, it's nothing compared to what the actual victims went through... I'm fine. But it still felt like a part of my identity has been permanently soured. I don't want to seem like I somehow have it worse, that's not my intention. Nothing bad happened to me personally. I'm only posting my own side of how I deal with the situation, to get some closure myself and show solidarity with the victims.

I don't admire him anymore, and that's putting it lightly.

Full story under cut. Content warning for non-graphic discussion of csa.

The news came to me from my ex-but-still-friend. He told me privately, out of nowhere, just dropped it on me. Like, "Hey, sorry to tell you, but the guy you like got arrested for csa". However, I am glad he told me rather than me having to find out on my own.

The news hit me, and I felt nothing in my body. I usually would get this painful fight-or-flight all through my body whenever I read something that upset me, something I've been training myself to get better with. But right now? I just felt like... "huh. That happened." It helped a lot that Magiswords wasn't my fixation of the moment. And like... it's been like I've been slipping away from it. Like I didn't need it anymore.

More and more people were talking about him, and it wasn't positive. Who? Kyle.

I talked to him. Personally, like many people did. He never acted weird to me. I admired him. I loved his art, sent him physical fanart, all that stuff. I knew more than one person said he was not trustworthy but hey, he made a show that saved my life, so it was a constant struggle between feeling like I had to pick sides. I was going through hell by virtue of my dad being terminally sick and needing constant care, so I was gonna ignore the red flags and enjoy my silly sword show that brought me such joy.

Even if as time went on it started get harder and harder.

But you know what a certain depressed horse show said? When you're wearing rose coloured glasses, red flags just look like flags.

I now think dodged a bullet.

What emotions do I feel? Betrayal. Anger. Disgust. Disappointment.

The irony about it all. The sheer painful irony of blacklisting somebody for *drawings*, and then going behind everybody's back to actually hoard *actual* csa, and revenge porn, and all sorts of nasty stuff. For the record: there is nothing wrong with being put off or disgusted by specific sorts of drawings. But the irony here is what's most painful to me. I do not like people using this as a "gotcha" for either side of this tired argument. It's disrespectful to the actual victims.

People say I can easily seperate art from the artist if I want to but... right now I don't think I want to. He's in every pore of its identity. I do not want to talk or think about Magiswords right now, and I don't know if I ever will again.

It meant so much to me. Prohyas felt like Me. Being a goofy capable adult who doesn't stop collecting things he likes just cuz he's an adult. I thought I was trans for a while and the euphoria of relating to Prohyas helped that. Then he got lowkey confirmed nonbinary and I was over the moon.

It was good. Emphasis on "was".

And to the man himself I have one thing to say: you're another one in a long history of cartoon artists who end up being unsavoury, slimy people, taking advantage of young people, especially girls, in the animation industry. Not something to be proud of. I know we talked and you seemed perfectly okay to me, personally. All I can think is thank god it never went beyond casual chats.

I guess I can finally say I never liked the joke about Vambre not liking pants. Sure, sensory issues exist, but I doubt that was the intention of the design. I have deleted my sideblog where I chronicled ooc screencaps of the show and deleted my little spotify playlist of songs that reminded me of the show. I don't want to finish my longfic where Prohyas and Flonk fell in love anymore. I can't even change it into ocs because it's just so ingrained in the show's lore. So yeah, there's that.

I'll be fine. When the news hit I took it surprisingly well. I was going to an Alestorm concert and it was the most fun I had in ages. So yeah, I've got Christopher Bowes and His Plate of Beans to fill the void of comedy music. Was fixating on Simpsons already so there's that in terms of cartoons. I'm fine.

All I can say is my heart goes out to all the victims, and I'm deeply sorry I didn't see you sooner. I hope you can heal and have some semblance of closure now that he's gotten arrested. My heart goes out to all of you and again, I am so so sorry. I wish you all the love and healing.

[dragonzzilla]

Tears of the Kingdom's underwhelming narrative had rich potential

I'll preface this with a confession: I have not played Tears of the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, I haven't played any Legend of Zelda. I simply never had the opportunity while growing up, so my interest in the series has always been satellite. As such, I do not have the perspective of someone who has. My opinions are formulated entirely in what little I have seen or sought out. I'm coming at this with the perspective of an outsider looking in. But I'm not looking for a fight. My aim isn't to bash the new hotness out of jealous spite, or to convince people to feel bad about liking this game that, I've otherwise heard, is really fun. The reason I care, even though I'm not a part of the fandom, is that we all deserved better.

This is a much anticipated sequel to a smash hit from one of the biggest names in the industry, sold at a whopping $70—and having watched for free a YouTube compilation of all the cutscenes pertaining to Ganondorf, the much advertised central antagonist of TOTK, I felt robbed. This was my legitimate reaction:

Disregarding all my other feelings for a moment, I was dumbstruck to see a Nintendo game—released in our year of 2023—use what is essentially the same cutscene four times while explaining the backstory. I recognize TOTK has modular progression, allowing you to reach the Sages in whatever order you please. But once you've seen the first one, the other three will offer you no more valuable information. I'm willing to stretch my suspension of disbelief pretty far, yet even I recognized on first viewing how formulaic the Sage cutscenes are. It wrenched me out of the story.* Hearing different perspectives about the same events can and should be interesting, but the Sages relating these events barely qualify as characters—possessing neither names nor even faces, thanks to their uniform masks of Zonai design...

* I'll acknowledge: Within universe, there is reason enough for the Sages to repeat what is essentially the same story to their respective successors to apprise them of the situation. I can certainly see Link having to sit through the same spiel several times so everyone is on the same page. But it felt really unnecessary as a member of the audience. And unlike their BOTW counterparts, the Four Champions, the Sages don't stick around long enough to endear themselves any further, instead passing their abilities and function onto their successors.

… Which, I feel, represents the Ancient Past Storyline as a whole. Despite the number of bodies involved, no one felt alive. Queen Sonia—this continuity's founding mother of Hyrule, where divine power is explicitly matrilineal—amounts to nothing more than meat for the fridge to motivate the real star of the show, Rauru. Everyone else, including Zelda and the other Sages, are merely bit players in the conflict between him and Ganondorf. But it's a conflict without teeth. Ganondorf displays nothing but a mad, naked lust for power. Opposing him is Rauru, the quintessential Good King and benevolent god figure who would never abuse his power, but would sacrifice it all to seal away the evil invader who killed his beloved martyr-wife. There is no interrogation of the 'gentle' imperialism Rauru represents. His way is textually presented as the only righteous way. The world of this continuity revolves around his legacy and its preservation; anything else is not merely deviant, but indicative of evil. Only someone with the blackest of hearts would oppose this order. The narrative requires Ganondorf to be nothing less than the epitome of evil.

Which is… really disappointing, to say the least. Because I happen to like Ganondorf. His character and his place in the mythos have always been the forefront of my interest in the series; forget Link or Zelda. Naturally, I was drawn in by TOTK's marketing about Ganondorf's return as a human antagonist after a 17 year long hiatus. Given how much of a reinvention BOTW was for the series as a whole, I was disappointed back in 2017 to learn that Ganondorf existed only as a mindless force of primordial evil. "How lame," I thought, "but I guess it's not really Ganondorf." Calamity Ganon was just that: Ganon. And Ganon's always a full-blown monster, divorced from any nuance possessed by his OOT, WW, and TP selves. Then the first teaser for TOTK dropped, placing Ganondorf the man (if a little worse for wear) front and center. Intrigued, I enjoyed the explosion of enthusiastic fan art that followed, as well as the speculation regarding the role he would play. Surely, he would be more than a one-note villain! My expectations rose as Nintendo revealed more about him. His new design didn't immediately scream Dark Lord; and in his first speaking role, he draws attention to the fact that he has returned (within universe and meta-wise) and he has a vision for the world. I couldn't want to see the final product! Yet here we are.

It's a strange thing to fixate upon, when I don't have any skin in this game. But I'm passionate about storytelling. I enjoy rich narratives with nuanced characters, and I respect those that fully commit to the ideas they present... whereas stories that try to have their cake and eat it too, well, those pique my interest as well. Whenever I see untapped potential, my writer's mind cannot help but ponder the age-old question of "What if?" And I intend to do just that, in the cut below (this rant is long enough as it is).

Of course, no amount of brainstorming can change the reality of a product. A ship's structural flaws only become apparent once it's left port, but there's no recalling it then. Nonetheless, there is value in the discussion. We should always critically analyze what corporations give us, desiccating their products to discern the messages (whether intentional or not) contained within—especially when the product is aimed toward a young audience that might not have the cognitive tools to decipher those messages for themselves. Even if we cannot affect change in a monolithic company like Nintendo, we can still draw lessons from their missteps to improve our own writing.

If I have such grievances with TOTK's story, why bother with a rewrite? Because:

Playing within the limits of another's sandbox can help to build creative muscle.

I believe TOTK has all the right ingredients for a compelling story, if this new series wasn't so afraid to challenge its narrative roots the way it has its gameplay.

A few more things to note: I am not a professional writer, nor am I a veteran of the series. I'm working strictly with what TOTK brings to the table. I'll make no efforts to reconcile the continuity errors between BOTW and TOTK (though it deserves mentioning), or even attempt to fit this in a single cohesive timeline with the rest of the franchise. I am not that brave lol. What I propose below is simply how I would use these toys; YMMV. I hope this inspires discussion more so than congratulation or wordless agreement (though my ego will accept compliments all the same, especially since it took no small amount of spoons to organize my thoughts like this). As Ganondorf says:

A Modest Rewrite of TOTK's Ancient Past Storyline

Zelda is still flung to the past, but she awakens not to a picturesque golden age under the magnanimous rule of an infallible demigod. Instead, sadly reminiscent of her own age, the land lays in ruin, in the immediate aftermath of its own calamity. But this isn't the fault of Ganon. The blame lies solely with the Zonai.

