#it's a real shame that they're so dependent on each other

[piptoost]

Spoilers ig for season 8 because, like me, I know there are still some people watching the show a little late 😌

CAN I RANT because I feel like season 8 is such a weird season. Like genuinely what actually happens in season 8 other than the weird thing between Dean and Benny (my beloved by the way! the man is incapable of doing wrong I love him)??? AND besides the fact that Sam did the exact same thing Dean did when Sam got put in the cage (not saying Sam's in the right, but I'll elaborate on that in a second), ran over a dog, and met a girl that he fell in love with.

Now listen. Yeah, Sam's in the wrong, but so is Dean! When Sam was in Hell, did Dean go looking for him? Nuh uhhhhhh bitchhhh. Not only that, but Sam tried to pursue a normal, 'apple pie' life when Dean was in Purgatory. Dean tried to pursue a normal, 'apple pie' life when Sam was in Hell. And yeah sure, maybe Sam could have cracked down on Kevin's location and helped him out a bit more. But Dean could have also tried to look for a way to get Sam out of Hell. Buttttt guess why he didn't? Because they had that promise that they wouldn't go looking for the other if he died, which Sam presumed he did.

And again, Sam's in the wrong for presuming that Dean was dead, giving up on Kevin, and starting a new life. He abandoned that notion years ago. That much is obvious. Yes, it's one thing to want a break and pursue it, but it's another when lives are at stake. BUT THE LEAST DEAN COULD DO WAS GIVE HIS BROTHER SOME GRACE because, AGAIN, Dean could have tried to look for a way to get Sam out of Hell without damaging him or his soul OR letting Lucifer out etc.

Anyway, for my first rewatch, I remember that I have free will and can skip season 8 but there IS still lore in season 8 so I can't 😔 besides, I need some Benny moments I miss him dearly, and ignoring everything about how out of character it was for Sam to hit that dog and fall in love with what's-her-face, it was a sweet moment and I kinda liked watching it play out. OH that brings me to ANOTHER little notion. It's one thing to call Sam out on his bullshit. But he was trying. He really was. And so it's a completely different thing when Dean decides to fucking fake text Sam as the lady just to make him see that she was happy without him. Like okay I get the sentiment, but that's fucked up. Because Sam did try. And he was trying to make up for the mistakes he made throughout the year Dean was gone. But the motherfucker just had to add something extra into that pot.

haha Dean is cool but sometimes I really hate his guts.

[elicathebunny]

DON'T LET THOSE TYPES OF PEOPLE GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR SUCCESS.

STEPS TO DETACHMENT AND MOVING IN SILENCE.

Let them be who they are, let them stay where they are, let them think what they think. But remember this, what you are planning is something they could never achieve. Pull through in the new year and do the things you've put aside and neglected so that when you can reflect on what you've accomplished, you can tick off the majority. Embarrassment and shame are real, I understand that. I also go through moments where I'm haunted by the same "embarrassing" memory. But now is when we can both change, we can choose to let go of those daunting memories and live our lives to the fullest. We may have goals that the person next to us could laugh at, but imagine how good it would feel to be doubted at first and then proving them wrong later. Staying strong is difficult, especially if you have wavering faith in your beliefs and actions, and if that's the case, that's exactly what you are going to work on.

1) HAVING A BELIEF

Having a belief in something will help you in your confidence exponentially. Whether that is in God, having a strong self-concept or in the universe.

Having faith in something gives you a dependable foundation, offers guidance, and keeps you grounded. Having a belief will also replace the desire for validation from others around you since having that validation will conflict with said belief.

2) HAVING A PLAN

Having a plan will also help your confidence. When others doubt your aspirations, you will only doubt yourself if you feel like you can't achieve them. But if you have a plan, you have no reason to doubt yourself because you know what it will take to achieve your goals, you will know the steps to go through to make your dreams a reality. This will bring reassurance, which will result in boosted self-esteem.

3) DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONAL

Understand that not everyone will be fond of you, and it's impossible to win everyone over. ("A friend to all is a friend to none" - Aristotle.)

People will act out of jealousy when they see you better yourself, gradually surpassing them. Perhaps they're feeling jealous because you excel in something they don't, or they envy you for achieving what they couldn't. If you take this personally, it means they have succeeded in bringing you down to stay on their level or even below it. If people criticize you for pursuing your goals, take it as a sign that you're on the right track. As you achieve more success, more people may start hoping for your downfall. Beware of these types of people, some may even be the ones closest to you (monitoring spirits.)

4) DETACHING AND PERSERVERING THROUGH

Practice mindfulness to stay present and detach from overwhelming thoughts. Meditation can help you observe your thoughts without getting entangled in them. Allocate specific times each day for your worries to surface freely. This prevents them from dominating your entire day. For instance, during a bath, take the time to thoroughly reflect on the day, welcoming both negative and positive thoughts. Allow yourself to fully experience those moments. Once they've passed, release and journal the thoughts and feelings that came up.

Understand that you can't control everything. People will think what they want, and realising you can't control their thoughts is the first step to detaching. Release the grip on issues beyond your reach, and it'll free up your mind. Focus on what you can change, and you'll gain a lot of mental clarity.

Persevering is fueled by determination and desire. If you come out publically with your aspirations and back down, then it gives people more things to laugh at. Let them laugh until they become silenced by your achievements. Let that statement discipline you.

5) MOVING IN SILENCE

Moving in silence involves taking intentional actions without announcing them to the world. If you fear that others may sway you with their words or that you may back down easily, move in silence. Don't tell a soul about your plans and goals. The less people know, the less that can be used against you. Only tell those who you are certain will be your support system.

Set Clear Goals: Define your objectives clearly. Having a roadmap for yourself will guide your actions.

Stay Focused: Concentrate on your work and avoid unnecessary distractions. Maintain a laser focus on your goals.

Work Consistently: Take consistent, daily actions toward your goals. Small, regular efforts can lead to significant achievements over time.

Avoid Unnecessary Attention: Minimise sharing every detail of your journey on social media or with everyone. Keep some aspects private.

Build a Support System: Share your aspirations with a select few who genuinely support you. Their encouragement can be invaluable.

Let Success Speak: Instead of talking about your plans, let your achievements speak for themselves. People will notice your results.

Learn Quietly: Acquire new skills or knowledge discreetly. You don't always need to announce your learning process.

Embrace Patience: Moving in silence requires patience. Success often takes time, and it's okay if results aren't immediate.

Embody your potential.

[ilminnestrone]

This was originally meant as a reply to @rottenpumpkin13, but I didn't want to drown her in an endless rant, so I'll continue here.

A lot of fanwork that depicts homosexuality has its roots in mysogyny. I said what I said. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it myself, I wasn't brought up in a magical bubble and everyone is entitled to their kinks, including me. I'm an AFAB masochist sub with a humiliation kink, so believe me when I say it's perfectly fine to enjoy things that could be considered mysoginistic in the safety of our bedrooms.

Let's start with the obvious here: the seme/uke stereotype has obvious homophobic roots, especially when it is culturally appropriated and taken out of its original context (a context in which it is mainly aimed at young women who want to identify with the uke character). The sterotype being:

the top is always the dominant one, he's tough and strong, sometimes even sadistic and brutal and quite abusive;

the bottom is always submissive and breedable, feminine, frail and small, and he looks like he's not really enjoying himself.

Let me stress the homophobia in case it's not clear: you have to be feminine to enjoy dick. And let me stress the mysogyny: you have to be frail and not really into sex to be feminine.

So here we are: bottom-shaming (yes, it's a real thing!) was a thing even in ancient Greece and Rome. "To be fucked in the ass" still means "to have it bad" in Italian. The point is that being penetrated is humiliating because it's something women do, and being a woman is inherently bad. And if it's humiliating it must be painful too. Both the giver and the receiver orgasms are always depicted as some sort of debasing punishment.

There is no such thing as top and bottom stereotypes we portray in our fanwork in real homosexual relationships. Bulky hairy men can be submissive bottoms. Small twinks can be relentless tops. Most gay people switch. The younger partner can top the older. People with the same body type have sex (and it's actually easier that way, this comes from someone who's 5' and can't do certain things because of size difference!).

