#but that feels silly when there are so many options to explore

[vigilskeep]

the problem with playing someone other than sol is that (fairly obviously) my brain has fixated on the crows. so by playing a crow and romancing the crow on my first run i have made it difficult for a second one to capture my interest since i would not have either of those things. i may just have to keep replaying sol until this burns out and some other aspect grabs me

[droolypupboy]

tips for solo puppy play!!

pup play doesn’t have to be a partnered activity and solo play can be EXTREMELY fulfilling. you deserve to explore your headspace 🫶🫶 i have another post for more general tips for feeling more puppy, you can check that out here, a lot of things on there are ALSO applicable for solo pups.

warning, this is not for puppy regressors!! this is an nsfw post and probably not safe for u if you regress while online. stay safe, sfw puppies.

i would recommend checking out the above post if you want more details on the following: playing fetch alone, puppy snacks, & oral fixation!! all those things can help a LOT for solo pups but since i already went into so much detail previously, this post will have its own unique set of tips. i’m a puppy & i own a puppy sub so im super smart and you should listen 2 me!!!!

🐾 eating from a dog bowl can help a lot!! but even if that is inaccessible or not to your taste, you can just sit/lay on your tummy on the ground and eat small snacks from a plate. be careful of choking if you choose to lay!!

🐾 make little pup noises!! if you feel yourself going nonverbal and you’re in a place where you’re safe and comfy and have the time, lean into it. make little “hmph” noises when you’re confused, little squeaks when you’re excited, whine and pant, do all the things!! these can be used both sexually and nonsexually. it should come naturally if it’s gonna happen but there’s nothing wrong with doing it on purpose to get the ball rolling.

🐾 you can either invest in a large dog bed OR you can make a little nest of pillows and blankets.

🐾 being on all fours, sitting on the floor, & laying on your tummy are wonderful. inaccessible?? that’s okay!! these are enhancers, not necessities.

🐾 ALL you need for this is a bedroom and some random items. find some things (bad options are things like keys, lighters, phones, anything you use super frequently) to hide and go find again. the more space you have the better but even in smaller spaces, it can be VERY fun to lean into.

🐾 tilt your head in confusion, nudge and “paw” at things, nip and bite at things (safely, clean things, nothing that could hurt you or that you could choke on).

🐾 if you can afford it, invest in a knot style toy. it can help a lot in feeling like you’re small getting used by a bigger dog if that’s your thing. toys with suction cups are amazing too, the less you have to work, the better!!

🐾 do NOT be afraid to use pup centered asmr. it’s available on many many places but most accessibly, youtube & soundgasm through the site flaru. its not cringe, its not silly, it can be rlly good for the headspace. if you’re not sure if you’ll like it, give it a go!! why not??

🐾 invest in dog toys if you can!! make sure to clean them thoroughly before putting them in your mouth, stored r nasty, don’t use any that an actual dog has used only use fresh ones. if you can’t do that, chewelry, largely available on etsy and marketed for sensory issues (which yes, it does work for as well) is a really nice & discreet option.

🐾 go to town if you have a PRIVATE back yard!! run around!! have the zoomies!! chase toys (do not put them in your mouth if you’re playing outside)!! just have a good time.

🐾 press your nose against the window and watch the birds & squirrels & any other animals outside!!

🐾 overstimulation!! it’s rlly good, lose yourself, don’t stop until you can’t take it anymore. silly pups need to get fucked stupid.

🐾 slobber on toys (of the sfw AND nsfw variety), suck your fingers, get messy eating a popsicle or something similar. spit can be VERY puppy if you can handle the mess

that’s all for now, silly pups!! have fun, play safe, be kind to yourself, and remember that all of us puppies are different and unique. what makes one person feel puppy might not make the next person feel puppy. figure out what works for YOU. being puppy is an independent journey 🐕🦴🐾🎾

[raccoonfallsharder]

some questionable headcanons.

navigation | headcanons & imagines

just thinking too much about how (and why) rocket doms & subs in all (well, most??) of his different incarnations. of course there’s lots of crossover because at his core, rocket is always rocket, but sort of… reskinned by the experiences in his different worlds.

i spent way too long thinking about this while traveling over the weekend. NSFW (mdni) with gn reader below the cut my loves. just some ramblings/musings that are subject to change according to my mood.

ROCKET DOMS/SUBS FOR YOU.

WARNINGS: all sorts of kink including bondage, blindfolds, mild painplay, collaring, crawling, intox, gunplay, marking (scratches, come), ropeplay, masturbation (guided- and un-guided), overstim, edging, general bossiness, sex toys, cockwarming, size kink, exhibitionism, voyeurism, threesomes... did i get em all?

mcu rocket

DOMS YOU: by doing whatever it takes to make you beg for him — to force you to convince him that you want him, that you need him. he’s a master of edging, and he wants desperately to leave marks on you as proof that he was there. it’s not a dealbreaker if you aren’t into spanking or biting or spanking or clamping or spanking or bruising, but he’d love to give you just a little bit of pain if you’re into it. also likes to degrade you a little too, but has a hard time bringing himself to be really mean when he likes you oh-so-much. oh — and the top-drop is real with this one, so make sure to provide good aftercare for your dom.

SUBS FOR YOU: the amount of trust it will take for this rocket to explicitly sub for you is immense (though it’s pretty clear early on that even if he likes to degrade you a little bit, you’re the one with all the power in the bedroom). he doesn’t like to be restrained by anything but his own willpower, which is admittedly flimsy. but for you, he’ll try: clenching his fists into the sheets of his bunk, gripping onto shelves and hatch-frames and anything else he can brace himself against to try to keep from touching you when you tell him to keep his hands to himself. he might even let you blindfold him, though he’s honest enough to admit that he can use his other senses to get a pretty clear idea of where you’re at and what you’re about to do. the truth is, this rocket really does want nothing more than to make you feel good — and if that means letting you take control, he’ll figure out a way to do it. after the first time — when you’ve given him so many orgasms he thinks he might’ve actually died and gone to a better afterlife than he deserves — he’s more willing to explore whatever options you want, just as long as you keep murmuring those sweet little reassurances that you’ll take care of him.

eidos rocket

DOMS YOU: most rockets have something of a gunplay-kink, but this guy takes it to the next level. he loves to both toss you around and boss you around, and lavish you with all sorts condescending praise — particularly when stretching you out on a cannon. plus, ever since that night you let him get you high on everbloom, he can’t stop thinking about how sweet and silly and eager-to-please you’d been while intoxicated. he won’t do anything without your explicit consent, but he can envision a whole galaxy of fun if you let him do that again.

SUBS FOR YOU: this rocket generally avoids situations where he’s vulnerable, so at first it seems like you’re unlikely to ever get the upper hand. secretly, he also worries about having flashbacks to the labs when restrained, or the sensory deprivation chambers when, well, sensory-deprived, so traditional bondage is a no-go. i don’t think he minds you taking the lead, though �� just be prepared for him to be bit of a pillow princess when roles are reversed. that said, the truth is that between the cold contempt of the kree scientists, lylla’s sacrifice for his life, and tella’s betrayal, this rocket — while vain as hell in regards to his pretty fur and stunning physique — does worry that there’s something intrinsically inadequate about himself as a person. shower him with enough authentic praise, and he’ll do just about anything to keep it (and you) coming.

cartoon rocket

DOMS YOU: this rocket absolutely sees himself as a dom and is also absolutely not one. underneath it all, some part of him believes that he’s still the unloved runt of his family and the weird one on halfworld — and no matter how amazingly brilliant and capable he’s become, that perception of himself never fully goes away. except for when he’s with you, that is. look, he tries to boss you around a bit. but when you give him that sweet, indulgent little smile and massage the base of his ears, he’ll do whatever he can to please you. the closest this rocket gets to “calling the shots” is when he leaves fine red scratch marks somewhere visible on your skin — loving the way it looks like he’s claimed you (even if part of him would much rather be claimed).

