#one of those the love was there and it didnt save anyone but it mattered that the love was still there smiles

[vastiitas]

@ischaron

“I promise yuh, when all this is done, I will provide a way ou’ for yuh."

He punts a chuff, hinges a rickety smile that hangs lopsided like a derelict sign. The way he's folded over halves the air from his lungs and it shambles out all breathy. Cole reaches over in a way he knows is taboo of hat etiquette and cups the other's brim and tugs it down coy.

He rumbles in a way that is tired, something bittersweet, holding a pearl of a falsehood tenderly in the center of your palm and swallowing it whole like a devotion.

"Ain't that s'pposed t'be my line, Salvation?"

[mya-valentine]

Can I request a fic for Kinich x fem reader please? during the archons quest IV (spoiler‼️ for people who didnt do the archons quest) reader almost died in one of the bases but traveler and Paimon (doesn't matter who tbh I love the twins) was able to save them just in time and Kinich hugged her not letting her go until he knew she was real and safe in his arms

Not a huge fan of angst but I'm okay with angst with comfort (happy ending)

From the Edge of Darkness

The Abyss Order had been relentless in its attack on Natlan, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. With the nation in ruins, every base became a battlefield, and the resistance fighters were pushed to their breaking point. The Traveler and Paimon, desperate to help in whatever way they could, had been moving from one war-torn base to another, always hoping to arrive in time to save someone—anyone—from the onslaught.

This upcoming base felt different, though. As they neared the next base, an eerie silence filled the air. No sounds of clashing weapons, no cries for help. Just silence.

Paimon’s voice quivered as she spoke, “Traveler… something feels wrong about this place.” The suffocating tension in the air made it hard to breathe.

When they finally reached the base, the scene that greeted them was nothing short of horrifying. Destruction had torn through the camp like a hurricane. Blood stained the ground, mingling with the ashes of burned tents and scattered debris. Bodies lay strewn across the battlefield, broken and still. Each life extinguished in a brutal fight to protect their homeland.

The Traveler moved quickly, scanning the area, their heart sinking with each step. Please, let there be someone left alive. They silently begged the universe, their steps quickening with each heartbeat.

And then they saw you.

Amidst the carnage, there you were—barely alive. Your body was crumpled against the remains of a wall, blood trickling from a wound on your side. Your skin was pale, your breath shallow. You were hanging on, but only just.

“There!” the Traveler gasped, rushing toward you. They dropped to their knees by your side, frantically checking your pulse, their hand trembling as they felt the faint, uneven beat beneath your skin. “She’s alive, but not for long!”

Paimon’s eyes widened in horror. “We need to get her out of here! Now!”

The Traveler didn’t hesitate. With great care, they lifted your fragile, unconscious body into their arms. They could feel how weak you were, how close you were to slipping away. Every second counted. “We’re taking her to the stadium!” the Traveler barked. “That’s where the medics are.”

Paimon nodded furiously, her tiny body flying ahead, guiding the way. “Hurry! We don’t have much time!”

The journey back to the stadium felt excruciatingly long, each second a battle against time. But the thought of losing you—of arriving too late—drove them forward.

The stadium came into view, its towering walls offering a brief sense of relief. Inside, it was the last haven for those who had survived the Abyss Order’s attacks. It was bustling with medics, warriors, and refugees, each one desperate to protect what little was left of their world.

The Traveler barely made it through the gates before shouting for help. “Medic! We need a medic!”

The closest group of medics rushed over, their eyes widening when they saw your condition. Without wasting a moment, they took you from the Traveler’s arms and laid you on a stretcher.

The Traveler stood back, their chest heaving with exertion, watching helplessly as the medics tried to save you. Paimon hovered close by, her hands clenched tightly in front of her. “Traveler… do you think she’s going to make it?”

The Traveler swallowed hard, unable to answer. “I don’t know, Paimon… I don’t know.”

---

Not long after, the stadium doors burst open, and Kinich, the man you loved, stormed in. His usually calm and stoic demeanor had crumbled, replaced by pure, unfiltered panic. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching desperately for you, the woman who meant more to him than anything in the world.

When he finally spotted the Traveler, his heart lurched. He saw the exhaustion in their eyes, the grim set of their jaw. He knew something was wrong. “Where is she?” he demanded, his voice shaking.

The Traveler’s expression softened with sorrow as they pointed toward the medic tent. “She’s there. It’s… not good, Kinich. I’m sorry.”

Kinich’s breath caught in his throat as he turned toward the tent. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat filled with dread as he rushed toward you. When he reached your side, his worst fears were confirmed. You were pale and still, your chest barely rising with each shallow breath. Bandages covered the wound on your side, but you looked so fragile, so close to death.

“No…” The word came out as a broken whisper. He fell to his knees beside you, his hands trembling as they reached for yours. He grasped your hand in his, holding it tightly, as though if he just held on hard enough, he could pull you back from the brink.

Tears filled his eyes, blurring his vision as he bowed his head over your hand. “Please,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “Please don’t leave me. I can’t—I can’t lose you.”

His body shook with the force of his grief, the tears falling freely now as he pressed your hand to his lips, praying for some miracle, some sign that you would wake up and tell him everything would be okay.

Hours passed, but Kinich never left your side. He couldn’t. The world outside the stadium continued to burn, but nothing mattered to him except you. He sat by your side, holding your hand, watching for any sign that you would wake. Every breath you took felt like a lifeline, fragile but present.

The medics came and went, their magic stabilizing your condition, but Kinich’s heart remained heavy with fear. He whispered to you the whole time, his words soft and broken. “I love you… please come back to me…”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you stirred.

Your eyes fluttered open, and the first thing you saw was Kinich’s tear-streaked face hovering above you, his hand tightly gripping yours. You blinked slowly, your body heavy with pain and exhaustion, but you were alive. You were still here.

“Kinich…” Your voice was a soft, rasping whisper, but it was enough to break through the haze of Kinich’s grief.

His eyes widened, a sob of relief escaping him as he surged forward, pulling you into his arms. His grip was tight, almost desperate, as though he feared that if he let go, you would disappear again. His body trembled with emotion as he held you, his face buried in your hair.

“You’re awake,” he breathed, his voice shaking with disbelief. “You’re really awake…”

You nodded weakly, your arms coming up to wrap around him, though the movement was slow and painful. “I’m okay,” you murmured, your voice soft but reassuring. “I’m going to be okay.”

He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his gaze filled with love and relief. “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

You smiled, though it was weak and tired. “I’ll try not to.”

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. Kinich simply held you, his heart finally beginning to calm as he felt the steady rise and fall of your chest against his. You were safe. You were alive.

And as long as you had each other, nothing else mattered.

“I love you,” he whispered again, his voice softer this time, but no less sincere.

“I love you too,” you replied, your words filled with warmth and gratitude.

The world outside was still in chaos, but in this moment, as you lay in Kinich’s arms, you knew that everything would be okay. You had survived, and you had each other. And that was enough.

.

.

.

Masterlist

[tesslinua]

Storm of Magic Region Quarterfinal - Dainix VS Erin

Propaganda

Dainix:His hair!!! He’s so pretty he probably has anime sparkles. His eye is so soft, and the eyepatch is cool. Puppy energy. I want to hug him and for him to take care of me. Being partially shirtless and transmasc is such a move. Self confidence is hot

HE IS SO PRETTY OH MY GOD. his ponytail. and his dumb little sidebangs. and his stripes.... very based of him to go around shirtless all of the time i enjoy it vvery much for normal reasons i like seeing his chest and his abs and his back. that one frame where he hugs erin in petrichor? i stare at his back muscles and get a fever every time. also he is so nice and sweet personality-wise i think he'd be one of the most dateable. he has some issues yeah but hed be willing to put in the work yknow?

i try to describe why hes pretty but i get so dizzy thinking of how pretty he is and pass out

Erin: Hotter when evil

He's a sad pathetic little wet rag hubrising and faking his way through life and he SUCKS and I HATE him and I hope he DIES /posi think i can safely say i am THE erin enjoyer. so buckle up. okay. for starters. i love me a good twink. that's the baseline. plus he has pretty black hair. plus he has indigo eyes (the best color). plus he wears a waistcoat and a cape. his TATTOOS. his fucking tattoos. how long did those take. theyre so intricate and they cover the entirety of both forearms. he couldve just gotten the runes necessary and hid them with a bandana like tarren but this freak doesnt do anything halfway. why would he? he's the elemental magus. he has to flaunt his status. that panel where he has his shirt open showing the void rune and he's got this concentrated/frustrated/stressed look on his face while he's reading his journal? makes me lose all higher brain functionings. also his eyes reflect the color of whatever magic he's casting. Pretty. he is. such a smug showy hubristic bastard and his ego infuriates and infatuates me. normally i hate people like this BUT he's also pathetic. he gets so cranky when falst steals his bag and when theia doesn't let him in the archives. and that fucking "by now, i… i hope you'd trusted me to know what i was doing" in ripples where hes looking down and he's so small in the panel. COME ON MAN whats your fucking problem. he's so sure of himself all of the time but it's so easy to make him crack and every time it happens i am filled with unbridled desire. i need to make him crack i need to make him realize the throne he thinks he's on is made of glass i need to watch him doubt his status and power. he is so much hotter when he's stressed. like when alinua says kendal didnt wake up post-zuurith? the pure anguish and fear in his face? Goddamn. not to mention the boat arc. that was the best example of him being soooo sure of his power, his control, and then having all of that shattered. "i HAVE to do everything alone! nobody can match me! nobody can help me in a way that matters! it always comes back to me to carry the weight, and if i fall, nobody can catch me! gods and legends want to help me? can any of you part the clouds, still the seas?! can you save me from the dragon?" drove me fucking insane every time i think about that i need to eat glass (yes i looked up that page to get the quote exactly right yes i spent approximately 10 minutes kicking my feet and giggling) seeing him get beat up is so nice i think it should happen more <3 i lov e seeing him battered and bruised and afraid and bloody and also i had never experienced sexual attraction to anyone, real or fictional, until i discovered erin fucking ruunaser, so like. thats an accomplishment i think.

