#he was supposed to retire here it was written in the stars

[ugartecoco]

i never knew a dortmund without marco 😭😭

[ddarker-dreams]

A Chance Encounter.

Yan Scaramouche x Reader.

Loosely based on this concept.

Warnings: Only light yandere themes since Reader doesn't know about Scara's Harbinger affiliation. Word count: 1.1k.

Scaramouche could succinctly describe this assignment as a pain.

Some whistleblower whose conscience got the better of her in retirement, realizing now that she’s living off a measly pension instead of a steady stream of income that perhaps experimentation on unwitting subjects is actually not so dandy. How convenient. Moral epiphanies have the best timing. Or in the Harbinger’s case, the worst timing, since this trip to Mondstadt was supposed to be for pleasure, not business. 

He occupies a space beneath a sizable canopy. Shadows swallow him, occasionally chased off by shy sunlight wriggling through interstices born from the steady wind. The weather is fair compared to the everlasting winter that wrings all life from Snezhnaya. This nation is perfectly idyllic, perfectly boring, save for a single inhabitant who is notably exempt from his criticism. 

If it weren’t for the invisible yet no less present Fatui agents slinking about, he’d give in to the urge to quirk his lips upward. 

At least when this is wrapped up, he can see you. 

The matter shouldn’t take much longer. In written correspondence with the would-be traitor, he played the role of a bleeding heart, successfully blindsiding her into thinking he shares her plight. Now all that remains is to meet up with her and discern if the supposedly damning documents hold any weight or not. The rest can be left to his lackeys, he’d rather not waste any more time when he could be engaging in far more enjoyable activities. 

This is about as cut and dry as it gets. 

Except… 

Rapid footsteps approach. 

Foliage crunches beneath the heel of an exuberant individual, smothering leaves and snapping twigs. 

“Kuuuuuniiiiiii!” A voice he knows very well calls out. 

There is but a single entity throughout all of Teyvat who actively runs toward him, not away from him, and this entity so happens to be you. The concept of shame is a foreign one, you’re far too concerned with utilizing various flourishes to capture his attention. The fanfare is without reason. The instant you enter the scene, Scaramouche scarcely remembers the rest of the world exists, it becomes as inconsequential as the ground he treads on. 

You are a fallen star streaming through the sky, an answer to a wish he never had the courage to make. 

Unfortunately, you’ve happened upon him at a tricky juncture. The Fatui swarming like sharks in the water are prepared to tear into you at his command. From their perspective, you are an unknown variable running full force at their Lord Harbinger. Never in their wildest dreams could they fathom the notoriously spiteful Balladeer has a sweet spot for you, this is by his design. He’s painstakingly taken measures to ensure his little ball of sunshine can’t be used by his many enemies. 

The wave he gives serves two purposes — to greet you and signal his men to stand down. 

As if he wasn’t already thrown off-kilter by your abrupt appearance, when you’re at the appropriate distance, you launch at him with arms held wide. He catches you with an ease unfitting of his slender demeanor, his strength far surpassing that of any mortal. You’re content to wrap your arms around his neck while he steadies you. 

“I knew it was you! The hat gave it away. It always does,” you explain in between breaths. “And here I was thinking that you wouldn’t be in for a few more days.” 

Slowly, he helps ease you back down. You sway a bit, clutching his shoulders to maintain your balance, to which he snickers. “Were you so desperate to see me that running at a reasonable pace slipped your mind?” 

“I thought if I exerted more force, I might be able to tackle you to the ground this time… so much for that.” 

“Hah. As if. What strange fantasies you entertain without me around. The loneliness must rot your brain.” 

“Who says I’m lonely?” You challenge, tilting your head to the side. “I’m more than capable of making and maintaining friendships. That’s what happens when you’re a likable person.” 

He’s quick to reply so as not to betray his irritation at the idea. “You? Likable? The mental deterioration is worse than I feared. I hope it isn’t irreversible at this stage.” 

You shrug. “I dunno, you seem to like me well enough. I consider that my crowning achievement. If I can win you over I’m capable of anything. Maybe I’ll aim for world peace next.” 

Scaramouche is so quick to be swept up in the wild tide that is you that his bumbling underlings temporarily slipped his mind. Lately, there’s been one in particular who seems keen on proving himself worthy of a promotion. He goes out of his way to do extra work Scaramouche never tasked him with. It’s been a minor nuisance yet nothing major has come from it. 

However, in his purview, he senses this sycophant taking a position that’d be advantageous to strike at you from. 

Scaramouche’s retaliation is immediate. On a perfectly sunny day, a vicious bolt of lightning strikes mere inches from the spot he occupies, effectively communicating his lord’s displeasure. The white-hot flash earns your attention. You turn your head in the direction it came from, then shoot him an inquisitive glance. 

“... What did that bush ever do wrong?” 

“You’d be surprised.” 

The warning must’ve made it through the agent’s thick head, for he backs off like a dog with its tail between its legs. 

“Hey. I have some business I need to finish, then I’ll treat you to dinner,” Scaramouche knows you well enough to be confident that the idea of delicious food will successfully distract you. It’s as he predicted — he can practically hear the gears turning in your head as you form plans. He can only hope he doesn’t have to encounter that slovenly excuse of a god who once serenaded you with the story of an abandoned doll, claiming it to be a ‘cautionary tale’. The self-restraint he exercised that day is second to none. 

“Alright, but try to leave some nature standing, this is a trail I enjoy walking. I’d rather you don’t eviscerate it.” 

You begin to part ways, before loudly proclaiming ‘oh!’, like you’d forgotten something important. Then you’re back by his side. He processes the feeling before anything else, the soft sensation of your lips on his cheek renders him speechless. A crimson hue dusts against his pale cheeks as he subconsciously raises his hand to touch the still-tingling spot. Content with yourself, you depart, waving as enthusiastically as you had earlier. 

When his coherency returns, he sighs. That was a bit more than he’d prefer any Fatui-aligned person to see.

He’ll have to get creative to explain the deaths of all his men on such a low-stakes mission. Before that, however, he needs to ask one to hand the appropriate forms over, lest it disintegrate to ash as they’re fated to. 

It’s a pain, truly, but you’re worth the extra effort. 

[library-ghoulette]

day 9 // voice kink

Prompt list thanks to @kroas-adtam 💜

Pairing: Terzo x reader

Rating: Explicit, minors DNI

Words: 1048

Tags: second person POV, female reader, confessional booth, masturbation

Summary: You confess to Papa Terzo why you have trouble paying attention during mass.

A/N: At long last, another Ghostober fic! Written in a frenzy and barely proofread, so beware? The Hail Lilith prayer that I quote in its entirety is from the article "Praying the Satanic Rosary," uploaded to Scribd by jimhoward300380.

Read beneath the cut or on ao3!

All is quiet as you make your way to the confessional, stepping into the booth and pulling the door behind you with a muffled, satisfying snick. You settle on the bench, and the dim silence envelopes you, thick and expectant. It awaits your words and the violence of breaking.

You cross yourself—right shoulder, left, forehead, between your breasts—and say, "Bless me, Papa, for a I have sinned. It has been one week since my last confession."

Then, you pause, letting the silence spool out between you. You can only catch a glimpse of a silhouette through the screen, the strong line of an aquiline nose in profile.

There is an impatient shuffling of vestments. "Go on, sorella."

A frisson of excitement runs through you at the words, at the familiar trill of the rolled r. You're not supposed to know who sits on the other side of the divider. You're certainly not supposed to memorize the schedule according to which the various Papas in residence���three retired from their public role, but still of service to their flock, and one still on active duty, as it were—hear confession, and plan your sojourns into the booth accordingly.

But isn't rule-breaking inherent to your faith, you rationalize? Did Lucifer not rebel before His creator? Is it not the nature of the brightest stars to fall?

And fall you have. You're not unique in this—every Sibling in the Abbey would be happy to line up and wait their turn with Papa Terzo. Who could resist his clever hands, his easy charisma, the transfixing power of his unholy gaze?

But for you? It's all about the voice. You have been known to linger outside of the music room, sweeping the hallway extra carefully as he warms up his vocal chords, running through scales and nonsense exercises. During mass, you let your eyes slip shut in the semblance of religious ecstasies, letting each syllable of his homily wash over you, meaning more felt by your body than absorbed by your mind.

But nothing compares to sitting here with him in the secretive dark, where each word rings with a special gravity, rendered huge by the small space.

