#i really liked this one but didn't have the motivation to finish it sadly

[mongoose-writes]

Dinluke AU excerpt: They meet on Tatooine and reunite years later.

I will know you forever. That's the way Mandalorians say I love you. Din had learned the phrase somewhere between learning how to ask about the weather and how to curse out your enemy, but the gravity of the phrase never really hit him, so painfully cliche. It wasn’t until that time so long ago, when he had been teaching Luke small morsels of Mando’a that the words began to carry weight. Luke had turned to smile at him, preoccupied with tracing mindless patterns on Din’s palm, and commented, “it’s kind of an odd way to say ‘I love you’, but it makes so much sense, doesn’t it?”

It does.

Din knows Luke. Din recognises him in the warmth of the twin suns, in the taste of blue milk custard on one’s tongue, in every handful of earth Luke has ever touched. And he knows that when he dies, the very air that once flowed through his lungs will know his love for this stupid, magnificent man and linger far longer than he could ever comprehend. As long as the universe knows itself, Din will know Luke – long after they turn old and grey with tired bones, and long after their bodies have decayed to ash and stardust.

And perhaps Luke is a little different now; less boisterous, sipping tea instead of chugging caf, but he still drums his fingers on ceramic mugs the same way he always had as a farm boy on Tatooine, so does it really matter? In all the ways Luke has changed, there are as many parts of him that are far too familiar as well, and Din has no willingness to be a hypocrite because he is certain that he too has changed over the years since they last met. 

But isn’t that what love is? To look at somebody who has evolved, who carries so little remnants of the person you knew them to be; like fading ink on yellowing paper, and to say, yes. I know you. And I will always know you. Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum. I will know you forever.

[f-oighear]

Fanfic writer interview!

tagged by @ashenaura. Merci bien ! ;)

How many works do you have on AO3?

145.

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

I'll Follow

Where The Heart Is

Your World

Everything and More

Brittlest

(... yup, it's all SAU and those numbers will never not shock me)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Of course. It might take me forever (my inbox is staring at me dead in the eyes), but I will respond. It means the world to me and if anyone makes the effort, they deserve a response. Easy.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I need happy endings with my angst so... yeah. I think... Yesterday I died (tomorrow's bleeding) is quite sad.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I guess the SAU has the happiest ending. Everything And More's last chapter is literally sunshine and calmness which, yk, is needed after the whole thing.

Do you write crossovers?

I've just gotten into it! I didn't see the hype before but um that was because I never tried to mash together the right verses I think. The Arkham Horror x Black Clover crossover is very dear to me.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

*touching wood* Nope.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've written steamy but never full smut. Well, I've written bits. But they're unpublished and I don't think I ever will publish them soooo yeah.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, no.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Someone translated Her Most Precious Memories in Russian (Её самые драгоценные воспоминания).

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Just like crossovers, I'm just getting into it. And just like crossovers, I'm absolutely loving it.

@kalolasfantasyworld knows. We've written that Olympics Swimming one, Silver Scorching Interdimensional Slash: the Magical Medley Relay of Doom, and we're writing the most wonderful Formula for a Crush.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

All time favorite... royai probably.

it's just the angst... it's just the sillies... it's just the war criminals... there's a dog... they're both so stupid... i love them...

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

fhjfhds all of them. If I start a wip it's that I want to see it finished (because I want to read it). Sadly, I often don't have the motivation to. The wip list is ever growing.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and internal monologues, I think.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Besides everything syntax and grammar-related because what even is English, I'd say description, especially of action scenes. It takes me forever to even dare put down a few words and I always feel like I'm describing like a 7yo would (no shade to 7yo but surely with 20 more years on this planet I should be able to do better).

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I did it in Formula for a Crush for Vanessa and Helena because Helena typically does it so it felt normal to As long as it's one word or one expression I don't really mind. (my Italian is non-existent and my Spanish is uhhh not good so, there's that.).

In my own work, I prefer to keep it in English and italicize. Less risk to completely fumble a whole language.

(I just realized that Zora doesn't even utter one word in French in FFAC and I'm French [I dare think I can speak and write the language relatively well]. so it's less down to messing up a language than personal preferences in writing ig..? I never really thought about it.)

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Nothing comes to mind. Rarepair Week was a great occasion to tick some of these boxes too.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I've had this question ten thousand times and I think I reply differently every time dhjfdjskj. It's a tough one.

Right now I'm having a lot of fun with Formula for a Crush (nah, you can't tell with how much I'm talking about it).

what even is football anyway will always be very dear to me and I'll probably say it's this one.

Blue Hours (and its sequel, I might even like the sequel more simply for the rant about the dishes) is special because I loved the concept and I experienced a bit with the narration.

Thicker Than Blood because it's a longer one and it was a really non-pressure kind of fic (I expected no one to read it so I really had fun)

Yesterday I died (tomorrow's bleeding) and posing questions to a silent universe (my very thoughts a curse) for some nice Mia angst.

Lost in a storm, It’s a big office, chief, for some nice Phoenix angst.

Tell Me About Cruelty means a lot to me.

(you might realize: I cannot choose. I'm looking at the 145 fics and I'm like. they're all special to me in some way. even those I wish I could erase from the face of the earth I'm like. I like that line, that scene, that hug. it's terrible and it's wonderful.)

--

tagging (no pressure, do it if you want) @kalolasfantasyworld (because ofc I'm tagging you), @wildflowerwoodsworld

[the-blue-wraith]

My review for Dragon Age: The Veilguard (SPOILERS BELOW)

These are my personal opinions and not personal attacks to anyone who loves the game.

Pros:

Combat is invigorating.

Exploration is just fine, not too overwhelming.

Side quests are not lengthy.

CC was great and had lots of sliders and lots of good hair too.

Harding, Bellara, Lucanis, and Emmrich’s voice acting are in point.

NPCs are more active in terms of animation, unlike in previous games.

The codex you found in areas is short and easy to read.

Dragon fights are more challenging.

Banters outside the Lighthouse are compelling.

Emmrich and Harding's quest are impactful.

No major glitches, only encountered a few minor glitches.

Cons:

Writing is just basic. Humorous/aggressive dialogues are not totally funny/aggressive. Companions/Rook are too polite.

Dialogue after the fall of Weisshaupt feels off, they don't need to say directly to players that companions need to resolve their problems before fighting the Gods.

Interaction inside the Lighthouse feels like an interaction inside the workplace. I wish I was kidding.

Some dialogues are repetitive (ex. “The elven gods have broken free from their prison” “Dragons don’t have kings, they have queens”).

Factions lack introduction. We didn’t get to know each faction in depth.

Story and companions lacks conflict/disparity.

Choices from the last 3 games didn’t matter, and became a wasted chance to explore in Veilguard.

Can’t talk to NPC like in DA:I.

What's the point of having gifting scenes where all they could say is "thank you"?

Some voice actings are a bit off, lacks emotions (American Female Rook/Neve)

Enemy designs are repetitive.

Ability wheel is lacking, it should’ve let us get 5 abilities to use in battle.

Qunari designs are not good.

Overall music is too ordinary.

Romances are lacking and have no growth

I really enjoyed the combat it reminds me of Mass Effect. The best part here are the dragon fights because this was one of the things that I anticipated years ago, and I'm quite satisfied! I like the flow and conflict at the end of Act 2 up to Act 3. That scene with Varric in the Fade still hits hard to me. 😭 I know it was sad, but in that phase I was motivated to finish the game. I just wish the flow of Acts 1-2 were intense like Act 3. Like I said, it lacks conflict.

After finishing the game, I ended up liking Emmrich and Harding. I didn't give a shit about Harding back in DA:I but now I like her even more 😆. Emmrich's quest was the most impactful to me, I chose to revive Manfred, and after that, I saw how much he loves him, that scene was heartwarming. Kudos to their voice actors 🙌🏻

I resonate with Bellara's quest, but I wish it could've been more dramatic. Like after what happened to her brother, her companions should've given her a hug and comfort. But I still like her quest; kudos to her voice actress too.

What bothered me was that Varric and Solas both got sidelined. I wanted Solas to have more screentime! I wanted to see him more as a villain. I don't know why Bioware decided to kill Varric, to me, it felt like they just used him in the game to attract fans. If you ask me, that's disrespectful to Varric's writer, who got laid off.

The romance here sucks. I was disappointed in how they handled Lucanis' romance. I didn't feel the buildup of my Rook's relationship with him. I felt like he was interacting with me as a friend 😭. Veilguard has the weakest romance system in Bioware games.

