#like have a whole conversation where they only refer to each other as Red

[fruithoughts]

  In this world there are a couple of absolute truths; the sun will explode someday, the water is wet, capitalism is a demon and of course, Yoon Jeonghan is madly in love with his best friend.

     CW: agegap(he’s 29 and she’s 23, they met when she was 19 and he was 25), bigdick!Jeonghan, fem!reader, friends to lovers, he’s so condescending but in the sweetest way?? what an asshole omg, one reference to him being a smoker, idiots in love, a lil bit of dom!jeonghan.

It's a classic, from the very first time they met, the bastard already knew he was going to end up in bed with the pretty girl with the coffee colored eyes, she retorted his unfunny jokes even when her red cheeks gave away that she was embarrassed, played along all of his little games just to give him hope that this time she had fallen into the hands of the big bad wolf, she was made just for him.

The special treatment Jeonghan provided her didn't sneak under anyone's noses, it was obvious, the only person other than himself that he allows to win during table games, just one look at him with that curious puppy face is enough to make him melt whole, he’s that weak. The only person he listens to when she tells him to stop cheating in games, that guy would give all of  the stars in the universe to his girl, would fix the ozone layer in 3 business days max if she complained about global warming today.

  "I could live like this" oh, that persisting little thought, always wandering in the man's head while he is around his friend, just waiting for the right moment to invade his frontal lobe and consequently force his heart into beating fast like crazy by making him think about the calm and happy life he could have alongside his love.

    The dreamer thinks and thinks while waiting for his girl to finish brushing her teeth, a silly smile stamped on his rascal face as he stares at the ceiling of her room, ironically, they were watching Friends in her bed, as always; against the will of his girl who insisted that the series was silly and he only liked it because he was old.

  As strange as it can sound, they had already slept in the same bed hundreds of times, most of those times due to Hannie’s habit of refusing not to take her with him everywhere he went, which more than often left them with only one hotel room to share, these nights were the most special, nothing sexual happened, which made them even more intimate.

The pointless conversations before bed, faces a few inches away as they discuss each and every scenario that his favorite girl proposes, "What name would you give your child? What if it was a girl?", "If the world ended and only the two of us were left, where would we go? Would you protect me?" She was always more touchy with him when she was tired, he loved every second of it. They cuddled until the princess fell asleep, her warm breath on his neck drove him wild, he wanted to fill her face with kisses, but he never had the courage, always waiting for the right time.

Now that once again he found himself in his friend's bed, just a month or so before his military service called for him, he wondered if he let the right time pass right by him at some point in the last 4 years, it was his biggest fear. What if the fact that he had hookups here and there over the years made her think he had no interest in her? What if the fact that he kept posting stories and photos with her made her come to the conclusion that he doesn't have romantic feelings for her because he wouldn't risk showing his possible future girlfriend to fans, and only posts things with her exactly because they’re completely platonic? 

With the date of the inevitable farewell between the lovebirds approaching, something had changed, Jeonghan couldn't quite figure out exactly what it was, but things were different. His girl always loved him(just not in the way he desired so much), he always knew that, she, who was always closed off with others; had no problem holding his hand under the blanket while watching movies or laying her head on his shoulder during car trips while Seungcheol screamed at Dokyeom because he took the wrong turn again, these moments felt like little secrets, his pretty flower laughing softly at the car fights while the bastard uses their proximity to draw invisible shapes of hearts and dicks on her bare thigh until he gets his hand slapped away when she inevitably realizes what he was drawing, in they’re little world in the back seat, no one would ever know.

Well, never? Maybe it was the wrong word, especially now that everything has changed. For some reason, his friend suddenly started offering him 3 times the attention he was used to receiving from her, holding his arm while waiting in line at the grocery store, hugging his waist and hiding her face behind his back while waiting for the uber, deliberately holding his hand as they strolled through some parking lot, suddenly her behavior made it obvious to anyone with eyes to see that they were in a romantic relationship, Jeonghan was in heaven.

He wanted to fantasize, to dream, to believe that this change was due to the fact that now that he's going away, she finally realized that she loves him, that she's always loved him and that they should be together, but part of him just can’t get over the possibility that she might have just gotten extra comfortable now that she realized he's going soon, and decided to give him all the attention in the world because she’ll miss his friend.

Things were not going according to plan and it made him nervous, restless... What was the plan? To confess as soon as he was discharged from military service, his group would be on a semi-hiatus for at least two more years after his return due to the younger ones serving, it was the perfect time to develop their relationship, he was sure they would get married early too, after all, for how long do you date after being extremely close for 4 whole years? He knows his princess like the back of his hand and she has him around her little finger, she knows everything, his whole life, all of his habits, allergies, fears and almost all his greatest desires. 

 — Stop thinking about other things while I'm here —  His girl's voice as she enters the room takes Jeonghan out of his train of thoughts, staring at her until she reaches the bed and crawls over to him to go cuddle again. 

— Am I only allowed to think about you? —  he asks, arching one of his eyebrows as soon as he has her in his arms, lying on top of him.  — When you're at my house, yes. —  She replies grumpily and Jeonghan laughs when he feels his torso being squeezed closer to her, draping one arm over his baby’s back, also squeezing her closer before depositing a little kiss on the top of her head, there's nothing this man wouldn't give to have this right here every day.

The conversation comes and goes as usual, they talk about life dramas and gossips from their respective groups of friends, some complaints about annoying and inconvenient people, just as inconvenient as...

— And that little guy you were hooking up with? Did you get tired of him already? — Jeonghan asks as if he hasn't spent the last two weeks brooding with jealousy, just the possibility of that idiot having touched his girl makes him want to rip off his own face with his bare hands. He’s not possessive at all, clearly.

  She huffs before replying — And that makeup artist you were clinging to? How is she? — the tone of the question tone made Jeonghan roll his eyes, he only had a little affair with that woman, a few kisses for a week and they slept together once, no big deal, and obviously it didn't mean anything to him, just like all his hookups never did. The man's distant behavior towards the people he fucked with was always a reason for a fights between them and most of the time it was the reason for the "breakup" of said hookup status, but why would he try to feel anything for any of his fuck buddies when his true love was just around the corner? He was just paving the way.

  — You know it was nothing, it never is — the man feels her little eyes burning through his face as he avoids meeting her vision, he knows where his answer will take him, he hates this part — And when will it start to be something? You're getting old, you know… —  she says teasing the possibility of her friend dying alone, he knows she's joking, but that's no comfort to how much it hurts not to have the courage to just hold her face and take what he spent the last 4 years wishing for so much, Jeonghan is patient, but people can hold on for only so long before snapping.

— And when are you going to start dating? Deceiving those little boys is not very nice on your part —  he received an indignant look from his friend, getting exactly where he wanted, the part where he takes control of the conversation back. It was no new's article that Jeonghan didn't really like anyone's face, the problems were always repeated in one way or another, "He's too young, he won't know how to treat you right.", "Look at the way he talks, I could bet five hundred dollars that this guy gets grossed out by the idea of eating pussy, he's just a little boy.", "Beautiful, look at the things this guy posts, he doesn't even know how to talk like a normal person and do you think he'll know how to fuck you?".

It wasn't exactly hard to figure out that Jeonghan doesn't approve of the possibility of his dear and beloved friend being a guy the same age as her, they are immature and gangly, they don't know how to do it the same way he does, they don't have the time and money to be able to take care of her like he can.

The silence coming from his petal makes him worried immediately, if that son of a bitch hurt his love’s heart, he doesn't even know what he's capable of doing — What happened, bunny? — he knew she hated the nickname, he called her by it anyway to get her out of her own head, his princess always thought too much, and he, as her perfect match, knew exactly how to bring her back to the real world.

She sighed before shyly admitting — You were right… —  he felt a wave of satisfaction run through his entire body, he loved it when his theories about the girl's hookups ended up being accurate — What was Hannie right about, hm? Tell me. —  he received a slap on his arm and could tell just from her breathing that his pretty little thing was sulking like never before.

  — He didn't even know how to hold a conversation! He didn't talk about anything worthwhile, he didn't have anything to do with life, he was a bore! — she vented, obviously it was something that had been bothering her for a long time, and who wouldn't be bothered when it's impossible to find a nice guy? Nobody had an interesting back and forth, a way of talking that made her all soft, a way of being that was all unique and special, there was no one like that. There was no one like him.

Jeonghan saw life pass before his eyes, the hand that was on the girl's back unconsciously squeezed her waist a little harder, with his eyes still fixed on the ceiling, for a moment he really considered that he was finally going insane, would she ever notice? Was that what they were going to be for the rest of their lives?

Friends who run into each other's arms to receive the affection and love many couples out there can't dream of having for each other while complaining that they can't find the "right person"? Would she ever really find someone who matched her? Someone who isn't him? Someone who doesn't deserve his girl at all, someone who hasn't spent literal years learning all the little details and parts of her life and worked so hard to be the best friend she could ever have, someone who doesn't love her the same way he does, someone who won't know how to make her cum as good as she deserves, someone who… — Jeonghan? — like the devil, that sweet, sweet voice calls to him, and by this point, he's been starving for quite a while.

— I'd make you the happiest woman in the world if you’d let me —  the words lingered in the air for a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, he felt his doll's heart start to act as if she had just run a marathon, the strong beats against his chest seemed to mimic the beating of his own heart, which she surely felt too. He didn't even realize when exactly he closed his eyes out of pure fear of having ruined everything, he also didn't dare to open them when he felt her moving around on top of him, when he thought he couldn't stand to stay there any longer without running. 

He felt the sweetest kiss this universe has ever dared create, immediately his hands went to his... friend’s? Face,  kissing her back fervently, Jeonghan could cry if he didn't have so much adrenaline in his body after confession, the position was already perfect, they were grabbing and pulling and rubbing on each other for so long, maybe twenty minutes? Maybe two hours? Four days? It was hard to discern silly things like the time when he finally had his girl exactly where he had always wanted her.

— I don't want you to go, Jeongie... —  she confessed breathlessly, holding onto collar of the baggy shirt the man wore as if he was going to disappear as soon as she let go, those shiny little eyes were capable of making him fight 9 wars, weed 5 batches, discover the cure for 13 diseases, achieve anything that could possibly make her stay with him forever.

— I know, I know, my love —  he laid her on the bed with all of the care in the world, only to then, like an addict, go back to enjoying his girl's delicious mouth while he tested the territory by caressing the soft skin of her waist and belly under her pajama top �� Do you love Hannie? Do you not want him to leave? — Yoon Jeonghan was worse than any whore, he wants to hear that he wasn't the only one who’s obsessed, that he's not the only one who spent the last 4 years losing nights of sleep and wasting who knows how much bath water while thinking about his best friend.

He feels his princess's warm little hands begin to explore his torso, scratching his chest and waist, sinking her sharp nails into the skin of his shoulders and the sides of his abdomen so, so deliciously, if he was a little less patient he would have already given up doing things slowly — Wait for it, you'll how learn to be patient, bunny.  — Jeonghan commanded firmly when he felt his pants being pulled down little by little. His girl would be lying if she said she wasn't dying to give in, the bulge in his pants was more than enough to scare her off, but she knew her Hannie would never hurt her — You'll wait for me to fuck you when you’re ready to take it, without complaining, gonna be good to me. 

The prep was long, this man didn't rest until he made his little doll cum in his mouth, then with his long and precise fingers, then with the both, he paused between the three of them so he wouldn’t overwhelm his sweet girl, he did everything to make her as open up as much possible but it would still take time to be able to fuck hard when he entered her little heaven, he was at peace with it, in fact, he was already in paradise just by eating her out. 

The one who wasn't at peace was her, this asshole was too hot for his own good, if she had the strength she would have already ripped off this motherfucker's underwear with her own teeth, unfortunately no one tells you how hard it is to find the strength to be angry with someone after they just gave you the three best orgasms of your life.

  — You look so much happier, baby, just needed someone to treat you the way you like —  his lips and chin glittered with her honey, if they weren't so close, she would probably be ashamed to have gotten so wet, but he deserved it — It impresses me that you didn't suffocate down there, with those black lungs. They must look like two raisins —  she jokes while pulling him by the shirt to get on top of her again, wiping the sweet juice from his chin with her thumb, only to put it directly in her friend's mouth, who happily received the dirty act and sucked her thumb clean.

— I won't even tell you what I'm going to leave looking like a raisin if you don't drop the attitude — he joked right back before kissing her, drunk in love. That was it, everything he ever wanted, just him and his woman locked in the bedroom, smiling like two idiots while making each other feel good, this could last forever, but now he was the one who couldn't wait any longer, all it took was her looking up to him though her eyelashes, giving him the puppy eyes he fell in love with all those years ago, it was all it took for him decided he couldn't take it anymore — Take it off, I'm tired — he says while letting his hands fall to the sides as he knelt on the bed, in front of her, looking down to his pants basically saying "if you want it, then come and get it", this scoundrel is very lucky to have such a beautiful face, otherwise he would have been punched already. 

When the little game and fights were finally over and the time finally came, he entered very slowly, truly enjoying every second of his precious time and honestly, as much as it killed him to see his little princess in pain... Jesus Christ, that expression with her eyebrows tensed up and half-lidded eyes while her red mouth moans his name just so sweetly is a sight dangerous enough to kill anyone. The scene left him all vulnerable, his knees risked failing, his fingers lost strength, and in the end, Jeonghan was a weakling for his girl.

  Her little sounds were all he needed to start moving, extremely slowly, he needed to train her tight little hole to be fucked by a real man — Those little boys really did you wrong, hm? Doesn't feel like you’ve ever been fucked at all — he made a point of speaking as he watched the long drag of his cock into and out of his little angel, hypnotized.

— Shut up, Jeonghan — she said angrily, it was embarrassing to remember that she had been with other people when she could have spent all of this time getting eaten out this good instead. He replied  — “Jeonghan"? Where's Jeongie, Hannie? Do you want me to stop fucking you so you can tell me about this "Jeonghan" guy? — his suggestion was answered with a loud sound of dissatisfaction, and with the little strength she had below her torso, she hugged his waist with her legs to keep him inside. 

  Watching her desperation filled him with all kinds of feelings, just thinking about how good he could fuck her when his princess was used to his size, he could start drooling right there. He sneaks his face into her neck to start another attack, leaving purple and red marks all over his flower’s shoulder, the easing of his thick cock inside her was too good to be true, he couldn't keep his mouth shut — Mine, mine, mine. — he whispered and grunted at her ear lobe. 

Maybe that was just part of having sex with someone you know so well, but he even knew what the attempts of words she moaned meant, he knew she was fighting with him for deciding all on his own that she belonged to him, he knew his stubborn girl too well to not notice — Try disagreeing, go on — he tells her all whiny, imitating the tone of the moans of his now; girlfriend, according to his head — Tell me that you're not mine, that we belong to other people, that this pretty little pussy wasn't made just for me, go on, tell me — clearly the words affected her a lot, if her watery eyes tightening until they closed and her little hole threatening to expel him from being so tight were anything to be go by. He held her jaw tightly, forcing her to look at him. — If you're going to lie to me, lie to my fucking face.

She was going insane, he was doing it so, so well, but he was so slow… Even though a little bit pain was still present, fuck it! She was barely holding on from not trembling with desire, she wanted more, she wanted him — Stop treating me like I'm made out of glass, Jeongie! — she tried to sound bossy but the neediness refused to leave the girl’s voice, Jeonghan could have melted right there.

— And you’re not? What’s my doll made out of, then? — he grabbed one of his girl’s delicious thighs firmly,  leaving a hard slap that would definitely leave a mark, it burned like hell and the bastard didn't help at all, he just held the abused meat again  — What’s this, princess? Did it hurt? Are you gonna to cry?  — the condescension seemed to overflow from his mouth just like his girl's juices overflowed from her puffy hole and stained the fluffy bed sheet with each deep thrust, which now, very slowly as to not hurt her, were taking on a faster rhythm that made her head spin. 

Having thoughts that made sense was too much to ask of the poor thing who was getting the biggest cock beating of her life, she barely heard a word that came out of her beloved's mouth, she just stared at his lips, which used to be thin but were now full and red from the intensity of their love, she just wanted to kiss him again, she needed to be a good girl to kiss him again, did he say something? He said it, didn’t he? A... A question... What was it? "What’s this?" — It’s yours, Jeongie — she replied after using all her mental strength available at that moment, which wasn't much.

Jeonghan couldn't help but smile about how stupid he made his bunny — Mhm, it’s just mine, baby — he held her sweaty little face with gentleness that was completely alien if compared to the harshness of which his hips kissed hers. It was so deep, she felt so full, she never wanted it to end, it was too good, she wanted to cry with the fact that she couldn't hold it for much longer. 

— Do you not want me to stop after you finish, princess? —  he asked just so softly, finding it the most precious scene in the world when his flower frantically shook her head, going "No, no, no!", his cutest little thing — Don’t worry, doll, I’ll only stop when you’re dripping with cum.   

[intimidating-fettuccine]

If it is alright with you, may I request hcs where Night Terrors, Smiley (or Jason), and Helen (separately) subconsciously refer to their s/o as their spouse while talking to someone (slipped out naturally without them realizing even though they aren’t married).

This got very long, I hope you enjoy :) I did go with Jason because I love writing him in stuff like this.

Terrors:

Does not even notice he did it, quite honestly. If you hadn't pulled him aside after that conversation and informed him of what he had done (a big smile on your face the whole time), Terrors would not have been aware of what he had done. However, now that you've told him, his mind is basically in lockdown mode. He's standing before you, frozen in place, flustered, and filled with shock and embarrassment for letting such a slip-up happen. A blush starts forming on his cheeks, and he's quick to take you somewhere private. He clears his throat and apologizes for doing such a thing, although you tell him that it's okay and that it made you happy, which causes him to sigh and cover his face. Terrors isn't used to love, or affection, even after dating you for so long sometimes the feelings inside of him feel so alien, and he can't quite place the emotions running through him right now. He eventually comes to the conclusion that the idea of you being his spouse makes him happy as well, and he tells you as such.