SUBS FOR YOU: did you see the episode with ja kyee lrurt? sure, it’ll take a whole lot of trust-building to get there, but once he’s fallen for you, this rocket will worship the ground you walk on. he’ll trip over his own tail trying to make you happy, both in and out of bed. step on him, spit in his mouth, and call him a good boy, and he’ll be thankful.

universe-killer rocket

DOMS YOU: WARNING. DANGER. if this rocket decides to let you live in the first place, he’ll be wanting to keep you collared around the clock. imagine everything the other rockets do to dom you, but dial the intensity up to thirteen and make it at least six shades darker. loves to see you crawl.

SUBS FOR YOU: oh honey. you’re in the wrong place. at best — once he softens up to you — you’ll get a part-time service dom. maybe. it’s not even that he doesn’t want to submit to you (though he doesn’t). it’s mostly that he wouldn’t remember how if he tried.

marvel rivals rocket

DOMS YOU: i’m still getting to know this rocket but it’s clear he likes variety, based on his dramatically-different looks. i suspect he’s got a major size-kink to go along with that tendency, too. it doesn’t matter that he’s smaller than you in stature: this rocket has at least fifteen different prosthetic cocks and about ten of them are too big for you to take without substantial prep. don’t worry, though: while rocket is not patient in most things, he makes exceptions for this. he loves sinking into you nice and slow while you’re all teared up and dripping, grinning maniacally against your damp skin and purring, “easy, sweetheart; biiiiiig stretch”

SUBS FOR YOU: this rocket’s got super-soldier trauma too, but i think he’s also way better at being part of a team — which means he’s willing to take one for it, too. submitting to you is the equivalent of a trust-fall, and once you’ve had his back in battle, he’s willing to at least give it a shot. give him a playful flick to his earring and a smirk to let him know you’re in the mood to boss him around, and he’ll let you as long as it leads to multiple orgasms for both of you. as mentioned, he’s also a big fan of shaking things up, so feel free to try out all your new ideas, just as long as you’re communicating beforehand.

ewing/rosenberg/et al rocket

DOMS YOU: this rocket spent some time with a pretty little thing from the aceta system and learned all about traditional krylorian ropeplay. he loves tying you up with all sorts of deviously-positioned knots that tease your poor, delicious body every time you take a breath. then he just sits and drinks his angargal’s (neat) and watches you with a predatory grin and a few casual — if absolutely filthy — “compliments.” is it even edging if he’s not actually doing anything? he’s innocent, your honor! except that he might jerk off on you, just so he lasts longer when he finally gets inside you (plus there’s something about see you you helpless and dripping — with his fluids and yours — that makes him dangerously feral). he’s also a big fan of directing you on how to touch yourself — especially if he can make you edge or overstim your own body. it feels like the ultimate control to him.

SUBS FOR YOU: this rocket loves cuddles, physical affection, and quality time — though he’ll never admit it. it’s on account of him being the loneliest flarkin’ guy in the universe, of course. he hadn’t remembered his past for circs — just a big ol’ hollow void in his history that he’d filled with persistent dread, raw nerves, and more cons and grifts than even he can recall. had his heart broke once or twice, and generally perceives himself as too much of a d’ast grizmod to be worthy of another person’s genuine love. and then he’d gotten his memories back… only to find out he’d been an authentic dumb-ass hero in a past life, before his former enemy had married his girl. it had really sent the message home: that nobody’s just gonna give him nice things. well. nobody until you. so cuddle this rocket up tight in your arms, and treat him oh-so-lovingly — spend late nights with him in the cockpit and listen to his stories — then stroke his tail while you ask him so sweetly to jack himself off. he’ll find himself doing whatever you say before he even realizes it. or — if you want to give him a real treat — make him promise not to move while you cockwarm him for an hour or two. make sure he knows that there will be no orgasms for cranky gunsmiths who can’t stay still. he’ll stare at you like you’re absurd for suggesting it — why the flark would he agree to something like that? — but after two minutes of you holding him snuggled tight inside you, he’ll start getting teary-eyed from the sheer emotional intimacy of it all.

skottie young rocket

DOMS YOU: by tying you up and overstimming you — again and again and again and again — with his tail and a dozen new toys he made himself. today. look, he’s gotta try ‘em out somehow, and you’re both his lucky muse and his favorite lil test-subject. loves to make you cry — but only for fun reasons. would absolutely arrange for another sub to wreck you under his direction, but only if you told him you’d be into it. he’s one-thousand percent a showman of the highest caliber and he’s gotta make sure everything’s over the top so he doesn’t disappear without ever being loved, which means he also doesn’t mind a full-fledged audience.

SUBS FOR YOU: if you’re looking for vulnerability with this rocket, you’re more likely to find it in unguarded moments of sexual intimacy that are remarkably vanilla. why? mostly just because it’s proof that he doesn’t always have to be the most outrageous thing in the galaxy to keep your attention. these are the moments when he’s heartwrenchingly soft, when he might explain to you how isolated he feels, how he’s searched high and low for “his own people” and has always been reminded that he’s the only thing like him in the universe; that he’s tried to fill the void with an endless parade of gender-variable space-princesses only to find that no-one ever made him feel less-alone — until you. but if you’re looking for submission… well. this rocket is the switchiest switch to ever switch. he has no issue subbing for someone with whom he expects to have fun, mostly because he doesn’t have to trust you to play sub for you. he’ll let you do pretty much whatever you want in the name of brat-taming, but the joke’s on you if you think he’s not capable of wresting back control the moment he wants it. for flark’s sake, he can get out of those electrocuffs in less than two seconds if he wants to — and he’ll never be done being a brat.

[rivetgoth]

The fact that I’ve seen a few people try to analyze I Saw the TV Glow through a lens of it being about like, fandom and obsession with media and nostalgia being bad ?? is genuinely blowing my mind. Obviously there’s the fact that this movie is as unambiguously about being trans as it can possibly be without just saying outright ��this is a movie about being trans” but I also think this is crazy because I would say it actually has one of the most unambiguously positive relationships with concepts like “media consumption” and “nostalgia” that I’ve seen in a movie.

Like, to say it’s a shallow interpretation of the film to call it “about media/fandom” (and especially a negative depiction of such things!) is putting it quite kindly because I kind of feel that anyone who utters such sentiments didn’t actually understand the core element of the entire movie: “The Pink Opaque” is not a show. Commentary the film makes about watching “The Pink Opaque” cannot translate to commentary on watching shows broadly because the movie spends half its runtime making it explicitly clear that “The Pink Opaque” may be a show that exists in a literal sense but is not one in a figurative sense. “The Pink Opaque” represents the possibilities of childhood and innocence. Innocence that still is not free from judgment—Owen gets told the show is for girls, Maddy’s friend accuses her of sexual harassment on account of her sexuality while they were watching it together—but it’s the moment in your youth (or any time! it doesn’t have to go away!) when the possibility of queerness and more explicitly queer utopia feels real to you. The external pressures to conform are still there but you can tune them out if just for a moment to envision a future and a life for yourself free of it and living authentically. I think this is an experience all LGBT people can relate to, but in the case of ISTTVG it’s very explicitly primarily focusing on queer femininity, predominantly transfemininity, but in Maddy’s case as well she is a queer woman (I’ve seen some interpretations of her as transmasculine but I disagree personally). Hence the on-the-nose nature of it being PINK.

What feels very genius about Schoenbrun making it about a show though is that it’s so generational, right? For all of us LGBT people who grew up in the age of screens that WAS where a lot of that early imagination going wild resided. The first time you explore a new name is on anonymous forums. The first time you explore your masculinity or femininity is with which character you relate to in a show, or which gender you select in Pokémon. Movies and shows with “queer subtext” or even without give young LGBT people the chance to envision relationships and futures for themselves, what many grow up and call “shipping.” You have your first gay crush while watching your favorite movies. You envy those of your true gender while watching your favorite movies. Amongst many other things when Maddy watches “The Pink Opaque” she’s given access to a world where two women share this intimate connection and overcome obstacles together. When Owen watches “The Pink Opaque” they’re given access to a world where femininity is a real option for their future.

