#god this was a bit disjointed
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Hmm... this is actually quite fascinating.
Conway being the debut user of Trick Room in the anime is a well-known fact amongst us Conway-loving geeks. But I didn't actually stop to recognize that he's either the sole user or one of very few in this 2.5 decades-long series of moves beyond that. Part of that is because I stopped keeping up with the anime after XY, but it's still wild to me that to this day Conway's the only trainer to use Power Trick!
I actually considered putting moves on the poll list, but held back when I saw that Professor Kukui is already listed as a move specialist and was trying to avoid repeat specialties. It's been several years since I played Moon, and at the time it didn't hit me that the moves Kukui focuses on are actually the Z-Moves. I don't personally recall Kukui focusing on moves outside of those, so that's my bad, lol.
Conway being a professional esoteric move enthusiast makes a hell of a lot of sense, actually! And it's distinct enough from the Z-Moves to warrant eligibility.
By extension, his choice of Pokémon factor in as well. After all, Trick Room could be used by an ignorant trainer with a speedster-type 'mon and they could be wondering why everything went south for their battle, leading to them never wanting to use the move again because seemingly bad things happen whenever they do. As a casual player, I know there are a ton of moves out there that I initially dismissed because their descriptions often belie just how useful they truly are. I never would have figured out on my own how crucial a move like, say, Baton Pass was in fact a very useful move to have in battle. Seems like that move specifically, despite existing since Gen II, never got used in the anime at all.
The anime is often inconsistent with how moves are learned, though sometimes they kinda have to write around new special moves they wanna promote that didn't exist when the show began. Volt Tackle, for example - normally Ash's Pikachu could only have that as an Egg Move whilst one of his parents were equipped with a Light Ball if we're strictly following the game rules, meaning he should have had at the start. But being that Volt Tackle is a Gen III move, there was no way to plan for that ahead of time, so they had to improvise a bit.
I'm still fucking salty BW took it out of Pikachu's move set in favor of stupid-ass Electro Ball--
It does feel like, starting around maybe the Advance era but especially in the DP era, the writers were actually paying attention to game mechanics and adhering to the rules and limitations set by them for the most part. Going by Ash's Pikachu's move set across the entire series, it feels like maybe they weren't really adhering to the 4-move limit rule until much later on. Because by DP, it definitely felt like they were consistent with Pokémon only having four movies apiece.
Thusly, by the DP era I'd like to think the writers were at least on the starting point of being more faithful to how moves are learned in the games. All of Conway's Pokémon, for example, have no more than 3-4 moves each. Shuckle does learn Power Trick via leveling up, although in Gen IV it only gets that at Level 48. I know levels aren't really a thing in the anime, but there is a precedent for major characters' Pokémon learning moves in a logical order. Ash's Turtwig, for example, didn't learn Energy Ball right off the bat. It only learned that move over 50 episodes after its capture. So going by that reasoning, Conway likely had a set plan he wanted for Shuckle and fully intended for it to learn Power Trick down the line.
For Trick Room, however, that is only learnable by Dusknoir via TM in Gen IV. TMs were never a thing in the primary series (only in that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon special and Origins). So while I'd love for Conway to become someone who invents TMs down the line, it wouldn't explain how various Pokémon in the series were learning TM moves beforehand. I suppose one could say Conway identified the specific phenomenon in which Pokémon learn moves that are not part of their native move set and managed to create a tangible simulation in the form of TMs, perhaps?
He could also function as a Move Tutor. Lickilicky does have Rollout in its native move set in Gen IV, but interestingly, in Platinum and HGSS, it can also learn the move via a Move Tutor. There are a load of informal move tutors in the anime, amusingly. The aforementioned Energy Ball eventually learned by Ash's Turtwig was via tutoring by Kenny and his Breloom. As it turns out, in-game Turtwig can't naturally learn Energy Ball - that's a TM move. Incidentally, Breloom also can only learn Energy Ball via TM, so how Kenny's knows it is anyone's guess, though he spouts some stuff about how Turtwig would've learned Energy Ball quicker if it knew Bullet Seed first for their similarities in "focusing power" - except Bullet Seed is ALSO a TM-only move for Turtwig so I like to believe Kenny's talking out of his ass here---
There's a more straightforward example in Reggie, who used his Staraptor to teach Ash's Staravia Brave Bird - a move it learns via level-up, so it's not just TM moves this is restricted to.
Much later in DP, there's a CotD named Wilma - interestingly, a direct adaptation of an NPC by the same name in DPPt. In the games, her sole function was to teach Draco Meteor to eligible 'mons who have their friendship maxed out. Ash and his Gible meet her, try to learn Draco Meteor, but as we know, Gible didn't properly learn said move until...
Guess Conway was inadvertently move-tutoring even then!
Interestingly, all the anime "move tutors" listed in Bulbapedia only come from the AG series, the DP series, and the SM series.
Damn, I feel like I went on a tangent. Basically, AG/DP felt like the starting point of the anime taking game mechanics a little more seriously/faithfully. We saw a proper Pokémon trade, a lot more active status effects (Burn debuted in AG, but was shown off only once - it was shown off several times in DP), as well as abilities that can cause status effects. There were several times where physical moves were distinct from special moves, and so on. I appreciated how typing wasn't the end-all, be-all factor in winning a battle during this era, yet it wasn't completely disregarded, either.
This totally isn't me being salty at BW for going ass-backwards with how it treated type interactions, Ash going out of his way more often than not to pick a bad type match-up for his battles, and losing the few times he DID adhere to type logic, and the narrative trying to make it out like it's totally in Ash's character to just flip the bird to established game mechanics when they were largely respected in the two prior series--
SO, I see no issue with referring to the native game mechanics and making efforts to connect the anime to the game concepts that weren't adapted. Conway always struck me as someone who just loves to learn everything he can about Pokémon - it's pretty much why making him a Professor makes the most sense for his career path. I've written Conway as something of a Pokémon Freelancer - dabbling in anything and everything, trying to find the route that truly speaks to him. He's got tunnel vision whilst ironically being directionless.
Luckily, he's already got something of a unique style that makes him stand out above the crowd even if he's gotta shout out loud.
Arguably, it can be said that Conway fits the Metagamer, Compatibility, Battle-Extracurriculars, and maybe even Type categories as a Move Specialist. After all, as was said way further up in this post, Trick Room can be a great move, but requires context for the right kind of Pokémon to use it. By extension, it requires the wisdom of determining what Pokémon are best suited to any given trainer's style. How it's going to be used - in battle, in a Contest appeal and/or battle, or something else. Maybe Conway discovers that STAB is indeed a thing that happens in the anime!
I can also see him massively geeking out over Inverse Battles - just the concept of flipping the entire Type table on its head and going over how wildly certain Types differ under Opposite Day circumstances. I'd love to see Conway create the whole damn concept, considering it was never utilized in the anime.
If he can teach math to a Venonat, Conway could do damn near anything he sets his mind to. â„
Damn, #Conway Day snuck up on me again! My first instinct was to rush a shitty picture, but honestly, with my years of accumulated artist's rust, I doubt I'd be able to draw anything better than that piece-of-shit second picture anyway. :P
But I had a better idea soon after!
So, all of these pictures are three separate perceptions of a grown-up Conway becoming a Pokémon Professor: the first design belongs to @nerdinsandals , the second is mine, and the third is @anghappylady's.
We all seem to be in agreement that this is what Conway would ultimately grow up to be, or at least, ideally, what suits him best!
Two things none of us ever seemed to settle on (independently or as a collective) was A) Conway's surname... and considering current-gen Profs are branching out into other plant-based names rather than sticking just to trees, means the potential name pool got a lot wider, potentially.
But the more interesting aspect is this: What would Professor Conway specialize in?
This also seems to be a point none of us were able to pin down. Unless of course I'm missing anything, in which case beat me over the head with it--
So for this Conway Day, I figured the best contribution I can make is open up the discussion for what route of Pokémon study would best suit a Professor Conway?
A lot of those ideas I pulled straight out of my ass, but hopefully this might foster a nice, fun discussion for a character who deserves the love and attention, what little he receives?
#conway#pokemon conway#kohei#pokemon kohei#pokeani#god this was a bit disjointed#and ranty#hopefully it was a fulfilling read?#professor conway#a concept we should all embrace~#but yeah really good catch on the running theme with his move set#totally didn't realize just how obscure and unorthodox his methods are#but hey they're totally valid#some are gimmicky as hell but#y'know he's thinking outside the box#not unlike ash himself#just... in a very very very different way from ash's out-of-box thinking#conway breaks out of the box very meticulously#ash breaks out of the box koolaid man style#nerdinsandals
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part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 (these make one big story, you won't understand this part without the others)
day 07: free space a happy ending
Wakefulness embraces him so slowly and gently that Steveâs not entirely sure he isnât dreaming when he sees Eddie lying next to him, watching him with an easy smile as his fingers tap out a slow beat on his pillow. Steve looks at him, blinking away the remnants of sleep, not quite daring to do anything more than that for fear of it being a dream after all, scared that Eddie would disappear if Steve reached out to touch.
But then Eddieâs smile widens. âGood morning, sunshine.â
Steve gasps a little and moves his hand to Eddieâs cheek, tucking a few strands of hair behind his ear, his breath hitching when Eddie leans into the touch.
âYouâre here,â he whispers, his gaze wandering over Eddieâs features, taking it all in and looking for any indication that this is a dream.
Eddie hums. âAnd youâre pretty.â
It hits him out of nowhere, the open sincerity in Eddieâs voice, the fondness in his eyes, the honesty in everything about him. The love, open and free now â or getting there, at least. Itâs still so raw, though, so new, that Steve doesnât know how to handle it yet.
âShut up,â he huffs once heâs caught his breath, rolling over to hide his face and the way his cheeks are heating up. He rolls right into Eddie's chest, though, and he's so warm, so close, smells so good that Steve wants nothing more than to bury his face in his neck and stay there for the rest of the morning. Or maybe the rest of his life.
The reflex to pull away is there. The urge to run and hide, to laugh it off, to freeze up and find something else to do, something to occupy his hands and stop them from reaching for Eddie. Years and years of muscle memory telling Steve to leave.
