#how humans are able to experience such a wonder and appreciating the beauty that is being alive and nature

[lowcallyfruity]

Me and Yusuke would date eachother Aroace style

[myuni-moon]

SAGAU: Reboot (part 1)

It was one thing to be thrust into an unknown world; it was another to experience it without the safety nets you were so used to. It was supposed to be a game, after all– but the next thing you know, you’re put in a place so familiar yet so equally uncertain. Game experience, lore, online forums, walkthroughs, character descriptions; it was all useless the moment you took your first step into the wild.

You wanted to say you knew what you were doing, but you didn’t. There was no guide, no tutorials, and no conveniently befriended companion to help you. It felt like a miracle you were able to leave the Whispering Woods with only scrapes and scratches. Climbing was more taxing than you wanted to admit, and running away from elemental slimes felt like you were a child again, trying to run through a dark corridor at home and into the safe light.

The hilichurls were the worst by far at that point. While the slimes had more capacity to damage you, they lacked any further appearance that reminded you they were considered monsters. They could still be cute if you tried. However, the hilichurls snarled and growled. They might have looked more human, but they felt more like animals. It was as if they were fighting based on the barest of survival instincts. Primitive and feral. That made them all the more terrifying.

Coming across Starfell Lake was more calming than your previous engagements with Teyvat. You only skirted around the very edge of the lake, but you could say that it was a beautiful sight. The faint blue glow of the statue gave you peace of mind– if only for a moment. It stretched up into the vast sky, and you recalled wondering just how vast the world you stumbled into was. The game’s visuals couldn’t compare to the Anemo Archon’s statue; you suppose polygons meant nothing, too. You couldn’t reach it without having to get wet, and you were extremely keen on keeping your current attire dry until you had extra. Still, you couldn’t deny your appreciation as you glimpsed at the cut stone. The wings were more intricately shaped, and the robe’s design reminded you of Greek sculptures. If given the chance, you’d look at the statue more closely.

When you saw the view of the city of Mondstadt peeking from beyond the trees, you almost cried. You, indeed, underestimated just how huge Teyvat truly was. In game, you could traverse the path in less than ten minutes; it took you almost double the time or more to do the same in your current state. It was so painfully apparent you didn’t belong.

Your walk to the city after was welcomed. You didn’t really encounter anything, and you mentally thanked whatever God there was that another trial didn’t await you. Well, there was. It just didn’t come in the form of monsters. It came in the form of anxiety and horror as you realized you didn’t know how to approach going into the city, itself. True, you technically knew how to get started, but it dawned on you that you lacked the normal capabilities that would ensure you safe passage and friendly relations.

In other words, you were completely fucked and left with no means of proper survival– the usual way, that is.

But you needed to survive, no matter what it took. You’d made it this far, and you weren’t going to let your lack of knowledge scare you into getting killed. With the same amount of time it took you to realize that you were in a game, you decided that you would walk into the city and gain as much as you could. Information, a job (if you could), food, friends. Anything to keep living.

So you plunged into the unknown. With your mind made up, you took your first step into the gates of Mondstadt.

“Stop right there!”

So much for that.

[sil-te-plait-tue-moi]

i wonder if u agree, but sometimes when i read old man rust x younger oc, it's weird to me picturing somebody in early/mid twenties bc, realistically, that would make the oc around his daughter's age, and i don't think rust can go for that. i say that as somebody who's 23, so i don't mean to exclude younger women or whatever. anyway, that's why i really like your oc bc she seems like an actual match for rust and not bc of age, but bc she's just the type of person i can see him falling for, i guess? like directly canonically in the series, so yeah, thank you for your work!!! but that got me wondering: when u started to write, did you have somebody in mind already and thought of how that sort of oc will work with rust, or did u ask urself what sort of person compliments rust best? sorry if this is too much trouble.

NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE i think this is acc a super interesting ask!

my opinions below the cut…

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

RIGHT so i wanna preface by saying EVERY SINGLE rust oc story ive read so far has meat to it, like the authors know their shit and they should get their due snaps and kudos

i think i read younger ofcs with like a pinch of salt in the sense that i know it’s a bit crazy — btw this is coming from someone who had a “relationship” with a much older man at the ripe age of 16 — but i think it’s still good to read

things we experience can be ugly and uncomfortable but it’s still real and a part of me appreciates like keeping it real 💀 this is going to sound a little femcel of me but let’s be honest, sex is about power and the dynamics of that power give intricacies to stories that make them interesting! rust is a man (����) and have you ever seen that one study of like ages of women men find most attractive and it’s a consistent 20 even as men get to like 70

yeah

keeping it uncomfortably real but real nonetheless

true detective is southern gothic and what i love about southern gothic is that it doesn’t shy away from touching on the less palatable corners of human existence/nature/WHATever. do i see why a daughter woman child thing as a love interest to a middle aged man with a dead baby is off-putting? YES. do i still read things along those lines because it’s interesting? ALSO YES. because more often than not creators are self-aware and explore these topics with nuance, which i respect massively

now onto like the sort of second part of you ask, beautiful anon…

when writing The Idler Wheel, idk if i was thinking as deeply when creating an oc as i was fixated on the weirdness of rust and ocs like yearning 😭? for each other, and the fact that he felt anything at all was a massive woaaaahhh for them both. the way we experience / act on desire (not even sexual just any kind but actually maybe especially sexual) says so much about a person and i guess that’s the single point from which i branched out, and every other aspect of her came later

the reason she/oc is not like twenty is because, similar to what you said, i cannot picture 1995–2002 (around that time) rust with a youngYOUNGGGG woman becaaaause holy shit i think he’d just die, like out of sadness or hurt, i think he wouldn’t be able to look at her at all 💀

old dog rust on the other hand does not give a shit about doing what’s “right” imo if that makes sense, like he’s who he is and he feels what he feels and i think this version of rust would be much more receptive to a younger woman, even if it’s “wrong” because he literally just doesn’t care anymore

i think the only reason The Idler Wheel girl was able to sneak her way in around that time is because she’s grown and a part of his workplace and therefore she should be “safe”, no more than any of his coworkers. so he lets her in his space and he lets her bring him coffee and he lets her do him favours because she’s just like the others and he just has to tolerate her, just has to see her

but of course she’s not like his coworkers and he can’t place why he wants her so bad, only that he does, which is bad because she should be mundane and she should be nothing and yet unfortunately he wants to be her dog

does this answer your q or did i go off on a tangent

i love you anon 💕💕💕💕

[trying-not-horny-on-main]

So you saved an alien with tentacles...

Summary: You’ve broken an experiment/alien with a tentacle lower body out of a lab and they decide to show you some appreciation. Any4F.

Caution: Following the cut will be some explicit content. [sfx door opening, hurried movements, slamming shut]

[Panting]

Thank you.

[beat]

Yes, I talk. [Groan] It just took me by surprise that someone helped me escape.

[beat]

Clearly nobody else thought to do it. [Gasping] Savior, I seem to have been injured and I’d rather not bleed all over your home…

[sfx the sound of hurried footsteps, medical kit opening]

I can–ah! Well, I was going to say that I could do it but you’re very decisive.

[beat]

Thank you.

[beat]

I will keep saying it. I was there for…so very long. I have a lot of reasons to thank you. That confinement and testing nearly broke me. Humans have their cruelty but clearly you have your kindnesses, too.

[beat]

No, not there. The tentacles are very… sensitive.

[beat, laughs]

I don’t want to be rude. My tentacles serve many purposes, of course, but they can be extremely…intimate.

[beat]

My humanoid upper body is probably comparably sensitive to yours. There’s no reason to assume otherwise. Let me take your hand.

[beat]

How does that feel with my fingers running over your palm? Your wrist? Your skin seems to react to my touch. Now do it to me.

[beat]

You’re right, I guess it does feel good to be touched like that. 

[beat]

[sfx: sliding shifting sounds]

You’re welcome to try touching a tentacle tip. No, no, I don’t mind you asking. You saved me. I am indebted to you. Here.

[beat]

[appreciative sounds]

If you keep touching me like that, I might not be able to stop myself. See even now the way my other tentacles are wrapping around your legs and body. I’d love to rip your clothes off and touch you everywhere.

[beat]

No. I wouldn’t hurt you. I would no doubt ravage you but I would dote on you and cherish you like nobody else has before.

[beat]

Of course, I could warn you what I’d do to you and avoid surprising you.

[beat]

Did you just lick me? That’s it. Come here. Savior, you stop me if I hurt you.

[beat]

Another lick? I hope you’re ready to get as well as you give, Savior. Let me get your clothes off.

[beat]

[sfx fabric moving as clothes come off]

I know human anatomy quite well. I was allowed to read in my confinement. I look forward to testing some theories. I am thrilled to get to see such a fine specimen naked.

[sfx: more fabric as clothes come off.]

That’s right. I have enough of them to grab your hands, put them overhead, and strip your body bare. Speaking of your body, Savior, my, my, what a beautiful body it is. Your skin is so soft. So warm.

