#my predictive abilities are almost too good sometimes…

[pink-tk-a-latte]

WHAT THE HELL

[martian-astro]

D9/ Navamsa chart observations - Part 3

Jupiter in 9th is a great placement, even better if it's the 7th lord or darakaraka in d1. Your spouse will be intelligent. there's also a chance that you may do your master's or PhD after marriage. Your spouse can also have a job related to spirituality (one of my mom's friends has this placement and his wife is a reiki healer and also teaches meditation and hypnosis)

Jupiter in 10th is another really good placement. You and your spouse could start a business together, or you may meet them in your workplace. This is one of the placements that indicate that you'll earn more after marriage or once you start working WITH them (okay, so this example is interesting, i dont know how many of you know this, but there's an Indian company, dabur, and one of my relatives got married to the daughter of the brother of the guy who currently owns the company and let me tell you something, they are RICH RICH RICH, and like they helped my relative set up his own company and whenever we visit them, they give us such expensive gifts, you won't even find them anywhere, like custom made stuff) so if other factors support this, then you can get married into a super rich household

Venus conjunct ketu in 4th is a super common placement but I've noticed that it gives different results depending on what the ascendant is. A common prediction would be, that you guys will not get along with your spouse's family, you're gonna think that they waste too much money when they already have less of it. This is especially true for mother in law (I know a girl with this placement whose mother in law spends a lot on shopping and then asks for money from her, and she has to give in because divorce is not an option) i would recommend you guys to marry someone who doesn't have a mother 🥲

I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE WITH MERCURY IN 8TH and it's so fascinating how it has the same exact effect on everyone. Okay, so this placement gives you 2 things, first, you'll gain a lot of money through joint accounts with your spouse, this could also be a marriage where you guys stay together just for money, a lot of celebrities have this placement. Second, your spouse is gonna hide things from you, like their salary (i know a woman with this placement and her husband was promoted and he told his wife that he was still doing the low pay job and he opened another account where he saved that extra money, while their family was having financial difficulties and stuff, it was a BIG deal)

Mercury in 11th is a nice placement, this could indicate a friends to lover type of story with your spouse. They could also be an extrovert, especially if mercury is in gemini. You guys will be focused on earning money but your whole focus won't be on money, like in 2nd or 8th house, it's gonna be more like "oh, this looks like a good idea, should we invest in this" kinda thing, i would say this is more like, both practical and romantic relationship

Moon in 8th..... Not exactly the best placement. Almost all the people that i know with this placement have been cheated on by their spouse, and again your spouse could hide things from you, but this time it's more emotional. Also, i have noticed that a lot of people with this placement marry someone who's in the closet, so their partner isn't affectionate and loving towards them and they think it's their fault but it's not, but it still ends up hurting them. You, yourself, could hide your feelings as well, and your spouse can see that and that's why they hide THEIR emotions, it's like a cycle. (if you have this, i would recommend you guys to go to therapy, heal your trauma and only then get into a serious relationship and sometimes you push your feelings down and you think you're over it, but you're not)

Mars in 8th can give very different results, but it does give you a spouse who is very sexual (and believe me, it's not always a good thing). If Mars is strong then it gives extremely good results, the ability to defeat your enemies and win, i know a person with this placement and she's a woman and people around her have always tried to ruin her life and she still managed to get up and is now living a great life. But if Mars is weak or worse, debilitated, then it can give an aggressive spouse, i know a person but i dont think i should share her story with you all, but if Mars is weak then... Don't marry. BUT if 7th lord and darakaraka of d1 is SUPER STRONG in d9 then go ahead.

Venus in 2nd is like okay okay, not bad but not good. I feel like this placement works better when it's in the cart of a man rather than a woman. The spouse will be good but will be more focused on earning money, even if they're already rich. From what I've seen, men are okay with wives like that, but women aren't, they need emotional security so being with a man who is focused on money makes them sad and lonely, whereas, men with this placement are more than happy to get wives like that, In MY opinion.

Sun conjunct ketu in 11th is another placement that is common, I know a lot of people with this. So, you will gain wealth but it's going to come very slowly, the type to MAKE generational wealth but not able to enjoy it. Also, i have noticed that these people always end up marrying someone who is in a lower position than them, career wise and so they support their spouse and at the same time take most of the financial responsibility of the family.

Ketu in 8th is SUCH a strong indicator of having a kid before marriage, or atleast getting pregnant. All the celebrities who've had a kid before marriage have this placement, Angelina Jolie and Shakira are two that i currently remember but I've seen it in the charts of a lot more. And listen, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS, OKAY.

© martian-astro All rights reserved, 2024

[koolades-world]

hiii i was wondering if you could write abt an asian mc ? with the brothers or the dateables i don't mind! i just think it would be funny to see yk asian mc who's a high achiever (so even at RAD when they know nothing abt magic they'll try to score high), always take off their shoes before entering a place (entering a place with shoes is forbidden !!), always cook rice or stuff from their country when on cooking duties ("wdym we already ate that when it was my turn last time?"), will make you special herbal tea if you're sick (first time i suggested to make tea for my ill white friend they laughed :( ), tells you to eat more and in the same fashion, whose love language is giving you food, etc... bonus point if mc swears in their mother tongue. And if the MC was living in their native country before going to the devildom, their ability to just nap anywhere as if it's normal.

As someone who grew up in an asian household it's just regular to me but i can picture the face Lucifer would make if the first time mc enter Dia's castle they take off their shoes casually or like MC stuffing Beel's mouth with food as if he just didn't swallow the biggest mouthful of udon ever saying "come on Beel you need food, you need strength to play Fangol"

For the nap thing i was thinking about my relatives who take nap on their wooden bad or just the floor during summer (cause its fresh yk). My grandma always said a hard bed is good for the back lol

Anyway no pressure!! Have a nice day and take care !

hi!! yes of course :)

i'm a different flavor of asian but some of the culture overlaps so this was fun to write! haha the amount of times my grandma has urged me to eat more is hard to count. oh and the amount of tea i drank when we went to visit. i'll never forget watching her make the tea because it was a whole experience

i'm half indian and someone actually requested an indian mc so that will be out tomorrow because doing these requests back to back easiest for me!

enjoy <3

Asian Mc

Lucifer

you're ALWAYS on him for the amount of coffee he drinks

you also always make sure he takes a break to eat dinner because he needs to eat in order to continue his work

despite how bothered he might seem sometimes, he really does value what you do for him

plus, you not only keep yourself in line, sometimes you do his brothers for him too. thanks on his behalf!

Mammon

once you grow closer, he's asking you to teach him swear words so he can cuss out lucifer

if you don’t, well, he’ll just pick them up when you swear and hope he can figure out what it means haha

if you want, feed him random words, or even compliments so when lucifer hears them, he'll just be confused haha

despite the fact that he's the demon, maybe you can help him in class

Levi

when he first meets you, he'd not sure what to expect

however he quickly learns you're the best at everything you do

this includes video games and everything of that manner

he's got competition now, but he has no clue how you got so good considering it was probably your first time at all of the games you've tried

Satan

he's impressed by your work ethic and desire to achieve

you got dropped in a totally new environment and instead of struggling to adjust like he predicted, you bounced back almost immediately and were at the top of your class like it was nothing!

he tried to ask you once why you seemed so determine to get the best grade and never asked again after the look you gave him

something the two of you can bond over, though, is tea! he can often be seen with a cup of tea so that's an easy conversation starter between the two of you if not homework instead

Asmo

while initially he thought you two might not get along, you actually do quite well

he's huge on no shoes in the house and especially in his room

after all, he wants to avoid bringing as many outside germs into his room as possible

can and will ask you to teach him how you make your special herbal teas because he hates being sick and genuinely just wants to know

Beel

he falls in love with your rice cooker

rice that easy and that quick? sign him up! if he didn't already love rice you've put him on it

he doesn't think he could ever part with you and your wonderful cooking

even if you do cook the same thing every time it's your turn, he will inhale it because not only is it delicious, but you're an amazing cook

Belphie

even he's impressed by your ability to fall asleep anywhere

at least he's always with his pillow and maybe a blanket but he's seen you just curled up on the porch waiting for someone to get home

but that sighting was rare, because he felt like he always saw you doing something

however he really appreciated all the little things you did for him, such as making his bed

[darkcircles4lyfe]

To Build Something Else

Whenever I read a fanfiction that takes place in the future where the hero kids continue their schooling as normal and emerge as pro heroes into the existing system, I always kinda view it as like, “AU where things weren’t as bad” or “AU where everyone is still pretending that this is the way things should be” or “AU where good and evil are morally uncomplicated.” I’m not trying to call anybody out—I’ll still read and enjoy these sometimes—but that’s how I’ve always looked at it. I’m starting to notice other people feeling it too. I’ve read fics where they point out how redundant and unfair it is to go back to being students after saving the world (remember how many pros straight up quit and left a bunch of kids to keep fighting?). I’ve seen people acknowledge how trauma will affect their ability to keep going. Perhaps the trickiest thing to wrap our heads around is how the villains will fit into it all if not through death, punishment, or imprisonment. What about all the other trappings of society? The heavily regulated quirk use, the government-funded pros aiding police control and contributing to cover-ups that maintain the illusion of peace. Hero idolization, quirk counseling, civilian helplessness. Judging a person’s worth or character based on their quirk…

It would sound too obvious and cheesy to simply point out that society isn’t “just the way things are,” that change is possible. We all know this, and yet we struggle to pinpoint exactly where to aim our sights, find the source, make any meaningful progress. The other day I read some articles from my university’s student newspaper around 1970, and it made me feel sick wondering if progress is really an illusion. Fact is, it’s easy to intellectually deconstruct society, but very difficult to imagine how to build something else.

In this fictional world, heroes have offered a mythical vision of safety and triumph. When All Might arrived, everything was going to be okay. But let’s not forget how this story began: with a moment where All Might paused, like a bystander, and in his place, a desperate civilian kid hurtled forward without any common sense. If you ask me, it wasn’t that Izuku was so good and pure and selfless, it was that he disregarded everything.

And so the person who “saves the world” (if we can even reduce it to such a concept) is not the person who puts everyone at ease and makes crowds cheer. It’s the person who makes everyone hold their breath, with a feeling in the air like the pressure changed, and it smells like rain. It is natural to be worried about the future. It’s honest. It means you can see what’s really going on. Hero society has never felt this exposed, but the people are held back from the edge of despair because there is also so much potential brewing. Electricity about to strike. The world will NOT go back to the way it was, no matter what. That much is certain. But what if we still live to see the dawn? What then? What if one person’s courage to break the mold makes all the difference?

I’m not just talking about Izuku, you know. I’m talking about Horikoshi.

