#dude he went to prison for you wait a bit more

[halleyys-comet]

Oliver: goes to prison for 10 years in order to keep James safe and happy

James: *drowns himself*

[lance-space-mommy]

Back From Jail Already?

Izuku was minding his business, scrolling through his phone as he tried to blend into the background. After all, he was the laughingstock of Aldera Junior High. There wasn’t a day when insults weren’t thrown at his face.

The school day hadn’t yet started so Izuku got to relax before the wrath of his peers was unleashed upon him. Katsuki came in and didn’t immediately come to ruin Izuku’s day, signaling that Izuku would be attacked later in the day when something mildly inconvenienced him.

“Everyone, take your seats,” instructed the teacher, entering the room with a stack of papers.

Izuku sighed, putting his phone away. The hero news blogs were dry this week anyway.

The teacher began calling attendance as usual. When the adult reached Izuku, he perked up a bit. “Midoriya, someone is waiting for you outside.”

The entire room faced Izuku with a stunned expression. Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah right! No one would waste their time to visit this quirkless loser.”

Hifumi never took his eyes off Izuku as he laughed, “Totally! It’s probably the nurse coming by to tell him to stop bothering her.”

The classroom was filled with sickening and ignorant laughing. Izuku was more than happy to get out of the room, heading to the door without much thought of who could be waiting for him.

Sliding open the door, Izuku’s jaw dropped as instantly saw a tall man with white fluffy hair and freckles.

“Darling! Guess whose back from jail!” cheered the man with open arms and a bright smile.

Izuku blinked slowly, feeling the burning gaze of all his classmates. The teacher was frozen in shock, beyond uneasy about leaving this ex-inmate with his student in the hallway.

Izuku shook his head, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the classroom. Izuku slid the door shut behind him and moved closer to his father. The teacher held up a finger to the class and approached the door. While they couldn’t care less about what happens between Izuku and his classmates, they did care about Izuku possibly being left alone with someone who could be a potential threat.

“Dude, what the fuck?” questioned Hifumi.

“Hell if I know!” seethed Katsuki, unaware Hisashi was in jail. From what Mitsuki told him, Hisashi was overseas for business.

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Izuku had to deal with his fresh-out-of-jail father. 

“Dad, did you really have to shout like that,” groaned Izuku, crossing his arms.

“Of course, I heard what those little shits said about you in there. Had to send them a message,” huffed Hisashi, unremorseful as ever.

Izuku smiled, finally reaching out to his father. “I missed you.”

Hisashi smiled, pulling Midoriya into a tight embrace. “Not as much as I missed you!”

Izuku couldn’t help but laugh, missing moments like these. “So why did you come to my school?”

“Well, Inko went to pick me up from the prison early and left you a note telling you to stay home,” commented Hisashi, not sure about what the note said considering he only found out about it when they returned to the apartment and Izuku wasn’t there.

“Oh! Mom’s barely home so I usually skim the letters she leaves. I read “don’t leave” and figured she meant for me to not leave my notes at home. It’s happened before,” chuckled Izuku sheepishly.

Hisashi grinned brushing Izuku’s bangs out of his face and caressing his freckles. “You’ve bulked up since I’ve last seen you.”

Izuku smirked, flexing his arm. “Yeah, I’m trying to be as strong as you.”

“Can’t wait to have arm wrestles with you,” remarked Hisashi fondly, ruffling Izuku’s hair. “Now go on and grab your belongings. I’m taking you home.”

“Oh thank god. I was not in the mood to waste away here today,” celebrated Izuku, letting his entire body hunch over dramatically.

Entering the room again Midoriya soon realized that the entire class had been eavesdropping considering all the teens who sat in the back of the classroom weren’t in their seats. Katsuki and his lackeys stared at Midoriya in disbelief.

Izuku sheepishly announced. “Sorry for my Dad’s shouting. He’s just excited to be back.”

The entire school was filled with rumors that Izuku had a super dangerous father associated with the mafia. The only part of the rumors that was true was that Hisashi had been in jail and that he would happily destroy the lives of anyone who dared to lay a hand on his son.

It was safe to say the worst Katsuki did for a while was call Izuku “Deku”.

[dufferpuffer]

~~ Looking at Lycanthropy ~~

Part 5: Wolfsbane vs Wolf - Theories of Treatments

Looking at Lycanthropy (all parts)

Words: Approx. 4000

Potion Information Other Treatments

PRISONER OF AZKABAN

Chapter 8

pg 117 The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing. … … 'Fascinating,' said Snape, without looking at it. 'You should drink that directly, Lupin.'

- Wolfsbane is taken a goblet-full a day. - It should be taken directly, in one sitting. - It smokes faintly.

pg 118 'I made an entire cauldronful,' Snape continued. 'If you need more.' 'I should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus.'

- Wolfsbane is made by the cauldronful. Since he is letting him know there is more – is this the first potion of the week...? - The same cauldronful can be kept for more than one days use.

'I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex.' He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. 'Pity sugar makes it useless,' he added, taking a sip and shuddering. … … 'I've been feeling a bit off-colour,' he said. 'This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it.'- Wolfsbane is a complex potion. Not many wizards are up to making it.

- Sugar makes it useless. - It tastes awful. Love that either it has a flavor that might be palatable with some sugar – or Remus just wants to drown it in sweetness because he's that sort of guy.

Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.'Disgusting,' he said. 'Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. I'll see you at the feast later.' … … The empty goblet was still smoking.

- Even empty – or with just drops left – it still smokes. Very smokey brew. Big vapours from this icky boy. Is it 'smoke', actually? Could very well just be a word to describe how it looks, when it is something entirely different. Harry should know the difference being a third year Potions student, but it could just be slang. - Gross enough to pull faces, even after taking it repeatedly. - Remus and Harry were having a chat – and as soon as the potion is done, he sends him away for the rest of the day... is it possible that it'll have side effects? Make him feel ill? Or does he want to catch up on all the 'disorganised', 'late' work Snape says exists? Chapter 11

pg 170 'I doubt,' said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, 'that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?' 'Yes, Headmaster,' said Snape. 'Good,' said Dumbledore. 'Then he should be up and about in no time ... Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent.' The first year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.

- Wolfsbane improves recovery time post-Full Moon. (Love that's the reaction regular students have to being spoken to by Albus. They never see him outside of feasts, he doesn't go to Quidditch games, just paces his office. Same, dude – nice to the kids but avoid them 99% of the time lol)

Chapter 18

pg 258 'I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The Potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform... I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.''Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month.It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.'

- Wolfsbane was invented in the last 15 years – or even more recent. - It 'makes him safe': 'keeps his mind' when he transforms, 'harmless', curls up in his office... but still transforms, still waits for the moon to wane. Without he is a 'fully fledged monster'. - Needs to take the potion 'the week' preceding the Full Moon. As in every day for a week. - There were 'other things' his parents tried – none successful.

pg 259 'My transformations in those days were - were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits.'

Just reminding that this is the experience of untreated Lycanthropy.

'And they didn't desert me at all. Instead they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi.'

I mentioned this before, but 'best times of his life'. He went from screaming so loud the village thought he was a pack of ghosts, biting and scratching himself, feeling 'terrible'... to them being his happiest memories.

pg 260 'They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals,' said Lupin. 'A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. ... Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them.'

We know some of that is bullshit. He is a danger to animals as well. But James, Sirius and Peter weren't animals, really: They were people. Just like Remus is a person. They could look and smell like Beasts, but act and think like Beings. Inbetween. Just like him. His mind was less wolfish – 'he keeps his mind under their influence', just like he describes the effects of Wolfsbane. Chapter 19

pg 263 'I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along.'

I went through this more in Part 3, what I think was happening to make Snape comfortable enough visit Lupins office after dark to serve him his potion but not bring it into the Shack. But for now I just wanna note that it wasn't too late to drink his potion as the sun set.

~~~ HALF BLOOD PRINCE

Chapter 29

pg 517 Harry looked over Hermione’s shoulder and saw an unrecognizable face lying on Bill’s pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment. Harry remembered how Snape had mended Malfoy’s Sectumsempra wounds so easily with his wand. “Can’t you fix them with a charm or something?” he asked the matron. “No charm will work on these,” said Madam Pomfrey. “I’ve tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites.”… … “No, I don’t think that Bill will be a true werewolf,” said Lupin, “but that does not mean that there won’t be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and — and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on.”

- Fresh bites are treated – dabbed at – with some sort of 'harsh-smelling green ointment'. - No charms work on werewolf bites. - Werewolf bites are 'cursed wounds'. - Werewolf bites are unlikely to ever heal fully.

pg 524 Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill’s wounds.

- Ointment is nasty-smelling as well as harsh.

~~~ DEATHLY HALLOWS

Chapter 4

pg 66 “Will George be okay?” All Lupin’s frustration with Harry seemed to drain away at the question. “I think so, although there’s no chance of replacing his ear, not when it’s been cursed off –”

A different curse, yes – but another example of a cursed wound being difficult to heal.

pg 68 Mrs. Weasley looked around and said, “I can’t make it grow back, not when it’s been removed by Dark Magic. But it could have been so much worse He’s alive.”

Dark Magic seems to have the effect of making things difficult to heal.

~~~ Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane is a complex potion to brew. Not many are up to the task. It is disgusting, drinkable but difficult to get used to. It might make one feel unwell after consumption. It is a modern potion – invented in the last 15 years or so. Brewed by the cauldronful for more than one day's use. It is taken, one gobletful a day, for the whole week preceding the Full Moon. It is to be had directly, in one sitting. It 'smokes' faintly – persisting even in tiny amounts. Sugar negates the effects.

When taken for the entire week before the Full Moon, it will help the Werewolf 'keep their mind' when he transforms: Not a 'fully fledged monster' but a 'harmless wolf' that can stay calm and wait for the moon to wane. Some of that may be a little hyperbolic. It also helps speed up recovery time after the transformation. (Perhaps because the werewolf is resting, rather than running around or lashing out.) … As it is: Wolfsbane is a barely functioning 'treatment'. I'd say it's almost not worth the effort. Remus goes through every painful, debilitating and humiliating symptom he normally does, takes days to recover – and it has its own down-sides to boot. He probably isn't even fully safe. It just makes him less of a danger to others, shortens recovery time to two days... and probably stops his self harming. But he is still locked away, shunned, hated, feared, humiliated... still in pain. After every Full Moon Remus still looks thinner and worse. The potion barely helps him physically. It's 'best effects' are making him calm enough to stay inside – and faster-recovering to work a job.

But it is a recent potion. Perhaps it can be improved...? + Just being easier to brew would be enough to greatly increase its usefulness: it might not be perfect, but being easy would give werewolves more agency in caring for their own condition. It'd also help if they got to go to school and study Potions – maybe a treatment or cure would have been found by now if Werewolves could learn to study themselves. + Having the dose be smaller than a gobletful for a whole week. Going through such discomfort for a treatment is crushing in its own way and makes it less likely to be taken correctly. + Ideally, being able to prevent the transformation altogether would be amazing, even if they still felt like shit. The transformation is painful and literally dehumanizing. + If it's impossible to prevent, than keeping total sobriety is good, too. A lack of bloodlust even amongst humans. Remus could catch up on reading essays and be safe – like an Animagus. Edit: This might be what Wolfsbane actually does. I don't read it like that - but that could be my bias. From what I think: I'd like it to do it better. Not feeling like he has to curl up and wait 'as a 'harmless' wolf', but be a full human mind in his wolf body - no wolfish instinct and no sedation. Regular Remus sipping tea.

'Other Things'

We are given no information on the things Remus' parents tried... but the fact 'none of them worked' is pretty harrowing. It suggests a wide array of rumours and snake-oil treatments, meaning its a condition people are especially desperate for help with – and that desperation is abused. There's the funny or scary way of imagining this, where his parents are getting him to do weird things in the vague hope of a cure – but... all in all, it's very sad. Damaging.

The constant false hope that 'maybe this one will work'. Putting money into something for it to be a dud, meticulously following a formula and yet he still transforms just as painfully.

That sort of thing hits parents hard. They're desperately trying to at least ease the suffering of their sick child and are powerless. But it hits the child harder. Because they suffer... and are watching their parents struggle to stay positive. They feel like THEY are failing them by being sick. Ask me how I know. This one little line from Remus... says a lot.

'Harsh-smelling Ointment'

Werewolf bites are 'cursed wounds' – Lycanthropy is, at least partially, a type of curse. It prevents the wound from healing fully. No charms are known to work on werewolf bites, or perhaps on any cursed wounds. Dark Magic seems to have the effect of making wounds difficult to heal. (a cursed-off ear can't be reattached or regrown.) There is a treatment for fresh werewolf bites at least: 'A harsh, nasty smelling green ointment dabbed frequently and directly on the wound.' The only effect we see it have is its non-effect: as in its hardly closing up the wound with magic. It's not described as doing anything. It works slowly, which is rare for magical remedies. Perhaps it stops bleeding? Encourages healing? Removes cursed interference of natural processes?

We are told there's no charm known to work – but we do see Severus using a charm to heal Draco after Harry's Sectumsempra. Is that a different case? Is his spell a different type of curse? Has Severus invented a healing charm that will work on Dark Magic? I wouldn't put it past him – the fucker can fly. It's unknown. I will say that, knowing Severus, if he had invented a healing charm that could work on all Dark Magic wounds, he would probably have shared it. He enjoys when people don't die – and the Dark Lord and his followers use Dark Magic. But I still wonder, if he were there, if there was anything he could do for Bill. Albus, too. Tragic.