But Eddie's arms come around him, holding him close and pulling him even closer. And Steve breathes him in, remembering that it can be okay. Remembering that they get a chance now.
Remembering the words.
What are you doing?
Changing the world.
So he tries that, too. Changing the world. He tries by winding his arms around Eddie, too, and breathing in again and again, learning that Eddie won't disappear if he does.
Slowly, he dares to move his arms, stroking along Eddie's back in slow, gentle patterns, lulling himself into a safety he hasn't felt in a while. Maybe ever. At some point Eddie begins to hum, and Steve thinks that it's just another one of his audible smiles, inviting Steve and the rest of the world to join in if they're so inclined. But then he detects a familiar melody in the vibrations of Eddie's neck against his skin, and he holds his breath to find out what it is.
His heart jumps when he recognises the song as one he used to listen to on repeat like a lovesick fool around the time his feelings for Eddie turned into something more, something better, something infinitely worse.
It skips and he forgets how to breathe as he lets his hands travel over Eddie's back, slowly and tentatively daring to slip underneath his shirt and touch his skin.
Eddie begins to sing, then, and Steve wonders if he's even been in love with him before, because nothing of what he's ever felt compares to Eddie's gentle, hoarse, sleep-rough voice as he sings Somebody to Steve, to their little bubble, or to the world outside.
"I want somebody to share, share the rest of my lifeShare my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details."
He closes his eyes as he listens, focusing on the vibrations, on the warmth, on the closeness, on how this moment is everything he's never even dared to want. Everything so perfect that he couldn't even dream it up.
Everything. You're everything.
He needs to be closer still, so be buries his nose in Eddie's neck and breathes him in, tangling their legs, filled with a breathless kind of joyful bliss when Eddie's breath hitches, too, and he stumbles over the words of the second verse as Steve tries to climb into his skin.
"I want somebody who cares for me passionatelyWith every thought and with every breath."
You have me, Steve thinks, pressing his lips to Eddie's pulse point. It's not a kiss, not quite. It's something deeper. It's a promise.
Eddie's hands come up to hold him there even as his voice carries through the drumbeat of Steve's heart in his throat, running fingers through his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp, making him purr along to the melody.
"But when I'm asleep I want somebodyWho will put their arms around me and kiss me tenderlyThough things like this make me sickIn a case like this, I'll get away with it."
When the song ends, Eddie's words faded out, replaced once again by the gentlest silence, Steve feels raw. Vulnerable. Open and exposed. But he also feels safe, and loved, buried in Eddie's skin and held there, as though Eddie is just as scared of fading away as Steve is.
He lifts his head just slightly, enough to meet Eddie's eyes â only to find that they're closed, an expression so serene like Steve has never seen before. Mesmerised and overflowing with affection, he reaches out to trace the line of his brows, down to his cheeks and all the way to his lips, where his eyes are glued for a second.
The thought of kissing Eddie is right there. The opportunity is, too. But he doesn't. He barely dares to move as it is. But he does roll them over the rest of the way until he lies comfortably on top of Eddie, and tucks his head underneath his chin, finding one of his hands and lacing their fingers.
"You've got him," he breathes eventually. "That somebody. If youââ
"Yes," Eddie says, his other hand finding its way to the nape of Steve's neck to play with his hair again. "I want."
"Good." It's lame; far from what he wants to say. From what he has already said last night. It feels like they're doing this backwards, starting with the I love you and catching up with the slow build-up afterwards. "Good. Me, too."
"Good," Eddie hums, and there's that smile again that Steve can't help but mirror.
They fall asleep again like that even though itâs already late in the morning; cuddling and holding and cradling each other, still trembling slightly. Maybe that's what changing the world will do to you. Maybe that's the bravery more than the love.
Or maybe it's just Steve and Eddie. Steve and Eddie. SteveandEddie.
I love you.
~*~
It takes a bit for Steve to relearn loving Eddie. To not associate it with tragedy and sadness and a bone-deep loneliness that'll leave him breathless even on the best of days.
It takes a while for Steve to learn a whole new kind of breathlessness, a whole new kind of aching when it comes to Eddie.
And Eddie's not much better than Steve, pulling away when Steve wants him closer, swallowing his words and needing a second, third, fourth try until he learns that he gets to love Steve now.
Years of unrequited love, or feelings unreturned, of words put out into the universe with no one to receive them, are not easily or quickly unwritten. But every time Steve's breath gets lodged in his throat and he wants to run away, Eddie is right there to remind him of what they can have now. Every time Steve tries to be a little less of who he really is, Eddie is right there to coax him out of his head with gentle touch and a lot of hugs.
Every time Eddie starts to doubt himself and all the ways he makes Steve the happiest person on the planet, Steve is right there with the words he only has for Eddie. Words that don't get stuck anymore. Words that finally get a recipient.
~*~
Their first kiss, the first real kiss, doesn't happen that first morning. They spend the first week only holding each other, barely wanting to let go, hiding their vulnerabilities within each other.
Steve is worried about it at first, seeing Eddie so quiet, so reverent, lacking his usual cheer, his energy and snarky comments. He asks about it one night, ready to prove right that he isn't and can never be enough for him, that all he will do is steal the things that make him Eddie.
Eddie stops then, lifting Steve's chin with a finger when he's too scared, too ashamed, too vulnerable to meet his eyes on his own accord.
"Stevie," Eddie says, his voice so gentle that Steve immediately feels stupid for doubting. "I have loved you for ten years. I've had you for three days. Let me bask in it. Let me be unable to be myself with how absolutely and utterly overcome I am with the knowledge that I have you now. That I get to hold you. That I get to kiss you and keep you and... God. I'm not unhappy. I'm so much the opposite of that that I'm not sure there's a word for it. Other than devoted. Smitten. Bewitched, body and soul."
Steve wants to kiss him then. Almost does, with the way they're just staring at each other, breathing the same air âair that smells like Eddie now. In the end, Eddie just holds him, brushing a kiss to his cheek, his forehead, his temple, and whispers, "Let me bask in it."
And so they do.
Wayne called Eddie not long after with the words, "Chrissy just told me the wedding's off. Please tell me that means what I think it means."
Eddie just blushed, reaching for Steve, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Yeah, I, uh. I finally talked to Steve."
There was a very loud cheer on the other end that made Steve laugh, falling into Eddie's side, holding him tight, a weight falling off his shoulders knowing that Wayne was okay with them.
You know, I always figured it would be you.
No matter what happens, you'll always be a son to me.
It made his eyes sting again, but he basked in the moment and in the knowledge that Wayne was on their side. Always has been, always will be.
"You better come here on Sunday, and bring Robin and Chrissy, too."
"Robs and Chrissy?" Eddie asked.
"Oh, you're in for a treat. I'll see your asses on Sunday, boys."
And with that, he hung up. Steve immediately went to call Robin, hopeful and giddy with Wayne's implication, knowing that Chrissy was Robin's person just like Eddie was his.
"She loves me," Robin said, on the verge of tears, and Steve joined here right then and there. "She'sâ Steve. She's soâ She... God!"
"Yeah," Steve laughed at the ceiling above his bed, grinning because Robin sounded so happy, not even caring that she didn't have the right words for it, because he could hear Chrissy laughing in the background, too. Laughing and saying hi to him and interrupting Robin's ramblings and groans and giggles with kisses that always left her dumbstruck for a good two seconds each time.
When the call ended, he went right back to the living room, where he and Eddie started watching Pride and Prejudice before, and fell right on top of him with a happy, happy smile.
~*~
It happens at Wayne's, exactly one week after Eddie showed up at Steve's in the middle of the night. One week after the phone call. One week after I love you.
It happens in the soft glow of the fairy lights Steve and Eddie helped him put up years ago. I happens after Wayne hugged him tight once more, after he pulled Chrissy to the side and promised her that she's still his kid, that he still loves her, and that he's happy to see her smile like that. After he promised the same to Robin.
It happens when Wayne's inside to refill their drinks and Chrissy and Robin are caught up in each other that they're blind and deaf to the rest of the world. When Steve turns to find Eddie looking at him with the softest, gentlest expression.
"Eddie," he whispers, leaning in to rest their heads together, lacing their fingers and stroking his thumb along Eddie's palm.
"Yeah, baby?"
Baby. It fills him with butterflies, with the urge to scream, to shout from all the rooftops that he loves Eddie, and more importantly, that Eddie loves him back! Baby. Baby.
"I love you."
"Hmm. I love you more."
No, you don't. Just longer. "Can I kiss you?"
He can feel Eddie's little gasp before he leans in even closer, rubbing their noses together, cradling Steve's face with his free hand. "Please," he whispers.
And Steve does. He captures Eddie's lips, pouring into it everything he feels and more. Sealing the promises he's made and all the ones he's yet to make. The promises to love and cherish Eddie. To be brave. To be there. To stay and keep and bask.
It's nothing like their first kiss all those years ago. There is no question behind it this time. Only declarations, only promises, only the beginning of a shared future.
And there are many, many more after this one.
