#crushing on a character from a game that i haven't even played yet

[silverselfshippingchaos]

ahhhhhhhhh

[dj-of-the-coven]

trigun 1998 episode simulator

[3 minutes of guitar solo]

Vash the Stampede: hi my name is Vash the Stampede. I am a hunter of Peace chasing the elusive mayfly of Love. all I really want to do is have a sandwich and a morning coffee without getting chased by bandits

some bandit: (gunshot) absolutely not. square up faggot

Vash: rats.

[gunfight]

Vash the Stampede: my name is Vash the stampede. I am a hunter of Peace chasing the elusive mayfly of Love.could I please have a sandwich

Meryl from the Bernardelli Insurace Society: how long are you going to sit on your ass doing nothing but playing games with children and doing chores for the elderly and disabled and looking after lonely youths and cooking dinner for the homeless

Vash: I've been here for like 2 days

Milly Thompson: Hi Vash!

Vash: Hi Milly

[exit left pursued by bounty hunters]

Vash the Stampede: (panting, entering a bar) my name is Vash the stampede.... I am a hunter of Peace chasing the elusive mayfly of Good L*rd what is going on in here

Hostage: mphdsfhapff!!!! mffmpphhf!!!!

Villain of the week: well if it isn't the elusive Vash the Stampede! you see it all started when I was 4 days old and you kicked me like a football and then exploded my parents to death with a laser canon and killed every puppy in a ten ile (translator's note: this is the No Man's Land equivalent of the American Mile) radius

Vash: I don't remember doing that but well I suppose you can shoot me if it'll make you feel better

Side character of the week: Are you insane? Just shoot him instead???

Vash: but my mom told me not to be mean to people

Villain of the week: (still going) And as I am now 47 years old I have finally decided to get my revenge. Say your prayers, Vash the Pisshead

[Wall explodes and reveals a motorcycle with a sexy priest on it]

[sfx: guitar with a hint of electric distortion]

Vash: is that..... Wolfwood?

Meryl who was in the background this whole time: the priest?

Nicholas Dickolas Wolfwood: (brings his fingers up to a pair of luscious lips to grab the cigarette from right between them, taking one more slow inhale before crushing the cherry red underneath his heel)(sensually cocks one of his 8 guns) Are you just gonna let this guy talk down to you like that needle noggin?

Vash: I g-

[guitar riff bumper]

[guitar riff bumper]

Vash: -uess not, since you're here to help now... (slow, warm smile) Wolfwood

Nicholas D. ranged Wolfwood: Vash

Milly who was also in the background this whole time: Hi mr priest man! isn't this lovely, I haven't seen you since the last time you spoke with mr Vash yesterday evening when you were helping him buckle all those silly belts on his pants after he had lost them somehow

Vash: On a cactus

Milly: On a cactus! Oh it must've hurt so terribly; how fortunate that Mr Priest man was there to help you

Wolfwood: Hi Milly

[gunfight]

Villain of the week: ohhhhh curses!!! CURSES!!!! I have spent my whole existence getting ready to fight Vash the Stampede but he's just too good at swallowing all my bullets!!!!!!

Vash the Stampede: my tragic dead mother would be sad if I didn't swallow everyone's bullets so I've trained diligently every morning at digesting gunpowder without dying immediately

Wolfwood: [internally: I can't believe it. All this time I've spent walking the path of darkness, reaching to a pure light that I could never grasp, and yet here is a man who's dedicated his life and his body to the pursuit of Peace. I wish he were a woman so I could fuck him romantic style. I've got a whole plan for it and everything. Whiskey, sunset, a bed with no sand in it, 6 hours. This would be fully and completely possible if only he were a woman. Unfortunately he's not, but I can still think about the what-ifs. platonically of course. Maybe if he got some good dick he'd stop being so annoying. And maybe he'd stop making me rethink my morals. I wonder if the seven drunken handies meant anything to him. Platonically]

Wolfwood: Well anyway it looks like my job is done here

Vash: (teary) Will I see you again?

Wolfwood: I don't know. And besides, whenever I look at you, I'm reminded of everything I hate about myself. You know, it hurts.

[exit Nicholas D. Wolfwood pursued by repressed homosexual desires and immense catholic guilt]

Vash the Stanned Peat: (looking out the window like a widow whose husband was killed in action) Nicholas... D... Wolfwood.......

Meryl who was in the background that entire time, yes, the whole time: shut the fuck up already

Vash: when will it be my turn Meryl. When

[roll credits]

[temis-de-leon]

He has a nightmare where he rejected you

Characters: Solomon and Simeon (x gn!reader, separately)

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4

Main Masterlist

CW: spoilers for Simeon's character development in the OG game (I haven't played NB yet).

A/N: brace yourselves for Simeon's part because I still can't write him.

.

Solomon – He will inevitably lose you

From all the things he thought he would miss when he reached immortality, being able to remember his exact age wasn’t one of them; and yet, there was the regret.

He tells himself is not that deep; that reaching the thousands is already an impressive achievement, but lying to himself has its limits.

Maybe, if he hadn’t been so occupied tracking demons of interest and travelling the realms in search of knowledge, he would’ve had the time to keep score and be aware of just how long he had been roaming amongst the rest of his kind.

Maybe, if those who cared for him stayed longer than their perishable bodies allowed, someone would’ve been there to remind him.

And there were only so many burials he could attend before finally throwing the towel and accepting the emotional safety of solely seeking the company of immortals like him.

But then, centuries later, the human exchange program happens and you make him feel like reuniting with an old friend, even if you’ve never met before.

So he listens to experience.

So he remembers all those funerals he’d attended in the past; all those faces lost to time and inevitable death.

You’re way too enticing to ignore and of course, there’s the need to protect the fellow human surrounded by demons (never mind he acts like one too), but he knows how to stay occupied and at a distance, keeping his feelings at bay.

Casual friendship is the limit he willingly stops at.

He knows that if he allows himself to accept and reciprocate your love, the only important number in his life wouldn’t be his age anymore, but the day he’d inevitably lose you forever.

Tears pooled in his eyes as a violent coughing fit made him bend over, lungs pushing themselves up his throat in an attempt to escape from the stench and the toxic effects of the room’s atmosphere.

Ventilation.

He needed to open the windows.

It was like a cloud had entered his laboratory; a dense, humid fog that barely covered the furniture and crushed against the walls like a rot-smelling milky tide.

Still, Solomon wasn’t sure whether his tears were caused by the abnormal air around him or that unpleasant nightmare he just had.

Although he tried not to think about it, especially the heartbroken expression on your face, the scene did nothing more but repeat in his mind. His words and reasoning carried some logic, yet he couldn’t imagine a universe where that would’ve ever happened.

He enjoyed risks and danger but had never been masochist enough to deny himself of your company; on the contrary, the sole idea of spending time with you was usually a strong motivation to finish his work quickly and make some free time in his schedule, so rejecting being your lover was the strangest and unlikeliest idea he could’ve ever had.

Making that damn potion sure was another one.

Ironically, it was supposed to be a gift for you to use with him as a bonding couple activity, a concoction he had been experimenting on for days to use as introspection into your relationship. His original intention was to glimpse into your possible futures and even your alternative pasts, to see which other ways you had fallen in love with each other; not to witness a rejection.

Had that happened, then? In another timeline? Or had that nightmare been a fragment of his sad imagination?

Thankfully, the air inside the laboratory started to purify the moment he opened the window. He felt his thoughts return to rational and realistic as the fresh breeze of the Devildom night hit him right in his face. The fog, icy and moist, slithered around him and past the window into the darkness, dissipating and completely disappearing from his line of sight. However, behind him, the potion was still bubbling and rattling the cauldron, threatening to throw it to the ground.

Was it the measurements? The temperature of the fire? The direction of the stirring?

Trial and error; success didn’t come one’s way by dumb luck.

With a flick of the wrist and a sour scowl, he magically extinguished the overworked flames and threw the dangerous mixture down the drain.

It would be better to leave his experiment alone for a few more days, though. Perhaps even a week. That would be enough time for him to forget the dreadful nightmare, or at least try to do so. Until then, he’d leave the windows open, hoping the scattered fog didn’t affect any unsuspecting creature on the street, and close the laboratory under lock and key.

Solomon would buy you flowers and sweets and each good thing you deserved in life until the day came when he could give you something better.

Trial and error.

Simeon – The consequences could be fatal

You see.

He lived through the cautionary tale, a horrific incident that affected everyone involved, so he is painfully aware of how any potential intimacy between you two could end.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be like that, of course, but he knows that if he gets to love you, he’ll take risks and chances. Everything you could ever need, Simeon would give you, and not even the pearly gates of the Celestial Realm would be enough to stop him.

Lillith’s treason against their home in favour of her human lover would repeat in his hands if the situation required it.

His love runs deep and he knows so from the very first moment he sees you.

Although, at first, there isn’t anything extraordinary about your friendship.

He still appreciates it. It’s a carefree arrangement, for lack of a better word, light and kind in nature, and it helps him ease into the Devildom in a way he didn’t think existed.

You hang out sometimes, mostly because of Luke and his strong angelic need to protect your pure human soul, and you study together every once in a while, but your shared time isn’t enough to spark the flames of romantic attraction.

It’s easier to let you go when you have seven demanding demons trailing behind you like lost puppies; an amusing sight and a welcomed one.

And still, you choose him.

Why?

Is it his gentle demeanour? Or the determination shining underneath? Is it because he’s so different from the brothers, who show no remorse in admitting their darkest desires regarding their love for you?

He feels forced to reject you and he does as such, basking in the reassurance that you’ll both keep your friendship intact.

Don’t be mistaken; he loves you as well, but he doesn’t feel like that love belongs to the angel he used to be.

It was a melodic sound what woke him up, a tune he recognized as a warning coming from his new laptop.

Frowning and groaning in discomfort, Simeon brushed his hair away from his forehead and tried to rub off the imprints left on his skin by the keyboard. The document in front of him was full of random letters and numbers, no wonder a product of his unconsciously moving head, and a message on the screen asked for his authorization to carry out some type of order.

He didn’t quite fully understand what it asked, so, as per your usual requests, he closed the laptop and kept it inside his backpack.

Now at least he had a reason to visit you.

Not like he needed one, but the brothers, especially Lucifer, tended to leave you both alone more frequently if there was.

Thinking about them made the nightmare reappear and remain fresh in his mind, but somehow, surprisingly, it didn’t bother him as much as It should’ve. While the aspect of rejecting you hurt his heart in a special way, he knew he ultimately didn’t do it and chose the better option; but it was everything else what was stopping him from forgetting about it before leaving to see you.

He was changing, wasn’t he? It wasn’t your fault, you were merely an adding factor, but the truth was undeniable.

No longer the angel he used to be and neither a human, there were parts of himself he couldn’t keep ignoring. The darkness within that could compete with a demon’s, Lord Diavolo’s inability to read him as fast as he would anyone else and his willingness to bend the rules he had been taught should you ever need him to.

Lillith’s presence is blurry in his memories after so many years, but he would never be able to fully forget her; how could he ever do that? She fell in love and risked what she had and what she was to preserve it, although it ended in tragedy.

And still, he understood her.

Solomon’s and Luke’s voices reached him from the living room, bringing him back to reality. Besides his slow breathing and an unclosed faucet, the bathroom was otherwise silent. Droplets of water ran down his face like tears, but his eyes were dry and hardened by his thoughts. His reflection in the mirror seemed tired and he dreaded how his actual appearance might look. You would ask about it, no doubt, but what would he answer? He didn’t even know the full truth himself.

Glimpses of self-reflection and fragments of a realistic nightmare weren’t enough to dissipate your worries, so it’d be better for everyone if he kept hiding, at least for the moment.

Sweet actions and sweet words shielded by the honest love he felt for you.

The truth would come out eventually, but, until then, let the nightmares remain a mere fragment of his world-renowned imagination.

.

.

Taglist: @ilovecandys2010 @ollieoven @kingofspadesdelusion @whimsybloom @books-and-catears

[jillsandwhichs]

7 Minutes in Heaven

Chapter 2 to RE Character x Reader Smutshot Collection

Masterlist

Pairing: Fem!reader x Jill Valentinr

Summary: You & Jill are at a college party with some friends and you all decide to play 7 minutes in heaven

Status of your guy's relationship in this oneshot: Friends w clear feelings

WC: 4.4k

Type: NSFW

Warnings: Uses of alcohol & weed, Dirty talk, Semi public sex, Oral sex (Reader recieving), Slight praise kink, Jill loves ur thighs, Readers first time being eaten out, Making out and idk what else tbh

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Thank you

"Never have I ever... Drank alcohol off of someone's body?" Your friend, Hayley asked as she bit her lip. The rule of the game was: If you've done it, ya drink, if you haven't, don't. You were sitting right beside Hayley and on the other side of you was your close friend, Jill. No one drank out of the seven of you besides Hayley & Carson. "Hayley, the entire point of the game is to not drink to your own questions." Ana said with a chuckle, rolling her eyes slightly. "Bite me." Hayley retorted.