~~~ GREYBACK VS. LUPIN

(Not to the death. But Greyback would absolutely win btw. Lupin would get caught up in his feelings, flub a spell and rattle about like the bag of bones he is while Greyback gnaws on him.)

So its pretty clear that there's some massive differences between werewolves – not just between genetics, but the way their Lycanthropy affects them... and nobody bats an eye. It's normal. Fenrir Greyback has whiskers. Sharp teeth. Hair on his face. Strong, hardy, fast, heavy – comfortable and powerful on all fours. He wasn't always this way: about 30 years ago his Lycanthropy was unknown. Most werewolves seem to be unknown-looking – they hide amongst society, if they don't leave it entirely. Remus Lupin is unknown-looking, too. He looks like a regular Wizard... a sick one. Thin – and thinner after every Full Moon. Pallid. Shadowed eyes. Ill. He can barely fight a dog, even transformed – and looks like 'one good hex could finish him off'. What is with this difference...? Remus has been a werewolf for about 30 years... that's 360+ Full Moons. Fenrir has been a werewolf at LEAST that long, but probably longer. Potentially decades longer.

Would Remus, at 360 Full Moons, be facing an inevitable future of 'becoming obvious'? He desperately wants to hide his 'shame' – but will he get hair and whiskers on his face, too? It feels a bit arbitrary: How many Full Moons do you have to be a werewolf to simply have whiskers? Somewhere over 360...?

I suppose it could be an age thing: when you become an older person your body stops being able to fully shift between two forms. An ageing werewolf doesn't just get wrinkles - they get fur and fangs. I think the more likely answer, even if age still plays a part (I am rather attached to Remus' grey hair being a sign worsened by stress) is 'engagement'.

Remus is thin, sickly, suffering... desperate to restrain that whole part of himself – his illness – and pretend it doesn't exist. Every Full Moon he gets thinner. Fenrir is strong, heavy, thriving in his older age – so accepting of his illness he indulges in the pleasures of it even outside of the Full Moon. He stays strong, perhaps gets stronger.

If Remus were to be more accepting of his illness, if he were to let himself feed on Full Moons and indulge in blood etc. even as a human... if he kept his 'wolf' fed: He would be stronger. Healthier. But he is too self-loathing for that. He can't even handle his patronus being a wolf, let alone not hating his wolfish tendencies.

If Fenrir were forced on Wolfsbane potion, unable to hunt as a wolf or as a man – he would be hit by the Full Moon's harder. He'd be more ill, like Remus is. His 'wolf' is used to being 'overfed'.

