#sadly a skip patch for me

[selenophany]

Chapter 27 , Aeon Reforged

[heechwe]

midnight faith | 𝐩𝐣𝐬

୨୧ pairing: park jongseong (jay) x fem!reader ୨୧ word count: 2.5K ୨୧ genre: fluff, semi-angst, smut ୨୧ tags: werewolf!jay, established relationship, pet names (darling, sweetheart, etc.), biting, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, knotting, creampie, cock stuffing, breeding kink ୨୧ synopsis: You know his history and where he comes from, both being huge factors that affect your current relationship, but all you care about is your future together. ➸ banner created by @hobeemin ♡

The grass surrounding the blanket underneath your back prickles your ankles. Jay sits crisscrossed next to you, observing the way the sunlight peers through the forest trees and paints your skin. His breath goes in and out in uneven increments, and you open one eye to look at your boyfriend. You’ve had your eyes closed for the past ten minutes, focusing on Jay and all he had to tell you about his history, pre-werewolf and all. The boy is practically shaking at the fact you haven’t responded to any of it, but with a smirk, you reply, “So it really isn’t just caused by a bite?”

Both of you laugh, the sound reverberating around your patch of grass. In relief, Jay sinks to a resting position on his stomach beside you and props his chin on your chest. “Yeah, that’s not exactly how that story goes. Well, at least for me it didn’t.”

You run your fingers through his hair. “So it was a genetic thing?”

He nods. “My parents thought maybe it would skip a generation since my grandfather didn’t inherit it from his father. Sadly for them, I came home after some party scared as all hell, wondering why the fuck I had claws and this desire to run on all fours.” 

You giggle as Jay takes one of your hands into his and kisses your knuckles. “After a while, I learned how to control the shift, but I shut myself away from everyone, especially my parents. Because of them, it was this huge rush to understand myself, my abilities, and my family’s history. The one thing I couldn’t get over then was that it wasn’t a choice. It was always something I was born with.

“But, it’s all in the past now.” Jay sighs and presses his cheek to your stomach.

“Well, parts of it are. But, Seongie, it still gets to you and affects how you are around people. Sometimes, you act like everyone’s fragile when you’re around, like you won’t be able to control your impulses or actions, so you don’t let yourself truly be yourself. Including me.”

He looks back up to you, recognizing the truth in your words. “I try not to,” he whispers, moving so your faces are at eye level, his lips an inch away. “I just don’t want to hurt anyone, especially not you.” Pain flashes over his features, too strong for him to ignore. “I don’t fear a lot of things, but the possibility I could harm you scares the fuck out of me.”

The vulnerability Jay can often hide so well is written all over him. His hands shake and his bottom lip is tucked between his teeth, but it only takes the well of tears in his eyes to strike a knife through your chest. Your boyfriend may be a supernatural creature, but it wouldn’t take a genius to see the guy’s immense capacity for kindness. The way his eyes widened in fear when he shook your father’s hand when they first met, the whispers of a lullaby he sang to your sister’s newborn daughter when you had to babysit her, and his adorable fascination with tiny animals prove all of his fears will never become a reality. “Baby, you don’t have a harmful bone in your body. You may have impulses as a wolf, but there’s no way you would hurt someone on purpose.” The wind brushes through the trees as you speak, barely covering the tremble in your voice. “And you would never hurt me.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you wouldn’t be so scared if you didn’t love me, and I love you enough to know all the fear is in your head. You just have to trust yourself.” 

You brush your mouth against him, and the sound of the wind in the brush and the heat of the sun ebbs away. Your reassurance and touch ease his worries until it’s only you and Jay, nestled against a soft blanket away from the world and lost in each other with the soft collide of each other’s lips and tongues.

Jay grunts and backs away from you, a heady expression flashing across his eyes.

Breathless, you reach for his hand. “Is that what you meant by hurting me?”

He nods, saying your name while trying to slow down the fast pace of his heartbeat. “I love you, and I never want to hurt you, but what if I didn’t mean to? I mean, I can’t even kiss you without feeling like I’m losing control. How could I make love to you?”

You shake your head and reach for him, his body and yours coming into contact instantly.

“Because we trust each other, and we use that trust to know and respect our limits. If you’re scared, we stop. If I don’t like something, I'll tell you.” You smile, nipping at his lips with a quick peck. “Besides, I wouldn’t mind losing control with you. I feel that way with you a lot of the time anyway.”

Jay chuckles and kisses you, rendering you breathless. “God, what am I gonna do with you?” 

It sounds more like a statement than a question when it leaves his lips, but you grin regardless. “A lot of things, I hope. Right now, I just want you to kiss me some more.”

And as Jay lies you down onto the blanket with his mouth attached to yours and quickly trailing down your neck, you listen to the sound of his breath and the trickles of the river, forgetting his fears the longer he holds you in his arms.

The moonlight bathes your bedroom in blue shadows, the color of Jay’s brown eyes more hypnotic than ever before. His bare chest quietly heaves up and down, unsure of where to start first. Shaky hands hold your waist against him, too scared to venture further than where they are at in the current moment.

Standing in front of him now, underwear-clad and more sure of him than he is in himself, you kiss him to quell his fears. You hope the act is as reassuring as it feels. “I trust you,” you promise him.

He nods, his lips turning at the corners despite what anxieties still linger in his body. You kiss him harder, dissipating what is left of his resolve. He wraps his arms tighter around you, nails digging into the small of your back when you press your tongue inside of his mouth.

Jay takes his lips from yours, his breath ragged. “If anything is too much,” he says, “you have to tell me.”

“Cross my heart,” you tease, but sincerity is still present in your tone.

