#artwork for scenes both past and present

[tunnaa-unnaa]

I have been creating SO MUCH

and I’ve been loving it SO MUCH

and it’s now been one month without breaks and my head is worried it’s gonna end soon because it can’t last forever can it

but I’m having SO MUCH FUN finally reconnecting with my headworld and ridding myself of a whole bunch of unhelpful insecurities that I don’t see any actual signs of it ending

eeeeeeee it gets me all giddy!

[synamartia]

[ Featured Artwork © lustylita ] ❀ [ Featured Divider © cafekitsune ]

[ Story © synamartia ] ❀ [ Text banner created via TextStudio ]

Content Warnings: Alastor x Reader ; Afab!Reader ; No pronouns or Y/N used ; Use of gendered pet names like "good/dirty girl" ; Explicit / MDNI / 18+ ; Sexual situations ; Sex pollen trope (Love Potion) ; Begging ; Thigh fucking ; Self-harm (kind of? Reader intentionally scratches themself hard enough to draw blood) Hematolagnia (blood play) ; Dacryphilia ; Choking ; Dom!Alastor ; Unprotected sex ; Vaginal penetration ; P in V sex ; Creampie ; Alastor gets a little mean, and is his own CW ; If I missed any, let me know! Word Count: 6,695 Summoning: @hazelfoureyes ; @minkdelovely ; @sugoi-writes ; @fraugwinska ; @lustylita ; @eris-norwega ; @rapturenyx ; @sirens-and-moonflowers ; @swagkittybear ; @l3rittany ; @chibistar45 ; @aceumbrellaheroes ; @pearly-sadness ; @mydickisjuicy ; @daisy-figmund ; @lunaorlunareclipse Author's Notes: This chapter is a direct continuation of the previous one, with slightly heavier emotional undertones. For those that have been here since the first Smutmus ask, ya'll remember when I said Alastor had Reader "in every position in the Kama Sutra"? Yeah, we explore that a bit in this one! There is a small part where Alastor becomes more forceful that may be triggering for some, so I've added a divider at the beginning and end of that particular scene for those that wish to skip past it. Alastor's dialogue will be in bold red, thoughts in italics red, and Reader's will be in blue. If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know via ask/comment!

Alastor watched as you swallowed the water he had conjured for you, admiring the rosy tint of your flushed face and the movement of the muscles in your neck with each gulp. He wanted so badly to sink his teeth into the soft flesh, curious for a taste of your blood as it seeped from the small gashes they would undoubtedly leave behind. He wondered what sort of sounds you would make if he did. Would you gasp and moan, or would you scream and beg him to stop? He could feel the blood rushing back to his groin as his arousal began to build again, his half hard cock springing to life once more at the thought of it all.

After you had fully emptied the glass, you turned slightly to place it on the polished mahogany and moved your hands to pull down the hem of your skirt. Despite a lack of evidence, you believed that Love Potion wore off after the first orgasm, which is why you had assumed Alastor and you were done - both sides having fulfilled one another's desires. You were disappointed that you couldn't take things further with the Radio Demon, but it was common knowledge at the hotel that he didn't like to be touched. And with the way he had tensed and shied away from your touch at every turn, you knew that once the effects wore off that he would be done and go about his evening as usual. But then, Alastor did something completely unexpected on your part and grabbed your wrists to stop you from redressing.

"Alastor? What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Alastor started, his eyes roaming over your half-nude form - admiring the way your now ruined dress shirt hung loosely from your shoulders and bunched in the crevices of your elbows; the way your breasts filled the cups of your bra and threatened to spill over with the slightest tug to the center band; the wrinkles in your skirt caused by the fabric being pushed up to your waist; the way your heeled shoes accentuated the plump tissue of your rear; the faint trails of mascara present on your cheeks as a result of your earlier crying. He soaked up every little detail his mind could process as he stepped toward you, his pants that were still wrapped around his ankles restricting his movements, pushing you back against his desk. Leaning forward to arch his body over your much smaller form like he did during his flight on cloud nine, Alastor let go of your wrists and placed his palms on the cool mahogany to your sides, trapping you as he moved his face closer to yours - his eyes shifting between your innocent laden irises and your beautifully swollen lips.

Alastor was looking at you like a man starving - a thin trail of drool seeping from the edges of his smile; his antlers growing to double their original size only to shrink back down a few moments later and repeat the process. He was trying so hard to maintain control of his own body, but there was just something about you that evoked the most primal of instincts from him and he couldn't pinpoint what that thing was. Your heart jumped to your throat when you locked eyes with him yet again, completely unsure of how to feel. You were excited and a bit happy that your earlier desires were still attainable - but also confused. You didn't have any first hand experience with Love Potion, so you had no choice but to trust in the information you had gathered from other people that did.

"Did it not work?" you asked, staring up at him as your heart pounded in your ears like a bass drum - ringing louder and louder with every beat. Had the testimonies been false? They had to be. Love Potion was the only thing that made sense for Alastor's still prominent arousal, you thought - the only possible explanation for him using his nail to tear a line down your skirt from waistband to hem, the fabric soon falling from your lower half as the sharp edges of his claw effortlessly glided through the material like butter. You swallowed the lump in your throat that you were positive had been your literal heart as you rubbed your thighs together, unable to contain the excitement, the lust still pumping through your veins and clouding your mind.

You heard him chuckle lowly as his eyes roamed over your body, his predatory gaze tinting your cheeks pink with embarrassment. Transparency never was a trait Alastor appreciated in other people - but with you, it was oh-so-amusing, and he thought it absolutely adorable how hard you were trying (and failing) to hide all of the lewd thoughts he knew were racing through that naughty little mind of yours. If he wasn't already smiling, this would definitely be a moment that would pull an honest one from him. When was the last time he truly smiled, anyway? He couldn't remember - or if it ever happened at all. He was going to have fun trying to figure out how you were able to get under his skin so easily, so effortlessly. He loved a good brain teaser, and this would definitely provide him with a little entertainment.

"This drug is quite persistent," Alastor mused, conjuring a handkerchief and beginning to wipe at the spittle still on your face. After he was done, he tossed the cloth to the side to be forgotten, his hands returning to either side of your figure a moment later. His eyes roamed over your form, specifically your still clothed upper body, making it his goal to remove those pesky garments next. "You have already given me your consent, and informal though it was, I've no intentions of letting you back out of our deal now," Alastor stated flatly, bringing his right index finger up to the band of your bra nestled between your breasts, toying with the taut threads as his eyes rose to lock with yours, his bright red irises flashing pink and slitted pupils dilating. "But if you would like to postpone the next part for another night, I would not object. I am a patient man."

Tracing the tender flesh of his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, Alastor brought his face as close to yours without making any contact - searching for a sign that you wanted to stop. He really did plan on holding you to it, but he wouldn't force it if you wished to end the night here. It wouldn't be the first time he had to endure, to fight back some of his baser urges - but it would be difficult, it seemed. Already, he could feel that pesky itch growing beyond containment, demanding every ounce of his attention and begging to be scratched. This concoction was rather annoying - he rarely felt attraction of any kind for another person. It felt like that damned spray was generating these emotions and forcing him to indulge in acts so uncouth. It didn't matter what you decided though. One way or another, Alastor made a vow to himself to have you beneath him in every conceivable way - with a little more effort to woo you, it was only a matter of time. Adding a chase to the mix would make it more enjoyable by a large margin, he thought.

"Although, I must warn you. If you choose to keep going tonight, I cannot promise any restraint on my part," Alastor told you, his sclera flashing black and irises shifting to radio dials for a moment, then back to their usual appearance. "I'm just not the type to leave a 'meal' unfinished," he said, a dry chuckle following his wordplay regarding his earlier actions and sending a shiver up your spine.

"N-no, I- ... uhm..." you started. It was infuriating how he was able to reduce you to such a timid, almost virgin-like mess with so little effort. It made you wonder how things would go if he did put in the work.

"'Uhm' is not a word, my dear," Alastor clicked his tongue against his teeth, the first few strands of the center band of your bra snapping apart as he pressed lightly against it. "Do you want to stop?" he asked you again, his eyes narrowing in delight as a slight release of tension sent a ripple through your chest with each string that he cut. Curling your lips inward, you tried to hold back an immediate 'no' response in an effort to appear less desperate, but you were starting to realize that ship had already sailed by the way Alastor's smile widened and your center band was finally severed - your breasts falling from the cups as they sprung apart.

"No, don't! Alastor... don't stop," you breathed, holding back a pleasurable sigh at the relief that coursed through your veins when the taut garment no longer held you tight. You moved to slide the remnants of your shirt and now ruined bra (yet another favorite item you would force him to replace later - they were expensive in life, and Hell only made it worse) off your body - now fully nude except for the heels and accessories adorning your figure. You saw the dim lights of his room flicker as Alastor leaned even closer, his breath fanning your face and his lips grazing yours as he uttered,

"As you wish, Mon Cherie."

Without a moment's hesitation, you found yourself being lifted to sit upon the edge of his polished desk like before. Only this time, he urged you to lie flat on your back as he raised your legs so that you were positioned at a 90° angle. You tilted your head to peer around your own limbs at him, curiosity brimming in your eyes as you silently awaited his next movements. "If you would be so inclined, I would like to try a couple of things first - just to see what all the hype is about. May I?" Alastor asked, tilting his own head in the same manner as you. You had to stifle a giggle as the action was just too cute, you thought. And you just couldn't resist the urge to tease him a little as you began to feel more comfortable and relaxed in his presence.

"I'm up for it. But you know, curiosity killed the cat," you remarked, raising your hands to lay beside your head as he shifted behind your thighs. Alastor laughed at that just before you felt his fingers sliding through your slick folds, eliciting a moan from you. "Ah, yes! But satisfaction brought it back!" he responded, not missing a single beat in the light banter. He peered around your legs once more, only this time with a sultrier look as you felt something hard and wet slip in between the space of your joined thighs and pubic area. "And I intend to revive all nine of its lives, my dear," he drawled out, savoring the way your thighs engulfed his member as he thrust forward, his hips and lower abdomen pressed flush against the backs of your legs. Sighing at the way your soft flesh surrounded him, he wrapped his arms around your knees and lifted your lower half up slightly. "Oh my... I believe I'm going to enjoy this," he said, holding you there as he gave another experimental thrust while keeping your legs pressed against his torso - your ankles now dangling over his right shoulder as you hummed softly each time his hips pushed forward.

Soon, the room was filled with the soft clapping sound of skin on skin and heavy pants on Alastor's part as he built a steady pace. Chewing on your lip as you stared up at the Radio Demon, you smiled as you watched his face contort with pleasure - his brows furrowed together and eyes narrowed, sweat beading on his forehead and his ears laid flat, his smile twitching and shifting between an open, toothy grin to a closed lip, almost serene type; but not once did it falter. It was a sight to behold - Alastor letting his instincts take over but still somehow managing to keep that illustrious grin of his. Part of you wondered if he was even capable of frowning.

"Does it feel good?" you asked, watching as Alastor turned his head to kiss your calf, occasionally licking a stripe up the length of it as he stared right back at you. "You've no idea, Cherie," his response was low and gravelly, his voice thick with his trademark filter as he began to pick up the pace, chasing his second release of the night.

