#it says hybrid setup too

[goldennika]

me: i just want a chill job

also me: *applies to a global financial services group whose local HQ is smack dab in the CBD*

[hyunsvngs]

hyunsvngbinimas !

pairing: lee minho x fem!reader

warnings: reader is a cat hybrid, perv!minho, heats, slick, kind of omegaverse but not, breeding kink, unprotected sex, creampie, depictions of porn

Nothing is going right.

Minho’s apartment smells of those cliche candles that just reek of Christmas - spiced cinnamon apple strudel, or something like it. He’s burnt his cookies. His hair is covered in white sugary flakes that he’d tried to make snow for his gingerbread house with, and they’re currently melting into his hair from how stressed out he’s getting. Felix will be here any second. He’s freaking out. Felix always judges his baking.

He sighs, scraping the burnt remnants of his baking endeavours into the bin. Felix will have to be happy with just the gingerbread house. Anyway, Minho got him an amazing present for Christmas - a new headset for his gaming setup that had little holes for his white fluffy cat ears to peek through. 

Being best friends with a hybrid wasn’t easy for Minho. Unfortunately, Minho had some weird affinity for cat girls and boys alike, and his computer was decked out with mountains of hybrid heat porn that would make even Felix’s weird friend Jisung stutter. Minho had gotten drunk one night and opened up to Felix about it, and had received an overly wet kiss on a cheek and a sweet chirp of “I’ll fuck you whenever, hyung”. Minho still blushes to the tips of his ears when he remembers it. 

Felix’s hybrid status isn’t the only reason he’s reserved as Minho’s lifelong best friend. Felix is devious, weird, and a little bit evil just like Minho - he’s also always late, which really means a lot to Minho when he’s stressing out like this. 

True to his nature, there’s a loud knock on the door approximately fifteen minutes after the meeting time after Minho had just put the baking tray of newer, more promising cookies into the oven. Minho throws his oven gloves to the side and then he’s charging over to the door to swing it open, ready to give Felix a fake lecture about being late to their designated day for exchanging presents. 

Only, when the door opens, Felix isn’t alone. He’s standing on Minho’s doorstep with a wild smile on his face, a beanie pulled over his ears and his white tail swishing in excitement. Next to him is you. 

And you’re, well, you. You’re a cat hybrid, too, sans-beanie and baring your orange ears for the world to see. You have a matching smile on your face, and Minho can’t help but fight his own smile back. It’s that contagious. Your fluffy winter dress is swaying around your mid-thigh, and when you turn to stop your suitcase from falling in the snow, your tail curls in annoyance.

Wait. You have a suitcase.

“Yongbok-ah,” Minho starts, his apron covered in flour. His apron is covered in flour. He’s a mess, and the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen is standing on his doorstep with a cute little dress on. He wonders if you’d let him flip it up and stretch your pussy open with his thick- no. He clears his throat, repeats Felix’s Korean name once again. “Yongbok-ah. What is this?”

“Your new roommate!” Felix beams, his smile stretching from ear-to-ear. Minho contemplates how he can kill him. “She was looking for somewhere to stay. Her landlord just kicked her out over Christmas, hyung, isn’t that so sad? Anyway, I remembered you saying you wouldn’t mind someone moving in to help with rent, so-”

“I work!” You blurt, cheeks sufficiently rosy pink and your bottom lip looking so biteable. Minho mentally chastises himself. He needs to behave. “I can pay rent, and Felix said you’d like me.”

Oh, he did, did he? Minho manages to drag his eyes away from you to stare menacingly at Felix, who only nods in agreement and smiles. Minho sighs, eyes flickering behind him. How quick can he do a deep clean of the house so that you think he’s perfect and amazing and maybe want to be with him? “I do have a spare bedroom.”

“Great!” Felix chirps. His eyes flicker between you and Minho. You haven’t taken your eyes off of him, tail swishing around your back excitedly. It’s orange with faint stripes in it, and Minho’s trying not to get hard in his pants over the way you’re grinning at him. Felix claps his hands together, gloved and muffled. “So, I’ve got to go now. Bye, hyung!”

“Y-Yongbok,” Minho blurts. Did he really just stutter? “What about your present?”

“Oh, give it to me another day,” Yongbok waves him off, already turning down the drive.

Minho scoffs. “What about my present, you little-”

Yongbok turns around. “She is your present, hyung. Silly.” 

Minho reverts his eyes to you. He can feel how he’s widening them in shock, his bottom lip quivering. He wants to say something. He wants to talk to you, but how can he? You’re looking at him so expectantly and your dress has damn pom poms on it. He’s going to die. “Uh. D’ya wanna come in? I have cookies in the oven.”

“Great!” You say, and Minho’s convinced your voice is exactly how angels sound. You shimmy past him with your suitcase and leave it in the doorway, sashaying into the living room as if you’ve been there a million times. He watches you sprawl on the sofa in awe, stretching languidly. If he squints, he might be able to see the panties you’ve got on underneath your dress. “I love cookies.”

“Uh, yeah,” Minho says intelligently, kicking the door shut. He’s quick to follow you despite still being in his apron and having white specks in his dark hair. He tries to sit down casually on the sofa, and you gravitate towards his body heat, curling up beside him. “Have you had a roommate before?”

“A roommate?” You perk up, looking at him. Minho thinks he’s going to die. He’s definitely hard now, and he’s glad the apron is loose enough to cover it. You blink, and then you nod. “I guess so. In college, I stayed with a bunny girl. She was super sweet.”

A bunny girl? You two… lived together? Minho’s heart has stopped beating, officially. Maybe you’re still close friends. Maybe you can bring her over, when one or both of you are in your heats, and maybe you’ll let him watch if you-

Oh, Minho’s so fucked.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You’re so fucked.

When Felix said his friend Minho had mentioned wanting a roommate, you hadn’t expected him to be so sexy. Even standing on his doorstep with an apron covered in flour and a timid expression on his face, he was sexy. He’d shown you to the spare bedroom, nice as pie, and had waited while you got settled in to comfier clothes before getting on the couch with him. You couldn’t stop your tail from swishing when he fed you a cookie, warm from the oven, and you’d been looking at him with round, owlish eyes. He has to know. You’re wondering how much you can put down to kitty tendencies just to get closer to him. 

“Can we cuddle?” You chirp, and Minho turns to you. He blinks, lips parted. His eyes are so dark, so round. “You know, kitty tendencies. I like the warmth. If it makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay-”

“No,” He shakes his head, patting his lap. “C’mere, kitty- sorry, God, can I call you that? Is that okay?”

You giggle, curling up in his lap. Your tail curls around his arm comfortably, and Minho chokes back a noise. You wonder if he’s alright. “Kitty is fine. I like it.”

Minho lets out a stuttered breath. “O-Okay, so- how do you want to do this? I can cook for us, if you wanna clean?” He shakes his head. You feel his body tense up from beneath you. His thighs are so broad and muscled you can’t help but nuzzle your nose into one. You’re purring before you even realise you are. “Actually, no. Don’t clean.”

“I can clean!” You insist, but he’s already protesting again.

“No, kitty. Please don’t. Please don’t clean.”

Why not? You screw your face up in a pout, but you can’t help but feel the most comfortable you’d ever felt. It feels domestic, almost, the way you’re curled up on his lap and he’s just letting you. He’s warm. He’s warm and toned, and you flip over to look up at him. God, he’s pretty - sharp nose, pouty lips, the cutest bunny teeth that would have you swearing he had to be a hybrid too if you hadn’t seen his human ears. You want him.

Minho looks down at you then, a smile playing on his lips. “Why are you staring at me, kitty cat?”

You blush, shaking your head. “No reason. Hey, do you wanna watch a movie? I’m not moving though.” 

“Of course,” Minho chuckles, his shoulders shaking. You watch as he reaches over you to grab the remote, flicking through channels until he finds a decent Christmas one. He looks at you, almost hesitant with his spare hand raised above your hair. “I- Felix likes when I scratch his ears. Do you- would you-”

“Yes, please,” You nod eagerly, and he snickers at your response. His hand threads into your hair, fingertips rubbing absentmindedly at the start of your orange ears, and you purr. It makes him tense up again. 

When you finally turn over to pay attention to the movie, it’s some stupid film about two people finding love at Christmas. You can’t help but hope you have a similar experience, and you definitely wouldn’t be disappointed if it happened with the man who’s currently stroking over your ears and humming a soft tune. It feels too easy with him, too natural, but you’re not one to complain.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You’re panicking. You’ve been living with Minho for a week now, and between him doing absolutely everything around the house and refusing to let you pay rent - for what reason you’re unsure - you’re determined to get him a good gift for Christmas. Christmas is only in a few days, and you just can’t find anything perfect scrolling through your laptop. You have goosebumps on your arms from how cold you are, but you’re so focused you can’t put an extra layer on.

You’re convinced you’re hallucinating when the screen freezes, turns blue, and crashes. What? You bang on the keyboard with clenched fists, ears flattening in annoyance. What’s going on? Has it… broken? No way. No way would this happen to you, not during the most important time of your life. You had to get Minho a good gift. 

He’s sat on the sofa scrolling through his phone when you perk your head around the doorway - or perk your tail around, since that’s the first thing Minho sees. He grins, turning to you. God, his grin makes your stomach flutter. 

“What’s up, kitty cat?” He muses, and you grimace. 

“I- I was doing… something on my laptop, and I think it’s broken,” You say, voice quiet. Despite getting so close to Minho in the week you’ve been there, including even taking naps together on the sofa, you still can’t push past your silly little crush on him. Especially not when he scratches under your chin and feeds you cookies. “Nothing weird. I just- could I use yours? Just for an hour or two, and then you can have it back, and-”

“Of course you can,” Minho cuts you off. You try not to stare at his biceps as he leans over to grab his laptop, white t-shirt clenching tight around his muscles. You suppress a whimper as he hands it to you, and then you’re scurrying back to your room with a delighted squeal.

The sheets are soft on your legs as you make yourself comfortable again, and then you open the laptop. It has no password, which is just so Minho, and is covered in cat stickers. He must really like cats. The thought makes your tail curl in delight, and you try to calm your excitement as the laptop boots up. 

Immediately, you take notice of the fact that his laptop is definitely a newer, more expensive model than yours. It makes you shy, embarrassed that you’re not paying rent to live in his house and still can’t even get a good laptop, but then you furrow your eyebrows in confusion. He has around ten files, labelled nothing other than numbers 1-10, and they’re neatly organised in a row across the screen. 

Before you can even process what you’re doing, you’re clicking on the first one. You gasp, hand covering your mouth. You’re snooping. Maybe… maybe the files will help you learn what stuff he’s into, what kind of things he’d love for Christmas? Yeah. That’s why you’re looking. Definitely no other reason. 

The first file has ten files inside it, all video files that are just begging for you to double click on. Could you watch them? Could you be nosy like this? Does that make you an awful person? You realise that yeah, you must be an awful person because you’re going to watch them. You’re going to watch every single one just to find out what they could be.

You don’t expect to be met with a cat hybrid being bent over a desk. She’s a girl, noted from the way the man’s speaking to her, and her slick is gushing around his cock. Your eyes widen, comically round, yet you can’t tear them away. Her tail curls around his waist, keeping him close, and her eyes roll back into her head. The camera is positioned to the side but it captures every single expression she’s making.

Is this what Minho’s into? Is he… into you? Would he fuck you like this, would he talk to you like this?

You’re clicking on the second video before you can even think of it. This one is recorded by the male, camera positioned to capture the cat girl’s tits as they sway and bounce enticingly. You want Minho to record you while you ride him like this. You wipe sweat off of your brow. She’s pretty, with blushing cheeks and ears flattened to her head as she moans in ecstasy. His pubic hair is drenched with her slick. You whimper. You want it. You want it with Minho. 