To an extent, I’ve given up on predicting how exactly things will play out, because if nothing else, I can tell he’s planning something big—so big, I can’t quite picture it. I’m watching and waiting for the one person who can. I just know where he’s coming from. I think about how he’s never come this far before because his other stories were snuffed out. I know he used to struggle to see the future of his career. I relate to his stubbornly rebellious resolve to do what he wants anyway. To keep dreaming. I know that emotional sincerity is his specialty. And now he’s even directly breaking the fourth wall, having characters talk about what’s supposed to happen in comic books. Gradually, almost imperceptibly at first, we’ve been shown how something else can happen. He’s not done yet.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

How good would Absol be as a pet? Both Regular or service/working pet. The horn might be problematic at most I fear but I would like to know your opinion.

They may have a historically bad reputation, and some pretty intimidating claws, but at heart, absols are sweety-pies. They’re certainly shy, but they love helping people. An absol would make a great pet for a lot of owners, but not all.

The biggest issue with absols, it turns out, is their size. At almost four feet tall, they’re gonna be much too big for a lot of owners. Having spent time with some pretty big dogs in my life, I know that it can sometimes be difficult to make room for them, especially if they’re snuggly. Fans of bigger pets: an absol might be just right for you.

Tragically, absols have been treated with a lot of hostility and hatred by humans for many years (Platinum), and as a result they rarely show themselves to humans. Using the powerful horn on their heads, absols are capable of predicting natural disasters (Sapphire), and they, out of the kidneys of their hearts, constantly want to warn humans about them to protect them (Diamond/Pearl). In the past, this was misinterpreted as them causing natural disasters, earning them the moniker of “the disaster pokémon” (Ruby) and making them the target of violence (Platinum). When you consider all of this, it becomes clear that they would be excellent pets. If you were to win the trust and love of an absol, we know that they will care about you right back. They will want to protect you and everyone around by warning of disasters before they happen. Be warned, though: there’s still a lot of stigma surrounding absols. People of older generations still distrust and despise them, and may not understand you’re wanting to bring one into your home and neighborhood (Ultra Moon).

Perhaps surprisingly, given their reputation and appearance, absols aren’t exceptionally dangerous. Given their size and claws, moves like Night Slash raise an eyebrow, sure. Perish Song could make you faint, which anyone could tell you can be dangerous depending on the circumstances. Future Sight…well…it certainly looks painful. But, that all being said, absols are unlikely to use these moves on people. Even when faced with violence in the past, they chose to flee rather than fight. They have a calm disposition (Moon) and an affinity for humanity. Accidents still can happen, of course, so these moves still carry a penalty, but they’re less of a concern with absols than many dark-type pokémon.

While their size and abilities ensure that they would not be the best choice for every home, there are many cases in which an absol would make a great pet. As a final, interesting note: absols are said to have a lifespan of 100 years (Emerald)! This means that an absol will be a pet that you can bet on being around for a long time, and may even outlive you! Adopting an absol can be a big commitment, but it has a good chance of paying off in many years of loving companionship.

[bakugous-tits]

Special Delivery

Hello Hello! So if anyone has seen, I've been talking about working on a new Kirishima fic set in the Fractured Flame universe- This is not that. This is another repost of one of my old favourites, but I promise I AM WORKING ON KIRISHIMA! Anyway, I wrote this for a BNHarem discord collab ages ago, and love it too much to let it die <3

Pairing: Pro Hero!Bakugou x Reader

Word Count: 4,636

Warnings: Fluffy and Smutty, There is an explosion and a description of the aftermath, Office Sex, Squirting and, you know me, there's a Creampie <3

Enjoy!

Working at the Ground Zero hero agency had perks. There was a fantastic coffee shop across the road, with surprisingly reasonable prices, it’s near to the bus stop, and the wide and tall windows allowed you a beautiful view of the city. The number of ridiculously attractive heroes that worked there was also a very welcome perk. 

With the likes of Red Riot, Chargebolt, Pinky and Cellophane in their ranks, you had no shortage of eye candy every day. But somehow, they were consistently overshadowed by the most domineering presence in the office. The boss, Dynamight, always took over the room simply by being there. 

You were just a secretary, doing nothing more than assisting with filing of paperwork, fielding calls, and similar clerical duties. You were friendly enough with the heroes, but you always wondered why they ever even made time to come and say hi to such a lowly employee like yourself. Pinky would occasionally come over and chat about your plans for the weekend, giggling with you about going to this club or that, telling you wild stories about her own time in various parties. Red Riot would bring you coffee sometimes, claiming that you needed the help to keep you going in a busy office like theirs. Chargebolt and Cellophane, predictably, would come over and flirt with you at every opportunity they could, leaning against your desk with charming grins. But the boss… He would simply eye you from across the room, his calculating gaze following you as you went to the copy machine, or had to deliver papers to another secretary. It was a little unnerving, to have him watch you so closely, but a small part of you always felt a small thrill run through you at his attention. You never saw him do it to any other employee. Just you.

At first, you thought you’d upset him somehow, going over every action in your head to find what you’d done wrong, coming up empty. Sure, you’d made a few mistakes when you first started working for the agency, but that had been so long ago! And you’d been new, everyone makes mistakes at first! You made it a point to become an exemplary employee from then on, double and triple checking your work before handing it in, and making sure it got in early if possible. The other heroes had commented on your increase in ability, making you smile at your success. Dynamight simply huffed at you, his eyes scanning over you from head to toe, making your back straighten. He hadn’t said a word until his friends began to leave, walking past you and ducking down at the last minute to rumble out a quiet ‘good job.’ as he left, acting as if nothing had happened.

That was the first time you’d had the thought cross your mind.

Did he like you?

You’d dismissed the thought almost immediately. A secretary at his agency, with a weak quirk that was barely usable? No way he even saw you as more than a gnat buzzing around him on a daily basis, able to be ignored but always there. 

And yet, as time went on, you noticed more and more. His friends would be huddled around him, glancing in your direction with shit-eating grins and murmuring to him, and he would frown at their words, stomping off with pink dusting his high cheekbones. The eyes that watched you so closely as you walked past wouldn’t be trained on you in general, but your face directly. Sometimes you even caught him staring at your ass as you went past, going back to his conversation with a clearing of his throat. 

He never approached you, and you never brought it up.

How could you? Not only was he miles out of your league, but he was your boss. There was no way you could pursue him, and he obviously wasn’t into you enough to speak to you about it. You let it go, resigning yourself to pine over him in secret, never revealing to anyone about your secret.

“You like Bakugou, don’t you?” Pinky sure had a weird way of starting conversations, jolting you out of some document you’d been working on on your laptop. You looked up at her with wide eyes, your brows furrowing. “I mean, you look at him a lot. I know most people do, but- like- you really take the cake, sweetie.” She was leaning her hip against your desk, one hand placed on the surface as she gave you a wicked grin. The glint in her eyes was positively evil, flicking over to where Dynamight and Red Riot were talking in his office, the door open. Both of their brows were furrowed, their hushed conversation seeming a lot more serious than their usual banter. You looked through the door for a moment before shaking yourself out of your distracted state, looking up at Pinky with flushed cheeks.

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only look at Dynamight as my boss, that’s all.” Her grin only widened, a giggle escaping her lips as she shakes her head. She threw a thumb over in the direction of the men, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Don’t panic, silly! He’s totally into you too. You should see the way his ears perk up whenever anyone mentions you.” She leans down further, seemingly about to whisper something to you, but she’s interrupted by a new voice.

“What are we talkin’ about?” Chargebolt sauntered over, holding a mug of coffee as he looked between the two of you. You go to open your mouth, but a further different voice cuts you off before you can speak.

“We talkin’ about Blasty and his crush? Oh, I am so here for that.” Cellophane joined up, leaning an elbow on Chargebolt’s shoulder, his wide grin focused down on you. With all 3 heroes focusing on you, your face flushed further, making you shuffle the papers on your desk and look for something, anything to change the conversation. You cleared your throat, wondering if bringing up the weather was too obvious a deflection, when a booming voice called out to the 3 heroes crowding you.

“Oi! Get the hell in here, we got plans to go over.” Dynamight addressed his colleagues, but his eyes were solely focused on you, flitting over you as if to check you were okay. As the three groaned and dragged themselves away, you couldn’t help but give him a small smile and a thankful nod.

He didn’t give you anything in return, but the way his shoulders seemed to relax made something in your chest flutter.

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

Their plans to infiltrate a villain hideout had been perfect, Dynamight’s tactical thinking making everything go off without a hitch. All 5 heroes had been celebrated for their bravery, quick thinking and overall skill, as this had been a big job catching a sought-after villain. You were happy for them, even if it meant a mountain of paperwork for you. It should have been boxed off, over and done with. So why was the office on fire, debris and smoke everywhere?

You coughed, dragging yourself out from under your desk where it had ended up overturned on top of you, raising a hand to your head to feel the sticky wetness of blood coating it. Squinting through the smoke, your hand flew to your mouth, seeing your desk neighbor lying on the floor, his neck twisted at an odd angle and his eyes wide open. You wanted to scream, to get help, but the rest of the office was in chaos. Ears ringing, you looked around once more, your eyes landing on one of your heroes carrying another worker away and toward the exit, calling out orders to other people. Red Riot seemed to have his hands full there, but you opened your mouth to try and shout for him anyway, desperate to get help for your coworker and friend. 

Nothing came out of your mouth, just a croak that was lost among the screams and sounds of the agency falling apart. Tears pooled in your eyes as panic welled within you, until you managed to make out a garbled and quiet version of your name in the ringing of your ears. You turned your head, seeing Dynamight running toward you, falling to his knees as his hands cupped your face gently, tilting it and frowning when he saw your head injury. He spoke to you, but the words didn't make sense, you couldn’t hear him properly. You shook your head at him, pointing to your coworker. “He- he needs help… You have to- to help him!” You grasped onto his gauntlets, your eyes pleading with his. Dynamight turned to look at your coworker, his expression tightening as he looked back at you and shook his head, reaching to hook his arm under your knees to pick you up. You fought his grasp, screaming that your friend needed help more than you. Didn’t they understand? His neck- surely his injury was worse, you could wait, he needed someone to help him! The further you got from the wreckage of the office, the less your ears rang, finally allowing you to hear Dynamight’s words. “He’s gone… It’s too late, we can’t help him, we gotta get you out of here…” Gone… too late…Your eyes fluttered shut as the world was enveloped in black, your mind too exhausted to keep up.

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

It smelled clean. Too clean, and there was an incessant beeping that wouldn’t shut the fuck up somewhere off to your left. You frowned, trying to open your eyes and immediately closing them in pain when the stark white ceiling and fluorescent lights blinded you. Trying again, slowly this time, you squinted your eyes open, moving to raise your arm to rub your eyes and stopping when you felt a tug at your elbow joint. Looking down, you saw an IV attached to you, and your frown deepened.

