#i can't unsee either help

[upsidedownsmore]

Tennotober 2024 Day 7: Kalymos

what a little stinker lol

Previous (Day 6: Bird 3) || Next (Day 8: Atomicycle)

my muses

[professional-bulshitter]

I- i don't think we talk about the man with stones(?) (are they precious? as in money wise,, not sentimentally 💀) in his mouth shaped like the diagram of the female reproductive system enough,,, because

(this is from season 1 episode 1 btw,,, i was rewatching :)) )

(the second picture is one of the female reproductive systems that was pretty similar to my old textbook so 💀🤷‍♀️)

i mean it could be a hammer (maybe?) but?? what the fuck is going on?? is this also a part of the ineffable plan?? why is this the thing that caught my attention and now refuses to leave my mind??

[emdeerm]

Past saves Present

Og fic ig

In some cultures, it is believed that children are able to remember bits of their past lives till the ages of 3-5.

For Danny, the opposite was true. He got his memories at exactly the second he turned 5.

And he had to promptly dodge the blade of the boy in front of him.

His brother, his mind supplied. His twin.

Danny stopped swinging his own sword, focusing on dodging and avoiding the fate of being a slashed pillow. His new/earned skills especially helped with that greatly as his head was seriously trying to re-kill him.

"I yield," he rasped as he jumped away from his brother and looked at their Mother. "My head hurts, Mother," he added pitifully.

His twin looked slightly concerned for a second, before schooling his face in a way Grandfather has been teaching them.

"Tch." But he did put away the blade before their Mother, said a word.

"Dynial, Damian, you are not to stop until you have received permission in the future."

The boys nodded. Mother took their hands and led them out of the private training ground back to their rooms.

Danny spent the rest of the day lying down, slightly feverish and miserable as his brain was processing and acclimating the new set of memories. Clockwork said it wouldn't be too bad. We'll, the clock bustard has been wrong. It fucking sucked.

His brother was hovering. Their Mother was always around, not letting anyone into their space. Ra's is being kept in the dark.

A peaceful rest was all he needed for his brain to finish sorting out new information. And Danny was stuck in a bit of a dilemma.

You see, Damian and Dynial love their Mother, strive to be the best Demon Twins, and see nothing wrong with their life so far.

Their hands are still clean.

Danny, on the other hand, has many MANY choice words for his current situation and one Clock Ghost.

You want to try reincarnation ONE time! No wonder others don't really do that.

-------

Their days continued like they did before he got his memory back. It wasn't hard to be Dynial when he actually was him.

The nights were filled with planning. And a personally assigned mission: get Damian to be interested in normal things.

Stars weren't much of a hit. Uncultured child.

Animals were a little intriguing.

Simple art and craft projects seemed to hit the spot.

Keeping their little meetings and activities hidden wasn't as hard as one would think. Mother still had her missions. The two of them were often left alone in their wing of the place, the supervisors being allowed only till the doors. Ra's was the Head. He didn't check in on them all the time. The two of them weren't slacking in their training either and were considered prodigies.

Danny wanted out of this Cult.

A many months after feeding different information, facts, crafts and so on to his brother, Damian was curious. He was suspicious about the sudden knowledge but he was also 5. He only had to reference the Lazarus Pit (unfiltered and dirty ectoplasm? Seriously? Clockwork, you can't expect him to work on his vocation) once to convince the child.

They snooped around and found out that they had a father out in the world.

Danny got a plan.

It was super stupid. And dangerous as hell. As well as literally (half)suicidal. But he felt it in his chest and knew he'd succeed.

His Core was here. But it was sleeping. And if he wanted to be safe and away from here, he needed to start it up again.

The big pool of Ecto would do just fine. His Core would filter out the impurities.

He didn't want to stay here until his hands no longer protected. He didn't want such life for his brother either.

---

Damian infiltrated the Lazarus Room just in time to see his brother jump into the Pit.

He ran to the edge.

He was sinking.

The green was too bright. The smell around them was too much. His ears rang.

He reached towards the water, eyes unseeing and hands numb. His heartbeat was too loud.

His brother's wasn't loud enough.

"Don't touch the puddles, Dami, you'll get sick," a gentle, cold hand stopped him from diving.

The child looked up. His brother was floating above the water. He looked all wrong. But he was there.

"I didn't want you to see this part..." his brother laughed awkwardly as he landed next to him. A bright ring of light blinded Damian for a second.

And his brother was back.

-----

Getting used to his powers again felt nice but tedious. Soothing his twin was heartbreaking. He didn't think this through hard enough.

Their Mother was none the wiser to the fact that one of her children died and came back. Nore was she privy to the escape being planned by both.

On one moonless night, when Mother wasn't there, the shift was changing and the world was asleep; two boys phased through the walls and flew. Small bags of stuff were strapped onto them as they traveled to their father.

Mother's notes called him Bruce Wayne, Batman, Beloved and Detective.

It wasn't hard to find him when they arrived.

Though, Danny didn't expect a furless furry and a pantless child to be their new family.

Can he ever get a normal Family???

[thetvar]

I cannot unsee the parallel between Astrid and the Night Mother. Can't explain it either, it's more like a feeling Her being a Matron. Her insisting on forgetting the old ways just like her Mother once stopped following the ways of Morag Tong. Her killing those who she cared the most for. Her burning alive- it all just makes sense

What DOES NOT HELP ME to stop thinking about it: while listing reasons to leave Cheydinhal, Cicero writes "we must leave here [...] before the Night Mother burns" - like that's something that could happen soon. And what happens shortly after he writes that? ASTRID BURNS ALIVE

Also Astrid left a remarkable body after herself like she burned but her hair and eyes are perfectly fine unholy shit how did she manage?

(her having such huge conflict with her Evening Relative is such a mamas girl thing and who doesnt understand that is either have never been mamas or have never been girl)

[nadinescholtes]

I love where they are going with EAPS. With Charlie and Roxy, it feels like EAPS Laia was split into two people.

I ship Clips with Roxy, lol. She could be Clip's love interest, why do I think like that? The story and EAPS Laia's story have some points in common.

Roxy was broken, from an abandoned location. EAPS Laia was abused, and about to be decommissioned, the candy store closed and rebuilt into something new.

Clips took her from a bad situation, like my Clips with Laia. The difference is Laia doesn't want to go back but Roxy does.

Clips fixed Roxy's body. Laia's body was damaged from the abuse, which Clips fixed.

Clips is hiding Roxy, so she would not be found and later let her stay in his lab. Laia was a runaway and hiding from her owner, Clips kept her hidden, helped her, and later let her stay in his lab.

They also showed a drawing of the new model of Roxy they wanted to make but didn't have the time, and this Roxy had short hair and was wearing a neckerchief too, like Laia. (EAPS Laia's trait, so you know the difference between the Laias)

And if I remember correctly, in SAMS dimension, Roxy was evil for a while and wanted to work with Evil Clips, but I don't think anything about that happened later? And I had the feeling that Evil Clips was interested in Roxy or I misread that.

Maybe one day she will hang out with Clips all the time, watch him work, and eat chips?

Or Charlie would do that? She is like Laia's childlike wonder. Laia is amazed by Clip's science stuff and work and she likes to watch him work and play games. And Charlie always seeks out Clips for help, and so does Laia (but who doesn't?) Oh and maybe Ruin will become Charlie's gay grandpa?

Maybe I look too deep into it, but I can't unsee it. If they saw and were inspired of my EAPS Laia story or not and it is just a coincidence, either way I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.

[ajastu]

thinkin about...how much i appreciate the way that talking about death and grief was handled in veilguard. I've been thinking about this topic a lot for the last several years bcs of...many reasons. So it was nice to see.

I guess maybe the best way i could put it into words is...Veilguard did not present grief/loss as purely a tragedy, but also as a part of life? the worst happens, and it might feel world-ending, but you will still need to get up the next morning and eat breakfast, you know? the unrelenting flow of time can be both a comfort and a pain, but no matter what it is in the moment, the fact remains that life Does Not Stop. And we have to deal with that somehow.

i guess one important distinction here. There is a difference between personal loss and like. A massive tragedy. I'm mainly talking about personal loss here, because the two are kind of different topics (that the game addressed differently, also, but this isnt about that right now)

Before i talk about the like, companion questlines, a very brief aside to the environmental design. Admittedly, i havent rly gone looking around the maps for the making of this post specifically, so it won't be too involved, but like. Arlathan, man. Loss and tragedy is etched over every part of it. the ruins, yes, but also...the tree people. At first glance, it is a sunny, beautiful location. And it is! It is also full of little stories of loss and desperation and everyday lives cut unexpectedly short. And you see it the moment you stop and look at it. It is easy to run through without paying much mind to it, but once you notice it you can't really unsee it. And it is still so beautiful and sunny. It's something i liked about the first Dishonored game, too, the juxtaposition of the environment with the tragedy. The sky is blue and the sun is shining when Corvo escapes Coldridge. etc.

