#another reason that this is the focus of the teaser of course is that it is quite flashy while being relatively cheap

[jaggedjot]

The teaser does need to be understood, at least in part, as a marketing strategy to sell studio stakeholders and the average viewer on the incredibly bizarre plot point of Lestat becoming a rockstar. By introducing the concept prior to the third season starting filming, the idea can be somewhat normalised to a wider audience. That it is the focus of the teaser, with the second half effectively becoming a music video, is intended to demonstrate that the production team have the skills to render it on screen.

[jaemotion]

been a while — njm (teaser)

pairing ⇢ photographer!jaemin x model!reader

summary ⇢ avoiding Jaemin proved to be a difficult challenge because here you are, opening your doors for him when he comes knocking after you declined the invitation to his very first exhibit.

genre/au ⇢ smut, angst, fluff? former ??? or?

rating & word count ⇢ 18+ | 1k+

warnings ⇢ mentions of sex (full & detailed warnings will be in the full fic)

a/n: it has indeed been a while lmao 💀 anyways, happiest 24th to the love of my love. my jaem, my nana on gawd he looked too good during this live i just had to 😩

the incessant knocking forces you to open the door, ready to tell whoever's behind off but he’s carrying a furball in one arm and another in a small carrier bag.

it washed away your annoyance at once.

“hi, sorry i had to bring them with me”

“didn’t you come from the dorms?” you query, finding Jaemin's sudden appearance here suspicious. he knows you love his cats and could be bringing them here just to lure you.

you tried to ignore how good Jaemin looked, the tight black shirt hugging his frame but your eyes were pulled to the dangling bracelet on his wrist.

the one you bought for him months ago as a gift.

“yeah but you haven’t seen them in ages”

whose fault is that?

“pictures or videos would’ve been enough” you cut him off before he could reply, though your eyes are already set on one of the cats.

they're just too adorable for you to ignore.

jaemin finds it amusing how you’re doing your best to repel him and his babies when he knows your fondness for his precious pets.

“they might’ve missed you too” he turns his body slightly, showing another furball inside a cat backpack so you immediately take the cat on his arm into yours. he comes in, dropping off both bags on the floor before facing you.

“did you eat already?”

you're aware of his busy schedule today and besides-

“i ate kimbap in the car on the way here”

the mere mention of that specific snack sparks your late night memories with Jaemin. it's your go-to one during night drives with, of course, mainly fucking and then eating whatever you both are craving after while stargazing.

you knew that Jaemin notices you reminiscing those memories. evident with the small curl of the side of his lips as he takes one cat back in his arms.

“did you?” his voice snaps you and you nod. before the absolute awkwardness begins between you, the fluffy cat in his arms meows and reaches for you.

“awee come here~” you scoop the cat from Jaemin’s arms, ignoring the spark you feel when your skin touches one another.

“looks like Luke missed you a lot” he chuckles with that raspy voice of his as he unloads Luna and Lucy from their cat bags.

"he sure does" you parrot Jaemin's laugh, cooing at the furball in your arms.

"not as much as me though"

your smile drops but it didn't affect Jaemin at all. if not, it seems to encourage him to fulfill whatever he's here for tonight. he situates himself comfortably on your couch after settling the cats on the floor. you sat beside him with Luke not interested in leaving your arms. eventually, the cat joined his sisters after Jaemin set the TV into one of those dog channels.

"they really love it, no?" you muse, watching his cats fondly. you're still avoiding him but thankfully they've behaved so now he can focus on you.

part of why Jaemin's here was because he wanted to talk to you in person. you didn't respond when he sent an invitation for his exhibition and his messages after that. it's his first one so it means a lot to him and he wanted you to be there.

so Jaemin had to pay you a visit which he hasn't done in a while. maybe that was the reason. or maybe you were just very busy like he is. you were already dressed earlier when you welcomed him so it was a miracle that you even let him in.

the thing is you did. you went to see what it's like since Jaemin's been talking about it for a while. he hasn't really talked to you in months so you were apprehensive in accepting when you got the formal invitation. you've had reasons but you managed to take a peek which is a mistake cause one of his friends did see you.

he thankfully didn't know that you did and that's because you've bribed Chenle to not tell anyone else. you thought you succeeded but the prospect of Jaemin coming here after was something that passed through your mind.

you were even planning to meet up with Jeno tonight to catch up. with the both of you being models, schedules are tight though sometimes you see each other during photoshoots and after. you only did have time when Jaemin stopped talking to you.

“were you planning to leaving earlier?” he turns to you after you got back from your room, now changed in your nightwear.

“yeah to meet Jeno” you reply, wanting to see Jaemin’s reaction to you meeting his friend this late at night. he was eyeing you up and down but soon as he heard his friend's name, he looked away. even when he tried to hide it, the shock, confusion, and something else was there.

“he’s not at the dorms” he’s calm. too calm than he should be. maybe you seeing Jeno doesn’t really matter to him at all.

“then where?”

“rina’s”

“oh” you couldn’t stop the disappointment seeping into your tone.

“didn’t tell you or anything?” his tone leaves you no idea if he's mocking you or not.

“no”

“thought you knew already”

“well, that perfectly explains why you’re best friends doesn’t it?”

your walls broke no matter how hard you tried to act nonchalant about this. about Jeno bailing on you; about Jaemin coming here and him finding out. it should be expected that in your line of work, these instances happen. you often do the same with people you meet but you just didn't think Jaemin would be the one to give you the same treatment.

he scrambles right away after hearing your tone, following you when you turn your back at him and head towards your kitchen. you haven't told him to back off yet, not that he's worried since you opened your doors to him but he couldn't take any more risks.

"can we talk?" he starts, sounding unsure for the first time and it ignited your curiosity. he's naturally confident so you want to see how far he'll adjust just to have this talk with you.

"10 seconds" you challenge.

"what"

"do anything you want with me for 10 seconds"

e/n: i had work today so i couldn't finish this one on time 😭

[violent-viscera]

my true (respectful) thoughts of arcane s2

so much of the promotional material promised so much in the way of vi and jinx/powder and their sisterly relationship, but i feel like with the amount of storylines/plotlines they did in this season, it was just too busy to focus on anyone–let alone the two supposed protagonists of the show. i think the best way for me to articulate how i feel about the writing of this show is that it fell flat, lost its heart, and emotional impact of the first season.

i would have been okay with them straying from my personal favourite focus if:

the storylines had been fleshed out better

the decisions the characters made actually made sense

main characters didn't become plot devices (vi)

new additions of the show weren't just plot devices (isha, loris, maddie, etc.)

motivations of characters made sense

characters had even small lines/dialogue to articulate their intentions/ideas

less time spent on off-screen development

and the thing is with the amount of plot lines they were ambitiously aiming to see out to fruition, its really hard to also set up all these new facets or opposing characteristics in former characters–plus adding new ones too. for example:

caitlyn's facist arc that didn't really have much meaning or attention

jinx's s1 mental collapse which changed abruptly into her redemption arc via isha (plot device)

jinx's revolutionist arc (first, reluctantly and then, willingly w ekko)

vi's pitfighter/brawler arc which was literally just one clip (which ended up being a teaser that showed everything)

im almost grateful to the minimal screen time ekko got bc they didn't try to change the core and essence of who he was in s1: he stayed true to himself. he's just a boy with a huge heart and love for his people that chose to leave his happy ending in an alternate timeline to return to the ppl who needed him where he is almost guaranteed heartbreak in some way or another.

i think the main reason so many ppl loved the first season was bc the characters were relatable in one way or another and they became so multidimensional when you explored how their environment/circumstances shaped them. but this season bc it was so purely focused on the endgame instead of HOW everyone got there, the characters fell flatter, they lost a soul and heart, and i felt the show lost its charm.

i know we all have our favourite characters and storylines we want the show to focus on and i would have been okay if i didn't get my way. if the show didn't focus on jinx and vi, i would've lived (although the promotional material was unfairly misleading) if the storylines, characters, and everything else made sense to me.

of course, the animation was lovely and the music was catchy/heartbreaking. i dont regret watching the show out to its final episode. it was one of the most beautiful visual experiences of my entire life. i still love the characters and will never regret staying on board until the final moments.

but i cant lie and say im not a little sad at how it ended too.

edited add-on:

also, the voice actors did phenomenally. ella purnell just absolutely nails the delivery for every line and reed shannon also hurt me with how he portrayed ekko. so on and so forth.

but that being said, i also felt the dialogue and lines of each character felt much less impactful this season (again, writing.)

i liked viktor’s monologue at the end of act 2. that was compellingly well written

but the lines this season weren’t the same quality as silco’s monologue about drowning, jinx’s speech at the beginning of the doomed tea party, etc. everything just felt so flat and shallow this season overall.

[marinawolf]

Obvious (SuperCorp)

by marinawolf

As promised- something for the supercorp girlies ❤️

So remember that post (this one) I made about Lena and Kara being totally obvious about their 'secret' relationship and Alex figures it out? Wellllll, I turned it into a fic with a bit of smut, so be warned. (a little teaser: only Lena Luthor can bring Supergirl to her knees.) Here you go:

"So, I was thinking we could maybe grab a drink after work today, Kara? Just you and I," James suggested, a hopeful smile on his face.

Kara hesitated, her mind already formulating a gentle rejection, when her attention was captivated by the sight of Lena, walking towards them from across the Catco bullpen.

"James..." Kara's voice trailed off, her focus shifting entirely to Lena. The world around her faded into the background and her breath caught in her throat. Lena looked absolutely stunning, and Kara couldn't help but feel a rush of desire course through her veins.

Lena's pants clung to her figure in all the right places, perfectly fitted to accentuate her curves. With every step she took, her movements exuded confidence and grace, drawing attention to her every sway. The way her hips moved in those pants left Kara captivated, her mind spiraling with thoughts of exploring every inch of Lena's exquisite form.

Her heels added an extra touch of allure, giving her an air of undeniable sexiness. With each confident stride, Lena seemed to command the room, turning heads without even trying.

Kara's eyes trailed up Lena's body, drawn to the sight of her unbuttoned white shirt. The top buttons were undone, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her collarbones and the gentle curve of her breasts. A delicate chain adorned her neck, its presence teasing Kara's imagination, making her yearn to trace its path with her fingertips.

Lena's hair was pulled away from her face, styled in a perfect ponytail that showcased her flawless features. Every strand seemed to fall into place effortlessly, accentuating the elegance and sophistication that radiated from her. Kara couldn't help but admire the flawless canvas that was Lena's face, her eyes fixated on Lena's mesmerizing blue-green gaze that held her heart captive.

Lena approached them, a knowing smile curving her lips as she looked at Kara. "Am I interrupting?" she asked, her voice filled with a playful edge.

Kara's response was immediate, her eyes lighting up as if James had ceased to exist. "No, not at all," she replied, her voice laced with affection as she turned her full attention to Lena.

James, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Kara's focus, tried to draw her attention once more. "Kara?" he called, hoping to regain her interest.

But Kara barely registered his words, her eyes locked with Lena's, a silent conversation passing between them. It was a magnetic attraction that defied reason, and Kara found herself lost in the depths of those enchanting eyes.

Snapping herself out of her reverie, Kara finally responded to James, her voice filled with a mixture of distraction and apology. "Sorry, James, maybe another time," she said, barely registering his disappointment. Kara could only focus on Lena.