What the fuck happened? Finally registering a hushed but angry sounding voice in the room with you, you glanced around. Near the doorway, wearing casual clothes and holding his phone up to his ear, Dynamight was hissing at someone on the other end of the line. “... don’t care about the costs, I’ll help cover ‘em. We gotta get the office rebuilt… Listen, Shitty Hair, I won’t let some minor thugs think we can be taken down by something like this. We get rebuilt, and show ‘em they can come at us with whatever they got- we ain’t stoppin’.” He turned in place, his eyes roving over the floor, up the bed, and finally resting on your open eyes. His own eyes widen at the sight of you awake, his feet already bringing him closer. “...gotta go.”

Dynamight hung up the phone, pocketing it as he stopped by the side of your bed, leaning both hands on the covers. You eyed him for a moment, unsure what to say, before you tentatively reached out, covering his hand with yours as tears filled your eyes. “Thank you. For saving me.” His hand froze under yours, his eyes shooting to stare at the limbs with what looked like panic before he relaxed, flipping his hand over to grip yours. With a sigh, his free hand came up to scrub down his face, his eyes moving to yours and staying locked on the bandage you could feel above your eye. “Scared the shit outta me, princess. Thought- with how close you were to the door- didn’t think you’d made it.” His words are tight, almost choked, and you frown at him.

“What happened? I don’t really… remember…” “S’fine, doctors said it’d probably be blurry. We thought we got ‘em all. But we missed one, a guy who was pretendin’ to be quirkless. We didn’t think he was even really one of the villains, more like a civilian caught up in it… just a good actor, I guess. He- he built a bomb. Packaged it up like a delivery and dressed the part, got in and left it on my desk. He had the detonator and I got him before he was outta the building but he- turns out he had a quirk. Technopath, or some shit, let him detonate it even though we were downstairs… I’m- I’m so sorry, I thought I got ‘em all…” His free hand clenched into a fist, you’d never seen him look so distraught. You squeezed the hand still in your grip, giving him a small smile. “You had no way of knowing, Dynamight. You did everything you were supposed to.” “Bakugou. Don’t bother with my hero name here.” Your eyes widened, but you nodded. Without letting go of your hand, Bakugou pulled a chair up to the side of your bed, staring at your intertwined fingers. You’d never been this close to him, not like this, but right now you needed the comfort. Not questioning it, you let him play with your hand, enjoying the companionable silence until he opened his mouth again.

“I really thought… When I got up there, and saw everything all- destroyed… I really thought I’d lost you.” You frowned, about to speak, but he cut you off. “Don’t- Just lemme talk, okay? I’m a coward. I spent all this time tellin’ myself I didn’t have to tell you, because you were always right there for when I was ready. Let myself think nothin’ would ever happen, but- then it did. And when I got up there and couldn’t find you… I just thought- I thought ‘I should have told her.’ Because I didn’t think I had a chance. And then I saw you, and it was like I had a second chance. So here I am- takin’ that chance. You know what I’m talkin’ about, right?” Bakugou turned his head towards you, his eyes pleading, a nervous twitch to his brow. Your eyes had widened a long time ago, your heart pounding in your chest as you processed his words. 

Slowly, a smile crept across your lips, your head nodding. “Yeah, I know. I’d like that, a lot.”

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

It’s amazing the difference a few weeks can make.

A few weeks ago, you never would have dreamed that you could call Katsuki Bakugou yours, and yet here you were. Turns out that dating your boss is okay if your boss is literally at the top of the food chain at work, and no one is going to call him out on his shit. Mina, Sero, Kaminari and Kirishima were overjoyed at this development, teasing Bakugou at every opportunity they could, not having to hide it in front of you anymore. This in turn delighted you, loving the blush and harsh glare that would appear on his face, the soft pops  and crackles of his palms becoming one of your favourite sounds. He took you on modest, low key dates, to keep you away from the prying eyes of the public, and you loved how silently affectionate he became. A hand in yours as you walked home after a date, a gentle kiss at your doorstep, a lingering touch at your lower back as you turned away that had your thighs tingling. 

The little glint of hunger in his eyes as he watches you leave.

It was like you were back in high school, closing your front door and squealing into your hands after each date, wanting more than anything to drag him into your home and fuck him senseless right there in the entryway. The only thing stopping you was that every time you tried to, he stopped and said he had something special planned for your first time together. You trusted that he knew what he was doing.

As he walked you toward the office one evening, you thought he’d lost his mind.

You had been having nightmares about the building ever since the event, waking up gasping for air as if you were still stuck in the smoke filled room. Your heart was pounding just looking at the building, your steps slowing until you came to a complete stop, looking at him warily. He gave you a rare smile, tugging on your hand gently to bring you into his side. “Just trust me, yeah?”

And you did. Because he’d never done a single thing to make you lose faith in him, even before you were together, there was probably no one else on the planet that you trusted more. 

Bakugou walked you into the building, keeping you tucked into his side the whole time. It was odd being here after hours, the building looking so dark compared to the usual bright sunlight that filtered through the large glass walls. When you arrived at your floor, the lift gave a soft ding! to alert you, and you held your breath.

Suddenly, you understood. 

The whole floor had been refurbished, reinforced walls around those with cubicles, the offices with their large, see through windows being replaced with thicker, frosted glass and thicker doors, everything redesigned with a more durable design in mind. It looked entirely different, a clean slate.

Your desk was right outside of Bakugou’s door.

“I wanted to keep you close, in case anything happens again…” Bakugou’s free hand reached up to swipe at his nose, a bashful blush trickling across his cheeks. Your eyes watered slightly as you realised that he’d done this for you. The other staff would benefit too, of course, but he’d made some of the changes with you and your fears in mind, bringing you back here to show you that it wasn’t the same anymore, that you wouldn’t ever be back in that position again.

You threw your arms around him, burying your face in his chest as his arms wrapped around you, holding you close. A soft kiss to the top of your head had you pulling back, looking up at him for just a moment before you pushed up to press your lips to his. One of his hands came up to cradle your cheek, keeping you from moving away as he kissed the breath from your lungs, pushing you back against the lift doors, the cool metal biting at your back through your clothes. 

Bakugou reached down, grasping your thighs and lifting you, wrapping your legs around his waist as he carried you through the office space and into his office, kicking the thick door closed behind him and seating you on the edge of his desk. He finally pulled back, letting you breathe as he moved his lips to your neck, inching toward your collarbone. When he found that little spot on your collarbone that had you gasping, he smirked into your skin, biting down on the flesh softly before latching his lips there, leaving behind a deep mark. Finally leaning back, he reached up to grasp the back of your head, tugging it so he could straighten up and look down at your panting form.

“Gonna help me christen the office, princess?” The pet name had your core throbbing, your mouth parting around a soft moan as you nodded your head, his lips spreading into a dark grin. You’d been waiting weeks for this, for him, and now that he was between your thighs, his hard length pressed up against your pussy through your clothes, you couldn’t wait to get him inside you. Bakugou reached for the hem of your shirt, ripping it up and off you. Pulling one of the cups of your bra down, he moved to wrap his lips around your nipple, making you unwrap your hands from his neck, leaning back on the desk to give him better access. The office was so quiet, just the lewd noise of Bakugou sucking on your breast and your soft panting filled the air, one of your hands moving to unclip your bra behind your back. As the garment fell down your arms, one of his hands came up to tweak at your other nipple skillfully, a sharp pinch making you cry out for him. 

The way he handled you, harshly but as if you would break if he went too hard, was making your brain fog over with lust. You couldn’t focus on anything but him, his tongue flicking at your nipple, his fingers on your breast, his hips rolling into yours slowly. It was too much, it wasn’t enough, you just needed more. Bringing one hand up to his shirt, you tugged at it until he understood you wanted it off, leaning away and pulling it over his head to reveal what could only be described as an adonis-like body. Pale scars littered his skin, evidence of his past battles, and you reached out to trace a few of them softly, flicking your eyes up to his before leaning forward to kiss him once again. Bakugou placed his hands firmly on your hips, pulling them closer to grind into you more intently. Forgoing his scars, you let your hand trace down his abs, feeling them twitch under your fingers until you reached his waistband, undoing his jeans deftly and reaching into his pants to cup his erection through his boxers. He hissed into the kiss, his lips separating from you as he rested his forehead against yours, looking down at where your hand disappeared into his open jeans.

Smirking at his reaction, you pushed at his clothing until both his pants and boxers were around his thighs, freeing his cock for you to wrap your hand around. Your mouth filled with saliva just looking at his cock, long and thick and just asking for you to wrap your lips around it instead, but Bakugou wouldn’t let you move him away to get to your knees. “Sorry, babe, but if you put that pretty mouth on me I won’t last. Next time.” Pouting, you nodded your head at him, moving to get your own jeans off. Bakugou helped pull them off you, leaning back to get a good look at you when you were bare before him. He bit his lip, eyes tracing over every curve, every piece of skin hungrily, and your face heated at his attention. “So fuckin’ beautiful…” You didn’t have time to react to his uttered words, because in the next moment he had you on your back on his desk, his hands pushing at the backs of your thighs to push them against your chest. His mouth descended on your aching core, tongue pushing into you to taste the sweet wetness gathered there, before he moved it up to your clit, suckling harshly at your sensitive bud. You cried out sharply at his treatment, a hand shooting down to tangle in his hair, fingers tightening in his soft strands as your walls pulsed around nothing, begging for something to fill you. Bakugou stood, separating from your clit with a pop! as he grinned down at you. “Sorry, needed to have a taste of that sweet pussy, princess. Tastes just like I thought- perfect.” Eyes hooded, chest heaving, you were about to scream at him to just fuck you already, but he seemed to get the idea from your look. Bakugou pressed the blunt head of his cock to your entrance, one hand keeping one of your thighs pressed open for him while the other squeezed at the base of his length. He looked up to lock eyes with you once more, a brow raised in question, giving you one last chance to back out. You nodded as you braced yourself, knowing that this would hurt a little as he wasn’t exactly small. 

Bakugou pushed his hips forward, the head of his cock popping past your entrance, the both of you exhaling slowly as he pushed further and further into your core, parting your walls until his hips were flush with yours. You dragged in a ragged breath, the burning stretch edging on pain before melting into complete pleasure. Head falling back onto the table, your eyes rolled back as you squeezed around him experimentally, relishing in his groan at your actions. He swatted at your thigh as he began to pump his hips, moving both hands to your hips in order to pull you into his thrusts. Your mind was reeling with pleasure, unable to think of anything other than the drag of his thick cock against your walls. Moans tumbled freely from your lips, mostly incoherent versions of his name, interspersed with oh god’s and right there!’s. Bakugou himself wasn’t faring much better, groans leaving him on every other thrust, his brows furrowed in pleasure as he watched his cock disappear into your pliant body. 