[beat]

Here, let me put your back to my chest. There you go. Do you like how I’ve put your legs? Comfortable? Am I squeezing you too tight anywhere? I’ve really got you now, grabbing your arms, legs, and wrapped around your torso. Of course, one between your legs for you to sit on. [whispers] Are you ready?

[beat]

Take my hand in yours and hold on, Savior.

[beat]

I wonder how these freed breasts feel against my tentacles. They’re so soft. Oh, I love this movement. My, my. Looks like I’m getting a reaction out of you. You’re grinding quite hard against that lower tentacle already. Tell me, Savior, how does it feel?

[beat]

I hadn’t forgotten about your nipples, I was trying to make you wait. We’ll start out so light. There. Oh, just when I thought I wouldn’t get more of a reaction. I’m glad my tentacles are up for the task. I’ll pinch just a little harder.

[beat]

[Chuckling] Well, while those are busy doing that, let’s explore elsewhere. I love the way your neck feels on my lips [sfx kissing] and on my tentacle. The softness of your belly and the curve of your hips.

[beat]

Sorry, Savior. I won’t squeeze too hard there again. [sfx kissing] Thank you for telling me.

Oh, I love how you are quivering and squirming. What delicious fun.

[beat]

Here, wet this tentacle for me with your mouth. 

[sfx mouth sound]

I could stay like this forever, you grinding your heat against one tentacle and another in your mouth while I touch you everywhere. But I have to make you feel good, Savior. Let go. Let… Savior.

[sfx: wet popping sound]

Let me slide that wet tip to your clit.

[beat]

Yes, I know what a human clit is. The question is, though… Do you like how that feels? Hmm, let me enlist two so they can knead that little point.

[beat]

What a reaction! You’re moving so much it feels like you’re trying to escape my hold. If I go a little faster… There we go. I’m very glad I’m so coordinated that I can play with your breasts and clit at the same time as still exploring your body.

[sfx kissing] 

Do you feel ready for me to explore inside? I can feel how wet you are just resting on that tentacle.

[beat]

I’ll start small.

[beat]

So wet. So tight. Savior. That feels so good. Like your mouth but not quite? Oh, I want to see how much you can take. I want to see how full I can stretch it. Don’t worry, I’ll work you up to it. In and out, just like that. Oh, and I could twist as I go. That feels good, Savior.

[beat]

I have many tricks.

[beat]

One in your mouth? Yes. Oh, yes.

[beat]

Oh my, Savior. Oh, you feel good everywhere. Yes. I don’t want to climax until you do, but I just might.

[sfx wet mouth sounds and popping out]

Are you alright? Yes? Another.

[beat]

Grip my hands just like that.

[beat]

I’m going to push a little more inside of you. Nothing has ever felt so inviting before.

[beat]

That’s it. That’s it. You take it well. You take me well. It is so hard to hold on.

[beat]

Oh, Savior, you’re pulsing all around me. You’re… If you’ve finished then I will, too.  

[beat]

[laughing]

Phew.

[beat]

We can discuss my anatomy in regards to my own orgasm another time. Take a breather, Savior, because I have just begun with you.

[7-wonders]

I know you’re going through a lot of big changes right now, but I’d just like to say that your Calliope fanfic has now made me realize how beautiful (both inside and out) Calliope is, and I respectfully ask that you inject some Morpheus/reader/Calliope hc’s directly into my veins-

Hi I'm starting to feel a bit better and ready to gift you some hc's!! Let me know if you want to see more of this throuple 🤗 Read To the world we dream about here

Okay, first and foremost Morpheus and Calliope have come to an understanding that, while they both could have done more to help Orpheus, at the end of the day, his choices were his own. If they can't stop resenting each other for the death of their son/reconcile those feelings, there is no hope for any sort of relationship. So, for the sake of these headcanons and the continuity from my previous fic, they've worked through these issues.

(I do think that, had things gone differently and pride not gotten in the way, they would have been able to have these discussions like calm, rational adults)

ANYWAYS

You all come to the realization that you care for each other romantically on your own, and it makes things extremely awkward for a good moment

For you especially, where monogamy is likely all you grew up with/all you know

Morpheus and Calliope are no strangers to the idea of sharing or having multiple partners: many gods and goddesses and mythical creatures happily participate in it

Also they may or may not have had a third in their bed a few times who knows

But they're as aware that you're a mortal as you are, and just sort of automatically assume that you wouldn't be interested in both of them

They're each prepared to fight each other for your affection, even as they ignore the return of feelings for each other that they thought long gone

All in all, there's a lot of angst for everyone before you all remember that you have two hands each

Speaking of hands, Calliope loves holding yours!

She's usually always touching you in some way, whether that be her hand holding yours or your arms linked together, a hand on your lower back or your bodies pressed together when you're sitting next to each other

Physical touch is not one of Morpheus's love languages, so his touches are softer and more fleeting

A hand brushing against yours

The brief press of lips to your forehead

Though his touches are nothing like Calliope's, they're just as sweet and appreciated

PET. NAMES. So many pet names!

Calliope calls you things like treasure, sweetest, sweetheart, lovely

Morpheus enjoys calling you beloved, my heart, dearest, starlight

Calliope and Morpheus have their own names for each other, old endearments in languages you could never begin to understand

It's rather sweet, actually

When you sleep or rest in bed with both of your lovers, it's usually you or Calliope in the middle

(Morpheus feels too trapped)

The three of you spend a lot of time together, but most of the time it's in the Dreaming, which is most convenient for all parties when two of the three are important cosmic beings

Lots of long walks in Fiddler's Green or quiet evenings spent curled up in a secluded corner of the library

Calliope tries to visit you in the Waking when she can, but Morphues is reluctant to leave his realm (which you completely understand)

There's lots of one-on-one time too, with you and Calliope, you and Morpheus, or Morpheus and Calliope

It helps to strengthen your individual relationships, and make you better partners overall

They find your human quirks and traits extremely endearing, though Calliope has more experience with them than Morpheus

Honestly, having a human partner is the best thing that could have happened to Morpheus and Calliope in regard to their healing

They were both forced to deal with the absolute worst of humanity for a very long time and now, through you, they get to see the weird and wonderful parts of humanity

You're a breath of fresh air, and every time they watch you hold the door open for strangers, or someone randomly compliments your smile, they understand why you still have such hope for your species

It's usually said that to capture the affection/attention of a deity is not something that anybody wants, that it will only bring ruin to the human unlucky enough to be in that position

When it's two of them? Destruction is all but assured

You say bring it on

If you're to meet your end while experiencing the greatest loves you've ever known and ever will, then in your mind, that's a good way to go

Calliope and Morpheus are very much the possessive, passionate creatures that one would think, and they refuse to let any harm come to you

They'll go up against anyone, anything, to keep you safe, be it Hell or the Fates themselves

[ceilidho]

Hi, really strange question, so feel free to ignore, but how do you deal with the constant surge of content - art, really. You seem to be a generally more well known/viewed blog, and so I'm sure you've developed quite a community on here, whether it be people you know or interactions with other artists. And I've been following you for quite some time, and I always get excited when I see the "updated now" for your blog. But (here is my actual question), do you ever get overwhelmed knowing that you can't read/see/experience everything? I'm very new to social media, and online spaces in general, and it's generated this fear in me that if I don't keep up with what has been posted by those I follow, I am now suddenly lost. Missing a piece of what should have been catalogued in my mental history. Fanfiction has become such a relief in my life now, and I've gained this new appreciation for human creativity and the beauty of sharing yourself in your art. But I am constantly left wondering that if I miss something, will I also miss an opportunity. I love learning more, and reading, and viewing; appreciating beauty in this lifetime, but I don't know how to combat the overwhelming feeling when I cannot keep up with those who I admire, what's left of me, simply as a viewer?

Oh absolutely!!!! I wrote about this in another post around the traditional publishing industry in general and this overwhelming sense of FOMO that’s super evident in both readers and writers (for readers, that they won’t be part of the current discourse and won’t be part of the reading community, and for writers that they won’t keep up with demand and lose their reader base to other more prolific writers or just to new trends in general because to be honest, the constant microtrends in the book community are hard to keep up with even if you are a relatively fast writer).

I think I’m lucky that for some reason I tend to write very fast - I have a solid backlist of ideas, when I do sit down to write it tends to all come out at once, I (fingers crossed) haven’t dealt with a really bad bout of writers block in awhile - but yeah even I sometimes have moments where I feel guilty that I’m not writing enough. I think it’s super easy to feel like people are simply going to forget about you if you take any time off or if you start a multi chaptered fic and it takes you awhile to finish it.

And I won’t lie, sometimes that pressure isn’t just imagined! Most people that leave comments like “more people!” “Part 2??” “I need more of this!!” are simply expressing their love and I understand that, like I’m not completely insensitive to that (some creators tend to take it very very personally and I understand that too but I think we all have to have a little bit of grace and understanding and give each other the benefit of the doubt), but I will say that I have gotten some seriously rude comments before about taking too long to finish a fic. There is a grain of truth to the fear that some readers will lose their patience with you for simply taking your time to write.