The relationship these characters have to “The Pink Opaque” is a net positive and the movie makes that so incredibly obvious when Owen goes back to rewatch it later and finds that it’s nothing like how they remembered, it feels childish and immature and dumb. That is a bad thing. This is a bad thing. The movie wants you to see this as a bad thing. This is the result of repression, of conversion therapy, of violent coercion into normative lifestyle—That sense of limitless possibility is destroyed and the idea of accessing one’s transness, of imagining this utopia where you CAN be yourself and live as a woman, strong and beautiful on the other side of the screen as said in the film, is lost. Now you tell yourself it feels silly, it feels childish to imagine such things, it’s not nearly as deep and meaningful as you believed it was when you were younger and less inhibited, or it’s at the very least easier to tell yourself that. Owen’s feeling embarrassed is of note here. If it weren’t for these external pressures that have been internalized they very well may have been able to still enjoy the show, even as they’ve aged and grown and matured, even if their perspective has changed a little. But they can’t. Not yet, at least.

I feel kind of out of my mind seeing people try to approach it through a lens of commentating on media consumption because it’s so deeply missing the layers of what’s actually being said… and not even in a wildly obfuscated way. The movie is ABOUT the relationship these characters have to “The Pink Opaque” and how the loss of that is a bad thing. How you can possibly watch it and see it being about some kind of growth from obsessive media consumption is mind boggling to me. Seeing multiple reviews and posts in tags about it is crazy. One thing I really like about this movie is that it so confidently argues for a more positive interpretation of being obsessed with “fantasy” and the childlike wonder of the limitless possibilities of fiction. I think that’s a very very trans narrative, as I mentioned it feels tied deeply into Queer Utopia, and I find it much more bold of a stance to take. In a world where people tell trans individuals (and especially trans women) that their identities are works of fiction or products of the imagination or even caused by excessive media consumption, to embrace these things and turn them over and use them as a symbol of the whimsy and innocence and excitement that first ignites that spark as a positive, thrilling, beautiful thing is very cool.

[narcissistcookbook]

Game review!

Atomfall is a Fallout / Stalker-esque survival and exploration game set in rural england after the real-life windscale nuclear disaster.

pros: - the setting is incredibly well realised

- the quest system is totally non-linear and effectively non-directed. there aren't any quest markers, you have to rely on your own observation to figure out where to go and what to do next

- the hub area is fantastic, and the way it encourages you to traverse the world on your own terms is super rewarding

- the AI takes some interesting swings. many enemies armed with melee weapons will back off if you have a gun. npc perception is refreshingly brutal too - there were multiple times when I was spotted while trespassing from someone so far away I couldn't even make them out

- the game is short, about 12-15 hours for a thorough playthrough

- the game's customisability is impressively granular. pick one of the default difficulties or create your own setting with dozens of sliding scale options on enemy health, personal health, aggro range, exploration mechanics, survival mechanics, etc

- some of the interior areas are *big*

- caves behind every waterfall I found, game of the year

- one of the silliest jumpscares. so silly I couldn't even be mad at it

- no noticeable bugs in my whole playthrough

Cons: - npcs run out of things to say to you quickly

- the AI is still dumb. I cleared out whole bases by sitting in a corner and shooting everyone who came to investigate the steady series of gunshots, or by camping at the top of a ladder and popping people as they climbed up to me one by one. I was rarely outsmarted, mostly just outgunned.

- combat doesn't do anything particularly interesting

- the game is so open ended it's possible to reach the punishing final area without the equipment you need to traverse it, or even the knowledge that such equipment exists (need is a strong word, but it's a matter of the last being a bit difficult or nigh on impossible)

- some of the areas can feel anticlimactic if you approach them as classic Bethesda style dungeons expecting a big reward at the end. many areas will reward you with one or two rarer pieces of crafting materials. some just reward you with a note.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

TW: CSA

Hello great sex witch! I experienced sexual abuse for many years, starting when I was really young and lasting well into high school. As I'm unpacking that it feels like so much of my understanding around sex and sexuality came from my abusers (and from the people in my life who blamed me instead of them), and as I'm sorting through all that stuff and filing it away where it's *actually* supposed to go I'm realizing that there's... Not much left. The things I thought were attraction or arousal were actually alarm bells, that sort of thing.

Sex just feels so toxic to me, even though I know it can be a healthy expression of love (or even just fun). I'm okay with being aroace if that's just who I am, but it bothers me to think I'm this way because the opportunity for healthy sexual development was *taken* from me.

How can I explore what healthy sexuality means to me without putting myself in danger? Dating or hooking up with people feels scary and has been... just not so great, and I don't want to put myself out there like that just to check if I'm even into it. Porn feels icky for obvious reasons, but it also kind of feels like those are my only options? Then there's the dysphoria about my parts, so the thought of just "poking around and seeing what feels good" is also... Kind of ick.

Idk, this ask feels so long and silly, but I genuinely don't know where to start and I feel stuck. It's cool if there's no good or easy answer, I just hate feeling like I'm missing something obvious that everyone else just intuitively understands.

I guess TLDR is "how do I explore sexuality in a healthy, safe, trauma sensitive way?"

hi anon,

this is what we call "beyond the scope of what a stranger on the internet can responsibly help you navigate via a tumblr ask." I know that's probably disappointing, and I hate to have to turn you down after you were so vulnerable in sharing your experience and worries, but I think it's really important to be honest and upfront about what my limitations are here.

this sounds like something best addressed with a mental health professional who can get to know you personally and help develop a long-term plan to work through this over time. a sex therapist, specialized in issues of sexuality and intimacy, might be the best fit, but ultimately it's your call how you'd like to proceed.

[lunar-system]

veilguard liveblog day 5

Heading to Treviso with the bitch duo, Lucanis and Neve

Lucanis to neve: "if you do want coffee, let me know." I love the two of them, knew they would get along splendidly

I have become Rook, the destroyer or boxes and urns

I love that in treviso they play cards with tarot cards, since tarot is from italy and was used as playing cards originally, what a nice touch

Also that there are actual bird crows crowing all the time

When rook jumps, they way too often sort of slip and grab the next ledge with hands instead of landing on their feet, i've tried to remember to jump later to not have it happen so often

LUCANIS GROCERY SHOPPING TO FEED THE TEAM, my heart

(I also got a wyvern tooth dagger for lucanises inner child, sobbing)

Should have said to lucanis "you look happy, it's weird" but it would have passed the flirting option and i want to take those just to see who it feels most right flirting with.

BARD AT TREVASO COFFEE SHOP PLAYS SERA'S TAVERN SONG SFDGDJWKSLSLKSDHHD LET ME GIVE THEM ALL MY MONEY

two fledglings near crow casino have an amazingly painful small talk, one tries to joke and ask questions and the other shuts down the conversation every single time

I like how npcs straight up say "nothing new" when i go spam for more conversation

The perpetual twilight in treviso, chefs kiss

Ssudeenly i got a quest to plan lucaniss grandma's funeral???? why was i under the implication that she got captured and we would eventually save her???? She has DIED??? HOW DID I MISUNDENSTAND THIS? WHY ARE THE CROWS NOT WAILING ON THE GROUND???? nooooo grandma!!!!

there are… so many… cats… to pet….

kinda silly that lucanis lives in the pantry. but maybe it reminds him of home.

next: Exploring Dock town ->

masterpost

[crystallizedtwilight]

I really like how you draw what you love in the moment. I am making a shift in my drawing interests as well, but I'm starting to feel guilty. My friends and followers know me as the (insert fandom) artist. Deep down I know what I am feeling is silly. Draw what you love! Who cares! I know that is the truth. So my question to you is, what do you do when those thoughts come to your head (if it does)?