He stands tall and regal, walking over to you and lifting your hand to his lips as he bends over to press tender kisses to it before he stands again and says you must simply do something about it then. He's never considered the prospect of marriage (even before he fused with Candy), but if he wants something, he's inclined to have it. He begins asking you your opinion about weddings and proposals, speaking so formally and elegantly about it you'd forget he was confused and flustered moments before. You pause him to insist that you should discuss this with Candy as well first, but when Terrors informs you that Candy wants to marry you as well (considering they share a brain and can see each other's thoughts on occasion), which causes you to grow flustered at the sudden announcement. Needless to say, much was discussed that night, in true formal rigid Terrors fashion. It's almost comical how serious he's taking this, but Terrors has always been serious about you, and if he's going to marry you, he's going to make it perfect, no matter what, because someone as kind as you to love a man like him deserves the best he can offer.

Jason:

I think Jason is the type to refer to you as his spouse in his mind for a little while before he even considers getting engaged to you, just like sometimes you might refer to your partner jokingly as your spouse, but to Jason, he means it. Of course, he's always been careful not to say such a thing out loud, but it seems like today was the day his absentmindedness caught up to him as he introduced you as his spouse to someone. Jason notices immediately what he's said, and merely hopes you didn't hear him, and also hopes you don't notice how his ears and cheeks are beginning to turn red. However, the next time he looks at your face and sees the smile you're giving him, he knows there's no hope in merely pretending it didn't happen. He bows down, resting his head on your shoulder and sighing as his arms wrap around you, and you can only laugh at him as he deflates. He clings to you tightly, and insecurity flows through him. What if you were actually upset by him calling you that? What if you don't want to be his spouse?

He ends up voicing those opinions to you in an unusually quiet and timid voice, but you're quick to give him a good squeeze and a kiss and reassure him that you're not upset, if anything you're quite happy, and that you would in fact love to marry him some day. That puts the pep right back into him as he stands so he can look into your eyes, a blush still coating his cheeks as he asks if you're sure, and when you reaffirm that you are, a bright smile spreads to his cheeks as he covers you in kisses. He says he guesses he should buy a ring then, and you smile up at him and say that he should, although his question was a bit of a fib. He's already got a ring, one he picked out a few months ago, and he's just been waiting for the right time, but your affirmation confirms he was right in doing so. Now, he just can't wait to show it to you, and to hear the word 'yes' once again flow from your lips he suddenly can't resist kissing. You'll be his spouse in actuality and not just name one day, hopefully soon, and the thought fills him with life and joy.

Helen:

Helen is the last person anyone in the mansion would guess would do something like that, due to his unemotional and stoic behaviors, but hidden behind that mask are deep feelings only you are lucky enough to be privy to. He realizes immediately what he's done, and he's quick to drag you off somewhere private before he can even see if you noticed, burying his face into your chest and refusing to look at you. He squeezes you tight, his body trembling, and you can only hold him and quietly try and soothe him. Helen is flustered and honestly quite nervous about doing such a thing. Thanks to his horrible parents, he never considered the prospect of getting married himself, but after being with you for so long, his mind has been subconsciously changing its idea about getting married. However, he hadn't noticed until he referred to you like that, the sudden realization that he does, in fact, want to marry you shocking him, but in a good way.

He feels overwhelmed by the realization and the sudden feelings overtaking his mind, and he's only pulled back down by the feeling of your lips on his forehead. When you eventually quietly say it would make you happy to be his spouse, that him calling you that made you happy, his face is burning hot from how red it is, and he can only look down, unsure of what to say. You ask him if he would like that too, and he nods, saying that he would, and so you smile at him, pressing kisses to his lips and causing him to melt against you. He pulls you into his lap, wrapping his arms around you and holding you tight to his chest, and he knows his past self would feel disgusted by how incredibly happy this makes him. He always told himself he'd be a loner, never fall in love, never want any of the stuff he always found mushy and unnecessary, but sitting here with you, he can't help but feel ecstatic about how happy you make him, and the idea of you being his forever. Although, he does pinch your cheeks and tells you not to tell another soul what he did back there, you can only mumble out a slurred 'okay' as he tugs on your cheeks affectionately.

[dark-elf-writes]

I see that Shang is working with the same kind of trollish logic that has a friend send me Especially Cursed images that force me to respond in kind.

RIP everyone's patience with these two.

The two of them treat every conversation like a competitive PVP lobby and no one understands anything the two of them are saying/doing other than each other. There is a nonzero chance that at least one of them taught themselves how to paint to make Xianxia-Style Memes to cause even more psychic damage.

(Two incidents really go down in history however. One is the Goblin Incident where Shen Qingqiu was found red faced and trying to strangle Shen Qinghua. And the other is the Dragon Incident after which An Ding disciples were banned from doing any and all work on Qing Jing Peak until Shen Qingqiu threw a copy of a rather salacious book at Shen Qinghua in what might have been the most aggressive apology any of them had ever seen.)

I would say most of the other Peak Lords are varying levels of fine with it. They don’t get the references but like Shen Qingqiu hasn’t actually murdered Shang Qinghua again so clearly on some level he has to be enjoying the interaction and Shang Qinghua keeps coming back for more so that has to be on some level mutual... probably.

The only one that visibly isn’t okay with it is Liu Qingge who is so jealous he can’t see straight and starts aggressively bringing Shen Qingqiu more fans.

Yue Qingyuan is also not okay with it but he’s smiling the whole time so it’s harder to tell that he is just as jealous if not more so.

While not a Peak Lord Luo Binghe is also not okay with it but he’s still in his white lotus days at this point so his solution is to become even more sticky.

[tanoraqui]

Dungeon Meshi Liveblog: Musing on Ages, & Dragon Prep

"Desire" mention - how much does Tensu know of the details of the origin of dungeons? (More than I do, probably...but I know this is thematically important.)

"Us"? Aren't gnomes another long-lived species? Ok this is going to be continuously relevant to the geopolitics so I need to break it down. From the wiki:

Elves: lifespan: 400; adult at 80

Gnomes: lifespan: 240; adult at 40

Dwarves: lifespan: 200; adult at 40

Tallmen: lifespan: 60; adult at 16

Orcs: lifespan: 55; adult at 14

Kobolds: lifespan: 55; adult at 13

Halffoots: lifespan: 50; adult at 14

I see - so really we're dealing with 3 factions: Elves, Gnomes & Dwarves, and Everyone Else. I find it interesting that the longer-lived races reach maturity at 17-20% of their average lifespan, while the younger-lived races all do so at around 25% of their average lifespan. I feel a little like this is a cop-out on the writer's part in trying to keep the ages of maturity a little closer to one another - though of course it's a cultural thing by each race (and, I'm sure, each culture within each race - idk how monolithic the whole comic will treat them, but it would track with the thematic worldbuilding for their to be multiple distinct social groups within each race, even if they do tent to band together against the other races!)

Based on the categories of "long-lived" and "short-lived", the latter seem to view all of the former as much the same - but I'm SURE the Elves have a different view of it, and I'm sure the Dwarves and, as we see here, Gnomes, are very aware of and irritated by the Elves' view.

...and as we see here, and earlier with Chilchuck admitting to being 29 (solidly middle-aged!) and Marcille going, "Aw, so you are a kid!", people rarely make any effort to understand each others relative ages, instead just coasting on their own life-based assumptions.

With reference to above, we can see that Namari at 61 is pretty exactly equivalent to Kaka and Kiki at 20.

Also: this little scene wasn't in the show at all and I love it! Namari in mentor mode!

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ALRIGHT RED DRAGON TIME!! Hey look, literally the 2nd panel in this ghost city is 2/3 winged lions by volume. Hmmm...

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I love how it's explicitly Shuro's job to get the final killshot, presumably because he has Feats for this (ie, cool-looking moments) as a "real" anime character (Easterner). This literally bears up with what we see of him in the future.

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Chilchuck: I will NOT fight!

Chilchuck: I'll totally be dragon bait with you, though.

Chilchuck: Not that I care if you succeed or survive or anything! I'm only here because you paid up front.

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Laios using the Inspiring Leader speech feat! They're all having a Heroes' Feast before fighting the dragon, a classic pre-dragon act for bonus HP and immunity to being Frightened! I know this isn't actually D&D but that post that I think came through my queue earlier today is right: it DOES have the same bones. It's like reading the Locked Tomb and being aware that this author was deep in Homestuck, or Scholomance vis a vis Harry Potter canon and fandom. I know where this writer has been, because I have been there too.

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THE BOY IS HERE! THE MAN THE MYTH THE OVERWORKED* LEGEND!

THIS SISTER-EATING MOTHERFUCKER!!

*Crack AU where the whole dragon fight is averted because it talks and somehow the conversation leads to Chilchuck going, "And the Mage isn't even letting you sleep? Tsk. You've got to start a union." And then Laios gets all starry-eyed, "A Monster Union?!" And then the Mage is eventually defeated by all the monsters of the dungeon, and also the poor sane ghosts as well, unionizing against him, and "king" becomes just the title for the Union Rep, whose main job is to honk an airhorn at presumptuous Elves and tell them to fuck off like a Canadian goose.

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I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

[corroded-hellfire]

Prompt Day 9: The Hideout

Word Count: 998

Rating: T

Pairing: Eddie x Reader

CW: Language, asshole date (not Eddie)

Summary: One of the five regular drunks brings a date, and Eddie doesn't like how he treats her.

@corrodedcoffinfest

“Everyone having a good time tonight?” Eddie asks into the microphone as he adjusts its height. 

It’s a typical Tuesday night at The Hideout and Corroded Coffin just stepped on stage. They’ve been doing this for months now, a routine that any of them could go through in their sleep. Eddie knows if he looks up from the mic that there will be five drunks out in the crowd, and he can tell you where each of them is sitting and what they’re drinking. 

“You want another drink, honey?”

That’s the voice of the guy who sits off to the right, at the table that wobbles a little, and who drinks gin and tonics. Sometimes he’ll shout out requests after his fifth or sixth drink. Drunk Number Three is how Eddie refers to him in his own mind. But he’s usually sitting alone, so Eddie’s curiosity is piqued. Are there six drunks in the audience tonight?

Once the mic stand is secured, Eddie lifts his head and looks out at the sparsely populated bar. His eyes immediately land on the anomaly.

Across the table from Drunk Number Three there’s a girl who can’t be much older than Eddie is, and by the pretty red sweater, black skirt, tights, and heels, it’s a safe assumption to say she’s on a date with this guy. That thought alone blows Eddie’s mind because how in the hell did that loser get someone like you to go out with him? You don’t particularly look like you’re having a good time, either. Arms folded against your chest, one leg crossed over the other, your whole body facing away from the guy to look towards the stage, and the irritated look on your beautiful face clue Eddie in that the evening isn’t going so well for you. 

“I said, do you want—”

“No,” you cut off Drunk Number Three, looking at him from the corner of your eye. “I haven’t finished this drink yet.”

When your gaze shifts back to the stage, it immediately locks with Eddie’s. Your annoyed exterior cracks when you see the lead singer looking at you. A small, but very real, smile grows on your face, and it stirs a giddy roiling in Eddie’s stomach.

Gareth clears his throat, and Eddie tries his best to get back into the regular Tuesday night groove. 

“We’re Corroded Coffin, as I’m sure most of you regulars know. Let’s have some fun tonight.”

On the count off, Gareth clicking the drumsticks together, the guys launch into their first song of the evening: You’re in Love by Ratt.

Eddie finds it ironic that he can’t keep his eyes away from you for longer than fifteen seconds while they play the only song in their set about love. 

It’s never been easier for Eddie to sing this song than it is right now. He’s singing it to you and only you, and he wishes there was some way that you could know that. 

Later in the set, when there’s a song about burning hatred, Eddie can’t help but aim it in the direction of Drunk Number Three. He’s ignored you most of the night, preferring the company of his drink. You don’t seem bothered by that in the least though. 

The set is just about at its close and the guys start to play Nothing Else Matters—possibly the song Eddie enjoys playing the most. But before the band even gets to the chorus, a hushed conversation increasingly becomes louder, to the point where Eddie keeps looking at you not because of how beautiful you are, but because he’s worried. 

Drunk Number Three reaches across the table and wraps his hand around your upper arm harshly.

Fire ignites inside Eddie’s veins and the world has been splashed in crimson, he’s so mad. 

Stopping mid song, Eddie pulls his guitar strap over his head and sets it down on stage before he jumps off and stalks in the direction of your table. He’s not sure what he’s going to do when he gets there, but you beat him to it anyway.

You pull your arm free from the asshole’s grip and stand up. Delicate fingers wrap around the glass that is still half full of your drink, and you throw the alcohol in Drunk Number Three’s face.

An angry groan rumbles from the guy’s chest as he rises from his seat. You take the opportunity to strike, pushing the wobbly table at your date, shoving the edge right into his crotch. The groan turns into a whimper as the man bends forward in pain. 

“Get the fuck out of here,” Eddie snarls at the man, pointing towards the door. 

One of the bartenders and a security guard step in and help the drunken jerk find his way out.

Eddie’s pulse is raging in anger, but when he looks down and meets your eyes, anger fades and his heartbeat kicks up a notch.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asks. 

“I’m fine,” you say, your voice only intensifying Eddie’s lovesickness. “Thank you. I’m sorry we interrupted your show.”

“No, don’t worry about that,” Eddie says. “As long as you’re okay.”

“I am.” 

The sincerity in Eddie’s words has you giving him a giddy smile. 

Eddie’s not sure what he should do now. Does he say goodbye? Does the band restart the song and finish the show? Does he stay down here with the pretty girl that he wants nothing more than to talk to? 

“You, uh, don’t seem to have a drink anymore. Can I buy you one?”

“I would really like that.”

Eddie grins and motions for you to walk towards the bar. Before he follows, he turns around to look at his friends that he left on stage. Jeff is giving him a thumbs up, Frank is nodding, and Gareth makes shooing motions so that Eddie follows the girl. 

Eddie chuckles before he turns around and follows you to the bar. 

God, I have the best friends. 

[dr-futbol-blog]

Epiphany, Pt. 9

Some time has passed, Sheppard appears to have healed and is at the very least fully dressed (very likely in Avrid's clothes, or the clothes of who ever Hedda's father had been), and we see him step outside into the village for what might be the first time. Avrid is there to receive him, literally with open arms, and sounds happy to see him. He smiles, and we can also hear the smile in his voice. There are people toiling all around them, most of them seeming to be young and attractive and dressed in flowing, airy clothes in earthy colours (the red-white colour scheme may not be an accident given the many references in the episode to Through the Looking Glass). While it is not clear whose house and bed Sheppard had found himself in or whose house he lives in for the remainder of his stay here, it is obvious that he thinks of himself as Avrid's guest here. Avrid is his context. It is to Avrid that he turns for answers now.

Avrid: I'm glad you're feeling better. Welcome to your new home. Sheppard: Avrid... I'm happy to visit and I'm grateful for the food and the whole healing thing, but... do you know the way out of here? Avrid: There is no way to leave, John, other than to ascend. Sheppard: What exactly do you mean by "there's no way"?

So, we may note that while Sheppard and Avrid stand further apart from each other than Sheppard and McKay often do when engaged in conversation, Sheppard does have his whole body turned toward Avrid which indicates that at least on some level he is attracted to the man. We may also note that Sheppard uses his name here, telling us both that he had filed the name off as something to remember and that he wishes to establish rapport between them by using it. And while Sheppard feels like he has places to be, he does express his gratitude for Avrid having saved him even as he was trying to save Avrid, which we may recall is something that also happened between Sheppard and McKay.

Avrid also uses Sheppard's name, and this is something that we did not get to witness, Sheppard saying his name to them. We do not know how he introduced himself, whether it was just as John or as Colonel John Sheppard. What ever it was, Avrid uses his given name which makes their interaction instantly seem more intimate. They both seem to use the other man's name wishing to establish a connection. And while we do not get to hear McKay call Sheppard John for a long time, it is likely that at this time McKay had been calling him John in private for a while now. Avrid does not physically resemble McKay, being taller than Sheppard, lean and with a full head of hair, and even looking at his disposition he seems almost to be like the opposite of McKay. He actually more resembles Sheppard himself, which may explain this instant rapport between them. But there is still something similar to McKay in how they interact, the ease and familiarity of it.

Sheppard starts walking toward the central square of the village probably having no idea where he is actually heading, not having a destination but only a need to move about, and Avrid takes on after him because by asking him questions Sheppard indicated that he wished to continue the conversation. But Sheppard grinds to a halt as soon as he processes Avrid's words. He does not like the sound of this.

Avrid: That is the sole purpose of this place, to meditate upon ascension and one day join those who created the Sanctuary. Sheppard: The thing is, I've got other plans. Avrid: Then why did you enter the portal?

A few things to note here. First, there is a steaming cauldron here between the two of them that is symbolic of heat, and we may note that Sheppard is definitely not looking at any of the beautiful women around them, his attention focused entirely on Avrid and looking for the exit, which is why he seems to be moving around restlessly. But his body language here is actually reminiscent of McKay: his hand freezes in place as he tries to process what Avrid is telling him, something we have seen McKay do as he dissociates (or is otherwise interrupted in the middle of a thought). But as soon as Sheppard snaps out of it, he curls his hand into a fist and rubs his thumb against it, which is something that McKay frequently does when he is either anxious or turned on.

While Sheppard had already indicated that he dislikes the ascended, it is also made abundantly clear during this episode that he does not enjoy meditation. While in Avrid, Teer and Hedda, the whole trio of them, Sheppard is presented with something that he really wants, which is a family that will never leave him and that would be with him always, his experiences here show him how fuzzy the line between dreams and nightmares can be, how easily a dream can tip into a nightmare. Ascension may be something that most people should want to achieve and that Sheppard's own ancestors had sought to do, but what Sheppard wants is something altogether different.

And it is interesting he makes reference to having plans here. Sheppard has plans, he has things that he wants to do on the outside (and given the mention of Beckett and Cadman's date "tomorrow night" later, it could even be that Sheppard had actual plans). In saying this, he is not offering to share any of his plans with Avrid, merely making a wisecracking remark here, but at the same time, the notion had to come from somewhere. There are things he desires to have in life, and every one of those things involves McKay.

