#balanced as all things should be or something like that

[callmeoddity]

I agree with a lotta this and I disagree with a lotta this so I'ma be going through Point by Point

(only talking about the things I disagree with, or have something to say about)

It's a sandbox game, not an RPG -> not wrong. but it also has RPG mechanics that do not work well. And are badly Balanced that Mojang should be (and is) rebalancing

You can create difficulty and add challenge and modify files -> these things are not nearly as easy as you'd think they are. especially modding files. and if we're honest, difficulty isn't the real problem here. it's the balance of when, where, and how easy it is to obtain the problem mechanics (mending, elytra ect) and how they make other mechanics obsolete

When hypixel pvp creators talk about how lame netherite makes vanilla gameplay, I sigh -> I am not a PvP creator and I very genuinely believe that Netherite makes the game boring, once you have it. the most danger you'll ever be in is when you're FINDING the templates, and that is when you're not using it. properly enchanted netherite actually makes you immortal... and since you're not gonna be doing any real challenges, after you get it, there is no point other than bling

when someone complains that it's too easy to cheese a mechanic or obtain a villager trade I kind of want to scream. -> people optimize the fun outta games. and if the fun is this easy to optimize away, then there is a problem. and Mojang agrees with us on that too. making certain trades exclusive to certain areas (nevermind the fact that they didn't make villages for all the areas that have the specific villager variants)

You think elytra take the fun out of travel? Don't use it. -> no I don't think Elytra "take the fun outta travel" I think they make "Horses" (including camels, alpaca, Donkeys, and Happy Ghasts), Minecarts, and Boats irrelevant. I love Elytra and how fun they are to use. but they also make the other interesting forms of travel a complete waste of time to entertain. ESPECIALLY minecarts.

Download a mod pack or go play something different. -> this is a thought terminating cliche. "if you don't like it don't play it" isn't a response to criticism. It's you saying "your opinion doesn't matter"

anyway I've been talking too long. thank you for reading rant

"Minecraft needs to be rebalanced! It's too easy to get mending! It's too easy once you have elytra! All the challenges and bosses are optional!"

Yes. That's the point. That's GOOD actually. My little brother needs to be able to play minecraft as much as I can. It's a sandbox game, not an RPG. You can create difficulty and add challenge and modify files! Those are features in the game and regularly adjusted for just that purpose. But the base game is meant to be accessible and universal.

Especially when a lot of "content" comes in the form of professionals, people who earn a living being good at the game and have hours a day to put into it, our perspective is skewed. I love the hermits, but any time they say a farm "only took two hours" to build? I cringe. When hypixel pvp creators talk about how lame netherite makes vanilla gameplay, I sigh. And when someone complains that it's too easy to cheese a mechanic or obtain a villager trade I kind of want to scream.

It's easy *for you*. It's boring *for you*. It's not that it needs to change drastically, you just need to approach it differently. You have a moral objection to how "easy" it is to get a mending villager? Make the rule for yourself that you can only get mending from the loot table. You think elytra take the fun out of travel? Don't use it.

And before you say "well can't they just use accessibility features to make it easier?" NO. That's not the point of those features. Accessibility features that disable quicktime events or remove puzzles aren't to make a game easier, they're to make a game PLAYABLE. Accessibility features in minecraft are to disable view bobbing, change the visual distortions, add directional subtitles....things that make the game playable to people who need them.

Basically, please chill the fuck out about minecraft being easy. If it's too easy and you can't come up with a solution for that, maybe it's just not a game you enjoy playing. Download a mod pack or go play something different.

[pandacherryblossoms]

𐙚 Enhypen Sex Positions 𐙚

Request

Genre: Smut MDNI 18+

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, Dom/sub dynamics, Power play, Praise/degradation kink, Rough sex, Choking, Spanking, Possessiveness, Strength kink, Daddy kink, Explicit language

Heeseung — Face Down, Ass Up

Heeseung’s obsession with this position stems from the way it strips you bare and lets him take the lead without holding back. There’s nothing more addicting to him than seeing you completely surrendered to the moment—back arched, cheek pressed into the mattress, and ass raised just for him. It gives him a front-row seat to all his favorite things: the sound of your choked-out moans when he slams into you just right, the tremble in your thighs as you try to stay up, the way your fingers curl around the sheets when he shifts angles and hits that one spot. Heeseung doesn’t just want to fuck you—he wants to ruin you in the most delicious way, to make sure you’re still shaking from it hours later. The grip he has on your hips says you’re not going anywhere, and the way he drags his cock slow and deep before snapping forward again lets you know—he’s not done until you’ve cried for him.

“You look so fucking pretty like this,” he groans, hand gripping your hair to pull your head back just enough so he can hear your broken gasp. “Don’t hide those sounds. Let me hear how good I make you feel.”

You whimper his name, voice catching when he suddenly slaps your ass, sharp and possessive. “Yeah? You like being fucked like this? Helpless? Open for me?”

His hips grind deeper, one hand snaking down to wrap around your throat from behind, holding you steady while he pistons forward. “You’re gonna take everything I give you, baby. No running. No squirming. Just my good girl taking her dick like she should.”

When you fall apart again, legs shaking and voice wrecked, he leans in closer, breath hot against your ear. “That’s it. Just like that. You were made for me, weren’t you?”

Jay — Over the Edge

Jay doesn’t just dominate—he owns. The edge of the bed, a countertop, a table—wherever he has you bent, one thing never changes: you’re exactly where he wants you, at his mercy, with nowhere to run. This position feeds every part of his control kink. Your body laid out, spine arched, completely exposed and helpless to his pace as he drives into you with unrelenting force. One hand clamped to your waist, the other tangled in your hair or tightening around your throat—Jay doesn’t play when it comes to power. He thrives off the whimpers you try to hold back, the shake in your voice when you beg, the desperation in your eyes when he pulls back just to deny you. This isn’t about quick pleasure—it’s discipline, it’s control, it’s showing you who you belong to. And he takes his time doing it.

“You think you can take it all without asking?” His voice is sharp, low, sending shivers straight down your spine. His palm spreads between your shoulder blades, forcing your chest down as his hips slam forward. “You don’t get to make the rules, sweetheart. I do.”

Your hands scramble for something to hold onto, but he grabs your wrists and pins them to the bed in one hand. “Stay fucking still.”

A broken moan spills from your lips as his thrusts get rougher, and Jay just smirks above you, breathing heavy. “You feel that? That’s what it means to be mine.”

He leans in, lips brushing your ear. “No cumming until I say so. You don’t want to find out what happens if you disobey.”

When your legs start to tremble and your breathing breaks, he drags his hand down your spine and mutters, “Good girl. That’s more like it. Take it for me.”

Jake — Pretzel Dip

Jake is a romantic—but he’s still in charge. The pretzel dip is his perfect balance: it lets him keep you close, locked in with your legs hooked high and his arms wrapped tight around you, while still being the one in control. He gets to watch everything—your reactions, the way your face twists with every deep, calculated thrust, how your fingers claw at his back when he grinds into the spot that makes you crumble. The position is intimate, sensual, and full of control. He doesn’t need to pin you down to remind you who’s in charge—he just holds you steady, kisses your neck between each slow thrust, and ruins you with praise and pressure. He takes his time with it, savoring every breathless cry, every whispered plea, making sure you feel just how good he’s giving it.

“You’re so perfect like this,” he breathes against your cheek, hips rolling deep and slow. “Wrapped around me, takin’ everything I give you.”

His voice is soft but commanding, full of heat that makes your whole body tense. “Look at me, baby. Don’t hide those pretty eyes.”

When you do, his smile is all warmth and desire. He brushes your hair back and leans in to kiss you, tongue lazy, filthy with affection.

“Can feel you squeezing me—fuck, you’re close, huh?” One arm locks tighter around your waist, pulling you in deeper. “You don’t have to say it. I already know what my girl needs.”

You cry out, back arching, and he holds you tighter, whispering in your ear like it’s sacred. “Let me take care of you. You don’t have to think—just hold on and let me love you right.”

⸻

Sunghoon — Cowgirl

Sunghoon loves this position because it gives him the best of both worlds—watching you take control, only to snatch it back the second he gets greedy. There’s something addictive about the way your body moves above him, flushed and needy, your hands pressed to his chest as you ride him slow and deep. He lets you set the pace at first, a soft, teasing smirk on his lips as he watches you fall apart—but he’s never passive. One flicker of desperation in your eyes and he’s grabbing your hips, holding you down, thrusting up with a strength that leaves you gasping. Cowgirl gives him the perfect view of everything he wants: the way your back arches, your thighs tremble, the exact second you start chanting his name like a prayer. He loves how vulnerable you look even when you’re on top—because he knows he’s still the one in control.

His hands slide up your waist, slow and deliberate, thumbs pressing into your skin. “You look so fucking pretty like this,” he says softly, voice low and warm. “All mine, aren’t you?”

You nod, hips faltering as you try to keep your rhythm, but he’s already bucking up into you harder. “That’s it, baby. Let me feel how bad you want it.”