Suddenly, he lifts you up and wraps your legs around his waist, the act knocking the wind out of your lungs. Half a dozen kisses meet the column of your throat before Jay bites down on the skin. He sucks and licks at the pieces he’s bitten, marking you for himself as he lays you down gently onto the bed.

You can barely think straight as he rips the material of your bra off of you in a quick motion, the sounds of the seams ripping apart hitting your ears. He inhales a shaky breath, mesmerized by the swell of your breasts under the cover of nightfall.

“You’re so breathtaking, you know that?” Jay phrases it more as a statement than a question. You blush and try to hide your face with your hands, but he takes your palms in his instead. “You don’t have to hide from me.”

Your heart clenches. “Neither do you.” You sit up to take his face in your hands, kissing both of his cheeks before once again meeting your mouth with his.

A low rumble emits from his throat, the groan shooting to the space between your legs. You moan into his mouth, taking one of his hands and pressing it to the cotton covering your clit.

“I want you this much because I trust you, Seongie.”

He mumbles out a curse. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re not going to. Please,” you say, dipping his hand inside your underwear to feel the pooing wetness. “I need you to touch me.”

Without warning, his eyes glow a bright hazel in the darkness of your bedroom. The hunger he’s tried so long to suppress seems to come over him in a wave. His hands press you back down into the mattress and his face comes into contact with your underwear. You can feel his breath against your center, and you want more than anything for him to bury his mouth there and leave you a mess in the sheets.

“Jongseong,” you call out, “please.”

He smirks and takes his hands to the corners of your underwear to yank them down. Not violently, but with a serious edge that takes you back. Where was the shy boy that you began the night with?

“Use your words, pet,” Jay demands with a growl.

“Put your mouth on me, please.”

“That’s better.” The cool temperature of your room on your body is replaced by Jay’s tongue, the man you love licking lavishly between your folds. You’re unsure how he’s never done this before when he knows exactly how to make you buck your hips into his awaiting mouth. He’s already so perfectly in tune with your body, knowing when to take time away from your pussy to swirl his tongue around your clit. 

Moans and gasps leave you in quick succession. Your hand buries itself in his hair, and he continues to growl and groan into your center to make you shake even harder.

“I know you’re close, my love. Don’t hold back on me now.” He takes a second to kiss the insides of your thighs before diving back into your pussy. With a long swipe of his mouth from your perineal to your clit, you cry out as your orgasm washes over you.

You take your hand from Jay’s hair when you come down, wiping the sweat off of your forehead with a laugh. “That was–”

Jay smirks and bites his bottom lip. “I’m not done with you yet, pet.” He presses your lips against his, the taste of you filling your mouth when he slips his tongue inside. “Flip over for me.”

You do as he commands as he takes both his jeans and briefs off quickly. By the time he pushes your hips back against him, his cock brushes against your entrance and the wetness from your previous release.

“Fuck,” he whispers, letting himself be coated in your arousal before moving any further. He loves the feeling of your body wiggling against his for any kind of friction, your legs spent and weakened from the pleasure you just received. But he’s going to love it even more when he feels you wrapped around him fully. “Ready, my love?”

“Yes,” you gasp.

Sliding inside of you is so easy with your earlier slick, causing garbled moans to leave both of your mouths at the same time. Jay chastises himself for waiting this long to be intimate with you knowing now how exquisite it feels to have your walls pulsing around him, welcoming his body like he was always meant to be there. Around you, inside of you, calling him yours.

He begins a slow rhythm, thrusting in and out at a comfortable pace, He laces his fingers with yours, wondering how he was so lucky to find someone so understanding, so beautiful, so patient. Anyone else would not have been so stubborn to cut through the many walls he put up, but he’s grateful to have found you who was willing to do the work so effortlessly.

These thoughts make any sense of uncertainty dissipate completely. And in doing so, his control loosens and desire heightens to an unfathomable degree as he watches your body ease up and down his cock.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jay curses, his length swelling to the point he cannot think about anything but your pulsing walls around him. His body is locked to yours, this cock cinched to the point he knows it’s too late to slow down or stop. He had only ever heard of this prior with his brothers and friends who also shared his genetic disposition. But now, knowing it isn’t just a myth and he has no control until he fully releases inside of you, he has never been more turned on in his life.

Knowing he’ll fall apart inside of you, make you as swollen as he feels, is enough for him to come then and there. But Jay knows depriving you of a second orgasm when you’re this close would be cruel. And he’s anything but a cruel person.

He pounds harder into you and wraps an arm around you to find your clit with his fingers, rubbing the bud tenderly. It’s an insatiable mixture of heady and delicate; so intimate you wish you could kiss him while he thrusts deeply from behind you.

“Seongie, I’m so close.”

“Me too, my love. I could stay here all night,” he grunts his beautiful, filthy words into the space between you, the sounds accompanied by the meeting of your bodies. “You want that too, don’t you? Want to be filled up with nothing but my cum, belonging to nobody but me, huh?”

“Y-yes, more than anything,” you confess, loving the intimacy of his explicitness.

“So dirty for me. So perfect.” He kisses the center of your back as he continues to plow mercilessly into you.

“Fuck, baby, I’m gonna–” You have no time to finish your sentence as the second release floods your senses, the feeling in your body as bright as the moonlight and heavy as the sweat coating both of your bodies.

You barely have time to recover as Jay also comes a few seconds after, bottoming out as he releases. He refuses to let any of his cum go to waste, continuing to thrust inside of you in spite of your sensitivity. You mumble about it being too much and for him to pull out soon, but he’s focused on making sure none of him spills out.

When he’s satisfied, he releases you and lets you fall onto the comforter of your bed, spent and exhausted.

You giggle as he places kisses all over your sweaty face. “Jay, please.”

“What? I can’t kiss you now?” He asks, burying his face in your neck.

“You can when I’m not gross.”