He must jerk off to these, you decide, clicking on the third video. This one’s a little different - the girl is on her knees, slobbering and spitting all over a rather large cock. Is Minho that big? It’d be perfect to breed you, he could hit your cervix like that. You wipe drool off of your bottom lip. It’s suddenly very, very warm, and you feel like you can’t breathe. Imagining Minho’s cock is sending your senses into haywire, your whole body feeling like it’s been ignited with fire and electricity and-

“Kitty,” A voice from your door. You perk up. You’d left it open, just slightly ajar, and Minho is standing there with wide doe eyes. “Oh, no. You’ve seen them. I’m so sorry, if you want to move out I understand and I- kitty?”

You’re panting. Your eyes are glassy, covered in unshed tears, and your t-shirt suddenly feels like it’s stuck to you. Weren’t you just cold? You can’t remember. Your senses are full of Minho, Minho, Minho, and you want him to fuck you under the Christmas tree or bend you over the sofa or his desk or just take you on the floor, you aren’t picky. 

“Minho,” You finally speak, chest heaving. “Minho, Minho, you- you- you like these? You- Minho, please, do you like these videos?”

He’s slow walking over to your bed, almost anxious to approach you. He sighs when he reaches the foot of the mattress, climbing onto it to sit cross-legged. He twiddles his thumbs. “Yeah. It turns me on. Yongbok- Felix said I have a kink for it. I’m sorry.”

“S-Sorry?” It’s so warm. It’s so warm. “Minho, Minho, I- I’m really warm. Are you warm? It’s really warm in my room, isn’t it?”

Minho’s eyebrows furrow. He reaches over, placing the back of his hand to your forehead, and you whine. Loudly. Just him touching your forehead with the back of his hand is enough to make your pussy drool slick into your sleep shorts, and you can’t even begin to question why you’re suddenly so wet, until Minho speaks. “Oh, kitty,” He coos, his hand moving up to scratch your ear. You hum, leaning into the touch. Your vision is blurry, but you can see him perfectly. “Oh, my girl. I’m so sorry. I think you’re going into heat, kitty. I’ll call Yongbok, and-”

“No,” You wail, surging forward. The laptop slides off the side of the bed with a loud clatter, and Minho doesn’t even blink, staring owlishly at you as you wrap your arms around his middle. You’re in heat. You can tell when his body hits yours, your pussy gushing and making even more of a mess just from his body, despite being clothed. “No. God, please, Minho, don’t leave. It’s you, I want you, I was thinking about you and me, and the videos, and-”

“You want me?” Minho’s voice is soft, and he swipes a thumb over your cheekbone. Your head is positioned on his chest, and you can smell him, earthy and woodsy and manly. He sighs, and then he’s speaking again. “I want you.” 

“Please. Please, please, please, please, I need you, I need to see it, I need to feel you,” You’re babbling, sweat dripping down your temple, and Minho lets out an amused puff of air. “I- Minho, is- do you want to? Please.”

“You need to see it?” He chuckles, shoulders shaking. His eyes form crescent moons and you can’t even admire how cute he is through your haze of lust. “What’s it, kitty cat? My dick?” You nod eagerly, and Minho shakes his head in disbelief. “I want to kiss you first. Let me do it right, yeah? Let me do it how I want to. I need to treat you right.”

You’re still shocked when his lips press into yours, pouty and plush. He licks into your mouth and you have to avoid nipping at his bottom lip, until he does it to you and you deem it fair game. You’re devouring him then, nibbling on his lip and sucking on his tongue and encompassing your arms around his neck. He lets you push him into the mattress, lets you run your hands through his hair and pull away to nip at his neck teasingly. 

“Kitty likes to bite, huh?” He huffs, and you nod, nipping him again for his cheek. Your tail swishes behind you, excited and playful, and you can feel how hard he is against your leg. “Better not bite like that when you suck my cock.”

You pull away from his neck in alarm, the milky skin littered in teeth marks and red bruises. “I can suck it? You’ll let me? Oh, please-”

His hand envelops in your hair, wrapping your hair around his fist and tugging hard. “Maybe later. I can feel how that pussy is drooling on me. You need it badly, huh? Need me badly.”

“Yes! Yes, yeah, since I saw you, I- I wanted you to fuck me through my heat so bad, pin me to the bed and just make me take it, and when I saw the videos I- Minho, I thought I was gonna die, and-”

Minho flips you over onto the mattress, your front planted against the bed. You let out a satisfied purr when he strokes your tail with one hand, and then he’s hooking his thumbs into your sleep shorts and yanking them down your legs. You feel the cold air hit your pussy and you moan, loud and high pitched, spreading your thighs to arch your back and present your pussy to him.

“Oh, would you look at that?” Minho coos, his thumb swiping over your hole. Your hole clenches with the lack of fullness, oozing more slick over his digit, and he groans. “Messy little pussy. God, do you want me inside you that bad? Little minx.”

“Please, please. Minho, Minho, will you fuck me? Look’it,” You whine, spreading your legs further. “Look at how wet I am. I need you, need you. M-master, please.”

Minho hisses through his teeth, and then his cockhead is pressing between your folds. When did he get naked? “You dirty little thing,” He whispers, his voice low. “Take master’s cock, then. You wanted to see it, how’s about feeling it?”

He sinks into you, all of his shaft in one go. It doesn’t hurt, only stretches you beyond pleasure, and your fingernails rip into the sheets with one loud moan. It feels insane, raw and veiny and pressing against your walls as if he was made for you. You let him grip your hips and arch you further, your tail wrapping around his waist to keep him close to you. It’s like the first video you saw, and the realisation has you whimpering into the sheets.

“God, you don’t know how long I thought about you like this,” Minho grunts, and then he’s thrusting. His pace is punishing immediately, your slick gushing and squelching around his cock messily and you can only hope his pubes are drenched in it. You want him to cum inside you, breed you, fill you up with kittens and mark you as his so that everyone knows. “Pliant, wet and so desperate for me.”

“Love it,” You slur, eyes rolling back into your head. You don’t realise you’re bouncing back on his thrusts, ass hitting the bottom of his tummy with every movement. He’s bent fully over your body, chest against your back and his lips whispering filth into your ear. “Love your cock, master, ‘s so big, I feel so full, I- hnnfg, master, master, will you breed me? Will you cum inside me?”

“Oh, kitty cat,” He moans, passionate, and when you try to look at him his eyes are rolling back into his head. His bunny teeth bite his bottom lip, almost drawing blood. His cockhead fucks against your cervix with every thrust, primal and intense. He wraps his arms around your front, hands clutching onto your shoulders to pull you back into him. “I’ll breed you, jagi. I’ll fuck you full until it has to take, yeah?”

You can’t think straight. Your pussy clenches around Minho’s cock almost painfully and it only makes him feel bigger, pulsing and throbbing inside of you. You need his cum. You need to cum - your clit throbs painfully with it. “Oh, oh, I need’a- master, master, I need to cum, I need to cum, please, hurts,” You huff, squirming beneath him. He reaches from your shoulder to pin your hips down into the bed, ensuring that you can’t thrash or wriggle anymore and he has full leverage to fuck you the way you need it. “It hurts! Ah, it hurts, I can’t, I can’t, I need to cum, I need to-”

“What’s stopping you?” He questions, hips starting to fuck you in a sinuous grind instead. The change in pace has your toes curling, hands scrabbling to find a better grip on the sheets as he lets you feel every inch and every vein of his length. “C’mon. Cum around my cock, and I’ll give you my cum, breed you full of kittens. Give it to me, jagi, c’mon, let me feel it.”

With a wail and a sharp inhale of breath, you’re cumming quicker than you ever have with any partner or even your own hand. Your pussy pulsates and gushes around him, and he grunts through your orgasm, trying with all of his might to fuck you through it. You try to thrash, to grind back on him through it, but he has you pinned down with a vice grip that only proves to make you cum even harder. 

Minho’s hips press tightly against yours, and with a deep sigh, you feel his cum flood inside of you. You’re purring with the sensation of it, warm and thick and reaching your cervix with every messy pulsation of his load. You hope it takes, deep down inside you - you hope you’re swollen with it, that everyone knows he’s yours and you’re his. 

With the knowledge that you’re full of cum, your heat is slightly sated, and you blink through the fog while Minho sidles up next to you. When did he pull out? You huff and cuddle into his chest, and he reaches up instinctively to scratch over your ears. 

“Good?” He questions, voice timid. You blink owlishly.

“Good?!” You shriek, lifting your head up to stare at him. “I’m enlisting you for the rest of my heat, and then every day after that. You’re mine now.”

Minho chuckles. “I think that’s the best Christmas present I’ve ever been given.”

“Well, I was actually looking for something to get you when my laptop broke,” You say shyly, and Minho turns to look at you with a wide smile on his face. “It’s embarrassing! Just have me instead.”

“I think I’m okay with that,” He yawns, eyes fluttering shut. “Nap. You’re gonna need to be fucked again soon.”

You wondered how he knew, then you remembered the videos on his computer. “That’s true. Merry early Christmas, Minho.”

“Merry early Christmas, kitty cat.”

[anthurak]

One thing that always feels so funny for me when it comes to the Rosebird Parents Theory isn’t when people simply disagree with the theory, but rather people apparently seeing the prospect of a ‘Raven is Ruby’s real father’ reveal to be this totally unthinkable thing and how could anyone ever think this could happen?!

Because once you get past the whole ‘two ladies making a baby’ hurtle, Raven being Ruby’s dad really fits into so many well-known fantasy/sci-fi tropes. Many of which RWBY notably has not done yet, or have already been tied to Raven herself.

I mean, the mysterious villainous and/or anti-heroic loner with ties to the family pulling an ‘I am your Father’ reveal on the protagonist? That’s a fucking CLASSIC. Hell, let’s consider a few things about Raven:

Big, intimidating helmet.

Clear Samurai inspiration.

Wields a katana-like sword that technically has an energy blade (dust=energy) which is generally RED-colored.

Possesses mysterious and terrible over-worldly powers.

Has a mysterious past tied to our protagonist’(s) family.

Was probably in love with our protagonist’s (apparently) dead mother.

Yeah I’d say Raven makes for a pretty good Darth Vader-expy.*

Beyond that specific case, we’ve already seen the story connect Raven to a BUNCH of ‘mysterious and angsty deadbeat dad who left their kid for unclear reasons’ tropes when it comes to Yang. Why not have those apply to Ruby as well? People have been clamoring for years about wanting to see Summer’s narrative dynamic with Yang explored as much as the one she has with Ruby, so why not have the reverse be true with Raven and Ruby as well?

After all, it seems that the story has now given Ruby a reason to seek Raven for answers just as Yang once did.

And as I’ve noted in previous Rosebird Parents posts, No I don’t believe Raven also being Ruby’s deadbeat dad would be somehow ‘redundant’. Particularly because the context is completely different: Yang has known that Raven is her birth-mother for most of her life, whereas Ruby would only just now be finding out that Raven is her birth-father. Far from being redundant, this would allow the story to explore two very different responses of kids to an absent parent: One who has had to live with the knowledge of that absent parent for years, and one who hasn’t and has to deal with this NEW information suddenly getting dropped on her.

Plus, as I alluded to earlier, it’s rather notable that RWBY hasn’t done some big ‘dramatic parent reveal’, given how much of a staple it is to the genre. And given how reimagining, twisting and flipping classic and well-worn fairytale/folklore/fantasy tropes (often via playing with gender-roles) is basically RWBY’s bread and butter at this point, I’d say giving the series heroine an ‘I am your father’ reveal from a woman would fit PERFECTLY in this series.

And if you’re going to ask ‘but how do two ladies make baby?!?’,

Raven can be intersex. Boom. Done.

Alternatively, magic.