"Hey, guys, have you seen the news?" a voice piped up, filled with urgency.

Kara turned to one of her fellow reporters, Jane, who had joined them without her even noticing, her curiosity piqued. "What's going on?" she inquired.

Jane held up her phone, displaying a series of alarming posts on various social media platforms. "There's a new terrorist group making waves online. They're threatening to bring Supergirl to her knees," she explained, her voice tinged with worry.

A smirk tugged at the corners of Kara's lips as she confidently responded, her blue eyes gleaming with playful defiance. "Oh, trust me, nobody can bring Supergirl to her knees," she replied, her voice laced with a hint of humor.

Just as Kara finished her sentence, her gaze instinctively shifted to Lena, who had been listening intently. To Kara's surprise, Lena raised an eyebrow, a playful glint dancing in her eyes. A surge of adrenaline shot through Kara's veins, her heart racing in response to the unspoken invitation hidden within Lena's gaze.

Before Kara could fully process the implications of Lena's expression, Lena spoke.

"Kara, could you please join me in the boardroom? There are some matters I'd like to discuss regarding your assignment for Friday night's tech event," Lena requested, her tone laced with professionalism.

Kara's breath hitched in her throat, a wave of anticipation washing over her. She couldn't resist the allure of Lena's invitation, knowing full well that their encounter in the boardroom would be far from a mere discussion of work.

She followed Lena to the boardroom, the anticipation building with each step.

Once inside, Lena closed the door behind them, enveloping the room in an air of secrecy and desire. Kara leaned against the door, raising an eyebrow playfully, a surge of anticipation bubbling inside her.

"What's on the agenda today, Boss?" Kara asked, her voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and longing.

Lena's eyes darkened with desire as she moved closer to Kara, their bodies now inches apart. Her fingertips brushed against Kara's cheek, tracing a path down her jawline. "Oh, just some urgent matters that require your undivided attention," she replied, her voice laced with seduction, her breath ghosting over Kara's lips.

Without warning, Lena's lips captured Kara's, the heat of their connection igniting a fire within them both. Their kiss was passionate and hungry, and Kara melted into it, desperately.

As they kissed, Kara reveled in the taste of Lena's lips, the softness of her touch. The world outside the boardroom ceased to exist as they lost themselves in each other, the kiss deepening with each passing moment.

In that stolen moment, Kara let go of her inhibitions. She surrendered to the intoxicating pleasure of Lena's kiss, her powers and strength fading in into irrelevance as Lena took control, claiming Kara as hers.

Their bodies pressed against each other, fitting together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. Lena's hands roamed over Kara's body, teasing and exploring with a gentle intensity. Kara melted into the touch, her body responding to Lena's every caress.

Lena's touch ignited a burning desire within Kara, her knees weakening as Lena's kisses traveled down her neck. A soft moan escaped Kara's lips, a testament to the pleasure coursing through her veins.

Whispering against Kara's ear, Lena's voice carried a teasing tone, her breath hot against Kara's skin. "So, no one can bring Supergirl to her knees, huh?" she playfully remarked, her words laden with desire and a hint of challenge.

Lena's words sent a surge of desire coursing through Kara's body, her knees growing weak in anticipation. The challenge in Lena's tone was irresistible, and Kara's playful confidence melted away, replaced by a hunger for Lena's touch. Kara's pulse quickened, desire coursing through her veins. In that moment, she was all too eager to surrender to Lena, to let her take control, to submit herself to Lena’s mercy.

"I guess I was wrong," Kara whispered, willingly dropping to her knees.

--

Later that evening, inside the bustling DEO headquarters, Kara stood in her Supergirl suit as the team worked frantically to trace the elusive terrorists who had targeted Supergirl with their threats. Winn, her brilliant friend and the DEO's resident computer geek, furrowed his brow as he grappled with the complexities of their digital trail.

"They're rerouting their connection through multiple countries, making it difficult to trace," Winn explained, frustration lacing his voice. "But give me just a few minutes, and I'll have their exact location."

As the gravity of the situation settled over the room, Hank and Alex joined Kara, their expressions reflecting a mix of concern and determination. The theft of synthetic kryptonite from a secretive chemical company weighed heavily on their minds, amplifying the urgency of finding the culprits.

"Synthetic kryptonite is volatile at best and in the wrong hands could pose a grave danger," Kara reminded them, her voice resolute. "not just to me, but to anyone near it."

Hank nodded, his stoic presence exuding a sense of reassurance.

Alex, a blend of fierce loyalty and worry in her eyes, interjected, "We won't let anything happen."

As the team rallied, Kara's gaze involuntarily drifted toward Lena. Their earlier encounter in the boardroom remained fresh in her mind, the taste of Lena still lingering on her lips. Kara couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the situation. Despite the terrorists' elaborate schemes, it was Lena's mere touch that held the power to bring Supergirl to her knees.

The room's dynamics shifted whenever Lena drew near. Each time Lena brushed past her, she faintly grazed her fingertips against Kara's waist, sending electric pulses through Kara’s body, teasing and tantalizing.

Amidst the turmoil, Lena dedicated herself to the cause, assisting Alex and Winn with unwavering determination. Her worry for Supergirl's safety mingled with her expertise, lending a sense of urgency to her actions. Kara marveled at Lena's intellect and resilience, grateful to have her as both her girlfriend and a formidable partner in their fight against evil.

However, shock rippled through Kara as her gaze inadvertently fell upon a vivid lipstick stain adorning Lena's neck and collar. Realization crashed over her, and she silently cursed herself for her oversight. In the midst of their passionate encounter, she had unwittingly left evidence of their intimacy.

Panic surged within Kara as she desperately hoped no one else had noticed. Her gaze darted toward Alex, whose inquisitive eyes seemed to linger on Lena's neck, a glimmer of suspicion flickering within them. She was certain that Alex would figure it out- she had helped Kara pick out that lipstick. The fear of their secret being exposed gripped Kara's heart, yet she masked her worry behind a confident smile, silently urging Alex to let it go.

Taking a deep breath, Kara refocused her attention on the task at hand. They had to locate the terrorists before they could carry out their nefarious plans.

--

The next evening, Kara and Alex settled on Kara's couch, ready for a well-deserved sister's night with popcorn and movies. The successful capture of the terrorists the previous night had left them both relieved, and this evening was their chance to unwind. Lena, unfortunately, was tied up with work at L Corp, as the recent acquisition of several smaller companies demanded her attention. Kara, missing Lena's presence, tried to push the thought aside and focus on enjoying the night with her sister. She pulled on her coziest clothes, ready to enjoy a fun night with Alex.

As they snuggled in, Alex's eyes narrowed as she noticed Kara's choice of attire.

"Kara, why are you wearing an MIT sweatshirt?" Alex inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Kara's mind raced for a plausible explanation. She fidgeted slightly, her nerves betraying her as she replied, "Oh, this? It's Lena's. I guess I borrowed it when I spilled something on my shirt. You know Lena," she laughed, nervously, "always willing to help. I didn't realize I had put it on."

Alex raised her eyebrows, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

"Right," she said, "okay, then."

Relieved that her impromptu excuse seemed to have worked, Kara steered the conversation towards movie choices. "So, what are we in the mood for tonight? Comedy or action? I've got a few ideas in mind."

--

A few days later, Kara and Lena found themselves in the confines of a supply closet at the DEO, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. The intensity between them was palpable, fueled by the longing from being apart for two days as Lena returned from a business trip. Kara sat perched on a table, her legs wrapped around Lena, their bodies pressed against each other. Lena's shirt was partially unbuttoned, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of skin, while Kara's fingertips traced the contours of Lena's waist.

Lost in their own world of desire, Lena's lips trailed along Kara's neck, eliciting soft moans of pleasure from Kara. However, the blissful moment was abruptly interrupted by the faint sound of approaching footsteps. Kara's super hearing caught wind of the intruder, and they hastily separated, Kara's heart racing with the fear of being caught.

Lena quickly adjusted her disheveled shirt while Kara frantically fixed her hair, both trying to regain their composure. With trepidation, Kara cautiously opened the closet door, revealing Alex standing there with an amused smile and a steaming cup of coffee in her hand.

"Well, well, well," Alex teased, her voice dripping with mischief. "Seems like you two aren't as discreet as you think. It's getting a little ridiculous, don't you think?"

Kara stood there, her face flushed with embarrassment, unable to meet Alex's gaze.

"Uh, we didn't mean for anyone to find out yet," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lena's cheeks were tinged with a faint blush but Kara expected that it was due to their previous activity, and not embarrassment at being caught. Lena was too confident for that.

Alex took a sip of her coffee, unable to hide her amusement. "Well, clearly subtlety isn't exactly your strong suit, is it? But you know what? It's okay. Everyone at the DEO already knows because you two couldn't be more obvious if you tried. So, no need to hide anymore."

Kara and Lena exchanged a nervous glance before an unexpected burst of laughter escaped from their lips. The tension dissolved, replaced by a shared sense of relief and humor. In that moment, Kara realised that subtlety was simply not their style. How obvious had they been?

As their laughter subsided, Kara and Lena reached for each other's hands, their fingers intertwining effortlessly. They didn’t have to hide anymore.

—-

btw I love you guys! I have been writing these fics for so long and only recently found the courage to post them. whenever you comment on my fics, I get a little dopamine hit. So thank you. ❤️

[everyonewooeverywhere]

hi hi!! i've got a couple wips in the works (some that have been in the drafts for weeks months). but i can't pick which one to focus on next

so....here's a couple teasers. so i'd love to hear which one you'd like to see next. that may not be the one i finish up next, but would like to hear your thoughts in my inbox or dms or whatever~

most of these are smut so mdni. please 😐

wip 1:

if you've been here for a minute, you'll know i've teased this before.

pairing ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : idol!chankyun x idol!f!reader

genre ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : smut, situationship

synopsis ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : when you're schedules finally overlap and both have a night to yourselves, changkyun invites you over for a night of wine, dinner, and the most painfully slow sex you could possibly imagine.

status/word count ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : 692 words, setup written but not the smut

wip 2:

behind closed doors part 2!! 🎉

pairing ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : guitarist!hongjoong x f!reader x drummer!mingi

genre ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : smut

synopsis ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : your brother may have forced you and your boyfriend to break up, but that certainly doesn't stop another of his bandmates from taking his chances. of course, your "ex" certainly isn't one to give up his baby that easily.

status/word count ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : 1,400 words, kinda all over the place right now

wip 3:

actually really excited about this one, and i might post it on my side blog @luv4soobinie

pairing ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : bestfriend!soobin x f!reader x situationship!yunho

genre ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : smut, BASEBALL AU 🗣️ (RIVAL TEAMS 🗣️)

synopsis ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : soobin had been in love with you for years, and, in a scenario so cliche, everyone knew but you. but nobody knew better than yunho, the guy you'd been hooking up with for weeks. and it didn't help that he was the pitcher of soobin's rival team. and a man he hated more anyone. (yunho's a dick. so he has a lot of reason to 😭).

status/word count ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : 161 words 💀, i have one scene in my head, but that's about it

wip 4:

a request ☺️

pairing ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : bf!idol!kihyun x tn!reader

genre ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : fluff, comfort

synopsis ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : kiyhun has always been very giving. even in the ways you don’t even realize.

status/word count ·˚ ༘ 🩵✧.* : 90 words and a lot of ideas~

[baileypie-writes]

~My Thoughts on Wonderful Pretty Cure!: Episodes 36-40~

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

This will be updated weekly, so be sure to come back if you want to see my thoughts on new episodes!