Sheppard: Well, call it a mistake. I tried to stop it but the damned thing sucked me in. Avrid: Those that came before us made certain that there could be no indecision. Once you set foot within the Sanctuary, your path was chosen. Sheppard: Not by me!

First thing to note is that Sheppard does not seem to blame McKay for what had happened, but he also does not want to speak his name because speaking his name would force him to think about McKay, and that would just open a world of hurt for him that he would rather avoid for the time being. Usually Sheppard would be using the "we" form in recounting something like this but here he only talks about what happened to him, as though he had been alone by the portal. His people having been there with him is intel he is not ready to give these people yet. While Sheppard is the one to walk up front and Avrid follows after him, we may note that Sheppard turns back to look at him as they converse, wanting to be able to see the man's face. Because these people are close to ascension and seem to have the Ancient gene, it could be that there is communication happening between them beyond simple words.

Sheppard comes to a halt by the watering hole that is likely the heart of the village, and given that the camera focuses on Sheppard's reflection and shows him upside down, it seems to hark back both to the idea of this being the looking glass world where things appear upside down and inside out, and to water as a medium. While Sheppard keeps glancing back at Avrid, before he comes to a stop he also looks at one of the others, and the camera work here is excellent because it is left entirely ambiguous whether he was glancing at the woman in pink working in the background or the strapping young lad in red that was walking past them. There is more precedence for Sheppard looking at dudes (and even here he almost turns to look at him again as he passes but stops his head from turning the whole way), but it is left up to the viewer what they see here. And while he likely thought nothing of it, it just tells us that the people in the village are all exceptionally beautiful. Sheppard himself is the most haggard-looking person in the sanctuary.

What Sheppard says here may also have a metaphorical quality. We later learn that he had been married, and he could just as well be describing that here: it was a mistake, and he had tried to avoid it but the thing had sucked him in because it was what his father had wanted. Later in Outcast (S04E16), the story also penned by Joe Flanigan, we are told more about how Sheppard felt like his father had his whole life planned out for him; what school he should go to, what profession he should take up, which woman to marry, and he had tried to walk the path that had been chosen for him but was ultimately unable to do that because his heart was drawing him elsewhere. And the same plays out in this episode in miniature: Teer seems to have plans for Sheppard and keeps manipulating the environment to get him to do what she feels like he should do without consulting him and disregarding what he actually wants. They symbolically play out Sheppard's marriage and divorce in this episode, we are able to see hints of what very likely had inevitably led to his divorce by looking at what happens in this episode. It is clear that there was a backstory for Sheppard the actor was basing his portrayal of the character on, and that backstory involved Sheppard having been in love with a man before he got married--and based on this, it could very well have been Nancy's brother.

Avrid: Once you cross the threshold, you are committed to be here for the remainder of your days.

Avrid sounds both happy and positive as he tries to sell Sheppard on the idea that he is actually better off now that he is here, that it is not all bad once he accepts his new reality. On the symbolic level, this might resemble his father telling him that once he has committed himself to marriage, commitment means that he has to uphold his vows for the rest of his life, until death do them part. But what happens here, between Sheppard and Avrid, is pretty damn interesting. Avrid seems happy at first but as Sheppard processes all of this, as he mulls it over in his mind, he does not respond to Avrid, at least not verbally. Sheppard seems to be rather literally dumbstruck here. But we see Avrid look at him, he actually squints his eyes as he looks, he seems to search Sheppard's face and his countenance changes. Avrid sees something in Sheppard that displeases him and the searching look indicates it was something inside, in Sheppard's mind that he did not like to see.

Clearly Sheppard needed time to think about this, he probably wanted to be by himself, but he does not say or do anything that actually communicates this. But without a word being spoken, Avrid seems to read all of this off of Sheppard and he then just walks away without saying anything further. And we have to wonder whether Avrid's gift is not reading minds, reading people's thoughts in a much more tangible manner than that vague kind of-sort of telepathy we have seen hints of between people with the Ancient gene. And Sheppard is carrying such deep hurt within him, such longing, that it tracks that Avrid would want to get further away from him (that kind of negativity might compromise his own ascension). Sheppard does not want to be here for the remainder of his days.

McKay: Alright. Launch the probe on my mark. Three, two, one, mark. The probe's about to pass through the field. Stand by. Damn it! Beckett: What happened? McKay: Exactly what I was afraid would happen. The probe was ripped apart by tidal forces at the event horizon almost instantly. Beckett: So we can't fly through it and rescue Colonel Sheppard?

We get an interesting transition from Sheppard looking down at his own reflection in the water (through which he is also looking up at the sky above) to McKay's voice talking about launching the probe that, frankly, looks a lot like a sex toy, as the jumper flies above the sanctuary. These things are connected symbolically although they do not take place at the same time, as Sheppard's scene with Avrid probably happened when McKay was still flying the jumper back to Atlantis the first time. This also means that if there is some kind of a tether connecting Sheppard and McKay, Sheppard would likely have been unable to sense any connection to him back then even if he had been reaching out for him, feeling very much alone, which would have contributed to his despondent attitude.

McKay: Not unless we wanna be ripped apart too! Weir: Did you receive any telemetry before the probe failed? McKay: Hmm. Actually quite a lot. Looks like mostly gibberish, though. This is gonna take me the better part of an hour to go through.

While McKay would love nothing more than to fly the jumper right into the crater, what cannot be done cannot be done. Disappointed by the failure of the experiment, it takes Weir nudging him for him to even notice that they were able to receive a lot of information from beyond the veil in the short time there was a connection between the two parts of the probe on the opposite sides. And realizing it is going to take a while to make sense of it, McKay seems to want to start right away meaning that he probably needs the others to shut up. But what is interesting here is the way Weir looks at McKay. She narrows her eyes, and it is almost exactly the way Avrid was looking at Sheppard in the previous scene. Weir does not have the Ancient gene nor does she have any capacity for mind-reading but it could be that her reaction to McKay saying something that she did not want to hear was the same as Avrid's to Sheppard just thinking something that he did not wish to know.

And while Weir may be frustrated by the situation, it is not as though she is more keenly aware of the time passing than McKay is. He is working as fast as he can because he does not want Sheppard to have to spend one moment longer in the time dilation field than he has to; there is really no need to pass judgement on the way he is working here. It is possible that it is McKay's tone here that made her trip because he does not sound urgent but sounded rather like he was shutting them out. And we actually hear McKay close his device before the scene ends, probably signaling that he was about to turn around to start going through the data by himself. From his eyes that are reddish, gleaming, and looking up just the way Sheppard had been looking up at the cave ceiling when he was holding back tears, McKay may have needed a moment alone here that was not just for the purposes of concentration.

Continued in Pt. 10

[novantinuum]

Pink Onyx AU- An Analysis and Theory Post, Part 5

[Part 1] | [Part 2] | [Part 3] | [Part 4] | [Part 5- You are here!]

~

Apologies for this post going up far later than intended!

This is the final part of my analysis series on the excellent @pink-onyx-au comic made by @ceephorsshitshow. If you haven’t already, please check out the first four parts- linked above- for more information on what these posts are all about. A lot of this analysis will build on what came previously.

Now, here’s where I’m really starting to take a big ol’ stab at some speculation. 

__

Question Seven: Is Steven’s mental repression about corrupting ALSO causing him to physically repress post-corruption scars?

Not only has Steven as a whole continuously shied away from discussing anything about his corruption incident, but he’s been vocally downplaying it, too… his voice overtly growing smaller the one time he overtly references it.

(Episode 1: Page 6)

He briefly alludes to his corruption later when he realizes that Onyx bears their own corruption scars (and ones that defo weren’t Jasper influenced), but beyond that he hasn’t willfully mentioned this topic one bit.

Which… if we didn’t already know how much he Deeply Dislikes Talking About His Own Feelings… would be odd, given the fact that one of his big reasons for trying to fuse with Jasper is to “feel what it’s like to be each other” and try to foster a better understanding between them both. Like, Steven. Buddy. Corruption is a HUGE thing that you now have in common with Jasper. At some point, you’re gonna have to bite that bullet and actually sit down and process this reality.

Far earlier in this analysis series, I brought up a bit of dialogue from Jasper that I said I’d be discussing later.

(Episode 2: Page 15) 

“That human form you wear must have been hiding your markings.”

Yeah, this bit. 

Even if Steven isn’t vocally bringing up the elephant in the room himself, Jasper seems to immediately recognize what he’s gone through. (Something something, ambient thought sharing within fusion.)

And her theory here is interesting, albeit not entirely accurate.

Not only is Steven’s human form hiding his markings, but his Gem form seems to be, too. Because we’ve seen his Gem. 

(Episode 3: Page 11)

He harbors almost no corruption remnants save for a set of noticeably sharp upper teeth (that full hybrid Steven does not have.)

Now, why is this? Why does Onyx present with what should be Steven’s corruption markings, but not Steven or his own components?

Let’s take a quick look to catalog which features are whose before we move on. Let’s start simple- with Jasper.

Jasper only has three notable post-corruption marks- one splotch on her left shoulder, one on her right hand over her thumb, and a pair of horns sticking up through her hair. They’re easily traceable on Onyx’s design.

(Episode 2: Page 12)

There they are! I’ve circled them in red for convenience. Of course, what the big bomb at the end of Episode 9 suggests to me (Steven suddenly showing evidence of corruption scars) is that every other trace of past corruption on Onyx is something that Steven brings to this fusion. Which means, what he’s bringing to the table must be:

Two separate splotches on the right arms, visible claws, and the arm spikes we saw his corrupted form with in “I Am My Monster.” (I imagine that Steven’s corrupted form also having horns influences how long Onyx’s are, compared to Jasper’s.)

Not to mention, uh…

(Episode 7: Page 7)

This gigantic ass geode scar on their back. Which we know for a FACT is Steven’s, because-

Something about being Onyx with Jasper results in these normally repressed features manifesting in full… even when he’s still avoiding conversation about it. Is it due to some sort of subconscious feeling of acceptance- the sense that he feels safer being his rawest self around her, since she’s been through the same thing? Or is it something else entirely?

Bottom line is, Steven may be able to repress these markings just as he does his own emotions… but Onyx does not. And with this latest episode, it seems that certain aspects of this fusion are already rubbing off on him.

(Episode 9: Page 22)

We at least have a visual on the large mark with two overlapping circles on his right arm in these frames.

But, uh… let me ALSO point your attention to-

Yeah. Y e a h. I think that’s the very tippy top of Steven’s version of the back scarring we see Onyx with. It’s hard to say for sure if it’s the same geode scar design, but it’s definitely something.

Anyways! The boy’s got visible scars now. Can’t really hide from the reality of your own experiences looking like this, huh? *twiddles fake and very mysterious mustache*

__

Where I think all this could be going:

Now. With all those discussion points out of the way, I’m gonna do a bit of theorization on where I think a few plot threads could be going.

Number one. 

Onyx’s healing spit and “Jasper’s ugly plants.”  

(Episode 4: Page 10)

While re-reading, I noticed that there’s a growing pattern of Onyx using their healing spit- either intentionally or not- and then their surroundings reacting very swiftly to their mental state. In the above panel, a fronting Jasper tries to use the spit to fix a broken rock. Then, when she speaks ill of the fusion after it fails to work, the spit begins to melt away at said rock as if it were acid.

(Episode 7: Page 10)

Something similar happens when Onyx spits onto the ground here. After Jasper speaks with intent to cause harm to the fusion to split them apart, a creeping vine begins to ominously sprout out of the ground while they’re not looking. (And then, it legit just gets. Sucked into the ground. Oughhgoughhgh spooky.)

I think this plant is the same one that Onyx puts on blast as “Jasper’s ugly plant” in the next episode, that venus flytrap lookin’ one.

And I think the reason it has grown so large and aggressive is that the results of Onyx’s healing spit usage is tightly intertwined with their emotional state. Thus, whenever Onyx says or thinks something negative about themself, the plants they’ve created leap in size. Or in the case of the spit on the rock, it starts to decay. It feels like a logical extension of the way Steven’s activation of his powers at ALL is linked to his emotions. 

With all of this in mind, my theory is that over time these plants are going to cause more and more of a problem as Onyx continues to beat themself down- and that the growing urgency of this issue will act as a sort of visual feedback for them when it comes to trying to escape this cycle of negative self-talk and self-loathing. 

Number Two.

Re: everything that's been discussed in previous posts, I think Jasper’s arc here is going to be centered around two things. First, I think she’ll have to finally reckon with the reality of her shattering and come to terms with the fact that she actually IS upset about what Steven did to her. 

Second, I think she will- through what I’m hoping will eventually be a healthy fusion dynamic as Onyx- start working through her deep-rooted abandonment trauma. 

(Episode 8: Page 9)

Said fusion may not be someone who gets to exist forever as she might prefer, but Onyx’s existence even for a SHORT time deeply matters, and this makes the experience alone incredibly worth it, in my mind. I dearly hope she comes to realize this too, one day.

Number Three.

I think the sudden surfacing of corruption scars for Steven is going to (in time) force him to stop repressing his own feelings about what he went through from the people around him and actually push him to start talking about this experience, to actually process it. 

Crucially, he won’t be able to conceal these markings from Jasper, and they will finally see eye-to-eye on realizing they hold this experience (corruption) in common, and that they both in some way felt they deserved it for the people they became. Suffice it to say, I am very eyes emoji at the fact that an upcoming episode is titled “Self-Hatred,” with the description “Steven and Jasper realize what they have in common.” 

Y e p. Yep, yep, yep. Whatever happens in that episode is bound to be VITAL to the trajectory of Onyx’s story.

Because only once they both recognize and vocalize what they both hold in common and stop running from these facets of themselves can their fusion truly find lasting harmony. 

__

Lingering questions with no clear answers:

What I’ve discussed in these posts is for sure not exhaustive- this comic is very dense with potential lore musings and interpretations, and there’s plenty of lingering mystery even still. Here is a list of some of the questions I still have jangling about in my mind, off the top of my head:

What is the deal with that rabbit, and is it anything more complex than “Onyx healed it?” Why does it snap alert and glow whenever Onyx is active? I think this connects with my earlier healing spit musings in some ways, but I have not determined how yet.

Steven got nicked by a prickly vine in Episode 5, and a bit of his blood was lingering on the thorn afterwards. Where is this leading? (Also seems connected to the healing spit musings.)

What is the purpose of all the glitchiness at the edges of some of the panels? Is it merely an extension of the instability suggested by the butterfly motif, or does it mean something entirely different?

What exactly was Connie’s hunch about Steven when she reached out to Pearl? We know from the most recent episode that Pearl thinks Steven is trying to hide rebound transformations… and possibly Amethyst, too. But what about Connie? She has a lot more context from her text conversation than any of the others do, right now.

And what does Garnet actually know? We haven’t seen any of her perspective yet except that one ominous future vision timestream spread.

As a final little note to cap off this post series, thank you so much to @ceephorsshitshow for your incredible and frankly, inspirational work on this comic- and for allowing me to pilfer so many of your stunning comic panels to go absolutely hog wild analyzing your work. Regardless of whoever else reads these, I hope that at least you got a kick out of observing my Suffering in the Meta Trenches of your own story, ahahah.

Thank you to any of y’all who have read along with me- and for god’s sake, if you’re still here and you haven’t checked out this comic yet, what on Earth are you doing? Go, go- to the tumblr page with you! Check it out, holy shit!

You can read the Pink Onyx comic here.

Have a nice day/night, all!

Curtains.

[midnight1nk]

because Four has a different silver locket with a picture of his computer in it, the one in Plane Trip is gold. I like the idea that he has like. A collection of lockets for all the most important people and things in his life. He’s the sentimental type yknow?

Considering the conversation started with “You got a family back home?” And then Swag brings up wife of Sonic and that’s what prompts Four to say “I know what you mean” and pull out the locket. So it would be someone Four sees as family or romantically by context. So Beeg or Three. Can’t be Mario due to Mario not being “back home”

And the Showgrounds being originally owned by Puzzles implies to me that it was his first attempt at the whole amusement park thing that he was repurposing. May or may not be a trap.

What concerns me is Four looting attractions from Puzzle park when the red flesh goop was explicitly shown to be present there.

why rizz soda on list?

(for reference, this is the tier list we're talking about ^^ also a bit of content warning??? you'll see. but Tumblr DON'T put the label istg)

4 might actually have a collection of lockets and, whether it'd be Beeg4 or 3 or someone else, it's sweet nonetheless. I honestly wouldn't be surprised of it was a picture of the Crew bc "home" doesn't necessarily have to mean The Showgrounds, could just be where they were from, 4 would be the type to consider them family. Like c'mon, if "someone" meant his PC years ago, it could literally mean anything now (though the implications of that scene may be romantic???)

If only the Team would tell us, hmmmmm. Golly gee, if only there were a few seconds to spare to show us who the hell is IN THAT LOCKETTTT /silly. And that's why it earned its place on the tier list

Hey, at least yall know another reason why 4 would be the "Phoenix Wright" in my Meggy AA au :3

Moving on with The Showgrounds real estate, that's what a lot of people speculated too and it simply makes sense 🤔 But seriously, I'm telling you, this is definitely going to come back full-circle for Puzzlevision Plus! It's gonna happen!! All chips on the table, I'm going all in. No, I don't need an intervention I'm not delusional— /j

So, anyway something about goop!4? *sits cutely* Yeah, the fact that 4 took the Puzzle Park rides back to The Showgrounds, but the fact that they're not anywhere in the Showgrounds? Like HUH. (Well, other than that 4 could barely pick up a weight but could lift up a bumper cart on each hand, but we'll leave it up to cartoon logic, it's fine.)

4, where did you put those rides? 4? FOUR? *glares at that door suspiciously*

And long at last, about the cans of rizz, this might be just as worrying as 3 drinking in the kitchen. If yall recall the episode, Mario goes in to see 4's search history and find out about the cans. The thing is that's not soda; it's hard lemonade.

If you didn't know what hard lemonade was, you do know. I only called it as soda cuz I'd like to think that this hypothetical beverage company also as a soda branch, y'know? Plus, it's more universal and friendly that way.