As an aside, yes Summer being trans is a perfectly viable alternative. I just think logistically speaking, Raven being intersex and being Ruby’s ‘father’ makes a dramatic reveal a bit more streamlined. Also, the idea of Raven managing to be BOTH a deadbeat mom AND a deadbeat dad is just too funny XD

*Of course, this comparison gets even more fun when we consider Summer having her own Vader-parallels, ie; Summer almost certainly being taken by Salem and given what we can probably assume to be a Vader-esque makeover via grimm-hybridization in setup for a big reveal. So when we combine this with Raven, I think we can view what happened on their last mission as ‘What if Padme/Obi-wan got turned into Vader INSTEAD of Anakin?’ Like Raven in the present is basically Anakin doing Obi-wan’s traumatized hermit shtick, except all angry and edgy because it’s still Anakin.

[girlboypersonthingy]

could I request a very fluffy keith x reader headcanons where they're having a bonding moment (hehe, I cradled you into my arms) because they ended up on a planet during a mission and are waiting for rescue? you don't have to do this if you don't like it of course!

HELLO YOU ARE MY FIRST REQUEST ANON AND ILYSM 🥰 yes I love love love this idea. Also, i had a hard time writing this as headcanons so I decided to write it as like a headcanon/imagine hybrid kinda thing. I hope that’s cool… sorry I’m new to writing this stuff. ALSO this turned out so long I got carried away soRRYYY. Enjoy~

Ps: plz plz plz request more. Somebody, anybody? Thnx 💋

So…y’all are stuck on a planet where the atmosphere is mostly made up of sulfur so it’s not breathable for humans like you

Keith would be pacing non stop, trying to get in contact with the team. He’s so mad his face is nearly as red as his armor.

You are much less worried, knowing that brainiac Pidge would find y’all eventually

It was supposed to be an easy mission, just responding to a distress signal. You and Keith were sent together bc you two work really well together, but when the galra swooped in, you knew it was a setup to steal the red lion.

Of course, Keith took them all out but not without red taking a couple heavy blows

Red needed to rest now that the imminent threat had been neutralized. The lion fought hard without help from the others and would not respond to either of you…and Keith was not handling it well

“C’mon red! You’re gonna give up on me now?! Ugh, you really are the most temperamental lion! You’re such a brat…”

The tense but strong chemistry between Keith and his lion was always something that intrigued you. They really were meant to be.

He eventually gives up trying to talk to red, sitting beside you on the ground.

You and Keith weren’t really close but you trained together nearly every day and you physically complimented each other very well. You always had each others back.

Besides training, you didn’t see him all that much. He likes to skip meals and take late night showers. It’s almost like he’s been avoiding you for a while now

With you around, Keith is all bite and no bark. Sure, he’ll grab and push you around while training but actually having a conversation with you??? Hell nah. Keith no likey talking.

He usually corrects the others’ form and posture and gives advice when training with the them, but not with you. Instead he gives you a lot of thumbs up and small, proud smirks.

Whenever you try to talk to him, you’re lucky if you get any words out of him. Usually, it’s just hums of agreement or head nods.

You think Keith doesn’t like you or finds you annoying with how quiet he is around you

Not having the same armor as the paladins, you were finding your suit to be too thin for the climate on this planet. You were shivering.

Keith notices this immediately but stays still, unsure of how to help you. If he had his jacket rn, he’d totally toss it at you nonchalantly

And suddenly he’s grabbing your hand and pulling you off the ground and along with him.

“Where are we going?” He doesn’t respond, just let’s your hand go but keeps walking, expecting you to follow and you do.

He glances back to check that you’re still there and notices you limping ever so slightly. You’re trying not to let him see this bc you don’t want to piss him off more than he already is.

With Keith piloting, there was no where for you to be in his lion besides standing behind his chair. As he dodged attacks from the galra, you had been thrown around a bit.

He stops walking, making you nearly crash into the back of him.

He turns to you, refusing to even look at you before he sighs loudly. You feel guilty, not wanting to burden him with taking care of you.

“You’re hurt.” “No I’m fine.” “No, you’re limping.” “It’s fine, I can keep walking.”

He turns his back to you and just stands there, hands at his sides. You’re unsure of what to do or say until he looks back at you with a straight face.

“Hop on my back.” “No, Keith. I can walk.” “Just let me carry you.” “No. I said I’m fine. Really, I-“ He cuts you off.

“God dammit, (Y/N), you’re just as stubborn as red! You’re limping and you’re shivering and you’re lying to my face about it. I can tell you need some help, IM OFFERING YOU HELP. Now let me give you a lift to some shelter or SO HELP ME-“

You’re stunned, not because he was lowkey being an ass but because he’s never said so many words to you at one time.

Keith is the epitome of “if a boy is being mean or bullying you, it’s bc he likes you”

He’s talking to you like he was when he first found the red lion and was like “it’s me…Keith. I AM YOUR P A L A D I N.”

Mf is lowkey so mean to you sometimes but he’s not trying to be mean, you just make him feel weird and tingly inside and it embarrasses him and that makes him mad. He’s mad that he doesn’t know how to properly communicate with you without sounding stupid. He’s mad at himself, not at you tho

Dude just doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings

You hop up on his back, quickly wrapping your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist. His hands grip the back of your knees and he trudges forward.

He carries you until he finds a small dim cave, hoping the shelter would keep you warm. He lets go of your legs without warning, making you slip off him. As you land on your feet, you hiss at the pain in your knee.

As he turns to you, you can barely see him but his face looks different now.

You can see his eyes are wide and his mouth is slightly hanging open

He never looks you in the eye and always has an annoyed and smug look on his face when you’re around. So seeing his face soften with concern and guilt for YOU made you freeze up.

“S-sorry.” He mumbles before holding out his hand to you. You’re confused like ??? What is this? What do you want me to do with this?

If there were more light in here, you’d see his face turning red as he’s stepping closer to you until you’re side by side. He slips his arm around your waist and gently lowers you to the ground.

As your butt meets the ground, you stretch out your leg and rub your knee, huffing in pain. Now that he knew you were hurt, no reason to act like you weren’t.

He sat along side you, your bodies still up against each other. He moves his arm from your waist to your shoulders, pulling you close.

Keith never touched you unless you were training together or you were in danger and needed his help so this physical contact with him made your heart go AFTHNJDFH ❤️‍🔥

The piggy back ride and the helping you to the ground were normal for him but him holding you close like this…omfg

Keith is slowly shutting down from embarrassment and nervousness. You can hear his breathing speed up as he’s praying that the others will find y’all soon or he might pass out

You lean into him, shivering still. His hand rubs up and down your arm in an attempt to warm you up.

Noticing that this isn’t working, he lets you go and scoots to sit behind you. He pulls you against his chest as he wraps his arms around you, your arms now pinned under his.

“Thanks.” You say to him before leaning back against him more, letting your head fall back on his shoulder.

Just as you’re getting comfy…

“Keith? Come in, Keith? Hello?”

You can faintly hear Shiro’s voice over the comms in Keith’s helmet. You tilt your head back more to look up at Keith’s face, he looks relieved but slightly disappointed…as if he didn’t want this moment to end so soon.

As he responds, he keeps his arms around you tightly, his hands gently rubbing your upper arms and you just cant look away from him now.

He held you against him for what felt like hours but it was really only like 10 minutes until Lance pokes his head in the cave, a loud “AAWWWW” coming from him.

Keith tilted his head back and let out a loud groan. Of all people to come save y’all…LANCE???

“They’re cold.” “Oh suuurrre.” “THEY ARE! Tell him, (Y/N).” “Yeah, I’m freezing.”

Lance flashes you both a snarky grin before Keith stands, pulling you up slowly.

“Then if it’s no big deal, I can carry (Y/N) back.” “No!” Keith responds quickly before he picks you up bridal style.

You’re surprised he can handle your weight in this position. Sure he was strong but piggy back would’ve been an easier option.

But you weren’t complaining…and neither was he ❤️‍🔥 (and Lance is lowkey like 🥹 as he follows behind you guys)

[yveltalreal]

hey youve talked about cyclizar racing a bit? how does it work?

okay so! theres like two major types!!!!!!!!!

the first types are speed races! all the races you see on tv or that are set up on legal courses and race centres and just that are held in general are of this type! a speed race tends to be a straight dash for the finish. quick sprints, or like a couple laps on a basic circuit. sometimes there are a few simple obstacles like some twisting turns or a few small jumps or a little bit of slippery terrain or a small wall to climb. nothing too intensive and even then obstacles are still kinda rare to see outside of higher level racing. this is the worst type of race because its boring and it sucks this is the only legal type (thankfully this will change hopefully)

the other type are technical races (sometimes called danger races or skill races depends on the group) these are the most popular type for illegal races. theyre characterized by unconventional courses that take paths through places like city streets, caves, and forests, weaving through a variety of natural and man made obstacles, many of which are dangerous and require a degree of skill and practice to go through safely. while speed race courses are rarely open during storms, many technical races are planned around harsh weather, with staying low and using as little metal gear as possible while avoiding getting swept away by pouring rain being part of the challenge. because of this, most illegal racers have a fast flying pokemon known as a scout pokemon that keeps an eye on the track. speaking of which, technical race tracks arent always as well defined as speed race tracks. shorter races will have a whole planned route, while larger ones may span entire neighbourhoods or more and instead just have a set of checkpoints that must be reached in a specific order before getting to the end. there are a few other variants of technical races i can talk about but overall theyre just a more fun and dangerous race type and im surprised but excited that the cyclizar racing federation has decided to potentially make official rules for them and open official tracks. obstacle based racing is super fun compared to just. trying to reach the end quickly and requires you to move your body with ur cyclie so much more and its sosososo fun.

also i guess i should talk about racing gear. speed races will always use racing gear. its standard cyclizar handlebars and seats just setup more for racing and being a bit more aerodynamic. technical racing on the other hand has no rules. race with whatever you got. most racers will use complete custom gear, modified rapidash tack (so a bridle, reins, saddle, maybe a blanket. i use this) or just standard racing gear. you technically also ride bareback for technical races since theres not as much rules but bareback cyclie riding has always been for more lax rides and you will fall off lol.

registering for speed races requires extensive history of your cyclizar. it must be a pure cyclizar so no hybrids. dna testing resules are required if they dont say its a pure cyclizar then it wont get in (so a cyclizar/rapidash hybrid wouldnt be allowed to race. if one somehow caught one of those crater fuckers it wouldnt be allowed either). lower level races and casual shit do occasionally allow hybrids IF AND ONLY IF it is proven that the hybridization gives no real benefit in a race. i think school races might also allow hybrids under the same rules?? idk. anyways. mid level and high level races require it to be a pure cyclizar (sometimes with racing breed pedigree) and often ban wild caught cyclizar from competition. after that theres also the standard health checkups one would have just for a riding license that make sure its a healthy size and has enough strength to be ridden, as well as the actual riding license that says you can ride the cyclizar around like. in public and stuff.

tecynical racing requires none of that just have a cyclizar and i guess make sure its healthy. you dont ened a riding license but you should have one so ur less likely to get arrested and also cause just. that confirmation that you and your cyclizar are able to ride.

also to clarify by technical racing illegality its like. there are harsh cyclizar riding trails that are just as dangeorus as technical racing but theyre legal cause ur supposed to go one at a time. if multiple people are racing at once it gets a lot more dangerous cause both people and pokemon can get seriously hurt. its not anything serious of a charge its more a misdemeanour you're probably just gonna get written up and end up with a fine unless youre a repeat offender

[fly-pow-bye]

The Lost Blossom Shampoo Commercial Part 3

I was already following Hook Up Animation on Instagram because they post old promos and even newer promos like that amazing one they did for Cartoon Network's 30th anniversary. I opened up Instagram and the first thing I see is that they posted a compilation video of various promos they did featuring the Powerpuff Girls. Since I have learned recently from someone at Hook Up that Hook Up Animation worked on it, I had reason to believe I was about to see at least the clip I saw in the Rogan and Toonix reels. It's not the full spot, but about 9 seconds in, there it was.

