#i seem to really like characters in tune with rocks

[sleepydrupe]

drew fanart for something other than sky cotl and ninjago for the first time in... so long LOLL the urge to draw fairy tail was just tooooooo strong >:)))

fun fact! i'm really bad at doing fanart, but once i start doing fanart for something i literally cannot stop (cough sky cotl cough cough.. ninjago has taken a hold of me too LOLL). but anyways, felt like drawing fairy tail!!! specifically gajeel. gajeel,,,

i'm super proud of this!! it's very dull in terms of color but i love the rendering work i did :') super proud of myself for trying out a new more painterly style with less intense linework HAHHAHAHAHAH

anyways, IM SO EXCITED FOR 100 YEAR QUEST RAHHHH I HOPE TO SEE GAJEEL MORE THAN ONCE (i did not read the manga)!!!!!!!

[deerspherestudios]

Hello!

I really like your game!

I would like to ask a little about MR Michael, and I would like to ask, since MR Michael will be less honest than the other Michael(Mikael who can do hypnosis), then he will most likely be more rude? More precisely, what will his character be? Will he be very different from the other Mychael?

For context! Not rude, but he seems to shift very quickly between moods to match yours, almost suspiciously so since he's almost always in tune with your thoughts. A little too charming with all the right things he says.

I'd say he'd still be close in personality to OG!Mychael when you first meet him, it's just different in intent. OG! is kind because he wants to be, MR! does it as a pretense; he's quick to turn on you if he knows you dislike or mistrust him.

Edit: @/blueskyandsoftclouds said in replies he would be a tsundere and wow!! I didn't think to mention that he definitely would be haha!

Extra below because it got long:

Though if you're asking his true true colors; he's actually quite aloof and quiet. Let's say in the impossible scenario he's dropped his guard around you, he's completely relaxed and chill and doesn't have much to say. Kinda like a grandpa that just wants to nap on the porch in his rocking chair.

A typical interaction would be him reading your mind in conversation and mumbling his responses. Also OG!Mychael doesn't like coffee but I think MR!Mychael would.

[signedkoko]

Signed with Love - Overlords & Sins

What is this? - A valentines gift to my lovely readers! Its valentines/love letters from your favourites 🖤

Characters - Asmodeus | Beelzebub | Carmilla | Mammon | Rosie | Valentino | Velvette | Vox | Zestial

Series Parts Hazbin Cast - Here! Helluva Cast - Here!

Dear to the dearest,

You've always got me running myself sappy, but I'd like to offer my hand to you this valentines.

You know how popular Ozzie's is on Valentines, so how about a nice spot for brunch and then we pick a song to perform together tonight? Just you and I on stage, surrounded by people who wish they had what we do~

Eagerly awaiting your reply,

Prince of Lust, and yours forever;

Asmodeus

Heya lovely!

I'm so fucking excited to be spending valentines with you this year, and I don't say it enough so here it is in writing!

Normally I throw a party but I don't know, I kinda rocked with the galentines dinner you suggested, I'm thinking we invite some of our closest and have a hell of a good night, yeah?

You're the only party that matters,

Your Queenie Bee🐝

Mi vida,

I think it's about time we get away from work and the girls, how about we take valentines off?

I've always wanted to show you some of the places I used to frequent, since you always ask it only seems fair. I'm sure you'll adore the cuisine, I miss it dearly.

I'll help you get ready before we leave,

C. Carmine

Sup hottie!

How about we ditch my valentines show and leave it to the performers to take care of shit? I much rather be with ya anyways.

Anything you want, just tell me. I'll take care of everything from there babe.

Love ya more than you know,

MAMMON

Sweetest darling,

I reckon its about time I follow my own advice and pursue the one I love this valentines.

We can take a break from everything and go sight seeing! I don't get away from the town much, but everything you tell me sounds exquisite. We can go somewhere with a nice tune and I can really show you how I used to swing!

What do you say?

Your Rosie

Querida cariño,

Theres no reason for me to ask what I already know, and I don't want to hear another valentines joke about my name.

I know work has kept me busy babe, but this Valentines its just you and I. We can laze around all you want or you can drag me wherever, I'll make sure we get in.

Like a moth to a flame, eh?

Val.

Heya gorgeous,

Ive got two outfits in our sizes that could use a little test drive around town this valentines.

Already booked the photographer, so I hope you'll come model with me for my end february magazine, yeah? If you do a good job we can do dinner and drinks after, though you've never disappointed me, dolly!

You know I love you, always have & will

Velvette

Hope you're doing well, angel

You always joke that I can't write for shit so heres proof. In fact, I'm here to ask you to be my valentine.

I already know its a yes anyway, so how about I let you in on the itinerary? I got breakfast at the local spot booked with live music, an afternoon just the two of us, and for dinner I have our main reservation and a backup in case you don't like it.

Romantic or what?

Owner & CEO of VoxTek, Beloved valentine of you, Vox

Greetings,

Tis with great pleasure that thou is still by thine side after such an overwhelming year.

We must beg thou has considered indulging such an old soul in an evening of romance. Perhaps thou would dare to consider looking upon their bed, for there lays a gift.

Yours affectionately and forevermore,

Z

Authors Note - Who are you expecting a letter from? Who will you accept? I'd love to know! Heres to another part of the valentine sseries 🖤

[the-fiction-witch]

A Star

Media - House Of The Dragon Character - Aegon Targaryen Couple - Aegon X Reader Reader - Y/n Rating - Sweet Word Count - 1504

Y/n stood looking out the castle window towards the bay, her body was tired, her mind was tired, and the crying of baby Orion didn’t seem to be helping very much. She bounced the baby on her hip having sent the wet nurses away, even if she was starting to wonder if that was the best idea but felt it too fast to call them back. In the hope of calming baby Orion, she sang a sweet little tune that seemed to calm the crying baby. Orion was only a few days old and Y/n had become so very protective of him, not wanting the nurses, wet nurses, milkmaids, or even her husband to touch the baby but that had meant she had been awake almost the whole time since Orion’s birth.

"What are you singing?" Aegon asked, he stood by the door a cup of wine in hand after a meeting with his small council, "He likes it. The baby..."

Y/n jumped and instinctively pulled baby Orion to her chest, she stopped her song and held her breath,she looks to him in the doorway of their chambers and quickly looked to the floor, "I uh I suppose so, I'll stop if-"

He stood there for a moment, and his gaze met her. He saw the fear in her eyes, and the baby in her arms, he felt guilty that his wife feared him so, but it was not like he hadn’t given her good reason to. He slowly approached, placing a hand in Orion's soft Targaryen hair, gently caressing it trying to show her that he cared for their child and wasn’t a threat to them, "No... keep singing."

"Are you sure I don't want to bother you, your grace…"

He nodded, his eyes fixated on Orion. "It calms him. Besides... I like hearing you sing..."

She nodded and continued even if her voice was low and often tripped on her words, her eyes often meeting Aegon’s, as she bounced baby Orion a little in her arms soothing him with her song,

Aegon's gaze never left Orion, who appeared to almost fall asleep in her arms. Aegon approached even closer, standing right beside her and admiring Orion's tiny features. It seemed… since Orion’s birth it was as if the baby's presence began to change something in Aegon, Perhaps seeing his child really had affected him or perhaps he for the first time truly understood the pain and suffering he had caused for his bride. He gently touched Orion's cheek, feeling his soft skin. "You named him after the Star, didn't you...?"

she nodded "I uhh .. I can change it if you'd -"

He shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face as he gently caressed Orion's cheek. "No, it's an apt name. He's a star among us, after all. My son." Aegon's expression was different now, softer. For a moment, he didn't look like the troubled prince but rather a devoted father

"I thought it was a nice name, and Orion Targaryen sounds like a nice name for a prince"

"Yes, indeed..." Aegon agreed, still fascinated by Orion's tiny facial features. The baby's skin felt like silk under his fingers, and the innocent expression on Orion's face as he struggled to keep his eyes open mesmerized the prince. He couldn't believe this baby was his flesh and blood. "I'll hold him for a while. You go, take some rest."

She looked fearful when he took the baby, frightened of what could happen. She shook her head and clutched the baby to her chest,

“Please Y/n, you need to rest I promise you I will be careful,” he said setting down his wine taking her cheek in his hand and pressing his forehead to hers, “Trust me, as a king, as a husband, as his father…”

Part of her didn't completely trust Aegon. But she nodded and slowly handed baby Orion over, the moment the baby left her arms she began to pick at her nails and breathe deeply her lips trembling,

Aegon carefully cradled Orion in his arms, his large but surprisingly gentle hands holding the baby securely. He rocked Orion gently and spoke softly. “Hello little prince, feels like forever since I held you last,” He cooed, The baby seemed to almost immediately settle and relax against Aegon's chest. Aegon looked as if he would hold Orion all night this way, staring intently at his own son with a mix of pride and love in his eyes. "Are you alright?" he suddenly asked her, not taking his eyes off the baby.

"I ... I don't know"

Aegon placed Orion into his crib and then pulled her down and sat beside her by the fire. He could see the worry and fear on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked in a soft tone, gently grasping her hand in his. He seemed genuinely worried about her well-being rather than angry.

"I feel rather ... Useless now," she said "we married. I gave you a son. I suddenly feel in danger. Like I could be ... Washed out with the tide,"

Aegon understands her concerns. He gently squeezed her hand. "You are not useless. You have given me a gift beyond measure. A son. That is something no one can take from you. You are the mother of my child, the mother of a prince." He gently lifted her chin, making her look into his eyes. "You are my wife, and I won."

"won?"

Aegon nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "I won you. From the very first day I met you, all I thought was how I can win you. The girl who seemed so indifferent and reserved, it drove me mad that I could not win you easily." He brushed his fingers gently across her cheek and continued. "But I won. You bear my child, my heir. You are bonded to me forever now."

"I suppose that's true... I'm sure soon you will be wanting your spare?"

Aegon smirked slightly, then gently brushed his hand over the top of her head, caressing her hair. "Yes… but that's something we'll talk about soon." He then sighed slightly as he looked into her eyes. "But for now, I think you need to rest. You're still recovering from childbirth. You went through a lot."

"I suppose I did ..." She said trying to belittle her own work

Aegon shook his head, "No. Don't you dare downplay what you went through? Bringing a new life into the world is no small task. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain you experienced, but I know it's nothing to look down upon." He looked at her with genuine admiration and concern. "I want you to take care of yourself. Rest, eat properly, and heal. You deserve it."

"as you command your grace" she nodded

He gently took her hand again and lifted it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the back of her hand. "Good. Now, rest well." He placed her hand gently back on her lap and stood up, walking to Orion's crib and smiling down at the sleeping baby. "And don't worry about Orion. I'll care for him and let you rest peacefully."

she nodded and got up nervously heading towards the bed chamber but she stopped and turned back, "don't let him sleep on his stomach, your grace"

Aegon raised his eyebrow and turned towards her. "Oh? Is there a specific reason?" He knew next to nothing about infants, but he was willing to listen carefully to her advice.