The Zonai were understandably viewed as gods. A people who live up in the sky on floating islands, in possession of miraculous technology (including killer robots to protect their interests!), and magical artifacts that in the wrong hands can unleash cataclysmic power? A civilization as powerful as theirs doesn't suddenly end without a very good reason. Yet as far as I know, no explanation is provided as to why Rauru and Mineru are seemingly the last of the Zonai. No mention is made of a rival power that could've taken them down; certainly none of the terrestrial races. Remember, the Zonai were seen as gods. If you were to ask me? A civilization with that great of a power at their disposal, and apparently so much of it that Rauru has four more Stones (not including his own, Sonia's, or Mineru's) to pass out as he sees fit... can only destroy itself.*

* I know the Zonai are depicted in text as a purely enlightened and benevolent race... but as far back in the franchise as OOT (which TOTK draws a lot from), not even Hyrule—the standard by which all civilization in LOZ is judged—was above a civil war, orphaning Link. War Within LOZ clearly isn't waged solely against primal forces of evil that can, must, and should be destroyed. And that's good! A story is made richer when even the Designated Good Guys can fuck things up, when characters are allowed to contain multitudes—good and bad qualities!

Power does not defuse conflict. It only escalates the scope of destruction once it's unleashed. So, for whatever reasons the Zonai gave themselves then clung to, they started fighting each other. Using their flying machines and automatons, battles were fought upon and between their sky islands, the detritus of war raining down on the lands below—the inhabitants of which can do nothing but watch as a war rages in heaven—until finally the full power of the Stones is unleashed in an exchange that guarantees mutual destruction. The sky islands all plummet to the earth, wreaking mass destruction. This is the world Zelda finds herself in—where the land has been cracked wide open, the skies are choked with dust, and no one gets along... so unlike the world she knows.

Zelda still comes into the care of Rauru and Sonia, but Rauru is merely Sonia's consort—he holds no power as king. It's evident from the start that Sonia is steering the direction of Hyrule—a humble territory in this age—in this tumultuous time, although Rauru is backing her. It's thanks to Sonia that Rauru and Mineru survived the fall of their sky island, brought back from the brink of death. It was during this time that Rauru fell in love with her; and to repay her, Rauru revealed that, between himself and Mineru, they have three intact Stones (a small homage to the Triforce since it doesn't matter in this continuity) with which they can secure Hyrule's place in this brave new world. Importantly, this isn't portrayed as any more righteous than a nation acquiring a clear advantage over its rivals. Indeed, Zelda's thrown for a loop to learn that in this era, the other races like the Gorons and the Zora aren't merely independent from Hyrule but have a history of conflict—something she never learned in her history books. And tensions are only rising, as these rival nations find Stones of their own after much scavenging, shifting an already fraught balance of power. The gods are dead, their empire shattered—yet slivers of their strength remain, for those daring enough to claim them. By using one of these Stones, a tribe could secure its borders, reclaim ancestral land... or conquer new territory. This is where Ganondorf enters the picture.

This Ganondorf is still a villain, but there's room for nuance. He's ruthless and prideful, and certainly antagonistic toward Hyrule; but the narrative respects him as much as his fellow monarchs. He cares about the success of his people, because his entire identity is shaped around being their king. Remember that a male is born to the Gerudo only once in a hundred years. Ganondorf is but the latest in a lineage of kings, with the heavy burden of expectation that carries—he has a legacy to uphold or surpass if he can help it. And ever since he was a boy, he envied the easy lives and green lands of Hyrule, so as a man he has made it his personal ambition to conquer it... but at every turn, he has met his match in Sonia, who is every bit as skilled of a commander and a magician. The two of them have clashed so many times that they've become the most intimate of enemies, hard pressed to hate each other because they both know what's at stake. For years, they've been evenly matched... but the downfall of the Zonai changed everything. In spite of the Gerudo's best efforts, they haven't been able to find a single Stone to make up for the fact that the crash of their local sky islands kicked up terrible sandstorms and drove monsters from their usual habitats. The Gerudo are more desperate than ever. Then Ganondorf learns that his oldest enemy is housing two living Zonai underneath her roof, and has a total of four Stones at her disposal. He cannot battle Hyrule as before, lest he risk annihilation—if not by Sonia's hands, then another tribe that is more willing to coup de grâce a decimated competitor, or they might perish to monsters, or the desert might finally claim them, the dunes swallowing up their bones and burying their accomplishments. He could bend the knee—throw himself at Sonia's feet and hope for the best, sacrificing Gerudo independence to share in Hyrule's bounty. But his pride will never allow that.

He grew up in the shadow of detached gods, was raised on tales of how they were the ultimate arbiters of truth and value—almighty in their judgment and unassailable—and he saw for himself that they would only ever come down to earth to indulge their curiosity about the quaint groundfolk or harvest what their sky islands could not provide, most notably Zonaite (of course they named it after themselves...) to fuel their miraculous machines, the secrets of which they refused to share with anyone 'because they weren't ready' and would in fact use those same machines to keep the groundfolk from overreaching. Ganondorf is the first king in generations to glimpse a sky—and a future—uncontrolled by the Zonai. Though he was raised to be a king, the very definition of absolute power and privilege, only now is he truly beholden to no one. Finally, he is free to shape his own destiny. And he's not about to relinquish that freedom on account of his dearest enemy getting in bed with a fallen demigod—no, not a god... the Zonai's civil war proved they are not infallible. Without their technology, without their precious Stones, they're flesh and blood, the same as anyone else. Mortal. And what is a man to a king?

Despite the bad blood between them, and the generations of strife between their peoples, Ganondorf is able to convince Sonia that he is willing to bury the hatchet for the sake of his people, that his desire to enter the protective embrace of her kingdom, given the dangerous new world they find themselves in, is genuine. His true intentions are not so painfully transparent, but still Zelda does not trust him. She can't stop wondering how this man becomes the source of the Gloom in her era, even if the hateful creature she encountered in the depths below Hyrule Castle hardly seemed human at all. But she cannot act on a suspicion of duplicity due to future events. So for Ganondorf's entire stint in Sonia's court, Zelda tries to weasel out the truth—and in so doing, builds a relationship with the future Demon King. Once Ganondorf catches on to the fact that Zelda sees right through him, it becomes a game of 4D chess. Who is this girl, a member of Sonia's court that he has never heard before yet is trusted enough to bear a Stone, and why is she so certain of his true motives? He's smart enough to suss out that it isn't simple bigotry. It's a fine line Zelda must walk, because she has a secret of her own—she hasn't told anyone that she's from the future, out of a rational fear of disrupting the past and changing history (but at the same time, she can't abide doing nothing, and these interests war within her).

Despite Zelda's best efforts, Ganondorf succeeds in his plot. In a single stroke, he eliminates an old enemy, deprives her nation of its leader and a Stone, and finally secures a Stone for the Gerudo. But claiming the Stone doesn't immediately transform him into an Almighty Demon King. The surge of power is great, but not so much that he's willing to engage three other Stone bearers—two of which are Zonai who of course have experience using them—so he wisely retreats, though not before telling Rauru: "No point in crying over this one. She's not the first victim of your arrogance. And we both know she won't be the last." He's made powerful enemies, but it's a battle he can fight on another day, and at least now he's on equal footing with the other factions and can take their Stones until he can finally conquer Hyrule. But Ganondorf severely underestimates the lengths Rauru will go for revenge. In killing Sonia, before Rauru's very eyes no less, he has made another enemy for life (and beyond).

Understand that Rauru survived the destruction of his people and their way of life. That's traumatic enough. But now, the person who saved his life, and gave it new meaning, is dead. Murdered. By someone he had come to trust. Because he put a target around her neck. He should have seen this coming, he should have listened to Zelda, perhaps then he could have stopped this. But it's far too late now. Before, he was content to merely support and serve—a just penance, he believed, for his small part in breaking the world. Now, he has a new purpose: To secure Sonia's legacy by any means necessary. He binds his fate to Hyrule, which will never be safe so long as Ganondorf lives. This isn't a wise and beneficent King of Light opposing a terrible darkness, but a grieving widower—who's also a skyborn demigod that just lost his one earthly tie.

After taking command as regent, Rauru does not invite the other races to a grand alliance; he brings them to heel through force. It's not enough for Rauru to immediately counterattack Ganondorf. He wants to destroy him, and what better way than to turn the whole world against him? Additionally, by consolidating the power of the Stones onto his side, he denies Ganondorf the opportunity to pick them off one by one. Zelda is witnessing history, the birth of Hyrule as she knows it, but there's nothing noble about it. It's simple imperialism, and she has to grapple with the fact that she's a beneficiary of it. If the peoples of Hyrule were united through bloodshed, does this invalidate the friendships she's made among those peoples in her present? She's confronted with deep questions which possess no easy answers.