Grief will find you again on a nice summer's day. You know?

You can't untangle it from the joys of life. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just...neutral. That's just how it works.

One of the ways people deal with grief is through rituals to remember the dead. Funerals, tending of graves, etc etc. I think Emmrich's quests touch on that in a very nice way.

What i appreciate about that is, like...some people tend to have a fear and aversion to topics related to death. But these quests present it all in such a mundane manner. And you get the option to treat it as such, too. Of course, there is the option to freak out, also, but i'll admit i never checked that one out.

I think part of processing grief is accepting it. And it might mean many different things to many different people, but for me personally those funerary rituals, both big and small, become a first step. And it won't stop being painful, but life does not stop either. You have to choose to live it, eventually. But when you're afraid of taking that first step, well. The grief might just eat you alive.

Every creature's existence brings along with it the death of something else, whether intentional or not. Death is as much a part of life as breathing is, and so getting somewhat comfortable with the concept will help soften the blow whenever it comes. Because it will come.

Funny thing happened while i was playing the game for the first time. I got spoiled about Manfred dying, and when i found that out, i was like. OH NOOO not Manfred....im definitely 100% reviving him.

And then i actually got there, and...the game prepares you so beautifully for acceptance of personal loss. Of course, there is the bias of Ive Been Thinking About This Exact Thing For Years, but still. It felt more...right? to let Manfred go. It still took me a while to decide what to choose, but the fact remains that i had to really sit there and think about it, even though i thought i have already made up my mind.

And just...the whole Cyrian funeral bit. Oh my god. That was so beautifully done. Bellara's story in general was something i really appreciated, but that part was especially hard-hitting for me. Yes i cried. Life goes on.

I feel like it touches some more on the importance of processing the grief, so that you can remember those you lost with fondness and joy instead of just pain. Again, you can't untangle the two, but you can find balance, eventually. Facing that loss instead of running from it...it helps.

And this bit the game itself said in a way i do not think i need to paraphrase:

Death, loss, grief...all of that is difficult. It is also a part of life. And the thing is, life goes on!! I'm not saying that in a "get over it" way. I am saying that in a. ''Holy shit why are things happening'' way. I'm going through this paralyzing grief and life just keeps on happening. And you have to adapt to it, you know? You stop thinking about it constantly, in time. You find joy with the living. But grief will still find you on a nice sunny day...

I don't know. I'm probably not saying everything i wanted to, but it's kind of hard to keep my thoughts in order (plus, this post was a spontaneous decision n im too lazy to go thru the whole game for more examples).

But i guess the main thing i wanted to say is. I appreciate that the game gives you space to sit with it. To think about it. To come to terms with it, even, maybe. DATV did a wonderful job with handling this topic.

It is also tied into the main plot in ways that other people have talked about already. But yeah. The only thing i missed was the lack of a "let the bugs eat me" dialogue option when Emmrich asks Rook what they'd like to be done with their body after they die, but i guess we cant have it all dlkgjdfg

I'm just gonna conclude this with my all-time favorite screenshot from Disco Elysium

[writingwithciara]

friends -brock boeser-

summary: they were best friends who accidentally slept together

word count: 4.3k

pairing: brock boeser x reader

notes: was listening to ‘friends’ by jordy, emma løv & loote when i came up with an idea w: sexual content (but no smut), domesticity, friends to lovers, angst & fluff

the vancouver canucks were out celebrating after a playoff win & brock was watching his best friend dance with her other friends. she was having fun and had no care in the world.

that was one of the reasons he admired her. she never cared what anyone thought of her. ever.

and it was refreshing to brock. he was someone who cared about his career and almost always felt a little hurt when fans got upset about a play he made during a game.

after about 10 more minutes of dancing, y/n made her way over to the table and took her seat next to brock.

"what are you thinking about, mr boeser?" she tapped the side of his head to get his attention. he shook his head and looked at her.

"just trying to figure out how you're always so upbeat and positive. you never let anything or anyone get to you. you also never take anyone's shit it's a quality i really admire."

"really? you admire me?" she raised an eyebrow and added a smirk. "that's cute, brock."

"that's all you took from what i just said?" brock couldn't help but chuckle. y/n was always making jokes.

"of course not." she smiled. "i wish i could tell you why or how i'm so positive all the time, but i have no idea myself."

"i wish i was more like you sometimes."

"why would you want to be like me? i'm nothing special." she looked up at him. "besides, you're brock freaking boeser. you're already perfect."

that was the last thing either of them remembered before they woke up the next morning.

y/n buried her face deeper into brock's chest before her eyes shot open and she took in the scene in front of her. brock was asleep and as far as she could tell, they were both naked. she gently shook brock awake.

"good morning. uh, when did you get here?"

"i'm assuming sometime last night." y/n grabbed her shirt from the night before and pulled it over her body before climbing out of bed and searching for her pants.

"did we-"

"yeah. we definitely did." y/n avoided looking her best friend in the eye. "how did it happen?"

"well, first of all, when a man and a woman decide that-" brock began with a smartass look on his face.

"i know how sex works, brock. i meant how the hell did i have sex with you? you're the one person i consistently told myself to not get involved with. and of course, i ignored my own warnings and now everything is ruined between us."

"nothing has to change between us."

"are you serious, brock? everything is going to change. it's all going to fall apart and i'm going to lose my best friend. how could i have been so stupid?"

"you're not stupid. we were drunk." brock got dressed. "look. let's just pretend this never happened."

"brock, i saw you naked. i can't pretend it didn't happen. as much as i want to, i can't unsee what i saw."

"well that's what i'm going to do because i can't lose you, y/n. you're my best friend. so what if things get awkward between us. what's new there? we're strong enough to get over other obstacles and we're definitely strong enough to make it out of this alive."

"i hate when you're right." y/n sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him. "so, we pretend it never happened?"

"right. we can do this."

but forgetting something so monumental proved to be way harder than they thought.

the canucks were on an incredible winning streak and were one game away from being the stanley cup champions. and with each win, came a celebration.

and just like with each celebration before, y/n was there. the same events played out but y/n and brock tried to avoid each other. whenever brock looked over at his best friend, all he could picture was the intimate night they shared. as much as he wanted to forget, he just couldn't. they had crossed a barrier that would never return to normal. they were fools to believe they could ignore the tension.

so, after a few hours of celebrating and drinks, y/n found herself dancing with brock. the alcohol they had both consumed was fueling them & they were finally ignoring the 'deal' they made the last time they were within close proximity of each other.

"congrats on the goal tonight, brock. you were amazing."

"thanks." he looked down at his best friend and images of their night came flooding back into his brain. "y/n what are we doing?"

"dancing, silly. what else would we be doing?"

"no. i meant our friendship. what are we doing? we promised ourselves we'd get over the obstacle but we've done nothing but avoid each other."

"brock, can we not do this now?"

"then when, y/n? because this is the first conversation we've had in weeks. and damn it, i miss you." he sighed. "i can't keep doing this."

"brock."

"i'm serious. we need to have an adult conversation."

"fine. let's go somewhere more private." y/n sighed in defeat and followed brock out to his car. when they got in, brock didn't start the car. he didn't want to drink and drive. y/n looked at him. "i'm sorry things got weird. and from what i remember about that night, i was the one who initiated the hookup."

"yeah. you did." brock let out a low chuckle. "look, if you want to be more than friends, i totally get it. i'm irresistible."

"eww. no." y/n smiled. "i don't want to be more than friends. i think what we have now is absolutely perfect."

"you're my favorite person, y/n. i don't want to lose you again." he reached over the console and held her hand. "i don't know what i'd do if you left and never came back."

"brock." y/n sighed and placed her free hand on his cheek. "you don't have to worry about that. i'm right here. i always will be."

"good." brock looked into her eyes and before either of them knew it, their lips and tongues were fighting against each other.

"we really shouldn't be doing this." y/n let out a breathy moan when brock's lips traveled down her neck.

"are you going to stop me?" brock stopped kissing her neck and looked up with a smirk.

"absolutely not." y/n pulled him closer. "uber?"