"he can smother himself in his pillow"

Aegon blinked, surprised by the explanation. "Ah! I hadn't thought of that. Thank you for the advice." He moved closer to the crib and gently adjusted Orion, rolling him onto his side rather than his stomach. He then turned back to her and smiled gently. "Is this better?"

"yes, think of babies as ... Little drunk people, anything you'd be worried about when leaving a drunk friend worry about a baby doing," she nodded "Wake me at the hour of the wolf, he will need to feed then"

Aegon raised an eyebrow upon hearing the analogy. "Little drunk people? Interesting way to put it. Reminds me of myself in a way." He then nodded and gave her a reassuring look. "I'll wake you as promised. We'll take care of him and keep him safe." Aegon returned to her side, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Now sleep. You've earned it."

she nodded and went into the bedroom keeping the door open in case the baby was to cry and not expecting Aegon to deal with it,

Aegon watched as she went into the bedroom, his gaze lingering on the door for a moment, once he knew Y/n was sleeping he went over and closed the door quietly so he could get a good sleep before turning his attention back to Orion. He gently brushed his fingers against the baby's soft cheek one more time and whispered softly. "Sleep well, my son." With that, he settled into his chair nearby, ready to watch over the baby until the hour of the wolf came.

[pullthehilt]

carrot at the end of a stick

Desc.: meet cute… but is it really

Characters: IMPLIDED RELATIONSHIP Jade Leech, Floyd Leech, Azul Ashengrotto

Reader: not explicitly yuu

t/w: implied non-descriptive cannibalism

why is it all in bullet points? idk :> one day i will flesh this idea out, but i just really wanted to get this out before my dreams for the next few days is just this lol.

"And… let's talk about your love life."

It was a quiet afternoon on the pier; a summer buzz blanketing the residences of the shore as the rumble of the rollercoaster in the distance groaned. One such man had taken shelter from the sweltering heat in the cloth-covered stall of the fortune teller.

The guy in front of him was… shady to say the least; the man was in a pressed suit in the middle of summer, gloves and jacket and all.

He was sceptical, but he was also incredibly bored. So, agreeing, he splayed his hand palm-side up.

He peered over his glasses frame. "It'll be extra for that."

Tsk.

"Aha, dear customer. It seems you'll be having an encounter that'll change your life very, very, soon."

“A man, oh it kinda looks more like a woman-- well the encounter will definitely be with a person. Hmm, well it seems to be on the shoreline. Perhaps heading north-- in the evening…” blah blah blah

Well he's killing time at least and it’s not the worst place to be rotting his summer away in.

Exiting the tent he revels in the sticky, salty air and heads down the steps towards the shoreline.

He'd like to dip his toes in the water, kill the heat some more.

And then he sees them.

He sees you.

You're certainly a sight for sore eyes. Flushed from the sun, digging your feet in the sand. You sway gently with the waves, rhythmically matching the seas tune. The sun behind you douses you in liquid gold. It's like your clothing is just artistically draped onto you, white silk against your skin. There are shells piled into your arms, cradled as you continue to collect, bend and gently poke into the ground.

He's a long ways from you but it's like the world around him silences-- enraptured. He can no longer hear the sound of mechanical enjoyment, the rollercoasters and man-ran stalls. No sounds of children crying or couples bickering. Just the sounds of the waves accenting you.

And you're getting further and further away, shyly toeing towards the half-submerged tide pools.

He has half a mind to not bother you. It's a bit weird to trail after you, isn't it? You hadn't even noticed him as you were minding your own business.

But the words come back to him, the same way the water laps at his shoes.

"An encounter…"

At first he's only walking towards where you've disappeared over the horizon. The leisurely pace he treads, a product of hyping himself up for conversing with you, if you're still in the area. But then he hears a short yell and his heart staccatos.

Chasing after you is easy, sand being flicked up with every gallop towards your direction.

There's butterflies in his stomach from how your voice was carried in the wind-- is that what you sounded like when you were hurt? Or was it a yelp of surprise? Even scared, you sound so...

He scolds himself for even thinking of the other sounds you'd make.

When he reaches you, you're drenched and sat on a sloped rock.

The tide pool itself is shaped like a crescent, the open mouth leading directly to the sea-- and the waves are really working up a storm, as the tide has gotten inches higher from where it was just a few hours ago. At the centre of the crescent shape from where you're sat is a small rock pathway.

Your face is contorted, eyebrows furrowed and mouth pressed to a thin line. Slumped over your leg, you clutch at the leaking wound at the side of your shin.

"Oh god, are you alright?" He calls out to you, body leaning in your direction. It's cute how you jolt to attention, dishevelled.

At first it looks like you're analysing him, and so he tries, "I'm not here to harm you." Palms facing up, showing that he had nothing of a potential threat on his person. "I… I just heard a shout-- a scream. I thought someone needed help and you…"

"I scraped my leg… But… Uh, I'll be alright."

Your voice is light, fluffy even. He soaks it into his system like a sponge and wishes you'd talk more-- god he'd do anything to make you talk more--

"Do you need help?" Dumbass, he thinks to himself, of course you need help. He'd reprimand himself further if his mind hadn't frozen at the way your lips curved to a smile.

"It'd be nice if you could help me," calling out to him you kind of beckon him with your hand. "Come. Come help me." Stumbling to the edge, he prepares to step.

"What's your name?" He's afraid of coming off a bit too strong, but he needs to know. He can feel the water seeping into the canvas of his sneakers, pooling at his toes, but he only steps closer with one foot on the first stone of the pathways towards you.

The shape of your name casts into your lips, but the waves at the moment steal your voice. What? What did you say? He can't hear you, and he says so.

Carefully, he commits his weight to the first stone before moving to the next.

It's a short way to you, but he's slow to make his way as the water spits and crashes against the pathway. Torn between you and the stone he’s stood on, his eyes flicker between the two. Your hand is still stretched, as still as a marble statue. Waiting for him. A heat filters to pool in his ears the closer he gets to you. There's a flicker of hope tickling his spine as he imagines the words he'd say when he gets you off this rock-- he'd ask further if you were alright and if maybe you wanted him to accompany you to the lifeguard's tower to get you patched up. You'd say yes and then he'd follow up with shy conversation leading to the eventual exchanging of numbers. Then he'd for sure ask you on a date, maybe visit the small restaurant overlooking the cliffside a short walk away. Circle back to the pier, win you a couple of prizes from the vendors there… Visit the fortune teller and give him an extra tip.

He's so close to you now. Balancing on the next rock is hard, and he focuses to where his foot nearly slips. It would be terrible to embarrass himself by falling into the water-- troublesome too from how his shoes would be waterlogged and maybe tangled in the seaweed he could see dancing below.

The next stone is even smaller and he gets why you could've slipped here because, he's swinging his arms to regain his balance. But he sees your hand just in front of him and he clasps his to yours, fingers tightening.

Your smile is so bright, stretching to your eyes as your cheeks squish and mould into something Cheshire like.

He winces, your grip firm.

"Thank you." And he's tumbling as you yank sideways.

Water fills his lungs, salt attacking his tastebuds and stinging his eyes.

No one hears you when you're drowning, especially in the sea. The water crashing against the rocks is already loud in itself, and the fact that you have to fight between sputtering out water and kicking your legs to stay afloat and shouting is a battle in itself.

He screams to you, help him god-damn it. Fucking wench, why did you do that-- he'll actually drown at this rate. You're a bastard for tricking him like that-- a whore.

But your eyes are vacant and unfocused. You don’t see him, but you’re looking at his direction.

And then he feels something squeezing his leg. He's kicking harder now, has the thought to untangle the kelp or something he probably accidentally tangled into—

When he looks down, he doesn't see a clump of black wrung around him. Instead, there is a pair of half-moon eyes peering from beyond the water, coloured a sandy brown and warning sign yellow.

-

The water starts to turn a beautiful pink reminiscent to the colour of the coral and anemones dotting around your home. He, the man, is quick to have been pulled under with a trail of bubbles popping to the surface; at first it stays in once place, before the shape of him thrusts forward-- he rushes through the water like a bullet, tearing to circle the rock you sit upon.

 A warm sensation spreads across your stinging wound. When you look down there are a set of eyes fluttering back at you.

"Jade, stop that..." His tongue slips back into his mouth.

He parts from your calf, propping his head by your thigh, smiling. Floyd surfaces for a minute, eyes peeking back at the two of you. There's little disturbance as he moves almost jerking back and forth before his head fully floats above the water with a satisfied sigh.

"Was that all of him?"

"Dunno,” he burps out. “Definitely not all of him though.”

“Can you check?”

“Will I get a prize for doing it?” Glaring, you flick droplets at him with your free foot. He splashes back, waving an arm at you.

Clasping the foot, Jade cradles it to his chest. "Then… what part did you eat?"

"Dunno. An arm?”

“Floyd.”

“Hmph.” He dives back down, body folding to flicker into the deeper waters. After a moment, he resurfaces carrying something by the way he sways a bit more unevenly. “It was an arm.”

[silverzoomies]

hello !!! i was just wondering if you think there are any other bands peter would like besides nirvana, pink floyd, and rush ?? he gives me classic rock (& just rock in general) vibes tbh !!

anon you just opened up a can of worms !!

i once did extensive research into this. way more than anyone should for a character way past his relevance. and i'm still discovering new tunes i think he'd be into all the time !! i'll try not make this long winded (it will be). but for now...

🎶👾 peter maximoff's (potential) favorite tunes 👾🎶

we already know pink floyd, rush, and nirvana are included. they're shown through the shirts he wears !!

rush is a major one. because unlike the other two, apocalypse era peter has rush all around him !! the rush posters in his basement. the leg cast with "i luv rush." it's safe to say he's kind of a rush fanboy (and he's so real for that because rush is rad as hell).

i have a list of bands/artists i can confirm he canonically likes, as they've been referenced before. whether it be through background clues (posters, background music, etc), or because they were explicitly mentioned by people involved in making the films.

