#hopefully it can still be somewhat useful to whoever wants it ¯\_(���)_/¯

[nattikay]

super-duper-quickly-thrown-together mini ear flick tutorial thing, feat. Tuk

[louisemcbear]

Starlight Express London 2024 - Adding Context to the Album

As someone who went to see the show a few weeks ago and has been waiting ever since for the album to come out, I'll admit I was a bit disappointed with how much of the story was left out. I know you can't put everything from the musical into an album and the songs are still great, but being able to get a basic gist of the story while listening to the album would be nice.

So, using a combination of as much detail as I can remember from the show and using the Starlight Express wiki to fill in some gaps, I've tried to write a description of what happens in between each song. This may not be entirely accurate, as it has been a few weeks, but if some Stex (or even just musicals in general) fans can't see the show but want to get the full experience from listening to the album, hopefully this might help somewhat? This is also somewhat self-motivated, as it means I have something to look back on and remember the show by.

(Continuing under the cut because the notes are pretty hefty!)

Scene opens with a child’s bed, a toy chest with a pair of roller skates and 3 toy trains scattered around the floor.

[Overture/Entry of Trains]

[Rolling Stock]

After all of the trains are introduced and Greaseball gets her moment in Rolling Stock, Rusty comes in announcing that he also wants to be included in the race. Pearl is introduced as a new addition to the group, as the new First Class coach, and the pair are very interested in one another.

This is a bit of a strange one, as they’ve cut off the first half of ‘Crazy’ on the album for some reason, but the gist of it is just that he’s going to prove to everyone that he can still be the fastest and asks Pearl to ride with him.

[Crazy]

Everyone else leaves and Pearl has a conversation with the other coaches (Dinah the Dining Car, Belle the Sleeping Car and Tassita the Quiet Car) about the fact they have to be dragged along by the others. She talks about how much she wants to prove herself as the best.

[I Am Me]

The other coaches leave, leaving Pearl on her own and feeling slightly overwhelmed by this new environment she’s joined. Rusty re-enters.

[Whistle At Me]

The coaches come back.

[Freight is Great]

3/4 freight trains have been introduced, but there’s still one more to go - Hydra the Hydrogen Truck. No one’s particularly happy about his entrance.

This is a bit of a weird one because Hydra’s song is technically in Act 2 of the show, but the album combines that version with the intro that takes place here, plus some extra lyrics. This means you can either listen to it here or between ‘I am the Starlight’ and ‘The Final Race’.

(I do think the fact he’s a repeated presence throughout the show showcases his character better than just combining it into a single song, but that’s getting off track.)

[Hydrogen]

The other trains come back and are eager to start the race. But there’s a new challenger to add to the lineup!

[AC/DC]

Back to Greaseball, the reigning champion! This one’s slightly more about Dinah fawning over her – yes, she does touch Greaseball’s muscles and that is what the noise is.

[Pumping Iron]

Electra and Greaseball get into a fight over who’s going to win. Everyone gets involved and it’s a big fuss.

It is established that each train needs to choose a race partner in order to compete. Obviously, Rusty wants Pearl to be his partner, but once he’s off-stage, Pearl becomes paralysed in electricity and is informed that she has been selected to be Electra’s partner. This is apparently a huge honour, and it would be ridiculous for her to refuse. She is then left alone for the next song.

[Make Up My Heart]

It’s time for the 1st race! Control explains that there will be 2 heats and whoever wins each of the heats will compete against each other in the final.

Pearl decides that she’s going to partner with Electra. This means that Race 1 is between Greaseball & Dinah, Electra & Pearl, Blue Lightning & Lumber, and Silver Bullet & Pearl.

Blue Lightning crashes at the start of the race and Silver Bullet crashes later on. The race ends with Greaseball and Electra coming in a tie, meaning both will go on to compete against the Heat 2 winner in the Final.

[The Race could be played here for Heat 1]

The scene changes after the race to show the freight trucks and Rusty, who is thoroughly miserable about Pearl choosing Electra over him. Momma enters the scene and gets ready to sing, which everyone is very excited about.

[Momma’s Blues]

Momma and Rusty talk more about him being so upset and deciding he’s not going to race after all. He succumbs to the idea that maybe he is too old-fashioned to race and there’s no point in trying.

Momma decides to prove a point by racing in Heat 2 instead. The other freight cars refuse to partner with her, as it’s a ridiculous idea for her to be racing in her state. Hydra joins the scene, begging Momma to let him race with her, and she agrees.

Rusty argues that, even if she did want to race, there's no spaces left for a new entry. Control then announces that, due to the British railway system being the mess that it is, someone has had to drop out and there is now space for a new entry.

Heat 2 starts with Golden Eagle & Joule, Orange Flash & Tassita, Green Arrow & Volta, and Momma & Hydra. Orange Flash crashes close to the beginning and needs medical attention, and Golden Eagle and Green Arrow get into a fight that takes them both out. This means that Momma and Hydra end up being the winners by default.

[The Race could be played here for Heat 2]

The race leaves Momma exhausted and in pain, physically incapable of continuing with the competition. She asks Rusty to take her place, but he isn’t comfortable with the idea.

The other competitors come back on stage to laugh at Rusty, convinced that their argument that he and Momma are too outdated to race has been proven right. When even Pearl won’t side with him, Rusty becomes frustrated and decides that he will race for Momma.

Everyone leaves, leaving Rusty alone on the stage, unconfident and at a loss.

[Starlight Express]

There is then an intermission. Unimportant to the story, but the scene on stage while the intermission’s going on is a children’s bed in the centre with three toy trains moving on a track around it. It's really cute!

Act 2 begins, and the trains are preparing for the Final. Greaseball decides that Dinah’s not good enough for her anymore and asks Pearl to be her partner instead (while waving Dinah off). Pearl agrees and Dinah is devastated, both because of how long they’ve been partners and how badly Greaseball treated her.

Greaseball and Pearl leave, and Dinah is comforted by the other coaches. She can barely say what she wants to, so the coaches agree that she should spell it instead.

[U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D]

Similarly to Pearl, Dinah is trapped in electricity and informed that Electra is offering her the honour to race with them. Angry and wanting to make Greaseball jealous, she agrees.

While they don’t think that Rusty is going to be a real threat, Electra and Greaseball decide that they want to ensure he has no chance of winning.

Slick offers to be Rusty’s partner, and he agrees. She, Porter and Lumber are given lots of money by Electra and Greaseball to rig the race against Rusty. Slick is very happy with this arrangement.

[Wide Smile]

It’s time for the Final (maybe)! The line-up is Greaseball & Pearl, Electra & Dinah, and Rusty & Slick. The race is pretty close and it seems like Rusty might have a decent chance, but then Porter and Lumber cover the racetrack in oil while Slick forces Rusty to crash. This creates a huge fire, and a re-run of the Final is called for later on.

[The Race could be played here for the Final – not to be confused with The Final Race, which comes later]

The other trains accuse Rusty of being the cause of the fire, suggesting that he should just drop out of the competition now. The eliminated racers beat Rusty up to discourage him.

Pearl finds out that the others cheated and is horrified. When she threatens to report them for doing so, they tell her that she’s complicit in it as Greaseball’s partner and no one would believe otherwise.

Ready to give up, Rusty is left alone on stage once more to sing to the Starlight Express. As he realises that it’s been inside him all along, giant planets come down from the ceiling and the whole theatre is lit up with starlight.

[I Am The Starlight]

Filled with confidence once more, but no longer able to partner with Slick, Rusty wonders where he’ll manage to find a partner now. Hydra enters once more, determined to convince Rusty that he can be a good partner for him. With both of them determined to win and prove themselves, Rusty agrees.

[Hydrogen can also be played here]

As the trains and partners prepare to race in the Final once more, Dinah refuses to partner with Electra anymore and breaks out of the electric paralysis they’ve put her in. This comes as a shock to Electra and their group, and Slick is quickly chosen as a replacement partner.

It’s time to race, with the lineup being Greaseball & Pearl, Electra & Slick, and Rusty & Hydra. Halfway through the race, Greaseball yells at Pearl for slowing her down too much and disconnects, continuing on her own instead. Rusty is worried that Pearl will get hurt being stuck on the racetrack alone, and Hydra agrees that they can detour to get Pearl to safety before continuing with the race.

In spite of this, they still manage to overtake Electra and Greaseball, making Rusty the winner. Everyone prepares to celebrate his win, but Pearl’s disappeared and Rusty’s worried, so he runs off to find her instead.

[The Final Race]

While Rusty runs off, Greaseball, Electra and Slick mourn their loss, leaning on each other, aching from the race and struggling to hear.

[One Rock ‘N’ Roll Too Many]

Following this, we switch to Pearl on stage on her own. She sees Rusty looking for her and hides so he can’t see her. This is where she begins to regret the choices she’s made leading up to this moment.

Most of the staging for the next song involves Rusty singing from the higher levels of the stage while looking for Pearl, and Pearl hiding in the arches underneath.

[I Do]

Now having reunited, Rusty and Pearl join the celebrations. Rusty gets to stand on stage and receive his title of Champion of the World.

Greaseball approaches Dinah, wanting to apologise for how she’s treated her but struggling to say the right words. Dinah suggests spelling them instead, leading Greaseball to say she’s “S.O.R.R.R.Y”.

Hydra also receives recognition for his part in Rusty’s success, the other trains now believing his assertion that steam is the future. Greaseball and Electra both ask if there is any way for them to convert to steam and Hydra happily agrees to help them.

The final 2 songs serve as a celebration to end the show, with a group dance and curtain call.

[Light at the End of the Tunnel]

[Starlight Express Megamix]

[stormblessed95]

BTS have always been the group to set their own course. They’ve achieved success beyond their dreams and dealt with their feelings about how to “land” successfully. Why not break the rules again and let Jikook come out after military service? Sure, it’s scary and somewhat risky. But this is what they’re all about, right? Jimin, in particular, is getting louder and louder in the queer coding. This travel show promises yet more questionable moments. Maybe next year really will be the year for him to address “all the things we couldn’t say before”…and I think the majority of ARMY can handle it.