“I think you’ve never looked more beautiful.” He grabs your palm and kisses each finger individually.

“Stop it,” you say, bashful. Jay knows you know it’s true, though. How could he not think so, completely in love and satisfied with your body filled with nothing but him?

He wraps the both of you in your blankets, his chest against your back. He’s never felt closer to you than in this moment, and he could not ask for more.

Well, besides another round in the morning.

“I love you,” he says before falling asleep nestled close to you.

“I love you too, babe,” you respond, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat and the glow of the moonlight as your eyelids close.

@mini-mews @jayparked @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 ౨ৎ˚₊

@kvanity-main @sweetvenomnet @onedoornet @sayxonet @violetanet @svthub @whipped-kpop-creators

[this-lovely-universe]

Lore Drop/Open Starter/who knows: Throw a punch

Finley & Anastasia

(I got a little carried away here and accidental wrote more then an open starter

anyways if you don't want to read the writing part, just skip to the *** and the open starter starts there)

It was a peaceful day, surprising.

Finley and Anastasia were just sat out the front of the Chaos cabin together, as they normally were.

It was a nice moment. Until it wasn't.

A girl had come up to them. "Are you Darrel Baird's daughter?"

Anastasia immediately tensed. "sadly."

"Why the hell would you lie about him? He did nothing wrong."

"Why the hell would you just come up to her and say that?" Finley asked, standing up.

"No one asked your opinion, you-"

"I suggest you think before you speak." Anastasia spat.

"Oh please, no one finds you intimidating." The girl sneered.

"Do you want to get punched?"

"Fin that's really not-"

"Oh yes, it is. You know it."

The girl rolled her eyes. "You gonna answer the question, Annabelle?"

"That's not my name and you know it."

"Sorry, Anaya."

Anastasia took a breath. "Whatever my father is spewing on his twitter account is bullshit."

Finley put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to tell her this." She whispered.

Anastasia smiled weakly at her. "It's fine."

"You sure?"

"Would you two stop whispering about me? I'm right here." The girl crossed her arms.

Finley rolled her eyes. "It literally wasn't about you."

"Oh yeah, sure. That's as truthful as what you said about your father."

"Would you mind your business?" Anastasia asked her.

"It is my business." She defended.

"How?" Finley eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh whatever, you clearly just want a fight." Anastasia gently pulled Finley's arm. "Come on, Fin."

The girl threw something at Anastasia's head. "Don't walk away from me, you useless sack of-"

She didn't get to finish her statement before Finley had punched her straight in the face.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

"Finle-"

The girl glared at her for a second, holding her nose, before punching her back.

She stumbled back, before smacking her head on the stairs.

"Finley!" Anastasia, crouched next to her as Finley groaned.

The girl, having probably realised what she'd done, ran.

Anastasia paid her no mind, just looking at Finley.

"Shit- you're bleeding." She said shakily. "Come on, just stay awake and I'll get you to the infirmary."

"It's not that bad." She sat up.

"Finley, it is- woah, slow down!"

She blinked the dizziness away. "It's-"

"Finley Morgan Zavala, if you say it's fine right now, I will tie you to a cot." She slowly pulled her up and put some of her weight on her.

Finley huffed, but struggled to not let Anastasia take care of her. "Fine."

"Good. Come on, you need patching up."

***

Anastasia came into the infirmary, helping a bleeding Finley.

It wasn't anything serious, nothing some ambrosia couldn't fix, but Anastasia looked one comment away from losing her shit.

"Can you help?" She asked.

"Anastasia, this is the fucking infirmary." She groaned.

more Annie and Fin content yippee

I can't tell if it's good or shit

oh well, it's here for the vibes

@arisdaughter @childofthewargod @dianedantedominic @theorphicforest

@this-rose-has-thornes @ithacas-prince @daonedaonlyskh @hispanic-child-of-hermes @aria-pane @unhinged-waterlilly

@chaos-pers0nified @ariathemortal @i-was-never-sane @gaygirldoodles @smileyalater

@if-i-could-cry-i-wouldnt @hellincarnation

If you want to be added, removed or if I forgot to tag you, let me know :)

[deadtired-highkeyenergetic]

Chances

As much as I love playing evil routes, patch 7's Spawn and Ascended Astarion lines really killed me on the inside. I'm never going the evil route while romancing him, it's too much for me to bear.

Summary: The tragedy begins with your first sacrifice, Astarion.

You watch the burning city of Baldur's Gate from atop the Netherbrain, taking in the chaos your Illithids sow, the blood they spill in your father's name. The tadpole in your brain hums, resonating with your army below and you bathe in the power you hold, all thanks to the three Netherstones in your possession. So much power, so many things to do but first things first.

The companions you have fought alongside all this while stand next to you, watching in horror at the carnage you have chosen to inflict in your father's name. You could care less about their reaction, all of them…except Astarion's.

The pale elf turns to face you, a sorrowful look in his eyes. Your heart would have shattered at the sight, but your heart was long gone, devoured by the pool of blood in your father's temple. All that's left is the Unholy Assassin Bhaalspawn, the very figure parents use to scare children.

"So, you chose this. Over Baldur's Gate, over your friends, over us…you chose this..."

You see the hurt, the betrayal written clear as day on his face. Your face remains impassive, unmoved, unchanged, but a small part of you breaks down. It screams at you to apologise, to turn back, to regain your heart. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't. You'd promised your father to bathe the world in blood in his name, to sacrifice it all at his altar, including the one you once loved. There was no going back, not when you'd come so far. Besides, your father would flay your mind into pieces if you tried to resist.

His face changes, anger and what looks to be disappointment clouding his face. Still, you look at him with a blank face, before beckoning him forward and closing the gap yourself. His lips taste as sweet as ever, feel as soft as before, and you feel a small pang in your chest. You kiss him like it's your last, devouring every inch of him and he returns the favour. His kiss is desperate, as if kissing you would bring you back. You nearly laugh, but hold it in so as to not jeopardise your mission.