🎶 yardbirds 🎶 the doors 🎶 led zeppelin 🎶 buffalo springfield 🎶 alice cooper 🎶 jim croce 🎶 neil diamond

and while we know he listens to eurythmics (sweet dreams), i don't necessarily include them as a band. just because i personally feel this has less to do with the artist, and more about whatever was mainstream in 1983 (but you can choose to include them if you want !! after all, people mostly listened to whole albums back then).

peter definitely enjoys rock overall. but he doesn't seem averse to mainstream pop either. so we can probably assume he'll listen to anything, as long as it's catchy !!

here's some bands/artists we can assume he likes based on what we already know:

🎶 jimi hendrix 🎶 cream 🎶 the beatles 🎶 fleetwood mac 🎶 queen 🎶 david bowie 🎶 tom petty 🎶 ac/dc 🎶 bon jovi 🎶 journey 🎶 guns n roses 🎶 the eagles 🎶 joan jett & the blackhearts 🎶 deff leppard 🎶 tears for fears 🎶 michael jackson

and if there's some other classics i missed (from the 60's/70's/80's) you think he might like - please feel free to drop me an ask !! i'd love to add more to the list !!

lastly, i'm gonna drop some bands/artists i personally like to think he might listen to. mostly because it's fun to imagine so:

🎶 iggy pop 🎶 bee gees 🎶 thin lizzy 🎶 toto 🎶 a flock of seagulls 🎶 elton john 🎶 u2 🎶 redbone 🎶 madonna (i 100% believe it, you can't convince me otherwise) 🎶 pearl jam 🎶 radiohead 🎶 red hot chili peppers 🎶 green day 🎶 my chemical romance 🎶 beastie boys 🎶 smash mouth 🎶 nickelback (fight me, i dare you)

if you're looking for any specific songs, there's a really awesome playlist i listen to religiously. chai_vibes's "songs peter maximoff would unironically listen to" is so peak !! and i'll go ahead and drop my own peter maximoff playlist too, just because i worked really hard on it !! lol

happy listening !! thanks for hearin' me out !!

[mauvewalker]

You know one thing I’ve noticed being parroted around a lot are about how ‘sweet’ the strong boys are, just repeating what the protagonist Rhaenrya views her sons as she has stated it within the show herself. (Which is fine as people are entitled to their own opinions). I suppose it doesn’t help with the way the team black boys have been casted, younger actors & an actual teen matching the character’s age, looking all cherub/innocent like with the awkward hairstyles emphasises their youthful ages & the framing by show is heavily in the favour of the blacks.

Compare this to the team green boys Aemond and Aegon (both phenomenal actors perfectly cast to portray them) but considering Aemond is supposed to be a teen what 16 or 19? (the show-runners can’t seem to do basic maths, lol) however, as an audience member subconsciously Aemond is viewed as an adult & treated/judged as such with his actions. Again the negative framing by the show of him in manipulating the GA perceptions of the teams, I’m really surprised they didn’t play a villainous theme tune as like with Darth Vader every time he appeared on screen but I think that would have been a-bit too obvious, lmao. It’s not like the camera framework & Aemond’s get up in black, heavy smirking in the background isn’t already doing so.

Anyways having watched the show, I happen to be believe that they are not these sweet harmless little princes, in particular, Jace hides a much darker personality, imo. For instance, in the courtyard back at Kingslanding with Luke he says “it doesn’t matter what they think” so on the surface you could argue oh how sweet he is trying to comfort his brother but shows his self-entitlement in viewing the other lords/people as beneath them & we know Rhaenrya has told him “you are a Targaryen that’s all that matters” so it has been instilled in him this belief in the Targaryen exceptionalism being closer to gods than men because of their dragons. Also, that line mirrors young Rhaenrya with “their wants are of no consequence” about the small folk again showing self-entitlement & an attitude that would make them poor future leaders.

Jace having this belief instilled in him, I feel it would explain why they all picked on Aemond because whilst Aemond may be a legitimate true-born prince who was undeniably a Targaryen with the Valyrian looks, what didn’t he have? A dragon!! so Jace with his inferiority complex/issues & superiority complex combined, knowing he was a bastard targets/bullies Aemond unfairly for this (for being what he should have been if he was fathered by Laenor) to make Aemond feel bad, inferior & inadequate like him, which they were successful in.

As we saw this made Aemond risk his life attempting to claim a dragon with helaena saying “he did it again” (hinting that Aemond at 10-12 risked himself numerous times) and it was shown twice with his failed attempt with dreamfyre & his successful attempt with vhagar. As Rhaenyra has instilled in him being a Targaryen is the most important BS & the biggest symbolism of this is having a dragon. So, when Aemond finally claims a dragon, Jace is now unable to see or convince himself as better than or being more Targaryen than Aemond.

Hence, his anger when they all jumped him 4v1 beating him & when Aemond was managing to defend himself & calls them for what he is “a bastard” Jace’s rage comes out, not because he thought Aemond was going to kill Luke with a rock as he had lowered his hand holding it. It was Aemond saying “lord strong” which made him pull out the knife & slashing with the intent to kill him. Again Aemond managed to defend himself & the knife dropped on the floor, so obviously Aemond lifts the rock up again to use as a deterrent as there is now also a knife bought in the fight. The strong boys shared a glance & threw sand in his face blinding him & Luke slashed his eye.

We all know what happened after, they didn’t get punished for it, viserys sided with them reaffirming his favouritism & threatening to remove tongues for questioning their legitimacy. Rhaenyra didn’t care to discipline them for it, thus, reaffirming their self-entitlement that they are correct in their behaviours & did nothing wrong.

Another example of Jace self-entitlement, inferiority complex & bullying behaviour was during the toast speech. It was Aegon who pissed him off & some with an optimistic view would argue his toast was trying to bury the hatchet with “fond memories of our youth”, however, he was looking at Aemond with a slight smirk knowing full well it may have been fun for him it was not for Aemond- he was targeting him again when it was Aegon who bothered him & Aemond was minding his own business. The reason for this? Because he is comfortable to be looking down/belittling/bullying Aemond.

Again, with the dance with helaena, some would argue how chivalrous of Jace for feeling sorry for Heleana being alone but it was to piss off both Aegon & Aemond. Moving on, with the speech & then Luke laughing at the pig, Aemond loses his temper, rightly so. As all he was trying to do during the dinner was ignore them, both Jace & Luke have triggered him with the past, so he gives the infamous strong speech, to push back & give them a taste of their own medicine.

Jace is the one who then loses his temper & his first typical reaction when he does?? is to be physically violent & throws the first punch & which side does he purposely target?? Aemond’s blind/injured & vulnerable side of his face. The punch was laughable, Aemond didn’t even spill his drink & with one push was thrown down. Exactly like his younger behaviour showing no growth, he get back up & during this altercation, Luke had tried to join to gang up on Aemond again. So both brothers are unable to take the heat that they dish out & fight fairly 1 to 1, but, really what could’ve Luke have really done, lmao.

They should of known when they saw Aemond earlier that day in the courtyard training. At the time, it’s clear both strong boys didn’t know it was him (with the typical targaryen blonde hair they maybe could of mistaken him for Aegon) & were super impressed with his prowess/skill, before he turned around with the eyepatch & their faces said it all, like ‘oh shit’ & then soured that the person who they perceived weaker/beneath them during childhood is a skilled swordsman, unlike them. Another thing that Aemond has/is that the strong boys don’t to add to Jace’s list, alongside having both of a mix of a inferiority complex & superiority complex, a ‘sweet prince’ he is not.

[luci-is-a-bitch-x3x]

Obey Me! Brothers react to: Mc turning into their sheep form to comfort the brother when he's upset.

Lucifer's, Mammon's, Leviathan's, Satan's, Asmodeus's, Beelzebub's, & Belphegor's (you are here) reactions.

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Welcome! to another part of this adventure! The characters may not be how you imagine! I apologize for any poor jokes, bad spelling, and terrible grammar. Without further ado, please enjoy the content. ♡

This contains spoilers: I think its lesson 16.

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Belphegor's reaction:

Belphie cries over important things rarely, but hes the youngest and as the youngest in my own family I can say that we are bitches. Belphie definetly fake cries in attempt to get his brothers in trouble with Lucifer or Mc. Belphie will also cry when he gets tired enough. He's a spolied brat, he throws a tantrum when he doesnt get his way, and he cries just to get attention or to cause chaos. Sometimes Belphie really cries over things, like Lillith or remembering what he did to Mc. These moments are rare and they usually happen late at night when he oddly can't fall asleep. When these moments happen he's always sleep deprived for the Avatar of Sloth, and his crying tends to be closer to mental break downs due to his lack of sleep.

The first time Mc sees Belphie really crying, Belphie goes to them and has to wake them up, so Mc is fairly suprised and a little disoriented because they just waking up. Mc quickly gets their shit together as soon as they see the sobbing demon trembling in front of them. Mc goes to do something to comfort Belphie, but is interrupted by a *poof* Mc realizes they must have changed into their sheep form by accident due to how tired they are. Belphie seems more upset seeing Sheep Mc, probably thinking Mc turned into their Sheep form out of fear, he crouches down to the small sheep's height and gently hugs them, sobbing about how he'd never hurt them again. Sheep Mc is confused and half-asleep but they wrap their tiny arms around Belphie and hugs him tightly.

The two stay like this in silence for a moment, Belphie sobbing into Sheep Mc's wool gross and holding them close. After a few silent seconds of this Belphie finally speaks- "...I cant sleep..everytime I close my eyes I see you. How you looked when I..when I.." Belphie tries to speak but his voice cracks and his sobs become more frequent the more Belphie tries to explain- "..I know I promised I'll never hurt you again..and you say you forgive me..but it haunts me..i just needed to see that you're safe.." Belphie finally manages to explain, sobbing even more as he hugs Sheep Mc like they'll disapear if he lets go. Belphie rocks back and forth as he hugs the tiny sheep, trying to calm himself down a little.

To calm and comfort Belphie, Sheep Mc just has to tell him their not scared of him, and hug him until he stops trembling and crying. Belphie prefers to hug and cuddle Sheep Mc more than pet them, but he does occasionally pet them in attempts to calm down. Belphie finds Sheep Mc's wool to be comforting due to how fluffy it is, he compares it to clouds all the time. Sheep Mc is soft and cuddly and is as comforting to Belphie as his cow pillow is. Sheep Mc will definitely calm him down, he might fall asleep right on the floor due to the adorable sheep's comfort. Once Belphie is calmed down, he picks Sheep Mc up and places them on their bed. Belphie then climbs into Mc's bed and lets Sheep Mc cuddle up with him. Belphie gently pets Sheep Mc until they fall asleep, he stays up watching them for awhilw, just soaking in the fact that their safe, Belphie eventually falls asleep, sleeping peacefully when snuggled up to Mc, no matter what form their in.

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Thats all for now babes! Hope you enjoyed!! ♡ This is not proofread. Feel free to comment or reblog any thoughts or any add ons you have! This feels short? But I hope you enjoyed! More content is coming soon so Stay Tuned! Stay Safe! & Stay Spooky!

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⟡˙⋆Masterlist⋆˙⟡

[ashkav]

Rainy, her baby, and the Laughing Samurai theory

So Shioli Kutsuna's character has been revealed! Rainy, a pregnant woman on the crew of the Magellan who has the ability to cause rain fall (Shioli said this during the Tokyo Games show, though I can't find the relevant clip.)

several very interesting things are said during this cutscene, and when combined with what else we know from the promo materials and also from DS1, I think they can be combined to form some ideas. And boy, do I have Ideas about Rainy.