I swear we just had this conversation a week ago right? Lol read these, my thoughts and opinions about this haven't changed in the last 6 days lol

I'll just put the paragraph from the last post linked that deals with this topic here for all of you too in case you don't want to read through the whole thing...

"As for KM coming out? It won't happen. And as much as they deserve to just love whoever they love, if that person is each other, that will firmly be kept a secret. Maybe one day after they disband and KM are possibly still living together and not changing their behavior or hiding it, it will be even more obvious. But I don't think they will ever confirm anything. And they shouldn't really have to. But if nothing else, it 100% will never happen before disbandment. Not only do they both still have to go through military service, where if you are caught engaging in homosexual activities, you can be jailed. Why give them more reason to look for that? Don't ask, don't tell. They probably won't come out after that either. As much as it SHOULDN'T matter if two members of BTS are dating each other, it would. It would take over headlines for months. It would be all anyone is talking about. It would be asked about in all the interviews. Their relationship would become world gossip fodder. And the focus would be less on the 7, less on the music they create and more on the social and political upheaval their coming out would be. That isn't fair to their hardwork, their passion and their life work. It also isn't fair to the rest of the band. Their sexuality would for a while, overshadow their music. I don't think they would ever take the risk of being remembered for who they love, rather than for what they loved doing. Hopefully that also made sense. Maybe one day they will feel comfortable sharing whatever their relationship is with the world, but they are under no obligation to ever do so and I personally don't think they will."

It would be wonderful if they ever did feel comfortable coming out and sharing more with us. That would be an ideal world. I just personally don't see that happening.

[wheelie-sick]

was curious about your opinion on terminology: i, a bipolar person, am technically fine calling myself and identifying as bipolar. but i also think the older terms do a better job of describing my experience? like i feel like “dysphoric mania” describes me so much better than “mixed episode.” and manic depression makes more sense to my brain. but i’m also young so people expect me to be in the know with whatever mental health terms that are in vogue rn. anyway, i was just wondering what you thought about these terms and the policing of how ppl talk abt their own mental health

[disclaimer i know the dsm is bullshit and psychiatry is an oppressive system]

I think mentally ill people have every right to define their own terminology for their own mental health. it shouldn't be up to psychiatrists to determine how we talk about ourselves and that might mean that people's terminology is inconsistent but that's okay! because part of autonomy is autonomy over language. I think people not only should but need to respect the preferences of individual mentally ill people. psychiatrists do not get to define us and our communities.

I think that the way mentally ill people police other mentally ill people's language only aids the control the psychiatric system has over mentally ill people. I think it's worse when someone without a specific mental illness does it. we know the language we prefer and we should be granted the presumption of knowledge over terms. often people approach people using terminology that deviates from the DSM with "education" because they assume that whoever they're talking to just isn't aware of the "correct" terminology. the assumption that we are unaware of our own language often stems from biases suggesting we cannot be knowledgeable about a mental illness unless we conform to what psychiatry says about us

I do also recognize that it can be helpful for outsiders to have a "standardized" set of terms to use for broad statements. while I think mentally ill people get to use whatever term they want with their broad statements I recognize it's different for outsiders (though honestly I could write a whole essay on the divide between mentally ill and not mentally ill and how these boundaries are made up somewhat arbitrarily. some people clearly fit in one box or the other but many people exist in grays because people aren't made for boxes. for the sake of this post we're pretending that there are clearly defined boxes) this is especially true when you consider the nuances of some terms and their histories (and often their histories of harm) I think it's helpful for people who aren't intimately familiar with a community to have a "default" set of terminology to fall back on because not everyone is going to be incredibly knowledgeable about bipolar terminology but might still need to refer to bipolar disorder and people with it.

TLDR: people should respect the terminology of individual people. psychiatrists do not get to define our language. mentally ill people policing other mentally ill people aids psychiatry. it helps people without a specific mental illness to have a set of terminology to fall back on when they're unsure.

short answer: use whatever language you want, it's your mental illness!

hopefully you were looking for a long response 😅

[bunnyreaper]

see on both sides

pairings - gabriel reyes x f!reader, niran pruksamanee x f!reader, gabriel reyes x niran pruksamanee wc -  4.2k warnings - dubious consent, power dynamics, dom/sub, threesome, possessive sex, exhibitionism. notes - sequel to i still get jealous, or read both on ao3!

The knock on the door comes as a complete surprise. 

A tough day of training has you wiped out, and you're half tempted to tell whoever is at the door to come back later. If you were still in your own quarters, you'd probably ignore it, but in case it's someone looking for Gabriel, you best answer. 

Even making it to the door is a slog, but your disgruntled expression is wiped away as you open the door to see a smiling Niran standing outside. 

"Hello Y/N." He greets, lips curled and eyes crinkled. 

"Oh, Niran, hi!" You reply, taken aback by his presence. While the two of you have been developing a friendship, he'd never paid a personal visit before. "How did you know where to find me?" 

"This was somewhat of a giveaway." He smirks, nodding to the nameplate by the door that reads COMMANDER GABRIEL REYES. 

"I'll give you that." You laugh. You're about to step aside to allow him in, before you freeze. "Can I help you with something?" 

His smile widens, and he appears just as charming as he always does. "I was just looking for a friendly ear." He states. 

"Sure, come in." You hold open the door for him to enter, and hope against everything you won't regret the decision. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"That wouldn't go amiss, thank you." 

You head for the liquor cabinet, and hope that a little drink will help take the edge off. Niran is your friend, but the last thing you want to do is give Gabe more reason to worry. Letting the blonde man into your apartment alone is sure to get Gabriel's back up a little—God forbid Niran leaves his scent on the couch cushions.

You frown harshly, reconsidering your decision. 

"Long day?" Niran pipes up, voice patient and inquisitive upon seeing your sour expression.

You school it back into something pleasant. 

"Something like that. How was your day?" You return to Niran, offering him the drink before you both take a seat on opposite ends of the couch.  "From what I've heard, you're usually in the lab much later than this." 

"Usually, but it is a Friday night, after all." He sends you a wink, which brings your nerves rushing back. "I work hard, but I play harder." 

Taking a long sip of your drink, you chuckle awkwardly. Niran is sweet, and you suppose his flirtatious nature is just how he is—surely, he doesn't mean anything by it. "I don't really have the energy for playing hard." You reply as a subtle rebuttal.

"Really?" He raises his brows, his smile remaining cheeky. "Has being with the Commander aged you prematurely?" 

"Very funny, Niran." Your eyes roll playfully. "A little, but I keep him young too. We like the balance." You offer in response, again attempting to dissuade any strange notions the man might be having. 

"So, how was your day? Hopefully a lot easier than mine." You ask, changing the topic. Niran's research is intriguing beyond belief, and his enthusiasm is infectious. 

He's about to reply, no doubt launching into an excited monologue, when the door opens. 

"Well, this looks cozy." Gabriel comments, a slight edge to his voice, and he stares at the scene in front of him.

Shit. You feel caught, even though you're technically not doing anything wrong. 

"Commander Reyes." Niran greets him quickly and cheerfully. "I'm glad you could join us." 

That nervous feeling is back with the way Niran greets Gabe like he didn't just walk into his own quarters. This isn't going to end well, you think. 

"Sit down, I'll grab you a drink." You rush back to the cabinet to fetch Gabriel a drink, knowing he could do with a little mellowing in the form of alcohol and being tended to by you.

Gabriel takes your seat, as you pour him a large measure of whiskey. 

"How was your day, Commander?" Niran asks politely, either unaware or uncaring of the complete shift in atmosphere. 

"Long." Gabriel huffs, throwing his arm over the back of the couch and making himself comfortable and at home. Almost like he owns the place, because well, he does. "But, I was looking forward to coming home and relaxing." 

"Well, this'll help." You interject, rushing over with the glass in hand as you thrust it toward Gabriel, a quiet way of saying 'Drink this and be quiet'.  

"Sit with me." He murmurs up at you, spreading his legs to accommodate you sitting between them.

So that's how this is going to go, you sigh. 

You seat yourself in between his legs, feeling his radiating warmth before whispering a warning. "Play nice." 

You turn your attention back to Niran, hoping to lighten the mood and do away with the mounting tension. 

Surely, when Gabriel sees the nature of your engagement with Niran, he'll see that you clearly show the man where he stands. "So, do you have other plans tonight, Niran?" 

"Not as such, no. See where the night takes me. I was hoping you'd be free for a little fun." He chuckles, clearly not sensing your desperation and discomfort.

Of course, he wouldn't make it easy for you. 

"Give me a little notice next time, I can show you a place or two, Gabe will come too, right?" Your laugh is still nervous as you clearly try to smooth things over. 

"We'll see." He says shortly.

"You know, not to play favorites, but you definitely have been one of the most welcoming at Overwatch." Niran continues entirely unprompted, and if you didn't find him so thoroughly likable, you'd strangle him to death with his own long blonde locks. 

There's no way he's this clueless as to the effect he's having, right?

"I try my best, I know what it's like to be new." You scramble to think of another deflection, hating the defensive stance you're having to take in every aspect of the conversation. You can feel how rigid Gabriel is behind you.

The two of you usually talk so normally. Maybe it's the weekend feeling, but Niran is clearly in a certain excitable mindset. 

"But I imagine there's a lot of people trying to ingratiate themselves with you right now." You add on, trying to turn the conversation away from yourself. 

"A little, but none as lovely as you."  He comments.

Does that smirk not hurt his face from maintaining it for so long?

"The coffee you make is divine, too." He has the audacity to look straight past you to Gabriel, and his comment makes you swallow thickly. 

Despite the initial aesthetic appreciation, your attraction to Niran is minimal. Yet he seems determined to misconstrue your intentions, whether by ignorance or malice, you don't know. 

"Oh, is that where you disappear during lunch?" Gabriel's voice is strained, and you can tell he's probably going to ask more questions when the two of you are alone. You're in trouble.