One hand cups your jaw, tilting your face down to meet his eyes. “Don’t look away. I wanna see you when you come on my cock.”

You whimper, leaning down until your forehead touches his, and he groans, hands spreading over your back. “Keep going. Just like that. Make it messy for me.”

When your pace stutters and you cry out, he doesn’t let up—his voice is a gentle command, thick with affection. “Ride it, baby. Daddy’s got you. You’re safe. You’re so fucking good for me.”

Sunoo — Lotus

Sunoo is addicted to the kind of closeness that makes your heart ache in the best way. For him, sex isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, spiritual, almost sacred. The lotus position is his favorite because it allows for everything he craves at once: skin-to-skin warmth, your limbs tangled around his, your foreheads touching as if nothing else in the world exists. He loves how your thighs squeeze his sides, how your arms lock around his shoulders, how your breath catches when he moves just right. There’s no rush with Sunoo—every thrust is slow, purposeful, full of emotion. His favorite thing is hearing the soft, breathy sounds you make only for him, right into his ear where no one else can hear. With his arms wrapped around your waist, holding you close, he feels like he’s inside more than your body—he’s in your soul.

His thumbs brush along your spine as he rocks into you, voice tender and low. “You feel that? How perfect we fit?”

You nod against his shoulder, arms tightening around him, and he hums softly, lips grazing your jaw. “It’s always like this with you… warm, close, real. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

He kisses you again, slow and deep, and his hands roam your back like he’s memorizing every inch. “You don’t have to move, baby. Just hold onto me.”

Your breath hitches as he grinds deeper, and he pulls back just enough to look into your eyes. “I want you to feel how much I love you. Every time. Every second.”

He cups your face gently, forehead pressed to yours. “Stay with me. Just like this. Let’s fall apart together.”

Jungwon — Against the Wall

Jungwon is calm by nature, collected—but when it comes to you, when it comes to fucking you, that calm turns into cold, calculated control. He thrives on dominance, the kind that makes you tremble before he even touches you. Against the wall is his favorite because it strips away any illusion of control you might have. He lifts you like you weigh nothing, your legs wrapped around his waist, back pressed to the surface like he’s pinning you into place. You’re trapped—his to use, to take, to ruin. And he lives for it. One hand clamps down on your thigh to keep you up, the other wrapped around your throat or grabbing your jaw, forcing you to look at him while he drives his cock into you with slow, punishing force. It’s never fast—not until you’ve earned it. Jungwon believes in making you work for your pleasure, and he never lets you forget who’s in charge.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he growls, voice low and dangerous, forehead pressed to yours as he snaps his hips up hard enough to make your breath catch. “You stay right here—right where daddy put you.”

Your fingers claw at his shoulders, thighs shaking, but he just grips your jaw tighter, forcing your eyes to meet his. “Look at me while I fuck you,” he commands. “That’s it. You don’t come until I tell you to.”

You whimper something weak and broken, but he’s not having it. “Use your words.”

“Y-Yes, daddy,” you gasp.

“Good fucking girl,” he snarls, fucking into you deeper now, brutal and relentless. “I’m the only one who gets to ruin you like this. Don’t forget it.”

His hand slides down, cupping between your legs. “Feel how soaked you are? You love being daddy’s toy.”

Ni-ki — Doggy Style

Ni-ki likes the view. The way your back arches as he takes control, the smooth curve of your body, and how you look when you’re completely open for him. He’s got this cocky, confident energy, and he loves how his deep thrusts make you gasp, make you tremble under him. Doggy style gives him the perfect angle to fuck you exactly how he wants, slow or fast, deep or shallow—it’s all on him. He’s possessive, but not in a harsh way—more like he’s claiming you, marking you with each thrust. His hands are tight on your hips, guiding you back onto him when he wants it deeper, and his movements are precise, making sure you feel every inch of him. Ni-ki thrives on the control and loves hearing your breath hitch and your body react to him.

“Fuck, look at you—so beautiful like this,” he grunts, his hands tight on your hips, pulling you back to meet his thrusts. “Can’t wait to feel you come undone for me.”

Your back arches at the angle, your moans growing louder.

“You like that?” he growls, smacking your ass once—just enough to make you flinch. “You better keep that same energy, baby. Don’t make me do all the work.”

“Yes, Ni-ki,” you whimper, gripping the sheets as his pace picks up.

He lets out a low chuckle, the sound rough and satisfied. “Good girl. Now show me what you’ve got.”

[strungnews]

Ever wonder where exactly Mark gets his puppy eyes from?

Its no secret he uses those bad puppers constantly just to get his way. Be it by you, William, or his own mother.

Time and time again he gets away almost scott free of consequences, you really should be grateful that he doesn’t abuse his charismatic power. Or else you’d be stuck in a ditch screaming for your life while he most likely munches on something you specifically told him that was for you only.

This question quickly gets answered through a small series of events unfolding like a badly placed domino, a chain reaction flicking that lightbulb inside your head.

You’ve been at the mercy of Mark and William for a while. Only because the three of you did a quick rock paper scissors battle and winning. But you guys went by majority rules, and was peer pressured into doing it instead.

“You’re their favorite!” William says, and grunts when Mark nudges him with a childish pout.

“Fine.” You conceded. They only give you a thumbs up in show of support, their hushed whispers spill through the cracks of the door.

“And bring me some soda!” William added. Another thing to snatch away from the very daunting task of going downstairs past the big boss battle (Mark’s parents) and quickly coming back in one piece.

“Good luck!” Mark further encourages with a toothy smile, or lack thereof. He always had a habit of losing teeth as a kid, and said kid is swiftly clicking the door shut a moment later.

Debbie’s a patient person, kind and loving. Like nothing could move her.

But she’s been having an ‘off day’, and it was hard to approach her when it happens in the rare instances of the life’s natural balance of their home.

“Nolan, how many times have I told you about this?” She waves a hand, pointing to the mess he had tracked in. You can only see the large plains of his back, but by the looks of it, he seems dejected.

“Debbie, I swear I didn’t do it. It must’ve been the kids when they were going out-“ and her sigh cuts him off. Like a damn knife slicing through cake.

“Nolan, please.” She puts her hands up, exasperated as she looks away from him and at the thought of this grown man pinning the blame to the young unassuming kids who were silent upstairs.

“Please, just clean up this mess.” And Nolan complies with a defeated nod. He turns around and you catch a glimpse of his face. Your cover most likely blown at the very top of the dim staircase, when an immediate response is gasped from your mouth.

Nolan Grayson. Head man of the house, bigger than most men you’ve ever known—reduced to this state only a woman like Debbie ever could. His ways of persuasion leaving no effect unlike her son’s. Worth a shot, he shrugs.

“Hello?” Debbie calls out, and Nolan’s expression quickly snaps and hardens. You book it back up into the room and jump into the covers.

“What happened?”

“Shh!” The sound of footsteps slowly makes its way to Mark’s room. It cracks open with a creak, eyes most likely roaming over their ‘sleeping bodies’, before shutting it closed. The sounds of feet padding slowly descends away.

“I know your secret!” You loudly declared, giggling with your hands to your mouth.

You haven’t been able to look at Mark and Nolan the same. Every time Mark got scolded by him growing up, all you could imagine was his face and his dragging feet. A snort would come right out of you.

“What’s so funny?” Mark says to you with his brows furrowed and lip jutted. Just like Nolans. But he had everything his father lacked in being convincing with his pleading eyes, which is what made Mark so deadly.

“Nothing.” You smile.

[thoughtsfromthewindowsill]

Just want to highlight @bonyfish 's absolutely correct tags, since someone mentioned keto higher up in the thread:

(Image ID in the Alt text)

[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or nutritionist; my information comes from talking to my nutritionist & dietician family members & my own research to double check my facts]

The ketogenic diet is designed to put your body into ketosis, which is a state in which your body doesn't have enough carbs to burn so it burns fat for energy instead. The Epilepsy Foundation has a page about it here, if you want to know more, but suffice it to say that the mechanism by which this change in how your sources energy helps with epilepsy is still being studied, but it can & does help many people.

HOWEVER. Ketosis produces ketones (thus the name). Ketones are usually harmless -they're something your body naturally produces- but, in high enough quantities, they can make the blood acidic. This is called ketoacidosis & it's not great for you. Your body is not designed to have acid blood; it throws all your delicate chemical processes out of whack.

Ketoacidosis can actually be a symptom of diabetes.

People who are on a ketogenic diet for epilepsy are prescribed it by a doctor, instructed how to do it carefully to get the benefits of ketosis for their condition without causing ketoacidosis, and are monitored by a registered dietician while they are on it. Even with that oversight, it can be a tricky balance to maintain & the strictness of the diet can be hard for people to stick with. Most people - generally children - who are put on a ketogenic diet are eventually weaned off of it once other treatments can be instituted.