First, the foundation, all (very few) info from previous media that I think is relevant to Rainy.

a) The Songs:

We have so far had three songs about babies/ children in the promo material. Lou's lullaby twice, both connected to Higgs, on the electric guitar and then again with Troy Baker singing it very ominously. And then the broken down rock-a-bye baby tune right at the very end of the state of play announcement trailer during the credits. Obviously, songs to do with children that are usually happy or peaceful now inverted from comforting to something scary and unsettling = Bad Things are going to happen to the kids.

But Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head is not a song that has been made sad or unsettling - yet.

I absolutely feel this song is going to be called back to at a climatic moment in the story, possibly at Rainy's own death, possibly as the last thing she says to her baby. The song itself seems like a bad omen to sing to a fetus, what with Rainy's name being what it is and the lyrics being about perseverence through hardship - difficult not to instinctually think Rainy and her baby are about to suffer some pretty awful trauma that ends with one or both of them 'falling' to the Beach.

Raindrops keep falling seems very likely to continue the same pattern of a comforting song for children introduced at a peaceful time only to warp into horrifying due to a climatic moment - the only reason it hasn't already been warped is because the audience has to hear it the first way first and it didn't exist in the last game to be set up the same way, unlike the other two.

b) 'I just can't wait.'

This is a pretty innoccuos statement for a pregnant woman to say irl, but within the game verse, Rainy is literally the second woman we've ever seen who has expressed an actual desire to have children.

Let's very quickly run through the list of female characters who have children in DS1:

Lucy, Sam's wife who killed herself because the visions she was getting from Sam's DOOMS afflicted baby were so horrible she couldn't continue living.

Lisa Strand, Sam's bio mother who became brain dead early on in her pregnancy due to a car accident and who we never hear from, even in supplementals, and is shot in the head by Sam's dad.

Bridget Strand, Sam's adoptive mother who revived him after accidentally killing him and kept him to raise out of guilt, traumatising Sam so badly throughout his life that he suppresses his memories of her and doesn't really want to speak to her even as she lays dying of cancer in front of him.

A whole host of unnamed still-mothers, impregnated after brain-death and farmed for the BBs they produce.

and finally, Lockne, who actually wanted a baby not because of the baby itself, but because she wanted some part of her lover to live on even after his death. Due to issues with her uterus, she is incapable of becoming pregnant, and even when her twin agrees to surrogate, the baby and Mama both die in a terrorist bombing at the hospital.

(for the purposes of this list I am not counting the mountaineering couple, since they don't matter except to create stakes for that one timed mission.)

There's a pretty clear trend here - almost no one wants children, and those that have them are in incredible danger of losing the child or themselves. This makes sense in a world where hospitals no longer exist and the very act of childbirth is incredibly dangerous and mostly everyone is pretty much asexual anyway, so it's a massive outlier that Rainy expresseses wanting the baby, even if it would be a normal thing to say in our world.

Maybe this is a stretch, but I can't help but feel there's some thematic parrellel here between Rainy, who wants her baby to be born very much, and still-mothers, who are made pregnant but never truly give birth and who cannot ever consent - not that they don't consent, but that they are incapable of consent in the first place. All their children, except three (Sam, Lou, and the BB Coffin managed to save), die in the womb. They're always bridges and never babies, never born, never really living or dead. They are nearly unanimously incompatible with the concept of life, or growth, just the same as their still-mothers are incompatible with the idea of wanting them.

More on this later.

C) The Samurai

The Samurai is visibly pregnant. There is only one pregnant character in the cast (so far). There HAS to be a connection here.

This is not the first time we've seen a visibly pregant character do crazy insane shit - Sam, for instance, is 'pregnant' with Lou's glass womb for the whole first game and probably the second too, and he does some intense stuff.

The circumstances with Rainy are different though. For one, her womb is made out of the squishy human stuff, not bulletproof glass, and she can't take it off. Rainy doesn't seem particularly athletic either: in her and Tomorrow's intro, where they're stacking boxes into a shelf, she moves slowly and with effort, not to mention that the Samurai is taller than even Higgs (Troy Baker is 6'3), where Rainy is shorter than Sam (Norman Reedus is 5'10, and Shioli Kutsuna is 5'3). Plus, the Samurai suit has no way to see out of it, so even if somehow it augmented her height, strength and speed, she still wouldn't be able to see what she was doing.

It is very, very unlikely that she is the one inside the mech suit. No, instead, I think it's her baby in there.

Sounds insane, but listen: we've already seen Higgs' robots have some connection to BT's, floating like they do and having visible strands leading up like they do and potentially being vessels for them. Dollman is explicitly stated to have been a normal adult human person who used his medium powers to possess the doll and got stuck there when his human body died. Even Lou seems to have the ability to haunt her old pod, with the ghostly winged BT form and tentacles. The technology and precedent for soul-to-machine connection exist, the Samurai makes baby noises, it looks pregnant. And thematically...

Remember that earlier section, where I was talking about Rainy wanting the baby vs still-mothers who cannot want and produce babies who cannot live? Also remember how parents with DOOMs very often pass the trait onto their children, and that an adult with DOOMs (Sam) and a BB with DOOMs (Lou) connected through the umbilical made some very strange things happen?

I think that Rainy's desire for a child interacting with both of their DOOMs will produce something very strange. I have two major theories about what could happen to get the baby in the machine:

The baby and mother cannot both be on the same plane at the same time. Rainy's baby suffers some strange accident while Rainy is giving birth (maybe she gives birth as the Magellan is travelling through the Beach?), and the connection between them becomes like a still-mother and BB, but only in some aspects. The connection between the living and dead is swapped constantly between mother and fetus instead of mother alone tethering to the world of the dead. Metaphorically, you could compare this to a Drawbridge, evolving out of the previous Bridge-style that BRIDGES created with the still-mothers. With Rainy and her baby, either side can be 'drawn up', and the burden is shared between them. The tragedy of this is that even though both Rainy and her baby survive, they can never truly meet or meaningfully interact, as one must always be on the Beach when the other is in the living world. Possibly this could be made more extreme, where instead of being seperated in mind only they are also unable to interact physically - one must physically be in the Beach if the other is in the land of the living. We know it's possible to live on the Beach because Tomorrow confirmed it, even if Sam described it 'like hell', so maybe they build the baby a suit that it's pod can slot into to help it survive the time it has to spend on the Beach - we know BBs are quite smart and have an abnormal amount of dexterity and also increased senses that allow them to see BTs, so it could be possible that the BB became skilled at piloting the suit because it was literallly fighting for it's life on the Beach. This would thematically mirror Bridget/Amelie, or at least the lie that Bridget/Amelie told the world - that Amelie was Bridget's daughter who couldn't be removed from the Beach.

The baby is psychic pre-birth. The baby is believed to have died inside Rainy because it stops moving and scans show that it's funtionally brain dead - plot twist being that the baby is alive, but has just accidentally astral projected into a machine. The Samurai is an upgraded version of Higgs' BT robots that either Higgs built or Drawbridge built after they'd studied some of his work, and the pregnancy bump is an unconcious change that the baby makes to the robot, like how Dollman can minorly alter his appearance when he's mad.

I think this would give Dollman an interesting double - adult in a small, powerless puppet vs baby in a big, deadly, hypermobile machine. Brain vs brawn, thought vs impulse. It even fulfills Jester vs Sage if we want to get Jung's archetypes in here, what with the Samurai laughing and Dollman being an expository friend you carry with you, like Mimir from God of War.

The second one is the one I feel is most likely - it ties in so neatly and honestly I'm not too sure that Rainy would survive her time swapped out on the Beach if whatever the baby samurai was fighting was strong enough to make it so skilled against Higgs, even if there does seem to be a community there to help her.

Whatever ends up being the case, Rainy absolutely definitely is not going to have a 'normal' baby. There is no such thing as a normal baby in Kojima land.

[eldritcmor]

"THEY" eldritch reader.

Inspired by @meatonfork for their gen z! Reader and platonic! Reader series. Along with @antigonusyuki for confession booth

I have little experience with military assignment structure so lotta bullshit coming your way. All characters maybe a bit ooc cause I only have experience with them through the fandom.

There was a new recruit on base. Not with Captain Price's task force but they came under laswell and were to put it bluntly assigned to the base as more of a general help out. To fill in squads.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Gaz was the first to encounter them. A late night walk to clear his head after a particularly grueling mission. At some point the noise in the night stopped just enough for silence to be deafening. Not even his own footfalls could be heard. He froze only for a hand to settle on his shoulder and push him forward. A hazy voice and instincts screamed at him to "keep moving." The rest is a blur of Pounding blood in his ears and blurred trees. He looked back when he made it to the treeline only to see a human standing perfectly still with the huge claws of something through their chest.

John "Soap" Mactsvish

Soap was the second to encounter them. He was training the recruits on the mats that day. Takedowns, holds, general ground and unarmed combat. Wrestling really. They kept to the middle of the pack. Nothing notable. Nothing exciting. Not until they stepped up to the mat themselves. He looked them in the eyes only which eye was it. He felt like every single wall in the room was staring him down. Not judging. Just watching, waiting. It wasn't a challenge and it made him angry. The sense of eyes at every angle lessened and they were on the ground pinned beneath him, but I didn't feel like a friendly spar. It felt like something let him win.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

Ghost encountered them late at night leaning against the rail of the roof. On the outside of it. Just lightly humming some soundless tune. Ghost approached slow but didn't tug at them. Just enough to be in reach in case they rocked forward. They glanced at his approach and eyes seem to prickle along his spine. They didn't speak to each other. They didn't need to. They were just two hunters taking a break.

John Price

Price is the last to encounter them. It's on a mission. A safe house had been compromised and task force 141 was on their way to evac. He watched as rubble shifted and out popped them. A chest riddled with bullets and ribcage quite squished. He watched as they ran towards evac. Ignoring as bullets dropped from their flesh and bones shifted back into place. He wanted to speak to laswell about them.

[farmerstarter]

"Songs the Bachelors and Bachelorettes Listen To" Headcanons (Part 1: Bachelors)

This is inspired by @stardew-shitposterino ! I saw their post, where you can read here, and I wanted my own take on it. This was super fun to write. I'll have part 2 with the bachelorettes posted tomorrow. Also, the wildest shit just happened, I got into a biking accident lol! Anyways. Thanks for stopping by! All likes and reblogs are appreciated 🌷🤍

ʚ🏈ɞ ˚ · . Alex :

🏈 I'd like to imagine Alex would listen to the most bubbly songs while exercising. He plays Cupid by FIFTY FIFTY while lifting weights.