You know how much I love @birdblacksocialclub. One of the reasons being the fact she depicts achillean men in a realistic way: her Genesis and Sephiroth are both slender and muscular, roughly the same size and they want to have sex with each other because they're both young and hot. Who's the top? Probably Sephiroth, but it's actually unclear most of the time. Who's the dominant one? Ah, it depends, it's a battle of wits. Who's mainly? Both, because they're fucking men in their twenties. Who enjoy himself most? BOTH. They're smug and hedonistic about it. They're having sex for God's sake, it's one of the most pleasurable things in life alongside with pizza and punching a nazi.

This isn't really going anywhere. It's just my desire to see more variety and realness in gay fiction. I want to be able to find a Bottom!Sephiroth fic and not be overwhelmed because it's the first one I've ever read. I want people not to see a soft-spoken and queer coded character and immediately assume he wants to be pegged. I don't want people depict oral sex as submissive (it could be but it realy depends on how you do it). I don't want people to portray a character as small and feminine just to get him fucked.

And fucking please, let bottoms enjoy sex. We do. A lot. I swear to God, we're not suffering (even if we whine).

(And yeah, this is basically why I can't really stomach Omegaverse stuff).

[kannra21]

Pros of moving to Mephisto's mansion (let's say that he let you to suck-up to Diavolo lol, you're still a foolish human tho):

He's rich. The mansion is fucking huge!

It's just him and his little brother- so LOTS of privacy.

No family drama in the house. It's peaceful.

No stressing ab food bc no Beel. The fridge is always full.

New stress unlocked- he wants to eat something you don't want to (you want to eat simple bacon and eggs, he wants to eat Les cuisses de Grenouille wtf?? he thinks you're eating peasant food), so breakfast choice is always uncertain...

You bicker over stupid stuff like TV programs and et cetera. He's crossing his arms and hmphs in attitude. He's so annoying.

Cooking duties? Probably non-existent bc he has lesser demons to take care of it (though it would be kinda hot seeing Mepho in an apron tbh... what's wrong with you? you're thirsting for an idiot sandwich).

His bro is an angel tho, you love him. He called you "mom" by accident and you blushed, but it made Mepho feel some type of way. The thought of playing house, it's just too cute.

At first you hate him, but then you realize he's cranky and gloomy not bc of you, but bc of the back pain from sitting in his goddamn office all day and stressing himself out. If you offer him a back massage, he will change his opinion on you very quickly. In fact, he actually starts liking you more.

The longer you live with them, the more you learn about their everyday life and routine. Him and his bro have a habit of roasting marshmallows by the fire at night, Mephisto plays guitar or tells him stories. Sometimes they play fight and you warn him to go easy on his sibling. Mepho shows you canines and tells you what they're doing is perfectly natural bc it's important for a demon child's growth. He supports him in any kind of rough play. That's the way he was raised too. "Even a horse is choosing a strong, dominant owner he can depend on." You realize purebred demons are wilder than fallen angels. Fallen angels will never be real demons, in his theory. He's also prejudiced against humans bc of the whole power dynamic with pacts. But you're nice, so he doesn't mind you.

If you like Diavolo, congrats, you'll spend as much time with him as you want. Bc they're friends and he'll drag you everywhere with him.

Will spoil you rotten, but only if you behave... he's not so bad.

Will walk around the mansion shirtless just to mess with you. Bro doesn't understand why MC is so flustered for no reason. You tell him it's just a common cold, you go make some tea.

You prank him to take your revenge, like touching his bare neck with your ice-cold hands. You realize that he has a cute lady-like scream and you can't stop laughing. He gets grumpy and traps you in a big, tight hug to annoy you. You don't mind being held by him. Your confession made him melt.

One day you're lying in bed together, tangled in each other's limbs, talking. He says he loves you and that no rare version of Demonus could ever replace that feeling. If you ever decide to be with someone else, he'll understand, bc he behaved very badly towards you. He doesn't expect you to accept his apology bc he doesn't want your pity. He's a man, he's prideful, he has an image to maintain. But you're not pitying him. Being able to admit one's mistakes is an admirable trait. That's why you decide to give it a chance.

He wakes up and smells blood. He's panicking and asks you if you're OK, but you tell him you're on your period and that your stomach is hurting. The dude was almost in tears, shame on you. Goes to the pad's aisle and asks you what pussy size you wear. Now don't underestimate him, he's a very educated man. However, he grew up in a man's household and his mother never rly talked ab it, so it went over his head. Woman near him is holding her sides and laughing. He doesn't mind her, he thinks she's drunk or something. Buys everything from sanitary products, to painkillers, to chocolates. "Baby I'm coming home, just hang on for a bit!" He's afraid you're in danger of serious bloodloss. You facepalm. At least he's funny.

Before visiting his horses, he lectured you for the millionth time and gave you a long list of precautions, bc he doesn't want anything to happen to you or his horses. Yes, he's annoying, but that's bc he cares too much. He's not leaving any room for mistakes. These horses are huge and trust him when he tells you that they can hurt you. Long story short, they accepted you right away.

He gets overprotective of you when you talk with the brothers at RAD. Mammon won't take it well. He'll initiate a fight and Mepho won't hold back, so you have to interfere to stop the whole ruckus. And ofc they're annoyed bc "Why's he acting weird? He used to hate MC." He doesn't care about their confused looks, he cares that you arrive to your classes on time and that they don't pose a distraction to you. You assure him that they're your beloved boys you used to live with at HOL and that you have some catching up to do. He respects your decision and leaves you alone, bc he trusts you.

Although he loves private time with you, pls don't visit him too often in his office. He wants you to concentrate on your education and he wants you to pass those tests. It's not a problem, he'll spend his time with you at home.

He has a need to mark your neck or whatever part of your body that's visible to the outside world. It's primal, it's something that demons like to do. You don't want painful bruises all over your body so you suggest a pact as your best solution. He agrees, that's how you bonded to each other.

You enjoy Seductive speechcraft a little too much these days. You're taking it outside the classroom and people are either happy or upset about it. It's not your fault that your man radiates with such confidence and charisma.

He likes holding hands with you in public or even kissing, he hopes Lucifer is seeing it and secretly dying inside

You love and hate Mephisto. He's straightforward, bold and daring. Which can be rude and flattering at the same time. He wants you, and he wants others to know that they can't have you.

He wants to take you out to a nice restaurant so he suggests you put on your best outfit for the night. He even dressed his bro and gave him a cute little bow tie. It was the most adorable sight, you needed to take pictures. However, when Mephisto came out of the corner dressed in a three-piece suit which consists of a maroon blazer, black dress pants and a waistcoat of similar color that is paired with white dress shirt underneath, embedded with a golden tie bar clipped onto his black tie, it left you speechless. He stared at you too, you chose a nice black dress that flattered your figure and looked very elegant on you. You couldn't rly flirt since the kid was there so you just complimented each other. On your walk towards your location, Mephisto held his brother's hand or sometimes allowed him to sit on his shoulders (he's doting on him too much). They talked and laughed about random stuff and your eyes softened. You knew that he has a soft spot for kids, he looked like he could make for a good daddy someday. Your embarrassing thoughts got interrupted by him offering his hand to you, which you gladly took.

There are days where you play with his bro and spoil him more often than not. He's your son now. OK, Luke will always remain your no.1 son, but he has the honors of being your no.2 if that makes any sense. Mephisto is jealous of his own brother lol. You suggest your two sons meet and play together, but Mephisto is still sceptical of the angels. He doesn't trust them easily. You assure him that he has lots of things to learn from Luke and that he'd be a positive influence on him. He trusts you, as always.

People notice he's less cranky than he used to be. And all because of you. You're still bickering over stupid stuff tho. He'll kiss you to make up for it.

[adorablebanite]

Were your Durge/Tavs inspired by characters from other movies/shows/literature?

Lilla's neither; she's more of a "side character," but here are her biggest inspirations!