I experience this more as a “creator” rather than a reader (tbh I don’t feel much guilt about not being able to keep up with what my mutuals are posting because I know it’s always there for me when I’m ready) - although actually now that I’m saying this, I take that back. I do sometimes feel very very guilty when I don’t have time to get into a friend’s fic. Oh wow yeah that was a huge lie, I DEFINITELY have felt extremely guilty before about not having enough time to read someone’s fic and feeling like I’m letting them down in some way and not adequately supporting them. Yikes. Goes to show ya.

I am hoping that as more and more people become aware of this that people will start appreciating slowness and ephemerality - taking your time to read or write something, starting incomplete fics just to appreciate them even if they’re short lived or never completed, forgiving yourself for not being able to read everything or write everything right now and realizing that you’ll get to it when you get to it. It’s easier said than done and I do feel guilty sometimes about perpetuating this by being a very fast writer, but yeah! Unfortunately it’s sort of on each of us to do this since the very medium of social media demands instant gratification - tumblr and ao3 (the latter by virtue of being an archive) are perhaps the least egregious of them, but it’s definitely in the nature of social media to induce this kind of behaviour.

[lanymme]

Well, the journey has finally come to an end. After 5 months working my way through CCC every Saturday, we finally finished our bonus episode with Tamamo’s Servant ending.

This has been such a special and emotional experience, and I’m glad I got to experience it with friends. Since 2019 I’ve been fascinated by this game that spoke to me so deeply in its aesthetics and themes that I’ve been obsessed with it, scouring the internet for content, for answers, for insight, knowing I might never get the chance to play it, dreaming anyway of being able to play it myself.

How precious an opportunity it’s been, then, to receive this wonderful English patch, and to work my way through the Extraverse games this year, falling even more in love with them and the world and characters they depict. And to have lovely friends that would tune in every week to watch and experience it with me—I really couldn’t ask for more.

So much work from so many people went into setting me on my path and allowing me to fulfill this dream. I would like to thank the EN FGO translation team, for working so hard to get FGO translated and ensuring that I could experience the SERAPH event and take an interest in its source material; tsukinoura, for providing our first English glimpse into the game, and ZVN for painstakingly editing it into footage from the game, so it could be enjoyed in its context; to the many smaller translator who worked on little sections of the game like Raizu Stash, who provided translations for chunks of the True Ending that I couldn’t find anywhere else; and my dear friend who goes by Mytherrus, for lending his efforts into translating a few important segments that I couldn’t find in English anywhere on the net. So many people have worked so hard to provide little glimpses into this game over the years, and contributed to my love and fascination.

While my own efforts to scrabble together an understanding of Kiara from incomplete pieces of canon and outsider knowledge of religious practices pale in comparison to the efforts of all these people, they have given me a deep appreciation for that part of human nature that decides, “fuck it. I’ll do it myself.” and a sense of kinship with everyone who has ended up putting in hours and hours of work so they could create something they wanted to see.

And this applies to no one so much as the CCC English Translation team. Thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for the years of work you’ve put into making this gargantuan story and all its routes available, in full, in English. You’ve done something truly beautiful.

I guess that’s it. It’s been a really wonderful time. For all its flaws and missed opportunities, CCC is a wonderful game that will always, always be special to me. It has motivated me and directed parts of my path through life for so long, and I have met some lovely people because of it.

This is by no means the end of my love affair with the Extraverse. I have so much I want to do, so much I want to write, now that I have the full picture.

But it is the end of this part of it. The part where CCC was a distant, captivating mystery, something ethereal, lying just beyond the horizon: a puzzle of material to investigate and process and piece together. The part where I experienced it for the first time with good friends. And it was so much fun.

[feudalconnection]

The Nomination Period for the 3rd Term 2023 Inuyasha Fandom Awards is now CLOSED!!

Hey everyone!

Below the cut you'll find a complete list of all of the Fanart nominations received for this term! You can also find it on Google Docs.

Click here for the complete list of Fanfiction nominations.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this term for taking the time to do so. We hope you enjoyed your experience! If you do not see your nomination, please reach out to us as soon as possible!

We strongly encourage that when you view a work of art or read a fanfiction, please reblog or leave a review to let the creators know how much their work and talent is appreciated!

As a reminder, we are giving 3 weeks time to enjoy all of the creations. The voting period will begin October 6th and end October 20th.

In order to be able to vote, you'll need to register so we can keep it all neat and clear. We will be posting the link to the voting form on the first day of the voting session.

Got a question? Check out our FAQ or send us an ask. You can also message one of the mods directly!

Thank you to everyone who nominated for making this 2nd Term absolutely wonderful, and happy voting!

Best Action/Adventure

“Running with the wolves” by @ashenkite

“⚔sɪʙʟɪɴɢ ʀɪᴠᴀʟʀʏ⚔” by @pachworldx-1

“Jewel of the Seven Seas” by @stardust414

Best AU/AR

“Always” by @kalcia

“Orgullo & Prejuicio” by @m2moon94

Best Canon Universe

“the dumb shit dad told u not to do” by @stillunderyourbed

“Wisteria” by @razdazberry

“Mega oof” by @devilatelier

Best Angst

“For someone you loved” by @mama-ino

“Rain” by @elevenharbor

“Final Conquest” by @ashleys-canvas

Best Dark

“INUYASHA 📿” by @masonkaye

Best Humor/Parody

“He’s talking shit” by @cherisenae

“Battle Couple” by @clearwillow

“Fuck You Sesshomaru” by @devilatelier

“Sesshoumaru as Drake Meme” by @ridiqlumdrum

“Mega oof” by @devilatelier

Best Kiss

“They are SO cute” by @brain-rot-hour

“Wisteria” by @razdazberry

“Dibujo-que-hice-con-referencias-que-vi-del-sesskag” by @inumysuzue

“Human Kissing” by @spiralofdragon

“Final Conquest” by @eliza-faust-diary

Best Character

“𓆩✧𓆪 Midoriko 𓆩✧𓆪” by @inusmasha

“Untitled” by @dazzelmethat

“Moonlit Kagome” by @theundeadfandom

“half-demon Inuyasha 🔮” by jyundeeARTs (X, formerly known as Twitter)

“Kagome Higurashi, the girl who overcame time” by @dulcealuf

“Sesshomaru🌸” by @zeldacw

Best Duo/Pairing

“It’s been a while 💛❤️🧡” by @geda-art

“Inuyasha and Sesshomaru” by @momosartgarden

“girl crush girl crush” by @moonnue

“Final Conquest” by @ashleys-canvas

“Shopping Trip!!” by @skyguyy

Best Doujinshi

“Hanyohime” by @hanyohime-comic

“Make a Wish” by @len-barboza

“From Something Old to Something New” by @clearwillow

“Mother-in-Law” by @daikiidokii

Best Redraw

“🌷 Kikyo 🌷” by @midiatamente

“Redraw manga” by Lucky_chandl (X, formerly known as Twitter)

“Redibujo del primer encuentro” by @m2moon94

“Swimsuit Kag” by @julytheartist

Best NSFW

“Keep Me Warm” by @mamabearcatfanart

“Blindfolded” by @julytheartist

“Not a shampoo bottle” by @weeeting

“she’s beauty and she’s grace” by @katerinu

Best InuKag Romance

“inukag happy summer sunset beach vibes 😎” by @justafewsmallsteps

“Welcome Home” by @katballesteros

“♥︎𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕♥︎” by HulloYokai (X, formerly known as Twitter)

Best SessKag Romance

“Drag Me Down” by @momorhea

“Locked Away” by @razdazberry

“Día de Lluvia” by @valgreys

“First Comes Marriage” by @rannyunny

Best Romance

“Aftermath” by @eliza-faust-diary

“Untitled” by @generalmoony

Best Group Depiction

“Pink Bellflower” by @tmetta

“SessKag (+ kids) go to the most magical place on earth” by @elevenharbor

Best Traditional

“Kinda proud of this one 😁” by @tarkovskyshoe

“桔梗” by @toutousai

“Tiny Paintbrush” by @mama-ino

“Cuddles from a demon cat” by @the-lone-huntress

Best Overall

“Kikyo” by @geirahood

“Locked Away” by @razdazberry

[dropintomanga]

Do You Revisit to Heal?

When it comes to a new year, everyone's talking about doing new things and resolutions to become better. But what if revisiting stuff can actually help you a lot more?

I was inspired by two posts I read - Japan Powered's The Value of (Re)watching and (Re)reading and Use Your Damn Skills' "Comfort TV and trauma recovery". The first post talked about how it's okay to look at past stories you were interested in back in the day. There may be times where you might cringe, but you might get a better appreciation of what that story meant for you at the time. The second post focused on how adults who grew up feeling neglected as kids turned to and rewatch comfort TV a lot to escape whatever trauma they were going through.