"yes. absolutely." brock opened the app and quickly ordered a ride. the wait wasn't long and they both couldn't keep their hands off each other while they waited.

in the back of the uber, they continued what had started in brock's car. y/n's lips were quick in finding brock's while his hands held her tightly.

when they got to his place, brock unlocked his door as fast as he could. he couldn't wait another second. he needed her.

the next morning, y/n woke up with a huge headache. events from last night were flashing in and out of her mind but she couldn't piece everything together. she had no idea what had lead to her waking up in brock's bedroom again but she understood the feelings she was suddenly having.

brock's side of the bed was empty so she turned on her side and looked around. there was water and some tylenol on the nightstand, along with a note.

sorry to leave you like this. you looked so peaceful and i didn't want to wake you. but i had to go to practice. as always, make yourself at home. i'll be home around 4 & i think we need to talk. -brock

y/n took the tylenol and sipped on her water. when she got out of bed, she grabbed a pair of brock's sweatpants and her shirt from the night before. she checked the time on her phone and decided that she had just enough time to make some food for brock before he got home. she knew he'd most likely be starving after a long day of practice so she went to his kitchen and began her quest.

around 4:30, the front door opened and brock set his bag down in the front hallway. a wonderful smell filled his nostrils and he followed it all the way to the kitchen. when he saw y/n stirring something at the stove, he couldn't stop the feeling that bubbled up in his chest. he also couldn't pinpoint the exact meaning of it.

"hey. what are you making?" brock smiled as he walked up to her.

"i'm making burgers. not only are they delicious, but it was pretty much the only meal i could make since you don't have a lot of food in your kitchen." y/n turned to face him and smiled. "i hope you don't mind."

"i don't mind at all." brock sat at the counter and watched his best friend.

"how was practice?"

"it was great. quinn fell several times and it was funny every time because each time it happened, it was more dramatic than the time before it."

"poor quinn." y/n shook her head but couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. "i'm glad you had a good day then."

"the good day was only possible because of you."

"what did i do?"

"everything we did last night." he looked up at her as she placed a burger in front of him.

"brock, i love you and i don't want to mess up what we have. plus, i'm not looking for a relationship. you know that."

"i know. i'm not either." he picked up his food while y/n stood in front of him. "but you can't deny that last night was pretty amazing."

"you're right. it really was."

"maybe there's a way we can retain this friendship while still fooling around."

"you really think that will work?" y/n looked skeptical but even she couldn't deny that it sounded like fun.

"we already love each other & have a strong relationship. we can definitely do this. but if you're not comfortable with it, i'll stop asking about it." he looked back over at her. "there's nobody i trust more than you to do this with."

"i'll feel better if we put a time limit on it. like, maybe we test it for a week. if everything goes well, we can discuss it further."

"okay. sounds like a solid deal." brock held out his hand like it was a business transaction. y/n shook it with a smile.

"should we make a schedule?"

"i think once a day should work. if we're both up for it."

"i agree." y/n and brock finished their food at the same time. when y/n went to grab his dirty plate, he smirked.

"why not start now?"

"certainly falls right into the schedule." y/n took a deep breath and left the room. when brock didn't follow her, she turned around. "are you coming or not?"

"oh." he hopped off his stool and they both quickly made their way to his bedroom. it didn't take long for the clothes to be thrown around the room.

the next morning, y/n woke up before brock. she looked over at him and smiled. he looked incredibly peaceful. but maybe that's how anybody would look if their team was one win away from being stanley cup champions for the first time ever.

she got out of his bed and headed to his kitchen. she wanted to cook his breakfast but there wasn't a whole lot of options in his cupboards. so she went on doordash and ordered them both some breakfast. while she waited, she decided to clean up their dinner dishes from the night before.

"good morning." brock spoke in his morning voice. it startled y/n at first but when she turned around, she couldn't help but smile.

"hey. i hope you're hungry because i ordered some breakfast. it should be here any minute."

"i'm starving. thank you." he placed a kiss to the side of her head and sat down. "are you coming to the game tonight?"

"of course. it's the biggest game of the season, brock. i wouldn't miss it for anything."

"good. because i'm gonna need you there in case we lose."

"you're not going to lose." y/n circled around the island and stood next to where he was sitting. she put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. "you guys have been playing consistently strong these last few weeks and i have so much faith in you. there's no way you can lose this."

"god, you're amazing at pep talks. did you know that?"

"no. i didn't. but i like hearing that i'm good at something other than dancing."

"you're good at a lot of things, y/n. cooking, pep talks, dancing, singing, photography, sports, sex."

"now you're just trying to make me blush." she smirked.

"is it so bad that i want to see my best friend blush?" he lifted her chin and made eye contact with her.

"no. i suppose it's not." y/n bit her lip and closed her eyes. she wanted to enjoy the moment for as long as possible before having to face reality.

luckily for her, the doorbell rang a few seconds later and she went to answer it. she grabbed the food and headed back to the kitchen.

"you got my favorite food." brock smiled and began digging in. "oh, this is amazing. you are a freaking goddess."

"figured you would want your favorite on the biggest day of your career."

"you were right." brock smiled and slowed down.

"everything okay?"

"absolutely. i was just thinking about how i got lucky having you in my life."

"i think i got luckier." y/n smiled and reached for his hand. "you're my best friend and i love you so so much."

"i love you too." brock smiled widely and finished his serving, opting to save the rest for later. "i gotta get ready for practice. but the game starts at 8 so you should get to the arena-"

"an hour before. i know the drill." y/n smiled and put the food containers in the microwave. "alright go get ready to kick some ass in the final game."

a few hours later, y/n was sitting in her designated spot in the arena and was watching the players skate around. brock kept passing by and looking at her with the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face. she also noticed quinn was smiling at his buddy too.

on the ice, as the team did their warm ups, quinn skated up to brock with a smile.

"so, what was that all about?"

"what?"

"every time you skate by y/n's seat, your smile gets bigger and bigger. there's not something going on between you guys is there?"

"of course not. she's my best friend. why do you ask?"

"because i kinda have a thing for her and was planning on asking her out after the game tonight. whether we win or lose."

"oh. why have you never told me that before? i could've put in a good word for you."

he was very clearly lying. there was no way he could see y/n and quinn becoming a thing. he didn't think it wouldn't work at all. and not because he knew quinn was technically her type. no. it was because, no matter how hard he tried to stop it or deny it, he had feelings for his best friend.

"would you do that for me?"

"of course. what are friends for?"

"thanks man." quinn skated away and looked up at y/n with a smile. she waved back at him and focused her attention on brock. whatever he was talking about with quinn made him skate faster and play harder.

by the end of the first period, brock had attempted several shots on the seattle net and only one made it in. he also had an assist on a goal made by quinn. it should've been a good night for him but quinn's words rang through his ears. he wondered if y/n would be happier with quinn than with him.

he didn't let it stop him from playing his best and by the time the 2nd period was over, he had scored 2 more goals. y/n cheered the loudest in the whole arena, at least to brock she did. her cheers were always the only ones he heard when he played. and suddenly, the feelings for her became overwhelming. he needed to do something about their situation before one of them got hurt.

when the final buzzer went off, the score was 5-3. meaning vancouver won the stanley cup. quinn, conor and brock were being celebrated by the team and as they made their way down the tunnel, quinn stopped and turned towards brock.

"hey, listen. i have to apologize for what i said earlier."

"what do you mean?" he was confused.

"i meant when i said i had a thing for y/n. i really don't. i was just saying that to get a reaction from you. and i clearly did. you played great tonight and i know it's because i got under your skin. i'm sorry but i know you have deeper feelings for y/n than you let on."

"don't know what you're talking about." brock chuckled and shook his head. he didn't know how quinn figured it out.

"you don't have to lie to me. i know a lot more than anyone thinks." quinn looked at his friend and then over his shoulder. "your girlfriend's waiting for you."

"she's not my girlfriend, quinn."

"not yet, my friend." quinn smirked and greeted y/n kindly before walking into the locker room.

brock stopped in front of y/n and smiled. "hey."

"hey. you were amazing out there tonight, brock." y/n threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"thanks. i tried."

"is there anything you can't do?" y/n looked at him and smiled.

"well i don't think i can handle my jealousy very well." he half chuckled but looked down at y/n.

"what do you mean?"

"um, quinn told me he was planning to ask you out after the game."

"oh."

"what would you say if he actually goes through with it?"

"i would have to say no." y/n looked down at her feet as she let brock go. "he's great but not the guy i see myself spending the rest of my life with. why do you ask?"