The old you is gone forever, drowned in the pool of blood.

Your hand slips to your dagger, fingers grasping its hilt. At the final step, what's left of your heart skips a beat, your chest tightens, and you nearly falter. The thought of caressing his face crosses your mind but you quickly brush it aside before you start regretting things. You close your eyes, readying yourself and open them before the kiss breaks, thrusting the blade into his side.

The blood that springs forth brings a small smile to your face and you pull the blade out, watching him stagger backwards. He looks at the wound in horror, before looking back up at you sadly. The future the both of you had once discussed flicks through your mind, disappearing into the depths of your broken sanity just as quickly as it appeared. That future is no longer an option — your life belongs to Bhaal now, as does his.

He presses his hands to the wound but blood leaks through his fingers. It's too deep to be staunched, you'd made sure of that. After all, he was to be your first death, the beginning to your glorious story as the true Bhaalspawn where you would walk amidst a field of corpses and blood.

You watch as he keeps stumbling back, the energy slowly draining out of him. A glorious yet saddening sight. This would be the last time you see him, a bittersweet moment that would haunt you forevermore. You yearn to touch him one last time, to hold him close as his undead life flows out of him, to breathe in his scent but the time for that is long gone. All that awaits your touch is the stickiness of blood and the smoothness of bone.

The sadness turns to anger as he bares his fangs at you, the reality of your betrayal setting in. His disbelief is gone now, cemented by the blood on your blade. His words are spat out, poison dripping from each and every syllable.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance…"

He falls off the side of the Netherbrain, his energy sapped and you merely watch, as if the one who had just died in front of you was a mere stranger, not the one you once called 'your star'. You watch as his body grows smaller and smaller, until it's no more than a speck in the sky.

Goodbye, Astarion.

You turn to the rest of your companions, lips quirking up into a sinister smile. They look at your warily, but the tadpoles in their heads force them to obey. You hold your arm outstretched over the side of the Netherbrain and they follow, although you can see their reluctance in every step they take. They soon follow Astarion's example and fall all the way down. More sacrifices to your beloved father.

The smell of blood is enticing, the urge within baying for you to take your rightful place atop the mountain of corpses, and so you fall.

Striding amongst the corpses impaled by countless blades, you inhale the sweet scent they emit, bathing in the glory your father has paved for you. You will be the last one, walking through blood and bones and will finally take your place as your father's truest spawn. Still, when you spot a familiar corpse, a flash of sorrow fills your chest.

You really should have killed me when you had the chance.

[mothzarellaman]

so a few days ago, i shared an image of miraak suddenly appearing near whiterun and beating a sabre cat to death.

this game, besides like. unofficial skyrim patch and a hair mod, is unmodded. he just did this.

but allow me to continue the tale through discord screenshots. A more proper retelling is below the read more.

So, I was deciding to walk across one side of Skyri

m to another, specifically in search of the Dragon Priest mask totem/holder thing. (I found it later but that's irrelevant) So I began the walk from the Serpent Stone to Falkreath. As I was walking, I saw someone fighting a sabre cat in the road. That someone? Miraak.

He's punching the poor thing to death, doing very little damage in the process because he's probably a limp noodle let's be real. It's unclear why he's here. And why he's punching the sabre cat. But he wins. And walks away.

So what do we do? We follow him. (We being me and Farkas). We cannot talk to him, pickpocket him, or damage him in any other way. No shouts, nothing. He is walking very pointedly along the road, to some unknown destination. Eventually, we see another sabre cat. And Miraak? Well, he locks in. Lightning goes flying as he kills it. No punches this time, just lightning. It's unclear why he didn't do this earlier. He is very aggressively shouting, to no effect. Farkas runs to help him.

Once its dead, he keeps walking. This continues for a while. Occasionally we find already dead goats. He loots them. I steal a goat leg from a corpse and he sadly walks away. I kill a goat for him. He throws a tantrum and jumps into the river. He emerges and he's normal again. We continue walking and eventually meet a group of revelers. They offer my Dragonborn (Pan) some alcohol. We say yes. Miraak? He doesn't say a word. He keeps walking. He fights a few bears. We have an immortal bodyguard, apparently.

Eventually, I realize we're heading towards Windhelm. So I wonder if he's trying to go back to Solstheim. Surely, he's going to go through Windhelm? No. He is not. He completely skips the bridge, and instead keeps walking, and eventually stops at the ice floes across from the Windhelm docks. He has not said a word.

if you read this far enjoy a screenshot and the meme it got compared to

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hello! (And sorry in advance for the longread). First of all, thank you for all your hard work maintaining the most ultimate fanfic collection I've ever come across and guiding all the poor lost souls like myself towards their perfect fic solution! Life's pretty hard for me rn and through your lists and recommendations I've found exactly the works that help me keep pushing. And here comes the Second: I have two requests if I may? One is for helping find two works that I've read already but lost them and cannot find them for my life (probably just skipping them somehow, I can miss things right under my nose); first is I'm almost but not 100% sure about Sherlock dealing with withdrawal and John helping him, the one detail that I remember vividly is Sherlock telling John how Lestrade saved him from an od by unexpectedly showing up when Sherlock wanted to take his life 10 days after his verbally abusive father's funeral and that's also how he and Donovan met as Greg brought her with him. The second work is about sick feverish Sherlock and John calling Lestrade to help get Sherlock in the shower so he doesn't have to go to the hospital unless it doesn't help, Sherlock also unknowingly throwing punches when feverish, one landing on John's face, and he apologized afterwards.