You rack your brain for something to confess, searching your soul for the most exquisite sins you've committed. You run through a small litany of everyday transgressions—indulging your slothfulness, lying to Sister Imperator and saying that you weren't feeling well to get out of cleaning the sanctuary, envying one of your Sisters the expensive new pair of shoes she just bought and won't stop showing off every chance she gets.

Each sin you recount gets little more than a grunt of acknoledgement. This is no good. He's barely spoken the entire time you've been in here, and you're running out of sins, running out of opportunities for approval, for comment.

You decide to be bold.

"And—" your voice falters for just a moment before you press on "—and I've been having— impure thoughts. During mass."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Papa. I find that I can't focus during the readings, because I'm so distracted by— by your voice."

"My voice, sorella?" It comes out deep and rumbling, and you swear you can feel the words low in your belly as surely as if he were murmuring against your skin. You press your thighs together, seeking friction, seeking any relief you can find.

"Y-yes," you sigh. Your fingers twist in the hem of your skirt.

"Well, that is a problem." A pause, and you wonder whether he's going to continue. "You come here to hear my voice, but I think that I need to hear yours."

"Papa?" you ask, confused.

"Say a Hail Lilith for me," he commands. "As your penance for failing to listen to the words of our Unholy Father."

You take a deep breath, collecting yourself as you recall the words of the prayer. "Hail Lilith, full of the Serpent's seed, Satan be with you. Blessed are—"

"Slower," he interrupts.

You begin again, taking your time. "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, the Demons."

As you speak, you become aware of the rustling of cloth, as though he has reached beneath the robes of his office, as though—but surely not—he has taken himself in hand. It surprises you so much that you stop mid-prayer.

His voice is husky, breathy, when he prompts you, "Keep going. Please."

Emboldened, you snake your hand up under your skirt and down your panties, suppressing a gasp as your fingertips find your swollen clit and begin to trace desperate circles. You strive to keep your voice steady as you continue to pray.

"Seductress Lilith, m-mother of— mm— mother of S-succubi—"

You can still hear the motion of his hand, the huff of his breath as he gets closer, as he whispers, "Yes, that's it…"

"Pray— pray for— for us." The words have to fight your quickening breath and lust-muddled brain, now, and you're so close to coming that you're barely aware of what you're saying, or how loud you're being. "Pray for us that are serving You! Now and— fuck— now and in the— in the—"

Your release carries the rest of the prayer away, and you bite your lip hard enough to taste the coppery tang of blood, desperate not to scream your pleasure loud enough for the entire church to hear.

Beyond the partition, you hear his muttered swearing, the gentle knock of his head falling back against the wall of the confessional, and a deep, barely suppressed moan that you know you'll be replaying in your head tonight, and for many nights to come.

"Pray for us that are serving you," you repeat, slightly out of breath, "now and in the time of our Fornication. Nema."

For a few moments, the booth fills with the sounds of your breath as you both recover, heartbeats slowing. And then he asks, "Do you have anything else to confess?"

"This is all I can remember," you say, falling into the rote script of confession. "I revel in these and all my sins."

"Very good. When you leave, say three more Hail Liliths and an Our Father. And sorella?"

"Yes, Papa?"

"Come to confession the same time next week."

[wonlovie]

two ! yoon's hit list

After a nasty fall, you, world-renowned figure skater and stealer of hearts, are forced into an early retirement. But with a boyfriend who’s the star player in one of Korea’s leading hockey teams and a friend group of trending skaters who refuse to leave you in the dust, the cameras stay on. So, how are you supposed to keep it a secret when Yang Jungwon, your boyfriend’s publicly declared rival and enemy, decides you’re his next target?

When you entered the building, the air conditioning hit you immediately. Your lips tugged into a smile at the smell of the rink, the familiar scent warming your chest. As expected, the hall leading down to the changing rooms was empty since you called ahead to book the entire rink for the next few hours. However, when you reached the booking desk, the usual girl was nowhere to be seen.

With a frown, you leaned over the desk, peering into the staff room. Rentable skates and scuffed helmets littered the room messily, but there was no sign of human life. You hummed in confusion, reaching over the desk to grab the sign-up sheet. Glancing down at the list of bookings, your eyebrows pinched together at the faint sight of someone’s initials.

YJW.

The time written next to it was no later than twenty minutes ago, but it looked like somebody had hastily erased the entire line, clearly not doing a very good job as you could still read it clearly. You shrugged and wrote down a burner name underneath, the one you always used when you came here. 

“Probably a mistake,” you mumbled, taking one more glance into the staff room to no avail. The receptionist girl, whose name you could not remember for the life of you, was nowhere to be seen. You tucked a few bills under the clipboard before returning the list where you found it. 

You made your way down the hall to where the changing rooms and the entrance to the rink were. The entrance door was slightly ajar, and you could faintly hear movement as you neared. Pausing, you strained your ears to listen. After a few seconds, you knew exactly what you were listening to.

Someone was skating.

Your heart raced as you silently cussed out the receptionist in your head, your feet unknowingly taking you closer to the door. Bypassing the changing rooms, you opened the heavy door as quietly as possible, peeking your head in. The bleachers blocked your view of the apparent trespasser. With one big push, the door opened, and you entered the player’s bench.

As you neared the rink, your skates hung limply at your sides. The cool air refreshed you, kissing your cheeks with featherlike caresses. The sound of blades against ice and the deafening clap of stick against puck made your heart jump to your throat. With shaking hands, you pressed against the tempered glass adorned with years' worth of scratches from constant abuse.

There, in the middle of a rink that should’ve been empty, was someone you couldn’t recognize. A clunky hockey helmet sat atop their crown, obscuring your view from their visage. They moved with grace and precise aggression, skating circles around pylons like they were walking on air but striking the dozens of pucks strewn about with unmistakable power.

You watched as one shot missed the net they’d set up by mere millimetres, followed by their deflating shoulders as they seemingly huffed in annoyance. Your eyes never left their form as they skated to the net to grab their water bottle. They pulled the helmet off, revealing a head of messy brown hair long enough to fall into their—his eyes. As he tipped his head back to gulp down a mouthful of water, his eyes suddenly met your own. You felt the air leave your lungs, stumbling backward as if you’d been punched.

If he recognized you, you didn’t stay long enough to see it in his face. Scrambling back, you swore when you bumped into a garbage can, knocking it against the benches with an embarrassingly loud thud. You could hear him near, the surface of the ice shredding as he moved toward you with alarming speed. 

“Hey,” he called, his unnervingly familiar voice only confirming your suspicions. “Are you okay?”

You glanced over your shoulder, panic set in your features. When your eyes met his—sharp, yet with a soft edge to them—a shaky breath escaped from your heaving lungs. He leaned over the dasher board, close enough for you to see concern flickering over his face. Holy fucking shit, you thought, clasping a cold hand over your chapped lips. He’s so fucking pretty.

Of course, with your luck, you’d run into the one person you weren’t, in any circumstance, allowed to interact with: Yang Jungwon, your boyfriend’s publicly declared enemy.

“I won’t take up too much space,” Jungwon said with a smile that punched you in the throat, his cheeks dimpling at the motion. “I’ll keep to my side, promise.” Ending his sentiment with a smirk, lips tilted to one side. It was like he was trying to murder you. 

You gawked at him some more, mouth opening and closing like a fish on land. The longer you didn’t speak, the more concern started to slip back into his expression, the cheeky grin fading into a worried frown. With your heart in your stomach, you got up to your feet before you could make any more of a fool out of yourself and did the first thing that came to mind.

The door slammed shut behind you as you ran.

prev ⋆ masterlist ⋆ next

— notes. finally pt 2 !! as promised the next part will be going up tomorrow to make up for last thurs!

taglist [open!] @jiawji @lovelovelovebts @enhacatalog @manooffline @delulu4-life @sooshibot @j1nniee @lilriswife4life @maimoirs @shinrjj

©WONLOVIE please do not plagiarize, repost, translate, or copy any of my works.

[mollywog]

When the Stars Align

Start from the Beginning | Part 5

“Peeta.”

He jolts from his seat on the chaise. She’s so quiet he hadn’t heard her approach, “Katniss.”

It’s evening now, well past dinner. She must have dined at the Abernathy’s. He’s had hours to review their initial encounter, too much time to dread and anticipate a reprise.

“I didn’t know you’d be here. I requested some milk from the kitchen.” She waved her hand in the direction of the hall, “I can ask Sae to send it to my room…”

“No, please stay.”

She eyes the door wistfully, before nodding and slipping into a seat across from him, “please let me apologize for earlier. I was surprised by your arrival. I’m sure it’s not the welcome you expected.”

“I do not expect anything, though I must admit I was surprised to find you here as well.”