Meanwhile, Ganondorf hasn't been sitting on his laurels. He sees Rauru is stacking the deck against him, such that even the Stone's power won't be enough to win the coming war. The Gerudo are outnumbered and outgunned. So Ganondorf turns to darker magics, begins to press monsters into service, etc. His search for ever greater power takes him into the Depths, where he finds a dangerous substance called Gloom. According to legend, it is the ichor of a demon god who was struck down long ago and sealed away in the bowels of the earth. It drains the life-force of whoever touches it, that much is certain... but Ganondorf reckons it is possible to access this stolen vitality to perform feats of magic hitherto thought impossible. Through his mastery of dark magic, amplified by the Stone, he is able to harness the Gloom. First he tests it upon monsters... then dissidents, those reluctant to oppose Rauru's growing army. He makes examples of them, siphoning away their life-force to show those who will not fight will still serve their king. But this barbarous act only creates more dissent among the Gerudo. Tradition appointed Ganondorf as king, but that doesn't mean they have to stomach his tyranny. Even if he manages to win this war, this new power could allow him to reign forever, and he just demonstrated how little their individual lives mean to him. Worried for the future of their people, Ganondorf's second-in-command, Nabooru, sells him out in exchange for clemency, enabling Rauru and his Sages to capture him. Instead of slaying him on the spot, Rauru declares his intention to haul him back to Hyrule for a public execution in Sonia's name. Nabooru insists on coming along; if the King of the Gerudo is to die on foreign soil, then one of his own should observe his passing.

Ganondorf doesn't respond well to this betrayal. After everything he sacrificed, they would still rather roll over and show their bellies—surrender their freedom and pride—to a foreign lord. Who are these people, to abandon the courage of their ancestors? These are not his Gerudo. Ganondorf disowns them, swearing vengeance upon these cowards even as he is taken away in chains. The journey back to Hyrule gives him time to brood on his destiny. He was born to be a king, yet the place of his birth has forsaken him while the rest of the world wants him dead. Most people would crumble, succumb to despair. But his pride will never allow that. He will keep fighting, like he always has. He will crush any opposition, even if it's the people who gave him birth. He will rule, even if he must reign as king of the undesired. There's a saying: 'The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow.' And Rauru has blazed oh so fiercely. To oppose him, Ganondorf must become nothing less than the King of Shadow.

At the moment of his execution, he draws upon the Gloom to transcend his mortal limits, finally becoming the Demon King. In this form, he's able to battle all seven of the Sages, but he's still not almighty. In theory, Rauru is able to slay him... but he chooses not to. Imprisoning Ganondorf isn't done as a last resort; Rauru wants him to suffer. "Killing you would be far too kind. I will make you wish you could die. You won't. I will hold you here. We will build our kingdom over the lands you tried to burn and pillage. And you will rot here, trapped in this moment, long after you have faded from its memory." And he sincerely believes that he'll be able to contain Ganondorf for all time—because he was able to ascertain that Zelda is from the future, after examining her Stone (his Stone, as it turns out) and piecing together her strange accent and unusual notions, even though she has the pointed ears of a Hylian. He doesn't understand the power, but he does take it as proof positive that his victory is guaranteed and Hyrule exists well into the future... without ever learning the whole truth of it. Rauru is directly responsible for the cycle of Calamity Ganon, as Ganondorf's resent and hatred transformed the Gloom into Malice.

Rauru's pride is an actual flaw, one that is fully explored in the modern day. Just like Ganondorf says, thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye; Rauru hasn't had any time to process his rage. He only saves Link to make him a vehicle for his revenge; sticking around past the tutorial as Link's spectral companion, constantly pushing him to ignore all distractions to destroy Ganondorf ASAP, yet unable to control him directly. In staying with Link, Rauru learns of his legacy; that he created a lasting kingdom, but harmed future generations by inadvertently creating Calamity Ganon—Ganondorf's disembodied anguish and hate, nursed over thousands of years. His selfish decisions created more harm than Ganondorf could have in a single lifetime. Just as the Zonai destroyed the world once before, Rauru managed to destroy it again and again. Hyrule no longer even exists as a kingdom, destroyed by Calamity Ganon 100 years prior. Yet Link continues to fight—not for himself, but to protect and help those he cares about as well as perfect strangers. Rauru gives a touch of the divine to Link, and in return Link reintroduces Rauru to humanity.

In contrast: Ganondorf broods in the Depths, alone. Although he still has a corporeal form, he's just as much of a ghost as Rauru is. He's more isolated than ever, having awakened to a strange world where nothing is as he remembers it. The geography is different, the flora and fauna is different, the people are different. Especially the Gerudo. They don't remember him as ever having been a person at all, believing the monster of their legends merely adopted the form of a Gerudo. But that doesn't sting as much as how tame they've become in his absence. These Gerudo have no fangs; they're fully in bed with Hyrule in every sense of the word, and it disgusts him. Nothing in this world is right. Everyone has forgotten their pride and their history; no one remembers a time when Hyrule wasn't be-all and end-all. Unable to accept this future, he terraforms Hyrule in the image of what it used to be, so it might become a crucible once more. The strong will adapt and survive, while the weak rightfully perish. He will create a world that rewards might and daring above all else.

Ganondorf is none too pleased to learn Link is running around with the arm of the man who sealed him for millennia, and assumes that he has become Rauru's puppet (even more hand symbolism)... but that's a key difference between Ganondorf and Rauru. Link essentially drags Rauru through character development, rekindling a sense of humanity within him. Ganondorf has no one to break him out of his rut. His only company down in the Depths are monsters and the Yiga Clan, who revere him as the source of Calamity Ganon—for his power and opposition of Hyrulian supremacy—but do not see him as person, a king in need of counsel. Ganondorf is more alone than ever, but he refuses to address this. To despair is to admit that the world has power over you, and he is the single strongest being in the world. Gods do not weep. And in that final confrontation, Rauru addresses Ganondorf: They're both ghosts of the past, stubbornly trying to shape the future to their liking; but the present belongs to the living. They both need to let go. But Ganondorf's pride will never allow that. To admit defeat is to admit someone has power over him, and he cannot allow it. It becomes clear to him that the only option left to him is to not play at all.

He swallows his Stone and becomes a dragon, but this doesn't lead to another boss fight (to compensate, the third phase would be a more classical Ganon fight; a friend suggested the name of "Scourge of Hyrule—Apocalypse Ganon"). Instead, in line with what was established earlier—that to become a dragon is to lose yourself to the process—Ganondorf ascends to the sky... and bears no more malice toward Link or Hyrule. He becomes the ultimate in power—immortal and at last truly divine—at the cost of his ego. He's still dangerous since he radiates Gloom, but he doesn't attack, just like the other dragons: an idiot god. He returns to the Depths out of instinctual comfort, but will occasionally surface and usher in a Blood Moon. And like the other dragons, you can harvest rare materials from him to make the best Gloom weapons or whatever. + Leaving Ganondorf in this state leaves a door open for fanatics to try and restore him in a sequel.

So, that's all I got

There's a lot of things I didn't address. Like whether the line of succession was broken with Sonia's death (so is Zelda descended from a relative of hers?), what sort of characters the Sages should be, or what Zelda does after Ganondorf is sealed away by Rauru (I'm personally not comfortable with her waltzing up to the Sages and in a stable time loop binding all the races to Hyrule), how weird the Draconification plot point is (and how Zelda is restored to her human form by Good Ending ghost magic), how Zelda is restored in this version (sequel hook same with Ganon?), how disconnected I feel Link is to the Ancient Past storyline as a whole, whether my version of Ganondorf actually ever learned about him, I didn't really dive into the aforementioned imperialist message in TOTK (others have already done so better than I), etc. Thing is, I'm not a professional writer. I do it for the love of it, and that's what this is. A messy labor of misplaced love for a franchise I've never played, all because I was upset they didn't treat my blorbo the way I like. You know how it goes. My brain didn't know when to let go, but at least now it's out there and not rattling around solely in my noggin, making an awful racket. Maybe now I can work on other things. If you've made it this far, cheers.

[the-blue-wraith]

My review for Dragon Age: The Veilguard (SPOILERS BELOW)

These are my personal opinions and not personal attacks to anyone who loves the game.

Pros:

Combat is invigorating.

Exploration is just fine, not too overwhelming.

Side quests are not lengthy.

CC was great and had lots of sliders and lots of good hair too.

Harding, Bellara, Lucanis, and Emmrich’s voice acting are in point.

NPCs are more active in terms of animation, unlike in previous games.

The codex you found in areas is short and easy to read.

Dragon fights are more challenging.

Banters outside the Lighthouse are compelling.

Emmrich and Harding's quest are impactful.

No major glitches, only encountered a few minor glitches.

Cons:

Writing is just basic. Humorous/aggressive dialogues are not totally funny/aggressive. Companions/Rook are too polite.

Dialogue after the fall of Weisshaupt feels off, they don't need to say directly to players that companions need to resolve their problems before fighting the Gods.

Interaction inside the Lighthouse feels like an interaction inside the workplace. I wish I was kidding.

Some dialogues are repetitive (ex. “The elven gods have broken free from their prison” “Dragons don’t have kings, they have queens”).

Factions lack introduction. We didn’t get to know each faction in depth.

Story and companions lacks conflict/disparity.

Choices from the last 3 games didn’t matter, and became a wasted chance to explore in Veilguard.

Can’t talk to NPC like in DA:I.

What's the point of having gifting scenes where all they could say is "thank you"?

Some voice actings are a bit off, lacks emotions (American Female Rook/Neve)

Enemy designs are repetitive.

Ability wheel is lacking, it should’ve let us get 5 abilities to use in battle.

Qunari designs are not good.

Overall music is too ordinary.