Bakugou lifted your legs to rest both of your ankles on one broad shoulder, arms wrapping around your thighs as he pounded into you harder, yanking you into each pump of his hips, his eyes focused on your face. Watching you fall apart around him like this, was all he’d wanted for so long, now that he had it… he knew he wouldn’t ever be able to get enough. He was getting drunk off the feeling of your pussy pulling him deeper. Burying himself deeper until his tip was hitting against your cervix, the feeling causing your eyes to shoot wide open, a pressure building in your lower belly. Bakugou’s length hitting so deep and dragging against that special spot inside you, it was so much more than you’d ever felt before, that pressure building and building, a worried look appearing on your face that he catches immediately. He slows down a little, looking at you in confusion. “I- Something feels- weird- pressure…” Your words come out disjointed with his hips still slapping against you, and it takes him a second to process. Once he does, all he does is smirk and lean over you further, resuming his original pace and power, ignoring your worried words. You try to push against his abdomen, concerned at the pleasure building within you, but he’s so strong that he barely budges. Your walls start to flutter around him as you approach your climax, clamping down on him rhythmically, until-

“C’mon, princess. Make a mess on me, lemme have it.” 

It seems that his words are all you needed, flying over the edge of your orgasm as that pressure released, your cunt gushing around him as you came harder than you ever had before, your vision whiting out and your mouth caught wide open in a silent scream. Bakugou watched you come undone, your pussy clenching so hard and drawing him deeper, his own release taking over as he pumped into you, hard, and shot ropes of come deep into your body. He slowed gradually, panting hard over you as he let your legs fall to the side. The two of you caught your breath, Bakugou pressing soft kisses to your chest as he rested his forehead on your collarbone. You ran your fingers through his hair, basking in the glow of your orgasm, until he shattered the moment with a snort. With a raised brow, you looked down at him as he propped his chin on your chest.

“You fuckin’ squirted on me. So dirty, princess.” Huffing in indignation, you pushed on his forehead, ignoring his chuckles as he pulled out of you, both of you getting dressed slowly. He caught your elbow, pulling you close and pressing a quick kiss to your lips. “Hey- I didn’t say I didn’t like it. In fact…” He leaned down, pressing his lips to your ear as he murmurs;

“...I wanna find out how many times I can get you to squirt for me back home, baby.”

You shuddered, dressing quickly and practically dragging him back to your apartment.

[fyreflys]

What's your headcanon for Katniss and Peeta's children?

How old was Katniss when give birth to their daughter?

How many years apart between them in age?

Your headcanon for their name?

Who gets the singing and art skill from their parent?

Bonus question : please give recs of your fav everlark post-Mockingjay fanfic.

Thank you :)

@curiousthg

OH BOI BABAY. This has been sitting in my inbox for a while & I’m finally getting to it.

I have a LOT to say about the toast babies. Katniss and Peeta have them when they are 24 or 26 (not 25- don’t ask me why, I don’t know). Their names are Willow and Rowan (or Rye, which I Think Suzanne said somewhere that was the official name for their son. I like both).

Willow is born first. Willow as in a willow tree, (Also from the story of the Willow that Katniss’s dad tells her-unless I’m totally just making that up) which often are seen as a symbol of new life, regrowth, overcoming hardships, and sometimes for peace. I think all of these qualities exhibit important aspects of Katniss and Peeta’s story.

She has long blond curls, her father’s freckles, her mother’s eyes and smile, and she constantly reminds Katniss of Prim. She’ll make facial expressions, or say or do things that remind Katniss so much of Prim, and it will make her miss her sister, but also make her happy that her sister is clearly living on through her daughter. She inherits Peeta’s drawing/artistic abilities, but she’s also really good at gardening and knowing plants/herbs and stuff (she’s definitely a future doctor). She’s just as stubborn and hard headed as her parents, and when she puts her mind to something she GETS THAT SHIT DONE! She’s also a massive sweetheart and VERY charming, just like her daddy. She’s also a decent singer, but she doesn’t like to do it often.

Rowan is born 1.5-2.5 years after Willow. I like this name for a LOT of reasons, and that’s why I chose it as their first son’s name in my Everlark fic. Rowan trees are in the Rosaceae family (aka, the ROSE family- kind of a tribute to Prim), and are in a lot of Celtic/norse/British isles religions. It often stands for protection (usually against supernatural forces in many religions), and were often planted around burial sites to protect the dead. They are also very hardy trees that can grow just about anywhere. Also, Rowan trees have berries…(thinking of their first games, & the berries…) listen I could go ON and ON and ON about the many mythological stories connected to Rowan trees but I will leave it at that. (There’s even some thoughts about them predicting the amount of snow there will be in the winter, or how bountiful the rye harvests will be)

Rowan has dark hair and olive skin like his mother, and his father’s blue eyes and smile and freckles. He loves to bake with his father, but he also has his mother’s ability with the bow and he’s good at hunting. He has a very witty/sarcastic sense of humor (he spends a lot of time with Haymitch), but a very kind heart. He can sing just as good as his mother, and he reminds Katniss a lot of her father. He also reminds Peeta of his brothers, in the way he smiles and his competitive nature.

POST MOCKINGJAY FIC RECS:

Swan Upon Leda [my fic on AO3, 74k words & ongoing, explicit] — the fic where Everlark aren’t together yet, Katniss is pregnant during the Quarter Quell, Peeta isn’t supposed to know but then figures it out, Peeta never gets taken by the Capital and hijacked, and they try to live their “happily ever after”

The Unrecorded Hours [by hollycomb on fanfic.net, 24k words, explicit] — Peeta is certain Katniss doesn't actually want him. And she’s enraged by the fact that she does. They’re both horny as hell but too stubborn and dealing with too much trauma to figure it out properly. Until they finally do. (Seriously such a good fic I literally almost cried at the ending it’s fucking perfect & so well done)

Sun is Gonna Shine [by monroeslittle on fanfic.net, 12k words, explicit] — Despite Katniss’s reluctance, they have a baby. (And it’s gorgeous & Haymitch made me sob)

[lmkwritings]

GASP, ASK'S! Hello lovely writer! it is I, an fellow notefication on reader! SO can i get some Like Mk headcanons? and some redson with an bunny demon s/o? (Asking bc i love just imagening hugging someone witha fluffy as hell boobs as the gay af person i am) gender can be ither fem or gender nutrol Sorry for my bad gramer and spelling- first laungueg is swedish and english is my 5th laungeg so so sorry for gramer mistakes

Lots of love from the friendly snake!

some quick grammar tips for you before we dive in;

“with a bunny”

“i love just imagining”

“can be either fem or gender neutral”

“Language”, but otherwise, i probably wouldn’t have noticed you weren’t a fluent speaker if you hadn’t pointed it out!

MK has Inattentive ADHD, like me!

this form of ADHD makes it Hard to stay on track and keep a steady schedule, often needing it to be either; a) consistent or b) predictable.

MK has a Lot of fun learning new things, and is often found with his face buried in a book (usually titled “{this thing} for dummies!”)

when idle/not doing anything, he start spinning the staff around his hand/fingers like a pen

the bandana was a gift from pigsy’s ma! (his grammy)

he has, can, and will, rearrange his entire apartment to find something he lost

hates sitting still- the only time he’s found it easy to do so is in the Tuk-Tuk

he is “heavy footed” meaning that when he drives, he is almost always pressing down on the gas, consciously or not!

MK is a “Maladaptive Daydreamer”, and one of his biggest triggers for it is Music, a few of the smaller ones are Repetitive Movement (ex; swaying boats, rocking, moving cars), bright flashing colors (Mei often has to snap him out of it when he falls under in the club), and sitting still for too long!

MK has “fallen under” (Ex; Disassociated, Daydreamed, panic/anxiety attack) in multiple places-

once, in the zero-gravity club when a bright light beam flashed him in the eyes, and he “woke up” to Pigsy sitting on his bed rubbing circles into his back, Tang reading to him, and Mei quietly tapping away on her phone with a weighted blanket and comfort/attack clothing on.

again, on Sandy’s boat when he sat still long enough for his “Lizard Brain” to recognize that the boat was rocking, and “Waking up” again, with cats draped over him, Sandy quietly chatting idly while sipping on tea, and himself covered by a weighted blanket and holding a (warmish) cup of tea.

when MK daydreams, his head’ll twitch and jerk, hands twitching and/or clenching. sometimes he’ll start pacing and he’ll sway, lean a bit too far or turn around really fast and slip/trip over himself. he’ll make facial expressions and get emotional with the scenarios and worlds unfolding in his head.

((he’s woken up a few times to a demon with mind reading abilities wailing out “no wait it was just getting good!”))

——————————

Red Son was- Unsurprisingly -rich.

and rich people? the wealthy?

really have a thing for “very feminine, looks dainty, could probably be royalty, can absolutely kick your ass into next week”

Red Son’s head lifted, raising an eyebrow at you, he stares questioningly, to which your tail flicks a bit, and you knock some of his pillows askew as you burrow into his sheets.

a soft call of your name, and a chair screeeeching over marble floors, and then a warm hand settled on your back, the sheets over your large rabbit like ears drawing back, allowing you to look up at him through your bangs.

he smiled softly down at you, head tilting as his horns glinted in the low lighting- those fuzzy bull ears of his enticing you onto your knees, fingers immediately running over and petting, caressing his ears. with a low chuff chuff chuff, Red Son melts into your touch, sighing softly as he slides up and onto the bed, and then your lap.

straddling you briefly, he settles down on the mattress in between your (verrrry fluffy) legs, hands settling on your thighs, fingers slowly gliding through your fur; just like your fingers gently squeezed and caressed and massaged his ears.

he smiled in a quiet kind of bliss when he heard the soft little “click tik click tiktiktik”of your teeth clicking together.

[purifiedclitoris69]

Darkness and Chaos

A/n: I have no idea how long this been sitting in my drafts, but I finally finished it. Bit unedited, hope you all enjoy! Thanks :)

You had always been attuned to the dark—something about shadows called to you from a young age. You first noticed it in fleeting moments, like when the shadows around you seemed to shift with your emotions, with your father's yelling and your mother's crying and both their drinking. It was subtle at first, easily dismissed, until one day, the shadows responded to your will, protecting you from the poison your parents spat. A flick of your hand could send the darkness swirling, you could create solid constructs like weapons and shields, bind enemies with shadow tendrils, teleport through shadows, and even craft illusions to confuse foes, you were an unpredictable force.

It wasn’t long before your abilities attracted the attention of powerful beings—both good and bad. The team had first encountered you during a mission to stop some HYDRA experimentation. you yourself sat in a cell experimenting with dark energy. You had been held captive by HYDRA, forced to use your powers of shadow manipulation for the organization’s twisted ends. However, the moment the Avengers arrived, everything changed. Their mission that quickly spiraled out of control but you helped them without hesitation, shadows erupted from you like a storm, weaving through the battlefield with lethal precision, and taking out the HYDRA agents like you’ve been dreaming of for ages. Your tendrils of darkness restrained enemies, while walls of shadow protected the Avengers from incoming fire. Wanda, immediately sensing your potential, your desperation to be good, reaching out with her magic, she offered you a way out—not just from HYDRA, but from the darkness inside you.