What a thoughtful question! Below the cut:

Thank you! I've been on tumblr for 10 years and I have come to accept that I will always receive certain messages when I begin drawing a new interest:

"Guess you don't draw X anymore" / "Why did you stop drawing X?" / "Are you ever going to draw X again?" / "I want more X" / "When can we expect more X?" / "We're never going to see X again, are we?"

Though I've emphasized many times that this is my blog for all of my art and all my fandoms, every time I switch interests I am swamped with messages like this 3-4 months afterwards. It's an inevitability, because new folks may have missed that this is a "my current interest" blog, and old folks may not like the new content you're interested in.

At first it really bothered me, because I'd draw like 150 pieces of art for a fandom for 6 months straight, need a break, and the next day people will be like "guess you don't care anymore" like all the art I did wasn't enough.

The reality is: I like the idea of managing one blog for all of my artwork. I like how low-stress it is to have one, singular place I can still use a playground for my interests. I think it's a concept some people have forgotten is an option. Dare we call it a portfolio.

I am aware that the more "modern" way to conduct things, if you want to build an audience, is to have several blogs, each dedicated to one of your interests. But the very thought of managing 100 blogs every time I got a new interest makes my skin crawl and I know it would instantly suck the fun out of it for me.

I don't want to do that. I don't want to "build an audience", I just want to have a fun space for me. There are already so many social media sites out there besides tumblr, and if you're an artist that uploads to more than one, multiplying those by each of your fandoms? Sounds like more work than I want to do.

I can't remember the name of the artist, but I recall a few years ago one of the artists for the show Korra was bombarded with these sorts of messages when they started posting art that wasn't Avatar-related. And they said something to the effect of "I gave 2 years of my life to this show. Let me explore something new." And I'll never forget that. I feel the same way.

The theme of this blog is "my art". That's it. My interests change, sometimes circle back, and change again. And that's ok—that's how artists keep art fun for themselves. Every artist deserves a playground where they can share and connect with other people who are also just as excited about their newest thing. That's the joy of it.

Keeping yourself in a box just because that's what people want or expect you to do is the death of creativity. I am at peace with people unfollowing if our interests don't align anymore. This was never a blog for catering to anyone but myself, and that is ok.

So those messages don't bother me anymore. I know they're coming. I know they will always be there. And, every time, I will find new folks who do want to share in my new interest. I think in many ways I like starting over again. It feels refreshing.

But more than that, I know the importance of keep a space for myself online where I can be as creative and fun and silly as I like, chasing after the latest thing that is making me smile.

[cementcornfield]

hello! i am incredibly new here to the joe’marr community and am finding it kind of difficult? to navigate the tags and um blogs because wow there is a lot of stuff outside of joe’marr in particular? but i see you primarily show up as a content blog for bengals and joe’marr friendly! would you mind recommending some joe’marr blogs and ways to navigate the tag for the ship? and also maybe some favorite fics of yours if you have any!

but thank you really for all the content i have scrolled through your joe’marr tag pretty religiously this past few days and kind of bummed i didn’t start liking them when the season started! hopefully i can watch them next season!

Hello!! ahhh how exciting, welcome to the fandom <3 <3. i truly do love when i see people going through my tags, it’s like hello!! i see you!! i’m glad you are enjoying the same things i’m particularly unhinged about! 

but i’m sure as you noticed, my blog is kind of a mess in terms of tagging 😔 whoops. i am just not organized at all, it’s a travesty. and i really try to avoid going into any of the big tags in the fandom (the joey b tag in particular is often a horrible place lmao.) so i’m afraid i can’t really help you tag-wise (i will say that you should make sure to search through both joe’marr and joemarr without the apostrophe, because people use both, and i think the apostrophe might actually mess things up on this broken-ass website lol). 

but i can definitely recommend some blogs and some fic i enjoy! 

blogs that approach joe’marr in a similar way to me: 

chasedeys - now if you want organization, cleo is way more on top of things than me, and has some FANTASTIC long rambling thoughts on our boys <3 

saviorified - combination of hockey and joe’marr/bengals stuff. kia's got great bits of analysis AND tremendous adorable fantastic art that you should definitely look through! 

always-silly-season - my dear wonderful friend annie who is more of a bball poster this time of year BUT is also an OG joe'marr blog. unmatched takes (plus her bball ships are also compelling!!)

agender-adrastea - nik keeps a great archive of joe’marr stuff on their blog and is also one of my favorite fic authors in the fandom! 

realtapiocafan - newer to the fandom but already knows everything to have ever happened in the lore lol. does a great job researching and presenting all of it for the fandom, an essential follow for the joe’marr lore enjoyer! 

cazluvsu - a bills bro, but also a fellow joe’marr poster! including this video that i am Obsessed with (among other great stuff!)

k8023 - more of a general bengals blog who posts a lot of the latest news in the fandom as well as cute joe’marr posts! 

chasing-clovers - always good for some good joe’marr analysis and moments! 

chase2pole - has lots of good clips and other joe'marr content for our general fandom uses!  

glittersgloom - actually more of a ravens fan (and has a lot of great info about that fandom and their different ship dynamics if you’re interested in exploring those! good stuff there honestly!) but has also lately been writing for joe’marr (again among many other great nfl ships!) and i really really love her writing :')

some fic to check out!

(it’s crazy how MUCH there is these days! i’ve said before but when i joined the fandom there were 2 (two!!) fics and now we’re at 83??? hell yeah!! i love all the fic authors for contributing truly i do, thank you!!)

keep them bright eyes focused on the coastline (waiting for you) - by the aforementioned glittersgloom, absolutely breathtaking MASTERPIECE of a joe’marr fic. and it’s 30k!!!

you look good in my shirt - a classic by nik, dealing with how they got to the point of joe wearing ja’marr’s jersey to the saints game 

run pass option - a smutty lil one-shot that i feel like really nails their dynamic (set when joe hurt his calf 2 years ago) 

so scarlet it was maroon - set after the afc championship loss :( :( sad but very sweet. 

even when the sun don't shine - dives into the tension/angst at the start of this season with ja’marr’s contract but with a nice happy ending <3

I don't want you like a bestfriend - this one is just super fun and porny and a great time all around lol. features jealous joe and desperate ja'marr (and even a bit of treymarr lol) which i’m alllll about. 

there’s lot more to check out, like i said, 83 fics! but these are just some that have stuck with me!!

[kirkwallguy]

i rly think DA's companions peaked with rivalries lol, like that can create such interesting dynamics, when rivaled these people are still following hawke and you can still romance them, Interesting!! THat's cool! why are they doing that, staying with someone who's disagreed with them the whole time or done things they find objectionable - you get different dialogue in cutscenes too, they react to how you treat them (thinking with Merrill you can just chose to not give her the thing to fix the eluvian and you get a different scene after the quest) You can be mean, you can support them or not and they respond to that, it feels like your choices are affecting the characters around you. (diff game but alistair confronts you about Isolde and if you killed her, the kid, or got help, i'd have loved more of that!! more characters going "hey this was fucked up of you, why???" or "I'm glad you handled this" and then you can talk about it more, the companions having Thoughts on your good or bad behavior and actions and voicing it!) also I think not being able to just chat with the companions was a silly choice, especially with the fact that rook can be a crow or shadow dragon etc, wdym we cant just talk about that with the gang??? ask for their thoughts on it all and they ask for rooks, rook could voice support or question what the group is and what they're doing (kinda like with Wynne and mage warden, you can talk about the circles and voice your dislike or support for them), rook could ask for more information and if they know they could share, or they won't if rook isn't a part of that group and it's all meant to be secret or something - and maybe if you ask again when they have high approval they'll tell you anyway cause they trust you, more opportunities for lore and worldbuilding as well as exploring the characters a little more??