My 10 year old mystery is technically not fully solved, but at least we get to see more of it. More after the break.

One thing right now: this compilation is essentially an AMV of various clips from promos and commercials they worked on set to the Powerpuff Girls theme, and none of the promos and commercials are shown in full. However, we do see quite a bit more of the commercial I called the Lost Blossom Shampoo Commercial, and I can say one of those words is technically wrong, as it's not just Blossom.

We get to see the setup of the commercial, with Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup looking in the mirror with their bad hair day. It would have been wrong to just have Blossom even if she would have the most impressive hairstyle for a hair product ad. I did suspect that Bubbles and Buttercup should appear as well considering there's three superhero mascots at the end of the commercial. Three Powerpuff Girls, three Showerpuff Girls.

Having Bubbles and Buttercup in this commercial also means that the almost Sailor Moon-esque hair transformation scene Blossom got also happens to Bubbles and Buttercup as well. I can at least do a quick GIF of Buttercup's.

Bubbles gets one too, but the clip of Bubbles is a little too short and I couldn't really fix it like I tried to do with Buttercup. Each of the girls do get different effects. Bubbles gets a wind-like effect, possibly representing the spiky haired mascot, and Buttercup gets the combing cream, representing the long red haired watery mascot.

Now with the appearance in this compilation, this is how much of the commercial we have now.

We went from just under 3 seconds to 7 seconds of what could be a 15 or 30 second commercial. I should point out that even with all of these different reels, we have exactly zero seconds of audio from this commercial, as the reels and compilation plays these clips over stock music and the English Powerpuff Girls' opening, respectively.

I did joke about what the rest of the commercial would be like, and that obviously wasn't going to be accurate. Thanks to having the intro, I can make a good summary of what it actually could be:

Professor Utonium sees the Powerpuff Girls in dis-tress, yadda yadda yadda, the Powerpuff Girls' hair gets restored to their usual glory thanks to the power of Hidratacion Intensa. Warning: baby shampoo will still not give your baby superpowers.

Much like that Seinfeld episode, the yadda yadda does hide what could be interesting: what did the Professor do? Does he pull out the brand new hair products, spawning those superhero mascots to help out Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup? Or...did he create those superhero mascots? Have I stumbled upon the most obscure Powerpuff Girls in any officially-sanctioned media before I made that article about Bittercup? There's only one way to find out, and I wish I could find that way.

One commercial I could find because Cartoon Network themselves uploaded it is this O Movimento Cartoon PSA. Yes, we know, there's already a well hated episode with this exact concept, but the live-action/animated hybrid style looks really cool. Maybe if the CW show used that, maybe it would have been greenlit! Or, maybe not.

< Part 2 - ? >

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This is Blackberry Castle built in 2004 in Portland, Oregon has 6bd. 6ba. and is listed for $5M. 

This particular home does have lots of castle-like elements, but it also has a number of modern luxury features mixed in, so it’s kind of a castle hybrid.

For instance, in the courtyard garden, they have some Medieval architecture and some modern. Note “The Oasis” sign for the bar. You wouldn’t see that in a castle. 

The bar is very well-equipped. 

This is beautiful. 

You’ll notice that there are small spaces, like this one, throughout the house.

Looking at it straight on, the kitchen doesn’t look gigantic. 

But, it’s a very convenient work setup and has a wonderful exhaust hood. I love the two toned cabinets and the fancy farm sinks.

Plenty of space for dining in. 

Look at the big stone fireplace in the sitting room. Floor to ceiling windows provide great views of the gardens. 

Above is a mezzanine. I don’t know what other color wall there could be, but I never cared for gold. It would cost too much to redo. 

A 2 story library with a 2 story fireplace. Giant clock and compass in the ceiling.

Look at the carpet in the home theater. This is more like a Baroque style- love the blue lights in the ceiling.

All castles need a tower staircase. Look at the clouds painted on the border.

Here’s another one of those small spaces. This one has only an organ. This would give off cool Addams Family vibes. I wonder if it conveys.

I would say that this is the main bd. The ceiling looks like a wheel (I wonder if it’s an antique farm tool) and it has a nice stone fireplace and a terrace.

A bronze tub and beautiful shower.

Look at the fancy sink.

One of the secondary bds. 

Now, this is beautiful. Pink clouds. 

What a large wine cellar. It would hold hundreds of bottles.

This must be the patio under the main bd. terrace.

The house comes with 6.40 woodsy acres.

View from the upper floor.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14125-NW-Germantown-Rd-Portland-OR-97231/53996641_zpid/

[leggerefiore]

Darts Of Pleasure

cw: 18+ content, AFAB reader, eggpreg, Iron Moth Ingo, monsterfucking,

Pairing: Ingo/Reader

The Iron Moth hybrid was frustrated.

Beyond frustrated, actually.

Ingo was fully aware of his worth, especially in comparison to the past iterations of himself that this crater seemingly summon just to spite him in particular.

You were his mate, there was no mistaking that. All his readings had come back correctly. Your memory must have been wiped when you both had come through the time portal, which is why you currently even entertained the idea that a Volcarona and Slither Wing hybrid could even possibly be a more viable mate than him. Granted, he was aware of the appeal to fully biological beings held, yet he wondered how a prehistoric hybrid even stood a chance. They lacked even the ability to communicate in a language you could understand!

So, as you spent your time going between the three of them or off on your own, he began to wonder how to prove himself to you. He considered the other aspects of his competition that had eluded him. Maybe the strength and primordial nature of Slither Wings could be an attractive trait that he lacked. The Slither Wing version of himself could easily make you feel safe… Not to mention all of the fluff his body contained. There was an appeal with that, too. The Volcarona hybrid was similar but more homely, almost. He spoke in a modern tongue and understood the world you existed in easily. The Volcarona Ingo had somehow convinced you that you were long-term friends as well.

The Iron Moth hybrid felt as if he had nothing. He was neither beefy nor was he something of this modern earth. (He was not an extraterrestrial either, despite the badgering of you and the Volcarona hybrids. Whatever article had claimed that simply lacked imagination for the future.) He offered himself as a charging port for your inferior device often, to keep you tethered to him and allow him to better assess what damage must have happened to your memory. Everything almost came back as if you were being a from the modern era. Ingo knew that was impossible, however.

“… You are my mate,” he tried again desperately, “I know all of your likes and dislikes. I have many data entries dedicated to you.” You sighed as you shook your head. Then, with a teasing grin, you looked at him.

“What sex toys do I like?” you asked snarkily. It was obvious you were trying to trip him up. He knew, naturally. It was something that was embarrassing to say aloud, but from all of your past sexual encounters, he was more than aware.

“Ovipositor toys, tentacles, and I believe you quite enjoyed my base – er, member, with a vibration setting,” he replied with his systems running hotter. Many memories of his experiences with you in bed rushed to the forefront of his mind. It had been quite a while since anything had happened between you both. He was a man of patience and often found himself without the desire for sex, yet his body could only go for so long.

“… Your base… member?” you tilted your head, “Are you saying you can change your dick out?”

“N-naturally, I am a biomechanical being,” Ingo tried to avoid eye contact as he explained his functions to you once more, “There are many setups that have been produced for my species in my time.” You stood with your jaw dropped for a moment. His readings told his curiosity was heavy on your mind. Had he finally found his way to appeal to you in ways that the others could not? “… I am more than willing to show you, dearest,” he whispered huskily into your ear.

You jumped away with a flustered expression. “I m-might just take you up on that one,” a laugh came from you, “… Do you lay eggs?”

Finally, the Iron Moth had you hook, line, and sinker.

~

Which is what led to him sitting across from you in your bed. He had stripped away the clothing of this period to leave himself bare for your eyes to take in once more. His body was covered in a metallic exoskeleton, as were most hybrids in the time he was from. Of course, the exception for most laid between their legs. His ovipositor laid hidden within a sheath, having not yet felt any sexual stimulation that would bring it out. You gazed at him with obvious curiosity.

“So, uh, how does this work?” you asked, shifting nervously. You, too, had shed most of your clothes, leaving yourself solely in your undergarments. It was nothing that he had not already seen, yet a flustered feeling still came up in his programming. The idea of explaining how he laid his eggs had never occurred to him. That conversation had been a while for you both, yet it had risen up again.

“My ovipositor leaves from its slit and me…” his felt utterly embarrassed saying the words, “I… Make love to you with it. Then I lay my pseudo-egg cells inside you…” A small laugh came from you at his words.

“Make love, Ingo?” you tilted your head, “You could be a mechanical moth from a billion years into the future, and you still can't say “fuck,” huh?” His eyes shot to the floor. You moved closer to him despite this. Smiling, you tilted your head. His heart raced. Images of you both underneath and on top of him filled his mind with desperate desire. This was his only chance to prove himself worthy against his opponents. “How does it come out?” you asked him as your hand rested on his thigh, “I don't see anything.”

He swallowed. Ingo chose to focus on the memories in his head to help gain his courage. Your moans, pleas, and cries while clinging on to him desperately. The lust pack you pleaded with him to install, activating with ease at these memories. He needed to make you feel good. You jumped when the hybrid came to stare at you with determined eyes.

Suddenly, like a switch was flipped in him, his hands came to your sides to lightly grope at them. Lips pressed to yours with ease as he remembered everything you liked. A hand dared fall to your ass to give a squeeze to a check while he worked to deepen the kiss. A quiet moan was ripped from you by his movements, encouraging his actions more. His other hand came up to your chest to swirl around a nipple playfully, helping work electric pleasure through your senses.

Your slightly nervous demeanour swapped into something more pliable and needy against him, making something deep inside his body churn. Easily, his ovipositor pressed out from its sheath. An aphrodisiac, lubricating fluid coated it, giving it a slight gleam in the low light of the room. You swallowed at the sight of it. “I-It looks like a Volcarona dick?” you phrased it as a question, despite it being more a declaration.

“… How many times have I told you that my species is what modern Volcaronas become?” he sighed and lightly pushed you down against the sheets, “I am a perfect culmination of everything they can do.” You were obviously amazed by his words, making him feel more confident in himself. “Would you like an ingestible aphrodisiac?” he offered, “I can produce one from saliva glands.”

“… Maybe later?” you seemed lost in awe, “I guess you are a poison-type…” He most certainly was. It just rarely had any proper use outside of combat scenarios, which he preferred to avoid whenever he could. His wing pieces fluttered out from his back. Playful, he lifted your neck as he kissed down the skin. While you had denied ingestion, the fluid was spread across your body by him. You whined at the sudden sensitivity it brought. A light nibble by him on your collarbone allowed a cry to leave you. All your noises made him shudder in pleasure. There was nothing else on this planet he found himself adoring in this way.

He continued down your torso and until he found himself between your legs. His hands carefully held your thighs apart as he found himself gazing at your pussy again after so long. Nothing was different from how it was in his memory. Light kisses were peppered onto your thighs before he moved to the centre.

You moaned as the flat of his tongue pressed between your lower lips, spreading the aphrodisiac around your clit as he moved to circle it. The heat from the areas his lips had been mixed with the heightened sensation at your most sensitive point. His lips suckled on his bud as you resisted, bucking your hips against his face desperately. Your nerves were lit on fire with nothing but pleasure thanks to his actions.

Another cry left your mouth as he shifted to press his tongue into your entrance, smearing more of his saliva around. You finally gave into your urges and bucked up against his face, simply needing to feel something more than what he was giving you. An actual chuckle came from him at your actions. He was often used to being the receiving end of this treatment, so getting to dish it out instead made him oddly smug. Pulling his mouth away from your pussy, he moved to rest his head against your chest as he pressed a finger inside you.