[gwaaaaar]

Hot take black butler fandom. But. I think the Weston arc is fine + i think the p4 are actually more sympathetic than the circus group.

Don't get me wrong i cried when doll died when i was like. 12. That was a core memory. I loved the Noah's arc trope. BUT IT WAS SO CONTRIVED WHEN THEY WERE LIKE ohhhhh the real tragedy was the fact that they were fighting for a workhouse that was already long gone!!! likE FUUUUUUCK OFF!!!!! YOU'RE TELLING ME THEY NEVER BOTHERED TO CHECK ON THE WORKHOUSE LIKE EVER??? AND AFAIK... they weren't forbidden from checking or anything. I was rereading the manga i was looking for any indication as to why they didn't ever check and THERE WAS NONE??? THEY JUST FORGOR. THEY DID THIS TO THEMSELVES TECHNICALLY IF THEY DIDN'T SEND ANYONE TO GO SEE HOW THE KIDS WERE DOING. LIKE LITERALLY IF JOKER JUST WENT BACK ONE DAY AND REALIZED IT WAS BURNED DOWN THEY COULD'VE LIKE RAN AWAY OR SOMETHING. and i absolutely understand the whole "this is the man who saved us we owe him" thing. BUT THAT DOESNT EXCUSE LITERAL CHILD TRAFFICKING. BEING LIED TO OVER SUCH A SERIOUS MATTER WOULD BE A DEALBREAKER. I THINK THEY'D AT LEAST HAVE THAT MUCH MORALS RIGHT??? Don't insult my fucking intelligence kuroshitsuji/lh it's supposed to be some ironic tragedy but like. Because of that contrivance I can't feel bad. It could've taken 1 thing, 1 simple thing. And the plot would fall apart.

Noah's arc circus: ":( b-but we only trafficked those children to protect the workhouse we didnt even bother to check on for years!!!"

P4: "We did what we had to to protect our fellow students from the corrupt education system which would have turned a blind eye to the abuse they faced in favor of money if we didn't do anything. We love our underclassmen and want whats best for them."

This is an extreme simplification and a virgin v chad caricature of what happened, but sometimes it's truly how I feel about it. The Noah's arc circus felt a lot less sincere to me and a lot more cowardly simply because of that one thing, that one simple thing.

And of course the p4 are more forgiveable because they're literal teenagers, like 18 yos compared to the troupe in their twenties. And ofc justice performed by civillians and not by a thorough legal process is unethical, but like. At least. They weren't trafficking children.

BTW feel free to kill me in the comments I get why people loved the troupe, I do too. Black Butler isn't a series meant for apologists it's the "who's your favorite war criminal" animanga, i just hate contrived plot points that feel like it's underestimating my intelligence it PMO 😡😡😡😡😡😡

[sugar-omi]

Thought about accidentally sending a nude to Cove (or anyone of your choice) 👀

Like MC was trying to send him a picture of something else but accidentally tapped on a nude they took the night before and WHOOPS! Now Cove is going back and forth with himself between typing up a reply and deleting what he wrote and just screaming into his pillow because he just saw his best friend/crush naked and it’s still on his phone screen and he has to see them tomorrow because they always do but he doesn’t know if it’ll be better to see each other tomorrow or wait a bit until things are “less awkward” and he is BURSTING at the seams

Bonus if he feels guilty because he saves the photo anyways for………….. research purposes 👀

MY EYES ARE WIDE OPEN. I DIDNT EXPECT IT TO GO THAT WAY....

that's such a good thought, though... especially if while he's fumbling, you're freaking out, but also way too curious to know what he'll say so you don't delete it...

and in a moment of bravery, text him before he can say anything to your apology or about the image.. "although.. you can keep it if you like"

his eyes FALL out his head. what do you mean he can keep the image?!?;!^!

he probably doesn't even respond. and if he does, it's just a "it's okay" because he's too shaken to say anything else. doesn't know what to say. "you look pretty", "you're so sexy", "thanks for the nude"????

which.. is probably worse than any of those options if you're already nervous n floundering over te accident.

if you want a bit more satisfaction, are genuinely worried you made him uncomfortable, or just reassurance for what you already know... go ahead and ask if he's uncomfortable, or mad at you, or whatever.

it takes a minute but eventually you get a "...no, im not upset.. or uncomfortable..."

please move on after that because if you linger on the topic anymore, he'll be on life support 🙏

and he does hold onto that image... can't bring himself to download it, that's too much for his poor heart. and even though it'd only be proper to delete the message.. he doesn’t. he tries, his finger hovering over the button.

even though you said he could... keep it. he shouldn't, right? no matter how long he sits in turmoil, his respect for you and his teenage hormones raging against each other...

eventually one wins, because he's been so restless all day. his stomach twisting with something foreign. his eyes wandered to your body when he saw you at the beach that day, and he remembered the picture, trying to ignore how his sex throbbed and the subsequent tightening of his shorts...

really, he has more control than this usually. his voice of reason, more like selfconsciousness, too strong.

but his fingers flicker across his phone, and they find the way back to that image, that damn image that's been haunting him. his brain begging him to remember every curve and dip, freckle, and scar on your body.

he knows what your body looks like, you grew up together. he knows where most of your beauty marks are, your freckles, your scars, knows if your skin is seamless, and he's sleepily traced any acne scars on your biceps.

he knows the shape of you, the leanness and the cords of muscle in your arms and thighs. recognizes you just by looking at your back.

so it's not hard for him to imagine your nude body after that, especially since he couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen fast enough when you sent it.

and even now, he's finding any of those hidden treasures right now as his eyes rake over your body, his hand wrapping around his cock as he shamefully imagines you with him. touching him. touching you.

imagines his lips on your hip bones, kissing your body like it's a prayer.

your voice is always so clear in his ears, he can't help but imagine the way you'd call his name... thinks back to all the times you've laughed happily or groaned tiredly, or moaned in pain...

his mind twists the knowledge of you, your lovely voice, and your heavenly touch. imagines you calling his name, gasping at his touch...

finally spills his cum all over his hand, his head collapsing on his pillow, covers his face, sparks of pleasure still running through him...

realizes post nut clarity is fucking real, and he doesn't know how he's gonna be able to look at you tomorrow...

[reileftthechat]

“I bet on losing dogs” but it’s the League of Villains.

No disrespect to Horikoshi. I genuinely feel like he was just tired and trying to wrap BNHA up. But the ending made no sense and made the entire series seem like it was for nothing.

Whether you love the League or hate them, you have to admit that killing all of them and imprisoning the remaining two is a shitty wrap to each of their stories. Like genuinely, they have actual backgrounds and real goals. I’m not saying he had to please the fans of every character, but killing them off with no resolution? All of them? And hero society didn’t become any less economy based and judgemental.

Between Magne, then Twice, why did they have to keep killing them off one by one? Those character deaths were sad, but the plot could at least carry on. An entire antagonist group was just wiped from the world.

Realistically, none of them are quiet. Especially not Dabi or Tomura. You KNOW that if they were given the chance within Tartarus walls, they would yap everyones ear off on how unfair the world was, and that no matter how hard they worked no change was made whatsoever. Plus, they’d have people there who’d listen to them. Endeavor, a character that I don’t particularly like at all, could finally *actually* atone for 20+ years of abuse. He has #1 hero money that could have kept him alive. Not to mention that Touya wasn’t supposed to live the first time around, but he did. Since Enji’s disabled now he could help Touya get his word out or something. Idk, anything is more than killing them all off.

And Tomura would have Midoriya at his side the entire time. You think Deku would throw him in prison and be done with him? No! He made a connection someone a lot like him, but was never given the chance to become anything else. I feel like the more Tomura would rant to him, the more Deku would want to help him. That was the whole point of not killing him sooner. He wasn’t *supposed* to die. The foreshadowing in previous seasons would have suggested there was more in store for him than death when Nana Shimura tested Deku.

