#i'm practically slavering over it

[peachdoxie]

I bought a desktop laminator using money I got for my birthday and by god if this isn't the sexiest piece of office equipment I've ever had the pleasure of owning

[moonlitdesertdreams]

Stuck like glue

Request: "I'm going to scream your domestic character joining coop on his travels from her cabin is SO good 😭 I was wondering if you would write something with the same character in her cabin when coop turns up from nearby having taken one too many bullets? Or maybe he's sick and needs some jet. Some hurt/comfort fluffy sweetness"

A/N: Thank you to the awesome anon who sent the idea! Maybe not AS fluffy as we wanted, but there's for sure some soft Ghoul going on in here. And, oh yeah, the reader has a dog now. No description of said dog has been given, so please imagine as you'd wish.

Tags: Fallout, Cooper Howard, Cooper Howard x F!Reader, Cooper Howard x You, Ghoul x Reader

WARNINGS: Canon-Typical language and violence, brief mentions of sexual interaction.

Summary: Your favorite Ghoul needs to be patched up after a spat with some Raiders, and you always know just how to make him feel better.

Word Count: 2.0k+

Gif credit to @elisefrost from this set

You’re outside attempting to hang clothes to dry when you hear it. 

The soft but distinct sound of jingling metal comes from behind your cabin. You set one hand on the pistol strapped to your thigh and walk in that direction, eyes peeled for any movement. A bark echoes the sound from your porch, and you snap at your four-legged companion in an attempt to get him to stay. 

“Tiger!” You hiss. “Quit!”

 He relents with an indignant huff and returns to the porch, while the metallic noise keeps up in a steady pattern, akin to the cadence of a slow walk. You tilt your head at the thought and eventually move the hand off your pistol; only one person would dare tread this close in broad daylight with such carelessness.

“Coop?”

You don’t see him anywhere, but you’re almost certain it was the sounds of his old spurs that caught your attention. 

“Cooper if you’re tryna scare me, you know I'll gut you.” The threat is an empty one, but saying it gives you some hope that it’s indeed him and not a Raider or Slaver looking to score some loot. 

“No need, babydoll.” His voice sounds ragged, tired. “Don’t think I could scare a bunny rabbit at the moment.” 

You follow his voice to your left, and find the Ghoul leaned up against a tree. He’s practically swaying in the breeze, very apparently unsteady. You rush over just as he slides down and collides with the dirt.. 

“Cooper! What happened to you?” 

Your hands flutter up and down his arms, brusquely checking for any injuries. Nothing obvious jumps out at you, but he heals fast and external wounds are rare. A wheeze claws its way up his throat and morphs into a hacking cough. You recognize the sound as the need for a Vial, and grab at his bag. 

“Do you have any on you?” 

A stuttered cough answers. “Fresh out… s’why I came here.”

Your stash of Vials had been growing just about as long as you’d known Cooper. When you traveled together, he’d hand some off to you for safekeeping, and there always ended up being extras. Upon your return home, he’d tell you to keep them. It wasn’t shocking, given that he found his way back every couple of days.

“Alright, come on.” You crouch down and position yourself beneath Cooper’s arm. 

You can tell he’s weak by the way he leans into you, knees wobbling relentlessly as you pull him up. Another round of coughing wracks his body and you squeeze him reassuringly. 

“Couch isn’t far.” You chose your words carefully, avoiding any inkling of pity. Having an already deteriorating Ghoul is enough, let alone a defensive one who hates being pitied. 

Cooper does his best to keep up with your steps, but his movements are sloppy and uncoordinated. You can feel the heat radiating off of him through his jacket and hear him wheezing beside your ear. Stepping onto the porch gives him some trouble, but you manage to haul him up and inside the door. Tiger whines nervously, circling the pair of you as you trek inside. The Ghoul collapses onto the couch as soon as it’s within reach. 

After making sure Cooper’s not going to slide off the couch, you continue to the med-kit in your makeshift kitchen. The Vials are hidden at the very bottom, wrapped in cloth for extra cushion to prevent shattering. You decide there’s more than enough for him to take two, and carefully extract the mysterious chem. 

Cooper’s laid out on his back when you return with the Vials. One arm is thrown over his eyes and the other dangling off the side of the couch with Tiger perched beneath. The dog nuzzles his favorite person’s hand for attention, and it elicits a chuckle from you. Even as the only conscious person in the room, you were still second in Tiger’s eyes. 

“Coop.” You shake his shoulder gently. “Hey. Hey. Where’s your inhaler?”

You nudge his hat away and he blinks slowly. “Mmm.”

“Ok then.” You mutter and pat down his jacket, searching for the contraption he always carries. The coat yields no results, and you pat down his pants until you feel it tucked away into the pocket at his hip. “Finally.”

Cooper shuffles ever so slightly when you slip your hand into his pocket. “H-hey now. I know you love me, baby, but I-I ain’t got it in me right now.”

An errant smile pushes its way onto your lips. You snap the meds into place on his inhaler 

“Open up.”

He fails to heed your instructions, and you ultimately end up forcing the inhalant into his mouth. It never works instantly, but within a minute or so of administering it there’s movement. One of Cooper’s hands lifts to cup yours, puffing on the inhaler again. 

You release your hold on it and rock back onto the balls of your feet. It’s then you take note of the holes in his clothing, and run a hand down his chest. There’s numerous holes, some as big as your finger and others no larger than a pinhead. 

“Cooper, what happened to you?” You sit on the edge of the couch beside him as he takes his first deep breath without Chems. 

“I just turn’d in a bounty and some Raiders jumped me.” He looks down at your hand on his chest. “Bastards shot me ten or eleven times. Damn buckshot got me good.”

You nod. “I can tell. You were in a bad way, Coop.”

The Ghoul sits up slowly beside you so his legs can swing off the couch. “I’ll be good as new, soon as this stuff starts workin’ good.” 

Tiger hops up on the couch next to him, tail wagging with excitement. The dog licks your cheek on his way to Cooper and pushes his nose into the Ghoul’s shoulder. You chuckle at the interaction, patting the dog’s shoulders. Coopers are still hunched with exhaustion, and his deep-set eyes look even more so. 

“Well until they do, you rest.” You stand, glancing out the still-ajar door. “It’s getting dark anyway.”

Cooper, as usual, opens his mouth to protest. If there’s anything he hates, it’s feeling useless. 

“No arguments.” You point a finger at him. “I mean it.”

He grumbles, but relents. “Fine. Only if you turn somethin’ on that ol’ TV of yours.”

The television turns out to be a perfect method of relaxation. You have to remove Cooper from the couch temporarily, but wrestle it into the pullout bed form and line it with blankets. The Ghoul had given in to his exhaustion rather easily at the prospect of a comfortable bed and kicked off his boots to climb all the way in. You hung his coat on a nail by the door, but made sure to leave his guns, lasso, and assorted weapons within arm’s reach. The TV played some old soap opera from before your time while you snagged a couple of hard candies- a luxury item, as the nearest settlement called them- and made to settle in. 

Cooper had managed to prop himself against the back of the couch, feet kicked out down the length of the thin mattress. Tiger, seeking attention as per usual, is curled up against his right leg. A wet nose rests just beneath Cooper’s knee and twitches in interest when you unwrap the first candy. 

The Ghoul might as well be a dog himself for the way his ears perk at the sound of a wrapper. 

He watches intently as you very gracefully clamber to sit next to him. You pop the fruit-flavored candy in your mouth and scoot around until you find comfort. In this case, it’s leaned up against the Ghoul beside you, head dropping onto his shoulder. His breathing is still shallower than you’d like, but a vast improvement from where it was when he’d shown up. 

“You ain’t gonna share?” 

You open your fist and offer up one of the candies. “I suppose I could. But only for you.”

A smirk twists the corners of his scarred lips. You poke at the candies and attempt to read the labels to no avail. 

“I’d offer you a choice of flavor, but…” You shrug, looking back up to your Ghoul. “Slim pickings.”

He lifts a bare hand to your chin, tilting up. “I think the pickin’s are just fine.”

You smile and lean in to meet him, lips falling into a familiar dance.The hand on your chin slides down to grip your nape and holds you firmly in place. It’s not long before the candy is gone from your mouth. Its remnants remain, mingling with the taste of gunpowder and smoke. A few moments pass before you decide to separate

“Miss me much?” You inquire, cuddling yourself down into his side. 

His arm raises to accommodate your body and lowers it back down to encircle your shoulders once you’re settled. “I always miss you darlin’. For a variety of reasons.”

You hum softly, “Yeah? Why’s that?”

Cooper’s hand trails up and down your arm, leaving wide trails of gooseflesh. “Well, the main one happens to be the lack of entertainment.”

You scoff. “I’m your entertainment?”

“Fuck yeah, you are. ‘Specially when you’re hollerin’ at scavengers and shootin’ anything that moves.” The Ghoul chuckles to himself. “Or trippin’ over a sleeping yao guai.”

You shove him playfully. “That was one time, and I shot it dead anyway.”

Cooper pulls you towards him, and you shift until you’re between his legs, back pressed against his chest. “That you did, sweetheart. I ain’t forgot.”

He grabs the nearest blanket and tosses it over your entangled bodies. You curl to the side and rest your cheek to his chest. Tiger shuffles his body with a huff, apparently frustrated with the lack of attention.

“What would you do without me?” You tap his chest gently, relishing in the warmth he produces. “Other than get eaten by a yao guai?”

The Ghoul scratches Tiger’s head. “Prolly go feral. Chase around some folk to scare em’.”

You know he’s joking, but the thought of losing him to ferality scares you to no end. Particularly since he’s just shown up on death’s door and almost hacked a lung onto your floor.

“Don’t say that.” You lift your head to catch his eye. “Please.”

Cooper may be a gruff old Ghoul with a dreadful outlook on the world, but he softens ever so slightly at your words.

“You know I don’t mean it, sugar. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

Two scarred fingers hook beneath your jaw and pull you back up to his lips. It’s tame at first, but the Cooper you know wastes no time making an appearance. His teeth nip at your lip gently and one rough hand slides up your side until it cups your breast. You press into him eagerly, climbing upwards until your thighs slot around either side of his hips. He responds by grinding them into you, delicious friction warming you from head to toe.  

Tiger decides he’s disgusted at this point, and hops off the couch with a comical groan.

Unbothered, one of your hands latches onto the lasso that is tossed on top of his pile of weapons. You loop it around his neck, gripping either side of the rope and pulling him in. Cooper smirks against your mouth. 

“Oh I love being stuck with you, Cowpoke.” You whisper against his mouth, earning yourself a quick bite to the bottom lip.

The Ghoul grins and quickly shows how much strength he’s regained by reversing your positions. He snatches the rope faster than you can react, and wraps the fingers of one hand loosely around the column of your throat. There’s just enough pressure to shoot a pang of arousal between your legs. Cooper knows you’re squirming, and presses a knee there to relieve some of the ache. 

“Glad t’hear it.” He murmurs into your neck, “‘Cause I sure as hell ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

thanks for reading, much love ❤

Read More: Fallout Masterlist

[atlabeth]

I desperately need you to give me some jealous nikolai lanstov I'm not even jokinh

my love mine all mine

lowkey continuation of bad luck and im with you; can be read standalone though!

pairing: nikolai lantsov x fem reader

summary: after your return to ravka, nikolai's resolve is tested at a ball.

a/n: i have saved this ask since september because i knew one day i would get around to it. i love nikolai lantsov and i dont write jealous fics often so here we go!! this is technically a continuation of bad luck and im with you but you can read it separately. i keep going back to these two for some reason lmao?? idk. theyre childhood friends to lovers with so much strife in between and that's so special to me lmao. but yah enjoy i MISSED WRITING FOR HIM<3

wc: 2.8k

warning(s): nikolai is a lil jealous obviously! small bit of angst, mostly fluff, lil steamy at the end.

Nikolai feels his lip curling, feels his hand tighten on his glass. 

This is a party. A ball, more specifically, but a celebration nonetheless. He should be smiling, mingling, talking up some baron or duke in the name of Ravka’s economy. He is a prince, after all—a bastard, second son of a prince that plans to take the throne at that—and he’s just returned from years at sea. It is in his best interest to do what he does best and talk as much as possible. If anything, he should be arm in arm with the Sun Summoner to boost both their positions. 

But all he can do is stare at you. 

You’re the embodiment of grace. Your practiced smile looks wholly genuine no matter how long you have to keep it up. Your laugh seems to make others smile without even realizing, ringing out clear like church bells. It’s a sound Nikolai knows he would worship to the end of his days, at least. 