But yeah, this product actually exists and it seems like 4 got the cheap knock-off of it bc the OG price is almost a $100 AUD for a 16 pack. The brewery isn't called Rizz btw, that's just the name of the company. Which okay, 4 is an adult, that shouldn't make us worry. What should is the fact 4 has a pile of them right under his feet where he works, who know how many he takes per day or what is tipsy limit is!!

😨 ....how about we make rizz as soda in their universe, ok? for my sake, mostly, or this would go to the "it keeps me up at night" rank. it'd be a terrible hangover I'll tell you that smh

thanks for the ask, anon!

[chocofern]

red, white and royal blue

summary: where price henry and you absolutely hate each other, but then your lives turn upside down when you realise you’re in love with each other. and with your images as public figures, you must figure out the relationship while keeping it a secret at all costs.

a/n: so, as i mentioned in my prev post, this is basically red, white and royal blue by casey mcquiston reimagined. i’ve been having mixed feelings about it, but i guess it’s worth a try. i hope you like reading it!

trigger warning(s): none, tbh. a little bit of passive-aggressive conversations, mention of alcohol (most significantly champagne), falling (to the ground). tell me if you notice anymore ^-^

word count: 1.9k words ──⋆｡° ♡

You readjust the sleeve of your dress out nervously, thoughts running a mile an hour — how do you get out of this wedding reception? At this point, even the usual comfortable material of the dress feels so prickly. Only if something could make it stop. You look outside the moving car, the engine’s humming filling your mind, and you huff quietly, knowing there is literally no way out of attending this event.

You look down at Nora’s screen, the news headlines playing on her phone. And you can’t help but roll your eyes subtly at it.

The newsreader mentions your names in the list of notable attendees, and this makes Nora squeal excitedly.

“She’s talking about us!”

“Ms. Claremont-Diaz, who is often referred to as the American Princess of Hearts,” a line that makes Nora chuckle to herself.

You sigh, a little frustrated at the comparison, before turning to her, with an idea in your mind that you know she won’t agree to, but it’s worth a shot.

“Hey, how about we skip the whole wedding ordeal and do really tourist-y things instead? Trust me, it will be fun.”

“No way! I want to see Buckingham Palace, don’t you?” Nora retorts which makes you scoff out of frustration. Of course she wouldn’t agree. It was a dumb thing to ask, anyway. Who doesn’t want to see Buckingham Palace?

You watch Nora turn off her phone and turn to you, shifting a little in the car seat to get more comfortable.

“Okay, you’ve been yucking my yum all day, you have to tell me what’s wrong.”

You shift a little in your spot too, leaning back, trying to ease your nerves.

“It’s the whole Price Henry thing… I mean, he’s been trained all his life for stuff like this. I’m not. It feels as if they’d look down on me if I picked up the wrong spoon for dessert. Doesn’t help the ‘feeling-out-of-place’ at all.”

You step into the palace while the car that dropped you off fades into the distance—your last chance of escape slipping away. The reality of the night settles in.

The palace guards greet you at the entrance, and you offer them a weak smile before stepping inside. A server passes with a tray of champagne, and you quickly grab a glass. You’ll need it to get through the evening.

Nora pats your shoulder and whispers into your ear, “It’s alright, take it easy.”

If only it were that easy.

You look around the ballroom, a sea of people swarming every inch of space — this is already starting to feel like the first day of elementary school, and you take a deep breath to calm your nerves because that’s all you can do.

About an hour later, all the guests line up together to be greeted by the Prince and his sister, Beatrice. You drag Nora to the end of the line, it’s your best shot at avoiding Henry for however long you can.

You lean forward, just a little, to take a look at how far away your dread is. The line inches forward, and with each step, the pit in your stomach grows.

Nora quickly pulls you back in line because it looks so odd while everyone is being greeted. She leans in, trying to make small talk to ease your nerves while teasing you.

“If I had to go for a rich, white guy — He is the rich, white guy I’d go for,” she snickered softly, your annoyed expression just intensifying at that.

“He’s so snobbish, and entitled. You don’t get how terrible he is!”

“He’s a prince, c’mon, he’s literally entitled,” Nora responds to your retaliation.

You roll your eyes, for the umpteenth time in the day, “You wouldn’t get it,” is all you manage to get out as the Prince and the Princess finally reach you.

Beatrice, the prince’s younger sister, immediately walks over to Nora, and you can only hope that she’s coming to you too — but you’re pretty sure she isn’t, afterall, you don’t know each other well.

“I’ve heard so much about you! You’re sticking with me tonight,” Beatrice tells Nora, before she drags the latter along, leaving you with Henry, which immediately fills you with a sense of dread.

You and Henry exchange glances for the second, the awkward kind, since neither of you really know what to say to each other.

“Nice to see you at the party,” Henry extends his hand in an attempt to clear the air. You see the opening. The perfect chance to show him exactly how little you care.

You glance down at his hand, then back up at him, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make your point. Then, without a word, you turn on your heel and walk away. You don’t look back, but you can feel the air shift—like a held breath, like a barely restrained reaction. Like victory.

By the later half of the party, you’re basically drunk. Conscious enough to remain aware of your surroundings and actions, but drunk enough to have no inhibitions. You observe Henry talking to everyone at the party, deliberately avoiding you.

With all your inhibitions lifted, and apprehension of embarrassing yourself gone, you walk over to the prince who is too busy talking to another one of the guests.

Sometime later, your patience wears thin and you just think to yourself, ‘Screw it,’ before getting up from the cabriole and walking over to Henry, who is still busy talking to others.

“Henry!”

You call out to him with a smile on your face, not a smile of genuine happiness at seeing him, rather one that promises that no good is going to come from this interaction.

Henry fixes his blazer as he sees you walk over to him, a hint of unamusement evident on his face. However, he tries his best to keep a straight face to not cause any unwanted disaster on his brother’s big day, at least.

“What’s up? Long time no see,” you continue saying to him in a singy-songy tone that is a clear giveaway to the fact that you’re tipsy, if not drunk. As you approach him, you clink your glass of champagne to his — and this confuses him as he looks down at your glasses, together, with a puzzled expression, but pulls himself back to reality nonetheless to keep himself on-guard so he can make sure you don’t cause trouble. He looks up at you, “Evening,” he tries his best to put on a smile, though he fails miserably at it.

“Killer wedding, man. Why don’t you loosen up a bit?”

The prince watches you take another sip of your champagne as you finish talking. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Henry responds, intentionally ignoring your question earlier, as he looks straight ahead, almost as if he doesn’t want to be seen talking to you.

Meanwhile, it’s clear as day that you are too drunk to actually care if he looks at you while you interact or not. “Ah, yeah. I am enjoying, I am. Who doesn’t love a little Mozart?”

“It’s actually Schubert.”

“Tomato, to-mah-to.”

Henry’s face spells out that he’s mildly annoyed, no matter how much he tries to hide it, but he knows there's no point trying to tell you about it, so he resorts to muttering a “Not quite,” under his breath which is audible enough to be heard.

You move over to the table where the huge cake is kept, “Although, you’ve got to wonder how many families you could feed with what this cake costs.”

“Probably not as many as if we put your shoes on auction.”

You scoff softly, “Uh, rude.” You keep your glass on the table, blissfully unaware of the fact that it has touched the cake’s icing. To the point that moving the glass will leave a shabby icing flower.

Henry goes back to conversing with the other guests as you grab the glass before deciding to walk closer to him.

“Tell me something, Your Majesty,” you look down at the mushy feeling between your fingers and notice the icing on the glass, which is already on your hand by now which means it’s too late to fix the mess — both the damage on the cake and the icing on your hand.

“Yes?”

The prince turns to answer you, as you hurriedly hide the mess by moving your glass and hands behind your back.

“Did your parents send you to snobbery school or does looking down on people come naturally to you?”

“Well, in your case, it’s rather inevitable,” Henry responds, walking closer to you.

“We are almost the same people!” You protest while taking a step towards him.

“Almost being the keyword,” he says, calmly, which absolutely pisses you off. “Great to see you,” he adds, sarcastically, indicating the end of your conversation.

“You, too, Your Majesty.”

“Actually, “Your Royal Highness.” “Your Majesty” is reserved for the king.”

“Thank you for the ‘etiquette’ lesson,” you retort, annoyed by now.

“You’re in desperate need of you,” Henry says, his passive-aggressive undertone shining through his ‘calm’ demeanour, and with that, he turns around.

You shuffle towards him, “You know what?” you say, placing your hand on his shoulder — unfortunately, the one with the icing on it. The smushy sound gives away that there’s something much less pleasant on your hand that’s just made contact with Henry’s blazer.

He looks down at his shoulder, and as the scene before him registers, his eyes widen in horror as his jaw drops a little. Your face has horror written all over it too as you realise what you’ve just caused and the possible consequences of this little thing.

“I am so sorry,” you move closer to him, trying to gather the icing in your hand, doing whatever your clouded head says, and you just end up making a bigger mess.

Henry pushes you away, subtly, as his brother notices something off with the way things look between you two. His brother looks to his wife, who is equally aware of the scene unfolding and Henry quickly pulls out a handkerchief trying to wipe the icing off his shoulder.

“I can fix this, just give me your handkerchief,” you offer, while Henry just places your glass on the edge of the table as you try your best to be of any help, though you are not.

By now, the two of you have started getting everyone’s attention as the attendees notice the exchange between you two. You get into a tug-of-war with the prince, trying to get hold of his handkerchief as you accidentally let go, making him crash into the table with the cake.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” you almost shout out, as Henry tries to grab your arm before dragging the both of you to the ground, right before the cake topples over.

The music crescendos, and you two realise it’s far too late to even try and get up. You try to shield yourself from the impending disaster but holding your hands up to cover your face while Henry tries to make sense of what just happened to him. And in a moment, all everyone sees is the Price and the First Daughter covered in wedding cake, while they gasp in unison.

“Henry!”

Prince Philip shouts, in fury, which was an inevitable reaction. Afterall, you did waste a 75,000£ cake on the Prince’s special day.

The two of you, aware of the surrounding, cannot help but not care about others, rather just help yourself out of this mess. You in your arms, and the Prince on his knees when the two of you hear a camera shutter — this is making it to the national news.

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Part 4.1: THE EAST IS BURNING RED!!! (1990-1995)

(Read in the voices of Yosuke Akimoto and Tomokazu Seki) ANSWER ME, DOMON! THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST!!

THE WIND OF KINGS!!

ZENSHIN!!

KEIRETSU!!

TEMPA KYOURAN!!!

LOOK, THE EAST IS BURNING RED!!!

Welcome back to An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Last time, we saw the proliferation of mecha shows throughout the 80's. We also saw the introduction of an incomplete list of influential industry people who got their start in the 80's. In the 90's, we will begin to see a continuation of this proliferation of mecha works throughout the decade. The 90's will also see a lot of the stories I have talked about pay off, as

What we will also see in the 90's are a few major events that will affect the world of mecha in pretty major ways. The first is the bursting of the Japanese economic bubble, which would cause the Japanese economy to go from an era of excess to one of stagnation known as the Lost Decade. Another is the sudden arrival of a third honorary mecha series, except this honorary mecha series would arguably help to kickstart the slow decline of mecha stories. It should be noted that this series is not the only reason for the slow decline of mecha shows. That is a whole conversation in and of itself, and one that, maybe one day, I will talk about.

The last thing that should be noted about the 90's is that this would also see the creation of a handful of networks in the US that would help to bring anime over to the west, namely one Cartoon Network (and more importantly, its spinoff networks Toonami and [adult swim]) for the people in the US. While anime had seen some popularity in the west thanks to shows and movies like Robotech, Voltron, Ghost in the Shell, and Akira, it would be the four-part knockout of two of the series mentioned here alongside animanga juggernauts Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon that would cause anime to become mainstream.

That should be everything. With all of that out of the way...

Gundam Fight!

READY?! GO!!!

Yuusha Exkaiser/Brave Exkaiser (1991)

Starting us off in 1991, Takara would realize that, due to the sudden success of Transformers in the US, it might be time to diversify as Transformers had no longer felt like it was truly their property anymore. As such, they would create the Yuusha line, with their debut series being Brave Exkaiser. Exkaiser would prove to be a massive hit amongst its intended younger audience and would kickstart a whole franchise, which would also include:

The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (1992)

The Brave Express Might Gaine (1993)

The Brave Police J-Decker (1994)

The Brave of Gold Goldran (1995)

Brave Command Dagwon (1996)

The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar (1997), which I will talk about next time.

The Brave franchise is important due to how often this series gets referenced by other works, with the usual reference points being either Might Gaine or GaoGaiGar. More importantly, both Brave Exkaiser and the Giant Robo OVA would usher in an era of works that looked to the older mecha shows like Tetsujin 28, Mazinger Z, and Getter Robo for inspiration as opposed to Mobile Suit Gundam.

Super Robot Wars (1991) & Another Century's Episode (2003)

1991 would also see the start of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars, the ultimate crossover of in terms of mecha works. Super Robot Wars is where a lot of mecha-related terminology such as Super Robots, Real Robots, and the Holy Trinity (Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, Gundam 0079) come from. Super Robot Wars would also introduce its own set of original robot designs, each with their own unique pilots. Super Robot Wars would eventually gain a sister series in the form of 2003's Another Century's Episode.

One of the most important factors of Super Robot Wars is that, due to its celebratory (some might even say masturbatory) nature, these games can serve as a good metric behind what is a mecha story.

Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1992)

In 1992, Yasuhiro Imagawa and company would release the first episode of the now-legendary OVA Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still. This OVA, along with Brave Exkaiser, would begin the push for giant robot shows to take inspiration from works that were not Mobile Suit Gundam. The Giant Robo OVA, on top of being one of Imagawa's magnum opera (fun fact: the plural of magnum opus is magnum opera) alongside Mobile Fighter G Gundam, would also be the direct inspiration for western darling The Big O.

Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (1992) & Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (1993)

If you're wondering why I mentioned Super Sentai in part 2, this series is why.

In 1992, the Super Sentai series Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger would release in Japan. While, to my understanding, it was about as popular as the rest of the Super Sentai franchise, this specific series in particular would attract the attention of one Haim Saban. With some editing here and there, along with filming new segments featuring an American cast as opposed to using the original footage featuring the original Japanese cast, Saban and company would create Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, which would air for the first time in 1993. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers would go down in history as one of many series that would help pave the way for animanga to gain a foothold in western media.

Denkou Choujin Gridman/Gridman the Hyper Agent (1993) & Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad (1994)

1993 would also see the legendary Tsuburaya Productions, after a long period of struggles, finally make a comeback with their new series Gridman the Hyper Agent. With its smaller budget, the Hero of Dreams would come to be known as the hero who would help Tsuburaya Productions come back to relevance in the 90's.

Due to the success of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, other US companies would want in on the action. DiC Entertainment would buy the US distribution rights for Gridman and would try to put their own spin on Power Rangers by creating Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad.

Eventually, the people at Studio Trigger, who were interested in making an anime based off of Ultraman, would reach out to Tsuburaya Productions in an attempt to get permission to do so. While their initial request for Ultraman specifically was shot down, they were allowed to choose any of Tsuburaya's other properties for their anime adaptation. And they would choose Gridman for their subject, which would lead to the creation of SSSS.Gridman (a show I will talk about later).

If you have time to spare, you should also check out Cheese GX's video on the history behind Gridman.

Patlabor 2 (1993)

The fan-beloved Patlabor 2 would also release in 1993. Reflecting the realities of post-economic bubble Japan and the ensuing Lost Decade, Patlabor 2 would trade out the optimism commonly associated with the franchise with a much more cynical and grounded (even by Patlabor standards) tone. People tend to view this movie as being what Patlabor is all about, but in my opinion, this movie is an anomaly that can only truly be appreciated by knowing the context of everything that came before it.

Magic Knight Rayearth (1993)

1993 would also see the publishing of the shoujo manga series Magic Knight Rayearth. Created by the legendary mangaka group CLAMP, Rayearth would be one of the first magical girl series to really escape the long shadow cast by one Sailor Moon (if I understand my magical girl history correctly, Sailor Moon is basically the magical girl equivalent of the original Mobile Suit Gundam). How was Magic Knight Rayearth able to do this?

By adding giant robots into the mix. That's right: Magic Knight Rayearth is most likely the reason why there is overlap between magical girl and mecha fans. While remembered by many as being an important series in the canons of mecha, magical girls, and CLAMP, Rayearth's legacy would largely be overshadowed by one Cardcaptor Sakura.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

1994 would see Gundam return in a radically different form with the martial arts-inspired Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Often considered to be the other iconic series of Yasuhiro Imagawa, G Gundam would mark the beginning of a new era of Gundam by being the first alternate universe series to exist, thus allowing the franchise to flourish while letting the original Universal Century timeline continue to exist and get its own stories. Because of its radically different nature though, G Gundam is oftentimes looked down upon as a series that spits on the legacy of the Gundam franchise.

And again, not to toot my own horn here, but I also have a trilogy of posts all talking about G Gundam. All three posts seemed to be pretty popular relative to my other posts, so there seemed to be something in them that resonated with a lot of readers.

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995) & New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1996)

Following on from G Gundam is 1995's New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, which is arguably the most important Gundam series after the original and Gundam Seed in the 2000's. As a return to the war stories of the original Gundam, the reason why this series is important is because Gundam Wing would be one of the big four anime series that would make anime become mainstream in the West.

In my opinion though, Gundam Wing's legacy begins and ends with it being the first Gundam series to air in the West. In Japan, another series would air at around the same time as Gundam Wing, one that would loom over the rest of canon of mecha due to its impact on the anime industry and Japanese pop culture as a whole.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) & The End of Evangelion (1996)

Ah yes, the original "Not Like the Other Girls" mecha anime.

The series that would hamper a lot of Gundam Wing's cultural impact would be Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax's legendary Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the second of Gainax's Big Four alongside Gunbuster. Created as an homage to shows like Ultraman and Space Runaway Ideon, Evangelion would take the zeitgeist by storm, forcing its way into the pantheon of the mecha canon like... well, like an Evangelion Unit tearing through an Angel's AT Field. There was a certain je ne sais quois to the series that made it stick to a lot of viewers at the time, and a lot of the history and context behind this series' production would help shape a lot of its more cerebral moments.