The Avengers wasted no time putting your skills to use. Your shadow manipulation was unlike anything they had seen, with Wanda’s chaos magic, capable of rewriting reality itself, the two of you became the Avengers' secret weapon against threats too powerful for conventional means. Your darkness and her chaos were like a pair of loss lovers beginning to dance. You communicated without words, your powers flowing together. It wasn’t just your powers that made you a powerful duo—it was your connection. You had trained together for months, learning to anticipate each other’s moves, covering for one another’s weaknesses. Where your shadows needed precision and control, Wanda’s chaos magic thrived in unpredictability, giving you both a perfect balance of order and chaos.

In the heat of battle, your synergy was unmatched. Wanda would send waves of crimson magic crashing into your enemies, altering the battlefield in ways no one could predict, while your shadows weaved in and out, creating traps, shields, and devastating strikes from every angle.

Naturally you guys were an inseperable pair outside of the battlefield as well. You were best friendsand everyone on the team knew it. You spend almost every free moment together, whether it's lounging in the common area, cooking meals in the shared kitchen, or training in the gym. But for you, every moment with her is tinged with something more, something you can never quite bring yourself to admit. It’s the little things that get to you—the way she smiles when she catches you stealing the last piece of pizza, or how she lightly nudges you with her shoulder when you’re both watching a movie on the couch, curled up under a blanket. Her laugh, soft and genuine, makes your chest tighten, and sometimes, when she’s not looking, you find yourself staring at her just a little too long, trying to memorize every detail of her face.

You were falling in love with her, hopelessly and utterly in love—but you can’t say it. Not yet, not when it could ruin everything.

Your days are a mix of training, missions, and downtime. During training, the connection you share on the battlefield spills over. You’re so in sync, knowing each other's movements before they even happen. When you spar, it’s like a dance of power all over again, a delicate balance of strength and grace. Sometimes, when you’re caught up in the flow, you’ll catch her eye, and there’s this spark—something just beneath the surface that makes you wonder if she feels it too. But then it passes, and you’re back to being best friends, pretending that the tension isn’t there.

After training, you’ll both collapse onto the floor, breathless and laughing. "I’m getting better," Wanda says, teasing you with a grin.

"You’re still too predictable," you tease back, though you don’t mean it. She’s anything but predictable. Wanda is like a force of nature—fierce and compassionate, more complex than anyone you’ve ever known. It’s what drew you to her in the first place. But you’ve gotten good at hiding your feelings, laughing off the moments that hit a little too close to the truth.

in the evenings, you’ll make dinner together in the compound’s kitchen. Wanda loves experimenting with Sokovian recipes, and you’ve found yourself loving the process too, if only because it means spending more time with her. There’s always a moment when your hands brush as you reach for the same ingredient, or when you stand side by side at the counter, your shoulders touching. You’ll glance at her, and she’ll smile, oblivious to the storm of emotions brewing inside you. Sometimes she'd ask you to just sit at the counter for the company and the insurance so that you wouldn't mess up her 'delicate process,' you'd act annoyed but, it always allowed you to study her more, how she scrunches her nose, the sparkle in her eyes, the way her hair framed her face, anything.

"You're staring again," she says one night, catching you off guard as you chop vegetables.

You freeze, your heart skipping a beat. "Am I?" you say, trying to sound casual, but your voice comes out just a little too tight.

She laughs softly, nudging you playfully with her elbow. "You’re a terrible liar."

You laugh it off, brushing it aside like you always do, but every time you’re near her, the feelings only grow stronger. It’s in the way she looks at you with those piercing eyes, the way she leans into you when she’s tired, like you’re her safe place.

Sometimes, late at night, when the compound is quiet and it’s just the two of you sitting on the couch, you wonder what it would be like to tell her the truth. But then fear creeps in—the fear of losing her, of changing everything. So, you stay quiet. When she gets up to leave, she often lingers, just for a moment, as if she’s waiting for you to say something more. You wonder if she feels the tension too, if maybe she’s waiting for you to make the first move. But then she’ll smile, say goodnight, and disappear down the hallway, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the feeling of her absence like a weight on your chest.

Every now and then, you catch her looking at you differently, her gaze lingering a second too long, her touch softer than it needs to be. You wonder if she’s trying to say something without saying it. But you’re too scared to ask, too scared to risk what you have, so you both continue the dance—best friends on the surface, with so much more bubbling underneath.

The rest of the Avengers don't seem to notice the tension. To them, you and Wanda are just inseparable. They joke about it sometimes—and apart of you feel like Natasha knows, Nat teasingly calling you "Wanda’s shadow" because you're always together. And maybe they're right. You follow her wherever she goes, drawn to her like she’s the only source of light in your world. But none of them know how deep your feelings were, how every laugh, every casual touch, every shared glance twists something inside you.

The hardest moments are when Wanda talks about her past—about Vision, the loss, the pain. She opens up to you in ways she doesn’t with anyone else. You’re the one she trusts, the one she comes to when the weight of it all is too much. And you listen, offering comfort the best way you can, but it kills you inside. Because no matter how close you are, a part of her heart still belongs to someone else. And no matter how much you love her, you’re not sure there’s room for you there.

The mission today is different, saving the universe different.

The sky is ablaze with kree ships, and the ground trembles as waves of invaders pour into the city. You and Wanda arrive together, side by side as always, with the rest of the Avengers already in the heat of battle. Steve's voice crackles through your earpiece: “We need backup—now.”

Your heart races, not just from the battle ahead, but from the proximity to Wanda. The mission is urgent, and your mind is focused, but there’s a constant hum in the background—your feelings for her.

You glance over at her, catching a glimpse of her eyes glowing red as she prepares her magic. She looks determined, fierce, and more beautiful than ever. You shake off the thought, trying to focus on the task at hand.

“They’re teleporting in from somewhere,” you say, scanning the battlefield. “If we shut down the portal, we can stop this.”

Wanda nods, and you can see the same determination mirrored in her expression. “I’ll handle the portal. Cover me,” she says, her voice calm but filled with urgency.

Together, you create a dome of darkness, your shadows rising from the ground and swallowing the battlefield in an inky void. The alien invaders stumble, confused, while Wanda floats upward, her crimson magic intertwining with your shadows. You stay close to her, shadows wrapping around your hands like armor as you dispatch enemies who dare to approach. Your abilities blend effortlessly, like they were made to work in unison. And in a way, maybe they were.

As Wanda’s magic tears through the dimensions, severing the invaders’ connection to their homeworld, you can’t help but steal another glance at her. She’s lost in concentration, her hands moving with precise, graceful motions, and it’s in these moments you’re reminded why you’ve fallen for her. It’s not just her power, not just the way you work together in perfect sync—it’s her heart, her kindness, her courage. You’ve seen her at her most vulnerable, and yet she’s never faltered.

With a final surge of magic, Wanda closes the portal, and the skies clear. The remaining invaders are no match for the rest of the Avengers. As you land beside her, the battle over, the battlefield is eerily quiet.

Wanda looks at you, her red magic flickering around her hands before it fades. She’s smiling softly, the exhaustion of the battle evident, but there’s something else in her eyes—something warm, something that makes your heart skip a beat.

“You did great,” she says, stepping closer. “We always do.”

You chuckle, trying to keep it light. “Only because I’ve got you watching my back.”

Her smile widens, and for a brief moment, the world around you seems to blur. It’s just the two of you now, standing in the aftermath of a battle you won together, like always. But there’s something unspoken between you. You can feel it. It hangs in the air like the only shadow you can’t quite grasp.

Admist the two of your distractions, one of the Kree is able to use the last of it's strengh shooting you twice in the back, one going straight through your abdomen. Wanda's face pales as Natasha quickly finishes of the Kree and you fall into Wanda's arms. You can barely focus, but her presence feels like a lifeline. She cradles your face in her hands, her expression frantic, eyes wide with fear.

“Stay with me,” she pleads, her voice trembling. “You’re going to be okay.”

You can feel the warmth of her hands against your skin, and in that moment, the weight of your unspoken feelings spills over. “Wanda,” you say, your voice barely a whisper, “I need to tell you—”

“Not now, y/n” she interrupts, her voice rising as she tries to keep the panic at bay. “We need to get you out of here first!”

But you can see the truth in her eyes, the fear that lurks beneath her fierce exterior. “I can’t—Wanda, I can’t hold back anymore. I love you. More than you know," you force a pained smile as the tears and burning pain blurr your vision, "I'm in love with you."

For a moment, time seems to freeze. You can see the flicker of hope in her eyes, but it’s quickly replaced by something else—fear, and with that your vision goes black.

"Hurry help! Please!," Wanda screams as the rest of the team rushes over.

"We need to get her on the jet now," Natasha says as Steve pick you up with ease, running you straight to the medical table.

You drift in and out of consciousness, the world around you a haze of sounds and sensations. The dull beeping of machines pulls you back, and when you finally force your eyes open, the sterile light of the medbay greets you. Blinking against the brightness, you focus on the figure by your side—Wanda, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the monitors.

“Y/n?” she whispers standing up, her voice trembling with relief. You try to speak, but your throat feels dry and raw, she quickly hands you a glass of water. She’s leaning closer, her hand holding yours, warm and grounding. “You’re awake. Thank goodness.”

The memories rush back—flashes of battle, the sting of pain, and the way she cradled your face in her hands as the world around you faded, as you finally confessed your love. Panic surges through you. “Wanda, what happened?” you rasp, struggling to sit up, but she gently pushes you back down.

“You were hurt. A Kree shot you.” Her voice is steady, but her eyes betray the storm beneath. “Natasha took care of it. You’re safe now.”

“safe, yeah…” you echo, relief flooding through you. “What about you? Are you okay?”

She nods, but there’s a distance in her gaze, a shadow that lingers just behind her eyes. You want to reach out, to pull her closer and make her feel your warmth, but there’s something heavy in the air—a wall between you.

“Wanda, I—” you start, the urgency of your feelings pressing at the edges of your mind. But before you can finish, she interrupts.

“Y/n, listen. There’s something we need to talk about.” Her tone shifts, the seriousness making your heart drop. You search her face, looking for any sign of what she’s about to say, but all you see is a mix of determination and fear.

"Wanda, what I said, it's true," you gulped down your anxiety, "I justt—"

“I don’t feel the same way,” she says, her voice firm yet shaking slightly. The words hit you like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, you can’t breathe. “I’m sorry. I care about you, but not like that. We need to focus on being a team...we work better as we are."