You *know* Deku would’ve helped him, and eventually started a rehab facility or something. Deku’s whole deal is that he can empathize with almost anyone. And he *did*, so why couldn’t we pull more on that?

Like, they do quirk counseling for kids. Think about how many League members didn’t get that? Really think. Enji probably taught Touya himself. Tenko had *just* developed a quirk when he pretty much started his villain arc. if Toga had proper quirk counseling don’t you think they would have A) found out that her quirk would naturally give her a fascination with blood or B) given her alternatives for the natural bloodlust her quirk gave her? I know it’s not their quirks fault for their behavior, but it explains what lead them there. You know, the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath (*cough cough* AFO).

More on that, if a quirk rehab existed beforehand then Twice could’ve gone there after his accident. It would help him cope with being convinced he might be a double, hence saving him from the loneliness that the judgement of society left him in.

Like SPINNER. Society was judgemental over something he couldn’t even control (quirk + racism = quirkism?). All he wanted was a safe world for heteromorphs, leading him to the league. I don’t think he would specifically benefit from quirk rehab, but the point is that he very obviously wanted change for the better and he didnt even get that.

They aren’t saints whatsoever, but I feel like it should’ve been acknowledged that they *did* have goals. I could write a novel on this alone, but I feel like at some point you’ll get tired of hearing me yap 😅

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Hi! Can you do the rogues (BM, TF, Scarecrow, Riddler, Penguin) and the moment they realize that they are in love with the reader?

Realising they're in love.

Black Mask: It was when you went above and beyond to take care of him. He had never thought about love or any real committed relationships after Tiffany died. She was the first who he really was able to see him spending his life with. There was a giggle. Black mask looked over to see one of the board directors smiling at him. "What?" He huffed at her. She gave him a knowing smile. "You're in love." He answered in pure instinct and immediately grimaced at how desperately in denial he truly sounded. "Am not." She didn't believe him. "You keep staring off at (Y/N) like you're silently begging them to look at you." As if trying to save his dignity, he emphasised his next response. "I do not beg." Yeah that didn't help matters. Then he sighed. "...ah shit."

Scarecrow: It was after he spent months with you on a regular basis. It was so slow that he didnt notice but then all at once when he noticed. Like you had the ability to distract him and he never even noticed. In that very moment he knew you had power over him. Something no one else had. Everything seemed to slow down. The room filled with people now just colours and shapes that didn't have any impact on him. Except for you across the room. You weren't doing anything special, simply talking to a stranger. Yet he couldn't look away- he couldn't breathe. He couldn't believe it. He didn't think he was capable of it. Yet here we was. His heart pounded at the very idea. His stomach dropped with...anxiety? Longing...? Fear? Awe? It all seemed to meld into one now. A feeling that was uncomfortable, yet filled him with reason, drive. It all had a point now, even if meaningless. It hardly mattered. He let out a shaky breath before saying to himself. "Now that's...unexpected." It was hard to say those words with how tight his chest got.

The Riddler: It was when he realised you actually listen to him and take interest. However he knew he was a goner when he wanted you to tag along with him everywhere. He considered love to be a weakness. Being in love made his chest flutter and as happy as can be. Remembering being in love was the worst feeling he had ever known. What came after love stained the purity of each and every love hes ever had. He didnt want it. He wanted to feel self suffient. He wanted to look out for him and only him. Falling in love only reminded him how lonely he truly was. Denial then set in. No, he wasn't miserable. He was not lonely. That was impulse talking. A fleeting stupid thought he didn't have to pay any attention to. Though he couldn't really account for the sinking feeling of doom that came soon after. A feeling only (Y/N) could provide genuine relief from.He sucked in a sudden gasp. He couldn't help but notice her absence more and more as no one took interest in what he said like (Y/N)- "No!"

Penguin: It was when you saw his worth. It hit him like a ton of bricks and he knew it immediately. Like he got grabbed by the throat. So it's a little inconvenient but he doesn't hate it. Although it does make him extra insecure. He also doubts that you'd actually be interested in him. So whilst he wasn't denying his feelings, he wasn't exactly keen on telling you about them... or anyone else. "...oh..." He put his head in his hand. This was a mess. An awkward mess he wanted no part in. Yet here he was in the thick of it. This is why he can't have nice things because he falls in love with them damn it. He needed a drink...and ice cream.

Two-Face: It was when he looked out for you. He was the type of man who would swear off love. Although apparently, if he could swear off love, it was a whole other thing. He promised himself after his divorce to Gilda that he'd never fall in love again. It did nothing for him. It was useless and a bottomless pit of pain. A drug. When you're on it, it's great until you get a bad trip. (Y/N) stumbled and on pure instinct his non-scarred arm shot out and grabbed you, hauling you back up. "Careful..." Harvey grumbled to you softly. Then he caught himself. You carried on with your day but he was stuck in place for a moment. He knew this feeling well. Why wouldn't he when he was married for years!? He wasnt supposed to do this. This wasn't supoosed to happen. "son of a-"

[wolfertinger]

anon

holy fuck wis hit rock bottom and is trying to dig. i was hopeful with the few apologies but its all to save face, she doubles down again and again.

im deadnaming you. sorry i deadnamed you. never mind you made me mad, i dont regret deadnaming you, you should have everything associated with your legal name. your gender identity is only valid when i think you deserve it.

im being racist and disregarding your culture. i have a black boyfriend so i cant be racist. sorry i was uneducated and im learning to be better. i love mexicans. i love mexican music. i have solidarity with mexicans. you're still white and i stand by everything i said. in fact im less white than you.

she didnt rape you, you regretted the sex. well actually maybe she did but i didnt want a trans woman to kill herself and i didnt know the whole story. its not my fault im defending her even if she admitted what happened. never mind she didnt rape you. in fact YOU raped HER. AND you sexually harassed other people. but if she did it wasnt rape it was unconsensual sex. and it doesnt matter anyway if it did happen so you shouldnt bring it up ever.

come on. she cant be serious. and with the 'im only being attacked because im a trans woman who listened to two other trans women.' wis latches on to that because its the only point she can get any sympathy for.

because a lot of what wis is saying is true! people do go after trans women disproportionately! shes fucking the rest of us over by applying that to this situation, where it does not apply, where the person is a rapist first and foremost. especially when wis was the person who brought up her gender identity first. anyone of any gender identity can commit crimes. putting your preferred identity on a pedestal and disregarding actual, admitted, crimes they have done only hurts your community more.

but no no. call the latino a dog with your full chest multiple times. avoid using the word rape so you can control the narrative. use actual issues to say all criticisms are transphobic even though those issues dont apply to you in this situation. keep doubling down until youre backed into a corner, and then give a half assed apology. and then do it all over again. this is pathetic.

with the ' I'll never stop loving Trans women no matter what, as for Trans men, they're men. ' line she posted. my prediction is that shes going to start treating the anons here like men and double down on men having specific views they have to unlearn about women. say that anyone who does after trans women must be transphobic and/or men. it means she wont have to acknowledge anyone criticizing her is a trans woman. and she can call any criticism of what shes doing ' the men crying and saying im being a misandrist because i was mean to men. ' she compared trans men to MRA rights activists already.

i feel bad for salem. hes done things that deserve criticism but on this i only feel bad for him. he will be another man among all the men wis judges for their identity, one of the token "good" ones she uses to defend herself, or he isnt included in the category at all to her. i hope im wrong but if she does go this route then itll have to be one of those

.

[elainsgirl]

People always try to make Nesta seem better than her sisters by pointing out she’s the most powerful of them. But at the end of the day, elain and Feyre saved her more times than she saved them. Yes, Nesta sacrificed her powers to save Feyre. But Feyre also sacrificed herself to buy Nesta more time to run from the ravens. Feyre sacrificed herself every day going into those woods to save her family - and she did that when she was human. Elain, who Nesta stans love to say is useless and weak, saved Nesta from the king. Nesta’s powers didn’t seem to matter all that much when the king was going to kill her - and would’ve if elain wasn’t there.

Yeah, Nesta is the most powerful sister but no ways is she the better one, especially when it comes to action. Nesta loves her sisters - I won’t deny it. But when things get hard, she will be the first one to walk away from her sisters. She practically begged Azriel not to go save elain because it was a suicide mission - while Feyre didn’t even think twice. And I’m sure if it was the other way around, nothing could stop elain from going to save Nesta - no matter how impossible it seemed. When Feyre came to ACOMAF to beg them from help, telling them about the very real risks Hybern poses, it was elain who initially agreed to help.

It’s why I don’t like the argument that Nesta protected elain all her life all for elain to turn her back on her when that’s simply not true. Yes, Nesta protected her - but then Nesta turned her back on elain not the other way around.

And then Nesta and her stans have the nerve to say elain is the useless one when that’s just not the case. Elain was willing to find the trove. She was willing to do something dangerous. But of course Nesta shut her down and told Feyre to do it instead because in her eyes Feyre’s life is worth less than elain’s and elain needs to be coddled and protected. Whenever elain tries to do something, Nesta just shuts her down and then goes on to call her useless and weak afterwards as if she didn’t shut her down in the first place.