On the subject of rereading and rewatching, I've been thinking a lot about revisiting Gintama and Fullmetal Alchemist. Both are considered two of the top most popular manga ever by Japanese audiences. Both series have amazing characters and stories that resonate with readers. I remember a great deal of lines and moments from FMA and Gintama. Even back then, I re-watched and/or re-read those two series to a great degree. Nothing else mattered.

Compared to now, where there's so much manga released, I sometimes wonder because of the amount of manga out there, nothing seems to stick in my head as much. Although I love current hits like Chainsaw Man, there's nothing about them (yet) that brings out a sense of emotional catharsis that I feel compared to when I read something older like Fullmetal Alchemist. Or should I say, most manga haven't hit me as hard. I nowadays get that from video games.

But when I think about it, I'm a different person back then compared to now. While I think it's a good thing, you can lose something during the process.

I want to now address "comfort TV and trauma recovery." I've used anime and manga to "escape" depression. I've also used them as outlets to process feelings that I never told people at the time. I think the beauty of revisiting your favorite series is that everything is predictable when out in the real world, not everything sadly goes your way.

I sometimes wonder if I'm doing this with playing K-Pop songs over and over again. They take me back to a place where I know for certain that I'll be feeling great. Those songs take me back to my younger years when I wanted to be a DJ and blast music at parties with no drama. People piss me off and while I'm able to resolve interpersonal situations at times, I just feel mentally fatigued and sometimes scared over how some people behave. What if my emotional wounds led me to get sucked into fandom in the first place?

There's a lot of value to revisit things you liked back then. Every work has lessons to learn. Every story reminds us of how human we are. We need other people to share stories in order to feel that we matter in the grand scale of things. You also might learn something new when you revisit a story due to your own changes in perspective.

I'm always looking back into my memories as a hardcore fan when I was a teen to young adult. It's been fun. I realized how grateful I am to be able to experience those joys even when they weren't accepted as they are now. Maybe I didn't have as many friends to share those interests with at the time, but I know being involved in fan interests helped slowly shape the way I wanted to view life and act around people.

I hope it's the same for you guys. No one should shame you for revisiting older works. What's important is they help you feel alive and make certain parts of life worth revisiting years down the road.

[pocketramblr]

If the ask game is still open, Izuku is Death (and I don't mean that metaphorically, or rhetorically, or poetically or theoretically or in any other fancy way. He's Death. STRAIGHT. UP.) and he is after AFO, who is very human. (Also, unrelated, but All Might survived way more near death experiences than in canon. He must have a guardian angel or something.)

gonna just combine those, for my own sake...

1- something Changed in the world the moment the first quirk came into being. Izuku doesn't know what it was, only that before, Death was Something Else, and that after, he Existed, and Was Death. It's a turbulent time to be Death, but maybe it had to be. Izuku watches with wonder life and how people use it, quirks in all their beautiful colored varieties. He has a very somber job, and it hurts, and he can't stop being Death, but he can keep himself well enough by deliberately appreciating life, and the world, and the quirks he's somehow tied to. It doesn't stop from hurting, but it helps his pain tolerance and lets him smile sometimes.

2- If Izuku has ever hated a human, he hates All For One. everyone else, he mourns. he gently takes children when its their time. he offers an ear to people's stories. He'll even tut over a killer, but give them space- usually they don't need judgement, their own's enough. And when it's not, they're scared of him as is.

All For One is different. he doesn't value life, or quirks, or the world, or even Death. just himself, as if he's apart of all of it. Just himself, and his brother, who he treats as proof of his control.

Izuku sits quietly with Yoichi in the vault, and promises AfO won't stop either of them, won't own Yoichi forever. At the very worst, Izuku will make sure he escapes eventually.

Izuku weeps when the vault is opened, and continues to go do his job, leading on from the bodies strewn behind Second and Third's bloody footsteps.

3- And then AfO kills Yoichi, and Izuku finally makes himself known. He snaps, because AfO's beyond any redemption, to him. He'll kill AfO himself, now.

But instead, it's the first time AfO's smiled in months- he's done it, become so strong, made himself such a legend, that no one but Death Itself could face him, beyond all mortals. Izuku doesn't particularly care about AfO's ego boost, since he's been annoyed by it so long anyway, and he figured AfO's cult would make up something like that anyway. not important, when he'll make sure they die out too.

But AfO kills everywhere he goes, and Izuku is Izuku, but he is also Death, and he must tend to those he leads away.

He won't let AfO think he's more important to Izuku than the many people he tramples.

4- When AfO start with Nomu, Izuku feels pain for the first time- he's felt agony, sure, emotionally. but not physically. It doesn't hurt any other after that, but he remembers. and he's even angrier, because Nomu spit in the face of Death, puppeted corpses on a cruel fragment of a memory of being alive.

And Izuku decides if AfO's going to break the rules, so will he.

Banjo should have died the first time he refused to give One For All up to AfO. but somehow, he didn't. En was the same.

Izuku had to focus on protecting Toshinori from the powerful blast AfO had to use to keep Nana dead this time, but then spent the next three decades keeping all sorts of things from killing Toshi that absolutely should have. So, when Izuku keeps him up and finally, finally sees AfO drop, he's thrilled. He makes sure Toshinori will survive, then goes to take AfO.

But a mere hour later, AfO slips away, grinning widely at Izuku's frustrated shriek.

5- not one minute later, Toshinori has a dream in his comatose state- he can see all the vestiges again, but there's an extra figure, who speaks to him.

"I'm Death- no, stop, you're not dying any time soon. But All For One returned to life when he should not have been able to. I don't care what he or his followers will think of it- I can take a physical form. If i do, and have One For All, I know he'll never come back. I swear it."

[billyrussohaven]

Into My Web

Chapter 21

Dark!Vampire!Billy Russo x Female Reader

Cowritten with @the-cult-of-russo

Ratings: Explicit 18+ ONLY

Warnings: Although this chapter might not include it, this fic will include; Sexual situations, swearing, human slave, biting, blood, murder, obsessive thoughts, dub con, Stockholm syndrome, gaslighting.

"What's that?" You asked as Billy entered the bedroom with a long and heavy looking garment bag. You were reading on the bed relaxing after a wonderful day out with him. He took you to get your hair and nails done since you enjoyed it so much last time.

"A gift," he smirked as he stopped by the bed.

He unzipped the bag and carefully took out the most amazing evening gown you've ever laid eyes on. Your brain could barely even comprehend how perfect the dress was. You tore your gaze from the dress to look at him in awe.

"Is...is it for me?" You whispered looking back and forth between him and the perfect dress he was holding out for you.

"No, it's for me," he snorted wryly with a playful roll of his eyes.

"Of course it's for you. Put it on and go downstairs. I'll be waitin'," he said firmly. He laid the dress on the bed carefully, shooting you one last smirk before he left the room. He was already in one of his suits since he'd briefly been at work that day, looking sharp as he liked to do. 

He'd stopped by one of his favorite restaurants after work, picking up some nice food. He didn't much feel like eating out but he wanted to do something to reward you after the whole hunter thing. You'd saved his life and picked him and since you'd still been behaving, he was still in the process of treating you well and rewarding you. He also enjoyed fancy dinners himself and it had been a while since he'd been able to indulge. It would be nice to experience it once again.

He'd set up the dining area all nice. Candles, flowers, soft music to set the mood. It was far more romantic than he liked but he knew you'd appreciate it. Girls ate this shit right up. He'd tried to make it just like it would be if he took you out for a fancy dinner, just without the prying eyes and stuck up assholes. Maybe one day he'd take you to one of his favorite upscale places, but today wasn't that day. Today was all about you. About reinforcing your good behaviour and treating you for saving him. He was a proud man but he wasn't too proud to admit that he'd be dead if it wasn't for you.

You quickly undressed and took the beautiful dress in your hands. It felt like liquid silk on your skin, it touched you deeply that he'd get you something this special. You put the dress on, carefully zipping it up and paired it with the best pair of shoes you owned. They weren't sexy high heels but they'd do.

You made your way downstairs like he asked and gasped in surprise seeing what he had prepared. He never ever did something that special for you, ever. It touched you deeply. Everything was perfect, from the music to the beautifully arranged dinner table to him.

"Wow…" you whispered, looking around and stopping right in front of him. Your heart beat fast and your chest filled with the overwhelming fuzzy feeling you had when he was around. You were starting to get a pretty good idea of what feeling it was and it felt amazing, pure. Love…

Billy's eyes widened a little seeing you this dressed up for him. He'd always thought you were beautiful, from the moment he first laid eyes on you in the house in Nevada. But you looked almost like royalty and if he was breathing you'd have stolen his breath away. He was pleased by how appreciative you seemed about it. He always enjoyed when you were grateful for the things he did. It soothed something in him. He moved over to your chair, pulling it out for you with a cheeky smile. When you sat down, he pushed your chair in before moving to his own and sitting down.