Bill, though not a werewolf, indulges in his new taste for blood and accepts his new contamination, his new wounds, without self loathing. I'd say that's probably good for him. Like Fenrir.

~~~ MY THEORY ON: HOW BEST TO TREAT LYCANTHROPY B^)

Remus says some of his happiest memories are when he could run free on Full Moons with his friends. When he was accepted as what he was, protected, cared for. He stopped hurting himself. That is exactly the life Fenrir lives every day – and tries to make for other werewolves. He leads and cares for his fellows, he encourages Werewolves not to interact with people who would think ill of them and prioritise their own needs first. To relish in the blood they deserve.

Remus is sickly, weak and suffers because he starves his wolf. Fenrir is strong because he feeds it. I bet Remus being the only one not feeding his wolfish instincts in a werewolf commune would make him harder to trust. The only one without any fur on his face, who doesn't grow his nails out, who needs to force himself to partake in fresh hunts – and avoids violence. Hating himself is the biggest mark of 'having lived among Wizarding society'. We see a reflection of this in the Wolfsbane potion: It's difficult to make. It's arduous to stomach. It might even make you feel sick, in the short term... and for what? So you still go through a painful transformation – but are at least sober enough to miserably curl up, alone, sedated? A 'cure' my ass. It's a horrible treatment. Sedating ones wolf is painful, arduous and unhealthy. The Wolfsbane potion isn't made for Werewolves – it's made for healthy Wizards to control Werewolves with.

He would hate and be bitter, about having to spy on 'his equals' like Dumbledore wants – because it means engaging with 'his wolf' to fit in... which he finds conflicting and unsettling. Because he has had a taste of that better treatment.

“I’ve been living among my fellows, my equals,” said Lupin. “Werewolves,” he added, at Harry’s look of incomprehension. “Nearly all of them are on Voldemort’s side. Dumbledore wanted a spy and here I was... ready-made.” He sounded a little bitter, and perhaps realized it, for he smiled more warmly as he went on, “I am not complaining; it is necessary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, you see, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing — and sometimes killing — to eat.”

HBP, ch16

I believe living – and god forbid, spending Full Moons – with these Werewolves, who shun society in order to love their wolfish selves, would cause physical changes in Remus. Eventually. Starting off with growing out his nails and learning the mannerisms to fit in... but the more Full Moons spent running with a pack of human-minded animals, free and wild and indulging in joy rather than screaming in lonely pain... I think it would change him: Into a healthier man.

That's what being with Animagi mimicked. Humans are too much for his instincts to resist, and animals probably act and run in ways that are fun to chase or whatever – but a Stag with the mind of a Man does neither.

'And they didn't desert me at all. Instead they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi.' … … 'Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them.'

POA, ch 18

The marauders plan wasn't a perfect solution. They were sneaking around, having close-calls – Remus might have more of his mind with his 'pack' but he is still a danger out in the open. What Greyback does isn't perfect, either. They starve, they struggle, they get filthy and stink and rot within dreams of changing the world through violence. Remus' 'solution' sucks. Hate himself, slash himself open all alone and try to grow accustomed to the emotional hell that is society...

...Because society thinks them dangerous. They sneak around to avoid being spotted, they make communes because they aren't welcome, Remus needs to hate himself to fit in... But accepting the Wolf actively makes it safer for everyone.

That is the BEST treatment. Not just in a 'everyone can hold hands and be happy friends' way – but in a physical safety-oriented way: The issue is inevitable – so make room for it rather than push it out.

- Supported werewolves keep sobriety. - Supported werewolves are healthier, stronger people who aren't - chronically fatigued, who can work hard enough to even please Voldemort's standards. - Werewolves are easy enough to keep 'on a leash' – with simple enclosures and the help of Animagi.

There will always be werewolves. Perhaps a total cure could be found one day, or a better Wolfsbane constructed – but in the mean time there is a better way to keep the population safe... and its infrastructure and support.

Dumbledore was on the right track with treating Remus like a person. Sticking his own neck out to create things to support him – things that meant the world to him, that made him feel loved and accepted as a worthwhile person in Albus' life. Finding the balance of keeping others safe but not shunning Remus for being sick. I'm sure he would have loved the information that Remus felt so good amongst Animagi. Instantly gotten Minerva to help ease his Full Moons.

Am I saying every werewolf needs support Animagi? Yes, basically.

Facilities to keep others safe on the Full Moon – but the ability to have packs and socialisation that isn't shameful. A monthly animal bookclub with unique employment opportunities for Animagi. An occasional night-shift for healers or aurors, maybe part of their training. “We need more people to supervise and feed the London Werewolf Facility this Full Moon. You'll be paid overtime.”

- Werewolves are better registered – being taken care of is better than trying to hide. - Their whereabouts every Full Moon are known and accounted for. Safer for everyone. - They suffer less during their transformation, have a clearer mind, easier to control. - Less sickly werewolves like Remus – strong, healthy, can work and enjoy life better. - Less anti-Wizard werewolves planning to overthrow society via a bloodbath. - More job opportunities, for all you capitalist economists out there B^) - More research opportunities for the development of treatments and/or cures.

It is a win for quite literally everyone – for a small upfront cost of Ministry spending. But I am sure having more healthy Witches and Wizards in their small, secretive community would make up for it... rather than throwing people in the bin if they get sick.

Albus would have wanted to get involved, as he has an example of this very thing working: A small cost of providing a safe place to transform, some potion and a couple of days off a month... and Hogwarts had not only a dedicated student and Prefect – but a productive teacher that left such a mark on his students hearts that they still think of him as the best teacher they have ever had.

[ddarker-dreams]

Patiently waiting for your thoughts on Fontaine’s new archon quest 🫡

oh man. i do have some thoughts to share.

(warning for spoilers to those who haven't played through the latest archon quest)!

OKAY, so — overall? i enjoyed it. the fortress of meropide section felt a little tedious at times, i'm begging mihoyo to abandon those awful 'stealth' 'gameplay' sections. aside from that though, i was always interested enough to keep moving ahead. i especially like how they wrote navia. the story of her and her father got me emotionally invested in her as a character, i actually teared up at one point.

i was glad they avoided their infamous 'introduce a character and have them betray you' shtick. idk if that was a quota they had to reach before and that's why they did it so often, but in any case, it made for a refreshing change. the reveal of fontaine's history, the serial disappearances, focalors and furina; there were lots of intriguing story beats. furina's story might somehow be one of the saddest in genshin yet?? the execution of the reveal and the final conversation between focalors and neuvillette packed a strong emotional punch.

onto my gripes...

childe. why. why'd they do my man like that. the buildup was so interesting! the cutscene where he helps neuvillette subdue the space whale had me frothing at the mouth. him in his foul legacy armor ... his leitmotif playing... him growling and grunting.... oh, how happy i was, naïve thing that i am. i was a bit confused how they dedicated a total of three seconds to traveler and the floating fiend going 'oh wow there's childe ig.' like ??? at this point in the story, i thought they were sorta buddies??

the space whale's execution confused me. i expected it to be deeply tied to fontaine's past, or at the very least give some abyss bread crumbs, but it just kinda flopped around and stuff. the fight was cool, don't get me wrong. but the whole 'yeah this whale is some dude's pet lol' bit just felt odd. i get that they want to prove the Big Important Name Fella is suuuper important and suuuper strong but c'mon. at least make the space whale a creation that ran rampant or something.

i could've forgiven the space whale shenanigans if we got a nice conversation with childe at the end. how did he feel in the abyss? was he fighting the whale to keep the people of fontaine safe, out of bloodlust, or something in between? what was it like seeing skirk again? how much time felt like it passed when he was in whale abyss prison? does his vision resonate with him properly again?

instead, we just get a few throwaway lines that he's back in snezhnaya healing up. did they run out of budget to book his VA?? i get they have to be selective with lore drops, but there are so many ways around that.

my last major gripe is how they went about furina's character quest. maybe i'm just an oversensitive weenie (i definitely am), but the traveler and flying creature's interactions with furina... i was physically grimacing. how did they seriously think it was a good idea to ask the person who has been tormented by acting for 500 years to give the stage another shot? imo, it would've been fine if they tried that, furina rejected them, and everything played out about the same. but those bits where traveler + the imp kept pressuring furina felt so weeeeeeird. i genuinely didn't want to click the dialogue options. if this was framed differently, that would've also been fine, but it's kinda a 'haha :3 epic paimon says teehee te nandayo reddit gold' light.

tl;dr i liked the overall experience but someone needs to delete paimon from the game + treat their characters as more than a punchline.

[honorary-knight-of-favonius]

Truth - Kaeya

Summary: You finally find the one

Warnings: crush!Kaeya, Fem!Reader, Multiple orgasms, cuninglings, fingering, living room sex, roommate!kaeya, collegestudent!reader.

I groaned rubbing my temples, I had been staring at this book for hours and nothing is being processed in my brain and it doesn’t fucking help I have a project due in less than twelve hours. As I was staring at the book the door to my room opened and in came my roommate and friend, Kaeya. 

“Yo, so you might wanna wait to shower, I might’ve used all the hot water.” I groaned in response, Kaeya came over and looked at my materials. 

“You’ve been on the same page since I got home, which was two hours ago.” I sighed and looked at Kaeya. 

“Thank you Captain Obvious!.” I said condescendingly. 

I heard a hum then I was lifted from my seat and carried out of my room and the only thing I felt was relief and warmth. Kaeya brought me to the living room and sat me down on the couch and he held me in his arms to make sure I didn’t try to get up and go back to that self-made prison. 

“I’m hungry, wanna order?” Kaeya asked, I looked back and at the perfect moment my stomach rumbled. 

“B-but money.” I whined. 

“I didn’t ask if you had money, I asked if you were hungry.” I nodded and Kaeya smiled and pet me, “What do you want?” He asked

“Can we get Indian food?” I asked, Kaeya nodded and pulled out his phone and ordered the food, while we were waiting for the food Kaeya turned on some historical looking romance movie and made sure I was into the movie before leaving the couch. When he came back it was with a giant tortilla blanket, my favorite stuffed animal and some comfier clothes. Kaeya changed my jeans to fluffy pants and took off my shift and bra putting me into an oversized shift I was pretty sure I stole from him, and then he wrapped the blanket around me and handed me the toy before a knock echoed through the apartment and he went to go get the food and then handed me my food and finally sat back down. 

“Is that why you like historical fiction?!” Kaeya asked as a certain explicit scene showed, “I mean I get the appeal but that’s. . .wow.” Kaeya said, I giggled. 

“I know it’s so enchanting isn’t it! It’s like he already knows her body without ever having to touch her!” I rave, Kaeya chuckled. 

“Oh. . .No I get that part, I mean take you for example. You hate when the top of your thighs are touched, but melt when the sides are caressed.” Kaeya said, I choked a bit before I looked back at him confused at home. He knew that and all I saw was a shocked expression almost like he exposed himself, “I-I, I didn’t mean that I meant-” 

“How much do you know about my body?” I asked, Kaeya swallowed harshly before putting his food down on a tiny end table and bit his lip. 

“A lot more than you think.” Kaeya said. 

“. . .explain.” I urged. 

“Well. . .shit I need an area.” 

“Chest.” 

“Shit, ok, you’re really not holding back. . .Um. . .You hate when people put their whole hands on your. . .boobs and just move them around, you like when they're worshiped or when your,” He coughed, “your nipples are stimulated.” He finished. 

I looked at him dumbfounded, “How the fuck do you know that!” I asked

“W-well. . .when you're horny and unsatisfied with a certain dude you tend to. . ."rant.” Kaeya said, “Most of the time it’s to Lisa and if I don’t hear it Lisa tends to tell me because well because she tends to vent about your choices is lays.” Kaeya said, I looked at him and saw color rising to his face. 

“Just. . .how much do you know?” I ask

“I know you like when guys take their time to eat you out, how you like foreplay, how to hold your body, how to get your legs shaking with ease, and I also know you like to kiss and makeout. . .Oh! And aftercare and I know a bunch of ways to arouse you too.” When he realized what he said he covered his mouth and even more color rushed to his face. 

“So you know everything about my body.” I whispered, Kaeya quickly went to take me in his arms.

“I-I’m so sorry! I am really sorry! I- I didn’t mean to say all that!” Kaeya rushed. 

“H-Have you told anyone else?!” I asked

“W-what?! No, no way! Why the hell would I tell the competition your preferences when I could try to use them myself?” Kaeya once again covered his mouth and got up and moved away from me, “Shit Kaeya you and your big mouth.” 