"because i was gonna set you up with him." brock chuckled. "but now i know it won't work out. such a shame though. he really liked you."

brock didn't know why he was lying. but he did anyway.

"he did?" y/n shook her head. "now i feel bad. i mean, maybe one date wouldn't hurt. right?"

"y-yeah. you're right." he looked at her. "are you sure you want this?"

"why not? i'm single. he's single. he's a good guy. but it's only one date. let him know that."

"okay. i'll be right back out." brock went into the room and walked to quinn. "okay here's the deal. i told y/n you wanted to ask her out and she agreed to one date."

"okay. but i don't actually have a thing for her. does she know that?"

"no. i told her you really liked her and she felt bad so, yeah. one date. that's all i'm asking for you to do."

"okay. i guess i can do that." quinn looked at brock. "so, when you told her that i really liked her, was that just a cover up for your own feelings?"

"yes, damn it. i don't know how you know about that."

"i know everything." quinn smirked and headed to the shower. brock went back to the hallway to tell y/n the plan.

the following night, y/n met quinn at a restaurant not far from brock's apartment. when he saw her, he had to stop himself from looking at her like she was the object of his affection & not brock's.

"you clean up nice, quinn."

"thanks. so do you." he pulled out her chair for her and went to his own seat. "you know, i honestly didn't think brock was gonna set this up when i asked him to."

"oh really? why's that?"

"i thought he had feelings for you. i was so sure of it, just based on the way he acts around you and without you. but if he did have those feelings, he wouldn't have set this up, right?"

"yeah. right." y/n was confused. if brock had feelings for her, then why would he propose their deal in the first place?

after an hour of eating and conversation, quinn quickly changed the subject.

"can i confess something?" he managed to mutter between bites of his dessert.

"of course." she was interested now. "what's up?"

"i only told brock i was going to ask you out so i could find the truth out."

"what truth?"

"whether or not he had feelings for you. and even though i said earlier tonight that he wouldn't have set this up if he did, i think he did it because he does have feelings for you & was doing this to cover them up. plus, judging by the way he reacted when i brought up asking you on the date, i can safely say that my theory was confirmed. he's into you, y/n."

"that can't be possible. he's my best friend. n-nothing more."

"people say that all the time. but sometimes, it turns into more. and between you guys, the chemistry is electric. and obvious to everyone but you apparently."

"if he has feelings for me, why wouldn't he just tell me?"

"fear of rejection and losing the relationship you two already have. it's a very common fear."

"okay, fair enough. but he knows he can tell me anything and it would never ruin our friendship."

"well, you just used the word 'friendship' so that might be why he didn't tell you."

"i suppose." y/n finished off her drink and looked at quinn. "how do i get him to confess how he feels?"

"i may have an idea. but it may not be a very bright one."

"give it to me." y/n leaned closer to listen to every detail of the plan.

by the time they left the restaurant, y/n and quinn had a solid plan to get brock to finally admit how he felt. she was supposed to go to his place and tell him that the date went great and that they had scheduled another one. she hoped it worked.

when she walked into brock's apartment, where she would be staying the night, brock looked over his shoulder. he paused his show and turned towards her.

"hey. how was the date?"

"oh. it was surprisingly great. he was awesome and did everything a gentleman should do."

"oh. that's great." brock looked down at his lap.

"it was. we have another date scheduled for saturday night."

"wait, really?"

"yeah. we figured since the date went so well, we'd make time for another one."

"oh. well i'm happy for you." brock sighed. "quinn's a good guy and you deserve to be happy."

"i know i do." y/n sat next to brock and looked at him. "do you think quinn and i are good together?"

"honestly, yeah. i don't think there's anyone better for you than quinn."

"i do."

"what?"

"i think there's someone out there better for me than quinn." y/n shook her head, a smile slowly beginning to appear on her face. "it's you."

"what are you talking about?"

"do i seriously have to spell it out for you, boeser?" y/n shook her head again and leaned closer. "you are better for me than anyone else could ever be."

before brock could respond, y/n climbed into his lap and kissed him. he hesitated for only a second before he began kissing her back. his hands went up to her face and she smiled into the kiss. when they finally pulled way from each other, y/n smirked.

"do you get it now?"

"i think so. but just in case, maybe we can try that one more time, just to be sure?"

"i think we can do that." y/n smiled and kissed him again. brock held her hips and laid her on the couch gently. as his lips moved down her neck, he started to hesitate. y/n grabbed his face and moved it to her line of vision. "brock, i love you. this is perfectly okay. don't feel like you're going to break me."

"okay. i wasn't hesitating because i was afraid." he smiled. "it's just now hitting me that you love me too. it doesn't feel real."

"it's the most real thing i've felt in a long, long time."

"me too." brock's smile kept growing wider and wider until it started to hurt. but he knew he was truly happy.

and when y/n's lips found his again, he took his time. he savored every second of their interaction. his hands slipped under her shirt but he didn't move them until y/n nodded.

with her permission, he moved them up and y/n pulled her shirt over her head before reaching for his and doing the same.

unlike all the other times they slept together, this time was different. it meant more to the both of them and they wanted to take their time.

it was real and it was exactly where they were meant to be. wanted to be. needed to be.

[melonteee]

About Sanji being feral with men/older men, I remember reading once in a fanfic how an OC or SI (I can't remember which ^^; ) suggested that the reason why Sanji is nice to women and rude to men is because of his family. That at a young age he formed the mindset that women tended to be good people while men tend to be bad people because when he was young only women (his mom and to an extent his sister) were the only ones to treat him with kindness while the men in his life (his brothers and father) treated him like shit.

That kind of makes sense and I can no longer unsee it.

I'm so sorry this got so long because I have so much to say about Sanji and his perception of gender so read under the cut LMAO

Anon the SECOND his WCI story was revealed, that was the literal first thing I noticed. As always, Oda has an incredible show don't tell ability - and while it is implied (and maybe Oda didn't have the intention), there's certainly an idea that Sanji puts women on a pedestal due to how men abused him.

But considering Reiju helped Sanji, and how there were maids around Sanji who were also kind to him, along with his own mother, I'd say it's extremely intentional. Reiju also isn't exactly the nicest person either, like she's presented as a total grey area. It's not that Reiju was kind to Sanji just because she was a 'nurturing' big sister, but because she was the only one who didn't have her emotions literally programmed out of her. Reiju still gave Sanji a tough time, and still didn't help him unless it was behind Judge's back, but she still showed him more kindness than Sanji's father or brothers EVER did.

While there's an obvious misogyny in Sanji, and it IS undeniable, it certainly slides much further up on the misandry scale. When he was first brought into the world, the only people nice to him were women. His first memories and first acts of care and love came from women. He was allowed to cry around his mother, he was allowed to let his guard down around Reiju, and he was allowed to be his 'emotional' self with the women that surrounded him. It is undeniable Sanji has elevated women up to a being higher than men, and much higher than his OWN existence. This has all mixed and formed inside him due to his time with the Vinsmokes AND his time with Zeff.

After all, combine Sanji's first and only real acts of affection coming from JUST women, with Zeff's ideology that women are NOT to be harmed, of course you're going to create a boy who idolises women as this holy deity.

Not to go a bit off track, but it's why this idea that Sanji HATES himself, and why he has ZERO self worth, is ALSO something people tie to his gender. Does Sanji take pride in being a 'manly man', or does he think that's what he needs to be for women? Does Sanji compensate his hate for his own self by being this extremely overdone, heteronormative gentleman? By projecting his love onto beings he believes he can never be nor measure up to?

When of course, these 'beings' are just women. Just people, like himself.

The discussions surrounding Sanji and gender, combined with his abusive male environment and this clear confusion/hatred for men, is WHY there are many who have picked up this idea Sanji perhaps does not want to BE a man. It can be called a stretch, or wishful thinking, but it's something people within the queer community have seen nonetheless.

After all, we have SEEN Sanji's happiness upon being perceived as a woman - TWICE.

Sanji quite literally has a deadname he refuses to be referred to as.

And now, with his current mutation happening, he is becoming afraid of - and displaced IN - his own body.

Sanji is such a weird and complicated character to fathom, honestly. It could VERY well be these were all things Oda just accidentally tripped and banged head first into, but WCI as a whole had a pretty big focus on not JUST familial roles, but expectations and roles of GENDER as well.