"So I'll be honest, I didn't cook this. But I got it from one of my favorite places and I had to pay good money to get 'em to do take out for me," he smirked, popping open a bottle of wine. He poured you a glass and then himself as he looked over at you.

"You look beautiful, kitten," he murmured with a smile. He wondered if one day he'd be able to take you to a fancy gala or event. He used to frequent them before he purchased you and he ended up spending most of his time home with you so you didn't escape. He'd love to show you off at a place like that, have you on his arm. You'd easily be the prettiest girl there and you were all his.

You gave him a warm smile and reached for his hand over the table without thinking.

“Thank you. I don’t even know what to say…” you chuckled, shaking your head at the most expensive dinner you ever had and probably will ever have.

“This is amazing. I feel like a princess,” you said looking down to hide the bashful smile and your blushed cheeks. You picked up your wine glass and raised it.

“What shall we drink to?” you smirked looking straight in his dark eyes. He tilted his head as he thought for a moment. 

"To life," he grinned as he raised his own glass.

“To life then,” you repeated, taking a sip of the fancy wine he had picked. It was like sweet velvet on your tongue and you moaned appreciating the taste of it. You waited for him to start eating before picking up your own cutlery. The sound you made after taking your first bite was plain obscene, definitively not princess material. You froze, opening your eyes to look at him sheepishly as you swallowed down. He chuckled as he quirked a brow, eating his food.

"Glad you like it so much," he said with a wry smirk. 

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted something so good,” you said, taking another sip of your drink.

“Beside you, of course,” you added putting the wineglass down and resumed eating with a little smirk playing on your lips. His fork paused mid-air, lips still parted and ready to take a bite as he looked at you. They tugged up into a smirk before he popped the forkful of food into his mouth and ate it.

"Is that right?" He asked playfully, enjoying the mood you were in. It was nice, having a fancy dinner and the atmosphere light like this.

“Mmmhm!” you hummed, looking everywhere but at him as you ate, not giving him too much attention on purpose. You were in a very playful mood, it felt so casual, so normal to have a nice dinner like this with him, to tease him a bit. You smiled thinking just how grateful to have him in your life. 

The dinner was full of light conversation and teasing and Billy found himself actually having a pretty good time. Once the food was done, he moved to put the dishes in the sink, unable to help himself, but he'd clean up properly later. He glanced at you on the way back to the table, sitting there all pretty and coy. He smiled to himself as he walked over to your chair.

"Care for a dance?" He asked with an impish grin, holding his hand out for you. It had been a while since he'd danced with anyone but he was in good spirits and he thought you might like it.

Your face lit up, beaming back at him nodding. You took his hand, following him to the living room.

“Let’s hope I won’t step on your toes,” you chuckled. You’ve never actually danced with anyone like this. You’ve seen it often in movies but to experience it was something else entirely. You moved one hand to his shoulder and held his hand with the other.

"Nah, it's easy," he smirked, settling a hand on your waist as he started moving the pair of you. 

You followed his lead, moving slowly to the music, your body flush to his as you enjoyed the moment. You felt oddly nervous, being this close to him, this intimate. It didn't make any sense since you've seen him naked and done many vulgar sex acts together. But you felt nervous nonetheless as you looked up in his eyes, licking your dry lips. Your heartbeat quickened, your eyes flickering to his lips. You wanted to kiss him, to feel his hand cradle your head delicately, to feel him kiss you back and lose yourselves to this special feeling growing inside your heart.

Billy watched you as you both gently swayed together. He felt mesmerised by you, watching you intently as the music played softly in the background. He wasn't quite sure just why you seemed extra alluring tonight. Maybe it was the dress, or the ambience he'd set for the night. Or maybe it was just you. He wasn't sure but he couldn't take his eyes off you. The hand on your waist slid around to settle just above your ass and he loved how the silky fabric felt beneath his hand against your body. He was aware he was being a little… soft, but he put it down to you saving him and really earning his trust. It wasn't something he took for granted or that he'd forget. 

You leaned forward ever so slightly, fighting the nerves eating you up from the inside. You didn't realize you both stopped dancing as you held each other's close, lips hovering so close but so far. The moment your lips connected it felt like the entire universe shifted upside down. Your heart was hammering inside your chest, your hands moist and shaky, lungs out of breath. It felt like you were kissing him for the first time. It consumed you entirely. You trailed a hand to the back of his neck , caressing it and pressing him closer to you. He moved closer, pressing his body against yours as his tongue explored every inch of your mouth. The hand not near your ass moved to the back of your head as his fingers wound into your hair. You tasted like the expensive wine and something that was uniquely you that he'd always enjoyed. It was intoxicating and he felt drunk on you as he devoured your mouth eagerly with a soft moan.

You kissed him like it'd be the last, putting everything into it, your entire soul reaching out for his damned one. Your tongue twirling around his, gasping softly for air as he gently tugged on your hair, his kiss getting even more heated as he pressed his aching bulge against you. He wanted you badly, more than he could ever remember and he idly wondered if the food he'd picked was some kind of aphrodisiac. You'd always been like a siren to him, since the first time he laid eyes on you. Luring him in with your call to the rocky shores. But it felt overwhelming tonight and he lost himself completely in the kiss, his body taking control as his mind turned off.

He broke the kiss, a tiny voice in the back of his head reminding him you had to breathe, even if he didn't. His eyes were flickering between his usual pools of black to a deep red as he stared at you for a moment, the beast inside of him wanting nothing more than to tear your dress off and fuck you right here in the living room. He was trying to push his beast back in a box, wanting to enjoy the night properly, not wanting it to end so soon. He scooped you up bridal style, moving to go upstairs to the bedroom. You smiled at him with your arms around his neck as he carried you upstairs. Enjoying how soft he was with you today, how happy and peaceful he made you feel.

He set you on your feet in the bedroom as his lips descended on yours once again. He couldn't help himself. His hands were everywhere, memorising your body like he was going to sculpt it from memory. The kiss was dirty and heated as he slowly backed you up towards the bed. The only thought in his head being how much he needed to be inside of you. You slid the expensive dress off your body, letting it drop to your feet. Your mind was too busy with him kissing you hungrily to care about it. A gasp left your lips as you broke the kiss to move on the bed, your eyes never leaving his.

He climbed onto the bed, hovering over you as his eyes soaked in the sight of you looking so perfect and ready for him. His perfect little kitten. He was still clothed but he didn't care as he pressed his body over yours, nipping at your lower lip playfully. You chuckled over his lips with an overwhelming happiness and warmth blooming inside your chest.

"I love you," you whispered over his soft lips. It came out of you so easily, so naturally you barely registered it. You felt him tense up and you knew it had been a mistake. But how can love and adoration be a mistake? Isn't this what he wanted all along? You adoring him like he was the only light in your pitiful existence? You breathing for his touch, his attention and the praise at serving him well? He was your savior, he took you from that awful place and gave you a home. He made sure you'd only have him, only him to run back to. So why was he closing himself up? Why did you feel him so...shocked? Angry?

"Billy?" You whispered, caressing the side of his face.

He just blinked at you for a moment, pure shock on his face. Your words pinged around his brain like a ping pong ball on speed. I love you, I love you, I love you, I lov-. He was gone quicker than you could blink, using his vamp speed to not only leave the room, but the house too. The door slammed behind him as he made a beeline to his car. His mind was blank as he got inside starting the car before tearing out of the driveway. After a phone call to Frank, asking him to meet up at their usual dive bar, Billy was speeding down the road, hands gripping the steering wheel. He'd been through quite a few emotions since he'd started driving but now he'd settled on anger. Who the hell did you think you were? You were nobody, nothing but a pet. A sweet piece of ass that was pretty enough to catch his interest. You meant nothing to him and you dared to throw those words at him. But if you were nothing then why for the briefest of moments after you said those words did he feel… pleased? He'd felt pleased for less than a millisecond and it wasn't the same kind of pleased he'd feel when you behaved. It was different. It was close to happiness or some other bullshit and it left him confused. But then the shock had hit him. Shocked you'd said it, shocked you felt it and even more shocked by his reaction. And now here he was. 

His head was a scrambled mess as he made his way to the bar. Despite all differences, calling Frank had been instinctual. Because no matter what, they were brothers and had each other's back. Billy wasn't really sure just what he wanted Frank for but he knew he didn't want to drink alone. Frank was good at sitting there and letting Billy rant on and vent. Sometimes he even had good advice. The bar they were going to was a vampire bar. It was pretty different to the other human bars they'd also frequent sometimes. This one had booze that could actually get vampires drunk. Billy wasn't sure how they managed it but he'd hardly complain. Normal booze didn't cut it anymore with his high vampire metabolism. 

When Billy got there, he parked up and went right inside. It was as seedy as you'd expect for a vampire bar and if it wasn't for the magical alcohol, Billy wouldn't step foot in the place. He noticed Frank already there, sitting at the bar. Billy wasted no time in walking over and sitting beside him as he took his jacket off. He was grateful to see a drink already waiting for him. He downed it in one go, very aware of the apprehensive look Frank was throwing his way.