That quickly shifted to two as you demanded more… And then three, when you whined that it still was not enough to get you off. Ingo would admit that seeing you all needy for him did something to his heart, especially after having to deal with all the competition in the other moth hybrids. “You are utterly adorable like this,” the words left him with little thought. You shot a weak glare down at him, but it was quick dismissed when the tips of his fingers brushed against a sensitive area inside you. He immediately took to targeting the area. Quickly, his fingers fucked you into a short orgasm.

You laid against the bed, panting heavily, as Ingo moved up from his previous position. Momentarily, you laid out of it. Ingo adored the sight of you laying there, having been undone by his touch. His heart raced in his chest as you turned to look at him with desire still heavy in your eyes. “... I want more, still,” you told him, “Please, Ingo, fuck me more.” His system's immediate response to scold you for your language was overwritten, as he desperately wanted to exactly what you asked for.

Ingo positioned himself between your legs once more. This time, however, he took a pose with them thrown over his shoulders rather than held back by his hands. His ovipositor laid against your abdomen, showing off the size of the organ. You swallowed at the sight. “You requested this size,” he explained, “Are you ready, dearest?” Ingo would not continue without confirmation.

“D-damn it, Ingo, yes!” you whined and bucked up against him. His systems stuttered at your words. When it all came back together, he quickly moved the head of his dick to your entrance. The warmth quickly surrounded him, filling his brain with that instinctual pleasure that simply could not be derived from anything else. You whined as he slowly filled you up. Your hand tightly grasped the sheets as he bottomed out. The stretch was wonderful. “So big,” you murmured.

Ingo stilled for a moment, giving you time to adjust. His eyes observed your face for any obvious discomfort or pain, but he saw nothing but pleasure. “Once again, this size was your request, my love,” he repeated. Everything he had bothered to customise himself with, outside of the few features he had wanted, were all for you. Ingo wanted no other being to be his mate. His wing pieces tensely pressed against his back with the subtle pleasure in his system.

“G-good choice, then,” you laughed, “Move, please.” Your wish was his command as he quickly began to move his hips at a slow and steady pace. The feeling of his ovipositor was quite different from any human dick or dildo that had come before. You moaned loudly when he sped up. His cock brushed perfectly against the sensitive spots inside you, amped up by the aphrodisiac mix in the lubricant fluid that coated the member. He hit you deep, too, thanks to the position that he had taken.

A loud cry came when his cock finally hit the entrance of your womb. Words had since been lost as you both grew more entangled in pleasure. You clenched around him after he brought his thumb to work your clit. Pleasure kept building inside of you as the combined surges from both his assaults. Another orgasm quickly spilled out from you. This time, however, more and more pleasure flooded your already saturated brain as he fucked you through your orgasm. His LED eyes were squeezed shut as his wing pieces limply hovered behind him. Your overstimulation bled into another small orgasm quickly. The Iron Moth hybrid left you drowning in pleasure.

Finally, Ingo showed a sign of slowly down as his hips stuttered out a few more thrusts before his ovipositor stilled, tip pressed flush to your cervix. A swollen bump at the base of his ovipositor had you swallowing your spit as it moved down the shaft slowly. The stretch against your already abused walls had your toes curling. It stopped deep inside you, having met its first barrier. Before you could even wonder what was to follow, Ingo's thumb moved against your clit frantically. Your body shuddered as you came again. It was during this moment of weakness, the egg popped deep inside you with a gush of fluid.

“Wh-what?” you managed to get out, but Ingo quickly pressed his lips to yours to silent you. The feeling of another egg moving down his shaft was apparent at the same time. It met little resistance unlike its predecessor and rolled inside you with more fluid. Ingo's mouth was sweet against yours, likely a product of the aphrodisiac fluid he produced. The fluid lit another fire inside you as two eggs followed each other in quick succession down his shaft. The plopped inside you easily. You began to lose track of the time as more mini orgasms overtook you, with eggs moving quicker inside you.

When it all finally came to an end, you found yourself slightly swollen with eggs. Your mind was too exhausted to properly assess anything, however. Ingo pulled out, watching as some of the cushioning fluid leaked out. The Iron Moth easily moved you under the covers as he wiped some sweaty strands away from your face. One last kiss was pecked to your temple, and he moved to lay in bed beside you.

“I love you, dearest,” his voice rumbled as you drifted asleep, “... I'll make sure we get home safely.”

[coldgoldlazarus]

I got a message and I might finally get my Metroid Prime remaster game soon!! I'm curious though and i wanted to ask. What do you think is the best time of the day to play Metroid Prime 1 ?

I remember when i talked about playing Metroid Fusion at night you said that it was the best way to play it and same for Metroid Prime : Echoes. So what about Metroid Prime I ? Is it better to play it at day or night? (also on the big screen or little screen? Probably on the big screen but since I'm on the switch and i don't have access to the tv for my switch this weekend idk if I'll be able to play it on the big screen and i dun wanna wait any longer T__T )

Oh, sweet! :D

Prime 1, hmm. There's an intro section that's definitely best at night, as with a very lategame area. But on the whole, the rest of the time it's pretty good during the day. ^.^

Big screen is definitely recommended if and when available, especially on the remaster, but it's still pretty enjoyable in handheld mode (or tabletop with the kickstand, depending on the control scheme you use) too.

On that note, a couple other things maybe worth knowing going in, though I'll put them under a readmore so you can take or leave them as you wish:

The Remaster version specifically has four different control scheme options you can try out, depending on what you're going for. (And a bunch of adjustable settings within those, not quite full button remapping but still close.) One that's close to the gamecube original, one that uses gyro to emulate the Wii Trilogy release's motion controls, one that uses standard first-person-shooter dual-stick, and one that somehow hybridizes the latter two in some way I'll admit I'm not entirely clear on?

The gamecube option is probably best for an authentic-ish feel for how it played in 2002, but is also kinda limited. I personally swear by the Trilogy controls, and while the gyro is slightly clunkier, (needs frequent manual recentering due to the lack of an IR sensor to do that automatically, and due to the detatched joycons needs a table to set up at) I've still been having a really good time playing through using that. But I know a lot of people are used to the twin-stick setup, so if you don't vibe with motion controls, that might be your best bet?

Similarly, the game has a hint system (sorta like Fusion's waypoint markers where it tells you where to go without saying how to get there, just as a pop-up from the suit instead) but while it is on by default, it is optional in Prime, and can be turned off and on in the menu. It is very handy for if you get lost, but I at least find that it tends to pop up pre-emptively well before that point, so even back during my first-time playthrough on Trilogy I turned it off after a while, and only temporarily turned it back on once or twice for a clue when I was genuinely not sure where to go. Once again up to you either way, but I figured I'd let you know first so you can make an informed decision of whether you want it or not.

Finally, unlike the 2D games this one doesn't have any rewards tied to completion time, so there's no need to rush yourself here. Unless you want to anyway, I guess. XD But it does show an extra after-credits scene if you get 100% item completion, so that's something to keep in mind later, if you want to go for that.

[dearlyfictitious2]

Prompt #3:

When you're dressed like that.

Demigod conversations 😁

"Soooo, what's up with you and your dad?"

Frank, Hazel, and Jason all froze and stared at Leo in disbelief, he grinned and rest his chin on his knees as if he didn't just commit a giant faux pas.

Frank stared down at his melting ice cream and mourned the end of what had promised to be a rather pleasant day. The skies were clear, the sun was out, and the winds were soft and billowy; it made for a perfect setup for a day at the beach.

He looked towards the demigod in question. While all of them were dressed in modern swim wear, Percy had opted to go with something much more traditional. It looked like a skirt/loincloth hybrid and was a lovely green and petal pink color embroidered with golden threads and polished shells that made a delicate tinkling sound whenever he moved. It was obviously a gift from his godly family, one that he wore with practiced ease if the way he was lounging against a bean bag was to go by. How he managed not to flash them his junk was beyond him, Frank thought.

Percy had been looking off into the distance at the water when Leo had sprung the question out of nowhere, his blue moon ice cream was uneaten in his hand and still frozen, most likely due to him keeping it frozen with his powers. He turned his attention towards them and replied in a dazed manner, "Sorry, what'd you say?"

Leo, obviously not caring for the tension he was potentially causing carried on with question, "I'm just gonna say it since no one here is macho enough to say it. What's your dad's deal with you?"

Percy blinked, "His deal?"

"Yeah, his deal." Leo scooched over and poked one of the gleaming bronze armlets adorned on the Son of Poseidon, "You let him deck you out in some pretty ritzy stuff; metals that even I can tell are heavily enchanted with some gnarly defenses."

When Percy had come back to the surface, he was adorned with all sorts of simple, but eye catching ornaments. You didn't need Lou or her siblings to tell you he was basically a walking nuke to anyone who wished him harm. What was odd was that Percy would usually forego such drastic measures, what had made him comply so easily now?

Percy gave them his full attention, "Guys relax, it's more for monsters if anything. It's not like they ever hurt anybody during spars, or," he narrowed his eyes at Jason, "When someone's trying to force you into pants."

Jason threw his hands up in exasperation, "Would you let that go already?"

"No."

"Percy." he paused when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, Hazel had a soft but firm grip on his bicep, "What Leo is trying to say is that maybe, have you considered that your father is being a bit too generous?"

"Bro." Jason gave him a hard stare, "No deity just gives and not expect anything in return."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

Percy, for all that he usually projected, was more than capable enough to read in between the lines and he didn't like what they were implying. It wasn't as though he never stopped to consider it as well, but he had to set the record straight.

"Now look here-

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it!" demanded Leo, "I ain't trying to say anything like that." His outburst startled everyone on the picnic blanket.

Frank ran a hand through his hair, pushing down some feathers that had sprouted subconsciously, "Huh?"

Leo was now on his knees with his arms akimbo, "You heard me, don't put words in my mouth."

"Well then, what were you trying to say?" asked Hazel wide eyed and even more weary.

The Son on Hephaestus clicked his tongue in annoyance and got up close and personal to Poseidon's Prince with a grip on his well toned shoulders, "So how'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Percy was completely lost at this point and didn't know what to expect.

"Your deal with you dad... what'd ya do to butter him up and get him to give you all this cool stuff?"

The three Romans behind Leo had no words to describe their incredulity.

A smile began to creep on the Sea Prince's face, "Butter him up?"

"Stop parroting what I say!" Leo complained with a humorous crack in his voice, "Impart your wisdom, tell me your secrets! How do I get my grumpy pops to send me cool stuff too? Do you have any idea how many things I could make if he- quit laughing, I'm being serious!" he squawked indignantly.

Percy had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard, "I didn't do anything. Dad, Mother Amphitrite and Triton just give me stuff when they feel like it."

"Lies! You have them wrapped around your little finger." he emphasized this by wiggling his pinky in the space between them.

"I'm telling you the truth man."

Leo scoffed, but eventually let go of him, "Selfish. You won't even tell your ol' pal how to get the good stuff." he whipped around and gave his chuckling friends behind him his best stink eye, "Aren't you guys curious too?"

"He's Lord Poseidon's only demigod child, maybe he just likes doting on him?" reasoned Frank.

"And he's probably not as annoying." ribbed Jason.

"Hey!"

Hazel caught her breath and joked, "Maybe he gives him a little kiss on the cheek when he wants something. I used to see snooty rich girls do that with their daddy's when they wanted a new dress or lipstick."

"Oh yeah, that'd definitely work." Percy rolled his eyes and said sarcastically. On a whim, he pulled some seawater from the ocean and held it in a sphere above his palm, "Hey Dad? Can I have a shiny new yacht and some fancy anklets maybe? Pretty please?" he asked sweetly and gave the globe of water a big fat kiss.

Mwuah~!

Their fit of giggles were cut short when startled shrieks of nearby campers had them on alert, but they were just as quickly disarmed as a gorgeous pearlescent cruiser was now bobbing merrily in the ocean waters.

Their attentions were diverted again when a quick golden flash traveled down Percy's legs; after the light had subsided, a pair of gleaming celestial bronze, blue nacre lined, pearl encrusted, beautifully engraved greaves now adorned his shins.