You weren't very close to anyone in this group, it was you, Jill, Hayley, Carson, Ana, Blaine & Daisy. The only reason this group formed in the first place was due to a group project forever ago, ever since, you guy's stuck together. You're closet to Jill but also Hayley & Blaine, they're kind but also sort of stuck up... In a way... "My turn!" Daisy snickered out, "Never have I ever had sex in a car?" She said with a cackle, sipping from her red solo cup.

Alongside Daisy, everyone else sipped besides you & Carson. "You fucking virgins." Blaine teased you two. "Oh fuck off." Carson flipped him off. "Or you could fuck her." Blaine referred to you. "Uh, absolutely not." You scoffed at his remark, straightening your posture. "Oh, would you rather it be me?" "No, I'd prefer Jeremy Irons or Mike Myers." You laughed, biting your lip. Those two men were your celebrity crushes. "Or Angelina Jolie." You added, nodding.

"Mmm, Angelina is a great pick. Drew Barrymore is gorgeous too." Jill spoke with a husk tone, biting her lip. Everyone knew that Jill was a lesbian, it was obvious. She already came out but even if she hadn't, no one would believe otherwise. "I'll go next." You said whilst clearing your throat. "Never have I ever smoked weed?" You voiced, then immediately sipping, literally no one in the group didn't sip.

"That was too basic, I'll go." Carson chortled, setting his cup down. "Never have I ever masturbated?" Carson chugged every last drop of his cup, causing the entire group to lose it. "We know you get to game so you have to game yourself." Ana gazed at him. Another thing the group knew was Ana had a thing for Carson, although she's never admitted it. "Suck my dick." Carson scoffed. "I will." Ana laughed out, drinking some of her beer. "Be right back, going to get more." Carson stated, walking into the crowd of other students to get more alcohol.

"I haven't said one yet so here goes nothing... Never have I ever flirted with a professor?" Ana giggled, drinking the last bit of her beer too. You, along with Hayley also drank from your cup. No one else did. "Have you really?" Jill nudged you, she seemed rather surprised. "Yes, with Mrs. Hastings and Mr. Frasier." You gandered up at her. Jill gave you a weird look, one she's never given to you before. "When was this?" "Don't know, like over a month or so ago." You explained. "Why?" "Just wondering." Jill mumbled, looking away from you quickly.

"Guess I'll do one, never have I ever kissed the same sex?" Jill questioned the group, instantly taking a sip of her alcohol. Blaine took a quick drink, along with yourself. "Blaine..." Hayley spat out, "The fuck?" "Nothing wrong with some brotherly love." Blaine snickered, winking at Hayley, causing her to give him a grossed out look. "Hayley, I can change that for you." Jill said deeply, puckering her lips playfully. "Gosh, no, I'm straight." Hayley laughed awkwardly. No one was straight up straight or outright gay, least that's how you feel.

Carson walked back over and plopped on the couch beside Ana & Blaine. Daisy was sitting on a recliner whereas you were between Hayley & Jill. "This shit is boring, let's play something else." Daisy requested, setting her plastic cup onto the coffee table. "What?" Carson asked of her, curious on her idea. "Seven minutes in heaven." "That's totally middle school." Ana scoffed out. "Stop being annoying, Ana. Sure Daisy, let's do it." Hayley licked her lips before shooting her eyes at Blaine. "Blaine, you and Daisy go into that storage closet, now."

Blaine nearly choked on his drink when she said that. He & Daisy hooked up once, nothing more. It was pretty good though. "I don't mind." Daisy stood up, adjusting her skirt. "That's my girl!" Hayley giggled, squeezing Daisy's hips... So much for being totally straight... "Shit, why not?" Blaine sighed, taking Daisy's hand in his and leading her to the storage room. "Start that seven minutes." Daisy tittered, winking before shutting the door behind her. "Got it." Carson noted, checking the clock. They'd have to stop at 11:45 PM.

"Who'll go next?" You asked. "Hmm..." Ana hummed out, her eyes shooting back and forth between you & Jill. "You and Jill... Girl on girl action." Ana established, sitting upright. You rolled your eyes playfully although, you weren't necessarily opposed to that. "Then after you two, me and Carson." Ana shared, making Carson leer slightly. "Then who am I with?" "Zack is here tonight, we can ask him." Ana jokingly hit Hayley's thigh. "Oh shut up." Hayley cackled, holding Ana's hand. Zack and Hayley were off & on but currently on nice terms.

"Well, while those two are dicking around, how about we play two truths and a lie?" Hayley wonders aloud, wanting to see how everyone felt. "Sounds fun, I'll go first." Jill voiced, clearing her throat. "Two truths and a lie... I'm currently failing Chemistry, I own lingerie and I plan on purchasing a cat soon..." Jill said with a slight laugh, waiting to see everybody's responses.

"Hmm..." You mumbled, "The lie is that you own lingerie." You state confidently. "I doubt you're failing Chem, that is the lie." Carson debated. "I have no fucking clue." Ana murmured. "Definitely the lingerie one." Hayley agreed with you. "Smart girls, I do not own lingerie. Therefore I am failing Chem and I also plan to purchase a kitty soon." "Aw, how cute." You whispered to her. "I'd like to go next." Ana mentioned, sipping her drink once more.

"Two truths and a lie..." She paused, "I have a fishing license, I've never drank rum once and I've hooked up with Joseph." She finalized her sentence, biting her lip as she watched the group think of their answers. "The lie is that you have your fishing license because why the fuck would you even have that?" Jill snorted. "I second that." Carson agreed with her. "The lie is you've hooked up with Joseph." You replied, locking eyes with Ana. "The fishing licence one, yeah." Hayley added.

"You all suck... Besides you." Ana pointed at you. "How are you so good at this?" Jill questioned you, gazing at you. "I'm a mastermind." "Mm, yeah you are." Jill studied your face for a moment before looking away. "My turn!" Carson insisted. "I butt dialed the cops once, I received a blowjob on the bus and I bought a vibrator thinking it was for men back in middle school." Carson stated, knowing this was clearly going to shock them.

"Those are all fucking insane so I'm clueless." Ana laughed, smacking his arm playfully. "I'll knock one off then, one truth is the blowjob bus one." Carson snickered. "Oh so the vibrator one is the lie." Hayley stated. "Agreed." "Carson is an idiot so I'm going with the butt dialed one." Jill mumbled, taking a quick shot of her drink. "Damn Jill, props to you, yeah, the lie is that I butt dialed the cops." Carson smirked at her. "How the hell did you think a vibrator was for a man?" "Don't know, don't remember." Carson replied to you.

"You go, then I will." Hayley said kindly to you, waiting for your three responses. "Okay..." You mumbled. "Alright so, I used to make out with my Tom Petty poster, Tanya kissed me the other day and finally, I have been selling answers for tests in Calculus." You gave some tough ones... "The lie is you & Tanya, yeah?" Jill pondered. You just put a "shushing" gesture over your lips. "You definitely wouldn't sell answers, that's the lie." Ana stated. "The Tayna one, that's a lie." Hayley retorted. "I actually have no idea... You definitely still make out with your Tom Petty poster." Carson sarcastically said.

"The lie is that I sold answers, nicely done Ana." You praised her. "Fuck yeah." She pulled her fist down playfully. "Why the hell did Tanya kiss you?" Jill whispered to you, her face looked pale. "Because why not?" You giggled, sticking your tounge on Jill's shoulder jokingly. You two were quite close and physically affectionate but lately, she's seemed... Off? She's been your distant and seems to be weirded out by you easily. She never used to act this way.

"Oh, there time is up." Hayley expired, standing up and jogging over to the door, placing her ear up to it and hearing the sound of them talking. "Hey, get out, times up." Hayley chortled, knocking on the door numerous times. Shortly after, Daisy and Blaine walked out of the room, they both seemed composed. They most likely didn't do anything although, what do you know? "Was it steamy?" Ana grinned. "Definitely." Blaine snickered, plopping back down on the couch.

"Alright, you two, off to the room." Hayley instructed you and Jill. "Seven minutes, spend it wisely ladies." Hayley teased you two, patting both of your asses playfully. You guys were also quite close with Hayley, she was pretty buzzed, hence her affectionate side showing off. You took ahold of Jill's hand, the both of you making way to the storage closet.

Opening the door, it wasn't too small nor too big, it was about the size of a sauna would be. There was clothes on the inside along with random boxes. "It's dark as shit." You laughed, trying to find a light switch. "Here." Jill said, pulling the string of the light above. The yellow tinted light filled the micro room. "Much better." You sighed, sitting down on the carpeted floor, Jill did the same, sitting right across from you. "What are we supposed to do for the next seven minutes?" You asked with a titter. Jill eyed you down for a few seconds before speaking, "Anything at all."

You eyes wandered on her for a moment before you asked her something, "What's been going on with you recently?" "What do you mean?" "You've just been... Off... Especially today." You explained, resting your head against the boarded wall. "Elaborate?" "Well, anytime I brought up something like flirting with the professor or kissing Tanya, you got all quiet or defensive in a way." You muttered out, feeling genuine concern for her. "I don't know what you mean." Jill nervously laughed out, fixing her hair as a way of fidgeting.

"Listen, if I've done anything this past week or even just in this one night, you have to let me know." You said softly to her, reaching your hand out to hold hers. Jill's breath hitched as you did this. Wasn't it obvious? "Kiss me." Jill asked, which left you confused. "Kiss me like you did Tanya- Or even better than how you did with her." She articulated, her caring eyes not leaving your siren eyes. "Are you feeling okay?" You wondered, not wanting to kiss her if she's simply distressed. "Just do it." Jill tittered, getting on her knees and placing her hands on your cheeks, turning your head up to face hers.

Sucking on your bottom lip slightly, you gazed into her eyes. You slid your hands to her slim waist, loving how her body felt in your arms. You two had never been this close. This was all new. Was this what was bothering Jill? Does she have some sort of feelings for you? "Are you drunk?" "For fucks sakes, I'm not drunk. Z Y X W-" She began to say the alphabet backwards but you shut her up by pressing your lips to her, pulling her lanky body against yours. "Mmm." Jill made precious noises as she kissed you back.

As quickly as you could, you shoved your tounge into her mouth, moaning as you felt her tounge slip against yours. Her hands went from your face and to your ass, caressing it whilst you made out. You were wearing a skirt with a long sleeve shirt, she had all the easy access she could ever want. "You don't know how long I've wanted this." Jill uttered between kisses, her slick hands going beneath your skirt, feeling your panties as she squeezed your ass. "Oh yeah?" You murmured, biting on her lower lip.

Pulling you into her, Jill held you as she sat you on her lap, her hands now on your midriff. "Wait, pause." You pulled away, setting your hands on her waist too. "Is everything okay?" "Yes, yeah, I just... You do realize I've like never done this... Before..." "I'll teach you everything." Jill reassured you, "Anything you need to know baby." Jill whispered, staring at you as her hands went underneath your shirt and towards the back of your bralette. She used one hand to unsnap it, using her other to take it out from your shirt.

Your breath shuttered as she grasped your breasts, squeezing them and pinching your nipples. You moved your hands to the end of your shirt, lifting it up and removing it, literally leaving Jill speechless, her eyes and mouth showing her reaction well. "Like what you see?" You joked, taking both of her hands in yours. Jill didn't even reply, instead she latched her mouth onto your breast, swirling her tounge on it rapidly. A pool of wetness filled your panties as she did this. "Oh mmm." You moaned out, your hands going to her hair, pulling on it as she sucked on your tit.

The more her tounge was relentless on you, the quicker you grinded your hips on her, your clit feeling light pressure whilst doing so. "Does that feel good?" Jill questioned you, popping your tit out of her mouth for a short period of time. "Yes." You stammered, gripping onto her shirt. "Good, keep doing it." Jill demanded, now her mouth wrapped around your other breast. Her hand rubbed your waist too. You never knew you could feel such ways, especially with one of your closet friends.

"Jill..." You heaved, your nails trailing through her silky hair. Shortly after, she pulled her mouth away from your breast, licking her lips and gandering at you. "You're not actually a virgin, are you? Like you've had sex with a man before, or even a woman?" Jill raised the question. "If you are, that's okay." She noted, both of her hands holding your rear. "The most I've done with a man is give them head and as for a woman, I've only like..." You paused. "I fingered Tanya, she did the same to me." You whispered, blush exploding on your serene face.