"Yeah... sometimes." You comment awkwardly, feeling self-conscious about it. Your ass is gonna be red raw later. 

Niran picks up the conversation. "I do tend to forget to look after myself when I'm busy working." 

The rest of his words fall on deaf ears, as Gabriel's arm slips around you, settling on your exposed thigh and offering a firm squeeze. He chooses the same time to press a delicate, distracting kiss to your shoulder. "Gabe." You whisper, but Niran stops talking. 

"Mmm? Something the matter?" In your peripheral, you can tell Gabriel's eyes are on Niran, sending him a heated look. "Just showing appreciation for my girl."  He comments simply, his voice laced with possessiveness.

"Uh..." You squirm uncomfortably, enjoying the attention yet wishing the two of you were alone. His hand stops squeezing, and his lips stop kissing, so you assume he's going to play nice and relax back into his hold.

"You always brighten my day whenever you drop by." The blonde continues, digging your grave further. 

"She has that effect." Gabe purrs, his demeanor shifting entirely as his hand dips down to your inner thigh, his fingers stretching out to trace across your clothed cunt.

"Gabe!" You exclaim, in complete disbelief, slamming your legs shut—horrified at the idea of him playing with you in front of your friend. 

"What?" He doesn't stop his movements, and you watch transfixed as Niran's eyes observe Gabriel's fingers move, with a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "Our guest doesn't mind, does he?" Gabriel adds, his words a dare, a challenge. 

"Not at all. As long as you're enjoying yourself." Niran seems completely unfazed. 

You try to battle the steadily climbing arousal as you try to think straight. 

As your thoughts slip away, one final coherent thing slips through.

Niran's behavior was entirely on purpose. That bastard. 

"I, yeah." You sigh, your eyes fluttering shut for a moment as you give in to the pleasure and Gabe rubs at your clit through your shorts. You can still sense his eyes on Niran, and the thought makes you shiver. 

This display is for him.  

You're just a pawn in their game, but from how wet you are, you clearly can't mind all that much. 

"No need to hide from me." It's Niran's turn for his voice to turn silky and sultry, as he sips at his drink and continues to spectate your undoing. 

"Hear that baby?" Gabe coos, his voice much softer now, he has you falling apart on his fingers and all of his blood has rushed elsewhere too.  "Spread your legs, show him that pretty pussy." 

"I—" You hesitate for a moment, trying to think over the implications of the act and yet desperately wanting to comply with Gabriel's gentle commands. The rubbing only adds to your need to listen to him.

You allow your legs to fall open, before pulling your shorts and panties to the side to bare yourself to Niran.

His eyes sparkle with delight as he lays eyes on your flesh, and Gabriel's fingers move to find your nub unhindered. 

"She's so wet already." He offers, his thick fingers swirling said wetness around your needy nub. "She always is when I'm touching her. Tell him how it feels, cariño." 

Once more, he gives you a command, and you feel the need to obey as you always do. 

"Niran..." You whisper, your voice strained as you test the waters in voicing your pleasure.

"Yes, sweetheart?" 

You were already blushing under his gaze, but now your face is ablaze as nerves battle arousal. "Feels so good." 

Niran smiles in a genuine, sweet way. "Looks like he's taking good care of you." 

"Mhmm." You whine, slipping your eyes shut and concentrating on the pleasure, the tingling sensation, the coiling feeling.

"Tell her that you want her." Gabriel turns his commands on Niran, breaking an entirely new barrier. 

"Gabe—" You gasp, eyes springing open as you're shocked and somewhat concerned on behalf of Niran.

Yet, the man himself finds no objection.

"(Y/N), you look divine." He answers easily, his voice returning to its flirtatious tone. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, I thought about the sounds you'd make." 

Upon hearing his confession, Gabriel grows and starts working his fingers faster and harder, forcing you into deeper euphoria.

"This is the closest you'll get to touching her yourself." His words rumble through you. He works with fervor, drawing moans and gasps from you. "Enjoy it while it lasts." 

"Oh, I intend to." Niran winks, before returning his gaze to your exposed pussy and leaking wetness.

"Fuck, Gabe." You sigh dreamily, as you climb higher and higher. 

You desperately try to retain some sense, to think of the messed up nature of the dynamic and Gabriel's display, yet right now you can't bring yourself to care too much.

"Crawl forward baby." Gabe murmurs sweetly, as he releases you from his hold. 

It's now the hesitation comes crashing back. 

Gabe wants to fuck you, right here, right now. The fingering was one thing, but he's about to fuck you into the couch with your new friend sitting right there. 

"Gabe?" Your voice is questioning as you turn to him. "Niran?" You turn to the blonde, fully expecting him to call it a day and end this whole ridiculous power play. 

Instead, he reaches up, brushes the hair off of your face, and whispers. "Do as you're told, sweet thing." 

You swallow thickly and know there's no turning back now. Niran is more than happy to participate, even if it means all he can do is sit back and watch.

He compels you further to acquiesce to Gabriel's demand. You know you have to do it. 

"Okay." You whisper, your eyes fixed on Niran's as you crawl away from Gabe on all fours and present yourself to him. 

"Gabe, are you really going to do this?" You gasp as his greedy hands grip at your thighs and ass, pulling the flesh just how he likes it. 

"He's welcome to leave if he wants to." He peels down your shorts and panties, before pulling away to free himself from his confines.  "Or he'll be a good boy, and he'll stay. Understood?" He growls once more, displaying his authority and complete control. 

He wants to humiliate Niran, to use you in a show of dominance and possession. You hate how the thought of being claimed like this makes you shiver. 

"Yes, Commander."  You reply obediently. 

"Yes, Commander." Niran smirks, yet a look in his eyes tells you he's affected by Gabriel's dominance too, and his compliance isn't necessarily some cocky act. 

Gabe lines his thick, hard cock up with your entrance, plunging in quickly and relentlessly as he claims you. 

His hands settle on your shoulders, and he wastes no time in bouncing you against his cock and driving the two of you to the heavens. 

Niran's expression falls, as he becomes transfixed and undeniably aroused by the scene in front of him. His eyes flicker between the two of you attentively, his lips part with a slight gasp.

"Is this what you wanted to do, pretty boy?" Gabe asks, his voice wracked with pleasure.

"Something like that." Niran replies honestly, his voice soft.  

"Tough shit." Gabe snarls, driving his hips into you in a particularly brutal fashion that almost makes you scream. Your body was already sore, but it's only going to be worse when he's through with you.

"Fuck!" 

Gabe thrusts wildly, enjoying your mewls and moans. "Tell him how it feels, baby." His voice is sweet once more when addressing you. 

You meet Niran's eyes, almost hypnotized by the need to comply and follow Gabriel's word. The thought of perpetuating Gabe's control of you in this way also makes you shiver. 

"He's stretching me so much, he always does." You sigh, not wavering in your eye contact. 

"You're just so fucking tight." Your lover grunts. 

"And you're so thick. Always filling me up." The voice that comes from you barely sounds like you anymore, a sexy and confident tone that you're not used to—yet the situation is showing new sides of you all. 

"You take him perfectly." Niran whispers, the genuine smile returning to his face. 

"Y-yeah?" You stutter, his approval of yours and Gabriel's union making your heart soar.

"He could never fuck you like this, could he?" Gabe grunts, his voice strangled and yet trying to rein in the menacing tone. 

You shake your head wildly, eyes still on Niran. You should feel a sense of worry about Niran's feelings, but a primal part of you that's hazy and cock drunk doesn't care. You can sense his enjoyment of the situation anyway. "No one could, only you." 

Gabe's thrusts grow erratic for a moment as he drapes himself over your body, rutting into you further and bringing himself closer to Niran. "Mine." While the words are about you, they're not intended for you in the slightest. 

"Yours, Gabe, fuck." You cry out, the possession making you clench further. 

"That's it, say my name." He pants, his hips thrusting his thickness deeper inside you. 

You moan wildly, Gabriel's name the only thing on your lips. "Gabe—Gabriel!" You can sense his wicked, self-satisfied smirk. 

"Scream it for me." 

"Gabriel!" You scream, your eyes screwed tight. "You're gonna break me." 

"Ruin you for any other man." He purrs, his words laced with clear intent. 

"Yeah, yeah. Fuck!" You can't help but babble and mindlessly agree, though what he's saying is entirely true. 

"I bet he wishes he was me right now. With that pussy wrapped so tight around my dick, taking me so well."

Gabriel's words seem to push both of you further, as you moan in tandem. "He should know you need something only a man like me can give you." 

"I was made for your cock." You reply on instinct, the words coming so naturally in your submissive haze.

"Mhmm. How does she look?" Gabe asks, watching Niran watch you with blown-out pupils. 

"Perfectly blissful, eyes closed, lips parted." He comments breathlessly, transfixed by your pleasure. 

"Look at him while I fuck you." Gabe commands. "Let him see the look in your eyes as I ruin you, hermosa." 

Your eyes spring open in an instant, a new wave of intensity washing over you, seeing Niran once more. "Fuckfuckfuck." 

"His dicks so hard, he wants you so bad." Gabe chuckles as he directs your attention to the blonde's erection. 

"Yeah?" 

"Well, she does have a hand and mouth free." Niran chances his luck with a daring smirk. 

"Not anymore." Gabe changes position, pinning your arms behind your back with one hand, and using the other to stuff your mouth full with his fingers. He forces your head down and fucks you into Niran, your cheek cushioned on his thighs, so close to his hardness. You can't help but moan around Gabe's fingers.

"So selfish." Niran chuckles, a sense of confidence and teasing returned to him. 

You're still in disbelief that he seems to have been goading Gabriel all along. 

"Selfish?" Gabe spits. "Says the man making moves on what's mine." 

Niran meets Gabriel's eyes, the look he gives completely sultry. "In my defense, I wasn't only going to make a move on her." 

Gabriel stills suddenly, and you can't help but whine. 

"That so?"

Niran nods and Gabriel pulls out, leaving you fluttering around nothing as he stands. 