“H-have you tried to.  . .”Kaeya looked back. 

“No! No way! I-I mean I wouldn’t be opposed to using that knowledge on you, but I’ve never intentionally tried, not that I haven’t wanted to, but I-” Kaeya shut up the moment he saw my face, “Shit Kaeya you're not helping yourself.” He scolded, hitting his head. 

I looked away and covered my face. It almost sounds like Kaeya is confessing to me. Like he’s telling me he’s in love with me that he wants me and no one else. I looked back to Kaeya how he was trying to hide his anxiety, but he was failing. I got up and went close to Kaeya taking a hand and placing it on my hip and Kaeya quickly moved it to my waist and hugged me. 

“I-I. . .if you want what I think you want you’ll have to tell me. B-because otherwise I really need to get my hands off you, I-I really don’t want to ruin our relationship so. . .please, tell me.” I looked at Kaeya and put my hands on his bare chest and whined. 

“You’re thinking right.” Kaeya swallowed harshly, “Please, show me what you’ve learned.” Kaeya picked me up by the backs of my thighs and carried me to the couch when he laid me down before he got on his knees on the floor. 

“Are you sure you want this?” I nodded and he began tugging off my pants while removing my shirt. Kaeya started by cupping and caressing the side of my thighs just the way I liked before he bit my inner thighs as well as sucking some hickeys on them too. When he got to my cunt he blew twice before licking a long stripe up and diving in, he used his tongue to focus on my clit then wrapped his lips around it making my hands go to his hair. He began humming and the vibrations made my head all fuzzy, when he managed to slip his fingers in I closed my thighs around Kaeya and he welcomed me to squeeze his head and continued to use one hand to caress my thigh and I began grinding against his face my moans getting higher and my that knot was unraveling and the moment it was undone I arched my back rolling my eyes back. I took a deep breath and my body relaxed. 

Kaeya pulled away and moved his hands to my hips before he hovered over me, “well, did I pass Mistress?” Kaeya purred out like a kitten. The way the mistress came out of his mouth was perfect, like he was made to say. 

“Y-yes~ with flying colors.” I said, Kaeya moved to face my tits, and made sure to place his hands in a way that caressed them without grabbing them like an apple. He kissed the valley between and then moved his mouth to the left side while the right side had the nipple pinched, and twisted. I whined and arched my back, Kaeya took his mouth away and went to kiss and suck a hickey on my tit before returning his mouth to the nipple, I felt his teeth graze the skin and I tangled my fingers in Kaeya’s hair. 

“K-kaeya, you’re doing so good, so fucking good~” I praised, He smiled and grazed my nipple again. I felt the knot forming and then Kaeya switched his hand and mouth and the knot grew tighter and tighter and I managed to grind against his stomach and with all the stimulation I came undone going limp on the couch. 

“It seemed like I managed to scratch that itch.” Kaeya smirked, “How are you doing?” Kaeya asked, cupping my face. When I didn’t answer him he moved to get the toy he’d brought out, “Be a good girl and touch Nellie if you still want to continue.” I touched the toy and he smiled. 

“If you want a break, touch Nellie.” I did so again, “Ok, you must’ve needed that huh?” I nodded, Kaeya kissed my cheek, “you’re doing so good, so fucking good.” After a few minutes I pulled Kaeya into a kiss. He hummed and placed a hand on my waist allowing me to meet his hips. 

“There’s no need to be impatient, Mistress. Just order me to serve you and I’ll be a good boy and do just that.” I smiled and pulled him closer. 

“Then be a good boy and fuck your Mistress.” When I felt the slight movement on his pants then I felt his hard and ready cock on my desperate cunt and he looked at me. 

“If I hurt you tell me,” I nodded and he slipped in and I dug my nails into his shoulders and he stayed still before he began moving but his pace was slow but he was deep and rough, shit he even knew how I liked being fucked. Why didn’t I notice his lusting gazes or kind praise, or the sad smiles he gave when I told him I was going on a date? Why didn’t I notice them sooner? I should’ve noticed them so much sooner, I don’t need him as my bestfriend, I need him as my fucking boyfriend! 

“C-close~ I’m so close~” I whined, Kaeya went to my tits and worked their magic as I screamed, my orgasm washed over me and I felt Kaeya going to leave and I locked myself around him making it so he had to cum inside which he did and laid in my chest before looking up at me. 

“S-shit, shit, shit! I can’t believe I just came in you, I came in you! Oh fucking hell, I can’t believe that, I’m so fucking sorry, I-I’ll take responsibility if anything happens, shit.” Kaeya freaked out before I spoke up. 

“I-I have an implant.” I say, Kaeya looked confused but then it clicked and he grabbed a tissue before he pulled out making sure to clean me and once I was I had the oversized shirt put on and then cuddled on the couch with Kaeya. 

“So. . .Um. . .I know you know how I feel about you. But. . .what about you?” He asked

“Kaeya.” He hummed, “Would you like to be my boyfriend?” I asked, He smiled brightly and nodded before peppering my face in kisses and snuggling into my hair. 

[thealtoduck]

Escaping from Jabba the Hutt and joining the Ghost Crew…

Ghost Crew x Male Reader

Warnings: Reader is born in to slavery, star wars typical violence…

Summary: Reader escapes slavery from Jabba the Hutt and travels through the galaxy and meets the infamous Spectres…

———

Having grown up in captivity inside Jabba’s palace you didn’t know anything of the world outside. Though you had heard stories from the bounty hunters and other patrons of the world outside.

From all the stories you had heard you began to long to leave and escape life as a slave. So you began forming an escape plan, you knew the plan needed to be fool proof as Jabba didn’t take to kindly when his slaves tried to escape him.

You started listening in to the Bounty Hunters telling anyone who’d listen stories of their daring escapes from the law. You took mental notes on what they did and adapted them for your plan. Soon enough you had created a plan to make to make your escape.

A transport ship from Mos Eisely would be stopping by to drop off some goods for Jabba so you planned to make your escape by sneaking on to the ship as they unloaded. You had managed to steal a cloak from one of the patrons who was too drunk to realise it what was happening.

So in the dead of night you draped yourself in the cloak and snook out the of the palace, you managed to get unoticed on board the ship and hide behind some of their other cargo. You sat dead silent as the crew of the ship got ready to leave.

Then you felt the ship began to vibrate and move which means it had probably began to fly back to Mos Eisely to pick up more cargo. You didn’t even know how long you were hidden until the ship docked in Mos Eisely you saw the door to the cargo room opening.

The crew came down and started unloading crates once more, the crew stopped outside and started dicussing something so you took the chance and snuck of the ship and on to the streets of Mos Eisely.

You knew you needed to find a way off the planet as someone would’ve probably noticed you were missing by now, so you went around looking for a job on any type cargo ship or salvage ship you could find.

Eventually you managed to find job on board a light freighter with a couple of scoundrels transporting illegal goods, which to you was better than staying on Tatooine.

They weren’t the most talented scoundrels though as they were easily captured by an imperial star destroyer. The whole crew including you were thrown in to their prision on board the star destroyer.

You remained in the cell for a couple days until one day when you got a cellmate. The door opened and a purple dude who was easiest described as a shaved wookie was thrown in to your prison cell by stormtroopers.

The door then closed and you took a closer look at the man, he was passed out. You tried to drag the man to the bed bud he wasn’t exactly light. So you gave up and waited for him to wake up.

After about an hour you saw that he began to move a little, he opened his eyes and sat up slowly. You heard him say quietly to no one in particular ”Imperial scum”. He then stood up and looked around the cell.

He was very tall, then his eyes fell on you in the corner of the cell. He tensed up and asked in a semi-hostile voice ”Who are you?”.

”I’m Y/n, who are you?” You returned his question unfazed by his size. ”Garazeb Orrelios but most people just call me Zeb” he said more calmly and sat down on the other side of the room probably realising you weren’t much of a threat to him.

The two of you sat in silence for a while until Zeb spoke up ”So how did a kid like you end up in an imperial prison” he asked you without the hostility in his voice. You were a bit confused at first but then you told him your story so far.

”Ol’Jabba huh… he’s probably not that happy” Zeb commented. ”How about you? How did you end up here?” You asked him. He told you how he and his crew had been on a mission that got a bit out of hand leading to him being captured by the empire.

He finished his story by saying ”Now i’m just waiting for them to pick me up”. ”I don’t think it’s that easy” You said doubtfully. Zeb smirked and said ”No, you’ll see”.

You and Zeb spent the next few hours talking and then the door to the cell opened revealing a stormtrooper and a stormtrooper cadet. You tensed up but Zeb just asked annoyed ”What took you so long?”. The troopers removed their helmets revealing a brown haired man and a boy with blue hair who looked to be around your age.

”Most people just say thanks” the blue haired boy said annoyed. ”Let’s get going before- Who’s this?” the brown haired man said looking at you. ”Oh, that’s my new friend Y/n, he’s coming with us” Zeb said. ”I am?” You questioned.

”Well i don’t think you wanna stay here so come on” Zeb and the others then led you out the cell. Zeb’s friends names were Kanan and Ezra and Kanan had given you the stormtrooper blaster he had carried to defend yourself with.

You had never used a blaster before so you made sure safety was on so it wouldn’t go off by accident. Which had happened a couple of times in Jabba’s palace when a patron got to drunk and started messing around with their blaster.

”Sabine and Chopper are turning off the tractor beam, we’ll meet them at the hangar” Kanan informed Zeb. You made your way to the hangar where their ship was kept. There was someone in a colorful armour and a orange astremech droid waiting for you.

”Who’s this?” the person you assumed was Sabine said looking at you. ”Zeb’s new friend” Ezra answered and you gave a small wave. The six of you then made your way into the hangar where several stormtroopers were waiting for you.

”Blast them” a stormtrooper yelled and they all aimed their blasters towards you. Zeb pulled you behind cover and his crew started shooting down stormtroopers. You peaked out with your blaster and took aim at one of the troopers.

You pushed the trigger and hit one in the chest. ”Good shot, kid” Zeb said. The boarding ramp for their ship lowered and you all ran on board the ship. The ship immediately started taking off. You followed Zeb to the cockpit of the ship where a green skinned twi’lek was steering the ship.

The ship flew away from the star destroyer as the empire tried shooting you down. ”Sit down kid you’re in for a rough ride” Zeb said and pushed you into the seat behind the twi’lek. Zeb then ran off somewhere.

”Hi, I’m Hera, nice to have some company” the twi’lek pilot said strangely cheerefully as they were running from the empire. The astromech called Chopper then entered the cockpit making a bunch of beeping noises. ”Chopper says ”Hi”” Hera told you. You turned to the droid and said ”Hi”.

After a small chase from the empire the ship eventually took off in to hyperspace leaving the star destroyer behind. The rest of the crew then came to the cockpit. ”That was a close one” Sabine said having taken of her helmet revealing her colored hair.

”So, where to now?” Ezra asked. ”I don’t know, we need to find a new job to get credits for fuel, we also need to find out what to do with our passenger” Hera said making everyone turn to you. ”Can we take you anywhere kid?” Hera then asked.

”I don’t know, you can just drop me off wherever you’re going next, thanks for the offer” you said. ”Uh… Kanan, Hera, could i talk to you in private” Zeb requested they nodded and you, Chopper, Ezra and Sabine left them in the cockpit. Sabine and Ezra tried to listen through the door. You then offered to polish Chopper as a thank you for helping rescuing you. Chopper accepted eagerly.

While polishing Chopper, Zeb, Hera and Kanan came back and Zeb smiled. Hera then said with a sad look ”Zeb told us about you and your past, i’m so sorry for what you must have gone through”. ”But we would like to make you an offer and it’s entirely up to you” she continued. ”How would you like to join our crew? Go on missions? Fight the empire?” she asked.

”I’d be happy to join your crew” you said happily making the crew smile. Zeb walked over to you and threw an arm around you and said ”Next time we land i’ll get you a real blaster better than that imperial one”.

[randomgooberness]

OKAY, WE FINALLY HAVE A PIRATE EPISODE! HERE YOU LITTLE MONSTERS GO!!! <3

Mind is written by @shineyfish

WARNINGS: violence(obviously), drug mentions, smoking, and unintentional self-harm.

They traveled through the doorway, leading them down to the rest of the railway system, which was water-logged. Aside from the few bursts of unconducted energy, the rest of the track didn't seem to be electrified. Gordon mentioned Benrey being a 'powerful asset' to the team, something that Mind was vocally against, but... He did have to admit that the thing was powerful.

They raced through the labyrinth of abandoned trackways - Literally, and Tommy won - before making their way up a ladder and to another hallway, higher up and filled to the brim with soldiers.

To which, hilariously, Mind's reaction was to start talking like a pirate.

"IF IT'S A FAIR FIGHT YER LOOKIN' FOR, THEN YE'VE COME TO THE WRONG MAN!"

Gordon, bewildered out of his skull, started cackling. 

”YEAH!?” He screamed. “GET THE- GET THE- FUCK YEAH CAPTAIN MIND GET THEM! THEY DON'T HAVE ANY SKILLS GET THEIR ASSES!” 

The encouragement only seemed to make Mind laugh with him, nailing the unlucky soldiers in the hallway.