"Why Tanya of all people?" Jill scoffed, envy plastered on her face. "I don't know... Heat of the moment?" "Is this a heat of the moment... Moment?" Jill asked with jitter in her voice. You sat in silence for a moment before giggling, "No... I'm not drunk like I was with her..." You mumbled out, your arms resting on her lean shoulders. "I don't want this to ruin what we have." Jill admitted, her fingers twiddling with your hair. "But I also don't wanna put it behind us." Jill seconded what she said.

"Jill, it won't ruin anything between us, I swear." You promised. Jill nodded, biting her lip. "I have another thing to ask you." "Yeah?" You hushly spoke. "So you've never like... Been eaten out? Or did it to another girl?" "No, I haven't." You said with a shy tone, looking down, not really knowing what to say. "Let me be the one to do it to you." Jill requested, her hands now going to your thighs, caressing them with ease. "You've done it before?" "Yeah." Jill shook her head.

You weren't surprised one bit. You felt a warm pit in your stomach. Timidness was over riding your mind. You were nervous. "Don't worry, it'll feel good." She reassured you. Her hands soothingly slipped up your thighs and onto your lower back, holding you tightly to her front, leaning you down to lay down. She grabbed some clothes off of the rack for you to lay your head on. "I assume we have like five minutes left, but I'll have you done in two." Jill smirked, having you right in front of her.

Jill swept your skirt up, having it flop onto your stomach. She was on her knees, both of her hands wrapped around your thighs. "You know, I really love your thighs." Jill teased, kissing your lower inner thigh. "Really?" You muttered out, your arms holding you up so you could still watch her. "Yeah... Pretty fuckin hot." Jill bit down on it, causing you to wince. "Did that hurt?" "Little bit... But in a good way." You huffed out. "Lay back all the way, I'll take care of you." Jill snickered, her lips trailing upwards.

You listened to her, lying back all the way back, your head resting on the pile of clothing. "Before I continue, tell me you want this." Jill seeked out consent. You hesitated, not because you didn't want this but rather because you were in shock. "I want this." You mumbled out, your hands resting on your tummy. "Okay..." Jill responded, kissing your other thigh now, nibbling on it lightly. You felt your core begin to wetten further. No other person has caused you to get like this.

"I remember you once said you wish you had much thinner thighs... To that, I just wanna say, the way they are now is so attractive." Jill praised you further, kissing them and biting them, leaving clear marks. "You think so?" Your voice low. "I know so." She responded, giving a much sharper bite to your right thigh, causing your hips to buck. "Jesus Jill." You chortled. "Can't help it." She murmured, now neither kissing nor biting, she was licking all along your upper inner thighs, getting closer and closer to your very wet cunt.

"Wait!" You shot up, placing your hands on top of hers. "What, is everything okay?" Jill said worried, pulling away from between your legs. "Yeah, yes, of course, it's just, I need to like let you know that I haven't like shaved in a week or so." You panted out, your heart beating fast. You were just feeling so anxious about all of this but you also really wanted it. You know Jill will take care of you. "Baby, you think I care?" Jill snickered, drawing herself towards you and placing her lips on yours, pushing herself on top of you.

Your head hit the clothing again, her lips not leaving yours as she made out with you once again. She seriously called your nerves whilst doing this. "I'll make sure you feel good." Jill reminded you between pecks. "I know." You whispered, licking her bottom lip as the two of you continued your feral make out. You felt her hand go between your legs and it caused your heart to skip beats. You're now realizing how long you've wanted this. It felt so lively.

"Can I?" Jill questioned. "Mhm." You nodded, allowing her to take your underwear off. She hooked her two fingers underneath the band of your panties, slipping them down your legs until they hit your feet. "Just relax, okay?" Jill added, kissing your cheek quickly before towing herself back down to have her head between your legs. You took a slow, deep breath as you gazed at her, she really was beautiful. How come you never noticed this before? Not her beauty, but rather how feel makes you feel. How you yearn for her.

Lifting your legs up for only a second, Jill removed your underwear from your ankles, tossing them to the side before she momentarily made eye contact with you. She looked hungry. It was clear ; She needed you. "I wanna taste you." Jill kissed your knee carefully. "Then do so..." You begged, your arms on either side of you. She giggled before hungrily shoving her head between your thighs, her tounge swiping between your soaked folds. Your mouth shot open, a guttural moan releasing from you. "Oh my God!" You laughed out, almost in surprise as she feasted upon you.

Feeling her sly tounge lick your folds was fucking fantastic. She worked her tounge so well. "Jill..." You huffed out, now moving your hands onto your stomach. Her nails rubbed your thighs as she ate you out, she seemed to really love them. Jill has a thing for thighs, no matter the size. Yours in particular though are so sexy to her. She practically worships them. Jill recalls one time in class, you wore these tights with shorts and she couldn't keep her gaze off of you. It's safe to say she's been crushing on you for some time.

The noises she made whilst eatiing you out only made your lust increase. It sounded like she was starving, and she was - she was starving for you. You wanted to please her in some way too, but you guaranteed there'd be no time after she's done with you. You wanna taste her as well, feel your fingers inside her, do anything she wants you to do. Was this lust or love? Or was it both? Your mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. The making thought being that you were getting closer and closer to your breaking point.

"So fucking good." Jill hummed as she stuck her tounge inside you, moving it around with immense speed. You could feel your wetness seeping down your ass, most likely dripping onto the floor. Wasn't your house, you didn't really care. You actually didn't have a clue whose house you were at, College parties get wack, clearly. "Faster..." You whimpered, moving your waist around, wanting her to please you even more. "Anything you want..." Jill began to suckle on your clit with haste, making that heat in your lower stomach get bigger & bigger.

Her fingers left marks on your thighs as she ate you faster now, her entire mouth on your pussy. "Oh it feels so nice." You sighed softly, your eyes hardly being able to stay open. You couldn't help it whenever your hips would buck forward, she was just eating you so well. "How are you so good at this?" You pleaded with a giggle, your head leaning back as your body arched upwards. You could feel your muscles tightening between your legs, you knew you were close but you didn't want this to end. Occasionally, you heard the group talking, sounded like they were continuing two truths and a lie.

"I can tell you're gonna cum, don't be shy baby." Jill hummed again, her tounge decreasing in speed, now it just flicked over your clit roughly. "I wanna taste you as you cum." Jill shared with lust drabbled in her voice. When she said that, something about it pushed you over the edge. Numerous whimpers came out from you as you hit your climax, you even pressed your thighs tightly against her face, it felt uncontrollably. You lost your touch with reality. You've never had an orgasm this pleasant before.

"Oh." Jill grinned, licking your clit a couple more times before then kissing your thighs, ultimately pulling away. She wiped the wetness from her lips as she locked eyes with you. "Fucking hell..." You panted, sitting up right. Jill looked at her watch and chuckled. "Two minutes, what did I say?" She smirked, bringing her hand down to your chin, grabbing onto it and kissing you lovingly. You smooched your back. Your legs were literally shaking from how she pleased you. "Looks like I did my job correctly." Jill teased you sincerely.

"Come stay in my dorm tonight." You stated, it was a need, not a want nor a question. "What about Hayley?" "She'll probably go with Zack anyways." You muttered, taking Jill's hand in yours. Jill nodded, a small smile on her cute face. "Jill... Do you want me to please you now?" You asked her quietly, reaching for your undergarments and shirt. "We won't have enough time, but that's what going back to your dorm is for, yeah?" She snickered, kissing the top of your head.

"Is my make-up or hair too messy at all?" You questioned, pulling your underwear back on. "No, even if it was, that'd make it all the more rushing." You listened to her words, blushing slightly. You then put your bra back on, struggling to hook it. Jill took notice and tittered, "Here, let me." She uttered, going behind you and encasing the bra together. Her hands slithered up your shoulders before she then kissed the back of your neck, her lips dancing down to your outer shoulder.

You groaned as she did this, it felt great. "Jill..." "Hmm?" "I don't want this to end." You admitted, turning around to face her again, now just in your skirt and bra. "Who says it has to?" Jill cupped your face, stroking your flushed cheeks. "Let's just ditch this shit party, I have my dorm key." You bit your lip. "Atta girl." Jill smirked, kissing you again.

You put your shirt back on, having Jill help you adjust and while she did, you both heard a unnecessarily loud knock at the wooden door. "Yo, ladies, times up." It was Carson. "One second." Jill shouted out, fixing her hair. "Oh yeah, they definitely fucked." You could hear Carson murmur that outside of the door. "Oh shut the hell up!" You yelled, hearing the group cackle in response. It was true though, she did just give you a feeling of a lifetime...

[coimbrabertone]

Offtopic Offseason #2 - The Incoherent Musings of a Star Wars Fan in Big 2024.

So, being a Star Wars fan is hard.

I don't mean that for some stupid "STAR WERZ IS WOKE NOW! CHILDHOOD RUINED!" bullshit, I mean being an actual fan of Star Wars.

I want to watch Star Wars shows, I want to play Star Wars games, and I deeply disagree with the idea that Disney is making too much Star Wars stuff. No, in fact, my stance here is quite similar to my stance on superhero fatigue from the last Offtopic Offseason - and that's that people aren't sick of Star Wars, they're sick of bad Star Wars content.

Let me put it this way - the only buzz I've heard about Skeleton Crew is that they referenced something from the Holiday Special and that there's a kid from that Max Rebo species - the Ortolans, the blue elephant guys. That doesn't fill me with an urge to watch it.

Just like I haven't had the urge to finish The Bad Batch.

Just like how I haven't picked up Star Wars: Outlaws yet.

There is, however, one Star Wars project that I did engage with in 2024: the Acolyte. Yup, the show that the internet was shitting on before it even came out and the one that they managed to get cancelled despite the first season ending on a blatant cliffhanger. I want to talk about that show.

Why? Because the thing is...I don't think the show is that bad.

I certainly don't think it's any worse than Book of Boba Fett or some of the later episode of the Mandalorian.

In fact, I'd say the concept of the Acolyte is more interesting than either Mando or Boba Fett, and here's why: the idea of a woman, who had the only home she ever knew taken away from her by the Jedi, training under a Sith to get revenge is an interesting premise.

That same Sith disguising himself as her bumbling accomplice to monitor and influence her had potential as well.

The Jedi Order being this corrupt, detached organization trying to maneuver the political intrigues of Coruscant is interesting, as is the fact that the plot is ultimately set into motion by Master Sol making a series of impulsive and violent decisions - thinking they he knew better - that ended in him killing the girls' mother, Aniseya.

All of that I'm good with.

There are a few things I'm not so good with. The vergence stuff and how that relates to the twins (and them being two sides of the same person) didn't quite work with me. I also felt that some of the stuff they did with Aniseya in the final two episodes undercuts the Sol storyline, because one: she really does demonstrate she's dangerous, and two: if you're still planning on letting Osha go with them, why are you using a Dark Side ritual to turn yourself into an dark smoke monster and absorbing your other daughter while doing so?

Like if the point you're going for is that Sol broke the Jedi teachings because of his selfish attachment to Osha - later leading to Osha killing him as her fall to the Dark Side - then why are you giving him a justifiable reason for stopping Aniseya?

And I guess on some level, I question how much purpose there was to having both Osha and Mae as characters. I know this is probably approaching a sort of Ship of Theseus point where I change so much about the Acolyte that it's not the Acolyte anymore, but I feel like there was a way to tell this story with just one character rather than this split person/twin thing.

You know what, I'll commit to it - here's how I would've done the Acolyte show.

Indara, Sol, Kelnacca, and Torbin go to investigate Brendok, just like they do in the show, however, when they find the convent of Dark Side witches, they decide they need to stop them. So rather than a series of potentially sympathetic misunderstandings, it's that the Jedi saw a Dark Side threat, they got spooked, and they decided to crush it.

This is to mirror some of the other darker Jedi moments in Star Wars, such as Mace Windu saying that the "oppression of the Sith will never return" before attempting to finish off Palpatine, or the Legends lore of the Jedi bombardment of Korriban after the Great Hyperspace War, aiming to destroy it.

Neither of these things worked, sure, but it demonstrates a rare Jedi ruthlessness that could suit this story nicely.

Anyway, having lost the only family she had, Osha (who, remember, we're treating as a single person at this point) wanders the galaxy and eventually winds up at the ruined Sith Academy on Korriban - and here she finds Qimir.

Qimir plays it cool and doesn't quite reveal who he is but starts telling Osha about the Sith and feeling her out, trying to figure out if she'd make a worthy pupil or not. Qimir sends Osha through the tombs like in KOTOR or like the Sith Warrior/Inquisitor storylines in SWTOR and starts revealing more about the Sith to her as she goes on. By the end, she believes in it, is willing to become a Sith, and makes a red lightsaber.

