#mashing them together like “is this something? does this make sense??”

[syoddeye]

something about gaz in plainclothes trying to tail someone and losing sight of them. he makes the mistake of asking you of all people if you’ve seen his ‘friend’. and you, a frequent legal observer familiar with spotting cops, do not hesitate to lie to him. you're not a fucking nark. he sees through it immediately, but there isn’t time to call you on it. he commits your face and your firm's name printed on the thermos in your hand to memory.

[tea-cat-arts]

(Image found on Haresbeloved's page over on Instagram)

WE WERE ROBBED!!! It's not perfect, and it still has some "limited range of color values" issues, but with a couple more revisions I think the one on the bottom right really could've turned into something special

[trulyumai]

diverting your attention

pairing: carmy / reader

synopsis: bored, you show up to the restaurant, hoping to see your boyfriend and his infamous French fries that he only made for you.

warnings: cussing, light shoving. fluff mostly!

enjoy!

jesus, the restaurant was busy. a line ran out the door, swerved to the right and took up most of the sidewalk with customers waiting for their chance at the food.

carmy couldn’t blame them. he’s been on top of things— his team has been on top of things, listening, working together finally after what seemed like years of bickering and useless nonsense.

his hands moved fast. chopping meat there, seasoning and mashing over here.

there was no end, everyone had their station—their place.

“cus, your girls here!” richies voice boomed past him as carmy worked diligently to scrape away at the newfound mission to potatoes.

“uh huh,” not hearing him, but giving an answer he sliced the remainder of the vegetable before wiping his hands clean; always ready for a new task.

“Did you even fucking here me you dimwit?” A scowl remained on Richie’s face as he side eyed the white shirted man.

Another mumble left the cook and that was all Richie’s temper could take.

With a hard shove to the back, carmys attention was finally diverted. Turning back, the chef violently put his hand up from the startling touch.

“What the fuck, man?!”

“I. Said. Your. Girl. Is. Here.” With every pause on the intonations a poke found its way across carmys chest.

“Okay, okay. I fucking heard you.”

“No you didn’t!” Richie retaliated, moving past him to grab at the now chopped vegetable.

“And you took my fucking task you asshole.”

Carmy eyed him.

“Maybe if you weren’t so slow all the damn time.”

A high pitched version of carmys words came out as an argument, only making the man roll his eyes in such a childish play.

Rubbing his hands dry once more carmy moved towards the front of the kitchen.

And sure enough, there you sat.

all pretty and perfect and— did he say pretty?

sweating from a newfound nervousness carmy itched at his neck, a bad habit that he couldn’t seem to scrape away, no matter the amount of threats and glares you sent his way.

“hey pretty girl,” carmy stood just above you, next to your seated booth, more to the side and cut off from the rest of the avid enjoyers.

“bear!” you smiled, already opening your arms for a tight embrace.

he always smelled so good. musky, heavy. it was the manliest scent you’ve ever had the opportunity of smelling. yet there was always something sweeter there— cinnamon? no, cherries? possibly—

“baby?” warm fingers found their way under your chin, instantly bringing you back to the busy food chain your surrounded in.

“mmh, sorry hunny what was that?”

“i said I’ll be a little late tonight. more people showed up than i thought they would and uh, I’ll probably be pulling an all nighter.” guilt bit at the man’s tongue, already sensing your disappointment.

but you hid it well, a pretty smile lit up your face still, your hands met with his rougher one, smoothing and tending to it out of habit.

“that’s okay, i understand,” you looked past carmy to see Richie, motioning you to get the attention of the man.

noticing your distracted eyes, carmy turned his head and saw his cousin quickly motioning him over to the back.

“—I, i gotta go baby but listen,” eyes on your doe ones, he leaned in.

warm breath met with your cheeks and you couldn’t help but smile as the man bent down so close to your face.

“ill bring by those French fries you love so much,”

“with the seasoning?”

“with the seasoning.” carmy laughed

you couldn’t help but let out a little squeal, wrapping your arms around the neck of your boyfriends shirt.

“ill see you soon, okay?”

you nodded.

“okay.”

A kiss, light and soft was placed on your lips. It lasted only a second before the man waved sympathetically before turning his back to you, flipping Richie off in the process.

satisfied, you fled the scene with a hankering for a soda and heavily seasoned fries only your boyfriend could provide.

[buggybambi]

fierce defender | carmen berzatto

okay, so i found this request in my google docs, i believe it was from @kpopgirlbtssvt but correct me if im wrong. we'll see how this does lmao

You normally loved working at the Bear. The staff was like a big family that embraced you rather quickly, and treated you like one of their own. Because in their eyes, you were one of their own.

Except on nights like these, you didn't want to be a waitress. From the second the group of teenage boys entered the restaraunt, you knew they were trouble. Being obscenely loud with no apparent manners.

You'd gotten their food out before making your way back to run some food. And that's when it happened.

Two plates in your hand, one of the boys snickering to the other five, before sticking his foot out and making you trip on the floor with broken glass and food going everywhere lead to the entire restaraunt going silent.

The feeling of eyes on you, and trying to check all your surroundings to make sure no one stepped in the glass and, more importantly, you weren't cut by any of it was a recipe for tears stinging the corners of your eyes. Not to mention the feeling of some sort of condiment or toppings in your hair.

Carmen could hear the glass drop from his place in the kitchen, and he could practically sense the silence. All the cooks now by the small window facing the dining area, focused on something. "What is it?" He calls out to them, before dropping the knife in his hand and stomping over.

When no one answers, he asks again. "What the fuck happened?!" His voice is louder now. Richie steps in front of him. "One of the waitresses, Y/N, dropped a plate. One of the guys at table five tripped her, like on purpose." He informs.

It's like his heart stopped for a second. The entire earth feels silent for a second before he finally gets it together.

Carmen untied his apron, throwing it down and pushing open the kitchen doors, rushing over to her. The sound of laughter, watching you clean up the mess of glass with tears falling down your pretty face with strands of your hair pulled back now in your face?

Most of what happened was a blur after that. Carmen, cursing so much it could make a sailor blush, grabbing the main guy who was laughing the most (probably the one who tripped you) and both metaphorically and physically kicked him out - literally, his shoe on the guy's back and kicking him from the enterance into the street. If it wasn't for Richie grabbing Carmen's torso to prevent him from murdering them, he would have done worse.

Once he made his way back inside, making sure the other five left and barely caring about them paying at that point, he told the other staff to handle the kitchen while he walked over to you. "Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about that, come with me." He speaks softly, the tears still streaming down your cheeks as you accept the offer, standing and following him into the office.

You walk in first, with him closing the door behind you both. "I'm sorry, Carmen, I'll pay for the food and the plates I swear. I should have been more careful, it was my fault."

"Y/N, did you see the asshole's foot out?"

You pause, not sure if he's being sarcastic or not. But you decide to answer anyway: "no."

"Then it's not your fault. It's his for being a jerk. Are you okay, you're not hurt are you?" He asks, grabbing your hands in his - wanting to grin at the difference but resisting - checking all over them. You shake your head. "I'm fine, I think. I just have mashed potato and I'm pretty sure some kind of glaze in my hair." You mumble, a frown and tears painting your face.

He nods slowly, before he holds your hands, walking over to a chair and pulling you into his lap. "It's gonna be okay. I'll handle the mess, you just focus on calming down, yeah? Few deep breaths might help." He directs.

You nod, sniffling, adjusting to being in his lap. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be holding you up like this. You have important stuff to do." The tone of your voice breaks Carmen's heart.

"You're the most important thing to me, I could care less about anything else." His grip around your waist tighten just ever so slightly.

"Carmy.." You say softly. Your eyes flicker from his eyes to his lips, and like he can sense what you're asking for, your cheeks damp from your tears. He adjusts ever so slightly, swallowing hard before he speaks. "Is it okay if I kiss you?"

You nod before he even finishes the sentence, your hands on his cheeks. His lips on yours, squeezing the uniform fabric at your hips. It's soft and slow, both of you so unsure of what to do next.

And, much to his word, Carmen did clean up the mess that night. And then took you to his apartment to help clean you up.

[fungi-rat]

another NPC Jax thing

so now that more theories are out here’s some theories I wanted to mash together for something.

so @pixelated-moon made a post mentioning how the normal npcs in the circus are marionettes, which could imply that they can “wear” the avatar skins like they are premade and the npcs simply wear them and act out the role they are coded.

but how does this connect to Jax being an NPC? If a NPC pretended to be him real Jax would know. Well,

This theory by @stardust948 gave me an idea that

-Caine accidentally kills real Jax and doesn’t know

-a Marionette NPC finds a way to wear the Jax model

-he blends in with the rest of the cast

this is how Jax has a door despite being an NPC. Caine just didn’t get a chance to mark Jax as dead and so the NPC replaced him and just made Caine think he was human.

I think this would make sense and I think it’s pretty fun. That’s all. Thank you to both of these people great theories!!

Links to posts under cut

marionette npcs

Caine killed Jax

[rewritingcanon]

roxanne and hugo headcanons please 🤲🏿

NYEHEHEHEHE OKAY 😋

roxanne:

perfect mix between angelina and george looks-wise. she’s got her mum’s complexion, hair, eye colour, naturally straight teeth and crazy metabolism, but her smile is her dad’s, her eye shape is her dad’s, her hands are long and spindly like her dad’s, and she flaps them around constantly when she’s being dramatic and talking. she also laughs like him. but funnily enough shes shorter than both her parents and she has no idea why.

people think fred and james are the new pranksters because of their namesakes but dont let this fool you. roxanne claims title over this

no for real she is a menace and she is more fred weasley than her brother. which sometimes pisses him off but you can rarely stay mad at her even if she is a shit.

great quidditch player. is a beater. daydreams about hitting her opps with her bat during history of magic class as a preventative from falling asleep

hoards fake tattoos. LOVES THEM. like she’ll never get a real tattoo, but she loves the fake ones

laughs at men who confess their love to her but takes the women who confess to her seriously (she’s not into girls she just respects them more)

pranks her dad the most. then her dad pranks her. fred and angelina… run for cover…

had a situationship with some transfer from durmstrang and literally never lived it down from fred

only got close with rose at hogwarts. shes a year younger than rose and she’s shocked to find out she’s secretly likeable

her favourite uncle is percy— yeah you would never guess. but she loves hanging with people who act like they have a small stick up their butt— it’s more rewarding when she wrangles a laugh out of them. plus percy spoils her the most and she has a sneaking suspicion she is secretly is favourite niece.

people pay her to prank their opps. shes like a clown hitman.

exercised for like a week and got abs from it. everyone is upset. also. is a gym bro. probably the master herder of all the gym bros.

made a secret trolls account to troll people. thought she was so smart for mashing the two concepts together.

ate playdough when she was a kid and was disappointed with how it tasted.

master jinxer. for real, cover your ankles if you’re an opp

opps in general tremble

never fought much with her parents, which is really fucking strange. maybe its because fred fought with angelina and george a lot so roxanne sought unconsciously to balance that out, but she just never thought anything was that serious enough to fight over

but she DOES have fights with fred. sometimes they scrap in the middle of the common room and the reason will be because she chucked a piece of paper at him or something. then two seconds later after she’s got bruises up her legs and he’s literally got a black eye, they’re showing each other their memes.

she’s extremely close with both parents but her best friend is literally her mum and when she gets a letter from her mum at dinner at hogwarts she’ll shamelessly start celebrating and cheering.