🏈 Half his music playlist is filled with music that Haley listens to because he can't be bothered to curate his own.

🏈 Hypes himself up before practicing gridball by listening to "Eye of The Tiger" by Survivor and ends his practice by listening to "The Final Countdown" by Europe.

🏈 Doesn't shuffle his songs so he knows he's supposed to do one exercise when a certain song plays. Like, "Oh it's 'OMG' by NewJeans, I should be doing push ups rn"

🏈 Knows old songs by Nat King Cole, The Ronettes, and Percy Sledge to name a few because his grandparents like to listen to them during the weekends.

ʚ📜ɞ ˚ · . Elliott :

📜 Knows Sea Shanties because of Willy. Elliott reads on the bench by Willy's Shop while Willy was fishing and the fisherman just started singing. It would be cute to imagine that it happened because Elliott was tapping his foot in a slow rhythm and Willy started singing along with it.

📜 Elliott's knowledge on sea shanties gets even more deeper the more he hangs out with Willy. Willy invites Elliott to join him on his boat to do some deep fishing and Elliott knows like ten sea shanties by the time they get back to shore.

📜 He knows some classical pieces and plays them on his piano when he doesn't want to write for the day. Sometimes he'd compose his own songs on the spot.

📜 Dude goes main character mode and listens to songs by Cigarettes After Sex, like "Heavenly" and "John Wayne", sitting on the sand while watching the sun rise.

📜 He's a hopeless romantic, he listens to a lot of love songs. Ranging from old to new love songs, Elliott enjoys listening to the lyrics to somehow get inspired by them. It's funny to think that some of Elliott's compliments are low-key lyrics. Like, "I wish you bluebirds in the spring and to give your heart a song to sing" ('I Wish You Love' by Lisa Ono) and "Mine to have when the now and the here disappear" ('Again' by Doris Day). And it's completely unintentional. He doesn't even realize he's doing that. He just listens to romance songs too much.

ʚ🛩️ɞ ˚ · . Harvey :

🛩️ Listens to The Carpenters. "Yesterday Once More", "Top of the World", "I Won't Last A Day Without You" all that stuff. He plays it in the clinic but only when Maru isn't there because he doesn't want to bother her with his song choices. Sometimes, he'd hum out the tune while examining patients. He just enjoys how soothing they sound.

🛩️ Speaking of soothing, he likes listening to slow songs to fall asleep to. Has a whole playlist for it too that's exactly 8 hours long. He goes straight to sleep when the first song finishes and wakes up just when the last song ends.

🛩️ He has a Walkman Cassette Player. He uses it when he does his aerobics classes. Listens to just about any song on it, really. Anything that makes it seem like time is going faster is great. OH. Wait. Maybe, the ladies end up having Harvey's cassette play on a stationary cassette player that Caroline has after Harvey lets them listen to it. They all found Harvey's song choices delightful.

🛩️ He offers music therapy. They're informal sessions at most but Harvey spends a lot of time making personalized playlists. Like full on carefully and heavily curated to match specific needs and moods for his patients. It skyrockets his music knowledge to the roof.

ʚ🎸ɞ ˚ · . Sam :

🎸 He has the most random and eclectic music taste. Ranges from Rock Music and Skate Punk to Vocaloid and Video Game music. He'd be listening to "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses for one moment then listen to the "Donky Kong Country Theme" the next.

🎸 He tries to copy the guitar riffs in some songs, not stopping until he can play it in one go. By the time he's done that countless of times, both Jodi and Vincent know what song he's playing based on the first few seconds of it.

🎸 Is the one to initiate a sing along in the Stardrop Saloon on Fridays. And he's always down to do karaoke. He's even suggested some more music-centered activities to do in town events. And he managed to convince Mayor Lewis to have him be DJ during the Summer Luau but only when he promised not to add anything disgusting into the potluck.

🎸 Teaches Vincent to play the drums when the kid doesn't have any classes. It all started with Sam letting his brother hit the crash cymbal for the end of a song he was playing. Then it all went up from there. Sam starts with the basics then lets Vincent play whatever. It's a noisy few weeks in the household but Jodi appreciates her boys spending more time together.

🎸 He has playlists for all situations.

ʚ👾ɞ ˚ · . Sebastian :

👾 This dude listens to Bonobo and Aphex Twin when programming. Better yet, Sam made him a playlist specifically for when he's programming and Sebastian doesn't skip any of the songs. That's a lie. He skips the songs that Sam put in there to mess with him like "CBAT" by Hudson Mohawke and Sam's poorly sung cover of "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade.

👾 You know how some of us would stay up until 3 am to complete a project before a deadline and listen to energetic songs while doing them so we won't fall asleep? Sebastian does that. Songs like "Caramelldansen" by the Caramella Girls, "Bumblebee" by Bambee, and "Superstar" by Toy-Box to name a few. Just the idea of Sebastian hunched over his computer with those songs playing while Sam is fully jamming in the background is great.

👾 Listens to the dirtiest songs with the straightest face ever.

👾 I'm all for villagers interacting with each other so consider Sebastian and Elliott being unlikely acquaintances after Sebastian showed Elliott the wonders of the synthesizer.

👾 When his mind wanders, he ends up humming out the tune that Abigail plays with her flute.

ʚ🐣ɞ ˚ · . Shane :

🐣 Sings to his chickens. He does, you know he does. Even sings in accents when he's bored enough. Jas found out he does that after going in Shane's coop, thinking a stranger was trying to steal her uncle's chickens. But no, it's just Shane singing "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton with a British accent.

🐣 Always has his headphones on during work at the Joja Market so no one would bother him. There wouldn't even be a song playing, he just wears them. One time Sam tried to get his attention but Shane outright ignores him even when Sam pointed out his headphones aren't even connected to anything.

🐣 I like to think that Shane is a fan of Indie Folk and he listens to songs by Bon Iver when walking to work. "Beach Baby" is his favorite song.

🐣 Since Shane's always the last one to leave the Saloon, Gus would let him pick what songs to play in the jukebox until the saloon closes. Even after Shane stopped drinking alcohol, he and Gus would spend time together at the late hours of the night talking, listening to whatever song Shane played.

[amailboxlemur]

Simon thoughts for season 3

My poor poor baby 💔💔💔💔

I love Simon. So much. And this season… he’s really going through it. Like the Erik bombshell really took over in episode 5 but up until then I genuinely think Simon was even more of a main character than Wille. I’m so glad they brought him back to the forefront this season.

Right off the bat, Simon is uncomfortable this season. He wants the trial? Settlement? Legal process? To just be over with. He hates that his classmates are staring at him. He wishes Wille gave him a heads up before the speech so he could have prepared himself.

His family life is a mess. Linda has finally clocked what’s going on and doesn’t trust him. Like I get it, he did steal and sell drugs. But also, he’s not using and more than anything he just got himself into a messed up situation. And it feels unfair that she missed what was going on for so long but now that she knows she’s acting like Simon is CURRENTLY drug dealing. Seeing him breakdown to Linda was absolutely heart wrenching, I’ve been waiting for the Simon breakdown and Omar did not disappoint.

And he’s not speaking to Sara. After doing everything to protect her for years she’s betrayed him in the worst way. I also think it’s interesting that they really leaned into SARA hating Micke and Simon only cut him off for her sake. After she comes home crying when Micke disappoints yet again it seems they’re on the path to mending their relationship but we’re not there yet.

Then there’s the online hate. It’s so easy to fall prey to the endless stream of negativity. Wille doesn’t understand, it’s always been his life and he’s probably at least somewhat accustomed to tuning it out. So Simon feels so alone in this. I also think the “the ones that like me only like me because I’m with wille” comment is very telling. It probably feels so fake and shallow to him. There’s also the “typical Latino” comment which… ick. I can’t imagine that’s the only comment of the sort out there.

So what does Simon do? He tries to carve out some positivity. He posts his song and receives some good comments immediately. He meets a young child who looks up to him. And gets a call right away from Wille that kind of… deflates his good mood. Why is Wille being left to “handle” Simon. And I can understand Wille trying to be gentle about it, but Simon just doesn’t understand the “rules” of the Royal court. It’s just an all around mess.

And then it gets worse. He starts getting hate comments even on his song. The kids at school are making fun of him. He even says he doesn’t love singing anymore which breaks my heart because music has always defined Simon. He gets a rock thrown through his window!! And the police are saying “ah yes, probably just a prank”.

No wonder he deletes his social media, no wonder he’s deleting himself. Nothing he does is right. The moment he gives in and joins the hillerska protest is so heartbreaking. From now on, these are the only ideals he gets to stand up for.

But he’s still insecure about his place with Wille. When Wille is distant after finding out about Erik, Simon immediately thinks he’s the problem, that he’s asking too many questions about what to wear to Wille’s birthday.

I want wilmon endgame. I believe in wilmon endgame. But Simon absolutely needed to take that pause at the end of episode 5. I hope they can save what they have without breaking up first. I hope they can have a genuinely honest all cards on the table conversation. I hope Simon can really let himself be fully vulnerable. And I hope to god wille listens, hears him and moves heaven and earth to make the situation better for Simon. Because the way it’s been going isn’t working.

I also can’t post this without a massive WOW to Omar’s acting this season. The role of Simon has always been complex but subtle. This season he really brings it with the big emotions.

[barblaz-arts]

Hello!! I'm a big fan of your artwork and you make just amazing ocs for Fandoms that exist and I wanted to know do you plan to make your original story and characters there. I would love to see it. I think you could make something that would go really popular!! (I don't know did anyone ask this before I couldn't find it😭) and also as a person I really get interested about artists real life so do you share anywhere it?

Thank you! I do in fact have some original stories and characters. I've never posted art of them online because I made them before I had social media when I was a teenager. Back then I'd always draw my original comics on sketchbooks that my classmates would pass around. I might revisit those stories and characters again someday, and now as an adult i for sure wanna make some adjustments. If ever I share those stories again I hope you guys like em too

I do have plans to maybe make something out of some recent-ish original characters I made. They were from a fanfic I posted sometime ago about my idea of a spin-off story for Cassandra from Tangled, but I might make it a story of their own without Cassandra. Since I restricted my AO3, I'll share their backstory under the cut

Summary from AO3:

To pay for a debt that Cassandra owed to Princess Liana of Verdania, she's tasked to find the princess's estranged sister born from the king's affair with a handmaiden. As Cassandra's journey lets her uncover the royal family's secrets, she comes to realize how closely these people's tales parallel her own

The cart rattles and bounces as the terrain becomes more and more uneven. They must not be in the capital city anymore. The little stowaway continues to watch in awe from the back of the cart, blue eyes taking in every thing they could from the flap's opening. All the fields and trees in this part of the kingdom... What a shame that she had to sneak out to finally see how beautiful her home is.

When the horses stop, the little girl jerks forward and almost falls out of the cart.