Then Qimir sends her out to hunt down the Brendok Jedi. At this point you could probably split the show into a season one and two, where the first season, "The Acolyte" is the story of Osha being an acolyte on Korriban, and the season two would be like "The Apprentice" or something a bit less trademarked, probably, and be about Osha actually hunting down the Jedi.

And hey, maybe it's a shitty idea, but I think it would place the show better in the lore and give us an interesting perspective where we follow a Sith character who fully believes she's in the right, and because of how this version of the Brendok events played out, we can't really say she's wrong either.

Maybe all of that is a product of the kind of Star Wars fan I grew up as though. I was born in the prequel era, meaning that for me, Phantom menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith were always part of Star Wars. I grew up playing KOTOR on my dad's computer and then later watching Clone Wars and then after that getting really into SWTOR for awhile in the early-to-mid 2010s.

Star Wars to me is lightsabers and deep lore and the Jedi versus the Sith.

I guess that's why Acolyte, for all its flaws and mistakes and strange writing choices, got my attention in a way that a lot of Star Wars stories haven't.

I mean, I watched Acolyte all the way through while I still haven't felt motivated enough to watch Andor - I'm sure that for a lot of nerds, that's downright sacrilege - but that's where I'm at with this franchise.

Do you have any idea how long it's gonna take for someone to be willing to make a female-led Sith show after how the Acolyte bombed? I'll be waiting decades at this rate. I'll be waiting even longer when I ask for those characters to one: be aliens because goddamn all these species in the galaxy but the only ones that ever seem to do anything are humans, and two: be lesbian because...I dunno man, representation makes me feel good.

I guess Mother Koril checks a lot of those boxes but...she's got like fifteen minutes of screentime max and then kinda turns into a cloud of smoke and we don't see her anymore. Is she dead? Is she alive? Is she some other third thing?

Nobody knows.

And we're probably never gonna know because the show's been cancelled.

Fun times.

So yeah, these are some incoherent musings from a long-suffering Star Wars fan in 2024.

Like the meme says...

Star Wars would be so good if it was good.

[weirdkpopgirl]

Friends Who Kiss | Chenle Fic #1

Title: Friends Who Kiss

Genre: Best friends to lovers, high school/college au

Warnings: mentions of the reader being insecure and having a mental breakdown at some point. a little suggestive, but not really

Word Count: ~ 5.6k

Author's Note: Okay to be very honest, I think that this story is kinda stupid and cliché. But it was an idea that I still wanted to try writing. And this is my first full-length fic for Chenle too, so I'm happy to post something for him. So to those who like cheesy romance stories, I hope you enjoy this. Thank you for reading ^ ^

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Since the start of high school, Zhong Chenle has been a consistent part of your life. He arrived as a transfer student from Shanghai, while you were the reserved kid who often used studying as an excuse to avoid social interaction. So rather than you reaching out to him first, it was he who practically claimed you as his best friend. Your personalities were a striking contrast, but it proved to be the perfect balance. It didn't take long for the two of you to become inseparable.

However, your friendship took a turn in eleventh grade. You guys had gone to your house after school to do homework. Except it was mostly you working on assignments, while Chenle was animatedly ranting about some mobile game Jisung was terrible at playing.

“It’s unbelievable! Every time I check his character gets killed,” Chenle laughed, and you responded with a soft hum of acknowledgment.

The boy glanced up from his phone to find you engrossed in your textbooks. While your attention was focused on writing an essay, you were also trying to keep your mind from drifting to the unsettling conversation you had during lunch that day. Typically, you and Chenle sat together with his friends. But Jisung needed the boy’s help stalking his crush, so you found yourself sitting with some of the girls in your class. 

Sensing the inner conflict brewing in your mind, Chenle rose from the bed and leaned over your shoulder. 

“You've been at this since we got here. How is your brain not fried?” he asked, blunt as usual.

You shot the boy with an unappreciative glare. “It is fried. But our essay is due on Monday, and I still have to help you with yours.”

Chenle sighed, well aware of your enduring determination. Ever since he met you, he couldn’t understand why you stressed so much over assignments, especially when you always completed them before the due date. Then you somehow managed to go out of your way to ensure he was doing the same.

“You’re more than halfway finished, and I’ll get to mine on my own time,” He reassured, “Why don’t you take a break for now?”

Before you could protest, Chenle swiftly pulled you out of your chair and guided you to sit on the bed with him. Worry clouded his gaze. “Something’s troubling you, isn’t it?”

Your teeth sank into your lower lip, hating how Chenle knew you so well. He didn’t have a problem sharing what was on his mind, while you were the exact opposite. Yet, even a single look at you was enough for him to detect something was off.

“The girls at lunch were going on about their dating experiences and stuff,” you began to explain, your tone tinged with irritation at the memory. “They were all so surprised when I said I haven’t had my first kiss yet.”

You pushed yourself to meet Chenle's gaze, half dreading that he might burst into laughter. Instead, his expression held a hint of amusement, and that alone made you regret bringing up the topic.

Before he could respond, you hurriedly attempted to backtrack on your words. “It's stupid, I know—”

“It’s not stupid if it’s making you upset,” Chenle said firmly.

Leaning back in your seat, you let out an exasperated sigh. “I just can’t get their judgmental looks out of my head. All because I don’t have much experience with dating?”

Chenle's expression softened as he confessed, "There's nothing wrong with that, and there’s a lot of people like you. I haven't had my first kiss either."

“Really?!” You stared at him in disbelief. “Didn't you date Ko Mi-so though?”

Chenle scoffed, appearing slightly offended. “Okay, that happened such a long time ago. And we didn't even last a month, so we never kissed.”

Now that you thought about it, he was right about their relationship ending almost as quickly as it began. You recalled the time back in tenth grade when Chenle was quite smug about dating Mi-so, who happened to be the prettiest girl in class. Frankly, you were somewhat relieved when they broke up, given that she didn't particularly like you. Chenle hasn’t dated anyone since.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” your voice trailed off. 

The boy stayed silent for a moment before an idea dawned on him. “You know what? Why don’t we have our first kiss now?”

Your cheeks felt like they were competing for a world record in how quickly they heated up at Chenle's proposal. He couldn't possibly be serious.

“Did I hear you right?” you stammered, thoroughly taken aback by the suggestion.

Chenle nodded confidently, “I mean, we're best friends, so it's not that weird. And it's better than kissing someone we don't know as well or not have a connection with.”

You could kind of see his point. Having Chenle as your first kiss did seem much safer than kissing some random guy. Besides, it wasn’t like either of you had any underlying feelings for each other. This would solely be for practice.

“Alright,” you reluctantly agreed, “But you have to promise not to make fun of me if I turn out to be a bad kisser."

Chenle chuckled and nodded. He inched closer to you on the bed, leaving little space between the two of you. Although he saw you every day, having your face this near made a faint blush tinge his cheeks.

He started to lean in more before pausing. "Um, maybe you should close your eyes."

"Oh—right," you mumbled awkwardly, then took a deep breath before allowing your eyelids to shut.

He had to suppress a chuckle, finding you kinda cute in that moment. Before you had a chance to second-guess yourself, Chenle pressed his lips against yours in a tender kiss. Shortly after, he drew back, searching for your reaction.

“So, how was that?” He asked, voice laced with teasing.

You stared at him incredulously for a moment before realizing he was waiting for you to answer. “I suppose it was okay,” you mumbled.

Chenle tilted his head with an amused grin. “Just okay?”

“Yeah, I guess I didn't feel much because we're not really into each other like that,” you admitted with a nonchalant shrug.

Okay, you might have partially lied about not feeling much during the kiss. Truth be told, there was this strange, fluttery sensation in your chest when your best friend's lips grazed yours. But perhaps all first kisses were like that, and you were simply overthinking it.

The boy beside you let out a hearty laugh. “Well at least we got that over with.”

You had to muster all your self-control not to blush when he followed up with, “And you're not a bad kisser, by the way.”

Believing that the experiment was over, the two of you returned to your previous tasks. Nothing changed much after that day in your bedroom, as you and Chenle remained best friends. But little did you realize that this wouldn't be the last kiss you'd be sharing with him. 

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Despite your previous attempts to justify it, the second kiss you shared with Chenle happened partially because of you. As your senior year of high school unfolded, Chenle prepared for his performance at the spring festival. It was you who initially urged him to participate in the talent show. The countless times you had witnessed his piano playing and singing during your private moments together convinced you that he should share his talents with the world. Your compliments not only fueled Chenle’s ego but also prompted him to eagerly jot his name down on the sign-up sheet.

However, what you didn’t expect was to find him backstage, looking as pale as a ghost. He was supposed to go after a group of girls who were dancing to Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor.” With the intention of cheering him on in person, you spotted the dark-haired boy sitting on a chair, anxiously bouncing his legs.

“Last-minute jitters?" you asked softly.

Chenle glanced up at you and crossed his arms in a nonchalant manner. “What, me? I'm fine,” he replied, though his tone lacked conviction.

Just as Chenle knew you like the back of his hand, you were among the few who could read him. While he was partially correct about never being nervous, it didn't take an idiot to perceive that he was in that moment. It was evident he was trying to play it off to uphold his confident image. 

One aspect that troubled you about Chenle was his constant facade of cheerfulness and carefree demeanor. No one could genuinely be happy all the time, and he was the kind of person who concealed his negative feelings when around others.

After deliberating on how to address the situation, you gently rested your hand on his shoulder, bringing yourself to eye level with him.

“Hey, you’re going to be amazing out there,” you reassured him. “I’ve seen how many hours you put into practicing that song. You have nothing to worry about.”

Chenle let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, you're right.”

The smile he bestowed upon you didn't quite convince you. Biting your lip in hesitation, you glanced around to ensure no one else was nearby. Once you were sure that you were alone, you leaned down and gently planted a kiss on the boy’s forehead. Chenle’s eyes widened in surprise at your actions.

“What was that for?”

Blushing, you took a step back and stammered, “Just for good luck, you know. I—I’ll be right there in the crowd, watching you. So if you feel nervous on stage, just look at me.”

A more reassured smile spread across Chenle’s lips and before he stood up to swiftly peck you on the lips, leaving you more stunned than he was a few seconds ago.

“There, I definitely feel more ready now,” he declared with a teasing glint. And the smug Chenle you were familiar with had returned.

As Chenle’s playfulness lingered in the air, the sound of the audience clapping erupted for the girls, putting an end to your “moment.” With a knowing look, you both parted ways, allowing Chenle to step into the spotlight for his performance.

As he took the stage, you found a spot in the crowd, eyes fixed on him with awe. The rhythm of the applause filled the air, drowning out any lingering thoughts. In that moment, the stage became his world, and you couldn't help but be swept away by the magic of his talent. The earlier exchange faded into the background as you watched Chenle shine, each note and melody weaving a captivating spell that left you in admiration.

Neither of you mentioned the kiss after that day. The interaction remained more platonic than anything, a gesture that was only meant to show your support for him. But Chenle still liked to think he killed the stage because of it.

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Chenle was undeniably responsible for the next time the two of you kissed. However, this particular incident didn't unfold until the first semester of your freshman year in college. The joy of discovering you both had been accepted into the same university was palpable, though Chenle appeared to be more exuberant about the news. In contrast, you felt a sense of relief, grateful that you wouldn't be venturing into the world of college alone.

In one of your classes, a sunbae began to show interest in you. Despite your attempts to politely reject him, it became apparent that he wasn't willing to accept no for an answer. 

One day after class, he cornered you in the hallway, insisting that you go out with him. As you tried to maintain your composure, he grabbed you by the wrist when you tried to walk away. The harsh move triggered internal panic within you.

You could sense the danger in his tone as his head tilted cockily. “Come on, (Y/n), don’t be so difficult. I know you’re just playing hard to get.”

“I—I’m sorry but I just don’t feel the same as you, Sunbae,” you stuttered, trying to be assertive. “Please let go.”

Refusing to relent, the sunbae was on the verge of pulling you in closer when another hand intervened, forcefully ripping you out of his grasp. Your head turned in astonishment to see Chenle casting a disgusted look at the guy in front of you. The flames in Chenle’s eyes made you realize that you had never seen him so livid before.

“She said to let go of her. What part of that do you not understand?” Chenle’s voice cut through the tension.

The sunbae scoffed and crossed his arms in defense, “Yah, who are you to involve yourself in someone else’s matters? Are you her boyfriend or something?”

You watched as the corner of Chenle’s lips turned into a smirk as he snaked an arm around your waist in a protective gesture. 

“That’s right. So who are you to go after another man’s girlfriend?” he retorted confidently. Your eyes widened, almost surprised as the jerk in front of you.