Overall, I would rate this game 7/10. I think the game is decent, but not for everyone. This game is for casual players who want to experience different RPGs, but for DA fans? It really depends. As a longtime fan, I would say I'm half-satisfied with Veilguard. I just wish the writing/dialogue could've been better and not repetitive. I wish we had an option to become evil and upset companions if we make bad choices, but sadly the game lacks conflict and disparity. Veilguard didn't keep up with the current RPGs, despite its lack of RPG elements.

Will I replay this game? Yeah, someday maybe. Do I think the game is that bad? Nope, but it's lacking. The game is not for everyone. Do I think the game deserved the hate it got? Yes and no. Yes, because the writing/dialogue in this game is basic and some times felt off. And no, because I still think the game is fun. Do I want DA5 to happen in the future? Sure, why not.

Despite all my criticisms of this game, I still love Dragon Age. This series saved me in high school. If my younger self were here and witnessed Veilguard, I know she'd be happy because she waited so long for this game.

[aioliravioli-69]

Detective Noir AU

Alright, this au has been sitting around, waiting for me to finish it but chances are, I never will :((

So instead, I'll just post what I have so far

This was inspired by that one comment on the au post the author made(at this point you could consider me a stalker for the amount of hours I've scrolled through her feed💀)

First things first, none other than our main character himself, Detective Hollow!

I made him the detective in this one mainly because I was basing it off of the theory that if there was no heroine the keyholder would simply become the hero instead(don't remember where I read this but I'm guessing it was the webtoon comment section).

I also my have just really wanted to draw him in an overcoat

gonna be honest, I did little to no research going into this AU, the thing I most tried to learn about was the femme fatale so I could get a good view on how to design Buddy

Speaking of the femme fatale:

Seems like someone got caught in the spotlight!

And before you ask, yes, those are pants. Weird ones, but pants nonetheless. I swear, I hate lighting when it's from the front. Frontal lighting can go fuck itself. Please ignore the little help lines I put in

Honestly, Buddy's outfit was probably the hardest part of this one. I wanted him to look slutty, but I didn't want to make it TOO slutty, but I feel like I may have added WAYY too many folds in his pantsuit and I kinda messed up on the overcoat lol. The diamond on his chest was inspired by the diamond on the villainess key more than anything and I tried to incorporate that into his gloves too.

Anyway, have some potential outfit sketches I made:

the two I thought might come off as too slutty and

the ultimate winner of the outfit ideas

As you can see the diamond chest window and fur coat were a mut in this outfit and I'm pretty happy with the end result

Y'all know how the femme fatale usually has to seduce the main character a.k.a. the detective?

Well, y'all know me so have an extra just for you <33

But I'm not done just yet!

Remember how I said that I made Chase the hero because of the lack of a heroine in the story? Well...

I did some more surface level research(and I mean very surface level) and decided to adapt the trope of the girl-next-door archetype for him!!

Don't think it suits him, since they usually just sit pretty and wait for the detective to notice them, but they do have badass roles once in a while and I live for those!!!

The one Chase has taken on doesn't though sadly :')

I decided to go with Charlie Hollow for this one because it sounded more like something the timid and 'pure'(yuck I know, but sadly film noir movies often prop up comparisons between the femme fatale and the girl-next-door, this being one of them) girl next door would have

Overall I tried to make this one as cutesy as possible because, why not lol

Lastly(I apologise, I made this in a rush because I was running out of motivation)

The distance between Buddy and the detective sure did close QUICK-

Originally I was planning on adding Deacon as a police officer and now that I think about it I could technically fit Prunella in here as well, but I just don't have any willpower left to keep this thing alive

My art blocks been acting up recently and I can't even pick up the pencil without immediately wanting to put it down :((

I wish I could have continued this and maybe I will someday, but until then this'll just stay in my drafts

[perplexedflower]

Night Thoughts

Fandom: Resident Evil.

Category: F/M.

Relationship: Chris Redfield x Female Reader.

Type: Mini one shot.

Words: 979.

Summary: A tranquil, lonely night is all [Y/N] needs to arrange her thoughts, until Chris tells her the words she needed to hear all along.