You stand in the midst of noblemen and Nikolai only recognizes one—Artem Aslanov, a son of nobles that the two of you spent much of your youth with. He wonders if you remember each other as well. He certainly seems to, the way he stands just a bit too close to you, the way he’s absolutely eager for your attention. Nikolai holds back a scoff. 

The others are likely from various other Ravkan settlements, though one has to be Kaelish, with his almost offensively ginger hair. 

Not that any of it matters, though. Not one of them can tear their eyes away from you as you talk, magnetic with both your words and inherent charm, and they drink up every bit of your presence. 

Something stirs inside Nikolai at the sight. Logically, he knows he has little to worry about—he knows this is your duty as much as it is his, and you care little for any man’s affections but his. 

But Saints, his heart does not want to listen to silly things such as logic. In this moment, Nikolai is reminded of the truth at its barest—you’re a noblewoman of good breeding, quite extravagant wealth, and considerable beauty. Your years at sea have caused you to develop a quick wit and sharp tongue, and it only serves to make you more appealing.

Your flashy return to Ravka has made you perhaps the most desirable lady at court, and Nikolai is forced to realize he no longer has you all to himself anymore. 

Nikolai has planned to come back and take the Lantsov throne for years now, but he can’t help but long for those days again. Teaching you all the ins and outs of the Volkvolny, how to do every sailor’s knot he knows, showing you the misty mountains of the Wandering Isle and the rolling fields of Novyi Zem and the wonderful world outside of Ravka’s courtly constraints. 

Taking over the ships of slavers and clashing blades with drüskelle and watching a thousand sunrises and sunsets together, unbound by anything but tangled up in every part of each other. 

It was almost laughable. You were worried of Nikolai charming others upon your return, and yet here he was, unable to look away from you for even the slightest second because he was jealous of some noble son.

“Your Highness, are you alright?” 

Nikolai turns back to the conversation he is meant to be paying attention to, already offering a smile that he hopes will make up for his utter lack of focus. Of course, he doesn’t really care what this Kerch merchant thinks of him, and Nikolai’s word will probably mean little to his parents at the moment. They’re still quite angry at him for all his Sturmhondish escapades. This man, whose name he has already forgotten, doesn’t seem to know he’s wasting his time. 

“Of course I am,” he says, and he pats him on the shoulder. He means to say more, but then he catches a glance of Artem pulling you to the side, his hand lingering on your waist much too close for comfort. He’s surprised he doesn’t break his glass with how his fingers clench around it even tighter.  

“Then I would be honored for you to consider my—” 

“I apologize, Jansen.” Nikolai ignores the look on his face at both his interruption and being called the wrong name as he drops his hand. “It’s been wonderful chatting with you, but I’m afraid I must take my leave.” 

Nikolai departs before he can get another word out. He’s sure he’ll get an earful later for his ‘disrespect’ but again, he really could not care less. 

He expects to have to weave his way through the crowd, but a path parts for him wherever he moves. Benefits to being a Lantsov prince rather than another privateer on the sea, he supposes. He feels a number of eyes on him as he walks, but he’s focused on one thing and one thing only. 

Artem seems to be as well, seeing as he doesn’t even look up while he continues talking to you. Nikolai doesn’t blame him for being enraptured, but he does wonder what he thinks that boorish smile will do to you. 

Nikolai exclaims your name as he comes up next to you, sliding his arm around your waist like he’s done a thousand times before and claiming his place at your side. “I’ve been looking for you, milaya. You’ve been awfully popular tonight.”

Your gleaming gaze turns to him and Nikolai feels like he can melt. It doesn’t matter how many times you look at him—not even Alina can muster up something to rival your brightness. 

“Nikolai!” 

Again, the way you say his name makes him weak at the knees. The poshness of your Ravkan faded while you were at sea around common sailors and vagrants, and though he can tell you’re trying your best to hide it in the name of courtly etiquette, it still bleeds through. He adores your accent, how it shows the woman you’ve become rather than the girl you ran away from. 

“I’ve been looking for you,” you counter as you lean into him. You’ve applied some fanciful perfume, and it’s intoxicating. He has to stop himself from inhaling deeply—he has little shame when it comes to you, but he’s got to have some poise. “You’re the belle of the ball, Mister Prince.” 

“And you’re the apple of everyone’s eye, lapushka,” he says. “Especially mine.” 

Your heartbeat has been steadily increasing ever since he slotted himself at your side, and he can feel it speed even more with his words. It makes Nikolai smile without even fully realizing it. 

He feels Artem’s gaze on him all the while, and Nikolai chooses to ignore it until now. He looks up, making sure his eyes widen cartoonishly and his smile deepens with the same caliber. “Aslanov! I’m so sorry, I didn’t even notice you!” 

“Your Highness,” he says, polite but terse as he bows his head. “It’s good to see you—it has truly been too long.” 

“Oh, no need for titles,” Nikolai admonishes. “We’re all friends here, are we not?”

He puts particular emphasis on that word, and Artem shifts ever so slightly under Nikolai’s gaze. So he makes him nervous—good. 

“We are,” he agrees, and he looks back at you. “We were merely catching up—it has been years since I last had the good fortune to be in your presence.” Artem smiles at you once again, far more genuine than anything he’s given Nikolai. “Of course, I look forward to hearing about everything you learned at university.” 

“I’ve certainly learned a lot,” you say. Very tongue-in-cheek—you don’t even try to hide it. 

Of course. The cover story for Nikolai’s being away from court was his apprenticeships, culminating in his studies at the University of Ketterdam—it would be a shame of the highest order for your parents to admit you ran away to avoid the marriage they’d planned for you, and even more so to admit it had gotten their daughter kidnapped by slavers, so they simply said you joined him there. 

Advancing your studies for a better view, they’d spouted. We want our heir to be well-educated on all matters of the world. Nikolai knows you learned more on the seas by his side than you would have in a classroom staring at endless amounts of books. He only regrets he can’t shout how amazing you’ve been for the past few years from the rooftops. 

“Perhaps we could discuss it privately some time.” Nikolai will give it to him; his smile is a bit more charming this time. He still wants to punch it off him. “You know, my family has only refined our winemaking over the years—we’d have a wonderful time with a bottle of our finest red—”

“Unfortunately, it will have to wait,” Nikolai cuts in before you can respond. He can’t help it—he’s raring to have you to himself, and he doesn’t know how much more he can take of Artem’s flirting. “My parents are eager to speak to you, darling. We’ll see you around, Aslanov.” 

He pulls you away, once again feeling Artem’s eyes on the two of you. He purposefully pulls you closer against him—your warmth against him does wonders to quell the spike of jealousy in his chest.

“You really are impossible,” you say wryly, but you make no move to part from his side as he leads you through the crowd. 

“I’m just making sure he understands the situation,” Nikolai says innocently. 

“We were just talking,” you say. “You know, it has been years.”

“You were,” he agrees. “But our friend here was very interested in trying to be more. Couldn’t you tell?”

You laugh and you place your hand on his chest. “Nikolai Lantsov, are you jealous?”

“He was talking about his family’s vineyard.” He smiles back at you in turn. He can’t help the bit of bravado that trickles in. “For me to be jealous, I’d have to think he had a chance.”

“Saints, you are!” you exclaim. You stop, halting him in turn, and you grin at him with a twinkle in your eye. Again, he smiles subconsciously just at the sight of it. “Nikolai, I cannot believe you!” 

“How?” he asks, cocking his head boyishly. “Have you caught a glimpse of yourself tonight?”

“I’ve looked at myself in the reflection of every glass,” you say dryly. “After all the time spent in sea-faring clothes, it’s very strange to be back in gowns.”

“Then you should know how absolutely stunning you are,” he says. “Breathtaking, showstopping, the very image of perfection…” Nikolai runs his finger over the embroidery on one of your off-the-shoulder sleeves. The rest of his hand lingers on your bare skin, and he longs to remove the barrier his gloves have created. 

“And yet it still doesn’t beat how you look in a privateer’s garb,” Nikolai says. 

He places his hand over yours and brings it up from his chest. He entangles your fingers and uses the grasp to pull you even closer to him, your chests nearly touching. The warmth of your body tempts him to go even further, but he holds back. 

“Really?” you ask. “This gown cost more vlachkas than anyone deserves, took the labor of a small army to create, and weighs as much as you do, and you like me more in that dingy jacket with pants that smell like gunpowder?” 

“Oh, yes,” Nikolai nods. “They don’t just smell like gunpowder—they make your rear look very appealing.” 

You laugh louder than you should and it draws eyes in your direction. You don’t pay them any mind, gaze still locked on Nikolai, as you hit him on the chest. 

“You still have the mind of a sailor, I see,” you drawl. “But I must admit I also miss it. The simplicity, if anything.” 

“Just because I didn’t keep a king’s mantle on deck doesn’t mean I wasn’t outfitted in the same gaudy way,” Nikolai says. “A Lantsov must always be prepared, you know.” 

“Well, I used to hate that blue frock of yours, especially when we first reunited,” you muse. You extract your hand and trail your fingers down his current coat—he shivers at your touch even through the material. “Now I think I prefer it over anything else in your wardrobe.”

He frowns. “You hated my coat?” 

“I hated a lot of things at the time,” you say wryly. Your hand finds its way back to his and you intertwine them together again. “Besides, it’s grown on me.” 

Nikolai chuckles, and the two of you fall silent when you shift and rest your head on his shoulder. You’ve managed to find your way to the edge of the ballroom, and it gives you a little more privacy. You stand together, watching as everyone mingles, half bearing a fake smile and the other half lying through their teeth. He didn’t think the Ravkan court would like to think they had more in common with his lying, cheating, stealing crew than they thought.  

“So,” Nikolai says, finally breaking the silence, “is being back everything you’ve imagined?”

You huff. “Hardly. Everything is so… restrained.” 

He hums in acknowledgement. “Speaking of restrained, have your parents gotten over their fit yet?” 

Your laugh is sharper this time. “Once again, hardly. You’d think I murdered the queen the way they’re treating me.” 

Nikolai expected that, to be honest. He insisted on being by your side in the initial reunion and they didn’t dare act out of turn in front of royalty, but you said the moment you returned to your palace apartment with them, they yelled at you loud enough to be heard in Novyi Zem. 

“They should be thankful,” Nikolai scoffs. “It’s like they don’t even care what nearly happened to you because of their haste to marry you off.” 

“I don’t even like to think about it,” you murmur. He feels you shiver and he pulls you even closer to him. “But I was right—they want me to be who I was before I left. They’re even convinced that they can get me to agree to the marriage they’ve got planned.” 

His frown deepens. “Saints, must I sweep you off your feet in front of all of Ravka to get everyone to realize you’re a taken woman? I am a very good shot, but I’ve only got so many bullets—”

“Nikolai,” you interrupt with a laugh, raising your head to look him in the eye. He’s glad to see the lightness has returned. Your near fate isn’t a subject either of you like to talk about. “You don’t need to worry, and you certainly don’t need to worry about that.” You cup his cheek with your hand and he leans into your touch. “If one thing has stayed the same through all of this, it’s that you’re the only one out there for me. After all the pomp and circumstance you have to perform with Alina is over, you can tell them yourself.” 

“Good,” Nikolai says with a slight smile. “Because I don’t think I can stand to hear Aslanov talk about the grapes his family’s been growing for another second.” 

You laugh again, and you lean in to press a kiss to his lips. Nikolai beats you to it as he covers your hand with his own, using his other to draw you even closer. Practically every part of you is touching as he kisses you like a starving man, with your lips against his and your perfume invading his senses and your soft moan that’s muffled against his mouth. After a night spent away from your side and having to watch other men compete fruitlessly for your affections, he might as well be. 

When you finally pull away, lipstick a mess and pupils dilated and expression nothing less than adoration, it takes everything Nikolai has in him not to take your face in his hands and do it all over again. He wants to mess up your hair, your makeup, kiss your lips until they’re swollen and ravish, worship your body until you can think of nothing but him, say nothing but his name. 

“Nikolai,” you gasp, interrupting his sinful thoughts, “do you want to get out of here for a bit?” 

Whatever restraint he previously had dissolves with your words as he kisses you again, harder this time. You’re water when he’s dying, a lifeboat when he’s drowning, the very air he needs to breathe. Everything has come to a head after such a boring, strength-testing night, and all Nikolai wants is you. 