idk im :/ rambling lol, i just really enjoyed how much you could say and do in other games, dav feels limited? And like nothing was perfect in the other games but I feel like there were so many more opportunities to learn about everything and the characters felt so much more involved? I do love that the companions talk to each other at the lighthouse like thats great we get to see those dynamics more outside of party banter!

i LOVE the rivalry dynamic and it really helps with each playthrough feeling unique, a hawke who is besties with merril is so different emotionally to a hawke who rivals merril, and it feels like there's a near-endless number of combos? also being able to push back on companions is something people have been complaining about a LOT in dai and dav, being able to spend the entire game disagreeing with a character and still see their entire story (WITH extra dialogue and sometimes entirely different cutscenes to acknowledge the fact that you don't have a good relationship?) it solves such a fundamental problem with relationships in rpgs and i don't get why it isn't more frequently used lol

and yeah i can understand if they wanted to save money not doing chats in the lighthouse (tbh. the inquisition skyhold dialogue options were just annoying and useless to me especially when you had to exhaust them to trigger certain quests), but it just feels like it creates a distance between you and the companions when they can all have conversations with each other at the lighthouse but you can't speak to them? it just feels like such an important feature for the genre and the only other game in the series that doesn't have it is the one that was made in like a year

[idiopath-fic-smile]

hi!! i just wanted to say that world ain't ready, as silly as it may sound, is always going to have a special place in my heart because oh my GOD it's written so well, first of all, and also the way the queer topics are explored and handled is genuinely so beautiful. Enjolras being on the aroace spectrum/demisexual is so so important to me, and the way you write about these characters knowing exactly how dangerous it is to be openly queer, and doing it anyway, is incredibly powerful. Often when people make being queer a part of who they are, they're criticized for being so open/"annoying" about it, but it's truly so so important to be proud of that part of yourself because of how many people simply don't have that option. Also Grantaire being a burnt out gifted kid is so relatable and the way you wrote him let me see myself in him so beautifully. Sorry for the tangeant lol but I just wanted to let you know that this fic is so important to me :)

hi! thank you so much. i've always felt like, to the extent that it's true that queer people (maybe particularly bi and ace people) talk a lot about our identities, so much of that is because it's something we didn't grow up seeing discussed and we're trying to fill that void for the next generation and/or ourselves. and also, yeah, being proud of it rocks.

i love it whenever people see themselves in a grantaire i've written, but given his whole deal in this story, i do also feel the need to say: please extend the same grace and forgiveness to yourself that you extend to him. (apologies if that sounds condescending, it's just very much advice that he needs, so if you feel similar, maybe that will in some way be useful! it is advice i still struggle to take sometimes lol) thank you for this lovely note and take care!

[kaylatoonz]

This is technically not my idea, I’m not sure if it was Tumblr or Twitter but it’s basically an AU/post where Amy and Sonic are technically engaged through tribe traditions (in my AU case accidentally).

If you wanna find the original post, this is what I remember from it:

Amy beat Sonic in traditional combat so she claims him as her reward holding Sonic like a sack of potatoes.

Sonic whines to Knuckles about his current predicament only for Knuckles to tell him that he should have taken his training more seriously and he only has himself to blame. (If you can find the original I would love to see it again. It was so silly and cute).

Context:

In my AU Sonic, Tails, Knuckles adventures off-world to see if there are any remaining hedgehog tribes (Knuckles planned the trip once he found out his brother had never met another hedgehog before). After some time they come across a hedgehog tribe where a particular hedgehog catches Sonic’s eye, Amy Rose. They both hit it off well so much so that Sonic invites her back on earth to hang out (and maybe join his tribe/team). Amy sadly explains how she can’t leave her tribe until she comes of age or her guardian or chief is defeated in combat. Before Amy could probably explain other options Sonic excitedly proclaims that he could take on her guardian so she can be free to explore his world and maybe others. Amy again alongside Knuckles tries to explain to him about their traditions, but Sonic is too excited at the idea of his new friend coming to earth to fully listen. Ultimately, they both give up and decide to let Sonic weep the consequences whether he wins or loses against Amy’s Guardian.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Sonic despite not being as well trained as Knuckles he managed to beat Amy’s guardian in combat. Sonic is celebrating his victory until a congratulation for his engagement stops him in his tracks. Sonic's shocked expression, sends knuckles into a fit of laughter with tails followed soon after with his fits of giggles. Amy seems to also find their predicament entertaining and decides to have as much fun as she can with this by teasing Sonic.

Bonus context

After Sonic recovers from his shock, Amy lets him know that they can break off her engagement after a couple of months (it’s considered disrespectful if they break off the engagement too soon).

The engagement lasts until they’re of age for marriage (18-20s).

She also reveals that if he had listened, she would’ve told him the third option was for her to challenge her chief for the right to travel off world.

During her time on earth, Amy frequently teases Sonic about their engagement, giving him many pet names, such as My Darling or My Love.

Although Amy finds Sonic to be handsome and a great guy, she feels neither of them are ready to be married, though she changes her mind when she gets to know him more during her time on earth. She almost doesn’t want the engagement to end but She respects that this is something Sonic might not want or be ready for. Unbeknownst to her, Sonic secretly doesn’t want to end it either.

[ofthemorningstars]

Flurries and Flirtations (Part 1)

TerzOmega ~ Smut below the cut

3.1k words

Part 2

Ao3 Version

Terzo and Omega are snowed in at their hotel during an unplugged tour. What will they get up to?

---

Omega awoke with a start, disoriented, feeling blindly around the sheets. Something was wrong: Terzo wasn’t beside him like he usually was.

“Terzo?” Omega called out, voice hoarse. He sat up, pushing down the panic in his sleep drunk haze. With Terzo being as heavy a sleeper as he was, he typically never got up in the middle of the night. Surveying his surroundings with still-adjusting eyes, he finally spotted Terzo standing in the window, curtains drawn open. Omega sighed in relief, body relaxing. 

He allowed himself a moment to feel silly for reacting so strongly, but he had what he considered to be well-justified separation anxiety when it came to Terzo. Their relationship was secret, forbidden, and every moment spent together was a risk. With tensions in the ministry being so high as of late, his protective instincts were in overdrive.

Silently he got out of bed and headed for the window, muscled arms snaking around the smaller man’s middle, unapologetically clingy. Omega’s head came to rest on Terzo’s shoulder.

“You scared me for a minute there,” Omega rumbled in Terzo’s ear, placing a kiss to his jaw. “What has you up so early, tesoro mio?”

“Look outside,” Terzo said with quiet excitement.

Omega glanced up, doing a double take. The flurries that had just begun to accumulate when they arrived at the hotel that evening had piled up, quickly covering the ground in at least a foot or more of snow.

“Wow. That was quick. Do you think we’ll be stuck here an extra day?” Omega asked, voice hopeful.

“Maybe. I cannot imagine they’ll have all of this cleared by checkout, and you know how the Imperator hates to waste money. I doubt she’d pay for another stay and not have us take it,” Terzo scoffed. 

“Mmm. You’re right.” Omega kissed Terzo’s neck, inhaling his scent deeply, trying to be discrete. Terzo caught on anyway, batting him away playfully with a laugh.

“Stop sniffing me, you beast!” Terzo scolded him, almost giggling. “I am not some steak for you to drool over.”

“It’s not my fault you always smell so delicious,”  Omega chuckled, giving Terzo’s neck a long lick for emphasis. Terzo shivered, gripping onto Omega’s arms, which were still wrapped tightly around him. Terzo’s head fell back on Omega’s shoulder with a sigh, and Omega’s mouth took the opportunity to explore his throat. Fangs scraped against his pulse, and Terzo hummed.

“Go outside with me,” Terzo said after some time. Omega froze.