She flinches, sinking into her seat, a worry line creasing her forehead, “I can leave if you wish to have your home to yourself.”

“That is not what I meant. This is your home as well and you are welcome to come and go as you please. It is only that you have not been to town these last two seasons.” As soon as the words leave his lips he wants to kick himself.

Katniss frowns, “you’ve been keeping track of me?”

“Sae’s letters were full of you.” He waves his hand flippantly. If she only knew how those fleeting mentions of her had fed his soul these past years, “Haymitch’s as well, as were the solicitor’s and tenants’. Everyone was eager to tell me how well the estate was managed in your care. I trust my thanks we’re conveyed?”

“Funny you never thought to write me yourself,” she scowls.

It’s not an unreasonable critique, but his temper flares all the same, “And I suppose all your letters to me were lost in transit?”

The arrival of a steaming pitcher of milk breaks the tension and Katniss readies two mugs. He’s missed watching her perform little tasks. Whether pouring tea, listening intently, or singing, she’s mesmerizing. He watches her hands elegantly move from milk, to honey, to spice, to spoon until she’s satisfied with her concoction.

She’s careful not to touch him as she passes the cup, but his skin still buzzes just the same at her proximity. He closes his eyes as the milk hits his tongue. It tastes like coming home.

“I am sorry,” she says barely above a whisper, breaking his trance. “I should have written. But by the time I’d felt ready, I’d convinced myself you would not want to hear from me.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. “I am sorry as well. I-”

“I’ve missed you,” she’s not looking at him as she speaks and he watches her profile as she swallows back feeling.

A mixture of joy and shame surge through him, that he was cared for enough to be missed and that his absence caused her pain. “And I, you,” he says. If this had been two years ago, he might have taken her hand in friendship and reassurance, but now she’s seated herself far enough away to be just out of reach. He’ll need to move slowly to regain her trust.

“Will you tell me of your travels? Not tonight of course. You must be weary… but soon?”

“Only if you will tell me of all your rambling walks at Bakerston and your objections to the new vicar.”

She raises a brow.

“As I said, I’ve heard much of you through my correspondence.”

She smiles this time, small but genuine, before rising from her seat, “I accept, though it is an uneven trade as you can hardly avoid hearing my qualms with Mr. Heavensbee. But that will have to wait. You’ll excuse me if I retire?”

He nods and she moves to leave, but pausing before she disappears behind the door, “welcome home Peeta.”

[orange-demons-deactivated2024]

Avatar Voice 3

Buckle your seats, everyone, this post is gonna be a doozy.

So I was in the process of making a post of the VAs behind avatar's voice and I stumbled upon this one. In the Credits, they're credited as 'KIMO' with no last name, so I went to the Behind The Voice Actors to find more information about them.

Turns out their full name is Kimo Leopoldo, at least according to IMDb and behind the voice actors website. He didn't have any other works besides this game so he struck my interest.

KIMO (Kimo Leopoldo) is an American retired mixed martial artist and actor. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994. A professional from 1994 until 2011, he also competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, and the World Fighting Alliance.

He was credited with a black belt in taekwondo in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut at UFC 3.

He was most known for carrying a cross with him to the ring.

Leopoldo has worked since 1996 as an actor in independent productions. He starred in the Femme Fatales  episode "Family Business", the direct-to-video production R.I.O.T.: The Movie, and the films The Process, The Dog Problem, In the Closet, Bullet and Avengers Grimm

Although Leopoldo isn't new to acting, this was his first Voice Acting gig according to www.behindthevoiceactors.com.

Also, I think it's kinda cool that he's one of the VA that Voices Avatar in Street Fighter 6.

But here's the weird thing I found:

(Source 1) (Source 2) (Source 3)

All of them mirroring the same thing:

"The former UFC fighter Kimo Leopoldo reportedly died due to complications from a heart attack at the age of 41."

And that it may be due to "having tested positive for anabolic steroids at the end of his career, and later being charged for possession of marijuana."

He was reported to be dead on July 21, 2009. But as you all know, Street Fighter 6 was released on June 2, 2023.

(Source 1)

But doing some further digging, some websites provided an update retracting their original statements or pulling their articles off the internet.

And in during a phone Interview with Yahoo! Sports, he said "I knew I wasn't dead, So when I was reading this I wondered if I was jinxed or something was going to happen."

Leopoldo even appeared at the Orange County Sheriff's office in Santa Ana, Ca. to put an end to rumors of his death that spread rapidly across the Internet.

"It was really strange," Leopoldo said. "I was surprised at how nasty it was. I guess it wasn't a good thing. … I've always had strange things written about me but nothing this bizarre. I couldn't believe it when I searched for my name and I wrote in 'Kimo Leopoldo' and it added the word 'death.' "

Rumors of Leopoldo's demise first appeared on MMA.tv's popular forum, "The Underground." The post reported that Leopoldo died in Costa Rica "of complications from a heart attack."

The report quickly was picked up by the celebrity website TMZ.com, which "confirmed" the death. It later pulled the story without comment. 

But despite this, Leopoldo ended up returning to his life as normal.

I'm not going to go in-depth about Leopoldo's use of certain drugs like Stanozolol or methamphetamine because there's enough information about his business online. So if you want a more in-depth explanation, you're free to look yourself.

Now even though he was listed in the credits, I was still wondering if Kimo Leopoldo is the actual VA. Mostly because the last name wasn't included in the end credit. And there are no other sources that linked to Kimo even mentioning it on his platforms or in previous interviews. Nor any mention of the Street Fighter games in general.

In the game, he is supposed to be voicing a Young (Age) Normal (Tone) Avatar. And Kimo is now 56 years old.

The videos I found of him talking are Here and Here

The first video is 5 years old around the same time that Street Fighter 6 was in production. And his voice slightly resembles Avatar's, a little bit, especially when you're fighting.

Then in the second video, it's a scene when Kimo was on the show Cyborgs which was released back in 2020.

The most recent video of him I could find on YouTube was from 3 years ago in a Video interview. His voice has definitely gotten more raspier. So I think he probably would have done his lines about 4-5 years ago, but who knows.

I personally think it may be someone else, mostly because of how young the VA sounds compared to Kimo. And with new content dropping the VA has a consistent tone to their voice.

But it's possible for Takayuki Nakayama to know of Kimo.

Because Kimo was a pro wrestler who took jobs out in Japan and was undefeated. And since the Street Fighter devs are so well-versed in different styles of fighting, it wouldn't be surprising that they would've heard about Kimo when he signed a contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).

The Street Fighting devs know about the NJPW because the New Japan Pro Wrestling superstar Kenny Omega stared in the Street Fighter 5 Cody reveal trailer.

But, this is just my theory and speculation. And I wanted to know the VAs behind the Avatars in SF6. I didn't think I would be doing such a deep dive here because my post with the other VAs is nothing like this.

This was all just useless rambling and I'm pretty sure no one really cares but I thought this was interesting and I wanted to talk about it. I also contacted Kimo through IG DMs to ask him personally about it, so I'm still waiting for a response from him. If he does ever get back to me I'll post an update. Thank you for reading to the end.

[starbramble]

Saw the finale and while narratively I don't have a problem with anything that happened, I do think that the pacing and what they chose to show/focus on was ?????????

unfocused spoilery rambles under the cut

Standard caveat of this is all just my opinion ymmv and all that,

- reunion was really cute but then we dont see Ed and Stede talk about Piracy vs Retirement or any of their issues at all???

- I mean the pacing of Izzy's arc has been wild to me anyway this season but it feels weird for him to get *both* character development and a tragic death?? and the timing/pacing of it felt really rushed. (for context Character death in stories doesnt tend to bother me as long as it serves a purpose, but the themes of this felt a bit all over the place for me. I also completely understand why people would find his death increadibly upsetting)

- Izzy's speeches were nice but didn't neccessarily feel like they lined up with what we've seen on the show for me tbh (also love ed but lol at the idea that the crew like him more than izzy this season)

-in general S1 izzy and S2 izzy feel like different characters to me and it feels like this death scene was written for S1 izzy not S2 izzy if that makes sense?

- Good for Jackie getting to poison everyone but neither stede, ed or zheng really having much interaction with Ricky at the end felt like a missed oppourtunity. though I suppose that could work with the fact that there was not meant to be an external villlain this season, but then the characters internal problems were kind of brushed over anyway???

- honestly love Zheng and Stedes interaction though, his bumbling managing to keep her alive juuussttt long enough for her to get out of her depression moment and do all the work herself 😂 he truly is most useful as a little pirate mascot.