And the second request is maybe you know some works that feature John asking Sherlock to dance and them subsequently dancing together, publicly if possible? Not an AU (I mean as a different universe like balletlock or fantasylock or sth, canon deviations are okay, even better if it's 'Mary's a villain') and not a sad ending if possible too. It just broke my heart that Sherlock loves dancing so much and John was apparently very reluctant and ashamed of them training before the wedding, so Sherlock had to help hide that, my poor baby. Would be ideal if it was specifically John wanting to make that right but I'll gorge up on anything except for AUs and sad endings.

Sorry if I'm asking for too much and/or if this whole word sheet is difficult to read since I'm not a native speaker. I hope that for as long as you still feel up to this and have love for the fandom you'll grace us with your presence and effort, it is greatly appreciated! Best wishes and thank you again!

Hi Nonny!!!

First of all, Thank you so much for your kind words!! I am humbled that you think of my blog as an "ultimate collection of fics" hahah. That's SO sweet and makes my tummy all squidgy!! I love when y'all find comfort in my happy place! :)

I'm so sorry you're going through a rough patch right now, but I'm glad that my blog makes the days easier for you 💜🖤

And you can have as many requests as you like!! This blog relies on them!!!! I'll try my best to help you find them!!

Sadly, I don't know what fics either of the two you are searching for are (the OD / withdrawal nor the shower fic) but my Lovelies and Lurkers™ have an uncanny ability to find fics that I don't know, so hopefully they'll come through for us for either of those.

As for the Second Request, best I can do IMMEDIATELY are these lists:

Dancing (updated March 14/23)

Sexy Dancing

Evil / Not-Nice / Villain Mary

Not EXACTLY what you're looking for, but I hope that these will be a good start!!

If anyone wants to offer ANY fic for ANY of the requests for Nonny, please let us know!! I check the notes on all posts and add them to the lists! 💜🖤

Hope you're having a great day Nonny, and lots of HUGS!!!

[honey-minded-hivemind]

It is time for the 🍓StrawberryMilk!AU's first scenario... For this, remember my warning in the explanatory post for this au: if you don't like what I mentioned would be in this au, then don't read it. It features your chosen Marvel platonic yanderes as fluffy cow people. What comes with that is lactation (they are part cow, it's a given), slight body modification (nothing gorey or squicky), slight mention/portrayal of platonic breast-feeding, and the fluffier side of platonic yans in general (such as worry, care, trying to get their bby to eat, cuddles, and fluffy cow parts). Enjoy the platonic fluff to ensue!

• Their herd has a new member. They (your chosen platonic yan) watch them from across the large barn. They've taken notice of their newest addition, and suffice to say... they're the shyest little calf they've ever seen. It's kinda cute, seeing them try to hide anytime someone goes looking for them, or blushing whenever they receive sweet words their way... but as of late, their behavior has gotten too worrisome to ignore...

• They aren't eating. They've been watching the little one, but they've yet to finish a full meal. It worries them, as well as the rest of the herd. They can't have their kid staving, especially since they're so small compared to the rest of them. It's adorable how tiny they are, barely reaching up to anyone's hip. Heh. But still... they can't really afford to skip a meal. After all, they may consider themselves quite the grown little sprout, but they're still a calf. And calves need plenty of nutrition.

• They sigh to themself. What they have to do won't be easy, but they have to do it. The little one needs help, and they want to - need to - provide it. So with a heave, they stand up fully, and trail after the little one. It isn't hard... their little one happens to hide in the same space every time, a hidden stall a bit away from the others'... They can hear sniffling, and they hurry towards them...

• You didn't want to be here. You weren't sure where you were exactly, but it wasn't anywhere you'd seen before. There were other people here... well. People who were part cow? You weren't certain, but they had fluffy bits of fur in some places, tails, and a few even had horns. They were rather friendly... yet... this wasn't your home. Tears well up in your eyes at the thought of where you used to be. Why were you here? You didn't want to be here. You wanted your old life back.

• You try to stifle your tears, sniffling sadly. You were hurting, and you had no one to turn to. You were alone... or so you thought...

• The platonic yan stops outside the stall door, pausing for a moment. They can hear the little one crying... and it pains them to hear them so upset. They know they don't want to be there, that they don't want to stay... but this is their home now. And they need to eat. And with that thought, they enter...

• You look up quickly when you hear the old wooden floor creak. Standing at the entrance to your hiding spot is one of the people who live here. They tower over you, large and covered in patches of fluff. Their tail sways carefully as they clear their throat. They bend down, squatting so they can get closer to your level. You watch them, startled.

• "Hey there, little one... Can we... talk for a moment?" they ask. Their eyes look over the little one, noting how distressed they are. A small comforting noise escapes them, which spooks their bby. "It's okay, baby, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just worried about you." They pray they don't scare off this tiny little calf...

• You shift anxiously, quivering some. You ask if they're really worried about you. Questioning why they are concerned over you, a newcomer to their home. You see their eyes soften, a sad gaze settling over them. "Baby, you aren't eating. You need to eat. Growing little ones need all the food they can get." They reach out hesitantly, then place a large, warm hand on your shoulder. "So, please... may you tell me what's wrong?"

• And just like that, the dams holding in your tears break, releasing your pent-up emotions. You cry as you explain how you feel stressed, that you miss where you used to be. And the person just nods understandingly, and pat your back. "It's alright... it's okay to feel upset about such a big change... but, I'm here if you need someone to talk to, okay? Just say the word, and I'll help you, alright?" they say.

• You nod shakily, then carefully hug them. A surprised noise escapes them, and with gentle arms, they hug you back. The two of you stay like that for a while, until you start to feel the lull of sleep tugging at you. You rub at your face, trying to stay awake. But your new friend notices. "Feeling tired, little one?" they ask with a soft voice. You nod, exhaustion creeping up on you. They smile at you, and ask a question... "Would you like to sleep in my room tonight? It isn't very far..." With a yawn, you nod once again... and their smile widens...