"That bad?" Frank asked wryly. Billy scoffed as he signalled the bartender to get him another.

"You got no idea, Frankie," he muttered, shaking his head. 

"Hunters again?" Frank asked, mildly concerned as he shifted to face him a bit. Billy blew out a sigh, nodding in thanks after the bartender gave him his drink. He only sipped this one.

"Nope. Worse," Billy said in contempt. Frank's brows rose as he narrowed his eyes a little, leaning closer to Billy.

"Another threat?" He asked quietly, his body tensing and going on high alert. Billy looked at him and rolled his eyes.

"No. It's Y/N," Billy muttered vaguely. Frank's body seemed to tense even more.

"What about her? Somethin' happen to her?" He asked quickly. Billy's eyes once again rolled to the back of his head. He wasn't sure why Frank seemed to care so much. Always the white Knight.

"She told me she loved me," Billy bit out, glaring at Frank. Frank's mouth floundered for a moment in shock and Billy continued.

"Can you even fuckin' believe that? She loves me? Where the fuck does she get off sayin' that shit to me?" Billy seethed as he slurped his drink and finished it off. He was already starting to feel it and as he tried to get the bartender's attention, Frank grabbed his wrist to stop him. Billy turned his eyes to Frank and quirked a brow.

"C'mon, Bill. I already know you care about her, so drop the hard ass routine," Frank said firmly. Offence colored Billy's face and now it was his turn for his mouth to gape like a fish.

"Really? I care? That why you were so intent on whiskin' her away?" He asked mockingly, snatching his wrist from Frank's grasp. Frank heaved a sigh and wiped a hand over his face as he looked at him.

"Look, man… I still don't agree with the whole… human pet thing. But I saw it last time. You care. And you can sit there and lie to yourself but you can't lie to me," Frank insisted. Billy pursed his lips as he looked away, rolling his shoulder as his fingers drummed on the bar. He didn't say a word, his mind going a million miles a minute.

"Tell me, when she told you, how'd it make you feel?" Frank prodded. A growl rumbled in Billy's throat and a few other patrons looked over briefly before turning back to their own drinks. 

"I ain't talkin' about this bullshit. I don't do feelin's and you know it," Billy hissed, gesturing for another drink uninterrupted this time.

"You don't wanna talk about it? Why am I here then? And maybe you didn't 'do' feelin's before, but obviously somethin' changed," Frank huffed. 

When the drink was settled in front of Billy, he went to grab it but Frank's vampire reflexes stole it from him and he moved it out of reach to the side, earning a dirty look from Billy.

"Talk to me, brother," Frank implored quietly. With some vampire booze already in his system, Billy folded like a sheet of paper.

"I felt happy, alright? The first thing I felt when she told me was happy," he admitted, looking away and running a hand through his hair, making it go all over. 

"Because you care," Frank added, giving him a knowing grin.

"Fuck you," Billy groaned, happy when Frank gave him his drink. He glugged half of it in one go before he moved to lay his head on his arms on the bar.

"I don't know what to do," he muttered, voice muffled by his arms.

"It's a good thing, right?" Frank asked curiously. Billy, now being slightly drunk, snorted as he sat back up, his hair comically disarrayed as he gave Frank a look.

"A good thing? You're gonna sit there and tell me this is healthy? That we could move past all the bullshit and have somethin' real? C'mon, Frankie. You know that ain't an option," he rambled as he shook his head. Frank was quiet for a long moment and Billy watched with dark eyes as he saw his words sink in. What he was getting at, what he meant. 

"Right…" Frank sighed, taking a swig of his own drink. 

"So you're not gonna pursue it 'cause of all the… shit you've done. But now you know you care and she cares, what now? You gonna keep goin' down the path you're on? Think you could do that to her now?" Frank asked seriously. Billy stared at the liquid in his glass, a frown marring his face. He was ruthless. Savage when he wanted to be. Lord knows he'd not been good to you. He wanted to say nothing would change but he wasn't sure that was true. Could he look into your beautiful eyes knowing how you felt about him and still punish you the same? It was all ruined. It only made him more annoyed at your words. That you had to go and ruin a good thing. Now everything was a mess and nothing would be the same.

Billy's mind was spiralling as he glared at his drink like it offended him. His silence had Frank watching him intently.

"What about… I don't know, lettin' her go? You care about her but you can't make it work with her. Just let her go and let her be happy," Frank suggested warily. The snarl ripped from Billy's throat was feral, as if Frank's words had caused him physical pain.

"I shoulda known you'd do this," Billy laughed mirthlessly, standing and grabbing his jacket.

"What? C'mon, Bill. Sit down and let's talk about this," Frank pleaded.

"Nah. I get it. You don't agree with it and you think I should let her go. But then what? She wouldn't know how to survive on her own. She'll go off and get herself killed," Billy seethed as he shoved his jacket on.

"You know, I came here thinkin' that despite all the bullshit, you'd have my back. But of course you couldn't do that. Always the good samaritan, right?" He growled, shooting Frank a look of betrayal. Frank's face fell as he shook his head.

"It's not… I do have your back, Bill. I'm just tryin' to be realistic, to see the bigger picture," Frank said firmly.

"See you around, Frankie," Billy muttered sadly, making his way out of the bar and leaving a despondent Frank sitting at the bar.

Billy made his way to his car, too many negative emotions coursing through him. He slammed his door shut, yelling as he punched the steering wheel out of pure anger. He was stupid to think Frank would care or that he'd have his best interests in mind. The first chance he gets to see a way in to suggest he let you go and he takes it. There was no chance in hell he could let you go. You were like a baby bird. You'd be dead in days without him to help you. And the idea of letting you go off to go and live a happy life without him made his chest burn in pain and fury. That wasn't an option. This was all your fault. Sure he and Frank's friendship was already strained but things got worse when you came along and now Frank saw him as nothing but a monster. You were the one that uttered those words to him and changed everything. Made it all wrong. You were the one that made him feel something. Billy Russo didn't have feelings. He cared about a few select people but never this way. And you come along and dare to make him actually feel things that did nothing but confuse him.

As he started the car and pulled away, a nasty thought occurred to him. After all of this, of making him realise and forcing him to acknowledge his feelings, it dawned on him that you didn't even really love him. He'd been conditioning you, playing mind games since the moment he took you home. He'd twisted your mind so badly that he'd made you think you loved him. Stockholm syndrome. That's what this shit was. And the realisation made him feel absolutely livid. The first time someone said those words to him in that way and it was all a lie, concocted by himself. And now he was stuck with the knowledge that he actually fucking cared about you while you were just suffering from trauma. 

He couldn't do it. He couldn't have you, he couldn't keep you as things were knowing how he felt and he sure as fuck couldn't let you go to be happy without him. He knew deep down you deserved better than this, than a monster like him. He knew you didn't deserve the suffering he'd inflicted on you. And he knew it was his stupid goddamn feelings making him feel this way. Somewhere along the way he'd gotten attached to his little pet, saw you more than a human to do what he wanted. In his denial he'd carried on as normal although looking back he could see how he'd started to go a little soft. Suddenly all those weird warm feelings in his chest every time you were happy started to make sense to him. Maybe if he was a good man he'd just let you go. But he knew he couldn't ever do that. You were his and he'd never be able to just set you free. Through his alcohol hazed mess off a brain, he realised there was only one outcome to this. Unpleasant as the rest of them but the only option. Despite his feelings, he also hated you for making him go down this road. For making him go through this. Why couldn't you have just kept your damn mouth shut?

[loosingmoreletters]

Summary: A song you can’t name is a love you can’t grieve. Wen Yuan has never left the Burial Mounds before.

Wen Yuan has never left the Burial Mounds, so when he takes his first steps past his guardian’s protections, he staggers and very nearly drops to his knees at the lightness of the air surrounding him. He’s never known how heavy his limbs were until he could move them without a struggle, his lungs not fighting for every single breath.

He’s strong in this world that seeks to harm him, this world that is so very bright and alive.

Conversations feel awkward in his mouth and the food tastes strangely on his tongue. He tries meat for the first time and wonders if it reminds everyone biting into it of human flesh. Not that Wen Yuan has ever been fed a corpse, but they’ve never been able to keep an animal as they all succumb too quickly to the resentment, turning into beasts they need to kill instead.

And the crows, no matter how often joked about, are not for them to feed on. They are their guides and Wen Yuan has never been without.

The idea of eating any bird distresses him, but he tries the dishes for the experience of throwing them up in an already dirty alley. Wasting food like that reminds him of the ribs beneath his uncle’s robes and the winters even Wen Yuan knew hunger not just by name but also shape, and guilt taunts him, hurrying him further along on his way.