Romances are lacking and have no growth

I really enjoyed the combat it reminds me of Mass Effect. The best part here are the dragon fights because this was one of the things that I anticipated years ago, and I'm quite satisfied! I like the flow and conflict at the end of Act 2 up to Act 3. That scene with Varric in the Fade still hits hard to me. 😭 I know it was sad, but in that phase I was motivated to finish the game. I just wish the flow of Acts 1-2 were intense like Act 3. Like I said, it lacks conflict.

After finishing the game, I ended up liking Emmrich and Harding. I didn't give a shit about Harding back in DA:I but now I like her even more 😆. Emmrich's quest was the most impactful to me, I chose to revive Manfred, and after that, I saw how much he loves him, that scene was heartwarming. Kudos to their voice actors 🙌🏻

I resonate with Bellara's quest, but I wish it could've been more dramatic. Like after what happened to her brother, her companions should've given her a hug and comfort. But I still like her quest; kudos to her voice actress too.

What bothered me was that Varric and Solas both got sidelined. I wanted Solas to have more screentime! I wanted to see him more as a villain. I don't know why Bioware decided to kill Varric, to me, it felt like they just used him in the game to attract fans. If you ask me, that's disrespectful to Varric's writer, who got laid off.

The romance here sucks. I was disappointed in how they handled Lucanis' romance. I didn't feel the buildup of my Rook's relationship with him. I felt like he was interacting with me as a friend 😭. Veilguard has the weakest romance system in Bioware games.

Overall, I would rate this game 7/10. I think the game is decent, but not for everyone. This game is for casual players who want to experience different RPGs, but for DA fans? It really depends. As a longtime fan, I would say I'm half-satisfied with Veilguard. I just wish the writing/dialogue could've been better and not repetitive. I wish we had an option to become evil and upset companions if we make bad choices, but sadly the game lacks conflict and disparity. Veilguard didn't keep up with the current RPGs, despite its lack of RPG elements.

Will I replay this game? Yeah, someday maybe. Do I think the game is that bad? Nope, but it's lacking. The game is not for everyone. Do I think the game deserved the hate it got? Yes and no. Yes, because the writing/dialogue in this game is basic and some times felt off. And no, because I still think the game is fun. Do I want DA5 to happen in the future? Sure, why not.

Despite all my criticisms of this game, I still love Dragon Age. This series saved me in high school. If my younger self were here and witnessed Veilguard, I know she'd be happy because she waited so long for this game.

[mxcnliight]

baby, can you meet me tonight in detention? (cyj)

Choi Yeonjun your longtime bully has finally had enough of your and puts your in your place, but the teacher catches you guys. so you get to sent to detention with him. when you’re all alone with him, what will happen? ♫ I can feel your blood pressure rise, fuck this tension ♫

Paring: Bully!Yeonjun x Fem!Reader

Theme: One shot; SMUT, PWP, fluff (?)

Word Count: 2.8K

Warings: sexual tension; dirty talk; degradation; swearing; breath play(?); oral sex (f receiving); p in v penetration; unprotected sex + creampie (use a CONDOM)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You yawn as boredom hits you, waiting for your math class to start. You have never been good at math nor were you ever interested in it, so you always just hope the teacher won’t call on you. 

You look out the window and see the sun shining, it’s a nice day today. No rain or clouds! You know you have to do something after school, maybe go to the ice cream shop with your friends or get a tan by the pool. 

Whatever it is, you know, you just can’t waste a day like this. Suddenly, you hear a jingle, right on time. You look over, and see your bully, Choi Yeonjun, walk into the classroom. 

He wore his signature black leather jacket with a white undershirt paired with black pants and black boots. His crimson red hair catches attention, so everybody can tell it's Choi Yeonjun. 

His eyes meet yours as you hold eye contact until he sits down at his desk. Looking away, you roll your eyes and wonder what torture you’ll be experiencing today. 

From the time you were a freshman, Yeonjun was your designated bully. He would slam your locker in your face, throw paper airplanes at you with nasty words in them, make you trip, etc. 

You didn’t know why he was bullying you, but you found out one day and it was the stupidest thing ever. You became best friends with a girl named Yuna and the reason why Yeonjun was bullying you was because he had a crush on her and you were "taking her away from him".

It was so dumb that you wanted to punch him for his stupidity, but you never got the chance (or strength). When Yeonjun first started bullying you, you were frail and fragile. 

You didn’t know how to handle him, but now as a senior year in high school, you have gotten used to his antics. You know how to handle him and protect yourself from him. 

You thought he would have stopped years ago, but he told you, “I’m not stopping until either I get caught or you go and be a little bitch and tattle tale on me, got it?” You still remember the cold glare he gave you that day. 

You would have told the school counselor, but you just felt too guilty to. Speaking of feeling guilty. Another thing Yeonjun did to you was manipulate you, but you wonder after you both graduate what he’s going to do? 

He’s not going to have another doll to play around with, unless he still keeps in contact with you, and you hope to god he doesn’t. Just then you feel something hit your head as you look down at a paper airplane now in your lap. 

You give Yeonjun a disappointed look as he gestures for you to open it. Rolling your eyes, you open it and it reads ‘You look like a witch with that makeup on you, did you even try this morning?’ You look back up at Yeonjun and he's stupidly smirking now. 

You roll your eyes and scoff before crumpling the paper airplane into a ball and throwing it in the trash can. Not cool Choi. You cross your arms and look up at the board. 

“Wanna piece of gum?” You look over and see Yuna holding out a piece to you. You nod and take it into your mouth before chewing. “Thanks.” She hums as you both look back at the board. “Alright class… let’s get started, shall we?”

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Forty minutes later and class is finally done, thank god. You barely understood any of the material, so you know you’ll need Yuna to explain to you later when you get home. 

You look to your left and see Yuna putting her folder in her bag. “Hey, could you explain the notes to me tonight?” You ask her. “I would love to, but I have a cheer meeting after school” she frowns. 

“I can teach it to you during study hall before class tomorrow?” “Yeah that’s fine, thanks.” She nods and smiles at you as you smile back at her. You begin to gather your things when you jump in your seat from hands slamming down on your desk. 

You look up and see Yeonjun towering over you and you frown. “What do you want, Choi?” “Did you do my English homework?” You smirk and scoff at him before laughing. 

“What’s so funny bitch?” He asks as you deadpan him. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Yeonjun, does it look like I’m your little servant? No.'' You begin to sling your bag over your shoulder when Yeonjun suddenly chokes you as you widen your eyes. 

Your hands go over his neck trying to pry them off of your neck. “What’d you say to me, you little bitch?” He says in a dark tone, staring dead into your soul. “I-i’m not your little servant… bitch.” You say, stuttering as he becomes enraged. 

As he was about to do something, he was interrupted. “Choi Yeonjun and Y/N L/N!” You both look over at your teacher who is fuming with anger. “I will not be having this type of ruckus in my classroom! Detention for both of you!” Yeonjun’s hand leaves your neck as you both look at each other and sigh. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It felt like forever to walk to the principal's office because Yeonjun was staring at you the whole time. You’re now sitting outside the principal's office waiting for him to get done with Yeonjun. If he hadn’t started this, you wouldn’t be here right now. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms; this was not the time to do something Choi. 

Out of the corner of your eye you see a lady walking towards you. “Here’s an ice pack, sweetie.” Your eyes widen at her kind gesture as you take the ice pack.

You thanked her as she left. You then put the ice pack around your neck. Just then you hear the door open as you look to your left and Yeonjun comes out with the secretary. 

Yeonjun sits beside you as the secretary lady squats down to your level before taking off her glasses and rubbing her forehead.“Alright so we have come to the conclusion that Yeonjun was the person that was responsible for this ruckus, but you were still involved, Y/N, so I will need both of you to report to Mrs. Hans’ room after school, is that understood?” 

You both nod as she puts her glasses back on and gets up. “I will write both of you passes for your next class.” She goes back into her office while you turn your head to match Yeonjun’s deathly stare.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once the end of the day hits, you go straight to Mrs. Hans’ room, not wanting to be late. Once you arrive in her room, you see Yeonjun isn’t here yet, which isn’t a shocker. 

You make your way over to a desk and sit down. You then put your bag in your lap, waiting for the period to start. A minute before the bell rings, Yeonjun arrives, looking angry as ever. 

You see him take a seat only 2 desks away from yours. You look back at the board before getting your lip gloss from your bag and applying some to your lips. 

You then smack them before putting the lip gloss back into your bag. The bell rings as Mrs. Hans sighs. “Alright, since both of you are here now, we can start. Welcome to detention, Yeonjun is a regular here, so I’m not surprised, but for you Mrs. L/N, I’m rather disappointed.” She gives you a side eye as you look away. 

“Anyways, you all know the drill. Phones in the basket,” she says, holding out a small basket. You look over at Yeonjun, who is getting out his phone, and so do you. 

You both get up and put your phones in Mrs. Hans’ basket. Once you sit back down, you put your bag on the floor next to you. “Now, silence for the next forty-five minutes.” You see her open her book as you roll your eyes; this can’t get any better, can it. 

Minutes pass as you are extremely bored; you get so bored that you count the tiles on the ceiling. You occasionally sneak glances at Yeonjun, but he is just as bored as you are. He is just staring at his hand; you wondered what was on there. 

Just then you hear a teacher come by Mrs. Hans’ room. Mrs. Hans then looks over at the teacher, then back at us. She sighs before grabbing her keys. “I’ll be right back,” she says before leaving. 