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

Episode 36 - A Special Kind Of Wonderful:

I’m going absolutely feral. I’m crying, screaming, throwing up and everything else.

I’ve never been this happy for a Precure episode. This is definitely my favorite Wonderful Precure episode so far. And it may be my favorite episode in the entire franchise.

I can believe they’re canon. I really can’t. Pretty Cure does not have a good track record when it comes to romance(straight ones anyway). So I fully expected Toei to pull a Happiness Charge, and just make their relationship implied at the very end. But I was pleasantly surprised!

I was worried about how Iroha felt. From the preview, it wasn’t obvious. But I’m glad she realized her feelings! The chase scene leading up to the confession was beautiful. The animation, the atmosphere, the internal dialogue. I really felt Cure Friendy’s emotion.

I’m really excited to see her and Satoru’s relationship develop further during the rest of the series. Next episode looks really cute and wholesome, so I’m definitely excited.

My only concern at this point is Komugi. No one has explained romantic love to her yet. And on top of that, I’m worried that she’s gonna feel jealousy. It’s a pretty high probability. But I have high hopes for the outcome!

My rating for this episode:

10/10 - A+

~~~~

Episode 37 - A First Date With Everyone:

This episode was cute, though I expected better.

I really wished it focused more on Satoru and Iroha’s date. There was a lot of focus on the others. I was just super hyped for a purely date focused episode.

That being said, it was still super cute! I loved how awkward they were, but still happy. Iroha yapping about animals when she was nervous was so sweet.

My rating for this episode:

7/10 - C-

~~~~

Episode 38 - The Place Komugi Calls Home:

I was honestly terrified for this episode. I had no idea what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised.

First off, I had no idea Komugi and Iroha had only known each other for 2 years. I assumed it would be more like 5. But whatever.

I had always assumed that before meeting Iroha, Komugi lived in Niko Garden. I thought the same for Yuki. But they could be just normal animals. I guess we won’t really know for sure unless the show reveals it.

I was really surprised when Iroha admitted to not wanting to give up Komugi. I definitely assumed she’d pretend to be okay with it, but the old man would allow her to keep her. I liked that part. It’s much more emotional and realistic to me. Also, I love that kind old man. He’s so nice to let them be together.

Finally, we got a teaser for Niko’s human form! I already got spoiled for it, but I’m still excited haha.

Next episode looks like it’s gonna be a major plot point. Not only is Niko’s human form probably gonna be fully revealed, but if I’m not mistaken, it looks like Komugi might get turned into a Garugaru!

My rating for this episode:

8/10 - B-

~~~~

Episode 39 - Niko Evolution:

This episode was pretty good! I was super excited!

We finally get the actual reveal of Niko’s true/human form! She’s so pretty! We also get the full reveal of Gaon. He looks really cool!

I was terrified when Komugi almost turned into a Gaogaon. But of course, she would be the one to break out of it. Good on her!

I’m really excited for next episode! It looks really fun. And hopefully, we’ll get more lore.

My rating for this episode:

7/10 - C-

~~~~

Episode 40 - The Great Wanyan Incident:

While this episode may have been completely pointless, I still loved it!

It was really random how they ended up turning into animals. The idea was clearly for cash grab reasons, but I don’t mind too much.

Iroha and Mayu’s animal designs are absolutely perfect! I’m not so sure about Satoru’s though…

Another thing, it was really random how the gang ended up at the shrine. There was no talk of it prior to this episode. We just open with them there.

Other than that though, I really liked this episode! I loved seeing the owners enjoy being animals. Satoru’s bit was definitely my favorite. He was so happy! We also even got a cute little moment between him and Iroha, which is always great.

There was also a little hint to Torame possibly reforming? Maybe? He likes playing with the Pretty Cure, and he’s always bored at home. So it’s possible!

My rating for this episode:

7/10 - C-

~~~~

Overall Score for These Episodes:

78% - C+

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[p5x-theories]

Soooo..... Do you think that Akechi is from actually a later point in time from the royal timeline? Because the time of his voice reminds me of his true personality lol (as for why he's wearing his prince outfit, maybe he's trying to disguise himself or maybe he'll be the second character that can change during battle like Kotone to his black mask outfit)

Like I don't know how to explain but but like Joker and Violet are from the point in time where they first discovered Maruki's palace and Akechi is from the point in time during the third semester in Maruki's palace. I'm sorry English isn't my first language I can't explain it properly 😭

No worries, I think I follow what you're saying! You're basically asking if I think Joker, Mona, and Violet are from around October 3rd (when "Kasumi" has her false awakening), but Crow's from the third semester, right?

It's definitely an interesting question! We know that the collab has been stated to take place across space and time, which seems to mean characters can come from different points in time. The original Phantom Thieves seem to be from further "ahead" in their timeline than Wonder's Phantom Thieves are in their own timeline, too, which could be evidence of this. And we've seen that Wonder's team always gets pulled in together when they use the MetaNav, which probably means the same happens to the original PT, even if they're in another universe. Based on that, it stands to reason that if Akechi used the MetaNav separately from them, he could maybe also get pulled in, even if he was at a different point in the timeline! In other words, with what we know right now, Akechi being from the "future" compared to Joker, Mona, and Violet does seem entirely possible.

As for whether I think that's what's going on... I'm honestly not sure. One potential answer that comes to mind is that we've seen characters get separated despite getting pulled in by the MetaNav at the same time, which could potentially also explain Joker's reaction to Akechi; maybe they all entered from the third semester, but were separated? If it's early enough into the third semester, then Violet wouldn't have realized she's really Sumire yet, although that doesn't explain why Mona's there.

The next explanation I can think of: October 3rd is early enough that they actually haven't seen Akechi in the Metaverse before- even if they know he has been there because of his pancakes slipup, they've never actually seen him. On top of that, if Akechi gets pulled in alone and doesn't know what's going on, it's possible he could think that they're responsible, or at the very least, that now the jig is up about his secret Metaverse activities. He can't exactly lie to them later about being "attacked by a man in a black mask and awakening his Persona" if they've seen him in the Metaverse before Okumura's change of heart! And if he doesn't know what's going on, he won't know they're going to forget everything later, either. I think this could explain everything: Joker's surprise, Akechi's hostility, why Mona's there too, and why Violet thinks she's Kasumi still.

But of course, your theory about different times works as well! If Crow is from further ahead in the timeline than Joker, Mona, and Violet, it explains why he'd drop the friendly pretense, but also why Joker would be surprised that he did, in addition to explaining Violet and Mona. It could also explain why he seems to only be there as a teaser for the next part of the event (which we don't know when we're getting); Violet and Crow being from different points in time would be a natural reason to break up this chapter into parts, since Violet's part would focus on the "present" while Crow's would be more about the "future", in a sense.

All that to say, I can think of a lot of ways to make sense of that ending! It's also possible they're just trying to mislead us for that teaser at the end, and he won't actually even be that hostile in his actual chapter/part of the chapter, haha. Having written all that out, I think I'm leaning towards the idea that they're all from October 3rd, and Akechi is just confused/feeling like his plans are threatened? But really, I think any of them are possible.

As for whether he might change during combat, like Kotone... that's a really good question, too. This is another situation where I think you could argue a lot of possibilities. Akechi could be a dual-type character without changing outfits, since Robin Hood already has both Bless and Curse! He might also just be categorized as Bless or Curse, but have skills for both elements, similar to how Ryuji is a Physical type but has an Electric attack, or other characters with both Physical and an element. And if this isn't Akechi from the third semester yet, they might be holding on to Black Mask for when we do get there. But of course, it'd be really fun to have an Akechi that can actually swap between outfits and Personas in battle, so I wouldn't complain if they kept him as one unit, haha!

[pippin-katz]

I wanna get this out of my head and you’re one of the people that I know will set me straight. I am so beyond proud of Nicky and his new show! That teaser for M&G was fucking amazing and I know it’ll definitely get him so many nominations and awards (as he rightfully deserves - the man has been putting the work)!!!! I guess I’m feeling….bitter? Idk if that’s the right word. I’ve been living on a high from RWRB I want to see more of him and Taylor together, more RWRB content. It’s his job of course and I know he’s got so many more roles to come in his career. I just……yea don’t know how to deal with seeing so many M&G posts in the RWRB tags when I don’t think I’ll ever move on from Alex and Henry 😔

I know what you mean and I understand that feeling. I don’t think you’re entirely wrong or unjustified. The thing is, we didn’t get the full experience for Red, White & Royal Blue. There’s a big difference between these two projects.

Neither of them could even acknowledge RWRB, let alone celebrate it, despite it coming out and smashing expectations for over a month straight (lol).

It’s also not the same in that Nick, despite for some reason being labeled as “a rising star” by some news outlets and YouTube channels, has been the lead in a major production with a famous costar before (Purple Hearts & Cinderella). There’s no need to hype up working with Julianne Moore; people have already been laughing and pointing out how despite being the bigger and more notable actress, most people are talking about Nick. In contrast, Taylor had never been a lead before, so talking about working with him would’ve been significantly different.

They’re also the same age, which changes the dynamic between them. I’m not sure if or how much press they will be doing for this, but I think it’s fair to say that it would be more fun/entertaining to see Nick and Taylor together than Nick and Julianne, which is nothing against her at all. I’m sure she’s absolutely lovely.

Another difference is that RWRB is an original story based off a popular novel, and it was doubted from the start. Mary & George is based on real history, which gives it a significant advantage. Both have LGBT+ sexual elements, but it’s far easier to grab attention if you can slap the “based on a true story” in front of it; it simply intrigues people who aren’t fully convinced more, and that’s why they use it.

Basically, the “what could’ve been” for RWRB is probably the bitterness you’re feeling.

I’m not going to tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t feel that. Instead, I’ll just tell you not to let those feelings bring others down; if you want to express them, find a friend that you know you can talk to, and talk to them about it. I’m sure there’s plenty of others that have similar feelings. I myself was experiencing a weird negative emotion deep down in my chest underneath the excitement that I couldn’t place until typing all this out.

The important thing to focus on is how proud of Nick we are/should be. It’s that positivity that we want to spread. Hopefully that helps!

[side-vermin93]

Well.

Long rant below this line if you're just scrolling by.

I normally don't do this sort of thing, I don't post my unfiltered dogshit opinions on any kind of social media, I don't toll the bells when I don't get my way and cry 'Foul Play' unless I truly believe that something is going wrong.

No doubt, everyone has seen the... colourful reaction to TADC's release date being set in May of 2024 (This May) and the Murder Drones tag on Tumblr is exploding for good reason.

Now, before I say my piece, I would like to immediately debunk a common train of thought often used by detractors to devalue the points that others have made when it comes to this controversy:

"Glitch is saying that they are taking their time to make the episodes and the finale as best as it can be." And that we as a fandom are "Overreacting."

To begin with, I personally hope that yes, Glitch is doing everything in their power to make MD as good as it can physically be, I hope that they are giving the finale to the season the sendoff it deserves.

But would it KILL THEM to tell us something? Post teasers, memes, references to Murder Drones or even something as simple as "Hey! You liked TADC, how about you check out Murder Drones while you wait?"

Instead, Glitch has spent months of complete and total radio silence, completely forgot the existence of the anniversary of Murder Drones' pilot, and as they did this, they continued to post teasers of TADC, including a personally vexing post that basically amounted to engagement farming, literally "If this gets 100k likes, we will open the door"

Stuff like this DOES NOT help assuage the fears of fans who believe that Glitch has begun to ignore MD simply because it isn't as popular or as profitable as TADC has become, it smacks of blatant favouritism and foul play when the fans of Murder Drones get nothing, meanwhile TADC is getting WEEKLY teasers, which is only serving to inflame the controversy between TADC and MD fans.

The thing that infuriates me the most is that Murder Drones is in its final stretch for (HOPEFULLY) its first season finale, and yet we have recieved nothing aside from the initial trailers and the release date of "sometime in early 2024" and we are now coming up on the end of the second month of the year, meanwhile TADC gets a concrete release date in MAY, which does NOT excuse the constant teasers and content for TADC that was produced before this point.

As for the overreaction? I think its personally an acceptable response considering the current controversy, but the biggest problem is what Glitch has said today.

"We're also working hard on Murder Drones & will be releasing final episodes soon!"

This, reader, is a very vague statement made by Glitch in their announcement today, and... well, notice how they said "Final Episodes"

Now, this could be Twitter and its word limit screwing them over, but Glitch (and most corporations) is very deliberate with their wording, and this could be no different, do they mean the finale of season one? Or is Murder Drones as a SHOW coming to an end after episode 8? We don't know because Glitch is being vague about this.

Now, because we don't know, we are (reasonably considering how companies often tend to focus on what is most profitable as opposed to any concept of "loyalty") reacting in a negative way towards this wording and believing that MD might very well come to an end before Liam is able to fully finish his story or for us to enjoy the show he has been working on for a long time now.

If it is the end of Murder Drones, then of course people are going to blame TADC for "Killing Murder Drones." Corporations have no loyalties and no qualms about being underhanded, only an appetite for more funding and appeasing their investors, and the most juicy of cash-cows practically fell into their lap.

Now, perhaps we are WRONG, maybe Glitch really did screw up because Twitter loves its word limits, then in which case, shouldn't Glitch try and clarify that in another post as soon as possible? Say that MD isn't going anywhere and that they meant the season finale?

Ultimately, we are in a very turbulent time and tensions are the highest they have ever been, and the next two months will either cool down into something to laugh about later, or there will a shitstorm. No inbetweens.

If it is a false alarm, then I will be there laughing with y'all about how I was doomposting like an idiot, but if it isn't? then I will continue working on my projects in the fandom until I believe I am satisfied, and I will be there when the shitstorm drops.

God, I hope it's the former.

Also sorry if the tags for this are crap, but I don't have the energy left over to fix them.

[mrs-gauche]

The “Flip it” Theory

(I’m sorry, it’s like 3am and I couldn’t come up with a better title. lol)

So.. Here’s another fun little DA tinfoil hat theory that you might have already heard about, but I don’t think I’ve seen it discussed on here before? It also probably sounds super unhinged, but at this point, can we even get any more unhinged in terms of theories? lol So, we might as well just embrace it. It’s just one of those theories that simply won’t leave my mind (especially when trying to sleep at 3am lol), so writing it down will hopefully put it to rest. 😁

Okay, so we all know that, in the Fade, the laws of gravity or physics in general don’t really apply and are all over the place, right? There’s no real sense of time or space, no real “up” or “down” as the Fade does not follow any rules of the waking world and is somewhat shaped by whatever the person dreaming expects reality to look like or quote, “is reflected by the mind of the living”.

So when we see the Inquisitor fall into Fade in “Here Lies the Abyss”, it’s even emphasized by how the camera movement in-game and the environment in the Fade has to “adjust” according to how the Inquisitor expects gravity to work, or rather, what the world’s supposed to look like to us, meaning the sky has to be up and the ground has to be down. lol

Additionally in Trespasser, we see that, not only is the Vir Dirthara scattered all over the place, but in parts also completely flipped upside down.

(I’m so sorry btw, I just now realized that looking at these gifs for too long can make you feel super dizzy. lol)

The reason I’m pointing this out, is because it keeps reminding me, for one, of this mural.

Of course, since this mural was first shown in the teaser trailer in 2020 and has been thoroughly analyzed by the fandom, it seems pretty clear by now that, with the way this mural is composed, particularly with the two upside down figures, BioWare intentionally encourages us to look at this image upside down. What’s even more intriguing to me, seeing as the Dread Wolf appears to break into the Black City here, “releasing” the raw magic of the Fade with its non existent rules of reality to the waking world and in doing so, figuratively and in some respects quite literally “turning the world upside down”.

Though while most people seem to focus on the two figures here (that are most definitely the two remaining Evanuris still sleeping/imprisoned or something like that, but that’s not the topic of this post lol), you might have heard of this other crazy theory suggesting that, when looking at this mural upside down, the shape of the Dread Wolf appears to roughly resemble that of a mountain.