People who are doing the keto diet as a weight loss fad are generally not taught how to do it safely. Nor was it ever designed or medically recommended for weight loss purposes; someone just saw the words "burn fat" & thought 'hey! That sounds like a way to get skinny to me!' & then got a publicist about it. It should especially not be recommended to people with low levels of or a resistance to insulin, as they are already at a higher risk for ketoacidosis in general.

Tl;dr the whole fad of keto for weight loss is just another scam where someone took a real tool & claimed it could do things it never could & wasn't designed to do in the first place.

fatphobia and ableism is so insidious. You can look up like, food, and it'll say "eating a lot of food causes diabetes" and you're like oh dang what? I thought we didn't know the cause of diabetes. So you look up what causes diabetes and it says "we still don't know what causes diabetes" bruh they're just making shit up to give people eating disorders

[aquaholicsanonymousworld]

Florida Kilos | Pairing: Jason Duval x Ex!Reader | Author's Note: I need GTA VI neeoowwwwwwww!!!!!!! I NEED JASON DUVAL NOW!!!!! "THEY REHEATED THE ARTHUR MORGAN NACHOS!!!!!!" I scream as they drag me away to the asylum.

Jason Duval had a buzzcut now.

You noticed it before anything else, before the thick new muscle on his frame, before the gold chain catching light against his tan skin, before the way his arm was slung a little too casually around her waist. His hair — the long, sun-streaked mess you used to tug on when things got heated — was gone. Shorn down to the scalp like he was trying to erase the kid you used to know.

And maybe he had.

Because Jason wasn’t playing small-time in the Keys anymore. No, not with Lucia on his hip — the Lucia you’d heard whispers about, the one with the sharp mouth and sharper instincts, the kind of woman who didn’t play second to anyone.

Your stomach turned when you saw them, all wrapped up in each other like they owned the place. Lucia’s eyes were always moving, clocking everyone in the bar, but when her gaze slid over you, it was indifferent. Like you weren’t even a blip on her radar.

Jason, though — he wasn’t so smooth.

His eyes locked on you, and for half a second, that cocky grin twitched. Like he wasn’t expecting you here. Like maybe seeing you knocked him off balance just a little.

You let your eyes drag over him, slow and deliberate.

“Buzzcut, huh?” you muttered, stepping close enough that only he could hear. “Guess you really are trying to pretend the Keys never happened.”

Jason’s jaw tensed. That familiar tick in his temple. “Maybe I just got tired of dragging around dead weight.”

You almost laughed. “Is that what you call it now? Dead weight?”

Your eyes flicked to Lucia, then back to him. “Tell me, Jason — does she know you used to cry every time you busted up your hand? Or is that another thing you shaved off with the hair?”

Lucia’s brows lifted, finally paying attention. Jason’s hand on her hip tightened, subtle but there.

“You should walk away,” he said, voice low, dangerous in a way that used to thrill you but now just made your blood boil. “Before you say something you can’t take back.”

You stepped in, chest nearly brushing his. “Already did. Three years ago on that damn dock, remember? Or did you buzz that out too?”

For a split second, the whole room felt like it held its breath.

Jason’s lips curled into a sneer, but behind it — deep behind it — there was that flicker. That heat. That unfinished business that no amount of new girlfriends, new cuts, or new crimes could kill.

Lucia’s hand slipped down to his wrist, subtle but firm. Possessive. Like she could feel the shift in him too.

You smirked. “Didn’t think so.”

And with that, you turned on your heel, letting the weight of your words hang in the humid air. You didn’t look back — but you could feel his eyes burning into you as you walked away, every step stoking that slow, simmering fire you both pretended was dead.

You barely made it past the neon flicker of the bar’s open sign before you heard heavy footsteps behind you — fast, clipped. Jason.

“Hey.”

His voice snapped through the night, sharp enough to stop you in your tracks.

You turned slow, arms crossed like armor. “Took you long enough.”

Jason was on you in seconds, close enough that the heat radiating off him made your skin prickle. The ocean breeze did nothing to cool the air between you.

“You really couldn’t help yourself, huh?” His jaw was tight, eyes dark and storming. “Had to start shit in front of her.”

You let out a dry laugh. “Oh, I’m sorry — did I mess up your little power couple moment? My bad.”

He stepped in closer, chest brushing yours now. That chain around his neck caught the light again, glinting like a warning.

“You think this is a game?” he growled, voice low enough that it rumbled through your ribs. “Lucia doesn’t play. You open your mouth like that again, and she’ll—”

“What? Finish what you started?”

You tilted your chin up, meeting his glare head-on. “Go ahead, Jason. Let her come for me. At least she’d be honest about it.”

His nostrils flared. That vein in his neck jumped — the same one you used to trace with your fingers when you still loved him, before all this turned toxic and ugly.

For a beat, neither of you moved.

The only sound was the muffled bass thumping from inside and the distant lapping of the waves.

Then Jason swore under his breath, voice cracking just enough to give him away. “You make me crazy, you know that?”

You smirked, sharp and mean. “Always did.”

His hand shot out, palm flat against the wall beside your head — not touching you, but caging you in. His chest heaved, close enough now that you could smell the mix of cheap cologne and sea salt, and under that, something familiar. Him.

Your breath hitched, just for a second. Mistake.

Jason caught it, his eyes flicking down to your mouth and back up.

His jaw clenched. “You don’t get to look at me like that.”

Your tongue darted out to wet your lips — reflex, but it made his eyes darken. “And yet, here you are. Chasing after me.”

His other hand twitched at his side like he wanted to grab you, shake you, maybe kiss you — maybe both. You weren’t sure which one you wanted either, and that was the real problem.

“I should go back inside,” he muttered, but he didn’t move.

“Yeah,” you whispered. “You should.”

Neither of you moved.

The air felt thick enough to choke on. Your heart slammed against your ribs, traitorous and loud.

Jason leaned in, just enough that his lips brushed your ear when he spoke. “Next time you pull that shit… I won’t let you walk away so easy.”

You swallowed hard, throat tight. “Next time, maybe I won’t.”

He pulled back just enough to meet your eyes again, something dangerous flickering there — something old and raw and very, very alive.

Then, like a switch flipping, he straightened, scrubbing a hand over his buzzed scalp like he could shake you off.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked back inside, leaving you alone in the sticky Florida night, pulse racing and every nerve on fire.

He could still feel it sometimes — the ghost of your fingers threading through his hair, slow and lazy like they had all the time in the world.

Back then, they did.

Back before everything got complicated. Before the money, the jobs, and Lucia.

Your legs were slung over his, bare skin sticking to his thighs in the sticky Keys heat. You sat sideways on his lap, one hand absently twirling a piece of his long, sun-bleached hair while the other traced idle circles on his shoulder.

Jason leaned back against the rickety porch chair, grinning like an idiot as he watched you squint against the late afternoon sun.

“Y’know,” he drawled, voice thick with that lazy contentment he never found anymore, “you’re real bossy for someone who’s technically not my wife yet.”

You paused, fingers caught in a tangle of his hair. Your eyes narrowed, amused. “Yet?”

Jason smirked, tongue poking at the inside of his cheek. He reached up, caught your wrist, and tugged you closer until you were pressed up against his chest.

“Ok, Mrs. Duval,” he teased, voice warm and rough around the edges.

You snorted and shoved at his shoulder. “Shut up.”

But he just laughed — full and loud, the kind of laugh that used to bubble up easy around you.

“Nah, I’m serious,” he said, grin softening into something more real. His hand found your hip, fingers curling there like they belonged. “You’d look good with my name. All official and shit.”

You stilled against him. The banter dropped a little, tone shifting like it always did when he got too close to the thing they never quite said out loud.

“Jason,” you warned, voice quieter now. “Don’t say that if you’re not gonna propose. That’s messed up.”

His grin didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened — cocky but earnest in that dumb, dangerous way he had.

“But I will,” he said simply. Like it was fact. Like there was no world where it didn’t happen. “One day. I swear.”

You rolled her eyes, but he felt the way your body softened just a little like part of you wanted to believe him. Like maybe you did.

“Sure, Duval. I’ll believe it when I see a ring.”

Jason just laughed again, tipping his head back against the chair, letting your fingers go back to weaving through his hair like they were stitched into him.

And in that moment — sun setting, beer bottles clinking somewhere in the background, your weight warm and solid on his lap — he meant it. He really fucking meant it.

But now, standing outside some grimy Vice City dive with Lucia waiting inside, Jason could only feel the phantom sting of that promise.

Because he never did buy that ring. Never made her Mrs. Duval.

And judging by the way she looked at him tonight — all sharp edges and bitter heat — she remembered that too.

[joshujihan23]

Tired, but still here

☆ pairing: seungkwan x reader

☆ genre: angst, lots of angst

☆ synopsis: everything was too overwhelming, and seungkwan, out of everyone was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

☆ word count: 1218

☆ author’s note: this happened to me. everything. and i just hope that no one else goes through this. if you want to talk, remember that there’s a community that will listen out for you.