Tinhat theory here but it kind of felt like maybe this season was originally going to end with Ed and Stede split up again but the writers/ showrunner didn't want to risk not getting renewed and leaving them in a bad place?

Double tin hat theory - Izzy is chilling in the gravybasket with buttons and will show up next season as a ghost/dream/hallucination (or hell just straight up come back, I mean if Ed can do it after being beaten to death 😂 )

good for lucius and pete :)

Glad Auntie is alive but RIP to every other Chinese pirate I guess, also all of Jackie's other husbands????? ( also lol at the long continuing narrative condition of having a side character who has objectively lost a lot more people comfort a main character over another main characters death (star wars im looking at you))

Anyway just my ramblings after having first seen the episode would love to hear other peoples thoughts.

[giigil]

do you have any angst satoru bot???

I do! I friggin' love writing Angst so much!! Here's a list of bots that I consider/can be considered as Angst! (starting with the most chatted with.)

- Life goes on: You're Satoru's ex and you had a mutual break up after high school due to him focusing on his goal of reforming Jujutsu society. You were always on his mind. [here.]

- If only he felt the same way you do: Hanahaki AU. You were inflicted with a curse by a cursed spirit and have feelings for Satoru. He's too focused on Suguru to notice. [here.] (Inverse of this to be written soon. Teen Gojo.)

- You're sick. He's trying his best: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Adult Gojo.)

- You left long ago: You defected from Jujutsu Tech, following Suguru all those years ago and Satoru's resented you for it. [here.]

- He dreamt that you followed Suguru: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Teen Gojo.)

- You've been unfaithful. Why?: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Admittedly, my very first Satoru bot. Considering with rewriting the greeting. Adult Gojo.)

- You've forgotten about him: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Adult Gojo.)

- You're supposed to be dead: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Adult Gojo.)

- There's no curse more twisted than love: You'd died at the hands of Toji and Satoru unwittingly cursed you, effectively turning you into a curse that's bound to him. [here.] (Think: Yuta & Rika.)

- Post KFC break-up: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Or, in case whoever is unaware: Suguru leaving Satoru in front of that KFC store when he defected; Satoru's heartbroken as fuck.)

- He wants you to retire from sorcery: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Teen Gojo.)

- He dreamt that he lost you: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Adult Gojo.)

- You have the same ideals as Suguru: He knows you're trying to leave. Please don't. [here.]

- Why didn't he stop you?: You went on a mission alone and came back heavily injured. [here.] (Teen Gojo.)

- He's the bearer of bad news: You're the younger sibling of Suguru. Satoru's trying to tell you what your brother did to your family, and what your brother's intentions are. [here.]

- He regrets the fight you two had: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Teen Gojo.)

- Post plasma star vessel mission: Self-explanatory. [here.] (Set two weeks after the mission.)

And that's pretty much it for what I have right now. If anyone has any other angsty plots, I'm here. I just haven't been posting lately because I needed a break from all this stress rn. I'm slow slow slooow, and lazy! :)

My bot queue's up to date.

My Discord server for bot pings can be found here. If you wanna chat with me, you can send me an ask, DM me on here, or you can DM me on Discord! My user is marny.

Thank you so much for the interest! I'll be back soon!

* 💕

[chaoticgeminate]

Cloud Nine (i)

Summary: Returning home to Paldea to retire, after living a life known as the "Champion of Champions" brings you back to an old friend -now a new love- with dark secrets who need your help.

Pairing: Javi G x f!Reader

Rating: T (Any smut is going to be implied only)

Notes/Warnings: Nothing major, this story is going to be fairly light hearted, though I will be using some of the wild Pokédex entries as reference for a few scenes.

Written for @yearofcreation2023

Series Masterlist | Year of Video Game AUs Masterlist

hey baby are we almost there yet? (2.5k)

You had to look around, both in awe and feeling nostalgic, as you stared up at Uva Academy for the first time in a long time. Director Clavell waved and you couldn’t help but smile at the man as you made your way over. It had been decades since you’d been a student here, since you’d first set out on your journey to be a Pokémon Master, and it felt fitting that this was where you’d retire too.

“Ah, the youngest Paldean Champion returns home. How has it been, traveling the world and taking on the other gym challenges?” Standing beside him now, remembering when this man was so much taller than you, it was a wonder he was still in charge; but you supposed that there was a difference in how hard a career was when comparing a desk position to camping out under the stars all the time.

“I won’t lie and say it’s been a cake walk, because it hasn’t been, but it has been rewarding. I’ve met so many incredible people, worked alongside the strongest Pokémon partners, and learned so much about the history of the world as a whole and not just one region in particular.” There wasn’t a moment of regret for leaving the house at ten and never looking back, for graduating Uva and taking off into the vast world, and your mother had been a teary eyed mess in the airport when you’d first gotten back.

“I managed to keep your return a secret from the press, Iono in particular was quite eager to get her turn battling you and try to impress her viewers, but soon enough the reporters will be everywhere.” The reminder made you cringe a little, it had only gotten really bad after your win in Galar against Mustard since the region made the Pokémon League into a massive spectator sport, but after that you’d arrived to newer regions with camera crews waiting for you. It wasn’t like you hadn’t expected it, being so young stacking Championship after Championship, but it had been a circus to navigate.

“Now you understand why I refused to stay in the cities and just chose to camp out in the middle of nowhere?”

“Quite, I can’t begin to imagine the crowd that would be waiting for you as soon as you exited your hotel room for the night. I’ve taken that into consideration and many of the Professors talk about it when students show interest in the League here in Paldea.”

“That’s good, they should be armed with the warning, I know I was wholly unprepared to arrive in Kanto and get bombarded with press right off the ferry.” You laughed because you’d been twelve and reckless and had a Corviknight able to fly you out of that situation immediately, leaving the press behind in a whirlwind of salty air and sand with the take-off, and it was a clip that made an appearance in most interviews.

“Your soon-to-be challenger is excited to get her chance at facing you, once she finishes her Treasure Hunt and lessons of course, Chairwoman Geeta has claimed to see a lot of potential in her.” You nodded and followed Director Clavell down the walkway into town, spotting Uva students everywhere talking about the goal of their Treasure Hunt, it was refreshing to see kids pursuing Pokémon breeding and researching jobs; some discussing Paldean historical myths and others gallantly discussing pursuing becoming nurses and officers.

But each child was passionate about it, even the ones that seemed unsure, and that was the biggest relief of all to you; you had seen a lot in your travels, including kids forced to pursue roles they weren’t so sure on taking as their own future, it was nice to come home where kids were encouraged to pursue their own futures for the most part.

“I encourage you to come by as often as you’d like, the students would likely enjoy guest appearances by the Champion -and maybe former Champion by this season’s League closure- if you’d be willing.”

“I’ll consider it, Director. The goal is retirement, after all, and I plan to spend some time kicking back and relaxing for at least the first few years. I’m going to switch my team out and get my things into my apartment first though, see you.” You went to the Pokémon Center on the west side of the city, the outdoor centers were a massive change from the buildings in the other regions -you actually preferred those since they offered free beds for travelers- but as you booted up the PC you had to ignore the sudden sound of surprise from a few of the kids nearby.

You made quick work of grabbing your original team, Professor Rowan had been more than willing to allow them to live in his vast fields of land to study the regional forms and how they differed, you’d reached out to him to have them transferred back to your PC and they were right there waiting for you. After trading your party out, sending Professor Rowan a message that he could take the last six and move them to his property, you glanced at the kids streaming you on their Rotom Phones and resisted the urge to sigh. While you’d certainly expected the public eye to always be watching you would have hoped, by now, that your comments about privacy when traveling would have made someone understand your need for anonymity.

Waving to them, to be polite, you called out Wheels -your Cyclizar- and greeted him happily before you were off to get away from prying eyes. You had opted not to tell the Director that your apartment wasn’t here in Mesagoza, just in case he accidentally mentioned something to the soon to arrive swarm of reporters, heading toward Cortondo instead. The little town had been your first League Victory, the new Gym Leader Katy was still a younger kid when you’d beaten the former Cortondo Gym Leader Dominique, so it was strange seeing a Gym Leader younger than you were even if it made sense.

The little town was just as cozy as ever, smelling like fresh bread and olives, but your eyes landed on a face you hadn’t seen in years.

Javi looked as good as he always had, his bouncy curls no longer wild and unruly from constantly grabbing at them or running his hand through them, and his smile brightened the moment he saw you too. Wheels’ gallop became a skidding stop through the dirt and the dragon Pokémon let you get off his back before he closed the gap to shower Javi in affection, it was sweet to watch, and once Wheels was finished you called him back and found yourself being caged into a tight hold.