Her words pierce through you, each syllable a shard of ice. You feel the warmth of her hands slipping away, and the connection you thought you shared shatters, leaving you raw and exposed. “But I—”

“No, y/n” she cuts you off, her voice rising with a mix of desperation and anguish, "I can't give you what you want. Not in that way, not after everything."

Inside, Wanda is fighting a battle of her own, her heart pounding in her chest. She wants to reach out, to tell you that she feels the same, that she’s been harboring feelings for you since the moment you became friends. But the thought of losing you—the thought of watching you slip away like Vision, like everyone else she’s ever loved—sends a cold wave of terror through her. She remembers the pain of loss, the way it consumed her, the ache that still lingers deep within her soul.

“Wanda, please…” you say, your voice breaking, and her heart aches at the sound. She can see the confusion and hurt in your eyes, and it shatters her inside.

You deserve so much more than a broken person like me, she thinks, forcing a smile that feels like a lie. You deserve someone who can be there for you completely, without fear. But I can’t be that person. I can’t be the reason you’re hurt.

“I just need you to understand,” she says, her voice steadier than she feels. “We can’t cross that line. It’s safer this way.” But as the words leave her lips, she knows they’re a lie. The truth is that she loves you—deeply, but she can’t let herself act on that love. Not now. Not when the fear of loss looms like a shadow, ready to swallow her whole. “I care about you, and I’ll always be here for you,” she adds, trying to keep her voice calm, even as her heart races. “Just… let’s keep it this way.”

You look at her, the hurt in your eyes a mirror of the pain in her heart. She watches as you swallow down the heartbreak and practically return back to the shell of the person they found at HYDRA. As she watches the acceptance settles in your gaze, a part of her breaks, knowing that she’s ultimately built your walls back up, she's pushed you away when all she wanted was to pull you closer.

What have I done? she thinks, her chest tightening as she sees the distance growing between you.

You nod slowly, swallowing hard against the lump in your throat, your heart heavy with the weight of her rejection. And as you lie back against the pillows, the silence fills the space where the truth should be, echoing with everything left unsaid, "I think I'd like some space for a little," you mumble turning away from her as you try so desperately to keep the tears from spilling.

"Okay," she agrees quietly walking towards the door, she pauses looking back as she's about to leave, "I'm sorry, y/n," she leaves.

[goemon-fan]

You know what, I'm going to elaborate on my theory about Goemon actually being an angel, because now I'm really thinking about it. Please don't take this too seriously, but here it goes:

Goemon is Lupin's Guardian Angel

I know this sounds strange, but hear me out.

As you hopefully know by now, there was an episode which canonically compared Goemon to an angel. But, what if this wasn't just a comparison? What if Goemon is an actual angel?

Sure, Goemon can't fly, but he is capable of inhuman feats. He is the world's best swordsman (according to Lupin) and can cut through anything, he can perform miracles of nature by spontaneously attracting lightning, can't die according to Lupin ("Even if you kill him, he won't die!"), was the one to kill Jesus' twin vampire sister, can meditate to new planes of existence/make himself immune to earthly desires and effects (such as with the suicide gun), is always conveniently at the right place at the right time, can don a variety of disguises which nearly always work, alongside other physical feats such as being able to flip, dodge, and jump to great heights in the air.

Goemon also possesses good morals characteristic of an angel, and has an ability to be able to guess the consequences of an action and the future as a whole. He is tirelessly devoted to justice, tries to push Lupin and friends into being better people whether by denouncing alcohol and cigarettes or convincing them to stop fighting, is accepting of his friends and the first to defend them, goes out of his way to help people he believes are in need, and many of his predictions within episodes turn out to be accurate (such as in the Tutankhamen episode when Goemon warned Lupin of the curse, or in the Christmas episode where Goemon insisted his sake would be better than the president's wine).

I think it has been well established that Lupin and Goemon's bond is special, although strange and somewhat unexplainable. But what if they were meant for one another? What if Goemon, as an extension of being an angel, is Lupin's personal guardian angel?

The reason I specify Lupin is because Goemon never flakes on him in times of need. Goemon could care less about Fujiko sometimes, and the Jigen episodes don't have a large Goemon influence. But in the episodes where Lupin's in (genuine) danger? Goemon's almost always there.

In "Hell Toupee," Goemon draws a portrait of the villain on a hot air balloon, allowing an escape for Lupin and Fujiko, as the enemy soldiers within the episode were unable to shoot anything with their commander's image. In "To Be or Nazi Be," Goemon sacrifices his sword to allow Lupin to escape over the Berlin Wall. In the first episode, Goemon immediately flings himself at the antagonist to defend his friends. In the Loch Ness episode, Goemon follows Lupin to Loch Ness and keeps watch all night, and defends Lupin against an assassin while he sleeps. Goemon is repeatedly the one to heal Lupin with homemade medicines and remedies. And, most notably, in "Danger, Goemon!" Goemon sacrifices himself to allow Lupin safety from dangerous assassins.

Even in Goemon's introductory episode, despite being Lupin's enemy, he gives him numerous second chances for no discernable reason. Within the same episode, Lupin admits by the end that he has developed a liking for Goemon, even though Goemon was currently trying to kill him. Throughout the series, and especially in the episode detailing Goemon's redemption, Lupin holds a strange and uncharacteristic obsession with Goemon. And, to be frank, Goemon's friendship with Lupin is strange as a whole; what do they have in common? Why does Goemon stay by his side?

What if their friendship was governed by supernatural forces? What if something greater than Lupin and Goemon confined them together? What if they were meant for each other?

Based on Goemon's angel-like qualities and devotion to Lupin, it is hypothetically possible he is Lupin's personal guardian angel.

[fioras-resolve]

hey, let's talk about this blog post from 2014. this is an open letter from the creators of number-merging mobile game Threes, in response to various imitators like 2048. it's a fascinating case study in the midst of recent discussions of plagiarism.

so, look. Threes and 2048 are both mobile games that you can play right now, for free. i highly encourage that you play both of them before reading further. i want you to see how different these games feel to play.

okay, so. this blog post from Asher Vollmer and Greg Wohlwend is interesting to look back on, but it's worth remembering the context it was made in. the mobile gaming scene is absolutely awash with copycats and imitators, and has been for over a decade. mobile games like this are typically pretty simple and thus incredibly easy to copy. if you have a good idea for a mobile game, you are almost immediately going to get people looking to cash in on your idea. this has been cited by former free-to-play dev Caryl Shaw as one of the reasons she left that industry. it's important to keep in mind that cheap imitators and cash-ins are absolutely an issue endemic to the platform.

that said, 2048 is not the same game as Threes. Vollmer complains that people tell him they like 2048 more, but it's not hard to see why they do. it's faster-paced, easier to understand, and more immediately gratifying. Threes takes a bit of practice to really understand what it's doing. its advantages over 2048, e.g. granular control, more predictable rng, more depth long-term, are more relevant to mid- or high-level play. also, this might seem minor, but 2048 actually comes with an objective, it's right there in the title. it means that players have a goal to reach for beyond just a high score. even if you think 2048 is a worse game that Threes, they're clearly different games, and it's not hard to see why 2048 became memetic in a way that Threes didn't.

the letter acknowledges this. it doesn't call 2048 a knock-off, but instead a rip-off, and points out rightly that Threes didn't get the time to grow an audience or the credit for doing it first. i am intensely sympathetic to this, and you should be too. as an indie gamedev even outside of mobile, i worry that my good ideas might be stolen for a profit. even though i'm confident in my abilities as a developer, i'm less confident in my ability to predict the market, and the fear of plagiarism doesn't help.

but i'm not gonna lie, Vollmer and Wohlwend's letter here comes off as salty and antagonistic toward a fellow game developer. it simply wasn't enough to say that it's bad that they didn't get the credit they deserve, they also had to call 2048 a "broken game." to be clear! it has been almost a decade since both games came out! and i still go back to 2048! i decided to go back to Threes recently and give it a proper shot, and while yeah, it's better than i remember it, 2048 is not that much worse of an experience! it's like Minesweeper for me, one of those games i go back to when i need something to do. and like Minesweeper, it's fairly barebones as a game, but that doesn't really stop me from loving it.

but what really sticks out to me about the letter is actually this line that i haven't been able to get out of my head:

We know Threes is a better game, we spent over a year on it.

this has bothered me for a while. not just because it's a wrongheaded way of thinking about quality, (plenty of AAA games that took more than a year suck) but because it's a common one. it's a kind of romanticization of work that treats the process as more important than the result. i understand this mindset, it's one that a lot of creators adopt, including me, because we love the work that we do. but it just doesn't always shake out that way. sometimes the work you do doesn't coalesce, and sometimes a great idea can be developed over a weekend. my current gamedev project which you can help playtest on my discord is a less ambitious project than ones i've taken on in the past, but also one i'm more confident i can pull off. it's often less important how much time you spend, than how you spend it and why.

*sigh*

Asher, Greg. if you are for some reason reading this, i do respect y'all as gamedevs. i think you did great on Threes, and also Puzzlejuice, and a lot of other games you've worked on separately. you called out an important issue in mobile gamedev, and one that's still with us today. you made an good, important game on a platform that is now dominated by predatory monetization and junk food entertainment. Threes represented a better world for mobile, and your post pushed back against what mobile had become.

but 2048 is fine.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Opinion  At 33, I knew everything. At 69, I know something much more important.

By Anne Lamott :: Contributing columnist

Anne Lamott is an American novelist and nonfiction writer. Her latest book, “Somehow: Thoughts on Love,” will be published in April 2024.

Today I woke up old and awful in every way. I simultaneously cannot bear the news and cannot turn it off: It’s cobra hypnosis — Gaza, Israel, the shootings in Maine. The world is as dark as a scarab. I have two memorial services on my calendar this week. A dear friend is in the hospital waiting for a liver, dying. She keeps assuring me, “I ain’t in no ways tired,” and I say, “Oh, stop with that or I’m not going to visit again.” I’m exhausted just driving 90 minutes to and from San Francisco to see her.

My body hurt quite a lot when I got out of bed this morning, and I limped around like Granny Clampett for the first hour, until it unseized. Worse, my mind hurt, my heart hurt and I hated almost everyone, except my husband, my grandson and one of the dogs.

I don’t think I could have borne up under all this 20 years ago when I thought I knew so much about life. That was not nearly as much as I knew at 33, which is when we know more than we ever will again. But age has given me the ability to hang out without predicting how things will sort out this time (mostly — depending on how I’ve slept).

In many of Albert Bierstadt’s Western paintings, there is a darkness on one side, maybe a mountain or its shadow. Then toward the middle, animals graze or drink from a lake or stream. And then at the far right or in the sky, splashes of light lie like shawls across the shoulders of the mountains. The great darkness says to me what I often say to heartbroken friends — “I don’t know.”