đ·đ€đ· THE END đ·đ€đ·
tagging: @sexymothmanincarnate @mcneen @livsters @eddiemunchondeeznuts @abstractnaturaldisaster @steddie-as-they-go @hyperfixationgoddess @goodolefashionedloverboi @stxrcrossed186 @eddiemunsonswife @bidisastersworld @ghost-ly-s @romanticdestruction @walkingaftermidnight07 @anaibis @rainydays35 @mightbeasleep @sunfloweringstories @korixae @tuesdaycats @totoroinatardis @ilovebookshowboutyou @musical-theatre-gay @theluckyalien @copingmechanizm @srra @changelingbaby @sassygoop @obsessivelyme @r0binscript @hardboiledleggs @estrellami-1 @bisexualdisastersworld @space-invading-pigeon @swimmingbirdrunningrock @y0urnewstepp4r3nt @oxidantdreamboat @spilled-jar @phirex22 @littlemsterious @captaingigglyguinea @animecookie95 @sharingisntkaren @haluton @littlemsterious @animecookie95 @suddenlyinlove @bisexual-bilingual-biped @jinx-nanami @makewavesandwar @scheodingers-muppet @morcantinon @hexdbog @homosexualhomocide13
god i can't believe it's over. i thank you, every one of you, who cheered for me, cried with me, screamed and yelled at me, and stayed with me throughout this past week. i have no words right now other than thank you đ€đ· and i hope this is okay
#steddie#steddie fic#steddieweek2023#steddie week fic#i feel like this one's a bit disjointed but i kinda like that about it?? little snippets that make a happy ending you know??#idk i hope you like it too (i always get anxious about endings tbh catch me vibrating out of my skin)#dio words#i cannot believe it is done. i cannot believe what a ride it's been. i'll find the words for it later i think. first we read. and we bask đ€#morcantinon i am ENDLESSLY sorry i forgot to tag you even after you sent that wonderful ask please forgive me đđ€#i also forget a bunch of people who asked in the reblogs but dear god i hope you find this anyway i am all over the place#i will edit this and work in more chrissy/robin when i post it to ao3. but this is steddie week. and these are 15k words of an au#that happened spontaneously and within 2h each night of me flying by the seat of my pants. xD
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no but fearne and morrighan leaving the feywild as creatures of impulse who never once questioned how their primal instincts could be inherently violent but they step foot outside of their world and suddenly experience such a crisis of identity because⊠why am i like this? and why does it bother me so much now?
#cr lb#kicks a chair idk man i think itâs rad in a really deep way#also a bit heartbreaking to me maybe that they feel so disjointed from their previous identities it shatters them#i see a hot fey chick and Iâm like nooo girly donât question yourself get worse but maybe thatâs the betrayer god in me
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modern music sucks, people need to sing worse and write better songs
#disclaimer: this post is FULLY tongue in cheek :P#please do not come for me#kinda stand by what i said though#i want people who sound like janis joplin and bob dylan#(both of whom IMHO are BRILLIANT singers btw)#(my phrasing in the post is a bit of a dig at people who don't agree with that)#and ffs i just read a modern-song lyric that was the most unoriginal disjointed BS you can imagine#i'm not going to point fingers bc i don't want to shit on anybody's fave music#but my god. it's a struggle out here folks.#cosmo gyres#do not rb plsssssssss#text#musicblogging
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thinking just a bit too hard about how the added depth given to tifa and aerith's friendship only increases the weight threatening to crush tifa after the forgotten capital, she already had so much to carry on her weary shoulders, she's going to have to carry even more when mideel happens, and it doesn't even stop after meteorfall, ohg od oh i love her so much i
#(sobbing and crying and snotting everywhere) AERITH GAVE HER SOMEONE TO CONFIDE IN ON SUCH A TUMULTUOUS JOURNEY#SOMEONE SHE COULD BE AS CLOSE TO FULLY RELAXED AS POSSIBLE#SOMEONE TO GOSSIP WITH OR SHARE HER CONCERNS OR JUST. BE A NORMAL GIRL WITH#YUFFIE'S THERE BUT SHE'S JUST A KID AND TIFA WOULD NEVER WANT TO HARM THE AIR OF CAREFREE CHILDISHNESS SHE MANAGES TO MAINTAIN EVEN IF#ITS BECAUSE YUFFIE IS HIDING THINGS THAT ARE CRUSHING HER#but poor tifa . gentle tifa. is now left to regret. to blame herself.#she has barret who acts like a father figure to her sure - but despite how much she cares about him and values her frienship with him#he's not aerith. he's not someone she can just gossip about first loves with. not someone she can fully Relate to. if you get what i mean#she is left to trace back the thread of how poor aerith got caught in this mess#she was the one to ask aerith to save marlene. but how did they get there? aerith refused to let cloud be a bystander in wall market#how did that happen? she made a risky choice that put her in a position where their paths crossed. why? because cloud was briefly lost#during the bombing mission. why did the bombing mission happen? she couldn't stop it. ETC ETC#NONE OF IT WAS HER FAULT... BUT SHE NEVER WANTED TO DRAG INNOCENT PEOPLE INTO THIS AT ANY SINGLE POINT#AND NOW SOMEONE WHO QUICKLY BECAME A CLOSE FRIEND IS GONE oh lord my heart#all of this added onto the things like how alone she was in nibelheim... it was just her and her dad for some years after the boys all left#and then the Incident happens and she loses that last person she had... and to an extent another she didn't even know was right there(cloud#god i could talk about her and how she has suffered more than jesus for ages (happy easter. lmao)#FF7 Rebirth spoilers#just in case?? for anyone who's only playing the remakes i guess. since this was basically already there the remakes just elaborate on it#i think about 'we found you!' 'i guess you did!' SO OFTEN#these two girls mean the world to me and i will not let you reduce them to love interest rivals#when tifa ran over to aerith's body i think everyone in the world heard my heart shattering into dust#these thoughts are a bit disjointed and don't articulate well what i mean but god. god. i am thinking about her today
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2023 reads // twitter thread
The Sun and The Void
Venezuelan inspired high fantasy
follows a young outcast swordswoman taken in by her grandmother, the dark sorceress for a noble family, who relies on the magic to keep her alive after being attacked by monstrous creatures
and a young noblewoman whoâs the shame of her family because of her mixed heritage and desire to use magic
both are manipulated by those with more power than them into a plot to free an ancient evil god
mineral based magic, politics, nonhuman MCs
#The Sun and The Void#aroaessidhe 2023 reads#hm. haha. surface level this is kinda interesting and cool but i am going to follow with so many complaints#though I feel like it didnât go into the magic or worldbuilding as much as I wanted and it felt irrelevant to the characters#like how does the magic even work? idk man#though I feel like it didnât go into it as much as I wanted and it felt irrelevant to the characters#very slow to start and the pacing is weird. it would also go ages without having the other POV. very disjointed?#it felt like the first 60% was just context for the group of characters getting together as a group and then it was a bit predisposed with#Theyâre A Group! even tho. they're barely a group for long#the authors note mentions that the story concept started with a line about the god and ritual andâŠ..yeah I can kind of tell#I feel like everything was built up around it in a way that ultimately that part didnât fit right#I never bought that any of them were actually like fully committed to the evil dark magic? and also thereâs this plot twist#that they have to fully kill the sacrifices & I was likeâŠdid we not already know that? girl r you stupid what do you think sacrifice means#also#oh my god at like half way one of the MCs is like. oh finally this guy who Iâve been exchanging letters with for months turned up to get me#away from here! by the way Iâve been exchanging letters with this guy and weâre friends! and like. sheâd been doing nothing much for the#last 10% of the book why was that not likeâŠ.shown as something she was doing? and like build up the friendship for the reader instead of#just dropping it on us - and also that we know the character from the other POV. and hes a racist prick. and we're supposed to believe she'#charmed by him because of this letter writing WE DIDNâT SEEâŠ.. why.#and then also that is like. heâs a shitbag and itâs obviously not romantic at all. heâs manipulative and terrible to her#EXCEPT at the end it implies his bad behaviour is because demon and oh uwu he gets all beat up and maybe hes sowwy now#and starts to imply she likes and is attracted to him? and I get the impression the next book is gonna be like evil power couple dynamic?#which. feels like the first concept the author had; and then tried to build up to that but not effectively lmao#for the lesbians:#I DO APPRECIATE having an assumed love interest then realising that that was idealised and actually you have feelings#for this other person youâve become friends with! nice slow switch up. though quite brief#I do however dislike that when she admitted her feelings to the first LI and she rejected her it was still framed as the otherâs fault#for not reciprocating the feelingsâŠ.worst tropeâŠ.also like. it kind of conflated her not feeling that way to her having a bit of class disc#which. yikes? oh my god stop villainising people for not reciprocating romantic feelings (ALSO they turn out to be related anyway đ€Ș)#i just feel like the romance switchover could have been done with more nuance and complexity
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#*beep* oh. hey. guess you're sleeping? maybe you're at work. or out with friends. i hope wherever you are it's good#or that it's getting better. i really do#i'm not good. but you knew that already. otherwise why would i be leaving this message?#sorry. i just need to talk for a bit i guess#cause it's like. every day i write a hundred posts and every day i delete most if not all of them#and i could not tell you why#this is my blog after all. my words and thoughts go here#but also. this is my third place. and i can't lose that#isn't that crazy? i can't lose the handful of notes from reblogging other people's posts#the idea that somehow i'm constructing myself in the cut and paste instead of doing something myself#and i do try to make posts of my own. but nothing's ever worth posting. i don't even let it rot in the drafts. it's just gone#and i try to think about what would stop me from doing this#which inevitably brought me here - what would i be doing if it were fifty years ago#and i think the answer is i'd be calling someone who used to care and blowing up their answering machine#and i think about old answering machines. the ones that need a tape to record the message#does dora just re-record over the tapes that harry fills?#does she trash them? i'm guessing she doesn't listen to them#i won't tell you what to do with this message. i'll spare you a call to action#it's not like a diary would fix this. i have a diary. i've been keeping one regularly for months now#i think i want to be perceived but i refuse to speak unless spoken to and i will not reach out on here unless i'm being a kindly anon#and when i talk irl it's all broken disjointed subjects without predicates#it takes such effort for me to talk that people stop asking me out of kindness. but there's still thoughts i haven't said#thoughts that don't need to be said. we don't *need* another person rambling on about whatever random fandom topic or half-assed scribbles#i tried making serious art and meta posts for like four years across different fandoms#it's all gone now. as is most of my poetry. lotta things i don't know or care to know#and i can't bring myself to do that again. esp if that's not why you're here. so like. it's easier just to remain quiet?#because. i know people *can* understand. but it takes effort#and i can't guarantee a return on investment. i don't know if the cost of teaching me how to talk again is worth it#god i want to infodump but that was beaten out of me. the need is still there but i can't. it hurts#idk. things are good and then things are bad and on the whole they're good and getting better
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real talk, I cannot believe I'm seeing gfms that I remember from the first round of donation posts on tumblr still attempting to reach their fundraising goals. i don't even know how to put into words what i'm trying to say but i think it's a miracle that so many of these people asking for help are still alive after months. i'm almost relieved to see asks in my inbox because at least i know they're probably still alive. at the same time, it's awful when it's a fundraiser i remember from so early on, because they are still trying to reach people and raise what they need.
