#he has seen the show before and I haven't

[thankskenpenders]

The mystery of that random magenta-haired Sonic woman: solved?

For almost three years now, there's been a little mystery in the Sonic franchise: who the hell is this lady?

Well, it seems like fans have collectively pieced together the answer. And it's more interesting than I expected.

For those who don't keep up with Sonic lore minutia like I do, this is a screenshot from the very first episode of TailsTube, released on YouTube back in March 2022. When Sonic and Tails were explaining the basics of their Earth and the fact that humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, Tails showed a slide of some human NPCs from Sonic Unleashed. But the slide also included this never-before-seen character design, drawn in a conspicuously different, more anime-influenced art style from the Pixar-esque Unleashed characters. So... where's she from?

At the time, it was assumed that she was probably from an upcoming project. She looks like she could be an explorer of some sort, so maybe she's just an NPC from Frontiers, I thought. And then she wasn't in Frontiers. Sonic Prime, maybe? Nope, no humans in Prime. Okay, well maybe the IDW comics are going to start incorporating humans, now that the "two worlds" thing has been undone and humans once again canonically exist on the same planet as Sonic and friends. Well, if she's gonna show up in the comics, it's been almost three years and we still haven't seen her. That'd be a hell of a lead time for comics, where production cycles are typically a matter of months, not years. Time continued to pass, and we still hadn't seen her. We just had Ian Flynn teasing us with a #KnowingSmile, assuring us that she existed for some reason, just one that he couldn't talk about yet.

Fast forward to late 2024, and she suddenly makes an appearance in the last place anyone would have expected: the third live action movie, via an electronic billboard in Shibuya.

At this point it almost felt like the lore team was trolling us. Is this just a scrapped character design that's become fodder for inside joke cameos or something? Surely all of this teasing couldn't have been for a throwaway character design on a billboard in the background of a movie.

But actually, this billboard gives us an important piece of information: her name! She's labeled here as "Professor Tori." This is important because it connects her to a previous release. In Shadow Generations, Gerald's journal is prefaced with a note from the person who recovered it, addressed to the GUN Commander. In the English version, it's simply signed "T," but in the Japanese version... it's signed "Tori"!

This gives us some actual info about Professor Tori. For one, she seems to work for GUN in their Archival and Requisitions Department. She's apparently also interested in learning about Gerald and Maria's lives, like their old friend Abe is.

Jump forward again to the New Year's episode of TailsTube, and this appears in the background.

Her full name is officially given as Professor Victoria, and she's a historian. So, that seems to confirm everything we've pieced together so far.

As far as things we can reasonably assume to be correct go, this is everything we know for certain about Victoria. She's a historian working for GUN. Cool! But that's not what really fascinates me about her. For that, we have to do a little more speculation based on conjecture.

See, Shadow Generations also establishes information about the Robotnik family tree. Gerald had two sons. One of them took after Gerald's love of technology and became an expert in the field of robotics, and would go on to be Eggman's father. The other son took after Gerald's love of archaeology. This man would go on to be Maria's father. But, as Maria mentions in Shadow Generations... she also happens to have a little sister we've never met before.

So now, the question is: is this Maria's sister, Victoria Robotnik?!

We can't be 100% certain right now, but honestly, until proven otherwise I'm assuming that Victoria is Maria's little sister, now all grown up and working for GUN. It all lines up too neatly. The conspicuous reveal that Maria has an unseen and unnamed little sister, in the same game that establishes her dad was a history guy and also that there's this new historian working for GUN who just so happens to be really interested in her life. And also their names both end in "-ria." Come on!! Putting her in the Robotnik family would also explain all these cryptic clues about her identity. If she was just some random GUN agent, why be so coy and make fans piece it together?

I guess the most odd part here would be, y'know, Victoria working for the organization that killed her sister and grandpa. But Sega's been pushing the idea that GUN is trying to do better for 20 years now, ever since they established that the GUN Commander was Maria's childhood friend on the ARK and had him make amends with Shadow. Hearing that Maria's sister had joined GUN to try and gain access to information about her family history and undo the elaborate coverup of the previous administration would make sense to me, personally. And lest we forget, this would also make Victoria Eggman's cousin, giving him a family member in GUN. And that's a pretty cool storytelling tool to have on hand!

So, that's where we're at now. We have no idea where Victoria will pop up next, whether it's a game or a comic or another TailsTube episode or something else entirely. But it seems like she's fairly important, even if this speculation about her being a Robotnik somehow ends up being wrong. (But I'm pretty damn sold on this theory, personally.) Either way, it's exciting to see the human cast get fleshed out in fun ways again. If we're gonna have humans in Sonic stories, I'd rather they have anime-style designs and interesting connections to the narrative, rather than just being generic humans for the sake of having humans. I'm looking forward to seeing whatever the lore team's been cooking up here.

[ilikelookingatthings]

I think what bothers me is both sides are sort of right but I haven't seen people bring up the actual issue.

Mari IS valid for being upset. She gave chat a heads up she wouldn't be in Paris and he ASSURED her that he's be in Paris and guve her a signal with the vibrating toy if the city got attacked. She trusted that he could minimize damage until she got there and he did seem to a bit goofy when she asked him.

The city was in danger and got PERMANENT that he either could have mitigated.. .or the sentibeing wouldn't have been shut down if he had been there to battle it so she would have had time to go... if he had warned her she could have watched the news herself to speed back as well.

So from her perspective he did break her trust and was careless and it was very incharacter fir her to snap at him and spiral a bit and her temper coming out because that's what happens when she's worried. She tends to exaggerate hkw she feels to make a point especially because she misunderstood and thought chat wasn't taking it seriously. And normally chat is the one who blunces back...the one with stringer patience and thicker skin who doesn't give up...who doesn't seem to take things that personally. She's snapped at him before after all and he's always known to not take it that personally.

In Orgins the dude messed up along with her but he still went out there and trusted she'd show up and in her plan. When she lost fu and accidentally led hawkmoth to have all the other miraculouses. In gamer 2.0 when she was pissed and impatient and snapping at him e stated focus on the battle and didn't snap back and helped her get in a better mood to fight max. Heck in the specialize assumed he was being sneaky trying to give her a yellow flower despite her already turning him down so she thinks ge doesn't take her words that seriously....where in fact he was sincere in it being a friendship flower abd when it was rejected he rolled with it and offered himself flowers.

It makes complete sense for mari to snap at him cuz she is worried about Paris and personal damage and she misunderstood chat trying to focus on the battle infront of them as him not taking her concerns seriously. And nari's main issue in the special os she underestimates the impact she and her words has on people.

What bothers me is the show made a point that it was PLAGG'S idea not to tell ladybug. Adrien was willing to give up his chance to go on the field trip with his friends to fulfill his promise as unlike mari IN Startrain....master fu never told him he shouldn't miss out on important things just to be chat/LB. Adrien was worried LB would be disappointed in him but plagg...instead of reassuring Adrien LB would understand....that ladybug WOULDN'T be disappointed in adrien....plagg instead advised Adrien to just go on the trip and not feel guilty for going...that he could watch the news and speed back if a attack happened and avoid disappointing LB.

A plan that WOULD have worked probably if adrien and mari weren't trapped by the two American super teenagers trying to ship mari and adrien due to mari's feelings.

(and don't give me 'mari was trying to get over adrien so it doesn't count' when mari's REAL main motive of adrien going on this trip is because SHE wanted to go on a trip with adrien and she didn't want him alone with lila. Mari had no closure, she stared at his posters still and she even talked alot about adrien to luka when luka helped drive her to the pick up cuz she was late)

And more chat was trying to focus on fighting the villian infront of them so they could get that done quickly so they could go speed run to paris...he even asked for a plan and asked if they could discuss why he was in newyork later.

But mari assumed from the get go that chat DIDN'T have a good excuse for going to paris. Instead of choosing to rip into him or interrogate him later and focus on the task at hand. She knows you can't give too many details about civilian lives yet expected chat to tell her specifics mid battle. When chat asked for a plan to defeat the bad guy quicker she instead said NO, that she can't trust him anymore or work with him in the MIDDLE of him fighting...which is what distracted him and got him thrown and got anon catasclysmed.

And is what took up even more time!

Its definitly incharacter for mari to spiral more abd be upset and lash out because chat normally is the positive one who bounces back, takes it on the chin and finds a positive.

So it makes complete sense when CHAT understandably spirals because he catacyslmed someone, adult heros ripped into him and chased them, ladybug ripped into him and Paris took permanent damage...and mari doesn't realize how bad that is and doesn't try to drag him out of that because she normally doesn't have to and she is distracted by her iwn issues.

What bothers me is though is plagg never fesses up that it was plaggs idea not to tell ladybug. Mari doesn't think maybe chat had a good reason for coming to newyork cuz hawkmoth and akumas showed up there. She doesn't think aboit how SHE was the one who distracted him in the middle of the fight, refused to work together or how him leaving was due to her words of saying she doesn't trust hjm and can't work with him anymore and hkw she didn't refuse what those adult heros said at least.

Like....Mari gets chat back of course but she tells him to never leave like that again and that she can't be LB without him(or that she doesn't want to be cuz she threaten to give up bring LB)without acknowledging her words or how she distracted him. No plagg correcting her that it was plagg's idea or assumjng that chat must have followed hawkmoth here once she found out a akuma was around. No ankn feeling bad because by trapping him in yhe museum he couldn't rush back.

And it's not helped that the only one who seemed to back up adrien was right to want to go on the trip and fight for it was marinette. Bur WE know her real motive was due to her iwn crush and not wanting him around lila. So when his dad sends for adrien to go back to Paris which is adding another layer to adrien already feeling like it was a mistake to put his wants first to go on the trip..that adrien was selfish....Mari niot defending for adrien to stay....not even saying she's glad he came felt like shs backed gabe up.

And it feels more frustrating because we know the only reason adrien got to come was mari's meddling gave gabe a excuse to reconsider.

On one hand...it is consistant with mari flaws that she underestimates the impact of her words on adrien and chat and she sometimes misses exactly what went wrong but trying g to fix it anyways.

And her not actally understanding the right reason and everything...and accidentally falsely backing up that adrien was selfish for going actually is good set up for adrien to get more insecure in following seasons and not really understand his importance and why LB doesn't trust him with more important things. She went for the quickest way to get Chat back...semi threatening him to get him back. Just as gabe truies to drag adfien back quickly for safety since hawkmlth wss going to attack new york were he felt thevquickest way was. Y being blunt and unreasonable and reversing his decision even though GABE is the one making the danger and its not adrien being in the wrong.

And I GET the importance of the lesson that you can't just leave and that mistakes can be forgiven and chat probably should have had more faith LB didn't REALLY mean it. Not project his stuff with the dad...and it was still his choice not to tell LB and she had a right to be upset.

But even without his dad issues his logic for giving up his miraculous makes perfect sense with how LB refused to work with him to fight the bad guy before, he killed someone, adults said he wasn't worthy and LB not stopping his spiral at all. He didn't make excuses and she knows this is one of his fears from sandboy!