That's easy, huh? Now it is just you and Yeonjun both sitting in silence. “Why do you have to be such a bitch?” You look over at Yeonjun, oh, he’s starting this now? “Oh, so I’m the bitch? Says the guy that has bullied me for four years straight,” you say, before rolling your eyes. 

“I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for you,” he replies. “Oh no Yeonjun. I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for your selfish, greedy, egotistical self! I have done nothing wrong, it’s all your fault, Yeonjun!” You raise your voice as you stare at him. 

He clenches his jaw and balls his hand into a fist. “No, it’s all you, Y/N. You’re the selfish egotistical bitch, you always have been!” “For what?! For taking your girlfriend?! If you really wanted her, you should have just asked her out!” He goes silent as you sigh until you suddenly get slammed into the desk next to you. 

You look up in confusion as Yeonjun wraps his hand tightly around your neck. “Who told you I liked that little bitch?” You look at him confused. “You do like her, don't you?” He then does something unexpected: he kisses you. 

Your eyes widen as he roughly makes out with you. You whimper, trying to pry Yeonjun’s hand from your neck because you can hardly breathe. He breaks the kiss and stares at you intensely. “I like you, you little brat” Your eyes widened; he did not just say that. 

“W-what?” You say as he flips you around and your hands meet the cold service of the desk. “Yeonjun, let’s talk about this-'' Just then he rips your patines off from underneath your dress and throws them away. 

He then wraps one of his hands around your mouth. “Be a good girl and keep quiet, okay?” He then removes his hand and goes down between your legs, holding them open. Your face heats up as you can feel his breath on your pussy. 

You whimper, “Y-yeonjun… what are you doing?” He then chuckles as his hands meet the sides of your thighs, “I want your slutty fucking pussy in my mouth.” You moan at his words. “But Yeonjun, we can’t… not here.” “Yes we can and you are going to give it to me.” 

You feel his tongue on your clit as you whimper; you put your hand around your mouth trying not to moan. He licks back and forth up your slit as you're trying so hard not to moan. 

He flattens his tongue on your clit and begins to kiss at it. You whimper a bit, but not too loud. You could get caught at any moment, but it feels so good. Along with him making out with your pussy. You’re still trying to process that Yeonjun apparently likes you. 

His tongue moves to your hole, slowly teasing it. “I want your fucking pussy cream on my tongue,” he demands as you moan at his words. He then slaps your thigh with his free hand and you let out a yelp. “What did I say about keeping quiet?” He growls as he begins to flick his tongue along your hole. You close your eyes in pleasure. 

“You like that?” He asks as you hum, still trying so hard not to moan. “This pussy’s fucking mine. I own it.” He growls as he starts to sloppily kiss your hole. You whimper at his words as he growls on your pussy. 

“Don’t you fucking cum yet,” he demands as he increases his tongue movements as you try not to moan. His fingers then move up to your clit, slowly circling around it, sending you more pleasure. 

“Yeonjun, please,” you cry out as you can feel him smirk. He moves two fingers to your hole and slowly pumps them inside as you moan. He continues to lick your pussy while his fingers are fucking in and out of your wet hole. 

“Shit… you feel that? My fingers in your pussy and tongue on your clit?” You whimper at his words as you nod. “I just want you to give in to me. Give it to me, yeah? Push your pussy in my fucking face.” You push your hips down a bit at him as you feel him growl at your pussy sending vibrations up your back. 

“Fuck baby, I need you inside of me.” He then gets up and puts his hand on your chin, forcing you to look at him before he kisses you. His hands sneak up your body to meet your clothed breasts, slowly massaging them. 

He then breaks the kiss and takes his pants off along with his boxers. You look back in anticipation for his cock to be inside you. “Fuck baby, are you ready?” You nod as he lifts your dress up with one hand and uses the other to slowly push his thick cock in.

You both moan at the feeling of him stretching you out. “So tight, only for me right?” “Mhm, all for you,” you say as he completely bottoms you out. You whimper at the feeling as his hands meet your hips. 

One of his hands reaches up and wraps around your mouth; again, he gets close to your ear and whispers. “Be quiet” Before he starts thrusting into you, you throw your head back in pleasure.

It feels so good, you have never felt anything like this before. “You’re mine, alright? Mine. Nobody’s else’s. You belong to Choi Yeonjun.” You moan into his hand as you feel tears in your eyes.

He then grunts out, “Oh fuck baby pussy’s so fucking good, who knew it would only take a dicking down for you to shut up?” You whimper at his words as his thrusts increase, pounding into you. 

It feels so good, yet you feel a wave of embarrassment hit you with Yeonjun fucking you in detention. “Mhm, fuck baby,” he lets out a low chuckle. “You’re going to be my dumb little bitch, hm? Gonna take all of my cum in your tight little pussy mhm?” He mumbles in your ear as your eyes close, you are so close to your orgasm. 

“Oh baby, you close? I can feel you fucking clench around me. You wanna cum hm?” he says as you nod vigorously, wanting to release the tension building up in your body. 

You feel Yeonjun smirk as he kisses your cheek. “Nobody's  stopping you Y/N. Cum for me.” His thrusts increase as you almost yell into his hand around your mouth as if it is so much pleasure. 

You then feel Yeonjun’s free hand move down to your clit, rubbing to the pace of his thrusts. “Come on baby. You don’t want to get caught, do you? So then fucking cum for me,” he growls into your ear. 

His words give you the final push, and your orgasm shoots through your body as your eyes roll into the back of your head. “Fuck yeah baby! Just like that, mhm, you’re going to make me cum too,” he says as he releases his hand from your mouth as you crash onto the desk while Yeonjun’s still trying to chase his orgasm. “Oh shit-“ He says as his cum shoots into your pussy, filling you right up.

You both try to catch your breath as you’re still lying lifeless on the desk. You feel Yeonjun slip out as he breathes heavily. “Who knew a brat like you had a good pussy?” You roll your eyes at his comments and turn around to kiss him. 

His thumb rubs on your jaw as you kiss. You break it and huff out at him, “I hate you.” He chuckles, “Says the one who just came on me.” You roll your eyes when you hear something as you both scramble to get your clothes on. 

You then return to your seats like normal as Mrs. Hans comes back in. “You two didn’t do anything while I was gone?” She asks as you look back at Yeonjun, then look back at her to nod. Once detention is done, you both finally get your phones back as you are about to walk out the door. Yeonjun stops you as you look back up at him in confusion. “Could I have your number, baby?”.

[3gremlins]

feel like im having a DA2 experience again where I really liked it and was in my little "this is good" cocoon where i played it many times only to emerge from underground and find everyone else hated it (i mean ive found the other da2 cicadas since but at the time it got really slammed). i've been really enjoying DA:TV so far ( lol tho obvs have notes) here's an early thoughts review, may be a bit spoilery, def rambley, trying to stay vague on stuff still (i think i'm about half way maybe? im trying to not look things up and doing it blind on my first run through. it's hard to tell b/c i went hard on all the side quests and am now way over level for the msq)

the combat system is a little jarring at first and i still miss at least being able to switch to and play as party members if your character dies (instead of the god of war style of full wipe), but i've gotten used to it (it's more annoying for boss fights, regular combat it's very zippy and fun). the targeting at least on controller is kind of annoying sometimes- i'll think i'm pointing at one enemy only to have rook turn and fire at nothing or companions to hit an add instead of a boss. I wish we at least had more control over how it queued who it was hitting. some of the arenas are obnoxious design wise - there's bosses that teleport to you and they give you like a tiny little box to dodge around, not the most fun. i do like that you can punch way above of your weight class sometimes which reminds me of DAO a little bit (like how you'd just wander into a fight or hit a gong and be like oh no, those enemies have skulls over their heads, oh well YOLO). sometimes it doesn't work out but when it does it's very satisfying. It's nice to be able to conquer something mechanically even underleveled (smol fromsoft vibes) Having always been a big fan of the strange composition parties (i.e not just war/rogue/mage), i like that this is now even more viable (and not just me being cheeky "we're having a leather party!" of all squishy rogues). but like the main thing about bioware games is the companions/interpersonal shit and i'm enjoying the heck out of that .i only do main quests to get more side quests from companions (or more side quests in general so we can troll around for more banter). i like petting griffons (and cats and dogs) and playing games with manfred*. I wish the gift system was more interesting like DAO or DA2- i was so excited to see it again and then it was a little disappointing to have them barely react when you get them stuff.

my current fave party are rook and the poison boys (emmerich and lucanis) since they're a rogue too and we just stack necrosis, bleeds and other elemental effects on things till they disintegrate. i like the lighthouse, it feels much cozier than skyhold. I love that you can just wander up to companions having convos and awkwardly eavesdrop. I do miss the little interactions/quests you could get with cole esp*** i think the animations are a little lack lustery? Idk there's something with the face model morphs that sometimes feels weird but the voice acting is strong enough that I don't notice too much. i do miss some of the more bioware-y cheeky things like item descriptions or weird notes near random silly environmental tableaus (there's a little but i just want to read all the notes! there's some in the grey warden areas where i was just like WAIT I HAVE QUESTIONS but there was no plaque about them T.T). where are the stacks of cheese (i do appreciate the fereldens love cheese jokes tho and harding getting so excited when someone says something nice about ferelden) i was esp bummed that there were no random things to read in the black emporium and it's all codex entries instead (that's my favorite tiny bit in DA2 where there's junk you can click on and xenon says weird shit to you). i also wish more had been done with accents of npcs- like i wish all the antivans had similar accents or your crow rook had an antivan accent, stuff like that (having a lot of "ferelden" generic british accents everywhere is disappointing. takes you out of the immersion a lot) My biggest gripe is probably the pacing - I wish it had more horror/mystery pacing like dao and da2 had- the reason we're all scarred by the brood mother is b/c the build up to that was so so creepy (also the necromancer bit w/hawke's mum in DA2). They gave us time to be unnerved or afraid and I do feel the evanuris reveals have been a little rushed so you can't really feel that worried about them (some of the side quests get close to this but still not quite there**). I wish they'd let them breathe a bit more instead of rushing from one giant world changing event to the next. Some of the reveals have been not so great- like lore that the fandom has poured over for 15ish years explained in one line?? i wish there'd been more build up of rook as a character too, maybe even a time skip from a prologue to finding solas kind of thing. the first trailer made it seem like that's what was going to happen but then it in media res'd us in a strange way. the first 10 hours of the game are probably the weakest imho, it took it a bit to get rolling and feel more natural. I appreciate that the first major decision doesn't really let you scum save for it (bit of a jump scare for me lol).