#sorry. i'm a bit disjointed here. but i just. i hear what's happening over there and#i think we have a bit of a skewed timeline for these kinds of gfms#this is not like a typical one or a kickstarter where donations can build up slowly over time#every day that passes could be their last. every morning could be one they don't get to see. they're emergency funds for a reason#and i cannot possibly donate enough to make a dent in any of these. i do not have a lot to spare if i want to pay rent.#but god i wish i could do more. i'm trying to figure out how to send the posters around. but i have no printer...#ughhh. i'll figure out something.#sorry.#just. needed to get that out. i actually hope people read this one.#storyrambles#palestine#random thoughts
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"Yuri!" The shape of their name lends itself too easily to a smile as Maria trots along the sands, both waving and laughing brightly as can be. Yet as her hand darts into her pockets and fishes, she comes to the dismaying realization that she has quite run out of gifts, snacks, and trinkets -- terrible, indeed.
"Oh, no..." She pauses, purses her lips, then frowns, though all of this is done without particular gravitas. "Hmm... I think I already ran out of treats. But I still have something for you! Here, hold out your hand!"
With her hand held in a fist, she waits, hoping they'll oblige her. Bring her hand over theirs, she opens her palm in splayed fingers and drops -- the point of her index finger, lightly tracing a flower on their hand.
"Hee hee... it's a promise! I know we're on different teams, but if you ever need me, just tell me, okay? I brought lots of medicine with me!" Rose red eyes glance toward the bandana denoting their team, a familiar, golden color she had just earlier tied into her brother's hair. It wouldn't be so bad, she thinks, if their team wins... Her hand retreats, catching a sparkling laugh.
"I'm still going to bring you something tasty later, though! Look forward to it, okay? Hee hee!"
âMaria.â And as the call of their name in her voice is so often accompanied by her smile and laughter, so is her name in theirs followed by a crease at the corner of their eyes, the faintest uptilt of their lip. A hand raises, waves and sends the yellow bandana tied around their wrist fluttering in the wind as lilacs dart to her own. They're not allies this time around, it seems. âJust my luckâ I was about to go looking for you.â
âYou don't owe me anything, you know.â If anything, their debts to her are the ones mounting. There's plenty of little trinkets and charms they must repay from over the years. But still they oblige, hand lowering from its wave to be held out, and the flower she traces there earns a faint laugh from the mockingbird.
Their other hand, which had been tucked behind their back thus far raises now to plop a flower crown onto her head, though the way it settles is a little lopsided. âWell, while we're on the topicâ here. You're always giving me little gifts so I thought it's about time I returned the favor. I used to make them as a kid to keep my hands busy. Maybe it'll bring you good luck in the competition.â Someone ought to find fortune in flowers, when Yuri is so often used to the memory of them being bathed in blood.
Hands carefully reach over to straighten the crown atop her head, stepping back with a small smile once they're satisfied. âAnd I guess it's a promise too. I don't have any medicine with me, but I'm handy in plenty of other ways. If you need anything at all, just give me a shout. I'll be there.â
Because maybe the innocent wishes of a boy have been hidden in the petals of those flowers too. Be careful, Maria. Keep yourself safe.
But all Yuri voices with a pat to her shoulder in parting is, âI'll see you later, yeah?â
#toahappyland2024#princessmacedon#.đ„ Ę Ëăïčăi worry that love is violence .ăâinbox.ăïč#i Will clear my inbox in time for an event on god#anyway maria :pleading:#you beat me to sending an ask wahaha so if this is a bit disjointed it is me trying to slot in the pieces of it here
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just watched critical role campaign 2 episode 78
and i gotta rant
the ending was so funny, don't get me wrong, but so unnecessary!
they were given permission to use the teleportation circle, they shouldn't have gotten in trouble and banned from using it! it was zeenoth's fault for not calling ahead, which he should have known to do, so why did they get in trouble for it!!! why did they get banned for doing the thing he let them do, while he seemingly fucked up by not warning anyone that they were coming!!! that wasn't on them!!! that was all his fault!!!
#critical role#mighty nein#the last few eps have been so disjointed and sloggy and i know its because they've had long breaks between them#but my god is it frustrating to watch#does the cast not go back and rewatch the important lore dump bits to get the info straight???#it feels like they're not taking any of this seriously sometimes#i love them but fuck me are they stupid sometimes#[autistic sense of justice rage]
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love old comics bc its like the most batshit plotlines known to man treated naturally. in this issue of showcase (#32), aquaman and aqualad have to find an ancient wizards treasure.
[ID: Two panels from Showcase #32. The first has a narration box reading "Into the coral wilderness darts the daring duo..." and depicts Aquaman and Aqualad swimming through a coral filled area. Aquaman says "The trail leads through this deep, narrow, coral chasm!". The second panel has the narration box reading "but when they enter it..." and shows the two characters being attacked by corals. Aqualad exclaims "Aquaman! A--A barrage of staghorn corals hurtling toward us! We--we swam right into a trap!". Aquaman replies "Y-yes... a trap obviously set up by the ancient wizard who wanted to protect his treasure chest!" /end ID]
#twist rambles#good god sorry i have to be annoying abt these two bc theyre everything to me. ive only had garth for 19 issues but id kill for him#sorry if the id is a bit disjointed im kind of like. experieincing the cold medicine out of it symptoms.#like this isnt even the most wild part of this issue. there is a beast of some sort coming up for me. given the issue is titled the creatur#king of the sea. and that beast is DEFINITELY an out there design. i love u silver age comics so so dearly... i need to watch more of the#old aqu.aman and su.perman series actually.. its so so fun...#every day i inch closer to AL being in the tee.n tit.ans and im so so excited...
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pairing: werewolf! mingi x hunter! reader (fem)
genre: fluff, romance, smut
summary: you seemingly end up biting off more than you can chew upon discovering that the beast you hunted down for dinner is not what it seems.
w.c: 4.5k (more plot than smut this time hehe)
warnings: needy soft dom! mingi, sub! reader, pet names + praise only (shocking ik), pheromones mentioned, possessiveness, kissing, groping, tit play, spit + drool bc wolf mingi is a messy boy <3, mingi eats out reader like sheâs his last meal đ«¶đŒ, SIZE KINK,,, feral unprotected sex, knotting <333, bulge kink/cum inflation, breeding kink ofc
a/n: ITâS FICTOBER TIME BITCH LETS FUCKING GOOO đŁïž i am fashionably late ~ but i have come here to humbly offer you lovestruck werewolf mingi đș <3 this is the softest my fictober stories will get btw lol itâs gonna be depravity from here on out ^^ oh and iâm sorry if this fic seems disjointed in any way,, i have a lot on my mind these days but regardless i hope you enjoy ~~
pssst: thank you so, so much for 5.5k followers !! itâs honestly insane to me and i still canât fathom it hehe but the support and love means so very much to me <333
song rec: say - keshi
fictober 2024
You knew better than to hunt at night, but your rumbling stomach begged to differ. The evening air was frigid, sitting heavily inside your lungs each time you regrettably breathed it in, your hefty pelt only doing so much to keep you safe from the powerful winds that continually blew through the vast forest around you. You pulled the hood of your pelt down for a moment, the familiar sounds of wildlife finally making their way to your now exposed ears, though a freezing breeze made its mark on the soft flesh of your rosy cheeks and nose. You bit into your chapped bottom lip, surveying your surroundings for something youâd be able to feast on once you were back inside the safety of your cabin, thanking the gods for the decent visibility you had from the full moon above.
The longer you sat there in silence, your body never growing acclimated to the fierce winter temperatures, you began to fall susceptible to exhaustion, the kind that had sunk its way deep into your bones in the same way your loneliness had for years at a time, feeling so heavy you retired from your once rigid stance and slumped down against the oak tree behind you. A few winks of sleep couldnât possibly hurt you, not when you were quick to rise and fight if need be, your trusty bow and arrow at your side, as well as a pocket knife always sitting in its holster at your hip. You would be up as soon as you had the strength to open up your eyes and go on.
You eventually woke up to the sound of howling. It had been so distinctly powerful that it was most likely produced by a large wolf, perhaps the leader of a pack. It was then that the culprit of the noise stalked past a few nearby trees and bushes, its dark shaggy coat leaving it virtually impossible to see due to the way it blended in so seamlessly. Leaving abnormally big paw prints behind in the ground below, it slowly paced back and forth in front of you, still quite a distance away from you, but getting closer and closer with each step it made, its large brown eyes piercing right through yours and seemingly gazing upon your soul, deeply fixated on your presence.
It was much larger than any wolf you had seen in your entire lifetime, more akin to a dire wolf, which you had only seen in books, as it had been extinct for hundreds of years before, yet it wasâŠso familiar. Still trapped inside the limbo of the dream you were initially having and your reality, you werenât completely sure if what was happening before you was actually real. Not only that, but you had the sudden urge to be at the mercy of the wolf, even if it meant that youâd end up with your throat between the beautiful creatureâs ragged teeth. However, you werenât going to roll the dice with death, not when youâve seen past loved ones get their lives snuffed out by a predator half the size of the one that was suddenly eagerly making its way towards you.
Just before the wolf could reach you, your bow was drawn, the feathered arrow slicing into the cold skin of your cheek as it sailed through the air and lodged itself into the creatureâs shoulder, your eyes shut tight all the while. What you expected to hear were the familiar pained whines of a canine but you instead were exposed to the lower pitched groans of a man, causing you to freeze, your eyes opening back up, now widened like marbles. The last thing you were expecting to see was another human, not when you lived alone in the woods for so long, and especially not a man that was stark naked and cowering in pain, with tears in his glistening eyes, looking at you as though you had betrayed him.
You dropped your bow in favor of being at the strange manâs side, surveying his wound, realizing you were so exhausted and hungry, you mustâve simply imagined the wolf. âI-i thoughtâŠâ you whispered, mostly to yourself, your voice trailing off, almost surprised to hear it after not using it for so long.