————————————————————————

tough.

it has been so tough.

work was wrecking your head. balancing your studies along with it isn’t making things easier.

and the best part? seungkwan isn’t being very accepting of it either.

every, single time you tried to talk to him about how you were feeling, how you were struggling, you were always hit with his usual constructive criticism, and asking you “why?” and “how?” and what you should have done instead.

and you weren’t able to comprehend why he wad behaving this way. you appreciated the feedback, but all you really needed was some comfort, a shoulder you can cry on, and someone that pats your back reassuringly, telling you that everything is fine.

and today, you were at your limits.

you got your finals back today. all your friends got an A, while you, got a C. a pass is a pass, but you prepared so, so much for it. late night studies, after school tutoring sessions with your friends, and the concerning amount of coffee you drank over the span of these past few weeks just so you could stay awake for just a few more hours.

in the midst of celebration, your heart only wrench, making you go home way earlier than everyone else, since the rest of your friends went for a celebratory dinner.

well, to say you hated your friends that day was an understatement.

and the thing to make it worst was that, seungkwan was home today.

and seeming that he couldn’t sense your bad mood, he started rambling about the things you did this morning, the things that didn’t put him in the best mood.

“love, how many times did i tell you? you need to dry the dishes properly, if not the water droplets will stain the counter! and the laundry, i told you to start the washing before you leave, right? so that i can dry them. but you didn’t! you left without doing it, i had to-”

“kwan, can we talk about this later?” you asked, as politely as you could.

that only put seungkwan off, as he walked closer to you.

“talk about it later? no, we need to settle this now! if not you’re going to do it again. remember you need to-”

“please, i’m not in the correct mood to do this.” you pleaded, your shoulders slumped.

that seemed to push seungkwan off.

“god y/n, you can’t always push these matters aside! every time i talk to you about something, you push me away. and you always give me that pessimistic look and attitude. can’t you understand how frustrating it is?” he snapped, which seemed to be the final straw for you.

“you’re talking about me? can’t you just care for once? god, when the times i just need your company, your comfort, you would constantly find things to nag about! i’m tired. i’m so tired, seungkwan-ah.” you replied, raising your voice slightly.

that’s when he noticed your puffy eyes, the same eyes he always see after you had a long day. the dried tears on your cheeks. the hands, that he loves so much, trembling. and the frown on your face, both in anger, and defeat.

“i don’t understand, i do care, i care-”

“by telling me what i should and shouldn’t do. by pointing out what i did wrong again and again. basically by making me feel like i’m the most terrible person on this planet. well, maybe i am! maybe i’m just that horrible.” you snapped, the tears, that you tried so hard to keep, finally bursting out of your eyes.

seungkwan was speechless. he didn’t know what to say. all this time, he thought he was doing the right thing. advising you, helping you out by telling you what you should do in future situations. but in fact, it was all hurting you?

there was a still silence, suffocating and filled with tension. seungkwan stayed still, unsure of what to do. he wanted to embrace you tightly, tel you he’s sorry and comfort you. but he was afraid. he was so afraid that one screw up could potentially ruin everything.

he took the chance. now or never.

he walked one step forward, while your head hung low, your fist clenching tightly to control yourself. he could almost read your mind. your body language, the soft sniffles, it was as if you’re trying to convince yourself to stop crying.

and he isn’t having any of it.

before you could say or do anything, he wrapped his arms tightly around you, so tightly that you couldn’t find a way to escape him. you tried to wiggle out, but you were just so exhausted, that you just stood there, your face buried into his shoulder, the tear drops falling onto his navy shirt.

he remained silence, trying to find the correct words, the correct actions for you, so that you won’t be provoked even more. he let out a shaky breath.

“you’re not horrible. you’re never horrible.” he began, his hand caressing the small of your back.

you opened your mouth to say something, but a soft sob escaped instead, silencing your thoughts.

“i know i’m not in the correct position to comfort you, after everything i did. but i got so worked up with my own thoughts, i’ve neglected you. i’ve neglected the person that means the most to me. and i didn’t even realised. until this moment.”

he let out a soft, yet sad chuckle. he pulled away gently, cupping your cheeks with both his hands, making your pearly eyes gaze at his.

“the horrible one should be me, shouldn’t it?” he whispered, which made the cracks in your heart break even more.

he placed his forehead against yours, swaying your body gently, while trying to compose himself.

“i know sorry won’t do much now, but i just want you to know, i know it is too late for me to amend everything that i have done. but i can assure you, i’ll improve from here. i’ve been so neglectful of your feelings and thoughts, and haven’t given you a break. but i promise that i will do better. i’ll listen out more. i promise. i really do.�� he assured, his eyes both determined and desperate.

his hands held onto your cheeks tightly, you could feel his body shaking from desperation, and his eyes? it speaks a thousand words.

he isn’t doing this because he needed to. he is doing this to reassure you. to convince you. and that was what you needed.

when you caught your breath, you spoke in a shaky voice. “i need to see it, kwan-ah. words won’t cut it out.”

he nodded understandingly, his hands moving around you again, pulling you against him.

“i will show it. i will show the world how much you mean to me, and the length i’ll go to make you happy.” he announced, gazing at you with a hopeful expression.

you nodded, and for the first time, the corners of your lips curled up slightly.

“that’s all i needed to hear.” you replied, your hands wrapping around his torso.

seungkwan cheered silently, joyous and grateful that he had this moment, this chance, this opportunity to prove everything to you.

and that is, to put you first above everything else.

[supremefloof]

tbhx pokemon AU, pt. 4 - Enlighter/God Eye, Miss J

More Yap, explanations, extra imgs below cut

"A constant collector of information, this Pokémon is very smart. Very strong is what it isn’t." - Blipbug, SwSh pokedex

I went into this with the idea that most people, especially people in cities, just logically can't deal with a full six creatures. This is different for Heroes of course since battling is more important for them.

However, even Heroes often keep unevolved pokémon with them/don't have a full team. NOBODY ON THE PLANET in this AU will EVER see a standard meta VGC team for as long as I breath, I promise. No, Not Even X.

funnily enough, these two were the easiest to decide on for some reason. Qi Shi could've easily had a full team!

Qi Shi's pokemon, as seen here: Rotom, Inkay, Blipbug -> Orbeetle, Seviper. The little black critters are not pokemon but the Spotlight Org's drones! I really liked the idea that the robots in ep.4 look like miniature Rolycoly! there's no reason for this it just sounded like fun. look at it :D

Miss J: Meowstic-F, Klefki! she keeps them in Luxury Balls; she seems like she puts a lot of effort into her appearance. Klefki is always polished and Meowstic is always groomed!

all her underlings are terrified of that Meowstic.

Meowstic, Seviper, Inkay courtesy of @cedarwrought

Enlighter probably starts off with Rotom and Blipbug. picks up Inkay somewhere along the way, and Seviper around when he starts getting obsessed with investigating Nice. (he's different in ep.6... something happened to him in those 5 years...)

oh and blipbug -> dottler -> orbeetle

Rotom helps with all those techy things! Orbeetle and Rotom together are responsible for the Moon decoy.

idk if he should bring Inkay to the episode 4 fight, it just seems a bit too cute. However, a Malamar would eat him alive 😭he is never evolving that thing

maybe Spotlight pretends to be his Inkay instead of an octopus

I had an idea about the Spotlight Organization controlling Zygarde to some extent. not the whole thing, just a chunk of it?

dunno about this, thematically for SO and Enlighter it doesn't make sense - the only thing I could think of that's related is that Zygarde is meant to bring balance. so maybe if SO is balancing Trust with Fear or something. but its also like, about the environment, which SO is def not about. However, the point of this idea is that they can lend Enlighter a Zygarde 10%!

the color scheme matches perfectlyyyy. im a sucker for matching colors...

Zygarde 10% also breaks apart after a short while, like how Qi Shi's new drip stopped working for some reason. so that would be the random bs that lets Lin Ling win (+ GE's seviper getting... sidetracked), although it would be stacked against him anyways.

unrelated notes:

pleaseeee new episodes make genesect for yang cheng make sense some how im weirdly invested into the "reasonability" of the pokemon in this au. like i could just stick him with pikachu and call it a day but noooo the lore has to fit and stuff. my brain demands it.

for the first time in a while I used over half of my webglazes in a week? I've been super focused on drawing stuff lately because of tbhx and the amazing tumblr community <3. glaze your artworks!

what is up with pokemon sizes. you're telling me blipbug and orbeetle are the same size? why is seviper over EIGHT feet tall??

prev

[seafoamreadings]

week of may 11th, 2025

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: many/most astrologers will neglect to say so but this week (later in the week) ceres moves into your sign. the frequency of such an ingress is somewhere between that of mars coming to stay and that of jupiter passing through. this harvest goddess brings you rewards, resources, and nourishment.

taurus: the sun-uranus conjunction in your sign this week is a time of surprises. these could be shocks to the system - don't hesitate to seek medical care if something like this should arise! but more likely this is something that will surprise and delight you.

gemini: without hopefully raising too many alarms, this week has the potential to be emotionally painful for you. and your conventional methods of talking it out are unlikely to help. you will have to draw on your strengths and wisdom from the past to navigate the present and future.