Judge Anderson (DREDD): Lilla is a Knowledge domain cleric - supported by her Patron Bane (introduced by Gortash, of course). Anderson can read minds, and Knowledge clerics have the same ability, as well as other Banite-adjacent abilities like Command, and Dominate Person. She's obviously going to be different than the other Banite cleric NPC's in game, as her job is to specifically protect Gortash (she protecc but also attacc).

I wanted her to be bookish, prim(in public👀), and an over achiever - essentially a prime example of professionalism, as the boss is trying to be a politician 😈

I really like Judge Anderson's innocent competence, so I wanted to keep that Lilla's front-facing demeanor; even when her arc does stray away from the good moral alignment after being hired on by Gort - in which her moral alignment clearly gets influenced by him, but she realizes later it's literally just in her blood to be a Banite!

---

Lee (Secretary) -I love the innocent-to-confident character arc, (as you can probably see by the Judge Anderson arc as well,) but let's be real, Lilla was originally created for a smut so I could waggle my brainworms, and the Secretary holds a special place in my heart.

The movie greatly inspired Awaiting Further Instruction, and I really enjoyed having Lilla go through an adventure of finding her nature, with the help of Gortash, of course. You've got the pathetic Dom, and the pathetic Sub, and while they're both actually pathetic, they find a security in each other's world that even though it's unconventional and twisted, it brings them comfort.

---

GoGo (Kill Bill): obviously vastly different from Anderson, so you can kind of see how the arc goes - and while I don't make Lilla nearly as sadistic as GoGo, she still does have a little streak of it when it comes to anyone who is threatening, insulting, or impeding Gortash in whatever way.

Lilla's demeanor can quickly switch from prim/professional/sweet, to taking personal pleasure in dispatching a rival for Gortash, depending on the level of the crime. Like him, she has a personal perception of justice that greatly aligns with his, and if she has been sicced on someone who has wronged him, she will sentence them accordingly. This can range from playful banter/underhanded threats and blackmail, to abruptly decapitating a goblin mid-sentence because he said something uncouth about Gortash.

My vision for her was the "loyal sidekick of the mob boss," and I find it extremely fun giving her a more interesting role than "yes master, no master," specifically for smut purposes.

---

Scleritas Fel (BG3) : LOL Yes, my initial idea was: "Why can't Gortash have a little minion like Scleritas Fel?" And here we are 😅🫣

I didn't want to rip off the concept of Scleritas directly, but Lilla is still intrinsically tied to Bane because he made her - not like Bhaal made Durge - but more of a "secret, experimental ritual commissioned by Bane, conducted in the outskirts of Calimport where some Banites conceived a person designed to seek out and serve his Chosen, but she ended up being too loveable and the Banites couldn't stand treating her like Banites should, so they wiped her memory, sent her to an orphanage, and offed themselves in shame," kind of way.

Obviously Bane was also ashamed by his botched experiment, so they have a shaky relationship, but that's all been settled in the fic 😇

Ultimately I wanted to write something fun for Gortash - and give him something nice! Lilla is very nice, and likes him very much (bordering on obsession), and is actually very useful in many ways beyond smutty silliness! She does a lot of research, spies, transcribes, organises dossiers/blackmail material, and pretty much oversees his political campaign and businesses (legal and otherwise) while he does the big-boy-chosen work.

I'll do one about Destri (Durge) soon too 🥰

Now that I've prattled on, I'd love to hear about other people's inspiration for their OCs, if they have them!!

@melvinthedepressedrobot

@kaava

@obuoliukai

@walkerdraws

@ennissg

@beecreeper

@newtia

@sankttealeaf

(I have to rush now but I want to hear about everyone so please tag me if you end up doing this and you're not already tagged so I can see it!! 🙏🙏🙏)

[theconstellationprincess]

I'm having so many fantasy high thoughts so here are some headcannons about the bad kids based on this ask game

How did they find out about age regression?

I think the Bad Kids would have learned what it was/what it was called from Jawbone after the end of freshman year. Prom was a nightmare and they've all experienced some really messed up situations over the entirety of the school year, but especially that specific day, and I think for a couple of them (Kristen, Riz, Fabian) it would be their first time really experiencing regression of any kind.

Adaine I think is intimately familiar with what it is and how it effects her, but she never wanted to look it up on her crystal, because giving a name to this shameful, small feeling she gets would make it real and she didn't want that because she was scared.

I think Fig would already know what it is, though she'd never want to admit it, and pretends to be just as surprised and thoughtful as the rest of the group when Jawbone sits them all down and lays out what he believes some of them may be experiencing, ways to cope with it, ways to cope outside of it, etc.

Do they have a specific age or range they regress to?

Fabian is a solid 6-8 range. He's a big kid! But he still wants cuddles and to be played with. It's an age where he still believed his parents were proud of him, loved him without conditions, where he wasn't incredibly insecure about his place in the world, his place in his family, it's before everything got complicated.

Riz and Adaine are both younger regressors, like 2-4 range, because for both of them it's a time where they still felt very secure and safe around adults, where they still felt a proper reliance on their parents and it was okay for them to do so. If they're both regressed, Adaine will take on the big sister role, regardless of how young she feels.

Fig is all over the place, at one time she'll be so incredibly small, and the next minute she's 13 and angry and upset and so hateful, and then she's 6 and wants Gilear and Sandra-Lynn because she loves them and they're her whole world.

Gorgug is similar to Fig in that his age range is all over the place, but it doesn't change much once he's regressed. The actual age is entirely dependent on how upset/excited he is, whatever triggered the regression, but generally the stronger he feels the smaller he gets.

Kristen is complicated, mostly because when she regresses, she doesn't feel any specific age. She's just not her age and that's it, which confuses some of the other bad kids, but they're happy to let her ;ead the way in what she wants when regressed, even if it bounces back and forth between pacifiers and horror movies.

Do they try to hide it from friends/family?

Absolutely. All of them at first, because (for the most part) they're confused and ashamed and they don't want to admit out loud that they feel like they're losing their minds.

After the sit down with Jawbone, they have a sleepover at Seacaster Manor, all piled in Fabians truly massive bed, and spill their guts up to eachother.

Riz does his best to hide it from Sklonda, and since they aren't able to see each other very much, it's not too difficult. He's having a terrible time over the summer, everything is awful even though he saved Penny, he was a real detective, but he killed a demon and almost died and it was terrible. Jawbone tattles on him, in the end, after helping Riz through an insomnia and stress induced panic attack.

Adaine and Kristen don't have to worry about telling their biological parents, but they're staying with Gilear and Fig and walking on egg shells around them and each other. Fig eventually sets some ground rules about communication (to everyone's surprise), and things get easier from there.

Gorgug tells his parents right away because he hates keeping secrets from them and they're really good at emotional stuff.

Okay that's all for now bye <3

[notmorbid]

big swiss.

dialogue prompts from big swiss: a novel by jen beagin.

your aura is the size of a barge.

so you do have feelings?

i'm a shit-thinker, not a shit-talker.

where are you from, originally?

do you sing? are you a singer?

i don't use what happened to me as an excuse.

i'm a worker, not a wallower.

trauma doesn't get you a lifelong 'get out of jail free' card.

my siblings are dicks. i'd never die for them.

you seem disconnected from your body.

have you ever seen so many narcissists gathered in one place? be honest.

we hate all the same things.

why would you google such a thing?

people are almost never articulate about their pain.

there's not a lot of shame in this town.

it's not haunted. it's cursed, which is slightly different.

i never expected to feel this way again.

enough about me. did you have an okay childhood?

i've always been drawn to darksiders.

we just met. i don't want to scare you.

did you fit in, or were you a weirdo?

sleeping alone is my greatest unfiltered joy.

sounds like you read my diary.

call me before you do anything stupid, okay? promise.

perhaps you're unaware of it, but your every thought is written on your face.

i'm rarely lonely because i like my own brain.

anger can be cleansing, too.

better the devil you know.

aren't you afraid of getting caught?

you could talk to a hole in the wall.

i can't have more than one friend at a time.

people only live like this if they're on really good drugs.

i wish i saw myself in you.

do people say 'boss' anymore? you know, as a synonym for 'cool'?

a group of vultures is called a 'committee', which is kind of cute.

don't finish my sentences.

i don't respond well to verbal compliments. they seem phony to me.