"THE BATTLE BE A' RAGIN, TIS THE PERFECT TIME TA PLUNDER!"

He dipped into one of the side rooms, opening the boxes on the shelves in search of ammo, or anything valuable. He wasn't picky.

"It appears yer treasure be naught but a ruse, these boxes be empty!"

Gordon wheezed. 

“BULLSHIT. WHERE'S OUR TREASURE.” He cackled. “CAPTAIN MIND, WHAT DO WE DO!?!” 

“Loot the bodies,” Benrey said, making Gordon choke laughing. 

“GET THEIR GUNS!”

"PLUNDER THE LOT A' THEM! SEIZE THE ARTILL'RY!"

Mind cackled, spinning his gun in his hand before shooting a bootboy. That was just showing off.

"YE CALL YERSELVES MARINES, BUT MARINERS I DINNAE SEE NONE! YER A BUNCH A' COWARDS AN' DEADWEIGHT!"

Gordon wheezed again. 

“MAKE THEM FUCKIN- what is it- MAKE THEM WALK THE PLANK!!!” He laughed, following behind him. “Dude you need like, a cool eyepatch or something.”

"AYE, A' DO!"

Mind smiled back at Gordon, looking Genuinely happy.

"Although, a' dinnae want a hook fer a hand. That can be yer thing!" 

The power absolutely going to his head, he pointed ahead with his gun.

"COMPANY, LETS SHOW THESE LANDLUBBERS TA FEAR TH' WAVES!"

“HOW AM I GONNA SHOOT WITH A HOOK HAND- wait actually hold on I got it-“ 

He took out his crowbar, grinning as he held it tight, and raced into battle alongside Mind. 

“YAAAAARG!”

"YAAHAHAHAHAAAARRGG!"

Making good on his word, Mind looted almost every soldier's body that they came across, taking no prisoners.

"Tis but a shame, we be without our mechanical longboat! Would have made this voyage easier. Alas, tis no issue!"

"OUR WH- oh a train? YEAH. OUR UH. SHIP- I'm not good at this- let's- OH SHIT- YARG!" Gordon straight up brained a soldier he found in a room, and walked inside, spotting a security officer. "OH, THERE'S A GUY IN HERE!"

Mind snorted at Gordon not understanding the pirate talk, punching him in the shoulder about it before turning to the guard. 

"AHOY THERE SQUIRE, WHAT SAY YE TA JOINING OUR CREW? I'LL GIVE YE A CUT A' ANY LOOT WE TAKE!"

The guard didn't react to the pirate voice, staring ahead at the two.

"Okay, why not.”

“Y-”

“Didn't want to die alone anyway."

Mind threw his hands in the air.

"YAAAAR! THAT BE THE SPIRIT! LET US CHARGE FORTH AND PAINT THE WALLS RED WITH BLOOD!"

Gordon started laughing so hard that he went into a coughing fit. 

"LH- HHHVKKHCKLLETSSSGOOO! LETSSSGO!!!!!" He cried, stumbling to follow Mind out. 

"C-Captain Mind!! There's- there are more soldiers on the port bow!" Tommy shouted, pointing at more soldiers approaching. 

Captain Mind yelled as he rushed the soldiers, firing at them as he did. When he got close enough he ran out of bullets, and in a slight panic used the butt of the gun to knock one of them out.

He didn't expect everyone to go along with the pirate bit if he was being honest! He had to admit though he was a fan of the captain role. He should be the leader of these guys.

Gordon shot the knocked-out soldier right between the eyes. Meanwhile, the guard didn't take cover as he shot at soldiers in the distance. 

As the bullets flew past, Mind fired back, yelling at the guard.

"GET DOWN, LAD, TAKE COVER!"

The guard did not get down or take cover and rag-dolled on the floor shortly after, the bullet hitting them in the shoulder.

Mind watched it happen with wide eyes.

"WELL WHAT USE ARE YE TAE US NOW?"

Gordon broke into cackling. It was a little stressed, but to be fair- that was extremely funny. 

”WHY DID HE DO THAT!? WHY DID- ok lets- let's keep going- we shoul- actually, any idea, Captain??”

Mind paused for a second, smiling as he assesed the area, before pointing towards one of the rooms with his gun.

"Avast, an unchecked room. Could harbour mariners, brace yerself lad!"

His throat was starting to kill him a bit. He usually didn't commit to the pirate thing for this long, but he was having a great time and nobody could stop him.

"Gotcha- ready- or uh- aye-aye? Is that- READY!" Gordon cocked his gun and gave Mind a dumb smile.

"Lets unload hot piratey death!" Bubby cheered.

His crew was full of idiots. Laughing, Mind charged on ahead.

"THEM WHO DIE BE THE LUCKY ONES, AND THAR BE PLENTY O' LUCK GOIN ROUND TODAY!"

Inside the room was three soldiers, two of which were mowed down immediately, and the last one sat in one of the chairs, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire.

"ARISE, YE LANDLUBBING SCURR, AN' FACE YER DEATH LIKE A MAN!"

Mind had his gun raised to him, but the soldier did not rise, face scrunching up at the group.

"No, I don't feel like it."

"GET UP-! GET UP, ASSHOLE!" Gordon screamed at him, running and kicking the chair over.

Miraculously, the soldier managed to stay in the chair, unfazed. Mind shot nearby the soldier's head, an incredulous laugh escaping him. Wwwhatthefuck.

"STOPPP."

Gordon started laughing so hard he turned around and left the room, before walking back in. 

"Get up!" He barked again, taking out his SMG. "GET UP, ASSHOLE!"

"Leave me aloooone!"

Mind was starting to lose it, what was with this guy?? 

"IGNORANCE CANNAE SAVE YE NOW, MATEY, DO AS HE SAYS!"

Confusion may have been apparent, but the pirate voice was unwavering.

A stray shot to the chair broke it completely, and the soldier was forced to stand, taking out his gun, but still acting as if the threat was just a minor inconvenience.

"You wanna stop- you wanna stop please?"

"WHAT- what are our chairs made out of!?" Gordon choked. "GUN ON THE GROUND, BUDDY. SET IT DOWN, NOW. I'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKING SKULL OUT, DON'T TEST ME-"

"God, you're so annoying."

Eyes shifting to the door for a split second, the soldier dashed out, pushing past Mind and Gordon as he did so.

"HEY, WHERE D'YE THINK YER GOIN?"

Without considering the possibility of a trap, which was strange for him, Mind ran after him.

"Come the FUCK on are you kidding me!" Gordon shouted at no one in particular, moreso the situation as he raced after them both- shooting rapidly. 

Once the soldier darted out of sight, Gordon sighed, holding a hand up. 

"STOP! Stop- we lost him." He looked to another dead soldier on the ground, noticing a lit cigar in his mouth.

Mind leaned over the railing, trying to spot where the guy went.

"Alas, he's slipperier than a fish out o' water."

He coughed, cringing slightly. 

Turning to face the rest of the team, he gave them a smile.

"No a venture that we cannae take on! We'll find th' landlubbin' scurr if 's the last thing we do."

Gordon laughed a bit. 

“Is the voice starting to hurt??”

"No."

Yes, but he wasn't going to be defeated that easily.

"Just a tad scratchy on the ol' throat."

“Alright,” Gordon rolled his eyes a little, chuckling, before bending over and picking up the cigar from the dead body. “Wait, hold on,” 

He contemplated it for a moment, standing up, before taking a drag from it. 

“Thats disgusting.” Bubby said.

Mind looked at him for a second.

Gross. You don't know where that's been. Sir. 

It felt weird to see the man smoke, he just... Didn't seem like the type. Sure, Mind himself didn't smoke often, but he's been around enough smokers.

"... D'ye usually smoke? Ye didnae have th face fer it."

Gordon took in a really, really long drag. 

“Y’gotta look good when you’re killing-“ He choked, before breaking into a massive coughing fit. 

Mind snorted. Idiot.

"Ah, I ken now. Yer a professional. Best smoker in th' world."

“Smoking is a terrible habit!” Bubby snapped. Gordon paused, blinking, and dropped the cigar on the ground, stomping at it and pointing at Dr. Coomer with extreme fury. 

”THIS ONE DRANK PISS!”

"That disnae give ye cancer."

Not helping.

“Not helping.” Gordon sighed. “Lets keep going. C’mon, captain.”

With another cough, Mind walked ahead of the group.

"Fuck-, Thar be another passage way, anchors away crew!"

The cough made Gordon cackle. 

“Bro! Stop doing it if it hurts! If you lose your voice I’m making fun of you.” He wheezed, following.

Mind went to argue, keeping to the wall as shots fired at them, before coughing violently, behind cover.

"hhghbbbb. Thaaat's enough of that. I have about 20 more years of whiskey drinking before my voice sounds like that naturally."

He covered his mouth for a second, catching his breath.

"Do we still have problems?"

He looked out from the cover and gunfire shot past him immediately.

"We still have problems."

Gordon laughed, finding immense joy in Minds antics. 

“Uh, well, we could send Benrey out, maybe- I haven’t seen him, though.”

Mind didn't look at him, but he did pause.

"... Knowing our luck, he'd either join them or just stand there like an idiot."

He made a small noise of consideration.

"This sounds like a job for Ambassador Pineapple!" He took out a grenade, "You'll be representing us on the floor, now go out there and work your magic!"

After throwing it at the problem, there was a couple seconds more of gunfire, an explosion, then silence. The entire time, Mind was twirling the pin in his hand.

"... And it sounds like we've come to a resolution!"

He ducked out of the cover.

"Testing, one two, testing... Well, I'm glad everything worked out."

“Ambassador Pineapple??” Gordon wheezed, following him out from under cover. 

“G’oh, I miss him every day!” Dr. Coomer nodded. Bubby followed as well. 

“I agree with everything he said.” 

“I-It’s always good to have peaceful conver- conversations!” Tommy added, pointing his gun thoughtlessly.

Mind nodded.

"Ambassador Pineapple."

He did not explain further, exploring over the room.

"Everyone that matters is here and accounted for, so let's move on. This room wasn't heavily guarded for no reason, I refuse to..."

Ahead on the wall was a spray painted sign that read "Surrender Freemen". Normally, Mind would just pass it off as the education of the military, but...

Freemen.

Free men.

They knew.

He swallowed, staring at it.

Gordon was walking by it, completely unaware, until he noticed Mind staring. 

“Whatcha lookin’ at, bud?” He asked brightly, walking over, before pausing as his eyes scanned the words over. “…ah.” 

“…What the fuck? You cant graffiti, that’s against the law,” Bubby, who was graffiting an hour earlier, said. “They even spelled it wrong! Blasted military education.” 

“Haha, yeah.” Gordon chuckled a little, though his expression wore the feeling of swallowing fire and being doused in ice. “Yeah they’re…stupid.”

Mind blinked a couple times, analysing Gordon's demeanor change.

... The fuck is that about?

He knew. He had to know, there was "no way he doesn't, I mean," the thing said free men. He needed to know that "means both of us." 

He wrung out his hands, glancing between the sign and Gordon.

"No... No, he doesn't." They'd been through this, if Gordon knew, then he was "damn good at hiding it. Nobody can hide shit that well" without dropping too many clues.

I can trust him. "I have to."

He picked at his face, staring back at the sign.

His thoughts felt... Overlapping, repeating over themselves and crashing against his skull like waves. A slurry of He Knows, They Know, They All Know, it was difficult to hear much else.

He took a shaky breath.

"The morphine must be wearing off."

"...I don't think you should get another dose until tomorrow, man." Gordon muttered. "Are...you okay? It...is there something I don't...know? About this?"

He took a second, looking at the grafitti again, and then back to Mind, tilting his head, eyes full of the same emotion as before, and now worry. 

"...You're talking to yourself again."

"I... Am I?"

Fuck.

He picked at the scars on his face, glancing away. 

"No, it's... It's fine, man."

He couldn't look at Gordon. 

He didn’t know. He didn’t know. He didn’t know. It was just "my brain being a dick to me," which was why he needed the fucking morphine.

God he hated this. He needed to "get this talking to myself shit under control, fast."

Taking out his gun, counted over the ammo, trying to focus on anything else.

"Let's... Go, let's go."

"Alright." Gordon huffed, following him. "...N'don't pick at your face, man. Our gloves are probably filthy." 

[thessalian]

Molly!Rook vs the Ossuary

But first, the egg

Solas: So all is well and I am a liar?

Molly!Rook: You're really leaning into that "god of sarcasm" bit, aren't you? Or is it just that sarcasm is one of those ways that you can lie without actually lying?

Solas: .........

Molly!Rook: But in answer to your question that isn't but kind of is? Yeah, Ghillan'nain's playing with Blight. Like, mega-Blight.

Solas: Believe it or not, that is better than I expected.

Molly!Rook: ...Okay, you're gonna need to run that by me one more time.

And, at little conference in the Surreal Estate

Molly!Rook: So then he told me that actually only a little of the Blight leaked out and they want to unleash the rest and ... yeah, glorious tool of creation, yadda.

Neve: So ... wait a minute. You're telling me that the ancient magisters went looking for the Maker in the Fade, saw architecture and decided it had to be the Golden City, and accidentally made a crack in a prison for elven gods and Blight. Blighted themselves, took that tiny shred out with them--

Harding: And that fresco we saw, with the evanuris binding dragons. There's probably something to that. I wonder if that means that the evanuris have the same kind of immortality as Corypheus did with his fake archdemon...

Bellara: Not that this isn't ... fascinating ... but also terrifying, but ... look, anyway, what do we do about it? I mean, I guess we have to do something...

Molly!Rook: We're already on the right track, Bel. We have the dagger, and since you're up here, I figure you have the Vi'revas fixed.

Bellara: Oh! Yeah! Sorry; I was coming to tell you and got distracted!

Neve: Understandable. I'm still reeling a little myself at having to rewrite all those "Blight is the hubris of the magisters" snarks in my head. ...Still kind of is, though.

Molly!Rook: So, have we got names?

Neve: Speaking of magister hubris and what it gets them...

Treviso, in Antiva

Harding: Oooh, pretty market. Do you think we'll have time to pick up something nice for my ma?

Molly!Rook: I'm sure we'll be back a time or five, Harding. First we have to meet-- Hi, you must be Andrateia...

Teia: Teia, please. And you would be Rook. Come with me; we should be off the street to talk.

Molly!Rook: I'd ask for you to call me Molly, but honestly, I'm kind of leaning into the whole "Rook" thing a bit more.

Harding: *side-eyeing Molly a little* Because...?

Molly!Rook: Gender neutral. I'll go by 'she' if I have to, but honestly, it's just ... female for tax purposes.

Harding: ...*sigh* Right.

And, a bit of exposition later, somewhere under the sea or canal or something

Harding: You know ... I've been a surface dwarf my whole life and being in tune with the Stone is a bit weird, but this ... is ... scary.