"Please wait here."

The girl's heart stops when she hears her mother's voice. For second, she thought she'd been caught. But her mother was only talking to Alan, the young guard she convinced to take her here.

She watches her mother get off the cart. To the little girl, it's so marvelously strange to see the usally regal woman clad in what commoners would usually wear. Her mother heads to the little house the cart parked in front of. She merely stands there at first, looking so uncharastically unsure of herself.

Eventually, her mother knocks. Someone opens the door, a woman with dark skin and thick curly hair tied back revealing herself.

This must be "Lucille", thinks the stowaway.

She can't hear them from where she's hiding, but it seems her mother is saying something. Lucille stares, shocked. Soon, her mother is let inside the house. The girl pouts at this development. She can't see what's happening if they're inside.

Luckily, the girl didn't have to wait long for something interesting to happen. The door swings open again. This time a girl slightly older than the stowaway comes out. She's a near splitting image of Lucille. The beat of her heart quickens.

It's her! It's her! she thinks.

She could barely contain her excitement as she jumps out of the stuffy cart. The older girl is skipping ahead of her and the stowaway watches in awe as she follows. She's humming a happy tune, her voice beautiful and light with innocent joy. She must live a happy life in that small but cozy-looking house.

Lucille's daughter arrives at a grassy field, descending down the inclined plain with a trail of gleeful giggles. The stowaway lets herself watch for another moment before following after her. But something like a rock catches the tip of her shoe, and the stowaway comes stumbling down the hill into a bruised - and humiliated - heap.

She pulls her face off the grass before it reddens when she sees that the older girl noticed and likely saw her fall.

"Are you okay?" Lucille's daughter says once she's crouched in front of her.

Now that she's so much closer, she can see her face. She can see that despite being oppsites in most of their physical appearance, they have something in common. Blue eyes, dark blue like the night sky. She feels a grin stretch her lips.

"Oh, well." Lucille's daughter giggles and picks out grass from her red hair. "If you can smile like that, then I guess you're okay." She holds out a hand. "I'm Stella. What's your name?"

"I'm Liana." She forgoes taking Stella's hand in favor of wrapping her arms arouns her neck. Breathlessly, she says, "I'm your sister." She laughs in sheer delight. There may be tears prickling her eyes. "I'm so happy. I finally met you!"

"Whoa. Wait a second. Sister?" Liana's smile melts away when Stella pulls herself out of the embrace. She looks confused, taking in Liana's pale skin and red hair. "Missy, we look nothing alike."

"We have the same father," Liana explains. With Stella's cautiousness, Liana's excitement has gone away, all that's left now is insecurity. "I overheard Mother arguing with Father the other week. She was really mad, so I couldn't help listening in. She got angry at Father because she found out he has a daughter with a woman named Lucille."

Stella's eyes widen as she takes all this information in. "Is your mother the woman in our house right now? Queen Eloise?"

Liana nods, eyes down at her folded lap. Stella doesn't look as happy at the discovery of having a sister. Now there really are tears in Liana's eyes. She stands, too humiliated to bother brushing off the grass and dirt that have clung to her dress.

"I'm sorry," Liana says, already turning to leave. "I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm going to --"

"Hey, wait," Stella softly calls after her.

A hand takes hold of Liana's wrist, and she lets herself get turned back to Stella. The older girl sympathetically looks at Liana's downtrodden face before gently wiping away the tear tracks on her cheeks.

Then, without warning, Stella pulls a face, eyes and nose scrunched up and tongue poking out of her mouth. Liana is so surprised that she gasps out her laughter.

"What are you doing?" Liana asks in between giggles.

Stella relaxes her face to a more natural grin. "Just wanted to make you smile, is all. What kind of sister would I be if I made you cry?"

Happiness blooms in Liana's chest. Before she knows it, fresh tears are leaking out of her eyes.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Stella panics.

Liana shakes her head as she continues to sob. "I'm just really happy."

At this answer, Stella is back to her giggly self. "Aww..." she coos, continuing to rub at Liana's cheeks. "You're a bit of a crybaby, aren't you? Come here."

Stella takes Liana's hand in hers and pulls her to where the flowers are abundant.

"I was going to make a flower crown for the queen," Stella starts to say. "She looked really sad, you see..." Something somber flashes in Stella's eyes. "... but I guess I understand why now. Mama wanted me to play outside so she could talk to her alone, so I thought this could cheer her up a little bit." She takes a daisy off its stem to tuck it behind Liana's ear. "But it looks like you could use it, too. You want to make one with me?"

"I don't know how," Liana sheepishly admits.

"Not a problem! I'll teach you."

But Stella doesn't get to teach her. Lucille had come looking for her daughter, and she brought Queen Eloise with her.

"Liana! What are you doing here?" Eloise pulls Liana to her feet, away from the flowers and away from Stella.

"I wanted to see my sister," Liana says, already desperate to run back to Stella.

Eloise blinks. She takes deep breaths, fingers tightening the slightest bit around her daughter's wrist. When she's calmed down, she gives Lucille and Stella a meaningful look before telling Liana, "You'll have to say goodbye now. We're going home."

But their castle isn't a home. In the castle, her father doesn't like playing with her. Her mother is often so sad, Liana doesn't feel like she's there. But here, there are tall trees and fields of flowers and Stella ready to wipe away her tears.

Liana pries her wrist out of Eloise's grip and begs, "I don't want to leave."

Someone stands between them, and Liana stares at her sister's back. "Please stay a little longer," Stella pleads. "I want to talk to her more."

For one second, Eloise looks like she might give in. But Lucille finally speaks up.

"No, sweetie," Lucille says and pulls her daughter to her side. "They can't stay any longer. The king might look for them. And he can't..." Lucille trails off without finishing what she was about to say. She looks at Eloise. "Please, go."

For reasons that Liana can't yet understand, Eloise looks pained. She takes Liana's wrist again and hastily pulls her daughter to their cart.

"Princess Liana?" Alan says, bewildered. "Why are you here?"

"That's not important right now," Eloise says, voice tight. "Take us back to the castle. Quickly."

"Of course. As you wish, your highness."

This time, Eloise doesn't sit with Alan at the reins. She gets inside the cart with her daughter. Liana prepares herself for another lecture, but her ears pick up on someone else's voice.

"Liana! Hey! Sister!"

Liana scrambles to the back of the cart and lifts open the flap before Eloise could protest. Stella is running after them, panting and shouting her words at them as best she could.

"For the record! I'm really happy too! I'm happy to know! That I have such an adorable sister!"

Like Liana at the hill, something makes Stella trip and fall to the ground. Liana gasps, worried, but Stella pulls her face out of the dirt with a huge grin. Liana laughs despite herself, despite her tears.

She watches until Stella and Lucille are so far away that she can no longer see their faces. The tinier they become, the tighter Liana's chest becomes. She turns back to Eloise, surprised to see her mother look as sad as she feels.

"Mother?"

Eloise only wipes at the wetness in her eyes. Liana takes the flower in her ear, crawls back to Eloise, and tucks the flower into her mother's ear.

"Stella was going to teach me how to make a flower crown," Liana says. "She thought giving you one might cheer you up, because you looked really sad. But this is all I have right now."

Eloise's face softens. She takes her daughter into her arms and Liana buries her face in her mother's chest.

"I suppose..." Eloise says, "... we might have to go back so you can learn how to make one."

....

And that's it! I had their story all laid out. Liana and Stella are separated at some point in their teens. Liana eventually is required to be married off to another king, so she tries to get Stella to see her again before she's whisked away to another kingdom. On Stella's journey on her way back to her sister, she's supposed to discover that her mother's "affair" isn't what it seemed, and the two sisters help rekindle an old bond that their mothers had.

I'd like to have this drawn out. At least some of the key points and my favorite scenes. Or even just to show how they look like.

And yes, I know. If you've seen my Next Gen Nevermore stuff, you may notice that I used the name Eloise again. That was honestly a coincidence. Queen Eloise was the one I made first. Eloise Johnson was a name my brother chose because I was too lazy to think of one. I realized too late that I'd used the name twice 💀

[vitchimage]

—;Atlantic

—Summary; The feeling of wanting to cease to exist, the waves drown you down and you feel everything move while you are stuck here in one place, sinking. Luckily someone is here to pull you out of the ocean.

Pairing: Any characters you want x reader

Type: One-shot/fic

Theme: hurt/comfort

Warnings: talk of mental health spiralling, suicidal thoughts and idealisation, self-isolation, self loathing and doubt, etc.

A/N: Feeling down and needed some comfort so I wrote this aha, this can be any characters you want but I technically had the nameless ghouls and Simon Riley in mind

I lay in the dark-lit room. Exhaustion wasn’t even the perfect way to describe this empty-handed feeling. It was something far worse. It was a question of my existence, how much more could I take?

I thought I hit the rock bottom, but I didn’t. Instead, I kept falling into this deep void of agony and misery. It’s heavy, and I feel like choking — drowning as more waves crash through every time I managed to breathe.

A yearning to cry to shout out goes deafening under the water, never coming out at all.

I tried reaching out, days ago sending a message.

—> “Hey, can I talk to you?”

Hours and the phone buzzed.

–> “Sorry for the late reply, I am a little bit busy, but we can talk later?”

—> “Oh, no need. It’s all good so don’t worry about it.”

And thus I turned off the phone, ignoring all the small buzzes my phone made that day. And ever since, everything went silent.

Days in this room, doing nothing and just laying in bed, occasionally going out to the bathroom or grabbing some food. But even that seemed heavy and I would quickly retreat to my bedroom as fast as I could.

Endlessly scrolling through my phone, I was quick to shut it off again as I let the tiredness take a hold of me.

No messages, no calls after that day. It hurts but I was the one who said it was all fine and dandy, to not worry about it.

It’s my fault really, but why did it ache so bad?

Did I dare to hope that they could see past the facade and reach out? Was I testing the waters of them caring about me?

Would they even notice if I were to disappear? If I ran away or drowned in a lake? If I ceased to exist..

Everything was telling me no, no they wouldn’t.

And it makes me crawl further into a ball. I couldn’t help but imagine them with someone else, how much happier they are without me.

That aches, that hurts.

I closed my eyes, letting sleep drift over me once more like it always has.

It felt short-lived as there was a soft knock on my door.

My eyes groggily open, hearing a soft voice.

“Love? May I come in?”

There was no reply from my end, to be franked it was due to mixed feelings. I wanted them to come in, but at the same time, I wanted to be alone.

A second and they open the door slowly, head peaking in to look at me. But I turn my head away and let it sink into the pillow.

“Hey…” Gentle, I hear their footsteps approaching me when the door softly closes.

The bed dip and I could sense their hesitation, but they went along with it anyways and stroked my back, comforting.

“I’m sorry, I’ve should’ve come much sooner..”