Chronology: Post-Resident Evil 8.

~~~~~~~~~~

"May I come in?"

A reassuring, although slightly concerned voice was heard from inside the apartment.

"Or should I say 'come out'..." He whispered under his breath, asking himself a genuine question.

Instead of answering with words, I let out a faint sound; even though I had kept quiet, Chris knew me well enough to recognize the noise I had made as one of consent. The sound of the sliding door opening and closing joined the outdoor noise surrounding me, although the night was mostly quiet. Chris slowly walked toward me and sat beside me on the couch on which I was seated, without saying a single word. I did not really focus on him, still lost in thoughts, sitting there in silence and staring blankly at the sky: but the sudden sight of his hands appeared in the corner of my eyes, and I turned to him. Chris was holding a cup of hot chocolate in one hand, and one of coffee in the other.

He made me hot chocolate because he knows I love it and that it always helps me cheer up... How sweet.

I grabbed the mug and it warmed my hands instantly; as he set his own mug on the table in front of us, Chris sat more comfortably on the couch.

"So, what's wrong?"

"How do you know something's wrong?" I replied as I took small sips.

"Well, I'd say I started understanding something was troubling you when you told me you didn't want to spend the night at HQ but at the apartment instead."

I looked down at my cup and fell into thoughts once more; despite having the HQ of the BSAA at our disposal whenever we needed it, Chris and I had always appreciated having our own personal space. And since we were partners, we thought it would only be natural for us to rent an apartment to the side, and live as roommates. That one night I had decided to go find solitude on our apartment's large balcony; with its plants, table, and couch, it was always the one place that brought me comfort.

"Besides, I know you." Chris suddenly added. "I know when something's up."

I could see him smile from the corner of my eye: he was trying to cheer me up, but it was to no avail. His expression gently shifted and he put a caring hand on my arm, which made me look at him.

"Talk to me, [Y/N]. You can tell me what the matter is."

I stared into his eyes and sighed in somewhat of a sad tone. Still holding my mug in both hands, I looked back at the sky and horizon below us.

"Do you ever feel like... you don't know why you're here? That your life is a mess, and that all you want is for it to have somewhat of a sense?"

As I finished talking, I took a sip from my mug, expecting silence; but instead, Chris replied immediately.

"All the time, for both of these questions."

I turned back to him and saw his face bearing an expression not as sad as I had imagined.

"I've struggled to find meaning in my life countless times in the past." He started, leaving his eyes to wander. "And I've gone through so much that it's nearly impossible for me to really describe my life."

I took all of this in and looked down once more, finding his experience to be sadly relatable.

"But I do know why I'm here, now." He added. "I've thought about it before, and I've decided to put some of my past behind me."

Pulling me out of my thoughts, I looked at him while drinking one last sip from my mug.

"What's in the past stays in the past. You're the one deciding when your life starts and when it ends. And it's never too late to... start anew, in a way."

Chris' cheeks promptly reddened as he diverted his eyes from mine.

"Ever since I've started partnering up with you, I've refound motivation I had lost for my job. You make it all worth it."

I felt taken aback and did not know what to say. Looking at my empty cup, I put it on the table next to his.

"Chris..."

"So, yeah, I used to ask myself these questions a lot." He continued, still blushing. "But I don't anymore."

His blue eyes met with mine and my breath sharpened: it felt to me like he was moving closer to me, but I was too emotionally compromised to truly be sure of it.

"I mean all of this, [Y/N], I really do."

The sincerity transpiring through his voice was enough to convince me of his honesty.

"I believe you, Chris..."

I felt my murmured words bouncing off his skin and onto mine and noticed his face was indeed closer to mine; so close that our lips met. With warmth and love, his mouth embraced mine, and so did his body. We both lay down on the couch as we cuddled while kissing. His kiss felt so soft and the setting was so romantic that it almost felt too good to be true: but I knew it was real when Chris pulled away and gave me a passionate smile.

"Your lips taste of chocolate." He whispered affectionately.

"Well, you're one to talk, you made yourself coffee but didn't even drink it." I teased him back.

He chuckled softly before kissing my lips once more. I saw a spark in his eyes as he pulled me up against him, still smiling.

"C'mon, let's get ourselves inside, we'll be warmer."

[maddrumsticks2]

Just finished Skyward Sword! And I finished A Link Between Worlds a few days ago.

So, double post time! I'll start with ALBW because I had a few days to sit on that one.

Also just realized that with the completion of Skyward Sword, I have officially played and completed every 3D Zelda game! YIPPEEE!

(Long post below the cut!! Along with major spoilers for both aforementioned games!)

Ravio is SO SILLY. Though, he's already talked about a lot. Anything I could say about him has probably already been said.

But hey, I can't help but really like this silly guy who stole my house and all my rupees, okay? He's a little rascal.

So instead, I love Hilda having a clear motivation behind her actions. She is just trying to restore her kingdom. She wants her people to thrive. But she turned to the triforce instead of trying to find better meds to maybe help her people. Though the place was literally breaking apart, so maybe there really wasn't anything else that would've worked.

The story of this game is really heavy in the last 30 minutes, and that's really it. Before that it's just dungeons. Oh, and helping Ravio retire. I absolutely LOVED that XD

So, the distribution of the story could've been done better. But really, this game is so underrated for a Zelda game. Also, the whole moving through walls thing is super fun. LOVED that mechanic. Altogether, great game.

Okay, on to Skyward Sword!

SO good. This game does NOT deserve all of the negativity the surrounded it for some reason. Sure, I used button controls (I couldn't figure out motion controls for the life of me pff) but STILL! I think the Switch version definitely made it easier on me. Though idk what the Wii version is like so I shouldn't be trying to compare them lol.

On to non-gameplay stuff, the dungeons were so cleverly designed. As someone who is not particularly smart, I never found myself super stuck in the dungeons. Instead, I had a lot of fun with them! That's always a plus with me, but I don't find too much shame in looking up a walkthrough here or there.

Story! So fun! I loved Groose's character arc especially. I totally despised him at first but he reached silly status pretty quickly. His character was handled really well, too. He didn't just flip personalities. He showed his flip through his actions, not his words. Which for Groose is a perfect choice.

Also, Ghirahim is SUCH a theatre kid. Nothing can change my mind on that. (And before anyone gets mad, I'M a theatre kid. I know what we act like.)

I find it interesting that the whole game only takes place in three regions that you visit over and over again. Other Zelda games have done this before, but I think Skyward Sword does it the most. I loved all the regions, but tbh I think the forest was the most boring to me. The Ancient Cistern was cool though. I won't deny that. Also, Eldin was probably the most traumatizing for Sky. SO many bad things happened there lol. Like being burned because of how hot it is, then finding chains Zelda has definitely been bound in, being told he was too late. Then he comes back later and not much traumatizing stuff that time. Maybe getting chased by lava, probably not lasting trauma, just scary for a minute lol. But when he comes back a final time, the volcano erupts, covering the sky in ash and leaving him with no return to the sky. To make matters worse, he gets beaten up and captured by monsters and all his stuff was stolen. Wow I just wrote a lot about Eldin pfff

Sadly, I already knew about the whole Zelda is Hylia thing. I kinda wish I hadn't known that. That cutscene probably would've been cooler if I played this game in the complete dark.

Also, Link is so subtly expressive in this game. He actually has facial expressions! I love how at the end of the game, you can SEE Link's determination. You can see his desire to cut Demise down and save his world. I LOVE his expressiveness!

One thing I didn't know was that Demise was the Imprisoned. That actually surprised me.

Then there's Impa. I already figured out that the Old Lady was Impa before the reveal. So that was just "I called it." But here's the silly part about that cutscene: I read fanfic saying she died once. But of course I let my guard down. I believed that the author had Impa die from Ghirahim hitting her. And so, literally one text box away from the scene, I sent my sister in law a text like "lol, idk why I thought Impa dies. She's literally been here the whole time."

I had to send a text probably two seconds late saying "nvm, she died."

Whoopsies, silly me XD

Last thing I wanna say! (I think.) The whole lightning in the end battle is SICK! And now all the lighting scars people give Sky make sense. That's probably one of my favorite scar headcanons, honestly. That and Wild's blast scar. Also love giving Twilight a nasty arm scar, but I'm getting off track.

So yeah! Those are my silly disjointed thoughts on both the games I finished recently! Now I only have 2D games left to play. My list became so much smaller! It went from having ten games to just five.

Just have the Oracles games, Link's Awakening, the original and Adventure of Link to play! (I'm debating which one to start with. Probably the Oracles games to I can get Legend's character down better.)

Yay! Wall of text!

[farbexx]

Important.

Hi guys,

so just wanted to say that I'm trying to be active here as much as I can, posting art or genuinely shitposts just to keep it active,, But sadly I've got too much to do in real life, things like school, basic human contact, just as simple as getting ready for school, making food for myself, keeping the track of time and showering, suddenly turned into something so hard, and too much to do.

To gain my motivation to literally do anything I had to wait few days mostly. And in the end, not doing anything.

I have my personal problems too, that made me to something really damaging for my health, both mental and physical. I kept forcing myself to think that I'm okay and don't need help. Which was wrong. But I kept telling myself that other have it worse and that I'm just overreacting... Which was also wrong!