• "Okay, little one. Hold on a minute," they say, then they pick you up carefully. You protest for a moment, but they only shush you quietly. They carry you back towards the group's stalls, where they enter one with hardly any light. They set you down on a large bed, among a sea of fuzzy blankets and soft pillows, making sure you're comfy as they settle down next to you. Giving you a warm look, they then drape a thick cover over you both...

• "Night, calf... get some rest, okay? I'll be here when you wake up..." they say softly... And just like that, you drift off... Soft breaths fill the air, and the platonic yan gives you a small, loving pat. They let out a gentle huff, then settle down, making sure you're well and deep asleep... For this part, it's best you aren't awake...

• With a gentle, firm grip, they tug their bby against them, making sure they didn't wake them... they let out a small, quiet noise... they think their little calf can eat a bit now... so with a soft pull, they lean their little one upon their chest... they rub the spot carefully, until a small bead of milk pearls at the tip... Good... Then, with a small shove, their bby is pushed toward it... They rub carefully at their bby's back, caressing them as they try to make them relax into feeding... they know their bby needs to eat... and right now, while they're asleep, they won't feel embarrassed or afraid to do so... They hum a little, and soon feel a tiny suckle at them...

• Good... it seems their little one is finally getting some food in them. They pet their bby's back slowly, making sure they are resting comfortably while they slumber... The platonic yandere nuzzles them, pulling the cover closer over them and their little calf. They could both use some sleep... And in the morning, if their calf looks a bit more like a calf, and they can't remember anything before waking up here... well... that isn't bad, now, is it? They chuckle lightly, smoothing their bby's hair back a little. They let out a tired yawn, snuggling them sweetly. They won't let anyone hurt their precious calf, nor will any of their family... And finally, with a loving rumble, they pass out, cuddling their little one...

[hazelhearts]

We'll Be Alright

Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

summary: love takes time, especially when the person you love hurts you in the worst way possible

content/warnings: suicidal thoughts, depressive thoughts, miscommunication trope, wandavision, heartbreak

note/request: ahh my first wanda fic! it's been a long time coming. i put so much of myself into this one so I hope you guys love it as much as I do. warning, it hurts bad.

word count: 2.1k words

masterlist

Staying behind on missions had been a pretty normal thing for you over the past couple of weeks. You could listen to the dumb reasons Tony talked about for hours and hours every day, but the simpler thought is that he's an ass.

Usually Wanda would insist on staying back with you, but she didn't say a word this time. You assumed it was because of Vision. Things have gotten pretty tense between them the past couple of days, and sadly it wasn't the bad kind of tense.

Anyone with eyes could see that Wanda was gorgeous. But beyond that she was kind, compassionate, independent, and knew what she wanted. Not many people could say that these days. Especially not the clump of metal that's been trying to win her over.

Loving Wanda was honestly one of the worst things you could have ever done for yourself. She's been an emotional rock since Pietro, barely letting anyone in. You had only recently broken down some of the barriers, able to convince her to hang out with you. Most of the time it was just sitting silently in each others presence, but that was enough for you.

As the thoughts continued to run through your head, your phone suddenly rang. It took a couple of rings to really gain your attention, but the caller ID made you pick up so fast that it didn't really matter.

"Wanda?"

"Hey Y/N, um Tony wanted me to tell you to make sure that you washed the dishes. Something about how you kept skipping your assigned days?" The joy of talking to Wanda was always dulled by the mention of stick up his ass Stark. Sure you'd skipped a couple of days, but Thor loved doing them! He said that they didn't have to do it in Asgard and that it was one of his favorite mortal pastimes.

"Yeah, tell the asshole that they'll be done. But not because he wants me to, because I wanna eat dinner at some point tonight and the man doesn't touch a dirty dish." Wanda's laugh made the annoying remark worth it, the image of her smile making you grin like an idiot.

"Okay well that's all. See you later." She hung up before you could get out another word. Damn, so much for trying to be smooth Y/N.

----------

The team returned about two hours later, minimal injuries across the board. Wanda seemed to be the worse off. If you looked really closely, you could see a slight limp.

"Wanda-"

"C'mon, let's patch you up." If you weren't in front of the entire team, you'd crush that tin man into a cube and ship him to the nearest manufacturing facility.

Wanda and Vision walked into her room, practically staring into each other's souls. You were disgusted by the pda, that's all. Right?

"Stark, what's on the menu tonight?" Steve received a glare that was probably supposed to be intimidating but ended up making him look constipated.

"Whatever I put on the table. Now scram, or no one gets fed." You had never seen so many full-grown adults run out of a room at the same time.

You stopped in front of Wanda's room hoping the asshole of a robot was gone. For once, your wish was granted.

"Wands?" You lightly knocked on the door frame to keep from startling her. She nodded her head at you, as distant as ever.

"Wanna watch a movie? I picked out a few I thought you'd like." You knew there was too much hope in your voice but you couldn't help it. Since the titanium twat waffle showed up, you barely ever had a moment alone with Wanda.

"I'm sorry Y/N. Vision and I were actually going to do something tonight. Maybe some other time?" You forced the smile to stay on your face, refusing to show her any negative emotions.

"Oh yeah, sure. Another time." You walked out without another word, debating on asking Tony to deactivate the thorn in your side before you did it yourself.

----------

You began to feel immune to the passing of days as you and Wands drifted further and further apart. Every second she wasn't on a mission was spent with Vision. Your heart broke more every day, if that was even possible.

The rest of the team had started to notice your absence. Even when you were with them physically, you were somewhere else. They knew that asking Wanda to read your mind was out of the question. You had clarified that the first time the idea was spoken. Since then, they've all worried in silence. Even shithead Stark was starting to worry about you.