“look guys my mummy replied to me!!” “didnt she literally write to you yesterday?”

had pink hair for a moment in time in fifth year and pretended it was on purpose (she meant for it to be red whoops)

hugo:

looks a lot like ron except has his mums bushy brown hair (because thats canon… i know.. crazy…). very freckley and has a deeper complexion but not like his mum’s (yea hes lightskin 💪). built short like his mum though, and rose makes fun of him until he wakes up randomly one morning and hes 6ft.

personality wise hes a mix between his parents. hes a lot like ron in the sense that hes made of dry humour and loyalty to his friends, but like hermione in that he gets exasperated easily and also possesses undying loyalty. now that i think about it, hugo is just extremely loyal

definition of little freak. you know how as the line of cousins gets younger and younger and the youngest of them all is always just a weirdo? yeah, hugo is the youngest.

has a butt indentation on his bed from sitting on it and playing roblox all day. wont move from bed until he gets banned on the servers and is forced to touch grass

but when he touches grass he is all for the grass. rose has his ass on life360 and suddenly hes taken a train up to bumfuck nowhere to go on a spontaneous nature hike. suddenly he’s signed up to a chess club and queen gambits his way to the top spot. suddenly hes in a random protest and he doesnt even know what hes there for he just likes the energy

is called “snotty rat boy” in rose’s contacts

basically is a punching bag for all older siblings but is numb to the abuse and just accepts it (its all well-meaning and full of love)

is aroace but LOVES valentines. he goes all out to get cards for all his friends and family and makes them little trinkets (he can’t buy them anything bcuz hes a broke baby and has too much pride to ask his mum for money only to get her something thats worth less) and plans platonic dates and gets very offended when they have to cancel to spend time with their actual romantic partners. he once rang his mate up to ask for a refund for his time (he was joking but hugo is dramatic as hell and needs to feel loved at all times or else he will literally die)

is the main character of a cartoon network show. i just dont know what..

ipad kid vibes

cant cook anything but really good homemade pizza for some strange reason???

confirmed he was aroace when he was playing truth or dare with his gryffindor buddies (because hugo is definitely a gryffindor) late at night and got dared to french kiss some guy. after he had to flee the scene and brush his teeth out to get that gross taste away, and yeah, he had his suspicions beforehand but this basically confirmed it. and every time he recalls the feeling of kissing someone like That he gets this thousand yard stare on him… one would think hes having war flashbacks….

despite not wanting to get married like That, he wants to be a dad when hes older. He has a list of baby names on his notes app (or wizard equivalent), but they’re all shitty things you would name an oc or a sim, not a real person. shit like “ebony” or “crystal” or “axel.” he showed his list to lily luna once and she laughed and called them stripper names so he got mad and kept it very secretive from then on.

genius chess player. wizard beth harmon who?

is a vegan. it started as a joint pack with hermione (ron and rose said “fuck no”) but hermione caved after six months because she cant stay away from coffee. hugo persisted though

is the only one allowed to ruthlessly rip into and bully the shit out of rose. im not kidding, her parents cant even do it. theyre too scared. meanwhile hugo will walk past her in the hallway and say “oh you look uggo today” with a deadass straight face

thinks about moving out one day and having his own family and thinks about rose moving out and having her own family and how that family will be her primary family and he will be secondary family and how they will have to leave their parents one day— he instantly breaks down into tears. hes just a baby bird guyz plz!!!

does not have any parent hes closer to. ron spoils him more but also scolds him more. hermione rewards him less but lets him get away with more. it balances out.

very close with lily luna so when rose and albus had their falling out they just gossiped about it the entire time. lily would tell him how albus cried for three hours straight during lunch and hugo would tell her how rose started to fixate on their shower and started deep cleaning it the muggle way at four in the morning like she was possessed

is james’ godbrother but keeps forgetting it 💀

not bad at quidditch but never took a huge liking to it. likes watching more than playing and just agrees with whatever his dad’s opinions are on the teams (indoctrination)

able to cast a patronus before rose learned which had her tweak out a lot.

ive written tonnes…. so i will leave it there lol

[kyra45]

Donation scams

For pet donation scam information, go here.

What is a donation scam? - This kind of scam occurs when someone is asking for money but isn’t being genuine/honest for why they need it and upon closer inspection you’ll often find out their fundraiser information is stolen from someone else who needs support. For example, the text itself would pull up someone else’s fundraiser that’s posted on another site such as Facebook or Gofundme with names that don’t match up or certain details edited out or added from something else entirely. In a sense, the post doesn’t make much sense or seems to be mashed together from other places. These are scams because money given to them isn’t going towards their goal and also not going to the one who needs it.

Was there an ask sent? - Asks for these scams are varied with no common theme but they usually seem poorly worded and link you to their post which may be pinned. Usually they’ll be sent immediately after following you with no prior interaction even when they call you their friend. Sometimes they’ll say they see you share mutual aid posts too but that’s generally just some excuse they’ll use so you won’t be too suspicious of them. Legit people be warned: Spamming these asks will get people suspicious of you and asking you questions instead. If someone tells you to please limit them, it’s advised you try to. Don’t send these asks to anyone who has stated they don’t like them.

Is the account new? - Another common thing to check is the posting date of the posts on the blog. An account with a massive amount of posts dating across many years is generally a legitimate person if they have several original posts and overall appear to be a person. Unfortunately, scammers tend to backdate posts to make their blogs look older then they may be but rarely have that many original posts. By turning on timestamps, you can see the original posting date in other notes if they have shared posts. Usually the backdated posts are only a few days old but have been made to look years old. What is post backdating? Please refer to this post.

Does the story make sense? - Basically, how well does the story they give sound and does the information it has seem reasonable. Is there anything in it that seems too far fetched to be applicable to a situation? Such as stating they need money for someone’s funeral but the images they supply seem to be photoshopped. Or they have their name on a paper but there seems to be a filter over it which may be obscuring minor details from the original unedited image. You may notice the story also doesn’t give much information out that would be anything important like if a law applies to their situation but they don’t supply a general idea of what country their in. Sometimes the story changes after a few days too.

What else should you do? - If you still can’t figure out if someone’s legitimate, then you may try to nicely ask them questions related to their situation. These questions don’t have to be anything needing personal information; It can request clarity about something your unsure of or further explanation regarding a detail that doesn’t seem to make much sense overall. Most people don’t mind answering these questions as long as your being reasonable and friendly. Most usually will answer you. Unless they ignore you.

What if it is a scam? - Once you have gathered enough resources to confirm the post is by a scam account, it’s necessary to compile it into one place then make a post showing it or show them what you found as well. The scammer will most likely get really angry and deny your evidence and then block you and continue scamming people. Unfortunately it’s suggested to post the information yourself before confronting scam accounts.

Other stuff to look out for? - Asks being spammed; Mass tagging accounts who share mutual aid posts; Replies/reblogs are missing; Harassing people who proved they are scamming

How to report these accounts? - Report -> Something Else -> Illegal content or use -> Phishing

—

If you like this guide, feel free to check out my blog as I report on these scams nearly daily among other kinds of scams that I post about. If you like my hobby, feel free to drop some pocket change as thanks! However, all I really want you to do is share this post to help me bring awareness of tumblr scams. Send it to people who might not know what a donation scam is or link to it in posts you make! Thanks. Hope this information is helpful!

[citrous241]

1.21 is looking fire, but 1.22 has got to be an End update.

Minecraft has always had really good lore and story-telling, but does anyone else feel like the End is just missing something?

It's to be expected, it hasn't been updated for the last 7 years and the last update added more questions than answers. I feel like it's just on the cusp of being as clear as the rest of the game.

It's a dimension that's supposed to feel off, and uncanny. Literally the only track that plays is 15 minutes of warped mash-ups of Overworld tracks. End stone is just inverted Cobblestone.. etc. But even then it's still wrong.

I just have to know, Minecraft lore is built off of head canons but I'm just unable to form one that makes sense regarding the End. Endermen make sense, I believe they're warped and "evolved" humans. Eating only chorus makes them teleport, their long arms and bodies to reach the high snaking chorus plants, their larger eyes to see in perpetual darkness, etc. Their aversion to water is a wrench in that but I'm not perfect and my head canon isn't right. Endermen could have nothing to do with humans.

Shulkers and End Cities are what confounds me. Are Shulkers natural living organisms? The Dragon and Ender-men both have black skin and dark purple eyes but this thing has yellow skin and an almost magenta shell. I think they're some sort of automatons, but built by who? The ancient builders, the ones who evolved into Endermen? But the spiral staircases in the End Cities don't seem designed for humans (or maybe I just suck at climbing them) and the ceilings aren't really high enough for Endermen. Maybe Shulkers are another protector mob of their area. But protecting what? Protecting the means of personal flight maybe, but that looks nothing like the rest of the end - its literally made from the wings of the Phantoms of the Overworld.

End Cities themselves do kind of make sense to me, their architecture mimics the branches of a chorus plant. But whilst chorus seems to be the only natural thing in the End, the cities very much aren't. There's no way that structure would work under normal gravity. But surely the End just has weak gravity? Nope, it's the same as the Overworld.

Everything in the End just feels so artificial. The central island; with Obsidian pillars punching through the whole thing, a material that can only be made using 2 fluids that don't exist in the End, topped with a crystal made partially from the tears of a creature in another dimension and some sort of Eye which we can only make by killing an Enderman and fusing it's remains with the ground up remains of another creature from said other dimension. Also, it is so far away from the rest of the End, as if someone destroyed or moved these other islands away. The Dragon itself to, she works like no other mob. People say that she's a machine which I don't agree with, her erratic behaviour is because she is the only mob of her type and hasn't been updated like ever. I don't think she's native to the End though; Endermen, the only other creature in existence that looks like her, can be hostile to her.

Trying to piece this together as I'm writing this is making me think of a new head canon: The End is just a melting pot of travellers who got lost and stuck. Think of something like the Void from the Loki show. I think the End was initially just a mass of floating islands with the chorus fruit, in the Void between dimensions. Then the ancient builders arrived, constructing the obsidian pillars and the bedrock portal frame. I think they found something, maybe it could be whatever made the End Cities. But regardless, something dangerous. Something that made them separate the only way out of the dimension by several kilometres of Void, that made them create a Dragon to guard said way out. Something that made them sacrifice themselves by sealing themselves into the End.

There are a few holes in this. Maybe the ancient builders did build the End Cities before/after becoming Endermen. Maybe the danger was the Dragon, but why would it guard the exit portal? And I've kind of ignored the fact that Endstone is inverted Cobblestone, maybe the whole dimension if artificial? Built by the ancient builders entirely? Or maybe the End was spawned from ancient humanities collective mind, like a sort of yin to their yang.

I would love an End update to add a few things. I don't like most popular ideas or mods for an End update, as they often stray too far from what the End is. I would like to be able to find whatever gravity-defying sentient race built the End Cities, maybe they could also be warped into Endermen like the ancient builders were - but could still have a sense of self and humanity, or maybe they're some sort of Phantom People. I would like to find this danger that caused the ancient builders to sacrifice themselves, a new huge boss at the edge of the End would be awesome. I would also like, if they made them less annoying that is, for Phantoms to spawn in the End just normally. They feed on Insomnia right? What's more insomniac then an entire dimension where it's always night and nothing can sleep?

I would also like purple chorus wood lol.

[justagalwhowrites]

Someone New: Part of For You - A Collection of Requests Benefitting Palestine

Joel is new to Jackson and his family is eager to play matchmaker.