Katakuri's need to be stern and emotionless as an older brother, Pudding's abuse due to the fact she wasn't 'pretty' enough, Big Mum's daughters being married off unless they proved they can serve some OTHER purpose, Sanji's brothers forcefully cold and emotionless, Reiju needing to bottle her own emotions with fear of being bullied, SANJI'S bullying due to being an emotional boy, Judge HIMSELF being made fun of for his crying.

Combined all with Reiju telling Sanji "You're a boy, don't cry!"

WCI was fucking RIDDLED with gender discussion and gender expectation that comes with blood family, but this idea is pushed to the side due to the themes of familial abuse being the most prominent. Yet a BASE of familial abuse IS expectations of gender roles that comes WITH a nuclear family.

As much as people don't want to see it or CAN'T see it, Sanji's character and arc includes areas of toxic gender norms JUST as much as it covers blood family abuse. It's just something that's taken to an extreme in this hyper fiction setting, and thus, it can become invisible beneath the surface. But I see it! And obviously, you see it too anon!

Sorry for the rant I am just VERY passionate about Sanji's complicated relationship with gender LMAO

[localcanadiancreature62]

Fiddlestan au memory tapes quick drabble

@maya-custodios-dionach this one's for you.

"So Mcgucket,are you ready to see your memories?" "I don' know. What if ah don't like what i see?" "You have to,it's your only chance of knowing who you are" Mabel remarks as Mcgucket then nods and watches as the braces girl puts in the memory tapes. A young Mcgucket appears on the TV screen as the twins hear a familiar raspy forced cough. "Fiddlesticks,are ya sure that you wanna do this?." Young Stan asks in the background of the video as he holds onto the camera while Fiddleford glares at him. "Of course i'm sure,darlin'. Now get the darn camera rolling. Anyway. My name is Fiddleford Hadron Mcgucket,and i made this new invention so that i can unsee what i just saw. Something terrible. Test 1. Subject name,Fiddleford Mcgucket." Fiddleford remarks as he closes his eyes and blasts the memory gun on himself. The scene then switches to an amazed Fiddleford as the second test comes around. "It worked!. I don't remember a thing!." Fiddleford exclaims as Stan rolls his eyes behind the camera as he does NOT want to do this although he compromised for the sake of his southern nerd. "But ya still remember me,right?." Stan asks as Fiddleford looks at him once more. "Course',Stan sweetheart. Now onto the next test." Fiddleford replied as he left the frame but then before the next tape plays,Mabel gasps in shock from discovering that Stan was actually dating Mcgucket. "GRUNKLE STAN WAS BOYFRIENDS WITH MCGUCKET?!. WHY DIDN'T HE SAY ANYTHING?!." Mabel yells as Fiddleford looks at her confused,as he too doesn't remember being with the con man. "Now i've seen everything. I can't believe it. Grunkle Stan,and the town kook?." Dipper says as he shudders in slight disgust. Fiddleford then expectantly looks at them both. "Look children,ah don' know about me datin' yer uncle either. But before ya start jumping to conclusions,let me see the rest of my memories first " Fiddleford remarks as the twins nod and play the tapes again. A more deranged Young Fiddleford appears onscreen with various crossed out eye symbols in the background. "I made a community where people can use my invention to unsee the things they saw!. The experiment is a success!." Fiddleford exclaims happily as Stan sighs in disbelief in the background. "Fidds,isn't this getting a little out of hand?. This sounds kinda nuts with the whole 'community' thing." Stan asks as he refers to his southerner's cult while worrying for his sanity. "You're nuts!. I'm finally picking up mah life again after that insufferable bastard ruined it and now you're going to get in the way too?!." Fiddleford shouts as the grifter starts to grip the camera harder,if the audible static-y sounds of him playing with the camera are anything to go by. "Jeez. Relax. I'm just worried for ya,y'know?." Stan replied as the southern man ignores his comment and the scene switches to an even more unstable Fiddleford. "I did somethin' bad. This was a mistake,i'm forgettin' my name my job and everything!." Fiddleford says as the scene quickly switches to Day 189.

"I accidentally hit someone with mah car. I feel tegible,t-terrible. Terrible. I've been forgettin' words lately. And Stanley.." Fiddleford remarks as even in his slowly slipping sanity,he holds onto the memory of the grifter whom he has already abandoned at this point. "I seen something!. Something big!." "I realized that i've been losin' mah hair,so i got this hat from a scarecrow!. Get outta here ya darned critters!." Fiddleford says as he tries to shoo various animals away from his place at the dump. Fiddleford then utters incoherent gibberish as he makes a triangle symbol with his fingers over one of his eyes as the tape ends. "Oh, McGucket, I'm so sorry." "Aw, hush. You kids helped me get my memories back, just like you said." "But did you want those memories back?" "After all these years,I finally know who I am. Maybe I messed up in the past, but now that I seen what happened, I can begin to put myself together again." "I won't be able to put MYSELF together again after hearing that you and Grunkle Stan were apparently lovers." Dipper remarks in disgust as Mcgucket and Mabel laugh. The rest of the episode goes exactly as canon,with Mcgucket saving the gang from getting their minds erased by using his own empty mind as a shield as Dipper then erased the Blind Eye Society's memories of their own cult as he and Mabel go home after happily helping the town kook.

[wolveragrace]

Arcadion

[Part 1 - Part 2]

LORE DUMP TIME BABYYYYYY BUCKLE UP

TLDR: Vera has limited mobility and chronic pain as a result of the Zenos fight, and tore her shoulder dancing in m5

(skip the first paragraph if you don't wanna read about how injured she was)

EndWalker has Consequences! Vera got slightly more tanky(but mostly just more reckless) after fusing with Ardbert, but that was not enough to save her during the Zenos Trial. She had to heal herself through that fight. Heal a lot, and heal fast. She didn't have time to make sure she was doing it right, she just had to stay standing. She still barely made it out, and when she did her friends discovered that in addition to all her visible injuries were wounds that had stitched themselves together wrong. Bones fused at awkward angles. Extensive scar tissue that would inhibit the use of her muscles. When they got back to Sharlayan, well. She couldn't be fixed with magic, so things had to be reopened and set properly with surgery.

After that she spends most of her time split between Sharlayan and Gridania. (I am putting at LEAST a year in between EW & DT, maybe longer)

In Sharlayan she's getting physical therapy to try and keep as much of her range of motion as possible, but there were some places where the scarring was either too extensive or too deep to be fixed, so she can't get completely back to normal. She's lost some mobility and has lingering pains. She starts wearing compression wraps and braces to help with that [thank you @sae-mian for pointing out that her raid outfit looks like it has a knee brace. I can't unsee it so it's cannon now]

She also gets to spend time with G'raha while in Sharlayan <3. She tries her best to help with the Students stuff, and even to start learning medicine to make her healing safer and more effective, but... well, she's not an academic.

When she's back home in Gridania, she is working with E-Sumi to get her magic back to normal. The stone/aero -> glare/dia switch happened when she was overfilled with light. Now that she's back on the source, only pulling from one element upsets the aetherial balance so she has to retrain her magic. E-Sumi(dad) and Nira'sae(sibling) also have opinions on the state she came home in so you can rest assured she's being taken care of there too- and being prevented from doing anything stupid.

[While she was only warned against using too much healing magic on herself after this, the situation did solidly change her from a "keep the party at 100% hp all the time" healer to a "but did you die" healer. Specifically so she can do as much healing as possible in between fights to make sure it's done right.]

She did get mostly back to a healthy spot after EW. Cut back on her beauty routine(coping mechanism since HW), started dressing comfy again like she did before leaving the Shroud. The fact that she kept her new staff that happened to have a blade on it was a practical choice. It's a good quality weapon, and the last one snapped anyway! Don't mind the one saddle bag that's still dedicated to skincare that now has her old gear stashed in the bottom. It's for emergencies only! If you take them away she WILL have a panic attack but that's not important The appearance of The Dome is a valid emergency and the Scions are totally overreacting when she reverts back to her EW appearance and behavior overnight. She's fine.

And then she gets lost in the music and starts to enjoy herself, and forgets she can't move like she used to. It's fine. She's fine.

[wayrad]

I feel like the seizures were caused by a head injury sometime between baling out and Bucky getting to the Stalag but Gale doesn't REMEMBER and anytime he tries to remember it either sets off a seizure or make him just I'll in general.

He also starts having absent seizures and that might freak John out even worse bc with grand mal there are steps he can try to take but sometimes he doesn't even realize Buck isn't quite there untill he's back. Groggy, out of it, not sure where he is.