Molly!Rook: I take it you mean the "being under the sea" part and not the "Venatori bodies literally everywhere" part. Also, speaking of people who kill, is it just me, or were you getting off vibes about that Illario dude?

Harding: His reactions are really off, I have to admit. Think this is a trap?

Molly!Rook: I personally think he's trying to make everyone think he's gritting his teeth and bearing the idea of sending strangers after his cousin when he wants to go himself, but really he's gritting his teeth and bearing the idea of having to rescue his cousin at all but he has to because Grandma First Talon is insisting.

Harding: That's ... worse, right?

Molly!Rook: I figure we're going to surface to bad, yeah. You know. As a treat for after the bad we've dealt with here because I'm reading some shit about enforced abominations-- Oh. Hi.

The 'hi': *is directed at a bunch of Venatori out for blood*

Lucanis: *appears kind of awesomely and murders basically everybody*

Molly!Rook: Well, hello.

Harding: You remember Varric's stories about what happened to Kirkwall, right? And what Anders conned Hawke into doing? Feeling shitty over that is what made Varric take stupid risks in the first place!

Molly!Rook: We're trying to kill gods, Harding.

Harding: I know. Just ... can you not get into a thing with the abomination?

Molly!Rook: I promise nothing.

Lucanis: I am standing right here, you know.

Spite: No, no ... I'm liking this...

Molly!Rook: Look, we're here to rescue you. *glances at Harding* Yes, really.

Lucanis: Need to destroy a vial of my blood and kill the mage who took it from me before we go.

Molly!Rook: One question.

Lucanis: ...Go ahead.

Molly!Rook: Can we rob the place? Harding wants to hit your gorgeous market when we're back topside and I want a shiny new dagger.

Lucanis: ...*little chuckle* As you like. I doubt we will leave any alive to complain.

Harding: ...Do not. Romance. The abomination.

Molly!Rook: You're not the boss of me.

Further into the Ossuary

Lucanis: You are ... very thorough in your robbery.

Molly!Rook: Admittedly I'm trying to see if there's anyone else who needs breaking out of this bubble of suck.

Harding: ...please let them all be monsters. Please let them all be monsters. We don't need another abomination--

Lucanis: I am standing right here.

Harding: Look, you probably didn't hear about what the last abomination I heard anything about did to Kirkwall!

Molly!Rook: And the one before him was actually pretty damn cool and used her powers for good.

Harding: .........

Molly!Rook: I really did get all the stories, Harding. Including about things that Nightingale said about her time with the Hero of Ferelden and a mage named Wynne.

Harding: ...But why, though?

Molly!Rook: Veil Jumpers aren't just explorers and tinkerers, you know. I'm also a historian. Give me all the stories!

Lucanis: Right now we are getting all the demons. Your friend Harding got her wish.

Molly!Rook: Oh, right. *pulls dagger and orb* Time to put this shiny dagger I robbed to some use!

Lucanis: But you're a--

Molly!Rook: *is become skinny death with blade and fire*

Lucanis: ...Mages ... do that?

Spite: I like them!

Lucanis: ...

Spite: So do you, it seems!

Harding: Hey, Lucanis! Gonna help out here?!?

Lucanis: Oh. Right.

Spite: I'm gonna do the bridge thing! Might impress them!

Lucanis: Shut up and kill.

And, a fairly big fight later...

Molly!Rook: Ow.

Lucanis: Now, this is why I thought mages didn't engage head-on. The Crows could teach you a few tricks, you know.

Molly!Rook: ...Awesome! Now, lemme rob the last shiny and then we'll go.

Lucanis: We are sure it is "Rook" and not ... say, "Magpie"?

Harding: That. Is. A. Myth.

Lucanis: All right, all right! You are very uptight about your corvids, no?

Harding: Kind of side-eyeing one a little hard right now...

Molly!Rook: Okay, I got shinies, let's go before this place collapses.

And, above

Teia: They took Catarina!

Viago: You need to stay and--

Lucanis / Spite: Give. Me. Something. To kill.

Lucanis: *shakes head* Gods. You said something about killing gods. That should be challenge enough for me right now.

Teia: Okay, okay, yes.

Harding: Anyone want to tell these people that Illario is seriously overacting?

Molly!Rook: Now is not the "methinks the corvid doth protest to much" time, Harding. We'll help them as we can but dude, I'm not getting into the family nugshit if I don't have to. C'mon, Lucanis; let me show you to the Surreal Estate.

Lucanis: The ... what?

And, at the Surreal Estate

Molly!Rook: So?

Lucanis: It's ... interesting. I like the bed in the pantry.

Harding: There's a bed in the pantry?

Molly!Rook: There's a pantry?

Harding: ...What have you been eating?

Molly!Rook: Leftover trail rations. ...Wait, this means I can cook? THIS MEANS I CAN COOK!

Lucanis: ...You cook?

Molly!Rook: *already peering into the pantry* THERE ARE COFFEE BEANS IN HERE, TOO! SCORE!

Lucanis: .........

Spite: Say it! SAY IT! ...Okay, let me talk to them and I WILL SAY IT!

Lucanis: ..................

Spite: *gives Lucanis a nosebleed and a massive headache*

Molly!Rook: ...Okay, no, that is not okay. I don't know what we can do to de-demon you ... or let Spite back into his natural habitat, whatever, but the physical pain that you're clearly way too used to is not okay.

Lucanis: He'll get bored once you leave.

Molly: And he uses you as a chew-toy for sending us away? Fuck that.

Lucanis: Please.

Molly!Rook: ...Okay, I get you probably don't say that very often, so I'll leave it for now on one condition.

Lucanis: Name it.

Molly!Rook: Make some Antivan-style coffee for the crew who likes it? Like ... say, me. Definitely me. I've been using a battered copper pot over a campfire for awhile and--

Lucanis: You are boiling it?!?

Molly!Rook: Needs must over a campfire, dude! Save me from myself, okay?

Lucanis: *little smile* It shall be done.

Harding: If he cons her into distracting something important while he bombs a chantry, I'm gonna be pissed.

[ncisfranchise-source]

CBS ratings juggernaut NCIS returned to our screens tonight with the first of 10 episodes that star Wilmer Valderrama says “might shock a lot of people.”

In the crime procedural’s season 21 premiere, Valderrama’s character, former lone-wolf agent Nick Torres, copped to the murder of his family’s childhood tormenter after learning the man was victimizing another mother and son.

“Something breaks,” he tells EW. “Something breaks in Torres’ heart. It's almost like he's been waiting for this moment for way too long.”

Torres' actions in “Algún Día” set up a run of episodes abbreviated by the Hollywood labor strikes that Valderrama says may cause jaws to drop. “The fact that we have a shortened season allows us to be like, “Can this be the season where every episode is like crazy?”

Below, the That '70s Show alum talks moving away from the case-of-the-week, yukking it up with Gary Cole, and saying goodbye to David McCallum, who died in September at 90.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The season 20 finale closed with Nick Torres holding a mysterious man from his past at gunpoint. How did it feel to be the cliffhanger character who kept audiences speculating during the hiatus?

WILMER VALDERRAMA: We were working on that season finale the whole season. We were talking, having a lot of conversations about, “What is the season?” And I have this crazy idea: Why don't we send Torres to prison? And then we worked backward from that. Like, why would he be there? So we ran with it, and we were able to build something that was really interesting and it was still sustainable for our season finale. 

We've gotten glimpses of his past over the last several seasons, but “Algun Dia” gave us maybe the deepest look at that family history that we've gotten so far. Is it different for you to hit those beats compared to the quips and the crime-solving that you do with a more standard episode?

It's refreshing. It's just really refreshing. Moving forward, we're going to lean a little bit heavier on the souls and the hearts of our lead characters. I feel like our audiences have been so giving and so beautiful to just tune in and watch us and watch these characters. For the actors, it’s very refreshing to exercise all of our muscles to really, really go there and to really find the root of your pain, your trauma, or your patterns.

And the relationship between Parker and Torres is also going to evolve a little bit more. I talked to the showrunners and I was like, you have Gary Cole, who’s a comedic genius, and then you have me, which I have some, you know, comedy experience in my past too.

A little bit, yeah.

And I was like, why are we not doing this, dude? Why are these two characters not running wild in the field? And they loved the idea. There’s some laugh-out-loud stuff that we're about to do that’s really unique for NCIS. With NCIS there are some funny moments and then you're back to the complexity and the darkness of these cases. In this episode, we just went for the comedy, like, let's make it really funny, but not compromise the tonal DNA of our show. 

You sound really excited about these upcoming ten episodes of the season.

I am very excited. I'm excited because this is the rare opportunity where a show that by the grace and the love of the fans has the runway to try things. We're going to swing in directions that are a lot more personal and a lot more high-concept. It's still very much grounded in the mothership. We're not doing unnatural stuff for our characters, but we are really exploring storylines that I think could really help the following seasons

The second episode of the season is going to deal with the death of David McCallum and honoring Ducky by jumping into an unsolved case of his. What was the experience of filming that episode like for you and for the rest of the cast who’ve been working with him for so long?

It's tough. We needed that episode. As much as our audiences want to have a tribute, for us, the actors, this was our humble way of saying goodbye. All the way up to the last scene I did with him, the dude knew what he was doing. He'd come in and then they said, “Action,” and he’d never drop a line. I mean, I was in awe, and it reminded me that we should always do more and that we should always swing harder. That's the only thing you'll take with you is the commitment you gave your art, and that's something I feel he reminded us all. 

Ducky’s episode is going to be, I think, not just emotional, but it'll be a journey. Brian Dietzen is writing it, and I couldn't imagine anyone else really handling that memory the way that he did. There’s beautiful stuff happening in that episode.

In the premiere, Torres fights off a cell block’s worth of angry Russians and then ends up slightly shivved. So I'm curious, which is more stressful: filming the fight scene or filming the shirtless scene afterward?

[Valderrama, whose character is shown shirtless and bandaged in a prison hospital bed, laughs and covers his eyes with his hand]

That’s a great question. They both have a great deal of pressure. It's funny, you know, I pride myself in just loving getting to the gym and staying fit and all of that stuff, but in my career I've never been the guy that does the shirtless stuff. Am I confident doing shirtless stuff? Sure. I'm not insecure about that stuff, you know? But I've just never been that guy. 

I love doing my own stunts. I have a great partner, Brennan Mejia, who does some really difficult stuff for me, but I felt like I needed to do that [fight scene] because you need to understand how dangerous that moment was for him. And then, afterward, when they tell me, “Hey, do you mind wearing this?” I'm like, “I know what you're doing, sure, fine.” It was silly, and obviously my costars had a lot of fun with that.

I bet they did. 

They made a lot of fun of me. It was funny. But I don’t feel pressure for either one. I feel happy to do what it takes for the story. But sometimes it doesn’t take that to tell the story, and somehow it’s still on the page.

This is my favorite combination of the cast in years. I mean, it's been through so many, but the chemistry that you all have right now, it’s working.

I agree with you 100%. That's why I can't wait for people to see this this season. We're literally finishing each other's sentences, and the level of difficulty to pull off the stuff that we're doing, it’s so high, and somehow this cast is making it amazing. And it's been a joy. It's been a joy to spend all that time with these incredible individuals.

[larathia]

So that's it for the BSD anime fans for a while. Probably a few years, really. At least.

Final thoughts, therefore, on the anime:

Fukuchi, you ....idiot. You 'made Fyodor stay in prison' because 'what could he do from Europe'? REALLY? You ACTUALLY thought you had ANY control over Fyodor's ability to affect your little plot? DUDE. I'll admit, I laughed out loud when he said that. That was just...the dumbest damn thing he could've said.

The manga had better not make this final episode take more than one chapter. YA HEAR ME, ASAGIRI? Y'GOT NO MORE DAMN EXCUSES FOR THIS CHAPTER POINT-FIVE BS. You've got a whole season's worth of anime to create, minus somebody deciding on another light novel adaptation for three or four episodes of it. Chopchop.

No. I don't think Fyodor is dead. Yeah, that was probably actually his actual arm. An arm does not a corpse make, nor has having two arms ever affected his ability to SERIOUSLY fuck people over. We still don't know the nature of his ability, and it's entirely possible that he will resurface later. At most, at most, he's been weakened - and even that may prove temporary. Fyodor is like the Joker; don't believe he's dead until you have a DNA-verified, fully autopsied corpse. Even then, check for clones.

Bram is...whole. On the loose. I mean, he clearly likes Aya, so yay there, but ...I don't think this is the last we see of him.

I honestly do not believe Fukuchi's plot did jack squat to avert a coming global war. He may have changed some parameters, but the way he went about things means a) nobody learned a damn thing and b) a LOT of people just got the shit and piss scared right out of them, and c) scared people are extra, EXTRA stupid.

Side Note 1: Fyodor has to enact his ability through touch. Does he use the hand that apparently got blown off? Is his power ambidextrous? Somebody go check and get back to me.

Side Note 2: Chuuya was never a vampire? How the hell did he manage to get ordered to go to Muersault without other vampires working that out? Vamps don't seem to be telepathic with each other, but they're ALL tied to Bram. Surely Bram would notice Chuuya's not vamped? I'm ...actually kind of hoping upcoming manga chapters clear this one up, because while I expect ass-pulls, this one feels weirdly egregious.

