#i wouldn't be able to do that on the spot!

[worrywrite]

I want to look back around to the original two posts here.

Data asked them to come to his poetry reading. And they showed up. They don't particularly like the poetry, and that's fair. Poetry isn't for everyone. A lot of times listening to poetry feels weird. But they all showed up and listened, albeit in some level of discomfort. But they showed up, because they like Data.

How can I say that as someone with very limited TNG knowledge? Well. He's always like that. They know he is like that. They don't expect to like pretty much anything he does, he's weird, he's basically a walking talking science experiment to some of them. But he's also extremely kind, albeit a little off-putting, and they all know that. They all know he wants them to be there, even if they don't like them, because he wants to be close to people and be part of their family as a member of the crew.

It reminds me of when I was an undergrad. I studied English lit and I was in multiple classes and groups that did poetry readings in local restaurants and basements and such. And I'd invite roommates and friends from other aspects of my life. They wouldn't show up for one reason or another, usually because my connections to them were predicated on me being heavily into gaming, but I figured why not--them being able to poke fun on me about my dumb poem about sneezing that no one gets could be a bonding moment. Even though my interests don't usually align with the people around me, why not invite them to at least witness them as a form of participation.

I don't think people are going enough credit to the show and the characters here. Because Data invited them, and they showed up. Not because it was the only interesting thing on the ship (the ship is huge and there are endless things to do), not out of a sense of obligation (even though Data would know if they could have made it but chose not to come), but because they like Data and they want to try showing that.

(also I would like to remind everyone that you can rap Ode to Spot and it sounds like fire).

I actually… love this

[jadeleechwife]

Hii!

Could I request platonic Boothill, Gallagher, Sunday and Blade with a teen reader that kind of just stuck to them because they have no parents?

(idk if I can request platonic hcs, pls lmk if not <33)

hello!! thanks for your request, I hope you like it!! <33 and it's fine really, I also enjoy platonic hcs. sorry for the bad grammar

Boothill

- When Boothill found you, you were heavily injured, bleeding. Alongside you, there were two adult figures, both lifeless.

- Boothill was in the middle of a mission that just happens to be in a place that was recently attacked by Anti-matter Legion. He couldn't help but notice your figure, somehow still alive.

- He took you with him to treat your injuries. When you woke up, you were scared, noticing to be in a place that isn't your home, your parents missing and with a cowboy cyborg man watching you.

- You asked where your parents were, but Boothill just sighed, admitting that they won't be with you so soon.

- You got the message and immediately started crying in pure despair, you were alone. Alone in this world with nobody to lend you a hand.

- Boothill could only remember his time when he lost everything, when he lost his kid and family. He felt the closest feeling to what should be an ache to his chest, and suggested that if you wanted to, you could stay with him. He knew he was being impulsive, as a teen living with him could only mean putting them in danger, but he could never let someone who desperately needs help like you to be left behind.

- You were wary about his request at first, but you didn't see any options beside accepting it, as you had nowhere to go.

- And so Boothill became your reference.

- To ensure your safety, he taught you how to handle guns, how to aim in the right spots to take your enemy down, and practiced your reflexes so you wouldn't be easily hit.

- His trainings were all strict, but it was all to keep you safe. He always tried to cheer you up with jokes and reassured you when you weren't doing well in your practices.

- Even after so many training, he still would be really protective of you, being able to beat his targets while also looking after your safety

- "Don'tcha worry kid, while you're with me, no one's gonna hurt ya." - He winked while you both were preparing yourselves to another mission.

Bonus: On your birthday, Boothill would gift you a similar hat that he is using to you, after all you were teammates now, right?

Gallagher

- Gallagher found you by pure chance while strolling the streets.

- He saw a teenager sneaking through a store and and carefully putting something in their pocket while leaving.

- He follows you and eventually corners you to ask you questions.

- You explained that you are only doing that for survival. Your parents sacrificed themselves to keep you safe from an unknown attack, making you completely alone.

- Gallagher listened carefully and couldn't help but also somehow identify himself with you in his darker times, completely lost, without a place to go.

- He told you to bare with him a bit and follow, while he has an idea.

- After a long discussion with the Bloodhound Family, they allowed Gallagher to watch over you with the condition that you don't interfere in any of their duties.

- You were truly surprised at first, as Gallagher didn't miss a beat to somehow take care of you. As much you were suspicious about second intentions, you rather try and see if that was a trap instead of refusing and choose to live only by surviving.

- He said you both will be living by an accord: he would take care of you and guarantee a better life, while you promise to never cause any sort of trouble again and also giving back the thing you stole it. For you, it was a win-win situation, so you had no complains.

- Gallagher was a mysterious man to you, full of secrets, always with a tired look. But even so, he was always ready to teach you many things and tips so you can grown up and be a wise adult.

- Also, in any case of potential danger, he was always prepared to keep you safe, hiding you in perfect spots, or keeping you behind him while he takes care of the threat. He was a silent but caring parental figure to you.

- "I didn't have much opportunities to have someone to guide me to be a better person. I don't want you to be like me, kid. I want you to be whoever you want, and better." - He said one day while sipping a drink he prepared and you also drinking a juice he made.

- You didn't get much of what he said, but you knew he was always trying to teach you only the best. He was hiding a lot and you knew it, but you believed it was for your own good.

Bonus: He teaches you the basic of mixing drinks and sometimes you both have nights where you can experiment combinations of drinks all you like! He always drinks everything you create even when the taste is questionable.

Sunday

- Sunday and the Astral Express decided to relax a bit at a nearby stop when he found you.

- You were wandering, with a hollowing look in your eyes, seeming completely lost.

- He decided to approach you, asking if you were okay and where your parents were.

- "I lost my parents. I lost everything. All it remains is.... void. Nothing. I am nothing."