âIs that your way of saying hello?â The man hissed in pain when you touched the site of his wound, pushing your hand away from the broken shard of wood that was still lodged inside his bare shoulder.
âI thought you wereâŠgoing to kill meâŠâ You reached down and tore off a portion of your thick linen blouse, about to wrap it around the manâs wound when you blocked you with his forearm. âI saw a wolfâŠâ
âDo I look like a wolf?â he pouted, reaching over to hold his shoulder in pain.
âIâm sorry, IââŠPlease, let me help you. I need to apply pressure,â you reasoned, your face contorted with growing regret and concern.
Studying your body language, the man cautiously let go of his arm and allowed you to wrap the torn linen around the wound site, biting into his lip all the while, letting out a few pained grunts. âHurtsâŠâ
âI know, Iâm almost done, I promiseâŠâ you whispered softly near him, taking a second to share a look with the man, apologizing once again with your softened gaze and upturned brows.
Once you were done, he leaned forward slightly into your personal space to study you, his eyes widened once again, this time with curiosity and admiration, already trusting you despite remnants of your arrow still left inside him.
You bit into your lip, letting out a small breath, which turned into condensation as soon as it left your mouth. âI didnât think anyone else lived in this forestâŠWhere did you come from?â
Afraid that you would find his true identity to be far too much for you to handle, he thought it would be better to hide it. âSome would call me a nomadâŠIâm here, there, everywhere, really.â
You nodded at his words, noticing once again that he lacked clothes when you were finally able to pull your attention away from his hypnotizing likeness, never having been drawn to someone like this before. It was then that you averted your eyes with diligence, your once cold cheeks growing warmer the more he stared at you. It took all your strength to return his gaze for just a moment. âDo nomads usually wander around the woods without proper clothing?â
âWellââ The werewolfâs vision went dark for a second, as your pelt was thrown onto him. He pulled it down just enough to continue admiring the human he had been watching from a distance for so long, blowing a few strands of dark shaggy hair out of his sight. âIâm Mingi, by the way. Whatâs your name?â
âY-Y/N,â you answered sheepishly, not sure why the strange man was so keenly interested in you, especially after you just shot him with an arrow.
âY/N,â he repeated lovingly, enjoying the way it sounded, slowly sitting up until little white dots began to dance around his vision. âI donât feel so good.â When Mingi fell forward into your arms, he couldnât help but smile. You smelled so pretty, just like he had imagined. Warm like cinnamon, smoky like the fire you always kept burning inside your cabin, sweet like flowers in a garden he would roll around in when no one was around. You smelled like home.
-
It took most of your strength helping the injured man back to your cabin, immediately laying him down in your bed and pulling your warm blankets up over him. To beat the freezing temperature inside your cabin, you quickly tossed a few pieces of wood in the fireplace and lit it up. You stayed crouched near the controlled flames for a little while to make sure the fire stayed alive, until your company let out a soft groan of pain. Now at his side, you pulled the pelt from his shoulders and frowned at the extent of the damage you caused, tears pricking at your eyes. âYouâre still bleeding, MingiâŠIâm so sorryâŠI need to stitch you up.â
Just as you stood up, Mingi reached up to hold onto the corner of your torn blouse, blinking hazily up at you, a few beads of sweat cascading along his straining neck. âPlease, donât worry about me, love. Youâre the one who needs rest.â
âNonsense.â You shook your head, pulling away to find your sewing kit, your cheeks hot to the touch. Once you found it inside one of your drawers, along with a sleep shirt that had belonged to a previous loved one, you returned to Mingiâs side. âNow, stay still, okay?â
âIâll do whatever you need from me.â Mingi slowly sat up and rested his back against the headboard, watching with interest as you expertly sewed his wound closed, quite fond of the way you took care of him, and of how close you were to him, your hand resting on his chest for stability as you worked. Before you could pull your hand away from his body, he placed his over yours, unintentionally allowing you to feel his rapid heartbeat. âThank you for this. Anyone else wouldâve left me for the wolves.â
Biting into your lip, you couldnât help but take into account the way his hand completely enveloped yours, truly forgetting just how important physical touch and connection with others was until this very moment, now that his warm skin was pressing into yours. âI-itâs nothing, reallyâŠâ
âNo, itâs not just nothing,â Mingi pouted, slowly bringing your hand up against his cheek to gently nuzzle into it. He couldnât believe he had gotten this close to you, the special human he had been head over paws for ever since he had seen you for the first time. âItâs everything. You saved me.â
It was almost as if this stranger had escaped one of the novels you read over and over, seeming too good to be true. âIt was the least I could do after I hurt youâŠâ
It was when Mingi began to look at you for too long, with that unwavering longing in his eyes, that you cleared your throat and stood up, announcing, âI think Iâll make us some nice, warm soup. How does that sound?â
It took everything in Mingi not to let out a few celebratory howls, instead nodding his head eagerly, his shaggy brown hair bouncing. âIâve always wanted to try your food. I can smell it from outside sometimes and it always makes my stomach rumble.â
You began to expertly chop up vegetables, stopping mid slice when you digested Mingiâs interesting choice of words. âSo you know of me?â
âI-i do,â he nodded shyly, despite your back being turned away from him.
âHave you been watching me, Mingi?â you asked after a few more minutes of silence, your knife now slicing into the last few potatoes you had pulled from your garden before winter began.
ââŠ.Admiring you,â he gently corrected, knowing his big fluffy ears would be splayed out in embarrassment if they were there.
Just as you began to pour the cut up vegetables into the pot of boiling broth, you blushed and jolted suddenly from the implications of the handsome strangerâs words. Your elbow knocked into the side of your cleaver, causing it to slip off the edge of the wood counter. Before you could blink, Mingi had already caught the handle of the cleaver, slowly standing up by your side, officially displaying the sheer size difference between the two of you.
âI didnât mean to scare you, loveâŠâ Mingi set the cleaver back down onto the counter, reaching over to touch your hand with a gentleness you hadnât experienced before.
The speed and quickness of Mingiâs reaction was incomprehensible; you were still reeling from it. Now he stood beside you, his size and stature more akin to a beast in human form than a simple man. Not only that, but the hand that was overlapping yours felt hot to the touch, like Mingi had a furnace burning away inside of him. You had heard stories of shapeshifters that lived in dense forests much like the one you called home. They had been around for centuries, living amongst themselves, never interacting with humans, able to take the form of beasts at will. You glanced out your window, peering up at the bright orb looming over you. It was a full moon, after all â but did myths like that really exist in the real world?
âMingiâŠare youâŠ?â Your words began to die inside your mouth as soon as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place inside your mind. You couldnât deny the connection you felt with Mingi, knowing that your total isolation played a part in your desire to let him in. It clouded your mind. You were growing so tired, you almost didnât seem to mind if he wasnât strictly human.
Mingi smiled softly down at you, one of his canine teeth poking out past his plump lips, leaning himself down a bit to shorten the distance between you. He waited eagerly for you to finish your question, tilting his head to the side, having to blow his hair out of the way.
âAre you hungry?â you finally asked, lowering the flame on the stove so that the soup could settle now that it was ready to serve.
Mingiâs lips formed a silent âoâ, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. He thought you mightâve been on the same page about your mutual attraction, but he was beginning to suspect that his obsession with you was one sided. Itâs not like you had imprinted on him; it was the other way around. Silly wolf.
Before Mingi could cry about it, he tasted something so delicious, he couldnât help but let out an enthusiastic âmmm!â. You had slipped a soup spoon into his open mouth, allowing him to try the first homemade meal heâs ever had in his life, one that you had made for the both of you to share together within the sanctity of your cabin, away from the bitter isolation of the forest. He was a silly wolf, after all, because this, this was love.
âGood?â you gauged softly, your eyebrows upturned with sheepish anticipation.
âGood! Ahhh~â Mingi licked his lips and opened up again, savoring the warm, comforting feeling inside his stomach once you fed him another bite. âIâve never had something this delicious before.â
âOh, stop,â you blushed, pouring some soup into a bowl and handing it to Mingi, shocked to see him bring it up to his mouth and gulp it down. âOh, you werenât lyingâŠwere you?â
Mingiâs brown eyes were round, shiny like marbles, filled with unwavering sincerity. âEverything tastes better when youâre with the one you loveâŠâ
You almost choked on your own soup, finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden. âD-did I hear that rightâŠ?â
Mingi was a romantic at heart. He couldnât help it, especially when the moon was so big and bright, glowing with everlasting light. She was reminding him to be brave. âY/N, do you believe in love at first sight?â
Your heart thumped away inside your chest, a steady reminder that you were alive, and not alone for the first time in a long time. âI think I mightâŠIs that crazy?â
Mingi brought his hand up to his face to hide the way it scrunched up with pure joy, his cheeks rosy and full of warmth. âIf it is, then I must be too.â
âWhereâŠhave you been all this time? Iâve been waitingâŠfor someone like youâŠâ You slowly reached up to pull his hand down, bringing it to your own face, pressing your cold cheek into his large palm. âFor someone to keep me warm.â
He had been there all this time; you just hadnât seen him yet. But now, you would see all of him. Without thinking, Mingi brought his other hand to your face, gently cupping your cheeks and bringing himself down so that he could press his lips onto yours. It took everything in him to pull away just enough to whisper, âIâm here now. Is thatâŠbetter?â
For the first time, you felt like you could let your guard down, not be the lonely, hardened hunter you had to be. Now that you were safe, you could take a rest. âBetter,â you whispered back, wrapping your arms around Mingiâs neck just in time to lay against his chest, losing the strength to stay awake.
-
You woke up to the sensation of something intensely warm wrapped around you from behind, someoneâs lips idly pressed to the nape of your neck, what felt like fluffy ears twitching near your hair, the soft fur tickling your exposed skin. The air around you was hot and heavy like you were stuck inside an oven, an enticing aroma of spiced cinnamon and woody musk clouding your senses. Your eyelids fluttered open, first noticing two strong arms locked around your middle, realizing Mingi was holding you close to him, his heated chest pressing into your back.