He brings you even closer with the arm he has around your waist, already starting to pull you along as he heads towards the doorways. He’s sure to stick to the walls, not wanting to draw more attention than necessary when even the flushed warmth of your heated skin through his jacket is enough to drive him crazy. 

Nikolai doesn’t know how he ever spent seven years away from you. He could barely handle half a ball. 

“More than anything,” he breathes. 

[barrel-crow-n]

The crows povs summarised

Kaz: Revenge. Vengeance. Violence. Hate. Jordie. Inej. Violence. Pain. Suffering. Revenge. Revenge. Fuck Van Eck. Jordie. Jordie. I fucking hate Pekka Rollins. Inej. Inej. Inej.

Inej: I'm strong now. I have a purpose again! I miss my parents :(. I hate slavers. I'm going to kill Kaz, but also he's super hot. I love my friends :). I love my parents. Suli proverbs. I am a badass. I hate Tante Heleen. I am going to carve out the hearts of Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins.

Jesper: Look at me! I'm so funny! I hate myself. Flirting. Kaz is hot as fuck. Wylan is kinda cute. Guns. I love my revolvers. I love being a criminal. I hate what I've become. I just want to make my da proud. Guilt. Guilt. Hey why are you looking past my funny exterior. Hey why are you doing that, please stop.

Wylan: I'm not a criminal. What am I doing here??? Fuck Kuwei. I hate my dad. Jesper's hot. I'm doing this for Inej; for my mother. Kaz is terrifying... but that's not going to stop me from mouthing off to him. I am good at demo thank you very much. But also I hate chemistry. How is this my life.

Nina: I am a badass grisha. Waffles. Food. Ravka. Matthias. I want to strangle Kaz. I want parem but also I hate it so much. I hate cravings. Grisha. I want Zoya's approval. Fuck Van Eck. I'm wracked with guilt over what I did to Matthias although it was to save his life. I'm broken. My powers are all wrong.

Matthias: Nina. Nina. Druskelle. Nina or the druskelle? I am a traitor :(. Djel. I have been practicing my religion wrong. I no longer want to be a part of a hate cult. Kaz is a demon. Inej is also a demon but I don't mind her as much. The grisha aren't that bad actually. Kaz is from hell. What the fuck is wrong with Kaz? These guys all need to go to military discipline.

[thequiver]

So Let's Talk about Pietro and Crystal...

In this meta I am going through Pietro Maximoff's relationship with Crystalia Amaquelin. This meta is not just going to focus on their interactions with one another but also on the ways that they talk about one another and on the culture/societal structure of the Inhumans and Crystal's privilege which are both major factors in this relationship. This reading list is going to have to be in parts just due to how much there is to talk about in these issues and I want to be able to share images freely! The only edits to any panels have been to arrange them in such a way that they easily fit in a tumblr post and to condense panels from the same comic into one image. The content of any panels has been unchanged, and all panels within the same image are displayed in they order they are found within the original printed comic.

Meta below the cut! This one's a doozy.

Pietro and Crystal's first meeting and then subsequent early courtship happens entirely off page between the events of The Avengers (1963) #104 and The Fantastic Four (1961) #131-132. Within The Fantastic Four (1961) #131 we get like little flashbacks in a handful of pages telling us that this has happened and giving us vignettes into how, but it doesn't really provide us with any particular details- which means that going into Fantastic Four (1961) #131, we know about as much as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), Crystal's boyfriend.

The Fantastic Four (1961) #131

Which is to say that we know that he's come back from a mission only to discover that his girlfriend has been getting cozy with another guy. To Johnny's credit here, he's first mad at Crystal and not at Pietro who as far as we the reader can tell, had no idea that Crystal was dating the Human Torch. Pietro however.....despite clearly realizing that he's the side-piece is still defending Crystal and it's only after his defense of Crystal's decision to be a messy cheater that Johnny decides the two men have beef.

Within #131 we learn that Crystal found Pietro following some intense injuries sustained in a battle with a Sentinel (during a period of comics in which the Maximoff twins keep miraculously losing access to their mutant abilities at the drop of a hat for plot reasons?) and had nursed him back to health and during the days she spends at his bedside helping him recover, in which Crystal apparently decides he's the one while he's unconscious as the other Inhumans (particularly Medusa) around her begin to call her out on her reasons for wanting to stay by Pietro's bedside.

Crystal and Johnny have a conversation where she begs him for more time, and he reminds her (not unfairly) that she's had years of their relationship to think it over and that "if you don't love me- and only me- by now, it's time for me to read the handwriting on the wall." I'm not saying Pietro didn't see the red flags, I'm just saying he might be colorblind.

Within this issue we also get a taste of the Inhuman practice of slavery, wherein they place "Alpha Primitives" beneath them and we get to see the beginnings of an uprising (yay!), the uprising is presented as a bad thing and we're supposed to sympathize with the slavers (boo!). Johnny is portrayed here as being pro-slavery while Pietro is significantly more sensitive to the whole reality of their being enslaved. This being said, Pietro is still upset that the Alpha Primitives have taken Crystal captive and plans to save her, calling her "the girl I love." Johnny pretty rightfully points out that it's been only a few weeks of Crystal and Pietro knowing one another and Pietro....well...by this point we know he rushes into things. Pietro and Johnny run accidentally headfirst into each other during the revolt and Crystal is only concerned about Pietro's wellbeing and almost makes a threat against Johnny, even though it was Pietro who ran into the Human Torch.

The Fantastic Four (1961) #132 ends with Crystal basically going "this massive enemy that we've been fighting is powered by our own inherent guilt over being greedy enslaving racists (a guilt which has not been shown on page at ALL)." Somehow calling this out and actually triggering guilt does not at all further power their enemy but instead leaves him as an immobile statue and a reminder of how fucking racist they are- and then the Alpha Primitives are sent back down into the caves they live in without any form of reparations: "While the Alphas, free men now, return to their nighted catacombs...their own world...dark, but theirs no less for that. One day, they'll come again into the light and take a proffered brother's hand. One day...but not today." It should be noted, that the Inhumans do absolutely NOTHING to "proffer a brother's hand" in this issue, they just walk away from the Alphas and the Alphas go into their dark caves. In fact, the only Inhuman who seems to have had any kind of fondness for the Alphas is known shit-stirrer, Maximus who is kept in a perpetual open-air prison because none of them trust him. And Maximus was the one who built the machine that's supposedly powering Omega (the big enemy) but it's implied up until Crystal's speech that it is actual physical acts of violence against the Alphas that powers Omega.

Pietro ends this first big Crystal saga, brooding and moping because Johnny Storm has friends and he doesn't (he does...sorta, they're just not with him right now) , and Crystal breaks up with Johnny. And Johnny...does a complete 180 from #131 and is like "oh yeah actually I'm not at all upset that you cheated on me and I was hoping you'd break up with me and actually I have a date with my ex girlfriend tonight." Johnny does cry when he sees Crystal with Pietro, but that's really all we get for the end of their relationship. And for whatever reason the narrative seems to wrap itself around Crystal to make her look good.

Literally one issue later in The Avengers (1963) #110- this happens:

The Avengers (1963) #110

Within this issue Steve Englehart makes the BOLD move to position Pietro as some domineering patriarch when for literally every other appearance he's had with Wanda he has never ONCE positioned himself as "the head of our family." Pietro has up until this point been firm that he and Wanda are equals and just a few issues prior had issued the statement that he would never again even jokingly refer to her as "little sister."

Then in The Avengers (1963) #127, Pietro fails to invite the Avengers to his wedding with Crystal because he's fighting with Wanda and is deemed an "arrogant, posturing fool" by the Inhumans, we're told that Gorgon has "endured a great deal from Quicksilver...for many months." There's only one problem with that, in the blink and you'll miss it Pietro appearances that happen between The Avengers (1963) #110 and the current issue- (Marvel Team-Up (1972) #11 and The Incredible Hulk (1968) #175) We have seen Pietro be nothing but helpful to the Inhumans. And we have seen his help and expertise ignored when it comes to enemies he has fought previously. We have no indications whatsoever that Pietro has been anything but loving and focused on Crystal. It should also be noted that when Gorgon finds out that Pietro didn't invite the Avengers he starts nearly destroying Avengers Tower.

At the wedding, we learn that CRYSTAL HAS INVITED HER EX-BOYFRIEND, JOHNNY STORM, TO HER AND PIETRO'S WEDDING. Johnny is very much a mature adult about things and tells Crystal that if she's happy, he's happy for her. Which is great and lovely and another tick on the box for why I'm a Johnny Storm fan BUT-

The Fantastic Four (1961) #150A-B

Crystal is about to get married and is now suddenly confused about if she's happy or not? That little vague anxiety is never resolved in this wedding arc and in Fantastic Four (1961) #150B, Pietro and Crystal are married. But even the comic is aware that readers might not be thinking this is a happy ending and have an entire panel dedicated to trying to convince you this is happy.

The Fantastic Four (1961) #150A-B

Regardless, these early Pietro/Crystal appearances offer us even more insight into the bigotry on New Attilan. At the beginning of The Avengers (1963) #127, we're told that Black Bolt (who cannot speak) has issued a number of reforms meant to create equality between ALL Inhumans. But upon our first looks at the Alphas, the former slaves of the Inhumans, we see that they're talking of genocide. The genocide mention isn't really resolved here either.

We find out in Fantastic Four (1961) #158 that Pietro marrying Crystal was not enough for him to gain acceptance among his wife's people but that he had to be made an Inhuman by special decree. And yet- Pietro is chained and is willing to die for the Inhumans. "I am an Inhuman since the day of my marriage. From that day until forever, I will live or die- an Inhuman!" This is a sharp contrast to Pietro's issues with the concept of mutant identity that have previously been expressed in: Avengers (1963) #16, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #27, Avengers (1963) #45-49, and Uncanny X-Men (1963) #43A-45A. It's safe to assume that part of Pietro's undying and unearned loyalty to the Inhumans is based around his rushed relationship with Crystal.

I've mentioned above that I don't think Pietro didn't see the red flags, but that he might be colorblind and I'm going to go a little further into that here. Pietro falls in love with Crystal because she is kind to him and nurses him back to health and he's obviously very attracted to her. Crystal falls in love with Pietro while he is unconscious and dependent on her. Even though Pietro is aware that he's essentially Crystal's side-piece in this whole relationship kerfuffle from Fantastic Four (1961) #131-132, he's emboldened by the fact that Crystal chose him. Pietro struggles with self-worth issues (we can see these manifested as well in those mutant identity issues listed above) despite his bluster and pride, and we can see some of that desire and craving to be picked, to be worthy, to be loved, come through in The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #71. But we've also seen so far, how Pietro's loyalty and love for these people who "picked him" by virtue of their princess "falling in love" with him, is largely one-sided as the Inhumans do NOT share his sentiments.

Case in point for Pietro's feelings and attachment to Cyrstal.

The Fantastic Four (1961) #159

Pietro interacts with the Avengers again in Avengers (1963) #137 where he's informed of Wanda's marriage to Vision and is asked to return to the Avengers and leave Crystal because of that marriage. It doesn't go as planned for the Avengers and Pietro refuses. He's putting Crystal above his old friends and family, and we're seeing that he's been interacting more with Crystal's friends and family than his own since they've gotten together.

With the advent of Inhumans (1975) Pietro starts to vocally realize that maybe... just maybe...the Inhumans don't like him very much. And Crystal tries to convince him otherwise.

Inhumans (1975) #3

A few issues pass, Pietro and Crystal are held for ransom, Pietro barely talks at all, Black Bolt screams and destroys the Great Refuge- and then randomly and all of a sudden, Crystal and Pietro are placed as regents of New Attilan? But even with this regency, it's clear that the Inhumans don't like Pietro. Crystal thinks that Pietro is "beyond reason" for questioning Black Bolt and the way that the Inhumans interpret his silence as royal edict. When Pietro makes solid points about how Black Bolt doesn't talk so he can't say anything.

Inhumans (1975) #7

And then in Inhumans (1975) #12, Crystal asks Pietro why he doesn't trust their new leader, and he speaks of the man's lust for power and Crystal goes "well even if his motives suck, he's making progress." She doesn't really take the time to even think through Pietro's point of view, instead meeting him with a "hope you're wrong." Spoiler alert- Pietro was not wrong as we discover in The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 12. And even in that issue, where Crystal is telling the FF about how Pietro was right and how valiantly he fought to ensure the safety of the Inhumans against one who only wanted power- she refers to him as "not a true Inhuman," and in the same breath refers to herself as "I, his loyal wife." And in this same issue Pietro even says, echoing Crystal's earlier wording (which he wasn't even around to hear), "I may not be a true Inhuman, but these people are now my family and no one gets away with killing them." He's continuing to position the Inhumans and particularly the Inhuman royal family as his family, while they continue to keep a distance between them, with his wife referring to him as not a true Inhuman, and others making it clear that he is merely tolerated due to his marriage to Crystal.