(I warned you this leans VERY heavy on the tinfoil hat, but please don’t leave yet lol) Okay so, as far as I understand it, the theory suggests a potential connection to a particular mountain mentioned in the lore, called Belenas.

In a legend of the Avvar, it is said that Korth the Mountain-Father kept his throne at the peak of the mountain Belenas, which “lay at the center of the world”. The tale goes as follows:

Korth took his heart out of his chest and hid it within the Frostback Mountains to avoid being weakened by love. When his lack of heart turned him bitter and cruel, the Lady of the Skies sent her children to retrieve it. Though after all her children had failed to do so, the ptarmigan volunteered for the search. The Lady refused to give the tiny bird her blessing, as she thought the mountains was too fierce, but the ptarmigan succeeded where everyone else had failed. It found and freed the heart, allowing it to jump back into Korth's chest, where Hakkon Wintersbreath bound it once again. For her great deed, the ptarmigan was honored by the gods.

When Korth grew tired of heroes barging into his hall to claim the honors they thought they were due for climbing the mountain of the gods, he spoke to the Lady of the Skies, who then lifted Belenas from the earth into her realm, so no one could reach it anymore.

Legend says that Belenas was eventually destroyed during a battle between Korth and the serpent Nathramar, leaving only a vast crater behind that the Lady of the Skies “filled with her tears” and formed what we now know as Lake Calenhad.

Okay, so there’s a lot to dissect here, so I try to make it as brief as possible, but in short, people have noticed a number of intriguing parallels to different pieces of elven lore and theories in this tale, or what could be interpreted as such.

So I’m going to try and take this on one by one. Let’s start with this:

- Korth’s throne sits at the peak of mountain Belenas, at “the center of the world”.

- When looking at the mural from the teaser upside down again, it places the Black City (or the “Maker’s throne”, if you will) at the “peak” of the Dread Wolf shaped “mountain”. It is also known that the Black City sits at “the center of the Fade”, where no one is able to reach it.

- Korth takes his heart out of his chest and hides it within the Frostback Mountains. When his lack of heart turns him bitter and cruel, the Lady of the Skies sends her children to retrieve it.

- If we put in “Titan” for Korth and “Mythal” for the Lady of the Skies, this part is kinda reminiscent of what we know (or suspect) of Mythal, her conquering of the Titans (which would be the Frostback mountains in this comparison) and the theory of the ancient elves killing the Titans and obtaining their hearts, enabling them to create the foci/orbs/vessels of dreams that gives them god like powers. So Mythal sends out her “children”/army in the attempt to conquer the Titan and obtain its heart.

- After all the Lady’s children fail, the ptarmigan volunteers for the search. She refuses to give the tiny bird her blessing, as she thinks the mountains are too fierce, but the ptarmigan succeeds and retrieves the heart.

- Now, this part might be a bit of a reach, but when taking this even further and comparing this whole story to Mythal’s war against the Titans, looking at this tiny little nondescript bird defying the odds and ultimately leading the Lady of the Skies to “victory”, am I the only one who’s a little reminded of Greek mythology here (which, as I’ve mentioned numerous times before now, seems to be at least partially BioWare’s inspiration for the ancient elves), and how in Greek mythology, the Olympians’ victory over the (literal) Titans was the result of a cunning trick devised by Prometheus, who deserted from the Titans’ army beforehand.

And I know I’m certainly not the only one to have noticed a lot of odd similarities between the role of good old Prometheus in mythology and our very divisive Mr wanna-be-Wisdom Pride, aka Solas.

- For her great deed in retrieving Korth’s heart, the ptarmigan is honored by the gods.

- So while we’re at it, why not just compare the little bird to Solas then and assume that, for helping Mythal in her victory over the Titans and obtaining its heart, Solas is somehow honored and elevated to the status of godhood or at least into some sort of exclusive circle of those who the Evanuris trusted the most. (And even rewarded with his own orb, maybe? Might this be what we’re seeing in the mural depicting a Titan’s death?)

- When Korth grows tired of heroes barging into his hall to claim the honors of the gods, the Lady of the Skies lifts Belenas from the earth into her realm, so no one can reach it anymore.

- Now it gets a bit tricky.. If we take this part of the tale as Mythal “lifting” the now dead Titan into her own realm, meaning the sky, maybe it’s nothing more than a metaphor for Mythal mining the Titans’ blood and using the lyrium for her own empire (the creation of bodies for spirits?). Or maybe she literally lifted part of a dead Titan’s body into the sky and used it as a “cornerstone” to build the empire’s capital city Arlathan on top of it.

Which, again, would actually explain why the Black City *cough* Arlathan *cough* is depicted on top of the “mountain” in the 2020 upside down mural. Especially when adding that last part “so no one can reach it”, you know, just like the Black City can’t be reached within the Fade.

- Belenas was eventually destroyed during a battle between Korth and the serpent Nathramar, leaving only a vast crater behind that the Lady of the Skies “filled with her tears” and formed what we now know as Lake Calenhad.

- Again, this part could be interpreted in many different ways. I’ve seen theories spanning from Solas creating the Veil causing the magical floating Arlathan to fall from the sky and destroying the mountain in the process, to the Lady’s “tears” actually being Mythal’s (Great dragon) blood that somehow dripped in the lake when she was murdered, which is why centuries later, the actual Calenhad Theirin would gain special powers when he made a bargain with an old witch (Flemeth?) and drank from said lake.

So yeah, as you can see, there’s a lot to take from all this as far as unhinged tinfoil theories and strange parallels go. lol

And with all of this in mind, I’d like to look at the Black City in the 2020 teaser mural again, as you also might have notice that, in addition to the whole mountain shaped Dread Wolf, when turned upside down, the Black City appears to keep the silhouette of a city, no matter how you look at it?

In fact, a lot of depictions we’ve seen of the Black City share this rather oddly shaped silhouette.

There’s also this stained glass, depicting the city upside down and in both gold and black.

I actually don’t know what to take from all this. It’s just something I’ve noticed while gathering images. lol

But while we’re at it and flipping everything on its head now.. lol While I was looking at all the Trespasser murals again, I also noticed that, when flipped upside down, two of the murals actually form a full circle when put together.

And ohh, would you look at that, there’s the “mountain” (Titan) at the bottom again with the Black City “on top” of it, just like the mural in the 2020 teaser when flipped upside down?? 😂 (Also interesting parallel to note with Solas holding the orb(?) on both the left side of each mural.)

Now, I know I sound super unhinged and I actually don’t think this is supposed to mean anything and it’s probably just a crazy coincidence (..right??), but.... what IF we just go full on tinfoil here now and assume that it IS actually supposed to be looked at this way......

In all the murals we’ve seen thus far, the circle was always assumed to represent the Veil, right? So when looking at it this way, it would put the Titan inside the Fade within the Veil beneath the Black City, right?

So.. Here’s my crazy idea...

Even though we know the Fade is an ever-changing place not bound to any rules of reality or a set geography.. What if the rocky landscapes we see in the “raw Fade” are actually all part of a sleeping/dead Titan(s)?

And while we are looking at these rocks again, am I the only one reminded of the structures seen in the deepest level of the The Descent dlc, a gargantuan cavern located in the so called “Wellspring” within a Titan, which is grouped at the expedition table as a location within “the Uncharted Abyss”.

“The Abyss”, also called the Void in different cultures, myths and historical texts in DA lore, is said to be a place whose location is undefined, but believed to be somewhere within the Fade, “empty places between dreams” (or, according to Solas, the place where spirits are reborn).

So if we go back to the Wellspring again, where we’re looking at what appears to be a literal abyss, a vast sea of clouds.. What we expected to be the deepest and darkest place in the world is revealed to be a bright, seemingly endless “sky” beneath the earth, or rather a Titan.

And with all this in mind, it’s even more intriguing now to go back to the beginning of this post, where we established that, in the Fade, the sky is not set to be “above” or “beneath”. It all depends on the expectation or perspective of the beholder.

(And btw, funnily enough, I actually encountered a bug once at the Wellspring that made it look like the sky was actually “falling down” on me. lol)

And lastly, in relation to all of this, I also want to point out this little quote, said by Flemeth in DA2:

“The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss.”

While we all know our favorite old witch likes to be overly ambiguous and cryptic in her phrasing, maybe we should take this quote more literal than we previously thought? lol Maybe, with the Veil collapsing some way or another and the angry tainted Titans awakened, the world might literally lose its so called “Pillars of the Earth”, plummeting into the endless void we’ve seen in The Descent.....

Well, shit.

Anyway, I’m afraid that’s all I had to say lol, and if you actually made it this far, thank you so much for engaging in this insanity. 😁 (And sorry if this turned out to be a total waste of your time. 😂)

Though I do have to mention, what actually prompted me to write this post in the first place, was seeing how some people are expecting Solas to be at the White Spire now after reading the synopsis of the upcoming comic series “The Missing” (if you want to know why, skip to the end of this post lol). The White Spire being an Antivan mountain with a very particular shape (at least according to this illustrated map of Thedas that came with every copy of Tevinter Nights).

(I can see where this thing got its name from. lol It almost reminds me of a volcano? 😂)

Which just so happens to ALSO kinda resemble the shape of the “upside down mountain” shaped Dread Wolf from the 2020 mural....

So.. take from this information whatever you like, because I don’t know anything anymore... My head hurts from all this spinning. I’m out. 🥴

[ferret-does-stuff]

What I think could happen in Double because the wait is killing me:

So if you've seen my blog before you'd know I am a little bit insane about Milgram, especially Mikoto so I thought that I would make one last theory post on him before the release of Double. This will mainly focus on his song's teaser and voice lines

First let's look at the official translation of Double's lyrics so far:

"I should have saved you, but why are you crying?"

"Rely on me, praise me with your song, I am your saviour"

Let's start with the first line before we piece everything together

The singer saying that "I should have saved you" makes it seem that the main speaker of this song will be one of the alters. The title "Double" could refer to this alter and the host Mikoto, or this alter and another potential alter if the three alter theory is correct, although the former seems more likely.

I think that a major part of Double will be some kind of flashback to Mikoto's past and how the alter/s came to be. I mentioned in a previous post that Mikoto's father could potentially be the reason for his DID through child abuse, which he may have been arrested for, thus him being out of the picture and Mikoto not remembering much of him (possibly through repression)

Now for the second line, "I am your saviour" points to this alter being a protector, most likely the first one to make themself known. I think part of the MV will show the first time an alter protected mikoto, possibly by attacking the person responsible for the repeated abuse.

Could this tell us anything about the victim? Probably not. But I'm going inhale some copium and try anyway.

Mikoto's victim (or at least one of them) is almost definitely a colleague of his. I don't personally believe the gang theory (because Mikoto dislikes violence, not much else sorry) so I believe the victim may have been harassing him, overworking him or just generally causing him to become ridiculously stressed to the point an alter intervenes, or Mikoto himself does.

In the voice line trailer:

"Oh, Es... It's been a while"

Not much to say, Mikoto doesn't seem the remember the initial interrogation. This seems to be Host Mikoto.

"Ack... oww... my head hurts"

This might hint that over the course of the trials the other alters may have been fronting more, or this could be a stress response to being put in a previously stressful situation.

"*screaming* DESTROY EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!"

These glitches voice line translations are iffy, but if the other lines are to be believed then this may be what Mikoto was saying/going through his head when "he" committed the murder. The screaming makes it seem like he's not... himself. Mikoto could be suffering a breakdown of some kind, or a more agressive alter was responsible for the murder.

Any other theories I would love to hear! If I made and mistakes please correct me.

[basiltonpitch]

It meta is perfect because I have seen a lot of people say it makes not sense for them to not talk about it but it does! One of the biggest issues with Devi is that she finds it hard to open herself up emotionally especially since her fathers death and she has been trying to control everything about her life since then even her romantic and sexual life so her feelings for Ben were unexpected. Her feelings for Ben are dare I say bigger than her feelings for Paxton ever were and I think there’s reluctance in being in a relationship with him because of those reasons connected to Mohan. I don’t think Devi knows how to handle how Ben makes her feel and how the reason she went to him to be her first time is because she knows she’s safe with him. He knows her better than anyone else. And that is scary because she can’t pretend with him because he will know.

So yes, it makes sense that she just had a moment that connected her emotionally and intimately with someone and she’s terrified. And Devis been fantasizing about her first time her entire life and she had this sexy idea of it but it resembles more what Kamala told her. She needs to be ready to handle that level of emotional connection so she runs away from it. She now hyper focus on college as a distraction.

And Ben… it’s very natural for him to interpret that moment as a one time thing especially after everything that has happened w Devi. She ran out of there, didn’t contact him, and I think he does not want to feel hopeful about them again He doesn’t know l Devi likes him back, he doesn’t know she got butterflies with him, he doesn’t know he was the person she trusted the most to have her first time with. It’s normal for him to interpret that as nothing at all and go with Margot because it’s easier so he won’t get his heart broken again.