Overcome by the memories of earlier, the forgotten intimacy of being touched and held by someone, the intense pheromones you were practically doused in, and the want, the need to be truly seen by Mingi, despite having just met a few hours ago, you attempted to turn around to face him, only to have him tighten his grip just enough to keep you still. âM-mingi, I want to look at youâŠIâm not mad, I justââ
âDo you know what youâre getting into, love?â he whispered in a gravelly voice into your ear, sounding like he had just woken up out of a deep sleep, sending a rush of goosebumps across your skin with just his words. âIâm notâŠwhat you think I am.â
You sheepishly pushed back against Mingi, hearing him let out a soft groan, knowing he was just as satisfied with the way your body felt against his. âI already know, MingiâŠI trust you. Iâm not scared.â You felt his grip loosen up around your waist, opting to cement his hands around your waist.
His lips were now pressing directly onto the shell of your ear, making you shiver. âDo you know what I am, Y/N? Do you wish to see?â
âI doâŠâ
It was then that Mingi climbed on top of you, his broad naked body keeping the glowing orange light of the fire from reaching you, the pelt you had offered him earlier falling into a pile on the side of the bed. Filled with a sense of lustful wonder, you studied Mingi, your half-closed eyes trailing along his tan skin, noticing how his wound had already healed completely, unable to ignore the arousing addition of his elongated canine teeth and the way his tongue ran across them. âYouâre aâŠwerewolfâŠâ
Mingiâs fluffy wolf ears twitched slightly, listening closely to the way your breath hitched. âMost would be scared of me, but youâŠyou like this.â
You swallowed harshly, still finding it very difficult to breathe in the air around you, Mingiâs dominating presence further encouraging you to submit. âWill you eat me?â
Mingi let out a small puff of air through his nose, the corners of his mouth curling up into an amused smile, lowering himself further onto you, knowing his heavy cock was pressing into your heat through your linen trousers. His lips ghosted along your jaw, the bushy end of his tail gliding back and forth along one of your ankles, replicating the light strokes of a paintbrush. âOnly in the way that would have you begging for more.â The small moan that escaped your throat didnât go unnoticed by Mingi. He nosed at your neck, resisting the urge to lick and bite at it. âThough, i wonât do anything without your permission, love.â
You cupped your hands around his heated face, your insides feeling as if they had been set ablaze. âDo with me what you will, Mingi. I insist.â
When Mingiâs lips parted, you pressed yours onto them with a fervor you didnât realize you possessed. The kiss grew more and more intense, the two of you holding onto one another as though you were afraid it all would end too soon, taking turns licking into each otherâs willing mouths, breathing in each otherâs air when you grew dizzy.
Growing frustrated with the lack of skin on skin contact, Mingi pushed his large hands up past the hem of your woolen top and slid it off of you, admiring the soft curves of your exposed breasts, before his desperation kicked in and he nuzzled his face against them, sighing onto your skin. âBeautifulâŠâ He dragged his tongue up in between your tits, grabbing one while he sucked desperately on the other, a low growl erupting from his throat.
âMingi,â you moaned out, your back arching, only encouraging him to see what other pretty noises he could get you to make, gasping when his sharp teeth teased your sensitive nipples.
He licked over them to ease the sudden bout of pain, unable to keep himself from sucking one of them into his mouth, apologizing with his upturned eyebrows and his big, round eyes.
You simply couldnât take it anymore. You needed him to make a mess of your aching cunt, feeling your wetness stick to the thin linen material of your pants as you kicked them off. âMingi, more, please, need moreâŠâ
The werewolf knew what you needed when your fingers slid into his soft hair, leaving kisses along your bare body as he moved down south, getting himself comfortable between your spread thighs. âYou want me to eat you up, yeah?â He spread your pussy open with his thumbs, nosing at it to inhale your flowery scent, quite aware that it bumped into your clit when he gave your slit an experimental lick, just enough to collect your essence on his tongue. âMy beloved needs me to ravage her?â
âYes, pleaâoh, my god,â you reacted whinily, your thighs involuntarily pressing into the sides of his head just as he dove in, which he grabbed onto, pushing them up and out of his way, his lips and tongue already working in tandem to drive you to a place of pleasure youâve never been before.
Mingi devoured your cunt in true animalistic fashion, licking and slurping up your juices as soon as it spilled out of you, just to spit it it back onto your slit and drink it all down, eventually plugging you up with his large tongue to feel you throb, unable to keep himself from fucking you with it until you began to cry out his name in between unintelligible words, your fingers tugging on his hair.
So good, itâs so good, nnnghh, iâmââ You cut yourself off once your impending orgasm took over your body, barely able to register Mingi rubbing soft circles into your shaking thighs and leaving kisses across your inner thigh and on your sensitive clit. You were finally brought back to earth when Mingiâs arousal coated tongue slipped into your mouth, his heated body pressing heavily into yours, gasping into his mouth as soon as Mingi began to desperately rut against you, doing your best to swallow his drool. It was when he whimpered that you broke the desperate kiss, asking softly, âWhat is it, dear? Tell me what you need.â
âNeed you, need to be inside you,â Mingi exhaled against your jaw, letting out a few shaky breaths, unable to keep himself from sinking his claws into your sheets, clearly at his limit. âCan IâŠ? Please?â
âHave your way with me, Mingi,â you granted his wish, welcoming him with open arms, just as he folded you up into a mating press and began to pound himself into you.
Mingi knew that such an intimate position would almost guarantee that you would home his pups after the very first knot. It drove him crazy. He couldnât help but fuck into you as hard and fast as he could, emitting a animalistic grunt or growl with each thrust he made into your dripping cunt, a few drops of drool escaping past his plump lips and landing on your flushed, sweat-ridden face. âYouâre mine now, love. My mate. Iâm going to breed you.â
âYâoursâŠ!â you could barely enunciate, not when he kept punching the air out of your petite body when his oversized one came in contact with yours, his heavy cock continually slipping back into your willing hole with so much ease, it was clear that you were made for him.
âMine. My pretty little mate, all for me.â It was then that Mingi bit down into your neck, hard enough that he could leave his mark on you, a white hot streak of pleasure shooting through your spine as he did so.
It felt so good, you couldâve swore you were already cumming, dragging your nails down his broad back, your eyes disappearing underneath your fluttering eyelashes. The werewolf didnât seem to get tired, no matter how many times you came undone, his large hands still tugging on your hips, forcefully guiding you back onto his cock as though you were a simple doll, at least until you felt a new sensation, something stretching you open even further. âHaaah, itâs so bigâŠâ
âThatâs my knot, love. Will you take it, Y/N?â he panted into your ear, licking and nibbling at it as his husky voice finally penetrated your hazy mind.
âYes, give it to me, please, MinâŠâ
He hummed against your skin, running his hands along the soft edges of your heated body. âIâll breed you fullâŠso full of my cum, youâll be carrying my pups by the next full moon.â
Something about what Mingi said altered the state of your mind on a primal level, your thighs automatically hooking around the werewolfâs waist, your arms around his neck to hold him impossibly close. You wouldnât be alone anymore. You had a âmate,â like Mingi had lovingly coined the phrase. You would be his, and he was yours, and something so simple made you feel safe.
âYes, please.â
It wasnât the heavy knot that stretched you wide and locked you in that brought tears to your eyes, but the sudden, hot, seemingly endless rush of cum that flooded your womb that made you cry. Mingi rubbed gentle circles over the small pouch that joined the prominent bulge his cock made inside your abdomen. âYou did so well, love, so good for me,â he cooed at you, giving your cheek a few loving licks. âYou were made for me.â
âI was just thinking that,â you sighed softly, running your fingers through his matted, sweaty hair, loving how it felt to have him still stay inside you, keeping all his love from pouring out. It just felt right. Being here with Mingi felt right, like you had always been waiting for him to fall into your life.
âThatâs because youâre my other half.â He pressed a kiss to your forehead, before resting his against yours. âIt was destined.â
âFor me to shoot you with an arrow?â you joked, reaching up to gently play with one of his furry ears.
Mingi nuzzled into your touch, wanting to stay with you in that moment, that warm bed, that cozy little cabin that kept you both safe for as long as he could. âI would get shot a million times over, if it meant that I could meet you again.â
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© kitten4sannie, 2024.
#ateez#ateez smut#ateez mingi#song mingi#mingi smut#ateez fic#ateez fanfic#mingi x reader#ateez x reader#ateez x y/n#kpop smut
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I LOVE THE KISSING HCS!! You wrote all the characters super duper well!! May I request reader is super busy and doesn't have enough time for mercs? And how the mercs would react? >,>
(Esp sniper, I feel like once he finds someone he trusts, he becomes the most clingiest man..)
âMercs with a Busy Reader!
Genre: Fluff, a bit of angst
Characters: all the mercs!
Yes!! Thanks so much for the req anon, here we go! I decided to do an established relationship for this one, hope thatâs alright!
Scout
Oh this will not be tolerated.
Scout is near impossible to ignore when he wants something, persistent beyond belief. If he wants your attention he is going to do whatever he has to do to get it.
The times where you do have time for him he spends most of it whining about how little he sees you.
When heâs not doing that though, Scout is constantly checking to make sure youâre having a good time with him. Going out of his way to make you laugh more than usual, and doing stupid things to get your attention.
Really afraid of you getting bored of him, and thinks you being busy will make you forget why you like him.
Abandonment issues are a bitch.
He is pretty pathetic, but heâs too proud to say any of it out loud, so he keeps it to himself. Just follows you around like a lost dog when youâre around, talking your ear off about all the things you missed while you were busy.
Doesnât allow for a second of silence, just trying to keep your attention as much as possible. Heâs so used to feeling like he has to work for attention so heâs not any different with you.
âOh, did I tell you what happened with the teleportaâ the other day? It was wild, straight up IâŠâ he continues rambling on and on.
At first you mistake it for genuine excitement for spending time with you again, but eventually you realize how disjointed his rants are and how anxious he sounds. Heâs hardly even breathing in between sentences.
âScout, scout! Slow down, relax,â you say in a light chuckle, grabbing his hand. Rubbing your thumb along the back of it. âTake it easy babe, deep breaths.â
âWhat? What happened?â He asked cluelessly, probably didnât even realize he was doing it.