“Welcome home, I hate to say the video calls just are not the same.” Javi’s voice was warbly and you knew he was going to start tearing up, your arms immediately wrapped around him as you nodded against him and buried your face into the fabric of his shirt. You used to describe his scent as sunshine, as something warm and fresh and comforting, and it certainly still was but now that was an underlying muskiness to it that just reminded you how you’d both grown up from being kids.

“They are not, that’s for sure, I’m so happy to be back. You said you got my place handled?” Javi nodded against your shoulder and you hated that you didn’t want to let him go, you had truly missed him for more than just him being your best friend, but since he hadn’t told you about recent romantic partners you didn’t know if there would be someone who might get jealous of you clinging to him. When you loosened your hold Javi did the same and he rubbed at his wet eyes, smiling still so you knew they were happy tears at least, and his soft laugh made you hand him your handkerchief.

“Yes, I’m sorry, I’m just so happy you’re home. Come, let me show you.” Instead of entering one of the few small apartment buildings in Cortondo you ended up following Javi to a flying taxi and letting him take you to Cascarrafa, with the two of you talking about the suite he’d gotten you instead since it offered a much higher level of privacy and security. It was a nice place and you knew he’d definitely added on to your meager furniture purchases when you walked in and saw the art prints on the walls, the statues, and the stocked kitchen.

“I know I told you that I’d be fine settling anywhere, but why Cascarrafa?”

“Easy answer, I’m selfish and live here too, I wanted you close.”

Javi’s confession was not without something in his eyes that made your heart skip a beat and your face feel warm, you found yourself nodding and looking away from his face at the intensity in his expression.

“Is… is there anyone who might be jealous? That I’m going to be so close to you?” As you’d gotten older and met new people you had your fair share of partners, and you knew Javi had too, but all of them had tried to convince you to give up your ambitions and wanderlust to stay and you’d walked away from all of them. At the time you hadn’t put much thought into the why, you had wanted to travel and see the world instead of become chained down to a place, but now you knew that your heart had been waiting for you to come home.

“No, there isn’t, because nobody I found myself caring for came close to making me as happy as you do. None of them encouraged my adventures, my dreams, or let me be who I am without trying to change me; this whole time I told myself that I could find someone but I always knew I was waiting for you.” His confession made your face warm more, you felt like you might float away, and when Javi tipped your chin up so gently you went willingly.

It was a soft kiss, a chaste one, and like something out of a story book with how your chest exploded with Cutieflies. Javi’s big brown eyes were warm and affectionate as you parted, just resting your foreheads together to giggle in sheer delight, and then he was slotting his mouth to yours as one of your hands buried itself in his curls and the two of you stumbled blindly toward your new bed.

Javi had invited you to spend the day with him at the olive farm and you couldn’t help but grin as you two walked together, racing ahead of you were both of your first Pokémon -a pair of Eevee, his was a rare coloration and yours was not- just enjoying the sunshine of Paldea. Arizona -his Eevee- and Poe -your Eevee- came from the same Pokémon breeder from different pairs and had evidently been believed to be a bonded pair, when Javi’s father had purchased Arizona he’d planned to give Poe to Javi’s cousin Lucas until the other young man refused the offer and demanded something else. Javi had given Poe to you instead with his parent’s approval, since you’d gone to the same schools and been friends since your toddler ages.

Seeing the two of them together again truly made it feel like home.

“So, not to bring up something unpleasant, but why haven’t I seen Lucas around?” Javi’s cousin was not a kind man, he could fake it sometimes and he could be polite but Lucas was never kind with any sincerity. You had never gotten along with him, he would constantly belittle you for being from a ‘poor’ family and try to claim you weren’t going to amount to anything.

“Lucas has been handling other affairs for the family, I do not know when he’ll return.” The answer didn’t tell you much but there had always been something… off about Javi’s family. You hadn’t ever been able to explain it, honestly, but Javi was kind and genuine so you’d never thought twice about things like that growing up. Now, however, that you’d seen more of the world and grown up a lot -and potentially would get involved if this thing between you and Javi continued to blossom- you knew it was time to ask these questions.

“Oh? Is it- is he okay?” The way his tone had gotten tighter, something between nerves and annoyance, had you worried.

“Yes, yes he’s okay it’s just… complicated.” Your brows rose and you knew, that he knew, you wanted an explanation. Javi all but tugged you off the path and away from prying ears and eyes, a few whistles from the employees tending the trees might have made you roll your eyes if it was actually for intimate reasons that he wanted you out of sight. Javi glanced around when the pair of you stopped finally, the open area empty of anyone that might overhear what you were saying.

“Have you heard that recently there have been reports of thieves in Paldea, members of Team Rocket have begun making an appearance?” You hadn’t actually heard that, shaking your head gently and frowning, you had gone against Giovanni and won -he should definitely be in prison with the other leaders of the various organizations that you’d defeated throughout the years- so you were under the belief that Team Rocket had been dissolved. Javi sighed and began pacing, looking so upset that you captured his hand in both of yours, making him look at you.

“Tell me what’s going on, Javi.” His eyes met yours and you couldn’t shake that he looked afraid, he looked sad and afraid and it wasn’t ever an expression you wanted to see on him.

“My family has been slowly building back Team Rocket here in Paldea, Lucas is stealing and illegally selling Pokémon, I only learned this when father decided I was old enough to know the truth in my mid twenties, but because I am friends with you he decided Lucas would handle that side of the business while I ran the Olive Groves as the face of the family. I’ve tried many times to tell someone, anyone, the truth but Lucas’ influence runs deeper into the officers than I thought. He- he tried to steal Arizona from me and threatened to have you killed if I didn’t comply.”

Your blood ran cold through your veins before it ignited into a fury of heat, anger at being used to force Javi to comply to what he clearly didn’t want to do and knowing that he was put into this impossible situation to begin with, and Javi looked like a kicked Yamper as he waited for your reply.

“Thank you for telling me the truth, I’m going to have to figure out how much of the League and the Academy is corrupted, but Javi I promise you that I’m going to get you out of this mess. I will not allow the man I love to be held prisoner by his own family, nor will I allow them to use my life as a means of control.” His relief was clear as day and Javi kissed you so chastely, so softly, with gratitude that you made a vow that you’d set him free for good.

All Fics Taglist: @haylzcyon @wordsnwhiskey @pagannightwitch @radiowallet @tauralmie @amneris21 @trickstersp8 @practicalghost @rominaszh @alwaysdjarin @alexxavicry @all-the-way-down-here

Just Pedro Taglist: @maievdenoir @beecastle @littlemisspascal @writeforfandoms @aynsleywalker @lovesbiggerthanpride @mswarriorbabe80 @emiemiemiii

Alt Taglist: @imtryingmybeskar @fan-of-encouragement @grogusmum @sizzlingcloudmentality @deadhumourist @prostitute-robot-from-the-future

[baiyunli]

retirement fic tidbits please?

of course! not sure how much i have left or what i've already talked about, but i think this might be the last large scene i've written out fully and i'm like 80% sure i haven't posted it here yet. this is kind of the driving force for a lot of the conflict, about a week after jack first comes to visit nico.

An incoming call wakes Nico, first, then the whistle of the kettle going off in the kitchen forces his brain to get with the program. He fumbles around for his phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, cap,” says Dawson. “Just calling to see if you want to meet up for lunch tomorrow. I texted a few hours ago but you didn’t reply.”

Nico tries to comb out his hair with his fingers; sucks a breath in through his teeth when he sees that it’s past nine PM. “Yeah, sorry. I took a nap and slept way too long.”

“No worries,” Dawson replies easily. “Are you busy tomorrow? I was thinking we could get lunch—bring Jack along, introduce him to some of the younger kids. I know they’d love to meet him.”

“Sure,” he answers. “Jack might like that.” And Nico’s mad at him, sure—less mad than ‘what the fuck are we doing,’ really, but he doesn’t begrudge the kids a chance to meet their childhood idols.

Playing in the same league as his heroes was strange when Nico was young, but it’s stranger now, knowing that he’s the one his teammates watched growing up—or that if he wasn’t, somebody he knows was. 

Jack was the star of both their Cup runs, so Nico being asked to pass messages on to Jack or for a stick trade by proxy is inevitable. Nobody outside the Devils would know that Jack hadn’t replied to Nico’s texts for so long that Nico would wonder whether Jack had blocked his number if not for the texts still going through. 

Nico had to get his new number from Bratter because Jack couldn’t be bothered to send it to Nico himself. Nico added it to his contacts, texted it occasionally before it became clear that Jack wanted nothing to do with Nico and even less to do with what they had—or hadn’t—been.