Event Terms: Commissioners could choose to donate between $15 and $50 via Ko-Fi for one fic of 1-2k words. Payment due after completion of the fic. Donation with a match by the author paid to PCRF upon completion. Commissioners had the option to choose to keep a fic private and all fics may not be shared here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female OC Ashley (NOT a reader insert)

Warnings: Smut :D Unprotected P in V sex. Daddy kink. Age gap (Joel is 56, Ashley is 40.) Light Dom!Joel and Sub!FOC. No use of Y/N. 18+ Only MINORS DNI

Length: 3.6k

For You Masterlist | Full Masterlist | AO3

A/N: Written as a request by the lovely @ashleyfilm! She requested "Jackson era Joel from the tv show, so Pedro, and me (Ashley, plus size, I’m 40, I have black hair and glasses, my eyes are blue green with some hazel, I have tattoos, I’m short. A little goth, wear all black where it’s possible in an apocalypse haha) in this scenario I have a cool exterior and I’m independent by nature, but when you get to know me I’m funny and loving, but keep to myself. Joel and I would both like each other but have no clue, while Tommy, Maria and Ellie would all know and roll their eyes at us, try and talk sense into us. Eventually we come together and I’d love some smut. Some daddy soft dom Joel, I’m sub, the only time I want to be told what to do is during sex. I like giving pussies a pronoun so like she likes it and her if you know what I mean. And some fluff would be nice too." Shared with permission. I hope you all enjoy!!

Tommy was starting to drive Joel insane. 

It had taken some adjustment, coming to Jackson. 

There was the adjustment of being back around other people at all, for starters. There was the adjustment to being a father again. There was the adjustment of being in a place he cared about, one where he wanted to contribute instead of forced to to keep FEDRA’s boot off his neck. 

It had been a lot to swallow and, not that anyone was asking, he thought he’d done a damn good job of it. Ellie was happy, going to school every day and making friends. He had his ways to play his part in the community. 

So what if he was doing it all on his own? It’s not like it’s a crime to keep to yourself, he wasn’t sure why Tommy kept trying to push him further than he wanted to go. 

He doubted it was because Ashley was asking him to.

Ashley, the woman Tommy kept damn near throwing him toward at every opportunity. Ashley, who was years too young for him to even be thinking about the way he did. Ashley, whose plush curves and bright eyes had caught his attention from the moment he met her, even as she kept her distance from Joel and, it seemed, just about everyone else in Jackson. 

It didn’t matter how much Joel would enjoy things being different, that the little time he’d spent with her had been some of his favorite since coming here. She wasn’t interested - couldn’t be interested - and he wasn’t about to force it. 

Tommy, it seemed, had other ideas. 

“I’m not sure why you won’t just see if she wants to go,” Tommy said one night as they sat in the mess hall for dinner. “What’s the harm?” 

“Don’t particularly feel like gettin’ shot down,” Joel replied, taking a bite of his mashed potatoes. “Got enough goin’ on without worrying about that, too.” 

“Worrying about what?” Maria asked, taking her spot next to Tommy. Joel resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing he was about to be outnumbered. 

“Joel won’t ask Ashley to the dance on Saturday,” Tommy smirked a little. “He’s convinced she’d say no…” 

“Who would say no to what?” Ellie joined them, too, sitting next to Joel. 

“Ashley to Joel and the dance, apparently,” Maria said, giving Ellie a knowing look. 

“Oh shit,” Ellie’s eyes went a little wide. “They’d be so cute together, Joel pretending to be a person who actually does something besides be grumpy…” 

“OK you tryin’ to get yourself grounded?” Joel asked, brows raised. Ellie rolled her eyes. “Because it sure seems like it. And I don’t need y’all match making for me. I am doin’ just fine without worrying about all of that. Leave it.” 

Ellie and Maria gave each other a knowing look that Joel was about to call them on when Tommy distracted him. 

“You’re going to the dance Saturday anyway, right?” He asked. “Just because you’re too chicken shit to bring a date doesn’t mean you should sit it out. It’s a big party, the whole town will be there, you should at least come by for a few drinks. You’ll miss out if you don’t.” 

“Yeah, I want to go!” Ellie said, turning to Joel and pouting a little. “You’re really going to make me go all by myself?” 

“I’ll go to the dance,” Joel sighed before looking between the others and gesturing between them with the fork. “S’long as you three are done meddling.” 

“We’ll behave,” Ellie smirked a little. “I promise.” 

Joel shouldn’t have believed them. He should have known better. 

But that didn’t make him any less surprised when he showed up to the dance Saturday evening and looked for Tommy and Maria, only to find them sitting with Ashley, her dark hair styled to pair with the black dress that seemed like it was made to highlight her every soft curve, curves that Joel had spent hours dreaming about exploring with his hands and mouth. 

He was going to strangle Tommy. 

“Joel!” His brother called, waving him over, as if Joel would have missed him. “Over here!” 

“C’mon old man,” Ellie teased. “Stop being such a fucking coward.” 

“We’re talking about your language later,” he muttered, letting Ellie lead him to the table, hoping that no one had put too much pressure on Ashley to put her in this position. 

“Well look who decided to join the party,” Tommy smirked. Joel ground his teeth. “Ashley, you know my brother Joel.” 

“I do,” she gave him a cool, tight smile and took a sip of her drink, looking back out toward the dance floor. 

“Hi,” Joel said before feeling like a bit of an idiot and pulling his eyes from her to turn back to his brother. “How are you Tommy, Maria?” 

“Oh, we’re good,” Maria smiled a little, looking more like Tommy than Joel thought was appropriate. He wondered if married couples started looking alike before too long. 

“Just peachy,” Tommy said as a new song started. “Oh would you look at that, I need to dance with my wife. Maria?” 

He offered her his hand and she smiled wider before taking it, giving Joel a meaningful look before being led onto the dance floor by her husband. 

“Oh, I think I see Dina,” Ellie said before clapping Joel on the back and leaving him there, alone with Ashley, before he had the chance to argue. 

Joel just stood there, awkwardly, trying not to stare at her, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. 

“So,” he said eventually. “Um… that seat taken?” 

She looked at him, brows raised. 

“Just by your brother.” 

“Right,” he said, taking it anyway. She looked back toward the dance floor and Joel looked her over while he had the chance, how the darkness of her clothes seemed to suit her, the sharp intelligence behind her glasses, the beauty of the tattoos he could see on her exposed skin. He wondered what each of them meant, wondered what it would be like to take his time tracing over each one. 

“So,” she turned her attention back to Joel. “Liking Jackson so far? Been here… what, a few months now?” 

“Yeah,” Joel nodded. “S’good. Different than where I’ve been for a while but that’s a good thing. Ellie likes it, all that really matters.” 

She nodded slowly, taking another sip of her drink. 

“Seems like she’s a good kid,” she said. “Sure got a mouth on her, though.” 

“Yeah,” Joel laughed, leaning his elbows onto the table. “She’s somethin’ else. I tried telling her she needs to watch her language, this ain’t the QZ.” 

“That’s a hell of an adjustment,” she smiled a little and damn, Joel really liked to see her smile. More than he’d liked seeing a woman smile in… he wasn’t sure how long. “Trust me, I know.” 

“You spent some time in a QZ?” He asked, brows raised. 

She nodded, taking a final sip of her cocktail. 

“Portland,” she said. “I was there at the beginning. One night, I was sneaking liquor at industry night at my favorite club, the next it’s a war zone. Got used to it after a while, though. You were in Boston with Tommy, right?” 

“I was,” Joel nodded. “Took us a while to work our way there but found it eventually.” 

“And you both ended up all the way out here.” 

“Suppose so,” Joel said. He nodded to her empty glass. “Can I get you another?” 

“Yeah,” she smiled. “That’d be nice.” 

He went to the bar and got them both a drink before rejoining her at the table. 

Joel was surprised at how much he liked talking with her. For how much time he’d spent thinking about her and looking at her, he hadn’t spent much time actually talking with her. She wasn’t what he’d expected. 

Where he’d always known her to be a bit distant and cool, he was starting to realize that, as soon as he was past the caution she seemed to approach the world with, she was really very warm and loving, thoughtful and kind. They talked about music, about what they missed about before, the quirks of life in Jackson after living in a QZ. 

By the time Joel got her onto the dance floor, he was ready to get her home. And he was starting to think she wanted the same. 

“Can I walk you home?” Joel asked as the Tipsy Bison was almost empty and he wasn’t able to come up with any more excuses to stay. 

“You can,” she smiled. “But… I think I’d rather you walk me to yours.” 

He smiled back. 

“Think that can be arranged.” 

Joel draped his arm over her shoulders and the two of them walked slowly through the dark town, the streets quiet and the stars bright. 

“Well,” Joel said as they came to his front walk. “This is me. Still want to come in?” 

“Yeah,” Ashley nodded. “Yeah, I really do.” 

He smiled. 

“Good.” 

He took her hand and led her to his door. 

But things shifted as they made it inside. Joel tilted her face up, finding the right angle, thumb brushing her lips, waiting for her to make a move. 

But she didn’t. Her breaths got quicker, her eyes searched his and, after a moment, he felt like he couldn’t wait anymore. 

“I’m gonna kiss you,” he said. “Because it’s all I’ve been thinkin’ about doing for a while.” 

She just nodded quickly and he kissed her, covering her mouth with his. 

It had been a while since Joel had kissed anyone, even longer since it was a first kiss. But Joel could tell this was different, something special. It was like an electric current ran over his skin, sparking at where your lips met and shooting out through the rest of him. There was a sharp, sudden pang of need deep inside him, the drive to be closer to her, as close as he could reach. More than that, he wanted to know that she was safe, cared for. That she had what she needed and what she wanted because he was giving it to her. 

“Joel,” she breathed as they separated, just enough for him to look in those blue green eyes of hers. “Will you take me to bed?” 

“Yeah baby,” he said, want seeping into his voice. “Yeah, I will.” 

He kissed her again, his hands sliding down from her face to her arms to her waist, moving her toward the stairs as he did. He only pulled away from her when they needed to go up to his room, not wanting to stop touching her for even a few moments, his skin almost aching as he watched the round shape of her ass in her black skirt going upstairs ahead of him. 

Joel pulled her back against him at the top of the stairs, the few seconds she was apart from him too much. Her arms stretched up and went around his neck and his hands roamed over her back and sides, luxuriating in just how soft she felt, how he could find places on her that seemed made for him to hold. He guided her to his room, kicking the door shut behind him. He slid his hands back up her body over her arms, his callused fingers slipping over her soft skin. 

“You gonna let me make you feel good, pretty girl?” He asked, voice dark and low. “Because I want to touch every damn inch of you.” 

“Please, Joel,” she whispered, her fingers tightening desperately on his curls at the nape of his neck. “Please, I want you, I need you, I…” 

“Shhh,” he hushed her. “Don’t worry about a thing. Just let Daddy take care of you.” 

He kissed her again and found the zipper on her dress, sliding it down, down, down, until he could slide the straps down her arms and let the fabric fall to the floor. 

“Fuck,” he breathed, his eyes ranging over Ashley’s body, tracing over her curves and tattoos. “You are the most beautiful damn thing I’ve ever seen.” 

He reached around and unhooked her bra, sliding the straps down her arms and dropping it to the floor before cupping her breasts, the fullness of her so soft below his touch that he couldn’t help but groan. 

“You gonna let me take care of you, baby girl?” He asked, voice husky. “You need me to take care of you, don’t you?” 

He wasn’t entirely sure why he said it but something inside him just knew, he could sense it in her. That she wanted someone to guide her, someone she could trust to take charge and give her what she needed.

He could tell by the way she nodded that he was right. 

Joel guided her down onto the bed before pulling his shirt and casting it aside. His eyes ranged over her body as he took his jeans and underwear off, too, his cock already thick and achingly hard. He worked himself, not able to stop himself as he drank her in, memorizing her. 