Crystal isn't completely without merit here though, her words definitely shine light on one part of her thoughts on her husband, but she also shows extreme care for him and prioritizes finding him over the rest of her family when he's captured in The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 12. This does however fall into her growing pattern of caring for Pietro more when he's dependent on her than when he's able to make his own choices.

And then, at the end of The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 12, we see Crystal grab Johnny Storm's face, look like she's about to kiss him (while giving him "fuck me" eyes), and tell him that she's never going to stop loving him. Pietro sees them, and Johnny is clearly uncomfortable with Crystal's actions (as he has been this entire issue), and he and Pietro make "peace" despite neither of them being the issue here when Pietro basically tells him that he's okay because he's a friend of Crystal's and hopefully a friend of his too.

The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 12

With the dawn of Korvac Saga, we get further confirmation that Pietro is deeply, deeply committed to Crystal. We start The Avengers (1963) #170 with Pietro gazing over New Attilan in a way that's recognized as sad, and then the following exchange happens:

The Avengers (1963) #170

Crystal makes a really great observation about how Pietro's marriage to her has tied him down and changed his life dramatically since his days as an Avenger, but Pietro refutes her concerns saying that what matters to him is that he has her, that he can support her in her place among her people, and is about to say that he'd never leave her when he's teleported elsewhere by agents unknown (at this point in the story at least ;)). This is literally the healthiest their relationship has been to date.

At some point after the Korvac Saga, Pietro rejoins the Avengers, sort of- he's an Avenger again for like a single issue, the whole rejoining thing happens off page, and then come Avengers (1963) #181, he's been kicked off the team and then passes out. In reality we find out that Pietro's soul has been stolen by Django Maximoff who has imprisoned his and Wanda's souls in wooden puppets of themselves. Pietro and Wanda go on a soul-searching journey with Django to discover the truth about their childhoods, learn more about their parentage and then return to Attilan.

It's on Attilan in The Avengers (1963) #188, that Pietro finds out he is going to be a father.

The Avengers (1963) #188

Following the pregnancy announcement, in Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #71, is the first time we see an Inhuman who isn't Crystal be spontaneously kind/nice to Pietro when Gorgon and Karnak invite Pietro to play a game with them. Crystal is also heavily pregnant in this comic so it's safe to assume that some time has passed and that as the pregnancy has continued the Inhumans have warmed some to Pietro's presence among them. With the importance we've seen them place on blood ties and Inhuman genetics in particular, this makes a lot of sense as Pietro is now not just married-in to the family, but is the father of the new member of the royal family.

The next time we see Pietro and Crystal is during Fantastic Four (1961) #239-240, where Pietro has become the sole defender of Attilan in a time of war when all of the Inhumans have come down with a mystery illness. During this time, Pietro continues to be extremely devoted to Crystal and deeply concerned about her health and the safety of their unborn child.

The Fantastic Four (1961) #239

During this great conflict when it seems to be resolved in Fantastic Four (1961) #240, we get another glimpse into the racism in Attilan. The Inhumans freeing those they formerly enslaved is described here as a "mistake," a "failure," and a "noble experiment." The Alphas are still inherently described as being "mindless drones" and as "less-than-human."

The Fantastic Four (1961) #240

It is into this continued dehumanization of the non-Inhuman on Attilan that Luna Maximoff is born. And Luna, is fundamentally not Inhuman nor Mutant at the time of her birth. But for now, Pietro is just concerned with his wife and daughter's health. He looks like the Grinch, but he's happy and that's what matters.

The Fantastic Four (1961) #240

Pietro's bond with Wanda has been repaired and his anger against Vision for existing has dissipated by the events of Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #4, where Pietro encourages Vision to hold his daughter. We get a really great moment of seeing that Crystal and Wanda have started to form a friendship and that Pietro's two families (the one with his sister, and the one with his wife) are becoming closer.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #4

But this is where things start to get a little dicey. Magneto, having recently discovered that he is the father of Pietro and Wanda, has now sought them out on Attilan (now moved to the moon) and is determined to try to once again get his children to join his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (he's not picking up on the message they keep putting down smh). And throughout this fight, Wanda, Pietro, and Erik all make it clear that Erik has severely mistreated his children and that still, knowing he is their father, he is willing to harm and even kill them. Crystal is there- she is witness to this.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #4

And what does Crystal do? But let Magneto hold the baby, before Magneto has even revealed himself to be Pietro's father.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #4

Within the pages of Vision and the Scarlet Witch we don't really get to see Pietro's whole reaction to this incredibly traumatizing series of events, but never fear, Wanda recounts more of the story in Avengers (1963) #234 (TW- G slur).

Avengers (1963) #234

Again, all of this is happening in front of Crystal. There is absolutely no way she gets out of this conversation without the knowledge that Pietro and Wanda have been horribly abused by their father and that Pietro is on some level afraid of turning into Magneto and is aware of the temper he shares with the older man and has been actively combating it. It would be reasonable to think that Pietro might need time to process this information.

When we next see Pietro and Crystal it is during a battle on Attilan against the Avengers in Avengers (1963) # Annual 12, inspired by Maximus. Maximus is spared, as always, because Black Bolt loves him too much to actually do anything about the consistent and ever present threat the man poses to the safety and security of their people. (This is a surprise tool that will come back to bite them in the ass). And once again, this issue presents the Alphas as Maximus' allies, continuing to have the formerly enslaved be shown as enemies of the "good" Inhumans.

Pietro and Crystal's relationship goes from bad to worse in The Thing (1983) #3. In this comic, Pietro wishes to partake of his right as an Inhuman father and in the fashion of the Inhumans, his adopted people, expose Luna to the Terrigan mists to spark forth her Inhuman abilities- Crystal does not agree. Crystal brings in Ben Grimm (The Thing) to stop Pietro from following her people's customs in regard to their child, and sends her dog, Lockjaw (who is technically an Inhuman himself but that's never really explored?) to teleport the baby away from Pietro. Crystal's reasoning for not wanting to expose Luna to the mists? She's afraid her daughter will become ugly.

No seriously, that's the reason. Pietro is worried about his daughter's life as one who is both mutant and Inhuman, what her humanity will bring her among her two super-powered peoples. Crystal is worried about her looks. Pietro acquiesces to his wife's wishes following the testimony of their dog/friend(?) and Ben Grimm and is thoroughly painted in the wrong for wanting to raise his daughter as an Inhuman among Inhumans. At least the rest of the royal family was on his side this time?

Anyway, let's remember that Lockjaw is a person and has been a person this whole time and then think back on how Crystal has treated him. Based on Ben and Pietro's reactions to Lockjaw speaking it's also pretty clear that nobody who isn't an Inhuman was aware that Lockjaw was a person and not a dog......anyway....

The Thing (1983) #3

We get a completely different idea of Pietro's feelings towards the Inhumans in Marvel Fanfare (1982) #14B than what we've seen previously. In this issue, Pietro is openly critical of the bread and circus approach the Inhumans take with their ruling, and in a shocking turn of events from the last 20+ issues, explicitly says "I'm no Inhuman, and I give no obeisance to Black Bolt...or to your foolish traditions." Pietro is accused of stealing a royal scepter because he made a comment about not being a monarchist (based) and is lured into a trap by someone he thought was his friend who he has had to twice this issue turn down a proposition for sex from.

Marvel Fanfare (1982) #14B* *editorial says this issue takes place before Attilan is moved to the moon, however, Luna's birth occurred after the fateful move and she was named for the move which puts the actual chronology of this issue in question, but I'm keeping it here for an easy publication order chronology

We get a clear image, even clearer than it's been in the past that the Inhumans hate Pietro for...not being an Inhuman.

Do we all remember when Crystal literally brought in people who aren't even related to her child to stop Pietro from exposing Luna to the Terrigan mists because she might turn ugly? We all remember this? Okay great- because she's now adopted Pietro's anxieties in Avengers (1963) #243.

The Avengers (1963) #243

And though Crystal apparently doesn't trust Pietro's parenting choices she's come around to his same anxieties about Luna's human-ness. Pietro tries to support her and then she goes "well none of us have experience with a human baby, what if we just.... didn't deal with that and hired a nanny." And Pietro goes along with it, trying to track down Bova, his minotaur-esque nursemaid from his own childhood who he's only just learned about and has met but once.

We see Crystal and Pietro together again during the wedding of Black Bolt and Medusa, in Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 18. Where we see Pietro brooding over the wedding festivities. Here we learn that Pietro was given no role in his sister-in-law's wedding and that he is still continuously feeling like an outsider, despite all of the efforts we've seen him take in past appearances to be as much of an Inhuman as possible he is still kept at arms length even by these he considers family. Even Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) wonders at the differences between Pietro and Crystal's wedding and the wedding of Black Bolt and Medusa- and Reed wonders if the difference can't be attributed to the fact that Crystal chose to marry someone who was not an Inhuman. And it's a fair question. Pietro even asks Crystal if it's okay that he and their daughter stand beside her during the wedding.

The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 18

In Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #5, we see that Pietro has decided to introduce human traditions to the Inhumans with trick or treat, and that he plans to take Luna on her rounds, Crystal along with them of course.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #5

Then in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #6 (that fateful Thanksgiving with the surprise Magneto appearance), we begin to see some strife between husband and wife. According to Crystal, she is "used to being alone." (She is literally a princess in a close-knit family who didn't even stop dating Johnny Storm to start dating her now-husband). And she adds that.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #6

The militia, being something Pietro had discussed with Wanda briefly in #5, is a new responsibility of his entrusted to him by the Inhumans. He is now responsible for training a militia intended for the protection of Attilan. It's the first real job he's had since getting with Crystal and the moment he has responsibilities and focuses outside of her, she's not happy. Also yes, Luna does look like a Renaissance baby in this panel.

A month later, in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #7, we discover that Crystal, who started her relationship with Pietro by cheating on her then-boyfriend, is now cheating on her current husband.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #7

Now, I've shown you all the lead-up there is to her cheating. I've covered all of the Pietro and Crystal interactions, and touched base with every major Crystal appearance leading up to this. There isn't any rhyme or reason to this aside from, Pietro has a job and he's doing it. And beyond this, as we move into #8, we learn that Crystal is planning on spending more time on Earth, and from Pietro's perspective it's to spend time with Wanda, but really it's to cheat on him. Once again, the militia (Pietro's job) is very much cited as the reason for this.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #8

While Pietro runs off with Wanda, Vision, and Luke Cage to make sure that Wanda is safe for the duration of her pregnancy (it's a demon thing, Scarlet Witch stuff y'know?), we discover that Crystal is taking this opportunity to cheat on her husband again.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #8

Crystal's affair goes on for MONTHS, and even her boyfriend is more worried about what all this is doing to Pietro than she is. She overdoses on anti-pollution potion in order to continue to see her boyfriend, and Pietro spends the vast majority of his time at her bedside frantically trying to get someone to wake her up in deep concern for her wellbeing.

In #10, Crystal calls out her boyfriend's name in her sleep, confessing to the affair, and Pietro tries to kill him. He's stopped by Vision and the Inhumans, and then tries to rally his militia against Norm the real estate agent, the man who has stolen his wife's affections. Wanda confronts Norm and he gives her a sad speech about how Pietro is "neglectful" of his wife's needs and ends it with "I'm not making excuses for deceiving you, but you like your brother better than a lot of people do." Essentially saying "It's okay that she cheated on Pietro, because he's Pietro." Wanda then talks to Crystal's spirit and Crystal says "I cheated on Pietro! I'd do it again!"

Pietro and Vision talk and Pietro comments on how Crystal doesn't allow him to pursue any of his own interests, which tracks with what we've seen that now that Pietro is spending time with the militia she's determined him neglectful and is using it as justification to cheat on him. Throughout all of this too, the Inhumans confirm to Pietro that they think lesser of him because he isn't one of them.