And itz frustrating because we know how serious he is! And it's nice they acknowledge mistakes happen and he's brought back....but God it was frustrating because no acknowledgment it was plagg's idea? Or that he was trapped in the museum and couldn't leave? No realization of why it would be understandable he believed her harsh words? Or that her assuming he wasn't taking the fight seriously caused issues a by elevating the fight and distracted him to get thrown? Heck mari never even got to tell adrien she wanted him yo stay or that she was glad he came...they sent him a cute picture to include him later but still!

No hint from anon his plan would have worked if ge hadn't been trapped on that museum?

And people tend to rip into adrien or mari in tge special. What about kagami and luka....but adrien was sincerely touched mari backed up his want to go on the trip when everyone gave him condolences. Adrien was grateful to mari so him wanting to hand out more with his friend makes sense! He thinks mari likes luka! Adrien isn't thinking of any of that as romantic! And he thinks mari can barely handle being next to him on a plane despite her claiming she isn't into him to everyone else!

And the joke with the flower js the fact chat was sincere in it being about friendship because unlike mari he had closure by confessing and he wasn't lying about his feelings....but could still choose how he wanted to water each plant/relationship while mari/LB assumed chat wasn't actually moving on because of how denial and terrible SHE js with her own crush/feelings. Contrasting how they both handle things.

Alli can think about is how adrien was used to validating his own feelings/views by himself but when he thoighf mari was backing him up...the influence she had over him in reased so when she didn't fight to validate jt again when his dad tried to take him home....adrien didn't fight it the way he normally would by himself after that despite Nino's protests.. especially considering mari was portrayed as someone who could get through to gabriel.

I mean in mari's defense she was diwn and in shock over losing chat.....but it did remind me that her support for adrien was more due to her own feelings rather than ACTUALLY aboit his right to go on the trip...even if she used the better reason to validate her support before to cover her real motive....which IS VERY incharacter and common for mari. And how if anon wasn't there and knew...bare minimum getting chat back would have taken longer because mari again didn't think about it from the other person's perspective.

Also does no one bring up tikki knew his identity and didn't say anything ir think anything about mari fighting to get adrien on the trip? Unless I'm wrong and owlman happened later.

Once again, Adrien is the sweetest kid ever, and this scene hurt

[tizeline]

So, in canon rise all of the turtles growing up know about how having Donnie's shell unprotected, probably from some childhood incident. And we can see in the show anytime Donnie's shell is bare; they all rush to protect him. How would they react to Donnie getting hurt because of his shell in this AU? What do they think of his battle shell? I assume they don't even really register Donnie as a softshell turtle because of his battle shell. Would this add to Raph's whole overprotective big brother instinct thing he gets because he catastrophizes Donnie's whole situation.

Also during the finale, we see that the lair gets trashed and has a huge cave in. So obviously Splinter, Donnie, and Sheldon would need to find a new place to live. Would the Drax fam help them build a new home? Are we going to see Donnie's reaction later to his home being destroyed, because losing your childhood home and your safe space must be awful. So, to maybe add a cute little twist, would Donnie, Splinter, and Sheldon live with the Drax fam for a little while?

Another thing, since Leo is obsessed with Sonic, Donnie should totally be obsessed with Wicked the musical. Another green person who sings on Broadway with similar themes of being outcasted and caring about how other people perceive them and using that perception to base their own self-worth, and she's also ostracized from society? Elphaba is written for Donnie. Donnie's theatre kid heart is an Elphaba stan and no one can convince me otherwise.

Donnie's brothers are very protective of him in this AU largely because he was separated from them for such a long time and they're afraid of losing him again. That being said, I think him having a soft shell also fuels this overprotectiveness. They do know that he is a spiny softshell before reuniting with him, Draxum told them about it, and that very much reinforced the whole "helpess victim in need of saving" type view they already made up in their imaginations of Donnie. (Not only is he in the clutches of the evil humans, but he's even more vulnerable than his hard shell brothers!) And remember that Donnie's battle shell in the AU isn't really armour the way it is in canon, it's main function is as a jetpack and maybe, like, a backpack (it has storage space). It doesn't cover the lower half of his back, so his soft shell is still visable and as such vulnurable. Donne getting hurt because of his lack of armour (biological or technological) would definitely freak his brothers out even more, but they're already pretty careful with him honestly.

Anyway, you are completely right about Donnie, Splinter and Shelldon moving in with the Draxums when their home in the sewers is destroyed XD It's kinda awkward, but at that point the Draxums and the Hamatos have learned to get along a lot better. But yeah, losing his home is very hard for Donnie, he's definitely the type of person who doesn't deal well with sudden big changes like that. I do wanna depict this part of the story eventually, but it's probably gonna be a while until then.

And god yeah, Donnie is ABSOLUTELY a huge fan of musicals lmaooo! He acts so overdramatic and theatrical all the time and the show makes it clear several times that he loves music so yeah, total theater kid. I haven't actually seen Wicked so I can't really meaningfully comment on the concept of him being a fan of that specific musical, other than omg yes Elpheba being an outcast and also GREEN he totally projects onto her.

[munsonsmixtapes]

Hi! First off I just want to say I love your fics and have been reading for a few months and would like to request a fic.

Can you do a Rockstar!Eddie smut fic with Reader. So basically he's on tour for a few months and has been in (some other state or country), for a month. His last show is in Hawkins and she's in the crowd supporting him or whatever and when they get home he shows how much he's missed her 😏😏

First off, hi, and thank you so much! Second, I absolutely love rockstar!eddie!

cw: MDNI (18+) smut (p in v) fingering, use of nicknames (princess, sweetheart, baby, daddy)

Eddie is due home any minute. You know that the time he gave you when he's supposed to touch down might not be one hundred percent accurate, but you're still hoping that it is. You haven't seen him in months even though you were supposed to go see him in Chicago but it never ended up working out.

He's called every night before bed but it hasn't been the same. You want him to hold you in his arms and kiss you until you're both breathless before he takes you to your bedroom where you both make up for lost time.

Eddie's feels the same. He hasn't stopped thinking about you since he left the loneliness because you weren't there really got to him. He missed you more than he ever thought possible, even more so when he watched his bandmates take girls back to their hotel rooms while he went back to his and called you because of how badly he needed to talk to you.

They even did a few interviews in between shows to promote their new album and he always jumped at the chance to talk about you whenever you were brought up. You're his favorite thing to talk about so of course he's going to yap about how amazing he thinks you are and how much he misses you. He's made loving you his entire personality and that's never going to stop.

You hear a key turn on the door and you race over to it, ripping it open before Eddie can and throwing yourself into his arms where he's quick to catch you. He moves inside the house and spins you around before pressing his lips to yours. It's tender and sweet despite your need for each other.

He carries you over to the couch where he lays you down, tossing his back down and grabbing a box of condoms from his duffel bag and taking off his clothes in record speed. He watches you do the same before he straddles your waist, staring down at you with a mixture of love and lust in his honey eyes.

"So fucking pretty," he sighs as he leans down and covers his lips with yours, his tongue sliding into your mouth as he does so. "Did you get prettier while I was gone?" He asks as his lips move down to your neck, peppering the spot with kisses before giving it a teasing nibble.

"No," you shake your head. "But I think you."

"Shit, sweetheart, are you coming onto me?" He asks with a wink and you respond by pushing him down so he's flat against the mattress.

"That is why I got naked for you, is it not?"

"God, I love when you take charge, but right now, this is about you," he tells you as he sits up and you follow. "Now lie back, honey, and let me work." You do as he says and he hovers over you, each of his hands taking hold of one of your knees as he spreads your legs wide to get a look at what he's working with.

"Wow, you really missed me," he teases as he gets look at your soaking wet pussy. "But don't worry, daddy's here now to take care of you."

"Please," you whine and he lowers himself down onto you as he pushes his fingers inside you, wincing as he does so.

"So fucking tight. Need me to stretch you out, sweetheart?" You need him so badly that you're about to start crying.

"God, yes," you nod and Eddie begins to pump his fingers slowly to warm you up, but you want more. You need more.

"Faster," you demand. "Harder." Your eyes go dark on the last word and Eddie quick to obey. He's usually the one to take the reigns but that doesn't mean that he doesn't listen when his girl vocalizes what she wants. He's always eager to please.

"Whatever you say, princess," he says as he picks up the pace and you're already clenching around his fingers, holding onto him for dear life as his fingers fuck you fast and hard, the prettiest sounds falling from your lips as he does so.

His fingers curve, hitting just the right spot and you're already orgasming which Eddie thinks has to be a record of some sort, but he supposes that it makes sense since he hasn't done anything like this to you in months.

His fingers are still going, though as he watches you come undone underneath him. And he thinks this is the prettiest he's ever seen you.

"Okay," you breath. "Need your cock now." You already look absolutely spent, but who is Eddie to deny you of what you want? He trusts you enough to know how much you can take. And if it was really a problem, he'd say something.

"You still want it fast and hard, sweetheart?" He asks as he removes his fingers, putting them into his mouth to get rid of the slick before quickly rolling on the condom.

"Please," you whine again and without hesitation, he pounds into you, his fingers digging into your skin as you scratch down his back.

He's not hesitating to insert all of himself, knowing that you can take it. You're clenching around him as tears prick your eyes, so much pain coursing through you as the last inch slides in, but you think you like it.

"Look at you," he says through labored breaths. "Taking me so well. Shit, you're so hot, baby." He continues to pound into you as more moans pour from your mouth and Eddie knew you liked rough sex, but not like this. He's afraid that he's going to hurt you, but considering the sounds you're making, he doesn't think that's true.

You're already starting to fade, your words slurring as you reach your next orgasm, your somehow loudest moans yet spilling out. As you're coming down, you're still begging for more, but Eddie thinks it's time to call it quits.

"More," you whine as he pulls out.

"Maybe in the morning," he replies before disposing of the condom then holds his hands out for you to take. "Now c'mon, baby, time for bed." You hesitantly take his hands and he carries you to your room, leaving your discarded for the morning as he's getting tired himself.

The two of you don't even bother putting on pajamas as you climb into bed, your bodies pressed together, bare skin to bare skin as you both murmur "I love you's" before drifting off into a much needed sleep as you're both in your favorite place again: each other's arms.

[takaraphoenix]

I saw someone refer to Steter as a comedy relief duo earlier and it just completely sent me, because that's just... so far from what Steter is, in canon?

As I'm currently rewatching the show, it has shot up into being my favorite ship on the show because of the gravitas it has.

It's a ship that highlights Stiles' fearlessness in such intriguing ways, in canon. From the boy who yelled at a feral Alpha in the school, to their first face to face meeting at the school, when Peter recognizes him, knows him, acknowledges him ("You must be Stiles", as though Stiles' reputation as the one who figures things out proceeds him, as he is the first one to put together that Peter is the Alpha).

There's nothing comedic about the scene on the lacrosse field, when Stiles is kneelng beside Lydia's unconscious form and Peter... for reasons beyond comprehension... decides to curl his claws beneath Stiles' chin and guide him up. Not grab him by the arm and haul him up, not command him, not demand.

This is... sensual, filled with tension, and I don't even necessarily mean the sexual tension (even though the imagery of Stiles kneeling before Peter and Peter grasping his chin is something that I find hard to not see a sexual read on).