"On your knees." He orders, and assuming he's now going to claim your mouth too, you comply. He follows up with another command. "Both of you." 

"Gabe, are you—" You glance nervously between the two, once more concerned for Niran.

Yet, once more too, Niran complies—falling to his knees with a satisfied grin. 

"Show him how I like it, cariño." Gabe's hand settles into your hair as he guides you closer to his cock. 

You bring a hand up to stroke him, as you get to work worshiping him with your mouth. 

His head falls back in pleasure, as your practice tongue lavishes his head with attention. 

"You want your turn?" He grunts to Niran, giving him his attention as you pull away. 

"Please." Niran's voice is almost a whine, a tone you haven't heard from the man yet at all. Yet it matches the reverent look he has in his eyes.

"At least you have some manners now. Help him, baby."

You move Niran's hand to the base of Gabe's cock, as the two of you inch closer to the head. 

 "That's it." 

Yours and Niran's lips brush against each other as you both suck at the tip of Gabriel's dick, your eyes locked intensely. The strange intimacy sends a shock wave through you, along with the pleasure of feeling his lips against yours. 

Niran's tongue flicks out across Gabriel's tip as he seems to savor the salty flavor.

You shouldn't be surprised when Niran stops sucking and slips his tongue into your mouth, but it takes you a moment to catch up. Your eyes fall shut, and you get lost in the moment as he makes love to your mouth like he was to Gabriel's dick just moments prior. 

"That's enough." Fingers tug at the roots of your hair, and you assume the same is true for Niran. "You wanna kiss her, do it on my dick." He growls, and the two of you get back to work.

You're torn between the two men's gazes— Niran's lidded and lusty, while Gabriel's is hard and commanding. You can barely believe it's happening, but have little time to think as you and Niran conspire to bring Gabriel to his finish.

His hand guides you in tandem up and down his length, slickness and spit coating the skin. 

"So much better when your mouth's full, and you can't flirt with my fucking girlfriend." Gabe laughs, a hint of cruel indulgence in his voice. "Fuck, I'm close." 

Niran's eyes seem to light up at the idea of getting Gabriel's cum for himself, yet he's pulled off Gabriel's cock a second later. 

"If you think you're getting my load..." He chuckles once more. "Jerk me onto her tongue, pretty boy." 

"Gabe." You whine, your words warped around the way you slip your tongue out of your mouth obediently. 

"It's all for you, cariño." Gabe groans as Niran's slender fingers work at a furious pace on his cock. "Catch it with your tongue, maybe he can get the sloppy seconds." 

Niran's pace quickens at the filthiness of the comment, pushing Gabriel even closer. 

"Fuck, I'm gonna—" He groans, biting his lip in the way you know means he's right there. 

"Please!" You beg, your words and sweet doe eyes pleading for his release. 

Niran accompanies you in the begging, and Gabriel begins to spill all over your tongue with a harshly shouted groan 

"Fuck..." He moans, coming down from his high as Niran's fingers slow down before stopping completely. 

Gabriel strokes your hair lovingly before he cracks with a smile of mercy. "Kiss him, baby, give him something at least." 

You can't help but comply, surprisingly eager to share the moment with Niran once more. You cup the blonde's face before sharing a sweet, filthy kiss with him, one that ends in both of you swallowing parts of Gabe's load. 

Niran pulls away first, pressing a soft kiss to your lips once more before parting with a satisfied smile. Gabriel's hand strokes through his hair, too. 

"You okay?" Gabe asks, his eyes softened and gazing at you adoringly.

You giggle, a strange euphoria coursing through you. "I think so?" You're more than okay, yet undeniably a little confused and uncertain about the boundaries you all just crossed.

Gabe's attention turns to the blonde, the softness he was displaying remaining. "Niran?" 

"I'm fine. Better than fine" He replies with a smile before it drops to a playful pout. "Though I thought you'd at least let me finish." 

Gabriel laughs heartily, before a smirk sets on his features. "Then I wouldn't be putting you in your place." 

"Not like I got to finish, either." You giggle.

Gabe smirks. "I'm not done with you." 

A strange yet comfortable silence descends on the room, as Gabriel tucks himself away, and you try to catch your breath. 

"I should take my leave." Niran announces, standing up from his kneeling position. 

You tug at his wrist, concern washing over you. 

This undoubtedly changes everything, especially when the circumstances surrounding this were so murky. "Niran?" 

"Don't worry." He smiles earnestly, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead, before his fingers reach out to brush across Gabriel's hand and the two men share an uncharacteristically tender look. "Enjoy the rest of your night." He's entirely sincere, and holding no bitterness or regret as he pulls away 

"Night Niran." You whisper, still somewhat in disbelief. 

"Night Y/N, Gabriel." He calls out, as he makes his way to the door and disappears into the night. 

You and Gabriel wordlessly move to the couch, him pulling up your shorts and settling you in his lap—safe and secure in his arms. 

"Uh, that was... unexpected." You giggle, nuzzling into his chest. 

"Too much?" He questions, trying to sit up to get a look at your expression.

"No, not at all." You answer honestly. "A heads-up would've been nice, though."

"I wasn't planning on it. Not tonight anyway." 

You cuddle back into his chest, both amused and confused. "I didn't know you were that jealous." 

"I'm not." He mutters, a clear lie. "He wanted in, that's all I'm willing to give." 

You gasp in faux offense, "So you get your dick sucked, and I just get a kiss!?" 

"Who's jealous now?" Gabe smirks like a bastard as he strokes your hair. "You got three kisses, actually. But, I can call him back, have him lick your pussy... but only while I'm fucking you." 

"Maybe another time." The thought makes you tremble, with that idea being even more dominating than what you just did. "Gabe?" 

"What?" 

A shit-eating grin of your own spreads across your face. "I didn't know you were into prettyboys." 

[nardos-primetime]

There's so many different ideas I have for a Leo and Donnie Fusion bc of LED. Like none of them rlly fit him canonically, but the various concepts could be such interesting fics, like.

Leo and Donnie having to use their ninpo so close to each other during a stressful situation and it backfires in a way and they wake up confused in one body.

Leo and Donnie arguing in Donnie's lab while he's working on some shit and Leo gets a little heated and shoves Donnie just a little but it breaks something or they're in the line of fire of something that sets off and now Donnie has no clue how to undo it and they're still pissed so they're trying to desperately coordinate themselves.

A Fusion who for whatever reason is ran off after fusing and has somewhat of his own consious while Leo and Donnie argue over his shoulders half of the time. He's just depressed and carrying out any vigilante justice he can, so he doesn't feel like he's letting Mikey and Raph down while they try and fix their situation.

Fusing to save one of their lives in the doomed timeline or something but it goes wrong, resulting in a fusion who knows its about to die any day soon but using the infection in his own body as a way to test and hopefully find a cure before he can't go on anymore while also acting as brave of a leader he can.

Alternatively a Fusion that dies in a similar situation as the last immediately, resulting in Mikey and Raph having lost two brothers instead of one and having to watch as their shared, half-and-half body is used against the same people they wanted to protect.

Also badass Fusion directly in the midst of battle whole Raph and Mikey are somehow out for the count, yes PLEASE? Donnie's bo staff with a spear from Leo's sword at the end? Mixing their ninpo? Whoever the fuck messed with their family is DEAD on the spot this man has guns and teleportation.

Fic of Raph and Mikey having to get used to a Fusion of Leo and Donnie, Leo and Donnie also having to get used to themselves. It's a little awkward but sweet overall.

A Fusion of them having a Leo breakdown or a Donnie breakdown and from the first time they're actually feeling how the other feels and hearing what the other hears and they finally are put in each others' shoes and do their best to calm the other down.

There are SO many possibilities its SO COOL more fusions PLEASE PLEASE PLEAASE I'm gonna make like 5 different Fusion designs for different stories because I just love coming at the same concept from different angles it's FUNNN

[gale-dragon-writer]

Guardian Zestial Pt 2

Zestial, of course, flourished as one of the strongest and oldest Overlords of the Pride Ring. He's been gaining souls at a nice steady rate, despite losing some during Extermination Day. His territory has been expanding nicely, especially since one of the neighbouring Overlords was killed during one of the said events. Honestly, Zestial barely touched the extra power that Lucifer had given him since the Deal, he'd just been using all the other perks.

As far as the Pride Ring is concerned, Zestial seemed to have taken a child under his cloak to train her as an apprentice or something along that line and she just happens to resemble the Princess of Hell. Even if some knew about the closeness Zestial had with the Morningstars, they were either dead (mostly because of Extermination Day), didn't have any proof, or knew enough not to question it.

One day, while Zestial is out for a midnight stroll, he runs into an unexpected foe. The attack was fast and Zestial bearly launched a counterattack, dipping into a bit into that extra power to ensure he dealt a great amount of damage to whoever the opponite was.

Zestail heard a strange yelp of pain before turning to see a pair of glowing red eyes vanishing and the sounds of hurried footsteps moving away from him. Zestial narrows his eyes before he goes to inspect where he heard his attack made contact. All he could find was a nice pool of blood and the trail of it that came from when the attacker fled.

Zestial follows the trail of blood, to finish the job, but when he gets to the end, there isn't anyone. Just a tattered piece of red cloth from what the Overlord could assume was the attacker's clothing. Zestial picks up the cloth and decides to keep it as a souvenir, and as something to use to find out who tried to kill him should they attack again.

More time passes, Charlie becomes an adult so she doesn't need any bodyguards by this point (mostly), but she still likes to spend time with Zesital. Mostly for tea, having fun with some magic, and singing their favourite songs and show tunes (fight me on that last one, I dare you!).

Extermination Day was still one of the worst days in Hell, but other than that, things seemed "fine"... At least until Lilith and Lucifer separated... Much like Lucifer and Charlie, Zestial was hurt and confused by this. The Overlord did his best to try to keep the Morningstars together, but Lilith's leaving drove a nasty wedge between father and daughter for reasons that Zesital didn't know.

Zestial did his best to figure out and fix what happened, but neither Lucifer nor Charlie wanted to discuss it. Zestial knows he can't push either to tell him, so he does his best to keep the two grounded.