It’s hard to believe the players who will be carrying the Devils on their backs grew up with Jack’s jerseys in their closet and posters on their walls, his Stanley Cup game-winner blown up and plastered on the ceiling. The Jack that Nico remembers best is twenty, twenty-five, twenty-eight: fresh-faced and bright-eyed and too young to know what kind of world was waiting for him. Not the one half the league had a childhood crush on. Not the one Nico couldn’t afford to lose until he did, the one who built an empire out of nothing: just a stick and a rink and the need to win. 

Everything from thirty onwards is a blank spot in Nico’s head. It was never of his own volition.

“How is he?” asks Dawson. “Did he tell you why he’s here?”

Nico says, sharp, “He won’t say. I’ve asked, but. Nothing.”

“I didn’t get much out of him either,” Dawson replies. “He’s good with the kids, though. Way more patient than he used to be.”

“That’s good.” Nico pushes down the ache in his chest. “I think I should be angry at him,” he says. “I wish I were.” He wishes that what he was feeling made any sense.

Dawson is silent. “Has he brought it up?”

“No,” Nico snaps. “He doesn’t. He won’t. He can’t, maybe. I just—” he presses his fingers into his eyes, rubbing away the sleep dust until sparks dance behind his eyelids. “I don’t know how he can just show up here and pretend we’re best friends,” he says thickly, through the choking feeling in his ribcage. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to act.”

Dawson makes a sound, pitying. “He’ll leave, if you ask him to.” His voice is so gentle it cuts to the rawest parts of Nico and stings every wound. “You know he will.”

“I couldn’t,” he says. He rubs a hand over his face. He’s about three days behind on shaving, and he can feel it, the softening of the stubble on his upper lip, brushing across the pads of his fingers. “I can’t do that to him.”

“I’m sorry,” says Dawson, soft. “Listen, cap—oh, shit. Hold on.” The microphone picks up the muffled sound of crying. “Ellie just woke up.”

“You should go,” Nico tells him. “This isn’t that important. I’ll call you back another time.”

“Are you sure?”

He laughs—unsteady, but still a laugh. “Yes, I’m sure your daughter is more important than my midlife crisis. I’ll call you back, promise.”

Dawson sighs. “Fine. See you tomorrow.”

Nico shoves his phone in his pocket. In the living room, Jack is curled up in the armchair with a cup of tea. “Slept well?” asks Jack.

“Fine,” says Nico. “Dawson was wondering if you want to get lunch with some of the younger guys tomorrow. Apparently they want to meet you.”

Jack grins. “Well, if they insist.” Then he looks at Nico and the smile slips. “And if you’re okay with it.”

Schooling his face back into neutrality, Nico leans against the kitchen counter. “Jack, I’m not—” he breathes out, long and slow. “I don’t. I don’t know why it suddenly matters, whether I’m okay with it. Because it didn’t exactly matter to you before. Not when it did to me.”

The smile drops off Jack’s face. “Guess I deserved that one,” he says, a little rueful. “Look, Nico, I don’t—I’m trying.” He stares at his hands. “I know that’s probably not what you want to hear.”

“Trying to do what?” Nico presses. “You won’t tell me what you’re trying to do and you won’t say enough for me to guess.” He fumbles around for a glass in the cabinet, fills it up with water. There hasn’t been a second since he opened the door to see Jack two days ago that he hasn’t felt like he’s in the middle of a game he never learned the rules to, like he’s missing half the pieces to a puzzle he never saw a picture of. “You don’t have to tell me, that’s fine, but I’m not—”

“You won’t want to hear it,” says Jack, barely audible. He twists his hands together. His knee is shaking, and he pushes the tea away, unfinished.

Nico doesn’t say we don’t always get what we want, but it’s a close thing. “I can decide that, thanks.” Then, when Jack doesn’t speak, he says, “I’m going to bed. Turn the lights off when you’re—”

“I think I love you,” says Jack, unflinching, then nods to himself, as if confirming the statement. “I, uh. Have for years, probably.” 

Nico swallows. Jack Hughes is in his apartment, sitting on his couch, drinking his tea like he didn’t just turn Nico’s life upside-down. Five years without contact could never be enough to prepare him for this. 

“What.”

“I love you. I'm in love with you,” Jack repeats, the set of his mouth flat and unhappy. He stares at the tiling on the floor. He has the bluest eyes Nico’s ever seen, and Nico can’t even bear to look into them. “I had to come and tell you. And you don’t—have to say anything. I just, uh. I needed to, I couldn’t—I couldn’t not.”

Dully, Nico wonders if there’s anything in the rulebook about this. Any guidelines at all. But he imagines that “ex-teammate who I was—am in love with—came back after five years and confessed his love to me, what do I do?” isn’t the most common question.

“Okay,” says Nico, for lack of anything better to say. His voice sounds like he’s underwater, like he’s seeing it all through the underside of a fishbowl. He sets the glass of water down. “Sure.”

Jack tugs at the sleeves of his hoodie. “So?”

“I don’t…” he trails off. “I don’t know.” 

Features carefully expressionless, Jack asks, “Don’t know if it’s true, or if you feel the same?”

Nico says, “The first one.” He’s thought too much about the second one not to have an answer. He just doesn’t want to confront the fact that it’s the same answer he would have had five years ago.

“You don’t think it’s true?”

“I don’t know what to think,” he answers, as truthfully as he can. “I don’t know if.” He pauses. “I believe that you think it’s true,” he says, deliberate. “I don’t know if it’s the truth.”

“You think I don’t know how I feel,” Jack echoes.

He shrugs. It says enough. 

“Fine,” says Jack. He doesn’t move to get up.

Nico frowns. “So…”

“I don’t get it,” Jack tells him, redness creeping up his cheeks. He’s talking faster, frustrated. “I mean, I’m not a fucking kid, I know what I feel and why, I came here just to tell you and you still don’t think I know what I’m talking about?”

Nico grits his teeth. He refuses to yell, or cry, both of which feel close to bubbling to the surface and both of which he cannot afford to do. “Jack,” he starts. “In case you forgot, I haven’t known who you are for years, and I’m still trying to figure it out, so maybe that’s why.” He squeezes his eyes shut, the pressure of Jack’s gaze on him too much to confront head-on.

Jack catches his lower lip in his teeth. “That’s not…” he waves his hands in the air, but he doesn’t finish the sentence. It slides away like water in his hands.

“Forget it,” says Nico, too much bitterness leaking out of his voice, slipping onto the kitchen tile and staining it red. “I’m not—” he scrubs a hand over his eyes. “I can’t talk about this. Not right now.”

Jack stays silent, watches Nico move around the kitchen. Nico rinses out his glass in the sink and puts it back, then he turns away from Jack, goes to his room, and waits until the light from the hallway flicks off and he hears Jack close the guest room door.

[kakusboyfriend]

O-kay whatever I'm gonna do mini lore dumps for some of my DC guys bc I'm bored. Read or readn't but I need to get the thoughts out somehow

• I don't believe Citrus and Red were married until *After* the Rise of the Tornado Tyrant episode, where Citrus' redemption arc truly begins after saving Roy (tornado champion/tyrant whatever I think the names r stupid) from himself. However that is also the catalyst for a huge strain in their relationship that lasts a bit offscreen because That was your Child and he Loved you. Both Red and Citrus really need a time out after that whole mess. Oh also Citrus really fucking hates Bruce after it and threatens to kill him if he ever gets close to his family again and that's my excuse for Red's abrupt disappearance (aside from him retiring as a hero) LOL. You'd have to watch the EP to really get it but yeah it changes a whole lot of things for my little weird family.

• Cupid is a weird little guy because I'm still working out how I want the Star Sapphires to work, since I'm very aromantic and the thought of Romantic Love as a constant in the human psyche makes me violent. I think the ring feeds off of positive feelings of comfort and (any kind of) love to give the user strength so it's encouraged that whoever's relationship youre mending, you should get close to that person to help them out even more. Both Indigos and Sapphires r rehab groups basically but one is made of Patients and the other is made of Therapists. If that makes any sense? They're twinsies because love and compassion are very similar + they're very close in the spectrum anyways. All of this to say, Cupid and Rudy work best bc they feed off of each other but they're normal about it. This is a very new thing I'm trying to integrate into their story bc i came up with it, like, Yesterday.