Wen Yuan shouldn’t be wasting time, he’s expected to return before the wards start to waver, but his family told him to enjoy the experience. If not for his task, Wen Yuan probably wouldn’t have left the Burial Mounds. When he was younger, curiosity had eaten him up, and he’d sneaked down all the way to the borders countless times.

Once, just once, he’d gotten into a screaming match about their unchanging remaining.

Afterward, he’d resigned himself to their fate, wondering which particular guilt urged the others to encourage his leaving.

What use is the sight of a world he’ll never join?

It is loud in all the ways the Burial Mounds aren’t, even at the gates of the Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian spoke of the Lans’ home as a place of tranquility, but Wen Yuan hears it screaming even beneath the soft ripples of water running down the mountain. Resentment lingers here too, though its echoes are much younger than those Wen Yuan grew up hearing. The protections are easy to slip past even during the daytime.

Dressed in the stolen robes of Yunmeng Jiang, nobody pays him any attention as the visiting guest disciples walk through the halls.

Wen Yuan had planned to pass Lotus Pier on the way back, but he wasn’t sure if his visit to Gusu wouldn’t end with him rushing home, so he’d bought all he needed there beforehand. Lotus Pier is as beautiful as described, and even louder, unfortunately.

Wen Yuan ducks away from two disciples in purple and follows along the path his crow guides him. Deep into the Cloud Recesses he follows to a house that stands out from all other buildings in this place, much like the Demon Subdue Cave back home.

This is it, Wen Yuan knows. He won’t be welcome, but he’s not aiming to stay, merely to deliver a message.

The doors to the house open easily beneath his touch, almost as if in greeting.

He finds two men at a table, enjoying tea that is probably more expensive than any Wen Yuan has ever had the pleasure of trying. One of them shows his surprise more openly, and thus, Wen Yuan disregards him as unimportant.

“This one greets you, Hanguang-jun,” Wen Yuan says and bows exactly once as deep as he never will again after this day. Despite the mischief of his youth, Wen Yuan is a polite boy. He enjoys showing his respect and appreciation where it is deserved, but he has to give up his right to it.

He will smith himself in arrogance and invincibility, his own rite of passage to adulthood.

“Forgive my intrusion, I was trusted with a delivery to your person.”

He breezes right past Sect Leader Lan to present the last gift Wei Wuxian had ever given him. Lan Wangji’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t brush Wen Yuan away and unwraps the small package, revealing a letter and a white sash.

Wen Yuan’s own is hidden away for the sake of getting into Cloud Recesses, but the moment he leaves, it’ll be tied around his robes again.

“He passed away two weeks ago,” Wen Yuan says blankly. He’s been coming to terms with this impending death since he first felt the spark of his golden core, but Lan Wangji falls apart in devastation.

The sourness in his mouth might be jealousy protesting at being robbed of that, the ability to love someone living instead of someone already half-deceased.

“He asked not to be mourned excessively, only remembered fondly like an untitled song.”

Wen Yuan has learned how to play it in these last months to prolong the inevitable just an hour longer. The song has a title resting on the tip of his tongue, but much like Wei Wuxian, he’s never been able to voice it out loud.

Perhaps it is for the best. A song you can’t name is a love you can’t grieve.

He’s never been given a courtesy name, but he inherits the title of a man he never called his father and yet made him his heir.

“This one thanks Gusu Lan for their hospitality.”

He rises from his position at Lan Wangji’s side.

“Your sect may distribute the news as it sees fit, but be assured that the Burial Mounds will remain as they have been for the last thirteen years, and any attempt to change that will be met with the same force.”

Perhaps even with a stronger one, his golden core still burns brightly. He straightens his robes and turns around, the red ribbon in his hair surely catching their attention. Chenqing hums beneath his fingers when he allows the flute to fall into his hand again, all too willing to be used by him.

The seal stayed at the Burial Mounds as it is as unfaithful as ever and allows itself to be used by any master. The same can’t be said for the dizi or the sword he inherited.

“Goodbye, Rich-gege,” he says over his shoulder, refusing to see what recognition Lan Wangji might have allowed himself to show.

He has no use for it anymore.

The Yiling Patriarch leaves, marching homeward to his waiting grave.

[silfosukmc]

Rises The moon-Fanfic Locpez(??)

Idk what i do, but well- this is a short fanfic about Locus and Lopez, I dont really think this is a Locpez fanfic, but you can see how do you want. (Sorry for my bad English lmao)

If you want a better experience, I recomend you hear "Rises The Moon" first!

Night was approaching as the minutes passed, the sky and the atmosphere seemed too calm to be real in the situation they were in.

They were still searching for clues to what seemed like mysteries of soldiers disappearing in stations forgotten by the UNSC, as if these had never existed in the first place, a subject that Lopez was still not completely fascinated by, but he supposed he couldn't do much outside of the “Rescue Missions” that Locus was still determined to follow.

Lopez rarely appreciated the scenery around him, this surprises himself, taking all the time he was alone, he had never spent a part in appreciating the natural life of the planets, though before he fled along with Locus there wasn't much to see per se either. Blood Gulch was simply a station surrounded by dry earth and rocks, besides its strange heat, and Chorus in contrast there was more variety of life, even if most of it was dead or could be lethal, and with the other planets simply the same.

While Lopez was still pondering he heard some steps behind him, what frightened him was not knowing who was causing them, but whose face it was. Without realizing it, Locus was on his right side watching the sky, only without his helmet on top of him, surprising Lopez by magnitude.

Since he had arrived with Locus, he had not seen him without his armor, and although more than once he questioned him about this decision, he always said the same thing: “It's better to stay prepared for any adversity”, which for Lopez means that Locus is a paranoid shit and has an obsession with this one. Which doesn't surprise him at all.

-Beautiful sky, you rarely get a chance to appreciate this.

Lopez finds this comment completely unnecessary to the conversation so he simply ignores it and asks:

-Why don't you have your helmet on you? I thought you liked to carry it with you everywhere you went.

In response Locus sighs and looks at Lopez's visor.

Lopez expects a firm or elongated and emotional answer, but in return he simply receives a blank stare, as if Locus has no life at all, this did not surprise him, it is not the first time he sees him that way, but it is still hard to get used to.

Lopez simply diverts his gaze to the sky again, waiting for something he didn't even know what it was. Not knowing what to do about the situation he asks again.

-Are you being melancholic with me?

Locus doesn't answer him at first, at this point I thought he wouldn't answer this question either, but nevertheless he did get an answer.

-Most likely.

Lopez takes this as a joke or game on Locus' part.

-God, sometimes I forget that you are a human.

Although he didn't mean to insult him, he could feel the nerve go through his body at the thought that he had screwed up with his comment.

More however Locus let it pass, laughing in his mutterings, accepting the fact.

The situation ceased to tense as he turned his attention back on the landscape, the clouds dispersing, the sky growing bluer and bluer, as what looked like two moons rose to appear.

Lopez never knew the earth, he was created and existed outside of it, so he wonders how different this sunset is from that of planet earth.

He decides to relax and sit on the grass where they were, soon after he realizes that Locus is doing the same, watching the sunset as if he longs to reach it, but however it is impossible, even if he tries, it will not change his chances of achieving it. He feels envious for some strange reason, maybe it is because Locus can feel the breeze of the night passing through his body, maybe because of the lack of melancholy that he was not able to feel, maybe because of the ability that Locus was able to know the sunset of the earth.

He quickly decides to eliminate these thoughts from his head, those thoughts were stupid, he always hated humans, they were so stupid that they weren't even capable of doing one thing right, they failed, they made mistakes, but Locus didn't, he didn't let himself fail at anything… Or so he thought.

This surprised him at the beginning, when they met for the first time in Chorus, Locus acted in such a robotic way that Lopez wouldn't have been surprised if he was an infiltrator AI like Church, his precision was almost inhuman, his voice was low and robotic, maybe not like the one he had, but it was something similar, it was impossible to read the human eye, among other things that simply make you wonder if that person is really alive inside. However this thought changed when in front of the eyes of all the red and blue Locus betrays his partner. He doesn't remember exactly what made Lopez realize in the situation, maybe it was how he disappeared in front of everyone, saying he was going to get better and not be a monster anymore. Yeah, maybe it was that.

But then, when Lopez convinced Locus to take him with him, away from the blues, he could see all those flaws that made him a human, he ate, slept, expressed emotions, doubted, thought, had a beating heart, and especially started to make mistakes.

While Lopez was still thinking and processing inside his head, Locus was still enjoying the sunset, he saw that Lopez had been lost for quite a while when he started to hear sounds of mechanisms moving inside Lopez. He doubted what Lopez was thinking, but simply let it go and continued to enjoy what was now the night.

The natural sounds, the refreshing cold simply soothed Locus' mind so much that he could simply feel peace and sleep inside him. After not having slept through the night thanks to paranoia and frustration, a mental rest was good for him.

Intentionally, he approaches Lopez and lays his head on Lopez's helmet, maybe it wasn't the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but he's had worse nights of sleep.Before long Locus loses consciousness and falls peacefully asleep, while listening to Lopez's mechanisms beeping, apparently this calmed him down.