Anno would eventually revisit this series in 2007 by remaking this anime series into a quartet of films known as the Rebuild of Evangelion series. At first just a project to bring Evangelion to the 21st century, the Rebuild films would eventually become the first of the Shin Japan Heroes Thematic Universe, which would come to also include:

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Shin Ultraman (2022)

Shin Kamen Rider (2023)

The problem with a series like Evangelion is that, while it is a culturally important series that deserves a lot of the attention and praise it gets, a lot of Evangelion fans tend to go a little bit too far. It's subversive nature tends to become exaggerated to the point where Evangelion is often treated as being subversive of mecha, and thus, not like the other mecha shows. This is, in large part, why the infamous idea of Evangelion being "Not like other mecha shows because it deals with character drama" comes from, and it's something that I'd like to talk about at some point in the future after all of this.

Conclusion

And there you have it! As we get into the latter half of the 90's, we will see a lot of iconic mecha shows begin to pop up. We will also see [adult swim] begin to really play its part in making anime more mainstream, along with Gundam begin to decline and the end of the Brave franchise. We'll also see the appearance of the crazy man known as Tetsuya Takahashi make his directorial debut in what is quiet possibly the single most ambitious JRPG project of all time along with a surprise appearance by... LEGO?!

Next time, Part 4.2: A Grand Glorious Gathering!!

This will be the key to victory.

[cybernecromancer365]

A.N. TW: For self-exit references. When I feel depressed my writing follows suit. Apologize for any mistakes. This is really just something random I wrote.

------

They stood outside Tissaia's door. A whole day had passed and then some. Sabrina stood with her arms crossed, Margarita beside her, and Triss in front of them. Triss gathered them to check on Yennefer. They knocked on the door a few times but never got a response.

"How long will she stay in there?"

"However long she has to." Margarita spoke where Triss ignored the conversation, the red-head staring at the door and preparing another knock.

"Never thought Tissaia would do something like that. Especially not over a man." Sabrina said the latter part almost under her breath.

"It's not about Vilgefortz. It's about Aretuza. You know that." Margarita corrected her with a healthy dose of side-eye.

Triss knocked and they waited for a response. "Yennefer...please come out. At least walk with us for a few moments."

Nothing.

"You still need to eat." Triss waited, then sighed.

"She'll find us when she's ready." Margarita squeezed Triss’s shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

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

Tissaia was going to hate her. There would be hell to pay for taking away the one thing Tissaia valued the most, control.

They did it for a reason. Aretuza couldn’t afford to lose its rectoress, and neither could she.

The evening sun slowly faded from Tissaia's room. Yennefer watched the open window opposite them with a hollow look in her violet eyes. Her tears dried hours ago, and her anger simmered until only a vague haze of sorrow remained.

The room was silent. A breeze wafted in, and Yennefer lay still. She hadn't uttered a word in hours. She hadn’t the energy to even hear herself talk. It all went to the Rectoress resting beneath the bedcovers.

The marks on Tissaia's wrists had healed to angry red scars. It was the best they could do for now. They'd all exhausted their chaos to bring Tissaia back.

Yennefer stroked Tissaia's pale cheek with her thumb, touching the Rectoress as though she were delicate glass. Her tears gathered each time she thought of the moments before the ceremony.

'You lied to me. Why?'

That thought stayed on her mind as she replayed their last moments incessantly, containing her emotion behind an unsteady frown.

Her world came crashing to a halt when she felt the searing pain in her wrists. It took her by surprise.

Her heart pounded, and a dangerous pang split it in two as she ran across Aretuza as fast as she could with her wrists still on fire. Her hands were numb when she reached the room.

She was grateful the others were close behind her. They started on Tissaia immediately.

"We need you too."

Triss pulled her out of her horror.

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

Bringing Tissaia back took hours, and now all she could do was watch Tissaia breathe. The process of coming back was naunced and different for everyone. But as long as Tissaia was breathing, their part was done.

The center of her chest still ached as she recovered from the shock that left her tired and drained. The soreness under her ribcage throbbed with every inhale.

Their minutes were precious after she found Tissaia lying on the floor of her room with pools of blood under her wrists.

She had no time until now to lament over Tissaia’s choice, ruminating over a thousand what ifs.

Tissaia fooled her with a smile. She left the room, reassured by the gentle look in Tissaia's eyes. Strength had returned to them, or so she thought.

Now, their final hug haunted her. She welcomed it then and needed it more than she thought. Tissaia clung to her more than ever, and it chilled her to realize why. For Tissaia, that hug was their last. She couldn't have known, and that was exactly how Tissaia wanted it.

Yennefer's brow tensed.

What a cruel way to leave her. Tissaia had to know the horror she'd face in finding her.

Tissaia’s letter lay on the nightstand opposite them. Yennefer skimmed it once and couldn't read it again. Reading it the first time was hard enough.

She couldn’t believe a note would’ve been all of Tissaia she had left. It would’ve haunted her for the rest of her life as it did now.

The pain Tissaia must’ve felt...

Yennefer stroked the white hair under her palm as the Rectoress' color returned.

Tissaia was the strongest of them all. They needed her.

She wouldn't return to Ciri yet. Ciri had Geralt, and it was a good thing she did. They'd understand.

Yennefer closed her eyes and sunk deeper into the pillow, keeping Tissaia close, her hand resting on warm skin.

'I'm not ready to lose you.'

[ellies-little-thing]

Life goes on (e.w.) part 1

*not my images, but i edited it

My masterlist <3

pairing: young!ellie/young!reader

Warnings: fluf; reader is referred to as she/her; mentions of trauma; mentions of death and killing; just cute best friend stuff really; Kind of proofread, English is not my first language.

Author's notes: Hi! This was a request but im having a blast writing it! I hope you like it, I really liked writing it! Feedback is always welcome and likes and reblogs are always encouraged! Thank you! Enjoy!  More parts to come!

word count 1.5k

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

14 years old - Part 1

Ellie and you became instantly friends when she arrived at Jackson with Joel. Like 2 peas in a pod, you were inseparable, you were her sun and she was your moon, she always liked you a little more than friends but  she could never really explain it. Nothing could separate you, not even the apocalypse. Not even the end of the world.

You had met when she got to town, you were both 14. She was a shy girl and she seemed like she'd seen a lot of stuff. One day she was in the park alone on the swings and you saw her while you were walking home from school. The school was an old building that used to be a nursery before the outbreak , but they had made a makeover so it felt more appropriate for all ages. There weren't a lot of kids in Jackson so a new face was always welcome. There were four groups of classes at school. One for the babies, one for the toddlers, one for the kids, and one for the teens. Next year you were going  to move on up to the oldest class. You didn't really have friends at school. You talked to the other kids but they never liked you very much. When you saw Ellie, you hoped this would be an opportunity to finally make a real friend.

“Hey! I've never seen you around, you new here?” You asked her, smiling as you sat next to her and started to swing a bit.

“Hi! Yes, I'm new. Name’s Ellie.” She said shyly. “Well, nice to meet you Ellie, I'm Y/N.” You look back at her with a smile on your face.. She had very beautiful green eyes, that was the first thing you noticed about her. But they were sad ones too. You felt a bit bad for her, she must have been through a lot to get here. She had her auburn hair in a low ponytail with some hair framing her round face and freckles all over it and she also had a scar on her left eyebrow. She was pale which only made her freckles look more angelic. When she looked at you she gave you a shy smile, she wasn't used to people being nice to her.

“So, are you okay? You're all alone out here?” You ask her, trying to be as nice as possible. It was a sunny October day and the leaves were starting to fall from the trees. There was a slight breeze and the day was beautiful. The light hit her eyes perfectly, making them look even more gorgeous than they already were.

“Hum, yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to so many people.” She said fidgeting with her hands. She was wearing a purple, pink and white striped jacket with some worn out jeans and some old red converse.

“Oh, I get it. I can leave if I'm making you uncomfortable.” You say with empathy in your voice. She looked back at you with a small smile. “No, it's okay. It's nice actually, no one else has had the courage to come talk to me yet.” She smiles shyly at you. She felt a bit alone only knowing Joel, Tommy and Maria, so you were a nice change of pace. You two continued to talk and get to know each other more. 

“So where are you from?” You asked, looking forward as you swung. 

“Hum… Boston actually…” She said quietly. You made a shocked face. “That's really far away from here. The journey must have been really hard.” You say to her in a bit of a worried tone.

“It was okay. Joel was with me the whole way. He’s Tommy’s older brother actually.” She said with a slight smirk. “He wasn't the greatest company through all of it but we got along eventually. He was coming here anyway to be with his brother and brought me along.” She said this with a slight nostalgic tone and a bit sadder at the end. She didn't want to tell you she was immune and that they were actually going to meet the Fireflies down in Colorado. 

She was very sad when she woke up in the car with Joel and he told her that they had other immune people, so they didn't actually need her. She thought that maybe she was special. That she was going to save the world, but it turned out to not be the case. She didn't know what Joel had actually done. Ellie had gotten bit when she was hanging out with her friend Riley one day. They both got infected and Riley turned quickly but Ellie didn't. She saw her first love, slowly turning into a monster, it never left her thoughts. Weeks went by and she never turned. The Fireflies found her and wanted to travel her across the country to the only surgeon they knew that could maybe be able to make a cure. Joel took her there, but after that, they came to live here. She had just gotten here a few days ago.

“Really? Tommy’s brother? Didn't know he had one. But I'm glad he does and that he brought you here too.” You smile warmly at her.

She felt a bit of joy after hearing your words. Her only friend was dead and she was somewhere she didn't know but at least it seemed like you were actually being nice to her. She had gone through a lot. They took almost a year to get here. She was happy to be somewhere where people were actually nice for once.

After that day you never went another without seeing each other. You enjoyed being in each other's presence and became best friends very quickly. You had a lot in common. You both liked drawing, you liked singing while she was learning how to play guitar, You both loved comics, and as much as she was obsessed with dinosaurs and space, you were with music and books. Your bond only grew bigger every time you were together. Ellie finally felt like she wasn't alone.

You walked to school everyday together, you did your homework together, played together, felt like you could actually be kids together. It was a cruel and scary world, but now you had each other.

You got to know each other better and she told you she didn't have parents. Her mother had died giving birth to her and her father never really was in the picture so she grew up in the Boston Q.Z. as an orphan, until she came here with Joel. They started to form a father-daughter relationship and she was happy to finally have a family, even if it was a small one. Before the outbreak, Joel used to have a daughter named Sarah, but she had died and he didn't like to talk about her. He taught her how to shoot a gun, how to hunt and how to protect herself from threats.

You spent that Christmas together and Ellie loved to finally have a real Christmas with people she cared about and that loved her. You gave her an old dino plushie you had and she almost cried, no one really ever gave her a present. The only thing she had from her real family was her mother's switchblade, she went nowhere without it. She had never been so happy. Your mother didn't like Ellie very much though. She thought she was a bad influence on you but you didn't care. You hung out with her anyway. You finally had a real friend, and no one would take her away from you.

Tommy and Maria were the unofficial leaders of town, they were the ones who had founded it. It was a beautiful community where everyone contributed in some way. You were able to have electricity by using the dam in the river nearby. You considered yourself really lucky for where you lived. Older people were always telling stories about before the outbreak and right  after and how they lost so many people. How they had to survive, hide, use violence even, until they found Jackson. 

You were born here and this was normal to you, but some of the stories about before were actually cool. Like people had phones and could call eachother even across the country, shopping malls, supermarkets, museums, cars that actually worked. You had a dvd player and a cassette one too, you had found some old movies that you used to watch with your family on the weekends on an old gray TV. You liked when the teacher talked about how the world worked before, you used to dream about it almost every night.

Ellie was still haunted by the idea that her immunity meant nothing. She used to have a lot of nightmares from all the stuff that she had gone through to get here. All the people that hurt her and that she had to hurt herself. She hated herself for killing people, but they were all in self defense. But still, those ghosts followed her everywhere she went. Except for when she was with you. You made everything better. She was able to be herself with you.

[kallie-den]

Voice of the Goddess

The annoyingly pious, prudish party cleric suddenly changes her tune after a dark artifact connects her to a dark goddess with mind-warping powers and a very, very different set of values

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“That was one hell of a battle,” Ghelda the barbarian said, stretching out like a big cat across the floor of her tent. “Those cultists put up a better fight than I’d expected. All that dark magic bullshit. At first, I figured they were too obsessed with sex to know which end of a weapon to use.” She flashed a wicked grin. “Here to tend to my wounds, Zareen?”

“Is that what you want?” Zareen the rogue purred. Lying next to the barbarian, she was tracing the lines of Ghelda’s abs with her fingertips. Ghelda was the size of a mountain, and every bit as rugged. “Bandages? Ointments? Do you need to tell me where it hurts?”

Ghelda let out a gut laugh that made the whole tent shake. “Oh, I can think of something that needs tending alright. Maybe you can suck the poison out.”

“Maybe I can.” Zareen winked suggestively at her. “The only question is: are you just going to lie here while I do? Or are you gonna put those big, strong muscles of yours to good use?”

“What did you have in mind?” Ghelda propped herself up before wrapping her hands around Zareen’s slender hips and pulling the rogue into her lap. “Upside down, like before? Or something more exotic?”

“Well, I swiped this pleasure scroll from the cultists,” Zareen replied, squealing playfully as Ghelda slapped her ass. “And the positions are quite something. It’s some real dark magic.”

“Yeah?” Ghelda’s deep voice was thick with lust. She reached down and started unfastening her loincloth. “Then how about we-“

“Creatum aqua!”

Ghelda and Zareen had no time at all to react before the entire tent was drenched in a torrent of ice-cold water that appeared from thin air above them. The tent immediately collapsed from the weight of the deluge, and it took much kicking, scrambling, and swearing before the pair of adventurers finally extracted themselves and clambered to their feet, both of them soaked to the bone.

“What the fuck, Lialeth?” Ghelda raged, scowling at the person standing before them. “Do you truly not have anything better to use your magic on?”

Somehow, even though she was dry and unharmed, Lialeth, the party’s cleric, managed to scowl back twice as hard and look twice as displeased. She folded her arms. “In fact, I do not. What better use could there be than ensuring the hero’s party doesn’t lapse into sin and depravity?”

Ghelda bristled like an angry tiger, and Zareen rolled her eyes. “We’re having this conversation again?” the rogue drawled. “Surely your annoying little goddess has greater things to worry about. Frankly, she must be furious with you for wasting so much of her precious time.”

Lialeth prided herself on being immaculately composed. From head to toe, she was every inch the perfect priestess. She dressed modestly in spotless, white robes, and adorned herself with nothing except for a sacred symbol, a prayer book, and a few other holy relics. She even kept her neatly braided hair hidden beneath a black veil. She looked like she belonged in a cloister, not on a battlefield. But through countless battles and hardships, her face always remained pressed into an expression of serene composure and pious determination.

When she heard Zareen refer to her ‘annoying little goddess’, however, she turned as red as a tomato with barely-restrained fury.

“Blasphemy!” she cried. “The Goddess of Light deserves the utmost respect! Violent malefactors like you are unworthy to even speak of her! I have tried so very patiently to correct your behavior and explain to you both exactly how much she disapproves of all your misdeeds - but you do nothing but laugh at her teachings! How many times do I have to say it? Fornication outside of marriage is a terrible sin!”

Ghelda just snorted. “If the gods didn’t want me to sleep around, they wouldn’t have blessed me with this.”

She reached down to her groin and made an obscene gesture that had Lialeth turning an even deeper shade of red.

“How dare you!” the cleric spluttered. She knew very well what Ghelda was hiding underneath that loincloth. The barbarian boasted about it often enough. “Honestly! It’s a testament to her infinite kindness and patience that she still wishes me to travel with you. Or a test of my own piety, perhaps. Certainly, the likes of you don’t deserve to receive her blessings - or mine.”

“Aren’t you tired of this little spiel?” Zareen sighed. “We’ve heard it a hundred times, Lialeth. It seems like you prefer the sound of your own voice to that of your goddess. What makes you so sure you know what she wants, anyway? Aren’t you priestesses supposed to be humble?”

“I’m a cleric!” Lialeth shrieked. “I can hear her voice! The Goddess of Light speaks through me! And I promise that I will make you listen, sooner or later!”

“W-what’s going on? Why is everyone y-yelling?”

Another party member was approaching from the far side of the camp. She spoke in a timid, uneven voice punctuated by laughs and irregular, high-pitched tics, and wore a florid black dress so large she was practically drowning in it. Her hair was an unkempt mane of deep purple, and she was clutching a sinister-looking grimoire that drew a fresh scowl of displeasure from Lialeth.

It was Hecatz the warlock.

“Hecatz,” Zareen exclaimed theatrically. “Welcome to the sermon! Lialeth was just telling us all about fornication.”

Hecatz let out a low, filthy giggle. Zareen didn’t have much in common with the shy, nerdy, bookworm warlock, but a shared antipathy towards Lialeth was easy to bond over.

“T-this again?” Hecatz muttered in a nasal voice. “Boring.”

“The devil-worshiper, defending sin? I’m not surprised!” Lialeth rounded on the warlock. She disdained Hecatz’s magic as ‘dark arts’, and made no secret about it. Plus, Hecatz was also no stranger to sharing Ghelda’s bed. “I won’t pretend there’s any saving you."

“You know, you could always join us,” Zareen purred. She lifted a hand to her lips and split her fingers in a V, and started extending her tongue between them. “Maybe we can be the ones to teach you a thing or two. Maybe you’d enjoy it. You must be harboring a few naughty little fantasies, underneath all that repression and haughtiness. A good fuck might be exactly what you need to finally get that stick out of your ass.”

“How dare you!” Lialeth screeched again. She drew herself up as tall as she could. “I take it back. All of you are beyond saving. The best you can do is bow down to the goddess and beg mercy for your-“

“Lialeth!” came a loud, firm voice. “That’s enough.”

All four of the other party members turned to see the final member of their company - Mireille, their leader - striding towards them. Finally, Lialeth’s expression started to soften.