You let your gaze drift down from his face to the gap between your thighs and crotch, the tip of his dick poking through to the other side with each thrust, each grunt he let out. Lifting your legs up another half inch off the wooden surface, Alastor angled himself so that when he pushed forward, his length would slide between the outer lips and his head would catch on your clit, pulling a gasp or a sigh from you at the unexpected sensation. You curled your lips inward around your teeth, enjoying his actions almost as much as he seemed to be.

"Must I remind you already?" you heard him speak suddenly in exasperation just before you felt the claws of his left hand wrap around the back of your neck, tangling in your hair at the roots to yank your head back and force you to look up at his face. His features had become more demonic as he gave a hard thrust and pulled your hair again. "Keep your eyes on me," he told you, enunciating each word as he willed his features back to a tamer appearance - well aware that his full demon form was quite frightening, especially to those that have never seen it before (you).

"Trust that I will discipline you thoroughly if you look away again."

With that said, Alastor released his grip on your hair and brought it back up to your legs. Thrusting forward once again, Alastor released his hold on your calves and drew your legs closer to his chest, resuming his previous pace. With one arm wrapped around your knees to hold you in place, he reached down between your legs to rub slow, tantalizing circles around your clit - using his thumb to push back your clitoral hood to further expose the little bundle of nerves. Alastor could feel the tension in his belly rising, and in an attempt to slow things down, to draw this out just a little bit longer, he asked, "Are you enjoying this as well, my dear?" He watched your brows knit together and your jaw go slack at the continuous stimulation he now provided you, trying to keep himself quiet to better hear the noises pouring from your throat.

You fought the urge to throw your head back and squeeze your eyes shut, somehow managing to resist when you recalled his previous warning. You kept your eyes focused on his face, eyelids drooping as you felt the beginnings of that oh-so-familiar knot start to build with every deliberate motion of his thumb. "M-mmhmm!" a hum and a curt nod was all you could manage as Alastor turned his head to place more kisses on your sweaty skin. Opening his mouth, you felt his teeth glide against the soft flesh of your calf near the ankle, nipping sporadically but never taking a legitimate bite. "Mmphh..." he pressed a muffled moan to your skin as he stared down at you from the corner of his eye - biting the inside of his cheek at the delectable sight before him in an effort to ground himself.

"Do tell me, Cherie," Alastor spoke, drawing you out of your bliss clouded mind for a moment. "Have you ever dabbled in blood play before?" he asked you, fighting back the urge to just sink his teeth into your calf without waiting for a response. Your eyes widened a bit at the question, not sure how to answer at first. "N-no... I haven't. Why?" you asked, that lump returning to your throat. It was an idea that never appealed to you in that sense, so you never explored the possibilities - but that didn't mean that you weren't willing to try it. Who knows, maybe you would enjoy it. But then your paranoia started to kick in, and you were beginning to feel like your life was in danger. Alastor is a cannibal, after all - and anyone in their right mind would be terrified under these circumstances with someone like him.

Smile twitching, Alastor picked up the pace - his hips slamming against the back of your thighs and your breasts bouncing up and down in tandem with each one delivered. "I asked for your consent to have sex, not to cause you any amount of bodily harm," he explained, running his claw up along the side of your calf from knee to ankle. "But the thought of tasting your blood is quite..." he trailed off as he traced his pointed nail back down from your ankle to your knee - adding just enough pressure to leave a red streak but not enough to draw any blood, "... tempting," Alastor finished - taking a moment to bask in the fear evident in your eyes, chuckling ominously for added effect.

"There's no reason to be afraid. I'm not going to eat you," he said, putting your mind at ease and allowing you to relax. You drew your bottom lip between your teeth as you contemplated his question, still slightly afraid that he may actually attempt to literally consume you. Your fears were founded, considering what he had said earlier: that he wasn't sure if he could show any restraint. Even if he promised not to, what was stopping him from ignoring said promise after the first drop? You weren't exactly in a position to defend yourself, especially against someone as powerful as Alastor. "If that were my goal, we wouldn't be having this conversation," he said, ramming into your legs again, forcing you to reach up above your head and grip the edges on the opposite side of the desk.

Then again, now that you think about it, what was stopping him from doing it anyway, at any given moment? Staring into his eyes, you searched for any sign of sincerity, but couldn't see anything past his crazed, lust riddled gaze -a knot tightening in the pits of your belly from the constant stimulation to your clit. Alastor wasn't an easy man to read, even in as vulnerable a state as this. "A-Al..." you breathed out, biting your tongue as you lifted yourself up to rest your weight on your forearms. It sounded like a 50/50 gamble to you, and considering how your luck has been tonight, you were liking the odds.

'Fuck it.'

Alastor nipped at the skin near your ankle, patiently awaiting your response to his request. He expected you to outright refuse the proposal, which he would respect - but he would have been disappointed all the same. 'Another time, perhaps,' he thought to himself as your silence dragged on. Shifting your weight onto one arm, you reached up with the other to trace your own pointed digit along the side of your calf where he had been kissing and scratching. Steeling yourself with a deep breath, you pressed your own claw into the muscle until a few drops of blood began to ooze out of the shallow, crescent shaped wound and roll down the length of your leg.

Alastor lost his composure for a second, letting his shock at your actions show on his face before donning his mask once again. His smile widened further as he threw his head back and laughed dramatically, then returned his gaze to your divine features. "My, you're quite the interesting little enigma, aren't you?" he said, his tongue rolling out to catch the few droplets of blood that had reached your knee and licked back up to where you had punctured the skin. Alastor grabbed hold of the finger you cut yourself with, bringing it up to his face and into his mouth - his tongue swirling around the digit as he sucked any traces of blood from underneath your nail. Satisfied, he pulled your finger out of his mouth with a pop, his arms snaking back around your legs and mouth returning to your self-inflicted wound.

Placing his lips over it, Alastor began to suck and lick, craving more and more with each drop - savoring the metallic taste of your blood mixed with the salt of your sweat. He had to stop himself from taking a bite out of the muscle, not expecting your blood to be so intoxicating. But he essentially promised you restraint on this part, and it was a personal principle of his to keep every promise he made - even the indirect ones.

A rather loud growl erupted from Alastor's throat as he felt the impending release barreling towards him now. Your actions seemed to have a greater effect on him than the thought initially as his soft grunting soon turned into sonorous moans - the rapid clapping sound of his balls hitting your skin filling the room. It was surprising that he managed to continue pushing forward when the crimson liquid first touched his tongue and coated his taste buds. "I'm-! God fuckin-!" Alastor started, his eyes closing and his jaw tensing, causing his pointed fangs to sink into your supple skin. You winced at the pain that it caused, but the way he pressed his thumb down further on that little button between your legs had you forgetting the pain almost instantly.

Squeezing your thighs even tighter around his cock, you stared up at Alastor as he chased his high. You drank in the rare sight before you, taking in every detail you could - putting them to memory and tucking them away like the most precious of treasure, because they were. Even if Alastor didn't look at things the same as you, this night was something that you would hold near and dear to your heart, because it was the first time you ever had the option to participate since spawning in hell. But more than that, you would forever cherish the fact that he trusted you enough to let you see this side of him, drug or no. And in that moment, you wanted nothing more than to provide him with everything he sought. Your body, your heart, your soul - if didn't matter what it was; if you could give it to him, you would.

You could tell that he was close to his next release by the way his hips began to lose their rhythm and how he struggled to keep his appearance under control. You watched his antler grow as testament, the vertebrae in his neck contorting into unnatural positions beneath his ashen skin, a dark liquid beginning to seep from the edges of his smile - it all had you wondering what it would be like to have that side of him, to experience sex with an uninhibited Alastor. 'That poor cat,' you silently mused - if things kept going this way, you'd have to start calling it Prometheus. "Al," you called, reaching up to touch him - his arms, his face, anything that you could reach to draw his attention back to you. If he wanted you to look at him, then you would make him do the same. "Alastor," you called his name more clearly now, your voice ringing in his ears as he opened his eyes to look down at you. "Hm?" he hummed in response, lips pressed tightly together while he tried to hold back his release, to drag this moment for just a little bit longer.

'Not yet,' he thought. 'Keep going- ... fuck, not yet!'

"Look at me, Alastor," you moaned, holding his gaze as you brought your hand down from his face to rest on his wrist as he continued to draw heavy, fast circles on your clit. "Please... I want you to look at me when you cum," you pleaded, heart racing at your own words. Electricity shot up his spine as Alastor stared you down - his hips halting for a moment, his body right on the cusp of euphoric gratification. "... You sure know how to drive a man crazy, doll," he mumbled against your leg, tongue slithering out to lap at the blood that was dripping form the gashes your nail and his teeth had caused. His hips began to move once more, finding their previous pace almost instantly and his salacious groans filling the room - eyes not leaving yours for a single millisecond, just as you requested.

"Da- ... Darling," Alastor rasped out suddenly, pulling his face away from your calf and leaning forward, pushing your body into a more angled position. Unwrapping the arm that had been coiled around your legs, he placed his hand next to your head, palm laying flat against the cool surface of his desk. "May I-?" he asked, his voice desperate as he tried to hold back those needy whimpers your beautiful body and rapturous sounds dragged from him. He didn't have a chance to finish his question. You already knew what he was asking to do - and it was something that you were more than happy and quite eager to give your consent. "Yes!" you agreed with a curt nod of your head. Drawing your hand back from his wrist as he hovered over your folded figure, you reached up to wrap your fingers around the back of his neck, your other arm supporting the rest of your weight behind you.

Halting his movements, Alastor pulled away almost reluctantly - not wanting to leave the comforting embrace of your thighs for a single second, but the promise of an even greater pleasure gave him the motivation to do just that. As he parted your legs slightly with one hand, his other reached down to grip his leaking cock and guide it to the opening of your drenched core. He rubbed the tip up and down your slick folds a couple of times - gathering enough of your essence to use as a lubricant when he pressed into you for the first time that night. Placing both of his hands on the backs of your thighs, a whine of respite escaped his throat and his jaw fell open as the pressure, the heat of your sweet, sweet cunt finally engulfed his throbbing member. Your pliant walls were effortlessly molded to the shape of him as he slid deeper and deeper into you, bottoming out not long after the initial penetration. "Oh, fuck!" he cursed, his hands groping at your legs as he leaned forward again, folding your body over once again.

With your ankles now dangling over his shoulders, Alastor began to slowly and shallowly thrust into you. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire, screaming for that delicious relief of a well-earned orgasm. He was trying to give you time to adjust to his intrusion before he took on a more brutal pace, not wanting to cause you any pain or discomfort (not yet anyway). But he was already so close - he couldn't stop himself from splitting you in half on his cock. His body refused to listen to his brain, having essentially developed a mind of its own separate from his consciousness and moving involuntarily.

Alastor's conflicting thoughts and actions showed in his body language. He was still trying to hold back, that much was evident by the inconsistency of his thrusts - speeding up momentarily only to slow back down a couple seconds later, his cock dragging against your walls with long, deep thrusts then becoming short and shallow. Even though you were curious to see him lose it, you were still appreciative that he was trying so hard not to hurt you. Letting your hand travel up from the nape of his neck to run your fingers through his hair, you pulled him as close as this angle would allow. "It's okay, Alastor," you reassured him, giving him a warm smile as his mind and body continued to vie for control.