Peter kidnaps Stiles into the parking garage to force the boy to track down Derek and, sure, the "His username is Allison? His password is also Allison?" - "Still want him in your pack?" is absolutely iconic and is comedic... how do you boil that entire exchange down to "comedy relief"?

The way Peter offers Stiles the bite - Peter, who so far, only took whatever he wanted, never asked or offered - and doesn't force when Stiles says "No". Even the way Peter catches Stiles on the lie is a moment of tension and revelation on Stiles' part. The way Peter acknowledges Stiles as the clever one.

The season 1 finale? When Stiles sets the survivor of a horrific house fire on fire? Absolute riot, huh. It's vicious, it's cruel - it's everything.

And when Peter is resurrected? Sure, Stiles sarcastically asks if someone can kill him again and sure, Peter snarks about living in a cave system. But even in that episode, these brief comedic moments are absolutely overshadowed by the way Peter and Stiles work together, figure out what the vault is made of, then call Scott to warn him and Derek, by finishing each other's sentences. Two brilliant minds working together, on the same wavelength.

The next time they interact is when Peter tells Stiles about Paige, explains what the blue eyes mean. It's one of the more heavy and serious moments in the season, aside from all the death scenes. It's a big lore drop and character background on both Peter and Derek. And it's Stiles this information is shared with. It's a serious moment and even as Peter tells it all, Stiles doesn't trust, sees past the silver tongue and that too is part of the appeal.

When Peter and Stiles work together to save Cora's life in the hospital, while the Alpha Pack is hunting them down? Blind trust. Stiles asks Peter to help him and Peter doesn't even ask, much less quip, he just follows Stiles' lead and they work together.

Now, I'll admit, I haven't seen seasons 3B through 6 in six years and hey, maybe they'll be a real Abbott and Costello in season 4 and I'm just not remembering it, but damn it all to hell if the first half of the show doesn't present them as two clever minds challenging each other, with a growth from terror and pain to respect and teamwork.

I understand and respect not liking a ship, but I am genuinely baffled when people deliberately misinterpret a canon to suit their needs. Always makes me wonder what alternate reality's version of the show they were watching, surely not the same as me.

[follows-the-bees]

There have been many posts about the intimacy of the Bar and Grill scene, but one thing I haven't seen talked about is the placement of Ed's weapons during it.

We know in 1x4, that Ed keeps at least one hand on a weapon whenever he is in front of any of the crew. He is on guard the entire time.

But with Stede, he never really touches his weapons. Yes, there can be something said about how Stede is sick and can't truly attack Ed, but I will argue that isn't really a factor. Ed's hands barely touch his weapons in Stede's presence and they exchange everything with the roles switch; Ed hands Stede all of his weapons, taking none in return, falling asleep next to Stede without his weapons!

But back to the purpose of this post, during the Bar and Grill scene the intimacy is palpable, especially on Ed's end.

Ed is striped of most of his items: his entire weapons belt, his jacket. And his shirt is purple — symbolizing Ed's love for Stede. (Sidenote: I love that blue is Stede's color and red is Ed's and they combine for a beautiful purple throughout the show.)

Ed's emotions are bare, at the forefront. He is not only realizing Stede's feelings for him, but also letting his feelings come out. (Also, has anyone analyzed the necklace around Ed's neck? I don't recall seeing it in any other scene.)

I've written another meta on how Ed's single layers and barefootedness represents his vulnerability.

Not only is he not holding the knife that he just used to stab the snake, but it's stuck in the ground and his entire weapons belt is off and laying next to him along with the jacket.

The weapon and belt and shirt are on the opposite sides of where Stede is. Of where Ed is leaning toward. He is literally drawn toward his lighthouse, the light colors of Stede, and away from his Blackbeard persona. His back is almost entirely turned away from the weapon, which symbolizes both the literal, no need for weapons and jacket around Stede (intimacy!) but also the figurative being just himself, being Ed.

Bonus: I've talked about this a lot in my consent posts, but Stede also respects and waits for Ed's consent during this moment.

Stede points out food in Ed's beard and when Ed can't find it, Stede asks permission to take it out. He doesn't fully reach for it until Ed gives permission (the amount of consent between these two, especially in the second season is so special to me) and leans forward (the classic Ed leans toward Stede movement that continues throughout the show.)

This is in contrast to only an episode earlier where Antoinette touches Ed's beard without his permission. That moment is to mock him and is a power move, and he responds negatively about it.

Unlike here, where Stede's voice is soft, his movements slow and measured, waiting for Ed to turn to him before touching his beard. It's respectful and intimate.

Ed never touching and literally turning away from his leathers and especially his weapons, is a huge part of the intimacy of the Bar and Grill scene.

[flowersforthemachines]

Some facts about Harding gathered from the banters

I went through all companion banters on DanaDuchy's channel after playing the game to write down all facts about companions/the world that I haven't seen brought up anywhere in the game as a writing reference (and for funsies).

Note: the list isn't 100% exhaustive. I may have missed something or didn't write something down because I had heard about it before or considered it common knowledge. If you think there's something that can be added to the post, please DM me or send an ask! (do specify what banter the information is coming from)

Other characters' posts: Bellara, Davrin, Lucanis, the rest to be added later this week

Family and past:

Harding's parents split up a few years ago. Her father lives in Amaranthine. She's okay with that and thinks her parents are happier apart

Harding’s mother never taught her how to cook, she's entirely self-taught

Harding carries around the first letter her Mother sent her after joining the Inquisition

Harding doesn't have siblings 

Harding had a mabari named Contessa who passed away from old age

(If in romance) Taash offers Harding to get a mabari together

Time with the Inquisition:

Back in Skyhold, Solas once told Harding he was sorry dwarves couldn’t dream

Harding thinks that if she had never joined the Inquisition, she probably would’ve got married and tended to goats

Harding volunteered for the Inquisition because their soldiers kept scaring the sheep because they all had super old maps. And because she didn't want to spend the rest of her life watching sheep

General: 

Harding likes sandwiches, they are one of her favourite foods 

Harding finds Treviso very beautiful (who doesn’t) 

Harding would bring a bow, clean socks and a spoon to a deserted island

Harding likes books about blood and gore

Harding doesn't like killing, but she doesn't feel bad about it. She compares it to farmers having to kill wild animals that get too close to their land, as sometimes a quick kill can prevent more suffering (i.e. if a wolf gets inside your sheepfold, your own animals will die in pain)

She says that this kind of mindset is the reason why a lot of Inquisition scouts came from farmers, as they need to kill people when necessary (even if those people aren’t their enemies personally), but don’t go out looking for it

Harding likes almonds. They are crunchy :) 

Harding is fascinated by Minrathous’s nightlife 

Harding doesn't drink alcohol 

Harding really likes puns

Harding has fought a Stormrider dragon before 

Harding has a detailed and decorated scrapbook with her kills (with doodles. Including a cute giant spider)

Harding never visited Nevarra before the Veilguard, though she had heard of Cumberland’s Summer Exhibition. Emmrich disregards it as just a market with a horse show 

Dwarves and magic:

Harding finds herself more hungry than usual since getting hew new powers

Neve and Emmrich hypothesise that Harding developing Titan powers may have increased her lifespan (or even granted her eternal life) 

Harding describes using her magic as “touching something vast and eternal, a well, deep inside”. Lucanis says that it sounds similar to him using his demon powers

Relationships with companions:

Bellara, Neve and Taash call her “Lace”. Davrin and Lucanis call her “Harding”

Emmrich calls her "Harding" most of the time, though he calls her "Lace" on two occasions (in a banter about Emmrook, and the one where he talks about seeing her aura differently after he becomes a Lich)

Harding grows special plants for Davrin to help him mask the griffon smell in his room

Harding grows truffles for Assan

Harding lets Assan sleep on her

To Lich!Emmrich, Harding appears different from other dwarves. She has a special aura (but it comes and goes)

Harding buys an enchanted barbed arrow to take out Lucanis/Spite if push comes to shove. She later tries to give it to Lucanis and apologises, but he insists she keeps it as a sign of his trust

Harding finds Teia intimidating because she is “polished” (Lucanis disagrees but notes she keeps good track of all utensils Viago poisoned at the table) 

Teia called Harding fearless in a conversation with Lucanis

Harding invites Neve to her house in Ferelden after Neve's apartment in Minrathous burns down, in case she wants to get away from the Lighthouse 

Harding is very excited about Neve taking over the Threads (“Do they have to kiss your hand?”) and wishes she were a crime boss

Harding once dreamt of Neve stealing her strawberry tarts

Harding starts humming Taash’s name to herself after they get together

About gifts from Taash: 

Harding doesn’t use the archery bracer because it feels so special she’s afraid it could get lost or get dirty

She also doesn’t wear the hairpin because she’s afraid to lose it

Taash got the cheese in Minrathous

Conclusion: get Harding cheese, it’s the only thing she isn’t afraid to actually use

Garden and plants: 

It's enough to mention a plant for it to start growing in Harding’s garden

The Fade plants normally don’t need tending. However, they may begin to wilt if that’s what you expect them to do 

Smuggler’s Rose clouds the person’s mind if you are wearing it like perfume, letting you pickpocket other people more easily

Sage bane mixed with troll moss can be used to treat toenail fungus

[i-liketoast]

Five's season three suit

I haven't seen anyone talk in depth about Five's SUITS in seasons three and four and since I'm just a girl who likes suits, I analysed his season 3 suit so hope you guys enjoy my weird ass analysis.

Basic things to keep in mind that since his suit has a jacket, waistcoat and pants, it would be a three piece suit and since on the jacket and waistcoat there's only one row of buttons going down it's single breasted. These are some basic bits of information that you can figure out about a suit from a single glance now onto the insanity.

First we need to talk about his suit jacket since it's the most important imo. Thankfully this was actually super easy to figure out. The jacket tapers at his waist giving him more shape and includes pocket flaps. With these details it's safe to assume the jacket is a British cut, though it diverges from a traditional British cut because as I was re-watching season 3 due to some movement when he was walking up stairs I saw that his jacket had a single vent as appose to the typical two vents British cuts have. One final thing about his jacket is the absence of a ticket pocket though I've seen British cut suits without them before so it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Next I wanted to look at the waistcoat. I have never been more thankful for drunk five and his absence of a jacket or the scene where Pogo was about to tattoo him. Since in these scenes it's clear how well tapered the waistcoat was it was easy to come to the conclusion it's a slim fit waistcoat with five buttons. But one thing I want to mention is that waistcoats typically have some kind of adjustable strap in the back so keep that in mind when I mention that it's slim fit. (but ngl I find the fact it's five buttons on the waistcoat so funny)

Now, his pants, this was weirdly enough the hardest to figure out and I had guess big time. When he stands straight the pants tend to be quite cylindrical so my safest bet was that it's a straight cut. BUT, if you look closely at his ankles, you can see a whole lot of bunching there instead of the pants ending before the shoe. That is actually called a break in suit terms and there are four types. No break, quarter break, half break and finally, full break. From just how much fabric is at his ankles it would be a full break which honestly I think he would've been better off with a half break but that's just my personal preference.