Shaking his head in a mix of disbelief and embarrassment, the sunbae pointed a finger at you. “This is a joke, right? You just asked him to pretend to be your boyfriend to mess with me!”

Before you could respond, Chenle took matters into his own hands. His free hand briskly moved to the back of your neck, drawing you in for a passionate kiss. In a typical situation, your best friend's impulsive actions might have freaked you out immediately. However, the way his fingers delicately pressed against your back reassured you that he was doing this for your sake, Closing your eyes, you kissed back and tried to reciprocate with the same passion Chenle was pouring.

Moments later, Chenle pulled away and turned to the sunbae, wearing a satisfied grin on his face. “Do you believe her now? Not that she has to prove anything to you.”

The older male muttered begrudgingly under his breath, “Whatever, not worth my time.”

With a scowl, he stormed off, leaving behind a palpable sense of relief in the wake of his departure. Once he was gone, you removed yourself from Chenle's hold and shot him a look of confusion.

“You know you didn’t have to do that right?” 

Chenle chuckled, “Well, someone had to put an end to his nonsense. Besides, I've always wanted to play the protective boyfriend card.”

“Protective boyfriend? You almost gave me a heart attack!” You smacked him on the shoulder.

Chenle’s smirk remained, but he adopted a more concerned tone. “But seriously, (Y/n), why didn’t you tell me he was bothering you earlier?”

“I thought I could handle things on my own.” You shrugged weakly, lowering your head in guilt.

Chenle sighed, recognizing your aversion to depending on others for your problems. Throughout the time he’d known you, he'd witnessed your willingness to go to great lengths to help those you cared about. However, when it came to your own struggles, you seemed to prefer suffering in silence.

“We’re best friends for a reason,” he reminded you, “Looking after each other is 50/50, you know?”

You offered him a small smile, “I guess you’re right. Thanks for saving me today.”

“Well, you can thank me by buying food tonight,” Chenle said, the playful glint returning to his eyes. “It’s your turn anyway.”

Rolling your eyes, you let him lead you out of the building. But Chenle’s words from earlier lingered in the back of your mind. “We’re best friends for a reason.” 

The two of you were the epitome of what best friends were. And that was all the two of you would ever be, right?

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At this point, you were beginning to lose count of the number of times you’ve kissed your best friend. Despite this, your friendship maintained its familiar rhythm throughout the university. But after that hallway encounter, the awkwardness that came with kissing your best friend faded. Although it was more of Chenle seeming unfazed, and you becoming less surprised each time it happened. And indeed, there were a few more instances that caused your lips to meet.

Like the time Chenle excitedly dragged you to his dorm to watch a Golden State Warriors game, and, in the heat of the moment, he gave you a quick kiss before cheering some more. Then there was the other time when you both went out for drinks with friends, a few drunken kisses were shared.

There weren't any real feelings attached to the kisses you and Chenle shared. At least, that was what you repeatedly told yourself. However, as you were halfway through your first year of university, you finally started to question the true nature of your friendship with Zhong Chenle.

Those thoughts began to sink in just before your first finals in college. Isolated in your dorm room, you immersed yourself in studying for a math exam scheduled in three days. Calls and texts from friends went largely ignored as you turned off your phone in an attempt to focus. However, Chenle wasn't about to let that slide. 

One night, he let himself into your dorm, carrying a bag of your favorite takeout—knowing well that you tended to skip meals when stressed. You could see the determination in his face, ready to scold you. But the expression quickly transitioned to one of concern when he caught you on the verge of a breakdown. 

You sat at your desk surrounded by textbooks and notebooks filled with scribbled equations. The sight of your trembling body and slightly tousled hair, a result of pulling on it too hard, tugged at Chenle’s heart. He was well aware of how your anxiety affected you at times. But he had never witnessed it manifest quite like this.

Instantly, the bag was placed on the floor, and he was at your side. “(Y/n), what's wrong?" 

“I—I'm going to fail my calc final,” you swallowed, your fingers curling into fists. Your shoulders slumped, and the weight of despair was evident in the way you hunched over the desk.

He placed a hand on your shoulder, attempting to calm you down. “You still have a few weeks before finals, (Y/n). And you’re not going to fail.”

“Yes, I am!” you cut him off, your voice strained. Tears welled up in your eyes, and your hands clenched even tighter. “I’ve been studying for days, and my dumb brain still doesn't understand anything. Do you know how stupid I feel?”

“Being bad at math doesn’t make you stupid, (Y/n),” Chenle said, trying to inject a bit of lightheartedness into the situation. However, his comment didn’t seem to offer you any comfort.

You shook your head miserably in response. “Stop trying to be nice. I'm going to fail, and then I’ll end up letting down my parents and everyone else.”

Chenle’s heart ached at the defeat in your voice. Setting his jokes aside, he recognized that words weren’t what you needed at the moment. Instead, he enveloped you in a warm embrace. You hesitated only briefly before surrendering to his comforting hold, attempting to fight back tears.

“Just let it out,” he whispered.

Those simple words acted as an emotional release trigger, and Chenle found himself gently rubbing your back as you quietly cried into his shoulder. A sense of mixed emotions flooded him as he held you in that moment. A part of him felt a twinge of relief, grateful that you let him be there for you. You often kept your emotions bottled up, making it a challenge for him to discern how you truly felt at times. 

However, there was a pang of sadness accompanying that satisfaction. He knew you didn't just cry in front of anyone, and realizing that you had reached this breaking point signaled the depth of your struggle.

After a while, Chenle gently pulled back, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “You need a break, (Y/n). Let’s step away from the desk for a bit.”

"No, I really should—" you began to protest, but Chenle cut you off.

"You really should eat the food I brought you before it gets cold," he insisted, picking up the bag again.

He led you to sit on the carpet of your cramped dorm room, creating a makeshift dining space for the two of you. As you both shared a meal, Chenle continued to provide a comforting presence, occasionally cracking a joke to lighten the atmosphere.

As the night wore on, the exhaustion in your eyes became more prominent. Even so, you knew you should go back to studying. But Chenle seemed to disagree.

“Maybe you should just rest for the night. I promise to help you with math in the morning,” he suggested. However, upon seeing the unconvinced look you gave him, he backtracked on his words. “Okay, I'll have Renjun help you.”

Too tired to argue, you gave in, and that's how you found yourself lying in bed with your best friend. Back in high school, you used to have sleepovers at his house on the weekends. At night, the two of you would be lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and talking about anything. However, having him beside you at that moment felt strange. 

You saw a sincere tenderness reflected in those large eyes of his. A part of you wondered if Chenle often gazed at you with such fondness and you simply hadn’t noticed before. Either way, the way he was looking at you made you feel even stranger. And the short silence that had settled between the two of you wasn’t helping.

Uncertain of how much longer you could endure the intensity, you broke eye contact with him and murmured, “Thank you for always being there for me, even when I try to push you away”

Chenle chuckled, adjusting his position to prop himself up on his elbow. “Well, of course, because how could you live without me?”

His ability to joke at a time like this struck you as unfathomable. Instead of the usual eye roll or pushing off the bed, a serious expression remained etched on your face. 

“You're right, I don't think I can live without you,” you said, your voice laced with drowsiness. “Because you’re one of the few people who truly care about me.”

The amusement in his eyes danced away, as he felt the gravity of your words. Something about seeing this vulnerable side of you was so beautiful in his eyes. Before he could fully process his own thoughts, Chenle found himself leaning in to close the space between you with his lips meeting your own.

Uncertain whether it was the leftover stress from your meltdown or the sleep deprivation that prompted you to kiss back without much thought. You could recall all the times you’ve kissed Chenle throughout the years. But this one would always stand out to you.

This kiss lasted a lot longer than your previous ones. But it wasn’t just the way he tilted your chin upward for a better angle, or the feeling of his dark locks of hair slipping between your fingers. Nor was it the soft pressure of his lips moving in sync with yours. It was the indescribable emotions that made time seem to stand still, weaving an unspoken connection that surpassed words and left you yearning for more.

Aside from pulling away, both of you gasping for breath, and noticing how Chenle's lips were redder than you had ever seen them, you vaguely recalled what happened after the kiss. When you woke up the next morning, Chenle was already gone. However, he had left you a text message, mentioning that he went to check if Renjun could help tutor you in math.

But math was no longer the sole stressor in your mind. Your best friend had kissed you last night, and unlike all the other times, this one left you feeling more confused than ever. 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

True to his word, Renjun offered to meet up with you that Sunday afternoon at the campus library. Within an hour of sitting down to unravel the calculus concept that eluded you, Renjun finally helped you grasp the material. Although the looming fear of failing finals had diminished, you still felt a weight on your shoulders.

“You don’t seem as relieved as I thought you’d be,” Renjun remarked lightheartedly. Even he could tell your mind was preoccupied with something else.

You smiled sheepishly, “No, I am! I seriously owe you for helping me out. I just…”

“Is it something to do with Chenle?” he asked, almost like he was a mind reader.

His unexpected question caught you off guard. “How did you know?” you stammered, feeling the heat quickly rise to your cheeks.

A knowing smile played on the boy’s lips as he leaned back in his seat. “Oh come on, (Y/n). You have that look on your face that something happened between the two of you.”

Sometimes you seriously wished Renjun wasn’t so good at reading people. Even though you weren’t as close to him as Chenle was, he’s known you long enough to notice things that others wouldn’t. For instance, when something was troubling you.

Biting your lip, you debated whether to be truthful with Renjun. Although you didn't typically share your problems with others, you recognized that confiding in someone at a time like this was necessary to maintain your sanity.

“Chenle kissed me last night,” you tossed the statement out in the air, hoping you wouldn’t regret it.

Renjun’s eyes widened at this revelation, “He did?!”

“Well you see, we’ve kissed before. But this time it felt different,” you clarified, baffling the boy across from you even more. Internally cringing, you were acutely aware of how bad this sounded.

Before he could question, you continued to elaborate. “Look, it's not as complicated as it sounds. It’s just ever since we agreed to be each other’s first kiss, Chenle and I just keep having these…accidental kisses. Whether it’s out of excitement or to get guys hitting on me to go away.”

Renjun listened quietly as you recounted all the other times you’ve kissed Chenle. When you circled back to the previous night, you felt more conflicted than ever.

“But the kiss last night left me feeling so confused,” you confessed, running a hand through your hair. “Initially, I thought he was just doing it out of comfort, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Well, have you considered the possibility that he has feelings for you?” Renjun inquired, crossing his arms. His suggestion sounded so simple, yet it felt like navigating uncharted territory in your mind.

You shook your head in denial. “N—No, I mean we’ve been best friends for five years. He can’t possibly see me that way.”

“Like that’s ever stopped friends from falling for each other,” Renjun cocked his head. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that he likes you, (Y/n).”

His point made you mentally curse. If you looked at your history with Chenle from an objective point of view, the two of you certainly didn’t act like normal best friends.

“And, it’s pretty obvious that you like him too,” Renjun added, twirling the pencil between his fingers.

His statement left you feeling exposed, as if you had been caught red-handed committing a crime. Laughing nervously, you shook your head, “Renjun, we’re just friends. I…I don’t see him that way.”

Renjun raised an eyebrow, “Friends who kiss? Did you really not feel anything in those moments?”

Your teeth sank further into your lower lip as Renjun’s question hit you. The reality of your feelings for Chenle lingered in the air, challenging the facade you had built to convince yourself otherwise. It was like trying to hold sand in your fists, slipping away no matter how tightly you clenched. The truth, however inconvenient, seemed to be unraveling before you.

“I…I did feel something,” you slowly admitted, “But I never said anything because I didn’t want our friendship to change. It just seemed easier to pretend those moments were nothing more than accidents.”

Renjun’s eyes softened with understanding. “Well maybe a little change is what you need in your friendship.”

Maybe Renjun was onto something, perhaps change was necessary. In the past, you had always held out on dating, using the excuse that you were waiting for the right person. Despite the fear of potential rejection, what if Chenle was the person you had been waiting for all along?

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Chenle’s living room bathed in the gentle glow of the TV screen, a familiar sight during your Friday movie nights since college began. It was supposed to be a time to unwind, to escape the pressures of school for a little while. However, instead of the usual peaceful and easygoing atmosphere, an unspoken tension hung in the air tonight. Beyond picking a movie and deciding who made the popcorn, you and Chenle barely talked. The weight of the unspoken words made the space feel suffocating, and you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in your chest.

Unable to endure the weighty silence any longer, you turned your head to make a lame comment about the movie. However, before you could speak, Chenle beat you to it.

“Can we talk?” His voice carried a hint of restlessness, an unusual departure from his usual tone.

Trying to maintain a casual demeanor, you lightly nodded. With your acknowledgment, Chenle exhaled deeply and sat up straighter to face you properly.