Pietro decides that he can't take Crystal back after this betrayal of his trust (fair and reasonable) to which Crystal calls him a "self-righteous pig" and even Wanda insists that he must take her back because he loves her. And in issue #11, Vision claims that Pietro has "run out on his wife" and Wanda thinks poorly of him for establishing a boundary of not wanting to be around a woman who cheated on him. Meanwhile, Pietro is having a mental breakdown about the fact that nobody actually loves him and that the loyalty he shows to others is not reciprocated.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #11

And rounding us out in #12, Crystal tells Norm that she wants to keep seeing him and celebrates the fact that if Pietro stays away for a bit longer she'll be granted a divorce.

Here ends part 1 of the meta (stopping close to image limit at a good rest point) and I'll reblog this post with even more commentary at a later date!

Reading List so far:

The Fantastic Four (1961) #131-132 The Avengers (1963) #110 The Incredible Hulk (1968) #175 The Avengers (1963) #127 The Fantastic Four (1961) #150A-B <- Wedding Issue The Fantastic Four (1961) #158-159 The Avengers (1963) #137 Inhumans (1975) #3, 7, 12 The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 12 Avengers (1963) #170, 188 The Fantastic Four (1961) #239-240 Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #2, 4 The Avengers (1963) #234, Annual 12 The Thing (1983) #3 Marvel Fanfare (1982) #14B Avengers (1963) #243 The Fantastic Four (1961) # Annual 18 Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #5-12

[mirrorofliterature]

chirrut isn't sure if he likes the jedi temple.

sure, they are great scholars and warriors, but -

but.

when he refers to baze as his husband, they act oddly. they get even weirder when he references his mother's cooking, or buying a trinket on coruscant to take home to his little sister.

he is a guardian of the whills. he is sworn to serve the force

but that doesn't mean -

serving the force and loving people are not mutually exclusive, and the way some jedi act about attachment is simply concerning. they say they obstain from attachment, but they live and breathe for the republic.

chirrut sighs, walking through one of the endless gardens in this luxurious temple - they have nothing but this opulence - the breeze ruffling his cloak.

the guardians of the whills are part of the very fabric of jedha.

the temple does not feel like it is on coruscant; it is like it is in another realm altogether.

he stops, hearing the feather-light footsteps of another.

chirrut can feel the force, the way it is the life-blood of the universe, weaving between every nook and cranny.

but he cannot manipulate it like the jedi. the guardians of the whills is largely philosophical. the jedi scoop up most force sensitive, anyway, although they leave jedha alone.

'who are you?'

it is a young boy; suspicious, naturally. the force convention has been made up of scholars, not younglings.

and the jedi have so many younglings. too many too young, chirrut sometimes thinks, but it is not his place to disparage another religion's practices.

'a guardian of the whills,' chirrut answers the inquisitive boy, 'from jedha. we follow the force... differently to the jedi, but we are all one in the force.'

the boy comes closer. 'you can do that?'

chirrut nods. 'you can do that.'

the jedi are inescapable.

the guardians of the whills are not.

the wind whistles, again.

chirrut spends the rest of the afternoon talking to the young jedi, a boy named anakin skywalker, who is curious and reticent and -

lonely, chirrut thinks, to be here in the gardens alone, talking to a stranger.

the conference ends. chirrut gives anakin his comm number - the boy wanted to learn more about other force traditions: he is like a sponge, constantly seeking more information.

chirrut wonders if he is wasted on the jedi: there had been little give or take on their part throughout the conference. a boy that asks that many questions could so easily be quashed under their inflexibility, their dogma, their strange, no-attachment compassion

the conference over, they are to return to jedha

but first, he says to baze: 'do you want to go to tatooine?'

baze snorts. 'what's there to do on tatooine?'

chirrut's next words are carefully chosen. 'slavers. it's where a jedi padawan I talked to was from. and the jedi left his mother behind in slavery after freeing him.'

baze sighs. 'that's fucked up. yeah, I'm up for fucking with some slavers. some of our humanitarian missions have been a little too peaceful, recently.'

chirrut smiles, warmth flowing through him.

it has been a while since they took part in directly rooting out evil.

he leaves the jedi temple behind. he learnt barely anything of value, but it gave him his next humanitarian mission:

cleaning up their messes.

honestly, what kind of religious order takes the kid but leaves their family behind in slavery?

chirrut wonders about their definition of compassion. it is hollow, cracking.

the force is clearer once they leave coruscant behind.

what chirrut doesn't know, will never know: his one act of compassion will save both the jedi and guardians of the whills from complete annihilation.

[daenerystargaryen06]

Hi again =), In the show, dany's anti-slavery campaign ended in a very lame and disappointing way, she went to vaes dothrak, and took the dothraki and went to meereene and fought the enemies there and then just left to Westeros, and left darrio as basically king of meereene after her lmao, in the books i have hope that it's gonna be handled better, I think for Dany's anti-slavery campaign to end in a satisfying way, she needs to end slavery in all of essos, not just meereene or slaver's bay (maybe i am exaggerating idk). but I'm a little bit confused about it, how many cities in essos practice slavery?, how is dany can successfully end slavery in all of them and leave them in a better way than she did with astapor?, because of the quote "to go forward I must go back" I believe dany will not go straight to meereene after vaes dothrak, I think she will go from vaes dothrak to Qarth them astapor then Yunkai and then to meereene and end slavery for good in all of them, just like what the quote says, but what about the other cities that practice slavery?, ending slavery is one of the BIGGEST arks in Daenerys's story and the story in general, so I think ending that ark (Dany's anti-slavery campaign) with her abolishing slavery in just one city or three and leaving the other cities to practice slavery like it's nothing is just gonna be a very disappointing conclusion and is gonna leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Sorry that this ask is long, but I would love to hear your thoughts and theories about this.

So sorry for the delayed reply! I have been so busy as of late and inactive from Tumblr for a long while, and for some reason my inbox appeared as empty, apologies.

To answer your first question, many cities in Essos practice the slave practice. We all know about Slaver's Bay with Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen; these three cities are the main 'meat' of the slave trade- the cities most rooted with the practice and making their merit from it, with the most focus based upon them. But the Free Cities do practice slavery as well. Of the nine Free Cities in total, only Braavos is against the act. Pentos is listed as anti-slavery, but only on paper, as there was still acts of slavery occurring within the city, provided by these quotes here:

"Dany said nothing. Magister Illyrio was a dealer in spices, gemstones, dragonbone, and other, less savory things. He had friends in all of the Nine Free Cities, it was said, and even beyond, in Vaes Dothrak and the fabled lands beside the Jade Sea. It was also said that he'd never had a friend he wouldn't cheerfully sell for the right price. [...] "Illyrio will send the slaves to bathe you. Be sure you wash off the stink of the stables. Khal Drogo has a thousand horses, tonight he looks for a different sort of mount." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys I

"There came a soft knock on her door. "Come," Dany said, turning away from the window. Illyrio's servants entered, bowed, and set about their business. They were slaves, a gift from one of the magister's many Dothraki friends. There was no slavery in the free city of Pentos. Nonetheless, they were slaves." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys I

I do not know exactly how Daenerys could end slavery for each and every one of these cities, to be honest here. I do believe G.R.R.M likely oversighted just how big and long Daenerys' anti-slavery arc would take before she can reach Westeros. I believe he did plan to do a five year time skip originally, which would likely gloss over Daenerys working her way through Essos to conquer the cities and free the slaves from their chains, yet he discarded the idea and did not implement it into his plot (however, he might do the five year time skip in his future works such as TWOW; as it would give him a better leeway to continue the bulk of the story -Daenerys and her dragons arriving to Westeros, making allies, going to war, etc.- while also giving him the ability to gloss/lightly give some detail into her Essos campaign across the cities to free the slaves and rid of slavery for good). Still, as of now, his works thus far seem too short for his vision for Daenerys' arc in Essos. Her plotline, campaign, the meat of the slave cities and their extent are just too large to fill for only two books yet to be released of the series (if they ever get released/finished at all).

I also do believe in the theory that Daenerys will trail from Vaes Dothrak with more men to add to her armies and Drogon through Qarth and forward to finish her goal and rid the cities of slavery for good. As for the other cities- that is a hard contemplative matter. I believe if G.R.R.M wanted to write out her full arc and plot for Essos and ridding of slavery entirely, he would have her trail from Meereen to the other Free Cities in a march and go on from there, slowly rooting out slavery from them and overturning the cities and fixing them for the better. However, as my previous point states, this is too bulky of an arc/plotline to finish in just two books, unless those books are going to be massive- or he does the five year time skip he had originally intended since with it he doesn't technically need to expand into how exactly she ended the practice for good; he could just gloss over those details and write that she was successful in her goal yet not omit as to how she completed them exactly.

I also agree that the anti-slavery campaign is one of her biggest and most important plots, the most detailed as well, and it would leave confusion/bitterness in others if she just ended slavery in Slaver's Bay yet left the other Free Cities unattended. Considering we know Daenerys' character, who she is, what she has done to accomplish her goals of ending slavery, etc. is what leaves a bad taste- because it would be a VERY ooc action for her to just ignore the slavery going on in the other Free Cities of Essos and leave them as is just to sail to Westeros... considering she herself said this:

"But how can I rule seven kingdoms if I cannot rule a single city?" He had no answer to that. Dany turned away from them, to gaze out over the city once again. "My children need time to heal and learn. My dragons need time to grow and test their wings. And I need the same. I will not let this city go the way of Astapor. I will not let the harpy of Yunkai chain up those I've freed all over again." She turned back to look at their faces. "I will not march." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys VI

But I do believe G.R.R.M may have written himself into a rut with how expansive he made her arc and how important/detailed it became; how it is so integral on its own it could make its own book in my opinion. That or he does plan on making the last two books somehow end her arc in a cohesive manner... maybe he does plan on fleshing it out and making the books massive in pages/writing, or maybe he plans on doing a time skip of some sort. If he even manages to finish and release his works, that is. It is hard to speculate on and think over how he would manage to finish her slavery arc considering how large and complicated he made it in terms of the books. It has become such a massive and important plot but it also would take up a good chunk of the books if he does expand on it and finish it properly, not to mention his other plans for other characters and their arcs/plotlines, Daenerys arriving to Westeros, the Others, etc.

G.R.R.M basically wrote himself into a corner on this one, and as for now all we can do is speculate upon the matter, but it is intriguing to think about how exactly he can write himself back out of it and possibly finish the arc/plotline if he does wind up finishing and releasing his books.

Thanks for the ask! :)

[windvexer]

Chickens Have a Prey Drive: the tiny velociraptor's peckables for protecting the coop

A list of stuff I believe about protections and all such, written in the style of the evil overlord list, which I have been fond of for two decades. Take what you like, leave the rest behind.

|. The best time to make protections is before you need them. The second best time is when you need them.

You can make a wide variety of protections ahead of time, whether or not you think you'll ever actually need them, and then learn to "pause" or "lay down to bed" the magic until you ever need it. This provides ample practice in not only spellcasting, but also in magical validation, and learning to pause and restart ongoing spellwork.

2. If your general protections fail, make specific ones.

3. Unless you have specific information that a failed ward was already out of energy when its boundaries were tested, recharging it is probably not going to fix your problem.

4. Protections change things. If you create a protection and it changes nothing about your life, it probably was not cast well.

If you created a protection against advertisements, something about your life should change. The wifi goes down and you can't go on the internet. Someone reblogs a post explaining how to install adblockers. Something happens every single time an ad comes up on screen, thereby distracting you. Where once you slavered with rage at advertisements, now you barely notice them and feel emotionally numb when you do. Etc.

A corollary to the above rule: if you need a way to verify preventative protections against things that are already not happening, use your same spellcasting techniques to make protections against things that are already happening, and see if you can get them to stop.

5. Protections using only "visualization" without energy work, spellwork, prayers, petitions, magical sacrifice, or other forms of metaphysical empowerment, are often ineffective/inert. This is because imagining things really hard is not automatically an act of magic.

Conceptualize visualized energies as being empty shells that then need to be filled up with some kind of metaphysical power. They hold a little energy on their own, but without being solidified, they will fade away over time.

6. It's possible to empower protections only with your personal belief or faith that they will work. But this is a bad idea for most people.

Willpower is not infinite. At a certain point, it runs out. Willpower runs out faster if you use a lot of it. The "batteries" of any spell drain faster when that spell is actively being used, I.E., protections run out of energy faster when they are being tested. Building a spell that relies on your personal willpower to protect you means that you are betting you will have enough willpower during a time of high personal stress to keep the protection going. Not only that, but metaphysically speaking, it is completely possible for the strength of your personal willpower to simply be weaker than whatever it is you want to protect against. (Shout out to the energy suns who have no idea what I'm talking about)

7. Ask for help when you need it.

Please note: this does not say engage in a formal petition ritual, or pay spirits for services, or whatever. It says what it means: ask for help. Ask your gods, spirits, and ancestors. Ask the house and the trees. Ask the sky and the grass. Ask your stuffed animals and your old spell vessels. Ask grace itself. You do not need to know their names. You do not need to have an ongoing, perfect, healthy relationship beforehand. Just ask.