(I like to think the guards caused the injury before he was moved to Stalag III and there's more trauma locked in there with that memory)

Anyway I clearly think about this a lot 😂😅

YOUR MIND OH MY GOD

this is just. yes. its not even that gale doesn't want to tell john its that he can't. i also like to think the guards caused the injury...maybe when they initially brought gale to the dulag they thought it would be wise to employ one of their more...handsy grunts to do the dirty work the interrogator didn't want to do. they couldn't waste the major they had captured, right? maybe german intelligence already knew of buck and bucky, knew that gale could give them some information they needed about formations and other things. so when gale wouldn't even say his name, or his number, just kept his mouth glued shut in rebellion, they stopped asking. i know gale would put up a fight; the interrogator tried to tell him he was only making it worse for himself but gale wouldn't stop. maybe the grunt hit him until he was out cold, falling back on the concrete floor and hitting his head on the way down. head trauma babyyyy

so when he gets to the stalag he doesn't really remember what had happened. maybe some of the guys tell him how strong and heroic he was and gale is just like ? do i know you? and it took him a while to warm up to them again because as we all know he is fiercely independent and it's like all that time in flight school getting over his reserved shyness just went to the wind

so when john just didn't believe him and was really hurt and trying to force gale to tell him whats happening and why this keeps happening, he gets overwhelmed and starts to seize, just like this never ending cycle.

and omg yes absent seizures would scare john so bad, cause gale almost sees normal but there's obviously somehting off; his eyes are unseeing, maybe he's slurring his speech real bad and can't quite remember his name. whats worse is john just feels so helpless because there's nothing he can do to help buck. he just watches it all go down knowing he wasn't there and there's nothing they can do but wait it out in this damn hellhole of a camp

so yeah long story short i love this idea. and its canon to me now

[radfemsiren]

I am deeply, deeply afraid of God (Allah) i just want to say... lets for a moment say it's true. Lets say if you don't believe in allah, you will go to hell and be tortured there (ik you don't believe that, just asking you for a second to humor me)

What if... i reject faith and I die. What if it's true? Then it will be too late. God then (according to the quran) 😔 will not forgive. What will I do if it turns out to be true? Can't go back then..

I'm afraid. I can't live without Allah. I reject the mysogyny and the pedophilia bc that is NOT fucking okay. But i cannot live without allah. I'm afraid of death.

I'm sorry

Thank you for sending this ask ❤️

I want to talk about Pascal’s wager, because this is a popular concept that was argued between Christians and Atheists when I first got into debate. Pascal’s wager was proposed by a Christian, and his argument was yours: It’s better to just believe in God and follow Christ’s teachings “just in case”, that way if it’s true, you go to heaven, and if not, then at worst you just wasted some time. Because if you don’t follow the faith, and risk it being true, then you go to hell. So the least risky avenue would be to follow the religion…

This is a logical fallacy: it doesn’t make sense when put to the test of rational thought. This risk to reward analysis would only work if there was one religion.

There are thousands of religions, almost all of them punish non believers. What if Christianity was right? Now you risk going to their hell by being a Muslim. What if Hinduism is correct? What if the ancient Greeks were correct, and you will now be punished by Zeus?

There is no safety in choosing a faith, almost all of them rule by fear and will punish you if you make the wrong choice out of thousands…There is only one rational conclusion : none of them are correct, and our life is simply ruled by the principles of science. When we die, we decompose, and new life is created. We are made of dying stars, and will become a dying star once again… You can find beauty in that or not, but it’s the simple truth.

There is also another logical fallacy with Pascal’s wager when it’s proposed by Muslims: intent is everything with good deeds. We know this, it’s taught repeatedly to us. If you pray wrong for years, and learn the right way, they still count because of your intention. You can’t force someone at gunpoint to be Muslim or pray because any worship done without pure intention is not a true good deed, and won’t be counted for judgement day:

You can not make yourself believe something. You either do, or don’t. It’s not a choice: you can actively work against it for years, but in your heart, you know what your true perspective is. I know the sky is blue, I can keep trying to make myself believe it’s not, but it won’t work. If you pray to Allah for years, and in the back of your mind you know he doesn’t exist, those prayers don’t count. The only unforgivable sin is being an unbeliever in Allah… that’s the one thing that Muhammad can’t argue on your behalf on judgement day. And it’s also the one thing you can’t make yourself do: once you realize how fake it all is, you can’t make yourself unsee the lie.

I hope this helps! ❤️

[schneiderenjoyer]

Arcanist's "Perception" & The Unseen World

Hello! I'm back at it again with a fascinating look into analyzing new information from the recent event in global that help solidify certain headcanons and theories I have about arcanist genetics/behavior and how much more they're different from humans.

It focuses on the Meditator's Realm and how it supports something I've already had assumptions on and that is:

Arcanists can tangibly see and interact with things others, mostly humans, can't. This apply to other arcanists as well even if some can theoretically perceive them.

This is a long read, so take your time.

Let's start with what I mean by their perception creating tangibility on what an arcanist can see and interact with. Arcanists are highly sensitive to strong emotions and their thought process works differently on how they manage it. Using Kaalaa Baunaa as an example, we can see how she manifests stress and anxiety as a literal monster stalking her with the proposal papers as its "anchor" or main source of the strong emotions:

This is one of the many ways arcanists "perceive" emotions that makes sense to them and through Deep Meditative Thought (Gnosis), they can compartmentalize it into a more coherent structure that would be more similar to how humans deal with strong emotional response without it manifesting into strong "hallucinations."

But are they really hallucinations?

Not quite. While the emotional state can be seen as delusions, they're very much real to arcanists for one specific reason: Their core. I forgot the actual term they use for it (it could actually just be Gnosis honestly), but one of the biggest biological difference between humans and arcanists is that arcanists apparently have some kind of stone in their brain that's theorized to be the deciding factor of how they can use arcanum and "perceive" wild things.

But the "delusions", according to humans, are actual solid things the arcanists can interact with. They're tangible and real, but invisible to the naked eye with only a particular set of individuals being able to "see" them. These unseeing things becomes what's known as "myths" or "cryptids" to humans. But even arcanists find it hard to perceive these things as they're not specialized in it.

We can see this in Tooth Fairy.

While other arcanists can see the tooth fairies in her jar (which has unique properties meant to contain them), the "other fairies" that surround her constantly and more freely are invisible to them both in sight and hearing.

This leads me to believe that each arcanists see many "unseen things" differently and purely based on their skills and capabilities, but have the potential to "see" what other arcanists see either with the right tools (anchor) or enough practice.

People who try to "perceive" these things without proper training or equipment to "observe" them carefully can lead to a lot of mental distress, even insanity. Commonly humans because:

Humans are creatures that go by the motto of "Fact over fiction" or "Seeing is believing", but when actually facing the truth of things, they buckle under the pressure.

But that doesn't mean arcanists are immune to these effects either.

This is one of Baby Blue's "items" that she brought back from "Wonderland" and it's unstable and imperfect. Even UTTU's arcanist staff slowly lose the sense to properly "perceive" the item if they look too long both because it's incomplete and it's an "unseen thing" that only Baby Blue has fully deciphered in her head. It's a tangible, solid shape to her, but a confusing distorted attempt to mimic the real thing to others. It could also be due to the fact it's not from their world, but from "Wonderland", a place slightly different from their own.

But how did she manage to bring it into reality that even untrained arcanist eyes can "perceive" it with only minor consequences of lengthy observation to it?

This is where the Meditator's Realm comes into play.

It's described as a Realm that "mirrors" reality that can be entered through a special meditative form and connects the Deep Thought (Gnosis) of arcanists to it, allowing them to explore and interact with it to some degree.

Kaalaa Baunaa even compares it to dreaming, but more specifically she's referring to what humans call Lucid Dreaming. It's a form of astral projection where the soul disconnects from the body after entering REM sleep. A deep meditative state achieved through sleep. This is further supported from Baby Blue's interview about "Wonderland":

The implication is staggering as this could mean that even humans can enter this realm through lucid dreaming, but can't achieve as great of an influence there as arcanists who are naturally born to view everything in reality as different. The Meditator's Realm could be proof of a parallel world anyone can access with enough skill and resources.

Like the Manus Vindictae.

Their goals for wanting to reverse the world is still unknown, but with the new insight about the Meditator's Realm, we can speculate that how the Storm operates is through the collapse and bridging between "Reality" and a "Mirrored Reality." And with the Manus' intention of "bringing the world to the right course of history", the possibility of them selecting one of these parallel worlds and attempt to merge it with theirs by "erasing" parts to later glue fragments from another into it is more and more possible.