- Sunday eyes widened at the realization you were just a teenager, lost and unprotected making him remind of his sister, and his deep fear of losing her and let her all alone.

- He asked you to follow him and if you wanted to stay with him and his crew for a bit. You just shrugged off, "it's not like if it matters or not", you thought.

- The Astral Express welcomed you with open arms, touched by your situation, and told you can stay as much as you like until you find somewhere you can call a home.

- Even if the others were extremely kind to you, Sunday was the one approaching you the most, including you in every situation. He couldn't help but try to make you see him as an older brother figure to make you feel safer.

- It took a while for you to open up, but as Sunday keep tolding you his and the others stories, making sure you were always comfortable, and reassuring you to take your time to adapt to the new environment, you finally felt like everything is ok.

- As you discover that Sunday would be temporarily in the Astral Express, you insisted that you want to go with him when he finally finds his promised land. Sunday was surprised, specially because you called him big brother as you stated your wish.

- With a tender smile on his face, he promised he will always be with you, and you both will be searching for this land together.

- "Don't be scared little one, the future is uncertain, but as long we stick together, we don't have to fear anything."

Bonus: Sunday writes a letter to Robin saying he wants you both to meet each other, stating that the family got bigger. He cannot wait until the moment you three can be together.

Blade

- Him and the Stellaron Hunters were traveling around following Elio's script when they found you, almost on the verge of death.

- Kafka already knew it was part of the destiny to finding you, and asked Blade to handle the situation.

- He was confused at first, not knowing much what to do, but even so he scooped your fragile body onto his arms and took you alongside to the Stellaron Hunters.

- After some weeks you finally opened your eyes and saw Blade on your side. He told you he knew you would wake up today and was checking up how you were feeling.

- You said you were lost, and still feeling pain, but you remembered a strong man carrying you to safety. "It was you, right?" you asked.

- After you were completely recovered, Kafka always made sure you were always by Blade's side, making Blade teaching you the basic of self defense, even if against his will.

- Somehow, after passing so much time with Blade, you got attached to him, seeing as some sort of big brother figure. You wanted to follow his steps, be strong and relentless as him. You admired him.

- Blade, on the other side, tried to push you away as much as possible. Firstly because he thought you were a hassle to handle, but then he realized it was because he wanted to protect you. He was a monster, and that was no lie to him, and the last thing he wanted was ending up hurting you somehow.

- He didn't know how to handle you most of the times, as he was not used to deal with teenagers, but even that, he started to enjoying your company, even if never admitting that.

- "Listen kid, one day, when my journey reaches to an end, I am going to die. Don't think that as a bad thing. It's my most deserved rest. Until that day, I am going to make you stronger. You will never be like me, but take that as a blessing. You will continue your journey on your own, but this time, you won't need to be scared. Take the obstacles of your journey as challenges to reach your highest potential. Don't waste anything, got it?" He said that to you one day.

- Even if you were scared of losing someone you cared for again, you already understood everything he said. You smiled, and promised to be the strongest warrior someone ever seen.

Bonus: On the beginning of your training, Blade was teaching you how to reach for the enemies weak spot and made you stab him on his chest. You were terrified as seeing the sword crossing his body completely, your mind going blank. Blade couldn't help but laugh as he takes off the weapon watch your reaction as his body regenerates. It was the first time you thought he was super cool.

[elene78-blog]

Do you think Neil rebuked Kevin when he returned from California after commissioning Grayson's murder?

I think he wouldn't tell him anything clearly because he doesn't know if Kevin knows this, and he won't be the one to talk about anyone's SA, but... Being Neil, and with all the times he has called Kevin a coward in the original trilogy I don't think he arrived at Palmetto very calmly. Especially not if Neil is playing the same role Andrew plays with Kevin, but with Jean.

I think that upon his arrival in Palmetto he would be quite furious. Andrew's presence would calm him down, but Neil would discuss the decision to send Jean to the Trojans and ask Kevin why the hell he couldn't eat his shit and insist that Jean stay with them. Kevin defends himself. Neil hits sensitive spots. He asks: "Did you know that when you left him there and ran away?" and Kevin loses his patience, because he will never be able to tolerate them talking about it without wanting to tear his skin off himself.

I think it would be interesting if Kevin shows up in California for the interview with the remains of a black eye. And when Jean asked, Kevin would say.

"You have quite a few friends, Jean, even if you don't believe it. There's a big-mouthed one on my team who will move heaven and earth to keep you safe."

Jean will be very upset and will later talk to Neil about how he doesn't need anyone to fight his battles for him, but he will also be disgruntled. He doesn't know why Josten is so involved in his recovery, but...

Bitch, he's Jean's lost forever partner. How would he not?

[achilles-rage]

Hii can I request 18) complicated sex with an ex from the smut list with buck

sorry this took a while, my mom wanted to watch the beetlejuice movies with me lol. but i'm back, and i'm gonna post a couple more before i go to bed!!

number 18 from this post: "complicated sex with an ex"

you remember the last time you saw evan.

you were both 19, and he had just told you that he was dropping out of college and running away from pennsylvania. you had been dating for almost a year, and even after you begged him to stay with you, to not leave you, he had told you that he had to.

with that, he was gone, and you hadn't seen, or heard from him, in 10 years.

until today.

you had recently moved to los angeles for work, and when your building was doing a routine fire drill, you saw the man that you were sure you'd never see again. one that had left you when you were 19 and had you questioning every relationship you've been in since.

"evan?"

your voice travels through the crowd and hits his ears, and his stomach drops.

he knows that voice. he knows it will too well. and, the last time he heard it, it was practically screaming at him, telling him that he was abandoning her, and that he didn't love her as much as she thought he did.

when his eyes meet yours, both of your expressions are the exact same; jaws slack, and the look in your eyes a mix between disbelief, joy, and a tinge of regret.