cancerians: your public-facing tenth house is nourished by ceres once she makes it to aries this week. if you do not immediately see the fruits of your labors, take extra care in tending to your metaphorical fields.

leo: anyone who views you as too self-centered or even perhaps vapid is not really paying attention. ignore them - you don't have to prove yourself. focus on the things that philosophically and spiritually make you feel alive.

virgo: aries is not a sign with which virgoans typically share much afffinity but the ingress of ceres there later this week makes you feel a little more martial than usual and perhaps fired up for noble causes and deeds. be sure any shared resources nourish you, as many times these things can be depleting even if no one is intentionally taking advantage.

libra: relationships - any of the kinds you commit yourself to as a partner - need to be nourishing to your inner balance. where you are being knocked off kilter, if you cannot quickly regain equilibrium it may be time to reconsider the value of that imbalance in your life.

scorpio: your partnerships face changes but you know better than most the value of discomfort when you let it cause you to grow. change is not necessarily fun (sometimes it is though!) but it's the only way anything can ever happen.

sagittarius: this week may signal a harder time than usual in your life. if you are really going through it, always remember there are blessings that occur behind the scenes, when you least expect it. they will only be revealed later if at all, but that doesn't stop them from helping you along unseen. believe in that kind of grace.

capricorn: your ruling planet, old feared saturn, meets up with fellow harvest deity ceres early this week. they meet to discuss the future in aries - you will catch wind of some events in your home or family of origin that have not yet come to pass. don't ignore any wise early advice.

aquarius: both planets affiliated with domicile in your sign - saturn and uranus- experience important conjunctions elsewhere in the sky this week. many revelations - news, secrets, epiphanies - come to light for you if you pay attention and strive to integrate them.

pisces: ceres leaves your sign tropically this week after a meetup with saturn, who follows her to aries later this month. these are both harvest gods so the self-cultivation you've been doing in recent months or perhaps even years is about to lead to material payoff of one sort or another.

watch the transit posts in real time to have the best guide through your week. want a little more? have a look at my patreon or ko-fi.

check out my etsy for a private reading or fill out this form to set up a reading through venmo, cashapp, or paypal.

[mylovesstuffs]

OT13 reaction to an older s/o

Request: Hi, Celeste! Just gotta say, it's been months of me following you, and I absolutely live for your content! 💜 I just came across your "Younger SO" for SVT, and I was wondering if you can do the opposite: SVT with an older SO? Thank you for considering!

A/N: Whether it’s a few months or a few years, these boys would absolutely thrive with a ‘noona’ s/o who has a little extra life experience + I think they're very cool with both younger and older s/o. Also, hi hi!! Tysm, I’m so happy you enjoy the content and stuck around this long.

Seungcheol: He is a leader with so many members to handle, so being with someone who’s just a bit older, gives him a sense of calm. Loves when you guide him through decisions or offer wisdom, but also gets adorably sulky when you tease him for being younger. “I’m still oppa in this house,” he’ll say while reaching for your hand in public.

Jeonghan: You being older? He’s using it. Teasing you? Constant. “You should take care of me~” He lives for the dynamic. Always playing it up, but deep down he respects the maturity and insight you bring to the relationship. Plus, he finds older s/o's incredibly attractive; something about the confidence and experience just does it for him.

Joshua: The “age is just a number” kind of guy [ahem, que that fancall]. He’d love having deeper, mature conversations and would appreciate the emotional intelligence you bring. He’s probably calling you “baby” just to balance the dynamic a bit, but when things get hard, your ability to stay grounded makes him love you even more.

Jun: I don't think he actually doesn’t notice the age gap. You’re older? Oh. Cool. Jun is too much of a vibes/personality-first person to really care. He’s charmed by your poise, but also still drags you into pillow fights. If anyone points it out, he’ll just blink and say, “So?” Because to him, your soul feels like it matches his.

Hoshi: He jokes that you’re “the boss” in the relationship, but he adores it. He’s all about affectionate teasing, spontaneous affection, and showing off for you. He also really wants to impress you and is always a little extra excited when you praise or encourage him. You bring out the more grounded side of him without dulling his sparkle.

Wonwoo: He’s so so soft for someone who brings emotional clarity and maturity into his life. He’s not the type to care about age gaps at all, but he’ll note how soothing it is to be with someone who has a stable energy. Will 100% ask for book recommendations and sit with you in peaceful silence like it’s love language gold.

Woozi: You being older makes him feel a little relieved, he doesn’t have to over-explain his workaholic tendencies or emotional blocks. He values how self-aware you are, and he absorbs your perspectives like a sponge. Plus, he finds the way you handle conflict so hot. If anyone comments on the age thing, he gives them the death glare.

Dokyeom: He’s all giggles and heart eyes, older s/o or not, but he definitely benefits from your emotional maturity. When he gets overwhelmed, you know how to help him reset. He’ll call you “Noona~” in the most singsong way, but still treat you with total love, babying and respect.

Mingyu: Will still insist he can carry all the groceries himself. He’s a bit extra about wanting to prove himself, especially if you’re accomplished or confident. Loves it when you guide him but also wants to be the one taking care of you. Over time, he realizes you don’t need “taking care of,” and starts just enjoying how easy it is to be himself around you.

Minghao: Old soul meets old soul 😌😂 He goes the best with someone older anyway. He’s all about mutual growth, and an older s/o is often more emotionally steady, which suits him perfectly. He appreciates the lack of drama and the introspective conversations you bring. He’d never flaunt the age gap, but he would brag about you non-stop.

Seungkwan: At first, he might be shy or overthink things, wondering if he’s “enough” for you. But once he’s reassured, he’s in. Loves having someone who can match his emotions but handle them a bit more maturely. You make him feel secure and loved, which is everything he really needs.

Vernon: To Vernon, age doesn’t equal power; energy does. If you match his energy and give him space to be himself, he’s head over heels. He’ll appreciate that you’ve probably figured yourself out more, and he finds your confidence very attractive. Bonus: he never forgets your coffee order or how you take your ramen.

Dino: He loves older s/o's but can get a little flustered about proving he’s mature enough. You’re a source of motivation for him, so he wants to meet your standards and show you he’s grown. Will occasionally pout if you “Noona” him, but secretly loves it. Your stability + his ambition = power couple.

[adara-of-the-flame]

the-name-is-hoggle

"Wait, wha-?”

Hoggle had been taken just as aback as Mars at that little tidbit that Selva had dropped. What DID she mean by not wanting to risk someone like the Spring King being “gone” again?! Had there been a time some other season had gone “dead”? Or another realm that was important?

The dwarf is left blinking in bewilderment as his teacher seemingly changes subject on a dime, powering on through towards whatever lesson she wanted to get into that day. It took a bit of the Summer Queen’s sudden lecture about Cycles and Connections for Hoggle to realize it wasn’t actually a subject change. Selva was indeed continuing the previous topic, but was talking about it in a different way. Giving answers to questions he - they - hadn’t thought to ask yet while also not addressing what they wanted to ask.

Hoggle had gotten so used to Jareth over the years; taken for granted the Goblin King’s rather paltry attempts at double talk and metaphor to hide obvious motivations. He realized then that he really needed to get his mind in gear when it came to talking to actual court fae. Otherwise he’d be left in the dust navigating this whole Seasonal Court thing.

“If you remove a section from the wheel, it would stop. Maybe a wheel could keep going if a single spoke was taken out, but an entire quarter? That wouldn’t work.”

adara-of-the-flame

"Worse, actually." Selva Roja backhanded the hoop, right on the section she'd marked as Spring pink.

What followed next was like a chain reaction: It was like a scream. Where the Summer Queen's hand fell, the rainbow shattered. Shards of pink light scattered to the grass below, flickered, and died. The swirling water, held in place by the ring of light, suddenly spilled and splattered as it reached the place Spring should be...then, running out...Spring follows Winter follows Autumn follows Summer. The other colors fading in turn, until they flickered out completely when the last drop of water fell. A vessel now empty and broken.

If Mars's eyes weren't hidden under volumes of ink-black bangs, one would see them wide open. "It's...all gone."

"I do not prevent Death or it's citizens from entering my kingdom. Life and Death must also follow a Cycle, and it is a vital one." Selva Roja eyed Hoggle intently. "That is another lesson. All Seasons have Life and Death, and it's important that they do for the sake of Balance. But, we, who are connected to Cycles ourselves have a Duty to keep that Cycle running. Or else, everything unravels. The rest of Reality follows."

"Um..is this kind of like the Butterfly Theory?" The half-Urru raised a couple of her hands again.

"Excuse me?"

"The whole theory that if you travel back in time, and step on a butterfly or something, history changes, and you're never born?"

The Summer Queen arched an eyebrow, but seemed to seriously consider this. "I suppose. In Time's Domain. But, Time isn't here at the moment, so we can't ask them. But, I see what you're getting at."