dog parks are for people, not dogs.

did you just say what i think you said?

first thought, worst thought.

it feels like we already know each other.

i'm a thinker, not a feeler.

do i seem gay to you?

i was born with bags under my eyes.

what's more off-putting than namedropping?

i wouldn't know what to do with money, except piss it away.

are you going to make obscure references all night?

are you always this intense?

i distrust people pleasers.

you can't steal from the library. it's extremely bad luck.

luck is my only religion.

i don't feel like myself. or maybe i feel more like myself.

you've been standing there for twenty minutes.

last night i dreamed there were eight of you, and i didn't know which one was real.

i feel like you're hiding something from me, but i can't figure out what it is.

i think about you when you're not around.

don't tell me you talk to me in your head.

i fantasized about your forearms for weeks.

i might be growing a third eye.

lie next to me for a minute.

you already have what you're looking for. it's already there, inside you.

i'm feeling pretty gay, to be honest.

you look incredible for your age. you know that, right?

i watch porn now, thanks to you.

i am, in fact, a terrible actor. friend. human being.

stories change, depending on the audience. everybody knows that.

can you see what kind of night i've had?

you have the most expressive mouth i've ever seen.

you're not as detached as you think.

have you ever been happy?

i feel like a patch of moving fog, most of the time.

your ability to compartmentalize bewilders me.

you should try living in the world. or, i don't know, reading a newspaper.

i feel like i'm accessing and inhabiting one of my past lives.

i feel radicalized. ready to fight.

it's an omen. one of us is about to die.

you look more alive than you have in years.

are the words 'adult' and 'adultery' related?

i missed you. grievously.

what is that scent you're wearing?

i've been trying to ease my way into telling you about it.

before we met, i felt frozen. now i'm a puddle on the floor.

there's an air of doom about you.

you seem profoundly lonely.

so i make people want to kill themselves?

i tend to attract damaged people. broken toys.

i love being in public with you.

i am a master of the charade.

i never pity the rich.

do you consider me distant and unfeeling?

there's something actually wrong with you.

confess. unburden yourself. take responsibility.

we're not 'dating'. don't be disgusting.

i'm having an allergic reaction to your horrible personality.

i think we might be in love.

i had a very intense dream about ____ the other night.

what's happening to you?

one of the pitfalls of same-sex relationships? you can't break down in peace in public restrooms.

flowering dogwoods are bisexual. like us.

your 'tough girl' routine is pretty transparent, at this point.

it wouldn't be paranoia if i had any control over it.

you don't seem afraid to take emotional risks.

are you trying to get me to leave you?

you'll have to reinvent yourself.

do you know how many bathrooms i've cried in? thirteen.

i don't trust you right now, but i do care about you.

maybe you should try sitting with your discomfort.

i'd rather live like an animal than in some fantasy where people only have control over me if i let them.

you millennials and your utopias, i swear to god. you're so attached to your vision, to your virtue, to your supposedly good intentions. to being on the right side of everything.

why is it so dark in here?

i called and called but you weren't picking up, so i started walking.

you don't have a casual bone in your body. not one.

get under the covers. i'll sit with you until you fall asleep.

i'm always suspicious of people who openly worship their families.

if you can't even say it, maybe it's not something you should be doing.

you must have dirt on everyone in town.

i'm not done with you. i'm not sure i'll ever be.

this is a gossip-free zone.

you don't seem like a horse person.

your world seems like a good place to disappear.

you need to have more compassion for yourself.

i know my heart seems like it's in one piece, but it's not. it's all smashed up.

i was just looking for a way to feel better.

i've survived a thing or two, same as you.

you give up too easily. even in arguments.

is there anyone you actually care about?

i chose you. over and over.

i've never been more myself with anyone. including myself.

we all have an inner shithead. maybe you need to shake hands with yours.

i was too ashamed to tell you, or anyone else.

sometimes it's hard to let go of a secret companion, even if they're shitty company.

[leebrontide]

I think, someday, people are going to understand the value of stories about disability. Not just stories about disabled people, which may or may not be about disability (both are 1000% useful and valid) but books that really interface with disability and ableism.

Because almost all of us are going to end up with some degree of disability sooner or later. And a LOT of us are walking around with disabilities without realizing it.

People think of disabilities as yet another all-or-nothing binary. That "real" disabled people are obvious and helpless and have nothing to give to others. That "nondisabled" people should be able to meet every expectation that the person next to them can meet, or they're "lazy" or "not trying".

It messes people up! This insistence that unless you have one of a small number of acceptable disabilities you're "fine" and should be highly consistent and functional all the time. It makes people push away help that would benefit them, because they're afraid of being one of those useless burdensome disabled people, and because they're afraid of the censure of others.

Ableism hurts everyone.

And, frankly, health and ability are always temporary conditions.

I hate that when I say my books are about disability too many people think about cheesy after school specials where highly unrealistic children learn to accept a classmate in a wheelchair as being really just like them after all. That's not what it's about.

Disability stories are about consent, and bodily autonomy, and interdependence, and ambiguity, and change, and trauma, and shame, and pride and helplessness and strength and systems and families and individuals.

There have always been disabled people. There will always be disabled people. Disabled people can be in any genre, with a wide array of abilities.

Because disabled people are normal.

But we ignore so many types of disabilities because of that damn binary, and the shame, fear, and derision of ableism.

My books have/will have characters with: limb loss, chronic pain, chemical dependence, ADHD, autism, depression, PTSD, undiagnosed chronic health problems, deafness, intermittent mobility issues, traumatic brain injuries, dyslexia, eating disorders, reduced vision from age, a stoma, as well as more shit that I made up because my world-building demanded it. Sometimes the story is about the disability, sometimes it's not. But all of these characters relate to each other in a way influenced by their own experience of not being able to get their brain or body to do what they wanted or needed it to do.

Everyone's abilities and disabilities influence how they view the abilities and disabilities of others.

And that's good stories. Stories that are satisfying to read and full of themes worth exploring.

It wasn't that long ago they people got sniffy about stories about queerness. Now we understand why those stories are valuable and also just enjoyable to read. We need the same thing for stories about disability.

Anyways if you want, or make, stories of disability, lmk.

[spaceratprodigy]

✨ NSFW Alphabet Tag Post ✨

Thank you for the tag @freesidexjunkie 💖💕

Took me a bit BUT your call for me to ramble about Faith and Max ideas has been HEARD and ye shall receive 👀💦💦

–

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

I like to imagine they're big softies just melting into each other. This is something they never thought they'd find in anyone and they want to relish in the comfort for as long as possible. It's unbelievable. Staying close, last lingering touches, helping clean each other up, able to immediately pick up a conversation about something that interests them while they enjoy the intimacy of the closeness, the peace, and the privacy.

B = Body Part (their favorite body part of their partner)

Faith loves his hands. She'll hold them, press them to her lips, she wants them all over her. He hesitated in the past to let those hands touch her, ashamed of the pain and violence they were capable of, but she took them anyway. She forgave them. She assured him they would never hurt her.

Mayhaps silly, but Max loves her face. She keeps so much of it hidden at all times, and he will never take for granted again how blessed he is to be the only one to see a side of her she shows no one else. Those eyes of hers, normally so dark and fierce hidden behind her sunglasses, soften so much when she looks at him, they are filled with so much pain and so much love. The way she smiles, the smile that only appears when he has her all to himself. The scars he will gently touch and kiss and whisper promises against her skin how he will never let anyone hurt her ever again.

C = Cum

Everyone is going to have to accept that Faith is downright filthy and making Max cum is going to drive her absolutely wild. And she is going to be just as filthy when it comes to the clean up.

D = Dirty Secret

Probably neither of them wanting to admit how desperately they didn't realize they needed this.

E = Experience

Most people that have talked to me about Max know that my headcanon for him is Inexperienced But Good With His Hands.

Faith has a little more experience and has a much better grasp of her sexual appetite and desires. I know I joke around with many ships for her, but in her canon it really isn't easy for someone to capture her attention and satisfy her needs.

F = Favorite Position

For Faith I don't know she really has a favorite. It depends more on her mood than anything else, different positions hitting different spots filling her with different sensations and all that. She does take charge and top him rather often.