And because I am the way I am. I (under consideration) also came to the conclusion that his shirt is a pretty basic white button up dress shirt since the collar doesn't have buttons that connect it to the main part of the shirt that would make it a button down and speaking of, the collar seems to be a straight point collar being some sharpness to the look.

If you made it this far without getting bored, thank you, and as a treat I also analysed his tie. Nothing special there, just a simple knot and based on his proportions a narrow width tie. Also here's a few of the images I used to figure this out (though I used way more then these along with watching clips on youtube)

This took me half an hour plus re-watching the season and I'm not even 100% on the pants. Please like, I killed my sanity doing this. Also let me know if you want me to analyse any other suits from the show or even his season four suit.

[freeuselandonorris]

honestly would kill to see your take on any kink ever, but I must admit I haven't been able to get your thoughts on electrostim out of my mind since you shared them so. that one. (+camshow if you're feeling it 👀)

ps.: I did have a good festive season, and I hope you did too!! 🫶🫶

glad to hear it! 🫰 mine has been. mixed. but mostly good thank u!

obviously could not resist this one. enjoy oscar being the stone cold freak for once!

Lando had asked to see it, mainly because he didn’t entirely believe Oscar was telling the truth. 

Oscar was cool and everything. Funny, with a saucy mouth on him once you got to know him. But you had to admit the guy came off as — well. Vanilla. 

So when they’d gotten pissed together on leftover Moët in Lando’s suite and Oscar had picked up the TENS machine Jon had left in there, turned it over in his hands and said, “are you into electrostim?” in tones of nervous delight, Lando hadn’t even considered it might be some sort of weird sex thing.

What the fuck is electrostim? he’d asked, tipping the remnants of his glass down his throat, which meant he didn’t notice Oscar’s horrified expression for a few seconds. 

“Nothing,” Oscar said quickly, but by that point Lando had clocked the blush spreading rapidly across his cheeks and perked right up. Even then, he’d figured it was something embarrassing, but not — that. 

He’d not believed it, when Oscar explained it. How you could wire up the same kind of machine Jon used to zap the cramps out of his aching thighs and stick it round your cock. Not that Oscar said it so brazenly. There was a lot of umm-ing and err-ing, a lot of vague hand gestures and stuttering, before Lando got the picture. 

“Fuck off,” Lando said when Oscar finished stammering out the barest of explanations. “Really? You?”

”Jesus, Lando,” Oscar said, somewhere between exasperated and indignant.

“I bet you a hundred quid you can’t,” Lando said. 

Oscar shrugged. “Believe what you like.”

Lando, whose impulse control was bad at the best of times and even worse combined with half a bottle of champagne and a burgeoning stiffy, picked the machine up from where Oscar had dropped it onto the coffee table and held it out. “Show me?”

Oscar gaped at him. He was redder than Lando had ever seen him, but he didn’t look mad or anything. Just — blindsided, maybe. 

“Not now,” Oscar said eventually. His voice came out in a kind of croak, and he cleared his throat before he spoke again. “Maybe — maybe some other time.”

Lando knew a brush-off when he saw one, so he shrugged and changed the subject and tried not to feel too mortified about it. Oscar made his excuses after another glass, sloped off to his own bedroom, and Lando put the whole embarrassing affair out of his mind. 

When his phone buzzed a week later with a text from Oscar, he had to read it twice before he understood it.

Osc 19:48 Hey. I took a video if you’re still interested. No worries if not, don’t want to pressure 🙂

Lando breathed out hard through his nose, blinking at his phone.

lando 19:50 thats the politest sext i’ve ever had yeh i am pls

Osc 19:51 🙄 it was hardly a sext [video attached]

The thumbnail was blurry, a flash of maroon and some squiggles that might be wires. Lando swallowed hard, thumb hovering over the play button. He tapped it.

”Okay,” Oscar’s voice came from the phone’s speaker, quiet. Lando kicked the volume up a couple of notches, watching a confusion of movement. Oscar’s torso, clad in his usual plain t-shirt, and a pair of khaki knee-length shorts, open at the waist. The wires Lando had spotted led out to a hand-held control box, similar to the one Jon used but a different model. 

On-screen, Oscar cleared his throat. “Had it on for five minutes or so already,” he said. His voice was a little shaky, like he was nervous. He swallowed audibly before he spoke again. “So I’m a little — I’m already, you know.” A soft laugh. “Sorry, don’t know how well I’ll be able to, um, talk you through it. Let me just — I’ll just show you.”

He exhaled, audibly steeling himself, and Lando felt himself mirror the action unconsciously. His hands were sweating enough to worry he might drop his phone. He swore under his breath and hit pause on Oscar, heading through to his bedroom and flopping back onto the bed. After a moment’s deliberation, he shoved his own shorts down to mid-thigh. He wasn’t hard yet, but — well. Better to have the option. 

He hit play. Oscar-on-the-screen hummed thoughtfully and then the screen blurred again. Some scuffling sounds that made Lando wince, the screen going briefly dark and then bleaching light again until Oscar came back into focus from the neck down to mid-thigh, standing in what looked like his bathroom with the camera, presumably, propped on the sink. 

“Right, that’s better,” Oscar said, and breathed out again, a short sharp exhalation. “Okay, here goes.” 

He put the control box down, out of shot, and visibly straightened his spine before he pushed his shorts down. No boxers. Oscar, Lando thought admiringly. I wouldn’t have thought you had it in you.

It took the camera a few moments to focus, but when it did, Lando bit back a groan. Oscar’s cock was thick, semi-hard, and covered in wires. A thick black loop of it cinched tight around the base, and another snug beneath the head of his cock, trailing a black wire. 

“Had it on low,” Oscar said. “I’ll turn it up a bit.”

His hand reached out of frame and adjusted something, and he gasped. His cock jerked, filling out in front of Lando’s wide eyes. Oscar made a soft noise, the muscles in his forearm flexing as he adjusted something else that made his cock jump again, a tiny rhythmic pulse. 

“Ah,” Oscar said. “That’s — about halfway now. Feels pretty intense.”

He adjusted himself with one hand, pulling the top loop of wire a little tighter with the plastic toggle tucked up tight beneath the head. His long fingers hovered for a second, like he was struggling not to jack himself off, help things along. 

Lando let out a string of curses beneath his breath and grabbed himself. He thumbed at the bottom of the screen to bring up the playback bar. Jesus, the video wasn’t even a quarter of the way through yet. 

He watched Oscar’s cock get harder, bobbing in midair. Lando tuned himself into it after a minute or so. He could tell when Oscar adjusted the intensity of the current by the way Oscar’s cock flushed red, jolting against his belly, the veins on the underside pulsing beneath his foreskin. 

Still, it made him gasp when Oscar’s cock blurted thin clear liquid. It trickled down the side of his cock and dropped out of sight. 

“Yep,” Oscar said tightly. “Yeah, it’s. Getting good now.”

“Oh my God, Oscar,” Lando said to his empty room, voice shocked and shaking. 

Oscar hummed again, a low rumble in his chest. When he spoke again, it sounded like an effort. “Sometimes it makes me, uh. I think it stimulates my bladder or something, so — just to warn you.”

Lando let out a shuddering breath, blinking hard at the screen. This was insane. Both of them had clearly lost their minds. He wondered, for a brief paranoid second, whether this was some sort of sophisticated deepfake scam and he was going to have his bank account emptied or his DMs leaked yet again. But no, Oscar had said it to his face. 

“Right,” Oscar’s voice came over the speaker. “Gonna take it up another notch. It’s getting — it’s strong now.” 

Lando could hear it now. A faint ticking sound, barely there, pulsing in time to the jerk of Oscar’s swollen cock. Oscar pulled up the hem of his t-shirt with one hand and clenched his abs, gasping. 

“Ah, jeez,” Oscar gritted out, and on the screen, his cock jumped and let out a spurt of liquid. It spattered wet against his stomach, dripping down. Too far away from the camera to be able to see what it was. 

Lando curled his toes into the bedding. He was wanking furiously now, skin slapping against skin sounding overly loud in the room compared to the processed sound of Oscar’s heavy breaths. On the screen, Oscar’s cock was pulsing rhythmically, drooling clear liquid with every movement. Little droplets ran down the shaft, dripping to the floor. The hem of Oscar’s t-shirt had fallen down again when he’d let go of it, and it was dark and damp. Lando found himself wanting to suck it clean.

”Not—” Oscar’s breath hitched on a moan. “Not long now.” 

You’re telling me, Lando thought wildly, squeezing himself around the base to try to calm himself down. He was panting, thighs flexing with the need to come, but Oscar hadn’t yet, and he wanted to see it. 

“Okay,” Oscar was saying on the screen, more to himself than the camera. “Gonna — gonna turn it up to max now, and that’ll probably do it.”

He reached out then and picked up the phone, bringing it closer to his straining cock. As the camera moved, Lando caught a glimpse of his face, red and shining with sweat. 

“Ready?” Oscar’s voice came over the speakers, and Lando moaned at the shock of being directly addressed. 

Oscar reached his other hand out to the control unit, and Lando saw his thighs clench, his cock lurch violently. 

“Oh, fuck,” Oscar rasped. “Fuck, fuck, fuck—” 

He came, untouched and messy, spraying across his t-shirt. Before he knew it, Lando was coming too, letting it get all over his own stomach as Oscar’s ragged gasps echoed in his ears. 

Lando stopped coming before Oscar did. Oscar’s cock was red and angry-looking, still spurting thin liquid every few seconds as his thighs shook visibly. Then the screen tilted dizzily, and the video stopped.

Lando stared at the screen, shell-shocked. His brain felt like it had been hollowed out. 

“Fucking hell,” he croaked to the phone. He wanted to laugh, slightly hysterical. Instead he wiped his sticky hand on his shirt and swiped out of the video, back to his message thread with Oscar.

lando 20:03 omfg wow

A second later, Lando’s phone vibrated, but there was no reply in his thread with Oscar. Instead, there was a notification from his bank. Lando opened it.

Oscar Piastri has requested funds! Oscar Piastri has requested £100.00 GBP.  Message from recipient: “Told you so.” Accept request to transfer funds?

[peachylynnie]

blackjack

word count: 1.5k synopsis: in which you pique sylus' interest with a game of blackjack. contains: sylus x fem!reader (not mc, first time meeting), sylus is lowkey messed up, alcohol consumption, cursing, violence, and gambling (know the rules of blackjack). a/n: yes, this will be a series. it's not obvious in this part but this story was inspired by the cover art of the ml and fl from tears on a withered flower, an adult webtoon. do not copy or translate my work, sylus does not endorse plagiarism. reblogs and comments are appreciated. lads masterlist: here

sylus is bored. inconceivably fucking bored.

on his right is sherman, a greedy, corrupt imbecile who thinks he can get away with promising counterfeit protocores. on his left is sherman's lackey, a two-faced, ambitious moron who thinks he can improve his boss' hideous image by claiming the so-called protocores were "hard to find." and in front of him is a pitiful dealer who not only fumbles the cards every time he tries to shuffle for a new game of blackjack but also loses every single round to the point no one is afraid to hit more than once.

unfortunately for sylus, dealing with people like sherman and his minion is a daily occurrence. after all, he runs the n109 zone, a wasteland filled with scums of the planet who are not only shallow to the point a fucking newborn can tread the depths of their hearts but also manipulative of the lives of the weak solely for the sake of monetary growth.

exhaling an irritated sigh, he reaches for his glass of gin fizz, causing a series of flinches from the men at the table. normally, sylus would revel in the effect he has on people. he never would have gotten this far if it hadn't been for his steel-like business ethic and unwavering confidence. but again, he's bored, severely bored of the constant mingling with shitty people at shitty lounges. though he supposes this lounge isn't bad, considering how pleasant the fizz tastes on his tongue. at least the alcohol will help him get through another dull round of blackjack.