The demigod's on the blanket were torn between staring bug eyed at either the shiny new yacht or the impressive ornamental armor.

Percy groaned and hid his burning face behind his hands, "Daaaad..."

Leo's jaw nearly hit the sand, "No. Freaking. WAY."

...

Queen Amphitrite rubbed her husband's back lightly as he unknowingly mirrored his precious demigod son's embarrassed pose; his face aglow with golden ichor.

"Oh my dear Husband," she cooed, "You're just too easy."

I had to do it. If Percy wants it, Daddy Poseidon will do his damned best to get it for him! Hephaestus better watch out the next time Leo's around lol.

I had an absolute BLAST writing this :)

[livewireprojects]

Cosmo Ref(Lost Prince AU)

Had to edit some text thanks to a weird misunderstanding I had due to how the form she took on(along with turning into a tree).

I decided to bring Cosmo in cause she's nice, I'm bringing Sonic X into this eventually & it was the first Sonic related content I saw. A friend of mine helped me decided to have her be a chipmunk though Cosmo almost ended up a squirrel or flying squirrel.(Cause it'd be funny due to floating around thanks to her skirt) At one point I was going to make her a deer with flowers coming out of her antlers.

Link to master post

Everything under keep reading due to long post, contains slight spoilers

Cosmo the seedrian:

Cosmo was a plant alien that with help from Sonic & friends stopped the Metarex. She was a shy/lonely girl trying to do her best to end any further damage as she had lost her family thanks to this. Thanks to meeting Sonic & his friends she eventually found people to care about in her life again & developed feelings for Tails, in the end she sacrificed herself to help finish put the corrupted to rest.

Cosmo the Chipmunk/plant hybrid:

Cosmo use to be a plant alien that sacrificed herself to help stop a group of her species that had become corrupted from destroying the galaxy leaving behind a seed which her sweetheart Tails took care of. Tails cared for this seed as it became a flower & it makes him think of Cosmo occasionally. At some point the plant was stolen & given to Jules after Cream told Vanilla who told Chuck what happened. Jules went on to revive her using the plant & some samples he had for some reason leading to Cosmo being revived as hybrid Mobian. She'd stay with his wereMobian pack as she got use to everything until Chuck helped her find the others. Cosmo went on to reunite with her friend & move in with Tails as they became close & eventually start dating when a little older. She's still a tad shy due to kind of being a fish out of water & getting use to everything especially that she doesn't have to run/deal with the Metarex anymore.

Future Cosmo:

Cosmo has come out of her shell some since being reunited with her friends after being revived. She's more out going & is pretty friendly with those she's close to. At some point when Cream is in her teens she confesses to Tails & Cosmo she liked them. Tails & Cosmo talked(Tails also getting advice from Sonic too) leading to the three giving the relationship a try. Thanks to the three trusting each other & doing their best to be caring partners the relationship has been staying strong with the three having a wedding when they were older. Cosmo runs a plant nursery with Cream helping her out when she's not at the bakery. Tails works on inventions/repairing stuff for people. The three live a content life together, though the three have settled down with a peaceful life they sometimes go on adventures.

This last part is kind of more reassurance for me than anything else. I know at some point adult female seedrians(and when it's dire or something like when Cosmo sacrificed herself) become trees especially to have kids. Thanks to becoming a mobian Cosmo won't become a tree, her body will eventually grow a tree after she passes, seems Silver has warned them so her grave will have a tree growing from it.

I'm saying this(mostly to myself) because I don't want the tree thing to separate Cosmos from everyone. Yeah as a seedrian turned tree she'd still be alive but she can't communicate anymore(without maybe a device setup for her) & she can't move so people would have to setup plans to go see her depending on where she is. She also can't do much as a tree.

Pretty much I'm over thinking the tree thing & this part is just my attempt to feel better & let the tree stuff happen after she & some of her loved ones passed.

[bloomboxygo]

Melodious: Suddenly Sublime Scripts!

So, with the new support out for a while now, the scripts and music sheets properly written, and the composers quieting down, I believe I can put out a Deck Update of sorts, how it has changed and how faithful it was to its original strategy, as well as how the viability of each Card has changed.

Ah, let's be clear, it's way too soon to see where we're going to be in the meta at large if at all. It's more than likely that this is not competitive. Still, it's so much better than before. As such, I won't really get into the matchups against Meta decks.

All right, the stage is set, so let's share our scripts!

The main Endboard

Refrain or 1st Movement + a discard -> Aria/Elegy/Etoile

The examples I'll show are considering JUST the Cards shown. With additional Cards, more magic and scripts can happen!

This is the fairly standard thing you want to do with one of the non-Ostinato starters, and what furthers the playstyle Melodious was known for. It's... Not too much of an upgrade at first glance. But the mere fact of having versatile disruption, even if it's pretty light all things considered, is so much better than the admittedly nothing we had in the past. The disruption aided by the protection of Aria and Elegy becomes so much stronger because it's harder to be forced out early. So if the opponent combos instead, you can temporarily have Etoile and Co, or even just Etoile, bow out of the stage for a moment to disrupt them. The board is also reusable like this after the effect, and Etoile can float into any Melodious other than herself if you can't get her out of there before your opponent can. More Monsters in hand means you can get more Monsters to have as Etoile disruptions or, better yet, more setup opportunities or an earlier Etoile (which is inportant if there's a certain counter...)

How you build it is, starting from a Refrain summon: Refrain add Couplet -> Couplet add Melodious Concerto -> Fuse both into Bacha and SS Shopina, set scales due to Pend Effects -> Refrain send Aria from Deck to GY -> add back with Shopina -> Link Maestras into Harmonist, Summon Soprano and Elegy, Bacha summons Shopina back -> Fuse Harmonist, Shopina and Soprano for Etoile -> Pend Summon Aria

Ostinato -> Aria/Elegy/Etoile/Schuberta/Bacha

A NS Melodious + Sonata or Canon + a discard -> 1 Melodious/Aria/Elegy/Etoile

What's this? The Combo without the 1 Card starter can produce more?

Well, yes, and that's due to the fact that you need more Melodious in Hand, and the Refrain search is moved on later, when Harmonist is Summoned; that way, you can also take advantage of Couplet's Hand effect to retrieve more material. If that material is someone like Tamtam or Soprano who were the Normal Summon, you can go even further. However, the combo is more immediately vulnerable because Harmonist is still the chokepoint.

Now we're composin'. Let's just say Ostinato combos have a lot more potential than ones without it. So much so that writing the entire thing would be kind of a mess so if you may, please take a look at Melodious Maestro's video. This is the full potential of Ostinato.

Now... This is the Deck version which has Tamtam the Melodious Diva. I'll talk more about it later, but that version is quite contested. If you're not using Tamtam, the combo will have 1 less card in Hand (making it a 1 + Discard combo) and you won't have one of the Maestra Fusions.

However, your deck will be made more compact and consistent. The important thing about an Ostinato combo is getting Etoile earlier than a certain turn. That doesn't change.

Well, that does it for the endboards. More members add more stuff and possibilities, but this is the gist of what you should do.

Bonus: World Tour through other archetypes

Melodious doesn't really have any hybrid builds, it prefers to be played pure because of a lack of synergy with other archetypes. However... The sheer power of Ostinato is too good to pass up. To have a little Melodious in any Deck, you need these components minimum.

1 Concerto

3 Ostinato

3 Refrain

1 Couplet

1 Soprano

1 Shopina

What you'll end up on will be 1 Etoile + 2 Schuberta with Ostinato, and an Etoile without. Light disruption that won't take up too much space.

The fun thing about it is that you can tag out the Melodious to give space as you're setting up with whatever else. And also... It gets Etoile under 5 summons!

Which means if you avoid a certain Monster and tag out as it's about to crash... You can get away with stuff like this.

Is it optimal? No. Is it fun? HECK YES.

The ascending and descending scales of the Melodious

This is going to be a segment mentioning every single Melodious card, or those associated, and divide them into sections on how much they've improved.

I could also say something about each new Melodious Member... But I already did. My opinions on them haven't really changed from before, they're overall a miracle.

Still Scales (no change)

The Cards which didn't receive any relevant change in viability IN COMPARISON TO OTHERS IN THE DECK. It's not about raw power level, more like how you'll use the Card if at all.

Ostinato: still remains the big Fusion playmaker it's always been. Its power has drastically increased, and it's especially evident outside of the archetype. But when it comes to the Archetype? Always been run 3 and never looking back.

Sonata/Canon: Who'd say no to free Special Summmons? Always there in case we need to go to Harnonist.

Harmonist: Speaking of, she has changed quite a bit in scope. Before this, she was the linchpin for any strategy which either made up for Ostinato not being there or worked well alongside it in more offensive turns. Now she's become the "Plan B" for the archetype, but her range of options has quite increased just by having Refrain alone, as you saw. If the 1-card starters fail, then she'll gladly put in the effort to make it up. She's still as vulnerable as ever though, albeit chainblocking is easier. If Etoile needs to get her out of her position before she can Special Summon, you might have saved her, but she worked for nothing.

Bloom Prima: Another case of a role strengthened, a role weakened. Or in this case, lost. Before the support, she was Harmonist's most reliable chainblocker, protecting her from effects such as a delayed Ash or a Gamma. Now with Bacha and Concerto making up the bulk of the combos, Bloom Prima has lost her place there. However, Refrain's pend effect does help Prima strike even harder, albeit the ATK boost won't be too much because of a lack of high level Melodious still in deck by that point. Still useful because Etoile clearing the way also weakens your offensive power.

Opera/Solo/Serenade: Yeah these ladies won't get to enjoy the spotlight sadly. Didn't have a role then, don't really have it now. It's all a matter or redundancy or not being effective enough at their roles. The Melodious deck has enough Special Summoning and is still so pure that Serenade's extra Normal and tribute foddee for any Fairy won't be of much use or would be too clunky. Had Bacha also allowed generic Fairies to be sent as material, she could have had something.

Pianissimo/Fortissimo/Melodious Illusion: Same as above, really. Lack of applications, contrasting with Aria, and weak effects meant they were unusable back then and are so now.

Crystal Rose/Brilliant Rose: If only they were Melodious Monsters... Brilliant could have a cute effect of sending Bacha directly to the GY to activate her effect, but it's just not worth it. It's better to have Bacha perform first on the Field.

Descending Scales (worsened)

Unfortunately, as new Cards come in, some older ones must make way for them and diminish, or give up, their position. That really is only relevant to the Deck's optimal strategies though. The Deck's overall still a "for Fun" one so don't be too discouraged by this. Even so...

Mozarta: The new wave of support actually hurts her the most out of anyone. She's unfortunately not played anymore in an optimal build. Simply put, her niche role of Fusion Material for the Choirs and Special Summoning Monsters that you wanted in your Deck but were in the Hand, as well as building offense, are rendered entirely obsolete. Especially the Pendulum Scales, which now Fulfill Mozarta's effect. Scratch all that, and she simply becomes a brick.

Bloom Diva: This one just hurts morally. The superstar of the Melodious has to fulfill now a back role of last resort and nothing else. She was the only souce of non-battle removal (and it still involved battling) but Etoile is so much better at that because of how versatile she is. The good thing is, Etoile can bring her out instantly at least so she works if everything else goes awry. She wasn't the main plan before, but a somewhat reasonable alternative.

Elegy: This is just weird to say after emphasizing the Aria/Elegy lock being a thing that's signature to Melodious' gameplan. Thing is... Aria is easier to Summon and more applicable in protection, while Elegy depends on the kind of removal that's threatening the Melodious. Destruction isn't super relevant except for Fire Kings' case, and she's not easy to get into the Field if you hadn't set up prior. As such, it's debated whether or not to go for Elegy in favour of allocating other members in such as Schuberta (in non-Ostinato cases). I'd keep her personally, but if not, she's a Side Deck option.