“Terzo. My love. My light. You know that’s a bad idea.” Omega replied quietly, his heart sinking. He wanted nothing more right now than to frolic in the snow with his little human mate, but there was too high of a chance of them getting caught. He glanced over at the clock by the bed. Three fourteen in the morning. 

“I knew you would say that,” Terzo groaned, turning in Omega’s hold. “Please, amore. We’ve never been in the snow together. You didn’t want to go to the beach with me either, and that turned out great!”

Omega gave him a reproachful look. “That was different, that beach was secluded. Where are we going to go, the parking lot?”

“There is an outdoor seating area in the trees, just around the back of the building. I saw it when we brought the bags in.” Terzo’s eyes were pleading and full of hope. Omega took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and weighing his options. As much as he didn’t want to let Terzo down, and as certain as he was that they’d never get an opportunity like this again, he was still in guard dog mode. There had been too many close calls as of late. There was too much at stake. 

But with the way Terzo was looking at him now, it was so hard to tell him no. Omega agonized over it for a long minute.

“We’ve got to make it quick, and quiet,” Omega finally caved. He was rewarded with a beaming smile from Terzo that made it almost worth it by itself. “I can’t believe you’re so excited about a few inches of snow,” Omega allowed himself to joke.

“Those are not the only inches I’m excited about,” Terzo teased with a wink, palming Omega through his underwear and stealing a kiss.

They dressed as warmly as they could with what little streetwear they carried with them on their unplugged tour, Omega helping Terzo layer his socks to protect his feet, fussing over him and making sure Terzo was bundled up before he would let him go outside in the frigid temps. When he was satisfied that his fragile human would be adequately protected, he donned his uniform mask just in case, needing its glamour magic in order to look… less ghoulish. More like an ordinary human being.

They crept out through the back door, making sure to bring their key card and making a beeline for the picnic area. Omega trudged ahead, head down against the wind, taking long strides, not stopping until he was sure they would be shielded from view by the trees. He turned around to face Terzo, swearing when he realized he had unintentionally left him behind as the shorter man struggled to wade through the snow. Omega hurried back to him, pressing the cold metal of his mask to the top of Terzo’s head like a kiss as he ushered him to the safety of their hiding spot. 

As safe as they could be under the canopy, Terzo shoved his arms under Omega’s jacket, pressing his face against Omega’s chest. He was noticeably shivering. Omega chuckled, rubbing his back.

“What’s the matter, mio piccolo amore? I thought you wanted to be in the snow,” Omega cooed.

“I forgot h-how cold it was,” Terzo gritted out, teeth chattering. Omega’s body temperature perpetually ran higher than the average human’s did, so he cupped Terzo’s face in his hands in an attempt to warm him. He ran his thumbs gently down the sides of Terzo’s nose, now an angry shade of red. Terzo closed his eyes, leaning into his touch. Seeing his own hands like this, in his human form, was always jarring for Omega. The one thing that grounded him was his wedding band, perched exactly where it should be. He spotted the matching ring on Terzo’s hand as it closed around his. Terzo threaded their fingers together, moving to pull him deeper into the wooded area.

Acclimating more to the temperature, Terzo led him around the clearing, looking with wide-eyed wonder at the scene before them. The moon overhead reflected off the glittering snow, bathing them in a soft blue light. They walked a full circle around the perimeter, taking their time.

“It’s beautiful,” Terzo broke the silence of the world around them with hushed awe.

“So are you,” Omega’s voice whispered low in his ear. Terzo shivered, this time not from the cold.

Terzo broke away from him suddenly, spinning around to face him. A look of mischief crossed his features before he stooped down to pick up a fistful of snow with his bare hand. Much to Omega’s horror, he reached up and took a bite out of it, crunching on the compacted powder.

“Terzo!” Omega scolded, shocked.

“What? It is just water. I’m thirsty.” He took another bite unapologetically, shrugging his shoulders.

“It’ll make you even colder, put it down!” Omega swatted the remaining snow from his hand, now bright red. Terzo chuckled, stuffing his icy fingers down the back of Omega’s shirt, making contact with the warm skin underneath. Omega hissed and jerked away, not expecting the cold this time. Terzo laughed, eyes full of mischief, and tried running away, but Omega quickly caught up to him, accidentally tackling him. Terzo fell to the ground with a solid “Oof”, and Omega quickly scrambled to get off of him. Terzo lay in the snow trying to catch his breath, face flushed.

“Tesoro, are you alright?” Omega asked, concern evident in his voice. He felt absolutely wracked with guilt.

“I’m fine, amore. Just a little winded.” Terzo reached out for his hand. Omega quickly took it, wanting to help him up, but in a surprising show of strength, Terzo pulled Omega down into the snow with him, managing to catch him off guard. Terzo laughed, a wide grin splitting his face. Omega glared up at him from the snow, irate, but quickly melted at the sight of Terzo’s smile. The look of pure joy that was plastered on his face was rare as of late. Paired with the wintery backdrop, Omega was being treated to a truly beautiful sight, and he intended to cherish it.

Omega flopped back into the snow, allowing himself to rest for a moment. Terzo leaned over to plant a kiss to his mask before thinking better of it.

“Hm. Lips and cold metal aren’t the best mix, are they?” Terzo asked sincerely. Omega shook his head, amused.

Omega sat up, climbing to his feet and again extending a hand to Terzo, who promised no dirty tricks this time, instead gracing his hand with a kiss. Omega hauled Terzo up, trying to brush as much snow off of the both of them as possible. It stuck to them in wet clumps, already melting in places and soaking through their clothing. He could see Terzo fighting back shivers.

“I’m sorry, mio amato, I know you wanted to stay out longer, but we can’t have you getting sick. Let's get you back inside before you freeze.” Omega fussed over him.

Terzo looked put out, but nodded. They walked back to the hotel hand in hand, Omega’s still toasty despite the weather. 

By the time they were safely back in their room, Terzo truly was shivering. Omega stripped him rather unceremoniously, wanting to get him out of his wet clothes as soon as possible. Once Terzo was naked, Omega finally removed his mask, breaking its glamour magic. Elegant horns emerged from his head, skin shifting back to a dusky grey. His fingers ended in claws, ears pointed, eyes turning an inky black accented with violet irises. Much better, he thought. He caught Terzo watching the process, eyes hungry despite his physical discomfort. 

Once Omega stripped himself, he guided Terzo over to the bed, climbing under the covers with him. He was more than happy to share his body heat, accepting the sting of his husband’s skin on his own with grace. He rubbed his hand soothingly up and down Terzo’s back, peppering his face and neck with little kisses.

“Thank you for bringing me out there with you,” Omega spoke softly, trying not to break the bubble of peace surrounding them. “I truly do love doing new things with you. I cherish every moment that we get together. I want you to know that,” Omega told him then, emphasizing his words with a press of his lips to Terzo’s forehead. Terzo closed his eyes, reaching up to run a hand through Omega’s hair, which hung down from its usual bun, framing his face.

“Grazie for going with me, amore. I have only seen the snow a handful of times in my life.” He kissed Omega’s cheek. “I wish we had a fireplace to cuddle in front of” Terzo bemoaned suddenly, still shivering, trying to get as close to Omega as possible. Omega chuckled, drawing him tightly to his body.

As they warmed together, Omega’s touch on Terzo’s back slowed, softened. Lowered. Became more sensual. His fingers brushed just above the curve of his ass, never quite touching. Omega tucked his face into the crook of Terzo’s neck, drinking in his scent. Terzo rubbed his legs together subtly, thinking that Omega wouldn’t notice.

“Go ahead,” Omega urged sweetly, voice barely above a whisper. “Touch yourself. I know you’re dying for some relief.” Omega’s hand teased Terzo’s stomach, grazing his hip bone but purposefully avoiding where Terzo wanted him. Terzo whined, but obeyed, letting his own hand drift down. He stroked himself, lightly at first, teasing. He hid his face in Omega’s shoulder, uncharacteristically shy. At first Omega watched his movements under the covers, but eventually he pulled them back, just enough to get a better view. He was beautiful, and precum was already beading at his tip. Omega salivated, itching to take over but enjoying the show too much to stop. 