"ha!" sherman laughs as he collects more chips. "this table is quite lucky. i have never played against a dealer with such buttery fingers."

the dealer winces before apologizing meekly. sylus makes a note to tip him later.

"agreed," the lackey continues his ass-kissing. "i feel bad for the table next to us, though. that lady dealer has been ruthless all night."

sylus doesn't think much as he brings his cup to his mouth and averts his attention to the table beside him. however, his tongue never makes contact with the fizz. it lingers on the rim of the cup instead. furrowing his brows, the silver-haired man takes a closer look at you, the supposed ruthless lady dealer.

there you were, clad in a crisp dress shirt with a tight button-up vest on top and a pair of sleek trousers. but never mind what you're wearing (it's what all the employees of this lounge have to wear, but you looked good); you're new. sylus has never seen you before, and that astounds him because this is the n109 zone, the very domain he is in charge of. even if he has never met every single person in this place, he sure as hell has seen them through records. it's his job as the head of onychinus. but you, you're new, a fresh new face he has never seen on any digital or physical records.

but what astonishes the man even more is your winning streak. in the last three minutes sylus has been staring at you, you haven't lost a single game of blackjack. moreover, your hands have been impressively consistent, only flipping twenties or immediate blackjacks.

however, what catches sylus' eye the most is your face. not because of your undeniable beauty (he can think about this later) but because of your expression. in the last four minutes sylus has been staring at you, you never showed an ounce of emotion. your lips never quirked when you won. your eyes never flared when the men at your table accused you of cheating. heck, you didn't even react when one of them dared to grab you by the collar of your shirt and shake you violently with demands to give him back what he lost.

taking a quick sip of his fizz, sylus stands up and strides over to your table. firmly gripping the outstretched arm of your aggressor, he gives him a subtle yet threatening smile. "is there a problem here, sir?"

"s-sylus?!" the man immediately lets go of you, trying to release his poor arm from sylus' unrelenting grip. "i didn't realize you were here."

sylus tilts his head, recognizing the man's face. "mason? the last time i saw you was when you tried to strike me a deal with fake protocores."

gulps can be heard around the room.

"i must say," he continues, tightening his grip. "it's one thing to try and deceive me, but it's another to harm an innocent person just because you're losing sorely."

"s-she's not innocent," mason squawks. "she's cheating! she has to be! she hasn't lost once tonight. besides, she's the dealer. she must have been tampering with the cards!"

sylus faces you, still not letting go of mason. "miss dealer. you have been allowing these men," he nudges his head towards the pigs at your table, "to shuffle the cards before each round, correct?"

"yes," you answer calmly, not a single quiver or tremor to be heard. "each person at this table has shuffled before a round. it is protocol to allow customers to shuffle." smoothening your collar and vest, you gesture to the table with a hand. "also, i have been using two decks of cards, which not only ensures a faster game but also prevents cheating from both the dealer and the customers."

sylus frowns. you didn't even look at him while answering his question. not a single look of acknowledgment was spared. your eyes never left the poker table, and that bothered sylus greatly. he doesn't know why. but what he knows for sure is that he wants your eyes on him. he wants to break your focus so fucking badly. he wants to see what kind of face you would make when he beats you in a game. it's only fair. after all, you satiated his boredom the moment he laid eyes on you. 

"you heard her." he says as he thrusts mason to the ground. "i'm afraid you are simply terrible at cards. now, i suggest you leave before i break your arm."

"what?! but she's-" sylus stomps on the man's arm, eliciting a terrifying scream. cradling his now-shattered arm, mason hunches over in agony, his wails of pain never ending. 

sylus rolls his eyes as he pulls a seat to your table. "any time now, mason," he snaps.

glancing up at you, the silver-haired man can't help but tut. still no reaction from you. just a formal pose of a hand folded over the other and resting on the stomach. seriously? he just crushed a man's arm in front of you, not to mention a man who's been troubling you nonstop, and you don't even blink? by no means does he expect gratitude. it's the n109 zone, after all. but given the indisputable fact that you're new here, surely you must be unaccustomed to spontaneous violence. but no, you just reach for a deck of cards and start shuffling, never acknowledging the man, the fucking head of onychinus, sitting in front of you.

"excellent display, sylus!" sherman chirps, pulling a seat next to him as mason and his men scamper away. "mason, that moron. never able to accept a loss."

"indeed," his lackey joins as well, causing sylus to sigh in frustration. oh right, the imbecile and his ass-kisser were still here. "accepting losses is vital to surviving in the n109 zone. wouldn't you agree, miss?" 

no answer. you just keep shuffling the cards. first a riffle shuffle, then an overhand shuffle. sylus quirks a brow, mildly impressed by how fast your fingers move. finally, you speak.

"your bets, gentlemen?"

sylus blinks. you looked at him. you finally looked at him. and it wasn’t with any flaming desire to win big against the one and only head of onychinus. no, it was with sheer boredom, as if he was just another one of those insignificant nobodies in the n109 zone. he can't help but chuckle. he can feel the excitement coursing through his veins. oh, he can't wait to see your reaction when he bests you. it’s only fair he returns the favor, right? he’ll gladly satiate your boredom as you did for him. and he is dying to see what kind of face will make. will your unmoving, bewitching eyes flicker? will your smooth, crystalline voice falter? will your expressionless, winsome face finally contort? oh, the man is raring to find out. 

it seems sylus, the man who was bored to tears less than ten minutes ago, is confident tonight will be the most entertaining night of his life.

[okaysonny]

happy new years!! just stumbled on your latest post and i absolutely adore the way you portrayed jake❤️❤️

Can i request for Jake kim x reader where they are similar to sinu han and yeonhui’s relationship and how they act

like yeonhui trying to hit sinu many times but fails miserably (im sorry if you don’t understand my request i cant construct well since english is not my 2nd language 🥲🥲)

smack me if you can ╏ jake kim

ᯓ★ summary: a bet with jake turns into a week long quest to beat his reflexes.

ᯓ★ details: fluff, f! reader, established relationship, spoiler free, jerry appearance! he always shows up when i make jake fics i'm crying

ᯓ★ wc: 920

ᯓ★ A/N: thank youuu for your kind words! 🫶🏽 happy new year :) you probably mentioned yeonhui hitting sinu as an example, but...i took it and ran 🤫

anon is talking about this post btw, if you haven't seen it 👅

as jake quietly slurps his noodles, you sneak up behind him, winding your arm back for the perfect smack on his cheek. just as you’re about to make contact, his hand shoots out, catching your wrist mid swing.

jake blinks at you, visibly confused. “uh…did i do something wrong?”

you huff and shake your head. “of course not! i was just testing something!”

“testing what, exactly?” he asks, raising a brow. but his lips twitch, holding back his amusement.

you glance away, a little sheepish. “i saw yeonhui try to slap sinu earlier, but he dodged it like it was nothing. i just wanted to see if you’d do the same”

jake stares at you for a second, then shrugs. “when you've been fighting for so long, dodging stuff like that becomes second nature. it’s just instinct”

you nod absentmindedly, muttering. “yeah...of course”

but as you turn to walk away, you spin back abruptly and take another swing at him.

he dodges — easily.

your jaw drops. “are you kidding me?”

jake chuckles now, clearly entertained. “told you. you’re not gonna land that slap”

“you little—” you stop yourself, gritting your teeth. “i definitely will”

jake grins, thoroughly enjoying this. “i bet you can’t slap me by the end of the week”

you scoff. “you’re on. and if i lose, i’ll buy you that special chocolate cake you devour like a pig. for a whole week”

his eyes light up at the mention of it. “deal. and when i win, don’t forget to tell everyone your boyfriend has ninja reflexes”

you roll your eyes. "whatever jake. i'm winning this"

୧ ‧₊˚ 🍰 ⋅ ☆

Monday

“woah, look over there jake!”

he glances in the direction you point.

gotcha! you raise your hand.

SLA-

without missing a beat, he dodges, turning back to you with a smirk. “nice try”

you groan.

Tuesday

feigning a pout, you sigh dramatically. “jake…i don’t feel so good. can you check if i have a fever?”

he leans forward, pressing his palm lightly to your forehead.

perfect. you aim for his cheek once more.

SLA-

but jake dodges effortlessly again, pulling back with a chuckle. “you’ll have to try harder than that”

you flop onto the couch, glaring at him.

Wednesday

while eating dinner, you point at jake’s face. “you’ve got sauce on your cheek”

he raises a brow. “do i?”

“yeah, let me get it for you” you say sweetly, reaching out.

too easy. as your hand inches closer, you shift suddenly.

SLA-

jake leans back smugly. “i thought you were more creative than this”

you stab at your food with a fork, fuming silently.

Thursday

desperate times call for desperate measures. you corner jerry in big deal's supply closet, shutting the door behind you.

jerry looks alarmed. "w-what are you doing?" he squeaks. "i don't know what you're planning, but i would never betray jake like this—"

“what? ew! this isn't even close to that!” you snap.

you exhale deeply, composing yourself. “jerry...how would i sneak up on jake and catch him off guard?”

jerry’s eyes light up with pride. “ah...boss jake could never be caught off guard. his reflexes are unmatched, his instincts sharp as—”

“alright, relax. who’s dating him, me or you?” you mutter, already regretting this. before he can continue singing jake’s praises, you shake your head and leave. "never mind...i should solve this on my own"

"where are you going?" jerry asks in confusion.

as you leave the supply closet, you pause, clenching your fist in the air — like some sort of revolutionary leader. “this isn’t just for me. this slap… is for womankind”

you march off with purpose, leaving jerry staring at you, baffled.

Friday

jake is casually scrolling through his phone when you lean in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. he glances up, pleasantly surprised, a smile spreading across his face.

“what’s this for?” he asks, his voice laced with affection.

“just...for being the best boyfriend” you reply softly, taking the phone from his hands and setting it aside.

jake tilts his head, watching you curiously as your thumbs brush over his cheeks. his smile lingers as you lean in close, and he lets his eyes flutter shut, his lips parting slightly.

and that's when you strike.

SLAP

your hand connects with his cheek, the sound echoing through the room.

jake’s eyes fly open, wide with disbelief. “what the—”

you burst out laughing, triumphant. “i did it! i won!”

jake starts laughing too, shaking his head. "using kisses to win? that’s dirty"

you grin, running off. “i don't care! i’m telling jerry you got slapped by someone with zero combat experience!”

jake blinks as he watches you bolt out the room.

you burst into the room where jerry is, huffing victoriously. "jerry! i did it! i slapped him!”

jerry stares at you, gobsmacked. “no way...you actually slapped boss jake?”