Score: Well, she didn't do THAT much before, but she was still a cute battle trick which was hard to stop due to being activated in the Damage step. With higher removal and... Just less space in Deck, she struggles to fit in more than before.

Ascending Scales (improved)

Well, there's nowhere to go but up now! We can finally get to the one that can now shine even brighter on the stage!

Tamtam: What a glow-up. Those who knew the Deck before but not after... Would you believe me if I told you Tamtam is the hottest debate of the Melodious community now? Before then, she was the worst designed Card of the archetype because her effects were either asininely hard to take advantage of or didn't help Monsters as much as it should (AHEM BLOOM DIVA). As the Melodious Maestro showed before with the video, Tamtam now raises the ceiling of a Melodious endboard and gives it more advantage thanks to her non-once per turn effect of searching Fusion Substitute (treated as Polymerization and only other card she could search), she is able to gather more Monsters on the Field with Ostinato combos and also more Card advantage due to Fusion Substitute also serving as discard and an additional draw. And the burn damage is nice. However, by including Tamtam, you have to include a Poly (or Sub), which does lessen consistency. That is the core of the debate: more power vs more consistency. Still, it's so nice that Tamtam gets to play on the stage well now. You love to see it!

Soprano: Well, previously she was the better alternative to Tamtam, but now they can work well together. Even without Tamtam, she's still integral to the Melodious' combos now, with the Fusion also being played multiple times in a good turn. I have to mention her amazing synergy with the Pendulum Songstresses, as their effects work so well with one another. I'll just picture a brief scenario:

Ostinato fuse Refrain and Couplet for Bacha, SS Soprano -> Soprano add back Couplet, Couplet SS Refrain from grave -> Refrain search.

It can even work with Soprano being put to GY alongside another, and Refrain being Summoned off Bacha to add Couplet and Summon her, retrieving the other Melodious used as Fusion Material. These make just a heavenly trio.

Shopina: She's now become the Main Deck Maestra of choice because of her effect not only working well with Couplet, again, but also because it comes up more often (not a HOPT) and can search the only particular non-melodious Card we have, Herald of Orange Light. An amazing backup for our concert which only improves our control capabilities.

Aria: Well, she was the linchpin of the Deck before and what made it so (in)famous in the first place. So what exactly improved for her? More applications. Because of the numerous starters and extenders you now have access to, she can serve as an early Summon off of 1st Movement to protect the other Melodious from targeting Handtraps such as Impermanence and Effect Veiler. Also, while it looks like she conflicts with Refrain's Pendulum Effect, it's actually no issue at all because the latter is either done before Aria is Summoned or Etoile can temporarily have her bow out of the stage to allow Refrain to use her effect. Also she's just easier to Summon in general.

Schuberta: Before now, she wasn't actually that likely to use her own talents because of how hard it was to put her alongside Aria without a stacked Hand. Her role was moreso being a Melodious Fusion who didn't require a Maestra, so that Aria and Elegy could be sent off Ostinato and then revive at the End Phase with her destruction. Not an exciting role. Nowadays, she's not only very likely to be used for her actual effect, but it's repeatable now: while an "only while face-up on Field" effect, it can be done again with that same Schuberta if you banish her with Etoile's effect and have her come back later. This makes that effect go from non-existent to persistent.

1st Movement: Can Summon Refrain now, making it lead to combos alone. It needed other Melodious in Hand before doing anything that wasn't just passing with Aria. Now it can either Summon her for protection or Refrain for starting combos, making it more versatile.

Concert Crashers (staple answers and threats)

Well, we now see what the Melodious can do and how they're faring. Sure, there's variations in all of these depending on preferences, but they will all lead to a now good board which can outlast quite a bit.

So... What about those who excel in interrupting them or shutting them down? I'll only list the few relevant ones, the others should be understandable once I cover them because the situations are similar.

Ash Blossom remains as she was before, more or less. She's likely to be used against the Spells or Refrain if there's no other Handtrap alongside the Yokai. Harmonist and Bacha are poor choices to Ash: the former will be chainblocked most likely, while the latter can't be negated at all.

Impermanence or Effect Veiler are useless if Aria's Summoned first, but that's rare. Harmonist remains the prime target if she's open, but Bacha isn't immune either because her protection effect gets negated first. Though it's likely that it will be used right away against a Refrain. Hope you have extension from Hand if that happens.

D.D. Crow or Bystials are somewhat effective at disrupting the Melodious combos. They use the GY quite often also thanks to Bacha, and they all target their Melodious to bring out before being able to do so. Either can just snatch them away.

Now... For Nibiru.

I had alluded to its presence in the past but the rock is a really important counter to discuss, because Melodious is quite particular in how they deal with it. They... Kinda don't, but can prevent their members from getting crushed by it. That's all because of Etoile. Etoile before the 5th Summon is the difference between a rock crashing into the stage and demolishing it or not coming out at all. If all Melodious are banished by Etoile and no one's on the Field, Nibiru won't trigger the Summon at all and will resolve with no effect. Depending on whether or not you have anything else in Hand though is where you either have to end on what the board was before the Nibiru, or can do some other plays. Remember that second endboard I posted? The result of Ze Amin continuing where the Melodious left off. A pure version likely won't have much to do afterwards unless it has an Ostinato still in Hand for any reason. Also Nibiru us more effective if used while Harmonist is using her on Summon effect: since she 100% will leave the Field unless you have a negate, she cannot Summon afterwards because the Melodious need to be Summoned to where she points to.

Forbidden Droplet and Dark Ruler no More are the hardest answers to counter, if possible at all. Mass non-targeting negation Etoile simply cannot respond to. All the Melodious have afterwards is her floating effect. Which can be at least something. Also, it's funny that theoretically we have an in-archetype, searchable answer in Melodious Illusion but it's simply not being able to be activated because Aria's going to be on the Field 99% of the time and she clashes with it, and Melodious Concerto is a better search overall. It's just not worth it passing up on both.

Conclusions:

Overall, while overlooked by the majority of the players, this Melodious Support is a blessing from heaven for the fans, as it finally solidifies their most likely intended playstyle: a high defense, low oppression Deck which can then switch to offense via strong battle effects and attacks.

Sure, we're likely not going to be considered in the major meta at large, but we're back and ready to have fun after so long. Some more well done support would do the trick to make it somewhat competitive, but we're overall very happy with what we got.

[ravenouswreckage]

Anonymous inquired: are merfolk genetically compatible with non-merfolk?

(( Since I made a post for the pure genetics of it all (the answer being, VERY compatible, to the point that the Merkingdom’s embargo on any outside contact is basically the only thing stopping there from being a bunch of merfolk hybrids running about) — I’ll talk about the physical aspects!

Insertion into a merfolk partner is typically less enjoyable for the merfolk, but VERY possible all the same, and usually MUCH more pleasureable for their non-mer partner! Merfolk have very particularly shaped junk, and it’s best to think of it as a lock and key. They’re perfectly shaped to go into the other, and the shape is very much important to the receiving partner as well — merfolk can’t really... rut, or thrust into each other like is possible on dry land, so their stimulation relies on:

1. The pressure from each other pressing their tails together and pushing them against each other and 2. The unique internal stimulation that their genitals are designed to offer each other.

The merfolk vagina has particular textures and places inside of it that are uniquely sensitive, and need to be stimulated in a certain way, which the merfolk dick is made specially to do. That’s what the frills on the sides of their dicks are for — there are corresponding frills on the inside of their vaginas, and being able to flutter those against each other is key to getting both partners off. The bumps and bristles and other textures are for this same purpose, alongside their uniquely shaped head, alongside the dual purpose of not letting any seawater in. Saltwater acts as a spermicide, so it’s vital for merfolk reproduction that none is allowed to touch the outside water. For this purpose, they, very much like a lock and key, fit into place and almost “lock” together until the two partners have finished getting off. It’s not that merfolk have a knot, but all of these unique textures and setup operates like velcro.

(This also helps, in a high sperm competition situation, to prevent other merfolk from pulling the two apart, and to remove competitors’ sperm.)

So the issue that arises, when a merfolk has a non-mer partner who tries penetration, is that they cannot stimulate the merfolk in the same way, since they don’t have the equipment to do so. They cannot lock in place with the merfolk, another vital aspect to getting them off, and while the non-mer partner gets to reap the benefits of all of their texture and unique muscle control, the merfolk gets very little in turn. The walls of their vagina are also notoriously delicate, and unless their partner has warmed them up beforehand or comes with something like the merfolk penis, there is a risk of tearing or being too rough with them.

There’s also the size issue. Most landfolk dicks are much smaller than merfolk dicks, and combined with this lack of textures and typical lack of knowledge of how to get their mer partners off... It can have diminishing returns.

Merfolk dicks, in comparison, are easier to get off, but you again return to the size issue. Because merfolk dicks are so much larger, they can have trouble fitting into their partners, and usually bottom out only halfway down their shaft. This isn’t a huge problem, especially because merfolk have prehensile dicks, but it can be messy and can still be disappointing for the merfolk. Extra lube is still wholly encouraged, even if merfolk dicks are slicker than most landfolk dicks, as is taking your time warming up to such a thing. Given as most landfolk vaginas also lack merfolk internal textures, this is likewise not super pleasurable for them in comparison, but not as bad as the other way around.

Unfortunately, human-style reproduction is not great for carrying half-mers. When I write hybridization, I say that everything the carrying partner experiences is related moreso to their setup and what they physically possess, and not what their partner has to offer. In the case of humans, that means one or two eggs released at a time, fertilized and implanted into the uterine wall, and the pregnancy progresses much like a human pregnancy. There are some differences, as if the carrying partner is just non-human enough to pick up on merfolk hormones, they can endure the same mania around the late pregnancy and birth as a merfolk, but this isn’t guaranteed either. Likewise, even half-mer embryos have different developmental needs to form their different bodies than what human-type pregnancies often offer, a lack of enough calcium to grow their scales, teeth, claws, and bones being a very common issue, and might end up taking them from the carrying partner if not enough is supplied in their diet.

This means that the merfolk ability to create extremely viable hybrids is somewhat diminished, since there are no multiple embryos who feed on each other. It can also be extremely rough for the partner, since merfolk come out very well-developed and large with a corresponding long gestational period, which can either result in a fetus that the partner physically cannot give birth to, or an extremely premature birth that might not make it. If the partner doesn’t produce merfolk pregnancy hormones, or if they don’t produce enough, or simply don’t react to merfolk pregnancy hormones — they can end up with their mer partner going through the late pregnancy mania but themselves not experiencing it, which requires for the two partners to be separated until it’s over.

The issue of the partner not reacting to and producing merfolk pregnancy hormones is a much larger issue, however, when the mer partner is carrying. They will be producing their hormones, but they rely on having another merfolk nearby (typically their partner) to both react to extended exposure to those hormones and begin producing their own as a reaction. This results in a positive feedback loop between the pregnant merfolk and whichever other merfolk they’ve spent the most extended time with, and they are the ones that go into their pregnancy mania. It’s also what informs them that they shouldn’t attack each other, and anyone who doesn’t have those matching hormones is treated as a threat and reacted to with extreme aggression. Typically, in these cases, it’s easier for the non-mer partner to not be present for the birth, and to instead find another merfolk to act as midwife, spending extended time with the carrying partner and going into the mania with them.

However, merfolk do have much more room in their hips to help them give birth, and carry pregnancies for much longer, helping to prevent premature births. Their multi-embryo setup allows for the healthiest of the fertilized eggs to come fully to term, and helps to ensure that their pup will be alive on arrival. This is not to say that nothing can go wrong, but it’s less common when the mer partner is gravid.

Merfolk do not have breasts and cannot nurse, and half-merfolk retain the merfolk habit of coming out with a full set of teeth, which typically means that, if milk is needed, it will have to come from a bottle regardless. If it’s not needed, and the non-mer partner was carrying and produces milk, then it will have to be used elsewhere, with all that that implies.