"It's okay," you repeat, panting and moaning as you could feel your own orgasm approaching. "I promise, it's okay," nodding your head while you let your hand join the other in his crimson and ebony hair, you used him to support your weight. Alastor lowered his hands from your thighs to rest flat on the polished wood, allowing your legs to fall from his shoulders and hook around his biceps. Bringing your hands up a bit higher, you lightly traced your fingertips around the base of his ears - causing Alastor to flinch and bow his head at the unexpected contact.

"Holy sh- ...!" he hissed through gritted teeth. A shiver traveled up his now rigid spine and nudged him over the precipice straight into that blinding, white hot ecstasy he so desperately sought. Alastor's nails were digging into the hard surface and leaving large, unsightly tears in the mahogany while he shot his seed deep within you. Having not expected your light touches to have such a profound effect on him, you smirked proudly and began to massage his twitching ears to ground him as well as help him ride out his high to its fullest extent. "You like that?" you asked, stroking their backsides with your fingers and pressing your thumbs against the inner, more fleshy side.

Alastor couldn't think in that moment, drowning in the pleasure that coursed through his veins with each rope of his cum that he pumped into you. Clenching his eyes shut, he pushed further forward and lowered his head to rest in the crook of your neck, nodding in response to your question. When you moved your hands from his ears to his antlers to massage them in the same manner, he winced and let out a strangled whimper, pressing his lips against your carotid and sucking harshly. Eventually, the pleasure turned to pain and Alastor reached to pull your hands away by the wrists, breathing heavily as the waves subsided and his muscles relaxed.

"... My ears have always been sensitive, even when I was alive," Alastor began to explain, unnecessary though it may be. "The sensitivity increase when I am... aroused," he finished, raising his head and pulling back from you until he was standing upright again. Staring down at you contentedly, he quickly realized that you hadn't reached your own peak yet, and he started to rock his hips into yours. He wasn't able to see your face earlier, so he could only imagine what you would look like, what expressions you would make when you came undone beneath his touch. The thought alone was enough to keep him from going soft, his body already seeking out that next mind numbingly exquisite release.

Raising your hands above your head once more, you curled your fingers around the edges of his desk and tried to roll your hips into his. Alastor had his fun - now it was your turn, and he was more than happy to provide his assistance. "Al-..." you called out to him, your voice barely a whisper and eyelids drooping as you struggled to keep them open. A chuckle filled the air as Alastor began to pick up speed, his cum mixed with yours allowing him to plow into you as easily as a hot knife cutting through butter.

"No need to fret, Mon Cherie. I won't leave you unsatisfied," he reassured you.

Knees sliding down his biceps to link with his elbows, Alastor slipped his hand between your legs again, pressing his thumb to you aching bud and drawing fast, harsh circles. "That was more entertaining than I expected. You deserve a reward for a job well done," he told you, choosing to ignore the fact that you barely did anything this time around while he chased you to the edge of your own end in a matter of seconds. "What would you like, my dear? Tell me, and it's yours," Alastor cooed sweetly, watching your tits bounce with each slam of his hips, stopping for just a moment to pull your lower body closer - your ass no hanging off the edge as it dug into your lower back. Picking up his initial pace, the desk began to rock and squeak beneath you with every rapid movement he made.

Now you were the one struggling to form any coherent thoughts or words, barely aware of the fact that he was talking to you. "H-hah! Ah! Fah- ...! Fu- ... ah-ack!" you cried as you felt your release draw closer with every snap of his hips, every whispered word of encouragement and praise. Then, you heard movement and muffled voices coming from the hallway just outside Alastor's bedroom door. Your heart began to race as you felt your orgasm slipping away, propping yourself up on your forearms - forgetting all about his prior warning as you turned your head to look at the door. Who was it on the opposite side? Could they hear what you two were doing? Somehow the idea of being heard made your cheeks flush an even deeper crimson more than anything else the two of you had done so far.

In an embarrassed panic, you shifted all of your weight to one arm and brought the other up to cover your mouth in an attempt to muffle the uncontrollable noises he pried from you. "Someone's out- ...! Ah, fu- ...!" you whispered against the palm of your hand, turning your head back to look up at Alastor with a pleading expression on your face. But when your eyes met his, you immediately realized that someone hearing you being fucked by the Radio Demon was the least of your worries. "A-Alastor?!" you gasped as you felt his girth grow and stretch your walls nearly to their limit, his ears falling flat against his skull as he wrapped one hand around your throat. His already large stature became even more so as he seethed in his anger at your blatant disregard for the one rule he had set for you. But more than that, he was angry that you attempted to silence yourself.

How dare you try to hide those melodious sounds from him! And you took your eyes off of him, too? You done fucked up! Alastor wasn't about to let that slight go unpunished, especially when he had been generous enough to let you off with a warning, twice.

"Who fucking cares?" Alastor asked through gritted teeth, momentarily dropping his radio filter and neon green stitches manifesting over his smiling lips. "Let them hear you!" his pace became more brutal the higher his anger spiked, his thumb tormenting your abused clit with circles so harsh it had become more painful than pleasurable. Laying back again, you reach your hand down to wrap around his wrist in an attempt to stop him, or at the very least get him to let up. But before your fingertips could even graze his skin, a black tendril wrapped around yours and forced it back up above your head along with the one that had been covering your mouth.

Struggling against the ebony appendages holding your wrists, you pulled your knees up to your chest and tried to plant your feet on his torso to push him away. You didn't expect him to stop entirely (nor did you want him to), you just wanted to make him go easier on you - but the gap in raw power mixed with the exhaustion of a full day's work and your previous orgasm wouldn't allow it. Just as one of your feet found purchase within the crevice right below his clavicle, your heel digging into his flesh, you felt more tendrils wrap around your ankles and pull them back down - holding them apart as he continued to pound into you with reckless abandon.

"Al, please! I-it hurts- ...!" you tried to tell him, but your cries only added fuel to the flames. Alastor's antlers grew in size along with the rest of his body, only this time he didn't try to bring himself back under control as he chortled heartily at your failed attempts. "And?" he asked, static crackling through the air and the filter returning to his voice as he pinched the pink nub - rolling it roughly between his fingers and laughing gleefully at the pain it so clearly caused. A violent wince wracked your body at the action, and you tried to pull yourself free, but with no slack in those dark tendrils of his, you couldn't even bend your limbs. "I don't like repeating myself, darling," Alastor told you, his grip tightening around your throat and his elongated nails digging into your flesh, restricting your airflow and making it difficult for you to produce any type of sound.

Tears began to well up in your eyes the longer this went on, being unable to do anything except endure and hope that he would show you a little bit of mercy. It was unlikely though, considering the clear warning he'd given you earlier should you look away from him again. You tried to blink the tears away at least, but the lack of oxygen was getting to you, and it became harder and harder to open your eyes again after each flutter of your lashes. Seeing that you were close to losing consciousness, Alastor loosened his grip and allowed you to breathe again, watching with utter delight as you greedily sucked in air, the color returning to your face. He made a mental note to explore breath play at a later time, among other things.

"I- ...! Please- ... I-I'm sorry- ...!" you stuttered through your coughs, the tears cascading down your cheeks now as his tip relentlessly bullied your cervix. Another laugh filled the air as Alastor, much to your relief, pulled his hand away from your puffy clit and leaned forward again - moving his hands to press into the curves of your waist. "Lucky for you, I'm feeling merciful right now," he started, nails digging into the soft plushness of your midsection - his form shrinking back down as your tear-soaked apologies quelled his anger. "Do keep in mind that I will not be so forgving next time," he told you, to which you nodded vigorously, thankfully - the black tendrils loosening from your wrists and ankles once you showed your compliance.

Letting one hand drift from your side all the way up to your face, Alastor caressed your cheek in a belying manner of affection and kindness. "Now, where were we?" he asked you, raising a single brow as he began to rock his hips into you once more, his other hand returning to your clit - this time, more gently. Immediately, you opened your mouth to let out one of the loudest, most sinfully sounding moans you would make that night, eyes locked with his as your body began to make that steady climb back to your peak. As embarrassing as it was to know someone could be listening to any of this, you were much more fearful of the punishments Alastor would unleash upon you should you disobey again.

"Good girl," Alastor praised you, his claw tracing down your neck and over your collar bone, then further down to your breasts. Having lost himself entirely in his rush to that first high, he didn't get the chance to appreciate them properly - something that needed to be remedied right away. As one hand continued to rub tantalizing circles on your clit, he let the other cup one of your breasts in the palm of his hand. Alastor gave it a light squeeze before he began to knead the soft mound. The pointed tips of his nails pressed into your skin, threatening to break it and draw blood - which he would be all the more happy and eager to lap up.

[ Master Post ] ❀ [ Chapter One ] ❀ [ Chapter Two ] ❀ [ Chapter Three ] ❀ [ Chapter Four ] ❀ [ Chapter Five ]

[i-heart-hxh]

I just want to say I appreciate you for staying positive about killugon. Admittedly, I’ve given up on them. Maybe it’s too many angsty fanfics or metas I’ve seen that basically make it seem like they’ll never be close again but it’s nice to see some people still going strong with this ship! Hopefully one day I can enjoy this ship again the way I used to. Currently everything I read about them in fandom just depresses me.

Hi anon!

I'm sad to hear the negativity has gotten to you to this degree! It actually surprises me how much the fandom seems to think what happened between them can't be fixed. I've been into HxH for almost 8 years now and as time has gone on and I've revisited the series and analyzed it deeply and discussed it with others, I've only grown more certain that things between them will be okay--assuming Togashi can reach that point in the series. And right now is a great time to be hopeful about the future of HxH, with Togashi working so actively on the series the past few months.

Sooo many of the messages in my inbox amount to "Is there really hope? Are Gon and Killua really going to reunite and reconcile? Or is their relationship hopelessly broken?" so even though I feel like a bit of a broken record addressing this topic so much, it seems like it's a topic people really want addressed, so here's some more of my thoughts. (Trying to make my answers on this topic at least a little different each time even if some repetition is inevitable...!)

Here's this post I made of some of the reasons I anticipate a Gon and Killua reunion and fixing their relationship. And here's this eye-opening analysis post of the separation, yet again, which also offers hope.

So much of HxH is about second chances. It's about how love and human connections transform people and make life worth living, no matter how painful and difficult it may be. At the end of Chimera Ant Arc, Meruem and Komugi (who are, by the way, absolutely parallels for Gon and Killua) find their meaning for living in each other, and decide to stay together even knowing the only way they can be together is in the afterlife. If you trace back this scene to all the factors and character moments that made it possible, it goes all the way back to Gon extending kindness to Killua and changing his life. I believe Gon and Killua are on a path wherein they will ultimately find their meaning in each other and vow to stay together again (albeit without the dying part).

Gon and Killua are the protagonists of the series, and they are emblematic of the themes of HxH. Looking at the themes of HxH and the worldview it presents, it doesn't make sense for Gon and Killua to experience this horrible traumatic incident as the young teens they are, then never ever get to fix and resolve it even though they're both clearly upset to have to leave each other and they definitely have more to say to each other. Why show them feeling dissatisfied and unhappy to separate if they'll never get a chance to fix things and be happy together again? Do you really think that's the direction Togashi wants to go in, with the focus of the series and the repeated emphasis on how the hope we can find in a cruel, painful world rests in the connections we have with the people around us?