“Want you to touch yourself for me,” he said, stepping closer to the bed. “Spread those pretty legs, put your hand in your panties, show me how you like to touch yourself.” 

She took a hesitant, shaky breath and slid her hand down her body before slipping them below the fabric, stretching it tight over her pussy for a moment before her hand dipped lower. He could see the outline of her fingers clearly, watched with his mouth watering as they stroked her pussy lips before slipping inside. 

“There you go, baby girl,” he groaned, stroking his cock in time with her fingers. “You just keep on doin’ that for me.” 

He moved to the bed and she frowned as he reached out, looping his fingers around the waistband of her panties to start tugging them down. His eyes moved from her face, down her body to where her pussy lay just below the fabric. Her fingers were still. 

“I tell you to stop?” He asked. She groaned and he saw her fingers start to move again. “That’s my good girl. Want your pussy all nice and wet and full when I see her the first time.” 

He pulled her underwear down slowly, revealing her wet slit with two of her fingers buried deep inside herself as he did.

“Oh, there she is,” he breathed, casting her panties aside. “Fuck, such a pretty little pussy ain’t she?” 

Ashley just moaned, thrusting her fingers deeper. Joel licked his lips, desperate for a taste of her. 

“Spread her open for me, baby,” he said, spreading her legs wide and settling between them. “Lemme see.” 

Her hands trembled as she slid her fingers from her dripping entrance and delicately opened herself to him. 

“Fuck me,” Joel groaned, taking a thumb and brushing it over her tight little hole before trailing it up to her swollen nub. “Gonna take a lot before she can take me. Don’t worry baby, I’ll take care of you.” 

He pressed his mouth to her entrance, just a kiss at first, a taste of her musky sweetness. His thumb stayed against her clit, rubbing her in slow and gentle circles as he dipped is tongue inside of her. 

Joel started slow, easing her into it. His tongue worked deeper, his thumb harder. Eventually, he added a finger, then two, starting to stretch her open as her hips canted up against his face, her legs squirming, delicious moans and gasps pouring from her lips. He looped an arm around her thigh to hold her still, pulling her leg against the side of his head and leaving his nose to work her clit as his hand splayed wide on her plush thigh. 

“Fuck, I’m going to come,” her back was arched, fingers wound tight in his quilt. “I’m coming, I’m coming Daddy, I’m coming!” 

He smiled against her as he ate her through her orgasm, pressing his aching cock down into the bed as he felt her pussy flutter over his tongue. 

When her climax eased, he pulled himself from her tight, wet heat and rose to his knees, stroking his dripping length as she came back down to earth. He nudged her legs apart and down, leaving her fully exposed to him. He ran his fingers over her slit, gathering her wetness and bringing it to his cock as she looked at him, her eyes a little wide. 

“Is…” she swallowed, hard. “Is that going to fit inside me? I don’t know if that’s going to fit…” 

“It’ll fit, baby girl,” he said, working himself as he lined himself up with her entrance. “You can take it, so nice and wet for me. You just relax and let me inside you.” 

He pressed his cock against her tight center, moaning and just how hot and wet and fucking soft she felt. He watched, almost obsessed, as she opened to take him, the stretch almost obscene as he saw himself start to disappear into her body. 

“See baby?” He panted as he sank just the first few inches of him into her cunt. “You can take it, taking it so good for me. She stretches so fuckin’ pretty for me, so goddamn pretty.” 

Her hands flew to his biceps as he leaned over her, pressing himself deeper, her fingers scrambling over his muscle as he worked her open. Joel fought to think of anything but the fact that he was almost fully inside the woman he’d been longing for for weeks now. He couldn’t come too quick, he couldn’t let this end now. He had to take his time, had to feel her come around him. 

And then he was buried inside her to the root, the entirety of him in the entirety of her, her walls stretching to hold him. 

“There you go,” he praised her. He splayed his hand wide over her thick, soft lower stomach, pressing into her skin as his thumb slid down to her clit and started stroking it. “Did so good, taking me so well. You ever been this stretched baby?” 

“No daddy,” her nails dug into his arm. “Feels so good…” 

“Good girl,” he said, working her clit a little harder. She moaned and rocked her hips against him. “Aw, does someone need to be fucked? Someone need me to make her come?” 

“Yes,” she pleaded. “Please, please, please Daddy, please, I need to come, I need…” 

“I’ve got you baby,” he said, leaning over her and kissing her deeply, the taste of her mouth mixing with the taste of her pussy that lingered on his tongue. “Gonna make you come so hard for me.” 

He pulled back before thrusting forward, hard and fast and making her gasp, her hands flying from his arms to his back. But he stopped her, taking hold of her arms and pinning them over her head with one of his large hands. 

“You can use those when I tell you,” he said. “Right now, need you focused on taking,” he pulled back and thrust back in quickly. “This.” He did it again, fucking into her hard and fast. “Cock.” He did it one last time before grinding himself deep. “Tell me when you’re about to come.” 

He picked up his pace then, fucking into her deep and firm, grinding his hips down against her clit, feeling how her breasts moved against him as he forced her walls apart with each heavy stroke. 

Joel didn’t let up, too lost in her and just how damn good she felt to do anything else. He wasn’t even sure how long he’d been fucking her - just that it wasn’t long enough - when her breathy, desperate voice broke through the lust-driven haze of his mind. 

“I’m gonna come,” she keened, her pussy to tight around him that it almost hurt. “Gonna come, I’m gonna come Daddy, please…” 

He freed her hands then and she gasped, her fingers immediately finding the broad expanse of his back. Joel took her face in his hands and looked into those eyes of hers, unlike anything else he’d ever seen as he felt how her body took his. 

“Good girl,” he said, breathless and needy, too. “Come for me, come all over my cock, that’s it, so good for me…” 

The chorus of praise continued until she cried out, her whole body seizing as her channel gripped him so tight he was almost afraid it would force him out. But he held himself deep inside her, kissing her as she moaned into his mouth as she throbbed around him. His orgasm took hold, amazed for the half second he was aware enough to think that he’d been able to hold off this long, emptying himself deep inside of her. 

“Fuck,” she moaned, panting for breath as they both came down from their shared high. Joel had all but collapsed on top of her and he adjusted, pulling himself gently from her body and feeling their combined spend leaking from her as he did. He lay beside her and she turned to look at him. “That… I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that.” 

He smiled a little. 

“Me either.” 

She smiled back. 

“I think we’ll have to do that again sometime,” she said. 

“Only if you let me take you out first,” Joel said. “Don’t think I can get enough of you in bed. Think I’m gonna need as much as you’ll let me have outside it, too.” 

Ashley reached out and carded her fingers through his thick, shaggy curls. 

“I think we can make that work.” 

[behindthesoul]

MK Characters and Thanksgiving

Masterlist

Note: Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! I figured I should post something for the holiday. This is also my announcement to let everyone know it’s time to send in the Christmas/winter themed requests!! <3

Characters: Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Raiden, Kenshi, Kung Lao, Ashrah, Syzoth.

Warnings: Food and alcohol mentions

Note: This is all based on things my family and I do/have done for Thanksgiving.

Johnny Cage

His own family is kind of ehhh so he jumps at the opportunity to host his new pals for Thanksgiving. He’s happy to be the one to introduce the holiday to the non-Americans/non-Earthrealmers. Can’t cook for shit so most of the food is catered, but he does know Grandma Carlton’s apple pie recipe by heart and tries to make it himself. Surprisingly, he isn’t bad at cooking.

He shows everyone the classic special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It’s important for everyone to view the cartoon that shaped his childhood. Has the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV and later watches the Cowboys, Lions, and whatever other NFL teams play that day.

Johnny Cage is your stereotypical American whose favorite dish is apple pie.

Liu Kang

Says he’s only coming to show his face and wish everyone a happy holiday but he truly wants to be there. It brings him a sense of nostalgia and comfort. Johnny Cage from his timeline used to throw holiday gatherings. Seeing everyone together “again” is bittersweet. He’s emotional, sad that he’ll never see his buddies again. No one could ever tell what he’s feeling; Liu Kang has mastered stoicism.

As a god, he doesn’t feel hunger, nor does he eat much. He may try a few bites of something after Johnny nudges him to, only out of sheer politeness. Liu Kang prefers watching everyone else eat and talk to each other. Everyone’s happy, Earthrealm’s at peace, he’s happy.

Liu Kang thought the turkey was fine, even if it was a bit dry.

Raiden

Accepted the invitation immediately. Enjoys what Thanksgiving is supposed to represent, a little miffed to see no cares about that; only the food. Tries to instill gratefulness in the get together. Makes everyone go around and say what they’re grateful for. Probably stands up and gives a speech about how he’s grateful for Lord Liu Kang and his new allies. It would be annoying if it was anyone else lmfao.

Tries almost everything just to be nice but mostly eats food he’s used to. Can’t blame a guy for having his likes! Raiden eats until he’s full. He’s the one telling Kung Lao to not take so much food so everyone else can have some. Raiden talks to all of his friends but probably sticks to Liu Kang and Kung Lao. It’s just natural for him.

Raiden liked the mashed potatoes.

Kenshi

Wanted to leave Sento at home so Johnny wouldn’t get ideas but…he also needed to “see” so Sento was brought to the event. He just made sure to keep it far away from Johnny. Probably shows up with alcohol.

Only eats “normal” food. Anything that looks like it came out of Johnny’s imagination will not be consumed by Kenshi. Like Raiden, he only eats a modest amount. Most of his time is spent bantering with the others. Jokingly says no when Johnny asks if he wants to come back next year. He definitely will though.

Kenshi liked the alcohol he brought the sweet potatoes with the little marshmallows on top.

Kung Lao

Is the one who eats several plates of food and packs several to-go plates. Almost starts a drinking contest with Johnny but is stopped by several people. Just decided to postpone the drinking contest to another day. He’ll bet on the NFL games with Raiden. Neither of them know what the hell is going on. Gloats when his team wins.

Tells Johnny what food he wants to see next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Promises to ask Madam Bo to make some food to bring to the next Thanksgiving. He and Johnny have the next 10 years planned out.

His favorite dish is probably something savory like roast beef.

Ashrah

Delighted to be invited to a group event. She never expected to have a home, Ashrah is forever grateful to Earthrealm for letting her in. She’s very happy to have her first taste at an Earthrealm holiday. Ashrah shows up bright and early! She and Johnny watch the Thanksgiving parade together. There’s a childlike gleam in her eyes when she sees all the balloons. She also watches the football games on TV. Not because she particularly cares about it, but because she wants to participate in all the traditions.

Ashrah tries each dish but can’t find one she likes more than the others. All the new textures and tastes are a bit overwhelming, so she passes on the opportunity to try more. Maybe next year!

Ashrah doesn’t have a favorite dish, she still has to get used to Earthrealm food.

Syzoth

Same as Ashrah - he’s just happy to be there. Spends most of his time talking to others…and by “others,” I mean Ashrah. The food is hot and makes the air slightly warm. It makes Syzoth incredibly happy. He’ll come back every year just to feel the warmth in Johnny’s house.

Syzoth can’t stomach human food. His stomach rejects food by giving him intense pains. It usually doesn’t bother him, but today he’s a bit upset. Everything smells nice! He wants to try everything :(

Maybe someday Syzoth will be able to handle human foods.

[shadowfoxsilver]

Donation scams

What is a donation scam? - This kind of scam occurs when someone is asking for money but isn’t being genuine/honest for why they need it and upon closer inspection you’ll often find out their fundraiser information is stolen from someone else who needs support. For example, the text itself would pull up someone else’s fundraiser that’s posted on another site such as Facebook or Gofundme with names that don’t match up or certain details edited out or added from something else entirely. In a sense, the post doesn’t make much sense or seems to be mashed together from other places. These are scams because money given to them isn’t going towards their goal and also not going to the one who needs it.