And an arcanist's ability to "perceive" the unseen realms becomes a very prevalent key to surviving a Storm.

Because with this, they can see the "in between" and the moment "reality" and the "mirrored world" starts conflicting before the Storm takes everything away due to the unstable consequences of bringing two worlds together.

They're still not immune when the Storm actually arrives, but just simply being able to "see" the signs gives them an advantage in braving it.

TLDR; Arcanists not only think differently from humans, but can see and interact with things far beyond the scope of "reality" that even other arcanists find hard to understand without training or an anchor.

The Meditator's Realm could be potential proof of parallel worlds and could be how the Manus dictates the course of what era they want to reach. As well as the unstable collision between "reality" and the "mirrored world" could be how the Storm operates.

Thank you for reading! Hope this fascinates you into thinking other theories about the Meditator's Realm and what could this mean for the world lore and arcanists.

[fatedroses]

I don't know why my brain presented me with this, but you saying Adventure Zenos was just this unkillable/invulnerable brawler just made me go "A yes, Hilibrand if he had a turn with the braincell" and now I can't unseen it.

It’s okay, I can’t unsee it either, that thought has cursed me since EW, because I would die for Zenos to be the “Straight Man” for a Hildibrand quest akin to how WoL was, or to go toe to toe with Godbert. I’ll also admit, it doesn’t help for me either that I write Adventurer Zenos’ fighting style (one day I’ll figure out how to portray it in my art eventually) based on street brawling and greek wrestling, so Godbert running around drop kicking robots hasn’t helped that thought for me either lol.

[bleumanouchesims]

The Search is Over, You Were with Me all the While

♫

After a few dates, Sweetjane decided that she and Lyle were better off as friends. But still every step of the way Farron was there, Just as she had been since the beginning of her life in Maristella.

"Didja know he wears socks with sandals?"

"Oh really?" Farron asks with a smile.

"Yeah, really! He asked me on a date ta de nature preserve and showed up like dat. Now I was raised not ta judge, but really socks and sandals?"

"Sounds to me like that's an image that you can't unsee."

"I was thinkin'... what is every vacation gonna look like? And yer right, I just couldn't see it. He was happy ta just stay friends eitha way." Sweetjane gets up real quick to grab their hotdogs from the stand next to them.

"Sounds about right. I'm sorry that it didn't work out."

"It's fine though. I gotta new little guy now. Love him to bits."

"Oh? What's his name?"

"De cutest t'minou. I decided ta call him Patch. He's one o' dose rare boy calico cats. He don't gotta tail and hops round like he's a little bunny, he do."

Sweetjane handed her phone over to Farron and flipped the photobook app. "He was unda one o' de customer's cars at work. I. of course, didn't want nothin ta happen ta him and so I stopped by de store to make some supplies fer him. Didn't plan on keepin' him t'all. But that night when I was watchin' some stories, he ome and curled himself and made dodo right dere on my chest. I couldn't move afta dat."

"He did what???" Farron said. "And you found that cute? That I find hard to believe."

"What's so hard about a minou goin' ta sleep all curled and purring to believe?"

"Sorry, thought you said something different. I would love to see him either way!"

They talked some more until their lunch was finished and Farron had to head to work. They agreed to meet up again soon.

***

Sweetjane had just placed Patch's breakfast down when she heard a knock at the door. Outside stood a rather handsome man.

"Hey, mind if I could use your car for a jump?"

She nods, pulling her keys off the hook and going outside. The man was standing beside an old pickup. She helped him push the truck up beside her own. They used her cables and it didn't take long to get his car started. Sweetjane then invited him inside for some lunch and not long after something more happened.

It was the first time in her life she had ever made love to someone who was basically a stranger. Before he left he thanked her and gave his name, Baishan and a number.

She went on a few dates with Shan and it felt like her and Joel in the beginning. But she didn't think it would last, and so just stopped it before anything got started.

***

Not long after her fling with Shan, Sweetjane was surprised by a text from Farron saying that there was something important she needed to say.

Sweetjane: Sure. I'm off early 2day. Can go anywhere u want.

Fairy: Can it be at ur place will make us a dinner @ work Don't want roomates 2 hear and can't say in public

Sweetjane: Kk. Patches is here he is the best secret keeper.

Fairy: Lmao Patches better not tell. C U

Sweetjane: See u 2nite

Sweetjane made sure to clean the kitchen and living room before her friend's arrival. Seems like they had a leftover turkey meal from their thanksgiving rush the previous day.

"Sweetjane, it took a lot for me to finally say this. I don't know how you'll react or if this will ruin everything."

"Farron, I'm confused."

The tanned woman took a deep slow breathe. "You're my best friend. I think you should know that for quite some time I've felt more than that. I think I'm in love with you."

"I love you too and I think you are the best friend I've met in Arizona."

"No it's not that. Look I've seen you go out with all these guys and It never works out. Sure they seem to be good guys and I'm glad you are still friends with them but..." She took another deep shaky breath. "... But I don't think you were in love with them. I just want to try..."

"Ya just wanna see if we would work right?" Sweetjane said calmly. SHe smiles warmly. "Sure. I'll go out with ya. Don't know why ya needed to be all secret about it."

"I've never been this happy! Thank you Sweetjane." Farron got up and hugged her.

***

Prev / Next

I was going to have a poll for the three of them, but then Farron came by and asked Sweetjane if she wanted to be her romantic partner. I answered yes! The hard part was tying all this into a story. Yes that is the same Baishan as a previous version of this legacy. I put my backup tray into the game and he was there! However, I had a different idea for this story.

[sinning-23]

My Latest crush is an alien car from space Pt.4

18+ Minors do not interact, please!!!

Listen yall I'm so sorry this took long I had t do so much mf research for this to turn out accurate and I didn't want it to feel rushed yk? And a bitch is on vacation on an island where there's no signal/service half the time so I can just research on the go! Anyway, this one is a lil INTENSE so as it goes, the minor be gone. this si 18+ territory aight. Anywho enjoyyyyy (I had no fuckin idea what a spike was before this and now I can't unsee a lot of things). ANYWAY

Warnings: size difference, squirting, multiple orgasms, choking???does that count? LET'S GET IT-

(Pt.3 found here pookie)

Pt.4

Touch me, tease me, call me pretty 

~“Sooo good, feels so so good mamas. Fuck you take me so well.” He whines, kissing you softly. He’s big, the stretch making you squeeze your eyes shut. You feel so full, his servo against your stomach only making the pressure of your second orgasm build quicker. 

“Can you feel me? I’m right here.” He hums, ex-venting shakily when you squeeze down. He’s slow, taking your body into account. There was no way he was going to fit all the way that was almost a fact. ~

______3 hours prior______

You practically trip over yourself to get out of the club, your fingers intertwine

as you run through the parking lot to get to where he was parked. Between quick playful and excited kisses, you manage to slip into the car with Mirage’s holoform ‘taking the wheel’. There was really no reason for him to, at least in your eyes.

It was clear he had other plans when your chair was reclined back and scooted enough for him to be able to reach over and squeeze the meat of your thighs. Closing them on impulse, he huckles and only spreads them again with that stupid boyish grin.

“Nuh-uh, you wanna be able to take it right? Let’s get you ready for it, 'cause I know for a fact I'm much bigger than anything you've had before.” He explains, pulling your panties down with a bit of your help.

Any other time that statement would sound cocky but he was deadass serious and you knew it. A shiver crawls up your spine as he hums at the feeling of your warmth, slick already starting to drip onto his seats and make his palm sticky. The feeling is bliss damn-near, all that built up heat finally finding a chance to realse and in response you moan, rolling your head against the seat. His voice wasnt helping your arousal either.

“There you go mamas, that's it. You like the way my fingers feel like this?” He's teasing on purpose, observing the way your eyebrows pinch together, and your mouth can't decide whether to open in a moan or bite your lower lip.

 It's adorable really. He’s got your body figured out somehow, curling his fingers upward making you whine and roll your hips. You’re close, his thumb finding the sensitive bundle of nerves just above where he's not, and three fingers slide in and out of you. I

It's almost too much, the sensation of everything making you twitch, eyes half-lidded. He could watch you cum all day. The way your eyes are more glossy and hazy like this, the sound of his name rolling off your gloss-smudged lips.

“Thatsss it ma, feels good huh? Talk to me.” He hums, letting saliva well…more so lubricant drip from his lips down to where his fingers are stuffed inside you. The action makes you weak, and the warmth only makes you whine more. 