Is there meaning in the Maine shootings?

I don’t know. Not yet.

My white-haired husband said on our first date seven years ago that “I don’t know” is the portal to the richness inside us. This insight was one reason I agreed to a second date (along with his beautiful hands). It was a game-changer. Twenty years earlier, when my brothers and I were trying to take care of our mother in her apartment when she first had Alzheimer’s, we cried out to her gerontology nurse, “We don’t know if she can stay here, how to help her take her meds, how to get her to eat better since she forgets.” And the nurse said gently, “How could you know?”

This literally had not crossed our minds. We just thought we were incompetent. In the shadow of the mountain of our mother’s decline, we hardly knew where to begin. So we started where we were, in the not knowing.

In the center of many Bierstadt paintings, you sometimes see animals grazing or drinking. They’re fine, they’re animals; they are just doing animals. But they are not the point — the point is the light. No matter how low you are, the light can reach you. It falls on animals, including us. This is positively biblical. Some of Bierstadt’s animals are lined up at the water as if they’re going to march onto Noah’s Ark. Or they’re huddled together as on a park bench, just hanging out. You have to wonder if the older deer are slightly surprised upon waking every morning, as I am, fumbling around for their glasses.

The animals never seem to have anywhere to go. I used to have lots of places I had to get to. I had to go out for this or that, and it was an emergency — graph paper! I suddenly, urgently, needed to drive to town for graph paper. Also, in the old days when there was something to celebrate, I’d go out to a nice restaurant with friends. To celebrate now, I might exuberantly skip flossing for a night, and maybe if the news is good enough, the hip exercises. Wild times.

In my younger days when the news was too awful, I sought meaning in it. Now, not so much. The meaning is that we have come through so much, and we take care of each other and, against all odds, heal, imperfectly. We still dance, but in certain weather, it hurts. (Okay, always.)

The portals of age also lead to the profound (indeed earthshaking) understanding that people are going to do what people are going to do: They do not want my always-good ideas on how to have easier lives and possibly become slightly less annoying.

Now there is some acceptance (partly born of tiredness) that I can’t rescue or fix anyone, not even me. Sometimes this affords me a kind of plonky peace, fascination and even wonder at people and life as they tromp on by.

The price of aging is high: constant aches, real pain and barely survivable losses. But each time my hip unseizes, it reminds me that this life is not going to go on forever, and that is what makes it so frigging precious.

Another gift of aging is the precipitous decline in melodrama. Enjoying how unremarkable life is takes practice and time, and then the little things start to shine and delight. Life gets smaller and in its smallness it starts winking at you. On my first day back in New Mexico recently, the high desert looked barren and brown. Pretty, yes, but a little dead. Then the tiny desert flowers, yellow, lavender, magenta and baby blue, made their way into my consciousness, and the earth’s shades of ochre and red started to warm me, and before long the formerly dead desert was alive and awash in dynamic, undulating streams of color.

[Albert Bierstadt :: Yosemite]

Sometimes at the right or the top center of Bierstadt paintings is a trippy splash of light, often a mystical, jagged slash that breaks through dirty-looking or white-fire clouds. There might be bright reflections, or long, slanted fingers of sun shining down with religious airs, organ music playing softly in the background. Puffy rainclouds glow. All say, “Yes, there is the deep dark, but we have some light as well.”

Will my brothers or I inherit our mother’s Alzheimer’s? I don’t know. I do know that I recently parked in front of my house and sort of forgot to turn off the engine. Three hours later, a formerly standoffish young neighbor knocked on my door to tell me this, and I pretended to have known. I said the battery had been low and so I was letting it recharge.

“Ah,” she said.

Now she is sweet when she sees me. We wave to each other when we pass in our cars, reflecting a new affection. Reflections say, “In the dark, there’s still some light around. So don’t ever think things are too dark. We’re not going to give you the entire reserve, but we just want you to know it is there. And more may be on its way.”

[Anne Lamott]

[binarystargames]

Valiant Horizon post-itchfund-launch devlog #1: Diceless, Roll for Magnitude, and Roll for Success

This post is about the various mechanical choices made in Valiant Horizon at a very high level. I group these into three categories: Diceless mechanics (stuff that works), Roll for Magnitude mechanics (stuff that works but you roll to see how much), and Roll for Success mechanics (stuff that works if a roll goes your way).

Diceless

The simplest kind of mechanic. This is what Assets, Exhausting Assets, and Burdens are:

You take an action and it works.

If you didn't expend a resource, you add or amplify a complication on that action.

The complications here are Burdens.

The resources here are Assets or Determination (which can either restore the use of an Asset or negate a Burden).

You can also reduce your access to a resource to achieve a larger effect.

This is Exhausting Assets.

The vibe I wanted to achieve wasn't "do you solve problems, overcome obstacles, etc." so much as "how do you do it". We are going to assume, generally, that the protagonists will get to the other side of whatever problem they encounter. The question then becomes: how do they win? What do they prioritize with asset use? What are they willing to let fall by the wayside or go imperfectly to get there? What resources are they willing to pull from the combat side to make it work? Are they willing to overextend themselves to achieve a victory? It becomes a question of resource management and long-term risk rather than short-term probability-based risk.

It's also a matter of spotlight management and diversity of outcomes. If your Windmagus knows they only get one use of wind magic per session, they know they can't solve every problem with that. But maybe they have something in their background that will suffice, or there's a good chance someone else will have something else too that might work. Or if they think whipping up a tornado will solve the problem better, they won't have easy access to their wind magic in the future, but it might be worth it. (Given that the penalty for Exhausting Assets is reset when you gain a level, this also encourages players to go a little more nuts with it near the end of a level - which should probably be something somewhat climactic anyway, so good!)

This is not how it's going to work in every Total//Effect game. Liminal Void, for instance, has more traditional "skill" rolls with Assets being granted by skills or by tools, granting things like advantage or stepping up numerical outputs. Get you a system that does both!

Roll for Magnitude

Now, this isn't to say it's a diceless game! Far from it. You roll a lot in Valiant Horizon. But usually you're rolling for magnitude and not success.

Generally I like the idea of failure-less combat. I'm sure plenty of people love the tension of whiffing attack after attack but it's not my bag in almost any circumstance. I'm fully on board with removing roll-to-hit. One criticism I have of purely diceless systems, though, is that they can lead to very predictable situations, especially when diceless abilities are tied to set effects/powers. (It's what spawned my quarterbacking posts.) Now, of course a GM/Narrator/facilitator/etc can always introduce new things to the scene to spice things up - that's why there's a "the GM does something cool" thing in LUMEN, for example, and why I kept that rule in APOCALYPSE FRAME. But that's already an intensive role, and requiring them to keep things interesting is sometimes a big ask.

As a middle ground, combat in Total//Effect still involves rolls for variable effect for set powers. They all get better at higher Totals (3 dice added), and most of them key something off of Effects (individual die values). This means that something always happens, no matter the roll value - depending on the ability, it may be extremely small, but it's something. Correspondingly, even pretty middling abilities (like basic enemy abilities) can sometimes spike up hard on triple 6's! (This happened literally the first Total//Effect session I ever ran. Incredible moment.)

If you're wondering what probabilities look like for it, I wrote a big piece on it here. Back in October, so parts of it are outdated! I can hardly believe it's been going this long. The math's still good though.

This is also used for Fame rolls for Reputation: Fame decays by a die roll at semi-regular intervals. (This is actually an off-shoot of two separate Total//Effect systems that are in play in Liminal Void, Rolls for Progress and Threats, which are Good Clock and Bad Clock respectively. Having something that conditionally ticks up but at a non-constant rate adds another level of tension to an already tense thing!)

Roll for Success

There is exactly one thing that can still fail on account of a roll: Calling for Aid from Relationships. The tension I want in Valiant Horizon shouldn't come from "does my cool combat stuff work" or "does the cool thing that my hero gave me". It comes from "can I rely on my friends". This is partially because it's a huge benefit! It's a 1/session/relationship thing where you can tag someone in out of turn and outside the action economy (if it goes well). But it's partially because I want that tension: do you, does your character, think they can reliably call on their friends for help?

At low levels of relationship, the answer is...sometimes, but not really. At higher levels, you've gotten a better understanding of how to ask: you can reliably ask for lesser things, but grander things are still dodgy. And at the highest level, you can always rely on them: it'll never fail as such. (Sometimes you'll get a mixed result still.)

---

Dice, rolling, and such are tools in the toolbox. Knowing when you want to use them, how you want to use them, and why goes a long way.

Next devlog, I’ll get into the various classes and start showing off more of the incredible art Charlotte made!

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

🔥 (Republicanism or Economics)

oh boy. i coufld talk endlessly about both of these topics forever.

well firstly, in my sphere i know a lot of people are very anti republicanism. so my first unpopular opinion would just be that republicanism is based and good. but for people who already think they're pro-republicanism i think an unpopular opinion is that republics are in large part meant to keep "democracy" (mob rule) in check. i'm just sick of all these people who try to play word games by calling our government a "democracy." because the word democracy has a spectrum of meaning. and so they intentionally deceptively use the word in one sense which is contrary to the spirit of our republic but they hide behind another more nebulous/abstract meaning so they'll have plausible deniability. but yeah the unpopular opinion is that part of what makes republicanism so great is that it keeps democracy in check.

and i'll do economics too: economics is largely bullshit. there are some general principles that can be derived from pretty simple logic. but too many people try to make economics to be a much harder and robust science than it is. it really is like astrology for dudes. economists are so consistently wrong about shit. their ability to predict or explain through these universal mathematical equations is shit. i consider myself a student of the historical school of economics. i believe economics is much more empirical and context-based (historical, cultural, social, environmental, institutional context) and that no two economies are ever going to be the same. to me it's almost like virtue ethics in the sense that we can come up with some general principles and broadly applicable rules of thumb (usually by look at history) but how the details of a thing need to be handled will vary depending ont he particulars and sometimes "rules" will be broken.

[invisiblegarters]

Not-So-Micro BL Reviews

This is mostly me doing catch up on all the things that I have been watching/was watching and then abandoned when I found Midnight Museum and fell like a ton of bricks (this is still something that confuses me but what can you do, really?) It will be long - I missed or ignored a LOT for a while.