I realized that after one incident, my discord activity went down, just like other socials. I can't get myself to text anyone. I forget to reply, and do that after 3 days. That made me pull all nighters too, to try getting myself to text the people that I forgot to answer or just stare at the messages, not knowing what to say. In worse cases I was too sleepy to think correctly and accidentally said shit wrong, and didn't know how to explain what I meant because of my sleep deprived ass.

I've been neglecting my mental state for so long, telling everyone that I'm alright and that I don't need help. I didn't want people to worry about me. To think that's something's not okay. I wanted to seem alright, help others with their problems.. While absolutely forgetting about my own. Sigh.

I just wanted to say, that I might be less active because of the stuff that's going on in my life. This is also connected to discord.. But knowing my phone addiction, I'll probably be mostly on discord.

And just to clear things up. I am not quitting. I just need to take care of myself, which I never did before. I will maybe post shitposts (doodles/ not so finished shit), nothing too special, just for the sake of it, but more finished illustrations (digital/ finished traditional) will be posted probably after I'm mentally better.

Thank you for your understanding!!

If you have any questions, my dms are open.

[chuckeroo777]

Frieren Liveblog- Chapters 1-4

Welcome back! Today we start reading Frieren! Unlike my Dungeon Meshi liveblog, this one will be blind!

To start, let's go over what I do know.

-Frieren is an immortal elf mage of some renown.

-She lost a human companion she cared a lot about, but unlike Marcille, she's chill about it.

-The mimic scene.

-There's a guy with blue hair, and a demon(?) lady.

-I think they adventure in dungeons to get stronger?

Yeah, I think that's about all I know. Let's see what happens!

And here we have our intrepid heroes! Apparently they already beat the demon lord, so that's nice.

Wait, Himmel? Oh no. I'm pretty sure that's the dude Frieren misses. Alas, it was nice to meet you. Guess the character class "Brave" doesn't save you from death flags. Suddenly not feeling confident Heiter or Eisen will be sticking around either.

Oh no! She's tiny! I love her. LOTR did irreparable damage to fantasy by insisting elves have to be tall.

Well, that was quick. I guess other than Himmel's imminent demise, all my spoilers have already shown up.

Frieren's a high INT low WIS kinda character, isn't she? At this rate, his tragic death is literally going to be old age. No, seriously. I think that's what's about to happen.

This is gonna be a recurring problem, isn't it.

Saw that coming from a mile away. I wonder about the other two companions. Are they longer lived races? Or are they old and wrinkled too?

It's your own fault for being of optimal head pat height. Heiter looks a little older, but not too bad. I can't tell if Eisen is different. With the manga format, for all I know, he's gone grey.

Ah. Perhaps not as chill about it as I assumed. Also, I went ahead and switched over to a better translation. Maybe the other was more accurate, but good lord was it stiff as hell.

Who's this cutie? I'd hope she is a major character, but with 70 years having passed since the manga started, I'm worried about getting attached to anyone but Frieren.

Phooey.

This can only end well.

Now what exactly does that mean? I'm sensing some deeper motivations for studying magic for both of them. (Also, I'm not retracting my Phooey until I confirm Fern doesn't die of old age at the end of the chapter.)

Oh dear. I thought I got enough of this from The Monster who Wants to Eat Me, but I guess we're doing this here too.

Best case scenario really.

Yessss! New companion! Also, this is really sweet, even if it only worked because Frieren didn't care about wasting six whole years.

Telekinesis may not be flashy, but the raw utility it can provide is nuts.

The adventurer's creed. As long as the loot is magic, you want it. Guess who has a collection of hundreds of scrolls and potions in BG3 despite having used, maybe 5 total. No, I can't store them in camp. What if I need them later!

Yep, they're adventurers alright. I am rather happy to see that despite her stoic facade, Frieren is in fact, a goober.

Where's the lie?

Keep telling yourself that.

Oh god, please tell me this Manga isn't a cycle of new companions joining, growing old, and dying.

Please stop vagueblogging at your apprentice.

No one told me this was a sad manga.

Good for you, but don't forget to retrieve the lady's seeds before you leave.

This isn't giving hope that this mange isn't on a centuries spanning timescale.

Oh no. It's only been four chapters, but I already adore her.

Is candy a euphemism for something?

This is sadly rather relatable.

Oh my god Frieren, stop staring at Fern's bobs.

Ok, so, before I finish tonight's session, I decided to take a little peek ahead to assuage my fears. This is from chapter 107, so it looks like I don't have to worry about Frieren repeatedly outliving her friends in this story. At least with old age. They could still die the old fashioned way. The only other detail I accidentally spoiled is that Fern is still with her, so reverse death flag, I guess.

And that's the first session! Very different vibes from what I was expecting. It's very somber, while being funny in a rather low-key way. Frieren is already a delight, and I'm interested to learn more about Fern. So far she seems to mostly be the straight-man, but I'm sure she has some fun quirks.

Also, glad to see basically everything I was spoiled on was in chapter 1. I went into Dungeon Meshi knowing about the cool monster Marcille is in lesbians with.

[grantaire-lover-69]

In the golden age of ancient Greece, Enjolras rode his golden chariot in the skies above the mortal land, his radiant beauty and divine powers commanding the reverence of all who beheld him. Yet, it was a young mortal named Grantaire who captivated the sun god's heart.

Grantaire, with his dark curls and eyes that shone like emeralds, was a gifted athlete and artisan. It was while working on a painting that he caught the eye of Enjolras, who was immediately smitten by the young man's grace and skill.

Enjolras, drawn to Grantaire's earthly charm, began to visit him often, teaching him about the art of poetry and music. Grantaire, became enamored with the god's radiant beauty, his heart fluttering with each encounter of his new muse.

Their bond blossomed into a tenderhearted and passionate love, one that defied the boundaries between mortal and immortal. But on the sidelines, Zephyrus seethed with jealousy. He had wanted Grantaire's affection for a long time, yet never acted on his desires. He simply admired Grantaire from afar. Now, he could barely even look at him without seeing the obnoxiously beautiful sun god by his side. He conspired to tear the pair asunder.

One fateful day, as Enjolras taught Grantaire how to throw a discus, Zephyrus made the wind carry the disc off course, striking the young mortal with a fatal blow to the head. Grantaire crumpled to the ground, his life slipping away as Enjolras cradled him in his arms, weeping tears of anguish.

"My beloved Grantaire," Enjolras cried out as he held the dying man in his arms, not caring that his cloth was getting stained red from the man's blood, "Please don't go... Please..."

Grantaire's eyes opened wearily, a pained smile on his lips. The pain in his body felt like it was the worst of tortures from the Furies. He felt himself getting lightheaded as he started to fade in and out of consciousness. He reached out for the sun god's face, his hand touching the soft, sun kissed skin of his divine lover.

As the light faded from Grantaire's eyes, Enjolras let out a gut-wrenching scream, his tears falling upon the dead mortal's face. In that moment, the sun's radiance dimmed, as if the very heavens wept for the tragedy that had unfolded.

That's when Enjolras had found a solution for his sorrowful predicament. He murmured a chant, as he finished, the blood dripping from Grantaire's head that had hit the soil sprouted into a new flora. Enjolras couldn't help but smile sadly at the flower, its beauty nearly matched the one of his beloved.

He didn't want to let go, he felt as if a part of him would die if he did. It took Combeferre's wisdom and Courfeyrac's encouragement to make him go back to Mount Olympus and his golden chariot. But even then, he couldn't help but feel lost. Even with the same flowers adorning his hair, he couldn't help but miss Grantaire.

---------------------------------------------------

I'm sorry if this is bad, my mental health wasn't good while writing this and I had barely any motivation to do basic tasks, much less write. I really wanted to include the mini cult of Hyacinthus(which involves Grantaire coming back to life) but I wasn't motivated enough for it. I really hope you guys enjoyed this, although this really isn't my best work. Maybe one day I'll be able to make it better. I will also try to post this on my AO3 if I have the motivation to get out of bed to get my computer. Thank you again <3

[munchboxart]

I finished Mario & Luigi Brothership!!! I am writing this right after the credits, so I have no idea if there's post credits stuff.

Big warning, major spoilers, I will spit everything out!!!

Also, the only other M&L game I've finished was Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, so I can't say anything between those 2 games for experience.

Super long by the way, the game is like 40+ hours long.

So I will be going in order from story + characters, gameplay and then misc. if I have anything else to say.

STORY

I can't lie, the first half felt so fucking boring LMFAO. I think that was also an issue in Superstar Saga but I did pay more attention there (probably because it was the first M&L game I played). Man I'm sorry I do not gaf about "new world new characters" shit. Kirby did this too when they first went 3D and I couldn't care less I'm sorry, not. I do like the Extension Corps. though.

BUT THE SECOND HALF? IT HAD ME LIKE THIS

The first time I heard Bowser Jr.'s voice I started to lock in. LIKE DAMN? CHARACTERS I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT?

I'm happy that they gave Bowser a more subdued role in the game since I heard he played more major parts in older games. I'm also happy that they're tagging along Bowser Jr. more in these stories!! I wish we got a little more but I'll happily eat the crumbs. I'm so happy they gave him a friend, albeit, a little bittersweet since he and everyone else from Mario world don't belong there :( I'm a little shocked that they didn't have a scene together in the end in the credits though? I figured they would've shown him and buddy saying goodbye, though I'm also happy with them showing Bowser saving 2 Goombas. He is that guy!!!