Elain doesn’t need to be the most powerful woman in order to do something worthwhile. She doesn’t need to be the physically strongest woman in order to be important. She doesn’t need to become a warrior like Nesta to prove her worth. Physical strength and magical powers doesn’t automatically make you the best character in the series, let alone the best sister.

I love elain, Feyre, and then Nesta. Feyre is in my number two because of how unwavering she is. She doesn’t care about anything as long as she saves her family. She went after elain without a second thought. She went utm. Say what you will about her, but when it comes to her family, she never just walks away. Honestly i think she loves elain and Nesta probably more than anyone else in the entire series - that may change when it’s elain’s/Azriel’s book (hopefully).

Nesta is definitely powerful, but I would be hesitant to call her the most powerful especially as majority of her powers were returned by the end of acosf. I wouldn’t call Nesta to “better” sister either, she is far from perfect and its not like Nesta has done the most for her sisters. That would be Feyre, so technically shouldn’t she be considered the best?

At particular points in this series, each sister has saved each other yet it seems like Nesta’s savings hold more importance/weight then Feyres or Elains. Nesta saving Feyre and her family was a way to make them even (ig) for all the years Feyre has saved Nesta & Elain by providing for them even when they were the worst to her. In my eyes personally it was the bare minimum for Nesta and I didn’t rlly find it that impactful because Nesta gave back something she didn’t want in the first place which in the end did her a favour.

I will never understand why some Nesta stans glaze over the fact Elain literally saved Feyre’s life - they’re Elain’s biggest haters yet if she didnt intervene, Nesta would have been as good as gone. Nesta was prepared to die…ELAIN came through. And the fandom brushes past it which sucks as an Elain Stan because Elain doesn’t get the acknowledgment she deserves. You’d think Nesta stans would treat Elains character nicer yet they went the opposite way all because Elain decided to take a step back and focus on herself + not take Nesta’s coddling anymore. They call her weak, useless and a doormat yet when Elain finally stands up for herself - she’s labelled as cruel, selfish, manipulative etc.

I dont think Nesta would walk away especially as by the end of acosf, the sisters are becoming closer but she did warn Azriel that he might die which was odd because why would she care as long as she got elain back 😭

Elain helped plenty of times in the series (Maybe more then Nesta pre-acosf) but people look past it and instead reduce and judge Elain for her hobbies whereas Nesta is praised and loved all because she’s your standard “badass” female character.

Nesta was overprotective off Elain all her life and it was unhealthy for Elain even if Nesta had the right intentions as Elain was then stiffled. And when Elain does want to do something, Nesta shoots her down. Feyre said it was her (elains) choice yet Nesta didnt give that too her. Its one of the things I look forward too the most in elains book, diving further into her relationship with Nesta and finally showing her older sister, that Elain isn’t as fragile as Nesta believes her to be.

Elain being called useless was one of the worst cases of gaslighting this fandom has ever done. Literally, Elain has done so much but its all ignored just because she’s more introverted and feminine. The amount of times people forget what Elain has done in the series yet they’ll never forget Nesta beheading the king or Feyre causing the fall of Spring.

“Physical strength and magical powers doesn’t automatically make you the best character in the series, let alone the best sister.” Keep speaking facts anon 🗣️

Elain stabbed a king without your typical “physical strength”. She kicked hounds of Azriels feet without the use of any magic. Elain Archeron is literally one of THE most badass female characters in the massiverse and we haven’t even had her book yet. She’s the first cauldron made seer which increases her importance and worth as a character. She’s relatable to the soft, introverted girlies that aren’t loud or snarky off the bat like with the other characters.

Thats my ranking too but depending on the content I consume, Feyre and Nesta swap for second and third place. I love Elain just because. I love Nesta because she just felt real & I love Feyre for how selfless she was, her bravery, kind heart. You’re right, Feyre would do anything for her family and she definitely loves her sisters the most. I cant wait for elains book to deepen their bond.

[thithesandofferings]

Duel Master

Title: Duel Masters

Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Joey Wheeler

Synopsis: Kaiba is simply tired of hearing a dog barking

Tags: 18+ MDNI. Degradation. Dubcon(??)(Joey likes it but sucks at saying it) Petplay. BDSM. Praise. Semi-Public. Choking. Grinding. Obsession. Sex lol. Kaiba gets called Master like-once. Kaiba also refers to Joey as everything but his first name.

A/N: I've had this fic in the drafts for like a year...s. I recently found it and made the conscious decision that more filth needed to be out there with the two love birds. I barely edited this so like- beware lol. Also want to give a shoutout to @alectoperdita for making me obsess over those two. Also thank you @forgetbeam for the dividers!

It's the same scenario every time between them. Every. Single. Time. Kaiba could almost time it. He does think about timing it, but the thought gets shoved away because that feels like victory- and not his.  When they duel, the bickering starts and never stops. At least until one of them is defeated. Usually Wheeler. Saying that would get the blonde's annoying mouth running again. Kaiba was already forming a headache just from his constant jabs while they sat in the waiting room. They're older now, you'd think this would be over now.

“I was just outta practice, I could beat you anytime Kaiba”

“That was just beginners luck anyways- it's not like i've been playing everyday unlike you”

“Listen here shitty Kaiba, we can fight here and now and I promise i'll beatcha this time- i swear it”

“Oh so you're just as stuck up as when we were teens huh? Can't even talk to a lowlife like me hah!? What, you think I'm some kind of nobody!? You think-”

“ What I think, Wheeler, is that you are completely incapable of closing your disgusting muzzle. I am finished hearing your incessant yapping.”

There’s stunned silence for a few blissful seconds and Kaiba nearly groans at the stuttering that begins to fall out of the blonde's mouth. He doesn't look much different since the last time that he’s seen him. His stupid hair is just a tad shorter and it seems that he carries a little bit more muscle than he used to. 

He tries not to focus on that thought. 

Or the thoughts of once and for all, shutting Wheeler up himself. Kaiba very well knows that he is capable of getting that perpetually loud mouth to believe in silence- even if it's for a few blissful seconds. Kaiba goes out of his way to be meaner to Joey than anyone he’s ever encountered. He’s not sure he’s ever spoken to someone so degradingly, no matter if that's what everyone expects from the foul-mouthed CEO. 

But something about Joey Wheeler is different. 

Despite the cold harsh words, he’s seen Wheeler react to them. Hates to mention in his mind that he may have obsessed over every quirk after every insult spilled. Noticed how the loud mouth's chest would hitch at dog comments. Sweat -dropping when Kaiba would tell him to get on his knees and beg. Could see the indecision for just a few seconds like he wanted to do it, like he-.

Knows how much he himself would enjoy putting the mutt in his place. 

“Why don't you make me, asshole?” Kaiba almost didn't catch his words.Too busy thinking about finally putting Wheeler in his place makes his words jarring to hear.  Not only were they across the room, but Wheeler had whispered them. As if he didnt want Kaiba to actually catch what he had said. 

“Fine.” Kaiba says without thinking. “They say old dogs dont learn new tricks, but I think you can make an exception right Wheeler?” He drags the last of the words out in a deep hum before he lifts up from the chair and toward the now shaking blonde. 

“Wait now hold on Kaiba- dude wait-” Joey head begins to search around the room as if looking for help and only just barely clenching his teeth in a curse when he realizes they are indeed alone. Holding both his hands out defensively as if that's going to save him from the wrath of the CEO. 

Does he even know that he’s being caged into a wall? Maybe he is a little stupid, but Kaiba has found that bit to be surprisingly endearing. Maybe stray dogs need extra care. A quick glance at his watch settles the matter that he- does in fact, have the time to train. . 

“I thought you wanted me to shut you up Wheeler. You asked for this. Now,” He brings up both his hands right next to the blonde's head, completely capturing him in. Leaning close enough to his ear, huffing a breath only to watch the other jump back and shake a little. 

Mmmm this might be time well spent after all.

“Are you able to be a good boy and shut that cute little mouth of yours?”  Kaiba is not in the habit of praising but no amount of money in the world could give him the rush of feeling as it did when Joey-( headstrong, back talking, bratty to a fault, )Wheeler drops his shoulders and whimpers.

Kaiba hummed, brushing his fingers along the edge of the man's jaw, smirking at another heated shiver that followed. “That all it took, Dog? After all that yapping and you show your belly before I can even properly punish you. You’re kind of a slut aren't you Wheeler? You’ve wanted this all along hm?”

Joey sputters at the full audacity of the CEO. He cant even fathom the words coming out of Kaibas mouth-

“Look ion know who you think you are but-” He’s blatantly interrupted when Kaiba tilts his chin and presses his lips to Joeys’, demanding entrance. 

The blonde isn't budging though, making sure his protests were heard throughout the muffling of his lips. He’s trying to push him off, ignoring the passing thought of how strong Kaiba is. How he can feel the muscle clenching and not budging as Joey pushes. The brunette wasn't giving up either, kicking Joey's legs apart to push his right thigh against Joey's (embarrassingly) already hardening length. Taking his empty hand on the wall and holding Joey's hips as he rocks him back and forth on his clothed thigh. 