Devi and Ben need to grow a lot emotionally to be able to be together, there’s a lot of baggage they need to unpack before a proper confession.

i'm guessing this is in regards to this ask i answered (also sorry this is a few days late!!!) but yes thank you!!!!

that conversation with kamala i feel like can easily sum up what happened with ben and devi - as opposed to her relationship with paxton, she actually was ready with ben, she was excited for it - and then. well. ben and devi are king and queen of miscommunication (or lack thereof) so of course they both get hurt!!! and it's simultaneously neither of their faults and both of their faults - of course devi ghosts ben afterwards, he didn't try to stop her leaving, the coupon was very clearly one free boink, she's scared! and what was ben supposed to think? as far as we know, he's not aware that she's staying in sherman oaks yet, and she all but ran out of there.

but like i said: it is both of their faults, too. neither one reached out afterwards, they didn't talk, neither of them dared express that this meant more than a one night stand or a last-ditch attempt at losing their virginities. (which like. virginity isnt even a real fucking thing but thats a conversation for another time) and of course my perspective on this is likely to change at least a bit after seeing s4, because i'm solely working off of what we were given in the teaser and the trailer, but like. idk man they're both at fault and they're also both not. they're teenagers - this kind of shit is expected of them, you know?

but i'm so excited to see how they continue to grow and mature and, like you said, emotionally unpack before finally laying it all out there. i can't wait to see when they finally realize how much they mean to each other, you know? when they both finally accept that they are wanted by each other, not just physically, but romantically, too. they've been building up to this for so long and god it is going to be so worth the payoff

[jacquelinemerritt]

Dragon Ball Z: Abridged Episode 45 Review

Originally posted May 6th, 2016

Characters are shuffled, and momentum is lost.

“Hyperbolic Plot Device” is one of many episodes of Dragonball Z: Abridged that has been consistently difficult to review. So many episodes of this show have to, by necessity, spend a decent amount of time shuffling characters into different locations so that the characters can confront one another in a fun action set-piece, only to then have to be shuffled around to the next fight.

This has actually caused me to consistently question whether I should be reviewing episodes individually, as the episodes where characters are shuffled often directly lead into and are complimented by the action-packed episodes that follow them, and I’ve often felt like I might be unfairly judging the shuffling episodes, believing that it would be more fair to weigh the episodes on their collective merits rather than their individual merit.1

Of course, ultimately, each episode is its own individual entity, and it does have to be weighed primarily on its individual merits, and the merits of “Hyperbolic Plot Device” are unquestionably lacking. Most of the episode is spent with Krillin and company, who spend the entire episode wandering around aimlessly until deciding to go to Kame House, because Goku is awake and they naturally don’t have to worry about Cell anymore.

This, of course, puts them directly in the path of the Androids, and the only reason this pays off is because they earlier established that the Dragonballs are no longer in existence, putting them in actual mortal peril. While the battle between a fusion powered Piccolo and the three Androids is a great teaser for the next episode, the approach to it isn’t earned, and given that we spend about a third of the episode getting these characters into the path of the Androids, it makes the episode somewhat unsatisfying as a whole.

Thankfully, half of the episode, which follows Goku as he takes the other Saiyans to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, doesn’t share these issues. This half is entirely driven by Goku, who, yes, wants to train like he always does, but his need for training is motivated by the threat of Cell on the horizon.

This is fairly simple storytelling, of course, but it’s complimented by the fact that Goku, the lead protagonist of the show, is finally back from his plot-mandated heart-attack, and it’s genuinely fun to see him back and interacting with his son, Vegeta, and Mr. Popo, all of whom have great contrasting dynamics with him.3 Perhaps absence may have made my heart grow fonder, but regardless, the return of Goku is incredibly welcome, and brings focus to what would otherwise have been a very misguided episode.

Rating: 4/5

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Stray Observations

1It obviously is far too late to change the format of these reviews, but if you ever wondered why my reviews of the specials or films have tended to be quite a bit longer than most of my reviews of the episodes, then you now know why. It is very difficult to write a lot about characters being shuffled around, but the specials and films all have character driven plots with a beginning, middle, and end, which makes everything so much easier to write about.

2Piccolo essentially complains about this, but his complaints don’t change that they’ve taken a break for no apparent reason.

3Trunks’ dynamic with Goku is pretty comparable to Gohan’s, only without any of father issues that make Gohan and Goku’s relationship actually interesting. Trunks (rightfully) has all of that saved for his own father.

The Androids also take up the last bit of the episode, and they have solid motivation as well (which they’ve had since they were introduced). It was also quite satisfying to see Android 16 take control, even if it was only for a moment.

“This is supposed to be a place of fun!”

Trunks: “Notice me!” Vegeta: “No!”

Goku: “I was having a ninja dream, but it ended.” Hehe, clever timing, because Naruto had just ended, and so his ninja dream ended, and that’s… Okay, yeah, shutting up now.

Chi Chi’s demand that Goku put another baby in her probably should feel sexist or reductive, but it doesn’t at all. I credit that to the decision of Team Four Star to, since the beginning, equate Chi Chi’s strength and rage with the passion of motherhood, meaning that when she asks for another child, it’s because raising her children is the greatest joy of her life, and that joy is the only thing that can compensate for the endless stupidity Goku gets himself and Gohan involved in.

Goku: “When you fall off that horse, you get right back up, and you eat that horse! Come eat that horse with me Vegeta!”

Mr. Popo: “Here it is, maggots, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.” Goku: “Wait, I thought it was called the Room of Spirit and Time?” Mr. Popo: “I said that ‘cause you kept mispronouncing it.”

[writingmochi]

an honest review of the world ep fin: will from musical and conceptual observation (not proofread)

opening remarks: hi hi hello! for real, i didn't follow much of the main teaser promotional era because i was and still am busy with college and trying to get myself to write cause ughh it's so hard. but the fact that this is the end of the strickland era is melancholic for me... i think that the world era shaped ateez's sound so much as edenary + hongjoong mingi is now more taking their edm sound towards country and latin sound that is outside of the realm of pop music as we know it.

concept-wise, it's the same strickland concept but a more military style? like if guerilla is them creating the conception of the rebellion, bouncy is them going undercover, then crazy form is their battle song. and it definitely shows how both treasure fin and the world fin are both full-length albums with their battle song as the title tracks. i also really enjoy how they incorporate comic book influences into the concept, like i still don't know if they are ateez, halateez, or a new persona. based on the unit songs, we might hear various genres from the quick to the slow. if that is right, then track sequencing will be important too

let's do this!

1.we know: why does it sound so spacey? like the level of their battle has reached orbit level. but then the bass comes in and drags you back to earth. oh i love how the low-range timbre members shine here + jongho and his belting of course. it's slow yet has a tame chaotic vibe to it, like a motivational speech vibe. i also like how they're not shy to repeat the chorus multiple times to double down that yeah... they know, they know that you know they will catch you ;)

2.emergency: that bass synth line in the chorus is so SICK! i can hear a more chiptune vibe from this especially the synth line in the chorus, like something i can hear in a 16-bit video game. and the fact that it is gone in the last chorus really hits you hard with the drop. based on the lyrics, this song is literally about them and how they still have to be careful(?) with it. like they seem confident but also insecure at the same time especially with the repeat of "who has got my back". it's like the second part of the motivational speech that we know has started like "who is coming with me?" hyping ppl up in a battle against the world.

3.crazy form: ateez as always spoiler songs in their mv! and we get it! this definitely shows how meticulous their art direction has been planned. they might even is currently an album that might be released in 2025 because of how intricate their planning is (makes me wanna see the behind the scene process cause i think they're one of the best idol company in korea rn, especially since i consider that ateez is a indie kpop artist.

like bouncy, i like how they incorporate the korean instrumental sound in it. never letting go of their origins even if their music is going worldwide. this song isn't as brash as guerilla and bouncy. like it is made subdued for a reason. even ppl are confused if the chorus should be a drop or an anti-drop because of how subdued it is. also the hwawooyunyeosan chorus line is just *chef's kiss*. the refrain istg i agree with them so much. and what i love with how subdued the verses are is that they're going hard on the outro. i kinda want another chorus after the outro cause it just ends so abruptly, like the exciting counterpart of the default chorus with the bass just booming in my ears.

also, just a comment for the marketing team who is trying to make this just as a famous challenge as bouncy is: not all title track can be a challenge. other than it is a lightning-in-a-bottle situation, the song and choreo doesn't hit as hard a challenge song as bouncy. i'm thinking that they have to focus more on the performance aspect of the song rather than trying to make it viral, go to shows like studio choom to showcase the performance more.

4.arriba: the latin/hispanic influences definitely show with this song, from the lyrics to the rhythm and choices of chords and melody line. like i can definitely hear a clave playing in the background if they push more towards the influence. it definitely is a sound that the usamericans like, as latin is literally taking over the music there.

what i want to comment is WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT RHYTHMIC NOTATION IN YOUR RAP MINGI?? THAT'S TOO COOOL. definitely the highlight of the song for me. you're definitely going odd signature with it and i love it so much. (i count a 6/8, but i think it definitely has either a 5/8 or 7/8 in it.)

5.silver light: CYBERPUNK TEEZ!! ooh that reverb synth hits hard. i can definitely hear the synthwave sound with this especially when the chorus hits. the outrun aesthetic definitely shows up in my mind. that descending bass synth sheesh, before it became such a fat sound.

the sound mixing is a bit messed up cause the vocal swims with the instrumental with the part where there are so many layers. like i can't hear yeosang's voice that much because the eq is too similar...

6.crescent part 2: ISTG i miss answer with this so much! (i'm gonna listen to it after this) the piraty sounds uGhgh before it became waltzy. istg if this is the real ateez and we've been following halateez D:

7.dreamy day: right after the interlude, we're introduced to a brighter sound. as if as they have done what they're doing in strickland and retire to the beach aka their second home honestly. gives off aurora vibes but also eternal sunshine. but its like its a shade darker especially coming from what they've done in strickland, like it's not a bright as wave. istg this song definitely shows me how ateez found their sound in both darker and lighter spectrum of sound and i love them for that.

8.matz (98 liners): BRO THAT DROP! okay we're doing cypher style huh? this song encapsulates matz so much tho like "hey, this is who we are and fuck you for thinking otherwise." gosh my ears are blessed to hear rapper seonghwa in this. it reminds me of the bts rap line songs though it doesn't hit as hard for me, imo. (like ugh, cypher pt 3, ddaeng, it's just too good man.) that last chorus gives off old-school 90s rap tbh like. this is just me but like they give off such a kpop twist to madvillain's madvillainy album. like they see themselves as vigilantes and i like that so much!!

9.it's you (yeowoosan): ooh club song? ooh yeah definitely. i can see this song playing in like a dark, steamy type of club where all you can see is objects being highlighted with red. it definitely matches with yeowoosan so much as them sexy boys. oh, reading the lyrics i can understand the innuendos, like using peter pan and neverland as references to the high of sex? fuck you for that.

10.youth (yungi): lo-fi rnb song! LET"S GOO! i thought it's gonna be like vmin's friend but the sound is more like namjoon's indigo (which definitely suits them more), especially since it's talking about their youth and how adulting is hard I CAN FUCKING RELATE gosh yun's voice is so good here, like if my boy make songs akin to crush/zion t, i will definitely support you so much. it definitely combines a bit of their hip-hop side with the drum sample so it's a bit like bedroom pop song. oh gosh, it does sound like bedroom pop :D

11.everything (solo jjong ftw): ooh when the chords hit, i thought it's gonna be like youth, but the bpm slowed down as jongho's voice pushes forward. jongho and k-ballad: match made in heaven honestly. i also think that this such a good song for winter and at a time you just wanna to reminiscent of the year. that modulation ffs and the percussion. GET IT JONGHO ISTG the fact the his vocals pushes the instrumental to follow him. i'll pay to watch this perform live asvdhfdvj

12.fin: will: outro track! it's more like trance but it's very light because of the synth sound which i think it's more like strings. istg my guy maddox with his soft voice before the instrumental just barges you with so many colors as they're harmonizing. definitely an end credits type of song. and a happy ending as they now faces a new world... or is it?

closing remarks: coming from two darker album, this one definitely gives a brighter glow as it implies that they "won" their battle.