Was there an ask sent? - Asks for these scams are varied with no common theme but they usually seem poorly worded and link you to their post which may be pinned. Usually they’ll be sent immediately after following you with no prior interaction even when they call you their friend. Sometimes they’ll say they see you share mutual aid posts too but that’s generally just some excuse they’ll use so you won’t be too suspicious of them. Legit people be warned: Spamming these asks will get people suspicious of you and asking you questions instead. If someone tells you to please limit them, it’s advised you try to. Don’t send these asks to anyone who has stated they don’t like them.

Is the account new? - Another common thing to check is the posting date of the posts on the blog. An account with a massive amount of posts dating across many years is generally a legitimate person if they have several original posts and overall appear to be a person. Unfortunately, scammers tend to backdate posts to make their blogs look older then they may be but rarely have that many original posts. By turning on timestamps, you can see the original posting date in other notes if they have shared posts. Usually the backdated posts are only a few days old but have been made to look years old.

Does the story make sense? - Basically, how well does the story they give sound and does the information it has seem reasonable. Is there anything in it that seems too far fetched to be applicable to a situation? Such as stating they need money for someone’s funeral but the images they supply seem to be photoshopped. Or they have their name on a paper but there seems to be a filter over it which may be obscuring minor details from the original unedited image. You may notice the story also doesn’t give much information out that would be anything important like if a law applies to their situation but they don’t supply a general idea of what country their in. Sometimes the story changes after a few days too.

What else should you do? - If you still can’t figure out if someone’s legitimate, then you may try to nicely ask them questions related to their situation. These questions don’t have to be anything needing personal information; It can request clarity about something your unsure of or further explanation regarding a detail that doesn’t seem to make much sense overall. Most people don’t mind answering these questions as long as your being reasonable and friendly. Most usually will answer you. Unless they ignore you.

What if it is a scam? - Once you have gathered enough resources to confirm the post is by a scam account, it’s necessary to compile it into one place then make a post showing it or show them what you found as well. The scammer will most likely get really angry and deny your evidence and then block you and continue scamming people. Unfortunately it’s suggested to post the information yourself before confronting scam accounts.

Other stuff to look out for? - Asks being spammed; Mass tagging accounts who share mutual aid posts; Replies/reblogs are missing; Harassing people who proved they are scamming

—

To report scam posts, the original way was this: Report -> Something else -> Illegal uses or Content -> Phishing

This guide is from my other account, but I’m reposting it here as a backup. If you found this guide useful, please let me know and share it to your friends.

[versegm]

There are few things in this world that can genuinely surprise Morgan. It comes with living for so long, she supposes; when you’ve seen so many things, it’s hard not to feel a deja vue about everything. Even her own death, while unfortunate, had not been surprising. Morgan had always known that passing away peacefully was not an option for her.

Still, it seems that she has not grown fully immune to bafflement. “Come again?”

Sir Kyrielight swallows hard. She’s beet-red, wringing her hands nervously. Still, she does not break eye contact. “I said I love you.”

The sentence does not make any more sense the second time around. Morgan rotates it in her brain, tears it apart. I. This one is easy; it refers to Mash, the speaker. Love. An action and an emotion all at once- the thing Mash is presumably doing, or feeling. You. Morgan is the only one in the room. It can only refer to her.

I love you. Three words that do not fit together. One of them has to be wrong, surely. Misheard or misunderstood. If Mash loves someone, it certainly cannot be Morgan- cannot be this wretched witch willing to burn the world down for her goals. If Morgan is loved, it certainly cannot be by Mash- this knight of virtue and courage who stands by the human order. And if Mash and Morgan have anything between the two of them, it certainly cannot be love. Hate, perhaps. Comfort, if one is generous. But love? Love. Love. L, o, v, e. Barely even a word. Just four letters stacked together. A simple sound with no meaning. 

“As a… friend?” While still odd, this would make more sense than what Morgan initially interpreted. Yes, this must be what Sir Kyrielight had meant; that she held fondness for Morgan, and wanted to make it known.

Except, no. The knight shakes her head. “No. Romantically.”

And now Morgan is back to square one. “... Sir Kyrielight, are you certain you are not mistaken? Emotions can be hard to tell apart. You could not be blamed for mixing them up.”

She meant for her words to be comforting, but Sir Kyrielight’s gaze turns into a glare. While Morgan is not unaccustomed to the knight’s anger, she doesn’t recall ever seeing it directed towards her.

“ Queen of Winter, ” Morgan always takes care to use proper titles when addressing others. It’s only polite. Yet, somehow, having Mash refer to her by her title feels… uncomfortable. “You can reject me. You can ignore me. You can pretend I never said anything. But I will not allow you to deny my feelings.”

She walks up to Morgan. Sir Kyrielight is a full head shorter than her; but right now, back straight, fury in her eyes, that does not make her any less imposing. “I love you. Deal with it however you want, but that, that’s a fact.”

*****

“You told her what?! ”

Slowly, Morgan sets down her teacup. “It seemed like a logical conclusion at the time.”

“You and your logic.” Habetrot rolls her eyes, crossing her arms. “Morgan, listen to me. Love is an emotion. By definition, it is not rational. If Mash loves you, it’s not for something as simple as the sum of your parts. It’s because you’re you.”

Nonsense. Emotions may not be rational, but they’re still somewhat grounded in reality. What could there possibly be in Morgan that could inspire love? “I know not what to do with her love.”

“You don’t have to do anything with it.”Habetrot sighs. “It’s easy. If you love her back, tell her so, and the two of you can become merry brides together. If you don’t, tell her so, and she will nurse her broken heart on her own. You only really got two options here.”

Fair enough. “How do I know if I love her, then?”

Slowly, very slowly, Habetrot blinks.

“... Love,” she articulates carefully, as if talking to a child, “is an emotion. It’s something close to joy. When a bride gets close to her chosen groom, she gets so happy there are stars in her eyes. It’s a fire inside the soul, fluttering like birds inside one’s belly.”

… That seems a bit dramatic. Can emotions truly be so intense? Morgan has her doubts.

“So. Do you love her?”

Morgan thinks. She thinks hard. “... She makes me very happy.” She doesn’t know if this is love- but if nothing else, that part, she’s sure of.

Habetrot pinches the bridge of her nose. “Okay, this isn’t working. Let’s try something else.”

*****

“- and she sent me to you.”

Sir Barghest pauses, midway through stirring her stew. “To… explain love to you?”

Morgan nods. “Indeed. You are the most knowledgeable on that subject.”

“Your faith in me flatters me, your majesty.” The knight turns back to her stew. “Love is… a want. A hunger, of sorts. When you love someone, you want to be with them. The want can be more specific- wanting to kiss them, or make love to them- but generally speaking you just… want them.”

She reaches out to grab some spices. She does not look at Morgan. “It can be a terrible thing. Sometimes you want someone so badly you want to devour them. Sometimes love reduces you to something lower than an animal.”

She sprinkles some ginger in the broth. “But sometimes… love is what prompts you to become a better person. You want to be worthy of the person you love. You want to be good enough for them. And that part is wonderful, I believe.”

Hm. An interesting perspective. “Is it worth it? To love someone when you know you can very well be their doom?”

“Yes.” Sir Barghest does not hesitate even a second. “It is worth it. It has to be worth it. What would be, otherwise?”

If Sir Gawain of Many Lovers is saying it- then there must be some wisdom in that statement, even if Morgan doubts it.

Sir Barghest pauses once more, for a couple seconds. Then she turns to look at Morgan. “Your majesty,” she asks carefully, “what do you want?”

What does she want? She wants to spend more time with Sir Kyrielight, that much is undeniable. If she thinks more about it- she would be amenable to physical affection, even. Sir Kyrielight had hugged her a couple times, it had left her skin tingly all over for hours. Morgan can’t imagine what a kiss would do to her.

But… for all the things Morgan can and will do, she does not believe she is capable of change. She’d tried, she really did- tried to be a savior, tried to be the kind one, tried to be the helpful one. She couldn’t. Her role is that of a witch, and nothing, no one- not herself, not Totrot, not (Ma-) (Fairy knight Ga-) (her frien-) Uther could change that. Morgan’s desires weigh little in the matter. Sir Kyrielight can not make Morgan better than she is. Remains the question of whether Morgan is capable of becoming worse.

*****

“So, Mash is in love with you, and you’re in love with her, but you’re worried about dragging her down?”

Morgan quirks up an eyebrow. “I did not say that. I am unsure as to whether I love her or not.”

Her spouse makes a strange face. Whatever emotion this is meant to convey, she cannot figure it out. “... Anyways. I don’t really see why you worry so much. Mash wouldn’t have confessed to you if she didn’t think she could handle you.”

“Sir Kyrielight is a virtuous person. She would offer a second chance to anyone claiming to want one. It is possible she has not yet realized that I am not a person who can be saved.”

Fujimaru frowns. “You think her naive.”

“I did not say that.”

“Kind of the vibe you’re giving off here though.”

“ I did not say that. ” Ah, now is a feeling Morgan recognizes- she’s irritated. “I, more than anyone else,know the things Sir Kyrielight has endured. I am well aware that she’s witnessed humane horrors the likes of which can never be put into words. I am merely worried that she might not realize these awful things can apply to me as well.”

Her spouse doesn’t reply immediately. For a few seconds, they only stare, before folding their hands under their chin. “What is love to you?”

Morgan has no idea. Her love for Britain overpowered everything else. She does not know what it means to love a person- if that’s something she has ever experienced in the first place. “I am told it’s a feeling, or a desire.”

Fujimaru makes a noncommittal noise. “That is true. However, I would like to offer you another point of view: love is an action.”

That is a widely different definition indeed. “Elaborate.”

“ Love is a verb, first and foremost. It’s the act of looking at someone. I don’t mean with your eyes. I mean truly looking at someone. Seeing them for everything they are- the good and the bad, the flaws and the virtues, the beautiful bits and the ugly ones. It’s the act of acknowledging someone’s whole self, including the parts that are inconvenient to you, and refusing to flinch.”

“You believe love to be the act of unconditional acceptance?”

“Essentially.” Huh. How very in character of them. “When Mash says she loves you, I don’t think she believes you to be pristine clean. I think she believes you worthy of staining her hands.”

“This seems mildly worrying.”

“And who are you to dictate her choices? You’re not her queen.” That statement hurts more than Morgan thought it would, though she would be incapable to spell out why it does. “She made her choice. She chose you. You can’t deny her that. All you can do is make your own choice: do you want to take her hand?”

“There is little risk in doing so.” If Morgan is everything that is evil in this world, then Sir Kyrielight is easily all that is good in this world. If such a thing as a savior can truly exist, then this is what Sir Kyrielight is.

“You think so? She makes mistakes too, you know. She’s quite soft-hearted. She hates fighting. That makes some decisions very difficult for her. Can you accept that? And if you do: can you accept that you will see her getting hurt over this, and you will not be able to help her?”

“Obviously.” The words tumble out of Morgan’s mouth by themselves. “None of these are flaws. Why wouldn’t I be willing to smear her blood on my hands?”

Her spouse smiles. “And you say you’re unsure if you love her back.”

… Ah.

“Apologies.” Morgan gets up suddenly, straightening her dress. “It seems like I need to have a conversation with Sir Kyrielight, and it cannot wait.”

The last thing she hears as she crosses the doorstep is “sweep her off her feet!”