It's meaningful that they make each other so happy and transformed each others' lives. It's meaningful that even now in merch and artwork and such, they're portrayed as a pair. It's meaningful that a huge chunk of the audience so desperately wants to see them together again, and I'm certain Togashi is well aware of that. These two are at the heart of what makes HxH so wonderful and moving.

It's okay to take a break from the ship if it's not bringing you joy. Sometimes I get frustrated by takes and interpretations I see about it, too, trust me. Ultimately, it's here for you whenever you want to revisit it, and there are plenty of fanworks with happy endings and reconciliation between them if you need something to tide you over until canon hopefully resolves things between them. But do what feels right for yourself--it's okay to focus on something fluffier and less complex if that's what you need for now. I hope eventually you can come to see it with more hope, as I have lots of hope for their future--and I don't think it's unwarranted at all. 💖

[lutawolf]

My Stand-In Episode 10 Commentary

I received a special request to do this post, and as promised, here we go. To preserve authenticity, I have observed spoilers on both this site and TikTok; however, I have yet to view the show. Until now, that is.  

Here we go! Let's all take a moment to recognize the talent behind this show besides the actors. The build up to the scene and setting of the tone is gorgeous. We are apprehensive even before we see where the van pulls up to. Then the melody continues to convey depth as we enter into Joe’s old home. 

The artwork in Joe’s home! It gives you an idea of his depth, it really does. Joe is just circling and taking everything in, while Ming is just casually exposing himself. Presently, they are both so vulnerable, but unlike in the past, it's Joe trying to build walls while Ming is now showing patience.

Teary-eyed Joe as he looks out, while Ming cooks. Now they're in complete contrast. One is at peace while the other is in utter turmoil. 

“If you’re going to give me your all. Why not use our couple mugs? Oh, I forgot, a man like you wouldn’t use broken things.” He is trying to remind Ming of their class difference. But unlike before, Joe doesn’t get mad. The tables turned. He extends to Joe what Joe once extended to him, namely tolerance and consideration. He tells him, never mind that, I still have our couple’s pjs. 

“Come here.” It’s a clear command. A command that Joe responds to but half-heartedly. Yet, Ming knows this is not the time and with a sigh restrains himself and instead meets Joe halfway. Look at them communicating. Joe didn't mean to, he's just trying to keep that wall up, but rather than denying any accusations, Ming responds to Joe's distrust with open communication. 

When Ming discusses recognizing Joe within this body, it is evident that Joe reluctantly allowed a portion of his inner wall to fall. Ahhh, I could scream over all the communication but most importantly, Ming’s growth. Before he would have been an ass about Joe avoiding the kiss, but this time he handles it with understanding and resilience. Not resistance but resilience. What’s the difference? He isn’t forcing the issue, but is still capable of a capacity of recovery.

Ming isn’t the only one who has changed. I love Joe’s face as he realizes it is Tong calling. It becomes determined. Then that smile when Joe tells Tong he isn’t his servant! Also… YAY!!! I HATE TONG! Good on you, Joe.

Okay, so after Ming smiles and says, “Joe, I made you pan-fried eggs.” You see a quick smile from Joe. It’s so fast that I had to rewind to verify, but it’s there. This slight smitten smile.   

Ahh, look at all the communication. If it were before, Ming would have told Joe to mind his business, but not now. Now he is sharing it all, which Joe recognizes, you can tell by the forced harshness. He steels himself for Ming getting mad about him hanging up on Tong, but to his surprise, Ming doesn’t. Instead, he makes comments on how Joe has changed, but he says it with admiration. You can see the softening and then the sadness cover Joe’s face. He expresses his emotions to Ming, however, rather than expressing anger, we once again observe Ming's newly acquired skill of composed endurance.

Now, if you watch carefully. Ming hasn’t given up his Dominance, he’s just more selective about where he uses it. Such as the car and drawing the ketchup design. Joe said no, but this is where Ming shows resistance and determination. It’s just we are finally seeing him do it with fucking charm. 

The actor who plays Joe is fucking spectacular. The way you see Joe’s wall of resistance breaking. Just chefs kiss. I need to look up the director and see their other work because this is usually a sign of an outstanding director as well. Those little nuances take teamwork to create. 

The kitchen scene really showcases whose Dominant and whose submissive. I love mom and son’s relationship! Mom was scoping out the guy for him, I love it. How adorable. 

Oh, Ming, that was a smooth lie. Fuck, but I love Ming. I love a villain with a soft spot for their love. Those conniving bastards have a way of wiggling their way into my heart. And the way they're both so vulnerable and communicating. I’m not okay. 

Ahhh, and Ming comes in with the love making. Joe would have pushed him away had he come in strong, but he doesn’t. This is Ming making love to Joe. He weakens Joe until he can just push him down and take control, “You know you can’t stop me.” Notice that Joe doesn’t argue, but Ming needs to do this. It’s cementing some really necessary things. It’s showcasing his feelings for Joe and making a statement. Not only is he making love to him, but he is making love to him face to face. Proving to Joe that he has changed. Yet, notice, who holds the complete control during the entire love making session. Ming.

Joe telling him he’d have to marry him first is my favorite. Ming like, sure, no problem. Time and place? Love it! HAHAHA, I’m dead. First the blanket and then the curtains. Mom’s face is all of us. Like, come on now. The way Joe pulled him back to cover his boxers. OMG, I’ve laughed so hard at this scene. It’s going down as one of my favorites. 

The way that Joe smiles at Ming at the table. So cute! I love how the mom breaks everything open. I also love that Joe protects Ming in his own way. 

You know what I love the most. Ming is not a good person. He has made numerous mistakes with Joe, but unlike other shows, we are actually seeing character development that can give us hope for the future. Ming is giving honesty to Joe, even when he knows it could work against him. He isn’t shying away from the ugliness but using it as a stepping stone for communication. This isn’t who Ming normally is, but he’s becoming a better man for Joe and only Joe. 

Tong really doesn’t realize the thin ice he is skating on, does he. Look at Ming standing up for Joe to Tong. Say it with me peeps. Character development. Ming not Tong. Tong couldn’t even spell character, much less the rest. 

And Joe proves once again that he loves Ming, and so does Ming. “Joe, regardless of what body you are in. You are still Joe.” Now, Joe knows that Ming got into the entertainment industry so that he could get exposure to reach Joe. They are so cute again! Let me enjoy it for this brief moment. Soak it in for the second it’s going to last. 

Proud boyfriend moment. He wants their names on video. Oh! Ming was ready to throw down for his boy! You played with the wrong one, Tong. Tong, you are about to find out that Ming is a villain. You only think you are. It might not happen in this episode, but I promise, you will feel it and when you do, I’m gonna enjoy it. 

The communication!!!

I hate Ming’s family. Despite Ming not wanting to, he did let Joe go. He knows he has to solve this. In the past, he would have manipulated, but he doesn’t here. He is thinking of Joe and not himself. 

Tong who is a douchacanoe whose too stupid to see he has created a disaster for himself. Meanwhile, Ming is such a badass. Yes, he is. Hope in the next episode we see more of the badass Ming. 

[y3nze1]

𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆, 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐍 | c.11

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: I / II / III / Navi.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: HI MY DARLINGS! THE FIC IS ALMOST ENDING. A FEW MORE CHAPTERS AND IT'S DONE! HOW WE ALL FEELING! happy readings <33

He took your hand, leading you into his home, he placed a hand ove your waist as you both got lost in your conversation. Husk followed behind, watching the two of you talk endlessly.

He took your hand, leading you into his home, he placed a hand ove your waist as you both got lost in your conversation. Husk followed behind, watching the two of you talk endlessly.

"I've been quite busy.. yes.. it was wonderful"

"I'm absolutely happy for you, My dear.. utterly happy.."

He watched over your lips as you speak, His eyes not leaving from yours. The two of you continued chatting, catching up on past times and enjoying each other's company. You were having a great time. You laughed, talked, and enjoyed each other's company. Alastor was charming, funny, and his wit and intelligence were off the charts. You also liked Husk, he was a true friend and a wonderful person, and he was trying his best to help Alastor with his feelings and his heartbreak. Alastor was lucky to have a close friend like him, who cared about him and wanted him to be happy.

After a few moments, Husk excused himself, leaving the two of you alone, you stood, nodding your head, letting him do his own thing, Alastor did so too. you both shared stories of your past and present. He kept on chattering wonderous things, his story almost never ending.

You listen intently as he talks about his life, his eyes lighting up at every new detail. You find yourself drawn to his passion and energy, feeling a connection that could only be described as magical. The comfort and familiarity of your past friendship is back, and it feels as though nothing has changed between you two. You share stories, laughs, and memories, and before you know it, the night has passed in the blink of an eye.

Your eyes wondered at the clock. a gasp escaped under your breath, turning to him as his eyes quickly catches yours. "It seems our conversation has went overboard." He chuckled, placing his hand over yours. "Y/n.. I want to show you something.. come with me"

You follow Alastor's lead, a thrill of excitement running through you as he leads you through his lavish mansion. As you walk, your eyes can't help but linger on the stunning artwork, the exquisite furniture, and the luxurious surroundings of his home.

Finally, he comes to a stop at the base of a staircase and looks back at you, his eyes sparkling with joy. "I want to show you something... something I've been working on for a while. Something special."

With that, he takes your hand again and leads you up the stairs, up to the master bedroom. As the door opens, you are met by an explosion of colour - a huge wall-sized canvas, covered in a stunning tapestry of purple and gold, depicting a scene of stars and galaxies. You gasp as you take it in, looking at Alastor with awe. "It's... it's amazing."

He chuckled, his hands leading you over to the large canvas in the middle, you placed a hand over your lips. looking up at the painting. "It's.. A painting of Daisies.." You turned to him. "It's lovely.. Alastor" you mumbled. "Did you make this?" He chuckled. "I'd be lying if i said i didn't, it's not as grand as what actually painters make, but.. Do you like it?"

You nod your head, feeling a warmness in your heart. "It's perfect," you say, your eyes shining as you look at him. "I love it, it's beautiful. You're an amazing artist."

Alastor's cheeks flush at your praise, and he nods slowly, a smile on his face. "Thank you, y/n. That means a lot to me, coming from you."

There's a moment of silence between the two of you, and then he takes your hand again, leading you over to the sofa facing the balcony. "Y/n.. i want.. i want you to come live with me.." You were shocked, unable to respond. "I know.. i know it's much.. and it came out of the blue but.. i want.. you to live with me" You're speechless, caught off guard by Alastor's sudden proposal. The weight of his words hit you like a ton of bricks, and for a moment, you wonder if you've heard him correctly. Despite the shock, you just couldn't take it, you were married.

"Alastor, I'm sorry.. I just can't.." You stood up, backing away from him. Alastor is stunned by your response, his face twisting into a mask of confusion and hurt. "What... what do you mean, y/n?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

The silence is almost unbearable, and you can feel his eyes burning into you as every second passes like an eternity. You want to say something, anything to make the pain and discomfort go away, to take back the words that had just left your lips, but nothing else seems to come to mind.

The tension in the room feels like an invisible weight pressing down on both of you, and after what seems like an eternity, Alastor finally speaks.