“yes!” you announce proudly, before heading for the door. “and now i'm going to the bakery! i'll be rewarding myself with chocolate cake!”

jerry finds jake on the couch, who's chuckling quietly to himself. “boss… did she really slap you off guard?”

jake leans back, a fond smile on his face. “what do you think? of course not. it was so obvious”

jerry furrows his brows. “then why did you…”

jake watches you tie your laces as you hum a little victory tune, grinning to yourself. his expression softens.

“look how happy she is” jake says, his tone warm. “losing was totally worth it to see that smile”

divider: @thecutestgrotto

[cindersnows]

the problem with mitsi (or as i like to call it. mitsogyny)

(context: this was written under a youtube video, which i'm sure most of us have at least seen pop up in our recommendeds, in response to many people taking criticism against the new episode. it has been edited a little to be more cohesive as a somewhat-essay)

ok, i wanted to write out a rant/essay/ramble/whatever sort of summarising the criticism against mitsi's plotline because a lot of the people here seem to be misunderstanding the fundamental issue that people have with it, including some of those people themselves.

first off, an analysis that i think tell both sides of the argument very well which i feel should be read before reading the essay: Mitsi: What Makes A Fridged Character (and why y'all are wrong about it) | an AvA essay by InksandPensblog. i will note: i don't care to discuss whether mitsi was fridged or not and that won't be of much importance in this post. the above link gives some insight into some of the fandom's criticism of mitsi and how she was "fridged", defining common tropes for examples. that's what's relevant to this post.

the main issue with mitsi, in my opinion, is less with the fact that mitsi's a girl and moreso the fact that she's one of the only female-coded character in the series, and that her character's main purpose was to further victim's own development. the other arguably female-coded character in the series is pink, who (like navy) only really exists to explain purple's motivations. i don't have much of an issue with that since they're not meant to be important or sympathised with at all. that's not their job in the story.

with mitsi, i've seen people point out that she has more character to her than just victim's love interest and supporter: she invents rocketcorp, she's smart, she's kind, innocent and helpful. narratively speaking, she shows other creations' relationships with their animators, parallels her innocence with victim's trauma, and introduces victim to the outernet (as most fans call the stick realm).

but most of this things imo are either stretches or invalid arguments. she's not really a 2/3-dimensional character in any way; her main character traits boil down to the fact that she likes to be in service of others with no nuance behind why she likes helping people. she hypes up victim for the villagers, she starts a company with him to share his talents with the world, and she helps him overcome his trauma from alan's torture. all of her main plot beats center around victim: and while technically the sticks are genderless and free to be interpreted however the viewer wants, alan and most of his team see all the main characters as male, and that subconciously affects how they're written. mitsi, the first major female-coded character, spends most of her storyline in service of victim, a character not written as female.

there's also the issue of her being victim's canonical love interest. i feel like this statement from alan is important to keep in mind (don't mind the sound effects and edits, this is the only isolated clip i can find at the moment). in particular:

"i just assume that [the ava/m characters] are just a bunch of bros]. i haven't thought of adding any female stick figures but i think it'd be good. i don't want to introduce any romance though, i don't want that to be a theme."

he seems to have changed his mind on that last part, which is fine, but the notable part for me is that he seems to associate female characters with romance from the getgo. before anyone misinterprets this, i'm not trying to call alan sexist or anything. but there's a common issue with women in stories being reduced to just a romantic partner for the male lead, and mitsi falls under this, with her entire character existing to serve victim. (not to mention people will make things about romance whether you like it or not. that's just basic fandom. search up grapeduo or chodark.) even her death is to put victim on the path of vengeance--- it doesn't need to happen to show the extent of tco and tdl's destruction, because that's already made pretty clear in ava s2 the flashback and the earlier scenes showing various characters escaping burning buildings. when you write a female-coded character whose only purpose is to serve a male character, you're contributing to sexist narratives.

a counter i see many people point out with the idea that she has no character is that she does have character traits, it's just that they're generic ones like "kind" and "innocent". the issue is that she has no flaws to counterpoint this; it's not that she didn't have enough screentime. in ava4 for example, we see tsc's flaws pretty clearly; they can be very mean when they want to, they're petty (albeit for a fair reason), they're a little impulsive. this is shown in 11 minutes (from the moment they come alive to the end of the video).

with mitsi meanwhile… she doesn't seem to have any flaws? she helps victim whenever she can. she's nice to all the villagers. her customers all like her and she's a great leader at rocket corp (to note, specifically as part of a pair with victim. they're a power couple, she's barely given credit for her work alone). she has 13 minutes of screentime, or 10 if you count from her waking up in the outernet. there's plenty of opportunities to show her having flaws; maybe she acts a little selfish during tdl and tco's attack, only wanting to help herself and agent smith, or maybe she overworks herself, or feels awkward at having too much attention (and that could also be why she redirects so much attention to victim, she's shy). you could argue that the episode needs to develop victim and agent smith too, but ava4 shows that's easy to do too: just a few seconds dedicated to showing rgyb fighting over who leaves first shows that they can be selfish and childish. it's very easy to insert a moment like that for mitsi.

it's a little disappointing when the first major female-coded character in ava is completely flawless, with no personality outside of being nice and helpful for others.

also, slightly unrelated, check out this quote from mitsi's plushie website: "her white featureless face seems to ooze mystery and feminine power all at the same time." her main character trait, as a woman, is being feminine. it's irritating as someone who's been raised a woman to see her reduced to just her gender. she feels more plastic than a person, like the concept of what a woman should be (perfect, kind, useful) and not an actual character/person.

i would expect more from the writing in the series seeing as it's not just an independent passion project anymore, and has multiple writers that all could've worked to flesh out mitsi, or at least get a sensitivity reader of sorts to point these issues out. it's extremely disappointing and i can understand why people were upset.

tldr: the problem isn't just that mitsi's a girl, or that she's nice or dating victim, it's that she's written in a misogynistic way.

[keep-wonwooing]

Make time for you

synopsis ᝰ.ᐟ

⤷ ˗ˏˋ "busy? since when did I become busy when it comes to you?ˎˊ˗

pairing ᝰ.ᐟ

⤷ Idol boyfriend seokmin x fem reader

warnings ᝰ.ᐟ

⤷ none ( i guess? )

It was a sunny day. I was just chillin’ at the couch, scrolling through my phone. I saw a lot of updates about seventeen. I was really happy that they're doing great, especially my boyfriend Seokmin.

He and I aren't together always since he has a busy schedule and I don't want to interfere with it, so we just chatted or called often. It's not like he's not going home every night; it's just that we don't have time for each other since I also have a job as a cashier at a café near our shared apartment.

 

 While scrolling, I suddenly heard a knock at the door. Quickly standing up, I opened it to see Dokyeom smiling widely, hiding something behind his back.

"Baby? What are you doing here? Don't you have practice today?" I asked him.

"Well, our choreographer told us to take the day off since he's not available," he answered, then stole a quick kiss on my cheek. I let him inside, and he continued smiling sheepishly while looking at me.

"Dokyeom," I called, giving him a what's happening look.

He giggled and showed me a bouquet of my favorite flowers. I was shocked by what he was holding, and I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

"What's wrong, baby? You don't like it? It's okay; I'll just buy you another one."

He immediately came beside me, pulling me into his chest and gently caressing my hair.

"Oh gosh, what did I do to deserve this kind of man in my life?" I whispered. "N-no… I was just touched because it's been a while, and I-I missed you so much…" I pouted.

"I know, I'm sorry, baby. I missed you so much too," he replied, kissing my forehead.

"We haven't been able to talk to each other in person because we're both tired every night. And when it's our day off, I don't want to be a distraction or an annoying girlfriend since you're busy doing something on your laptop," I explained, still sobbing.

"Baby, what are you saying? You, a distraction? I'd rather have you distract me than do that boring work. And since when did I become busy when it comes to you?" he said, gently holding my face. "The reason I wasn’t talking to you is that I thought you wanted space for yourself. And when you weren't talking to me, I thought you were mad at me." He made me look at him as I pouted.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, burying my face in his chest as I sobbed for another five minutes before finally calming down.

"The flowers? I love them. You know they're my favorite, so thank you," I told him, hugging him tightly.

"Really? You're welcome, baby. I want to make it up to you today. How about we go on a date? There's a new burger place a few streets away," he said with a smile.

Dokyeom and I love eating burgers (and pizza). Since we rarely go to fancy restaurants, we usually eat at small places nearby.

"Hmm, we should! I'll just change quickly, then we can leave." I smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before heading upstairs to our shared room.

After a few minutes of picking an outfit, I finally found one. I quickly changed into it and went downstairs.

"Is this okay?" I asked DK, referring to the simple sunny dress I was wearing.

"Woah, you're so gorgeous," he exclaimed, making me blush and giggle.

"Thank you, baby. Shall we go?" I replied, wrapping my arm around his.

"Let's gooo!" he cheered, taking my hand as we both headed outside.

We arrived at the new burger place Seokmin was talking about. I’d seen it on TikTok, and people said the food here was great.

Seokmin opened the door for me, and we walked inside together. Girls kept glancing in our direction, especially at my handsome boyfriend, DK.

I couldn’t help but smile proudly, feeling so lucky to have him by my side.

"Baby? You okay?" he asked, making my cheeks burn.

"H-huh? Yes, I am. Why?" I replied, smiling sheepishly.

He chuckled and said, "I’m asking you what you want to order."

Feeling embarrassed, I hid my face against his shoulder before looking at the menu in front of us.

"I’ll just get the chicken one," I told him. He laughed at me before turning to the cashier to place our order.

He let me find a table to sit at while he paid. Seokmin never wants me to pay for our food. Even when I insist, he always says, 'A girl should never pay for a man unless it’s an emergency.' I laughed, remembering him saying that.

"They said they’ll bring our food to the table," he said, sitting beside me and wrapping his hand around mine.

"Let’s take a picture!" he suggested, pulling out his phone. We both smiled for the camera.

The fans know about our relationship. At first, I was scared I’d ruin his image, but thankfully, his fans are really supportive and happy for us.

"Excuse me…" A group of girls approached our table, looking nervous. "We’re sorry to interrupt your date, b-but is it okay if we could have an autograph?" one of the girls asked, her hands shaking as she held out a paper and pen.

Seokmin looked at me first, and I gave him a warm smile before he nodded and agreed. He signed autographs for each of them.

While he was writing, another girl spoke up. "Unnie, you’re so pretty! No wonder Dokyeom oppa is so in love with you."

I laughed. "Gosh, thank you so much! Have you guys eaten yet?" I asked.

"We haven’t, unnie. We rushed over to ask for an autograph so we wouldn’t interrupt you while you’re eating," another girl replied.

Seokmin finished signing and handed the autographs to them. They thanked us before leaving.

"Carats are so cute," I said, giggling.