Lucifer falls into a depression like in the canon, but Zestial makes sure to check in on him. The Overlord usually brings tea, food, some photos of Charlie, necessities, and some conversational topics to keep the Lord of Hell grounded.

Charlie, on the other hand, throws herself into creating solutions to Extermination Day that Heaven would agree to. Like her father, Zestial makes sure that she's taking care of herself without pushing while tossing in some ideas on her plans.

The Carmine Family are somewhat aware of the Morningstar Family issue. They don't know the full details but more than the rest of Hell. Due to the Deal, Zestial can't tell them more than what's already known. The Carmines try to help/spend time with Charlie when she's around, and while they don't think that her plans will work they try to be supportive when they can.

About three years after Lilith vanishes, Charlie spends one Extermination Day at Zestial's office building. The Princess was trying to distract herself from what was happening outside by talking with her Guardian about a property that she bought last month and her many plans to try to use that property to hopefully save Sinners. The two toss around a few ideas to pass the time until the day is over.

After the Extermination has ended, Zestial sees Charlie out and they find an injured female Sinner slumping right across from the front door of the building. Of course, Charlie jumps in to help the Sinner, conjuring up a first-aid kit as Zestial takes a careful look around for anyone wanting to take advantage of the situation.

After Charlie patches the Sinner up, she helps her towards Zestial's building. The Overlord spots someone with a weapon closing in and effectively terrorizes the would-be attacker. The Sinner is completely scared after witnessing this display, but it doesn't last long when Zestial quickly opens the door to his building for Charlie and the Sinner, to usher them in.

Charlie takes the Sinner inside for a more proper medical patch-up. The Sinner is rather confused by Zestial's oddly polite actions but does not put up a fight when he helps with healing her

They later learn that the Sinner's name was Vaggie.

Zestial could sense some fondness Vaggie had for Charlie but decided to wait until he had a clearer picture before he acted on this.

Which he did when the two started dating a year later, and gave Vaggie the whole "You break her heart and I'll break you" conversation in an oddly pleasant manner. In all honesty, it made Vaggie think that Zestial was Charlie's father, at least until she learns that her new Girlfriend is the Princess of Hell.

It doesn't change Vaggie's feelings for Charlie, just throws her for a loop.

When the Carmine Family find out about Vaggie, of course, Odette and Clara go all big sisters and Carmilla tests Vaggie's battle prowess (after she has properly healed up). Zestial watches this from a distance while sipping some tea, much to Charlie's embarrassment.

Long story short... Vaggie likes the well-meaning but tough family Charlie has. Though she doesn't understand where Lucifer is in all this and everyone seems to dodge the question when asked. So Vaggie drops the inquest and just enjoys her time with Charlie.

It didn't take long before the girlfriends got on the idea of rehabilitating Sinners and making a hotel to accomplish this.

Soon the Happy Hotel was in the planning stages on the property Charlie bought. Zestial told Lucifer about this, the Lord of Hell wanted to do something to help but wasn't sure how anymore so he gave Zestial some sentient magic and told him to give it to Charlie to help with her hotel.

Zestial does just that, telling Charlie it was a gift from Lucifer. Charlie is a little reluctant to accept but she does. The Happy Hotel is magically constructed all on its own, and Keekee materialises at the front door with a meow of a hello.

With that, all that was left to do was plan the rehabilitation and try to recruit Sinners into the program. Zestial wishes them luck. The Carmine Family send them their good luck as well and mentions that if the hotel needs a security system, they're willing to install a good one. Just in case, (because, yah know, they're in Hell).

At the same time, there were some issues with some of the other Overlords that needed Zestial's attention, but he was sure to tell Charlie that if she needed any help of the defending kind to call him on his cell. (Hey, Zestial is old but given that he prefers to learn and wait until he knows more, I'm sure he would own a cellphone).

Zestial HATES it when there are new Overlords that gained a lot of power in a short timeframe, trying to bite off more than they can chew. They're nothing but annoying, a waste of time, and cause nothing but problems because of their inflated egos.

It would be so easy to just off them for their ignorance, but Zestial knew better than to create a power vacuum. It would just cause more problems. So he just "teaches" them a lesson. (Aka, he puts Valentino and Vox in their place to remind them of how Hell works. Velvette isn't in Hell yet by this point, so she never witnesses Zestial's powers).

To be continued in pt 3

Here's Pt 1.

[dangerous-realms]

@violentemperor

[— For where I live to be like this planet would mean my people were also killed for the wrongdoing of a race that used the same energy as them, which is unlikely. So, no; my home planet is not even close to this ghost planet. My race is one of the strongest, and we have even stronger allies ready to help us at any sign of struggle,] replied the saiyan who continued to look around. [— I didn't think there were any ki-users around when I first got here, but to think they were wiped out for one of the stupidest reasons I have ever heard. Whoever killed them failed to realize what they would have brought to this multiverse over the years. It's no surprise that there is no-one who can actually be a decent challenge for and some are much older than I am. Though, I certainly would be much stronger and skilled if, I had a thousand more years behind my current age.]

As he would shrug, it did not matter to him, that Azura and the other were severely lacking compared to him, who had certainly not seen half of the fight they all had seen and fought. It was clear that most and Azura included, had just been wasting away whatever potential they had been born with. His encounter with Leviathan only confirmed just how lazy the people of this multiverse were compared to his. Sure, they had the god of destruction who were severely lacking, yet they were so strong that you could tell they had spent years training themselves and making great use of that potential they were gifted with. That was why someone like Champa was still too much for him even after all those years. Just a brief look at the other a few more years after, and he was surprised that the gap in power between had not even gotten smaller. Or, perhaps he was getting stronger one way or another. [— I should continue to work on that move now that I actually have spare time for it,] Kefla said out loud more so to himself than Azura. In fact, he was going to get back into it the next day. It was a move that needed to be finished quickly. [— Hopefully, there is something to see on this planet or this would have been a waste of time.]

----------------‐-------------–----------‐-----------------‐–-------

"For the sake of that comment, I can neither confirm nor deny that this planet is a ghost town. I doubt that residence from a few generations ago would want to settle where many were wrongfully slain and that they would settle elsewhere to show respect for the fallen innocents."

Says the snow haired women in response to him saying the planet is a ghost planet, not to mention it was what Hikotoshi said to her when she asked such. He didn't want the people he's saved from people like Ubaha people settling where his kin were wrongfully killed, so he put them on the other side of the planet and he kept then from it. Now, she didn't know his race lived over here until now, but since he was older then her she knew he knew best.

However, when he made a remark about people in her multiverse being weak she would scoff. He didn't know that she was holding back in the fight

"Tch, I know plenty of high rollers who are beasts on the field, a few of them being related to me and one of them being me. I'm one of the highest ranked in the demon realm and by chance one of the most dangerous people in the multiverse of the last person like me was anything to go by. Many gods, goddeses, Destroyers, and angelic caretakers from across the multiverse to deal with him when he had to be taken out. He killed a good but and it took the god of ki from Vamethaer here was the only one who could kill him."

She wasn't happy that he was calling people, and especially her of all people, weak, and not really paying attention to what she is saying. It wasn't like she asked for her brother to take 75% of the good stuff with him when he got a body ninety years ago, and now she was somewhat stuck at a snails pace with getting her body back. Only gaining a bit a few years back when she was with Hikotoshi, who she could feel the eyes of on her.

"Also yes, there are things on this planet."

Meanwhile, in the bushes near them is a small child name Kiyokata peaking out behind a rock. Having sensed a great amount of ki coming from here only to see his mother with some lady, of which the lady is who the ki is coming from. His mother had already place him far away and he had returned to check out this person.

"Hmm..."

The small four year old hums to himself as he observed them, they were getting close to the ruin that even his father wouldn't allow him to go near, so why was his mother taking this random lady there? Though as he watched them wall farther away he would lean a bit to far on the rock, slipping off it an making the surrounding bushes rustle like it does when something in it.

[jazzy---j]

CC3... and just my problems with sjm as a whole.

Soooooo, yeah. that was a bit disappointing. I wanna start off that due to the problematic nature of SJM I wanna make it clear I no longer financially support her. When I first began reading her books I was in high school and didn't know much about whose books I was reading. Most of it was just pick up a book, read the summary, if I liked it I bought it. But now as an adult who is on booktok and all the other bullshit (it's a whole mess) I can see all of a book and author's pros and cons and be like, "nah, I'm not doing that." And you know as a black woman, I cannot just be and do what I want and damn whoever it may impact or the consequence. I don't get to live in that world. I feel like I have somewhat of a responsibility to not contribute to the harm that the world already does to marginalized people around the world. That's just me personally, black people are not a monolith and this way of thinking doesn't apply to all of us.

Anyway all that being said, I am a book reader who is invested in whatever story they are reading and want to know what happens. So I read CC3.., but was sailing the high seas while I did it if you know what I mean. And let me just say... yikes. The problematic things that SJM does in real life and all that those issues mean really do shine in this book. I mean I always knew white authors have different experiences than me so I don't expect something that caters to me when I read their books but, idk sjm makes all the problematic things just so apparent. And it's just generally hard to read. There can't be any separation between the art and the artist in this one guys. I'm a political science and history major in real life so I spend my time studying political theory and structures of power in historical contexts. Hopefully, I can work to better understand those structures in our current present and with my intersection of activism (I am very passionate about that in my day-to-day) work to make a better world for marginalized people. So when I read SJM, I see some very troubling themes in her work. Themes that can perpetuate misogyny, racism, and imperialism. And it just makes me queasy reading it. It's not fun for me to read that. The way she used the oppression and discrimination of people as a major plot device, that the heroes have to defeat but in real life be ok with taking a birthright trip is just... a type of cognitive dissonance that I can't even put into words. and don't think I forgot the Breonna Taylor incident that she still has on her Instagram. if you don't know what I'm talking about look it up on TikTok, many black book readers have created multiple videos explaining that whole situation.