“It’s fine,” Was all I managed to say, my voice creaking almost.

“May I?”

I didn’t reply, just shifting to make enough space for them.

Strong arms wrap around me as they lay down, and instinctively I turn around, burying my face in their chest.

My eyes shut, and my lips are quivering. Strong emotions flood me all at once and I could feel tears building up. A strong storm of wanting to let it all out, something I haven’t felt in what felt like ages.

“It’s ok..” they stroked a small circle from my back to my shoulder and the back of my ears, holding me tightly,

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

I shake my head, and they whisper in agreement and understanding. Not wanting to push it.

Eventually, they rest their head on top of mine, humming a small tune as they kiss my temple, letting me bury in their chest once more.

“I’m here.” A soft and gentle tone from them. A reminder as I lay in their embrace for hours till the end.

M.list

[dragon-business]

Y0 antagonists ratings/opinions

Mister(s) Shakedown(s) + Amon

Didn't get to Amon in Y0, because we didn't finish these quests. One of the few that we didn't do in full, actually. Didn't seem as fun at the moment. Amon gets a pass, because he gets more screen time in later games. 

Evilness: 4/10 robbing people is bad, I heard Forgetability: 7/10 hard to forget, when Amons are in each game Iconic level: friend of a mutual tells me they’re cool/10 memes Free slot: ????too hard to get through to the good parts

2. Helicopter-car chases

These sequences was pure torture. My hands were cramped even when I wasn't holding the controller. Every minute lasted an hour. The fucking bazookas? Infuriating. Worst survival horror game.

Evilness: 9/10 fuck this shit, let me out of the car Forgetability: 1/10 still feel the cramps .__, Iconic level: 0.5/10 “look, just like in the movies, right?” Free slot: 1,5/10 on enjoyment scale 

3. Cult leader from the substory

Pretty funny scam artist, all the later games character development got him on the list. We love us a lil fucked up reoccurring character.

Evilness: 8/10 doing terrible things to vulnerable people Forgetability: 4/10 forgot about him each time until the next appearance Iconic level: 4/10 will never forget that dance Free slot: retirement home for one million years for the grandpa

4. Dojima captain guy 1

????????

Evilness: 7/10 he’s a yakuza, after all, he’s done some bad stuff, probably Forgetability: 10/10 who? Iconic level: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Free slot: forgot he existed

5. Dojima captain guy 2

Purple suit guy with the boxing/dancing ring in the basement was pretty fab. He gets extra points for the drip. Otherwise idk what he- wait he saved Majima that one time? Huh. You keep learning things.

Evilness: 7/10 normal yakuza guy doing yakuza things Forgetability: 9/10 I know he was there, I guess Iconic level: 3/10 purple suit points Free slot: purple suit, that’s all I remember

6. Kuze

First fight with him was pretty tough. And then he just kept coming back, again and again. With desperate determination. And Kiryu got stronger and stronger between each encounter. And Kuze stayed on the same level, just looking more and more beat up. And that's amazing storytelling through game mechanics, but also really iconic, ngl. 

I mean, man rode a dang motorbike in the sewers. He got the motorbike in the sewers, positioned it in the right spot to start the chase (did he get help for that?), and then rode it down there, through the nasty Kamurocho pipes, hunting down an annoying twunk like a medieval baron chasing a boar. All this while already beat up by said twunk. And he gets beaten again. Rolling in that sweet sewage water in his bandages. 

Evilness: 6/10 he’s out there vibing to his own tunes Forgetability: 1/10 he Will Not Let You Forget about him, even if you’d want to Iconic level: 8/10 meme icon Free slot: he seemed like real threat at the start, but by the chase in the sewers he was our pal, our failmate bro, all the respect to his dedication o7; 4/10 on actual fights and smartness

7. Kashiwagi 

He's on the list for what he did to Nishiki. Just sent the brother of his son to kill, uhh, his son. Just like that. Like, I get that he had his reasons, he really thought he was doing good, he thought he's saving Kiryu from suffering. Because of course it is all about Kiryu and what he supposedly (probably) (maybe) needs.

Evilness: 7/10 good intentions on the way down Forgetability: 0.5/50 look at him slurping cold noodles in his first scene, he’s stealing the show Iconic level: 7.5/10, again, look at the man eating noodles like a dad Free slot: 2/10 top tier dad, bless. 

8. Sagawa

He's such a masterfully done abuser. Partially because he acts so nice. But there's always an unnerving feeling underneath it.

He only resorts to violence when everything's gone to shit. But it always feels like he's capable of it at any moment. It's like a rock constantly looming over, waiting to drop.

Evilness: 8.5/10 on the creep scale, very good for the story Forgetability: 2/10 he’s in your walls, he owns your walls, your balls, and your paycheck Iconic level: 6/10 smartly dressed Free slot: 1/10 as a person, would deck him on sight; thank g-d Majima's away from him now

9. Shimano

Smart, playing the long game, but really, in Y0 he seemed smarter than he is. 

Long distance threat to Majima's safety, the threat he has trouble seeing as one. And that's the real kicker, that's the horror of it all – Majima striving to get back in the family, back under Shimano's thumb in his self-destructive last mission quest. Majima deciding to come back/stay even after the Hole, after y0, Majima getting so close to freedom but not being able to grasp it, and rationalising staying near Shimano for years, rebelling, but never separating in full.

And Shimano perfectly understands the power he has over Majima, and is always ready to use it. To break him at a moment's notice, if it will be useful for his plans. And this is way more uncomfortable and terrifying than Sagawa's brand of underlying threat.

Evilness: 12/10 made us start the “save Majima” movement Forgetability: 0/100 burned into my brain in the worst way possible Iconic level: 3/7 fashion sense is kinda bland, but he does have a presence Free slot: again, would deck on sight, but still – amazing character writing, very cool points for Majima’s story

10. Oda

Big oof moment, amaright?..

Such a fascinating character. He's not stereotypical, and has a compelling, layered personality, which is amazing for a gay man in the big hit game. But also. Ooof. Such a big oooof.

But, surprisingly in this day and age, it's not being gay that made him a piece of trash awful man who died. He was all that on his own, it was just his shit finally catching up to him in the end. And the love for Tachibana was actually his saving grace in life, a point of growth as a person (albeit small). So not denying him that, no. Even one-sided, it made him more human. 

Idk if writers did all that on purpose, but these points felt very distinct in the story.

It's fascinating how Oda's character is a (terrible) person first, and he just happens to be gay. But also, him being gay is ultimately important. We played y0 before all the gay shows took over the screens, and this storyline hit us like a train. Can tell you a lot about the state of queer media at the time.

– Me, after we've met Oda: hehe, he totally has it for the boss The plot: 

– Me, after seeing them interact on screen: hehe, Tachibana is making him suffer :3c Me, when plot: .___.

Evilness: 9.5/10 the 0.5 is from his love for Tachibana  Forgetability: -100/10 I lay awake at night thinking about this bitch Iconic level: 1000/5 look at him, man’s shining Free slot: Bidoof

11. Nishitani

Hated him at the start, because he's a creepy cat, because of the noises, and also because of that one slide on the ground with the knife wiggle, you know the one. Unironically love him now, because the world out there is full of far worse people, and he sure did his attempt at surviving it.

(He totally crawled away at the end, no body no finale, I stan by this)

Evilness: 7/10 he's pretty fucked up, ngl, bringing corpses to Majima like a stray cat Forgetability: -10/10 lives rent free in everyone's head Iconic level: 9/10 man's been on the screen the least but made an impression of a lifetime (on all of us, and on Majima) Free slot: yet another normal cat that everyone think is a "mad dog"; honorary Knife Guy

12. Dojima

Organized a wholeass hunt for Kiryu, got Makoto shot, planned a big power grab, put it all on the table… and lost it all. To Sera.

Respecting him for the effort, he didn't let us rest once. Not respecting what his drinking (and other life choices) made him into later, but even before that I struggle to see what Yayoi saw in him. Apart from maybe her being a young girl from a yakuza family that arranged a political marriage for her when she wasn't even 20 yet. And there is a story here that can be very interesting, like, did you know that (according to rggo) at this exact time Sera was a student that was often arrested on protests? In this essay I will-

Evilness: solid 8/10 he do be scheming Forgetability: 1/10 dragon of who, you say? (Kiryu is very much the dragon of Daigo by this point, but yeah) Iconic level: 5/10 dressed good and has big presence, but derails down the line to a total (not hot) mess, so no respect  Free slot: you know, right? Daigo is totally Seras' so- *gets gutted by Yayoi*

13. Knife guy

When Kiryu went through his (and ours) first Long Building™️ to get to the (first) fight with Kuze, we encountered Him. The guy with the knife. 

It was already tough going through room after room of generic enemies when Kiryu wasn't that strong yet, and we weren't that skilled with the controls. And the Knife Guy was the first recurring enemy, a small mini-boss with a stabby knife that would bleed us dry and leave us savescumming. And he kept coming back. Again, and again, and again, and-

Before Kuze. Before Majima Everywhere. Before everything. There was an unkillable lil freak with a knife that just wouldn't quit until you literally threw him out of the 2nd floor window.

And I think it's beautiful.

Evilness: 5/10 man’s just doing his yakuza job, and doing it well Forgettability: -10000000000/10 who could ever forget this man the- *checks notes on the hand* Tomoda Iconic level: ∞-1/10 there is a knife guy shape forever imprinted in our hearts but there is still free room left, because Free slot: in this world only Majima surpasses him, because Majima is, of course, The Ultimate Knife Guy

- before / navigation / next

[royalvelvette]

and love will bring us freedom

Read on Ao3 (or reread part 1 on tumblr)

Rating: M

Characters: Charlie Morningstar, Vaggie, Angel Dust, Alastor, Mammon, Fizzarolli, Niffty, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Husk, Cherri Bomb Mentioned: Glitz, Glam, Loona, Vortex, Lucifer Morningstar, Sir Pentious

Warnings: Canon Typical Language, Minor Violence (not on purpose), Mammon's Canon Treatment of Fizzarolli, Not Beta Read or Edited

Word Count: 2222

The robo-fizz advertisements passed in something of a blur. Charlie distracted herself by explaining more about the pageant itself – anything to not pay attention to the way Mammon was currently talking about how you could fuck the Fizzbots. Vaggie’s hand was a familiar weight on her knee, keeping her from growling at the tv or accidentally hitting Cherri with a too-emphatic gesture.

“-so they show off some clown skills first – stuff like juggling and balloon animals, y’know? And then there’ll be an intermission for us when the in person meet and greet is happening, then there’s some more... general performing. Singing, dancing, acting – really anything-”

Vaggie squeezed her thigh, and Charlie took a breath. “It’s cool,” she finishes lamely. “Fizz always does a big musical number, you’ll love it.”