"They are," he agreed, and we continued chatting while waiting for our food.

A few minutes later, our order finally arrived, and the both of us started eating the burgers we had ordered.

"Is it delicious?" he asked, watching me take a bite.

"Mm-hmm! Yeah!" I answered, smiling with food still in my mouth.

Satisfied with my answer, he began eating his food as well, and we enjoyed our meal in comfortable silence.

"I’ve seen people eating here, and they weren’t wrong when they said the food is delicious," I said, looking at him. I caught him already looking at me.

"Really? I’m glad I brought you to this place, then," he smiled, patting my head. "I love you," he whispered.

"Hmm? I love you too, baby." I giggled and leaned against his shoulder as we continued to eat.

How I missed going on dates with him! I wished we could be like this every day, but I knew we had responsibilities in our lives.

I really love this guy. I’d be willing to risk everything just to make him happy.

[mandalhoerian]

I love your analysis on Rafayel, I thought there was something wrong with me not understanding his card! If it's not too much to ask, can you break down his final dialogue? I don't get his point. why is he suddenly bringing up love when this has been about art? Isn't he saying that the love he feels is also bringing him pain, isn't this a bad thing😅 Is it just me 😅 I feel crazy... You can ignore this if you want no hard feelings

the said analysis on intertidal zone for people who haven't seen it!

first of all, please don't be hard on yourself for not understanding, you're okay! this was me too. i got you!

"i once stubbornly believed only pain could bring me inspiration. I traveled far and wide in search of it. Pain that inspires me, I mean. Like a sea that's about to dry up. The art of creation is part of my life. You made me realize love and art are so alike. Even if they don't complete me but burn me instead, I still want them with every fiber of my being."

but before i can explain this fully, I want to go take a few steps back and go into what he previously revealed. I swear it makes sense to start from the beginning, trust me. spoiler alert, I've discovered something you guys. (@pasdenomadonner you can put this on reddit too if you'd like!!)

"actually i was here last time for an exhibit and i found myself in the same situation."

this could refer to either his fever, or his lack of inspiration, or both. the next line confirms that he was going through creative block, though -> "as far as i know, this is the longest time my mind's been like a blank sheet of paper."

and mc says, "you mean you can't draw?"

I totally missed this before & thought it was a tangent that came out of nowhere. But what Rafayel did is that, without words, showing her that he was in fact able to fix his inspiration issue the last time. This isn't a random reveal that the ocean and desert painting belonged to him all this time. It says that his trip to here fixed his creative block and the piece he made from the inspiration he got from Aridum made it to the memorial hall. He's saying, "No no, I could draw."

He's come here again for guaranteed inspiration hit. He's basically saying his trip here didn't work this time around and this isn't doing anything for him, despite the tragedy all around him.

Do you know what this means? STAY WITH ME NOW, STAY WITH ME.

because this ties DIRECTLY to him saying "i stubbornly believed only pain could give me inspiration" -- so, if only pain gives him inspiration, why can't he draw now? why is his mind blank? Is he not getting his inspiration from pain anymore? What will he do now, then? THAT'S what he's struggling with.

NOW we can dive into the rest of the final dialogue.

1. “The art of creation is part of my life.”

This line sets the stage. Rafayel isn’t just saying art is important to him, it’s essential. Not a hobby. Art isn’t just a thing he does, it’s who he is.

What he’s really saying here is: “Art is a core part of my identity. Without it, I’m not me.”

2. “You made me realize love and art are so alike.”

Here’s the pivot. It's so confusing at first glance because you expect him to elaborate in "What way?" But I believe Rafayel is setting the stage to make a direct comparison between art--this thing he just declared essential to his life--and love not just by commenting on their similarities but by implying that love (MC) is just as essential as art.

Think about what this means for someone like Rafayel:

Art has always been his way of processing the world, expressing himself, and finding meaning. It’s his lifeline.

By comparing love to art, he’s saying that MC has brought something into his life that feels equally vital, equally irreplaceable.

He’s realizing that MC, like art, isn’t just something that happens to him--it’s something he needs.

3. “Even if they don’t complete me but burn me instead...”

This is where it gets personal and raw. Rafayel doesn’t see art or love as things that “fix” him or make him whole. Instead, he sees them as forces that challenge him, consume him, and demand something from him.

“Burn me instead”: The idea of burning here isn’t necessarily negative, perhaps. It’s could be about intensity and being consuming. Both art and love push Rafayel to his limits, force him to confront himself, and sometimes hurt him in the process. But he’s okay with that. The burn isn’t a deterrent--it’s a part of what makes these things so meaningful to him.

In essence, he’s saying: Even if art and love aren’t easy, even if they don’t make me feel whole or safe, I still want them. I still need them.

4. “I still want them with every fiber of my being.”

This line drives the point home, circling back to how he said they were "alike". Rafayel isn’t just tolerating the burn--he’s choosing it. He wants art and love, not because they’re perfect or painless, but because they’re what give his life meaning. Remember his "Addictive Pain" anectode? I don't think he dislikes this kind of "pain" but MC isn't in a place to understand what he means yet is my takeaway.

YEAH?. YEAH. I'M DOING LAPS IN MY ROOM HE'S SO. HE'S SOOOOOO. AND I'M SO SLOW, I DIDN'T GET ALL OF UNTIL LATER, LIKE HOW THE LAST TIME HE WAS ABLE TO BE INSPIRED BY ARIDUM DURING CREATIVE BLOCK BUT NOT ANYMORE. "Why is he bringing up love all of a sudden. Weren't we just talking about art?" was such a raw connection he was trying to pull and it flew right over my head.

And understanding the burning thing quite literally I imagine, LIKE I WAS DOING, MC is like

he's such a tortured artist

anyway. I hope I was able to help, anon. It's thanks to you I went in and discovered these new things. Why is it always Rafayel. I feel like local tumblrina discovering media literacy for the first time, I swear I'm good at consuming media it's him making things difficult (even though me personally I've made my peace with having a peanut for a brain that runs on brainrot)

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Dramatic Ending Ch. 22

Dramatic Ending Ch. 21 His Side Story

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

The "last mercy" that the god bestowed upon the people of the Land of Illusions triggered chaos and panic.

The fact that the leader of the force advocating for a "world without God" was the God himself seemed to be an unbelievable nightmare for the people who had lived peacefully under the moon's protection. Even the soldiers patrolling the city couldn't hide their unrest.

With my back to the city filled with a cacophony of voices, I stand before the gate of the sanctuary, which is usually managed by the apostle.

The sanctuary is an isolated space surrounded by high walls.

Standing in front of the gate, the only entrance, is a large man with a sand-repelling cloak fastened with a unicorn clasp.

(It seems like there's only one person guarding the gate.)

The reason the soldiers haven't stormed the place, despite the lax security, seems to be related to the special nature of the sanctuary.

(But I don't have time to worry about that now.)

The figure of Azel, who boldly entered the territory marked with the flag of the red moon, is getting smaller and smaller.

I try to follow him, and as expected, I'm stopped by the gatekeeper.

???: It's Prince Azel's order.

Emma: I just want to talk to him for a bit.

???: He said that Lady Emma would ask to see him, so I should refuse.

(He's one step ahead... he doesn't want to see me that much, huh?)

(It can't be helped. If that's how he's going to be, I won't hesitate to use any means necessary.)

Emma: Ugh... that's mean, Prince Azel... Waaaaah!

I raise my voice as loud as I can so that those inside can hear, but before I know it, I've caught the attention of the people near Azel.

Gradually, shame washes over me, and my voice grows smaller.

(No, I can't overcome my embarrassment... I can picture Azel's mocking face.)

Even though security is light, as a mere book merchant, I can't force my way in...

Clenching my fists, all I could do was curse the God in my mind.

-

Emma: I thought about it calmly.

Emma: I thought, if I piled up a mountain of gold coins in front of the gate, he might come out.

Silvio: You're ain't calm at all. Go get some fresh air.

Having gained nothing, I return to the castle and explain everything that has happened to the owner in the guest room.

Just like the commotion in the city, Tanzanite Castle is also in a state of confusion.

Perhaps we, the foreigners, are the only ones who remain calm.

Akatsuki: ...I understand.

Akatsuki: I was suspicious during my journey.

Akatsuki: Tanzanite is the Land of God. Their faith is unwavering.

Akatsuki: The people live their lives according to the destiny determined by divination from a young age.

Akatsuki: But the villages in the outskirts were different.

Emma: They didn't have faith?

Akatsuki: That's not quite right.

Akatsuki: They didn't have "diviners."

(No... diviners?)

Silvio showed his surprise before I did.

Silvio: That's impossible. I've been to the countryside several times for business, and there were always diviners.

Silvio: Their decision-making always involved divination.

Akatsuki: Yes. From what I heard, they had faith in God.

Akatsuki: But they accepted the situation of "not having diviners" and lived their lives.

Akatsuki: Apparently, even in the countryside, diviners have been making a lot of mistakes in their divinations for the past few years.

Akatsuki: That's why they chose a path that doesn't rely on diviners.

(Naturally, Azel must be involved in the divinations being inaccurate.)

(It's like an experiment––...)

Emma: ...Ah!

Silvio: What's with the "ah?"

Emma: Do you have a map of Tanzanite?

Akatsuki: I have one.

The owner spread a map on the floor, and I superimposed the scene I had seen in that dreamlike space.

Although it was vague, I marked several locations based on my memory.

Emma: Are the villages that Owner was talking about earlier among these?

Akatsuki: Yes.

Emma: ...Just as I thought...

Silvio: What are these marks?

Emma: There was a secret room deep inside the temple where Prince Azel lives.

Emma: There was a map in there with several marks on it...

Emma: I marked them down as far as I could remember.

Silvio: Ha, I see. That bastard seems to have been quite thorough in his investigation.

Emma: I think so too.

Emma: I think he was test-running a "world without God" in places with few people.

Emma: Tanzanite's history is intertwined with God. Whether people can live even if that God is gone.

Emma: He may have started this "performance" in the city after collecting various data and determining that it was possible.

Emma: To overturn the foundation of divination and the Land of Illusions.

(If it's a plan this carefully crafted, surely Azel must have nothing but winning strategies in mind...)

I suppress the urge to scream, "No!"

Akatsuki: It's not an impossible story.

Akatsuki: God has been interested in stories from other countries for a while now.

Akatsuki: So much so that I suspected his purpose in calling me was to hear about my travels rather than to get books.

Silvio: Come to think of it, he was with me too. He was more interested in hearin' about the outside world than in talkin' about business.

Silvio: I thought it was just a longing stemmin' from his restrictive position as a God...

(Maybe there's some longing too. But...)

(Azel wanted to know. He wanted to know the best path for the people of Tanzanite from an international perspective.)

This "God's Gift" may be something the current people of Tanzanite cannot understand.

But for us outsiders, we can say with certainty that it is undoubtedly a gift.

If the people who have stopped walking on their own, trapped by divination, learn to think for themselves, their national power will naturally increase, and Tanzanite, which has been built solely by the power of God, will be able to develop further.

Silvio: I understand the gist of this spectacle, but...

Silvio: What the woman said about "God trying to die himself" still doesn't sit right with me.