I like to imagine Max enjoys the positions where they're incredibly intertwined and pulled into each other. The feeling of their bodies becoming one, the heat of their skin touching, it's intoxicating. Who knew it was possible to enjoy the company of another person this much.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

I think, especially when they first become intimate, they're incredibly soft with each other. They're learning how to love each other in such a new way. There's no rush, no shame, no judgement. It's just them. Exploring every inch of each other, committing every detail to memory. I always imagine Max starting off a bit more serious and embarrassed while he's finding his groove, but in time him and Faith both are so comfortable and natural with each other that their personalities have no issue shining through.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc)

Faith is admittedly not the most well groomed. She trims to her preference but she's rockin out whatever is natural.

Max takes a little more care in grooming himself. I always imagine his routine changing a bit since joining the crew, not being as on top of it as frequently as he was beforehand. Especially if they're traveling. But ultimately, he takes a little more care than Faith does.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment, romantic aspect...)

They're very aware of each other. They really want to make sure the other is enjoying themself and feeling just as good as they are. Paying close attention aside, they are starved, passionate, craving indulging in every ounce of each other, they want to be completely lost in one another.

J = Jack Off (masturbation headcanon)

I'm not gonna pretend like Faith doesn't touch herself frequently when she has the privacy to do so. Girl has needs. Also some frustrations she needs to work out.

I don't really headcanon Max as touching himself, honestly. I feel like he is just incredibly pent up. But I also feel like maybe those kinds of feelings weren't exactly as strong in him and he was too caught up in his obsession more than anything else.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

I kinda want to answer this one for the sake of being silly. She has a priest kink and he loves the kind of woman that can kick his ass.

Honestly I feel like there's a lot I could get into here. But it might just be easier to be vague. She really gets off to him being rough and desperate. He is a bit flustered to admit how much her ungodly depravity gets him worked up. Do with that information what you will, there are many layers to what it entails.

L = Location (favorite places to do the deed)

I think they enjoy their privacy the most. But they also don't exactly have a lot of freedom when on the ship or when other crew mates are around in general to be as adventurous. But in some loose ideas and other AUs where they do have that luxury, I allow them to be a bit more impatient and needy. I feel like they deserve to have some alone time in the Grand Colonial Penthouse Suite. I also feel like they absolutely need to have sex in an OSI Church.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, what gets them going)

Honestly? Attention from each other. They're not exactly the most mushy gushy people, and they're very particular when it comes to how they engage with others that being favored in the eyes of the other is exhilarating. Being close, gently touching, saying each other's first name.

I also extend this to them just watching each other. Whenever they're in a fight having to defend themselves, whenever they're watching the other do something they're really good at, whenever they're info dumping about something to each other. Simply just existing together.

N = NO (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

I don't see either of them being into consensual violence if that makes sense. They have their own burdens with anger issues and violent tendencies, that isn't something they want intimately. Especially with Faith having a history of abuse, and Max never wanting to harm her in any way.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Highly enjoy both but I would say that they both particularly get off to giving. The sounds and reactions that come from pleasuring each other cannot be compared.

While I still don't see Max as exactly experienced and needs his practice, I find the idea of him finding a newfound addiction in tasting the sweet forbidden nectar of the gods rather irresistible.

Faith has her own limitations but she knows exactly how to use them to her advantage, and once she gets her hands, and mouth, on him she'll figure out exactly how to play with him.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc)

They start off quite slow and sensual when they're learning to love each other. Figuring out their needs and desires, finding all the good spots, what really drives each other wild. And they love every minute of it. They're learning and they're loving this closeness they didn't realize they were starving for for so long. They need this for their trust and passion to blossom, it only brings them closer to be so vulnerable with each other. In time they find their groove and pick up the pace more, but there's something so wonderful in the slow tenderness.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc)

They aren't opposed to it. They honestly probably have quickies rather often, their spacer lifestyle and the crew always being nearby can really interfere with how much time and privacy they have. Not that they aren't ever having quickies for funsies either. But I do think they would like to have more opportunity for proper sex.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc)

I mean, yeah. They've got a lot about each other to explore. Faith is probably the more adventurous one in terms of ideas to try new things.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for, how long do they last...)

Faith has more stamina than Max, but I see it more as because I write him as more inexperienced and a lil more sensitive to the sensations. Once he gets used to her he's able to hold himself together longer and be his confident, cocky self.

T = Toy (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Faith would absolutely get her hands on some toys. They're probably mostly getting used on herself tho. For her own pleasure, for making him watch and not letting him touch, for him to use on her. That isn't to say they aren't also being used on him, she'll have a blast hearing the sounds he makes while coming undone.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

A lot. They love breaking each other's composure. They both behave with a certain level of calculation, that being able to disrupt that in any way gets them going. Especially once they get each other alone and they let their hands join the game. What is hotter than seeing either of them become a needy, begging mess. And let's be honest, I think she needs to edge Max, it would be good for him, I swear.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds do they make)

Faith is louder than Max ever expected, sometimes even needing to cover her mouth during sex to keep from letting the entire ship hear. She's normally so quiet and composed, but her moans were much higher than her usual voice and she practically squeaked.

Max is usually on the quieter side, groaning roughly into her and swearing against her skin. But if she has her mouth on him or she's riding him she's able to get him to cry out in a tone she's never heard him make otherwise while he's gripping onto her desperately.

W = Wild Card (get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

I always come back to this idea of Max having a wet dream about Faith prior to them getting together and it forces him to acknowledge a lot of things.

X = X-Ray (let's see what's going on in those pants, pictures or words)

I mean. I write them as a bisexual m/f couple. Faith is always gonna be a woman that enjoys her fluidity. But I think y'all already know I love every interpretation of Max.

Do you mean that or what are they wearing? In canon I don't think their underwear is that exciting. She definitely has lingerie in AUs that she wears for him. Love putting my girly in some black lace especially. Whenever I draw porn of Max I give him sock garters.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Faith has a pretty high sex drive, in her canon she just doesn't exactly get to satisfy it as much as she'd probably like until she meets Max. But even then, I don't think his sex drive is quite as high, not at first especially, but she loves him and she wouldn't change the way he loves her for anything in the galaxy. He's not letting her go unsatisfied, let's put it that way.

Z = ZZZ (...how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Faith has sleep issues, insomnia and nightmares mostly when it's not pain and discomfort making her toss and turn, so she probably isn't falling right to sleep. But she is going to be tired out enough that it's easier for her to get comfortable, especially getting to be in his arms and feeling safe and at ease.

I tend to also write Max as having sleep issues, but that's a different conversation for another day. But I think this kind of release would do him wonders to finally get some good rest. He's used to staying up until he's sure Faith made it to sleep okay, so he'll probably try to hold on tho.

open tag to anyone who wants to jump in!

[arachnixe]

To Know You Is To Love You

"Astonishing! Where you come from, they really let humans pilot your own mechs? Just, what, with your hands? Operating buttons and levers like a carnival ride?"

They crowd me, far more curious than I ever expected a bunch of human-shaped machines could be.

"Yeah?" I answer, confusion apparent in my voice. "Why? What do you do, just plug a cable in?"

As one, the mechanisms in their faces shift and slide into configurations I'm learning to associate with amusement. They suddenly seem eager to show me every port on their bodies in a way that feels uncomfortably voyeuristic to watch. They may be machines, but…

It's hard for a pilot to not see the life in a machine when our lives depend on being completely in tune with our own.

I don't know whether to envy Nixie or feel sorry for it that it doesn't get to have its own version of this conversation with the other mechs resting on standby. It can only communicate externally in bursts of radio waves, and I'm not authorized to share its decryption key.

One of the pilot units speaking to me demonstrates how it slots neatly into its counterpart's docking cradle. It rattles off a litany of specs on data throughput, latency, handshaking protocols. My familiarity with Nixie's specs helps me translate the numbers effortlessly. It's an astonishing rate of data, capable of bidirectional real-time exchange of sensor readings and near-zero delay between decision and action. No wonder they're so much faster than us on the battlefield.