SORRY going back to Concordia, I'll be honest, I paid half attention in the first part of the story. I can't say I was too invested in any of the characters. Peach joining IDLE was cute. I did like the story in Rumbla island and the one with Chilliam and Burnadette, don't care much for the rest. Extension Corps. were fun, I definitely like all of the bosses from them. The Bowser arc was definitely one of my favorites, albiet, it felt... shoehorned in I can't lie. Bowser Jr.'s story makes sense in it but Bowser's story just felt really short compared to the rest, especially when collecting the bond tear things?

The Great Conductor is fucking awesome. I love that guy. Shamefully, when he did that quiz on if you know Luigi or Mario, I got all of the Luigi's right but every single Mario wrong 😔. Did not care about that fraud, only saw the goat in my eyes. I would love to have a giant plushie of the Great Conductor.

As for the Glohm part of the story. Since I didn't pay attention that much, Cozette being Zokket was a surprise to me LMFAO, HONESTLY, I CAN SEE HOW SOMEONE CAN SEE THE CONNECTION, but I didn't sadly. I'm a little sad that Zokket is a guy though, there are not a lot of fem villains in general so I don't really understand why they made him a guy aside from just making the twist harder to catch.

Anyways, let's talk about the big bad baddie, Reclusa. Oh my god, Nintendo loves their vague jester-esque characters LMFAOOOOOOO

Before I get to his character, can I think the puzzles dragged it way too long LMFAO. WHEN I SAW THE PUZZLE ROOM I GROANED SO LOUDLY. LIKE FIRST THE BONDS AND NOW THIS?

Anyways, Reclusa's motivation is very very interesting. At first the "everything's better in an isolated world!" thing doesn't make sense, especially since the TVs he forces onto people are just simulations of them with their friends and bonds, things he's trying to get away from. But it makes more sense as a selfish point of view, where HE wants to live alone. Also I remember hearing someone talk about how he also could kill everyone this way from starvation. Munch to think about.

I think I like Reclusa way more than Cackletta? A little more memorable I think but I think Cackletta's personality is a little better? At least along with Fawful. Also I think Reclusa has the better theme, phase 3 is pretty awesome.

As for the fight with Reclusa. Uhm, ok so I might have over-prepared LMFAO. PHASE 3 TOOK ME LIKE 3-4 TURNS. I had to be sure to have Waitaminnit (where it gives you an extra turn in a row), Bros. Boost, Item Share and Performance Bonus. I also made sure to get that Golden Grampy Turnip glove where it gives you like 30% pow and decreases speed or something. Reclusa's ball form gave me more trouble than phase 3 💀 it's a little sad. I wish he had more HP. But it was fun, Glohm forms of the Zok bosses definitely gave me a harder time when it was their turns too (I suck at dodging). I wanna try again to see his other moves.

OH ACTUALLY I just remembered, the looping Mushroom Kingdom goes hard. I think that's such a cool part of the story it's awesome. Plus it's the first and only part of the Mushroom Kingdom we get to see in 3D for M&L.

Overall, I think it was fun. A lot of slow times to be honest but there are some very good parts that make it worth while. My feelings toward it reminds me of how I felt with Kirby's Forgotten Land, but this one definitely went better for the story and some characters. Still foreign but not foreign enough that it becomes unrecognizable (compliment). Definitely won't replay it, though.

GAMEPLAY

It's fun, especially when you unlock all of the Bros. moves. I think it's extremely strange that Luigi's select button isn't B anymore when you pick his menu stuff. Although, him auto jumping makes sense in the 3d environment, would probably frustrate players if it wasn't auto. Although, I hate how he just jumps in place sometimes instead of moving forward. I love spamming jump while walking, especially one at a time per brother, so him jumping in place and lagging behind is annoying.

Also, Luigi's AI in the overworld is finicky but not bothersome most of the time, since there are very few times you'll be needing him alone. This was definitely the most frustrating part I had to experience. I took too long to pass the bomb but he wouldn't pick up another one (this happened 3 times because I am slow).

Also I love Luigi Logic. I forgot to mention this in the story part but one time I was so entranced by Luigi Logic that I didn't pay attention to a word he said. Haha Luigi you're so smart and funny twirls my hair /j

I love Bros. Attacks so much, definitely what makes M&L iconic. Although, the same issue I had in Superstars is in here too, where it takes forever to get the first/second bros. move. It makes the gameplay so boring. Although, I do think I prefer Superstar Saga's more? I like that they incorporated types way more, like what do you mean a fire only Max-Mix Vortex doesn't do more damage on the ice type Pipegunk? Whatever.

Plugs are cool I think, although I think it's kind of crazy that they give you 4-5 extensions at the end. The gloves and treasures are basically useless aside from like 2 treasures/gloves. Item Share is also busted, I was interchanging those on and off with other plugs when I needed a shroom. I wish changing plugs actually took a turn because of that? Sure I could make it harder for myself but whatever.

OH ALSO I DIDN'T BRING THIS UP EITHER IN THE STORY MODE, MY FAVORITE ENEMY ARE THE SHY GUYS. I love that their attacks are basically just Mario Party mini-games. Shy Guy Says!!!! It's so fucking awesome.

Misc.

Some out of order stuff that I think of.

I like that they're ragging on Luigi less, maybe it's because it's a new world so they don't know about Luigi much, but it's nice that they're treating him better.

I didn't mention this in the story section but I really like Reclusa's world in phase 2-3. Splatoon Side Order vibes much? Does a good job mixing in electricity and brain stuff I think, if that makes sense.

This made me laugh, I'm sorry.

I'm obsessed with this, THIS IS SO CUTE. THE LITTLE PAWS ON THE ARM REST, and Jr.'s spikes matching the ones on his head, while Bowser's matches his shell. I FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT THE ARMY CARING ABOUT BOWSER JR.'S FRIENDSHIP WITH BUDDY..... I wish they pushed it more but 😭😭😭I also wish they pushed Bowser trying to protect Jr. a bit more too. Like give me more content pleaseeee 😭😭😭😭😭

Uhmm music. I'll be so honest, I don't think the M&L series has had that much of interesting OSTs aside from a couple. I did mention this earlier but Reclusa's theme definitely is a big standout for me, since I never really liked all of the other final bosses themes. Speaking of which, I'm shocked Bowser and Zokket doesn't have a unique theme? The only ones that get a unique theme is the Extension Corps & Reclusa, which is... strange. Especially when Zokket was framed as the big baddie for most of the game.

I hate the "rhythm game" Dyode and the other one makes you play, THAT IS NOT A RHYTHM GAME, THAT IS A BABY'S FIRST MUSICAL TOY. I hate that it's not even that accurate to the song either so I sometimes get "Great" because the beat is weird!!!

Oh yeah, when I first fought a full set of Bowser's army, it just felt so right. This is Mario and Luigi!! It just reminds me so much of how I felt with Forgotten Land. Speaking of which, I'm seeing a correlation of games that started out as 2D, moving into 3D for the first time (for Mario & Luigi, it's more like a first time on a console) and the story being about going to another world. And if that becomes a trope (or already is), I hate it very much. Like why is the first thing you want to do when celebrating your game moving to another dimension, is to go to another world? It feels alienating. I want to see the original characters!! I don't care about tweedle dee and tweedle dumb in this new dimension we don't have any history with. At least M&L's wasn't that bad of a change.

I think that's all for now? I'll definitely talk more if I have any other thoughts. Not really much to talk about in-depth for. I don't regret playing it but I definitely wish there was less fluff in the gameplay (stuff that makes the game longer, like hunting for the bonds).

[featherstorm2004]

All For One's death

I am a little confused at some of the disappointment I've seen directed at the latest chapter or well chapters, more at how Horikoshi has handled All For One. Because, I don't see how this could have gone differently given the current circumstances but to organise my thoughts I will start with the first arguments I've been seeing.

"I am upset that All For One went out the way he did"

This one I can kind of understand since with the reveal of his backstory, he has successfully (in my eyes) become one of the most complex and well thought out characters in bnha. However, due to the fact that it was revealed so late it meant that for the people who had just gotten attached to him or the people who had been craving this character development for a long time, it meant we had a short time to enjoy it and his character fully before he died.

And that kinda sucks and I get that, I wish that this backstory was revealed sooner like I would have had it revealed in the vigilante arc where Deku was exploring why villains are the way they are, maybe we could have had both All For One and Yoichi narrate it as Deku was getting used to his vestiges and Shigaraki and All For One were fused. But I understand why that didn't happen since it was clear that Horikoshi was experiencing burnout after writing the monster of an arc that was the war, plus I'm pretty sure he was dealing with a new editor/manager which couldn't have been fun.

In a perfect world Horikoshi would've taken a nice long break after the war arc and then started working on the next arcs but sadly that didn't happen. But I'm happy we got this backstory at all since it's clear he's been rushing to finish the manga as soon as possible (which I can't blame him for) and I'm glad to see he cared enough about All For One as a character to make it crystal clear why he is the way he is and that despite everything that he is in fact human.

As for the people who are mad that he's not the main villain, I'm not really sure what to tell you. Yes he is a really cool character/villain and it might have been cool to see him in all his big bad glory but this has never been his story; it's been stated over and over again that All For One and by extension All Might's time in the limelight is over, this is Deku and Shigaraki's story not theirs. Since the beginning it's been made abundantly clear that bnha is a story about successors and the legacies they carry and if you wanted a story about their predecessors then you're reading the wrong manga.