I also don't really need this much varric anymore, i kinda wish we had a different narrator if we have to have one. He feels really awkward to just have there and not doing anything(and not just kill off or have something happen to him? he got stabbed by the dagger and harding only touched it is what i'm saying). at least let him get better pjs and slippers or something Idk it does feel like bits of previous iterations they were working on are still there and they don't completely serve the plot well. And ofc there's the decisions not meaningfully carrying over thing- which is a huge bummer. But in reality they've never been good at that- the characters from previous games we see in new games don't really carry through their plots/arcs that much (it's more like cameos or they're a new person now) and the world states are usually effectively the same just with aesthetic faction swaps. I was sort of hoping we'd get some solavellan SOMETHING but it doesn't look like we will get much at all past the stuff in minrathous. i feel like if they were going to only include the one choice it really should have had more impact on the story. (i am also still a clown and want to talk to solas constantly still even tho he has no reason to talk to my rook at all, i do not care, i love a sad woof. i wish we could just casually visit him in the fade. i wish we could switch to lavellan and visit him in the fade, idk something. need more gareth david-lloyd pls) the interpersonal character decisions have been the only ones that mattered much and then only within the constrains of their own games- the bigger world changing stuff is usually the illusion of choice. It would have been nice if they let us have one protagonist carry through but i can also see why they liked changing it up and felt stuck in that format. tl;dr: i'm really like it for what it is but it's def got flaws. Parts of it feel super polished while other bits do not- i think knowing how game dev works that they had to make decisions on what was going to get prioritized and some of it works while others not so much. I wish the pacing was better for sure but i love the characters/companions which is generally what bioware is best at. sad it won't get meaningful dlc, i don't really care about mass effect 5 tbqh. So far I like it better than inquisition for the most part- it feels like a bigger/more polished DA2 in a lot of ways if that makes any sense (with similar budget/pacing issues, but the environments are more fun). as i mentioned in my other post, i really appreciated the trans/non binary inclusion into the story/cc tho. like that can't be discounted, even if the rest of the game has issues. (all the holes in the narrative make me want to do fan art and fan fiction tho so idk, maybe that's an okay thing. maybe dragon age is best at inspiring us to sandbox around in it)

*side note, i am surprised at how much i like emmerich like holy shit what a lovely soft nerd of a man! going to have to play through a few times and romance him and also bellara for sure (romancing lucanis this time round) i find myself shipping my companions with each other more than i normally do too. I just want them to be happy! I wish they'd let us have polyamory, like i could see little polycules in this squad so easily. i need to give bellara hugs and lucanis head pats. taash deserves head pats too, but my rook will need a ladder.

**i am going to cry if they do with the griffons what i think they're doing with the griffons. like straight up, feeling like it was a cursed wish to have them now T.T *** do we think the caretaker is cole? the character design makes me wonder (like the hat/silhouette is very cole like but maybe not. maybe i just want it to be cole lol) there's def characters i want to see show up that aren't going to and then bioware is like "what about this fan favorite??" and i'm like "eh".

[gay-dorito-dust]

can i ask silly/goofy writing for Xavier? 🐇

It wasn’t often that you got days off from work but when you did, you naturally wanted to explore Linkon City outside of work related activities and get to know the city your protecting to it’s very foundations.

Today you came across an arcade on the corner of the street and were about to walk past it when out of the corner of your eye, you saw a familiar head of blonde hair, it’s body hunched over a claw machine filled with extremely cute plushies staring back at him inside the glass that would make great additions to your growing army collection back home.

‘Don’t. You’ve already got enough plushies for one lifetime and your room can only house so many before it becomes an issue on how you’re going to get in and out of your room.’ Your mind warned you as you are then reminded of the mountain of plushies that was slowly starting to consume your room, one cute stuffed toy at a time.

You brought your eyes back to the blonde who had seriously horrendous luck in getting a cheerful tomato plushie and it wasn’t until the blonde picked up another token when you realised why he looked so familiar.

‘Xavier?’ You said to yourself, ���I didn’t know he was into arcade games,’ you couldn’t help but wince when the claw lost it’s hold on the plushie for a second time, just as the claw was halfway into the air to be more specific. ‘nor was so bad at them too…god it hurts just watching him from far away never mind up close.’

Despite subconsciously taking the position of an silent but judgmental commentator of Xavier’s claw machine skills, after the hundredth time of you covering your eyes and dragging your hands down your face in disbelief at how utterly hopeless your friend was at claw machines, you decided that he needed some…gentle encouragement from a friend before someone more mean spirited does.

‘Wow. You suck.’

Xavier immediately looked over his shoulder at the sound of your voice whilst the robotic voice of the machine mocked him with the same set of words that only sounded more and more mocking each time he had to hear it.

Too bad

‘How long have you been at it?’ It was such an innocent question but Xavier couldn’t help but feel the on coming embarrassment that was soon to hit him when he replied, ‘three hours.’

‘Three- three hours?’ You asked, bug eyed.

‘Yes.’ Xavier said. Completely stone faced.

‘So your meaning to tell me that you spent three whole hours trying to get that ONE plushie?’ You pointed towards the cheerful tomato plushie that had ended up at an awkward position that would only make it infinitely harder to get.

‘Yes.’ Xavier again said.

‘For. Three. hours.’ You said, this time more slowly as though you were tasked with explaining something to a child.

‘Yes…’ Xavier frowned, worry lines began emerging on his forehead as he leant toward you. ‘Is something wrong? You’ve repeated that line three times already, you’re not hurt are you?’ He went to reach a hand out to touch your forehead but you intercepted this by pushing his hand away. It was about time a professional stepped in and save this poor soul from further embarrassing himself infront of kids who easily got twice as many toys in half the time it took him to get just one.

‘I’m not hurt Xavier. Im just disappointed but I guess it can’t be helped, someone’s got to be the one to teach you the way of the claw machine.’ You sighed, thrusting out a hand towards him, making granny gestures.

‘What are you-‘

‘Hand over the token Xavier.’ You cut him off as you grabbed the last token from him before slotting it into the machine as it came to life. ‘Let me handle it from here okay honey, so why don’t you stand over here,’ you dragged him to stand at the side and patting him on the arm, ‘and just look pretty as you cheer me on, okay?’

‘But-‘ Xavier began.

‘Good.’ you cut him off again as your hands took to their designated places, ready to put an end to your misery yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xavier and yourself were walking down the street, you had a smug smile upon your face and whilst Xavier’s looked completely indifferent, it was obvious for anyone to see the slight pout of his plush lips that revealed how he truly felt about the whole ordeal; within your hands was the cheerful tomato plushie, won on the first try.

Not three hours.

But on your first try.

‘Now that wasn’t so hard now was it?’ You said cheekily as you booped the plushie on the nose.

‘I must admit you displayed some incredible skill to get it on the first try.’ Xavier said, ever the good sportsman and recognising when he had been bested.

‘At least I didn’t take three hours.’ You muttered under your breath and Xavier looked at you with a raised brow.

‘What?’ He asked.

‘What?’ You echoed, looking down at your plushie, faking ignorance as the blonde then stopped midway. You frowned, brows furrowed in concern as you looked at him, thinking that he might’ve heard you but only to see his look of determination firmly locked onto you.

‘Is everything okay Xavier? Why’d you stop?’ You asked but all he said was;

‘Teach me in the way of the claw machine.’ This would’ve sounded stupid coming out of anyone else’s mouth but when Xavier said it, it sounded really cool like you were in some weirdly motivational yet sentimental scene ripped straight out of a movie. You couldn’t help but smile as you put your hands on your hips, plushie dangling helplessly from your hand. ‘What’s in it for me?’

‘Not having to spend three whole hours teaching me.’ He replied, his blue eyes glittering mischievous as a small smile graced his lips, letting you know that he did in fact heard you but took it in stride. ‘I’m a very quick learner after all.’ He adds and you conceded, sighing dramatically you said, ‘okay, okay, you win. I’ll teach you how to win at claw machines, just as long as you don’t resort to desperate measures and cause property damage.’

[seneon]

月光 ݁ ˖ MOONLIGHT ── CHAPTER TWO. BROKEN BLADES THAT CANNOT CUT THROUGH MOUNTAIN MIST AND FOGS.