Catch Up Dramas:

All the Liquors - This one never did anything revolutionary, but I have to admit that I liked the awkwardness of Chef. I really liked BFF cutie though. He was seriously the highlight of the entire show for me. Cute, if mostly predictable and not really plot heavy. Very KBL kiss. 7.5/10

Our Dating Sim - This was just a little gem of a series. The chemistry was on point and the conflicts made sense from what we were given of the characters. For how short it was, the emotional arc was satisfying. It's a solid little drama, and I quite enjoyed it. Good kisses, too, and not just for a KBL. 8/10

A Shoulder to Cry On - I just don't think that this one was for me, and that's okay. Part of me feels like if I were younger it would have landed better - it's dealing with some pretty serious topics and yet something about it feels a little too OTT for me, like they're kids playacting at adult emotions rather than it being genuine. IDK. I wanted to like it more than I did. This is one of the ones where the time skip actually worked in its favor though. 6/10

The New Employee (I know, don't look at me) - you know, I don't know why I randomly stopped watching this. It's adorable, and it actually does manage to convey the business drama pretty well on top of the cute, which I didn't expect from such a short drama. They also made me really dislike Manager Park, so kudos to them for that. I do like that Jong Chan genuinely believes in Seung Hyun's ability, and that he encourages him in that capacity. Overall this show was just cute, okay? It was. 8/10.

Bed Friend - I had such high hopes for this one. High apple pie in the sky hopes, even. I love me a FWB that gets serious (even if King was clearly pining for more from like, day 1 I don't even care. I've been wanting that fix since Between Us (another one where at least one of the FWB was clearly ready for more almost immediately, but hey what can you do). And these two are very, very good at selling that they want each other so kudos for that (and they clearly still want each other after the feelings and do not turn into blushing maidens who apparently haven't heard of kissing before, Team)). But around the time the gross boss Krit decided to invite himself over for family dinner with worst mother and SA stepdaddy and worst mother was like "oh yes he's perfect for you, son" I tuned out and didn't bother tuning back in until recently. I feel like there's only so much misery you can pile on one character before I either stop caring or start finding it unintentionally hilarious. I have to keep reminding myself that I am a Westerner so I don't understand the family dynamics in these things, that's all. Honestly Uea's inability to cut his awful mother out of his life is just not something that I can resonate with. It does amuse me though how often parents in these dramas are either amazing or awful, with not a lot of in between, normal sort of hey, sometimes parents do dumb things too because they are fallible and human. I guess that doesn't make for good drama. King and Uea are very cute, though, and I do really like them when they get to just chill and be boyfriends with each other, although I have to admit the end got a little too saccharine for me. I swear I can be so picky, sigh. The show might not have fulfilled all my hopes, but once it got off the misery train it was fine. 8/10

Moonlight Chicken - I loved this drama. And the funny thing is that it was low on my radar - literally the only reason I was planning on watching at first was due to First and Khao. That was it. The plot wasn't even really my thing, I figured I'd just be waiting for those two to show up and that would be that. But nope, I loved it. This felt like just the kind of grown up drama I've been aching for, one that was ultimately less BL and more, well, life, with all of its complications and messes. It just so happened that the main characters were gay. More of this, please, Thailand. I promise you that there is an audience for it. I liked how messy it was, and in such a believable way. From Wen and Alan's extremely slow breakup to Jim's trauma becoming a sort of shield for him against opening up to people to Heart and Li Ming's wholehearted jump into a first relationship, the characters felt real and grounded and i loved it. No one was perfect (well, except Gaipa who is honestly a sweetheart too good for this world - I loved his huge crush on Jim even though I knew it wasn't gonna go anywhere, he was so sweet and unassuming about it, best unrequited love ever). Jim especially won my heart, because the way his walls worked was so relatable to me. I think that some people don't quite get how easy it is to shut yourself off, and how once you do it it is so much easier to just keep letting past trauma keep you from moving forward, not necessarily in ways that hinder your entire life, just parts of it. Jim's utter reluctance to let Wen in and his worry about Li Ming made so much sense to me. He'd been burned and burned hard, it's only natural that he'd want to protect his beloved nephew from the same pain, even though he went about it in the worst way possible most of the time. :D But that's not how it works for the young, and that's a good thing. Yeah, Li Ming might crash and burn, he and Heart might not be forever, but that's okay. I have heard people complaining that Earth is way too young to play Jim, but I honestly thought he suited the role, actually. It might be my favorite role of his yet. Final Verdict: 9.5/10. This was almost my perfect drama and if I could have more of this I would be delighted.

New (to me) Dramas

A Tale of a Thousand Stars - watched because of Our Skyy2. I wanted to be looking forward to more than just The Eclipse and Never Let Me Go, haha. It was fine. I really liked Tian, even when he was being a spoiled shit. There's something about Mix, I think, that makes him extremely watchable. I do not really feel that way about Earth and I was mostly annoyed by Phupha. *shrug* I wanted him to actually talk to Tian rather than making decisions for him - sure Tian was impulsive but so much of his problem was with his parents running his life, he didn't need that in a lover, too. Once Phupha pulled his head out of his ass it was better, but my goodness that took a while, didn't it? Also what is it with this pairing and these weird "does he love me or my sister/the woman who's heart I have" plots? Glad Moonlight Chicken moved away from that kind of plotline, even if I do actually really like Cupid's Last Wish (more than this one, actually - I get the sense that is unusual but I don't care, I love it). Overall though this wasn't bad, even if I felt like it dragged a bit in places. Am genuinely sad that they put Khaotung in a Earh/Mix vehicle and didn't have him gently pining over either of them. He did it so well in Moonlight Chicken, after all. Final Verdict: 8/10

Star and Sky - Star In My Mind & Sky in Your Heart - these were fine. I felt like there was a lot of drama over very little, but they're decent little slice of life kind of dramas. Easily consumed, easily forgotten. 6/10 for both.

Rewatches (because why the hell not right)

The Eclipse - I just love this drama. *shrug* It's so incredibly rewatchable. Plus, you know. I love Akk, he's exactly my kind of character. I honestly can't wait for the Our Skyy2 episodes but they look a little nuts. Honestly though I don't even care so long as we get some cute - I think that there were enough tears during the show proper. Yes both First and Khao cry well but still.

Cupid's Last Wish - You know, the first time I watched this I think that I said I was pleasantly surprised because I expected it to be a lot less obvious that Korn was so gone on Win that no one else even entered his big, dumb head. I was worried that it would be more of a "oh, I fell in love with you as a girl but it's still you" thing, and it...was very much not. I thought they also did a real good job walking the line between showing Win and showing Lin, and I have to give a lot of credit to Jan for her portrayal of Win as Lin. Pitch perfect, really. I say again, there's just something about Mix that is likeable - I've enjoyed him in ever single drama I've seen him in thus far, although Earth as Moonlight Chicken's Jim has my whole heart. He really shone in that role. My one quibble with this is how everyone just forgives the mom for being awful. I don't know, I guess I'm just a grudge holder. Anyway I originally rated this at a 7.5, but due to sheer rewatchability and how much fun I actually do find it, I'm moving it up to an 8.5/10. It's fun, I like it a lot, I will probably watch it again at some point.

Looking Forward To

I'm honestly kind of out of the loop with this! I don't really know what is coming up, so my list is very short:

Only Friends

Dangerous Romance

Both of them seem messy, messy, and i am ready for it. I also can't wait for the Utsukushii Kare movie but I'm going to have to, so.

I'm also excited for whatever comes up for the renewed drama shower slot for MBS. I wasn't a fan of all of them last year (I loved one of them beyond all reason, liked two, was meh on two and DNF one), but I love that I can look forward to at least one drama coming out of Japan for a while.

Whew! That wasn't so bad, was it?

[twinhood-2dot0]

Spotify's Top Tracks, Analyzed (To the best of my abilities, that being, programmatically, and not lyrical, because I'm not a songwriter)

Good morning Alex, I’m delivering on the promise I made last week (was that a promise? I think I just stated it, anyways). Yeah there’s nothing much to preface, I’m just gonna go straight to the data.

Audio Features

Spotify’s API provides a few details on tracks, namely in the context of this post, danceability, energy, valence (How “happy” a track is purely based on the music I assume, I don’t think lyrics are factored).  You’ll notice the graphs contain acousticness and instrumentalness, however that data is not accurate, it’s sometimes 0 and sometimes a very low number which does not accurately reflect the track (the features range from 0 to 1).

Songs above 500 Million streams

So, apparently, top songs are on average pretty danceable and energetic but not overly, and happiness seem to be almost balanced.

Top 50 Songs right now (actually, a few days ago, but the calculation takes time and tends to fail midway sometimes so I am not going through that ordeal again)

Seems like it’s pretty much the same, except sadness slightly wins out this time, I guess we Gen Zs really are a depressed generation.

Over The Years

2017 was apparently the best year for music. I would have thought 2013 or 2014, but that’s cuz I’m an EDM gal and all the bops came out in 2013-15.

Decades

2010s wins by a considerable margin, obviously, but 2020s somehow has more than the 2000s??? I probably shouldn’t be surprised but it’s only been 3 years (yeah, apparently 3 years have passed. Doctor Manhattan probably just decided to delete 3 years like he did with the DCU, I refuse to believe it’s been three years) so you get why I am. 

Keys

Probably less interesting but the most popular keys are, in order, C Major, C# major and minor, and F# minor. I find it kinda funny that the most basic scale is the most common. Also, take this with a grain of salt, Spotify can be inaccurate, I forgot to factor in confidence because I’m no therapist smh Spotify can get their self confidence issues sorted out elsewhere.

Genres

500M+

This one’s kinda predictable I guess, but do not ask me what trap and post-teen pop is. I know trap is EDM but it’s kinda not my EDM. Also, get this, the most popular country is Canada, by a huge margin. There are 51 Canadian pop artist, while the runner up UK Dance has 18. I didn’t know Canada was so big, off the top of my head I can only name Justin Bieber and The Weeknd. Also, the next region is Toronto rap lmao

Top 50 RN

Yeah I have no idea what these are.

Mine because I’m self obsessed

I added a “pop not edm” category because a large amount of the EDM artists I listen to are also pop so pop becomes my top genre :/ My top country is Sweden :P obviously. I can’t for the life of me tell you where the R&B came from. I don’t even know what that genre is (Oh okay I googled and apparently Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston are R&B).

Finally, the Artists

Not the most popular, just the artists with the most tracks in the top 682.

Nothing too special here sadly, it’s just everyone you’d expect. I’ve never heard a song by Drake but he’s always #1 or #2 on monthly listeners so :P and here’s mine for good measure

I'm dumb and I forgor to include the words charts, so I'm editing this in now

"The" is obviously the most common word, most common noun is also obviously, love. I also included two word combinations, and the most common turned out to be "let me", albeit with only 4 appearances. Tying for second are "like you", "can't stop", "what you", "the middle", "save your" "your tears" and "gimme! gimme!" which is because of ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man after Midnight), and Save Your Tears appears thrice, one being the original track by The Weekend, and 2 remixes with Ariana Grande which seem to be identical, I'm not brave enough to subject my ears to both of them, but they're both 3:11 minutes so I'm gonna assume they're exactly the same.

You can find my horrendous code and JSON for all the compiled data in this Github repo

Byeeeeee

I thought this was a more interesting topic than it is :P sorry, anyways, see you on thursday, buh-bye - Alia