Which brings me to the next complaint I've heard, people that are upset that All For One was included in the first place.

I can understand this to a point, I too was upset when All For One barged in and tried to steal Shigaraki's thunder, it was frustrating I can admit that. But I also wasn't too surprised after all it was an incredibly in character thing for All For One to do and Horikoshi needed a believable way to handicap Shigaraki so the hero's had the slightest chance of winning, and vestiges had already been long established in this world.

But most importantly there needed to be a reason for Deku to believe that Shigaraki needed saving and to want to do so in the first place, and being forcefully possessed by the most evil man in history is a pretty good motivation to save someone.

And to be honest there was no way that Horikoshi could get away with not using All For One at all after there had been so many hints and foreshadowing to him eventually breaking out of prison, people would have lost their minds if he had never been included. Especially after he had been built up as this master manipulator who had warped Shigaraki's mind for years and had been pulling the strings of Japans underworld for a century.

It would've been seen as the worlds biggest missed opportunity so, I think Horikoshi handled it the best way he could've whilst keeping the integrity of his characters and the main theme's of the story intact.

And I think it was probably for the best that we spent that time deconstructing the myth that was the villain All For One because in my eyes he really didn't fit in the world of bnha; which has spent it's entire story exploring how people aren't born good or evil and that bad people can choose to change if they want to and that good people can also do bad things. So, to have this pure evil villain who was just born that way didn't really mesh well with the tone and message of the story, he needed to be brought down a peg or two to be made more human in order to fit in and I think Horikoshi succeeded in that.

Now that I'm thinking about it, that's probably the reason I never cared for All For One at the start as I could sense that he didn't belong in this world. And I didn't start getting invested in him until he started falling apart because suddenly he made sense in the narrative, but that's just my opinion. I'm not saying that pure evil villains can't be fun or thematically appropriate, just not for this story.

But yeah those are my thoughts of All For One's death at the moment I'll probably do more meta's about it later but I wanted to respond to the complaints I've been seeing.

[snek-panini]

I'm trying to get the last of my Binderary projects posted, so today we have books #8 and 9, Fault Lines by Marabelle123. This is a long canon compliant Good Omens fic (pre-second season) that I've had on my to-bind list since I started making books three years ago. It's unfinished and had its most recent update in early 2020, but based on how the existing story feels I'm fairly sure it was close to the end and feels complete enough to be satisfying. It's very in character and captures a lot of the specific feeling from the pre-miniseries fandom, that the relationship between the leads defies all definition. They're as close as it's possible to be and their relationship has teeth sometimes but their bond is as undefinable as it is unbreakable. Give it a read if that sounds like your thing; it's excellent.

The cover for this one is made of two colors of faux leather, cut at a diagonal with no overlap, with the title in silver foil htv. I've never done a cover like this before but I'm in love with the result. It feels very sleek and sexy and modern compared to the more vintage elements I usually favor. And I didn't have enough of either leather to do two full books, but I still wanted to use them and have the volumes match. I think it was an elegant solution.

More pics under the cut! I tried some new stuff with this one.

You may have noticed above that this is a Coptic bind, my favorite for unfinished fics because of the "out" option it leaves. If the author ever returns to it and posts more chapters it would be fairly easy to take out the stitching and add more signatures. I still stand by this motivation, but after a silence of four years and no response from the author when I reached out for permission to bind it I'm reasonably sure this is it for the story. That let me try out some stuff I'd be reluctant to do if I was planning to add pages. Have a look at the spines:

Sadly I couldn't make the page count work with a single volume, since you can't do much to mitigate spine swell in a Coptic bind, but the volume split let me do some long stitches in the center that look like wings. There are plot-relevant feathers in the fic, so it's fitting. I thought of sewing one of them in white for that sweet Good Omens balance feeling, but I didn't think it would pop against the white paper and would leave the set looking unbalanced so I stuck with black on both. To get the pattern right I cut out a wing shape the same width as the spine and traced it and poked holes for the outline, then flipped it for the second volume so they'd be mirrored. You can also see that I did something different at the head and tail, more visible here:

This is a Coptic endband. I found out these existed a couple of months ago and absolutely had to try them. They're woven into the signatures and cover with a separate thread, after the rest of the stitching is done, and they're supposed to add some stability to the wiggly spine that you always get with these books. Unlike other types of endband, they don't have a core. I had a lot of trouble with them and had to pull out the first one and redo it with a different thread (embroidery floss is better than crochet thread for this) but I have no regrets about the finished product. They do stabilize the spine some, though not as much as I'd have liked. I really like how they (and the longstitch section) dress up a Coptic spine. I've always thought the plain ones were a little lackluster for how much work they are, but I love all the texture and interest this one has. Would absolutely not do black on black again though. Very hard to keep track of which thread I was supposed to sew under against a black background. I'll be using a contrasting color next time.

Interior photos. The doublure on the inside of the cover is a striped lokta (I think; it's been a while since I bought it). The title page image is a free-to-use image that I found on I think Vecteezy. Unsurprisingly, given its title, a big theme in this one is underlying cracks and misalignments that the characters don't realize are there until there's a massive disturbance, and that's why I had the text on both the title page and the cover not line up. Things are slipping, things are cracking, and there's extra work to be done on both sides if you're going to stabilize or rebuild. Comparatively, the typeset is quite plain and simple, with only two fonts, no chapter header image, and no section break images unless the break falls on the last line of a page, in which case there's one gray line. I think it's well-suited to the story; there is a bit with an illuminated manuscript, but mostly the characters are busy introspecting in between managing crises. They don't have the time or the energy to dress things up prettily.

And that's it on Fault Lines! As I mentioned earlier, I reached out to the author on Ao3 for permission to bind but never received a response, so I really hope they don't mind that I made these. I love their fic, and I love the bind I made.

[nana-kom]

Hiiii 🥰 it’s been a long time since I write something right ? But I was feeling very inspired today, so this is my first seventeen fic, i hope you’ll enjoy 🥺

This is a weight gain fic, this contain feedism and weight gain.

Enjoy 💜

The bet

It had been weeks since everyone had been preparing for their new comeback, and everyone was making an effort, every day to rehearse, train and, worst of all, watch their diet in order to lose weight before the first performances. And this aspect of the comeback was what drove the members to despair one by one, and the worst of it was that all but one were paying attention. Indeed, Seungcheol knew very well that he didn't have to diet like the others or be careful, because most of the things he ate he was able to eliminate by exercising or simply turning them into muscle. And that's what the members were jealous of: he ate to his heart's content and in the end he managed to keep a slim figure, and on top of that he was so muscular. They all found it hard to watch him eat and even nibble from time to time, while they were sadly content with the minimum.

Just like this morning, when Jeonghan woke up, he joined Seungcheol who was already in the kitchen eating a rather large breakfast, consisting of two eggs and rice with a protein shake and some small side dishes. He then rolled his eyes and went to sit down next to him, taking some food himself, but saying nothing, then it was Soon-young’s turn to join them for the breakfast like usual. And when he saw his friend's breakfast, he frowned, this time really fed up with seeing him eat so much in front of them.

"It's not fair that you're not in diet !" he then said.

"You're just jealous!" bounced seungcheol, taking another big spoonful of rice.

"Yeah, totally..." added Jeonghan, looking down at his glass of water.

"We can't all have perfect metabolisms," said seungcheol, laughing lightly.

"Yeah, well, it's sport that helps you most of all...considering how you eat..." replied Soon-young in turn.

"You know what ? I'm sure I could double all my quantities and I wouldn't gain a pound !" Jeonghan straightened up in surprise, then met Soon Young's gaze and they smiled at the same time.

"So let's bet! You double all the quantities until the comeback and if you win you'll have proved us wrong, and if you lose, you'll admit that your metabolism isn't so perfect." seungcheol hesitated for a moment then shook hoshi's hand.

"Deal!"