Joey stuttered out a gasp, grappling his hands on broad shoulders as his hips are moved with force. Kaiba took the initiative to intertwine his tongue with the distracted Joey.  Licking inside his mouth, tasting all that he could. A sultry groan catches at Kaibas throat when he grabs the blondes opening Wheeler's jaw wider, tilting it to taste him even deeper. 

God he wanted to devour this man.

It doesn't help that the more he kisses the blonde, the louder he gets. 

And that just won't do. 

Kaiba backs his head away, letting the blonde almost chase after him. And continues to hold his jaw, forcing whatever Wheeler says to come out like muffled grunts. 

“You’re barking too loud, Wheeler, you want everyone to hear those slutty little noises you’re making?” Kaiba grins becomes almost maniacal when he feels the blonde's dick jump on his lap at the thought.

“I know how it is Wheeler, you’re just a whiny little puppy that wants attention don't you? Hm? You want everyone to come in and see you begging for my dick? I’m sure you've wanted that for a long time, wanting all your friends to see you on all fours begging. Thats ok,  Wheeler- I'll think about giving you what you ask, for if you bark loud enough.” The more Kaiba speaks, the redder and choked up the blonde gets. Hiccuping and trying to say something. The last part has him nearly wilting when the CEO grips his cheeks a little harder and shakes his head back and forth, cooing at him as if he’s a beloved dog. 

Doesn't matter if Kaiba is drooling for this as much as Joey is.

“It’s sad that I didn’t bring that gag along to get you to shut up, but my fingers will have to do for now. Get them wet pup” Joey chortles and tries to say something witty, but the cold look and the drag of his cock against Kaiba's thigh is enough for him to reluctantly open wide. 

He looks pretty like this. Kaiba thinks as Joey takes in two long digits. He immediately shoves them to the back of the blonde's throat making him gag and sputter indignant, tears brushing his pleading blue eyes as he looks up to Kaiba. The CEO can't help but grin when he  grabs the pup's hips again, pressing down harder and rocking him in slow measured thrust against his thigh. Never taking his eyes off of him, giving little to the imagination of what it would feel like if Joey was under him. And he will be, if Kaiba has anything to say about it. 

Joey was practically drooling all over his fingers,his tongue licking up and down and its so wet- dripping from his chin along his chest. Fuck he looks good like this. Eyes peering blurrily up and blinking slowly. A show of unmatched devotion.  The blondes moans were absolutely driving him batshit insane. He’s going to be seeing those eyes in his dreams for weeks. Its so uncharacteristic of Joey's general personality that it has the brunettes cock absolutely leaking. How embarrassing. 

Kaiba thinks that they have had clothes on long enough. 

He takes his three fingers out with a slick sound that makes Kaiba grin and Wheeler blush even out past his neck. The thought passes of how he still has any blood left in his face when his dick was straining so hard in his pants. They looked quite uncomfortable. Good thing Kaiba took good care of his things. 

“Lay down” He gestures to the couch. A defiant look flashes through Joey's face and Kaiba sighs before he grabs the blonde by the nape of his hair and shoves him to his knees. Pushing him halfway on the couch, face pressing into the cushions while his knees scraped the floor. 

“I don't like when mutts don't listen. You do as I say because that's what you wanted right?” Joey stays silent, but that doesnt give Kaiba the satisfaction he needs. so he yanks him back up, shuddering a tad when he hears a desperate moan fall from Wheeler's lips. 

“Right? Say it mutt, or I’ll be the only one coming. The only thing you’ll be doing is licking up my wasted cum.” That seems to kick him into gear because he’s moaning and rutting muffled affirmations to him. Cracked vowels are lost when Kaiba shoves his face into the cushions again. 

“I knew you could be a good little slutty pup, you just need a firm hand?” Kaiba coos,bending over to whisper in his ear- making sure his tone makes his cute blonde feel as humiliated as possible. It only shocks him a little when Joey just whines even louder and brushes his ass teasingly back and forth on Kaiba's cock. Making him shove his hips back just to keep his excited pup still. 

Kaiba won't admit it, but that little show of submission and acceptance has him close enough to come. This sexual tension was built on for years, he would never have thought Wheeler would finally break down and let the CEO have him completely. 

The very thought of owning Joey, collar and all, snaps something inside of Kaiba and he’s letting go of Joey's hips and hurriedly shoving his tight pants down, putting the blonde's ass on display. Cant help but add a few spanks, watching greedily as his cheeks grow as red as the blondes face. Hunger spikes through Kaiba's stomach thinking about how beautiful his pup would look marked up. And he tells him exactly that. Only to be surprised yet again when Joey pushes back with a delicious wiggle and lets out a keen Kaiba never thought he would hear. 

“Next time, if you're a good little pupslut then maybe i’ll consider giving you a spank for good behavior.'' He wants to so badly, but the glance at the watch tells him that he doesn't have long before the others come searching for Joey after the finished match. 

Kaiba reaches inside his coat and retrieves the lube he knows he’s had, thinking that this moment could happen anytime and Kaiba was always prepared. So wishful thinking did in fact work.

Joey gives an indignant squawk when he feels cool wetness press into his hole.

“Where the hell did you get lube - hah fuck- what are you some kind of perve-'' He cuts himself off with a choked off moan when two of Kaiba's fingers enter him roughly. Kaiba's continuous bemusement is not thwarted in the slightest when they go in smoothly. 

“You touched your cute little puppyhole today? Did you think of me? Knew you were gonna see me later today and just couldn't help yourself could you Wheeler. You do this every time you see me? Hope I'll get mad enough and take you where you stand?” Joey whimpered as the brunette curled his fingers and pounded his prostate, dragging along with every word he uttered. The blonde outright moaned and clenched when Kaiba hooked his fingers grinding into the little button, hiccuping barely there words into his hands.. 

“You’re so talkative and now when I ask you questions you suddenly can't speak. Where's that bratty mouth gone huh, answer me” It doesn’t help Joey at all when Kaiba adds another finger, his face becoming scarlet as the squelching of his hole gets louder. 

“I- fuck- I, Im-” Joey can barely choke out words and Kaiba silences him, raising his hips up higher, at an angle that he knows will have the blonde screaming. 

“Wheeler, you're making me consider getting a pet, you wanna be my puppy huh? You wanna be a good boy for me?” Kaiba knows he’s got him for good when he leans closer to the pup's neck and groans in his ear. 

“You know what you have to do, mutt. Beg. Beg and you’ll get that treat you've been slobbering over for years'' He slides his fingers out with a wet squelch and he shushes Joey’s embarrassed cry at the noise. Kaiba knows he wants to hear him as clear as day, the CEO will come to this for weeks. 

It certainly doesn't help when Joey looks at him like he’s hung the moon. Teary eyes and red lips look back at him, breath hitching from exertion. He seems to be thinking about what he says, closing his eyes and yelping when Kaiba smacks his ass, knowing he wants him to look at the brunette when he pleads. 

“Please- Kai- Sir uh Master I- Please!” He huffs in irritation, shoving his face into the couch cushions before trying again. 

“Please Master, Ive been a good boy, please f-fuck me” Just hearing the blonde begging has Kaiba turning him around on his back and unto the floor. 

He’s been wanting that look from Wheeler for so long. And god those sounds he makes when Kaiba opens his pants and lets his cock out. Tip red and straining. Twitching at the thought of having Joey finally underneath him. Where he belonged. 

“Wait- No!! Kaiba, that things monstrous!! I'm not having that thing inside-” A hand clamps down on Joey's throat catching the last of the blondes sentence. Squeezing firmly enough to let the pup know who’s in charge, Kaiba just hums and brushes his nose against his ear. 

“My hand looks better than any  collar I've ever thought about giving you” Joey's eyes flutter at the realization that Kaiba has thought about this as much as he has. 

Assuming that he’s placated Joey for now, he brings his hips back and grabs the base of his cock angling it into the pup's wet hole, hissing at the slight pain. He had neglected himself too long. 

He huffs out a breath when the head breaches the pink rim and decides to push past it, knowing that if he was to savor it he would come and the fun would be over. 

Joey lets out a long whine as he feels Kaiba sheaths his way inside him. Lips parting wide in a choked off moan, his body spasming and cock jerking with pleasure as Kaiba bears down deep, his head rubbing immediately against the blonde's prostate. God he was so big, and he hates that because of course he is. 

“Come on pup breathe, youre taking my cock whether you like it or not so i'd suggest you do something to help yourself.” Kaiba does a tentative thrust, grinning when Joey turns his head to the side. 

Its cute that he’s pouting. 

“I know how bad you’re craving it, just give in like you’ve always wanted.” The low whisper traces alongside his ear sending a shiver down Joey's spine, making his hole clench down on Kaiba's deliciously. 