"Look, Y/n.. listen to me.." He walked closer to you, his hands gently gripping your shoulders as he stares down to you. "I know it's too much to handle.. but ask yourself.. do you love him? do you really.. truly love him?"

You love your Vox, you had thought he's perfect for you, he provides for you, the life you've dreamed of, and yet, there's something about Alastor that makes you feel alive in a way you've never felt before. It's a feeling you can't quite describe, it doesn't make sense, but you feel it nonetheless.

"Alastor.. please.." you start, but the words get caught in your throat. You feel like you're in a dream, a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Alastor's eyes turned to you. "Y/n.. Do you love him?" You felt tears roll down your eyes, you turned your head away, unable to face him. "Y/n.. Answer me. Do you love hi-?" You cut him ff, you felt yourself snap. "I don't!.. I don't.. at least back then.. i didn't.." He cupped your cheeks, wiping off your tears. "Then be with me.. Y/n.. i have all these things.. the luxury.. i can give you what you need.. i can do anything for you"

You pulled away from him. "Alastor.. i need to go.." You said, grabbing your things, your feet hurrying through the halls. "Y/n.. come back.." He yelled, following behind you. "Alastor.. please, just.. let me be.." He did budge, He tried to catch up. "Y/n just hear me out.." He stood by the middle of the room, watching as you as you hurried out.

"DAISY!"

You felt yourself stop. your hand just about the reach the door knob. you turned around facing him. You stand there, facing him, frozen in place, your heart racing with a mixture of emotions. Anger, frustration, disappointment, and even a bit of fear. You can see the desperation in his eyes as he approaches you once more, his hands outstretching as if to reach out to you and pull you back to him. He's saying something, but the sound of blood rushing through your head is drowning out everything.

For a moment, everything goes still. The world around you disappears, and it's just the two of you. You can see his lips moving, hear his voice, but nothing else registers in your mind. He's saying something, and you know it's important, something you should hear. But you can't bring yourself to listen. "Please.. Daisy, you're all i have.."

Suddenly, you snap out of it, and the world comes rushing back. You can feel the weight of his words sinking in, and your heart sinks with them. For what feels like an eternity, you stand there, locked in each other's gaze, searching for the words to say. "I'll ring your doorbell, tomorrow at 3 in the afternoon.." You said, you hear the sound of a car horn from outside, and the moment is gone.

You turn away from him, taking a deep breath before stepping out into the cool night air. You don't look back, but you can still hear him calling out your name, and for a moment, you almost want to go back, to turn around, and tell him everything you should have said. But you don't. Instead, you turn down the street and start walking away, leaving him behind with nothing but his words and regrets.

As you entered the car, the sound of the horn fades away, replaced by the muffled sounds of the streets around you. You feel a heaviness in your chest, a weight that seems to pull you down with every minute. Despite the cool night air, you can feel a sweat forming on your forehead, and you wipe it away with the back of your hand.

You sniffled, watching as the car drove by the busy city, back to your home. You stare out the window of the car, feeling lost and confused. The traffic outside is busy, and the city lights are bright, casting shadows against the buildings that line the street. You feel like you're in a daze, your thoughts running wild with questions and emotions.

As the car drives by, you can't help but think about what just happened, and where you stand in it all. You loved your husband, but there's a part of you that can't let go of Alastor, that can't forget the feelings he made you feel, and the connection you shared. But, you know it's wrong.

You sniffle again, trying to keep it together, but the tears just won't stop. You keep turning the situation over in your mind, looking at it from every angle, but you just can't seem to make sense of it all.

You feel like you're at a crossroads, that there's so much you need to figure out, and you don't know where to begin. You have your husband, the life you've built together, but there's a part of you that can't let go, that doesn't want to let go, of Alastor.

ೀ.ᐟ⭒๋࣭

Charlie stood by, shocked at the what she had heard. "Loralie.. tell me more" She sat closer. "I'm.. sorry charlie, that's all i know." Loralie ran fingers through her hair. taking a sip of the whiskey in her hands.

"Out of all the love stories I've heard, this shit is the saddest one. Especially because it's from Mr. Sadist over here, I didn't even know that the guy could have this tragic story." Angel sat beside Loralie. pouring himself a glass of whiskey. Charlie listened in silence as Loralie spoke, trying to process the information. She felt a pit form in her stomach, her heart aching for what she'd heard. She turned to look at Angel, her eyes begging him for some sort of reassurance.

Angel took a sip of his liquor, his face growing somber as he stared at Charlie. "It's a tragic story, alright." Charlie felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing, but she knew that Loralie wouldn't lie to her. She felt helpless, unsure of what to do or say. "How sad.." Charlie wiped the tear of her cheek. Turning to Loralie. "Lor.. Do you know where Daisy is nowadays?"

Loralie sighed. "The last time i visited her is by the north of our pride ring, I'm not sure if she still lives there." Charlie nods slowly, her mind racing as she tries to piece together what she's just learned. But it's too much for her to process all at once. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, trying to clear her head. When she opens her eyes again, she turns to Loralie.

"I want to talk to Daisy," she says, her voice steady but determined. "Maybe she can give us more information."

Loralie nods. "I could take you to her. But I warn you, she's not an easy person to deal with. She's been through a lot. Plus, like i said, I'm not sure if she still lives there"

Charlie nods. "I understand. But I have to try. This information is too important. And I'm too invested."

"Well.. I'm coming too.." Angel said. setting down his glass, getting up and following behind the two.

[greeninkredletters]

CHAPTER 31 is up!!

Artwork by the incredible @bqpsy

We're almost to the end, Chapter 31 is UP! (It's a doozy) Only the Epilogue left to go!! It's almost bittersweet to me, I can't believe we're here 🥹

READ ON AO3

In the Library Where He Kept Her Summary:

Draco wallows in the passing of his wife Hermione Granger. By charming her favorite books, he's able to live vicariously watching their memories while succumbing to his grief. It will be up to him, the persistence of friends, and the legacy of Hermione's love whether or not Draco chooses to continue living in the past, or shut the doors of the library for good. Told through both flashbacks and present-day scenes.

[ammi104]

Okay, just finished watching MHA season 7 episode 14 live. I won't spoil much (I've got it all screenshotted & partially recorded too, but y'all seriously gotta see this yourselves, so I'll hold back on that lol), but I almost teared up XDD

I've got a lot of mixed feelings. There were lots of moments I really liked, but as expected, there were quite a lot of still images than animated (I might even say "less dedicated" compared to the previous episodes), and some of the slower, more dramatic moments felt kinda rushed. But nonetheless, I liked how it centered mostly around the lore of discrimination (both the hopeful and dreadful factors of it) through the language and experience of some of the characters, such as Shoji, Spinner, Koda, Koda's mom, the spider guy, etc.

As for the artwork, the drastic change of lighting and color by environment and scene (such as Shoji's past being shown in cold blue, the riot scenes in fuming orange, class 1A's moment with Shoji being bright and fuzzy-colored, Koda's past with Mom being pastel-like) made it really easy to juxtapose the emotional tone by its varying moments; and let me tell ya, I'm a HUGE fan of that, so I really enjoyed some of the still, more tranquil shots of this episode.

And the ost... my gosh. Nothing too dramatic, but to me, it shifted and synergized so well with the scenes--I'd say they worked best at sparking the moment that really mattered in the episode: Koda's quirk awakening with Shoji's final blow, leading to his speech to the rioters.

All in all, I'd give this episode a solid 7/10 (it def needs some work in certain areas, especially in an animation and presentation standpoint if compared to the portrayal in the manga, but I won't be mad at it tho cuz I still liked how it was written on an emotional standpoint). I waited for the livestream just to see Shoji and Koda have their moments and got what I wanted, so I'm satisfied.

Welp, time to go watch it again XD

[felassan]

In a recent email from Spacelab, there is some new info on Dragon Age/potentially on DA:D, and on the DA vinyl.

first of all, a simple thing - as part of the pre-sale, there will be additional merch available, including a t-shirt and art print, of the beautiful vinyl cover art piece:

secondly, the official names of these two vinyl color variants/patterns have been given. the turquoise and gold one is named "Golden City" Merge, and the golden one with black 'explosion'-style lines is named "Black City" Splatter - artfully bookending/contrasting Thedas' past and the present, the Golden City and the Black City, the pre-Veil world with the world post-Veil:

in a previous post I mentioned that the first one reminds me of an eclipse, and the second one reminds me of an explosion. with the reveal of the naming of these two color variants, I've finally realized what both 'color swatches' remind me of, and it's Trespasser, or rather the key art for Trespasser.

you could easily imagine the palettes for both color variants being sampled from or inspired by this image or ones/DA settings like it, right? the Trespasser key art also includes element of both patterns - the sunbeams emanating as the dragon's 'wings' remind me of the 'exploding' lines in "Black City" Splatter, and the light/dark color contrast, bright light and splotchy patterns of the clouds along the top of the dragon's 'wings' remind me of the design of "Golden City" Merge. for me I found being reminded of the Trespasser key art interesting, as in it the eluvians are teal/turquoise, like the color in "Golden City" Merge - whereas eluvians are sometimes (not always) colored purple or shown with a purpley 'tone' in the setting. idk, I just found that interesting :) other feelings that I had from these were 1) that in "Black City" Splatter, the black (Blight, corruption, Taint) lines extending outwards made me think of the Taint entering the world and corruption spreading after the City was blackened and corrupted. and 2) that in the "Golden City" color variant, the two colors are turquoise/teal and gold. to "merge" implies mixing something together to create something new. in the setting, green is a color often associated with or used to represent the Fade - there's the Anchor, the "emerald waters", the green glow of Veilfire, the general green tinge often present in depictions of the Fade, etc. and if you merge or mix turquoise and yellow, you get green. hh, its probably overthinking, but I just thought it was fun/neat the different thoughts and feelings the images/art & their names bring to mind. :)

oke so, as a reminder, we had also previously seen official flavor text for the cover art, describing it thus: "The beautifully detailed artwork presents a pictorial timeline following the lore of the Dragon Age series, beginning at the dawn of the Golden City, throughout the City’s Fall and culminating in its re-emergence as the Black City, seat of the Old Gods" and "From the land of Thedas, at the dawn of the Golden City". in the email, there is also an image containing two all-new art pieces:

on the left, in the black and gold color themeing that we've now become so familiar with (one, two, three) is a picture of a shattering eluvian. the eluvian sits on a Fadey-style floating rock piece. it's the 'tri'-style of eluvian (highlighted in purple below), rather than one of the simpler single archway-style eluvians. this is the style of eluvian that Solas meets Flemeth in front of in the post-Trespasser scene. it's always been an interesting eluvian shape - like the shape you'd get if a 'simple' arch eluvian was flanked on either side by beasts (wolves, dragons, or one of each), or the shape a stylized dragon could make if looked at front-on with its wings folded, like in this dragon Mythal mosaic or this Mythal dragon statue. it also resembles the shape of the shrine to Fen'Harel in the Crow Plains. the shattering is also interesting - shards of glass fly outwards from the center, thereby resembling "Black City" Splatter. shatter, splatter, "and I looked up and saw the seven gates of the Black City shatter, and darkness cloaked both realms"... are those clouds of smoke in the background? what's caused the mirror to shatter - an explosion? just what is this scene depicting or representing? lastly, the shattering eluvian is flanked by two of those familiar ancient elven 'tree' sculptures (highlighted in yellow below). this is a familiar scene, no? there have been various theories/speculations over time about these DA:I 'trees', what their purpose was/is, what they are/what they represent. for example, Mythal vallaslin resembles branches without leaves, and on the front of Flemeth's grimoire is intricate stitching in the pattern of a leafless tree.