how do you finish a sci-fi cyberpunk concept albums? by giving it a melancholic happy ending and hope. it reminds me of the sci-fi stories i know like serial experiments lain, star wars, etc that when it ends it has a melancholic way. like it seems that once they've finished their journey, their tired selves shows as they retreat back to the beach, celebrating just within them as they see the aftermath of what they're done. it definitely shows music-wise.

when it comes to track sequencing, it is definitely done well. i can trace how the heroes journey is going as they enter the third act of their rebellion and how after crescent, it shows the epilogue after what they've gone. it definitely hits me more profoundly when i think more of it. definitely giving of answer vibes so much.

the highlight of this comeback, for me, is san. it's like he's in his peak right; physical-wise, skill-wise, and more. i love how he plays around with his vocal timbre from the lowest he can go to the highest he can sing. a very versatile performer as his skill grew and continue to grow from the last five years. san's going crazy with it and he deserves it so much. the boys deserve their success so much and i'm happy for them.

for the cons: suffice it to say that i know we're gonna get a brighter sounding album when i see that there's gonna be unit songs. but i think the album suffers from continuity of sound because of how both ep 1 and ep 2 has sounded. i thought we're gonna have more songs like halazia in the b-sides before the interlude because it will definitely hit harder with the cyberpunk sound. and because of that, this album just doesn't hit me as much as treasure fin. it's like they're trying to refurbished treasure fin but with a more electronic sound rather than marching band, especially if we wanna compare wonderland with crazy form. and since we have like 3 eras with the same beat through and through, i actually can feel the fatigue now when you realize it.

but, i'm still very much happy with the world's concept, marketing cycles with their guerilla marketing and so forth. they deserve to be called one of the best kpop acts active right now.

final ranking:

12.fin: will

11.crescent part 2 (i miss the pirate orchestra sound)

10.it's you (i'm in the ace spectrum so i tend to get repulsive towards steamy club song lol)

9.matz (madvillain wannabes honestly. could be executed better)

8.youth (istg pls collab with j-hope if you can i beg :3 i wanna see yungi with hoseok)

7.everything (give jongho more solo ballad songs istg)

6.silver light (yes, i'm also getting exhausted with poppy synthwave)

5.dreamy day

4.emergency (not me thinking of the hwa wip i have because of the chiptune song. it can be more lemon demon if they commit to chiptune/breakcore)

3.we know

2.arriba (now i understand why this is the second-highest streamed song in the album...)

1.9024 kick that drum / my ego in this show / to the moon we go / hey, this is some crazy form!!

small conclusion: now i wanna listen to answer, and am now petitioning ateez to do an instrumental album, one for orchestra and another one for edm/dnb. who's with me??

[alzerin]

Aight y'all, let's discuss the whole Genshin Impact Sumeru problem. This isnt about the leaks, it's about managing expectations and deciding for yourself whether or not sumeru (and natlan by the looks of things) will be a deal breaker for y'all playing the game. Long post ahead.

I'm from one of the countries that Sumeru is supposedly inspired by, so personally I had no faith in the devs. For anyone expecting the region to be accurate in any way, I'm sorry but it simply will not and cannot be. Sumeru was doomed from the word go. That isn't to say it's going to be all bad, of course, the team in charge of geography and landscaping clearly did a great job and put a lot of work into it, but the folks at the music and cultural department didn't get the same memo.

Let's start off with intentions. Sumeru was announced to be inspired by the middle east, India, Pakistan, and the regions thereabouts. From the word go that's a red flag that just means "vaguely brown"

Why? Because brown cultures aren't popular. The reason japan and liyue are as detailed as they are, is because the game devs are chinese, and japanese "culture" is popularised via the spread of anime. Of course, it isnt accurate, but all that matters is most people thinking that its accurate. The music in both regions was amazing, in part because japanese and chinese cultures are closely tied and take inspiration from one another in many musical aspects.

Why do you think inazuma is filled with sakura trees and foxes? Why do you think it has a light novel fad? Because all these things constitute the parts of Japan that have been glamorized to the world. The sakura trees bloom once a year but anime makes people (and let's be honest a lot of them are white people) think it's far more common.

What does this have to do with sumeru? Well? Is any brown culture popular in the mainstream? The extent of it that most people see is just those vaguely brown bazaars and deserts that so many action movie chase scenes happen in. You end up correlating brown with turbans and onion domes, but can you honestly say you know what the significance is behind either of them?

Mihoyo is a chinese gacha studio driven by profits. White sells, vaguely brown sells, and so long as they can make it look good on the surface they dont much care for accuracy. In fact, accuracy has been impossible from the word go, too.

The teaser we recieved of sumeru in the teyvat chapter storyline is Cyno. What is the one thing we all know is attributed to cyno? Anubis. Is Anubis brown? Of course not that's Egyptian, thats African culture. But in the eyes of whitewashers, in the eyes of folks whose beauty standards are dependent on fairness of skin, Egyptians are brown or white. This is where I knew for sure they were just trying to polite about saying that Sumeru would be based off of brown folks.

I'm not saying you should stop playing the game entirely, and I'm not saying you shouldn't argue and fight with mihoyo over it, but you DO need to be prepared for this to happen with Natlan. You need to understand, that if you're the kind of person that cares about accurate representation in Sumeru, you also likely aren't the kind of big spender mihoyo gives a shit about.

On a other note, lots of people have been pissed off with the archon design. I'm afraid to say I entirely expected this as well. If you aren't brown yourself, if you arent from a middle eastern or south east asian country, you may not be familiar with the trope of the "Lily in the Desert". It's a popular thing once you look for it.

In a desert, the most beautiful woman or the most important one is always as pale as can be, especially when the desert region isnt the focus of the story. The Lily of the desert is pretty, delicate, fragile, pale. Often times she is smaller than others, and will appear almost like porcelain. Sound familiar?

Mihoyo might give a singular shit about the architecture, if only because the department in charge of building designs has proven themselves to be passionate. But don't get your hopes up.

The only reason we accept this kind of thing with monstadt despite the Germanic roots being barely referenced, is because they filled monstadt with white folks and German-ish names. Does any monstadt music sound specifically Germanic to you? No? Just Vaguely European again? Yeah that's probably what you'll see in Fontaine too. We dont look too hard because they're supposed to be white and so them being milk-toast in the cultural sense makes sense to the white people playing.

I'm not saying any of this to be rude, and I'm well aware that a lot of what I'm saying could be taken the wrong way.

So in closing, you need to decide now whether sumeru is a dealbreaker for you. When deciding, keep in mind that the gameplay, the character designs and music will still be good (though the characters will be pale and the music is also vaguely brown) and the landscaping will remain immaculate. The story will remain good. However, mihoyo will not listen to complaints from non-spenders, and you need to manage your expectations because at the end of the day, this dev studio has never had to think about cultural awareness before and they arent going to start any time soon.

Chinese companies have an incredibly ethnocentric world view, and despite all the good titles and works you see from them there will always be an underlying shade bias and ignorance to other ethnicities that arent part of the mainstream.

I personally will continue to play because this sort of thing was unavoidable. Of course I'm bummed out about it, of course I had a little hope, but having my culture overlooked is nothing new to me. If I boycotted things based off of it, I'd never experience anything.

Your decision on whether or not to keep playing too, is no way a measure of your morality. People want to enjoy things, I get it, and problematic media can sometimes be enjoyable. What's important is to recognize the issues, and keep pushing for improvement while you go along.

Anyway, that's my perspective on the Sumeru issue. I'm sure others feel differently, but I'm not claiming to speak for everyone. If theres any area here that requires clarification, feel free to ask and I'll get back to you when I can.

As an aside, I am not Muslim nor do I have a deep understanding of Islam so I will defer to the Islamic community on the Dori issue.

[wroteclassicaly]

May I Taste Your Sin

(Michael Langdon x Female Reader)

Pairings : Michael Langdon x Female Reader

Warnings : Language, smut, blood, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, oral sex, blood play, & period sex.

A/N : This fic has been a loooong time coming! I’m sorry it’s taken me this long, but now that I have inspo I wanted get this out for y’all! The warnings are obviously self-explanatory, so skip this if you don’t like the contents it’s gonna contain! Michael Langdon eats human hearts, and he’s a demon, before anyone starts to fuss over this, lol. I’m sure menstrual cycles with his partner would be a dessert to him!

Enjoy! This one is pretty intense, so I’m nervous about it! I also have more installments with different characters coming in the next few days! :)

Check out where I first posted the teaser for this fic, and check out these period sex headcanons I wrote for Michael!

~*~

He keeps staring at you. You try to move about, do your tasks, even attempt conversation with people you’d tried so hard to avoid these past several years. Your abilities to function like the human being that you are, seemingly vanish whenever the tall honey blond is within your exhausted proximities. You aren’t sure if you’d like to let out the loudest echoing scream and see where it ends up in this place, or let your wildest carnal urges guide your hormones into a literal sticky situation. Or, at the very least, let yourself fantasize about seducing him in your own self-created version of reality.

You’ll have to settle on the latter, unfortunately. Pocketing the cream colored dish rag, you place the last row of finely printed novels on the book shelve. Your fingertips linger, attempting to find a portal through their leather cover tops. Your tongue slicks your parched lips, neck stretching to crack out the tension. You aren’t trying to do anything but stealing some relaxation, when a largely hot hand is pressing a knot-out in a knead on your shoulder - clasping, settling a risky purchase.

You don’t have to make an educated guess to know whose hand that belongs to. He practically spews out his control and ownership of this place every chance that he gets. Biting down a venomous sigh, you coerce yourself into a turn around - gathering an eyeful of Langdon’s fancy black vest. That’s not good enough for the King, apparently, as he fits his pointer finger underneath your chin in a tuck, thumb pressing against your jaw to tilt your gaze to his own.

“Did you forget your manners, Miss Y/L/N?”

The way his shining eyes are sizing your attention, captivating your unwillingness to comply to how Langdon makes you feel - it can’t be humanly possible, can it? There’s that possessive ache that begs you to launch ownership over him and his entire body. Why is everything so widely dramatic whenever he’s around? Is he just full of himself or is it something way more than you’re aware? A crackling parch winds its pathway around your throat, sealing your breath in.

Nothing comes from between your lips. You’re frozen solid, legs a weightless press. Each touch this... man brings upon your body is like a bass thump - pumping you towards his secretive rhythm. All you can do is sway with the beat. Langdon smirks coyly, his other hand resting behind his back in an idle grace.

Neither of you dare utter a word. However, Langdon is seemingly content in making you squirm and you try to focus on everything but his perfectly crafted jawline, and how eagerly you’d suck on it if asked. You swear you can hear your heartbeat galloping off, so strong that it can tear your heart right out of your chest along with it. His colorful eyes glance over you in a brief stamping sweep, lingering at your sore breasts and your waistline.

What is he even doing...?

“Excuse me, but Ms. Venable did not authorize any private conferences with the help.” A cold and steel - grasped voice chills your bones down, dusting your cheeks with a reddening humiliation.

You haven’t even so much as spoken to Langdon, yet it feels like you two have been clawing and scratching at each other all over this fucking outpost, riding one another until you can’t fathom walking upright. You still can’t speak, but Langdon takes care of that for you.

“Interesting, and did Ms. Venable give you permission to waltz in here when you weren’t requested or required, just to give a meaningless order?” Langdon is mildly amused in his question, his hand still paused on your chin, thumb now swiping in a tickling drop with his fingertip - along your jaw.

Ms. Mead looks comical in her brief attempt at forming a snappy comeback, only to go silent in defeat. You take this tension as your escape line - quickly edging from the sacred confines Langdon has built for you two, and you all but run out the door. You’re clutching your shirt collar, punching a two pounce path up the staircase and to the help’s quarters.

Chores now, panic later.

~*~

Five minutes. Five fucking minutes in this place that you’ve served without question, complaint, for nearly two years - is all you want. But as the heavy handed rasps of Mead’s knuckle bones beat on your bathroom door, you know that is a simple pipe dream. Her low voice is harsh with you, making your headache unfold into a full blown migraine. You shift uncomfortably, knees knocking together, thighs sore against the cool porcelain seat below you.

Langdon must’ve massively pissed her off... Good.

Your palms collect purchase to your cradle your face, your eyes glistening with tears, throat burning with frustration. It hurts too much to stand upright this time. Normally women would lose this in stressful situations. Add the apocalypse and barely eating, you’d peg it normal to receive nothing. However, your predicament is much worse, fucking you over once more.

Your body welcomes Mother Nature each month. Unpredictable, yet there. Heavy, excruciating. You could list on and on reasons that don’t amount to much. You’re stuck with a part of you that won’t ever come to fruition.

Not in your former life, especially not in this one. Another reminder that carries an award winning irony. Sighing, you peer down at the red dish rag you were given. Literally on the rag, what a joyous harmony. The elites of course, are given the tampons and pads.