“I know how crazy this might sound,” he started, running a hand through his hair. “But I’ve been thinking, and I don’t think we can stay friends.”

His words felt like a gun being pointed at your chest, panic surged within you as you tried to process the boy’s words. Of all the ways you predicted this conversation could go, this was not one of them.

“What do you mean?” you asked, your voice even smaller than his.

Noticing the perplexity in your eyes, Chenle continued. “You see, I've been in love with you for—I don’t know how long. But I spent all these years burying my feelings like a fool, because I never thought you’d see me that way. Yet, every time we kiss, it becomes harder for me to ignore my feelings for you.”

Chenle glanced down at his folded hands, vulnerability seeping into those brown orbs of his. “The other night made me realize that I don’t want to just be friends who kiss anymore. I want to be something more to you.”

His words lingered in the air now that they were out in the open. Your heart raced faster than it ever has before, as your cheeks flushed with heat. Chenle’s eyes bore into yours, his expression nervous yet hopeful. 

For a moment, you were left speechless. But you still had the sense to hit him on the shoulder, scolding, “Oh my gosh, you can’t start a conversation like that, Chenle. You scared me!”

The boy chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. But seriously, (Y/n), I meant what I said.”

A mix of emotions played on your face before you quietly admitted, “Honestly, I’ve wanted to be something more to you since that day we kissed in my bedroom.”

You noticed a smile of relief beginning to form on his lips, but you held up a finger before he could say anything. Now that he had taken the first step, you decided it was time for you to do the same.

“But I kept trying to convince myself that all the times we kissed were accidental or just for comfort,” you confessed, looking directly into his eyes. “And the reason I’ve been pushing away my feelings for you was because I was afraid of losing a friend who means the world to me.”

His hand rested on top of yours, the light touch sending a shiver down your spine. “You don’t have to be afraid because you’ll never lose me, (Y/n).”

The softness and sincerity in his eyes made you want to cry for some inexplicable reason. You once believed that confessing your feelings for Chenle would only lead to frustration and heartbreak. However, as you sat here with him, holding his hand, those worries seemed to vanish.

“So…what do we do now?” you asked, unsure of what was supposed to come next in these situations.

A mischievous glint danced in his eyes as he grinned. “I think this is the part where we kiss. But you know, as boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Just as you were processing his words, he moved closer, his breath warm against your skin, making your heart flutter. His eyes searched yours for permission. 

“Well, what are you waiting for then?” you whispered.

With that, the distance between you closed, and your lips met in a tender kiss. It was a sweet surrender, a culmination of years of friendship and suppressed feelings. Although this wasn’t your first kiss with Chenle, it felt that way in a sense. For you could finally savor the tender feeling of his lips without questioning the intention behind it.

In that moment, all you focused on was the way Chenle had his hand on the small of your back, guiding you closer as he deepened the kiss. Your fingers found their way to rest on the nape of his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin. 

Although the change in this dynamic had just begun, this newfound connection promised countless moments of shared laughter, whispered confessions, and the sweet warmth of shared kisses. You had a feeling that you could easily get used to this beautiful new normal. By the way Chenle smiled during the kiss, you could tell he felt the same way.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

[wifelinkmtg]

man i'm not gonna figure out which of these beatrix potter animals fuck

I'm predicting I will get less and less interested in reviewing new magic releases as time goes on, but 1) there's still a lot of older stuff I haven't even touched, and 2) you never know, maybe they'll do something to recapture my interest down the road, like bringing Kaja Foglio back, or taking any creative risks whatsoever. Or, you know, there's other games!

BY 2029 THIS BLOG WILL EXCLUSIVELY REVIEW THE MOST FUCKABLE ANDROID: NETRUNNER ICE

Meanwhile, original Theros block!

Kiora, the Crashing Wave (Scott M. Fischer)

I don't have that much interest in Kiora as a character but I cannot deny that this is a fine piece of pin-up art. Big Hokusai wave, pearlescent light off her thighs, the cheesecake pose, feet - and the gentle way her hand rests on that tentacle. The connection to the other Hokusai piece everyone knows is surely not accidentacle.

JACKIN OFF? BUDDY LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT KRAKEN OFF

Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver (Karla Ortiz)

There's so many good feet in Magic that you never get to see because Wizards crops them out of the final card, because they're cowards. I, however, am not. You're welcome.

Anyway yeah Ashiok's hot, we all know this already.

Forgeborn Oreads (Ryan Yee)

The starry infusion of Nyx here mixes with the fires of Purphoros to create a look I'm calling Julie Mao if the protomolecule had been red. It's a good look.

Spirit of the Labyrinth (Jason Chan)

Stupid little airhead can't even solve Mommy's brutalist maze, can she?

IS THIS NOT THE PLOT OF REMEDY ENTERTAINMENT'S HIT 2019 ACTION-ADVENTURE GAME CONTROL

Dunno, never played it! If anyone has, let me know if that joke was funny or not!

Reaper of the Wilds (Karl Kopinski)

I guess I do kind of want a woman who can turn me to stone and also crush my petrified ass into powder with her powerful feral serpent body.

Hythonia the Cruel (Chris Rahn)

Goddamn, did Elesh Norn really not have an original thought in her life? "Throne of petrified victims" makes so much more sense for a gorgon tyrant than a cyborg cult priestess, too. Anyway this ain't about her, this is about Hythonia turning me to stone and then sitting on me. Look how her snake-hair entwines her victims bodies. It would be like sleep paralysis, but sexy and forever!

Pharika, God of Affliction (Peter Mohrbacher)

O, for the limb-loosening fever, the delirium of the god-touched! O, for the venom-rite and the sharp ecstasy of the serpent-kiss! O, to be obliterated by a rolling wall of scale and snakeflesh! O O O for Pharika, She of bitter remedy and sweetest poison!

MAN JUST READ SWINBURNE ABOUT IT ALREADY

Ooh, yeah, good idea.

O lips full of lust and of laughter, Curled snakes that are fed from my breast, Bite hard, lest remembrance come after, And—

I WAS OBVIOUSLY KIDDING, DON'T DO THAT SHIT

Aspect of Gorgon (Willian Murai)

The flavor text for this one reads, "My adopted children are loved no less." —Pharika, God of Affliction, so in addition to being an extremely pretty woman with curly black hair-which-is-also-snakes (already a great start), there's a trans metaphor going on here. Which is to say, one can by the grace of Pharika transition to gorgon, and then presumably have a whole lot of T4T gorgon sex. And if I can do all that and also call Pharika "Mommy" then I do think I'm living my best life at that point.

PHARIKA ISN'T RUNNING A SEX CULT

Pharika isn't running a sex cult yet.

[pixelrushiguess]

Saw the recent anon asks and wanted to chip in with my thoughts as a huge fan of your work! I think your read of Amy's character is incredibly on point, but the biggest point of friction seems to be your assertion that it's equally consistent across all of the games when it just... isn't, unfortunately. The way you describe her fits in perfectly for SA1, SA2, and Shadow the Hedgehog. In the Adventure games Amy makes a specific point that she misses the adventures with Sonic. she still has her crush on him, of course, but more than anything Amy really just wants to do good and be apart of team- hell in SA2 she even makes it a point about how much she hates everyone running off without her! While she has a smaller role in Shadow it's much of the same, she's there to help out and be apart of the big adventure against the Black Arms! The problem is that characterization doesn't persist for very long, as because of media like Sonic X Amy's crush quickly became a bigger and bigger focus of her character- and it negatively impacted her AND Sonic. Moments of Sonic and Amy having a mutual kind of flirty dynamic (like the scene of her helping Sonic on Prison Island) instead turned into Sonic being repulsed by her for comedic effect, and that stuck for a while. That became Amy's loudest character trait and punchline, which does her so much disservice when we've seen her be an actual character. I think certain people (like the previous two anons) are exaggerating it, as Amy still has great moments in just about every game she's in, but they're just that: moments. We haven't had a really good cohesive Amy for a long while, and given Ian's current direction of her character (or lack there of) we're kind of stuck for the moment, and it's so wild because Adventure 1 and 2 balanced it so damn wonderfully... and yet, it seems like most writers didn't learn anything from it. :<

I get that, but I also respectfully disagree. Yes a lot of her personality was played for laughs, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Especially when stuff like Sonic X still managed to showcase her other qualities and strengths. Amy always had her own agency and I personally don't think that was ever lost even in places where her character is exaggerated for comedic purposes.

[cerastes]

I know Chalter somehow is still a touchy subject in this game but I wanted to know something. So people are really gonna complain that much about her to end of days and yet just shit on new casters for being created because Eyja gets a pass? And haven't kept up but I think Eyja got a medic alt? So now she's there as well.

Mmm I think this is a case of A Pretty Widespread Opinion (Chung being disliked) vs prevalent opinions in different circles (Casters in a game with Eyja). And they have different flows to each other enough that I really don’t think — and have never before seen — they should be discussed in the same breath unless it’s to compare and contrast them. So let’s do that.

Long story short, Chung the Hung isn’t just a strong unit, she’s a strong unit that is also a one trick, one skill pony, that trick being Fucking Everything — DEF decrease, insane damage, true AoE, skill cycling & effective uptime, ease of use — you’d need to severely crush most maps or at least significantly reduce their difficulty. This unit is also a bikini-clad alternate version of a lore-heavy character armed with what basically amounts to a poluted water Super Soaker. On top of that, she completely outstrips the existing members of her type instead of being a stronger but not objectively superior alternative. Furthermore, her availability is limited. And finally, she very well set precedent that HG could start releasing lazy, gamebreaking limited units as much as they wanted. Chung isn’t just a case of “unit strong”, she carried with her implications. Opinions on her were mostly unified.

Eyja is a different case: She’s a powerhouse from launch, and while she does invalidate a lot of other Casters as the objectively superior option — worse of all Splash Casters, in conjunction with how undertuned Splashers were even without being compared to Eyja — it’s vastly different to look at a unit from launch be weirdly overtuned, likely not intentionally, than it is to look at a unit after more than a year into the game be weirdly overtuned and limited, definitely bloody intentionally. What’s more, Eyja is strong, for sure, but the opinions on her vary depending on who you ask: A Gamepress brainrotted zombie will probably parrot to you that she’s the best of the best forever, while other player groups will tell you, well, yeah, she’s strong, but Goldenglow and Ebenholz are probably more relevant nowadays. Ebenholz was called a garbage Caster for a while because he wasn’t as fire and forget as Eyja. Nowadays, anyone with the ability to rub braincells together will tell you that Eben is an insane boss killer and also helps a ton with general use with his S2.

Yeah, you’ll keep hearing “Eyja is better tho” forever, doesn’t mean it’s true, and it’s not really an opinion that is necessarily championed by everyone. Probably Gamepress zombies or y*utube grifters will parrot that and thus cast a wide web of influence, but, I mean, you can also look at high risk/max risk clears or runs of high waves IS3 or any sort of high end content, and you’ll find a lot of other units. Eyja included, of course, since she IS good, but not an untouchable — or untouched — god in the way some people might say she is, which is not everyone. “Eyja is the only good Caster forever” is something I personally hear from people that don’t play the game anymore but feel like bitching about it, personally.

Mind you, I like Ch’en a lot and don’t care for Eyja, so these aren’t biases, it’s simply what I’ve observed.

[barrenclan]

unsure if this has been said before but please let me get what i want (the deftones vers specifically) feels very fitting for pinepaw or maybe even rainhaze. the family guys who are almost foils to each other when they're both going through a messy rough time 🤝

I really like this suggestion, because Morrissey is my current voiceclaim for Pinepaw so he's very Smiths-coded in my mind.

Haven't had a dream in a long time See, the life I've had Could make a good man bad

So for once in my life Let me get what I want Lord knows it would be the last time Lord knows it would be the first time

Oh my friend, British men screeching is just about my favorite musical styling.

Want land in the valley There's pieces of you breaking off (Pieces of you breaking off)

Big money's in the basin, you don't come back without it He's killing with abandon to get over the mountain Got darkest rum from Mama, seething in the liver Blood disease from Papi, poisoning the river

Friends on the Other Side works pretty well for Ranger, at the very least his attitude. Rainhaze's deal came from desperation rather than greed, but I do like things that speak to his thoughtless self-centeredness and hero complex.

That's a Rainhaze song if I ever heard one!

Stuck in the middle of a forest made of Flesh and bones and they're all scared of A lost little boy who has lost his heart Fear's not enough, they have to Tear him apart

Follow the scent of iron sinking Deeper into corpses rotting But they can't hear you talk, talk, talk About every little thing

And the Hound Is humming you A lie, a lullaby

Ohh, yeah... I can see it.