the second new art piece, on the right, is a variation of/accompanying piece to the cover art. they should be compared side by side. Twitter user Hrungr was able to manipulate the image of the second new art piece to be front-on, and here it is on the right compared to the 'original' [image source]:

suddenly, the pre-existing artwork blurb and the color variant naming choices make sense. :) on the left is the Golden City, as it was. pure and uncorrupted. sculpted and shining, splendid and supporting growth/life. on the right, the Black City, having been blackened and corrupted. Blighted, blackened, dying, crumbling. gnarled and withered (...leafless...?), dark and sinister. "a pictorial timeline" of Gold->Black City indeed. we've seen this motif play out many times now, from the DA:O opening cinematic voiced by Duncan right through until the in-game Dragon Age: Dreadwolf cinematic that came out a few months ago.

these two versions of the City echo the color variants & patterns. :) in one, the Golden City with a cloud-like pattern in a teal/turquoise sky, and in the other, a golden setting ruined by blackness and 'faultlines', emanating out from the center.

apart from the obvious Gold to Black change, there are some other differences between these two pieces to unpack. on the left is a hooded figure on rock promontory, holding a horned or moon-like staff while looking at the dragon. this figure is absent after the City's blackening. on the right, that rock promontory and the other floating rocks are absent, presumably having fallen or crumbled away after the 'ruining'. on the left, in the center behind the dragon is a half moon-like shape. on the right, this changes to a sun-like golden disc complete with sunbeam-like 'rayed lines' emanating from it. the eclipse-like imagery of these is obvious, and the disc with rayed lines is an element we have seen before in the updated DA logo.

here it would be silly not to revisit previous related references and imagery such as:

two shadowed spheres among stars / an eclipse as Fen'Harel stirred [the Emergent Compendium]

and

and I looked up and saw the seven gates of the Black City shatter, and darkness cloaked both realms.

there is also the eclipse-style imagery in the in-game Dragon Age: Dreadwolf cinematic and a bunch of previous sun/moon motifs/references floating around e.g. Dalish lore holds Mythal created the moon and was born of the sea (so a moon connection there via the tides), and that Elgar'nan opposite her is the Eldest of the Sun, the guy who buried the Sun, the Pools of the Sun etc. also those art assets of overlapping spheres, repeating/concentric circles etc.

I also would like to highlight that it's either two different dragons we're seeing, or that the dragon changes at the corruption of the Black City. is the dragon on the right a depiction of inworld lore of an Old God becoming corrupted? or is something Evanuris-y afoot? (dragons, a shape "reserved for the divine" etc). who do/does the dragons represent? who is the figure with the staff?

additionally, the horns and general structure of the dragon is totally different on the right than it is on the left. the first thing this reminded me of was the "Double Blight???" DA:D concept art piece 👁️ -

the differences in the horns also reminded me of this stuff:

I'm not saying both dragons' horn shape match these, just that one seems to and that there's something going on here with all this anyways. there are of course other symbols around the outside of that ring beside just these two, and other types of dragon, including the style/type of dragon associated with Mythal.

the shape of the figure's staff is also curious, given all this.

left, silvery dragon - Mythal? right dragon (which is gold-toned despite the blackening) - Elgar'nan, after he's approached her [maybe as the figure on the rock promontory] and then murdered her and taken her place as the god, ruler, dragon who presides over all? moon and sun, moon dragon and sun dragon, beauty and destruction.. the shape of the 'right-hand' dragon's horns match the evanuris headpiece on the ring which is in the biggest hemisphere, and of the 7 gods those headpieces apply to (9 Evanuris, minus Mythal and Fen'Harel), the 'biggest' naturally is the patriarch leader opposite Mythal, Elgar'nan.

And so is the Golden City blackened With each step you take in my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven And doom upon all the world. --Threnodies 8:13

🌙 ◕‿◕ ☀️

[mtaartsdesign]

Priscila De Caravalho’s “Bronx: Heart, Homeland” (2015) at Castle Hill Av (6) station encompasses the interplay of place, home, culture, and identity through silhouetted scenes of the neighborhood stylized with a web of interconnecting lines and patterns. The urban dwellers represented are skateboarding, selling books, walking on the street, and taking pathways to the station. Man-made fragments of the 20th and 21st century of Bronx history are shown, such as the subway line, networks, electricity cables, and telephone poles. In this way, the artwork honors the Bronx’s past, present, and future as well as its dwellers’ connection to both place and each other.

De Carvalho’s new mural “The Sun Also Rises” commissioned by NYC DOT Art is now on view in Jackson Heights in Queens, offering the community a sense of optimism through vibrant color and the sun’s symbolism.

📸1-2: Ken Shung, 3: NYC DOT Art

[strqyr]

here to say thank you for understanding the characters the way as they should be, so many misinterpret them horribly and take them at their face value or will straight up make up a headcanon and then trick themselves into thinking thats what the character is(yang being the biggest one that gets mischaracterized so much and so badly). you actually go through each characters heads while considering canon material and fune tooth combing each and every scene and piece of information for them

i try my best lol. i'm sure i get stuff 'wrong' (i.e. not necessarily what the writers themselves were going for) every now and then, such is life when we all come from different backgrounds and have different life experiences that mold us, but nothing is more fun than putting myself in specific character's shoes and really digging in to see what makes them tick, how their backstories inform their actions, both past and present, and so on and so on.

i think a common stumbling block—besides headcanons taking priority, which frankly is a package deal with fandom in general—is the though that if you like a character, they must be good, and if you dislike a character, they must be bad, which leads to all their actions being painted in same light, nuance be damned. people want nuanced and flawed characters as long as it suits them; the moment it doesn't, all that gets thrown out the window while still claiming that nuance is everything—just don't point out that the character they like might actually be *GASP* flawed, or that character they dislike might actually not be Pure Evil™, and everything is fine.

(people relating to characters probably also plays a part here; any pointed flaw towards a character they like is seen as an attack against them, etc.)

yang to me is a fascinating case, because, well. people often point towards jaune as the character most often bastardized by fandom, and i completely get that, but what i've also found is that these jaune fans often just. stay on their lane, doing their own thing, which is very easy to ignore if you so please. with yang, though, i've seen people getting upset at other fans for taking an official description of yang into account when portraying her in artwork or fics and straight up claiming that the very obvious canon trait of yang's is either a) never really been a thing (it has very much been a thing since day 1), or b) a made-up fanon thing, and it's like

if you don't like it, take it up with rooster teeth??? why get mad at other fans for characterizing yang as she is in canon??? makes no sense lmao

anyway, not that i need them to stop; the most appreciation i've gained towards characters has been solely because i've seen takes about them that immediately, without ever having thought about these characters that deeply before, make me go "that's bullshit" and then dig through canon to make myself understand why my instinct was that strong—and often finding new things that i had never considered before. it's a win-win situation for me skdgkjhkfh

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Credit: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/67875227#big_0

Guess I have to do all of them now.

//And I will walk through it as you ramble.

Shuichi is Ritsuka Fugimaru, male protagonist of Fgo. There's also an alternative of him of course being Sherlock Holmes. Not sure why he's the simple harem protagonist but ok. Sherlock is obvious tho.

//I mean, all of the protags have incredible harem energy, Makoto especially, but Shuichi too. It's not THAT weird to me.

Kaede is Nero Claudius (damn this would put her at really bad terms with Mahiru Boudica then). Not sure why Genderbent Nero Claudius is Kaede but I guess they are both busty blonde happy proud girls that are not actually so happy and proud deep down. Tho, I need to point out this is actually super ironic cuz Nero Claudius was historically tone deaf.

//That's funny.

Kokichi is James Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. This fits so well. Both of them are basically asshole yet charismatic crimelords/troublemakers and are usually the cause of everyone's problems behind the scenes. Also, going with the alternative one for Shuichi as Holmes, this fits well cuz Moriarty and Holmes are actually canon rivals. Tho double suicide is obviously off the chart.

//Yeah, that fits a little too well actually.

Ryoma is Emiya Alter. Edgelord badasses with a death wish and a dark sense of justice and always suffer cuz of it. Fits the bill.

//Makes sense.

Kurumi is Emiya. Idk why at all. The non-alter version of Ryoma's. Hero of Justice who ended up hating his own dream cuz it made him constantly kill and kill and kill as the world's personal hitman. Made him question what it means to be a Hero. How the fuck does this fit Kurumi? And how does this parallel with Ryoma by Kurumi's side over there?

//That is strange to make KIRUMI of all characters Emiya. Isn't Emiya like, a big deal in this franchise? Surely that role should go to one of the protags.

Miu is Leonardo Da Vinci. Proud beauty super eccentric inventors. Makes perfect sense.

//Miu gives off big "DA VINKY!?" energy.

Gonta is Asterius/The Minotaur. Big animalistic muscular wild men with actual soft hearts and lovable personalities. Fits the bill.

//He looks cute too.

Tsumugi is Cleopatra (oh damn this would mean Twogami Julius Caesar and her are a thing). This is solely due to the meme of them looking like each other. Tsumugi is not that fabulous and proud beauty of herself. No way Tsumugi can weaponize her own beauty sparkles and glittering to make explosions.

//I disagree with this in the case of Survivor. Zetsubou Tsumugi is SO damn full of herself, it's painful. And while I wouldn't call it "weaponizing her own beauty," Tsumugi's own powers ARE related to her appearance too.

Keebo is Charles Babbage. Two robot men. Nuff said. Tho I need to ask how well Keebo is at programming compared to the actual Father of Computer Programming.

//I misread that as Charles Cabbage. Also, to answer this, the whole point of Keebo is that he's an advanced AI and fully functioning robot that's beyond the technological advancements of the state that V3's world is in. But him not being able to do anything like shoot lasers, fly around, and do super cool comic robot stuff; therefore leaving everyone disappointed despite how actually incredible he is as a creation, is the joke.

Kaito is Thomas Edison (damn this must mean Kazuichi and Kaito argue a lot). Idk why. What does Kaito have in common with a guy who invented the common lightbulb (he actually submitted it first. Someone in Russia invented the same exact lightbulb type at the same exact time as Edison but he turned in his papers the day later compared to Edison who rushed immediately to the offices) and, do not ask me why, fused with every American President from past, present, and future and with the Warner brothers Lion to be a Super President? Kaito got the short end of the draw.

//Miu said that Thomas Edison said genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and Kaito sure does perspire a lot.

Maki is Jack the Ripper. Loli Jack the Ripper. One of the possible Jack the Ripper's. Not really Jack the Ripper, is actually the spiritual incarnation/accumulation of all of the dead orphans/aborted children left for dead by the millions of prostitutes in London at the time. Maki is a damn good assassin and does have a strong love/hate relationship with kids, especially orphans, but this is a bit much.

//I mean, Maki being Jack The Ripper is what I expected, if we're likening her to any historical figure, but THIS iteration? The spirit of orphans stuff makes sense, but Jesussss!?