I have instrument panels and HUD messages from Nixie to read. I've got controls to manipulate, external video feeds to scan, and mental calculations to perform—it's all instinct now, drilled into me—and I can acknowledge how clumsy that makes us compared to them.

"Together we act as one" the pilot says, "with negligible barrier between our sensory and computational arrays."

I put a hand on my partner's armored leg, and for the first time I feel our acute separation, a gulf as wide as any between steel and flesh. I came here full of pride in what we could do together, with my skills and Nixie's state-of-the-art amphibious design and our ability to work as a unit, but now… It's nothing on what these machines have together, isn't it?

I grimace. "It's a shame I'll don't know what it's like to connect like that." So intimate. My heart aches for it. "I envy you," I admit aloud.

The room is silent. The others go still, perhaps communicating via silent side-channels.

"Would you like to?"

How could I refuse?

---

The first surgery is the most delicate. Their tech is incredibly advanced in some ways compared to ours, but even so, brain implants always carry some risk.

A modest computer and a radio, plugged right into my head. It feels frightening and alien at first. Metal at the base of my skull and a gaping hole in the back of my mind. I worry about what kind of mistake I made, letting them operate on me.

Then I recite my memorized key into the void in my mind, and it unfurls its petals. It blossoms into language. An impossible torrent of language that overwhelms me at first until, seemingly in response to my distress, it slows to a manageable trickle.

> NXE-110001 attempting send rate negotiation↵ > establishing link↵ > attempt: 2↵ █

I think an acknowledgement back into that link. Then, after a moment's consideration, I follow it up with a few repetitions of the test pattern described in our manual so that Nixie can calibrate itself with my own send speed.

> NXE-110001 link established↵ > hello pilot↵ █

We spend some time experimenting with the limitations of the link. As much as we're both used to communicating with each other using language, it rapidly becomes clear that it is the slowest information protocol we have.

It takes time for my mind and Nixie's algorithms to learn how to parse each other's nonverbal signals, but every day we get a little bit better—and a little faster—sending thought-fragments, images, and sensory data over the link until it's unconscious instinct for me. The more in-tune with each other that we get, the more effective we are, cooperating on a deeper level than I've ever dreamed before. The mechanical pilots encourage me as if taking personal pride in our ability to catch up with them in speed.

But I'm still not fast enough. Nixie is still throttling its communication speed for me to keep up. While I don't think "frustration" is an emotion it experiences, I know its algorithms are designed to optimize, and right now, it's my hardware that's the bottleneck.

Maybe my new friends can cure that too.

With their support, we plan several more surgeries: hardware upgrade for my skull integration point to add a physical port for higher data throughput, additional ports in my spine to parallelize transfer, a secondary computer in my lower back to offload additional processing.

The physical recovery for each surgery is tedious and exhausting, but in contrast I feel only exhilaration during the time spent learning our new capabilities after each upgrade.

The presence of the secondary computer is the strangest sensation of all, by far. There is the initial novelty of sending it commands to perform calculations I could never have done on my own. (The cube root of 110001? Approximately 47.9143438.) But with time and familiarity it loses that feeling of otherness, becoming just my "other brain."

And then with more time, it loses even that feeling of otherness. My mind just has two halves, each more suited to some subset of the mental processing I must do.

My friends and I design and fit a custom docking cradle for me into Nixie, and the day it no longer has to throttle its communications with me is the happiest of my life.

The term "pilot" feels ill-fitting now. Plugging into Nixie is just joining with my other half. When we connect, we become one in almost the same way as the flesh and machine halves of my brain do. Dives that once felt like operating a submarine now feel like swimming in the waters of our own home, no different than operating my own body.

I considered us a team before, but we're so much more now, easily on par with my friends and their partners.

Well, now they're showing off all the fascinating weaponry and sensor arrays built in to their own bodies, and I find I still have room for envy.

I wonder how many more upgrades they might be willing to offer?

[lucifers-horror-harem]

Hi I've been following you for some time and feel like you might be a safe person to ask your opinion about this. I'm no stranger to slasher 🍆 Michael Myers is my main big boy but I'm sort of new to monster 🍆ing. I opened up to a supposed friend about my new found liking of werewolves and she called me a freak and disgusting because to her it's b3astiality. She got into my head and I truly believe that I'm a nasty individual. Honestly I don't know what I'm expecting bringing this up idk have you ever experienced someone acting that way towards you? How did you handle it or how would you handle it? I can't move past the shame I feel 😕

Hey anon! First of all, I'm sorry your friend made you feel that way, while I don't know you guys personally it sounds kind of shitty of them to rail on you so hard about something like this. Second of all, I hope you don't mind it took me a bit to answer, I had work and was also mulling over how to respond. Plus it makes me feel happy you came to me about this so I wanted to give you a good answer.

While I personally haven't had an experience like yours with my friends, I've dealt with some backlash or people kink shaming about monster fucking in general. I think it's one of those things I don't explain in detail a lot because most people here are pretty understanding of the concept of monster fucking but. I'll give my thoughts.

One of the main reasons that sets monster fucking apart from something like beastiality is explicit consent from the monster. There was a post that used to float around and idk where it is, but if one of my followers knows the post and shares I'd be grateful. But that post talked about how with monster fucking, you're fucking a monster that 1. Can understand you, 2. You can understand it, and 3. You can both give mutual consent. (Dark fics/noncon/dub con fics being exceptions to the rules obvs). So if you're with a werewolf for example, depending on what variety of werewolf, they're a person that transforms and can therefore give consent, whether prior to transforming, or if they're capable of speech as a werewolf and can consent then. This goes for pretty much any other monster.

Beastiality or any of those zoophile people get off explicitly on harming a creature that cannot fight back or consent. That is NOT what monster fucking is. And it upsets me that your friend just railroaded you about this sort of thing. Because there are real people who are cruel to real life animals. And monster fuckers aren't it. Besides, there have been monster fuckers around in all sorts of media, its just that no one calls them monster fuckers explicitly. Until like, recently. Plenty of beauty and the beast type scenarios occur in media.

So, hopefully this isn't a huge ramble, but this topic always bugs me and I'm so sorry you had to be made to feel guilty or that you were gross for your kinks. Monster fucker spaces are all very kind and warm and understand each other so we've got your back dude 💜🫂

[rotting-ink]

How will Q and V react if the witch rejects them? V Because they are clearly married and the witch tells them (I'm not the type who is shameless to be with a married person) and Q because of the accusations against them that they don't care and cheat with married people, the witch tells them (How do you want me to trust you? This makes me laugh, I'm not in love with you enough to throw away what remain of my heart to the fire)

It depends?

Poly?

When just in the flirting stage, both understand and leave you alone, happily wrapped back up in each other.

However if you reject them later on, when in a relationship or when things are getting more serious, then V is crushed, but fine. Unless you tell them the reason why and they start to struggle. Still treats them courteously, but you can feel the change in friendship from them, just because THAT is how you see them. You don't trust them and thing lowly of them and they shut down around you.

Quincy, however, gets angry on their own behalf and on V's. Flatly calls you a hypocrite. Very protective over V and lashes out at the Witch every time. They will regret being mean later, but between your words towards V and you also being involved with someone married for that long. There is no more friendship from Quincy. If you ever tried to reconnect with them romantically, even when apologizing, Quincy holds a grudge. Knows that you probably didn't have all the information, but they're rather spiteful. V would take you back but Quincy treats you different for a long time.

Just V De Winters?

It crushes them. No matter which stage, it does crush them. Does spiral a bit, and spends lots of time alone but comes back, with a smile painted on their features. Does avoid you though. Very courteous and kind but they do not wish to see you. Doesn't even try to "win you over" because they do believe you wouldn't understand and they can't exactly divorce from their spouse.

Just Quincy Beaumont?

They would be hurt. Flatly asks why you even started with them if you hated their reputation so much? Would harshly bring up that you cannot shame them, that they're finally at a stage in life where they're comfortable and happy, what about you? You do not get to judge them.

It does depend on if you just say you can't be with them because of their reputation, they understand and would actually WOO you and try their best to show you the real them. However, anything like "I'm not in love with you enough" etc, then they flatly snap at you to stop being so melodramatic... Said by the most melodramatic person you've ever met.