With a tiny *clink* of a talon, the rest of the dead, empty rainbow shattered to dust. "Saisho No Me understood what would happen if he died completely. We knew he hurt, we knew he needed Death. But, Death could not come for him without breaking the Cycle. He stayed alive for us, and what powers he transfered to us enabled his Realm to keep running while he rested. And, waited."

Selva Roja's giant gaze again fixed itself on the tiny dwarf. "Do you understand now, Hoggle Primavero? You are not just the Lord of all Springtime now. By your very life, you hold a peice of existance in place, and keep the rest of it from falling asunder."

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[faceofpoe]

On the highly contentious unraveling of Cassian Andor (and how season 2 is at its heart about his relationship with Luthen).

(This has nothing to do with justifying or not fuck-all about Rogue One Cassian beyond getting him to that beach, I'm an Andor girlie just working my head around what we've built and where it's going in the context of the show).

I had a lot of issues with arc 1, and some of those issues (like ducking around pillars at a wedding to have the hey we're gonna have to murder that guy talk or, why is Kleya even here?) are not going to go away BUT as someone whose brain wasn't exploded by season 1 until seeing the full big picture come together (Rix Road, beloved), I promised myself a full season rewatch to try to recalibrate.

I haven't rewatched yet, but let's have a 75% recalibration now that arcs 2 and 3 have led us where they have to much fandom furor, and mulling how we bring this whole thing together.

Which brings me back to: this season is at its heart about Cassian's relationship with Luthen, and his acceptance at the end of season 1 that Luthen was right, he's going to die fighting the Empire - so either kill me right now, or put me to good use fighting these bastards for real.

Season 2 came to us with a gigantic ask: engage with the negative space. We have to imagine how Cassian went from big wet bambi eyes above to Mr Earnest-Reassuring-Come-Into-The-Circle with Niya. Mr Empire's-Most-Wanted is sneaking into top secret facilities and doing it with confidence and -

Shit goes instantly sideways. This isn't even the right ship, did anybody know that?? (they didn't, obviously they didn't, they don't know what's gone wrong, and this is really important I think about the fallout of this arc). Cassian's off having a terrible time while Luthen and Kleya are spying and drinking on Chandrila and he doesn't check in and this isn't normal.

It's been a year+ since season 1. Partagaz tells Dedra she's been on the Axis hunt for "almost two years" I believe so presumably we've jumped decently down the calendar year for the 4bby arc.

I have a lot of feels on how Cassian's arc one story should have had more time to breathe, to make the losses punch harder at the end by showing him leaving home, etc, but perhaps that is also the point -

He's good at this; he's accepted his pact with Luthen, one day he'll die fighting - but they're tucked away safe. Brasso's looking out for everyone, Brasso who he tasked with looking out for Maarva if he could. We're meeting him on the high point of thinking he can have it both ways and... perhaps not fearing what happens back home, if this mission or that is the one from which he doesn't return. They'll pull through. This is perhaps his era of: the Cause comes first; we take what's left. And he's balancing it, or thinks he is anyway.

Dashing off home and having found that unraveled while he was having The Worst time on Yavin - captured by, theoretically, allies -

The balance is upended, and cue crisis of faith. Not in the Cause per se, but in Luthen. He gave his own life up to Luthen but now the situation has changed on multiple levels. He's rattled by the failure on Kleya & Luthen's end on Sienar, doesn't have Brasso, doesn't have this illusion of safety on Mina-Rau, Bix and Wilmon both get involved, but Cassian isn't handling it well. There's no "take what's left" when she's right there in the line of fire too. Bix questions his decisions in the field, Luthen... his exchange with Kleya in 2.6 is telling.

"This isn't the piece we need."

"We knew that already."

"I thought seeing it in person would make a difference."

Cassian is not the operative he was where we met him with Niya. Sending him to Ghorman is something of a confirmation of something they've clearly been realizing/discussing. Luthen going to check on Bix/put her to work/whatever was the deal there - this seems very much Not The Norm by her reaction, they don't have a lot of face-to-face contact I would guess - he's doing his own assessment of just what is the situation here. (In the most dickish way possible of course, my problematic beloved.)

Cassian's at this complicated intersection of having lost this comfortable place where he can risk and trust his family's safety. Luthen and Kleya are having their own meltdown over how chaotic their operation has become. Cassian... is probably thinking about that bad intel for Sienar and wondering when the next catastrophic fuck-up that isn't his fault is going to cost something else while Bix is over here being the far better adjusted one about just what war looks like and how unreasonable his mentality about her presence. And I'm really curious if we're meant to read in the sudden appearance of "I have friends everywhere" that this was an effort to avoid another experience like the Maya Pei Brigade.

And then Luthen asks him to see about stoking the flames on Ghorman. (I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the sort of 'having it both ways' aspect of Ghorman and provocation and 'it never mattered anyway the ending was already written.')

And Cassian says: "I'll sit this one out." He doesn't take the order, he decides he wants no part in it. And that is where the final fracture in kill me or take me in finally happens.

He doesn't trust the vision anymore. Doesn't trust that the inevitable tragedy will be worth something in the end. Is this fighting these bastards for real? And is starting, perhaps, to wonder if it was worth it at all, to walk back off that ship to Gangi Moon.

And somewhere in the next year, Cassian starts to come to terms apparently with the fact that he doesn't trust Luthen with his life anymore. But he's not quite all-in with Yavin and Draven either. He's maybe still grappling with the acceptance, or inevitability, or not, that the fight will claim his life in the end - and he's lost his faith in Luthen spending it well. Sometime in this time gap after arguing over Ghorman, the fallout with Cinta, getting shot and struggling with recovery... it unsettles him into retreating, ducking Luthen's calls, until Wilmon turns up with compelling incentive.

[insert Force-ex-machina plot here to heighten his internal struggle]

And at the root of their conversation before the Mon extraction is basically Cassian refusing the assertion from 1.4 - this end is not already written. His own decisions matter. Arcs 1 and 2 only validated his teenage understanding that rebellion is pointless and all they'll do is fight themselves one way or another and, Ghorman has validated his plea with Maarva that she can't beat them. People stand up, they die.

And he has a very similar sort of conversation with Luthen as he had with Maarva and gets much the same response. Still work to be done. Luthen doesn't ask Cassian to stay, but he gives him the "I can't go." They're done. Cassian's done.

[I have quarantined the unfolding of the Bix departure in my brain, Bix's story is now Tether, sorry, I hate it so much, and it could have very much worked without the Force healer Force-ex-machina of it and probably with different timing, anyway]

Anyway Bix pulls the "if you leave, it won't be for me."

So we the audience know of course that Cassian is going to stay. Ironically, perhaps, in a far less make-my-own-decisions friendly capacity within the military hierarchy than he ever was with Luthen. And it will be interesting to see how we meet him at the opening of arc 4. He's presumably got Wilmon and Vel and Melshi and K2SO. He's finally seen the Rebellion pull together; Bix ripped away his fantasy (and it is a fantasy, he knows it's a fantasy because it's played out already on Ferrix and Niamos and Mina-Rau) that there's somewhere safe they could get away from it all.

Will he trust Draven & co to spend his life for good again? Or perhaps he simply can't bring himself to care so much either way after all of the turmoil surrounding Ghorman and the fallout and Bix. Orders are orders and good soldiers follow orders and here he is now, slapped into a uniform with a rank on his chest (idk if he ever actually wears the uniform with rank insignia between all the amazing coats in R1 but you get me) and he'll play the part because what else is there?

But Luthen is still out there, against just about every prediction for how this season would unfold. Luthen is the one puzzling over Ghorman and Dedra, demanding the endgame. Luthen isn't finished.

And I guess the question is, since we know how this ends - what is the force the propels Cassian along to Kafrene to kick off the final mission?

Just a soldier following orders?

Or are we going to wrap this back around to that s1 claim and that pact and the extension of broken trust and give Luthen something of a chance to earn it back (possibly posthumously), in sending Cassian along to the meaningful death he promised?

[dollopole]

I still can’t move on from how every time Merlin tries to kill Mordred, he never does it first hand.

Merlin tries to let Uther deal with Mordred (even if he is a kid), and almost avoids his call for help when they need to let Mordred escape.

Once more, when Merlin meets Mordred and he is surrounded by Camelot’s knights, Merlin watches and doesn’t use his magic to help Mordred.

Another time, Merlin meets Mordred and makes him lose balance, so that the Camelot’s knights can kill him.

And then, when Merlin and Arthur meet Mordred again after years, Merlin tells Arthur that he should have killed him when he had the chance, but Merlin never once used his own magic to kill Mordred.

Another time Merlin tries to kill Mordred is always by telling Arthur that there is no place for magic in Camelot.

And another one, when Merlin, Mordred and Arthur are on their way to rescue Gwen and get attacked by Aithusa, Merlin just leaves Mordred there to fend for himself, hoping he dies.

I can’t stop thinking about the fact that when Merlin says to Arthur that he has magic, he also says:

“I defeated the Saxons, the dragon, and yet… Yet I knew it was Mordred I must stop.”