The two men left him to enjoy his last day, waiting patiently for the next day to take care of his case. Seungcheol finished his day quietly, eating well and going to the gym, then falling asleep peacefully in the evening knowing that he'd already won. What he didn't know was that his two friends were really motivated to make him lose. When he got up the next morning, he went to the kitchen, sawing his friends starting to prepare his breakfast. These two friends had a good idea in mind : instead of letting him cook as usual, they would began to prepare his breakfast. Turning his usual meal into : two rices plates, four eggs and two protein shakes, while adding a few nibbles on the side. And they kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't cheat. Seungcheol didn't let himself be disturbed, however, and started to eat, taking his eggs as usual and quietly eating his breakfast. Despite everything, he was starting to feel the difference in his belly, he had the impression of already feeling full even though he hadn't eaten half of it, but he didn't intend to lose out and finished the rest. He also drank his first protein shake in its entirety, then kept the second to accompany him to the gym. On the way, he could feel his belly swelling, but he knew his body would get rid of it quickly, and he intended to win by following all the rules. At the end of his workout, instead of a glass of water, he started his second drink and took cereal bars as usual, doubling the quantity. This exercise continued for the rest of the day, and at lunchtime in the cafeteria, the other members served him not one but two heaping trays to complete the challenge he'd accepted the day before. He looked at the two and swallowed, everything still seemed a lot and he'd agreed to double the quantities but not the workouts, but it was only the first day, he knew his body would get used to it. He then finished both trays and let out a big sigh this time, feeling really full. Even though he had a big appetite, he wasn't used to eating so much. For their part, Jeonghan and Hoshi were enjoying the view and looking forward to winning, as they would make sure things didn't turn out the way Seungcheol had planned.

Back at the dormitory in the evening, Seungcheol was in the habit of eating light or ordering food from time to time. He was surprised when he came across the members eating at the table, and in his place there were two boxes of pizza waiting for him.

"What's this?"he asks

"Pizzas ? We thought you might be hungry on the way home..." then said Jeonghan playing innocent.

"I see what you're trying to do...it won't work!"

He then sat down in his place, opened the pizza box and began to chew it, smiling as he looked at the two men in front of him, tasting the first pizza with pleasure and taunting them for being able to enjoy something fatty when they were content with a salad. But the two men weren't touched by his behavior. When he started on the second pizza, it was harder to swallow: he could feel his belly already starting to pull, and everything he'd eaten during the day was already weighing down. He then unbuttoned his pants to make room and finished his pizza as best he could before resting his back against the back of the chair and rubbing his belly, trying to digest calmly, and inflating his stomach to make room. At this point, Jeonghan got up to fetch a tub of ice cream from the fridge and moved closer to him.

"you're having ice cream at night aren't you?"

"I'm...full...I...can't..."

"So you're losing already?"

"I don't even have the strength to...move the..."

"We'll help you hyung, don't worry..." added Soon Young from behind.

Jeonghan then opened the ice cream tub and began to feed it to his leader, who couldn't refuse. He felt heavy and full, yet his pride told him to carry on. He felt as if his belly was going to explode, and that he'd never be able to finish, yet he suddenly felt Soon Young's hands start to gently massage his belly as Jeonghan fed him. He was a little disturbed, but at the same time, the sensation of having food in his mouth while someone else was gently massaging his belly wasn't unpleasant - quite the contrary... he could even get used to it...

And so it was, for the rest of the week. He'd leave in the morning full of breakfast, with his two drinks with him, then at lunchtime, he'd eat at the agency with his two trays carefully prepared by the members, then in the evening, he'd find himself in this sort of feeding session with his two friends, who took care of feeding him and relieving him of all that food. However, to everyone's disappointment, after a week he hadn't put on much weight, and they even began to wonder if his body was as miraculous as all that. And between his sports sessions and the choreography rehearsals, he was also spending more than expected. It was then that Jeonghan decided to change the rules, transforming the two protein shakes into weight gain shakes...only to make the bet a little fairer...and nobody needed to know, right ?

And halfway through the second week, Seungcheol was surprised to discover that his T-shirt was too small. He pulled at it as hard as he could, but nothing helped: his belly was sticking out. He then went to look in the mirror and was surprised to see his reflection: his weight gain was slight but visible. He bit his lip as he looked at his muscular arms, where the fat was beginning to show and jiggle when he moved. His belly was much more swollen than before, and a light layer of fat was appearing, while the fat on his buttocks was more than noticeable. But the bet was not lost after all? He still had three weeks to go, and nothing to lose in the process. So he put on a much larger sweatshirt and a pair of jogging shorts he was sure he'd fit into, and found his two friends, as usual, preparing food for him...they're really motivated...he thought.

What he also found different as the days went by was that the proportions kept increasing so that he felt full enough to go to work. Although the bet was to double the quantities, he found himself hungry from time to time and started adding different snacks to his diet. And also sometimes instead of going to eat in the cafeteria, he went to fast-food restaurant, or just restaurants, sometimes even all-you-can-eat buffets. What he hadn't counted on was that, on top of all the food he was eating, his stomach was also demanding more and more. And with so much to eat, there was an addictive side to going on and on. To get a nice rub from his members, to be offered the chance to finish the dishes, to find himself tired enough to go to the gym, and to spend one of his days doing nothing but letting his friends pamper him, feeding, massaging, feeding again, and yet still having this hunger inside him that continued to grow.

By the end of the third week, his body had definitely changed, and this was thanks to what Hoshi and Jeonghan had added to his diet, so that calories would accumulate more easily. One morning, they were surprised when Seungcheol didn't come out of his room as usual and, intrigued, Jeonghan decided to go and see him. Jeonghan knocked on Seungcheol's door and went inside. He was surprised to find the leader still asleep, with his belly exposed and about twenty empty snacks beside his bed. He smiled as he looked at his friend - he'd really got him hooked, hadn't he? He then passed his eyes over his admiring body, their masterpiece. His belly, which had been slim and muscular three weeks earlier, had turned into a fatty covering with bulges that were now visible, his thighs were much wider and fattier than before, not to mention his new breasts, which were apparent. Oh yes, he had changed, he was no longer the muscular man of a few weeks ago, and it was all thanks to his friends who had made it a point of honor to feed him like the little pig he was deep down. Jeonghan then walked over to the bed, and sat down beside him, gently caressing his face and taking the opportunity to feel his soft cheeks against his hand, and his double chin now part of his face, having totally obliterated his well-defined jaw. Maybe his metabolism had been fast enough to make him lose weight before, but with this new diet his body knew how to pile on the pounds easily.

"hyung...your breakfast is ready!" then said Jeonghan gently and Seungcheol woke up and smiled softly, thanking him.

He then began to sit up but realized that his stomach was preventing him from sitting up, wasn't he supposed to have abs? He wondered, and then Jeonghan took his hands to help him sit up, taking the opportunity to kneel down and gently caress his belly, which was now resting on his legs.

"Are you going to admit you lost?" then said jeonghan, looking up.

"No...well....I haven't finished the bet yet..."

"But there's one piece of evidence you can't hide any longer." he said as he straightened up and caressed his new curved hide of his body, until seunghceol's belly suddenly began to rumble and jeonghan smiled. "well..let's move on you must be hungry little piggy..."

"I'm not..."

"No, of course not...not yet..."

The days continued to pass, and what should have been evidence for Seungcheol was not, and he would not admit defeat. How could he have lost so miserably? He'd lost to his friends in what should have been an easy challenge, and all he'd gained was weight, and he loved it. Seeing his body get fatter and fatter, greedier and even hornier at the mere thought of getting fatter and fatter, being able to gorge himself all day long and, above all, having his friends encourage his behavior was like a kind of paradise, and he'd largely lost himself in it. For not only had he still managed to make the comeback, but once he'd finished, he'd lost himself in the food again, eating meal after meal, taking larger portions than the others and barely feeling full. And he liked it that way, his body was far from what it had been, as if he'd become the opposite of himself, but he liked himself even more that way. That day, he was sitting on the sofa, having just finished eating a menu designed for four people and trying to massage his stomach in the absence of his friends. He was wearing a T-shirt that was far too small for him, and wearing pants would have been pointless given his condition, and was calmly digesting his meal. His body was sinking into the sofa and his belly would soon fall between his legs; he'd been surprised to discover that a new roll had formed from his belly fat, and he liked it even more. When he was almost in a food-coma, he heard the door open and his two friends arrived with food in their hands.

"We bought you food!" said Soon Young. "oh...you started without us...greedy boy..."

"It was just a little snack..." he said, returning his gaze wondering what was in the bags he was holding.

"Greedy and on top of his lying...if you want to see the contents of his bags you'd better be honest, big boy!" said Jeonghan sitting beside him stroking his belly.

"I was just hungry...this big belly need to be fed..."

"I thought you could double the quantities of your meals without gaining a single gram hyung..." said Soon Young then, this time wanting him to admit defeat.

"I...I...thats because..."

"You're a greedy pig?"

" Y..yeah...and...I need food... "

" Of course you need it...and we are here to take good care of our favorite leader... "

"Thats why I think we should bet more often... "

[neyswxrld]

sweet as cookies

Hardcase x reader (gn)

summary: You promised Hardcase to bake cookies and he's very excited about that.

warnings: none, it's just fluff

word count: ~670

advent calendar masterlist

a/n: this is the eleventh fic for my advent calendar! sadly, i'm too busy to bake cookies this year.

p.s. english isn't my mother tongue, sorry for misspellings! 

When you first told Hardcase about Christmas, he was very excited.