“You're filthy Mirage, treat all the girls like this?” You joke weakly, still trying to come down from your high.

He only hits that soft spot in you again, your body reaching on its own when you manage to ruin his seat, again thighs sticking to the liquid and the leather. Did he just make you squirt???? 

He hums, satisfied before running his tongue over the fingers that were just in you. So nasty.

“Nah, only the ones that answer to Y/n” 

The drive seemed so quick, or more so you were too preoccupied that by the time you reached the garage. He had his servos all over you, holoform long gone. You’re small compared to him so he makes it a point to be gentle, servos at your hips as your lips work against his. Mirage’s engine purrs when you run your hands down his chassis, eyes focused. 

“Mirage.” You whisper out, straddling his thigh. He pauses for a moment, looking nothing but helpless in front of you.

“How’s this gonna work….” 

He swallows, trying to put it together in his head. You’d never be able to take it all. You’d be so ducked out by the time he was done and he didn’t want to hurt you either most of all. 

“You can’t take my spike all the way. And I’m not trying to hurt you.” He explains, sighing when you grind against his thighs as if he wasn’t just knuckle deep in you moments ago.

“You won’t, Mirage please.” You practically beg, palm flat against the curve of his plating. 

God, you looked too pretty like this, your body already hyped up and ready for more. His focus is on you and you alone and the only priority is to make you feel good which obviously he’d succeeded at. And damn that begging wasn’t helping. 

“Please what, c’mon pretty girl use your words.” He teases, lifting the fabric of your shirt with ease, the amount of stretch making it tear slightly at the seams.

“Mirage don't play with me. I wanna fuck.” You huff, his fans picking up in speed as what looked like a nice shade of blue? Tinted his faceplates. God, he loved it when you got bossy like that. 

He doesn't waste time fulfilling your request, a feeling o worry washing over him. You'd never seen one before, what if you changed your mind Well, you had every right to but the whole scenario made him…insecure to say the least. You can see it written over his face clear a day and mindlessly hold his face in your hands. 

“Calmate.” You tease with a smile and he visibly relaxes. 

“Im gonna like you however you are. Show me all of you ‘Rag” You hum, seeing him swallow hard, hips push forward. And before you had a chance to really prepare yourself, it's in front of you.

The thickness isn't too much for maybe someone that was built like him but holy shit that was girthy for you. How was that going to fit???? He'd stretch you all the way out trying to fit all of that inside. You swallow hard, the ache between your legs only worsening when it slightly jumped, what you could only compare to precum leaking from the tip.

He's quiet, avoiding your eyes as you stare at it with wide eyes, your attention on every detail. Blue, opposite of his alt-mode with a nice silver stripe running from the base to the tip.

You're slow at first but quickly get used to the feeling of it in your hand, the lubricant making your hands slick and easily slide up and down the length of his spike. You hum, looking from under your lashes to see him practically digging holes into the concrete of the garage.

He’s so pretty like this, helm thrown back when you slide over the tip. What you could only assume was a ‘blush’ crawled over his faceplates in a faint shade of blue. Ans gosh those whines were to die for. 

“You’re gonna be the death of me you know that?” He huffs, trying his damnedest to keep himself from bucking into your touch. 

You only bite your lip in response, impulsively putting your mouth over him, tongue sliding over it with ease as your jaw stretches almost a bit too wide. You take it though, gagging a bit when it hits the back of your throat. Sure Mirage has sworn before but it seemed like now all he could do was whine, moan, and cuss at the feeling of you trying to take him down your throat.

“You’re gonna choke- fuck- I can’t- fffffuck y/n.” He moans out, servo hovering over your head as you start to make a mess, drool sliding down your chin as your hand works at what can’t fit in your mouth. 

You gasp for air, crawling over him to straddle his lap, spike pressed against your ass when you do. It’s quiet for a moment, the pause in between making both of you hesitate. That stretch was going to be something else, maybe the lubricant would help stretch you on top of the fact that he’d already prepped you on the way here. You can’t help but meet his gaze, flustered despite just having him in your mouth moments ago.

“Slow. Let’s just go slow.” You hum and he nods in agreement. 

Finally, he had found some courage to hold your hips, whining when you start to sink down on him. Fuck you were tight. Mirages servos grip your hips as he practically holds you in place, more for his own sake than yours. Primus knows if you’d sunk down any farther he would’ve helped you with your hands behind your back as he fucked into you. His self-control was wearing thin. 

You moan at the feeling, his spike somehow vibrating in you. It’s almost too much but you convince yourself to sink lower. Halfway there. Your garage is filled with moans and pleasure-heavy breaths. 

“Fuck! Move, please, move Mirage.” You beg, feeling him give the smallest thrust upward to fulfill your wish. 

A mix of his lubricant and your own slickness mix and the slap of metal against soft flesh is a sound you’ll definitely play over and over again in your head. The familiar knot in your stomach begins to tighten and he growls as the way your cunt tightens around him. 

“Shit-Ah! Close, so fucking close princess don’t stop. Let me fill you up.” Mirage begs, lips finding empty space on your neck to bite and bruise.

So full so so full. 

“Sooo good, feels so so good mamas. Fuck you take me so well.” He whines, kissing you softly.

He’s big, the stretch making you squeeze your eyes shut. You feel so full, his servo against your stomach only making the pressure of your second orgasm build quicker. 

“Can you feel me? I’m right here.” He hums, ex-venting shakily when you squeeze down. 

Despite feeling as if only halfway was as far as you get, his last thrust was enough to have your smaller frame sink completely into his spike, your mouth falling open in a silent scream, soon tiring into a pleasured growl. 

“Fuck-so full- I- Oh fuck.” You whimper, fists balked against his chassis as he placed his helm to your forehead. Both of you needed a minute to adjust. 

You’re practically drilling now, eyes glossy and threatening to close in pleasure while Miragw’s grip tightened on you. He’s slow again, helping you move up and down on his spike, your orgasm already crashing over you when he did and it must have been enough to push him over the edge.

He revs, fans sounding like they’d give out at any minute now seeing his body was hearing far faster than they could cool him. You were practically shaking, what you could only assume was the equivalent of cum leaking out of you and onto your thighs.

“Look at you, so so beautiful like this.” Mirage whines, the sound of his moans after cumin so hard still burning in your brain. His thrusts are slow, but still…It’s becoming too much almost, and your body quickly becoming overstimulated. 

But you can’t stop. 

Knowing you can take all of him now, he’s for you turned around, hands against the garage door. There’s little conversation, still, the two of you working on recovering but also getting back to what you could only describe as bliss. There's a brief pause when he pushes into you again, gasps escaping each of you before Mirage begins to move, each thrust resulting in an “A-Ah” on your end.

It's all too much, your body reaching on its own and now making a puddle on the floor below you. 2nd time squirting. He groans at the sight, seeing your legs shake and twitch as your eyes roll back in pleasure.

“Fuuuuck yes, baby keep doing that, making a mess on my spike.” He groans, biting his lower lip.

His free servo somehow came to grip a niceeee handful of your braids to pull just enough to make you tilt your head up. God, it sounds so sloppy, the way your slick and his own lubricant mix with every time your hips meet.

He events heavily, picking up his pace a bit before squeezing your hips before cuming again, the liquid still spilling out of you and filling you up, the feeling making you squeeze down on him.

It's silent somewhat, your exhausted breaths all that's filling the space along with the audible “splosh” sounding when he pulled out, even more lubricant sliding down your legs. He sets you down, legs wobbling as you try your hardest to stay upright. He had definitely left you fucked out and he knows it, that stu[id little cocky grin written over his face.

"i-I can keep going-" You slurred, leaning against him, more cockdruck than ever. Damn, how long has it been since you'd done that???? You didn't care, what you needed was more and as it looked like, Mirage wasn't facing a refractory period any time soon.

"I thought you were gonna let me ride?

“You can ride next time.” He smirks, seeing your legs shake with unease.

It's cute kind of. Its quiet for a while but he soon fills the silence with a question while you struggle to put the rest of your clothes on

"Did I make you squirt just a minute ago?"

______________________________________________________________

I'm so sorry this is kinda short yall lol I've been on vaycay and tryna make it good. Hope you enjoy this final part but just know I will be doingmore headcanons and what not! also if you're a Marvel fan be on the lookout for some more gotg3 stuff from me since they are putting the movie on Disney in a dayyyyyy anyway y love yall and thanks for the support!

My asks are always open so if there is something you wanna see or wanna request feel free! I'm a multifandom gyalllll

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