CONTENTS. swordplay, a little bit of insulting and teasing, and sparring under the moonlight. wc of nine hundred.

moonlight series masterlist ₊ 𓂃 previous ₊ 𓂃 next

𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆, two swings, three swings. later on a hundreds of other swings that mean nothing if the blade you held is broken. the blade that you used to fought in the war, cutting down the souls of hundreds of innocent soldiers that were probably promised to get riches and wanders if they came back alive and conquering.

however, those promises do not matter now, for they are as broken as the tip and edges of your sword which was given to you by one of the lieutenants before you succeeded and became the next division lieutenant.

all the hardwork and effort into putting the sword to good use has crumbled somewhere along the war. the lieutenant would be sad, or disappointed, perhaps even angry— if he ever finds out what the sword he has given his successor has done to hundreds of innocent souls.

you continued swinging, even if the broken blade is stained by the only memories left by the soldiers of the battlefield. sweat raced down your forehead to your neck. your breath is heavy, arms already so sore from swinging it the same amount of times where you backed out during the war in terms of cutting through and also the same amount where you did cut through.

the honey-like void eyes watched as you kept swinging your sword, aware at the fact that your blade might crumble at any moment, at any more swing that could just stop you from swinging and swinging so much. rayne is intrigued by how you could swing for such a long time despite your wounds still being sore and in the process of healing from rayne's herbs and medicines.

"any more swings and your sword won't even cut through the mist of this mountain, let alone allow the fog to run through your blades," the mountain god commented, walking out with his arms held out. "i want to test your skills. spar with me, y/n."

sometimes you forget that he is a divine being, and that he has magical powers. he controls and rules over a whole mountain, hence the elemental ability to control wind, fire, earth, wood, water. but before he harboured the five elements of nature, rayne is also a swordsman whom is good with the sharpest swords ever forged.

rayne summoned a sword out from thin air, handing it to you before taking out a similar sword for the spar. "hand me your deceased sword. i will fix it and bring it back to life for you." you did as he told and took a few swings at your new temporary sword. "i didn't know you have magical abilities to summon swords. is there somewhere you keep weapons?"

"it is my ability. i am not only a mountain god, but also the god of blades. every single sword in existence are my creation."

you definitely had no idea he held such a huge responsibility as both mountain god and the inventor of swords. imagine how busy he must've been with two huge responsibilities. just how could an individual do both at once? rayne must be incredibly talented and hardworking to achieve the highest for both titles.

"let's spar, shall we?"

"yeah alright."

the both of you clashed your swords against each other for a few good minutes, steel hitting against each other and echoing throughout the night. although your arms hurt a lot, exchanging blows with rayne gave you serotonin to keep continuing. the sudden electricity that run from your blade up to your hilt then to your fingers and finally the electricity spreads throughout your entire body made you feel fired up.

right here in this mountain, you are sparring with a god who knows everything about swordsmanship. from the designs on the hilt to the hardest technique to inflict a conflict. rayne ames knows everything.

you didn't see him as a mere god that looks after a mountain. you saw him as a person who has more than what it takes to be trapped in a mountain where he has nobody but the elements of nature to keep him company. and now, you are here, serving as a new elemental nature that he has to look after.

everything of this mountain belongs to me, you remembered rayne saying and you yourself, with nothing left, no family or friends, not even a history or a story to tell the world. you gave yourself up to rayne, agreeing to be his so he could give you a safe space and you would serve him for life. even if you are to die and reincarnate, you would still serve the mountain god.

for the first time in a few centuries, rayne ames found it pleasing in those few minutes to spar against a human after such a long time of secluded solitary. he could feel something sparking in him everytime single time he hears the blades singing against each clash. there was a flash of determination in your eyes everytime he gazes into them too.

what could those flashes in your eyes mean?

rayne ames grew a little more curious every single time he exchanges blows with a warrior who has seen hell in person. his solitary was also plucked away very slowly but your filling presence in this mountain. rayne does not feel lonely anymore.

TAGS ݁ ˖ @kyoghurts @anqelically @caelivir @bbladie @ansbobcar @rjasmines @lunareclipses-moments

© SENEON￤MOONLIGHT 2024. do not alter or repost.

[blanketskiess]

Hi! You may call me 🫖 anon. 

Can I request a shumika x ftm reader (closed poly established, committed relationship) fic? Maybe soft gentle smut like sickeningly sweet and aftercare. Like they just are taking care of each other and pampering each other after reader has had a really stressful and busy work week as a designer. Praise, body worship etc. My first time sending a request I’m so sorry if this is slightly vague, please take your time!

Hi there 🫖 anon! This is such an adorable idea! I hope I portrayed it how you were hoping. Let me know what you think and have a lovely day :) Also, it wasn't too vague. Don't worry at all!

⋯ ✦ characters shu itsuki & mika kagehira ⋯ ✦ tags fluff, smut, praise, body worship, stressed reader, dom!shu, dom!mika, he/him pronouns, ftm!reader ⋯ ✦ summary reader seems to have overworked themselves once again. good thing shu and mika are there to help you through your overexertion &lt;3

⋯ ✦ word count 2.4k

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With trembling hands, you placed down your needle. You tried to ignore the way your joints ached, the way your skin burned, and the way your eyes could barely stay open. Shu had always tried to tell you not to overwork yourself. The designer does it himself; the least he can do is tell his lovely boyfriend to avoid the mistakes he's made. "When your hands begin to feel a sense of soreness, place everything down and take some breaths into your lungs. You are talented in this craft, mon chéri, however, do not damage your precious self for it.' Those words reverberated in your head as you realized you didn't follow Shu's instructions. Yet, did you have a choice? There was a deadline for releasing this piece—a gorgeous, embroidered white blazer with gold stitchings etched around the buttons and collar. Shu had always told you that your works rivaled his own, and he wasn’t wrong.

It started to hit you all at once. Since when had the soreness in your body gotten so prominent? Since when was your vision giving out on you. No, no! You had to stay awake! You only had three days to get the piece finished! You’d be damned if you gave up now. The world came to a standstill, if for only a few moments. Your vision was clouded by your work. Your unnerving amount of work that had overtaken your entire week. God, you wanted to sleep. You really did. You closed your eyes, just for a second, perhaps to get an iota of relief. You sat there in silence, in whispers of uncertainty, and let the gears of your thoughts slowly stop turning.

“Y/N?” A familiar voice echoed through your head. Were you dreaming? You felt rather floaty in your seat. You didn’t hear the voice again, and instead, imagined yourself in your bed. Basking in the delicate sheets, reveling in the way soft cotton kisses your skin carefully. Your boyfriends, Shu and Mika, would be there with you, as they always were. Mika was adamant to never leave your side. So was Shu, but he was less physically affectionate. Even so, you imagined his skilled hand caressing your shoulder, whispering words in soft breaths against your ears. Mika would be curled up on your figure, arms and legs wrapped around you, a smile on his face. It felt so real. Almost like a hand really was on your shoulder.

“Y/N??” A familiar smooth voice cascaded its way through the room. Your eyes slowly opened, fixating on the man standing above you. His hand rested gently on your shoulder, pink locks brushed with nothing short of absolute precision. Sharp eyes pierced yours in a look that dripped disappointment. Shades of regret clouded your conscience.

“My dear, what are you doing? You have been in here for four…no, five hours now?”

You groaned, rubbing your face with both hands.

“Yeah… I’m just trying to finish this piece…It’s a pain in my ass,” you sighed.

“Your work is exquisite as always, my dear, but your well-being should be at the forefront of your priorities,” Shu softly explained, hand rubbing your shoulder in soft circles.

“I know, I just need to—“

“Non. Your work will still be here tomorrow. Come, we are going to sleep. Kagehira is already getting prepared for bed.”

You just rubbed your face once again, head falling onto the desk. “I’ll be there in a minute. Make my spot in bed warm, please.”

Shu scoffs, goes silent, and before he speaks again, you feel strong arms wrapping around your figure to lift you out of your own seat.

“Shu—“

“Shush. We are going to bed,” he whispered, fixing some of the needles on your desk so that the string didn’t get tangled. He arranged them accordingly, and flipped the switch of your lamp. You couldn’t really fight him on this, so you decided to let it happen. You closed your eyes, and after just a mere few seconds, you were already where you needed to be.

Shu placed you down on the edge of the bed. You watched as Mika exited the bathroom, smelling fresh, dressed in the pajama set Shu had sewn for him.

“Ah, there ya are!” Mika smiled, bringing you into an instant hug. He nuzzled his head against you, kissing at your cheek before sitting next to you and staring at Shu. He was so affectionate.

“Kagehira, will you help me redress him?”

You were stunned for a second, to say the least.

"'Course oshi-san!"

Yes, you were stunned. But at the same time, you weren't going to pass up an opportunity like this. You smiled, sighing softly as Shu placed his large hands at the hem of your shirt, almost as if to ask for permission. You nodded as he lifted the shirt off your body. Mika had ran off to the dresser to find your pajamas.

Shu eyed your body, watching the way your arms trembled each time you moved them.

"Your body is so exhausted, Y/N," Shu notes with concern, lifting your arm and massaging it softly. He always did this to both you and Mika. Checking your muscles, your joints and your skin. Making sure you were okay.

"I get it, I overworked myself. I'm sorry," You sighed.

"Do not let my words make you believe you owe me an apology. I am so very proud of you," Shu praised softly. You felt your skin getting warmer as his eyes scavenged your body. By the time Mika was back with the pajamas, he had laid them on the bed next to you, staring with Shu in awe.

"Oshi-san, ya been saying he's workin' so hard..." Mika began, hands landing on your stomach.