Instead, Omega reached out to him with his quintessence, wanting to feel what Terzo was feeling, to connect on a deeper level. Terzo eagerly accepted, letting him in with a sigh of relief, a feeling reminiscent of coming home after a long day. All at once, Omega was overcome with the sensation of delicious friction against sensitive flesh. It was his turn to shiver. He felt himself twitch, the gentle throbbing of earlier turning into a fierce ache. His hand wandered to his own cock and Terzo gasped at the sensation, feeling everything Omega was experiencing as well. Omega teased himself, not yet setting a rhythm. 

“Mm, you’re doing so good, mio amato. Such a naughty boy, pleasing yourself for me,” Omega crowed, voice gravelly. Terzo groaned in response, squeezing himself. Omega moved down the bed just enough to reach Terzo’s chest with his mouth, sucking for the sake of leaving bruises. Omega’s mouth wandered over to a nipple, always one of Terzo’s sensitive spots; Terzo’s hips bucked and he sucked in a breath. Omega hummed, pleased by both Terzo’s reaction and the sensations sparking across their connection. Pleased enough to repeat it on the other side. 

He allowed his mouth to make its way up Terzo’s throat, his neck, before landing at his ear, which he gave a firm nip. Omega felt Terzo’s heartbeat quicken as hot breath hit the side of his face. His hand began to move down Terzo’s back.

“This is just the beginning, tesoro. Do you want to know what I’m going to do to you later?” He could hear the grin in his own voice, his smile all fangs. Terzo held his breath. Omega’s hand found its place on Tero’s ass, squeezing. He growled from deep in his chest. “I’m going to destroy you.” He felt heat race up Terzo’s spine like an electric jolt.

Before Terzo could get out the whimper Omega could feel coming, Omega’s mouth was upon his, attacking, tongue plundering. He bit down on Terzo’s bottom lip with his fangs before soothing away the pain as Terzo’s hand tangled in his chest hair. Omega started to stroke himself in earnest now, enjoying the way that Terzo’s breath stuttered when he felt Omega playing with his tip through their connection. 

They lay that way for a long while, lazily touching themselves for the enjoyment of the other and swallowing each other's moans. Omega felt it when Terzo’s head started to swim and tried to steady him, to act as his anchor, but he was losing his grip on reality too. To them, nothing existed outside of this moment. He wanted to stay lost in it forever, but as the pressure at the base of his spine began to build, he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

Omega could feel how badly Terzo wanted to replace his own hand with the ghoul’s. He strongly considered giving in, Satanas knows Omega was burning up to touch him, but he was enjoying the little game between them too much to concede. His mouth descended on Terzo’s neck, biting hard enough to send blood trickling in little rivulets down his collarbone. Terzo gasped, body tensing, fighting off climax with his last shred of restraint. As the sweet sting of pain shimmered brightly across their connection, Omega was intent on breaking him.

“Delicious,” Omega breathed, echoing his own earlier words. He pulled Terzo’s body closer until they were pressed chest to chest, one of Terzo’s legs on top of his. He let his claws dig into Terzo’s back, dragging and leaving long scratches that jeweled with drops of blood. Pain sang through them again.

To Omega’s surprise, Terzo grabbed him by the hair, pulling his head up and licking up into his mouth, wanting to taste his own blood on Omega’s lips. Omega felt as though he might combust, pumping himself faster. Terzo groaned into his mouth in response, tightening his own grip on himself. Omega reluctantly broke the kiss, needing to catch his breath. He opened his eyes to find Terzo’s mismatched gaze fixed on him, boring into him as though he could see into his soul.

“My ghoul,” Terzo whispered, pressing their foreheads together, their harsh breath twining. They were quickly unraveling, racing towards the finish line at the same rate. Omega wanted to draw it out, wanted to wait, but Terzo was chasing oblivion with abandon and dragging him along for the ride. When they came it was together, electricity bouncing back and forth between them in a feedback loop of pleasure. It took a long time for them to float back down, struggling to breathe in each other's arms.

Omega pet Terzo’s hair, a few strands stuck to his forehead with sweat. Terzo nuzzled against his chest, taking his own sniffs of Omega’s scent. Omega chuckled at his lover’s hypocrisy. Terzo ignored the amusement he felt over their connection, rubbing his face in Omega’s smattering of soft white chest hair, only stopping to give his sternum a little kiss. Omega’s fingertips lightly danced over the fresh welts on Terzo’s back.

They lay in bed together until the sun began to rise, dozing and talking in turn, all hushed voices and soft touches. When the looming threat of checkout could no longer be ignored, Terzo reluctantly pulled himself out of bed, all gloom, retrieving his phone and calling their tour manager about the snow; as a rule, he tried to avoid talking to the Imperator whenever possible, using their manager as a proxy instead. When he hung up, his demeanor was markedly more chipper.

“Good news?” Omega asked hopefully. Terzo nodded, his face alight with joy. Terzo took Omega perching on the edge of the bed as an invitation to sit on his lap, his arms wrapping around Omega’s neck, gracing his cheek with a kiss.

“We are not leaving until tomorrow morning, which means we get a private room for the whole day.” Terzo tilted Omega’s chin up, kissing his lips this time. Omega pulled back before they could get carried away. 

“Mm. In that case, I think I’m going to shower. Care to join me?” Terzo nodded, a twinkle in his eye. 

---

Art by @bathyal-zone

Comission him here or on Tumblr!

[zeondraws]

How to install the DmgModLoader(DML) + Trainer for Still Wakes The Deep

The files are from the Still Wakes The Deep Speedrunning server, thank you to one of the members for showing me how to install them. Owner of the mod is Dmgvol, please support him if you like his work:

You can find a lot more mods on his Nexusmods page, which is linked on his Ko-fi. Very simple installation progress, to make it easier to find I put the files in my Google Drive folder:

The "DmgModLoader_P.pak" needs its own folder inside the pak folder of Still Wakes The Deep, you can call it "dml"

To find the paks folder, here is an example path: D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Still Wakes the Deep\Habitat\Content\Paks Example where it is on my pc ^

Then you need to unzip dmg2 and put the content of this folder straigt into the paks folder of SWTD. blue is where the DmgModLoader pak file is inside red are the files from the dmg2 zip.

Afterwards you can boot the game, you should be able to see in the top left hand corner, that the mods are loaded.

I'll add a screenshot to showcase each function that the mod provides, for more detailed description you can check out the discord server mentioned above.

Key_ShowHelp= H

Key_Freecam= F2

you can use WASD to move around, Q and E to go down and up, F and R to zoom in and out.

Key_TimeDilation= F3 There are three Time Dilation options, first one is 2, then 4, afterwards 0.5 So don't be confused when you accidentally press that key.

Key_SavePos= F4 Save the current position you are standing on, afterwards you can press F5 to return to the location you saved. (I use this whenever I record Muir and want to capture a scene- hang on a minute I just realised something... I'll be back about this thought in a bit)

Key_Jumps= F6

Basically, you can jump mid air. Tho if you land on a height that is way lower than where you jumped from you'll die.

There are a few other options, tho I don't use them (since I am not a speedrunner). Like Marker Mode (G) and the Visualizers (1, 2, 3), just don't be confused when you accidentally press them.

Tho before you use these mods, play through the game normally first (if you haven't played it before). Mostly so that you can experience the proper gameplay first, before messing around with it. I started using the mod on my 4th playthrough I think.

You may break the game a bunch of times with some of these functions, you can usually restart from checkpoint when that happens.