Now some people may be like, "What the fuck are you talking about. I don't see any of this." And like that's cool maybe because of what I'm studying I just see it everywhere. But I just have not been able to shake this ickiness in my gut about her work. The most thought-out example of the problematic nature of her work that I have is the description and characterization of the Illyrian people.

Now the way she physically described the illryians is as brown-skinned, with dark hair, and brown or dark eyes. This does put them in a very racially ambiguous position but to describe them as brown-skinned makes me picture brown people who in real life are racially recognized as black and brown people. People apart of brown communities are usually Southeast Asian or Arab people. They are marginalized in real life through various forms of oppression displayed in orientalism perpetuated mostly recently by the United States in the last 30 years (the war on terror, but this behavior goes back so much further). The Illyrian people's cultural characterization coupled with their physical description aligns with the negative aspects of Orientalism. Literally, the illryians are described as "backward", "barbaric", "slow to change", and stuck in timeless, old antiquated traditions that encourage the abuse of women and children. Sjm describes an indigenous people (she makes it clear that the illryians are native to the night court and nowhere else) as "savage" culturally, in their interpersonal relationships, and communally. That is just described as inherent to the people (except for a couple of characters who are "the good ones", or "not like that" and lucky enough to get away). Culturally they are described as being constantly in a state of conflict, preparing for and/or enjoying that conflict. I'm so sorry but that is Orientalism, literally the definition of how Orientalism was used to justify the colonization of the Middle East and parts of Asian during the colonization period and again when the western powers and the United States had a vested interest in interfering politically and economically in the region in the last couple of decades. That same language was used to describe the people of the Middle East and justify their oppression in the West. The exact same words. I did not understand the connection until I took a Middle East: politics and society class about two semesters ago and again that same language was used when we were learning about Orientalism. I went back to read some of acotar again and I saw all of that in relation to the illryians and I was like, "oh, oh no." I really don't know what else to say. To me, the relation is very very clear and makes my stomach just drop when reading it.

And the thing about it is it did not have to be this way, SJM did not have to characterize them like that. There is no real narrative function of this characterization, they are not the bad guys of the story or the main antagonist. In fact, the main characters need them to actually defeat the evil. SJM at the base made an interesting indigenous group of people that could have been a unique culture in her narrative landscape and added to her world-building. Instead, she wrote harmful stereotypes about vaguely racialized, marginalized people that directly mirror a marginalized group of people in the real world. Now was that her intention or just the subconscious influence of Orientalism in our society coming out without her awareness? I mean i cannot confirm from the horse's mouth that this is the case right? She has never actually said this. But her stance on current world events that are happening right (Palestine and Gaza strip) does not give me a lot of hope that she is completely unaware. But either way, this can hurt people in the real world. In the book, because the Illyrians are characterized the way that they are, the main characters are put in a moral position of opposition, that is the the dynamic. And to me, that dynamic is hard to read knowing what I know and what actually happens in real life to people that the Illyrians mirror. it begins to be super easy to just live in that moral opposition that can stripe away people's humanity and value. Azriel's contempt for his people and desire to destroy Illyria and the culture is a good example of what happens to these groups in real life. This is just one example of things in her work that can be problematic.

And listen I'm not writing this to tell you to stop reading her, to tell you what to do with your money, or who to like/support. That is not my job. I just wanted to share some of my thoughts and give whoever is reading this food for thought. And hey I might be reading too much into this, and just going way too deep. It is just hard for me to enjoy her work anymore knowing and seeing what I see. I can't really ignore that icky gut feeling.

And hey do I think sjm is a good writer? Eh... that is a whole other blog post. I could go really deep into her world-building, story choices, and what I think might just be lazy writing. But there are some aspects that I do like and are unique. But guess what? The fandom's fanfic writers are the light in the tunnel in this situation. As they often are in other fandoms. they take the actual cool and fun things that SJM created and build on them in a way that does not negatively depict the representation of real people. In a way that is not narratively disappointing. In a way that is just fun for everyone to enjoy. Free of charge they express their talent because they love to do it for however long they want to. Fanfiction is an amazing system that I hope and pray won't get messed up. Like one of my favorite creators @separatist-apologist posted about last week, "I think no matter what happens, we've all spent so much time reading fic and developing headcanons that whatever SJM does isn't going to live up to the fantasy we've created...". And I for real felt that and I just wanna shout out to all the fic writers who make this space fun despite all the fandom fuckery and SJM fuckery.

@separatist-apologist, @thehaemanthus, @the-lonelybarricade, @moodymelanist, @ablogofsapphicpanic, @vidalinav, @vikingmagic33, @c-e-d-dreamer

There are more that I probably missed. So you know thank you guys for making things fun and giving me something to read that doesn't give me an icky feeling when I read.

So yeah, thank you for coming to my ted talk. this turned out to be hella long but you know once I started I couldn't stop. If you have any questions, my ask box is open. Again these are just my thoughts. you don't have to agree and I'm not trying to change your mind. I just needed to share this somewhere.

[silverpen-and-paper]

my thoughts on lokius

[loki season 1 spoilers!]

season 2 is coming out in a few days (!!) and so i decided i’d write out my thoughts on lokius before it’s released. as a disclaimer, this is critical of the series, but not completely series-negative.

if lokius becomes canon in s2, i genuinely want to be happy about it. it would be amazing steps in queer rep for marvel to have a canonical lgbtq couple as the focus of the show (and i say this as a queer person myself).

but the way mobius and loki’s relationship was written seems to be only thought-out on the surface level (which is the case for a lot of the things in the show), and a lot of aspects of their relationship aren’t so great when you look deeper into it. i understand why people don’t notice and/or don’t want to acknowledge it — i was extremely enthusiastic about the ship, and i didn’t notice the problems either. to those looking at lokius with the most positive light, they have an amazing dynamic and are adorable and wholesome and all great things. so i get the hype, i really do (tbh, i shipped it so hard that several months ago when the problems were pointed out to me it ruined my week).

but even with how much i loved it, i didn’t want to just ignore any potential problems. so i distanced myself from the ship for a few weeks until i was in a better headspace to gather my thoughts.

first i’ll start with what was intended:

mobius is obviously intended to be a very kind and understanding character. whether or not the writers wanted it to come across as platonic or romantic, they wanted him to care deeply about loki. like loki said though: “no one good is ever truly good, and no one bad is ever truly bad.” the writers did give mobius at least one major flaw and a character arc, in that he believed in the goodness of the tva too much, but by the end of s1, he was all for taking it down . 

you can see his flaw in the way he treats loki early on. sylvie’s been killing minutemen and stealing reset charges from the tva for a long time, and he wants loki’s help in finding her, so mobius does what the tva expects: he uses what he knows about loki to get them (somewhat) on the tva’s side. unfortunately, that happens to be psychologically breaking loki. compared to outright pruning from existence, which most of the tva seems to prefer, it’s no wonder he thinks this is the better option. (the fact that the show portrays this as a “therapy session” is a whole problem in itself, but i won’t get into that.)

things like this that mobius does early in the series can be explained by his faith in the tva’s mission. he didn’t agree with most of their methods, and he didn’t realize that even his actions (viewed by the tva as too merciful) were still significantly harmful, but he believed the tva ultimately worked for the good and safety of the entire universe. it’s not an excuse, but it could be forgiven in his later character arc when he realizes that he was wrong, regrets his actions, apologizes, and learns.

but then there’s the part when he puts loki in the memory cell.

i really, really hate that marvel did that. they easily could have had a very similar memory cell situation without having mobius be the one to put loki in there. (mobius could have left the room in anger, and then the guards or ravonna throw loki in there without mobius’ knowledge, for one example.) but instead, whoever wrote that plot point apparently didn’t understand how bad that was, and so it is, unfortunately, canon. 

you might be inclined to say that it wasn’t that bad. because actions in fantastical situations can make things harder to distinguish, i’ll put a real-world comparison: one partner puts the second partner somewhere they KNOW that the second will get repeatedly both physically and verbally attacked. they do this simply because they think that they’ve been cheated on. even if they had been cheated on, that in no way excuses beating up the second partner, directly or indirectly.

hopefully you can recognize that as obvious abuse. even if the abuser later deeply regrets it and rescues their partner, the fact that they did it in the first place NEEDS to be addressed. i don’t know what exactly could repair a relationship after that, but brushing it under the rug and ignoring it won’t help. (and this is still abuse with a platonic reading of the relationship.)

if marvel hadn’t done that (and had handled mobius’ arc better in general) then there would be far less problems with the lokius ship. but since they did, us as fans have to figure out where to go from here, whether that’s writing or reading fix-it-fics or simply acknowledging that the problems exist.

hopefully the people running s2 are more competent and have figured something out to fix this. i really hope that’s the case. but it is marvel.

(sidenote: from things that tom hiddleston and owen wilson have said in interviews i’ve seen, i don’t think they noticed the problems either. maybe they have background context of things that aren’t in the official show but they accepted them as canon. or they just didn’t notice, like is the case with many fans.)

[hymns-across-the-stars]

alt! ! !

Send me "alt!" and I'll introduce you to a character...

---

9S (Nier Automata)!

// oh here, have something from an ancient rp (aka 2021)

---

Maybe, if he were a bit more naive- or perhaps if the connection wasn't so terrible (it shouldn't ever be this terrible, even in the worst of surface conditions)- 9S would have been able to dismiss this area as a particularly well-preserved area of ancient human activity or something of that sort, one that he wasn't familiar with. Unfortunately, with every bit of information he's gathered, that's definitely not the case. And given this information, maybe- just maybe, mind you- straying from 2B's side was a questionable decision.

Then again, while he's not made for combat, it's not like he's completely helpless, and 2B can more than handle herself. They can somewhat contact each other, too. And besides- spreading out to get a better assessment of the terrain is potentially useful.

Or maybe he just wants to take the time to look at things, and investigate them, and gather all the data he can on whatever seems interesting without looking like he's slacking off.