Tenko is Ushiwakamaru/Yoshitsune. Idk about this. Both of them may be dark hair sporty types but Tenko is definitely no military general and badass master swordsman (genderbent now) known for jumping across 8 ships in a row cutting everyone down. Doesn't seem to fit the bill here.

//Makes more sense than something like L'ouvature or whatever?

Himiko is Abigail Williams. Why the fuck would Himiko be the girl who essentially started the Salem Witch Trials by blaming everyone? Himiko would been murdered on the spot if she met historical Abigail. Sure, Fgo's version of Abigail is an absolutely precious little girl who'd you so want to protect as your daughter but also has very dark personality switch cuz she's actually connected to the actual Lovecraftian Elder God Yog Sothoth, but I need more than both of them being magical witch aesthetic little girls.

//There were many speculations going around after the end of the witch trials that Abigail Williams herself was a witch all along. So Himiko COULD fit into her shoes if she was a much nastier character.

Rantaro is motherfucking Merlin. No offense but Rantaro is not deserving of the meme king dick wizard who broke the meta more than any top tier waifu. I could explain why he's nicknamed the Dick Wizard but that's a hilarious other story.

//Yes he is. Yes. He. Is.

Korekiyo is Phantom of the Opera. Sociopath Serial Killers with obsessive behaviours towards a certain girl in their lives. Makes sense.

//Makes TOO MUCH sense.

And Angie is Xuanzang. This calls into question whether Angie has a pet horse, monkey, pig, and whatever animal that "sand demon" with a (trident?) spear was. (I'm Asian American and idolized Journey to the West and even I don't know). Regardless, both are super religious and I guess get into trouble all the damn time. I can kinda see it but it could be better.

//Yeah, kind of like what I said with Tenko. It doesn't make complete sense, but it makes more sense than most stuff.

-Mod

[gwydionmisha]

Interview with the Vampire: We Need to talk about the design of the so Called Rock Garden (Contains Spoilers through the Finale)

Something that my brain has been pick, pick, picking at since first season of Interview with the Vampire is that Rock garden in Dubai. I've been watching season two as it came out, but also rewatching it with a friend who otherwise hasn't access. Last week we stopped watching while they were making the deal to sell that artwork to discuss the decoration of the Dubai apartment because they had been pick, pick, picking at the interior design in general this whole time too. I'm not Japanese, so grain of salt here.

So a lot of people have discussed the way the bedroom looks like a prison with the bars and lighting, but it runs so much deeper and darker than that. We got talking about Louis' taste in art and design, much the way my friend and I hot into Louis and Lestat and fashion choices first season.

Okay, look at the whole apartment. Sure it's just generally in that soft brutalist minimalist design the rich are all into right now, and Armand who may or not be lying says they had an interior decorator, but that apartment set is not designed like some generic designer furnished it. It is designed like someone or someones told them what they needed, but also what they liked. You can see Louis in Paris' mid 20th century eye in things like the Bacon and the sort of furniture you see in the dining room and that sort of living room area. He was doing the American in Paris after the war bohemian thing and there was a movement connected to university culture and beatnik culture in America and American ex-pats from the 40's through… some point in early sixties with a particular type of interest in East Asian culture and certain types of African art. That's going be important in a moment. You can see little touches in all that 21st Century rich person soft brutalism and think it's all guided by the taste of the occupants, who want to look very up to date, but whose tastes and interests were formed in another time. It's really obvious in the bedroom, but it's everywhere subtly once you start looking for it. (Props to the set dressers who were on point).

Let's stop and think about Armand, for a moment. Armand who doesn't know who he is, both in the literal chunks of past are missing and in the psychological sense of he's spent five hundred years trying to mold himself to whatever he thinks other people want or need him to be, hiding his own desires and motivations from himself. He knows he wants/needs someone or something to mold him and he will literally do anything to get that, including burning down the last thing in such a way that he can tell himself he didn't really do it. Circumstances or someone else did it or made him do it. He is utterly ruthless in that pursuit. What he wears, how he presents himself is designed to appeal to the taste and expectations of who/what he's molding himself to. The Amedeo outfit for Marius. The dingy barely dressed outfit of his Satanist coven Gremlin era. The far more respectable outfit he wears the night in the balcony when he declares love for Lestat. The Post war European hipster outfit he wears while seducing Louis, dressing in hopes of being appealing in the way Paris' Bohemian side is to Louis who is dressed like an American college student abroad to study at the Sorbonne. The season two Dubai outfits, perfectly chosen to look modern and elegant but not too formal. Louis always dressed Lestat in modern fashions and Louis modern Louis dresses in a similar, but slightly less formal style…. Armand is dressed for louis. (Props to the costume designers who were on point. I love how in first season you can absolutely tell if Louis or Lestat picked Lestat's outfit in a scene, something we had a lot of fun with. We had a roaring time with season 2 choices as well).

So which things in the apartment are Louis and which are super subtle Armand touches?

Which brings us to the rock garden. Maybe the designer did suggest it as because the need for nature as Armand suggests in season one, but that's not what it's doing, is it? Nor is it functioning as the kind of meditation space they are trying to appropriate. Look at the real meditation gardens. Outside. Lots of live growing things. Boulders suggesting islands and/or mountains. Raked soft sand to suggest water or wind. The whole design is intended to aid meditation, right?

Now look at the travesty in the Dubai apartment. It's a prison cell. A beautifully made, super expensive prison cell, but the stark white brutalist walls and hard angles. Light from above like light through a grate into a prisoner's cell in a ninetieth century novel about the olden days. One sad tree instead of a whole surrounding garden. It's a cell or a prison yard, it's not a meditation space.

Books are kept high up with no ladders where only vampires can access them and Armand cut pages away supposedly for Louis' own good, though not really. Literally and symbolically both it's the opposite of a public library with easily accessible knowledge anyone can have. Armand entirely controls and drip drips whatever narrative he wants to share

Now lets get back to the sand in the meditation area, shall we? Is it soft white sand? No. It's rocks. Small rocks. That can't be comfortable right? So before I even saw the finale, I was saying: I can see a caring partner of a depressed person who can't go outside in the day making an indoor meditation garden to help them, but this isn't that garden. This is a stark and depressing prison cell designed to look like caring but actually sabotaging healing. I can't imagine digging my toes into gravel to meditate (Characters periodically do that: burrow there feet into the pale white gravel), it's distracting.

Then the Finale dropped and I'm sure of it. That is literally the type of gravel they buried Louis in. O.o Louis still has the same gravel inside his feet and ankles, his skin having grown over them during the most traumatic period of his life. he was mourning Claudia and starving and being driven mad by the most extreme form of solitary confinement I can think of. Every step must still be a torment to him, like the little mermaid's sensation of walking on knives. Every step Louis takes reminds him of the loss of his daughter/sister. Talk about penance. O.o So knowing this, either Armand or Louis had the designer fill the false meditation room with a torture device and got the designer to trick it out like a cell.

Seriously, I can't work out which is more fucked up: Armand doing it to keep Louis sick and fragile and too depressed to leave or Louis doing it to himself as a form of self harm. Either way it's seriously fucked up.

Can someone get these three Vampires (Louis, Lestat, and Armand) a real psychiatrist and not just a reasonably self aware journalist who has made a wreck of his life? Let's through in some professional help for Daniel too while we are at it.

Seriously, I am this close to going absolutely feral over this show the way I did for Black Sails and for the same fucking reason.

[loveotomization]

For the past 10 years of my life as a Mikan enjoyer, I've been daydreaming about writing a series of essays examining Mikan's fall scenes through a lens of both satire and in-universe character motivation. Finally got off my butt and did it.

Presenting:

Mikan vs. Fanservice

Part 1: A Doyalist look at satire of fanservice in SDR2

(warning: contains images of anime girls in skimpy clothes)

This is a part of my larger Mikan fansite, Sad Nurse.

Essay can also be read under the cut!

(Please don't go picking a fight with me over cartoon people. I'm old and tired. I probably won't respond.)

I’d like to start off by saying that analysis will deal almost exclusively with Mikan’s portrayal in the SDR2 game, rather than the DR3 anime or any manga adaptation. Being a different medium, and produced a few years after the game, I believe that the writing and art could at times have different intentions than the games.

I personally find the writing choices for Mikan’s character absolutely fascinating, to the point that it invites both Doyalist and Watsonian exploration of what makes her function.  (simply put, Kodaka’s writing and Mikan’s in-universe motivations work in concert, rather than at odds)

I’m writing this series of essays in response to the constant, not to mention surprising, confusion I’ve seen surrounding Mikan’s character over the past ten years. Mikan is a very unique character, and her motivations are difficult to find perfectly mirrored in another existing character (not to say that I have consumed every piece of media ever, but I have yet to run across another character like her). Either way, I’m hoping to challenge some incorrect views or at the very least have the chance to say my piece after so many years.

Now, of course, I am not Kodaka nor have I met him personally. I have, however, been in the fandom for longer than the average DR fan, not to mention being somewhat older, so I may have different experiences with media than some other fans.  

Now that I have all of that out of way, I’d like to begin with what I personally believe was Kodaka’s primary intention in creating the scenes where Mikan falls over-

Satire.

Dictionary.com defines satire as:

‘The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.’

So just what is the ‘stupidity or vice’ that Kodaka is satirizing?

Fanservice.

(and perhaps the dojikko archetype, but we’ll visit that in another article)

I feel as if the term fanservice has become skewed as of late, as terms often do with passing decades. Back in the early days of English-speaking online anime fandom, fanservice was most often used to mean a scene or piece of artwork that was literally intended to be sexually appealing to the (usually straight male) viewer. At the same time, these scenes would do nothing to further the plot or add to the characterization of the woman in the scene.

These are images of Faye from Cowboy Bebop. I choose her because she exists in a sci-fi action canon that contains a well-written story and characters, as opposed to a pure fanservice series that is only created to showcase women’s bodies for an assumed male gaze.

While it can be argued that the way Faye dresses can make a statement about her personality, it is also clear to the viewer that her outfit is intended to be sexy not just in-universe, but for the viewer as well.

Let’s consider these pictures.

Faye’s top leaves little to the imagination, showing much of her cleavage, which is of course something that many female-attracted people find to be a turn on. You’ll also notice that her booty shorts are unzipped in front, inches from her privates. While I am neutral on the topic of fanservice, characterization and story-wise, there is no reason for the creators to dress her this revealing other than for viewers' pleasure. The adjustments to her costume in the live action prove that she can still be a strong and attractive woman without letting it all hang out.

The same goes for her cocktail dress. There is no vital in-universe need for jiggle physics.

(Disclaimer: This is not a critique of Cowboy Bebop. I think it’s a brilliant show. These images are here solely to juxtapose true fanservice with Mikan’s suggestive pose scenes)

Now, let’s take a look at some characters you’re more familiar with. These are from a collab with a mobile game called Sengoku… something. I’ve never heard of it, and I’m not sure what the actual characters from it look like. That said, let’s look at Mikan and Chiaki in these images.

These images are stand-alone, rather than being scenes from DR canon. In that case, they say nothing about the personality of characters in question, or the story they are from. These images serve no other purpose than to titillate the viewer. The outfits are clearly drawn in ways specifically to highlight their chests and other areas.

So what does this have to do with Mikan’s scenes in SDR2?