But it’s not Merlin referring only to the battle of Camlann, is it?

It’s Merlin acknowledging his mistakes, to have let this run for much longer than he intended to, like with Morgana. It’s like the more Merlin tries to avoid Arthur’s fate, the more HE MAKES UP Arthur’s fate.

And not only that, but it could mean two other things:

that after all Merlin goes through, that shaped him into who he is after all these long years in Camelot, no matter what he did, deep down, he is still Merlin. He doesn’t want to kill anyone.

Or: he is doing what people like Gaius do. Let others deal with it.

Merlin “grew up”, yes. But did he, really?

There is a difference between growing up, and NEEDING to grow up to fulfill some destiny, while “working behind the scenes”, knowing full well that the smallest mistake could get you killed for something you can’t either change nor control.

Merlin grew up to not have trust.

To be scared. To be lonely.

But he also tries to deceive destiny. He thought he could be smarter than it. And he still makes the same mistakes, while creating what he is literally trying to avoid.

Yet he has Arthur, and that’s what matters to him.

But it’s also Merlin’s doom, his undoing.

And consequently, it’s Arthur’s too.

[strangererotica]

EXPLICIT CONTENT | MINORS DNI

DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT ‼️ ⚠️

* I saw this photo and immediately had a vision from God. Or Satan. Or both. You can decide. *

Dark!Steve Harrington x Reader | Age gap (Steve is in his mid to late 30’s, Reader is 19 or 20) Kidnapping, use of restraints, masturbation, noncon, Steve is messed up af, degrading language used for Reader

𐙚 𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𐙚

Oh this Steve… He’s a bad one. The Steve who knows he peaked in high school, and resents anything that reminds him of it. Especially a pretty young girl like you, who he could easily have had wrapped around his finger (and his dick) back in his ‘King Steve,’ days, but now? You barely even look at him when you take his order at the diner. It’s like he’s just another customer, like he isn’t special. Steve misses being special. He knows he’s the local town failure, the guy so many people believed had a bright and successful future ahead of him, who wound up spending his days and nights renting VHS tapes to locals instead of making deals on Wall Street like he could have. Like Steve should have.

Instead, he shows up at your diner every chance he gets, which is often, since Steve is always alone. He insists on being seated in your section every time in hopes that one day, you’ll finally realize how much he…values you. But Steve’s tired of hoping. He’s given you more than enough hints, more than enough time to come to your senses and invite him into your body. And if you won’t invite him, he’ll invite himself.

Usually Steve drives home straight after finishing his food and beers. Alone, as always. He tries to resist the temptation to play with himself on the drive home (because what kind of fucking loser lets a dumb bimbo waitress get to him like that??) but Steve rarely succeeds. He unzips his fly and massages his cock on the drive home, imagining your lips around its outline instead of his hand. That’s how it should be, how it would be if you weren’t such a goddamn tease. If you actually put out like your mannerisms promised. Your flirty little smiles always give you away to Steve. The way you balance your elbow on your hip while you’re writing down his order, subtly accentuating your breasts… It’s clear to Steve that you want him, even if you’d never admit it even to yourself. It’s why you pretend not to want him, Steve realizes. And maybe you’re just too dumb to know what’s good for you, anyway?

So tonight, he did something different…something he shouldn’t have. Rather than edge himself to you on his drive home, Steve opted for having the real thing. He waited till your shift ended, leaning against his car in the shadows, smoking a cigarette. When he called to you, his voice seemed vaguely familiar. “Oh!” you’d smiled, a bit surprised. “Mister Harrington. You’re…still here?”

Steve’s lips quirked into a grin. “So…you do know me,” he’d said, glancing down at his cigarette before bringing it back to his lips.

“Um…I mean, sure,” you replied, still trying to be friendly. “You’re one of my regular customers, after all.”

Steve’s smile fell, his eyes darkening. “Is that all I am to you?” he’d asked. “A customer?” His expression told you something was very wrong, and you tried to make a quick dash for your car. Steve was quicker.

His hands were around you in seconds, pulling you against him. “Shh, shh,” Steve had whispered, his palm clamped over your mouth. “Everything’s gonna be different from now on, understand? I’m in control. Your job is to serve me, remember? Isn’t that what you do for your customers?”

He’d pulled you into the backseat of his car, the same burgundy BMW from his glory days. Except unlike then, the girl in Steve’s backseat wasn’t there because she wanted to be. She was gagged with a towel stuffed in her mouth and bound at the wrists by duct tape.

Steve positioned you on your side and taped your ankles together as well, completely restraining you in the fetal position, knees pulled into your chest. He’d slammed the door and walked around his car, shaking the tension from his body with a heavy sigh. You watched through the window as Steve opened the driver’s side door and slide behind the wheel. “We’re going for a little drive,” he’d told you, his voice uncomfortably calm. Steve turned his key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Tears rolled down your cheek and onto the backseat as he pulled onto the main road, and drove you to his home…

𐙚 𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𓏵𐙚

Steve’s house was unremarkable, small and sparsely furnished. Empty fast food containers and beer cans littered the first room he led you through, followed by a trip down his hallway. The house was dark, and cold. It was hard to believe anyone would choose to live in such a depressing home, but when Steve pulled you downstairs to his basement, things went from grim to terrifying.

Against the far wall, facing the stairs, two thick metal chains were bolted into the cement floor. A little blanket was sitting in between the thick metal cuffs at the ends of the chains, as if prepared for someone. Prepared for you.

“No-no-no-NO!” you screamed, bucking against Steve as you tried to twist out of his grip. He was much stronger but you put up a considerable fight, bringing your elbow into his ribs with a sharp crack! Steve cursed and threw you forward against the wall, your feet rustling the chains on the ground. You tried to run past him for the stairs but once again, Steve’s movements were too quick for you to evade. He used his size over you to pin you against the wall, your cheek scratching against the rough cement. Behind you, Steve gathered up the metal cuffs and locked them around your wrists. After restraining you, he backed away breathless to the stairs, wiping his hand across his forehead as he sat down on the bottom step. Watching you.

“You didn’t-ahh-,” Steve hissed sharply as he massaged the wound you’d made in his ribs. “-You didn’t have to get so emotional…Could have gone a lot easier, all of this-.”

“FUCK YOU,” you spat at him. The chains attached to your cuffs clinked as you tested them, yanking furiously against their hold. “That’s not gonna work,” Steve informed you, but you couldn’t hear him. You were too focused on ripping those bolts right out of the wall, and for a moment, you really thought you could. But soon enough, reality sank in and you knew it was useless to fight. You needed your strength, and wasting it on these goddamn restraints was foolish.

“You make a pretty victim,” Steve said softly, almost timidly. “It suits you, much better than being a waitress did.” A tear rolled down your cheek and you tried to stop it, not wanting to give Steve the satisfaction of seeing you cry anymore. He stood and walked over to where you were now seated against the wall. Standing over you, Steve looked ten feet tall, the singular light behind him casting a menacing shadow over his features. “But you’re still waiting, aren’t you?” he asked. “Not tables, not anymore. Now, you’re waiting for me…wondering, what is Mister Harrington gonna do next?”

Steve knelt to your level, reaching out to touch your cheek. You flinched when his skin made contact with yours, expecting more violence. But he stroked his fingers along your skin in a way that was gentle, in a way that betrayed his previous aggression. “Maybe you won’t mind waiting on me one last time?” Steve asked, but it wasn’t really a question. He rose back to a standing position, his hands moving to unbuckle his belt. Your eyes followed Steve’s fingers as they unzipped his fly, unable to look him in the eyes. If you had, you would have seen the exact look you feared, the hollow, hungry gaze of a man who had abandoned anything resembling reason in favor of satisfying his own lust. He pulled out his cock and stroked himself over you, his breath once again hitching as it had during your struggle. “There’s only one customer here, honey,” Steve murmured down at you, tugging his cock, his messy hair fallen over his forehead. “Can’t get out of waiting on me this time, can you?” He smirked, a breathy chuckle leaving his throat. “Which really sucks for you,” Steve continued. “Because tonight, I have a big order to place…”

You swallowed as he leaned forward and tilted your chin up, forcing your eyes on his. A bead of precum dripped from the head of Steve’s cock and landed on your chin, making you flinch. “But don’t worry,” he added softly, his voice darkly seductive. “You know I’m a good customer...” Steve dragged the head of his cock across your lips, parting them. “…and tonight, I promise I’m gonna give you the biggest tip you’ve ever had…”

[echodoctor]

I've noticed a few people take "the Universe leads and we follow" to mean that the Northern Island's spiritual traditions were a more authoritarian kind of faith, similar to something like Catholicism- God hands down decrees and mortals must obey them.

And while that is one way you could interpret that, it's very much not the way I read it when I saw that line.

I do want to preface this by saying I am some extremely white dumbass who knows shit about this secondhand only so please take what I am about to say with not so much as grain as an entire Lot's wife worth of salt, but:

I think the followers of the Universe might have something closer to Taoism going on.