8. Depending on how you're doing it, cleansing and banishing are not the same thing.

9. Powerful and effective protection spells can be performed with one (1) correspondence.

There is a time and place to make elaborate oils using 13 consecrated ingredients, and that time and place is after you've dealt with this current spiritual emergency. You can spend those new XP points earned in combat on leveling up your badass premade potions. Addendum to the above rule: the one (1) powerful correspondence will be found in your kitchen.

10. If you performed a cleansing/banishing/protection/whatever and the Symptom was not resolved, then the whatever failed and you need to try again.

11. Wards can and do trap unwanted presences inside.

If you do not have protections up, only place them after you've banished. If you already have wards, temporarily pause them or "open them up" so that things can get through. Or be very clever and construct wards in such a way that things can get out, but not in.

12. Don't wait before you begin taking care of hauntings or malefica.

Don't wait to research and order arcane little herb packets you read off correspondence lists. Don't wait for powerful magical timings. Begin acting. If you actually are dealing with a serious problem that needs special circumstances to be resolved, you probably won't have the data you need until you start trying to solve the problem, and see first hand what works and what doesn't work.

13. Many protections are best conceptualized as treatments, not cures.

A fence will rot if it is not maintained. Permanency in spellwork is a lofty goal that is difficult to achieve. If you are not tending to your protections and re-upping them as needed, they are going to burn out and over time, eventually degrade and fail. One solution is to intentionally put to bed various protections you don't need in the moment, and waking them up as desired. Beginner-level energy work protections, like shields, often only last 24h or even much less.

14. Ask yourself what may be going on with "advanced" practitioners who say they don't use and don't need protections.

Have they cultivated personal power that deters spiritual intrusions? Are they spirit workers or worshipers who receive spiritual protection outside of spellwork? Do they have a powerful natural talent for personal protection that they don't realize they're using? Do they have an ongoing routine of personal cleansing and empowerments that stop problems before they arise? Do they walk a personal path that simply never intersects with dangerous spiritual situations? When you see someone say, "I don't protect and I've never needed to," this should not be taken to mean that if you need to protect, something is wrong with you.

15. While it may be useful to have a heavy-handed protection amulet around in case you need it, cloaking yourself, your property, or your life in powerful protections may cause problems.

16. If you need protection, you need it.

17. It's wise to keep track of what protections you've cast, especially for the prolific spellcaster. Protections can have long-lasting and unexpected implications.

18. It's wise to construct protections with the foresight that you may need to pause their effects or modify their exact focus.

19. Putting things around the four corners of the property really does work great.

20. "Protection" may be best conceptualized as an umbrella term that contains many aspects: building walls, hiding from prying eyes, forming good relationships, preemptively resolving conflict, removing aggressors, and diplomacy.

It's better to have a stick than not have a stick, but a stick is still a poor tool when only talking things out will do.

21. "No, fuck off" might be a powerful act of magic, but it's not like practitioners are out here developing whole-ass spells and rituals for protections just for funsies.

22. You do not need to confirm that something is Going On before engaging in a course of self-cleansing, banishment, and protections - just in case.

23. The best protection spell is one which you are able to cast when you need it.

24. Shielding is a useful trick, and is a good introduction to energy work.

On-demand energy work protections may be draining to many, especially to those who aren't really energy workers and who don't actively develop that muscle or battery. If you find yourself needing daily protection but are becoming fatigued by relying on energy work, try switching to a protective amulet empowered by evoking correspondences or through prayers - anything that draws on external energy. These tend to hold their charge for much longer.

25. Protection won't shield you from symptoms of your disorder or illness, but they may be able to assist with limiting stressors and triggers.

26. For those finding that the regular upkeep of necessary protections has become too draining, experiment with enchanting batches of oils, waters, incense, etc., to easily feed spell vessels.

27. The astute witch will note that protections can and will block the ability of ancestors, guides, guardians, and other forms of desired spirit contact.

28. The practitioner who desires to fucketh about with their dreams does well to first protect their dreams.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

https://www.tumblr.com/fandomfluffandfuck/730300426715561984/oh-my-god-that-sports-jersey-and-garter-and?source=share

Do elaborate, sir 👀👀👀

related to this older ask answer

For reference, my ask box is no longer open for requests, but this is from before I closed it, so I will be writing for this ask.

Oh, god, yeah, I would love nothing more than to elaborate. I forgot about that idea that we (mostly @sail-not-drift, but I was there, too, lol) floated around, so thank you so much for reminding me. Quaterback by day, slavering team whore by night Steve scrambles my brain, though, so I'm not sure anything that comes out will be fucking coherent, lmao. There's really something about the peak masculinity, pure testosterone, homoeroticism of college football quarterback Steve taking it like a champ that really gets to me. I mean... 😮‍💨😮‍💨

So, here's some more mush-brain thoughts:

It doesn't end when Steve, Bucky, and the rest of the team leave the private, charged space of the locker room away from prying eyes. How could it? Steve walks around looking like that. His looks--all soft, pretty face and hard, rough body--don't fade the moment he steps beyond the threshold of the locker rooms. So, there's no fucking way. And, fuck, he doesn't just walk, he hustles to classes like that, he studies like that, he plays games like that, he practices like that, and, most pornographically, he runs like that. All. the. fucking. time.

So, it's only natural that the boys on their team are on him like hunting dogs on the fresh scent of a raccoon outside the locker room.

At practice, they're running sprint drills, and the sight of Steve launching himself back and forth across the field, going all out pumping his arms and legs, then crouching to touch the white lines painted into the grass before popping back up and taking off again is too much. The immediate moment coach isn't paying too close of attention or wanders off to talk with admin more privately about game ticket sales or whatever the fuck, the howls and bites start.

They're dogs.

Piling onto him, wolf-whistling at him, making lewd comments and gestures, and smacking his thick obliques and broad shoulders and, yeah, those big fucking tits.

He has fucking jiggle physics.

It's distracting, okay?

He's jiggling and wobbling all over the field, his tight dri-fit t-shirt ringed with sweat under the collar, around his pits, and in a line between his pecs. It's unreal. How does anyone just look like that? Flushed a healthy pink, grunting with effort, and sculpted like a young Greek god.

Shit.

And a damn crying shame that when they're playing games that those tits are hidden underneath all his bulky padding--if only everyone watching knew what they were missing. If only everyone, not just his boyfriend and his loyal team, knew what he was hiding under there.

Goddamn.

You know what-?

Maybe they outta show everyone. And then, when that dirty fantasy crosses their minds, the crowd of sweaty, handsy men high on the exertion of a good workout, loose and feeling good, all look towards Bucky, knowing that he's really the one directing this operation. How about it? Should everyone know?

Steve accordingly pouts at Bucky--Steve just a sweet little seal helpless and barely treading water as surrounded by sharks--playfully trying to get Bucky to make them stop and lay off him so he can go back to his workout. He's whining performatively.

Bucky doesn't call off the dogs. He blows the whistle instead, encouraging the rowdy behavior, pushing off the side of the stadium with his shoulder as he finishes gulping down some cool water. A drop of it clings enticingly to his shapely bottom lip, as he suggests with the quirk of a predatory eyebrow that, yeah, maybe they should. And, you know what, Halloween is coming up. Maybe it's time they show off what Steve really is. Star quaterback, sure, that's one word for it, the G.O.A.T is another, and allstar, too.

But... Bucky gets that dangerous look in his eyes, the one that makes Steve weak at the knees, knowing he's fucking in for it now. And instinctively, he sways more into the hands all over him, squeezing at his sore muscles, needing support for the rising fever.

Also, he's the college's cash cow, isn't he? Maybe it's time he lives up to the name. They may as well pop him into a little cow print bikini for the holiday. His tiddies would look good in an itty bitty bikini top, don't you think?

And a cash cow with tits like Steve has..? They're gonna be milking him for a while.

Suddenly, practice ends up being cut short without coach supervision on account of everyone desperately needing to test a theory: can cash cow Steve cum from just having his nipples and tits tortured, no below-the-belt stimulation whatsoever? They need an answer.

And they're gonna fucking kill Steve through sheer embarrassment and pleasure, he swears it. He's gonna drop dead on the field one day. Every day that he shows up to practice is another step toward that occasion. Today, there is no exception with Steve's weak knees leaving him with no choice but to be hauled off the field by too many hands to count, all of them wanting a piece of him, carrying him away like a flood-swollen river, the current too strong to fight.

The answer turns out to be yes. Yes, Steve can cum from just having his poor tits abused, leaving his hard, hard nipples swollen and red and the smooth, milky white skin of his plump pecs bruised badly. He'll be biting his lip every time he uses his arms or flexes his chest for days.

And start a fucking petition for Steve's tits because the torture of them doesn't stop there...

It's on that exactly fucking occasion where the only thing going down is messing with those perky tits and deliciously pink nipples that the entire fucking team discovers how gorgeous Steve's face looks when in that particular flavor of agony. Pressed between a rock and a hard place, crumbling apart.

So, quickly, tit play becomes a favorite of every pervert on the team (re: all of the bastards). It's always been a favorite of Bucky's, which is partially why he pushed the team to those two hot spots sitting high on Steve's sculpted chest in the first place, but regardless, it's good for Steve. It's good for everybody, a little bit of agonizing pleasure that turns Steve into a mess of urgent squirming and high, pleading whimpers--begging for more or begging for it to stop, not even Steve himself knows when he's drowning in heat. Molten lava pouring over him, submerging him entirely.

It's plain as fucking day to see whenever anyone starts being mean to his sweet nipples but it's especially apparent when he's also got a dick in his ass. He's a slut, he needs filling. So, of course, he's most out of his mind when he's full and he's tortured just enough.

The rock and hard place of it all are two (or more) slabs of pure muscle in the shape of college boys having their way with Steve. And Steve is rubble between them, ground down to nothing. Nothing but bliss, making the most obscene faces as he's fucked full and his nipples are flicked, twisted, and pinched. His glassy eyes roll right back into his skull while his hot, red mouth drops all the way open, his jaw clattering against the floor. He's a whore for it. Drooling, sweating, and turning the same color as a fucking bright red cherry.

That face he makes when he's right at the edge, swollen lips quivering, about to cum from the love of being filled, clenching down, and having his tits groped, needs to be photographed and framed.

Put that shit in the Louvre.

Steve's a mess then--tits touched, ass fucked--and he's an even bigger mess in the locker room showers where he's supposed to be getting clean, not dirtier.

But Steve is nothing if not dirty. He can't help himself! It's in his fucking biology; the same as being a freak of nature, too good at football, is being a whore. It comes so naturally for him to slobber over cock that might as well be written into his DNA, right next to his all-American-football-star gene.

So, in the locker room showers, he's sucking Bucky's dick like he's starved for it and doesn't get this all the time, while a few different boys play with his puffy, pretty pink hole. Bucky's muscular back is slammed against the cool tile wall, his head tipped back, cock shoved deep into his boyfriend's too-skilled throat; Steve's on his knees in front of him, getting hit with the spray of the shower and melting under its hot water, dripping in vast, rushing rivers over his too-pretty curves and plains; the others are dogpiling into the tiled area wherever they can fit themselves in, hounding each other just for a piece of Steve.

It's energetic and chaotic, slippery and heady.

They're squeezing in just to feed Steve's hungry body a few fingers, aching to feel his velvet-smooth walls from the inside that clench around anything they stick up there like he'll die without it. Fingers. Tongues. Cocks. A fist. Even, Jesus Christ, the tips of footballs, taking bets on now much he'll be able to take before he can't stretch any wider and ends up whining through watery whimpers to stop and please, please, please just fuck him instead. Anything. He'll do anything to have a real cock and not a tease. He's that much of a slavering whore for being fucked.

While Steve makes pitchy, desperate sounds around Bucky's cock, gagging for it, their teammates are cracking jokes about how if Steve's athleticism weren't his money maker than this sweet little pussy definitely would be. He'd make a fortune in porn. And, hey, he could use the same kinds of fucking moniquors, couldn't he? Golden boy. Allstar. Playmaker. Captain.