"Yes, Kagehira. He has," Shu smiles softly, planting a kiss on your forehead. You were waiting for them to grab your pajamas, but you gave up, opting to reach for them yourself. Mika's hand landed on yours before you could grab them, and he just stared at you with a soft smile. He gave Shu a knowing look, as if they were silently agreeing on something.

In mere seconds, Mika positioned himself behind you on the bed, pulling you back until your head rested on his lap in a laying position. Shu masterfully removed his belt with one hand, one knee going between your legs to hover over you on the bed.

"He's been working so hard, that perhaps he deserves a reward for it, does he not?" Shu eyes Mika with a smirk. Mika just nods, looking down at you, fingers coursing through your hair.

"Is that okay with you?" Shu asks.

"Of course, I'm just... I'm really tired, so I'm sorry if-"

"It don't matter if yer tired! In fact, that's even better! Means we get t' treat ya," Mika smiled

And god, was he right. And fuck, is that all you needed right now. They eyed you like you were the finest work of art.

"Oh, sweet boy," Shu whispers in shades of crimson against your skin.

In that moment, you swore they were experts of keeping your heart beating; without them, you were almost sure it would stop.

Mika continued to run his hands through your hair.

"He is really sweet, ain't he?" Mika asked, almost rhetorically, but they both knew the answer to that. Mika leaned over to kiss your forehead, while Shu's lips fell upon your neck. They both kissed you so softly, as if you were made of glass.

Shu's soft hands were your medication; your heartsong and your light, for his love dripped from each and every fingertip and seeped right into your very soul.

Mika hummed as Shu kissed you, reveling in the way you both looked.

"Yer so handsome, Y/N. I wish ya wouldn't overwork yerself like that..." Mika sounded almost sad, and for a moment, you felt bad. Like you had disappointed them.

"Makes me wanna work harder, just cuz yer doin' it! Yer out here inspirin' me 'n all that!"

The smile returned to your face. He was proud of you, and you knew that.

Shu finally lifted his lips from your skin, breathing out in exasperation. "If I do not stop now, I will be worshipping your skin for hours, my dear. Every part of you is nothing short of perfection; a work of art that I have been so lucky to get my hands upon. Tell me, how is it possible that someone like you has entered our lives?"

Admittedly, you were unsure of what to say. He was so sickeningly sweet, it hurt.

"Ya don't have t' answer that. Just sit there 'n look nice like ya always do!" Mika smiles, replacing his lap with a pillow as he switched positions. Shu and Mika looked at each other, silently agreeing on something once again. Shu moved behind you, sitting you upwards and pulling you into his lap. Your back rested against his clothed chest as his large arms snaked around your waist. Mika, in front of you, pulled down his sweatpants, to be left only in his boxers.

You wondered how you'd become so lucky.

Mika opened a drawer, pulling out a small package and a bottle, removing his boxers and pouring lube onto his protected length. Shu was rubbing your body the entire time, lips at the shell of your ear.

"Kagehira and I are going to take care of you. You are not to work any harder than you already have been," Shu whispered. You nodded. "Good boy."

As sunlight enters raindrops and emerge as rainbows, love enters your soul in the most delicate ways. Mika's hands land upon your hips; Shu's lips land upon your neck. Mika slowly pushed a finger towards your entrance, watching your face change expression at the feeling.

"'S okay, Y/N. Yer doin' so good. 'M so proud of ya. Just gotta prepare ya, 'kay?" Mika praised, pushing a finger in.

"Start with one, then switch to two, Kagehira. And my dear boy, tell him if it is too much, okay?" Shu's voice had never sounded more comforting. Although he wasn't in a position to do much to you, his words were enough.

It felt orgasmic, the way his long, deft fingers pushed inside of you. You clenched around them, wishing to feel them go deeper. Mika understood your urgency, curling his fingers one, twice, then pulling them out.

"Are you ready, my dear?" Shu asked softly, lips still at the shell of your ear. His hands ran up your body, fingers ghosting over your nipples.

"Mhm... Yeah... God, I'm ready..." You leaned your head back into Shu. You felt so comfortable, so warm between the two. Mika smiled down at you, length lining up with your entrance. He brought you into a kiss, gorgeous eyes staring into yours as he pushed in. Your hips almost lifted off of the bed, but Shu placed his hands on them to keep them down. To keep you grounded. They knew just how to take care of you.

You moaned softly, Mika filling you up just right. He felt so warm inside of you, like he was made for you. Mika's eyes closed. He always got so sensitive when he first went inside.

"Good boy, Kagehira," Shu praised, turning his eyes to you. "And good boy, Y/N. Your body is absolute perfection. So handsome, so angelic. It is as if you were sent here straight from the heavens, my dear." Shu couldn't help but continue to kiss your neck as Mika's thrusts sped up.

"Mnnghh... I love ya... Ya feel s-so good, Y/N! 'M so proud of ya... S-So proud..." Mika rambled, eyes closing as he fucked deeper into you. You felt a coil in your stomach slowly building up each time he bottomed out.

"These arms are immaculate," Shu praised as he lifted them, almost as if he were inspecting them. "Your shoulders, and your neck. The way your nose is shaped and the softness of your lips; all immaculate. Perfection. I love you dearly."

You tried your best to focus on Shu's words while Mika continued to thrust into you. Shu intertwined his fingers with your own, while Mika took your other hand. He squeezed it, signaling that he was close. So were you.

"I'm close! Fuckfuckfuck, I'm close..." You moaned, breath shaky from the combination of their actions. Mika's mouth hung open, eyes half lidded during eye contact. His pace sped up, urging for both of your releases.

"Nghhh! Y-You can d-do it, Y/N. Yer so good, c'mon..." Mika praised.

"You are so very good, Y/N. Come on, you deserve it now. You can do this, mon chéri."

Both of their encouragement was all you needed to send you over the edge. Goosebumps arose on your skin as the coil in your stomach came undone. The feelings of Shu's big, warm figure behind you and Mika's cock filling you crashed down onto you all at once. You put your hand over your mouth to muffle a loud moan, but Shu pulled it off.

"There you go. We want to hear you. You sound like the finest melody," Shu smiled. Mika thrusted a few more times into you before climaxing himself, laying his head down onto your chest to breathe heavily, drool dripping onto your skin.

"Good job, my boys," Shu caressed both you and Mika's heads. You didn't even feel like this was real. All you could do was lay there in a euphoric daze.

Shu was quick to raise from the bed, promising to be right back. He came back to help clean you two up, with water glasses, and new clothes. He silently dressed you as both you and Mika fought a slumber. He lifted you two into bed, so that your head was resting on Mika's chest. Shu spooned you from behind, kissing your cheek.

"Please, dear Y/N. Be more careful when you are working," Shu whispered. You could only nod, agreeing to at least try and not go past your limits.

"Mmm, but I like pamperin' ya like this! Maybe ya should work hard more often!"

Shu sighed, laughing. "Non, Kagehira! That is not how we fix this issue."

You laughed along with him. You were most certainly going to try to work less hard, but if this is how you got treated every time, was it really worth it?

[deadgirlwalking91]

Woke up this morning to see that Thank You for the Venom has officially surpassed 5K hits, and has over 200 kudos on AO3!

It means so much to me that people have enjoyed the story so far. It’s been such a blast to write, but what’s been even MORE incredible is all the reader interactions that stem from each chapter update. Thank you all so, so much 🫶🏻 keep ‘em coming!

Considering I’m being mean and not (yet) posting a preview for the next chapter as what I’ve written so far will give FAR too much away, have a small excerpt instead from a little plot bunny I had to get out of my head this week. It’s not occurring for a few chapters yet, and might get reworked, but it’s the least I could do as a little thank-you for following along with Adam and Lute’s bullshit so far. Enjoy!

“What’s that?” Lute asked, eyeing the pastry curiously. It hardly looked like breakfast to her. She’d usually prepare something far healthier, like a vegetable omelette. Or a protein shake. Truthfully, she rarely ever indulged in food that wasn’t designed specifically to fuel her body.

She shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze as Adam stared at her, his mouth moving wordlessly in response.

His reaction made her feel like she’d disappointed him, and strangely, the feeling made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't like that.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me, Lute! First I find out you’ve never tried ribs - which is fucking criminal, by the way - and now this. You can’t seriously be telling me you’ve never had a chocolate éclair before?” he exclaimed.  She shook her head.

“Is this one of those ‘my-body-is-a-temple things?”

“No,” she said defensively, crossing her arms. “It’s an I-only-eat-for-fuel thing. I don’t see the point in indulging in things that don’t have a purpose.”

“You,” Adam started, rolling his eyes, “are the biggest fucking nerd, I swear to God. Here, live a little and take a bite.”

She eyed him wearily as he held the chocolate-covered pastry out to her. “I don’t want to get my hands all sticky.”

“Oh for fucks’ sake,” he muttered, “this is worse than dealing with toddlers. I’ll hold it for you then, if you’re going to be such a fucking princess about it. Here.”

Lute bit her lip, her eyes flickering between the éclair and Adam’s expectant face. There was no getting out of this. She’d take a bite, pretend like it tasted nice and that’d be the end of it, she’d ask him to make her a protein shake for a nice, normal breakfast. One suited for a fierce warrior such as herself.

She shuffled closer, leaning forward onto her hands as she opened her mouth and wrapped it around the end of the éclair, not-so-delicately tearing the end off with her teeth. Cream spilled messily over the sides of the choux pastry, and she had chocolate painted on her nose by the time she pulled away. She didn’t care about the mess of it all, because she had never tasted anything quite so delectable in her life.