"what are you doing here?" he asks as he closes the distance between you two. he wants to reach out to you, to pull you into his arms and never let go, but he holds back. the last time you saw him, you were crying, and yelling, telling him that you hated him in the heat of the moment.

"i live here." you reply, your voice light and airy, as if you still don't believe that he's standing in front of you.

"me too." he tells you, a smile making its way onto his face as his eyes travel down your soft figure. you're still the same as 10 years ago, although you look older. he's missed your kind eyes, and you pretty smile, but he also misses your plush body, the one that he's been thinking of for years.

he's torn from his daze when he feels your palm hit his chest. it's not hard enough to hurt, especially with his gear on, and when his eyes meet yours again, he sees anger and hurt replacing the disbelief in your eyes.

"how could you?" you whisper-yell, still aware enough that you're surrounded by people.

he opens his mouth to speak, then closes it, then opens it again, but no words come out.

those years were some of the best of his life; he got to travel the world and meet so many people, but they were also the hardest. he knew you wouldn't go with him, and he didn't want you to either. he knew how important college was to you, and he didn't want to make you decide between him and your future.

as he looks down at you, head still spinning with both disbelief and relief that you're finally back, all he can say is "do you wanna go out with me?"

"what?" you ask, brows furrowed and a slight frown on your face. this is the first time you've seen him in how long, and he's asking you out?

"please let me make it up to you. i was a fucking idiot- i still am. please let me take you out." he pleads. he knows you've never been able to say no to his puppy-dog eyes.

"okay." you say with a sigh. at the very least, you’ll get the chance to tell him how he made you feel.

evan, who you've since learned goes by buck now, is still as charismatic as ever, and by the end of the night, you felt yourself, against your better judgement, forgiving him for everything.

it’s how he get you here; in his apartment, in his bed, completely bare and pinned down under him.

his thrusts are slow and deep, and you can feel his hot breath on your ear as he moans lowly into your ear. he was good at sex when you were dating, but you catch yourself thinking about how the hell he got so good since then. he’s hitting that spot inside of you that has you seeing stars, and it’s making your back arch and your eyes roll back in pure ecstasy.

“fuck, i’ve missed you so much, baby.” he rasps in your ear before bringing his lips to yours, kissing you so passionately that your head spins.

all you can do is moan in response, gripping his shoulders tightly as you feel yourself clenching around him. when he parts from the kiss, he looks down into your eyes as he trails one hand down to your cunt, fingers finding your clit and rubbing lazy circles around it.

you whimper loudly, tightening your legs around his hips, and as you get dangerously close to the edge, all the doubt you had of him disappears.

he makes sure you both cum at the same time, and he holds your head in place so he can look into your eyes, groaning as he shoots his seed into your cunt. he continues his movements for a few more sloppy thrusts, letting you both ride out your highs, then kisses you deeply, savouring the feeling of you back in his bed again.

he buries his face in the crook of your neck as you both catch your breath, and as you stare up at the ceiling and listen to the steady sound of his breathing, you feel tears form in your eyes. you’ve been thinking about evan for years, and you were angry for so long, and now you feel an odd feeling between shame and relief that you’re back with him.

he left you, and you fell into his bed so quickly. all it took was one dinner and a few apologies. you remember telling yourself years ago that you’d never forgive him; that he had broken your heart and doesn’t deserve a second chance.

“woah, hey, are you okay?” you hear him ask when he finally pulls back from your neck and looks down at you. he can see the tears in your eyes, and the small frown gracing your lips, and his heart shatters.

“please don’t leave me again.” you whisper, a few tears finally falling down your cheek as you look into his eyes. you can feel your throat tighten as you fight back a sob, and you blink slowly, trying to blink away the tears threatening to follow the first few.

he sighs at your words, bringing one hand up to cup your cheek. he gives you a sad smile as you lean into his touch, and then he leans down and presses a soft kiss to your forehead.

“oh, baby. i wouldn’t dream of it.” he reassures you, and he means it. he never wants to be away from you ever again.

[milder-manners]

"They're verbally aggressive to him, bullying him for his complete inability to swing a sword, all in the efforts to divide cc!Dream from the memory of c!Dream as much as possible.", how our puppy dealing with this treatment? Plus, what is the Syndacate/Dream's reaction to this kidnapping?

When Dream woke up in a stone cell he had a panic attack. He remembered walking to the barn to feed the animals, hearing steps behind him, then a blur into nothing.

Dream pressed his head between his knees and heaved until his ears stopped ringing.

Eventually, he looked back up. His surroundings have not changed the slightest throughout that time.

It was a stone cell, a wall of bars blocking Dream from the singular metal door of the room. It was cold. There wasn't that much space, but there was a bed, a chest full of books and quill, and a lowered section of the floor with a toilet and sink. Everything was lit by a redstone lamp in the ceiling.

Dream squinted from the dull pounding behind his eyes. He realized it might not entirely be from the panic attack; he was probably drugged.

Who--?

Steps came from behind the door. People came in. It was, it was-

Dream's brain short-circuited as the ones most dear to him But Not walked in. George and Sapnap. He barely registered Punz slipping in last and shutting the door behind them.

God, was this what the Syndicate were dealing with? c!Dream? A complete conflict of what you're trained to expect from the faces you Know and the information that these people are different?

Punz remained leaning against the far wall while George and Sapnap stepped closer to the bars.

Dream was too flabbergasted to do anything but stare at the two of them. They looked so, stressed. Exhaustion lining their features. The slow churning guilt that's been present when spotting c!Dream reared its ugly head.

Sapnap was staring at him, upset twisting his features. When Dream and him locked eyes Sapnap scoffed and turned away, "Wow. Okay. George do you wanna ask him or should I?"

George wordlessly stepped closer to the cell. Dream unthinkingly took a step back. He looked, indecipherable, a vague wash of contempt on his face. Dream never experienced George look at him like this.