You have to use scraps of fabric you’re forced to wash in the bathtub if you move too fast or sneeze. And on your heavy days when you haven’t the time to stop your duties to wash and air out the towels, things are much harder. At least before the apocalypse you had chocolate, feminine products, a warm shower to take your time in, movies to curl up with, and a place of your own to cry where no one could hear you. You sniffle, hormones locking down your heart.

Most recently the outpost had welcomed the cooperative leader Langdon. He had interviewed everyone but you, uninterested, only flustering you a few times. Him being here just makes your period a more unwelcome storm. This morning as you were passing him on the landing of the staircase, delivering the bath towels to elite rooms, he stared at you. Right into you, nostrils flaring, tongue rolling out to slick his plump lips, blue eyes darkening.

Then there was this afternoon. How could I forget...?

The encounters were over quicker than they took place. Still, his acknowledgment of you didn’t bring your interview, nor did it promise your application for the sanctuary he preaches about. Forcing your tears to bank, you stand with your dress skirt and apron held up, staring at the stained rag in your panties. You turn and flush the toilet, eating back around to the shock of your fucking life. There, just feet in the from the doorway, is Langdon in all his glory.

It makes you swallow harshly, stomach drawing off the butterflies that have grown claws. You feel winded. His ring covered fingers bring an object to your sights. A thinly wrapped stick. You don’t answer, you don’t move, you don’t protest him approaching until he’s directly in front of you.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You try, a mere whisper betraying your bravery.

“Helping you,” He answers simply, a heated slide crossing his mouth. You can practically taste him, damn near swaying forward.

You start to snap back into your senses, ready to cover your remembered modesty back up. He grasps your wrist, a hungry look soft in his features. “Will you let me?”

You’re shaking, body on fire at him touching you, you try to keep your legs from clenching, that want. You know what will occur if you let yourself. He is gentle with you, admiration clear. Why? You don’t understand this.

“You’re bleeding, I know.”

Jaw unhinged, you stand upright, his fingers still ghosting your skin. An unlucky movement on your part, the warmth spills from you and you look down between your thighs in horror at the red lines running down your legs, pattering against the floor. Langdon is breathing heavily, practically panting, stunning you once more. His other hand grips your cheek, thumb swiping your lip, eyes not breaking contact from yours.

“Do you know how good your cunt smells? Every pathetic person in this outpost is starving and you have the best meal between your fucking legs.”

When your silence stretches on, Michael nudges forward, careful with you. “May I feast?”

It’s all too much to handle. Having him talk to you, you speaking to him. And now this? How? You begin to grow dizzy, hands trembling as you try to pull your clothing back up. Langdon’s hands grip your wrists.

“Please don’t do that.”

You want to stun him incredulously, backhand him. None of that is happening, not even the urge. Instead, your want for him is magnifying beyond any feigned ignorance. Your tongue slides out across your lips, teeth biting down on your bottom lip in a brisk chew. Langdon hooks his middle finger between your teeth, releasing your lip and combing the blood across in a coppery gloss.

Your chest is startled, rising and falling in quivering quakes, ears hearing a static rush. Everything inside of you is alive and crying out in need to be sated. Langdon grips you around the waist, lowering his forehead to rest atop your own, his middle finger - still doused in your blood - slithers past his own lips, which close in a sticky suckle. A vibrating moan pummels his throat, causing a constricting swallow that showcases his Adam’s apple.

If I could only just lick that...

Langdon is sly and devilishly cunning to a fault - fast in his next movements. He presses a designer boot down over your skirts, successfully preventing them from being made up. “Leave them here for someone else.”

“I... I can’t. This is too much, Langdon —“ He chuckles at the formality.

“Since I can see your womanhood running from between your legs, I suppose it’s only fair that we skip some formalities, don’t you agree, Y/N?” Your eyes are probably wider than necessary - a cartoon like sight. He’s used your full name in an authoritative command, leaving no room for question. “And you may call me Michael.”

It’s all a little more frantic from this point. He gives the slightest of information, and you see your skirts and panties gliding across the floor in a winded push. Michael brings that wrapped item back into your eye-line. “We won’t be needing this for a while.”

“I didn’t say yes.” You try, swallowing a weak, whimpering stifle.

“But you didn’t say no, did you?” That shit eating grin. He has you and he is all too aware - elated to the brimming brimstone of hellfire you’re about to bestow upon yourself.

Your insides melt into the trenches of red hot, raw ravishment. Michael drops his left arm down, hand palming his hardening cock through black slacks, eyes encouraging you in a chained bind. “Let’s go and make a mess in my room.”

Now or never. No more of this, back to reality, maybe some place better. You’re spinning in a foiling encasement, precipice wide and open - hungry to pull you under. And you dive in, you let it all go. Michael looks satisfied, sharing something with himself that you don’t know... yet.

Taking Michael Langdon’s hand, you’re led into the unknown.

~*~

Langdon leads you down his own separate corridor, your free hand scolded for trying to hold yourself over your uniform.

“I want you to make a mess.” Michael says.

You hope that you’re not the one who will be paying the cost for your own said mess, or cleaning it up. If it’s up to Venable - you’ll be licking it, all the way to her high heeled boots.

Once inside the confines of Michael Langdon’s bedroom, you take the time to look around, enjoying the perks this situation is bringing. The room isn’t any different than what the purple elites get here, it is bordering on a more... lived in feel, which is ironic when you consider that Langdon hasn’t been here like everyone else has for the past three years.

Guess he’s just more comfortable? He does look like an English vampire half the time..

On that note, a particularly harsh cramp antagonizes your uterus, causing you to clench your abdomen, choking out a acidic slice. “Fucking demonic cramps.”

Michael - now clad in his all black ensemble, minus the overcoat - chortles, knotting his fingers together behind his back and strolls forward, wetting his lips as the firelight crackles a sparking soundtrack. “It’s ironic how you refer to it as “demonic”, when Satan really has nothing to do with this. I mean, it’s not on him that humanity failed their pitiful guidelines for sobering temptation. Wasn’t it your lord and savior that bestowed this curse upon you?” He finishes, giving a head tilt to your unhinged stun.

“Are you religious?” Is all you can come up with.

Michael sneers, looking slightly offended. It fades seconds later. “Depends on your definition of religious, and then there is what one believes in. But I guess you can say that I’m devoted to... a certain cause.”

“Were you this mysterious before the apocalypse, or is that why the cooperative gave you the job?” You try, a discomfort crackling at your inner thighs.

They’re probably smeared... And not just with blood.

“I bet you’re uncomfortable.” Michael teases, snapping his fingers at the fireplace. Did your eyes betray you, or did the flames flicker?

You want to give a snappy comeback, but it feels unwise. You nod like the sap that you are, nails biting your palms. Your heartbeat has begun to accelerate, a visible sight beneath your apron. Langdon guides himself to step in front of you, leather shoes drumming across the floor beneath. Every sound in this forsaken room is flowing through your eardrums - Michael’s scent on the tip of your tongue.

You need him. More than your body has to have the air that filters underneath this mausoleum. You’re so unsteady, eyes brimming with the smoking arousal, blocking common sense. Michael catches you as you collide with his chest, wrapping your fists into his vest. His blue irises are disappearing to a canyon of night sky - lavish black so sinful that it steals the breath from your lungs.

Drizzling off your tongue is a hesitation. “Won’t we get into trouble...? Venable -“ Those rough fingertips hold a softness that hushes your lips, denting.

“Can watch me with my face buried into your cunt. The humiliation will arouse her.” Michael answers in his own finish.

You aren’t sure why, but that grates your mouth into a sneaky grin, shared with Michael’s, sensing that slapping throb at his phrases. He pinches your chin, nuzzling your head to the side, his lips sloping a map across your neck. His towering physique backs you by knocking his knees into your thighs, delivering you to the edge of his bed. You drop like wild weights, looking towards the ceiling, trying to take a deep inhalation. Langdon crouches, pants rustling as they tighten around his temptingly thick thighs.

He tuts in a scold, chiding you furthermore. “You will watch what I’m getting ready to do to you! Is that clear, Y/N?”

You don’t answer fast enough, Michael’s hand wrapping around your throat, eyes burning hellfire through you - dusting your bones to ash. Your throat is wet with the clingy, unshed tears. Fuck, you have to be filled up until you’re hollowed out. Michael is languid in grace, hand toppling into your lap, joining his other.

“Take down your hair, Y/N.”

Like a puppet, you obey your new owner. Unwrapping the pointed bun, you shake your locks free, sighing in an eased tickle.

“What a good and obedient girl that you are. Those who obey, shall reap the riches.”

“Why are you doing this?” An ignorant question on your part.

“Because,” As if it’s the most simple answer in this broken world, Michael let’s his hands start to unbutton his vest, carelessly sending it, his attention not wavering off you in the slightest. “I’m hungry.”

A literal moan comes from you, making Langdon hiss through his through his milky white teeth. He resumes his former position, hovering.

“Spread.” Michael says, a quaint wonder adorning him, his palms sliding up and down your legs to feel you part them. The blood is mixing some fucked out potion with your creamy arousal for him, and he knows it, has it right into your tremble from the exposure.

Your skin is steaming in scrapes, responding so vulgarly to Michael, that he is hooking his wrists under your knees, bouncing the flesh into his awaiting hands, and claiming. He hoists your legs over his shoulders to arch you to his idea of perfection. You should be protesting, in a shambled shyness. That is gone, no place here. Michael let’s his nose rest in the crease of your thigh, crudely sniffing like some beast.

His sopping tongue finds a striking stroke along your ruby red, damp thigh.

Closer... He’s getting closer...

When you can’t feel that warm and snide air he possesses, you lock to load a question. Michael is shedding himself of his remaining clothing in a cocky crawl. His hair curtains his face as he sees you seek out his cock - thick and heavy, weighted and wet with pre-cum.

“Finish taking off your clothing.” You’ve never done something so fast in your years alive.

You have to admit, being so vulnerable like this - naked and bleeding, it has you buzzing.

Michael outstretches a veined forearm, the back of his rings swirling in desiring dances across your breasts. “Do these hurt?”

Your lashes are slicked in perspiring tears, the tired soreness harassing your chest. He has his truth. His trim form bows to you once more, placing your legs back where they belong. He knuckles a pressing push into your abdomen. “Bear down.”

It isn’t an accident this time, it’s not a discreet secrecy. Michael wants you this way. All of you. Finding a confidence, you give yourself a high and sink your fingers into his hair, toes tickling his shoulder blades in a forwarding nudge, doubling down on your muscles. That warmth spills out of you and Langdon takes you, tongue parting your swollen folds. He regulates his tongue in wet paints, licking and sucking everything you give him.

“Please—“ You’re already begging. It’s so fucking intense and intimate that you can’t formulate your own damned name.

“Are you really going to ask, or would you just like to feel good?” Michael vibrates, his mouth visible and shining crimson as he seeks you out between your slippery thighs.

It’s outright feral. His irises are coal black, blue lost in some combing canyon that’s crumbled around sin. His digits prod at your sensitive opening, being accepted moments later. His lips close over your clit, tongue slithering back and forth to assist his beckoning fingers. He gathers more from you - his purpose.

That quenched fold starts to seize you early on, your pattering breaths signaling the orgasm that is about to tear the screams from your fucking diaphragm. Michael’s hand smacks and rolls your swollen breast - permission granted. That’s all it takes and you’re falling back onto the mattress, back arching in a lined drag, pussy flattening against his mouth. He jerks you impossibly closer, your vision whiting out into dark spots. You tangle your fingers further into his luscious strands, holding, pulling.

In the midst of close recovery, Michael is plowing you with a short lived let down, his mouth leaving your pussy. You can’t complain, no time available, as his hips slot in a frazzled fit between your legs. His pelvis is tense, sheathed in sweat. His chest smashes your breasts, his hand reaching down to guide his cock inside you. You can’t speak, but cling tightly to his back. He growls a sound that you’ll never forget, the fire bursting behind him, flames licking the rocked cove that houses them.

His mouth is covered in your essence, your cunt bathing his dick with each violent thrust. It’s pouring in drenches, salty perspiration, pooling blood - both of you losing yourselves in the mess. Michael props himself up, digging into a dipping slam, meeting your mouth in an ending kiss. His hair tickles your shoulders, nose nudges your now blood caked mouth, and he gives the warning.

“Spill your fucking curse all over me!” And you come undone, glued to him in puzzled entrapment.

Your thighs are wrecked, his bedsheets useless, and then there’s Michael, who forces you to look at him and really see him. There’s only black in his eyes. You sputter a disbelief, bracing. His mouth parts, tongue flicks across to gather more, leveling off into his jagged movements. He swells inside your cunt, dousing your walls in his warm cum.

He doesn’t leave you, not even when it’s over. He simply takes you with him. You aren’t sure where you get the courage to speak - body shaking and shivering.

“What... Michael, who are you?”

He cups a hand over your cunt, rolling onto his side, keeping you held to him. He lightly blows away a pesky lock of your hair, then maneuvers another behind your ear.

“I’m the man who’s going to save your wretched existence.”

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