Side Note 3: So...let's see. Yes. Dead Apple, Corruption Arc, Guild Arc, and now this long plot. Dazai and Ranpo know how to handle Fyodor now. Spend a while struggling theatrically. Set up dramatic countermeasures so Fyodor sees his rats running the maze he's built. And then arrange to kick him in the balls at the point where he thinks he's won. Fyodor's plots have gotten more direct, more dangerous, and have ever more layers to them, so "the point at which he thinks he's won" but does not have Yet Another Maze waiting is the real tricky bit, it seems. But the procedure's pretty well down pat now.

I'm not saying it makes me unhappy, but the manga damn well better explain how Akutagawa is not dead and also not a vamp. I don't want that handwaved, please and thankyou, because it affects A HELL OF A LOT OF THE WHOLE PLANET.

[newwavenosferatu]

|Confirming Obfuscator VPN...|

|VPN Confirmed. Welcome to SchreckNet|

Damned Gangrel. As I awaken and tend to my things, I see a message from Aurelia, the local Baron. She has invited me to some bar to meet with her and Koffi. I reluctantly go after ingesting some rando blood.

The address sent was some dingy dive in Speedway. It was empty save for the Anarchs, a barkeep, and 4 or 5 depressed drunks. They were in a corner booth, and when I joined them, the first thing Aurelia said is "Hunt?" as I'm asking what she means she interrupts "A Hunt. Will you join us on a good old fashion Gangrel hunt? We like to go after local scumbags and whatnot and make them pay." I agreed, and we chatted for a bit, Harish, their Emissary , deciding to join us before we left .

I haven't spent much time among the Outcasts, so I was under the impression this was a simple feed-kill with a twist. Not so.

The Anarchs drove me out to the woods, where the Gangrel shape changed and ran around amongst the beasts. Aurelia caught a deer with her claws, mutilating the poor thing. She brought it back and the Koffi began to drink from the wounds like, well, an animal. Harish bit the creatures throat, while I stand by curiously watching. When they offered me a sip I dipped my finger in its blood and tasted it. Better than rats.

After this little ritual, we went to stake out the target. Apparently, the guy was a prison guard with a tendency for violence. We pulled up a street away and made our way to the house, a simple two story with fading white paint. Two cars were parked outside, but the lights were off. It was decided that I would be sent in to survey the place. Unseen Passage plus an unlocked door makes for an easy time. A middle aged woman and a teenage boy were in the kitchen, talking around the dinner table. Great, a complication. The target was upstairs, endlessly scrolling on his phone. I make my way back and inform the Anarchs of the situation, and despite the unsuspected humans, they decided to move in. I made my way back inside and up the stairs, waiting until I hear the knock-knock on the door, when Harish would attempt to use Dominate to deal with the others, and the Gangrel would come upstairs and help get the guy out. I held the guy back with a knife to his throat but my threats were met with a simple "what the fuck, fuck you". Luckily, I was able to keep a hold on the guy while Koffi came to my assistance, tying the dude up. Aurelia laughed and told us to bring him down. We obliged, and found the two kine asleep on the couch, with Harish lounging in a reclining chair. He got up, opened the back door, and then there we were, in this small, fenced area. Koffi and Aurelia began to drink deep of the subdued target, with Harish waiting patiently to join in. We heard people moving and talking in the house, it looks like whatever Harish did wasn't too successful. Aurelia says "not enough time, stab him and lets get out of here". Koffi whined, "aww but the chase is my favourite part!". Harish pulled out a small knife and plunged it into the mans heart. It was now that I fully understood what was going on. Apparently, the Gangrel like to choose a target, subdue them, and release them in the woods so they can chase them down and kill them. she ride back was full of arguing over how things could have gone better. The second the car stopped, I slipped out and vanished into the city.

I thought the Gangrel were just animalistic, but tonight revealed a gruesomely primal part of their nature. We Kindred are hunters yes, and many of us even revel in the hunt, but the way their eyes looked as they jumped on him, the noises they made as they fed on him in a way like wolves feed on a carcass. I'm starting to think there is more animal traits of the Gangrel besides their appearance and disciplines.

|End of Transmission|

[away-ward]

Hi, i dont know if youve mentioned this before, but out of all the couples in DN, why is willemmy your fav? I love willemmy too and i love your fics, especially No Apologies and Hell Yeah. In fact, i found you from ao3 actually, but i only found out through your tumblr account here that there's a part 4 to No Apologies and then read the rest. Hope you day was amazing!

Hey! I really didn't think anyone would find me from ao3. I thought it would always happen in reverse, but it's good to know that my fics are reaching people that way too. Hell Yeah was my first willemmy, so I have a special soft spot for it. Really happy that others like it as well.

I have answered your question in another post, but it was a longer response and a bit towards the bottom. Basically, willemmy hit a lot of my favorite tropes and I feel that their past scenes are the most... romantic? There's just so many moments that make my heart bleed for these two. In fact, I didn't even like the present scenes at first and was joking with a friend that I was going to find a way to get just the past scenes on a pdf so that I didn't have to deal with skipping around. That's all I wanted. Eventually, I developed an... I'm not sure "appreciation" is the right word, but a tolerance the other parts of the book and the series as a whole.

For others who are interested, I read the whole series last year...

I started with corrupt from the library (before KU made it against their policy... this becomes important later), and really enjoyed the past scenes there. I like friendships and in fiction and heist stories (and a little mystery and a little crime), and the guys sort of pranking the town felt similar in a way, just lower stakes. I really liked Thunder Bay, which felt like it had a life and personality all it's own. The mystery of who set them to prison was... well, I questioned why Rika didn't seem to know why they were angry which tipped me off early that she wasn't the one who did it but I never predicted what the twist was. I really liked the gazebo scene. Will's determination to burn it was interesting, as was the conversation between Rika and Michael about the little nerd he loved. It made me want to peek behind the current of his mind a little to see what was going on in there.

As far as the horsemen, in corrupt, my favorite was Kai. He seemed intelligent and mysterious, which I really like in a character. I went into Hideaway eagerly, but was a little disappointed with how much he complained about stuff. And I liked Banks well enough, but I wasn't as interested in the mystery of the pope or their past scenes. But I like them together and they seem like a good match, which was fine.

I wasn't interested in reading about Damon and Winter, and their book was a bit of a drag for me. I felt bad for Damon and what he went through, but I also understood Winter's anger. For the most part, I thought Damon's healing... felt a bit rushed. I understand that a lot is probably going on behind the scenes now that we're not in his POV, but he seemed to bounce back really quickly from angry little gremlin dude to suave bad boy with a dark past (I liked the little gremlin dude. he was fun). I didn't like that Winter's love healed him. Why do we put that on female characters? I really didn't like that Rika and Damon were related. But Gabriel died and that was cool, I guess. Damon deserved that victory, in the very least.

Up to this point, I kept expecting we'd get even more hints about Will's past love. He's the last, so it had to be good right? Worth waiting for? Since a year goes by between each book, and with Conclave we learned that Will's been gone longer than a year, so with all that time, Will's reason for being angry with this girl was going to need to be good... right??? But the build up in the other books was nonexistent. The hints were so nonexistent that I actually read past Hideaway's the first time and had to go back to Kill Switch to understand that 'oh... it's about Emory. Got it.' I had lost a lot of interest and almost didn't care about Will at all. Plus, his reactions and way of interacting with the other girls was beginning to be a huge turn off. Who cares if he loves the little nerd, I'm so bored with this guy, was my feeling. In addition to all of that, it had been removed from my library's ebook catalogue. The audiobook was still there and I gave it a shot, but it was a quick no-go for me. I'm not one for audiobooks, anyway.

I threw my hands up and was ready to walk away. The series had bored me, the friendships weren't developed in a way that I would have liked. I saw the potential there and could push through a lot of my own HCs about how things were supposed to be, but I wanted a free way to spend my time with low effort. Enjoying this series was becoming a lot of work.

Around this time, tumblr was also pushing their 2 months of kindle unlimited ad. And it took me about one month of wondering about the little nerd to finally buy in.

It took me another four months to finally get angry enough to write Hell Yeah and then create this blog. The rest is history.

So you'll notice that most of my writings are an attempt to answer or fill in problems or holes I saw in their story.

Hell Yeah was an attempt to see how Emory would eventually work into the group, and recover for the truly stupid things said to her by these people before that. I understand she forgave them. But did they apologize?????

See You Around was my way of guess how they first met. I was super mad that we got a flashback to when Michael was three so we can see how he met Rika - a girl he literally knew since she was born. Did we need to see it? I guess, to understand his anger with Trevor, it was necessary (no it wasn't. We got it. At least I did.) We saw Banks and Kai meet in the confession booth and we saw Damon and Winter as children in the fountain.

What did we get for Willemmy? I loved her since I was fourteen and saw her through a fence. - not a direct quote. But I was mad.

It grew from there.

Anyway, I'm really happy that the fics are filling voids for others as well, and that I get to have these kinds of discussions with people. At least out of the grief this series as caused me, we found something to enjoy.

Sorry for babbling. But thanks for the question. And I did have a really good day on the day you asked. I hope you're having a wonderful day too!

[profblahson]

On that Puss in Boots brainrot, so here’s a list nobody asked for that I can’t get out of my brain

Classical Music I think characters would appreciate for one reason or another, usually because of the story or impetus behind its writing or meaning, in an increasingly longer title

Disclosure: these are just my thoughts. Feel free to comment, reblog, add, discuss! I’m just some dude on the Internet talking about fictional characters, have fun with it!

Under a cut cuz it’s long and there’s a lot of video links

My goal was to explore the music a bit more, get into the reasoning behind its existence, and how that story might play into why I think these characters would appreciate to it. (Sometimes, though, it’s a bit more simple than that)

Gotta start with our favorite, fearless Hero

Puss

“Heroic” Polonaise in Ab, Frederic Chopin

You’ve probably heard this one before, as it’s one of Chopin’s most popular works. Some research, however, I found that Chopin apparently didn’t like attaching descriptive titles to his work - “Heroic” was added by the modern listeners and music historians. The piece was written during the revolutions of 1842, and Chopin’s love at the time, Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil - known by her pen name George Sand - wrote that the piece had the energy and passion needed for the French Revolution. It seems their correspondence was a part of why it gained the name “Heroic” later in life.

While initially I chose this piece because “haha heroic for the hero,” I found I had a “wait a minute” moment reading about how the name was added later on. If having a title and being perceived a certain way doesn’t describe this cat (at least, for most of the film), then I watched the movie wrong. But the energy and vigor with which it clearly gets performed with, the emotional weight it can carry for so many people, during a time of political upheaval…I think Puss would resonate with that, being a Robin Hood himself.

Death

I have to talk about my boyfriend my boyfriend next, of course, being the reason for Puss’ journey in the first place.

Piano Trio No 2 in e, Dmitri Shostakovich

(This is likely the most difficult piece to listen to and talk about, tonally and emotionally. It’s incredibly dark. I’ve linked the fourth movement, because it beautifully synthesizes all the themes and ideas from the previous three, but if you have the time and spoons to spare I highly recommend listening to the entire composition start to finish.)

I’ve actually mentioned this piece specifically in this context on my blog before, but now I can elaborate a bit more. Shostakovich was heavily scrutinized by Stalin’s regime, and his works and performances were subject to the whims of the government for most of his life and beyond. He often had to write as carefully as he could so as to appear to be aligned with those in power, but often would write using themes and motifs counter to what the government would have liked.

The Piano Trio No 2 in e was part dedicated to Shostakovich’s friend and mentor, Ivan Sollertinsky - who passed away during the writing of the piece -, and part dedicated to the Jewish prisoners of war during WWII. Apparently, Shostakovich heard they were made to dig their own graves, and then dance on them. The fourth movement I linked makes the most clear use of a Yiddish-sounding theme in the violin, and the tormented nature of the composition is undeniable. As a character who clearly values life, I feel Death would appreciate the dedications and thought behind the piece, but also enjoy how beautifully macabre it sounds.

Kitty