Silvio: Even if that greedy bastard physically dies, the faith won't disappear, will it?

Silvio: I hear that the Living God is reincarnated and descends to Tanzanite in a certain cycle.

Silvio: In other words, there are times when there is no Living God.

Silvio: Azel happens to be here now, but when he ain't, the people worship an idol God.

Silvio: Even if the Living God dies, "God" won't die.

(Now that you mention it, that's true...)

Akatsuki: The basic premise is that the concept of death doesn't apply to God.

The owner walks over to the window and looks up at the moon.

The moon, which looks bigger than it does in Rhodolite, is divine, and it will soon be full.

Akatsuki: The moon is eternal.

Akatsuki: As long as the moon rises in the sky again and again, people will find God there.

Akatsuki: As long as God is the incarnation of the moon.

(Am I getting too caught up in the words "God Killer Plan?")

(But Azel said that the prophecy of the end would surely come.)

Emma: "On the day of the end, Tanzanite will lose its God."

Emma: "The moon will disappear, and the people will awaken from a long dream."

Emma: "With the death of the eternal God."

Silvio: Is that the prophecy of the end?

Emma: Yes. It clearly prophesies that "the moon will disappear."

Silvio: It must be some kind of metaphor. The moon can't physically disappear.

Emma: ...You're right.

(I don't really understand where this commotion is headed.)

Akatsuki: ......

Akatsuki: ...I see...

Emma: Owner?

Akatsuki: No...

The owner shook his head and suddenly glanced at the door.

A few seconds later, there was a knock.

(Who could that be?)

Silvio, who was closest to the door, opened it––

A swift intruder, with their hood pulled low, slipped into the room.

Akatsuki: ...Your Majesty?

(Eh...?)

Enis: Indeed. I apologize for startling you.

Removing his hood, Enis's face was illuminated by the candlelight.

More than the fact that the king had suddenly visited the guest room, I was surprised by his poor complexion.

Silvio: Are ya being targeted by assassins or somethin'?

Enis: Well, it might be something similar.

Emma: Isn't this a serious matter?

Enis: Yes, that's why the time has come for me to put myself on the line.

Enis looked at me without hesitation and bowed his head pleadingly.

Enis: Lady Emma, I apologize for the rudeness, but could you leave the castle immediately?

(...!)

Akatsuki: Is this an order from God?

Enis: It's my own decision. I don't even have time to explain the details.

Enis: I've called a familiar caravan near the castle. Give them my name.

Enis: They should take you safely to the port.

Enis: I've told the two maids to go to the port first. I know those two are "white."

Enis: You can leave the ship arrangements to them. They should be able to get you a ship to Rhodolite right away.

(Enis seems to be afraid of something.)

(...There's only one person the king would fear.)

Emma: Is the apostle looking for me?

The moment I said his name, Enis visibly shuddered.

Enis: In this castle, it's hard to tell who's on my side and who's on the apostle's side.

Enis: If possible, please try not to be seen by anyone. I'll cause a small commotion.

Enis: This is not as the king...

Enis: This is a request from his "older brother."

(...)

*flashback*

Azel: Right in front of me, my brothers had their nails ripped off, were whipped, and were hung in a cold cell for three days and nights.

Azel: Since then, Enis has been unable to defy our father and no longer sees me as his brother.

*flashback over*

(The king is only pretending to be obedient to the apostle, but in reality...)

(In reality, he still hasn't forgotten that the Living God is his younger brother.)

Enis, after saying his piece, quickly leaves the room.

Perhaps the apostle, having taken over the sanctuary, has come to the castle.

It seemed like there was no time to think.

Akatsuki: He'll use the maiden close to God as a hostage for negotiations.

Silvio: That's probably it. That unpleasant geezer wouldn't hesitate to do it, even if it causes a rift in diplomatic relations.

Silvio: He'd say it's all for the sake of God.

(Even if they take me hostage, Azel isn't really devoted to me, so...)

*flashback*

Emma: You said 'being liked is troublesome,' but your sense of distance is strange...

Emma: You do a lot of things that people normally wouldn't do, so I'm surprised.

Azel: –––It's just that you looked cold, so I did it for you.

-

Emma: I've decided. I'll sleep in the kitchen from today.

Azel: Why would you think that? That's not right!

Emma: ...Could it be that the Living God carried me to bed?

Azel: ...No.

-

Emma: It was windy on the way here.

Emma: It hurts... I can't stop crying.

Azel: How would I know, damn it?

Emma: It's Prince Azel who made the wrong assumptions––

Azel: It's your fault for being misleading.

Azel: And don't rub your eyes. If there's sand in them, you'll scratch your eyeballs. Are you an idiot who doesn't even understand that?

*flashback over*

(Azel is...)

(...He might try to help me even if it hinders his plan.)

He may seem like a greedy, ill-natured God, but at his core, he's a very merciful God.

Even if his devotion isn't real, the God I know is unlikely to abandon me.

(If...)

(If I become the apostle's hostage, will God's plan fail, and will Azel-sama not choose death?)

(...)

(...No, that's cowardly of me.)

(Knowing Azel's past trauma... that would be too cruel.)

Akatsuki: Emma, pack your things.

The owner's decision was faster than mine.

Akatsuki: It's too late once something happens.

Silvio: If that geezer catches ya, there's no tellin' what he'll do.

(If I don't escape, I might end up hurting Azel.)

(...But leaving Tanzanite now means...)

(That I might never see Azel again.)

-

My hesitation, my conflict, all of it was packed into my luggage as I was dragged out of the castle by the owner.

He seemed to have no intention of giving me a chance to choose, as he made a beeline for the caravan.

Akatsuki: ...Is that it?

Spotting a figure in the alley, we cautiously approach.

The caravan seemed to notice us too––and for some reason, shook their head with a frightened expression.

(It's as if they're telling us not to come any closer...)

(...!)

Apostle: Good evening. Don't you think it's a beautiful moonlit night?

The owner quickly hides me behind his back.

Accompanied by ominous footsteps, it was the apostle, his benevolent smile unwavering even in the dim light.

(He anticipated our movements.)

Several men who appeared with the apostle surround us.

Their attitude was anything but friendly, and our escape route was blocked.

Emma: Why are you here...?

Apostle: I can understand Enis's thoughts even without using divination.

Apostle: I also have a general idea of what he told you...

Apostle: But I want to assure you, I have no intention of harming you, Lady Emma.

Apostle: Rather, I would like to ask for your cooperation.

Emma: ...Cooperation?

(This doesn't seem like the right atmosphere for that, though.)

The owner is already reaching for his sword.

If the owner, who hails from the war-torn country of Ruby, draws his sword, a tragedy will undoubtedly occur.

The apostle must have sensed this, but his smile doesn't falter.

Apostle: I surmise that the Living God intends to reenact the prophecy of the end with his own hands.

Apostle: I, a mere mortal, cannot understand why he has come to such a conclusion.

Apostle: But how can we stand by and watch his death in silence?

Apostle: No matter how noble his compassion, there's no way that the life of God should be the price to pay.

HApostle: Lady Emma, don't you feel the same way?

(It's frustrating, but... I can't deny it.)

(But I also don't have the option of helping the apostle, who has tormented Azel.)

I still haven't completely resolved my conflict, but––

Thinking of Azel, I couldn't take the hand that was offered to me.

Emma: ...I understand your feelings all too well, apostle.

Apostle: Then––

Emma: But does Prince Azel want "the prophecy to be stopped?"

Emma: For us to force our own ideas through cowardly means and unilaterally break the God's will...

Emma: I don't see how that's any different from violence.

(...For me to threaten the God who couldn't feel freedom, to the point of calling himself a slave...)

(Even if I strongly wish for him not to die, there's a line I mustn't cross.)

*flashback*

Azel: You, a foreign maiden, don't be swayed by this country.

Azel: Don't be deceived by the words of others, think for yourself, and decide your own actions.

Azel: This country can so easily capture and corrupt people with illusions.

*flashback over*

My vision blurs with a sense of despair, as if my last hope has been extinguished.

Even so, I grit my teeth and shake off the apostle's "sweet illusion."

Apostle: It's not violence. This is also unavoidable if we consider the happiness of the Living God.

Apostle: If you love him, shouldn't you stop him by any means necessary?

Emma: It's up to Prince Azel to decide what happiness is.

Emma: I...

Emma: I don't want to betray Prince Azel.

(...Because I promised him that.)

The owner places his hand on my trembling shoulder.

It felt like he was encouraging me, telling me that I wasn't wrong.

???: Is that...

???: What you call "true love?"

.

.

.

Dramatic End Ch. 23

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[agent-scotch]

The countless images of Huck's sandwich endeavours popped into her mind, stifling a laugh the best she could. She always wondered if he kept a record of the various gourmet sandwiches he's made and tried while on their missions across the globe. As much as she wanted to poke fun of it, her vices were no better and more chaotic, mechanical, and....costly.

"I have to show Joe these photo. This explain the emergency foreman grill in our surveil- I mean service vehicle," she remarked with a playful nudge with her elbow. Gosh, it was going to be hard for her keep their professional life under wraps with how welcoming they made her feel.

"Joe? - Oh, yes Joesph!" Bernie exclaimed with her hands together. "I haven't seen him since...well since Huck was in uniform! What a gentle soul he is. Is he with your parents for the holidays? Has Huck met them?"

Her Parents, something that caused her to freeze like a a deer in headlights and the bliss of the Wells family home to grind to a halt. Sora had spent her days scrambling to prepare for this trip and procrastinate on sitting Huck down to discuss the matter of her own family.

Discussion of her parentless childhood was always brought up in tandem to explain her troubled youth, paired with an array of pitiful and judgemental looks. A lump formed in her stomach in which she could not explain but knew it would appear sooner or later.

"Well-He......I- Umm...", Sora stuttered with her words, before looking up at Huck with paniced eyes. She would hate to add another lie on top of the one about their occupation, fearing sooner or later it would come falling.

Would they see her differently knowing the misfortune of her childhood? What if they thought her past would be a bad influence on the young children of the Well's Family? Perhaps they would prefer someone who was better nurtured for Huck instead of her. He was the first man she'd been with whose past was completely unlike her own. Would all her work into making herself presentable and shopping for the nieces and nephew with Maria go to waste?

Sora couldn't help but chuckle, reminded of the many missions where Huck found himself thoroughly investigating the hors d'oeuvres first. Luckily, like every other mission, she remembered to pack some calcium carbonate tablet incase his stomach got upset.

"You made these? I have a friend in England who would have adored these," she complimented and took a few cookies from the plate. Crouching down she handed the little girl a cookie decorated like an autumn leaf.

"I guess you could say that I am his...girlfriend" she replied, testing out the words. With a small napkin she wiped the icing from around the little girl's mouth. "You can call me Sora. And that over there is my dog, Yuki. Don't worry, she's very friendly."

She pointed at Yuki who seemed to be familiarizing herself with a border collie that had wandered into the house. Taking a bite of a cookie herself, her eyes lit up.

"These are delicious, I can see where Huck's culinary skills come from," she exclaimed holding another to Huck's mouth.