The team (minus you, Wanda, and Vision) got together and put it to a vote. Who would be the one to check on you? None of them really wanted to since emotions were not their strong suit, but it had to be done. The vote ended in a tie between Nat and Steve. Steve, being the only one brave enough to actually do it, knocked on your door a few minutes later.

"Y/N? It's Steve. Can I come in?" No response.

"Y/N, give me some sign that you're alive." Nothing, yet again.

"Alright, I'm coming in." Steve opened the door and there you were, staring out the window.

There were dark bags under your eyes, dried tears splattered across your face, and a haze over your eyes that Steve hadn't ever seen before. Your clothes looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks, as they probably hadn't. Your room was surprisingly clean, seeming as if no one had lived in it for quite a long time. It was true, since what you were doing wasn't really living.

"Y/N..." He knelt down next to the chair you were in, looking out the window. He knew you probably didn't want to talk, but you had to. No one had heard a single word come out of your mouth in months. Not even Wanda.

"Y/N/N, talk to me kid. I'm worried, Nat's worried, we're all worried. You haven't said a word in months, you barely eat, and you barely ever leave this room. I need you to talk to me." Your head turned towards Steve, absent look still present behind your eyes.

"Do you ever feel like the universe is plotting against you? Like, every time you find happiness, it comes in and squashes it?" Your voice was completely monotone apart from the scratch that showed just how unused it was.

"Kid, I should have been dead ages ago. I lost the woman I loved, the life I was living, and my best friend in what felt like a month to me. So yeah, I understand." Your head turned back to the window, but your eyes slowly focused more on the area around you.

"I'm just tired, Steve. I'm so damn tired. I'm tired of hurting, I'm tired of thinking, and honestly I think I'm even tired of living. Everything hurts." Steve's hand came up to rub your back, giving you the slightest bit of comfort.

"Well, let's wake you up. I know that there's no automatic remedy, but we can try can't we? How about you start with a nice shower, brushing your teeth, and changing out of these nasty clothes?" Your hand found Steve's on the armrest of the chair, giving it a light squeeze.

"Are you saying I stink Rogers?" You both let out a laugh, his much stronger than yours, but still a laugh. The first laugh you'd had in months. It felt good.

"God yes. You smell like a sewer. Now, go." Steve laughed as he left the room, and you got out of the chair.

----------

"Y/N/N! We missed you!" Thor practically ran to you and scooped you up into a hug, cutting off all of your oxygen.

"Can't- breathe. Thor, o-oxygen!"

"Shit! Sorry tiny." He finally let you go, your face slowly gaining back color. You smiled, really smiled.

"I might be tiny but that doesn't mean I can't beat the shit out of you blondie!" Everyone laughed, happy to have a bit of the old Y/N back, no matter how little.

"I made breakfast!" Tony came around in his signature Kiss the Cook apron, a huge plate on pancakes holding on for dear life.

"God, you read my mind." You and the rest of the team rushed to the table, excited as ever to scarf down every bit of food within reach.

One thing you did happen to notice was Wanda. She sat next to you, as far away from Vision as possible. You dismissed it, trying not to get your hopes up as it didn't work out well at all last time.

You practically inhaled the food, finishing three plates in record time. You even beat Thor's personal record, pissing him off more than ever.

You saw Wanda approach you out of the corner of your eye, keeping your head facing down towards the sink. You were sure that these dishes had never been as thoroughly scrubbed as they were right then.

"Y/N? Can we talk?" You risked looking up at her, seeing only sadness behind those beautiful emerald eyes you loved. The sight made you want to throw up.

"Yeah sure, we can go to my room." You put the final dish away, leading Wanda towards your room and shutting the door behind you.

"Okay, what's up?" Before you could even fully turn around, Wanda collapsed into your arms. You grabbed onto her as tightly as you could, holding her as close to you as you could manage.

"I missed you. God, I missed you so much. I read your thoughts, I know you asked me not to, but I had to! You were never around and I was worried! I saw everything, everything about me." You were definitely going to puke.

"Oh god Wanda. You were never supposed to see that." You averted your eyes, unable to look at the woman you loved. You couldn't face her rejection when you were just starting to pick yourself back up.

"Y/N, look at me, please." She put her finger under your chin, raising your head enough to look into her eyes.

"I love you, I should have said it sooner. I just- I thought you could never feel the same way. You were always so fun and amazing, I never thought you'd want me. So, I went to Vision, trying to get over you. But it didn't work! I can't stop thinking about you, and I think you can't stop thinking about me either." The words you always wanted to hear were finally spoken to you, and all you felt was dread.

"Wanda, of course I still think about you. I can't help it. But I'm not in the place for a relationship right now. I just started trying to get myself back together. I just started recovering from the first time you broke me. I can't put myself through that again yet. No matter how much I love you, I need to love me for a while." Wanda slowly nodded her head, averting her eyes this time.

"It's not a no, it's a give me time. I don't wanna make you wait, but I can't do it. I love you Wanda, so much, and knowing you feel the same way about me? I'm over the moon. But I need time, time to gather all these thoughts I'm having and pull myself together." You grabbed Wanda's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I understand. I'm happy you're taking care of yourself." She smiled at you. You could tell it was forced, but you appreciated the effort.

"Do you think we can be friends, y'know, until you're ready?" You smiled right back at Wanda, yours much more sincere than hers.

"I would want nothing more. But, I do have one request."

"What might that be?" Wanda smirked, making you even more confident in what you were about to do.

"This." You kissed her. You poured every bit of love and care you had for her into the kiss, expressing all the words you couldn't say with the movements of your tongue and lips. Wanda kissed back just as passionately, love nearly drowning you.