Every thrust has Kaiba experimentally going deeper and pushing just a little more, breaking down Joey’s walls. The blonde has to grit his teeth as he feels his mind blanking out, heat blooms at the pit of his stomach. Kaiba with his sadistic intuition, grazes his hand past his pretty pink cock and pressing down on the blondes lower stomach. Making Joey howl at the sensation of him feeling so full. He tried moving away with cries and pleading, but the CEO just growls and grabs his hips, shoving him roughly back down on his dick in revenge. Knowing that at this point if anyone was to walk past the room, everyone would know what they were doing. 

“You’re moving so much, maybe I should put a leash on you next time?” Twisting the blonde's nipples as he tilts the blondes hips higher and bringing his leg over his shoulder, it makes him shriek and Kaiba has to clap his hand over his mouth in glee. Doesnt stop him from fucking him even harder, wet slaps echoing harshly through the room as he takes his yapping puppy apart. 

“You wanna come home with me you little mutt? Want your master to feed his come into your greedy hole?” Joey shakes his head vigorously, closing his eyes as his face is further tucked into Kaiba's shirt. Caressing the blondes head as Kaiba slows down and buries himself to the hilt. Mumbles of faint “Kaiba’s” are the only thing heard in the empty room. 

Fuck Kaiba thinks he could do this forever. 

The way that Joey is gripping his white coat like a lifeline, muscled legs holding onto Kaiba's waist, barely moving- afraid the brunettes cock will slip out and it will all be over.

It makes the CEO  oddly possessive. To have his feelings returned tenfold and have Joey a whimpering mess feels like more victory than when his father died. He doesnt plan on this achievement leaving anytime soon. Joey is Kaibas’ now. 

Grinding their hips in slow circular motion, he’s overjoyed when he sees big crocodile tears start to fall on his pup's face. He keeps the torturous pace until Joey is sobbing in pleasure into his hand as he comes hard. The blonde starts to hit Kaiba's chest when he still continues to rock into him, slow and insistent, matching the rhythm exactly when he grabs Joey’s cock- until he is coming again. Screaming into Kaibas hand, spit and tears soaking every piece of skin between them. Cock twitching as it dribbles out onto Kaiba's infamous white coat. 

“K-kaiba please i-i want, fuck i want it please- I need it inside” 

He’s begging Kaiba to come inside him and this just makes Kaiba coo and grin again as he pulls out and lifts his shirt up and comes all over Joey's hiccuping chest. Grinning cheekily when he hears Joey’s whine in dismay as he smears it in, smoothing it all over his nipples and brings his hands up, gripping the blondes neck again. 

“Now, you know who you belong to mutt”

[acepalindrome]

Recommending Expedition 33 to people is hard, because it’s really a game you should go into as blind as possible and just let it hit you like a speeding semi truck. But it’s hard to convince people when your sales pitch is ‘just trust me bro. I’ve cried three times already, and the first was only an hour in.’

So. The zero spoilers review. The game is absolutely gorgeous. It’s got a visual style that gives a somewhat Impressionist vibe (very fitting, as the setting is very inspired by La Belle Époque Paris), a fantastic and deeply emotional soundtrack, and a big, vast world that rewards exploration, and is as beautiful as it is terrifying and hostile. There is lots to do, but the game doesn’t waste your time either. There isn’t any ‘collect 500 golden walnut’ style side quests to pad out your playtime. The side quests and collectables are connected to the story and enhance the experience. Okay, the cosmetics might not be story relevant, but it’s fun to play dress up with the party.

And fun! This game is fun. Sure, there’s a story that deals very heavily with grief and loss and death, and it’s every bit as heartbreaking as you can imagine, but the gameplay is fun. I don’t usually care for combat in games. Most of the time, it’s a means to an end. In Expedition 33, I am fighting everything that moves. I keep getting the dreaded ‘Expedition Failed’ game over screen because I keep picking a fight with things I’m too underleveled to handle, because how do I know I’m underleveled until I fling myself at that gigantic scary Elden Ring looking motherfucker?

Combat is a mix of a more classic turn based combat with dodge and parry mechanics. You get all the strategy and building teams with synergy that good turn based games have, plus the fast paced energy of timing your dodges and parries by learning monster attack patterns so you can actually survive long enough to pull off your strategies, because these fuckers hit HARD. It’s an additive combination that I can’t get enough of. And if you’re struggling? No worries, there’s an easy Story mode!

Continuing about story and characters under the cut (still with very minimal spoilers), because this is getting long.

And the story? Fantastic. Absolutely stunning. I was immediately hooked on the whole premise and the world. It broke my heart. It touched my soul. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s very good, and the less said, the better. Spoilers do it an injustice.

And what’s a good story without the characters? The game immediately makes me you feel so invested in what’s going on with the characters, and they’re really the heart of everything. The story and world can get very dark and tragic, and the characters do absolutely go through it to the nth degree, but through it all? There is humanity and hope and love. My favorite scenes aren’t the big moments of tragedy, even though they’re very well written. It’s the moments of the team caring so genuinely for each other, moments of support and family and reaching out to each other even in the wholly miserable situation they find themselves in. It reminds me of the line, which I’m paraphrasing: ‘The love was there. It didnt change anything. It didnt save anyone. But it still matters that the love was there.’ Not everyone is making it out alive. No one is making it out unscathed. But it still matters that you held someone’s hand at the end. That you shared something precious. That you cared and supported and loved each other. There was love, and it always matters.

But don’t worry that it’s all doom and gloom and tears. There are funny moments too, and some top notch comedic timing. Yeah, I cried, but I laughed too. And boy, you will need those laughs.

Okay, you say, that’s great, but I still don’t know what this game is actually about. So to my friends who need just a little more to hook them, the basic synopsis is you’re in an apocalyptic world based on La Belle Époque Paris, which due to the initial apocalypse event 67 years ago, is now an island out at sea broken away from the main continent. On the distant horizon is a monolith with a number on it. Every year, a shadowy figure appears at the monolith, erases the current number, and writes the next decreasing number in sequence. When that happens, everyone who is that age or older immediately dies. This started with the number 100, and has been ticking down for the past 67 years, so now we’re down to 33. So we’re in a world with no old people, where everyone is intimately familiar with death and grief, and where you effectively have a constantly visible countdown of how long humanity has left. It’s a pretty grim situation.

In an effort to find a way to stop this, every year an expedition is sent out from the relative safety of the city to the continent. Again, this has been going on for 67 years, and we’re now on Expedition 33, which gives you an idea of how well this has been going. The only expedition with any survivors at all was the first one, so we don’t really know what’s out there! We know it’s probably a hopeless suicide mission, mostly manned by people who are the age that will die when the number on the monolith changes next year, so they may as well make some use of that last year! It’s less that they’re really expecting to succeed, and more that they’re just hoping to get a little further each year, learn a little more, lay the path for future expeditions in the hopes that maybe one of them will succeed eventually. ‘For those who come after’ is a frequently repeated line.

So, as the game opens, the number on the monolith is 34. Today is the day it will change to 33. You’re playing as Gustave, who will be leaving for the continent tomorrow on Expedition 33. He has also decided that today is the day he’s going to try to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Sophie. She is 33 years old.

Please play this beautiful game.

[minimiance]

hey guys i think i might actually start writing on here more actively again :) ive been so swamped with schoolwork and i still am (the woes of a college student) but im mentally a lot better!

I know this doesnt matter much to anyone, just rambling abt my life, but its my blog so ill talk abt whatever i want to talk abt‼️ for a long time i was kinda letting myself stay friends with people i didnt like and letting people push my boundaries often. and i realized i was just miserable. normal lighthearted gossip was treated as if i was so genuinely upset or caught up on something when i just wasnt. every problem i had was so hyperfixated on and it had gotten to a point where the positive parts of my life were being ignored and then like i had just never brought it up. and it was killing me, i felt like so many people that were supposed to be my friend had the wrong perception of me just because they had met me during a point in my life were i was already in a bad mental space.

and at some point i realized that my mental illness wasnt making my life as miserable as i thought it was. everything bad that happened i had pinned or blamed on the fact that im schizoaffective, because it was the reason and excuse that people accepted the easiest. that i was miserable because i was mentally ill. and yes, it definitely played into. coming out of my almost year long depressive episode was difficult. i was grasping with suicidal ideation all the time, to the point where it impacted how i could function. to the point where it DID make being happy hard. but i wasnt just never happy.

this past year ive lived through so many new experiences, and while im so happy to see the friends that were hurting me out of my life i will still miss it, because there were happy memories attached to it. but i realized that the happy moments were becoming fewer and farther between. they only paid attention to the things i told them about that were negative. not that i had gotten a new job, or that i was finally taking my meds again, or that i had found someone that i could move in with and that i was saving for my own place: and never that i was just in a good mood. and i admit, im a gossip, i can understand that not everyone likes that. but to only be told that after i broke away the friendship when ive always only ever asked for honesty kinda sucked. i felt like i was only viewed as everything bad that had happened in my life.