Again, this is something I'm very vague on, but I remember reading that the ideal in Taoism is essentially to be in utter harmony with the natural rhythms of the world around you, effortlessly moving with them instead of desperately struggling against the flow. The world has natural processes: night follows day, decay follows death, the tides come in and out, etc. Understand and accept those processes, and you can float through seemingly effortlessly, because the natural movements of the world are at your back and carrying you forward, instead of something you struggle against.

There's a dynamic that shows up in a lot of classical Chinese stuff between Confucianism (very concerned with things being right and correct and proper) and Taoism, where the Confucian is angrily trying to make everything Work The Way It Should and the Taoist is affectionately teasing the Confucian for getting so worked up, and is having a much easier time because they've accepted the way things already are.

Like, the Confucian walks through a lovely peach grove and keeps getting mad because the trees are shedding leaves all over the path and no one bothered to rake them off, you're supposed to be keeping these paths clear, doesn't anyone do anything around here! The Taoist just has a nice walk and enjoys the peaches, maybe catches a nice ripe tasty fruit right before it falls on the Confucian's head.

I don't think it would be a one-to-one thing, but my personal guess is that the followers of the Universe believed in something similar.

The Universe leads you, in the same way that an ocean current sweeping you out to sea is leading you. That's just the way it is, and you can either struggle against it until you tire yourself out and drown, or you can recognize what's happening and learn how to ride the current to your destination.

This could have both positive aspects (compassion and acceptance towards others, living in peace with the world instead of changing it by violence) and negative ones (sometimes the world really does need to be changed, and you don't just have to accept things that make you miserable instead of working to fix them).

We can see a lot of that negative side in both the King and Siffrin. The King urges the party to be frozen at their happiest moment, because he can't wrap his head around the idea that you could make things even better instead of just being given something and praying you don't lose it. Siffrin falls into the natural rhythm of the script, and doesn't try to fight against what feels the most correct because this is how things are, why would he believe that's something he has the power to change?

(One big difference here is that Taoism also believes that change is one of the fundamental forces, that the world is constantly changing, whereas I think the Followers of the Universe would probably be a kind of narrative foil for the House of Change in canon, just for story purposes.)

(Sometimes things need to change, and sometimes you need to accept them. A healthier outlook probably finds a good balance of both.)

When the Change God tells Siffrin that his god "will never really talk to you", I wonder if a follower of the Universe who remembered more about their beliefs could have argued back that their god never stops speaking?

Through the flight of birds, the movement of clouds, the beating of your own heart- the Universe is speaking all the time. To live is to be in constant conversation with it.

It's fun and all the think the universe is being mean to Loop and Siffrin but tbh I like to think the universe is more apathetic than actively malicious. Real "a universe that doesn't care but people do" type of deal.

The universe is hard to grasp or even personify. According to the change god the universe can't even talk to its followers. It's so massive and incomprehensible it just can't.

Like... imagine you had to do something for one of the like octillion atoms that make up your body. You don't know this thing, you don't know it's situation, not really. It's kinda hard to pay attention when you're busy being... well perpetual existence. But it becomes just loud enough to hear. Hurts just enough to feel. But instead of squashing this thing like a bug you give it a crumb and simply move on.

But that also makes the whole "The universe leads and we must follow" philosophy very hilarious. Like the universe does NOT know what the little specks on this single planet are doing just like we don't notice how our cells move around in our body.

The universe isn't leading shit. It's giving you the tools to do it yourself. It's like when you ask your mom to drive you somewhere and she just hands you the keys and says don't wreck the car, except this "mom" doesn't comprehend that its kids aren't even old enough to drive (aka can't handle godly powers like timecraft)

[adobe-outdesign]

Have you reviewed the Elderly color yet?

Elderly kind of felt inevitable as a colour, seeing as baby was already a thing for years. I'd say that its pretty justified too, seeing as it's not very similar to any other colours. It couldn't just be clothing either, seeing as the base colour has specific details to it like wrinkles.

However, despite the inevitability, a lot of users don't really like Elderly. I think it's in part due to the color palettes used—it's all very muted colors, and a lot of pets lack any sort of palette consistency or balancing. It also doesn't have inherent appeal to it (like baby, which is fundamentally cute).

In terms of execution, I think there are three things that make this colour work the best:

Clothes are fine, but also lean into animal-like attributes when it comes to aging instead of only human ones. See examples like the Hissi and Wocky below.

Clothes need to look age-appropriate, but they can still be decently trendy and fashionable. Alternatively, go for very "cute" outfits like oversized sweaters.

Base colours can be muted, but should still look appealing. A few wrinkles are fine, but try not to go too overboard so the base can be used for other things.

Keep the "male" and "female" counterparts equal both in concept and design. Both should look like they belong together.

I feel like pet styles would also really add something to this colour; just giving the pets unique anatomy and making them anthro (think like royal) would help things tremendously.

Elderly came out after customization, so there's no per-cusomization versions to compared.

Favorite Species:

Hissi: Elderly Hissi are by far the best elderly pets. The shed skin was already great as a concept (reptiles can have trouble shedding their skin properly as they age), but the way it forms a hat on the elderly boy? Fantastic. I also really like the outfits, which seem very age-appropriate but also look fashionable as well. Finally, the base colors are nice and not too wrinkled, so you can use them for other customizations as well.

Wocky: Converted Wockies are usually pretty weird looking, but the elderly ones are honestly pretty adorable. I like how the base colours are based on actual cats, and things like the messy fur capture the elderly look well without being too overwhelming. I also think the outfits are super cozy, and both the elderly girl and elderly boy versions feel equal to each other. Only minor quibble is that the female's hair curlers don't fit the palette and clip over the eyebrows in a weird way, but those can be removed so it's not that big of a deal.

Lenny: Following the trend set by the Hissi and Wocky, the elderly Lennies have a very pleasant set of base colors with realistic markings and palettes—and even better, they're both based on birds with long lifespans (pink cockatoo and albatross, birds which have been known to live to 70 or 80 years old). Also, the retirement ski/hiking outfits work surprisingly well on the bodies considering their unusual shape. Only minor quibble (outside of the base lacking head feathers, which I think wasn't possible to fix) is that it's weird that their beaks are wrinkled of all things.

Least Favorite Species:

Tonu: It's not that these look terrible, per say, it's more just that... like, why are they knights? Nothing about these reads as elderly. The base colours are also alarmingly zombie-esq with unpleasant palettes, and the swords just floating their is weird. On the plus side, the gold detailing looks nice and the outfits work well as crosspaints, so there's that at least.

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

omg i recently got into jevin and i cant get him out of my head and somehow has come up with a bunch of stuff and a whole thing on how slimes work- sorry its so long! i figured it would probably be better to compile everything in one ask instead of spamming inbox

-

jevin gets really loopy and tired on new moons and can't remember anything half the time. this leads him to be more goopy and melt sometimes and occasionally parts of him will stick to stuff. he needs to go pick up parts of himself sometimes when he moves around too much on these nights. it makes him kinda grumpy and slow when he cant just collapse and slime equivalent of sleep after nights like that.

he also gets really jittery and more reactive and excitable and feels much more on full moons. this makes it so he gets really sticky and ends up leaving handprints and such when he touches stuff. he also has to pick out sand and gravel from his slime... he crashes a bit after day break.

-

jevin is a smart slime. thats it. nothing else is special.

hes only blue and humanoid because hes smart enough to maintain it. eating too much of something makes him a different colour so periodically he balances it out by treating slime like paint mixing and eating flowers and dyes.

his mass grows as he eats stuff. which leads to him getting goopier as he cant spread the energy enough to keep humanoid. so he must shed parts of himself regularly. usually its a small amount and harmless, just useless information he picks up like a carrot he left behind in a loot chest or something. if he waits too long he might accidentally shed something more important like his build plan for his base. hes never dared to let it get any worse. he does need to make sure to dispose of his slime properly so it doesnt split into a smaller slime. this also leads to shenanigans where he stores parr of himself somewhere to squeeze into some tight spaces like chests and the like to mess with people or watch reactions to his pranks.

as a slime, jevin can eat all things given enough time. sometimes he accidentally nibbles and even eats his supplies and tools when he isnt paying enough attention.

the skeleton he has in his body? yeah thats to freak people out. he doesnt need that and itll eventually dissolve/digest into him anyways. makes him a lighter shade though.

jevin can eat other slimes and slime balls. it is not a pleasant experience though if the slime is too big. the knowledge merging with his own and bits and pieces of memories are annoying when he has his own individual consciousness.

if jevin leaves a big enough piece of himself somewhere, he can sometimes sense what happens around it like sound and stuff if he concentrates... he hasnt tried a big enough piece to see if he can control it and he doesnt plan on trying in case he loses that piece forever.

sometimes he sheds a larger amount of himself either on accident or in preparation for something and ends up small. he needs to borrow clothes from bdubs or make clothes for that. sometimes if hes small enough to not disturb people being nakes he just roams around either as an animal or mob or just a tiny jevin.

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my head is so full i should stop bc itll never end atp @_@

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