However, for all that I’ve listed — mer-hybrids are still comparatively easy to have! Sure, it requires some pre-planning and there are some risks, but the same can be said of about pregnancy in general. And, for a bunch of amphibians who would like to have kids with a bunch of mammals, they’re doing a lot better than everyone else is!

[risingshards]

My web novel writing process!

I was asked by a friend to share my writing process with them and I figure it'd be good to share here too if anyone is curious about how I handle web novels! For non web novels...I'm still working on a process for that 😅 My webnovels are here for Rising Shards and here for Rising Shards: Evy & Stella.

Before starting web novel:

Prototyping

Setup

During web novel publishing:

Note taking

Early scene writing

Outline

Roughs writing

Second draft

Before starting web novel:

Prototyping:

Basically me tinkering around with stuff to figure out what I want to write, what I'm able to write, what I have the most fun writing, because with a web novel a lot of content is needed to keep up with releases so I have to make sure what I write is something I can actually like *write* without it being a drain on me or something I get bored a few chapters into and give up. I try to build characters or at least start to around here to figure out how they "sound." I like to study the stories I like the most and ask myself what exactly I liked about them, what I'd change, and stuff I could be inspired from for my own stories. RS is kind of hard to say how long I was in prototype phase since it started as a tradpub thing but after working at a publisher and then the pandemic happened, I reallllyy took some soul searching on how to best release it and if I wanted to keep struggling against the woes of traditional publishing.

Set up:

This part is a bit out of order for the pre-web novel process because I want to have some stuff written before I start uploading; so with that in mind when I have a chunk of writing that I'm satisfied with that's at least a few months ahead to start up, then I think about an upload schedule, get a cover mockup or commission one, then tinker around with like the aesthetic I want for banners and such.

Note taking:

This one I do daily pretty much no matter what, basically just jotting every random idea down in a notebook, google doc, or a note app. My notes can be fairly incoherent from my handwriting to the ideas jotted down but I figure it out lol.

Early scene writing:

Sometimes part of note taking, this is usually me just trying random scenes which sometimes become something and sometimes don't, but are good practice for character voice. They're kind of like sketches but in writing form.

Outline:

I outline my stories a bit ahead, but also know vague points way ahead. I like to think of it as a hybrid of TV season, manga, and anime structure versus a print novel structure (though I suppose print novels could very well have this structure, tradpub is just more unforgiving to anything outside the beat sheet for debuts from what I've seen. I don't go too far ahead as the story can change in the writing (I too am gardener/plantser and plantser works well for web novel). Since I use a more TV season like format, I like to get a list of my episode titles in advance and move things around as I go, knowing where like the season premiere and season finales go. I find outlining that way is a lot easier for my brain than just the three act structure, and allows for me to play around more with how things happen. For example, an episode list of the first batch of Rising Shards:

Sometimes I'll have to adjust the episodes a lot if I move one way later to earlier for continuity, but doing them episodically let's me finish my thoughts a lot more easily and it allows for the best pace for my characters. My episodes are between 5 chapters and 12, but I think most are around 8-9.

Roughs writing:

This is where the bulk of my writing gets done. I set up a daily goal like "finish chapter 34.1" and map out my targets for a month, then get rolling and try to get around 1k words in a daily session, but not stopping if I get more chapters done, or getting too bent out of shape if I'm not feeling it that day. I'm a big "talk to your characters" writer, so I get kind of trancelike and just let them tell me where a story is headed when I'm in roughs writing. I mostly write chronologically but things that are tougher like big fantasy episodes, action sequences, and now...sex scenes *gasp* I try to write in advance so I can spend more time polishing them. 

Uploads:

Once the roughs are finished, I upload them to my site Tapas, schedule their dates, and then make the banners, thumbnails, etc. I usually wait on descriptions because when I upload chapters at this point my descriptions are very "Character goes somewhere." and that's it lol

Second draft:

This is where I fix up the drafts and polish them to a more readable state, I tinker with chapters up to their upload date and then after too (I'm not full George Lucas special edition I swear I just catch typos and weird phrasings like a year later). Then after that I start outlining the next chunk of episodes, get excited about people reading scenes I really liked and also panic about the ones that are scarier (aka big twists I fear won't land, sex scenes *gasp*, really weird stuff I don't know how people will react to, etc.)

The whole process loops around so I'll be doing roughs on some main episodes, outlines on others, polish on others all going at once. I try to have at least a month ahead on uploads so I don't fall behind as well. 

—Chiral

[acklesjensen75]

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review – Is this the best Pixel ever made?

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro series is the new flagship range of camera phones from phone camera reviews Google, but does the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL do enough to justify sitting with the best camera phones for photography. I find out the pros and cons of this phone in this detailed review.

Pros Additional AI features like Add Me are great Consistently good photos Updated selfie camera New panorama mode works well Larger 6.8inch screen Cons Macro performance is average at best (lacking telephoto macro) Puny 128GB storage, more storage costs more Only 4K video recording, 8K requires Cloud upscaling No 4K 120fps video

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. Photo Joshua Waller At a glance: 50MP main camera, f/1.68, OIS (1/1.31inch) 48MP ultra-wide, f/1.7, with macro AF (1/2.55inch) 48MP telephoto, f/2.8, 5x telephoto, OIS (1/2.55inch) 42MP f/2.2 selfie camera with AF 4K video recording, up to 60fps

Cloud based upscaling powered by Video Boost should provide 8K video 6.8inch screen, 1-120hz, 2000/3000nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 5060mAh battery Google Tensor G4 processor, 16GB RAM New colours: Porcelain (off-white), Rose Quartz (Pink), Hazel (pale grey), Obsidian (Black) There was already a large Pixel – the Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7inch screen, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a slightly larger 6.8inch screen, and the new 9 Pro is a new “mini” Pixel Pro model, with 6.3inch screen.

× How we test phones We review smartphones from the perspective of choosing one for its photography and camera performance. We look at what the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers, and the features included for photography and video, paying particular attention to the cameras on the phone, photo editing capabilities, as well as the output from each different lens, and features offered.

Features, Hardware and Design Google say the build quality has been improved with a stronger aluminium construction, and they say this makes the phone 2x more durable. There’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the screen to provide scratch resistance.

In terms of the cameras on offer, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers the same camera setup as the Pixel 9 Pro, which is the new “small” flagship phone from Google, with a 6.3inch screen.

The cameras feature an ultra-wide-angle (0.5x) camera, a main wide-angle camera (1x) with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a 5x telephoto camera, also with OIS. In addition, the main camera offers a 2x zoom that Google say gives the same image quality as a real 2x optical camera, and they also say they offer the same image quality as a 10x telephoto camera from the 5x camera, let’s find out if that’s true.

This zoom feature uses Google’s hybrid Super Resolution zoom multi-shot technology, which Google have been offering for many years now, and as long as you don’t use too much zoom, then the results have been impressive, even giving Google’s phones without telephoto zoom, like the Pixel 9, 8, 8A etc, a good 2x zoom option.

The ultra-wide-angle camera is now brighter with an f/1.7 aperture, compared to the Pixel 8 Pro’s f/2.0 aperture. This also features auto-focus, and can be used to close-up macro photos.

Selfie fans will be pleased to hear that the selfie-camera has been updated, and this is now a 42MP f/2.2 selfie camera, with focus (PDAF), compared to the 10.5MP camera on the Pixel 8 Pro. It’s also wider, with a 17mm equivalent rating, compared to 20mm on the 8 Pro.

This camera uses pixel binning to give you (you guessed it) 10.5MP images. The hope here is that they’re using a larger sensor, giving improved low-light performance, however, Google don’t specify the sensor size in the specifications.

The HDR+ feature has been updated, which Google say has been ‘built from the ground up’ but also based on Google’s 9 years of experience. Google say this results in improvements all-round, with better tones, (including more accurate skin tones), improved exposure (including shadows), sharpness, detail, contrast, tone mapping, white balance, and more.

Google say this means there are also improvements in low-light performance, and Google has added the ability to take Night-sight panoramic photos, which gives up to 50MP panoramic photos.

Best Take, as introduced on the Pixel 8 series, lets you take photos of people and then select from different options for the best shot of the subject’s face, with the phone automatically replacing the face in the image. This works well, and can be really useful for group shots. There are more AI features, which we’ll cover shortly.

Hardware and design There’s a 5060mAh battery and the phone supports up to 37W charging, as well as wireless charging. Google say that the new phones should deliver nearly 20% better battery life compared to the 8 series.

There’s a larger screen, at 6.8inches, compared to the 6.7inches on the 8 Pro, and you’ve also got upgraded RAM, with 16GB instead of 12GB. Google say this helps them run more AI features on the phone, rather than having to send it to the cloud so much. However, some AI features still require an internet connection, and cloud processing.

In terms of storage, the base model has 128GB, which feels like a small amount for a flagship phone, especially as it’s only 109GB available for your photos and videos etc, due to the Android OS taking up some of the space.

You can get 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions if you’re prepared to pay more, but it’s a shame it doesn’t start at 256GB or 512GB as standard.

If you’ve used a Google Pixel phone before, then the camera app layout should be familiar to you. If you’ve not, then it’s not too different to other phones, except a little bit more simplified compared to Samsung phones. It’s generally easy to use, and doesn’t take too long to get used to.

The number of shooting modes available continues to increase, and it means it can take a little bit longer to find the shooting mode you want. These are found along the bottom of the camera app, and you’ll find Photo in the middle, as the default mode.

[jcmarchi]

Understanding Gutenberg Blocks, Patterns, and Templates

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/understanding-gutenberg-blocks-patterns-and-templates/

Understanding Gutenberg Blocks, Patterns, and Templates

Developers suffer in the great multitudes whom their sacred block-based websites cannot reach.

Johannes Gutenberg (probably)

Long time WordPresser, first time Gutenberger here. I’m a fan even though I’m still anchored to a classic/block hybrid setup. I believe Johanes himself would be, too, trading feather pens for blocks. He was a forward-thinking 15th-century inventor, after all.

My enthusiasm for Gutenberg-ness is curbed at the theming level. I’ll sling blocks all day long in the Block Editor, but please, oh please, let me keep my classic PHP templates and the Template Hierarchy that comes with it. The separation between theming and editing is one I cherish. It’s not that the Site Editor and its full-site editing capabilities scare me. It’s more that I fail to see the architectural connection between the Site and Block Editors. There’s a connection for sure, so the failure of not understanding it is more on me than WordPress.

The WP Minute published a guide that clearly — and succinctly — describes the relationships between WordPress blocks, patterns, and templates. There are plenty of other places that do the same, but this guide is organized nicely in that it starts with the blocks as the lowest-level common denominator, then builds on top of it to show how patterns are comprised of blocks used for content layout, synced patterns are the same but are one of many that are edited together, and templates are full page layouts cobbled from different patterns and a sprinkle of other “theme blocks” that are the equivalent of global components in a design system, say a main nav or a post loop.

The guide outlines it much better, of course:

Gutenberg Blocks: The smallest unit of content

Patterns: Collections of blocks for reuse across your site

Synced Patterns: Creating “master patterns” for site-wide updates

Synced Pattern Overrides: Locking patterns while allowing specific edits

Templates: The structural framework of your WordPress site

That “synced pattern overrides” is new to me. I’m familiar with synced patterns (with a giant nod to Ganesh Dahal) but must’ve missed that in the WordPress 6.6 release earlier this summer.

I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever go with a truly modern WordPress full-site editing setup wholesale, out-of-the-box. I don’t feel pressured to, and I believe WordPress doesn’t care one way or another. WordPress’s ultimate selling point has always been its flexibility (driven, of course, by the massive and supportive open-source community behind it). It’s still the “right” tool for many types of projects and likely will remain so as long as it maintains its support for classic, block, and hybrid architectures.

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