Either way, though, 9S's little expedition leads him to the docks. The river here's very large, he notes, vaguely wondering if there's any fish in there. Maybe 2B'd like to give that a look. But he wanders along, the final notes of what he can only assume to be a song catches his attention.

He knows what music is. There is some music in the database, and even if they hadn't existed, he's seen birds. He's even met machines who may have been singing. But that's a weird ground, given their tinny, often monotone voices.

Still, this- this is different. Those few notes feel… fluid. Soothing, maybe, even though he hadn't heard the full performance. It's more than enough to whet his curiosity, of course, and after making an assessment of where the sound came from, he cautiously crept towards the location of the source. And soon enough, he's greeted by the sight of… um… someone. Whoever this is doesn't appear to be armed, though that's not necessarily an indication of strength if it does blow up into a fight. He's not here to land the first hit, though, so hopefully, it won't come to that.

Besides- this could be an opportunity to learn something. He's not sure what yet, but it may very well be.

"Hey," 9S says, waiting for the other's response before making any final decisions.

---

// oh, near a tomato... i was still fresh to the whole college thing, a person i kinda-sorta liked at the time had recced it a few months prior.... and it was on sale on the xbox. that was actually the breaking point. anyone who knows me and my tastes may have also wondered how 2B wasn't the one to get me to jump straight into playing.

to which: idk man. might've been because ending a spoilers were my first (knowing) exposure to the game. i had actually seen another nier automata clip before this on tumblr, but i didn't know that at the time. but anyway, it threw me so off kilter i was like. um. okay, wild, i do not know what just happened and i'm not sure i ever spend $40 to understand.

but sales really change my tune lol. but also weirdly it still wasn't 2B who got my attention! don't get me wrong; i loved her! a lot!! maybe a little too much!!!! but it was her silly sidekick 9S, who. i've been accused of kinning. lol.

anyway it didn't help the accusations that i ended up writing him. you can tell some things haven't changed about how i write. look at all that yapping narration

[toplesstopics]

So longtime friend of the Topless Topics community mrich (as we all know him by) and I have been tossing around a #podcast idea for a while (I know, I know…this one will be good though, I promise ;p) and I could use y'alls help in solidifying the concept before we jump in to making it.

Basically, the thought is to provide two different but respectful opinions on a variety of subjects--I'm a cis white woman "coastal elite" from California, he's a cis black man from the South, and we're both #progressive #leftists and huge nerds (especially #gaming !) We're also both #normalizeNudity (and of course #freeTheNipple / #topless #equality ) supporters, raised #nudist / #naturist though I reject the specific label these days (I got a whole video about it at toplesstopics.org/nomorenudism if you're curious), and #sexPositive - I'm #bisexual and #polyamorous , he's straight and monogamous, but totally cool with other models, as long as it's all #consensual . We also (so many commonalities!) are both quite #artistic - he's mainly into #portrait #photography while I'm into #illustration both #digitalIllustration and #traditionalIllustration .

While we're still figuring out the structure of the podcast, the idea is to have a few somewhat disparate sections to it - gaming/ #comics / #cosplay /etc, then brief reaction to current #politics / #news (like #feminism , #LGBTQ , #racialJustice , anti- #capitalism , and so much more), and (hopefully) an interview with someone interesting ( #sexWorker , #activist , #artist , etc…whoever we can find that seems like they'd be a good fit for the pod! Then finally, maybe an "ask us anything" advice/reaction section to round out the episode.

I'm thinking we aim for <= 2 hours, one episode per month, but if we really get into it, maybe an episode every other week. I'm still gonna have to edit it and I have a lot else on my plate so I don't want to overextend myself too much. If we happen to stumble into wild success maybe I could hire someone else to do that part in the future, then we could record more often :p

On some subjects, of course I will defer to his expanded first-hand experience, like #racialInequality . And on other subjects, it'll be mostly my turn to step onto the soapbox, namely about what it's like to be a woman in this #misogynist #sexist world. We've chatted for many hours over the years and always gotten along swimmingly, so I don't anticipate undue friction in the longterm (a benefit of having so many like-minded opinions already). But I still think we have enough difference in life experiences to provide an interesting perspective on a variety of topics.

What do you think? Does any of that seem interesting to you? What kinds of things / people to interview would you like to see on a podcast created by a pair of different similar leftist nerds? Would you listen to such a podcast? Please, lay your feedback on me! All replies welcome, as long as you're not being a total jerk ❤️

[marinerainbow]

Ok I'm too excited, so here's a deatailed post for my new gal

Shiny Weasel

I am not an artist so I don't have any visuals for Shiny. I'll try my best to describe her appearance.

Also, please note that she's still not 100% developed. So there may be changes in the future. I'm happy with what I've got right now, but still.

As the image implies, Shiny is pretty much a flapper girl for the 40's. She drinks, wears whatever she wants from short skirts to trousers, and lives how she wants. She's honest, in that brutal sort of way; unless she's trying to deceive you, she'll say whatever is on her mind, no matter how witty, sarcastic, or brash it may be.

Shiny works as a performer in a somewhat high-end (high-end as in they got nice props) yet seedy club in Downtown Toontown. I'm debating on whether or not she owns the club, or she's just a worker. Though that's her 'day' job. Her real job is making her own moonshine and selling it to whoever seeks her services. From upstanding citizens to lowly criminals. Technically, by the events of the movie, alcohol is no longer prohibited. But moonshine was still considered illegal to make because of how dangerous it can be. Not to mention making it at home, which Shiny does. (I hope my research is correct.)

She's confident, she's loud, she's stubborn, and she refuses to let others dictate how she should act or present herself.

Appearance wise, Shiny's got the body type that the Toon Patrol has. So she doesn't have the humanoid body that Whinnie Weasel does. Her belly/neck/palms are a brown sugar shade, and her back/legs/arms are sienna brown. I'm debating on making her eyes the generic black pupils like Smartass and Stupid, or giving her vibrant green eyes (it'd complete the whole eye color set for weasels if they were green, but I don't want to risk making her look like a weaselfied Jessica Rabbit either)

She doesn't have human-like hair like Greasy, but she does let the fur on her head grow out to make hair like Psycho. It's short, and she styles it when she's working in the club, but leaves it as a fluffy pixie style when she's off duty.

She does wear sparkling/fancy clothes clothes when at the club or just dancing. But when she's at home or just doing her chores/errands, she wears more casual clothes. I can't think of anything specific, I still need to work on her style.

Now, hopefully I was able to paint a clear enough picture XD now, onto tid-bits!

As I said before, Bernadette Peters is my voice claim for Shiny. Both for her speaking voice and singing voice (yes she sings)

Moonshine isn't her only crime. If she doesn't like you and/or you give her a reason, Shiny will steal your wallet and use whatever she finds. Cash, credit cards, you name it. If you really piss her off, she'll put you in debt.

She can be brash, but she can be nice too. Nicer than Smartass at least. Basically, if you play nice, she'll play nice too. And if you earn her trust, she'll be quite the loyal friend and ally.

Shiny has ran into the Toon Patrol plenty of times. They've had to pay her a visit a few times while acting as a police force for the judge. They 'check up on her' and sometimes have had to arrest her for appearances... Though in reality, she pays them for protection to continue her moonshine business, and has even sold them some of her best alcohol. She's gotten well acquainted with them because of it (especially with a certain zoot suited weasel)

I was actually originally going to make her related to Smartass (and by extension Stupid, with my hc that they're brothers). I was thinking about families for the weasels, and I wanted to make him a sister. Though when I started developing Shiny more and more, I couldn't figure out how to make it work. So it's a scrapped concept (I still like it though, so maybe she and him develop a sibling bond? I'm not sure).

The reason why I colored her name purple is because I imagine that would be her color. She'll wear purple hued dresses at work. It's her favorite color. And it could be her designated color if she became a part of the TP.

Her birthday/the day she was drawn is March 28'th, 1913 (making her 34 years old during the events of the film)

Considering that she dances nightly, I imagine Shiny is pretty fit. And she also knows how to move her body to quickly evade danger and wandering hands if needed.

My biggest inspiration for Shiny is Ms. Scarlet from Clue the Movie. Though other characters were her inspiration; Granny Boone from 2001 Maniacs, Wendy from Gravity Falls, Velma Kelly from Chicago, Joy Turner from My Name is Earl, Daisy Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard. Even a little bit of Jessica herself. There are other characters, but these are the ones that come to mind at the moment.

And that's Shiny! Please let me know what you think! ^^

[camsthisky]

For the Extravaganza: "Ladies love a man who's good with kids" from the third list down on your post. It'd be cool if you did something with Dick in the 17-21 age range!

I am still trying to figure out Robin!Jason's voice, and this was a perfect chance to practice!

--

“Alfred!” says Dick before Jason can get in a word of hello. “How the heck am I supposed to take care of a baby?!”

Jason blinks incredulously and tightens his grip on the manor phone he’d just picked up after its incessant ringing had started to annoy him. “Why do you have a baby?”

“Jason?” Dick asks. “Where’s Alfred?”

“Not here,” Jason says. “Again, Dickface, why do you have a baby?”

“Not important.”

Jason takes the cordless phone and sits up on the kitchen counter by the window, peering out into the late afternoon to see if he can spot Alfred pulling up in the driveway. “Kinda sounds important.”

“I need Alfred,” Dick says again. There’s a wailing sound, and yep. That’s a baby. DIck sighs in frustration. “Crap.”

“Been crying a lot?” Jason wonders.

“Yeah,” Dick says, and he sounds resigned to the fact that he’s not going to get Alfred. Jason’s the only one home right now, after all. It’s him or nothing. “I can’t get her to calm down.”

“Maybe she’s hungry.”

“I already tried feeding her.” Dick makes a shushing noise that does absolutely nothing to stop the crying. “I’ve tried everything I can think of. Her diaper is clean, she doesn’t want to eat, she won’t go down for a nap, and she keeps throwing away her pacifier. I have no idea what to do.”

It’s the first time Jason has ever heard Dick sound so lost. In the entire year he’s been living with Bruce, the times he’s seen or talked to Dick, the man has always seemed so self-assured. 