I wonder who I'd be If all these bad things Didn't happen to me

I must be The Virgin Mary To create a son Who will suffer so much <- the sloug.......

The tone of the song is pretty light, but I can see the lyrics working! Especially drawing parallels between the original great destruction and the current onslaught.

Oh god, come quickly The execution of all things Let's start with the bears and the air And mountains, rivers and streams Then we'll murder what matters to you And move on to your neighbors and kids Crush all hopes of happiness with disease 'Cause of what you did

And lastly, you're all alone with nothing left but sleep But sleep never comes to you It's the guilt and forever wakefulness of the weak It's just you and me

Ah, that musical is on my watchlist but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I've heard pretty good things, though!

I roar! And you cry! I'm the reason You run and hide!

You better leave your hopes behind No one's gonna stop him You better hope he's out of sight Or you're doomed to be a victim

Objectively wild pull, but I do love Johnny Cash, and his voice reminds me a lot of what Mallowstar's would be like. I like this song a lot with him. :,]

Well, I won't back down, no I won't back down You can stand me up at the gates of Hell But I won't back down

Well, I know what's right, I got just one life In a world that keeps on pushin' me around But I stand my ground and I won't back down <- wahh mallowstar...

I'd definitely this has big Slugpelt energy.

Dear, I fear we're facing a problem You love me no longer, I know And maybe there is nothing That I can do to make you do Mama tells me I shouldn't bother

Lately I have desperately pondered, Spent my nights awake and I wonder What I could have done in another way To make you stay

It's a pretty good song!

YAY Queen song! This is interesting; I can see it very well with characters that are still a spoiler to talk about.

So much ado, my lover So many games we played Through every fleeted summer Through every precious day

All dead, all dead All the dreams we had And I wonder why I still live on All dead, all dead And alone, I'm spared My sweeter half instead All dead and gone

Damn I ran out of video links

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I've seen a few people saying that the people who don't like how Lila is written are just impatient or lack imagination, can we be certain beyond all reasonable doubt that that's not true?

Alright, I'll play devil's advocate for you and show you how, even if we view Lila's writing in the most favorable light possible, it's still perfectly reasonable to have no faith in her as the main villain. In fact, to my line of thinking, it's a little insane to have any faith that she'll be good moving forward. For the sake of your own mental well being, expect her to be terrible otherwise you will likely be terribly disappointed.

The main argument against Lila is that she tells really stupid obvious lies that no one would be fooled by, so how can she possible be seen as a master manipulator by the audience? Well, if we accept that Lila's lies were just exaggerated for the sake of humor the same way that Marinette's crush is played up for humor, then we can hope that that humor will go away and that she'll be played serious now that she's our main antagonist.

This is actually a fair argument. I truly think that this might have been the intent, it just failed to land because the lies are a serious plot point while Marinette's crush antics are not. People wanted Lila outed and every lie was used to hurt Marinette, so the quality of Lila's lies mattered because that's the way that the way that you out a liar. Marinette's crush was never going to be outed by her antics. They were the main way that the writers kept the crush going for five seasons without outing it!

So while you might find the antics just as frustrating as the lies, the expectations built around the antics were met. They never lead to anything. Meanwhile, the expectations built around the lies were never met. Lila was outed by a forced confession, not by her lies even though, when you introduce a liar, audiences will expect the lies to be their undoing. So the lies are bad writing in and of themselves, which is strike one, but we can hope they change so let's move on to strike two: the lie's effect on the cast.

Marinette's antics only made her look bad while Lila's lies made everyone look bad. This is a big, concerning issue since we know that Lila will be a student at Marinette's school again, meaning that it's perfectly reasonable to assume that she'll keep on lying. It's also reasonable to assume that she'll be in every episode.

Even if you take Lila in the kindest light possible and assume that she told decent lies, the writers appear to only know how to write her by dumbing everyone else down and that's concerning. Characters like Max and Alya are supposed to be smart. Max looks into everything and quotes random statistics. Yet he never questioned Lila even though a smart kid like him would be inclined to look into some of the stuff she says just out of pure curiosity and a desire to learn.

We could pretend that Lila told a believable lie about Ladybug like "Ladybug saved me" instead of "Ladybug is my best friend," but even then, Alya learning Marinette's identity still should have been the end of Lila's power over Alya. But the writers didn't know how to handle Alya knowing since Alya would confront Lila, so Alya stayed on team Lila even though it makes no sense and makes her look terrible.

We could pretend that Lila planted better evidence than doilies that Marinette could have taken for free from her parent's shop. That still doesn't excuse Tom and Sabine from immediately believing that their daughter was a thief. They're supposed to be good parents who trust their kid, but the writers don't know how to write that around Lila.

And giving Lila all of that grace makes no sense because it relies on you giving the writers faith that they haven't earned. They had full control over Lila! They knew that she was going to be the next big bad! And yet they wrote her in a way that is totally unbelievable.

Even if Lila's upgrade was decided late in the game, they still could have spent seasons five changing her character to be smarter, but they didn't. Most of the above examples come from season five! It's perfectly reasonable to look at that and say, "I have no faith that you're going to completely reimagine this character into something interesting instead of something frustrating because you have spent five seasons writing her poorly."

And if that's still not enough for you, then here's strike three: The writers have proven time and time again that they cannot write a truly clever character. Lila's most convincing episodes are petty BS that she makes up on the fly. When it comes to complex plots? Lila, Gabriel, and Marinette never come across as particularly impressive.

Others have talked about this, but pretty much every big dramatic plan relies on the writers being able to control the characters' actions. They're not plans that would actually work. Here are just a few examples:

Lila's plan to go to the mansion and get the butterfly only works because the writers know that the butterfly will be unguarded. No reasonable person would assume that would happen because why would it? So why did she go to the mansion? What was her original plan? How does she even know that the butterfly is up for grabs? In a good story, she would have had a plan that lead her to the mansion, but that plan gets scrapped based on what she sees. We don't get that good quality writing because the writers already know that the butterfly will be open season so they never bothered to make Lila's actions logical to any other scenario. They didn't even bother to have her watching the final fight.

Along similar lines, Gabriel only gets all of the miraculouses because Adrien has an evil twin who shows up when the plot demands it. Without Felix, Gabriel would have once again failed and Felix's betrayal makes no sense, especially after his season five characterization. Felix fears his uncle, why offer all of the miraculous AND Adrien's ring? Why not only offer a few? And why is Gabriel able to open the yo-yo and get the miraculouses? The yo-yo opens to a phone, the miraculouses, and a purse. Why would Gabriel be able to control which one it opens to or even open it at all? Especially since access to the miraculouses was implied to be a Guardian power. And why does Felix not immediately betray Gabriel? He's got no reason to stay loyal and he supposedly wants his uncle stopped. Answer: because then the plot would fall apart.

Marinette's plan to hide her identity via the kwamis was asinine and clearly made up last minute by the writers. It would have been very easy to foreshadow this plan by having her hide something in Chat Noir's bell back in season four, but they didn't because the writers didn't actually plan out this plan. There's also the fact that we're apparently supposed to think that the Tom and Sabines is the only bakery in Paris? "Follow the smell of croissants" would not get you to a specific bakery nor would it get you to Marinette's room. It would get you to the bakery. Yet Gabriel goes to the right bakery and to Marinette's room because that's what the writers needed him to do.

I just... how can anyone look at the last five seasons and think, "oh sure, this show can handle having someone who plots and manipulates as the main villain! I'm sure that will lead to lots of satisfying episodes?"

It's not impossible, miracles do happens, but it's the height of arrogance - or perhaps desperation - to act like it's unreasonable to assume that the first five seasons weren't a reasonable representation of the writing quality that we'll be seeing in future seasons. They're not replacing the writing team. What you've seen is most likely also what you'll get. Do you have five bad meals at a restaurant and then say, "It's unreasonable to assume that meal six will be bad, too! Have some faith in the chef."

[somethingclevermahogony]

Character Profile Tag

Thanks for the tag @sarandipitywrites! Check out their OC, Paris, here!

I couldn't decide who to do for this one so I just brought up a wheel.

I got a character that I haven't really got the chance to introduce on here yet, Galatides.

Full Name: Galatides

Age: 42

Sex: Male

Species: Human (?). Over the course of Galatides' long career as a mercenary and a warrior he has made a habit of consuming potions. These potions have given him a fierce reputation, however the mutating effects that these have dealt his body may now make him technically closer to a forestfolk than a proper human.

Appearance: Galatides was once tall and handsome, with flowing hair, skin like copper, and piercing green eyes, practically pulled from the pages of an old legend. But that was long ago. While he has lost none of his musculature nor his height, his once perfect lips and jaw are now marred with burnt and scarred flesh from the hundreds of potions he has consumed. More potions can be seen hanging from his belt.

His head is bald, his hair having long since fallen out. Not even stubble remains. His eyebrows and eyelids are gone too.

If you were to reach out and touch his skin you would feel that it is hard, cracked, and leathery. He seems to burn with an unnatural heat, as if furnaces churn in his gut rather than organs. Look closely and you may occasionally see a waft of smoke trail from his lips or nostrils.

His once beautiful eyes now seem to glow, with an eerie and sickly radiance. Some say that his gaze can pierce even the most complete darkness.

Occupation: Captain of Wadikir's Mercenaries, Defender of Chibal. He once fought across the Green Sea, earning a reputation as an undefeated duellist of great strength and ferocity. Now he serves as the head of Chibal's mercenary army. His last great feat was the defeat of the Ikopeshi Pirate and Sea Lord, Hamagi.

Family: He has not children which he claims, no wife or lovers. His father is dead, his mother and siblings are far away in Korithia. He has not seen them in decades.

Pets: None.

Best friend: Another mercenary, Anikites, also a Korithian like himself,

Describe his room: Galatides's room is located in the Bidlum, the grand palace of Chibal. The room itself is quite large, bigger than the entire houses of some commoners. His bed is made from cypress, straw, goose-down, and wool. A low table sits in one corner, alongside two cushioned couches. On its surface a mixture of various items; an empty cup, various crushed herbs, and several empty vials.

Three bronze braziers light the room, crackling softly, their fire perfumed with laurel and cinnamon.

Tapestries hang on the walls showing sea beasts, gods, and monsters. Most of these are gifts from his employer, Wadikir.

A stand for his armor and spear wait in the corner beside his bed.

Several ceramic tablets are drying on the floor, painted with dancing forest spirits and Korithian warriors. Though he would never freely tell others, these are his own work.

One one shelf, Bits and pieces of life from Korithia have been preserved; an old helmet, a Korithian vase, a single doll made from what appears to be linen and human hair.

Items in his bag/purse: Potions, held in tiny ceramic vials, no larger than his pinkie finger. Only he and the plantbrew that made them know their exact functions, he hides the identity of his supplier quite jealously.

Hobbies: Drinking with Anikities, sailing, the Kishite board game "Nuhu", painting, hunting, and wrestling.

Favorite sports: Wrestling

Abilities/Talents/Powers: Galatides is an excellent warrior. His skills are bolstered by the potions that he drinks, giving him superhuman strength and reactions, among other effects.

If he had not become a warrior, it seems that he could have had a fruitful career as a musician or perhaps even a palatial artist.

He is also a surprisingly good musician, capable of playing a number of stringed instruments, though he only does so when quite intoxicated, unfortunately he has a very very high tolerance. His voice though gruff, provides an incredible bass, and any who get to hear him sing of ancient Arkodian and Korithian heroes should count themselves lucky.

His paintings are made with a surprising delicacy and show a superb level of detail. Only a select few have had the honor of seeing his pieces, and of them, only Anikities has been there to see their creation.

Relationships: The only real relationship in his life is with his "friend", Anikities. They can be seen together at most times, occasionally even sleeping in the same room. When first hired by the merchant, Wadikir, Galatides refused to join the service of the Kishite without his friend.

Fears: Losing Anikities. Being humiliated or defeated in battle.

Faults: Prideful, cold, wrathful, and he is willing to have his body fall apart and rot in order to protect his pride.

Good points: Loyal (to some), graceful, driven, surprisingly artistically talented.

What he wants more than anything else: To die undefeated and to be remembered as a great warrior. Beyond this, to spend his time with Anikities working on his painting and chatting about their past exploits.

Completely unrelated to this! Sorry I have been so inactive! I have seen your tags and asks, its just been busy and I've been tired. I'm getting ready to go on a bit of trip, so unfortunately this might be the last post for a couple days, but I'm still here and I'm fine!