He stopped inches from the bars. George asked plainly, "If I threatened your life, would Dream, our Dream, give a shit?"

Dream swallowed down the rising panic in his throat. He replied, "... No. I mean, well––I don't think he'd ... give a shit but, Techno would. He'd come for me, and, I think Dream would follow him."

George stared at him for a moment in disbelief, then gave the bitterest scoff-laugh Dream's ever heard. "Right, Techno. Of course. Of course."

"George?" Sapnap asked.

George turned to him, "It'll work, he'll do. Come on."

The three turned to leave and Dream panicked––"Wait! Wait-what–– What do you––how long do you plan on keeping me here?"

Punz was the only one to look back at him as George and Sapnap left, "You say that as if you'd be able to do anything. We could keep you here forever;"––Dream was examined up and down––"wouldn't be hard."

The metal door shut, and Dream was alone.

[woozinhos]

Helloooooo, if you’re talking suggestions… may I pleaseeee pleaseeee pleaseeeeee request Vernon with a little exhibitionism?

You taste so good

Vernon was always a bit of an exhibitionist, he loved the thrill of being seen by others. And today, he had a plan. He took you out to a fancy restaurant, one that was known for its privacy and seclusion. As you sat at the table, Vernon couldn't keep his hands off of you. He kept touching you under the table, his fingers trailing up your thigh and brushing against your most sensitive spots. You tried to ignore him at first, but it was hard when his touch was so electric. You could feel your heart racing, and you knew that Vernon was enjoying this way too much.

He leaned in close to you, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "You look so beautiful tonight. I can't wait to show everyone who you belong to."

His hand continued to roam, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin as he watched you with a possessive gleam in his eyes. As the night went on, Vernon's touches grew bolder and more daring. He would occasionally lean in to whisper something in your ear, his voice low and seductive.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off of you?" he murmured, his breath hot against your skin. "I just want to take you right here, right now."

You shivered at his words, feeling a thrill run through your body. You knew that Vernon was serious - he would do it if you let him. He smirked as he noticed your reaction, his eyes darkening with desire. "You like that idea, don't you?" he said, his voice husky. "You like the thought of people watching us."

Vernon's hand crept higher up your thigh, his fingers brushing against the lace of your underwear. You gasped softly, your body responding to his touch despite your attempts to remain composed.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "You're already so wet for me, aren't you? You're so turned on by the thought of being seen."

His fingers slipped beneath the lace, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through your body. You tried to suppress a moan, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention.

Vernon chuckled, enjoying the way you were struggling to maintain your composure. "Don't hold back," he said, his voice low and commanding. "Let me hear you."

You looked around the restaurant, scanning the faces of the other patrons to see if anyone had noticed what was going on. But everyone seemed to be minding their own business, engrossed in their own conversations and meals.

Vernon smirked as he saw you looking around nervously. "Don't worry, no one's watching," he whispered, his fingers continuing to tease you under the table. "But I bet they could if they wanted to."

He leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against your ear as he spoke. "You know how much I love having an audience. And you know how much you love being the center of attention."

"Vernon, we can't," you protested weakly, even as your body betrayed you. "We're in public."

Vernon chuckled, his fingers still working their magic under the table. "That's what makes it so exciting," he said, his voice low and seductive. "The thrill of being caught." He moved his hand away from your underwear and trailed it up your stomach, stopping to rest on your breast. He squeezed gently, feeling your nipple harden under his touch.

"Imagine how they would react if they saw us like this," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "They'd be shocked, but they wouldn't be able to look away."

You pushed Vernon's hands away, trying to regain some semblance of control. "Vernon, stop," you said firmly, your voice shaking slightly. "We're in public, we can't do this here."

Vernon pouted playfully, but he didn't argue. He knew when to stop pushing your limits.

"Fine, fine," he said with a smirk. "I'll behave... for now."

He settled back in his chair, his eyes never leaving you. He looked like a predator watching its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. As the evening went on, Vernon continued to torment you under the table. His hands would occasionally slip into your underwear, brushing against your most sensitive spots. You tried to keep a straight face, but it was getting harder and harder to maintain your composure. Every time he touched you, you felt a jolt of electricity shoot through your body, and you had to fight to keep from moaning out loud.

Vernon seemed to be enjoying your struggle, his eyes glinting with amusement as he watched you squirm in your seat. He would occasionally whisper dirty things in your ear, his words only making the situation worse. Vernon skipped a finger inside you, the sudden sensation causing you to gasp and grip the edge of the table. He smirked, enjoying the reaction he was getting out of you.

"You're so responsive," he whispered, his voice low and seductive. "I love how easy it is to get you worked up."

He continued to tease you with his fingers, slowly sliding them in and out of you as he watched you try to maintain your composure. You tried to focus on your food, trying to distract yourself from the sensations that Vernon was causing between your legs. But it was impossible to ignore - every movement of his fingers sent a wave of pleasure through your body, making it hard to concentrate on anything else.

You could feel yourself getting wetter and wetter, your body responding eagerly to his touch. You knew that you were close to giving in, but you tried to hold on to your self-control. Vernon could sense your struggle, and he took advantage of it. He increased the pace of his fingers, his movements becoming more insistent as he worked to push you over the edge.

"You're so wet for me," he whispered, his voice filled with desire. "I can feel how much you want me. Just give in, baby. Let go."

You tried to bite back a moan, but it slipped out anyway. You could feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge, your body trembling with the effort of holding back.

Vernon leaned in close, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "Come for me, baby. I want to see you fall apart."

Your body was trembling uncontrollably now, your orgasm building inside you like a tidal wave. You were close, so close, and you knew that you wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Vernon could sense your impending release, and he pushed you even further. He increased the speed of his fingers, his touch becoming almost rough as he worked to bring you to the brink.

"That's it, baby," he growled in your ear. "Let go. I want to see you come undone right here, right now."