It kind of throws Jason for a loop. Enough for him to start wracking his own brains for a solution. “Uh. Maybe she misses her mom? Or dad? Or whoever usually takes care of her.”

Dick is silent for a moment, before quietly, he says, “Maybe.”

“Are you babysitting?” Jason pushes. “Because a distraction might be the best option, if her mom isn’t available right now.”

“It’s my neighbor’s kid,” Dick finally says. “I heard her crying through the wall this morning, and when I went to go check it out, her mom was passed out in the kitchen. She’s at the hospital right now, and her partner is five hours away at the earliest. I’m all she’s got right now.”

Jason swallows past the sudden lump in his throat. “Bummer.”

Dick huffs an unamused laugh. “Yeah. Bummer.”

“Maybe I can head over there and help?” Jason offers.

It’s not like this would be the first time he’s ever watched kids before. He used to babysit his downstairs neighbors’ twin terrors for a while before his mom died.

There’s another uptick in crying on the other line, and Dick’s voice is muffled as he talks to the baby softly. After a minute the crying decreases in volume.

“Yeah,” Dick says. “If you want to, that’d be great. It’d be good to have another hand until her other mom gets here.”

“Okay,” Jason says. “Alfred should be back soon. I’ll ask him to drop me off.”

“Thanks, Jason,” says Dick. “I know I’m not around the manor a lot, but I still appreciate this. And I would come running if you ever asked me to.”

Jason shifts uncomfortably. “Yeah, well. Ladies love a man who's good with kids, right? I’m only doing this for practice. And for the baby, because you’re hopeless.”

Dick laughs, for the first time the entire call, sounding somewhat like himself. “I guess I am, yeah. Thanks, Jay. I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye, Dickhead.”

Jason hangs up to Dick’s uptick in laughter, and tries to pretend he isn’t as red in the face as he feels.

He jumps off the counter and starts to pack up his homework. Hopefully, Alfred will be here soon, and Jason can get to helping out his older brother. That’s what family does, right?

[neoflames]

Chapter Two of JTTOU (Just The Two Of Us) woo :D

Etho’s POV this time :) (for future reference, chapters that are odd numbers- eg chapter one- are BDubs’ POV, and chapters that are even numbers are Etho’s POV)

——

Etho was reading in his bedroom when he heard the unwelcome sound of knocking on his door. After looking around and coming to the conclusion that there was nowhere he could hide (and pretend he wasn't there), the white haired prince sighed, sitting up and closing his book over. "Come in!" He called, trying to sound like he hadn't been actively avoiding talking to whoever it was.

The door opened to reveal the even more unwelcome sight of a woman with long white/gray hair, dark gray eyes, an overly extravagant red satin dress with ruby embroidery and an excessively shiny golden crown with circles of amber and ruby embedded in it. His mother, the queen of Xobrazia.

"You shouldn't spend so much time reading, you know, there are much better hobbies." The woman commented.

Etho nodded, gritting his teeth slightly. "I'm aware that's what you think, Mother, but I find it quite enjoyable." He said, adjusting the mask that covered his mouth and nose.

"Still." She glanced around with a disdainful expression.

"Why are you here, Mother?" Etho interrupted her with a yawn. "You hardly ever make the time to actually show your face."

"About that... I've been noticing that you haven't been being incredibly productive with the way you use your time, and I figured I could get someone- a servant- to assist you. General Symmetry's brigade recently discovered and captured a group of those... crossbreeds." Hybrids. The prince corrected her silently. "One of General Symmetry's new squires, a boy called Scar, made a very valid point- that it would make more sense to put some of them to work rather than killing them all. I was thinking that one of them could be a servant of sorts to help you be more productive."

"Like... an assistant?" 'Servant' implies that they're getting paid, Mother, Etho thought with an internal eye roll.

"Servant. They could take care of simple tasks that might take up your time- like managing letters you receive from citizens, and reporting back to me on how you make use of your newly gained free time- so that you can be more productive. A future king shouldn't spend all day in his room reading and drawing." The queen added with a somewhat disappointed expression.

"So... an assistant." Etho repeated wryly, ignoring the last part of what his mother had said.

"Servant." His mother repeated stubbornly, smiling icily. "I have a list of some of the more agreeable ... cross-breeds that were captured. Namely, the ones that didn't try to attack any of our knights. I'll be generous- you may choose which one will be your servant." She handed him a scroll with hastily written notes that Etho quickly recognised as General Symmetry's (or False Symmetry, if he was using her first name) handwriting. He scanned the list quietly.

•Blue Slimecian male, 17 years of age

•Floran hybrid male, 16 years of age

•Vampire male, 18 years of age

•Satyr female, 18 years of age

•Goat/sheep hybrid (unsure) male, around 19 years of age

•Iron golem hybrid male, 18 years of age

•Dog hybrid, 17 years of age

Etho frowned slightly. Jeez, how many were there? That's like... an alarming amount of hybrids, compared to the amount that have been found over the last few years. He paused, shivering slightly under his mother's impatient gaze. "Uh... the second one?" Florans are the plant ones, right? Like- they control plants?

"Of course. I'll send Stress up with him later." The woman said, referring to Etho's friend Stress, a brunette who nearly always had flowers in her hair who worked as a maid in the palace. "Hopefully you'll be more... productive with your time now." His mother added, looking the prince up and down with an unimpressed expression that made the white haired boy want to punch her in the mouth. "Well, that's all. I'll be going now."

Etho waved halfheartedly as the queen left, getting up to close the door behind her before lying back on his bed and opening the book again.

——

Etho glanced up as the door opened, brightening slightly as Stress walked in. "Oh- Stress! Hi!"

She smiled slightly. "Prince Etho."

"You don't need to be formal, Stress, my mother isn't here." The white haired boy said with a laugh.

"I was just being formal in front of our... guest. Your mother told me to bring him down here. He's your new assistant." Etho smiled slightly under his mask at the term Stress used, and he opened his mouth to speak before stopping and staring as a boy with an incredibly annoyed expression followed her into the room.

The Floran hybrid was a bit shorter than both Stress and Etho, and he had curly brown hair, tanned skin and freckles scattered across his face. He had (rather pretty) heterochromic brown and green eyes, and a small flower tucked behind his ear. The boy also had an odd, dark green tattoo-like pattern on his neck that reminded Etho of criss-crossing flowers and vines.

"Oh. Uh... it's... nice to meet you." Etho said quietly, and the boy rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath. "My name is Prince Etho. But you can just call me Etho, no need for the formalities-" The prince added hastily as the brunette shot him a skeptical look. Etho watched as Stress quietly left the room before looking back at the person stood in front of him. "What's your name?"

The boy with heterochromic eyes glared at him, meeting Etho's gaze for the first time. "Why do you care? I'm just a 'servant', right?" He said mockingly. Wow, even if he's mocking me, his voice is- cute- cool. Cool, not cute.

"Well, I was just being nice." Etho pointed out.

"Humans? Being nice? Yeah, no, doesn't sound that accurate." The Floran hybrid snapped. I can't even say he's wrong- one of our brigades did just basically destroy his entire village.

"I mean, I'd like to think that I'm different from other humans." Etho said slowly, frowning slightly. "Come on, just tell me your name- I really want to know now."

The other boy paused. "Not that it's any of your business, but... my name is BDubs."

Woo, chapter two :D

If I had a nickel for every time I made a main character's parent a terrible person, I'd have three nickels (I think).

Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened thrice.

Also yes, Etho’s a human :)

[sibillascribbles08]

Ough got a tag back from @vegalocity !

Here's some Holly Blue fun (??) facts

Her cloaking brooch, the flower on her hat, is specifically designed after the flower Lou Jitsu gave her right before Big Mama used her as leverage to force him to fight.

In spite of her history with sex work she still enjoys sleeping around (and using it to her advantage sometimes)

In the fics she's in her early fourties and only lives to her mid/late sixties (honestly much longer than she expected)

She's actually an excellent singer but does not enjoy doing it for an audience

She likes dancing but does it better in the air because so often she is taller than whoever she is dancing with and it gets frustrating

She's a sucker for sweets, a sucker for cute things, and a sucker for romance novels

Because of her bond with Donatello she does end up with the Hamato clan in the afterlife (which is rather overwhelming for her because she always assumed no one would be waiting for her)

On the topic of sad things, no she never survives long in any of the doomed timelines (and truthfully she thinks it isn't worth it)

She is intensely flattered that Donnie names his daughter after her and spoils the absolute BEANS out of her at any given opportunity.

Magic abilities! For one they include summoning poison needles from anywhere on her person, a poison spear, controlling insects within a certain radius and somewhat connected to that, subtly influencing others

In terms of the last one, she's not aware this is a thing she can do so it's not particularly powerful, but it is one reason people are so easily swayed by her (always has advantage on persuasion checks basically)

A unique thing about her needles is they actually stay present after she manifests them. Most manifested mystics will disappear from either a lack of concentration or if the person dies/leaves their range.

Also her intense screaming ability isn't magic, it's because wasps normally don't have lungs and due to her size the ones she now has are VERY big

Like Donnie can see magic, Holly Blue can smell it to a certain degree via her antenna

She picked up her smoking habit while working in the Nexus and never really quit

Let's keep it going! @sayijo give us some Rae details it's been a while! And @camilieroart if you're up for it I know you've been posting some new refs lately and I'd love to hear more about Avril!

Rules under the cut!

You and hopefully one of your OCs have been tagged! Your job is to make a post about them, and it can be whatever you want! Talk about general information, their backstory, their design inspiration, post some sketches or older art, write up a few fun facts, as long as it's something!

When you're done, be sure to pass it along by tagging at least one other person and their OC (you can tag as many people as you want though!) Tag backs are allowed and encouraged.

When you tag someone, try to specify an OC, even if you don't know who they are yet (i.e. "You should do that OC with the butterfly wings you posted the other day!" or "Do the OC you drew most recently!")

Participation is not required, but even if you don't want to, it'd be great to pass the tag along to someone else!