I firmly believe that Kodaka is doing three things with the following scenes: satirizing fanservice, satirizing the dojikko character type, and showing quite a bit of Mikan’s character at the same time. I find this pretty clever writing, and the reason I felt compelled to write this series of essays. We know that Kodaka likes satire and parody. Please just take a look at the entire DR series. Even the major themes underlying the games as a whole, such as reality TV culture and the pressures placed on Japanese youth, are largely satire. So why wouldn't smaller moments of satire be present in these same games as well?

These are the scenes in which Mikan falls over on purpose in order to diffuse tense moments, and shift the focus back onto herself by using her sexuality (I’ll go into this topic in depth at another time). As I said, these scenes show us a great deal about the personality of the character, making them immediately more valuable than simple fanservice scenes.

Take a look at her pose, and how she is dressed. Compare it to the ninja costumes above. They show quite a bit of skin, and the poses highlight their breasts and thighs.

In SDR2, Mikan is fully clothed in a reasonably well covering outfit (I once saw someone on Tumblr say that her skirt was drawn too short, and sometimes I feel like we’re one step away from visible ankles becoming scandalous again lol). Her chest is covered. There is the tiniest little peep of plain white panties in one of these images, but that’s about it. I can assure you that these scenes are not very sexy to the average female-attracted person. They are over the top, and clearly present a parody of the sort of scene truly meant to be sexy. Now, of course, literally anything can be a turn on to someone out there, but I’m talking about on average, of course.

Does this mean that Kodaka is against fanservice? I’m sure that’s not the case. However, it is possible to satirize things that you enjoy as well. In fact, I encourage creatives to critique tropes that they personally enjoy. I personally think that it’s a good way to challenge your own point of view and to not take yourself too seriously.

Satire can be shocking, or bring on feelings of discomfort. It is not always intended to be funny. Spending ten years of my life in the DR fandom, it’s always been strange to me that depictions of sexuality--even when they show very little or are used to further characterization--are more shocking to the general viewer base than the actual murders themselves, but that is likely a larger discussion for another day. Back to my point however, is that even if you do feel disgust or discomfort at Mikan’s scenes, they do elicit an emotion in the viewer, which is a large part of the point of art in the first place. In short, you have every right to feel discomfort at these scenes, but I do think that understanding the meaning and value behind them can help deepen enjoyment of the game, or at the very least of Mikan’s character.

Upcoming- A look at the dojikko archetype, followed by a Watsonian look into Mikan’s own motivations in the conscious use of her sexuality.

[marjacomicreviews]

Name The Crow Author/Artist James O’Barr First Published 1993 My version The Crow: Ultimate Edition, 2020, German Synopsis "The Crow" tells the story of Eric Draven, who returns from the dead to avenge the brutal murder of himself and his fiancée.

General "The Crow" is nothing short of iconic, especially within the Gothic scene. Few works have had such a profound impact, particularly when considering the film starring the late Brandon Lee. O'Barr created this comic as a way to process a personal tragedy, and that raw emotion is palpable in every panel. The artwork cuts deep, leaving a lasting impression. Despite its heavy themes, the comic remains highly engaging, even incorporating moments of dark humour.

Story As mentioned, the story is not light reading. Eric's quest for revenge against the murderers and r*pists of his fiancée drives him to defy death itself. Throughout his journey, he repeatedly relives sweet memories of his past, only to be harshly thrust back into his grim reality. The narrative focuses intensely on Eric's emotional turmoil and his unrelenting pursuit of vengeance. The story captivated me, and even though I was already familiar with the film, I couldn’t put the book down. It was fascinating to witness how Eric confronts both his past and his present, as well as how those around him react to his return as a vengeful spirit. The inclusion of the young girl, Sarah, was a particularly strong element.

Art Style The art is rough and far from "textbook", but it conveys exactly what it needs to: raw emotion. Not every character is anatomically perfect, and there are some "eggheads", but these quirks do nothing to detract from the comic's feel and aesthetic. As expected, the entire comic is in black and white, which enhances its stark, emotional impact.

Conclusion "The Crow" remains a timeless classic. If you're in the mood for something light-hearted, this isn't the comic for you. But for a melancholic evening where you're ready to immerse yourself in the emotions of O'Barr and Eric, this comic is absolutely perfect.

[ellieellieoxenfree]

What did BOC do?

assuming you are in good faith, anon, here’s a non-exhaustive list:

they allowed the KP novelists (poi and yok) unfettered access to the set, where they were filmed sexually harassing numerous members of the cast, including a minor they coerced into giving them massages

they failed to take action against the actors’ stalkers who doxed their hotels and flights and followed them on vacation, nearly drove their cars off the road, and broke into the BOC offices

ignoring poi’s accusations of plagiarism against sammon for the original 4 minutes script (prior to its retooling as whatever the fuck garbage it is now) and failing to apologize

continuing to side with poi after she falsely accused one of their actors, build jakapan, of plagiarism, abuse, theft, and a forced abortion, as well as setting up a months-long harassment campaign with leaks of private messages and photos, leading him to nearly commit suicide after his resignation and more or less blackballing him from the thai television industry. actors were also forbidden to mention him in any way.

in a major double standard move, forced build into an extended hiatus near the end of KP's airtime after twitter dug up decade-old problematic tweets and blew them up into a scandal, while ignoring 2024 allegations and receipts against bible for old, still undeleted social media posts that are in the same vein that got build canceled originally

pond, BOC’s CEO, continues to blame build indirectly in interviews over 18 months after the initial scandal (obliquely referring to him as though all of BOC’s past and present problems are laid at build’s feet), even though poi admitted in a settlement that the claims were false and build has entirely distanced himself from anything to do with BOC since his resignation

chose to announce jeff satur’s departure from BOC during a live event that was also streamed worldwide without informing nearly everyone in the cast prior, including bible (who’d just lost his scene partner, build, not long beforehand) and barcode (jeff’s scene partner, the minor who’d been harassed by yok and poi), causing a devastated barcode to burst into tears in front of the audience

held a reality show that included telling a teenager to get a nose job to ‘look less chinese’ and required the largely-teenage candidates to undergo an exercise in humiliating exorcism where they had to spill the skeletons in their closet in a public guilt and shaming circle

have been exposed numerous times stealing artwork for promotional materials

discarding the majority of their cast after KP finished airing, leaving actors signed to the studio but providing them no acting, sponsorship, or live opportunities, only to then hire several waves of new cast members for other projects, leaving the existing talent high and dry

failed to budget properly for their aborted ‘world tour,’ then blamed the actors

despite KP being a massive success, they claimed to be above BL for their next project, man suang (which pond trumpeted as the saving grace of new thai cinema and was partially funded by the thai ministry of culture), which failed to do anywhere near the gangbusters numbers expected of it, leading pond to walk back his claims and announce a man suang AU tv show, recently postponed from its original 2024 release date to 2025, which is supposed to be more of a light and fluffy BL romcom, rather than the serious historical piece man suang was originally advertised as. this was also apo's passion project and had almost zero promotion.

mile, who was the inspiration for the KP novel, coaxed apo back from new york (where he’d gone after a disastrous experience in lakorns in thailand) to star in KP by promising him BOC wouldn’t be similar to other studios, only to promptly turn around and have the guy who’d faced horrific amounts of colorism appear in ads for whitening products

have repeatedly insulted international fans (both in southeast asia and globally), including a canceled event in vietnam being blamed on bigoted stereotypes of vietnam being crime-ridden and unsafe, and using offensive/outdated content in their promotional materials

ultimately, whether you choose to support BOC or not is your decision and my judgment means nothing. for me, KP was a very good time for a few months and then a life-ruining time for three times as long as it was good, and i quite frankly would prefer never to have watched the show because BOC and its attack dogs caused so much pain to a huge number of people i care about, with none of the people either at the company or in the fandom ever bothering to take the slightest shred of accountability for their noxious behavior. i hope every day is a fucking misery for pond and i wish him all the luck and success he deserves, which is fucking none. when BOC burns down, let me know so i can reserve the time off to dance on its grave.

[imperiuswrecked]

hello :) i have very recently gotten into namor comics and i wanted to know, what are your favorite arcs/solos hes had? i hope its not too much of a bother. thank you and i hope youre doing well. ^_^

Hello and welcome. It's always a pleasure to speak with Namor fans ❤️ Thanks for asking, I'm well and I hope you are too.

Series:

King in Black: Namor - It's wonderfully written and gives us great lore and character moments. It's written by Kurt Busiek who really knows the character. The artwork is amazing, drawn by two different artists but I have to point out how much I really enjoy the colorists' work. The way they chose to make present day Namor scenes all muted colors, like the ocean is sick and dying, meanwhile his past scenes has such vibrant color.

Sub-Mariner: The Depths - I'm a big horror fan so this was a perfect combination of horror and Namor. I wish this would someday be adapted into a short animation or live action film. Ribic's art carries the whole comic, you could understand it just by the art alone, tho the writing is great too.

Sub-Mariner (2007) - Honesty I feel this series is criminally under rated, it's one of my favorite modern takes on Namor. I do have a couple of criticisms of the plot/ending but overall this series is favorite, love the artwork, love the premise and Namor's characterization.

The Sub-Mariner (1968) - I'm a big fan of Silver Age Namor and this series has lots of great comics but some do drag on at point. Personal favorites, Namor vs The Thing and Namor meeting Betty again in #8, Dorma being possessed by the Serpent Crown in #9. Gonna stop there before I go digging to find every issue I loved, bc there's just a lot there, like I love Tigershark's introduction/stories and Namor and Diane's friendship, and the quest for Namor's father etc.

Arc's:

Tales to Astonish: The Quest for Neptune's Trident #70-76. (To be fair I do love a lot Tales to Astonish but I'm just trying to pick out arcs that I reread alot.)

Namor goes insane in space: Uncanny X-Men (1963) Annual 3 (2001), Steve Rogers: Super Soldier Annual 1, Namor: The First Mutant Annual 1

Suma-Ket & Artys-Gran Arc - Namor, the Sub-Mariner (1990) #30-40. Dark Undersea High Fantasy arc, love it.

Solo Comics:

Marvel Fanfare (1982) #16 & 43, both these are solo adventures

Marvel Snapshot: Sub-Mariner (2020) - I can never get enough of this comic, told from Betty's pov, its wonderful.

Avengers: Emperor Doom - I love every time Namor and Doom team up or interact but if I had to pick one time it's this.

What if? Sub-Mariner (2011) - Love love this story by Greg Pak of Namor growing up on land.

The Judgement of Namor - Dark Reign: The Cabal - Namor takes court and deals with his subjects. An excellent look into Namor's role as the monarch of Atlantis.

Marvel (2020) #3 - I loved the sketch arts of the comic that was unfinished, it had been around for decades but when Marvel finally printed it in full I was so happy. I still prefer the sketchy art but I thought this was a fun adventure and Namor is in a suit, lol.

Marvel Comics Presents: (1988) #33 - All time favorite Namor comic, #1 spot in my heart. (2007) #7 - Namor mourns Nita's death (2019) #1 - A heavy story by Greg Pak about WWll

Tales of the Marvels: Inner Demons - a look at Namor while he was an amnesiac

I haven't even started on character team up comics or team books and if I start on those I won't stop. lol. I'll put a link here to my 2019 comic reading guide that can help you find most major arcs. I hope you enjoy reading!