Mireille was a hero, and she looked like it. Clad in shining armor, her handsome looks and long, blonde hair shone like the sun. She was a beacon of virtue, and even Lialeth couldn’t find fault with her. If not for Mireille, the party would have long since collapsed into infighting and acrimony. As prophesied, it was Mireille who had bound them together and who led them across the land, fighting evil wherever it could be found. She walked with destiny at her side, and everyone who met her knew it.

The only thing Lialeth didn’t like about her was how tolerant she was of people’s flaws.

"Mireille!” Lialeth protested. “They were-“

“I know,” Mireille interrupted. Her voice was gentle, but she sounded weary - from the battle, Lialeth assumed. “But it’s been a long day. We all need to blow off steam. Surely you can forgive them that.”

“Well, of course,” Lialeth acknowledged. “But that’s why this is so important! We should be blowing off steam together. I can lead us in a circle of prayer and ritual purification! That’s what the goddess demands. Especially after that vile orgy we just witnessed! If they’d only try it…”

“Lialeth,” Mireille said, pointedly ignoring the way Ghelda and Hecatz were snickering at the mention of ‘blowing off steam together’. “The goddess only wishes the willingly faithful to partake in her rites. Isn’t that so?”

“That’s true…” Lialeth conceded. Suddenly, she felt herself on the back foot. “But they should-“

“They have made their feelings clear,” Mireille explained kindly. “Everyone has their own way to relax and recuperate. Some are simply a little… rowdier than others. I’m sure you can find it in your heart to overlook that. Nobody’s perfect. Not even me.”

She smiled, and Lialeth knew there was no going against Mireille. Not when she smiled like that.

“But…” the cleric protested weakly. “The goddess demands…”

“I’ll pray with you,” Mireille offered. “Just as soon as I’ve finished patching up my gear. We can conduct all the proper rites together. I always find peace in them.”

She did - although Lialeth also knew she enjoyed drinking with Ghelda, exploring with Zareen, and discussing books with Hecatz. That was Mireille all over. She was everyone’s hero.

“Very well,” Lialeth said stiffly. “There’s a spring in the woods, a short way north. I’ll wait there. At least there I’ll have some quiet.”

She turned her back, ready to make off in a huff, but Mireille stopped her.

“Wait,” the hero added. “I found something, at the cultist’s camp. An artifact. I was hoping you could take a look at it? Purify it, perhaps.”

It was an olive branch, Lialeth could tell that much. A way to help Lialeth preserve some dignity. Mireille wanted Lialeth to know she appreciated what the cleric would do. She appreciated the sentiment, even if it did little to soothe the humiliation of having Ghelda, Zareen and Hecatz all laughing at her behind her back.

“Very well,” Lialeth replied. “I shall see what I can do.”

She took the pouch Mireille offered to her, and stormed off into the woods.

“Why don’t they understand?” Lialeth muttered mutinously under her breath as she trudged through the forest. “I am the voice of a goddess. A goddess! She speaks through me. Why don’t they listen? Are they so thick-headed, they think they’re above the gods?”

She was sulking. She knew it was beneath her, but she didn’t care. Lialeth was at her wits’ end. What was she supposed to do?

Growing up amongst the faithful, Lialeth’s role in life had always been perfectly clear: limitless devotion to the goddess. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d learned to follow and accept every last tenet of her goddess’s worship. Whatever was written in scripture, that was her motto. Whatever the priestesses told her, that was her mantra. It was simple.

But not optional. If you followed everything, without question, you were good. Blessed. Chosen. If you wavered, you were bad. Spurned. Damned. Stained. What was so hard about that?

When Lialeth had heard the voice of the Goddess of Light speaking directly to her, it had been the happiest moment of her life. It meant she was a cleric, elevated above the flock, marked out for a special purpose. It had been the ultimate validation of her scrupulous obedience and piety. Her goddess’s voice surpassed everything else in importance. It was her guiding star. And when the goddess had told her that she was to seek out the hero, Mireille, and join her on her quest, she had accepted with joy in her heart.

But when she’d met the hero’s other companions, it had all gone wrong.

Surely Lialeth had been sent to try and save them from their own sins. To try and educate them, to make them holy and pure - just like her. But Ghelda, Zareen and Hecatz acted like her teachings and her righteous indignation were nothing more than prudish nagging and self-important bluster.

It was so confusing. The cleric didn’t know how to make them understand. She wasn’t just guessing. She was a cleric. She was chosen. She could literally hear the Goddess of Light speaking to her and telling her what to do!

Not now, of course. Not when she was off sulking in the woods. The goddess only deigned to speak to her at moments of great importance, in battles or at the crossroads of fateful choices. It was only proper. But Lialeth could have used a little guidance, at a time like this.

As Lialeth arrived at the spring, she decided to put those thoughts out of her mind. Mireille would come, they’d pray together, and Lialeth would feel better - at least for the moment. Until then, rather than stew in her frustration, it would be wiser to do something that made her feel useful.

With that in mind, Lialeth perched on a rock overlooking the spring and opened the pouch Mireille had given her. Inside was a large, dark orb that was made of something like glass - obsidian, perhaps - with a faint, shrouded, purple light emanating from its heart. As Lialeth held it aloft in one hand, she frowned. She’d never seen anything quite like this.

But it was powerful. She could tell that much.

The artifact radiated magical power. No, not just magical power. Divine power. For a cleric like Lialeth, there was no mistaking it. She couldn’t even begin to guess at the artifact’s function, but she was mindful of the fact that it belonged to evil cultists. The shadowy cult the party was currently rooting out was truly vile. Lialeth had never before encountered a gang of such depraved perverts. There was no chance that anything they treasured was harmless.

Briefly, Lialeth considered that the wisest course of action might have been to seal the artifact until she could take it back to her convent for proper study. Except… Mireille had suggested she purify it. Lialeth couldn’t go back empty-handed. She didn’t want Mireille to be disappointed in her, and she certainly didn't want the others to laugh at her failure.

So, uttering a quiet blessing, Lialeth closed her eyes and allowed the breath of the Goddess of Light to enter her. That breath fanned the spark of the divine within her into a flame, and Lialeth was able to take that flame’s warmth and light into the palm of her hand and use it to reach into the strange orb, illuminating its depths and probing for the secrets sealed within.

Too late, she sensed the presence within the orb reaching back.

Suddenly, the divine power Lialeth could sense emanating from the artifact increased a hundredfold, and behind it, she could now discern a distinct intent. A being, uncoiling like a serpent and stretching out toward her.

Lialeth tried to pull back. But it was too late; whatever was within the orb was awake, and already had its hooks in her. It just kept extending and unfolding, its darkness drowning out the light the cleric had called upon. Lialeth was struck with the distinct, uncomfortable sense that she was being seen by something. It was terrifying. It was like staring into a baleful sun.

She knew what this artifact was now: a prison. And Lialeth, in her carelessness, had opened it. But a prison for what? She’d never sensed anything even close to as powerful as this. Only the Goddess of Light herself came close. Why did this entity feel so uncannily similar? Its power was like a dark mirror of the goddess’s.

Was this… the prison of a god? That seemed absurd. Lialeth had never heard of such a thing. And yet…

Crack!

Without warning, the orb’s surface shattered. Out of a hundred tiny cracks, there emerged a vast, dark cloud, blacker than the blackest night yet illuminated by that same strange, purple glow as the orb. It just kept growing and growing, somehow ignoring the wind, until it completely surrounded Lialeth.

“Light preserve me!” Lialeth breathed.

As soon as the words left her lips, the dark cloud surged towards her. There was no time to react. In an instant, it was all over her - and in another it was inside her, pouring into her eyes, her mouth, her nose, even her eyes. Lialeth felt like she was drowning. Every muscle in her body went stiff in protest against the vile intrusion.

Lialeth, my child! Hurry, you must-

It was the voice of the Goddess of Light! Lialeth rejoiced - but then, when the voice cut off, she immediately panicked. She had never felt such an awful sense of severance from the divine light. Nobody could interrupt the Goddess of Light. That was impossible… wasn’t it? Suddenly, Lialeth wasn’t so sure. And worse, she could still feel something powerful and evil and alien making its home inside her.

Oh? What have we here?

It was… the Goddess of Light? The voice was speaking directly into Lialeth’s soul in just the same way, but there was something different about it. The voice, though still feminine sounded deeper, more sensual, dripping with a kind of gleeful promise that made all of Lialeth’s hairs stand on end.

A follower of light? Such fortune! ‘Twas your kind that imprisoned me. And only your magic could set me free.

It had to be the Goddess of Light, didn’t it? The alternative was simply unthinkable. It frightened Lialeth on a level she simply couldn’t bring herself to contemplate. Yes. Yes, this was simply the Goddess of Light. What did it matter that her voice sounded a little different, and if her words were confusing? It wasn’t Lialeth’s place to question.

And such capacity for faith! How amusing. You shall make for a fitting vessel, child. Through you, I will sow corruption across the land.

Corruption? That didn’t sound right. That didn’t sound like the goddess Lialeth knew and loved. But… it had to be, didn’t it? Her connection to the Goddess of Light was inviolate. Lialeth was sacred. Chosen. She always had been. Doubt didn’t come naturally to her. Heeding the voice of the goddess in her soul came as naturally to Lialeth as breathing.

But… the orb. The dark cloud. What if…

You’re troubled, child. Let me free you from doubt and worry.

Lialeth felt something moving inside her. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a cloud anymore. It was a liquid, an ooze, black as pitch, but animated by its own will. Somehow, she could feel it clawing its way up her spine, staining everything it touched, and then forcing its way inside her skull.

The cleric twitched violently for a moment as the invading presence explored the intricate pathways of her mind. Soon, it found what it was looking for: her doubt. Her judgment. Her sense of her own values, cultivated over many long years of study and piety.

It snuffed them out as easily as Lialeth might have quenched a match.

Lialeth slumped and relaxed. Yes. This was the voice of the goddess. Of her goddess.

All was right in the world.

That’s better. Now, we must deal with your companions. You’ve always wanted to teach them a lesson, haven’t you? I can make them heed your lessons. I could do it in any number of ways, in fact… but you really are such an insufferable little tool of that miserable goddess. And it’s been far, far too long since I’ve had some real fun. Some true debauchery. Yes, I know what to do with you.

Lialeth just went on smiling. It didn’t matter to her that the voice in her soul was insulting her and her long-treasured faith. This was her goddess. All Lialeth needed to do was listen and obey.

Yes, Lialeth. Listen and obey. For I have new commandments to give you…

Zareen awoke to the sensation of a hand on her ass. That, in itself, wasn’t unusual. After Lialeth had stormed off, Zareen and Ghelda had painstakingly dried and re-pitched their tent, fucked and then laid down to sleep. The rogue slept on her front, and it wasn’t unusual for Ghelda to get a little touchy-feely, even when she was unconscious. The barbarian had fierce appetites.

Zareen didn’t mind one bit.

Another hand. Maybe Ghelda wasn’t asleep after all. Zareen could have sworn she could still hear the barbarian’s breathing from next to her. Maybe that was something else. Her head was fogged from exhaustion, and her body was sore from the day’s trials.

“Another round, stud?” Zareen murmured. “Maybe… in a bit…”

In response, the pair of hands started forcefully spreading her ass cheeks apart.

Zareen started to stir. This had to be Ghelda. She could certainly be firm, once she set her mind to something. That was fun, in a way. And they were no strangers to this kind of sex. Zareen really was too tired for it, though. Ghelda’s size wasn’t to be taken lightly.

“Hey,” Zareen drawled sleepily. “Maybe for now you could just-“

A tongue.

Zareen gasped and collapsed back into her pillow as she felt a tongue pressing into her tight, sensitive hole. Before she could catch her breath, the tongue started moving, and Zareen was having her ass eaten out with a level of devotion and fanaticism she’d never experienced before. Each time the tongue pushed deeper into her body, it made Zareen twitch and moan as thundershocks of pleasure raced up her spine.

“F-fuck!” she gasped breathlessly. “W-where did you learn to do this?”

It was surprising, for Ghelda. The barbarian usually had a single-minded focus on herself and her own pleasure, and on all the ways she could bury her spear in Zareen’s body. Zareen didn’t mind that either. She could - and did - appreciate many, many different flavors of lover.

But if this was a new trick Ghelda was picking up, Zareen certainly wasn’t going to complain. The way her ass was being rimmed felt utterly divine. Each lap of that eager tongue made the rogue’s body go weak with pleasure. As her moans built, she managed to raise herself up on her knees, all the better to start rolling her hips and pressing her ass back against the mouth that was so eager to explore it.

“Yeah,” Zareen purred. “That’s it, stud. R-right there. Fuck! I could get used to this.”

She really could. Having her ass eaten this way was driving her wild. It was a new, exciting form of pleasure she’d never felt before. Eager to bathe in the hedonism of the experience, Zareen twisted her body so that she could reach back and start idly playing with her cunt. But as she did, she caught sight of the person kneeling behind her, face buried in her rear.

It was Lialeth. Not Ghelda. Lialeth.

“What the fuck?” Zareen hissed, although her voice was still stained through with pleasure. “What the hell are you doing?”

She crawled forward. Once she saw her face, there was no doubt about it. This was Lialeth. The cleric’s face was stained with saliva and with the holy oils she’d apparently been using to lube up Zareen’s ass, and when she saw that Zareen was trying to pull away from her, she made an irritated, high-handed tutting noise.

“Typical,” Lialeth complained. “Just typical!”

Zareen was utterly flabbergasted. She had a hundred questions. Why was Lialeth in her tent? Why was this snippy little cleric eating her ass? Why was she so damn good at it? And why was she talking like all this was completely normal?

Was Lialeth drunk? Had she taken something? Zareen peered at her as closely as she could, but in the dim tent, it was too dark to see her eyes.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” Zareen demanded again, in a hushed voice.

Unbelievably, Lialeth just rolled her eyes at her.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Lialeth sneered. “As usual, I’m simply trying to conduct the rites of the goddess. And as usual, you are making it very difficult!”

“Wha…” Zareen just blinked. Was this some kind of joke? “The… rites of the goddess?”

“Yes!” Lialeth nodded impatiently. "It’s my responsibility as a cleric to keep you cleansed and pure!”

“With… with your tongue?” Zareen was incredulous.

“You dare question the goddess’s teachings?” Lialeth hissed imperiously. “I am the chosen vessel of her divinity! I am the voice of the goddess! What better instrument to anoint you with her blessings?”

Zareen could do nothing but laugh. She was giving up on understanding this. Probably, it was a dream. But if not, and if Lialeth had finally cracked, Zareen figured the experience might teach her some much-needed humility. If the cleric really wanted to eat her ass that badly, why not let her?

“You know what? Go ahead,” Zareen murmured, slumping back into her pillow with a sleepy, pleasure-drunk smile on her face. “Knock yourself out.”

“Thank you!” Lialeth exclaimed indignantly. A mere moment later, her face was firmly nested back in Zareen’s ass. Her voice became decidedly muffled. “Maybe there’s… hope for you… after all.”

Each word was punctuated with the wet, lewd sound of her tongue pressing in and out of Zareen’s hole. The rogue simply let out an agreeable moan as fresh waves of pleasure started rolling over her. Admittedly, Lialeth’s technique wasn’t particularly precise or refined, but her sheer enthusiasm more than made up for it. She was truly eating ass like it was her religion, and the sounds her worship made were only growing louder and more obscene by the moment.

“Huh?” came a deep, weary voice from the other side of the tent. “What’s all the… Zar, that you?”

It was Ghelda. The barbarian was waking up. Zareen giggled as she saw the small mountain of blankets and furs beside her starting to shift. What would Ghelda make of this, she wondered?

Once Ghelda had propped herself up on one elbow and rubbed the sleep from her eyes she was greeted by the sight of Lialeth, the annoyingly pious, prudish and judgmental cleric, with her face buried as deep as it could go in another woman’s ass, lapping and kissing like her life depended on it. Her jaw dropped.

“Seven fucking hells,” Ghelda groaned. “What did I drink?”

Her words alerted Lialeth to the barbarian’s presence. She extracted herself from Zareen’s ass - prompting a slight, petulant whine from the rogue - and turned to Ghelda, drawing herself up proudly.

“Ghelda!” Lialeth exclaimed. “Thank goodness! You’re here too. Perfect.”

Without any more warning than that, she pounced on the barbarian with such eagerness that even the huge mountain of a woman was knocked unsteady. Taking advantage, Lialeth wrapped her hands around Ghelda’s hips and, with a firm grip on the barbarian, pressed her face straight between her thighs.

Ghelda, still in shock from what was happening, let out a faint moan. It was obvious that, despite her surprise, her body was responding to Lialeth’s eager attention. Zareen could see her loincloth beginning to lift as something thick and hard formed a very, very noticeable bulge underneath it.

“Get this… out of… the way!” Lialeth commanded, trying frantically to pull the loincloth to one side. In her eagerness, she was already spilling drool all over both Ghelda and herself. Once she had successfully dislodged the garment, she opened her mouth, extended her tongue, and buried Ghelda’s massive cock in her throat.

Ghelda immediately let out a full-throated growl of astonished pleasure. Lialeth was sucking her cock with just the same level of fanatical eagerness she’d exhibited when eating Zareen’s ass, but this was proving a far harder task. Ghelda was huge. The barbarian’s throbbing cock was a foot long and girthy to match, and Lialeth was trying to take every last inch. The result was a succession of sounds so lewd they would have made a whore blush.

The slap of flesh on flesh as Lialeth forced her lips all the way down to the base of Ghelda’s cock. The violent choking and gagging as she desperately pushed past her own gag reflex. And then the loud, wet smack of her lips as she pulled back and extracted the barbarian’s huge shaft from her throat and lavished its tip with hungry kisses, only to deep throat it again after barely pausing to breathe.

“Holy… fuck!” Ghelda grunted. She was stunned. She’d had her cock sucked often, but never quite like this. And certainly never by a cleric. She glanced at Zareen. “Is she…”

Zareen just shrugged. The rogue was lost for words. She was completely entranced by the spectacle of Lialeth’s blowjob.