You tried to stifle a cough, but it came out as a choked moan as you came on Vernon's fingers. You gripped the edge of the table tightly, your body shaking with the force of your orgasm. Vernon watched you intently, his eyes dark with desire as he felt you clench around his fingers. He continued to move them inside you, prolonging your pleasure as you rode out the waves of your orgasm.

"That's my girl," he murmured, a satisfied smirk on his face. "You're so beautiful when you come for me."

As you came down from your high, you slumped back in your chair, feeling both exhausted and exhilarated. You looked around the restaurant, half-expecting to see people staring at you, but no one seemed to have noticed what had just happened. Vernon withdrew his fingers from your underwear and brought them to his lips, sucking them clean. He looked at you with a smirk, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.

"That was fun," he said, his voice low and husky. "But we're definitely doing that again sometime."

Vernon licked his fingers clean, pretending to be wiping them on his napkin, but you knew what he was really doing. He was tasting your cum, and the thought sent a shiver down your spine. He looked at you with a smirk, his eyes glinting mischievously. "You taste so good," he whispered, his voice low and seductive. "I could get addicted to that."

[potionorchard]

You make a brilliant point there. Oh my God!

I also think it's interesting that Vox clearly tries to enforce some sort of control or handle over Val.

It's hard to say how much, but in Episode Two, Vox is able to mesmerize him somewhat. Now, Valentino canonly has some shit eyesight, so who is to say whether or not Vox's eye spiral mind control actually worked on him? Or his increased screen brightness.

However, I would argue that due to Val's mesmerized and dazed stare and how Vox was able to lead him a few steps and rid him of his gun, Val was somewhat taken in by either his mind control/screen brightness (his screen brightness being more likely).

Also we can later notice that Vox has cameras on Val everywhere, including clubs he likes to frequent.

In Episode Six, you can actually spot the Voxtek camera on Val behind him when Angel is trying to protect Niffty. If you watch the camera, it follows Val as he gets up and threatens Angel in the entire scene.

Now, with all that said, Val seems to know about this and seemingly enjoys or humors it. And why wouldn't he? They're business partners in an on and off relationship who definitely bang on the regular and Val's just a kinky fuck. Why not indulge in Vox's voyuerism?

But something that I wonder is: Did Vox ever try to exert this much control over Alastor? Or did this start after Alastor and he became enemies?

Also, what happens if, one day, Val explodes and has some temper tantrum and doesn't want to do things Vox's way anymore? What if Vox loses control over Valentino or he left without him?

Just some stuff I think about in terms of how to possibly throw the Vees off next season.

After all, what was it that Alastor said?

"He's be powerless without the other Vees!"

I think it's a bit interesting how much more pronounced Vox's jealously is towards Angel when it comes to Val than any sort of jealousy Val has towards Alastor in regards to Vox.

Like the most Val ever shows is mild annoyance when Vox grabs him and Velvette during Stayed Gone and when Vox screamed that watching Alastor getting his ass beat was "better than sex" (which Val noticeably frowns at. Though if I was the Overlord of Porn, I would feel insulted as well.)

But otherwise? Val seems utterly amused by how pathetic Vox is about Alastor and even teases him for it. Upon learning Alastor returned, it's all "What did you just say?!" And Val just coyly says, "You heard me~". He grabs Vox's cheek with the same mocking gesture as Vox did to him moments before when he was upset even!

But on the flipside, it's abundantly more clear that Vox is jealous of Val's tendency to pay any attention to Angel.

He was practically ignoring this conversation until the slight chance that Angel might be gone comes up and then he's all smiles--only to immediately return his attention to his phone once Val told him otherwise.

And of course, we have this scene with Poison where Vox was sincerely bringing Val's hands closer to his chest, only for him to notice Angel, immediately sour and leave. Val, in turn, seems cross as well afterward.

So what am I getting at with all of this? I guess I just find it intriguing that Vox does seem to be considerably more possessive towards Valentino than vice versa when it comes to jealousy. Vox always has cameras everywhere, watching his off and on partner. He seems to be somewhere between annoyed about Angel to uncomfortable when he's around to the point of wanting to leave what was clearly something of a romantic moment between him and Val.

It makes me wonder if Vox's true undoing is his need for control and his insecurities. It's clear he had a past with Alastor only to seemingly flip all the way over to a hectic relationship with Valentino, who he knows is a porn director and thereby will consistently sleep with people outside of him. And yet, he's stuck on Val just as much as Alastor.

It's not a new observation that Vox is clearly terrified of a loss of control of others and of people who were close to him leaving him.

I just wonder if any of that could extend to Valentino in the future and be his downfall.

[mama-qwerty]

If Shadow didn't have the element of surprise, do you think Knuckles would have a better chance of putting up a fight against him?

That is a good question.

The reason Shadow won against Knux so easily is because Knuckles didn't know what Shadow was capable of. Shadow can teleport, which is his primary method of fighting, to ambush his enemies and get the drop on them quickly and efficiently. Knuckles didn't know this, and had no way of countering it, so he was at a severe disadvantage during his battle with Shadow.

Now, given time, would Knuckles have found a way to counter that?

Theoretically, I think he could have. Knuckles is (or was) the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy. He's not simply "the guy who punches", as brute strength wouldn't be enough to keep that title over the years. An effective warrior studies his opponent's fighting style, and adjusts his own to match it.

So, given time, Knuckles could, theoretically, learn Shadow's fighting pattern, and work to counter it. I'm not gonna go into Knuckles' sensitivity to chaos energy, because SCU Knux doesn't seem to really have that, so let's just focus on his observational skills.

After facing Shadow a few times, Knuckles would learn that the hog tends to use the element of surprise to his advantage. He'll disappear and reappear closer to you, usually to whichever side he deems your blind spot, or behind you, so once Shadow blinks away, Knuckles only need to spin himself around into a more defensive positioning. Odds are he would catch Shadow unawares at least a few times doing that, and deliver a powerful blow to stun him long enough to go on the offensive.