You just give him a big kiss, and then another for good measure.
You reassure him how much you like him, and how you being busy doesnât change that at all. Once you start being all sweet to him he will turn to mush in your arms whining about how youâve been neglecting him.
You make sure to give him some much needed attention that night.
Demoman
Demo HATES it when youâre busy. Heâs way less clingy than Scout is, and definitely less pathetic about it, but it gets under his skin in a crazy way.
Will probably plan a cutesy date for you two. But when you get pulled away again? God heâs crushed.
Drinks to deal with it, thatâs the only real way he knows how to deal with big feelings, so this is no different really.
You come back to an absolute blubbering mess, itâs almost impossible to understand him, but you definitely get the gist.
Felt so rejected that you left from the thing he planned for the two of you, and you feel SO GUILTY. You had felt bad before, but Tavish is pretty good about hiding his hurt so you figured heâd be okay.
You drop everything to stay with him that night of course, and the two of you share a nice quiet night together.
As soon as he wakes up he starts apologizing, remembering how he acted the night before.
âOh my god, mâ so sorry,â he said the second he opened his eyes.
You kiss his forehead âno Iâm sorry. Iâm so so sorry for skipping out on our date.â
âSâokay,â he mumbled, just happy to have you here now.
You make it up to him by having a really romantic date night with him.
Sniper
Yes anon just like you said he is the clingiest man.
Shows it in weird covert ways though, just following you around like a shadow. Sometimes you kind of forget heâs there.
Doesnât want to really say anything because he knows itâs not like itâs your choice to be busy, he knows you rather spend all your time with him. But that doesnât take away from the fact that he feels super neglected.
I imagine heâs pretty secure typically, but he might become nervous that youâre getting tired of him. Wonât show any of that, youâll probably never know about it.
Frequently calls his parents about you, they get annoyed at his lamenting. But theyâre happy he finally found someone he can tolerate.
He doesnât mind alone time in relationships honestly, but it gets to a point where itâs too much for him.
This is really the only time heâs the one to initiate physical contact, pretty much the second the two of you are alone.
(Given of course that the two of you have already been together for a considerable amount of time).
âSniper Iâm so sorry Iâve been so busyââ he cut you off by wrapping his arms around you and kissing your face all over.
You yelp in surprise but ultimately just let him get it all out of his system, fighting it would be unwise. Not that youâd want too.
Once heâs done he pulls back staring at you intently âso I take it you missed me,â you say a little slyly.
He shrugs a little, leaning down to kiss your neck âmaybe a lilââ he says softly.
Youâre not getting away from him for a long time, may as well just accept it.
Solider
Solider isnât clingy, and can exist perfectly fine without you.
Not like he wants to though, much prefers life with you in it.
Will act cranky without you though, much harder on the other mercs when youâre busy.
They literally beg you to spend more time with him, heâs killing them.
Extremely excited when you give him some much needed quality time
âCupcake!â He exclaimed crushing your spine as he picked you up into a big head.
âI missed you too, love,â you struggle out, âbut if you could pleaseâ youâre crushing me.â
Heâs smiling the whole time as he complains about how terrible his teams has been treating him, loves it when you sympathize for him.
Absolutely mopey if you get pulled away again.
So long as when youâre with him you arenât distracted and there are times when you are with him then he doesnât take much offense to it. Considers himself to be a fairly busy individual as well, doesnât mind going your separate ways. My man is secure af in relationships.
Engineer
Engineer, too, is a very busy individual, so he doesnât take much offense to it.
But he gets tense without you, your his rock and he loses himself in his work if youâre not around enough.
The two of you have to make a mutual agreement to not get so wrapped up in your work.
When you two are together you probably just spend a lot of time enjoying how quiet and calm things are when you arenât buried under projects.
Maybe you even make some space to get work done together, like taking whatever youâre doing into his workshop. If youâre going to be busy, may as well be busy together.
âHon, could you pass me that wrench?â Engie asked, holding one of his machines in place.
Without looking up from your project you pick up the wrench âhere you are dear,â you say casually handing it to him.
âMuch obliged,â he responded, and the two of you returned to your own little worlds.
Parallel play goes crazy.
Pyro
Pyro doesnât like it one bit.
Things feel calmer when youâre around, and when youâre not, they can feel quite discorded and lonely. They feel like youâre one of the few people who actually may understand them, so when youâre not around they tend to feel pretty lost and upset.
Itâs not like they need you, but you make things more manageable for them.
You come back to a big fire I bet, as thatâs Pyros only real way of expressing their emotions.
You feel really bad for leaving them all alone and try to make it up to them with a lot of cuddles and kisses. It almost works.
You really do have to make up with them, not just because you love them but for the sake of all the flammable things and people in the area.
You guys spend a lot of quality time together after that, and Pyro keeps you from ever going too far. Not that you mind though.
Medic
Medic gets very passive aggressive when heâs not given enough attention.
You might actually think you being buys is not a problem at first, the way he continues to insist that he doesnât care. But after enough under his breath comments it becomes glaringly obvious that he actually does care.
He gets really huffy and cold when he feels neglected. Youâre gonna have to do a lot to win his favor back.
âCome on, I said I was sorry,â you say with a frown.
âI said I donât care,â Medic huffs
You roll your eyes as Medic turns his back on you, you sigh a little "okay well, I care. It was so very cruel of me to neglect you like that. I'm sorry my dear."
Medic presses his lips together to hide his smile "well you had better be!" He exclaims crossing his arms.
Pretty needy after that, you have to be on top of quality time with him from that point on.
He really does try to be understanding but he's a high maintenance partner and the two of you knew that going into things, so you have to just accept that fact.
Flowers and chocolate may be in order to get back into his good graces.
Heavy
Heavy is also pretty secure.
He's needy, but he is secure enough to not take it personally.
When you are around him he doesn't do any thing special beyond being a little bit more touchy with you, it's usually pretty unnoticable, but if you look it there.
You were telling him a story once from a time when you spent a long time away from him, and he stroked your arm as you talked.
"Heavy--" you say beetween a chuckle "--that tickles."
"Well maybe Heavy misses you while you're away," He says lowly as his fingers trace down your arm and to your hand.
"Oh you're such a sap!" You exclaim.
Heavy won't say it (because he doesn't want you to feel pressured) but he would absolutely love it if you surprised him with a romantic date night when you came to see him after a week of being busy. He doesn't need it, but it is very much appreciated.
Really doesn't want to come off as clingy and will go to great lengths to not be seen as such.
He totally is though, whoops.
Spy
Being the romantic that he is he likely finds some creative way to get your attention.
Maybe he let's himself into your room and sets up a romantic night in for the two of you, your favorite food and wine, candles and roses, all the works.
Pretends it's all for you and your benefit, Spy of course is too high and mighty to actually miss anyone. Even if that's what it really seems like what is happening.
"Wow I can't believe you did all this for me," you say gently, sitting at the seat that Spy pulled out for you.
"Of course, the very best for you mon amour," he says pushing you in towards the dinner he set out for the two of you "I know how very terrible it must've been without me."
His expression his smug as he sits down in front of you, picking up his glass of wine "sure, this is all definitely for me," you say teasingly, before he responds you continue "I wish you had told me before though, I don't exactly feel romantic date night ready."
He assures you that you look perfect, and if not conviced he certainly knows something else you can change into to look even better.
Spy just goes right into grand gesture mode when anything in the relationship happens.
Spy thinks very highly of himself, so he's not really worried about you getting bored of him or how much time you spend together.
Needy in his own way though.
Eek! I hope this is okay anon I've been having the worst writers block,,, sorry its so late I hope u like it! â§âĄâŠ
#team fortress 2#tf2#fanfic#fanfiction#fic#tf2 x reader#tf2 x you#x reader#tf2 sniper#tf2 scout#heavy x reader#medic x reader#scout x reader#sniper x reader#spy x reader#engineer x reader#solider x reader#pyro x reader#demoman x reader
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my god how much do u write its like almost everyday i see i new fic (say this as i check tumblr daily lmao)
hope u still do sum hand and wrist stretches, take care of ur hands cuz they the ones who bring these pieces of poetry to us đ
but ur brain the main boss, so tace care of urself op
đ€Ł Thereâs a reason I post these like they are rather than the actual, detailed long form bits Iâve posted a few times. These are like my notecards for my manuscripts, hitting the high points I need to remember, but not bothering to flesh out a lot of the filler. I can type up a short form scenario like this in a few minutes if I want to. I try not to spam a ton at a time.
It Had to Be You Pt 5
TF One Megatron x Reader-Connection
âą Heâs aware of you all the time, even when youâre not near. Youâre an itch in the back of his processor, snagging him and claiming his attention. Distracting him. None of his followers know about his little human yet and he intends to keep it that way. Youâre too small. Too fragile and completely dependent on him for survival. Rummaging through the packages in his hand, he lets himself into his quarters. Knows his Decepticons must be wondering what heâs up to, why heâs always shutting himself away. He wishes he knew.
âą Heâs back. You hear the heavy sound of those peds and curl into a tighter ball among the blankets. If you pretend youâre asleep he might leave you alone. You know he wonât, though. Peeking out, you watch him drop a handful of packaged food in a corner of your cage and your stomach growls even as you hold your breath. Praying he just goes away. And you still try to claw away, kicking as he reaches in and picks you up. Groaning as you shove at his servos and hating the way that disjointed sense that you know him jangles through you every time his metal flesh touches your skin. Itâs a lonely ache that echoes through you, calling to you even as you resent it. Resent him.
âą That sense of peace, of rightness, washes over him as he cages you between his servos and vents, optics shuttering. Whatever this is that chains him to you, you either canât feel it or are fighting tooth and nail against it. But he knows you canât win. He couldnât either. The two of you are tied together in ways he canât understand, that ancient ache only abating when he can touch you, feel you against him. Something in you soothing his very spark when he should hate your weakness, your dependence on him. âBe still,â he growls, carrying you to his berth and stretching out. This too has become a routine as he pins your soft form under his servos so youâre sprawled on his chassis over his spark so he can soak in that warm sense of connection.