and it kept me down, i felt like my boundaries were always pushed a step too far, that my questions were ignored for a bit too long, that i was dismissed far too easily. and it sucks, when someone who met you right down in the beginning of your slump, someone who helped you grieve, who got you food when you had none in your house, who genuinely did love you just also didnt like you. i dont doubt that i was very genuinely loved, but i wasnt liked, and i wasnt understood. when everything i did was called into critique even when unprompted or asked for, i began to wonder if maybe i just wasnt correct in… being me.

i felt like it was like they thought i had to handled. saved or fixed or something or another. that there was something so inherently wrong with me that they saw me and didnt think of me as me, but as someone who needed to be saved. and i didnt, ive never needed a handler, or a savior, or someone who wanted to fix me. my problems werent ones that could be fixed, but rather what i needed was support to make those problems more manageable.

but i knew it was time to call it quits when i realized that suicidal ideation was getting to a dangerous spot. when i couldnt spend a single night alone without inflicting myself with pain. when fiddling with the idea turned into fiddling with the trigger. it was suddenly so real, what i had become and where my life was at in that moment. and i realized i couldnt die, i didnt truly want to.

death has come into my life twice in very rapid succession in the past couple of years. its insane how close the events feel despite having a year between them. but grief kills, and when my slump had first gotten better it catapulted me straight back down.

but im not down anymore. and honestly, i havent been that far down in a long time. of course my mind still has that haze of grief, and of course the uncontrollable will still happen. but really, ive felt a lot of genuine joy this past few months. and im a lot more at peace now realizing that the people who couldnt see the joy that i had grown into are finally out of my life.

and on the note, im gonna start writing again :) whenever i have some time set aside, and whenever im ready to type something up, i will. and it wont be what i think other people are willing to see anymore, but instead just what i want to write. thank you to the people who follow me who have been with me through this journey, even though you didnt know it :)

[uriekukistan]

Hope your day or night is going well!! ✨

Okay, top five Megumi lines/scenes?

ahhh thank you i hope yours is as well!! and thank you for the ask!!

im in the car rn so some of these i couldn’t track down the specific chapter/page bc i dont wanna use all my data :’)

1 - “i’m not like itadori, i have no problem earning 100 points for myself.” or something along that line

one of the things that fascinates me the most about megumi is the way he places value on lives, and this line is just so cool to me. he’d said before this that he saves people unequally, but this shows just how far that goes. he’ll kill anywhere from 20-100 random people so tsumiki and itadori, the two people he cares about and thinks are worth saving more than anyone else, don’t have to get their hands dirty, and their lives hold more value to him than others. it’s also so interesting to me because of the way megumi doesn’t consider himself a good person like tsumiki or itadori, and therefore doesn’t really see himself as worth saving, so it’s just a necessary burden he has to carry as the “bad” person for those two. also add that in w this line, and im on the floor

2 - his battle vs sukuna at the detention facility/“i’m not a hero, i’m a jujutsu sorcerer”

another moment where we get an insight into his ideas on good/bad people and who deserves saving, can you tell i love this aspect of his character? i mean, he’s about to sacrifice himself for itadori to live (hopefully), even though he literally met the guy two weeks ago, because he thinks he’s a good person who deserves saving. it’s the first insight we get into megumi’s thought process, and this was really the moment that made me start paying attention to him more. i also love how he kept a softer expression on his face and didn’t cry until after itadori died, like he didnt want itadori to feel sad or guilty in his final moments im SICK also the fact that he took the name-tag to that guys mom even though he didnt have an interest in saving him, like he was paying a respect to itadori….ugh…anyway yeah i love dissecting the way he values life.

3 - “so start by saving me, itadori”

see as an itafushist of course this had to make the list like this whole chapter has me on the floor but anyway aside from that, i love thinking about this scene because the words he’s saying seem so contrary to how he thinks? like he’s asking to be saved but he doesn’t think he’s worth saving? so it needs an extra layer of consideration. i feel like he really said this more to motivate yuuji (and save tsumiki) than actually wanting to be saved himself. plus the “it’s our fault, don’t be selfish and give up all alone” aaahhahahsj i just love this moment i feel like it shows his character very well….when the idgafer actually very much gaf….

4 - his first domain expansion

hellooo this was so sick and cool and badass of him like i dont think there’s anything i need to say for this. huge character development moment for him too. add this with the simple domain he had in dagon’s domain + the part in the culling games arc where he literally hides himself in the shadows……he’s crazy powerful and i dont wanna hear anything abt it! if u were traumatized like that you’d be curled up on the floor too

5 - “if you die, i’ll kill you” both times

again as an itafushist i couldnt not include this….of course there’s implications for megumi’s character as well but i feel like there’s only so much i can talk about his moral code in one post yk? but yeah i think it just shows how much the people he cares about matter to him

also bonus i love just any culling games megumi, his determination to save tsumiki and make it so itadori doesnt have to kill anyone makes him grow so much as a character and as a sorcerer, i love it sm

thank u for the ask! any excuse to yap about megumi 🤞

[bookbitchx]

Hello hello here's a lil rant about SJMs writing of Rhys and it driving me crazy :) (CC3 spoilers, ACOTAR spoilers, minor TOG spoilers)

I agree with your post that questions whether or not SJM was being purposeful when she created the dynamics of the IC and their allies. I personally think in order to determine if SJM is doing this purposefully its important to take all her books into account (especially with the crossover in CC3 😭 And because SJM's only finished series currently is TOG, most of my comparisons will involve that series)

I suspect that the IC's emotional journeys are still very far from over. Especially Rhys and Feyre since they have been arguing off page (which is understandable given it wasnt their POVs) and SJM purposefully included Ember Quinlan defending Nesta in the bonus chapter. Now each of these characters have VERY strong personalities, but Ember in particular comparing rhys to someone who abused her is EXTREMELY important for us as readers to note for future books. And i really hope that its because SJM is finally gonna let him be held accountable for being an ass towards his mate's sister and for meddling so much in their relationship.

Rhysand in particular out of all of the IC has probably the most potential for a good redemption arc. Hes traumatized by his families deaths and UTM in canon and it would be safe to assume his childhood in Windhaven wasn't exactly pleasant. So giving us the Archeron POVs to unpack these centuries old characters is bound to get messy due to their own lack of experience, (but it makes for good fan interaction, i see you sjm).

Rhys definitely has better intentions than the Highlords before him did, but he still has some iffy behavior that stems from needing to have control over his surroundings likely due to traumatic events where he felt powerless to save those he cares for. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he has (accidentally) hurt more people while trying to keep control. He withheld life saving info from his mate bc he didnt want her to worry, he threatened and chased Nesta from the city because she shared the info he was hiding, he stole the book from Tarquin despite the fact that he likely would have helped rhys anyway, he locked his IC in Velaris to protect them (when Amren could've solo'd anyone in UTM 🤫). All of which to me sounds like could be control issues.

Now for who I think is the closest character we have to really compare to Rhys, the MC of TOG also struggled with control issues throughout the series. And her own trauma also mirrors Rhys' to an extent, especially her family life and the fact she was also stuck without fresh air while she was in Endovier. She made bad choices throughout her story, ones that affected the people she loved directly. But when her arc concluded, she was able to make healthier decisions for herself and loved ones despite that.

If SJM truly loves rhys as much as she claims, I don't think she wouldn't give him an opportunity to heal like the one she gave to Aelin. Especially after she hinted in CC3 that things are NOT always all fine and dandy in Feysand's relationship, Feyre herself said she was furious with the IC in acosf, and the two of them have yet to discuss how Rhys' actions utm affected her.

Realistically, I don't the highest hopes for Rhys' character arc unfortunately, but a girl can dream of a better ACOTAR 😂 I wanna believe that it'll be a great series when it concludes but im hesitant in putting my faith into SJM tbh 😔 Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful rest of ur day/ night and im so excited to hear your thoughts!

Heyy

I hope you're having a good day/night too!

You definitely make some good points.

I can kind of see similarities between Rhysand and Aelin, but at the same time, I don't.

Aelin, for all her faults and mistakes, had at least tried to do the right thing, no matter how misguided it was. She was selfish and reckless and ended up hurting people close to her, but she owned up to it. She was also young. She was, what like 19-20? Not an excuse, but a factor.

Rhysand, on the other hand... God, where do I even start?

It's weird because ACOTAR is so different from TOG in terms of writing, and I'm just talking about first person/third person POVs.

I honestly believe that SJM tried to make the series black and white. Tamlin Bad, Rhysand good. Eris bad, Mor good. Nesta bad, Feyre good... and accidentally ended up with a controversial mess.

I mean good for her. Publicity is publicity no matter if it's positive or negative (here we are talking about it), but yeah.

Rhysand was supposed to be this morally grey character, but she ended up making him a self praising, self-proclaimed king of feminism, most powerful High Lord with nothing to back it up.

○ He gives Feyre 'choices' only when the outcome is in his favor.

○ He claims he's all for women's freedom to choose whatever they want... yet he lets those Illyrian camps keep women as glorified slaves and praises the leaders for giving them 2 hours of training.

○ He's 'the most powerful High Lord' yet he can't control the HC, and the camp leaders barely respond to him.

○ He, Feyre, and the IC feel entitled to information that affects the whole of Prythian... for what I don't know.