Then, later in the season, they're crammed together, not in a shower but on the busses--the bus time comes with the game. Always does. They have to travel between stadiums 'cause they can't always have the home field advantage, as much as they might want it that way. The treat for such exhausting travel, though, is the post-game ritual involving, of course, Steve.

After a game, it's always so late, and in the dead of night, driving down desolate, lengthy highways, the team is free to wind down. Someone's playing music over their Bluetooth speaker, just loud enough for everyone to hear, but not blasting out anyone's ears. There's pockets of conversation and the white noise of a few players' snores and snuffles as sleep finds them. And, also, there's the shuffling, quiet sounds of each of the team all taking turns helping Rogers with his own cool-down ritual, getting up from their seats to pay him a visit all the way in the back, back row of the bus away from the driver's view.

Bucky stays with him back there for the whole ride, petting his golden hair and keeping an eye on him while everyone else comes and goes. They know how to share intimately well, and everyone knows they get a few minutes--maybe longer, depending on the length of the drive--with Steve's hot mouth around their cock. They just gotta be patient and wait for it to be their turn.

After such exertion that comes with the all-out blitz of a game, Steve doesn't have the energy to actually blow anyone, so he's not. It's not a blowjob for everybody on the team. No one is nutting; they're bonding. It's just a few minutes of safe keeping in Steve's warm, slick mouth.

The sensation of countless cock after cock, heavy and musky and soft in his mouth with thick thighs pressed against his ears and a hand in his hair, stroking him as if he's a kitten purring away in their lap, keeps Steve calm and easy. He drifts all the way home like that. Somewhere hazy and glittery above his body. Out of his body. It takes true fucking brainpower to think on the fly, assessing the whole field, every player and every potential outcome, and modifying team gameplay plans and strategies to fit, trying to lead everyone to victory, so it's no wonder that afterward, Steve just wants to float. He doesn't want to think. He just wants to feel.

He loves the feeling of cock. Heady, thick, and weighty on his tongue.

He loves being full and warm and kept. All the way down the back of his throat.

Especially after a loss--he takes those too hard, being the golden boy of the team and star of the show, after all--cockwarming everyone on the way home, winding down, is what he needs.

It's the perfect ritual.

Speaking of rituals... in the same way rituals are baked into sports, so are superstitions. Everyone knows that. Lucky socks, numbers, and chants. But, also, venues. Home field advantage is a very real thing with familiarity, more of the team fans turning out and cheering, etc. but it's also a superstition. You feel better at home. Other venues, besides being unfamiliar, can be off-putting from something as simple as getting put in the shittier locker room pre-game to something as complex as resting overnight in hotels with reputations for being haunted. Anything to throw someone off their game and get the upper hand.

So, once, when they're away visiting another team, far enough that they have to sleep before traveling all the way home, they're put up in a complimentary hotel by the league, and that hotel turns out to be one of the supposedly haunted ones, naturally, all the way there, the boys whisper in Steve's ears and sneak up behind him, prodding him in the sides, slapping him on the ass, and asking him if he thinks he'll have a visitor in his room that night. A non-living visitor, specifically, 'cause otherwise he's used to a lot of visitors. Especially at night. And, knowing you Rogers, you'll like it? Yeah? You wanna be fucked by some ghost, hm? Wanna take any cock you can get, even if it isn't flesh and blood, yeah? You take silicone already. What's the difference between that and ectoplasm, ay, champ?

Then, because they're all immature college asshole jocks, the team absolutely pranks Steve that night in the haunted hotel.

They do it in the most creative way, at least. Pranking Steve by playing clips of some of the hot, filthy amateur porn they've made of Steve--filming him on their phones, blurry and shaky with the worst lighting and greedy zooms to display the messy, slick gape of his hole around two cocks pistoning in and out of him, the drooling, swollen, tight-fit of his mouth around another cock, and his eyes while they roll back into his head in overwhelmed bliss--in the neighboring rooms and out in the hall. Surrounding him, yet again.

They just wanna see how long it takes for him to realize those wailing, feminine moans are his own and not some little lady ghost crying out to him from the other side.

Plus, if he gets scared enough, maybe he'll need more than Bucky to hold onto, and he'll crawl into all different players' beds one. at. a. time. whimpering and shaking, begging to just be put to sleep with a good old fashioned exhausting fuck because he can't take staying up anymore.

Sure, it's a little mean, but it takes more than one well-orchestrated prank to throw their golden boy off his rhythm. He's got this shit in the bag.

[catapparently]

Malina and or Kanej HCs pleaseeeeee

My boos I miss them all ty <333

Kanej Headcanons

I'll do Kanej because despite having read the books, I'm honestly not really familiar with Mal's character and therefore not likely to write something accurate.

Also sorry not sorry this is half angst because it's Kanej

First of all, they both think the other deserves someone better/more suited to them;

Inej knows that Kaz needs someone who'd be willing to be with him despite not being able to touch. He needs someone with patience and who wouldn't mind waiting forever for him.

On the other side, Kaz thinks Inej OVERALL deserves someone better than him, someone who would be able to hold her, comfort her, kiss her...

Despite that, if Inej ever gets approached romantically by another man, Kaz will beat him up later, threaten the dude's mother, then frame him for a murder Kaz committed and get him sent to Hellgate, far far away from Inej

Inej doesn't ever worry or get jealous over Kaz speaking to other girls because she knows he wouldn't be interested in a million years

Ok so we all remember when Inej said “I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” and Kaz didn't budge, basically a silent painful rejection

Inej said that because she 99.99% knew that Kaz wouldn't instantly take off his "armor" for her

She WANTED him to "reject" her because her goal was to go hunt slavers, far far away from Kaz

Sure, they could send letters, but they could never be genuine in the letters lest someone intercepts them and finds out Kaz's weakness

As long as there wasn't an unspoken "rejection" between them, Inej wouldn't feel completely free to leave after the whole Ice court heist and all

Obviously she will still love him, but she needed a way to let go of that attachment enough to go and follow her dreams

Inej thinks about Kaz every single day since she left him

She's always reminded of him in every single thing she does or thinks;

"That's exactly what Kaz would say/do"

Inej goes to visit Kaz in Ketterdam whenever she passes by with her ship

Whenever she leaves again, Kaz sends her off with a pair of gloves or a coat of his

After the events in Rule of Wolves, when Zoya tasks Kaz with finding the heart of St. Feliks (I think that's the name?), Inej was the first person he asked for intel. Since she travels around so much she surely heard something

Of course, when he's going outside of Ketterdam for jobs or other stuff, Inej is the one who takes him on her ship. He wouldn't trust anyone else

Inej once said a few affectionate words in Suli to him and Kaz immediately searched through all of his contacts for someone to translate it for him

Inej once stole a wealthy slaver's fancy watch and brought it back to Kaz;

Not because Kaz needed yet another one but more as a symbol that she was still what Kaz made her.

When Kaz bought her the ship, he made the captain's room look like a better version of her room at the Slat so that she would always have a reminder of him and the Crows

Because her "magic slippers" got burnt while scaling the incinerator in SoC, Kaz got her a nice pair of more practical boots and commissioned yet another Fabrikator to modify the soles and make them excellent for climbing

Kaz made Wylan work on cannon blueprints until they were perfect and had them installed

He basically went all out with that ship

Inej got a little tattoo that said "the Crow" with "The Wraith" under it on her back despite her issue with branding

She didn't get it as a label, she got it as a reminder of who she was

"the Wraith" was everything the Menagerie's Suli lynx wasn't. For Inej, the tattoo was a symbol of her strength

Kaz didn't know

He found that out when one day, she came to visit him and was wearing a backless top;

He'd gotten (stolen) a necklace for her and she asked him to put it on for her;

At first Kaz was really hesitant but he *GASP* took off his gloves, and gently brushed her hair out of the way and that's when he saw the little tattoo

This man FROZE and didn't even realize his UNGLOVED index finger was tracing her bare skin along the lines of the tattoo

When he realized it he quickly stopped and hurriedly clasped the necklace around her neck

He still isn't over his touch aversion, but he's doing better. He still quickly stepped back though, putting some distance in between them

He noticed the faintest flush on Inej's cheeks and that's how he knew she still loved him, he felt relief in knowing so

These days, amongst Kaz's men, the Wraith is a myth. They don't know that Inej is gone, they think she's always there in the shadows, spying and reporting back to Kaz

Only the OGs know the truth

To Kaz, this was a way of forever having a piece of her within the gang

I hope these are to your liking!!! It's hard to write Kanej without angst

[horizon-verizon]

I remember when Targ stans mass replying Mattson Tomlin with “please don’t ruin Rhaenys and Visenya”, “do Rhaenys and Visenya justice you have my support” in a response to him calling Daenerys genocidal for killing a Yunkai’i master… I hope HBO butcher every single Targaryen they’ll adapt.

They’re asking him to don’t fuck up the conquerors ijbol do they think a man who called Daenerys genocidal for killing a slaver for demanding to hand over her people to be resold into slavery is going to do do VISENYA justice ?? I’m telling you, Targ stans are not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but these people will crawl back to watch the show anyway.

The thought of other Targs being well adapted after what HBO did to Daenerys left a bitter taste in my mouth but I still hoped they wouldn’t be butchered since I love them and they’re created as setup for Daenerys’ victory but now ? I’m SO happy they’re seeing their favs being butchered on screen. That’s what they get for supporting HBO productions and defending and giggling with an anti Daenerys producer.

I don't want to swing on either side, or swing at all. If some of my fav Targs get as butchered in later adaptations, I'll chalk it up to propel not caring about real storytelling anymore, as I have since....really GoT (before it got really obvious that the show wasn't in the quality it should have been).

I really don't expect this coming Conquerors adaptation to be good or very respectful, and it's as you bc this producer, writer ,whatever the fuck said what he said about Dany...I'm sorry but you clearly don't even understand the most basic of things about the Targs and Dany--they exist to contextualize her and her efforts to use her family's name and power and connection with dragons for the most good possible. To bring to light what "good leadership" looks like, which is acting more often against the status quo and it's compulsions on you to maintain it...which means Danynis not genocidal ANDthe Targs are more complicated than being "evil" AND they are not collectively the "colonizer" villains of ASoIaF.

Such a thesis (the Targs are evil colonizers) both displaces the actual BIG EVIL (the Others and sociopolitical abuses that keep people from uniting and living safely in their everyday lives) and comes from a defense of exploitative "nation building" practices.

[aaaaawolfquarters]

Tech and Omega Swap AU : EPISODE 5

s1ep5 changes/notes

(baby boi Tech doesn't have his name yet, but I'm using his name for simplicity)

Similar to the show, Tech is given Crosshair's old comlink. He fiddles around with the buttons and settings and Echo tells him it is not a toy, to which he replies, that of course it is not a toy, and lists some of the specs

When the Batch get to Ord Mantell, and go to find Cid, Omega comments on the less-than-sanitary conditions of the bar. Tech stares at Cid for a while before stating that she is who they are looking for. The batch bargain with Cid, like in cannon, and when Cid says Tech is the brains of the operation, Tech responds that he is quite intelligent, but is by no means the leader of the team

While on the mission, Tech asks about the slave traders, and Omega explains that slave traders treat people like property. Tech is confused, as it neither legal nor morally correct. Omega and Echo try to comfort Tech, promising that they're going to rescue Muchi. Omega and Hunter survey the terrain, noting the entry points and lookouts. Tech is upset when he is told to return to the ship

On the ship, Tech modifies the trooper doll (like Omega does in cannon) and it looks similar to Tech's s1 armor from cannon. He mentions to Gonky that he would like to modify some actual armor for himself, but this was good practice. Tech hides and then slips out of the ship (like Omega does in cannon). He sneaks over to look for his siblings

When Hunter says they need to contact Tech, and when Echo is grumpy about not having their comlinks, Omega replies that the won't need a comm, gesturing to Tech. Hunter tries to signal to Tech to escape, but Tech cocks his head to the side and throws out some hand signals. "He... just signed [plan #]**?" Hunter is confused. Omega laughs, "That would work here. When did he learn our plans?"

Tech successfully makes it to the crate and unlocks it before being captured. He does state "I wasn't sneaking, I was unlocking."