Quincy can explain their reputation, they're not sorry about it, and they could understand if you were worried about that, but if you tried to use it AGAINST them or try to hurt them with it, then they become nasty. There is no friendship afterwards with Quincy, and out of spite, they go out partying even more.

[scourgiez]

something that feels like lost potential within bg3 is that there are so many different cultures within the game and we have characters that are able to speak multiple languages yet i'm pretty sure only lae'zel has voice lines with her native tongue, or that her race is extremely important when interacting with other githyanki. (correct me if i'm wrong i have not played as every race, lol)

this is great and i like how each race has their own dialogue options depending on what you play and who you are talking to.

tying into this: elves have their own culture, language, style, and in every other fantasy media are always a mysterious and more nimble human. these guys live for centuries, they're going to be slightly different than a regular mortal. obviously they aren't going to make races better in combat than each other and i don't think elves would be, but i feel like in the game they just have elves there as a "pointy ear-ed human" which is a shame! i have never played as an elf (or halsin / astarion's origin run) but i heard there's not very many elf dialogue options. let elves be the mysterious and mystical creatures they're meant to be! let's be honest if elves existed there absolutely would be the elf versions of weeboos within human communities.

in a game where different races come from wildly different places (the hells, the underdark, etc) i wish we got to see some of the culture differences between the races. the only ones i can think of that we get to see is githyanki and... goblin? maybe hobgoblin? possibly drow from minthara insulting surface creatures lol) because there's no way all of these races act and do things the exact same way. it doesn't have to be much, even just language dialogue options in infernal or orcish, or a muttered curse in elvish from one of our elven companions.

this probably will never happen because it wouldn't really effect the story at all, but it would be a nice touch that makes things seem more real.

[runespoor7]

nmj/wwx or jgy/wwx or lxc/wwx

Oh, interesting!

I answered under the cut, all three options and a surprise.

NMJ/WWX

don't ship it

Why don't you ship it?

lack of history in canon, I think. never really thought about it, they both die early without much to do with one another, I don't feel like I see what's going on there. I'm very busy shipping them with their respective it's-complicated.

What would have made you like it?

More history between them would have been a good start.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything to say about it?

ok see the Draw for me here is that I think the in-universe RPF game for these two was insane. Probably unwarranted! Lots of LWJ or JC stuff being given to NMJ for some reason and some Meng Yao stuff given to WWX. But there was a time it was the big YLLZ-era ship. Righteous Chifeng-zun calling out and going to to war against the fallen Yiling Laozu! Action! Drama! Lots of possible captive scenarios! Some stories have WWX be secretly a spy for the Wens during the war and NMJ being unable to prove it, and realizing only after the war that WWX is trying to set himself up as the new WRH! Some stories have WWX save NMJ during the war, only to be corrupted by his demonic cultivation later on! It's definitely the Hot ship at the time.

It falls off in popularity after NMJ's death - it's taken over by WWX/JC (which had started becoming real popular since JC killed WWX; JC gets a lot of the darker versions of RPF!Chifeng-zun's personality traits in those stories) - but it probably leaves a decent smattering of heirs in non-RPF stories. The most popular romance story in the present is from an author who wrote NMJ/WWX, they're not quite expies but iykyk.

(the YLLZ's actual most common ship is YLLZ/Ghost General, in stories where YLLZ is the villain and not part of the main pair. These stories are overwhelmingly NMJ/JYL after she's been widowed by the YLLZ.)

JGY/WWX

don't ship it!

Why don't you ship it?

I have never seen a protagonist and a "main(?) antagonist" care so little about one another and be so perpendicular to each other's stories. The Venn diagram between WWX and JGY is "WWX's sidekick/boyfriend's brother is JGY's bestie" and "the person who wants JGY destroyed threw ideas at the wall and WWX stuck."

It's very interesting. It kind of makes mdzs into the kind of case fic where the case is less important than the emotions. For me, "the emotions," "the plot," was the mystery question of: "how come wwx died? how did it end up that way?"; I suspect ardent wgxn shippers see "the plot" as "how do wwx and lwj get together". In either case, it's got nothing to do with JGY.

What would have made you like it?

so if they did have interactions/history/something I might be into it, but otoh it's such a fun thing that they're just incidental to one another that it would almost be a shame.

(at this point it may become apparent that my answer to everything is "idk, if they'd been childhood friends and had a falling out?" but what can you do.)

This would have been a cool story: WWX and JGY knew one another as kids. Maybe WWX's parents left him at an inn down the street from the brothel Meng Yao lived in when they left on the night-hunt that would kill them.

Maybe bby Wei Ying boasted about his cultivator parents and gave Meng Yao pointers. Maybe Meng Yao gave WWX food once after bby WWX lost his parents. Maybe they played together/hid together. I see something like at most a few weeks of something that someone older would have called a friendship, and then bby WWX disappearing from Meng Yao's life.

Meng Yao remembers the other boy; WWX doesn't.

Depending on how long they were friends you might need to make up a reason why Meng Yao never learned the other boy's real name; maybe part of a joke during their first meeting that WWX refused to clear up later? fits in with WWX's joke to LQY. Or if they did exchange names, you might need a reason why Meng Yao doesn't try to turn his friendship with WWX into something actionable once he learns WWX is head disciple of YMJ. The reason might be as simple as Meng Yao not knowing what became of Wei Ying until after he tried to reach his father the first time. The rejection, the humiliation, the fear of being a laughing stock and or being rejected again, pride - those might suffice to explain why Meng Yao wouldn't throw himself at the mercy of Wei Ying or the Jiangs. (Especially if their meetings were under the sign of bby WWX bragging about his parents or sth like that.)

Keeping canon otherwise the same, this makes for a starting point for "what if" contemplations I'd be interested in.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

I'm very into JGY having Opinions on WWX. there are definitely cool AUs to be made about them.

LXC/WWX

don't ship it

Why don't you ship it?

most of my ships need some... thing from canon. LXC/WWX is a complete mystery. I would be interested in making up stories about them, simply because there would be many stories to tell depending on your starting point. But I'm probably not going to want to spend effort or time on it.

LWJ and his feelings are also very much something that I'd need to consider, from LXC's PoV at least. And that's a lot.

What would have made you like it?

Hm, I dunno. A very different canon? One where they have more history, or more scenes together. Possibly one where I'm more invested in LXC as well.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

Oh yes, it sounds fascinating!

Are we talking about WWX/LXC post-canon, with wgxn either a thing or having been a thing? How do they navigate LWJ's feelings for WWX? Are they going behind his back? Is it sad, or sordid, is it an unexpected friendship that goes deeper than any of them expected?

Or did LWJ die from his punishment while WWX was dead? Is LXC/WWX the relationship in this story because LXC has been mourning for his brother ever since; how resentful of WWX is he? Did LWJ try to get him to promise not to resent WWX? Does LXC try to understand WWX (for LWJ) anyway, does he try to meet him halfway? Does he end up seeing good things in WWX as well? Or it is a destructive urge that drives them together? (There would certainly be a parallel between LXC and JC in a story where LWJ died for WWX. Is WWX projecting? What kind of relationship do LXC and JC have?)

WWX/NMJ/LXC/JGY

I don't ship it but I think if given the opportunity WWX might joke about performing a 3zun hat trick a lot.

And then possibly commit to the bit, the only sort of commitment he's at ease with. (/cheap shot)

Or panic and not do it, given that he's hugely sentimental deep down, but he would love the joke!!!!

[yukidragon]

Hi soo I have a question due to the ask of what if MC and Jack had a baby and Jack with Animal Ask, how do you think it be like for Shaun and Jack to just try and conversate with each other?

Well, I did mention the mechanics of how Jack could potentially communicate with Shaun in the post about Alice being pregnant with Jack's baby, that being he uses pencil and paper. I even showed a short example of some of their banter in the post.

If you're asking about what sort of relationship Shaun and Jack might have... well, we can only speculate currently, though I think a lot of it depends on how threatened Jack feels. If Shaun isn't going to take MC away from him or distract them from his existence, then Jack doesn't have a reason to go yandere.