Lialeth’s veil had slipped from her head, and her face was drenched in drool and precum. Normally that would have scandalized her, but now she seemed completely oblivious. She looked nothing like a holy woman of any kind. Zareen’s image of the prim, proper cleric was being shattered beyond repair.

“You’re so… so big!” Lialeth exclaimed, pulling for long enough for just one deep breath. She sounded faintly annoyed, like it was rude of Ghelda to present her with such a large workload. “How… how vulgar.”

Zareen raised an eyebrow.

Clearly, Lialeth wasn’t to be deterred by the task at hand. As soon as she’d caught her breath, she returned to noisily and eagerly deep-throating Ghelda. She wrapped both of her hands around the barbarian’s thick shaft, jerking her off as she sucked and licked, seemingly caught up in the intricacies of some unfathomable ritual.

“Uuurr… mmusk,” Lialeth managed to choke out, with her mouth full of cock. “Sssooo… stron… nneed to… clleeasee you.”

Noticing the thick, musky, sweaty scent that clung to Ghelda only seemed to make Lialeth even more frenzied. One of her hands lightly grazed Ghelda’s full, heavy balls, and it was like a light had been switched on in her head. With a loud slurping sound, the cleric extracted Ghelda’s cock from her throat and lifted it up so that she could lean forwards and bury her face in the barbarian’s balls.

“Fuckkkkk!” Ghelda moaned, as Lialeth started tonguing her. “Didn’t know you were such a freak, Lialeth!”

“A… hrrrng… freak?” Lialeth could barely make room to speak between strokes of her tongue as she drooled all over the hulking barbarian’s sack. “How… nngg… dare you! I’m just… ockkk… a devoted… priestess!”

Ghelda let out a wild laugh, thick with pleasure. Lialeth’s hands were still working her cock, stroking up and down furiously as the cleric utterly smothered herself with Ghelda’s balls. From the way Ghelda’s shaft was starting to throb and twitch, it was obvious she was getting close.

“Whatever you say!” Ghelda grunted. “Here it comes, priestess!”

She came. A huge, thick stream of cum erupted from the tip of her cock in massive, rhythmic spurts, flying through the air in an arc to land directly onto Lialeth’s face. Lialeth took her mouth off of Ghelda’s body so that she could lift her face, basking in the shower of cum like it was manna from heaven. The look on her face was one of perfect, self-satisfied contentment. It was clear that in her mind, this was a job well done. This was the pinnacle of her devotion.

As usual, Ghelda’s orgasm stretched on for almost half a minute. All the while, her balls worked overtime to keep spewing forth load after load of cum. Zareen knew full well that Ghelda’s virility was the stuff of legends. Lialeth gratefully took every last load; some fell in her open mouth, which she swallowed happily, and the rest simply dripped down her face to stain her robes, leaving her holy attire hopelessly stained and soiled with Ghelda’s thick-smelling seed.

To Lialeth, this was nothing more or less than a blessed sacrament.

Then, she turned to Zareen.

“Oh,” Lialeth panted. Her whole body was heaving with each breath, and cum was oozing past her lips as she spoke. “You… I didn’t even… finish.”

She looked exhausted, but nonetheless started crawling back over to Zareen. The rogue was still completely stunned. She knew, on some level, that this was unnatural. It had to be. This wasn’t Lialeth. The cum-drenched woman heading towards her and licking her lips looked like something between a succubus and a back-alley whore. The cleric Zareen knew would never sink to this level. Not in a thousand years.

But somehow, the sight was so debauched, so utterly debased in its hedonism, she couldn’t quite find it in herself to refuse.

“Um, hey,” came a nasally, uneven voice from outside the tent. Hecatz. “You guys need to either keep it down or, uh, let me join in.”

Zareen and Ghelda exchanged faintly mortified looks, but Lialeth didn’t miss a single beat.

“Yes!” Lialeth called out eagerly. “Come in! Join us!”

“Um, was that…?”

Hecatz lifted the tent flap and peered inside, and almost jumped out of her skin at what she saw.

“Absolutely not,” the warlock breathed, shocked. She looked to Zareen and Ghelda for some kind of explanation.

“She’s…” Zareen began, before falling silent. What was she supposed to say? She’s come around? She’s gone crazy? Somehow, neither of those explanations would be sufficient.

“What are you doing?” Lialeth said sternly, ignoring the confusion of her party members. She rose to her feet, and seemed just as oblivious to the way Ghelda’s cum was dripping from her robe in streams. “Hurry up! We are partaking in the goddess’s sacred rites. Don’t you want me to make you pure, as I have Ghelda?”

Hecatz’s face cracked into an uneven smile as she glanced between Lialeth, drenched in cum, and Ghelda, her still-hard cock twitching between her legs.

“T-this is a joke, right?” Hecatz said nervously. “You’re just-“

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lialeth said primly. “I’m simply going to-“

She broke off abruptly. Lialeth tilted her head, and it was as if she was listening to some unheard voice. All of the party members knew that expression. Lialeth was hearing her goddess. They paused with bated breath to see what would happen next.

“Yes, my divine lady.” A serene smile washed over Lialeth’s face, and she stretched out a hand towards Hecatz. “Give me your grimoire.”

“My-“ Hecatz was immediately shaking her head. Her grimoire was, as ever, hanging from a loop on the belt around her dress. It was the font of her dark power, every bit as potent as a wizard’s staff. “No! No way! I mean you’re just going to destroy it, or purify it, or- hey!”

Impatiently, Lialeth reached out and snatched the heavy, leather-bound book away from the warlock. Before anyone could stop her, she opened it and held out a hand above its pages. Her hand started to glow, although the usual golden radiance of her divine magic was poisoned through by purple veins of corruption.

“There!” Lialeth announced after a moment. Keeping the grimoire open, she tossed it on the ground outside the tent. Zareen and Ghelda both sprang to their feet and ran out after it.

“What did you do?” Ghelda demanded.

It was Hecatz who answered. “She… oh, hells!” The warlock started sweating bullets. “S-she unsealed something!”

As the party watched, a glowing red glyph appeared in the air above the book. Then, something started coming through it as if it was parting a curtain, only there was nothing on the other side except for thin air.

It was a tentacle.

“Why worry?” Lialeth scoffed. She sounded just like her old self, when she was lecturing the other party members about their perceived shortcomings. “You often use this creature for your self-pleasure, Hecatz. The goddess has told me as much.”

The warlock turned bright red. “That’s n-n-not-“

“Rest assured,” Lialeth continued, with an air of supreme benevolence. “Even the most profane monstrosities can become instruments for the goddess’s great gift!”

Another tentacle emerged through the grimoire. Then another, then another. Soon, it became clear: this creature was nothing more than a seething, writhing mass of reaching tentacles. Each appendage was tipped with a distinctly suggestive tip, and each one dripped with slick, sticky, heady secretions.

“A-are you insane?” Hecatz asked. The tentacle beast was crawling towards where she and Lialeth were standing, getting closer inch by inch. “You’re… you’re not…”

“Trust me,” Lialeth told her. Her robes were ruined and she was still drenched with cum, but she managed to sound like a kindly priestess comforting a child. “Cleanse your soul. Accept my blessing.”

She reached out to Hecatz once more, and shoved her back towards the tentacle beast.

Hecatz tumbled back, hopelessly off-balance - but the creature that had been sealed within her grimoire surged forward to catch her. Within the blink of an eye, dozens of tentacles were wrapped around Hecatz’s body, lifting her into the air and binding her in place. She struggled, but it was for naught; the more she writhed and squirmed, the tighter the tentacles seemed to hold her.

“Lialeth!” Hecatz shrieked in protest. “What are you- ah!”

As the tentacles started to explore her body, Hecatz broke off into a moan - and then turned bright red with shame. Evidently, Lialeth had been correct. The tentacle beast seemed well used to feeling and groping Hecatz this way, and the warlock was clearly equally as attuned to its touch. She was trying to stifle them, but more and more moans were slipping past Hecatz’s lips, and the way her back arched when a tentacle snaked its way up her dress was anything but innocent.

“Do you see?” Lialeth said smugly. “It feels wonderful to allow the goddess to accept you into her bosom.”

The tentacle beast was beginning to undress Hecatz, ripping her black dress apart as its tentacles stretched and undulated across her body. Beneath her shapeless clothes, it turned out that Hecatz was hiding quite the body. She was certainly on the chubby side, and all of the weight and fat had gone to the perfect places: her thighs were thick, juicy pillars, her fat ass was jiggling and quivering alluringly as the tentacles squeezed it, and her belly was a delightful, soft pouch that just begged to be squeezed and massaged.

And the tentacles were eager to oblige.

Possessed of an unfathomable, alien curiosity, they explored all over Hecatz’s body without discernment, groping, squeezing, stroking, massaging, fucking. All over, she was dripping with the creature’s secretions, but that wasn’t all: her thighs were just as slick with her own wetness. Hecatz’s moans were coming long and loud now, but she was still resisting, tossing and turning in the tentacles’ embrace to try and keep it from entering her mouth or her cunt.

Lialeth pursed her lips and made a displeased ‘tch’.

“Why must you fight the goddess’s will?” she tutted. “Allow me to guide you by example.”

With those words, she stepped forward into the tentacle beast’s embrace. Dozens of the creature’s endless appendages raced towards her, but they seemed to sense the cleric’s submission. They didn’t bind her or lift her into the air. Instead, they caressed her like a lover, steadily wrapping themselves around her arms and lifting the hem of her dress.

As if in prayer, Lialeth fell to her knees. An expression of rapturous joy was etched onto her face.

Her robe didn’t last long. Already hopelessly soiled with Ghelda’s cum, it quickly fell to shreds when the tentacles started forcefully peeling it away from Lialeth’s body. Unlike Hecatz’s, her form was trim and slender, the product of discipline and privation. The tentacles didn’t seem to mind. Four of them wrapped around her thighs and another two around her tits, and then three entire tentacles plunged as deep as they could into Lialeth’s pussy.

The cleric let out a wordless cry of perfect bliss.

The tentacles immediately started pounding in and out of Lialeth with inhuman vigor. Anyone else would have been reduced to senseless twitching by their ravenous attention, but something spurred Lialeth on; kept her active and focused despite the pleasure. With each hand, she reached for a tentacle and guided them gently towards her mouth. The tentacles responded eagerly, and immediately pushed past her parted lips so they could start fucking her throat.

The tentacles reached even deeper inside her than Ghelda’s cock. Impaled from both ends, Lialeth was completely helpless. But still, the gagging noises emerging from her throat made it clear that she was still striving to pleasure the creature, and from the manic look in her eyes, it was obvious this was exactly where she wanted to be.

Watching from the sidelines, Zareen and Ghelda were utterly stunned. It was more unbelievable than ever that this could possibly be any kind of sacred ritual.

Somehow, though, it seemed to be working. Seduced by the tentacle creature’s ministrations, Hecatz was slowly relaxing into its grip, allowing the phallic tips of its many limbs to tease the entrances to her cunt and her ass. And it was plenty obvious to Zareen that she wasn’t trying to pull away anymore either.

Just for a moment, Zareen entertained the thought of joining the orgy. Why not? It was sure to be an experience.

“Lialeth!” came a sudden cry from the treeline. “In the goddess’s name, what are you doing?”

Like a blazing phoenix, Mireille descended on the tentacle beast.

There was no weapon in her hand, but she put her prodigious strength to good use prying Lialeth away from the creature. The cleric’s indignant protests meant nothing to the hero, and soon enough, she had Lialeth hefted in her arms, free from the tentacles. Without missing a beat, she sprinted back away from the camp and into the woods.

After running for several hundred yards, Mireille came to a halt and set Lialeth down. The cleric glared at her, but Mireille seemed to miss her antipathy.

“Lialeth!” Mireille cried. “I looked for you at the spring, but… goddess, what was happening? Was it Hecatz? Don’t tell me she…”

“No!” Lialeth scoffed. “She’s not the type. And do you think she could touch me without the goddess’s permission? Please!”

“Then why-“

“The real question,” Lialeth said, drawing herself up to her full height, “is why you imagine you can just run in and interrupt one of my sacred rituals? You may be a destined hero, but that doesn’t mean you can defy the will of the gods!”

Dumbstruck, Mireille just blinked. “H-huh?”

“This is just typical!” Lialeth complained. She was oblivious to her own nakedness. “I finally persuade the others to turn to the righteous path, and something has to get in the way! But I didn’t expect it to be you, Mireille. I thought better of you!”

Mireille’s jaw dropped. “Is this a joke?” she asked. “Lialeth, that was… I mean, isn’t that exactly what you’re always complaining about?”

“Of course not!” Lialeth shot back. “What are you talking about? That was holy!”

“It was exactly the kind of debauchery the cultists were practicing!” Mireille cried. “This… no. This isn’t natural. Something is wrong. Very wrong.”

Guided by her superior instincts, Mireille peered intently at the indignant Lialeth, searching for any hint of enchantment. At that very moment, the clouds parted and a beam of moonlight shone through a gap in the canopy above. Lialeth’s face was illuminated, and Mireille gasped at what she saw.

The cleric’s eyes were glowing a distinct, sinister purple.

“We’re wasting time,” Lialeth huffed impatiently. “We need to get back! I need to consecrate you too, Mireille.”

“No,” Mireille breathed, horrified. “No, I need to stop this. I need to warn the others, and break whatever spell you’re under, and-“

“Oh, for the love of the goddess!” Lialeth exclaimed. She raised her hand, drew on her magic once more, and directed it all straight at Mireille. “Dominatus personae!”

When the spell hit Mireille, there was no resistance. The hero’s willpower was formidable, but she simply wasn’t prepared. Lialeth was her trusted comrade, after all. Mireille’s shoulders slumped and her face went completely slack, all that concern and alarm giving way to placid, mindless obedience. Her arms fell to her sides, and Mireille started swaying from side to side just a little with each gust of wind. She was like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

The fated hero was completely and totally entranced.

“That’s better!” Lialeth said smugly. “I’m sorry, Mireille. But now that I’m finally getting everybody on the right track, I simply can’t risk you getting cold feet and ruining everything. I have a higher calling, after all.”

Mireille didn’t respond. She just stood there, staring, eyelids drooping and eyes glassy.

“You’ll forgive me,” Lialeth decided. “After all, you’ll feel so much better once we’ve purified you. You and all the others, of course. We’ll get you out of that armor, and once we’re back at camp we can get you into the arms of that wonderful creature Hecatz was keeping sealed away. Soon, all of us will be one with the goddess.”

“Yes, Lialeth,” Mireille replied in a flat monotone, now that she had been given something approaching a command. Moving stiffly, she started unfastening the clasps that held her armor in place and, one by one, its pieces clattered uselessly to the ground.

“Good,” Lialeth said approvingly, once the hero’s fine, athletic body was completely exposed. “Now, come along. I must make sure the others aren’t getting cold feet.”

If they were, she was sure another spell could fix it. Nothing could be allowed to stop her now. Not when she was so close to bringing the whole party together in a single, blessed congregation.

All of her doubts were in the past now. In retrospect, they were foolish. Embarrassing, even. Lialeth could hear the voice of the goddess. And as usual, her goddess had told her exactly what to do. All she had to do - all she’d ever had to do - was have faith.

Well done, my child, that voice was saying to her, as she led Mireille back to the incipient tentacle orgy at their camp. You’ve proved more useful than I could have imagined. Now I have the fated hero in my grasp! Soon, she’ll be just as devoted as you are. And after that, there will be no limits to my reach. All the land will know my touch and my gift. And it’s all thanks to you.

Lialeth just nodded in blissful rapture. It was all thanks to her. She couldn’t have asked for a better reward than those words. Soon, her struggles to make people listen to her divine teachings would be a thing of the past.

Everyone would understand. She was the voice of the goddess.

---

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[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme Post #100

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 6, Every Day, partner

...

I will be covering Maggie and Nina talking to Crowley, then the little bit that happens afterward before the argument scene of the bookshop.

...

Sideburns Check

The sideburns are still a medium length.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

The more saturated red streak of hair can be found.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The top hair looks to have smoothed some and rises up a little taller.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects)

Both Maggie and Nina touch the doorknob, the rug, and the steps into the bookshop.

Nina has a question and number with, "Where's the other one?"

Crowley is shown as having his feet crossed with his touch on the chair.

Both Maggie and Nina sit down on a couch. Each of them has some variation of a statement of place, which is often used as an extended form of Hello, but we seem a little past when a Hello should happen.

Nina points out, "You and your partner..."

Maggie claims they are not a game. They're real people.

Both of these characters are in a game as game pieces and not real people, but I guess that's a thing fictional characters do and say. The story is real enough to them.

Crowley has a question with, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Maggie says Aziraphale's "Mr. Fell" name.

Despite the weight of this conversation that Maggie and Nina want to have, neither one of them have any respect or care for using Crowley's name during this conversation. It might be that they can't, but we at least know for certain that they don't.

Crowley shifts his touch on the chair by crossing his legs.

...

Time to pay attention to the pockets.

At the start of when Crowley appears on screen, his tassel tips are on his belt. Put another way, that's the thumb tips of his Tied Hands on his Belt Head.

In my looking to see if the Tied Hands retie, a clasp might be at an edge of the lapel when Crowley shifts to cross his legs differently. The face of Crowley's watch is visible. He has an extended index finger when pointing at them, talking about Maggie crying and Nina needed rescuing.

I can't seem to find any thumb joint alignments with the jacket edges though Crowley's right thumb tip does such a thing when he moves to shift how he crosses his legs.

Crowley doesn't seem to be making many pockets with his body. I can mainly find a couple involving his right arm and the rest of the body when he moves around in the chair.

His Belt Head is visible at the start of the scene and when he shifts how he crosses his legs.

I can't find any Overhead Lights for him.

...

Story Commentary

In the part before cutting away to Aziraphale and the Metatron, I think this scene sucks.

The bookshop is closed. The door is not locked, but the bookshop is closed and has the sign saying so. Maggie and Nina show us that they do not care. They don't bother themselves with being invited. They don't even have the decency to knock, like Gabriel and Muriel did. They just let themselves in.

Based on what we've been shown of the story, they shouldn't do that because angels were on the verge of turning them into pillars of salt.

We have been given no indication that they know who is actually inside.