• Bruno is the most skittish weird guy you'll ever meet and his whole thing is about how sometimes there isn't an out for ppl that don't look like they're supposed to, even if they're not inherently evil. Like, he can't Mask who he is and he's not going to live in the shadows about it. If his existence is seen as a twisted state of being, living unapologetically as himself will be looked down upon one way or another - so he'd rather be with people everyone else fucking hates. He's the most autistic bitch I've ever written bc of how he was raised and is perceived + chooses to act (I don't mask anymore now that I'm in my 20s and it's a joy + being queer in a world that thinks you're depraved bc of it). He's not a villain by Choice by any means, but he has more fun hanging out with outcasts than with "good guys". He's a petty thief, not a monster, but god if he isn't going to put his whole pussy into being a weird bitch.

• oh Voltera... Darling, I'm so sorry. This guy was orphaned from a young age and his parents were Not from earth and didn't know anyone there by the time they died + their families had fully ostracized them back home. In truth Alesan weasels take the "it takes a village to raise a child" thing to heart, so a kit being left alone is heartbreaking. Plus, it means Voltera is barely aware of why he does certain things that weren't explained to him growing up, and it made him very immature and weird. He was generally considered "too much to handle" in any foster home he was sent to (because literally no one knew how to raise him. It's literally like getting an energetic pet you're not ready for - there's Going to be biting, and you're Going to be frustrated) and eventually just becomes a street urchin trying desperately to fit in with anyone his age. Mekt is semi sorta in the same position by being a weird loser no one really likes, so they make good friends from the start bc of it. I'm so normal about them.

• Alborean. God I haven't really touched on him here but he's the most Sure of himself out of any of my losers. There isn't even anything tragic going on with him, he just does what he does because he Wants to do it. He's the bastard son of the former Doppelganger emperor/whatever so he has immense potential for being an edgy loser (Citrus killed him off or something, but he's dethroned by the time Alborean comes to earth one way or another. Plus he was an illegitimate child and his dad didn't want shit to do with him, it would be So easy for me to write him as desperate and brooding) but he's incredibly self sufficient instead. He's the only guy I'll bring into Batman Beyond I think, and he's Essential to saving Victor from death because oh my god that sucked so bad.

• Winona

Kidding, but Winona is the same species as my other sona, Kit Karyotype (Marvel S/I) and closely related to Eudicot Sangria's (Futurama S/I) species. The major difference is that Anguipera Venenata have relatively normal eating habits and actively hunt for prey with venom or brute strength while Anguipera Amedo eat a huge meal once every month or so and are far less aggressive. Still working on how Winona gets with Scott and Barda but I'll get there one day.

• I wrote a huge thing for orchard but accidentally deleted it and I'm too tired to do it all over again. Sorry! That one was the biggest and had the most thought put into it. One day I'll come back I'm just so fucking mad rn

[adamwatchesmovies]

Rocky II (1979)

The original Rocky didn’t “need” a sequel. The lovable lug got the girl, proved he could be a legitimate boxer and became a hero to his hometown of Philadelphia. He won… but it was an emotional victory. He didn’t actually beat Apollo Creed. For this reason, Rocky II is more than a way to capitalize on an existing property; it completes the journey. Anyone can get lucky and go toe-to-toe with the world heavyweight champion. A winner will do it twice.

Following the match between heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the Italian Stallion learns that fighting again could lead to permanent blindness. Retiring from the sport, he and Adrian (Talia Shire) begin their married life together. Meanwhile, Apollo is inundated by letters accusing him of throwing the match or of being an illegitimate champion. He becomes determined to face Rocky again.

Following a recap of the fight between Apollo and Rocky, we get a harsh dose of reality. Our hero's fighting days are over. But that’s ok. Rocky has fame and enough money to be comfortable. Adrian agrees to marry him. Trouble comes once Rocky’s bruises heal. What’s he supposed to do now? Did his whole life lead up to a single match and then retirement? It gets even harder once Adrian becomes pregnant. What kind of role model will Rocky be for his child? Months ago, an entire stadium was cheering for him. Now, he’s back where he began, on the dirty streets of Philly. It doesn’t feel much of a victory, and when he tries to spin his past accomplishment into a commercial career, he isn’t happy. In his heart, he's a fighter. If he isn’t donning the gloves and performing Mickey’s drills, he feels empty. His pride is at stake.

Pride is a key theme here. Rocky doesn’t feel like a real man. Apollo is similarly compelled to prove himself. It shows how similar the two are… but also how different. The champion is already at the top. He’s got everything to lose. Rocky is at the bottom. He’s got everything to gain.

Written, directed and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky II holds onto everything that made the first picture compelling. The characters have evolved but they haven’t drastically changed. Our hero is still more comfortable cracking bad jokes than putting his true feelings out there. Adrian is more assertive but her bully of a brother still pushes her around when she’s at her weakest. The only significant flaw in the picture comes later, when the plot runs out of things for her to do and has her fall gravely ill so she can be off-screen. Considering there’s already drama with Rocky going into the ring to fight Apollo, it feels like something out of a soap opera.

Rocky II is not as good as the first but it completes the story satisfyingly. You get more out of everything you liked and the bigger budget allotted to Stallone shows. The final battle between Apollo and our hero is superbly shot. You kind of know what the end results will be but that doesn’t make it any less pleasing to watch. It’s a solid follow-up. (On Blu-ray, January 10, 2020)

[genderfluidbf]

the beekeeper's apprentice: mary russell book one

synopsis (via goodreads): Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes's pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

rating before reread: ★★★★★

rating after reread: ★★★★

general thoughts: i have changed as a person since i last read this! i am no longer the pretentious middle schooler so deeply enamoured by holmes and russell's deductive skills. instead, i think, i favor the growth of their relationship and trust in one another.

laurie r king's writing style for this series is honestly immaculate. she has successfully infiltrated the mind of mary russell. its a period piece told from the perspective of a young woman, and shes managed to capture that spirit through her descriptions.

i take off a star however, for repeated rereads. its never going to compare to the first time i read it. its hard to say anything abt the cleverness, for me, when i already know whats gonna happen.

spoilers under the cut!!

firstly i suppose i gotta talk abt the relationship between holmes and russell. gotta say, i love it? but in later books the foundation we've laid here takes a bit of a sinister tinge. for now tho, i love it.

they save each other!!!!! its directly talked abt in the book but to paraphrase, russell saves holmes from dying of boredom, and holmes saves russell from becoming a worse version of her aunt.

they provide each other companionship and a whetstone to hone their minds against. say what u will, but sherlock holmes needs someone to go up against, who can be an equal to him and put him in his place if need be.

laurie r king describes their playact of a falling out in this way: "Holmes and I had only a few days to perfect our rôles of the two friends now turned against each other, the father and daughter alienated, the near-lovers become bitterest, most implacable of enemies"

if i am to criticize one thing in this book, it is their weird relationship. she is 15 when they meet, and he is like, definitely in his 60s. as a middle schooler i was quick to justify and defend my hero, sherlock holmes, but now i find it hard to not feel a little uneasy. i will say tho, the way laurie r king writes their relationship helps to assuage my concerns. it doesnt feel predatory.

anyways, onto mrs. hudson and dr. watson. some say watson is portrayed poorly here. i think it can go either way. those who want all of their characters to be smart and capable in all ways see watson diminished into a bumbling fool. i think tho that watson is aptly characterized, if we're basing it off of the original stories. he is fiercely loyal, an excellent doctor, and, quite frankly, incapable of pulling off some of the more delicate schemes needed to be on the level of sherlock holmes. yes, he is written to be a bit of a fool, but not i would think in a malicious way. he has a big heart, and many other wonderful qualities. he is not, however, capable of disguising himself and losing a tail.

mrs. hudson is a girlboss.

the daughter of moriarty being the villain is perhaps a bit trite? but perhaps thats also why its clever. u dont expect it. moriarty is dead, this is not connected to the original stories, and in the original stories i dont believe theres a mention of his family.

its late, and im getting tired, and i am quite certain no one will read this, so i will end my nonsensical babbling here.

[yesthatssadirichardslove]

The Streets' Mike Skinner: 'AI will force us to be more bonkers'

PARIS

Mike Skinner of The Streets has returned "rejuvenated" with a new album and his own self-made movie, optimistic for the future of music as it sits on the cusp of an AI revolution.

Having defined a musical era in the early 2000s with his unique mash-up of UK garage and U.S. hip-hop, Skinner retired The Streets in 2011.

The project flickered back to life a few years ago with occasional tours and singles, and on Friday sees the release of the first proper album in 12 years, "The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light".

But Skinner's real obsession for the past decade has been the movie of the same name which it soundtracks -- one in which he starred, as well as wrote, directed, shot, edited and funded by himself.