*****

Morgan finds Sir Kyrielight inside her room. Rather predictably, in fact- and it’s a wonder that it took Morgan so long to realize that most people do not have her schedule memorized.

“Sir Kyrielight.” She says, standing in the doorway. “Mash. We need to talk.”

She startles when Morgan uses her first name. How cute. Still, Morgan cannot let herself be distracted now. She walks through the room to sit next to Mash. “I have done a lot of thinking.”

“Ah.” Sir Ky- Mash casts her gaze down. “Come to reject me, then?”

Morgan allows herself a huff of irritation. “Do not put words inside my mouth. When I am done, you may take back your confession, you may chase me out of your room, but I will not allow you to misinterpret my words.”

She extends a hand to set it on top of Mash’s. The knight jolts, but does not take her hand away. Hopefully, this is a good sign.

“I am somewhat… disconnected, from my emotions.” She brings Mash’s hand to her chest. “My heart is that of a witch. It curses panhuman history. It is cold as the winters of my long-gone Britain.”

Her free hand reaches out to cup Mash’s face. “But it’s yours, shall you accept it.”

There is a single second of silence following her statement, Mash staring at her with wide eyes- and then the knight suddenly collides with her chest, wrapping both arms around her. “Of course I’ll take it. I’ll take everything you are willing to give me.”

Warmth spreads under Morgan’s skin. Softly, she returns the embrace. “It is most unwise of you… but most welcome, nonetheless.”

“I don’t care. I’ve been wise for too long. This is me being selfish. I want you, all of you. I don’t care if it’s rotten in here. I want you down to the marrow.”

With that phrasing, it almost sounds like cannibalism. Is this what Sir Barghest meant? When she said love could turn one into an animal? (Did her lovers feel as flattered as Morgan is? To know that there is someone out there who would rather cram her inside their ribcage than letting her go?)

“There is much I am willing to give.” With no Britain left to protect, no duty to uphold- Morgan now belongs to the stranger that is herself. She can afford to give things away. “But for now… perhaps your hand in mine?”

Mash tilts her head up, staring straight at Morgan. She’s crying, Morgan realizes. She’s smiling too, though. “Yes… yes, that would be nice.”

[littleeyesofpallas]

Ya know, a ways back someone had asked me if I had any takes on Yoruichi's tattoo --I forget in which ask, but there was a bigger question that I wound up answering and I sort of forgot about the tattoo part entirely. But at the time, I really didn't have anything to say about it anyhow, but I don't think Kubo had released that art of the original Gotei at the time. So as it happens there are some odd little adjacencies now, although not especially strong ones... but I figure I can squeeze a post out of it.

So originally Kubo did a little color spread of all the Bleach girls in swimwear at the beach, and that in turn got adapted into a dumb little filler thing in the anime based off some other omake. It's also shows up in Bleach Brave Souls.

(weirdly a different swimsuit specialadds a different, unrealted, tattoo on her right thigh??)

But in the body of the manga itself, she's never actually shown with it. In most cases we don't get a 100% irrefutably clear view, but there are plenty of moments where her left upper thigh is definitely visible enough that if the tattoo was canon it should have been visible. The most obvious contradiction being her first appearance in her human form on account of, you know... her being entirely naked for that...

Now, one of the most immediate evocations of the sun tattoo would seem to be Ichigo's "Black Sun" motif --although it seems like a "tribal" style tattoo, which would be solid black anyway, making it hard to really assume it's a deliberately associated color-- which is itself actually kind of weird because it started entirely meta textually as part of the pair of databooks, SOULs and VIBEs: the former being the manga databook, and the latter being the accompanying anime databook, together featuring the phrase

"the rain drags black sun down, but the rain dried by white moon".

But this actually conflicts with the manga's use of a black moon motif for Ichigo, and doesn't really appear in the text at all. In fact the only real association Ichigo has with the black sun in the story proper might be the tangential association with Yhwach calling him, "my son born in the dark" when Yhwach himself is associated with the sun and light, and his own mirroring of the black flame(?) motif.

Otherwise the only loose link between Ichigo and the phrase "black sun" is that zangetsu's crossguard in bankai is a manji/swastika --a symbol used in Japanese Buddhism, via Chinese Buddhism, via Indian Buddhism, but originally taken from Indian hinduism where it was itself a sign of the sun god Surya-- and the SchwarzeSonne:"Black Sun" rune was a part of Himmler's stupid esoteric LARPing horseshit he did in the N*zi party, where he just mashed up the swastika, Nordic runes(𐌔), the alchemical sol niger:"black sun", and the Arthurian round table concepts so he could have that dumb mosaic built into the floor of the Wewelsburg castle he had requisitioned.

Sorry i got off topic... point being: the BlackSun was kind of like a leveled up swastika as far as n*zi symbols go, so it kind of follows that Ichigo's devloping powers imply a black sun as the next step past swastika.

But like I said, that's a super loose correlation within the text itself. Rather, the black sun in Bleach actually seems to be a weird recycling of something Kubo did in Zombie Powder: The black getsuga tenshou's black flame motif being a kind of throwback to the black flames of Akutabi Gamma's Karinzanjutsu, and the Ka-rin[火輪]: "Fire Ring/Wheel" having a symbol representing the sun, thus the sword style's black flames making its symbol a black sun.

So what's the point in bringing all this back up if what we're asking about is Yoruichi? Well, Yoruichi may not have had any sort of identifiable sun motif herself, but her ancestor, Chika, does. His name can read as "1000 Sun", although in the context of Yoruichi and Yuushirou's names both having words for "night" in them, it makes sense that Chika's name should actually be read, "1,000 Days", or very possibly "1000th Day" since Yoruichi's name is clearly meant to be read as "1st Night" considering her birthday is January 1st.*

*Her overall gimmick is a reference to hatsuyume[初夢], a tradition/idea that your first dream of the newyear --taking into accounts that you stay up until midnight on new years, your first dream is on Jan 1-- is supposed to have some prophetic qualities. (Incidentally, Urahara's birthday is December 31st, and given his partnership with Yoruichi could imply he's meant to be associated with the Omisoka holiday? but I'm not getting into that here.)

Anyway... all that just to say that her sun tattoo isn't really canon but if it were, it might have something to do with her ancestor, Chika. Although given that their family crest features a moon and they have a night theme to naming, I'd assume Chika's name is meant to be kind of an outlier rather than directly reflective of any family themes.

I dunno, I guess that's not really much of anything actually, since the whole black sun tangent doesn't even link back around... I guess the only thematic link is that in rather literal terms a "black sun" might be most readily envisioned as an eclipse, which in both the Shihouin and Ichigo's cases would be a way of aligning the moon and sun motifs.

(Technically I guess Isshin's relationship with Masaki is a kind of eclipse, as its the overlap of her sun/center of the universe iconography with Isshin's own moon motif via engetsu, but honestly Isshin was never actually moon themed and his shikai just felt like a lazy tack on detail that Kubo gave no real thought or consideration to beyond it being a derivative of what Ichigo already had going on.)

[horizon-verizon]

Idk if this has been said before so forgive me in advance if I'm repeating a take, but I think it's pretty tone deaf to use deleted scenes of s1 to argue about the writing for s2.

For instance "Rhaenyra 'begged' Daemon to remain by her side". The scene from the original trailer was different to the one we saw in the actual episode. In the trailer, Rhaenyra gave the impression she was aware of the Greens as a threat, whereas in the actual episode her request came off more as seeking out an old love - given they had also slept together in the driftmark episode (You and I were always meant to burn together) That scene was more emotional than a politically strategic one.

Similarly to Daemon / his daughters. In the show, there's little affection from him. One might even make the argument he's almost indifferent to them. Adding how his marriage with Laena was.... it doesn't help making the picture any better.

So using a single picture from a deleted scene where daemon hugged his daughters to argue that he does in fact love them is pretty useless. Did it happen in the actual show? No. So we might as well not pretend it did.

The reason I'm saying this is because I see so many people using scene A (daemyra) as an argument again the "I can't trust you daemon" dialogue from s2 - nevermind daemon had given numerous of reason for rhaenyra to not trust him (the brothel alone is enough imo) and scene B (daemon [not] being absent father) to ague against Baela saying she hates him.

The writing is barely trying to keep up consistency with what they came up with for s1 and fans still try to argue about these deleted scenes being important for the narrative. I'm quite confident these scenes have been dismissed by the writers. They're not canon even for show-verse

Anon talks abt this post.

*7/14/24* I guess we could argue that Rhaenyra was more trying to address his tendency to leave her when things get too hard by accusing him of cold ambition (as an expression from the fear that he only wants her for power since he didn't bother to help her out at least 2x before, so this is her taking an opportunity to draw him into it and express that fear)...again, this doesn't make much sense when this show has made us believe that they had rather very peaceful and happy and fulfilled days on Dragonstone from S1 E8! This is a pre-marriage argument or at least an argument had either before Rhaenyra proposes to him--thus the argument is her confronting him before she ties herself to him--OR it's had in the first two years when he does something nasty or sus and she confronts him. It's not an argument that one has 6 years after marriage and raising 6 children and seemingly completely satisfied with one's partner WITHOUT HAVING ALREADY WRITTEN MULTIPLE SCENES SHOWING/ESTABLISHING SOMETHING LIKE A MISUNDERSTANDING THAT HOLDS A LOT OF TENSION BETWEEN THEM BEFORE THIS ARGUMENT! It should have been built into to make any modicum of sense. *END*

....................................................................................

I've never even watch the trailer you're speaking about, anon.

I have recorded the episode's conversation, subtitles and all, and cut out unnecessary stuff for the flow:

All Rights got to Max/HBOMax/HBO, this video is not mine!!!!

We have Rhaenyra say that the sea offers an escape and that fire is a prison, then she tells Daemon:

"I need you uncle. I cannot face the greens alone. Let us bind our blood just as Aegon the Conqueror did with his sisters. With you as my husband and prince consort, my claim would not be so easily challenged. The Velaryons are of the sea, but you and I are made of fire. We have always been meant to burn together."

RED for politics, or words that could be more argued as such

BLACK for "pure" love/desire, or words that could be more argued as such

PINK for a mish-mash, intertwined thing--most likely

..................................................................

Show!Rhaenyra point blank says that she can't face the greens alone and mentions her claim needing and will become more protected with him by her side in the actual episode. So while I am ignorant of whatever trailer you mean, I don't see how she isn't also trying to enlist him for herself as she is also trying to have him as a bonafide romantic partner/husband?

..................................................................

A)

Here's the other thing....Epi 10 Rhaenyra was a travesty. And no the brothel scene is not actually enough for the kind of distrust she should have for him.