Lopez was slow to return to reality, after going around so many times in his mind without reaching a satisfactory conclusion, he can feel a weight on his head and body, he looks a little for fear of moving and manages to see Locus, lying next to him, using him as a support.

This makes him uncomfortable, he thinks of a way to get out of the situation without scaring Locus away, but he ends up giving up, he simply accepts the situation and lets himself be carried away by the two moons of the night.

While he appreciates the tranquility that he had never had in his entire existence, he manages to hear some slight sounds coming from Locus, he thinks at first that they could be snoring, but the more he listens carefully he deciphers that they are purrs. Lopez didn't know that humans could do that, let alone in their sleep, but it didn't bother him. He just saw it as another background sound of the night, comforting in his opinion.

Maybe not all humans were as bad or stupid as he thought.

He was starting to get a taste for sunsets now, he supposed that's what melancholy felt like.

(Thanks for read!)

[yarexyare]

While I'm at it, I want to talk about the 10/10 experience that Skip to Loafer or Skip and Loafer has been.

The animation is so fuzzy and warm?? The background score is just perfect everywhere. All hits no miss.

It's one of the more relatable and realistic portrayals of high school and teenagers in general, I feel. Its simplicity and honesty is its biggest charm really. Wanting to find yourself, wanting to be seen, fitting in, dealing with peer pressure, the excitement of new places and friends and school events, learning to trust, unlearning, long distance friendships, first crushes, growing up, AND SO MUCH MORE.

I appreciate how Mitsumi's aunt Nao's entire personality hasn't been rooted in her being trans and that this is the most human and normal treatment given to a trans character in anime thus far (maybe other than Wonder Egg Priority). She's so refreshing to watch because of this and I feel so happy for her even though she's fictional like 😭😭😭🥺🥺

I absolutely love how the manga and its anime adaptation do not make the romance between the leads the focal point. In fact, the romance is so subtle and there is so much more of their budding friendship and trust!! I did not expect it one bit. I like how their individual stories and struggles are given that much attention, I feel like I know them like my friends lol

Drawing on the previous point, the growth seen in Mitsumi's female friendships is so so lovable. It was the cultural festival where it all became so obvious that those girls had found something really beautiful through the comfort and love language of being known and understood. And like Yuzuki said, if someone saw them, they wouldn't be able to tell that they had only known each other for a year.

All of this being said, I NEED MORE SEASONS AND IT WOULD BE SO SO SOOO UNFAIR TO THE UNIVERSE IF IT WASN'T GRANTED 😭😭😭 I'll just read the manga if i run out of patience but I really hope this isn't all there would be to this series in terms of anime 🛐

[finniestoncrane]

Okay so even though Arkham Eddie and Connie are like canonicallly married in my heart, what would Connie think of the other riddlers? What would they think of her?

If Arkham Eddie wasn't in the picture would she fall for any of them??

I just have to know I love Connie sm ♡♡♡

- Effy♡

ok i have been dwelling on this and thinking hard about it since you sent it in ef so let's DO THIS

also here's an image i posted of connie in the server but haven't posted here. she has exceptional boba aim

dano: i think connie has the potential to be most afraid of this eddie. she's not a fan of the unpredictable nature, it unsettles her. outside of his mask and criminal violence, she'd find him adorable, but he's for sure the most terrifying to her. i think he'd like her though! she's weird and shy but in a loud and defiant way. he could learn a thing or two from her

young justice: she'd be all over him. and i think it would terrify him to have someone as vocally into him as she would be. but she wouldn't be able to help herself. he's like a baby version of her eddie, he needs love. she'd find it hard not to squish his cheeks constantly. i think having someone who was so super vocal about how adorable he was at every opportunity would do wonders for him. he'd love her for sure

telltale: the accidentally a little bit too loud whispering of the word "daddy"... she'd be all over him. it's debatable whether he'd reciprocate any of her feelings at all, but she'd be taken in instantaneously by a silver fox with a smug attitude and the energy to... do... so... many... things...

unburied: i don't really know much about pokemon, except i know the villains are team rocket. and i think connie and this eddie would 100% be the team rocket of their universe. i think the other rogues would refer to them as the "wonder twins" in a cruel, ironic way. they'd be far too mischievous and adorable together

btaa: honestly? i think she'd be fine to work with him, but she'd probably get along better with miss tuesday. if it wasn't for the fact that he sounded so incredibly handsome and charming and sexy, she'd think of him the same way as telltale. she needs a bit of something weird about a boy, and btas and twojar are too classically handsome for her. the combination of her and miss tuesday would drive btaa insane, so she might not last long

gotham: it's autism for autism romance. connie is... hyper-aware of how people can be cruel and dismissive and mean when someone's trying to talk about their interests, so she'd definitely be one of ed's favourite people immediately. plus tall and skinny and smaller and fat is a top tier pairing silhouette, a classic. AND connie likes gross things and criminology. and she likes holding hands and kissing without tongues, both things i am sure ed is fond of, just look at him

twojar: all bodies are beautiful, but connie's not super into like buff guys? bad experiences, they tend to either not like her because she's fat or think she needs to work out more because she's fat. which is a shame because i think he would be into having something soft to press against his rock hard tits

btas: oh god this has the potential to be the sweetest combination, and the most valuable for both of them! i don't know how well they'd do romantically, but the two of them as a duo? even just as friends? bliss. connie would appreciate having an eddie who was polite and calm and willing to explain things and i know he would love having a wide-eyed little idiot to listen to everything he said and go "wow that's so cool" afterwards

capullo: as a self-insert, i'm afraid connie would be hugely attracted to this loser. BUT as a slightly better version of myself, she's aware of her worth as a human being and would probably give him a miss. yeah he might be fun to flirt with or to tease, but she'd avoid being pulled into his bullshit. and i think he'd curse himself for that because he would be very aware of what he was missing

[starry-blue-echoes]

Further Thoughts inspired by the spacesuit horror comic (and a lil by the rest of the guy's gallery frankly)

So. The pillarmen.

A lot of stuff about them is vague and idk exactly what I'm remembering wrong or whatever, but!

From what I recall Kars and Esidisi used the masks to elevate themselves above other pillarmen, created masks for other creatures like humans and horses along the way, and the long term project was the perfect mask to make them the ultimate lifeform.

I wonder how much control they had over those manipulations of their biology, when they mutated themselves thus.

The form Esidisi takes after Joseph initially beats him- nothing but a nervous system with maybe a few blood vessels - he must have known he could do that, by how seamlessly he was able to hide, to possess Suzie.

Was that knowledge because he and Kars had planned it, had gone through the cold calculations of survival, deciding what parts of him to reinforce the best against hamon, even knowing it might be excruciatingly painful, not quite sure how well he could recover if he was reduced to such a state -

Was that knowledge from experience, from Kars thinking he'd died before, cornered by hamon users, all his flesh burning away bit by bit- perhaps a battle of attrition, cutting off hamon-tainted flesh again and again even as his energy to replenish it runs dry, before a final desperate attempt to peel away every inch of himself save the bare essentials so he could escape - and even then they found him - but he wove his veins and neurons into their own in an act of desperation, puppeteering them from the inside, taking advantage of the ensuing chaos to flee back to Kars before the hamon user wrests back enough control to burn him out of their body, they manage it, just shy of fast enough to kill him, he stumbles into the cave in a body ablaze and Kars rips apart the flesh to reveal his lover and Esidisi cannot move or speak for weeks, months, as he recovers, and all he can say is that he saw the sun through the hamon user's eyes and it was beautiful -

And in the end it happens (again) it comes to this, Esidisi stripped down to only the most essential parts of himself, knowing this time there's no way out, this time he'll burn, but he can at least give Kars, Kars who lacks this gift, this curse, to survive after your flesh burns away, the chance to see the sun -

(and Kars gets a gift/curse of his own, to achieve everything he'd ever wanted but incapable of appreciating it and utterly alone, unable to ever die-)

I wonder how vampires/pillarmen might respond to ionizing radiation besides UV, since it never comes up in cannon. I mean, most likely it'd burn the same as UV if not worse, but -

Would even touches of it poison them? What if it didn't kill outright? What if it disabled or weakened their healing factor? What if it only seemed that way because the healing factor was entirely absorbed healing the radiation damage, until suddenly, perhaps even well after the exposure, it gives out entirely, and they rot from the inside out. Radiation can cause cancer too- and with a healing factor like that, so many rapidly dividing cells... Perhaps with other parts of them giving in, the careful guiding hand of that healing factor falls apart and that turbocharged flesh bubbles with tumors like a pot of water at boil.

(I do have an oc with a radiation based stand but uhhh they're not super fleshed out and explaining enough about their world to explain even the basics of who they are and the symbolism in their stand would be. So much.)

... I'm in a very Horror mood today.

HEHEHEHEHEHEHHE YESYESYESYESYEYS

we love spooky horror shit in this household <33333