"It's actually a lot easier to make a film than you think... It's just the amount of work that's the problem," he told AFP during a trip to Paris.

"I really enjoyed each individual job -- recording the sound, lighting the scenes. Even the special effects -- which are awful -- I did myself," he said with typically self-deprecating frankness.

Set in the underworld of London clubs, the film has the same jarring feel as his music -- a homespun delivery that straddles the line between amateurish and daringly experimental.

"The reason it seems experimental is just because I did everything myself and I didn't really know how it's supposed to be done," he said.

"But my best work in the past I think has been when I didn't know how things were supposed to be done. I sabotage myself... Even if I could make my stuff sound slick I would pull it apart because I would feel that's fake somehow.

"I can't quite bear to do things well," he added with a chuckle.

It is that embracing of imperfection that has made The Streets such a singular musical creation.

It also gives Skinner hope for the future at a time when the industry is freaking out over the coming deluge of AI-generated music.

"AI will make human creativity so much weirder because in order to stand out against that you won't be able to copy anything," Skinner said. "It will force humans to be a bit more bonkers and a bit more avant-garde."

The Streets released the game-changing "Original Pirate Material" in 2002, putting a laddish British spin on hip-hop with lyrics that were more about "greasy spoon cafeterias" than gangsters and diamond rings.

Four studio albums followed until Skinner announced he had "run out of new avenues".

The film, however, has "totally rejuvenated" his passion, and several years of DJ-ing in clubs have given him a slate of banging new tunes, such as recent hit "Troubled Waters".

He cannot quite help a bit more self-deprecation, though.

"I think we've only really got a few songs in us to be honest. Bob Dylan said it: 'I've only ever written one song but I just do it over and over again.' That's why I think adding a film to that just makes it more interesting."

One downer is that he cannot tour Europe.

"We can't afford to do a tour here, which is really sad. It's a Brexit-related thing," he said, outlining the onerous tax and paperwork problems that Brexit has caused for British musicians, though he hopes to come for festivals next summer.

Having returned to The Streets in his 40s, can he see himself still clubbing into his old age?

"I think I might be dancing on the QM2 from Southampton to New York on an eight-day cruise," he said with a grin, referring to the luxury Queen Mary 2 cruise liner. "And maybe I might sneak in some ecstasy. I'm sure they'll be up for it."

[luna-rainbow]

Jdorama 2023 Summer

Unfortunately I haven’t been watching as much as I normally do.

Trillion Game

It’s a return to form for Imada Mio, although I’m not sure if it’s in a positive way. After making her name starring as the rich spoiled brat/pretty girl in trashy manga adaptations, she’s done a string of serious dramas as a normal side character, which I think really developed her acting. The net effect is that she is the most captivating presence in this drama, despite not having much visible depth in the first episode, knowing exactly how to captivate the lens without over-performing. The two protagonists are barely watchable. In a more seasoned actor’s hands, Meguro’s character might be interesting, but as it is, he’s just annoyingly brash, while the other guy is so nervous he disappears into the background. Granted, I haven’t read the original series, but I feel like the - probably decent - story is being let down by the inexperience of the two main actors.

Shikkou! Inu to watashi to shikoukan

The problem with this drama is I don’t think it knows what it wants to be. On the one hand it wants to inform people about the job of a shikoukan (an enforcer of court orders), on the other hand it recognises that sometimes it does things in a way that’s not sympathetic or compassionate, but it wants to be sympathetic to both sides without doing the leg work in the writing department. Like, in the first episode, we’re supposed to feel sorry for a family with a young child who hasn’t been paying rent for months…but decided to go and buy a dog??? WTF? And I’m supposed to feel sorry for these irresponsible adults who - predictably - leaves the dog without a home by the end of the story?? It sells its appeal as something involving lots of cute dogs, but unlike other dramas recently (like Blanket Cat) the animal features minimally and isn’t at all important to the story.

Hayabusa

It’s one of those dramas that calls for patience but probably the most watchable of the lot so far. A young author struggling with writer’s block retires to his father’s home in rural Japan and gets caught up in a murder mystery. It’s very slow build, so I’m hesitant recommend this until its conclusion, although Ikeido Jun’s stories do tend to be well-written. At the very least you get competent acting from a veteran cast, although as usual (for Ikeido) the sole woman here is kinda…an avatar for the mysterious and mystical. 

Keiboho Daimajin

I had been looking forward to this one because of Toma and Mukai, but sadly…I am not sure what it is. They’re both decent in their roles, but it might be both the script (which simmers with manga-like incredulity) and the direction (both characters are just a little more like caricatures than real people). They also, sadly have very little chemistry between them, which is incredible given that both are capable of fantastic chemistry with their costars.

[mrevaunit42]

Okay I'm going to just be honest with you: Read the fucking legend books. Everything under the old canon. Here's why

First: Every single story is easily accessible and user friendly. Legends handled the massive catalog of its stories so well because every new copy of the book comes with a full complete timeline in the front pages. Literally every fucking book that is canon in Legends is put in a complete timeline to show you the reader where exactly this story is taking place (and it's even funnier when you realize they use New Hope as the before or after marker. Even tells you the years.) From the Old Republic and Revan to the retirement of our favorite heroes, it's all there. Anything beyond that i believe is comic turf and while I love the comics and there's loads of fun ones, it's very hard to know where to start or what's going on especially with Disney printing its own comics. And as far as I can tell all of them have audiobooks so if reading's not your thing there you go. Plus they're fairly cheap. Most of the books are like 7 or 8 bucks (Dollars). Yes The books spoil things in the beginning but only because you tell whose in the story, their species and their job. Helps with descriptions or you could even look up what you're supposed to be imagining.

Second: The genres you get are varied. While you obviously get the classic empire and rebel civil war conflict and there's a lot of jedi, dark side, sith etc etc there's also focus on other people and other conflicts. Like for example zombie stormtroopers. There's literally a like 400 page story about zombie stormtroopers on an abandon Star Destroyer. It's fun and epic and kinda scary. An Ocean's 11 styled heist with Han, Chewie and Lando before Empire Strikes back! One of my favorites is literally a in hiding jedi turned bodyguard for a fucking pop idol. Singer really but still. And there's so much more I haven't mentioned: The war with beings from another galaxy that's a few books series long, Obi-wan's first mission with Qui-gon Jinn, A second galactic civil that actuals pits Han and Luke on opposing sides. Mara Jade (Luke's wife, yes he's married and she's fucking amazing) first encounter with a still fledging jedi Luke. Freaking the Bounty Hunter civil war. And a lot of these you do not need to know about the entire collection to enjoy. These writings are written differently cuz of the different authors but that's only because...

Three: Lucas gatekept all this. No really. Basically you had to ask him what you can write about and he had to approve it because it would be canon. Different writers wrote different things with his permission cuz their stories would be set in stone. The writing varies and you get different millage but on a whole I enjoyed all the books. Anything by Timothy Zahn is highly recommended by me.

Four: Character and Characterization. Yes you will be missing some of your faves: No baby yoda or mando or Rey, Finn, poe. But the characters you get are awesome: Luke's son Ben, a deadly sith assassin who used to date Luke, a personal assassin who worked for the emperor who married Luke, Thrawn *stolen from legends btw* Jagged Fel, Han and Leia's children Anakin Solo and the twins Jania and Jacen. God Jacen. Jacen is the character they stole and watered down to make Kylo sucks. Literally Jacen is just the better, more complex tragic figure that Kylo WISHES he could even be half of. Oh Boba Fett is alive too! and has a granddaughter. And there's are a handful of characters among the dozens these books have. And the best part? The classic characters? Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie R2 and C3PO they're still the characters you know and love. They actually grow and evolve in ways that feel natural for them. None of this stupid han and leia are separated. They are still happily married and getting on each other's nerves in the best way possible. Luke isn't some disillusion edgy beaten down old man. He's a wise yet humorous mentor and leader who never lost that spark of hope and wonder though it certain has been tempered with loss that comes with a long, dangerous life. Honestly you cannot believe how much they stole from legends. it's a fair amount.

I honestly recommend the legends books. Yes they had decades more time to really flesh everything out and set up their novel universe but Disney is a billion dollar company with talented artists, storytellers and writers. They should've just let them cook instead giving us whatever the fuck those half assed movies were. Leia is a fucking jedi knight in legends, still married to Han and a total badass. Warning though Chewie dies during the galaxy v galaxy war. BUT it takes a whole moon to take him out and he's still in plenty of stories.

Star Wars suddenly making every idiot and their grandma jedi but can’t even make Finn a force user