If Jack does see Shaun as a threat... well... things could end badly. The game is called Something's Wrong with Sunny Day Jack for a reason.

On the opposite side of things, I think Shaun would be absolutely giddy getting to meet a real life supernatural entity. It's such a shame that there's the potential for the experience to end very, very badly for him.

I've mentioned since the beginning of my headcanon ramblings that I want Shaun and Jack to become friends in Sunshine in Hell. I think it would do Jack a world of good to have friends outside of MC, and Alice is the type of MC who would want to introduce her supernatural boyfriend to her best friend who she trusts and is open to the supernatural being real.

Of course, as I've also mentioned... Jack is going to "mark his territory" as it were. I mean, let's face it, the guy is a possessive yandere. It's going to take time for him to mellow and start trusting people who spend time with his sunshine, since they're so vital to his very existence, as suggested in the demo. This is especially true if the person is someone giving his sunshine lovesick and heartbroken looks.

This is why things between the two of them are going to be a bit rough at first, at least in my telling of the story for Sunshine in Hell. Jack and Shaun have reasons to be leery of one another. Jack is possessive of Alice and just saw her hugging and getting along with another person just the day after they first made love. Her introducing him as her boyfriend does make him a little less worried, but it's Shaun's turn to be concerned when she reveals that this ghost(?) that he can't see is her new partner.

Both Jack and Shaun love Alice(/MC). They would do a lot for her(/them) and have reasons to feel protective of her(/them). This holds true with every type of MC given what we've seen of the demo so far.

Their relationship will no doubt have some growing pains to go through at the start at the very least. There's going to be some conflict between them even if I'm sure Shaun would find the existence of a real ghost(?) to be completely awesome. Whether or not MC makes it harder or easier depends on how they handle things.

Overall, Alice is going to help mediate things between these two, and eventually Jack and Shaun will start to grow more comfortable with being friends with one another. I'm sure having more people believe in his existence is going to do Jack a world of good, and becoming friends is something that I think will benefit both of their lives.

I can't find the link to the specific post, but I could swear that I had mentioned in a previous headcanon ramble that I planned on having Alice and Jack be part of Shaun's newest horror film. Jack's ghost(?) powers will make for the most spectacular special effects ever, even if it's only doing things like making Alice and objects float around.

I also could've sworn I posted a teaser clip of Jack and Shaun's first private conversation without Alice around. Since it's been a while since I've posted any writing, how about I show it here? It's a good example of the type of conversations that I have in mind between these two. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think!

Oh, and a quick content warning for the scene: there's talk of self-destructive behaviors, excessive drinking, alcohol poisoning, descriptions of injury and blood, hospital medical procedures, toxic relationships, and near death experiences. Remember, this is an Adults Only erotic horror game. Sunshine in Hell has some darker moments in it along with sweeter ones.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur

...

“Did you know that the night her ex cheated on her, Alice almost died?”

The pencil dropped.

Shaun smiled bitterly. “I’m not surprised she didn’t tell you. That’s the type of person Alice is - always trying to downplay herself.”

Jack shook as he picked the pencil back up, quickly scrawling out his next message. He almost snapped the lead from how hard he pressed into the paper. “What happened?”

Shaun let out a hiss of air through his teeth as he scratched behind his ear. As much as he wanted to impress upon this ghost or whatever Jack was the seriousness of the situation, it was a pretty horrific memory for him, one that sometimes still gave him nightmares. “Now, I don’t know every detail myself - Alice doesn’t even remember most of that night… and that’s because she drank so much booze, she gave herself alcohol poisoning. The hospital had to pump her stomach.”

Shaun paused to take a deep breath as his dark eyes went distant. “What I do know is what I saw when I found her… When I got to their place, Alice was face down on the floor, and there was blood and puke all over the place. Not sure if it was from the broken bottles or the mirror, but she smashed her head on some glass and was out cold by the time I got there. Big fucking piece of it was jammed right in her forehead when I found her.”

A shudder ran through Shaun as he closed his eyes. “I… I thought…” He paused to take a deep breath then let it out in a hiss through his gritted teeth. “Shit, man, when I found Alice like that, I thought she was dead!” He took another shuddering breath. “Thank God she wasn’t, but it was a close call. I didn’t get all the details, but she hit her head really hard. She needed a ton of stitches afterwards, and one of the guys said she was lucky it got stuck in her skull, since another inch or two lower, and she could’ve lost her eye, or worse!”

The pencil snapped in half in Jack’s hand.

Shaun looked at the half pencil that fell to the counter and let out a dark chuckle devoid of humor. “You wanna know the worst part?” He didn’t wait for Jack to write anything. “Even after all that, she still forgave that son of a bitch and tried to make it work between them.”

Jack went utterly still.

Shaun sighed and shook his head. “Like I said… Alice is way too nice for her own good, even to assholes who don’t deserve it.” He stared up above the pencil, seeking out a sign of the ghost’s face, but he was left seeing nothing but empty air. Still, he kept his severe stare locked in that middle distance. “She finally accepted that bastard was no good for her a few weeks after that and broke it off, thank God.” He let out a sigh of relief before his gaze turned hard again. “Now do you get why I’m not so convinced that she should be dating a ghost from a cursed video tape?”

Jack still didn’t move. His thoughts were a chaotic maelstrom that he fought to control. Once again he thought back to the night when Alice finally broke down and poured out her heart to him, how she wished that she could stop caring, stop loving Ian. He thought that he had heard the worst of it then, but now…

Alice almost died. That thought rang in Jack’s head like a funeral bell. She got hurt because she drank too much… and she drank too much because of Ian. She admitted that she hated the taste of alcohol, but she got drunk that night in a desperate attempt to feel better after learning that his love for her was a lie. The scar on her forehead… she brushed it aside when Jack asked about it, saying it was caused by an accident and never elaborated. That scar was caused by Ian. That scar was a wound that could have killed her.

Alice could have died long before they ever met. The thought terrified Jack. He could have never met her. His sunshine would never have rescued him from hell. He would have been left to suffer forgotten in that endless cold, and Alice, his precious sunshine, would have been just as cold and forgotten by a vile man who cared more about selfish pleasure than love.

And Alice forgave that monster. She let him hurt her again until she finally found the strength to leave him.

Jack adored how kind his sunshine was, but at the same time this proved that everything, even good things, needed to be taken in moderation. Even kindness could be toxic if there was far too much of it.

Alice really was too nice for her own good. This was just further proof that Jack was right to worry that other people would take advantage of her.

[crisiscutie]

So a lot of people are disappointed and pissed with rebirth for various reasons, and I got to be real, so am I. They marketed the game by telling us it was going to be centered around Sephiroth, and I thought we were gonna get more depth for his character, but instead, we got more hallucinations and sweet nothings. I have never been so let down by a game before, and the final battle was just so flawed, and they removed 'birth of a god' for some lame orchestra music. I feel after this trilogy is completed, ff7's reputation is gonna go further downhill. I'm honestly tired of them just doing NOTHING with Sephiroth. The devs really need to step up their game, especially in the writing department.

I'm disappointed too.

So glad I'm not the only one who thought Cloud's flashbacks and hallucinations were overdone.

And I really, really hate this multiverse storyline they're trying to do. What is the fucking point if you're going to keep everything mostly the same while butchering moments from the OG? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO FUCKING DO, WRITERS? NEW UNIVERSE OR REMAKE?

And with the multiverse storyline, why the fuck not show us different possibilities? Different characters interacting with each other? Goddamn it.

I'm not sure if the marketing promised the game will be centered around Sephiroth, but it sure as hell promised to give his character far more expansion. Shame how that expansion seemed to be just restricted to the Nibelheim Flashback, where we just saw a bit more of Fluffy Sephy.

Only things I'm looking forward to in 7R3 is: the Sephy/Glenn/Rufus plot, Lucrecia, Vincent and Cid being playable, and 7R Safer Sephy.

I'm concerned about the ending of the trilogy as well. I know they said everything will link up to AC, but I wouldn't be surprised if they took some liberties with that, depending on their own feelings and the reception to Rebirth. 7R3 has a very tough act to follow.