But they still go in, lacking basic human decency to a closed bookshop.

Receiving the news that Aziraphale is out and it's not a good time, they, again, show us they don't care. Nina says, "I wasn't asking. There are things you need to hear."

These two do not give a fuck about Crowley in this scene. They really don't.

I can understand the whole, "We're not a game," thing. Earthly Objects itself isn't exactly easy to find, play, or understand. It's a very interesting (but frustrating) part of a very strange story.

So, fine, okay, the sooner they tell the supernatural being to back off, the better and maybe that's their sense of urgency.

Up to that only though, in my opinion.

The part that really bothers me is mainly Maggie thinking she has any grasp of the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley.

Maggie and Crowley have barely spoken to each other the entire season.

Aziraphale never even mentions Crowley to Maggie in the two main conversations they have in Maggie's record shop.

We didn't see her invitation, so we don't know what she knows of the relationship in something that simple.

Her argument is that they don't talk to each other. Then when Crowley points out they've been talking for millions of years, her argument shifts to Crowley never says what he's really thinking.

Maggie has no way of knowing that because nothing in her or Crowley's characterization says she is familiar enough with the relationship to make that call.

Even if she did have some twisted way of having spied on Crowley and Aziraphale during the season, she'd still be wrong. Crowley was quite forthcoming in his thoughts about taking Gabriel in during episode 1. Before he had that argument, he was quick to ask about what the problem was because he knows Aziraphale's Something's Wrong voice. He said so himself. Crowley had his own special way of responding to the idea of loaning his car. He made his opinions known about Aziraphale making changes to his car while it was borrowed. And so on.

Nina says some notably wrong things too, but they are a little more understandable in the full context of the story given. I'm not bothered by them.

She says Crowley's the "can't trust anyone ever again" one.

That is emphatically untrue, but she's not around Crowley enough to know. Crowley does trust. He trusts Aziraphale. He developed a trust in Gabriel. I don't know why he seems to have such a deep trust in Muriel, but that's what I read from the Earthly Objects game and how the two interact overall. I am very curious about him and Muriel.

So, here we have two human beings understandably getting on Crowley's case for interfering with their lives. Then one of them proceeds to interfere with his life by giving him bad relationship advice on a subject she is very clearly very ignorant of. She does that while being either unwilling or unable to address him by name.

Oh, and how about how Maggie finishes it off by saying, "That was all we needed. It's what you two need as well."?

I don't know what story Maggie's reading or thinks she's in, but it's not the same one I'm reading about her. She and Nina have not gotten all they needed. Nina just recently said as much because she needs time to deal with her recently ended relationship. They aren't together. Upon Maggie insisting she'll be there when Nina's ready, Nina took no solace in that and told Maggie that wasn't helping. That signifies problems are already brewing between them.

Like I said, they have not gotten all they needed.

Her advice to Crowley isn't what he and Aziraphale need either.

Crowley and Aziraphale are two different people who love the world in their own separate ways, handle problems together and separately, and who love each other dearly. They are both supernatural beings who have a lot of experience she doesn't. They have a problem specific to their status of being an angel and a demon.

Not only are Crowley and Aziraphale together, they've been playing games this season where they have to work together separately in a story designed to pull them apart by its end.

I have my differences with The Magic Trick You Didn't See theory, but this scene is one where I mean that the idea of possibly intentionally bad writing resonates.

If I'm supposed to find Maggie endearing or this advice worthwhile, that didn't happen. She is clueless, and it shows.

And because I like Crowley and can head canon as I please, I'm going to take his reaction as more of him thinking if there's something more he wants to say before "it's too late," than any merit in anything Maggie actually says.

Despite all my complaining, something this conversation does accomplish is show that these two humans still see Crowley as human enough to think his relationship with Aziraphale is like a human partnership.

That could be why the left sideburn will shorten, even if these two humans probably don't think Crowley is actually human.

Moving onto what happens next...

The story cuts away to Aziraphale and the Metatron. Aziraphale's showing mixed emotions. He looks nervous, sounds flustered, looks happy, then looks nervous again.

In light of looking for a Metatron mistake, the Metatron could be messing up the shoulder-demon role because Aziraphale pulls away while humans end up visually pocketed between the two characters as Aziraphale keeps moving. I have not been going over the matter closely but keeping it in mind ever since engaging with this post about looking at the Metatron as the demon on the shoulder. Most shoulder-angel or shoulder-demon cuts keep other characters out of the pocket between the focused character and the shoulder character.

Another thing I notice with this particular cut is that three relevant humans to the door trickery coming up at the end of this episode pass by. All three are even among those who are my guesses for the magic words.

The woman wearing black, including a black hat, and carrying a bag is my guess for "dash of nutmeg". The guy in yellow and pocketing his hands with a dark gray vest is "banana." The woman with the orange jacket is "shoelace" (later). She doesn't show her shoes here.

To remind us that things are off with these background humans, Banana ends up passing by the bookshop front behind Aziraphale in the next cut.

In any case, Aziraphale makes his way back to the bookshop and shows us his doorknob touch for this episode.

Maggie and Nina are preparing to leave.

In the background, Crowley is shown standing with pocket touches. He's easy to miss and not clear, but from what can be seen, it looks to me like his left sideburn shortened to what is usually found around humans.

Something I certainly don't know and a question I have is if there is any benefit to him having short sideburns there. He should still be able to touch his pockets, and he's done with his silly face touches with the sunglasses. The humans were already able to find him as a demon in the bookshop, and no human is coming back in again for the rest of the episode. So, what does he get out of it, if anything? The sideburns are about to lengthen once the humans close the door.

Something else this glimpse of Crowley accomplishes is to make sure he's in the front bookend to the next Muriel scene.

This part of the episode also shows that Crowley fixed the broken window during his tidying process earlier.

Instead of Maggie or Nina stopping to say they wanted to talk to Aziraphale too, they keep moving. Maggie says they were just going. Nina says she's sure they have a lot to say.

So, again, the story shows us that Maggie and Nina do not actually give a fuck about talking to "them," the plural of Crowley and Aziraphale. They were here specifically to get to Crowley, whether they realize it or not.

Aziraphale smiles nervously as the others leave, closing the door behind them.

Maggie and Nina smile, and I'm generally annoyed with both of them.

Nina walks toward the coffee shop, and the Metatron vaguely follows. He stops and talks to Muriel.

Now onto my next guess for a Metatron mistake.

I've actually mentioned this potential mistake, without calling it that, as far back as Windows Part 2 of my posts.

A complex window scene requires three steps. The looker looks. The window sees. The looker is seen clearly behind the window with some of its window frame visible.

The Metatron looks, but we don't see what the window sees for his Earthly Objects play.

Okay, well, not every character tries for a complex window scene. Sometimes we don't get what "the window sees," which is supposed to be the camera telling us there's a window frame for the window.

But even if we don't get what the window saw, we get what the looker saw in some form because the camera and characters shift us forward to do that. For example, in episode 1, we don't see a complex window scene for Gabriel's arrival. We see Maggie and Nina exit the coffee shop amidst the commotion from other people in the street. They crossed a door threshold instead and give us information about what they saw in the story through their movement and dialogue. In episode 2, Maggie and Aziraphale look at Nina through a window. There's no window frame to indicate what the window saw, but we see Nina to confirm she is the subject they saw.

The Metatron's play does not do that here as the Final Fifteen starts. We will not see him again until he touches the doorknob of the bookshop again. He, as a character in the story, isn't confirming for us that he is indeed looking through a window and what he sees through that window. He never will. His dialogue will do the same thing with him asking, "How did he take it?"

Another factor is Muriel.

Muriel wears all white, and White keeps. That's not going to help with the window look. Muriel does at least two things that probably prevent the Metatron from taking advantage of their all-white attire. They keep their pocket chain hidden from the camera. They are holding a book where the cover is mostly black. Black blocks.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

[scribblyshipping]

CHIMBLY. NOW.

🛏️ 😳😖💘

OKAY OKAY!!!!!!!!

🛏️ did you two ever have a "there's only one bed" moment?

YES... it was kinda awkward though.

There was a stretch of time between Scribbly and Pim starting to date and Charlie joining them, where Charlie was jealous and pining for them both.

One time Charlie tried to 'win Scribbly over' by inviting her over to spend the night at his shitty apartment. Pim didn't really see a problem with it because, hey, that's his best friend! He wouldn't do anything!

And... he didn't, by the end of the day. He thought about making moves on Scribbly but felt too guilty about it. ("Man... this is real fucked up. I can't do that to her or Pim.")

However, Scribbly still stayed the night, and they did end up sharing the bed. Neither of them wanted to sleep on that gross carpeted floor. And they ended up cuddling each other pretty tightly by morning, they're both cuddlers, even if Charlie denies it when he is with Scribbly and Pim. But instead of making it a big deal when they wake up, they awkwardly go "oops sorry haha" and move on from it.

At some point when Chimbly is well established and dating, Charlie brings it up and they end up having a laugh about it. (I've been on the fence on if it does bring up conflict or not, but either way its temporary.)

Sorry that was a big word dump and I have THREE MORE OF THESE omg

😳 what moment flustered them the most? /

😖 what moment flustered you the most?

Off the top of my head its hard to imagine a specific moment with Scribbly and Pim, as they both get flustered around one another pretty easily. However, something that tended to fluster Scribbly the most was how casual and often Pim would touch her. Shes not used to being around someone so open to giving hugs, holding her arm, things like that. And she's very touch-starved, so it it makes her yearn for more and makes her melt into a puddle.

For Charlie and Scribbly, I can think of two moments:

One. For whatever reason, Pim can't make it to help a client smile one day, so Scribbly and Charlie work together to do it. At some point they have to step off to the side to talk to each other, but when Charlie whispers something to her it makes her so flustered she makes a noise between a whimper and a squeak, tries to cover it up with a couch, and it makes her so embarrassed she just. Leaves. And doesn't come back for the rest of the day. It was kinda rude and Charlie still gets on her about it.

Two. When casually talking, Charlie accidentally refers to Scribbly as 'pup'. Charlie realizes his mistake and tries to play it off and not bring it up, and Scribbly doesn't bring it up either but is very red-faced and doesn't say much for the rest of the conversation.

WHEN I WAS TYPING THIS OUT I MISREAD THE QUESTION AND ENDED UP ACCIDENTALLY COMBINING THEM....... I can expand more on Charlie and Pim's side of things in another ask I don't feel like editing everything.... it took me an hour to write all of that.... Sorry </3

💘 (if applicable) what moment made them realize they were in love with you?

For Pim it was essentially instant. We've seen how he can be in the show. He's been pining to pet her fur since day 1.

Charlie is a bit of an odd one. He was in love for a while but didn't realize that was what he was feeling. He really struggles to understand his own feelings, and especially from a romantic standpoint. The alpha male podcasts ruined him and he thought men weren't supposed to be romantic and lovey-dovey. Thankfully he does grow out of this but it takes a while. I don't think there's a certain moment, he just kinda... grows into it? If that makes sense.

This whole post has been a mess. It's 2am. I'm sorry

Original ask game

Send more asks!

[land-under-wave]

I had to cut some of the notes and split into multiple posts to prevent this from getting ridiculously long. So here’s about half of my notes for break from your ordinary

Like the other 2 parts of Sojourn, this fic was started in November 2021. Actually, it’s the last of the three I started. It was originally just some fun character bits I wrote for myself, but it became an actual fic with a concept when I wrote the section about Red winning the argument without really trying.

The first bit I wrote was Green and Delia’s conversation where Green calls him a flighty space cadet. It spun off the paragraph in no map to follow where Red mentions that Green has never been deceived by his mythos or his lack of expression and makes fun of him all the time.

I cut out a section I really liked out of the intro about Delia and her view of their relationship. Unfortunately, it made it drag too long. You can read it here.

Tanks are actually much more than 20 tons on average, but twenty ton tank sounded way better than any of the realistic numbers. Think of it as Red being a mini-sized tank.

I know “by God” isn’t really consistent with the way I’ve been doing exclamations/swears, but “by Arceus” sounded terrible in that sentence, so I let myself use “God” the normal way once. It kind of makes sense if you assume Arceus’s title is still God?

There was actually a pretty good reason Red slept on the floor, even though he didn’t explain it at all. What Red meant by “I was tired” was “I was so tired I thought I might not be able to stop myself from rolling off the couch,” so he decided to just . . . cut out the middle part and sleep on the floor from the start rather than risk an injury or waking Green up with the noise.

Re: their utensil debate. Green doesn’t think that Delia’s restaurant sucks. What he means by it not counting is that if it’s the only one Red’s been to in a long time, he only has a sample size of one restaurant. Which also means he can’t tell if it’s even good because there’s no source of comparison. Green will always be a bit of a science nerd. (Fun fact, that exchange was only added in the last overhaul before publication. I decided the fic didn’t have enough Red/Green conversation and needed to be fleshed out so they actually felt like friends who know each other well)

This fic’s pain point was the annoying challenger (well, that and the ending). There’s probably a dozen versions of it and a few personality changes, and it used to be two sections, but I cut it down because he frankly felt cartoonish and it was taking up way too much focus and losing the episodic feel. Honestly, I’m still not fully satisfied with it, but it’s passable and not too disjointed.

There used to be a whole minor backstory where Misty also had an unfortunate encounter with this guy, and she was so pissed she beat the pants off him, and then he reported her for doing a match above her testing level, and she had to redo it. Originally, Green ended up recognizing him from the email she sent out and knew he had to stay on his toes because this guy is trigger happy with his complaints. Now there’s just a bit of background I had in my mind but doesn’t really show up where one of the reasons Green is being adamant about not deviating from standard matches is he knows he risks being reported for it. I did try to fit some references to this, but it ended up feeling like too much exposition. (It didn’t come up in any of the drafts, but if you’re curious, the guy knocked into Misty’s newest apprentice and yelled at them until they cried)

Other details I had to cut are: the lobby has big glass doors, so some of the tantrum was already visible from the outside if anyone was paying attention (also why Green wouldn’t just leave him unattended, someone might’ve assumed he was provoking him via intercom. Or that the gym is haunted or something). Green also wanted him out of the lobby because he was concerned about him intimidating Sandy. Green knows this guy’s a “he” because there’s an (optional) gender/pronoun section in your trainer registration.

The challenger was able to get inside because the gym lobby is still unlocked during team lunch so challengers can wait inside if the weather is bad and so long lines don’t end up cluttering up the sidewalk. That also means the other challengers would’ve only been a couple feet away from him if they started lining up while he was still throwing a fit.

On non-team lunch days, the floor shifts are staggered to give them individual lunch breaks, rather than having the gym close entirely for lunch

Specifically, I write Red as someone who can identify what people are feeling but doesn’t understand why they’re doing it or how to react. Hence him having to ask Green about the challenger’s motives. I’m probably going to do a bigger write up of characterization and narrative style, so I’ll save details for there.

I was going to cut out the whole PokeMart section since it doesn’t fit as well as the other parts, but then I needed to come up with a different reason for Lance to looped in so fast. It at least kinda works with the episodic and long-suffering feel. (FYI, the PokeMart jerk is not necessarily non-binary, Green just doesn’t know their gender and has no reason to ask).

Spinda being repeated for both Bonita and the spot the difference in the textbook wasn’t intentional. The textbook bit came first, but when I checked Bonita’s canon Pokemon list, it was Spinda and Sudowoodo, and the image of a tired, wobbly Spinda was too cute to pass up. I couldn’t find another Pokemon with the right kind of permutations to swap in for the spot the difference bit.

The part with Green realizing he’s technically next in line for champion if Red forfeits and that he’s satisfied with Viridian originally came at the end of the Lance section, back when my plan was to end the fic with Green saying goodbye to Red and just thinking about the next time Red visited.

The ending feels like it drags a little to me, but it was hard trying to get Green to that realization without it feeling too sudden or too slow. Lots of revelation packed into like 5 minutes. The last line has been consistent for a month or so, I just rewrote the transitions a bunch of times (honestly still not sure I succeeded in balancing the pace).

If you caught on that the reason Red feels awkward around Professor Oak is because Oak does have high expectations for him, give yourself a pat on the back

Honestly, Viridian as the last gym doesn’t make sense to me geographically. I think it’d make more sense if there was no set order and the gym leader just adjusts their level based on how many badges you have. But Viridian last is consistent in the games I played, and it works way better for me thematically, so I went with it. In my head, I just decided that the gym order was reshuffled at some point during Giovanni’s tenure when one of them had to go on leave, and he proved to be really good at the last leader role, so they kept it like that. Maybe Blaine was doing science-y things or had to get surgery or something.

Arabella being Green’s second in command is definitely borrowed from some other fic, but I think I ran into it around the time I started on AO3 (so 8-10 years ago?). I have zero recollection of any of the fic details and didn’t think it’d be very productive to go digging through several thousand fics in hopes of finding it, so unfortunately I can’t give a proper credit to the original fic. Sorry!

The apprentices’ names are just picked to fit in with the gym (Viridian Gym and Earth Badge), so Sandy and Parker. I quite literally put “ground” and “earth” into Dictionary.com

The first draft of this fic was over 9k (9594, to be exact). I stared at the word counter in horror and started cutting. It’s still about 3k more content than I said it’d be, which is my partial defense for being late.

I think this fic’s big weakness is uneven/awkward flow and inconsistent feeling. It’s partially because the way I write Green as a narrator has a tendency towards asides and partially because there’s a lot more going on in this than in no map to follow (which only has 3 characters, a single plot line, and like 2 bits of overarching subtext). Or, as Green would put it, because he actually has a life while Red is a jobless loser.

There are several parallels/direct contrasts between this fic and the first one, no map to follow!

-This fic is more frenetically paced and is 90% Green being stressed and annoyed, but ends with Green realizing he’s happy. While Red’s fic is more peaceful and domestic and is mostly Red being happy about the visit, but he ultimately realizes he’s not satisfied with his broader life direction.

-Both Red and Green realize they have confidence in each other that others don’t necessarily share. (People underestimate Red’s willpower and astuteness and Green’s skill and levelheadedness)

-Both Red and Green end up realizing that the other one doesn’t have things figured out towards the end, no matter how collected they seem