I know for some Epi 10 was their favorite episode or at least really good. That Rhaenys seems wise bc the whole ethical standard here is no violence for the sake of human life and prevent war at all costs or seems to be. But:

most of the characters of the blacks we know, inclu. show!Rhaenys, tie and time again have shown a lack of care for humans life just for human life sake (beast beneath the boards...if Rhaenys cared all that much she would do all she could to not kill even peasants or "sacrifice" so many...therefore she is not even compassionately "wise" as some figure her show!self to be). I think of her alone bc this is the character people say has the "right idea" of things

Rhaenyra was actually considering giving up the throne when Viserys entrusted her and not the rapist, profligate, excess-loving, much more selfish Aegon with the prophecy...and for a very good reason when he could have doe otherwise when Aegon lived with him since birth and she was at Dragonstone for a bit...and no, do we actually think Aegon would take such a thing seriously NOW of all times without Viserys there and his desire to not responsibly rule?! Much too late.

this is not a world where Rhaenyra or her family would be totally safe from the greens IF one argues what many green stans argued abt Alicentr having good reason to attack and try to diminish Rhaenyra's power at court--fear of other agents using Rhaenyra's kids against Otto and the greens since they do have their own claims....Aegon has less/no claim bc no one swore oaths to him and the lords were much more concerned with how Rhaenyra's claim would benefit their own interests in maintaining the safety of their designated heirs -> thus the greens were much safer with Rhaneyra as Queen than her and her family were under Aegon as King, esp with how jealous he and his brothers were

Daemon was not preparing to go to any sort of war without her say so; he protested that they weren't going to at least try to defend the castle [she she was laboring] AND that she would even think to give it up, which I already described was not-so-smart bc of the above except the prophecy bit

Lucerys' death was supposed to be the actual straw that broke the camel's back to usher in the war. Hello, kinslaying is a huge taboo?!!!! And all of it is just swept under the rug for Jaehaerys' death as if that is the first wrong done and why the war happens! Envoyship!!! This is her son, her "sweet boy"! The heir to Driftmark and to the Velaryon seat. Yes she says that she would never want "Helaena of all people" to go through what she goes through...but that is an emotional matter and not the political one that she brings up as her main reason to distrust Daemon or to accuse him of intentionally wanting Jaehaerys' head in case he can't get Aemond's. She was never with him with the idea of his "neutral" morality.

Instead, in order for the showrunners to recreate a "moral" female character, they remove all the fire and passion she had for her family and her family only to make her an inactive pacifist who cries at a page from a "friend" giving her a page about a female conqueror but has abused her and endangered said children for at least 10 years in their own home. Even the most patient person can't be expected to take all that and not want to defy/punish/use all their strength to flout that entity that is absolutely out to get them and theirs. Male characters can be absolutely insane, sexually deviant/perverted, or just self concerned (Robb Stark, Tywin Lannister, Ned Stark, Oberyn Martell, Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister). etc....but for female characters we draw the line at her looking towards her self interests?

B)

Apart from that, the character of Rhaenyra of season 2 episode 2 doesn't jive with her season 7-8 selves. It's not that I think she should totally accept child-murder as a necessity, or a trivial consequence of the game, or that show-wise she would. So much as I'm not sure how they expect me to believe that she'd think that:

Daemon would go buck wild and go against what he knew would be her wishes when he's already been shown to not want to rule from the very beginning and it's literally been six years of seemingly peaceable married life and two kids later

so much as she questions whether or not he intends to rule through her or use her up -- his actual political priorities concerning if he wants to rule…

she'd have so many detractors (as she seems to think) from her cause after being accused of having Jaehaerys murdered in this society when Aemond killed Lucerys -- esp without sufficient sort of contextual scene to show why she feels this way --

nevermind daemon had given numerous of reason for rhaenyra to not trust him (the brothel alone is enough imo)

Rhaenyra accepted Daemon's "darkness" as soon as she asked him to marry her, and especially when she absolutely knows him capable - willing of killing Laenor if she asked for that ion S1 E7. Because she is and always has been aware of how that darkness is not intended for those he holds dear. She knows (or at least is supposed to) who he is and what he's about, at least that is what they wrote and showed us. Daemon here is also fine with the prospect of just letting Laenor leave...bc he helps her do that.

AND, most importantly, she seemed fine and very aware of the effects of the rumors of her killing Laenor for her reputation bc it built that public trepidation she accepted:

R: This will cost Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys their only remaining child. And the realm will whisper that I was somehow responsible for it. D: Let them whisper. We will know the truth of it and out enemies won't. R: They will fear what else we might be capable of.

She still wanted to marry him of all people bc she trusted he would do a lot for her and do it as well as he can, throw himself into it. So when she says she wants Aemond Targaryen in full public ear to her council and she walks off still bedraggled from her flights she would know he heard that and would take some from of action and she implicitly understands that he will. So for her to distrust that he is not doing as he always said he was doing--do as she asks and not really intending go beyond that--then yes I am very confused why they are even together the way they wrote it.

If Rhaenyra is more politically conscious and is truly looking out more for her kids and for her own claims, she would have thought throughly about Daemon's role and possible disadvantages of him being with her, bring up why he left her, and throughly (not just in one night before sex) go over why he brought her down there in the first place instead of leave that question unanswered until its' pretty much too late and they have 2 sons on their own.

If she had any more substantial issues of where he stood in terms of politics even after she challenged him back in episodes 2 AND he left her be at the brothel when he could have just continued...why bring them up now and not before they marry?! Before she makes him a part of her household and be around the children he's supposed to fight the claims for?

If they show & say that Rhaenyra has such a strong mother's instinct to protect her kids form literally anyone...are they saying that she doesn't include Daemon in that?! Are they trying to say that she is so impractical as they also say she is a quick thinker (the aftermath of Vhagar claim, Aemond's eye, Rhaenyra v Alicent in trying to avoid-inflict punishment for their sons) or a good planner (Laenor-death plan)? Or are they saying she is so abused she cannot think towards her children's safety at the very least?

C)

This also presents us questions on how the hell she managed to actually rule Dragonstone and be as calm and happy as the show itself presented to us back in episode 8 if Daemon actually was as distrustful, scary, disruptive under her home and authority in all the 6 years they've been together.

So to lightly bring back your words but in a different way/meaning:

Did it [Daemon being untrustworthy bc of x, y, z while living with her and her sons] happen in the actual show? No. So we might as well not pretend it did.

If you are going to say that he really and constantly did shit that made her develop a resentful distrust of him throughout their marriage, then you need to show that, not tell it during an argument and expect people to believe that if they already are to projecting their thoughts about Daemon only being w/Rhaenyra for the power onto the scene or, as Sara Hess does, insert their nonreading compunctions about Daemon into the writing. Otherwise we're running on assumptions that themselves do not explain how this event connects to the s1 epi8 events of them very easily and casually presenting a united front, Daemon not necessarily being lead by the nose but truly agreeing and following her lead in many instances, etc. etc. that all convey a relationship of sincere trust b/t them?

And this is another reason why I simply do not care for episode 10 bc yes the choking scene is both an inconsistency as well as butchering a female character--both the female character of the show AND who Rhaenyra seemed to be from the book. They're not selling domestic abuse very well so much as using some of the audience's assumption of it happening to justify the inconsistency. DV/DA seems to be more a plot device meant to easily explain Daemyra to non-toxic ship loving people. And no DV and DA are just abusive, not "toxic" (which is why I constantly ask what people mean when they say something is toxic).

We might be riding a thin line here, but my issue is not that I think she distrusts Daemon's willingness to measure his desires/impulses against his priorities at the right time and place so much as it's not enough to use the brothel scene to explain away all the implied contradictions coming from them not bothering to write out scenes instead of the many time jumps.

[highfiveheroes]

HI CAN I HEAR THE DEEP DIVE PLS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON APPLESPRINGS

APPLESPRING DEEP DIVE HEY!!! HEY!!!!!!!

also sorry in advance i lost the plot halfway through and i fucking. i love them. anyway no read mores we die like dayne blade

oh god okay what is so important to me. is that first and foremost. kristen and gorgug have such a Relationship they have connections other people don’t and i just. fuck man. they died together on day one and i fucking. i love them man. anyway

it is vital to me that. kristen is still a Lesbian. she does not like men and this is important to me. but she cares So Deeply About Gorgug, like. fabian and riz and adaine and fig are her brothers and sisters. she doesn’t replace the applebees brothers, but she finds a new set of family, and they all mean something to her. but for some reason. gorgug to me has this intrinsic understanding of her that is so Different to how everyone else sees her, and. shameless plug i have a whole series of fics about them and how they interact and it’s love without being in love because i’m so scared to commit to writing it

because the big thing is that i project the hell onto gorgug when it comes to gender, and its. gorgug’s gender is mashed potatoes. i cannot explain better than that but i will try like. he’s not Not a guy. he is just a Guy. but a guy in the sense that people say “hey you’re a guy” and that’s not Right but it’s not Wrong. and if fig comes in and says they’re doing makeup and nail polish and wearing dresses onstage he will do that as well. he doesn’t have a problem. because how other people see him when it comes to gender specifically (and it ties into his upbringing, having people look at this gnome family with their half orc son and having Opinions) he doesn’t Care how other people see him. they can assign whatever they want to him. inside his brain, if prodded, is just a ball of mashed potatoes, because he doesn’t care. gendernonconforming/nonbinary gorgug is the love of my fucking life i have. so many thoughts. gorgug thistlespring i have so many thoughts.

but the other part of this is. hear me out. aromantic/demiromantic, bisexual. gorgug Likes Sex. he has been very clear about this to me from like. early on, he’s not ashamed of it (with himself, his parents are a whole other thing). but i don’t think he Likes being a boyfriend. he didn’t put That much effort into it with zelda unless encouraged, and he didn’t seem torn up about the break up, and i think he cared about zelda but it didn’t. mean the same to him, but he did like the crazy sex part of it that came with her family. and then i have Never understood gorgug and mary ann until i took this take on him because mary ann isn’t Trying to have sweet sappy romance. the extent of it is “hey. i wanted to be friends. i still do. i have a bench. let’s fuck.” and gorgug just. it hits Right for him, so that works out

but factoring kristen into gorgug’s whole mashed potatoes and gravy deal??? kristen, the person he shares an unbreakable and completely unique bond with? kristen, his best friend, who was ALSO hypersexual for most of her last relationship? kristen who went through a breakup at the same time as gorgug, who has the same uncertainty about how her family Wanted her to be versus who she became? (and gorgug, whose parents love him but told him to try to keep the rage under control for so long, who also put him into a box he was never meant for, who on day one died and came back wrong next to a girl who was chosen, died, and also came back wrong, endured relentlessly, walked into a forest even though he thought she was dead and told all of his friends it’s gorgug, keep going?)

what was the point of this. queer platonic but sexual but not platonic but still sexual relationship. gorgug and kristen love each other more than anything and they’ll do anything for each other and they’ll do anything to make the other person happy with no strings attached and they died together okay

applespring that was the point wasn’t it. anyway i love them i have Thoughts

[crimsonedquill]

Hey I love you're writing so much! If you are comfortable with it could you write a aged up f!Mc x Sebastian where they are busy having sexy times 👀 It is really rough and obviously Seb is in charge but then MC feels like it is getting to much and she rather wants soft, gentle Seb

Hope that makes sense! And if you don't feel comfortable with my request then obviously feel free to ignore it 😅💛 Anyways have a wonderful day!

In Heat (Sebastian Sallow x f!MC)

Sebastian ends up hurting MC in the heat of the moment, then needs to make it up to her...

Full disclosure, I don't have that much experience writing F/M smut so writing this had me 🥵 for more than one reason – though I'm still quite happy with how it turned out!

Also, I now seem to have a backlog of requests for the first time since ever (gee, how'd that happen) so I want to promise all of my lovely requestors that I'm getting to your asks, it might just take some time because I want to give you all the quality content you deserve 🖤

Content warning: NSFW (18+). Aged-up characters, obvious dom!seb, yadayadayada

“Fuck,” Sebastian growled.

He was propping himself up on his hands, looking down at his lover like a wolf regarding its prey. His eyes wandered over her exquisite body; her blouse, having been ripped open to reveal a pink lacy bra, which he ripped between his teeth so that her delightfully perky breasts spilt out. His eyes lingered just enough to induce a hot shade of crimson in her glowing skin, a wave of primal exhilaration surging through him. He let his gaze wander, to her neck, a pale canvas for him to utterly ravage; then to her beautiful features; her soft lips, half parted to allow her short, heavy breaths to escape; her cheeks, radiating with a feverish warmth he was able to feel even at a distance, and then her big doe eyes, staring up at him with an arousing mix of lust and fear. Merlin, she was beautiful, and she was entirely his for the taking.