Now, if Shadow didn't use his teleportation ability to fight Knuckles, I think Knuckles would be able to take him down. Shadow is strong, yes, but I think Knuckles is stronger. They'd have a good match, and may seem evenly met for a while, but I believe Knux has the upper hand when it comes to strength.

Now, all that said, the Knuckles who faced Shadow in Tokyo was one who'd been in domestic life for an unknown amount of time. Months, at least. He hadn't been on the run, day in and day out, senses heightened and focused on surviving.

To be blunt, he'd gone soft. At least a little. The novelization has Knux stating that he "might be a little rusty" after Shadow kicked his butt. So it would seem that the Knuckles of Sonic 3 had softened to the point where he himself feels he wasn't at the top of his game. The Knuckles of Sonic 2 would have been horrified to think of that happening.

So, the question then becomes, would Shadow have won against the Knuckles of Sonic 2? When he was still hyperfocused on surviving and doing anything necessary to find the Master Emerald?

I think Knuckles would have still found himself at a disadvantage regarding Shadow's teleporting abilities. But that drive was still there, that focus, that anger. You'd have two very angry, very focused boys who were looking to avenge their fallen loved one. And I think that would have been one helluva fight.

~~~

Check out my other Sonic 3 analysis posts

[firequeenofficial]

I miss the Ranchers. That is all I have to say.

-

When they finally managed to put out the mansion, Jimmy slipped away from the others, finding a quiet spot to hide away. He just needed a moment to breathe. He'd been struggling ever since he'd first seen Tango with Etho, Skizz and Impulse.

He'd never felt anything like this before, like a part of him was missing, broken off, stolen. He saw Tango laughing with his friends, and his heart ached. He had once made Tango laugh like that. He had once been the person Tango relied on. Now, he watched his soulmate, his Rancher, with the others, and it was like he didn't even care, or didn't remember. He hadn't even reacted when Jimmy had called him, "Rancher".

He wondered whether Joel felt the same way watching Etho. He didn't think so - Joel had barely stopped laughing since he'd found him, except to rage about the mansion being set on fire, of course. Besides, Joel wouldn't even remember Double Life.

He sat at the top of a hill in the south-east corner of the world, watching the sun rise beyond the border. He was grateful everyone seemed to want to base close together this season; it left plenty of free space to hide away.

He hated this. He hated being one of only three people who ever remembered each season. He hated Grian for forcing this on him. He hated the Watchers for forcing it on Grian. More than anything, he hated himself for not being able to do anything but whine about it. Grian was his brother, he should have been able to help him, but there was nothing he could do.

He wondered if Pearl felt anything, watching Scott with Martyn. Was there any part of her that missed him, even though they'd done nothing but fight the whole time they were soulbound? She couldn't remember Last Life, he knew, but did some part of her long for it anyhow? He wished he could speak with her about it, but she would probably just call him silly. No one else pined after their alliances from previous seasons, after all. It was just him that was so pathetic that he longed for the first person to be genuinely gentle with him.

That didn't make it any easier, after all. It didn't make him long any less. It didn't make Tango suddenly mean nothing to him.

He missed him.

That was the plain and simple truth of it. He missed Tango. Void, he missed him so damn much it hurt.

He sighed and dropped his face into his hands, fighting back tears. He was completely alone, but he still couldn't bring himself to feel it all, not so strongly, not all the way.

He just had to move on. It was that easy. He just had to let the Bad Boys be his new people, and he had to let Team TIES be Tango's new people, and he had to leave it at that.

He could do that.

Jimmy took a deep breath and leaned back slightly, turning his attention back to the brightening horizon. A breeze ruffled his hair.

The pain lessened, just slightly.

"Jimmy?"

The pain came back full force, and he froze.

No. No, he couldn't be here. Not now, not when he'd committed to letting him go.

Jimmy didn't turn. He didn't say anything.

After a moment's hesitation, Tango sat down beside him. Jimmy didn't move. He didn't look at him.

"Wow, what a view." Tango's heart clearly wasn't in the observation, though.

Silence was Jimmy's only response.

Tango apparently decided that beating about the bush was overrated. "Are you upset with me?"

Jimmy closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at him. "No." That was true, at least. He was upset about Tango, not with him.

The blazeborn let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I would hate for you to be mad at me. I don't know how I'd do this without my Rancher."

Jimmy was so surprised that he snapped his eyes open and his head around to face him. "What?"

He was met with a smirk that he'd learnt to adore. "What, you didn't think I'd forgotten, had you?"

He remembered. He remembered! Jimmy could have cried with joy! Tango remembered him!

But Jimmy didn't cry. Instead, he let out a loud, jubilant laugh and launched himself at his Rancher, throwing his arms around Tango's neck. The pair fell to the ground, both laughing, clinging to each other. Jimmy buried his face in Tango's neck, holding on like Tango might disappear the moment he let go.

"You really did think I forgot, didn't you," Tango realised, and held him closer.

"I thought I lost you." Jimmy's voice was muffled by Tango's shirt collar.

Tango huffed a small laugh, running his hands through Jimmy's hair. "We're in this together, buddy. Even if we're on different teams, you'll always be my Rancher."

This was what Jimmy had been missing. Two whole seasons, he'd searched for this. For something who cared for him no matter what, in thick or thin, even across lifetimes. Tango was... exactly what he needed. Exactly what he wanted.

Jimmy sighed, his breath shaky. He was going to be okay.

Whatever happened this season, he was going to be okay. He could face whatever with his Rancher by his side.

They were going to be okay.

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

I'm filled with 3DS Brainworms so here's who I think all the Awakening kids would be retainers to if they were in Fates