He liked the whole concept of Christmas. The love, the family, the warmth, the presents, the snow, even the Christmas tree. He absorbed everything you told him and placed it in his heart like a small treasure, ready to be found and opened, to share its content with others.

But there was one thing Hardcase didn't just like.

Christmas cookies.

Since the first time you told him about the small, baked goods, he was excited about them. He immediately loved them, even though he hadn't really tried some of the sweets.

Your family had the tradition to bake some cookies at the day the first snow falls and Hardcase really loved that too.

So, instead of being confused, when he wakes you with a big smile on his face the other day, you just laugh a little at his cute excitement.

"It's snowing! You know, what that means!" he almost yells, excited.

He pulls you out of the bed and into the bathroom, waiting impatiently for you to get ready.

Right after that, he takes you to the next grocery store, ready to buy everything you two need to make some of the goods.

When you're at home again, he almost vibrates out of his skin while he helps you set up everything you'll need.

"What do we need to do first?" Hardcase asks, looking over the stuff.

"Those are really easy cookies. You just have to mix everything, put it in the fridge for some time, and then we can cut out some motives," you explain, taking out a bowl from the shelf, giving it to him.

Hardcase stands in front of the bowl, measuring all the ingredients you give to him perfectly, and is excited to mix them.

When you put the dough in the fridge, he starts to lick the small spoom, tasting his creation.

"Oh, it's awesome!" he says, taking another small lick.

"You're lucky there aren't eggs in it. If you think it tastes great now, you have to wait until they're baked," you laugh and give him a small kiss on his cheek.

Excited as ever, he nods, helps you clean the kitchen, and prepare the stuff you need for the next step.

After about half an hour, you take the dough out of the fridge again and start to roll it out.

Carefully, Hardcase places some cookie cutters on it and smiles every time he lays a new raw cookie on the baking tray.

When there's no dough left, you put the trays in the oven.

"When they're cool again, we have to make some icing so they taste and look better," you explain again, and Hardcase nods, confident.

He really enjoys helping you with the cookies and still can't wait for them to be finished.

When that time comes around, he happily puts the icing on the cookies and sprinkles some colorfuk sprinkles on them.

"They're pretty," he says, proudly when everything is done and the kitchen clean again.

"Yes, you really did great!" you nod at him and lay your head on his shoulder.

"Are they finished now? Can I try one?" he asks again, smiling. You roll your eyes a little bit. So impatient.

"Yeah, go on, try one," you smile at him and don't have to tell him twice.

His hand snaps forward, and you can't even look as fast as the cookie disappears in his mouth.

With raised eyebrows, you watch him chew and start to smile, as the excited glimmer in his eyes intensifies.

"That is the best thing I have ever tried," he almost cries out, taking another one.

Laughing, you reach out for one for yourself and smile at the sweet taste on your tongue.

Hardcase indeed did great. 

And if someone asked you about the reason for you to bake so many cookies for christmas, you just smiled and thought about the look of joy and excitement on Hardcase's face, every time he got to bake or taste a new one.

TAGLIST:

@isthereanechoinhere96

[icycoldninja]

Helloo, how have you been?

can I request Vergil daughter being a figure skater ?

She’s been skating since she was three, and been on competitions winning each time 1st place, though her winning streak comes to an end not being number one but this time number two and she’s really disappointed. She had a bit of an ego always being first that even being second it was like the end of her career. Especially when her father watches all her competitions. She doesn’t know how to handle someone else taking first place and starts throwing a tantrum, So Vergil comforts her.

Yes, I can do this, enjoy!

Second place (Dad!Vergil x Daughter!Figure skater!Reader PLATONIC)

Sitting in the front row, Vergil observed you gliding around effortlessly on the ice, feeling pride bloom in his chest as you elegantly swayed to and fro, the determination to win first place clear as day on your stone-cold features that you'd inherited from him.

It seemed like only yesterday when you were a little girl, stumbling around on the ice-skating rink, holding onto his hand for support. Now you were a full grown, elegant and beautiful young lady, goal-oriented, just like her father, but most importantly, MOTIVATED to win.

Vergil was beyond proud of you for having an unbreakable winning streak for so long, as any loving father would, but he didn't want you to become obsessed with fame and accomplishments, as he once was. You should be comfortable accepting second place, but for some reason, the mere thought of not winning that shiny gold metal made you red in the face. Your ego was spiraling out of control, it seemed, just like his once did.

After you finished your routine and the other skaters had finished theirs, Vergil found himself eagerly anticipating the results, though not as much as you. When it was announced that you'd received second place, Vergil was still so proud of you. You'd achieved a feat not many others could, and thought that you would be proud of yourself too, but he was wrong.

Once the cameras had been directed away from you, you stormed into your dressing room and began having a full blown temper tantrum, screaming, sobbing, throwing things and more. Thankfully you had calmed down substantially by the time Vergil found you, or he would have smacked you upside the head.

"Y/N, there you are," He mumbled, striding up to you and seeing you bawling into your hands. "Stop that, stop with those tears. Shh. Come here." Without even waiting for a reply, he pulled you close and held you tightly against his chest, rocking you back and forth like you were a baby again.

"I-I'm sorry, Dad," You sobbed. "I failed! I couldn't be number 1!"

"No, you did not," Vergil was quick to reassure you. "You did your best, tried your hardest, and managed to win second place. That is enough for me."

"But second place isn't really winning!" You protested, sadly.

"Yes, it is," Vergil told you, patting your head. "Second place is just as good as first place. Think of all the other competitors that arrived today. How many were there, do you remember? There were not just 3 or 4, there were many. You won second place, standing out amongst hundreds. You have won, sweetheart, there is nothing to be disappointed about."

These words were really all the comfort you needed, because you knew your dad was always right, and that his validation was all you needed. If second place was good enough for him, then it should be enough for you.

[himluv]

DA Review Series - The Stolen Throne by David Gaider

Since I finished my original fiction novel at the end of February, I've started replaying the Dragon Age games and the long process of re-reading all the Media Tie-Ins. I thought, since I'm doing all of this, I might as well share my thoughts along the way.

I'm following this list that I made last year, if you'd like to follow along :). Now, onto the review!

Title: The Stolen Throne Author: David Gaider Publication Year: 2009 In-World Year: ~8:96 Blessed to ~9:00 Dragon (there are discrepancies) Verdict: Skip. There isn't any real lore value here, and it's mostly just teen angst wrapped in sexism.

The Stolen Throne is a prequel to Dragon Age: Origins, which introduces us to teenaged Maric Theirin just after his mother has been assassinated. The book follows Maric and his friends over the course of about four years as they lead a rebellion to free Ferelden from Orlesian occupation. We also meet young Loghain MacTir and Rowan Guerrin – both important figures to the Ferelden we experience in DA:O.

Unfortunately, I don't have much good to say about this book. I first read it in 2011, and remember really liking it then. I was 21, and while a voracious reader, I was not a reader of much Fantasy at the time. I've grown a lot since then, and this book does not age well.

I tried to re-read it in 2020 and couldn't finish it. I tried again in 2023 and, again, abandoned it. But this year, while playing DA:O I was able to slog through it and FINALLY finish it.

So, why was it such a slog?

The writing is, uh, bad. Just, on a basic prose level, this feels like a rough draft. Adjectives and adverbs run rampant over this book. Descriptions are winding and don't always make sense. The amount of times I rolled my eyes while reading this book, y'all. It was a lot.

But, if the story had been good enough, I could have overlooked the bumbling execution. The problem is, the story isn't all that compelling. Yes, I expected the overthrowing of Thedas's most influential political force to be an exciting read. Instead, this book isn't so much about the politics of Thedas and the tolls of war, but about... love triangles? Quadrangles?

Without getting lost in the details, basically Maric is betrothed to Rowan, but Loghain loves Rowan. And Maric is in love with Katriel (which is a whole 'nother problematic can of worms) and cheats on Rowan. And Rowan... is upset about this, but I don't really know why because she doesn't love Maric. And she sleeps with Loghain, but also.... I don't think she loves him either? IDK, man. None of it made sense.

And that is the crux of this book. So little of the characters' motivations made sense. And so much of the book hinged on those supposed motivations and feelings. But they didn't make sense – at least, not to me.

Sadly, there wasn't much lore to be gained from this book, either. we learn a little about Maric and his mother Moira. A little about Loghain, but even what I did learn didn't make me more sympathetic to him. He's still a dick. In fact, the only characters I did like were Rowan and Katriel, both of whom are dead by the end of the book. Neither of whom had any real power over their own lives. In fact! When Katriel attempted to flex what little power she did have, Maric KILLED her. And he supposedly loved her??? No. Uh-huh. And Loghain basically goaded him into it, so they both suck.

The one good thing from this is I think it does make the Orelsian hate in DA:O more believable. When the Warden comes on the scene, it's only been ~30 years since Maric and Loghain ousted Orlais. People are still living and working who fought in these battles, who lived under occupation. So, that's some good context. Don't think we needed over 400 pages of misogyny to get it, though.

David Gaider wrote two more Dragon Age novels, so wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it...