Kitty was difficult for me, to be honest. Trying to find something that captures her arc is tricky, as I don’t personally know of much music that discusses trust, both in general, and the way she experiences it. But I do think she has a lot of pride in herself as a strong individual, and has pride in her work, which is why I went with

Danzon No 2, Arturo Marquez

The Danzon is a partner dance that developed from the Habanera, and is an active musical form in Mexico today. Marquez’s Danzon No 2 takes this to the next level, in a high energy and blistering work that will leave you humming it for hours. This piece is important as a modern work, as its popularity brought about not only greater respect for Mexican composers, but caused people (read: Western classical musicians) to explore and perform more Hispanic literature, especially Marquez’s. This is also the only piece on this list by a living composer, premiered in 1994.

Being of Hispanic descent, I felt Kitty would find pride in her nation’s music and dances becoming popular across the world due to the popularity of this piece. We also know this cat likes to dance, and it’s incredibly difficult to resist when listening to it.

Perrito

Nimrod, from Enigma Variations, Edward Elgar

The Enigma Variations are small vignettes written for Elgar’s friends. The most recognizable and known of the Variations, Nimrod is an absolutely gorgeous piece of music. The title “Nimrod” is a play on words - the friend in question’s name was Jaeger; Jaeger means “Hunter” in German; Nimrod was a biblical hunter of fame.

Jaeger was not only a friend, but Elgar’s publisher. He would offer advice and helped Elgar rework sections of music here and there. Jaeger’s presence as a confidant is shown in the slow moving lines, reflecting on years of support. If Perrito doesn’t embody dedicated friendship, support, and love in this way, then again - I must have watched the movie wrong. He learns to sit and listen through his time with Puss and Kitty, and this movement almost forces you to take a moment and really sit, listen, and appreciate what you’re hearing.

Goldi

Symphony No 1 in c, Johannes Brahms

I literally cannot think of a better “just right” story in music history than this piece. Brahms was known for destroying his manuscripts of works and sketches he didn’t approve of - he famously ached and pained over writing his first symphony, despite having already solidified himself as a successful composer. He was afraid of the looming shadow of Beethoven, who he had already been compared to by audiences and critics. Some records say it took 14 - others upwards of 21 - years for him to finish this first symphony, and even still he trialed it before publishing.

It seems things ended “just right” for this piece, after all. It was received positively, and spurred him on to compose his second symphony in about a year after the first. Music historians have pointed to this as a shift in the romantic symphonic style. While comparisons to Beethoven were still made (Brahms apparently being frustrated by this - not because of them, but because he felt it was obvious), Brahms had carved his own path of symphonic writing.

Okay I’m done here that’s as far as I got

If you made it down to here, congratulations! This idea came about because, uh, I thought it’d be fun! It gave me a chance to research a bit, and it was fun to try and think of music these characters that I can’t stop rotating in my head would appreciate.

Music is so universal, you could probably find a reason in any piece to give it to anyone, but that’s also what makes it so great. I am by no means an authority, and if you read all this way, feel free to let me know what you think!

Thanks for your time.

[roses-adventures]

Okay two things one In that first photo immediately I went to posture and facial expression etc. He's sitting rigid which implies he's got a vest, his feet are in a position to be able to move at any second, his cup wasn't held comfortably and even the way he's holding his phone shows he's recording. His face also says fuck I'm caught.

Now I actually am really good at reading people so is My boyfriend, as a kid/young adult I wanted to be an fbi profiler (until I realized thats a joke) or international spy (I'm disabled) or a lawyer (i have 4 years of political science and Hispanic studies degrees focused on law, prisons, Healthcare and immigration so thats still an option when i have money) and I find human psychology fascinating that was my first choice major but my disability prevented a psych degree, and my boyfriend worked military and then in the police department in the csi lab (both non US). It's also worth mentioning that certain times we have zero filter, so we just say things sometimes 🤣. we run a kik group together and this guy comes in the group, I own it so I verify the guy, get his age and location all that. Then he starts talking and something just seems ....off. now I also lived in the hood on and off for 12 years and I recognized the way he spoke. Literally the tone he texted in and the words he used, even his pfp just the photo of him screamed cop. finally after a couple hrs of him being there I was like, "are you a cop?" And he was like......radio silence.... my boyfriend whos on a call with me is dying laughing saying "babes you can't just ask people if they're cops 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣" I'm like "well I just did, if he's from the US directly asked they're legally required to tell us especially if he's trying to collect info" so we wait finally dude goes, "yeah..I am" I was like "I knew it" my boyfriend smokes weed legally and dude would manage to come on during the times he was, we messed with him for a bit too, nothing mean just talked as we normally do about me being a prison abolitionist and some of the other members would joke about committing low level crime or them being angels, our trauma, smexual experiences etc, all of which im sure was way more than this guy signed up for, a couple of the members like me and my boyfriend have bad experiences with cops (I was never arrested and never committed a crime i am very often, harrassed, stalked, made fun of and lied to by police that it makes it difficult to be comfortable with them) (my partner just has problems with authority), so we were more on guard. He left a few days later, either because we bore him or he found out we're all clean there legally speaking, and he couldn't buy drugs (though he did ask at one point whether joking or not thats sus).

Anyway, pigs love sheep clothing. Make sure you know how to spot them, your rights, local laws, basic federal laws and by all means DO NOT EXPECT THEY KNOW THE LAW, THEY DON'T. I've had more than 3 lie or blatantly not know the law and its always put me in a bad position. Remind them of the law, correct them, they hate it but it's entirely necessary.

I tend to also get harassed because I'm not light enough for them (I'm mixed race) so another tip a very very strange one at that. If you go out and are asking question or directions some place but you don't look like your only ancestors stepped off the mayflower but your friend does, have them ask the question or directions. I've tested it, they got rude with me acted like I was gonna steal cars and condescendingly said "maybe next time remember where you parked it" (it was 10pm in Seattle everything's dark we got there at 5pm when it was sunny of course we lost the car) anyway they turned to My friend who looks like a lighter version of the lucky charms mascot Character and kindly told him exactly how to get there.

Losing my mind remembering that pic chelsea manning posted of the extremely undercover and not at all obvious fbi agent who was tailing her after her release

[dancingtotuyo]

Great chapter! It’s so conflicting!!

I definitely love Bonnie and Joel together so much, they’re so cute together and work so well together. But obviously they’re in a shitty and complicated situation and it sucks that they have to get through the shitty stuff to eventually get to the good!

I honestly have such trouble truly feeling bad for Tommy. I know he has his problems but he’s an adult and father and it’s his responsibility to take care of his problems. But he just never did and ended up in jail and became even worse then. His wife is at home with his son, taking care of him and everything else and he can’t even be bothered to be the slightest bit present or thankful. (I probably would’ve send him some divorce papers at some point during these 2 years tbh.)

He says in the letter that he wishes he could be better for them but he could! He could be better but he chose not to be. He went to jail yeah, but he never took responsibility for all of his actions. I’m actually dreading him getting out because I can only imagine how terrible it’s going to be…

Is there going to be any cheating from Tommy in this story? Because right now I can definitely see him getting drunk and not giving a shit lol (if you want to share! If not just ignore this question hahaha)

And Nathan calling Joel Daddy 🥺 my freaking heart. That poor little boy. Just for him, I wish the reader would be a bit tougher with Tommy and not let him get away with being such an asshole. I can understand that he doesn’t want his son to see him in jail (shouldn’t have fucked up so bad then… lmao) and everything but he’s had absolutely no interest in his life??? He can’t even be bothered to properly talk to him on the phone. And that little boy deserves so much more than that and I’m glad he has Joel in his life for that 🥺 Joel as a boy dad has my entire heart actually. (Can we just imagine Nathan with a little toy tool belt and hardhat? wanting to help Joel with stuff around the house and he follows him around everywhere and copies Joels hands-on-hips stance?? Ugh yes please.)

I’m so curious to see what’s gonna happen next and I really hope reader and Joel get to be happy together at the end 🥺 I’m sure there’s gonna be plenty of angst first haha! Reader, pls don’t let Tommy suck you in again. He’s been nothing but terrible to you and you deserve so much more 🥺

Can’t wait to read more 💕💕

Hello dear anon!

I have read through this so many times because it fills my heart with joy to know that people care about this story so much to send PARAGRAPHS of their thoughts to me!

Yes, obviously Bonnie and Joel are in a shitty situation. This isn’t the first time they’ve had to partner up but it is the first time in dealing with Tommy being a dick. It’s the first time Joel has really had to pick up the pieces (though he’s been doing that for 2 1/2 years now).

I do think reader has been tougher with Tommy in the past, but I think she’s tired of fighting for it. Tommy isn’t even fighting her. How exhausting it is to fight when the other person won’t even do that. He’s gone apathetic and she doesn’t know what else to do but hope he snap out of it. But obviously, it’s taking its toll.

IF Tommy cheats. It won’t be because he doesn’t care. I know it may not seem like it- but none of this stems from Tommy not caring. Dude’s got trauma from the war (and prison) that he doesn’t know what to do with. He doesn’t know how to talk about it or process it. (Let’s remember it’s the 90’s too. Mental health care and support groups weren’t huge). To me, Tommy’s issue is that he doesn’t feel worthy and when he doesn’t feel worthy, he ends up pushing reader away.

THAT PICTURE YOU PAINTED OF NATHANIEL! Yesssss. Ugh! And a big yellow hard hat that’s too big for him. Picture him telling everyone he’s “uncle Joel” at Halloween 😭😭😭

You’re welcome in the inbox any time

Thank you! 💕

[skylarkking]

Current WIP!

Yes I do both the line art and coloring at the same time, sue me.

Info dump on this guy under cut

Anyways his name is Trivium, a decepticon that's on the run from essentially everyone including the DJD, Autobots, and even the Functionists. Basically he's fucked with a lot of factions for various reasons in a sort of comedic way.

Basically this guy has THE WORST luck imaginable. He joined the Decepticons on accident because he SOMEHOW ended up in a group of Decepticons recruits and was just too fucking awkward to say "um, I think should have taken the left at Albuquerque" and just accepts his fate. Of course this leads to him discovering he is an Outlier (elemental control like Aang from ATLAB) after an unfortunate incident with an Autobot ambush lead my MF Optimus Prime which then leads to a whole mass of confusion for the Autobots because like, holy fuck did this big bot just FIRE A LIGHTNING BOLT OUT OF HIS HANDS while SCREAMING like a little bitch? The answer is yes, yes he did.

So imagine this dude many many years later somehow ending up at one of the planets that Rodimus and the Lost Light crew just oh so happen to stop at for fuel or whatever and see him just hiding off to the side trying to be as inconspicuous as possible (which is difficult being something the size of Fort Max). And who would recognize him of all bots?

Fucking Whirl would. But not from a battle or anything.

No

Whirl recognizes him as one of the bots he shared a jail cell with for a bit. Why was Trivium in jail?

Because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time during a street brawl and was arrested by Prowl. Trivium didn't even fight it and just accepted his fate, which lead him right to jail. I imagine the conversation went something like:

Whirl: so, what are you in for?

Trivium: assault... apparently

W: apparently? The frag is that suppose to mean?

T: *explains what happened*

W: *dies of laughter* oh Primus! You're pathetic! Ahahaha!

T:* scrunching up with his legs to his chassis and staring at the ground, not answering and, yet again, simply accepting his fate and not fighting back.*

W: *now confused at the reaction as he was expecting anger or some sort of retort instead of silence and a sad expression* what's with the long face?

T: *doesn't answer*

W: HEY! I'm talking to you!

T: * not even making eye contact with whirl*

W: *sussing out something was off* what's your name?

T: Trivium

W: wait wait wait, YOURE trivium? *busts out laughing again* Primus this is just too much!

T:* again doesn't respond*

W: *finally realizing something was off.*

It takes time for whirl to warm up to him but they became friends and whirl would step up to bots who messed with Trivium until one day Trivium was dragged out of the cell for no reason (just his luck lol.)

This is where the functionist finally find out about his powers and sentenced him to be deactivated. But fate would fuck him in the aft again as his prison transport elukd be attacked by none other than the DJD and since then he's been running for it.

Maybe he'd learn how to be less of a pushover and become more assertive while on the lost light? Idk

Thank you for reading my OC infodump