Lucina/Marth- Xander? Maybe Ryoma if we're doing both countries. I have a hard time seeing her able to relax enough to not be next to the most important people if she had the chance. She'd be Corrin's retainer if that was an option. I kinda like Ryoma more than Xander cuz I'm picturing Saizo saying he doesn't trust 'Marth' because of his mask, without any sense of irony. Also Sakura just because I've seen adorable art of that rarepair and I'm on board.

M!Morgan- Leo, I think Leo and the Morgan's would have a nice dynamic where their presence is both comforting but also elevate Leo's insecurities since the Morgan's are skilled tacticians and his skills aren't as unique.

F!Morgan- Leo/Xander. Maybe Leo's official retainer but bothers Xander. I picture like once a week she has a presentation on the health benefits of killing your father or how to depose a tyrant. Never explicitly saying Xander should commit regicide but one can infer her meaning. Definitely way less subtle than her twin clone. Probably taking the most advantage of the "you fire one of us the others quit" vibe the Awakening kids have. Banned from visiting Corrin in the Northern Fortress.

Cynthia- Camilla, Camilla claimed her before they even proved their worth as fighters. Camilla would adore her and her dynamic with Beruka would be hilarious. She's also friends with Arthur, they need constant supervision together in case something goes horribly wrong.

Brady- Leo, I need him complaining about Leo sleeping at his desk and studying to exhaustion. Do ya wanna a hunchback like him?

Noire- Leo/Camilla. She's incredibly knowledgeable about magic despite being too frail to use it herself, pokes over Leo's shoulder and points out a mistake while bringing him a new cup of tea. Drives Leo up the walls. But also not all that confident and frail, Camilla just snaps her right up. The kind of person that Camilla likes most, one's that are dependent on her in some way.

Kjelle- (isn't she already one of Elise's retainers??) Honestly I know Effies personality is different in the Japanese version but since I'm not familiar with that I can only picture Kjelle's interactions being extremely similar to hers. Either Elise or Sakura, give Elise the beginning of a muscular knight Lady army/harem or I think Kjelle would fit in with Hana and Subaki's dynamic and she'd get a laugh out of knocking Subaki off his fly horse.

Laurent- Leo or Takumi, nerds herd together. I think he'd have a better chance of getting a spot with Takumi than most of the others simply because there isn't anything Takumi can hold against him, he's polite, invested in learning as much as he can(which means he'll likely come asking Takumi a lot and deferring to his expertise, playing into the vibe of Takumi's retainers being his fan club with a different reason than Hinata and Oboro, he looks up to Takumi's intelligence) and his outfit doesn't share any similarities to Nohr's fashion, his tits aren't out and he's not wearing black and purple(why I think the Morgan's wouldn't be able to get close to Takumi)

Gerome- Camilla, while he's the exact opposite of Camilla's main swinging range, he's solitary and doesn't react to praise like Severa, he does follow orders and can be a second pair of eyes to baby someone. Most likely on Elise duty any time she goes into the sewer city. Also he and Beruka nod at each other and go do their jobs. Best coworker Beruka's ever had. She leaves to go kill someone for Camilla and has a packed lunch for the way back. Minerva likes Beruka too.

Yarne- Xander or Hinoka, depending on which part of Yarne's cowardlyness you want to play with. Xander trusts Yarne both because despite all his anxiety he's never really the "unfeasible" type of anxiety and he breaks through his cowardlyness to protect those he cares about. A single "What do you think could go wrong" gets Xander a long way. Meanwhile Hinoka's retainers all have the vibe of her feeling the need to protect them instead and Yarne is PEAK failboy. Also play into Hinoka's more gentle and animal loving side with her brushing his rabbit form. Also Yarne/Camilla ship, she knows what she likes and it's a failure she can coddle and Yarne quickly learns that her arms are both the safest and most dangerous place he could possibly be.

Nah- Camilla/Leo/Corrin/Azura. No strong feelings on any of these, I think her dynamic with Camilla would be similar to Severa's where she's a little desperate for approval but to a lesser extent. I think she'd Like Leo but more of a book club/study buddy thing than serving him. I can see her sticking with Corrin in the Northern Fortress for both Dragon and Lilith reasons and I think she'd be a good Lilith-equivalent and friend for Azura, Naga knows she needs someone to talk to about the crazy stuff she knows that she can't tell anyone about.

👀

[iamnmbr3]

It's still wild to me how the diary Horcrux and the context surrounding it disprove so many of Dumbledore's theories but he straight up ignores everything.

First of all, there's the whole moment when Harry's all 'oh a Horcrux could be anything" and Dumbledore basically goes 'no you stupid idiot you're thinking of portkeys' even though the diary is not an extraordinary object at all. Harry points this out but Dumbledore insists that it was important to Voldemort because it was evidence of his bloodline and his success in opening the Chamber. Out of universe this is JKR's attempt at lampshading. But it falls flat and just results in making Dumbledore incredibly biased and closed minded. I mean, there's no evidence Tom actually wrote in the idary before turning it into a Horcrux, and even if he did, it's not really evidence of anything by itself. It's just an every day object. Also, it has his real name on it, which according to Dumbledore he hates and is a super duper huge secret that definitely nobody except Dumbledore knows about due to being such a huge Tom expert (despite the fact that Tom tells multiple Death Eaters his real name and origins - on more than one occasion, Ollivander also knows, and seemingly so does Dobby...).

Second of all, as outlined above Tom never chooses to use the diary as a weapon while he's in corporeal form, never tells Lucius what it is, and is absolutely furious that it got sent into harm's way in his absence. So he doesn't seem to be careless with it, despite Dumbledore using his supposed carelessness with it as evidence for his multiple Horcrux theory. If anything, maybe Tom had removed it from its hiding spot (perhaps in the cave) and gave it to Lucius, then a loyal, influential, and favored follower, for safekeeping till he could make a new hiding place, except then he lost his body (whoops). Also, even if ultimately the diary had become more disposable to him, at the time he made it, it would've been the only one so that couldn't have influenced its design. Especially given that according to Dumbledore he intended to slowly collect the objects he wanted to turn into Horcruxes and wouldn't be able to complete his goal of 6 for many years. (Which also is questionable. If he really wanted to do that you'd think he'd do it sooner versus later rather than waiting for the perfect objects).