○ I'm not even going to get into the acts he commits against his 'family' bc I would be here for a while.

○ He encouraged his mate to take her petty revenge on Tamlin, destroying his entire court in the process, innocent lives and homes, not to mention making Prythian more vulnerable to Hybern.

○ He got mad at Nesta for giving the mask to Bryce... isn't that what he did with the book? Except he stole it and destroyed Summer Court property while Nesta controls the mask.

You're right about his control issues, though, as was seen with Nesta every time she didn't listen to him. I can see how that would relate to the lack of control he felt UTM, but...

Did 50 years UTM getting SA affect him? Obviously. I don't disregard the trauma he went through, but I also don't turn a blind eye to the things he did UTM.

He assaulted his mate with no excuse. He could've easily left her in that cell instead of making her wear a napkin and get drunk against her will. Amarantha didn't even care when he paraded her around and only got mad when she saw them kissing.

The children of the Winter Court that were killed, I don't know why it was brushed off with no consequences because who else would have done it? Daematis are extremely rare, and somehow, there was another one powerful trapped under the mountain, but he doesn't know who? Another Daemati who was working for Amarantha and didn't call out Rhysand on the Claire Beddor lie?

God, this turned into a rant, I know, and I'm sorry, lol.

I personally don't see a redemption arc satisfying enough happening or at all really. I read somewhere that Rhysand was created after SJM's husband Josh... yk where I'm going with this.

Anyway, if you sat through this, thanks!

[annalacerda17]

Well I think I encountered my fist Jiang Cheng defender towards myself.

I was on Reddit and found a post asking what opinion that you will defend against the entire mess fan base?

this was my opinion: “

Jiang Chang is a peace of shit no matter what. The live action and anime shows changed his character a lot then it was from the book but a lot of you people like defending the shit he has done too much.

you either treat him as a baby that did no wrong or that he is a flawed character and not perfect but still cares about WWX.

jiang chang does not care about wwx at all in the books. He hunted down anyone that remotely did some strange or somewhat simpler to wwx and would torture and kill them because he was that paranoid that wwx came back.

When he learned of wwx retuned, he hunted him down and used wwx greatest fear to torture him.

JC knew the remaining wens were a bunch of old and injured people (with one of them being a little kid) before the siege, and he still killed them.

and even after the end of the story, in the extras, he still treats wwx like a piece of shit in the extras.

and no it is not in a way of that tusndare crap, he just treats him like crap just because.

you have taken the jc from two show that is different from the book, and when you read it, you projected that into the story ignoring that actual char in the book and replaced with his show counter part.

I know what it’s like liking a problematic character but I acknowledge that they are a piece of shit and not go trying not change canon because if that”

and this is one of the comments I got from it: “You clearly didnt understand Jiang Cheng's character, and its fine! He is a pretty complex one! But shush if you dont know what you are talking about. Its a piece of advice actually! To save you from embarassing yourself further! xoxo”

these 🤡

Hi, there!

So, Jiang Cheng's character really isn't complex. The novel is quite complex, but Jiang Cheng's character really isn't. The problem is that Jiang Cheng stans ignore the bits and pieces they don't like and then get angry with the rest of us that don't. Then, there's a whole lot of Jiang Cheng stans who mix up Jiang Cheng's character as it is in the novel with all sorts of fandom created content, and they will insist that everyone should acknowledge their fanon takes as canon, even when those explicitly contradictory each other.

What I think can muddy the waters when it comes to the live action is that they changed the dynamics in Jiang Cheng's and Wei Wuxian's relationship during the Cloud Recesses arc and during that whole chase for the Yin Tiger Tally mess that didn't exist in the book, where they depicted Jiang Cheng as this worried friend. But that's not very relevant when 1) he later on proceeded to attempt to kill Wei Wuxian several times, and 2) It's not relevant at all to discussions about the novel, because it didn't happen in the novel (that's a live action only plot). That, paired with the acting (specifically the actor who played Jiang Cheng, who only seemed to play the three emotions of mild happiness, weeping in sadness and weeping in anger) that, in my opinion, wasn't up to par and that gave Jiang Cheng stans the misplaced confidence to believe they could impose their misinterpretation of the character onto the entire fandom.

The thing about Jiang Cheng is that he never acknowledges responsibility for the unwanted consequences of his own actions. He is ungrateful and he treats others terribly. He's just a horrible person to be around. However, he behaves like that while claiming to be a victim, and some people take that at face value, rather than to look at the context in which it's happening. As for him "loving" Wei Wuxian and wanting to "rekindle" their "friendship" , that's easy enough to disprove. Jiang Cheng himself says he wanted to find and kill Wei Wuxian the first time we see them meet in the novel, when Wei Wuxian was still pretending to be Mo Xuanyu. Specifically, Jiang Cheng thinks to himself about how he had kidnapped many people whom he suspected might practice Wei Wuxian's cultivation, tortured them to see if they were Wei Wuxian and killed them, all because he believed Wei Wuxian wasn't really dead and he wanted to kill him himself.

All throughout the novel, Jiang Cheng created problems for Wei Wuxian. For instance, when Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng to announce that he, Wei Wuxian, had left the Jiang sect, what Jiang Cheng does instead is tell everyone that Wei Wuxian had declared himself the enemy of the cultivation world, which was both untrue and painted a huge target on Wei Wuxian's back. That's hatred, not love.

Another thing that a lot of Jiang Cheng stans like to pretend didn't happen is the fact that Jiang Cheng was the one leading the first siege of the burial mounds. The novel clearly stated that Jiang Cheng was the one leading it with support from the Jin sect, while the Lan and the Nie sects only sent a small force that they could've done without.

Now, I don't really care if some random person on the internet loves Jiang Cheng and wants to read fanfictions that depict him in a better light or to make fanart about him or whatever. What annoys me are the ones who insist on censuring the rest of us when we want to talk about the canon version of the character. They will forcefully insert themselves in our spaces and try to force feed us their version of the character.

Just stand your ground and don't let them ruin the fandom for you!

[beatcroc]

shadow t. hedgehog

shadow was like THE favorite character for teen me, to the point where he was part of my online username and...representation, but these days i enjoy him just a regular amount and i'd only really slip him in at the very bottom of my top 10 sonic characters. that being said,

oh boy.

i think shadow is going to be an extremely loaded character no matter which angle you're approaching him from. theres just 🤌 so much nuance.

"canon" in this case is referring to the infamous sega mandates restricting anyone from doing anything good with him. pretty much everyone in the position to DO anything with his characterization [writers, voice actors, etc] has very strong and really great ideas about where his character should be headed, and it has all continually clashed with the company's heads' ideas about him . literally everyone who's made any sort of official sonic media the past several years has made comments like 'yeah sega is super fucking protective of him he's hard to do anything with'. that being said, it seems like the fight has paid off and the worst of the limitations on his portrayals are dissolving. dark beginnings was fantastic, i've heard good things about shadow gens, and the sonic 3 movie does very well with him as well; i'm willing to cautiously trust things now, but boy he sure does have a fucking history. there's also the matter of his wildly inconsistent characterization in earlier days but i didnt play most of those games so i dont really care about any of that lol. anyway tldr: writer canon kicks ass, sega canon eat my dick.

now......... with regard to "everyone else", fanon does have tons of fun stuff for shadow wrt to the majority of the cast --ESPECIALLY maria oh my god, and of course team dark content never gets old; i do really genuinely love this stuff-- but....... vast swaths of people just don't quite seem to get that he just straight up doesn't like sonic. he respects sonic and his abilities sure, but they're not gonna be, like, friends [MUCH LESS LOVERS??????????] because shadow just thinks hes really abrasive. i feel like this shouldn't be hard. some people just have clashing ideals and arent going to get along or want to be around eachother save for some other circumstance that may force them to cooperate.

nuance on "if anything happens to him" ties back into the first point in that.... well... idk, he's a character who's interesting to see when facing adversity; i wouldn't cry about it like "my baby getting hurt" the same way i would for, like, the scrapniks, but in the same token the dude has suffered Enough can we Please do something else with him im Tired of suffering being all he has. let him move on. [again, what i've heard of shadow gens bodes well for this but you can never trust this fucking franchise]

as for the other stuff, shadow isn't really "silly" for his own purposes, but he is just kind of an inherently absurd character when you take in the full breadth of it. he's an edgy loner immortal antihero but then the voice actor saying he does like a bunch of charity work and volunteers at soup kitchens and shit. and he is correct for this like that would literally be an awesome path for shadow's character. it's silly. one of my friends thinks he should be lurking at tim horton's [because dunkin donuts is too social] with a laptop writing some overcomplex YA novel and i could not be more in favor of that. he's The Ultimate Lifeform:tm: and also just some fucking guy and a grumpy old man and its SILLY. shadow is a man of contrasts and thats what makes him awesome. he's effortlessly cool and badass and has an unfuckwithable vibe/aesthetic that demands respect but also he eats coffee beans with a spoon. and you let him do it because its Shadow The Fucking Hedgehog.