Angel tilted his head up to look at her. “You sure you ain’t just sayin’ that ‘cause you like singin’ and dancin’?”

“Watch it,” Vaggie snapped.

“It’s okay,” Charlie said. “I mean, Fizz has won the last ten years running, so it isn’t just me, but you’re probably... not wrong that I’m biased.”

Alastor half-tuned out the conversation happening beside him. He was watching the picture show intently – more specifically, he was watching the Mammon and Fizzarolli now on screen. The distasteful advertisements were almost at an end, for certain, as these two iterations seemed more recent.

“There’s a Fizzy for every occasion!” Mammon shouted, gesturing widely. “All thanks to my old brand, Fizzy!”

Fizzarolli was dragged against Mammon’s side. He covered his discomfort remarkably well, but the subtle wince – something Alastor was intimately familiar with, whenever somebody touched him – belied his true feelings. His antlers were beginning to hurt.

“That’s me, folks!” Fizzarolli said, better at keeping the discomfort from his voice than his body. “And the Fizzies’ll keep coming, unless you think you can beat me-

“At Mammon’s Annual Clown Pageant!” Mammon cut in at the same time as Fizzarolli.

Alastor lifted his lip. Perhaps now, it wasn’t quite so shocking for Charlie to be unable to hide her dislike of Mammon. Alastor had no idea who Fizzarolli was, until this day, and yet... something about Mammon’s treatment of the jester set every nerve on edge. The manhandling, especially.

Niffty began to wiggle on her perch beside his head when the prices finally faded from the screen, overtaken what was presumably a live broadcast directly from the Greed ring. Mammon, of course, was front and centre. How... distasteful.

Niffty knew she was going to be in trouble later, swinging her legs and rocking so close to Alastor – it was just so hard to sit still when there was such a delectable bad boy right in front of her! An actual bad boy, too, one even Miss Charlie didn’t like! One who wasn’t secretly lame, like the snake guy or Lucifer, either!

(Lucifer being so... like that had been the only unpleasant discovery ever since he moved in. He was the king of hell! He should have been the ultimate bad boy! Instead, he was even lamer than Pentious had been. Almost as pathetic as that stupid TV head guy who used to follow Alastor around like a puppy, urgh, saved only by the fact he was leagues more powerful.)

Though... Mammon did violate one of the rules Alastor had given her, when he first brought her to the hotel. Upsetting Charlie was a no-no, no matter how many funny colours she turned or how spiky Vaggie got. It was really the only new rule she had gotten, so it had to be extra important. Did that mean Mammon was off limits?

Niffty pouted, legs stilling. Of course, the only real bad boy in the entire place, and he was somewhere Niffty couldn’t even go and not someone Alastor would approve of. Ugh.

One thing Mammon had always been good at, for as long as Charlie had known him, was showmanship. He’d used it to great effect when she was young, enchanting her with simple magic tricks and silly songs and dances, announcing everything with so much aplomb that Charlie had been practically begging to eat all the vegetables on her plate at family dinners.

That very same showmanship was on full display as Mammon introduced the contestants for this years pageant. The first four, even with Mammon hyping them up (he always did this, always, like any of them actually had a shot against Fizz – none of them did and he knew it, because he was the one who trained Fizz) passed her by quickly – though she did hear Cherri snort when Pierrot was introduced.

It was the duo, introduced just before Fizzarolli, that made Charlie nervous. There was a sort of... easy confidence to them, and they definitely had the whole ‘please step on me’ vibe down – that would definitely get them past the first few rounds with pretty high scores, and that’s if they didn’t perform well. If they were any good at clowning – or even just performing in general – there was a pretty high chance they’d make it to the finale with Fizz.

(Part of Charlie hoped that they did – the further they got in the competition, the longer Charlie could oogle – possessors were just always so pretty – but part of Charlie hoped they didn’t, with the way Fizz was constantly looking at them out of the corner of his eye.)

Angel winced when Charlie’s cousin fumbled the juggling act. As a performer himself, there was nothing worse than fucking up on the very first take. Even though he was the only one to mess up the first trick, he still shot up to second place – just behind the pair of sisters up on the wire, while the imp in full clown getup was given the boot. Brand recognition did a lot, something else Angel was intimately familiar with.

(He couldn’t help but wonder if Fizzarolli dealt with the same sorts of creepy-ass fans, despite being in a different sort of gig. He did work at some sort of sex club for the sin of lust, so... probably.

Was it weird, to relate to someone he didn’t even know existed until today? It was probably weird.)

Fizzarolli recovered nicely in the second act, at least. And his balloon figure – Mammon, presumably – was impressive. Angel could twist himself into all sorts of fun shapes, but balloons? Fuck no. That shit would pop on him so fast. Sucks that it didn’t give Fizzarolli the lead, especially because the sisters just added to his instead of making their own fucking thing, though at least it was tied up.

Charlie frowned as the curtains opened for the final performances. It hadn’t been Fizz first, like she was expecting, like it had been for the last ten years – instead Glitz and Glam took the stage. It made Charlie... nervous. Mammon always did Fizz’s act first, always showed off his biggest asset when he did anything – something was wrong.

She let go off Vaggie’s hand to get her phone out of her pocket, shooting off a quick text to Uncle Oz. She would text Fizz himself, but if he was prepping for his show – she wouldn’t distract him. Not when something was already wrong. She tried to settle herself, taking Vaggie’s hand back and watching the sisters perform.

They were good. Like, good enough to be actual competition. The song was catchy, and they definitely knew how to work their attractiveness to their advantage. She gripped Vaggie’s hand tighter. Fizz wouldn’t lost – couldn’t lose, this was his thing – but actually fighting for the win... shit, he was probably having a panic attack. All Charlie could do, though, separated by several rings as they were, was hope that Oz was with him, somehow.

Then something exploded into blue smoke behind Mammon – who had been stammering as Fizz failed to appear – and Charlie settled. Ozzie was there. Fizz would be okay.

Charlie’s nails – not quite her claws, not yet – were painfully sharp where they dug into Vaggie’s thigh. She was leaning forward, eyes fixed on the television – the same position she had been in ever since Fizz had come onto the stage. Admittedly, Vaggie was more concerned with keeping Charlie from leaning forward enough to faceplant off the couch than paying attention to what, exactly, Fizz was singing about as he bounced and swung around, but even she noticed the finale.

“-Mammon you sad sack of shit, fuck youuu-ouuu-ouuu, you bitch! Yeah!”

Vaggie jumped as Angel started clapping with all three sets of arms. Cherri whooped loudly, and even Husk was smiling – wider than she had ever seen. It almost distracted her from the pain as Charlie’s claws sliced her skin when Charlie leapt to her feet.

It did not, however, distract from the way Charlie’s tail was whipping nervously behind her as she watched the screen.

“Babe,” Vaggie started.

“Mammon’s not going to take that well,” Charlie said.

“What’s he gonna do?” Cherri asked, cackling. “The crowd loved it!”

Charlie’s stomach twisted the longer Fizz talked. She knew what was coming even before Fizz finished his farewell speech – and she knew, more than anything, that Mammon would flip. At least he would have replacement talent ready to go, with Glitz and Glam – and the sisters were good! But Fizz had been his brand for ten, nearly eleven years. There was no universe Mammon would take him quitting well.

(Pride burned hot in her chest despite her unease. Fizz was finally quitting. Mammon’s prime moneymaker was leaving. Good, something in her purred. Let his cruelty burn his empire to ash.)

And then, the grand finale – not the one Mammon had been hoping for – came. Fizzarolli looked up, directly at Mammon (yes, that same voice hissed, yes) and said,

“I quit!”

“Yes!” she whisper-shouted, punching the air, even as she kept her eyes fixed on the screen, even as every nerve-ending in her body practically sang with be careful Fizz.

It only got louder as Mammon jabbed his staff at Fizz. Her horns were out and she was growling at the TV – someone was saying something behind her, but she was too furious-anxious-furious to pay attention to the words. Fizz’s words were tinny and faint through Mammon’s microphone, but there was no mistaking the second ‘I quit’ or what came after.

Then the mic exploded and green smoke filled the arena.

Vaggie was moving even before Charlie screamed. Her wings were flared, protecting Cherri, Husk, and Angel from the blast of heat that shot out from her girlfriend – Alastor had managed to bring up one of his shadows to cover him and Niffty.

“Jesus Christ!” Husk shouted. “Why is she hulking out?!”

Vaggie didn’t answer, couldn’t answer – the air itself was pressing down on her, forcing her down-down-down to her knees as Charlie grew, snarling and growling at the television.

“Babe-” she gasped. “Charlie-”

Charlie whipped around to face her, nearly taking her head off with her tail. Her eyes were bright and gleaming red, redder than Vaggie had ever seen, but clear. She looked at Vaggie silently for one beat-two-

Then Charlie started to shrink back down. Her horns remained, as did her tail, but she returned to a more normal size and the pressure she had been emanating receded, allowing Vaggie’s lungs to expand fully. She coughed once, weakly.

Charlie rushed to her side immediately. “Ohmysatan, I’m so fucking sorry-” she babbled, holding Vaggie’s face in her hands. “Are you okay?! I didn’t hurt you, did I? Is everyone okay?”

Vaggie’s answer was cut off by Asmodeus appearing on screen.

The shame was going to eat her alive, Charlie knew, but her self-recrimination was derailed when she heard her uncle shout,

“What? That I love him? Well, I do!”

The rest of the confrontation passed in a blur after those words. Her horns and tail receded slowly – Ozzie would protect Fizz. Ozzie could handle Mammon. Fizz was safe, he was loved, he was free. She let go of Vaggie’s face to wrap her arms around her shoulders instead, burying her face in her girlfriend’s neck as all of her nervous energy and anger drained away. It was over.

Fizz was free.

She stayed like that, holding Vaggie, trying not to cry, until her phone rang. She was pretty sure someone had been trying to get her attention before then – or at least, the others had been moving around them, dispersing (thank fuck, she hadn’t hurt them, she hadn’t wrecked everything) but it was only the ringtone she had set for Bee that snapped her out of it.

Charlie let go of Vaggie, answering on autopilot. “Hello?”

Bee squealed. “Charlie!!! Babe, did you see- did you see?” she shouted, flying around her chandelier.

“I saw!” Charlie said, strained.

“We need to celebrate!” Bee said. “You should come down-”

Charlie laughed. “I can’t, I can’t, remember? I got the hotel now-”

“Then I’ll come up! Ooh, ooh! I’ll bring Tex and Loona – you’ll love her, she’s great! - and you should ring Oz- I can meet your friends! Oooh, this is going to be great!”

Charlie laughed again, the earlier strain gone from her voice as she responded, “Give me like, an hour tops to get things ready, okay?”

“Okay!! See you then!!”

Bee hung up, immediately dialing Loona. “Hey, hey, you remember me talking about Charlie...”