âą Youâre drowning in him, can almost swear you can feel him and not just physically. Itâs like thereâs a door shut between you and you want to tear it open even as it terrifies you. Those big servos lay heavy across your back, pressing you flat. The hum and heat of his internal systems rumbling through you. Part of you wants more, to press your cheek to his warm hide and just give in. Relax. Your heart begins to race as panic begins to claw its way up your throat. You donât want to feel so safe in his hands, like this is exactly where you belong.
âą âCalm, little human.â A servo slides over the back of your head as he focuses on the feel of your breathing and the frantic beat of your heart against him. You try to wiggle away when he slides his servos under the back of your shirt, strengthening that connection and feeling his spark thrum as that imbalance settles. As soon as he breaks the contact, itâll be back, but for now he feels whole. For now, itâs enough.
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2023 reads / storygraph
We Are The Crisis
book two in the Convergence Saga, a contemporary fantasy/horror series
werewolves and other supernatural creatures have been revealed to the world, and the world is changing. They fight for safety and rights, but many are going missing and anti-monster militant groups are on the rise
told nonlinearly, follows a large cast of characters
community, activism & civil rights, complicated families
#we are the crisis#no gods no monsters#cadwell turnbull#aroaessidhe 2023 reads#i kinda forgot what happened in book 1 which is a me problem obv#I def lost track of some of the characters (though I think some were new haha)#however there's definitely lots of things I like about it!#I feel like itâs a bit disjointed until the very end when it brings things together in the same way as it did in book one#and reminded me about some of the cool sff things that Iâd forgotten about since theyâve barely been brought up.#However I do appreciate that it is more focused on the complexity of people and activism.#It just feels like the multiverse stuff is a bit disconnected. Maybe itâll come together better later in the series!#and one of the characters is ace though thatâs not mentioned again in this book. also he is trans and has a wife who has a girlfriend#glad they're settling into their polyamory
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SOOOOOOOO. Arcane season 2, huh? Now that a couple of days have passed for me to marinate I think I'm ready to share my thoughts on the season. This WILL contain spoilers though so if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching for yourself first!
So! Overall, as a standalone season I feel like there are things Arcane excelled at and things that have lost its way a bit. For starters and easily the best part of the show: it's visuals. I've heard some complaints about how much the show cost but like. Brother. When I think of super expensive shows, THIS is what I think it should look like. At no point did I question the budget because it's made abundantly clear every penny is used to best use it could possibly get. And it resulted in what I've been calling a modern greek statue: a marvel, an incredible tapestry of just about every art medium you can think of woven into something so beyond anything I've seen in animation I have a hard time finding the appropriate words to express exactly how much I'm taken by it. This is a clear example of what art IS man and jesus christ. It's mindblowing. I can't praise the show enough for that, like it's literally the best looking thing I've ever seen in media.
Same with the sound design and music, particularly in the battle scenes. Something about the energy behind the sounds, like the clacking of Vi's gloves as shes revving up for a punch, or the reverb of metal clashing, the sound of how blows connect. Even the little things, like the distinct difference between footsteps, or the glitch-like sound that spiders in the backround before shimmer or the arcane is utilized? Like CHEF'S KISS BRO. God almighty it tickles a part in my head.
Just the visuals and sound design is fuckin tasty bro. A solid 1000000000/10
So now Characters. Season 2 managed to take the existing characters and really built off of what was already there. In my opinion the characters, particularly the main players, received additional depth and evolution in a way that made sense in the long run, and the conclusions they reached in their arcs felt like a correct conclusion. However, it's how they got there and how fast they get there being one of my complaints.
For starters: the love triangle between Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn. I didn't appreciate how, for the most part, it felt like it took a backseat in this season when it was one of the driving forces of season 1. It's not JUST them though: the relationships of every character kinda fell away to the wayside for the sake of getting through as much of the plot as possible, but we're on these three right now so:
-I feel like a PROPER recouncil between Vi and Jinx was sorely needed. There were hints to it, particularly in Act 2, but we were kinda left guessing and having to fill the majority of the gaps ourselves. One of Vi's driving factors as a character is her relationship with Jinx/Powder; her unable to accept that she's changed in her absence. Act 2 opened the door in allowing Vi to learn about Jinx as she is and come to terms that, even if she's changed, she's still her sister and there's a chance to bridge that gap. Vice versa to Jinx, particularly because of Isha's presence; I have to assume by becoming an older sister herself, she begins to get an understanding of Vi she previously lacked and that really could've been a stronger catalyst in her recounciling with her. Had the sisters actually got more on-screen time together and really let the hope between them breath, I feel like the ending would've had a much stronger impact.
-Cait/Vi, as much as I enjoy the pairing, felt a little too disjointed. Act 1 was the strongest showcase of their relationship; a sudden escalation driven by mutual grief and attraction and genuine care only to be torn apart immediately after because of Cait's blind rage. Cinema. Beautiful. But immediately after, we don't really see either character work off that much in my opinion. Vi does have a spiral that was very well shown, though I do wish we saw more of Pit Vi and her descent.
As far as Cait goes I would've preferred seeing her spiraling in her own way; with how the third episode of Act 1 ended, I felt like the show was gearing up to showcase how much she allows her hunt for vengeance cloud her mind and take over her life, to do things her mother would have not approved of. Like bro she was so SURE she wouldn't miss (immediately after missing every shot she took up to that point) that she was willing to potentially kill a child for it. Ain't no way she wasn't constantly frothing at the mouth for some time, wallowing in Vi's apparent "betrayal" and in the grief of her mother's death. I DO like how she is seen questioning her actions but it just feels like a tiny snapshot. Had they continued with showing her questioning what, exactly, the hell she's doing (while continuing to go on with her reign), then seeing not just Vi but also how her actions has widened the rift between Piltover and Zaun, her finally being able to break herself off would've felt more weighty.
"What are you shooting for, young Kiramman?" Grayson once asked. I can't help but feel like that line could have had some very strong carry-through into this season; not only giving a proper callback to Grayson as Cait's mentor(?) but also cement Cait's inner turmoil between blinded by revenge, but growing to dislike what she's turned into to get it.
And the sex scene. Particularly WHERE the sex scene occurred, immediately after Jinx heavily implied offing herself to "break the cycle". Vi isn't stupid. I felt like it was extremely clear what Jinx was alluding to, and it seemed like Vi understood that with how she asked "What are you gonna do?" She sounded terrified and desperate. She has SEEN Jinx be suicidal in this season first hand, was all but directly asked by Jinx to put her out of her misery herself. You're telling me she immediately bones the shit outta Cait right after Jinx scampers off and seems to forget it?? I dunno man. :/ I wouldn't remove the fuckfest, but in my opinion there were better places to put it.
And overall in terms of the characters as a whole, there was just too many gaps and too little time. Vander felt like he was underutilized, particularly his clear fight in trying to get a hold of his humanity; could've really used him to push the running theme of people can change, but they're still the same person at their very core.
Heimerdinger got shafted I feel like. He had such a strong impact in S1, only for his death to be... well. Forgotten.
Mel's storyline was way too fucking short. Love the powers she got but they ultimately felt unearned; I feel like we could've spent way more time on her learning to control it to some extent. Her whole shtick in being cunning and one step ahead of everyone (much like her mother) could've played a stronger part here too, particularly because I don't remember the Black Rose being explained much, so it would've been nice to see Mel put her strengths into play to find out for herself and give her a more active role in her ability to fight back.
Ambessa was anticlimactic and I didn't appreciate how she ultimately perished. I wanted her to die, don't get me wrong, but the war in general felt waaaaay too short and her death too easy. I appreciate they didn't go full evil with her, and made her an embodiment of Singe's quote of "doing horrendous things in the name of love", but it kinda felt like her initial plot of using hextech to fight the Black Rose (I could be wrong here but that is what it felt like she ultimately wanted) kinda got... forgotten?
Victor's progression is the only one that felt mostly natural in it's pacing. But again, with how unstoppable his robot pawns were, I felt like they really robbed the final battle of any significant weight to it; Zaun and Piltover, fighting as one against a common enemy. One of the biggest payoffs in the show... felt underwheming and, again, unearned.
And the new characters didn't really get much chance to do much of anything. Loris felt like an important parallel to Vander given how many times he was shown to look and sorta act like him. I felt like he had a bigger role to fill but just ended up bodied. Maddie, at least, had somethin interesting goin on but I feel like she could've been made more impactful in her betrayal.
Overall, a mid 5/10. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely needed more time to really flesh everything out.
And finally, the plot. I personally really enjoyed the overall plot and it's opposing themes to season 1. Whereas s1 felt like "love is undoing" and veered into tragedy, s2 felt like "love is healing" and veered into hope; the sisters learning to accept one another, Vi and Cait mending the rift between each other, Victor and Jayce finding their way back to one another. Isha giving Jinx purpose and a new perspective on life, Vander returning and, even if briefly, managing to regain his humanity for his daughters, the list goes on. It's such a beautiful contrast to season 1, but that is part of why I strongly feel like Arcane NEEDED one more season.
Season 2 was too focused on getting as much story out as possible that it didn't allow the characters themselves to push it forward, and it was weakened for it. Had there been three seasons, Act 1 and Act 2 could have been the entirety of season 2, and Act 3 could have been the whole of a season 3, where we get to see the total climax of everything that occurred. Given the rumors of there being a strong interest for an animated movie (and I have a theory that it might be to continue the story of Arcane in some way), that might help with some of the contingencies if it's true, but that's only if the movie actually comes to fruition.
As it currently stands, my biggest critique of Season 2 was switching focus on making the plot drive the story, when instead it really should've continued the trend from Season 1 in letting the characters drives the story forward.
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My meds is beginning to kick in and I'm getting drowsy from it so I'll leave it here for now! TLDR: Arcane Season 2 was mostly good. I have my fair bit of complaints and thoughts on how I'd personally structure everything, but a a whole, pretty good! It's one of those shows where I would personally recommend everyone watch from start to finish to at least experience it in its entirety yourself.
Season 2 Rating: 7.5/10
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