Tagging @illarian-rambling, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @paeliae-occasionally, @willtheweaver, @mk-writes-stuff

[davekat-sucks]

Bro vs Eridan in terms of being an awful person is tricky considering Bro was being possessed by Cal and Eridan was a 13 year who had to do Feferi dirty work his entire life so her Lusus wouldn't destroy everything. I genuinely think Bro had no choice in anything he did considering his note to Dave was something Caliborn came up with. Eridans case is a bit more complex given the circumstances of his planet, none of those things he did were ok to do but either feed the monster or have everything destroyed. He's the whole reason the trolls were alive in the first place. Considering he had to risk his life everyday for everyone else, him attempting to join Jack isn't out of the ordinary for dangerous stuff he encounters. Yea he's douchey and destroying the matriorb was dick move, but everyone on the meteor lost their minds and had or attempted to kill someone. Tavros tried and Kanaya sawed 2 people in half.

I am also on the side that Bro was possessed or mind controlled to some degree. But the fandom sees things like his strife battle with Dave as more serious because the other ones are played for laughs. Forgetting John would strike is father with a hammer and Rose threatened to commit suicide in front of her Mom. Jade's case is sadder when you remember that when Jade played with the double pistols, Tavros had used Bec to redirect the bullet to kill Grandpa English. She indirectly killed her guardian and wouldn't realize it until later on in the game. Bro's last act would be attempting to fight Jack Noir before dying. So does that mean people think Jack Noir is a HERO for killing the abuser? They forget that DAVESPRITE was present too when they both went after Jack. Bro had no reason to do anything to someone that's a brother from a different timeline. And yet, he was able to let Davesprite run away to safety and fought Jack on his own before dying.

But nobody in this nu-fandom remembers this or thinks hard about that last moment. They only care about his past actions and think it is played for straight abuse. It only applies to him and cannot be applied to other characters unless it's part of a gender arc for a character to transition. It's true Eridan would hunt lusus to help feed Feferi's. Even he admits it can be tiring to figure out when it is the proper time to hunt or not. Hinting that they can't overfeed or underfeed Gl'bgolyb. But you also can't deny he was also doing it to get closer to Feferi and be in a closer relationship with her. Which is why people label him as an incel and people flanderize that to the extreme which gave us Cronus. Then there's the line about him saying he killed marine life accidental.

If it's not sarcasm or poor flirting, it could also mean Eridan had unintentionally killed a lusus and gave it to Feferi to help feed another lusus to try and justify what he is doing is good. And overtime, he gradually accepted it and continued. Getting close to his crush Feferi would also tie in too. You know what they say about psychopaths, first sign is them killing animals. Sure the animals were parents for a troll, but they are still ANIMALS. Kanaya, Karkat, and Terezi accepted that Eridan was a piece of shit and want him to stay dead. Even if he was the reason said trolls are still around, they would never want to bring him back because of his horrid actions on the meteor. As we see when Karkat ended their friendship and Terezi talking with Vriska on who to revive back, Eridan doesn't deserve to be revived. And no mention of Equius, as being the Void player..

Nepeta may have felt Eridan had died, but it's unknown if she knew about Eridan wanting to join Jack. She wasn't even present with Aradia and others in the Vriskagram after becoming a ghost to meet up with him. Though we have yet to see Terezi and Vriska act on that promise on reviving said trolls. The reason they haven't because Terezi found out that Gamzee was trapped in the same fridge as her corpsed friends and didn't want to see him. Maybe the dead trolls will come back for Homestuck Beyond Canon, but that's just wishful thinking with how dead Nepeta jokes are still around and they only brought ghost Eridan in Epilogues for a 'redemption arc.

Eridan got what he deserved and died for his actions. But does he deserve to get brought back? How long should the punishment of his death last? To the cast and narrative, he can never be brought back to relevancy. The other reason the fandom likes Eridan recently is because of Pesterquest putting through the gender arc. Saying his seahorse dad was abusive that didn't acknowledge his gender, despite it's never shown in the webcomic he was this. And because of that, people instantly love him and ignore his past actions and stance on hemospectrum. All for the sake of making the March Eridan meme less transphobic. Nu-fans don't give a shit that he was racist, killed animals and Feferi, destroyed the Matriorb, and had killed Kanaya. All it matters is his label. Yes he is a racist asshole, but he's a NON-BINARY racist asshole. Both Bro and Eridan had done horrible things in the past. But one got more heat over the other. As one got love and attention because of a non-canon moment in a side game, despite people had hated him for those past actions. It's sort of insane about the priorities we have going on in this fandom.

[rubberduckyrye]

IT MEANS SO MUCH THAT YOU LIKE MY REJECTS AU TO THE POINT OF TAGGING THANKS SO MUCH, THIS MADE MY DAY

 ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

This idea sprung up from a mix of desires: I’m just suuuuch a sucker for the spotlight being shone on those who were “left behind” or “forgotten” in some way. Those who were rejected! Those who nobody really considered or thought about until it was slapped in their faces, and they’re forced to finally notice them.

In this case, while canon rightfully showed how the Ultimate system crushes the talentless, what about those with talent who just weren’t good enough? Those who tried hard and were good at what they did, but juuuust missed the mark due to circumstances outside their control? “You tried so hard and come so far, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter”.

Another desire was the inclusion of a lucky student, because you can go crazy with luck talents!  Also a desire to just dunk on HPA lmao.

Again I haven’t developed much yet since I only recently thought of this, so for now I’ve mostly just been thinking of who would have been in which class (77 or 78), and of the OC. She does have a luck talent, but I’m thinking the way it works is that she’s essentially a lucky charm. Her presence brings good fortune to others (it mostly affects minor, short-term everyday things), but when she’s alone, her luck is kind of standard. Sometimes she gets lucky, sometimes she gets unlucky, other times it’s somewhere in between, same with most people. This means she's almost never won a game in her life. Online games that she plays by herself are a different story though, and that's why she prefers them.

Her luck has led to her being taken advantage of her whole life, but eventually she decides that if people are going to use her, she might as well get something out of it, so she ends up turning her luck into an underground business of sorts at her school. For a price, she’s upfront about her luck and is willing to accompany someone or be in the presence of someone else when they’re doing something luck-based. The “business” ended up successful, but she’s unhappy that many people see her as an object rather than a person all her life, and would rather people see her for who she is rather than what. 

So lots of luck when she’s with others is second-hand luck. If she needs to undergo an extremely risky surgery, it’ll be successful, since the surgeon got lucky. But if someone is trying to kill her? They’ll be successful!

Yeah, she’s terrified in this killing game, needless to say. Who knows which person/people her luck decides to favor? She’s aloof and stays away from others, but she’s intent on surviving and wants everyone else to do so as well, so slowly but surely she eventually trusts the “protagonist” character enough (haven't decided who that is yet). That’s how she became the “sidekick”!

Obviously I gotta develop all this way more and everything is bound to change, but again, thank you for your kind words and for allowing me to info dump! I’ll share more about RejectsV3rse if I develop more if you’re okay with it!

👀👀👀

I'm so into this AU rn??

Okay but also??? I recently was talking about Umeko (The Ouma Twins Mother) and what if she was an HPA student--And she would have been the Ultimate Luckster--But she also would have been the "Lucky Charm" type! Her luck is a bit more extreme though, and it got her looking into the supernatural and occult stuff/witch stuff to try to make sense of it. She resents people who try to use her luck so she scares them off. It's part of the reason why she was easy for a Young Kenzo to prey on.

God I love how we came up with a similar idea but two very different characters and reactions to that idea~

[crimson-flash]

TOA Anniversary Munday Post

haha i haven't even been here for a month

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Penny

Pronouns: She/them

Birthday (no year): 8/19

Where are you from? What is your time zone?: I'm from the United States of 'Merica, Georgia in particulary.

How long is your roleplay experience? Uh, outside of Roblox, and a little bit of Amino, I basically have none, so a month!

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I was introduced to roleplaying when I entered a Big Brother RP amino thingy when I was 12, and I won the whole thing while mascaraing as like double my age. It was crazy back then.

How were you introduced to TOA?: I was looking at Joshua art, and then I stumbled across an old Joshua muse which lead me to TOA. I know it sounds a bit crazy.

Do you have any pets?: I have a dog named Mellow! I will protect him with my life. He is my pride and joy.

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period): Favorite season is Fall, favorite holiday is Christmas, and my favorite general period of time is whenever I don't have school.

What is your IRL occupation? I don't have a job at the moment, I am just a simple high school senior.

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? I enjoy coding little games, I like romhacking and just seeing my edits change the game, it's kinda like magic, lol. I enjoy going for walks, and racing other people, I also enjoy sleeping, who doesn't.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Pokemon, Stardew Valley, Wildermyth, Ace Attorney, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Kirby

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Water, Vaporeon (NOT IN THAT WAY)

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! Oh, a fun fact? uhhhhh

How did you get into Fire Emblem? I wanted to know where Marth from Smash Bros came from, so I decided I was going to play Awakening, and now I'm obsessed.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? I have played FE7, FE8, FE11, FE12, FE13, FE17

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: FE13 was my first, and FE8 is my favorite!

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Nooo, I can't choose between my bab- Marisa, Henry, Clanne, Joshua, The 7th Platoon is it's own character right?

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! It was Clanne when I was playing Engage and got really good growths and he MVP'd like the whole entire game.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 A certain green-haired woman from a game I haven't even played yet.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: My first S support was Anna, and I would probably S support my baby Henry now. - Fates: N/A - Three Houses: N/A - Engage: My first S support was Ivy, but now it's probably Panette.

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Armor Knight

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I would be a reclassable very flexiable unit, but I would always been just below-average in everything, so just like very disappointing. One speed from doubling, and one attack from killing, but I force that luck will always be in my favor.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Yellow Team! Uhm, I mean Golden Deer

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons: Reason, Faith. Banes: Axes, Flying (fear of heights), Heavy Armor, Budding Talent: Bows

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Solm! I really love Solm and it's characters, it's like Jehanna if it was cool, and didn't have a queen who died in a pretty stupid way and didn't fight back EVEN THoUGH SHE'S A TRAINED SWOR-

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?): T-O-A, I will not accept any other pronouncations. 

[axnewxera]

// A headcanon (or more of an observation maybe?) I have for Rufus and the Turks

Sooooo I'm only roleplaying Rufus, I'm certainly not saying that every Turk I interact with HAS to follow these ideas. I would MUCH rather you come to the table with your own lore and your own take.

But, here is my personal takeaways from the canon about the Turks and their relationship with Rufus. I'm mostly writing this because it's fun and I'm getting to know my muse a little bit, but this will probably affect how I play the character and his feelings toward the canon Turks and Turk OCs.

I haven't played/watched Before Crisis yet, and I need to revisit Crisis Core because I played it a looooong time ago, so I'm mainly going off the original FF7, the Advent Children sequel film, and Remake and Rebirth. Tseng, Reno, Rude, Elena.

My absolute FAVORITE thing about the Turks is that they almost feel like a "main party" of their own game. They're super professional and do hella questionable stuff, but they are FRIENDS, they hang out, they go drinking together, they genuinely care about each other, they talk about their crushes, they have their own Synergy attacks just like the main party...

As evil as Shinra, Inc. is, at least the Turks division of the company seems to be VERY well-managed. And we've seen (moreso in the original FF7) that Heidegger is a super toxic and abusive boss. But, when Rufus takes over, the power dynamics shift a lot. Heidegger is ridiculed and often kind of just acts as Rufus's assistant. The Turks, though, become much more prominent, and I've always gotten the vibe that they report directly to Rufus more than they do Heidegger. Rufus almost seems to steal the department away from him. Even the official art of FF7 had Rufus and the Turks all in one image together. From what I know of Before Crisis, he has a personal history with the Turks and has pretty much gotten their complete loyalty and respect before FF7 happens, and like YEAH that holds up.

I think Rufus is much, MUCH closer to the Turks than the games show us. We never directly see Rufus drinking with them, but we also rarely see him directly out in public at all. He's the Charlie to their Angels, he's more of the behind the scenes guy directing them, but he IS part of the team. He drinks with them, he jokes with them, they all hang out and have love for each other... But with Rufus it's more private and behind closed and guarded doors.

That's not an artificial, "he signs my paychecks" relationship. That's LOVE. That's the power of friendship, the heart of the cards, the eye of the tiger. Just like all the Turks have with each other.

Advent Children, especially, did a very good job of expanding on Rufus's relationship with the Turks. They're all on the same page as remorseful and genuinely wanting to change the world for the better. Rufus has a moment of genuine shock and concern when Kadaj throws Elena and Tseng's bloody IDs at him. Reno and Rude show panic when Rufus just dives off a building. The fact that Rufus even COULD make that jump with full confidence that the Turks would catch him. And they DO.

Like honestly in my mind the Turks are almost an extension of Rufus himself. A scene with Reno is also a scene with Rufus, even if he isn't physically present, and vice-versa. They all have that Synergy (pun intended) to them. They're all watching each other's backs and on the same side.