Tech and Omega help the slaves escape before returning towards the battle. A slaver or two jump out at them, and after dealing with them, Omega offers Tech her D-17 blasters for protection, saying they were a good size for him. He asks what she will do, and she responds that she'll find something. As Tech runs ahead to the squad, Omega smiles and takes a bow from one of the slavers

It is Echo who tells Wrecker that rancors have a hierarchy, and maybe challenging Muchi would work. After Wrecker tames Muchi, Tech states that the creature is fascinating

They return to Cid and the rest of the episode would be pretty similar to cannon

**whatever number, this plan means release the cargo

[y-avann-a]

I'm running a DND game for a group of four teenagers and it's honestly the best thing ever? It gives me so much hope for the future! These kids are amazing.. sure they sometimes think in video game logic and want to loot and level up quickly, but who doesn't?

They also do incredibly kind things like trying to soothe a hungry owl bear that surprised the night watch at camp, because surely it's just hungry so I will cast speak with animals and explain to it that there are a few bandit corpses about half an hour down the road that are not infected with anything like other carrion might be because they died a mere hour ago. Or they free the trapped and (poorly) trained wolves in the goblin hideout and even ask the caretaker if they would like to join them because he really seems to care more about the wolves than any of the other goblins and then they let him run away as well..

Don't get me wrong, they are also incredibly brutal and love to throw a fireball into the dining hall at the goblin hideout, but these were confirmed murderers and slavers.. and the undead haunting the cemetery truly just didn't belong on earth anymore

there is just something so refreshing about these kids navigating the horrors of an adventurer's life especially in the combat heavy dnd and still keeping up some kind of morality and thinking about them as people instead of hindrances

And all the while they are being so wonderfully stupid and silly and creative! The parents rotate a carpool for me, so I get to talk to some of them before and/or after games and they tell me how the kids have changed so much in the past year that we have been playing - about the tall boy that turned quiet and slouched to be less visible and now stands straight again and speaks up against excluding teammates at soccer practice as he learns about taking up leadership as a silver Dragonborn that naturally towers over others but is adamant about helping those that are small and defenseless and helping the other party members to shine in their own way by protecting the squishy wizard long enough for him to cast. About the boy who discovered that he liked writing while describing the dope monk moves his character does in game and who is going all-in with descriptions and conversations at the table that he was too scared to do half a year ago because they might make him look weird or stupid.

It's not just about the role-playing either! I hear about the boy taking his ADHD meds and therapy more seriously because I openly talk about having to take my meds mid-game and addressing our shared symptoms and strengths (he has his Stressbälle and fidget tool with him at the table now and when I ask him to let the other players talk or take a minute longer for their decision because their brains are not overheating and double processing all the time like ours) and the tomboy girl letting her hair grow out because she realized that she doesn't have to choose between girly and boyish things because hobbies aren't gendered and if I can love dnd and football and still have flowers in my hair and wear makeup she might as well try everything she finds interesting instead of putting herself in other people's boxes!

Truly just inspiring and beautiful and insane how much it means to me to interact with the younger generation in this way and to see them blossom and bloom in such a way and knowing I had some kind of influence on their lives

[thisisallthehattersfault]

It's really hard to find good Usopp-centric fics and even harder to find fics where Usopp is allowed to be genuinely skilled and capable (Take The World By Storm has spoiled me) and none of that is mentioning my love of the Strawhats being a little less morally good and a little more willing to really lean in on the whole Terrifying Yonko Pirate Crew thing when the situation calls for it

But I remembered today that I can be the change I want to see in the world so now my whole brain is consumed by an idea for a fic where Syrup village gets raided by slavers, the little Usopp pirates get taken, and Usopp goes fucking ballistic.

Like, think about it: The East Blue, widely considered the weakest of the seas, would be easy pickings for slave traders looking to make a quick top-up before auction day. Especially since it seems most islands are fairly autonomous, with little local governmental presence. Places like the Gecko islands would be prime targets -- we don't know how many other towns or cities might be nearby, but we know Syrup, at least, is a small and mostly isolated hamlet. It's practically a free market.

So I'm imagining like, the Strawhats have circled back to the East Blue for whatever reason -- maybe it's a post-Raftel victory lap, or maybe they had some other reason to swing back. Either way, they're all taking the opportunity to visit old friends and family, and introduce the crew they met later to all the people they grew up with, and then they reach Syrup and the whole village is in an uproar; just a couple days ago a bunch of kids from the village went missing, Usopp's little pirate crew among them. Nobody knows for sure what happened. An unmarked ship did dock for a few days for repairs, but the sailors on-board were polite and didn't cause any trouble that anyone could see. However, the day the kids vanished, the ship was also gone.

I figure the boys probably were suspicious of the sailors for whatever reason, and they likely did some investigating and left a message or even just their evidence behind when they got grabbed by the slavers, because if we know anything about these kids it's that they are very brave and very bad at knowing when to go ask an adult for help. So the boys manage to (mostly accidentally) leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the Strawhats to follow.

They catch the slave ship just before it can cross the reverse mountain and Usopp proceeds to unleash absolute hell on the men who tried to take his boys (and other kids he likely also helped babysit or at least knew and watched grow up)

And that's their first real look at their Captain in years: Usopp appearing out of practically nowhere, bloody and blazing and standing tall over the crumpled bodies of his enemies, reaching down to lift Ninjin, Piiman and Tamenegi into his arms after the scariest few weeks the boys have ever lived through. He has all three tuck their faces into his chest so they don't see the carnage, but they've already seen enough, and everything was so loud but now it's so quiet and the air smells like iron. He carries them off the ship and onto the Sunny to take them home.

(In and among all of this I imagine the Klahadore thing comes out as well, because there's no point in keeping it a secret anymore if Syrup village isn't safe after all.)

Syrup Village flies the Strawhat flag, after that. It won't win them any favors with the Navy if it's found out, but it'll keep them safer than the military ever has.

[kyogre-blue]

Oh believe me it's WORSE (this is at the beginning of part 2, I don't think you'll care but warning you just in case) Lingsha goes "well, why don't you toss him into the sun like we do in the zhuming, there's always ways of killing the unkillable" and for hoolay the answer is "the people he hurt WANT him to suffer" but like...why didn't BLADE try that..........if it's an established practice in the zhuming........which Blade's master is arbiter-general of..............(I can't believe huaiyan is still alive jfc)

I actually really like fantasy politics, even with the xianzhou's bullshit I can just use the yarn to spin it in a way I like in my head, but their unwillingness to paint Jing Yuan in the wrong or unprepared even ONCE never fails to take the enjoyment out of it. The closest it comes is Sword Essence but since hoyo is allergic to their characters having flaws we're never going to really dig into all the ways Jing Yuan feels he has failed Yanqing. Hell, I'd take digging into the ways he feels he failed Dan Feng - I can't believe the fact that Jing Yuan was the one who had to read out the death sentence has never come up so far.

Reflecting upon it, it really says a lot that out of the hcq the one I like most is the one who accidentally created a monstruosity that killed over a thousand people.

lol

I do think politics stories can be interesting, but they're very brain intensive, and making it possible to keep track of who is who and what they all want without requiring the audience to actively keep notes on the side takes some pretty hefty skill from the author. So there's just so much room to do politics badly that it's kinda... hard to feel enthused.

But also I'm suuuuper basic in what kind of storylines I like. I like heroic stories about heroic characters where, maybe it doesn't all work out, but the sentiment and moral stance is important. What you did and felt mattered. The fact that you tried and reach out to help someone made a difference. That kind of thing. If things get too fucked up, I kind of start checking out because I don't see how any of it can be treated or resolved in a way I would find satisfying. Like Dan Feng, there's still no consensus on what actually happened, but he still used the corpse of an emanator, risking the exact consequences he got (or I guess you conspiracy theory that he was set up to a crazy degree, which instead removes the emotional weight of the story in a different way). He killed a hell of a lot of people and drove two of his friends insane. What do you even do with that? It's just "welp, guess that sucks" backstory and that's it.

I guess in a similar way, I find political plots to often devolve into the most petty and pathetic motivations, with a whole bunch of very petty and selfish people, but they have massive, sweeping consequences on a national level, and trying to resolve any of it is a micromanagement nightmare. It just feels stupid. Like Jing Yuan being accused of causing the Arbor to appear, we were there, we know he didn't, the accusations are being made by some faceless entities, so how seriously can you take any of this? And then it's resolved really quickly too, I think. I checked out of that part.

Jing Yuan in general is just... someone who is supposedly powerful, supposedly smart, supposedly morally upright, and he still can't get any shit done AT ALL. He's been serving longer than basically anyone, he should be actively outliving all potential problem makers, and yet his ship is infested with double agents, cultists, who knows what. He left Dan Heng to be raised in prison by people who hated him and sure didn't hide it (at best) and then kicked him out with basically nothing, like, he's lucky Himeko picked him up and not the actual slavers we know exist in the setting. (Dan Heng and Aventurine meet in a slave fighting pit AU, I guess)

Anyway, the Luofu is just soooo frustrating to me, I find it so unpleasant at every turn, and yet everyone completely under-reacts (imo) and we're going to be going back forever...

Kinda hoping that Amphoreus really does last the whole year and we just don't leave the entire time, so we can't be forced back to Luofu. (Well, I'm hoping that now, but who knows what Amphoreus will pull out soon enough.)

[on-the-shoulders-of-rootstock]

What The Fuck Is On The Shoulders Of Rootstock?

If you're anything like me, you have a love/hate relationship with the Human Domestication Guide writing project - which is not to say that I hate it. There's a lot to love!

I love the indulgent depictions of post-scarcity, I love xenobiology and xenoculture, I love the ten-foot plant-monster mommy-dommies, I love seeing capitalism and imperialism smashed into teeny-tiny pieces over and over. I can't get enough, and it's what sucked me in.

However, I also personally disagree with the way certain aspects are handled, and believe they impede HDG in general:

My kinks are not your kinks.

The Affini are too perfect.

Over-focusing on kink.

No sense of scale.

I've started this blog to set up an organised central worldbuilding reference for anyone else interested in taking the same tack with HDG. You should absolutely send in asks if any of this interests you.

Why don't I just go start my own post-scarcity worldbuilding project specifically tuned to my own tastes? One, I've already done that (like, twice). Two, HDG still has the aforementioned elements I love and want to work with, and I want to riff on them alongside others I know who also play within HDG's space.

More detail below:

1. My kinks are not your kinks. This is the big one for me. I acknowledge that HDG was originally started explicitly as noncon intox hypno brainwashing petplay erotica, but that's not my speed. My relationship to submission is about maintaining self-control and making the decision to obey, rather than having my decision-making forcibly taken away from me. Intox, hypno, brainwashing, etc. all run against my ability to enjoy the HDG themes I do like, and I am picking and choosing what's on my plate while still leaving room for others to add the usual stuff in.

2. The Affini are too perfect. This is with regards to the way the Affini are written in "canonical" HDG media as being perfectly-competent supreme overlords who can do no wrong and have negligible rates of failure at anything they do. For me, this is boring. Characters in media are fun because they are imperfect, because they fuck up every once in a while, because things don't always go their way. Mistakes are how people learn, and a character that doesn't learn is very dull. I want to introduce fallibility and limits to the character that is The Affini Compact as a whole, making them a more compelling and interesting force within HDG stories. Conversely, I also want to depict the Affini as having earned their seat on the galactic stage. I want to see them engage in the sort of logistical and political exercises needed to remain such a powerful civilisation. I want to see the kind of underhanded and manipulative tactics you need in order to invade and pacify other cultures without harming them. It makes them feel more powerful and alive.

3. Over-focusing on kink. Just like #1, I feel that most depictions of Affini in canonical HDG stories flatten their biology and psychology to the bare minimum required to be titillating objects. Every single Affini is reduced to a slavering predator eager to abduct and mindbreak her next victim. Yes, HDG is erotica, but where's the nuance? Where's the rest of the iceberg? What do the Affini do when they aren't fucking aliens? How do the Affini maintain such a dominant political position in the galaxy? These things are missing, and so too is any sense of the Affini being real people.

4. No sense of scale. Canonical population estimates sit at some silly number like 10^30 individuals, with a territory covering at least a dozen galaxies. This is comically large, and makes the Affini a dominant supermajority crowding out just about every other species. Also, where are the Affini going to find a floret for everyone? It's just silly.

Q: What does all this mean in practice?

A: It means I'm currently worldbuilding a bigass lore document for Affini, My Way and it's growing every day. It's still in a very rough, draft-y state but I'd love to hear what others have to say about it if this project catches their interest. My personal favourite highlights are "Affini are omnivorous heterotrophs" and the name for Matter Trainers. See below!

Further up on this canvas are my notes for outlining a planned HDG story set in this style, but they're not ready to be shown to anyone just yet (would love to chat about my ideas, though).