Do you think Tom would've ever tried to feed Dumbledore to the diary if he was given the opportunity?

"And now, for ze next brilliant plan- are you listening, Lucius? For zis next brilliant plan... I shall give my Horcrux to Albus Dumbledore and 'ope he doezn't worry about it when it acts like a cursed artifact and he doezn't try to find out wat it iz!"

"My lord?!"

"I don't see how this could pozzeblee be un bad idea."

-

I thought the above needed a silly little accent.

No, I do not think Voldemort would give his enemy, a man very knowledgeable about dark magic and who would be immediately suspicious on seeing "PROPERTY OF T. M. RIDDLE" inside, his Horcrux and hope Dumbledore wrote in it until he was possessed.

As it is (and this has been covered in the @rankheresy episode about horcruxes for the specially interested), I don't think Voldemort wanted it to be given to anybody in the first place. He'd left it in Lucius's custody, we don't know why, but what we do know is that Lucius decided of his own accord to get rid of it by planting it on Arthur Weasley's daughter. I don't think Lucius knew what it would do, or realized that the book he'd given Ginny Weasley was opening the Chamber of Secrets a few months later, and I don't think Voldemort had instructed him to give it to anybody at all. The idea that the Diary was the disposable Horcrux that Voldemort intended to use as a weapon is a conclusion drawn by Dumbledore, based on Lucius's actions when Lucius was acting under the belief that Voldemort had been dead for many years and the Diary was only going to be a problem for him if found to be in his possession.

(That Voldemort was furious when he found out, and that Lucius Malfoy has been out of favor ever since, or that Voldemort has put Draco in a "die-or-be-killed" situation that's playing out in Hogwarts while Dumbledore explains how cool Voldemort was with a piece of his soul dying because Lucius wanted to get back at Arthur Weasley, doesn't shake Dumbledore's conviction that Voldemort thought reopening the Chamber of Secrets was a very important endeavor worth losing a Horcrux.)

So no, I don't think Voldemort would ever, ever have given that or any other Horcrux to Dumbledore, and he bitterly regrets entrusting Malfoy with it in the first place.

[just-jammin]

they say "art is limited and suffering can inspire it" but i don't fuckin' know how my suffering even works and i can't make art about it without making me sound like a whiny broken record

[moreaulover]

The shot right after Francis stabs oz and she sees him as a little boy again makes me SICK. One of the reasons (at least how I interpreted) she didn't let Rex kill him the night at Monroe's was not only how he was talking and what he was promising, but the fact she had just lost her other two babies. He still loves her more than anything and he's still her little boy, even as evil as she sees him that's her last living son who's asking her "not to give up on him". She's lost everything and she's devastated, could she handle losing all she had left even with how awful it is? She's not ready to lose him yet, it's like she puts it off for later indefinitely. In the scene when she stabs him it's like she's come to terms with the fact letting him live has only caused more pain. That even though he was her little boy she should have killed him then as painful as it would have been. She already lost all her sons the night of the rain anyway

[bitchthefuck1]

The thing that really kills me about Logan is that his kids are disappointing and ultimately unfit to be CEO, and it's not just that they're like that because he made them like that, but that they're like that because he wants them to be that way.

For all his talk about them being spoiled or coddled and his rant in the S3 finale that getting cut out of running Waystar is their chance to "be your own man" and build something themselves, he has spent the entire show actively undermining any attempt of theirs to do that. Shiv stays out and works in politics, but as soon as she joins a big campaign that could actually distinguish her from her family, he tells her he wants to make her CEO. He offers to buy Kendall out of his shares, but as soon as Kendall tries to take the offer and cut himself out, he refuses. He says he wants them out of the business and doing their own thing, and then as soon as they start actually doing that and buy Pierce, he tries to get Roman back.

The fact of the matter is that as much as he might claim to want a "real" heir, what he really wants is to never need one and for his children to stay children: incomplete, incapable, and under his thumb.

[anemia-rp]

"Well, I wouldn't like it if someone else touched my guitar as well for example, and this is only an object that's unable to feel something towards me", he claimed and made a faux-sad face. "It's a very one-sided love you could say. But /you/ have feelings, so this makes it more difficult for me to make sure your attention stays onto me." He tilted his head and shrugged lightly with a smile. "If I want to I'm able to make absolutely no noise. But I doubt I will point a gun at you again. Especially since you probably wouldn't believe me anymore anyway if I'd claim to shoot you, huh?"

"My, my, I won't spill my secrets all at once", Yoko claimed then and shook his head scoldingly. "But this sounds wonderful. I hope I'm able to find even more spots on your body that belong to me." He was positive that he would in fact. Just like that he would be able to make this stubborn guy crumble.

And he seemed to succeed already quite well, telling by the other's body language. "Your body is quite a mean traitor, mh?", he wondered without any pity while watching Yoshi and kept touching him. "You still can care about such formalities? It seems that I didn't do a good enough job yet putting you off your stride." He smiled sweetly at the other. "/Pretty please, Yoshi, can I see your /cute/ butt?", he gave the other then what he wanted and pecked the other's thumb while expectantly looking into his eyes.

@buildabxtchrp

"I bought you some clothes." (Yoko to Yoshi)

“You did? What, don’t ya like mine? "

"Or do ya want me to be your pretty lil doll?” He gave a mischievous smirk. “Well let’s see, what’d ya get?”

[woeismywaffle]

I WATCHED TF ONE TODAY YIPPPPPPPPPPIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *EXPLODES*