“Look at what you do to me,” he snarled at her, grinding his hardness against her thigh, the thin barrier of clothing hardly doing anything to conceal his excitement. MC let out a high-pitched whimper at his touch, and he sensed that there was little holding her body back from giving in to his corruption. It left him hard and aching for the feeling of her tightness clamping down on his cock as he palmed her breasts and mashed them together, burying his face into her damp flesh, tasting the thin glaze of sweat coating her skin. MC’s head fell back against the pillow and she let out a strained cry as he feasted on her bosom, her legs convulsing at the sensation of his teeth grazing her nipples. Fuck, she was too good. Usually she was so calm, so collected in her emotions, the contrast with the complete mess underneath him so great that he had a hard time keeping himself under control, only briefly pulling back to rip off his shirt before diving back in.

He resumed kissing her breasts as his fingers slipped down into her skirt, dipping into the wetness waiting there for him.

“You depraved slut,” he whispered through grinding teeth, “you really thought I wouldn’t notice? You think I wouldn’t find out just how much of a cock-starved whore you are?”

MC blushed heavily at his brashness, the unseemly language causing her to involuntary twitch on his fingers. He had never been this forceful with her, never this… rough. It honestly frightened her a little, for she knew just how impulsive and carried away he could get even when he wasn’t pinning her down, eager to fuck her raw. She wondered if she should say something, anything to convey at least her uneasiness – but then his fingers curling inside of her drove the words from her lips as her back arched up from the bed, a whimper working itself out of her throat.

“That’s right,” Sebastian grimaced, “show me just how much of a needy little bitch you are –”

Without warning, his hand lashed out and struck the side of her face. Her eyes widened in surprise, a tear quickly beginning to run down her red cheek, the sight only seeming to fuel his desire. He withdrew his fingers to ram them right between her lips, cutting off her breath.

“Taste it,” he ordered, and she did as she was told, obediently sucking her sap off his digits as she looked up at him with teary eyes. She couldn’t exactly deny that the expression of primal lust on his face turned her on, but even so, she was slightly unsettled at her lack of control in the situation. They had never deemed it necessary to come to any sort of agreement about their boundaries in bed; heck, she’d gleefully taken an aggressive pounding from him on more than one occasion, though she sensed that something was different tonight. He seemed to be losing himself to his own urges, driven by nothing more than animalistic instinct – and she didn’t know just how far he was willing to go.

He finally pulled his fingers out, leaving her gasping; saliva dripping down her chin. She was barely able to draw another breath before his lips crashed into hers, a deep growl rising from his throat. He dragged his tongue along her jaw, a shiver running down her spine as he settled into the crook of her neck, teeth pressing against her flushed skin.

There was a sharp, stinging pain. Then a sudden shriek, and finally nothingness, as his mouth disappeared from her neck and his weight shifted off her body. She opened her eyes and looked up to see him staring back at her. There was no more lust in his eyes, only guilt.

“M-MC…” he stammered, “did I hurt you?”

“It’s all right,” MC said, hasting to prop herself up on her elbows even though she was still seeing stars, “things just… spiralled out of control a little –”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry, I – we should stop.”

“Don’t be silly, it just was –”

But he’d already slipped out of bed before she could finish her sentence, disappearing into the bathroom. MC was left more than a little perplexed as she sat alone in the remains of their short-lived rodeo, her naked chest still exposed to the cool night air. She sighed and shook her head, making a half-assed attempt to cover herself up as she went after Sebastian.

There was only the sound of running water as MC entered the bathroom. She saw him slightly hunched over the basin, his dark eyes staring down into the small whirlpool. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, softly kissing his nape. “Hey… stop torturing yourself so much. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”

“That’s not the point.” His voice was heavy, full of anguish. “I… I lost control of myself. Who knows what could have happened if I hadn’t come to my senses, I could have ended up harming you –”

“I think you’re giving yourself too much credit. Do you really think that after an army of goblins and dark wizards, I couldn’t protect myself against one hormonal brat?”

She was relieved to see at least a hint of a smirk forming on his lips. Taking his hand, she turned him around and cupped his face in her hands, lovingly looking into his gentle brown eyes.

“Sebastian, I know you would never hurt me on purpose,” she assured him. “And really, my body having this effect on you is more of a compliment than anything, but… I think I would prefer for this to be more than just fucking, do you understand?”

Sebastian frowned at her. “You’d like me to dance and sing too?”

“No, you goof,” she giggled, moving her hands down to rub his bare chest, “what I’m saying is… I would like for you to make love to me.”

His gaze lingered a little longer, taking in her pretty features as he finally cracked a smile. “I think we can make that work,” he said, and then his lips brushed against hers, hungry but tender, and she parted them to allow him in, feeling his arms close around her waist as his warm breath tickled the roof of her mouth. He spent only a brief few moments caressing her lips before kissing the corner of her mouth, then proceeding along her jawline until he reached the sore spot on her neck, drawing a soft gasp from her as he used his lips to ease the pain.

“There there,” he whispered, the gentle tone in his voice doing more to get her dripping than his fingers ever did, “I’m going to make it all better, my love. Just relax, deep breaths, let it all go –”

“Y-yes…” she whimpered, closing her eyes as he moved further down, letting her blouse slip off her shoulders. He nipped at her collarbone, sending a hot pulse down her chest that immediately caused her nipples to harden again. Sebastian seemed to take note, teasing her with a mischievous smirk before kissing his way to one of the pink buds, closing his lips to suck on it. A moan left her lips as she looked down through hooded eyes at her lover, cradling his head in her arm as she nursed him; a muffled grunt signalling just how much he wanted her.

Yet, in spite of his own clear desire, he took his time to love her, to put her as much at ease as possible before he let his treat go with a wet ‘plop’. “My love, I need to taste you – can I…?”

His chivalry led a redness to blossom on her cheeks; she bit her lip as she nodded, watching him kiss down her abdomen until he reached the top of her skirt, which he slowly worked down her legs. He couldn’t help but smile as he noticed just how soaked her tights were, their brief intermezzo clearly having done nothing to abate her arousal.

“So wet,” he hummed to himself as he hooked his fingers into the band of her panties and pulled them down, a cool breeze of air meeting her heat. “So needy.”

She wined slightly as she felt his fingers near her core, so close but not quite near enough to offer her the release she craved the most. Sebastian grinned as he drew lines in her inner thigh. “I can tell someone’s excited.”

“You talk too much,” MC scoffed.

“But I thought you like it when I tell you unsavoury things?”

She blushed. “I do, but –”

“So,” Sebastian said, leaning forward to blow on her clit, the sensation quickly driving her to the very edge of her sanity, “tell me, my sweetheart, what do you need me to do?”

She barely managed to keep her voice under control as she looked at him kneeling on the floor, ready to rock her world with just one command. “I need you to eat my fucking pussy,” she said.

The instruction was all he needed. He offered her one last smile before he grabbed hold of her legs and forced them apart, his tongue shooting past his lips to drag agonisingly slow along her clammy folds. She let out a cry as she fell back against the basin, hands clamping around the edge. His nose nuzzled her sensitive bud while he lapped at her with broad strokes, the reward of her delicious honey leaving him throbbing hard against the fabric of his trousers. She could feel the wet muscle carefully exploring her hole, eliciting a content moan from her as he finally dipped inside and started fucking her properly. She made no effort to behave as he feasted on her cunt with the ferocity it deserved; riding his face until her juices were dripping from his chin, biting down on her lip hard enough to draw blood. The added stimulation of one of his digits thrashing her to release was enough to break her resolve, and she came hard, crying out in quick hiccups as Sebastian tugged at her lips to suck out every last drop.

The Slytherin was quick to veer up to lift MC on top of the small drawer next to the basin before unbuckling his belt and dropping his trousers to his ankles. He was aching for the feeling of her walls on his cock, and he sensed his desire was shared. Still, he took care to make sure that MC was all right at first, wiping a pleasure tear from the corner of her eye as he lightly stroked her hand. “My love, I’m going to put it in now, all right?”

Armed with a soft nod, he stroked his length up and down a few times before placing the swollen head at her entrance. They moaned in unison as he pushed through her wetness, her walls stretching to accommodate him. He kept still for a few seconds to allow them both to relish the moment, his breath heavy as he throbbed inside of her.

“You feel so good, sweetheart,” he whispered to her, catching her whimper with his lips as he began thrusting. She wrapped her arms around his neck, observing the flush of determination only slightly hidden under the scattering of freckles. How he managed to be so kind and caring and – ah, she mewled at his prick hitting a particularly sweet spot – yet so utterly driven by passion was a mystery that kept eluding her, though she found herself in no position to complain.

The symphony of their combined gasps and breaths and his pelvis slapping against her bare ass was the only sound filling the room for a while, and she rested her head on his shoulder as she settled into his rhythm. He hooked his arms under her legs to pull her hips towards him, fucking her onto his cock with increasing fervour, dictating her pace perfectly to her release.

“Look at you, all nice and tight,” he grunted. “Come for me, princess, I want to hear you scream while you drench my prick –”

There was no disobeying his commands, and she even managed to coax a moan out of him as she crashed over the edge, squeezing down on him with a scream of his name. Sebastian had to fight the urge to unload in her right then and there, though he somehow managed, waiting for her to ride out her climax before picking her up and dragging her off the drawer. She let out a yelp of surprise, giggling as she tightly locked her legs around his ass, revelling in the feeling of bouncing up and down on his cock with every step as he carried her over to the bed. He threw her down on the sheets, quickly crawling on top of her.

“Look who’s excited now,” MC teased him with a smile, palming at his chest.

“I guess you should be flattered.” She gasped at the feeling of his hardness dragging along her folds, his head red and swollen and slick with her juices.

“Oh, I very much am,” She grabbed a hold of him, guiding him back into her tight hole. She moaned as he felt him filling her to the brim once more, locking her legs around his butt again to keep him close as he resumed pounding into her. Sebastian lost himself in the shared flow of their sex, looking down into her gleaming eyes, which were so filled with innocence and lust that he couldn’t help but softly moan her name as he loved her. She was so warm and snug, the way her walls perfectly hugged his cock leaving his balls swollen and tingling as they slapped against her damp skin, ready to be milked dry.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered to her, “I’m close. Where do you want me?”

“Inside,” she whimpered back, her eyes practically speaking the words. “I want you inside of me, Sebastian.”

He smiled before kissing her, tasting the longing on her lips as he sped up his movements, thrusting himself inside of her at a greater pace. With her arms enveloping his neck, she clung to him, yearning to be as close to him as possible as he claimed her as his own.

He came with a groan, burying himself into her neck as she milked him. She cried with joy at the feeling of being rewarded with his warm seed, the sensation bringing about a small orgasm of her own as she held on for dear life, never having felt more closer as she was then, full of him in every sense of the word.

They lay basking in each other’s release for a while before he withdrew, making himself comfortable against the pillows so she could settle against his chest. He lightly stroked her hair, sighing before looking down at her. “So, was that more to your satisfaction?”

“Hmm,” she purred. “I’d say it was certainly… adequate.”

“Adequate? Are you pulling my leg?”

“Maybe I am.” She turned to meet his gaze, chuckling as she saw the expression of disbelief on his face. “Would you start feeling insecure if I said I wasn’t?”

“Well no, it’s not that, it’s just – I merely wish the best for you, you know?”

She laughed, reaching up to touch his cheek. “See… this is why I love you. Now, let’s kiss and go to sleep.”

He finally smiled, hunching forward to meet her lips with his own. “Let’s.”