But hope you guys find this helpful, I wanted to showcase how to use this mod so that more people can take their own references, or further explore areas you usually can't see. Since I am busy with my video project I can't check everything on my own. So with this, more people can explore and discover things on their own. But please, if you haven't played the game yet, play it normally first.

I know I like to skip Leg C because I don't feel like going through it for the 30th time, but I already played through this game many times.

But now you can take your own silly screenshots! Just like these:

Enjoy!

Edit: I realised I can teleport myself to Muir and Innes and watch him skelp Innes from close up

[raayllum]

happy pride month featuring. demisexual rayla and mayhaps some aro spec vibes too

Rayla has never really felt the stirrings, before, as other elves call it.

 Her training ramps up when she’s twelve, but the other kids her age are starting to be consumed by crushes, blushing and making fools of themselves unnecessarily. It’s hard to understand, and even more annoying to watch. Can’t they just focus on what needs to be done? They’re the future warriors, defenders and protectors, of their village. They don’t have time for silliness, never mind the time consuming foolishness that comes with often short lived romantic (or even sexual) entanglements she sees the older assassins in training partake in. 

She supposes she’s just much more mature than they are. It’s the only explanation. 

Then she meets Callum. 

It’s not that they suddenly start, exactly — but for the first time, it feels like there’s potential for them to. How else is she supposed to explain this want to always be close to him, unable to resist from placing her hands on his shoulders, getting all up in his face as she teases him with her human impression? This maddening need to see him smile, to lift his spirits on the rare occasion he’s the downtrodden one (a situation that becomes less and less rare once he learns the truth about his father)? The racing of her heart and incessant thoughts in her mind that she can’t lose him, her fingers hesitantly touching his cheek, because she’s felt so many things since she ran away with two human princes and a dragon egg, but this — this is something else. 

His hand in hers makes sparks buzz in her chest, their interlaced fingers before the blind Sol Regem wholly for their own benefit. Her heart feels like it’s about to burst out of her chest with fondness and affection when she catches him blushing, when she catches him staring at her the way she imagines she’s been staring at him for quite a while now.

Once the embarrassment of the Oasis has faded, Rayla curls into his arms that cool night on the back of the ambler, and lets herself chase that warmth, a blanket draped over their laps and his lips firm against hers.

They explore a little more at the Nexus and the castle—kissing in dark alcoves and pressed against walls, pulling him close by his scarf, exploring more confidently the further they go, as far as his shirt being off one unbearably hot summer night, anyway.

Then she leaves, and is achingly cold. 

It’s not as though there are no offers while she’s away. The pubs and inns she frequents as she crosses through Xadia, when she can afford to and when camping isn’t an option, are home to many travellers looking for a good time. When she breaks her leg falling from a stupid tree, the clerk at the apocathery is very sweet, and asks if she’d stay a little longer once she’s healed up. His eyes are so green it’s almost tempting, but Rayla knows what she knows, and especially knows her heart.

There’s no one else. There never will be.

The jitters grow worse the closer she gets to Katolis when she finally turns around, Stella doing her best to soothe her nerves to little avail. 

She misses his birthday by one night and spends most of the next day crying, pacing outside the city walls till it’s almost nightfall. What will he say? What will he do? How has he changed, and what if he hasn’t? What if he still...

She climbs through his window, catching sight of the back of him first—broader, taller, with shorter, spikier hair swooped to one side—and then he turns around, gasping.

Still her Callum.

Boom. Stirrings. 

She spends most of the night admiring him once he’s relaxed enough to fall asleep, basking in the fact she’s by his side again, that she can do this—that he didn’t leave.

She thinks of the time one of the other Moonshadow kids had made a face when she didn’t have a crush on anyone, calling her strange.

Runaan had taken her aside and explained that sometimes, falling in love works differently for people, if they fall in love at all. That it was the same for him with Ethari. “Sometimes you fall in love only once,” he’d said.

She watches the way the sun catches Callum’s hair, illuminating a face that’s only grown more handsome since she left. In spite of everything, or perhaps precisely because of everything, she smiles.

This is it.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

RE4 Remake Thoughts

Two years after it's highly anticipated release, I have finally played RE4 Remake. The reason why it took me so long to get this game was because I did not own (or could afford) a PS5. However, I got one for Christmas and was able to sit down and enjoy the game. And wow, did it go beyond my expectations and more.

The remake expands so much upon the original game, with beautiful graphics, updated game playing mechanics, and better writing for characters (this being the biggest standout imo). No more standing still to reload or having to open the menu to switch weapons. Even little things like not being able to use the tower during the opening ambush were really neat. This game also had so many new areas such as Ashley's revised game play section that actually gave me some chills or the entertaining mine cart ride with Luis.

Major sections of the game were either revised or cut completely which I honestly didn't mind. Although, I do miss the U-3 fight simply because I had a very, very memorable experience (aka scary) time when I did it the first time. The Bella sisters popping out through the shack wall rather than the arena was another neat change imo. Overall, I had a great time exploring the changes to the game and admiring the updated graphics. Additionally, I love how Saddler would speak to Leon repeatedly even though he doesn't meet him until the end of the game (a huge change since you meet him near the beginning in the OG).

Enemy AI was challenging (particularly on the island) and provided a decent challenge to me. Having the red robed zealots chant "gloria a las plagas!" while the parasite mutates and the room distorts has to be my favorite addition to the enemies because it was something unexpected.

I had a few minor things I do love about the original that I'm sad we didn't get in the remake, but that doesn't take away from my experience at all. OG Leon will always have a special place in my heart since his dialogue is super goofy. OG Salazar is still my favorite, again it's because of the camp. Lastly, I found the OG Krauser fight in the ruins to be more heart pounding than the remake but that could be my fondness for it talking. Overall, the remake takes everything the OG did and takes a step forward. My nitpicks don't impact the quality of the game at all.

Where this game really excels for me is the characters because oh my gosh did the remake succeed. Early Capcom did not know how to write natural sounding dialogue (much to all of our amusements). Leon in the OG was a guy who knew he was in a video game because man quipped like every other line. He was goofy, campy, and took no one's nonsense. In the remake, Leon acts much more serious. He feels more realistic and acts like a guy who went through a traumatic situation. He still has his moments of campy dialogue but the delivery is much more "I'm done with this and want to go home" rather than "I am the main character and I know it" energy.

Remake Ashley is a major improvement over her OG counterpart. She actually feels like a real young adult in her 20s. Her OG version looked like a high schooler. Ashely in the remake is also far less annoying and I love the little added dialogue options for her. Really loved how she was written in the game. By the end of the game, you could feel the friendship between her and Leon. They were a team and Ashley became more confident as the game progressed.

Finally, Luis. They gave his man a whole freaking makeover, not just design choices, but personality too. I'm playing through the OG right now for comparison and Luis had only like 4 scenes in the whole game. Leon then proceeds to wail dramatically over his body. It was kinda silly looking ngl. The remake, however, makes Luis a complex, tragic man who wanted to make up for his mistakes. He is kind hearted at his core and does what he can to help Ashely and Leon. I loved all the banter between him and Leon as well as the lasting impact on the narrative he leaves. Luis' new backstory connects to other RE games in a brilliant way that adds to the overall story. To top it all off, his death scene is both tragic and well executed. He saved Leon from Krauser while fatally wounded. He dies leaving Leon a poignant question: "people can change, right?" It's a good theme of the overall game, especially since Leon sees change in both Luis and Krauser. In my opinion, Luis does in the end become like his hero Don Quixote. A knight is portrayed as a protector of innocence, defeating the bad guy. Luis did save both Ashely and Leon's lives multiple times. Without him, Leon and Ashely might've succumbed to Las Plagas. Luis was the standout character of this game 100%.

Overall, RE4 Remake was a fantastic, beautiful game that improved upon the OG in so many ways. I do want to play Separate Ways at some point because Ada is always a queen and I love her. Capcom struck gold with this remake and I hope they continue to do so with future games.