You both knew that it would take time. You needed to heal, and Wanda did too. You'd both been through a lot, emotionally and mentally. But, until you got your happy ending, you could have her by your side supporting you in the same way she used to. That would be enough, for now.

----------

taglist form

[romaritimeharbor]

Ok so i finally got to read the new MORAL INJURY chapter and yeah, it’s definitely more on the darker side than the last two. First, i wanna mention that i love you how wrote reader and Scaramouche’s interaction. It feels weird seeing the reader, who in the first chapter was so nice to the test subject they were gonna be experimenting on, be so cold to Scaramouche. And for some reason, i think that might have to do with Dottore’s influence? Like the reader was able to empathize with the other test subjects because they were once like them, a test subject themself. But with Scaramouche? They cant because of two things, his title and physiology (or lack of one?).

Like, Scaramouche has the Harbinger title like Dottore, so i feel like the reader would subconsciously associate him with Dottore as this shitty unfeeling superior who doesnt see anyone below them worth caring about. Which im pretty sure that’s probably true to how Scaramouche is acting during this time but i think its hard to feel empathy for someone they think who’s like their horrible boss. And then his physiology, i feel like the reader is just following Dottore’s fascination on Scaramouche’s creation. It’s not everyday that an Archon’s creation is just being abandoned and not destroyed. Im sure that the reader has experimented on other species before but i think even without Dottore’s interest in Scara, they themself are just as intrigued in him. So while they are doing these stuff under Dottore’s orders, the reader is also a bit intrested in how Scaramouche works which caused them to do a bit more than they need to.

Also i feel like both Scaramouche and the reader are projecting their hatred for Dottore against each other. With Scaramouche, he sees the reader as an extension to Dottore. Capable of hurting experimenting on him like Dottore yet still have a lower standing than him. Which is why he would be an asshole to the reader, he probably wouldnt be one with Dottore himself if he were the one to be checking up on him but the reader is his best next target to just deal with the idea that he’s something lesser in the Doctor’s eyes. With the reader, they somewhat sees Scaramouche as someone in the line of Dottore. An abusive asshole who can do whatever they want. And while the reader was just trying to only do what they need to do when checking up on Scaramouche, aside from their already bad mood, maybe there really was a small part of them that wanted to do the check up much more than they need to. Maybe a small part of them wanted to see Dottore suffer for all the horrible shit he’s done but rn they cant do that, so the best next thing would be Scaramouche, someone who’s just like him. Both of them are hurting each other because they both cant hurt the source of their pain (Dottore) so they’ll just have the best next thing (and sadly, this kind of mentality is an actual thing that happens..)

I also wanna talk about Dottore and reader’s interaction. He sees them as property, doesnt he? Their interactions just makes me think that in some way, he does care in a very twisted way, not as a person but just something that he owns. You did a really good job in explaining on how Dottore sees them as he sees them as some sort of sick entertainment. i wonder, does the reader know any dark secret that Dottore has to use for blackmail? Some sort of blackmail they could possibly use when they defect? Like another payback for their time as his assistant.

Overall, i really like what you made aph! While it was definitely leaning in the storys darker theme, you’ve done a great job at showing Scaramouche and readers interaction! Hope you have a great day/night and remember to drink your daily dose of water! (I’ve been forgetting to drink lately so please dont make the same mistakes like i have)

(ALSO FURINA RERUN IS COMING IN THE NEXT PATCH! I AM SO SKIPPING CLORINDE AND SIGWINNE)

(Also also, im so sorry for somewhat spoilling the Penacony arc 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😖😖😖)

- 🐱 Anon

I AM SO HAPPY TO GET THIS ASK 🐱 ANON, YOU UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO CONVEY AUGHHHHH YOU AND AVERY UNDERSTAND ME SO WELL 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

firstly, it's so easy for reader to be cruel and awful to scaramouche because he isn't human. you know how signora basically said that the only reason scaramouche is number 6 is because he can endure more pain and suffering than humans can? [name] would agree with her (and maybe i will look into including some kind of interaction between them). reader does not see scaramouche as a human being, as a living thing worthy of respect like they are. no. they see him as an object. but this mentality is also because of dottore's influence--dottore sees them like an object too, and they don't know how to cope with how helpless that makes them feel. i think there's something to be said about how the reader mimics dottore's behaviors; a pet only knows what it has been taught, after all. :)

scaramouche and the reader were both in a fucked up struggle for control (as avery, @/starryshinyskies, mentioned in their tags on moral injury ch. 3) that [name], ultimately, came out on top of. reader will not let themselves be bullied by someone who they can control; they can't control the doctor, but they can control the balladeer. they just need to break him a little first. and on the other hand, scaramouche hates having the hands of someone like dottore on him because he knows that even if they're "nicer," they will still hurt him. AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN A HARBINGER. BUT THEY CAN STILL HURT HIM. and reader doesn't want to hurt him!!!!! they don't!!! but how else are they supposed to survive in this fucked up environment if they don't meet those that threaten their safety with bared teeth, so to speak? it's like scaramouche has no control over what happens to him and the only thing he can do to maintain the feeling of control is be an asshole. and to [name], he's just another harbinger prick like dottore even though deep down inside, they KNOW better. but neither of them can hurt dottore, so all they can do is tear one another apart instead.

(on that note, should i look into adding arlecchino interactions? i actually think that our knave, the current knave, would get along well with the reader, once she realized that they also fucking hate their boss.)

dottore and all of his segments just see [name] as their favorite little lab rat... lab mouse, actually. they're not a person to the second harbinger (harbingers..?); they are a thing to be owned, hence why they treated scaramouche like a thing.

well... for one, though they have no real proof... they do know that he is the rumored outcast of the akademiya. or that's what they speculate, at least. it's a theory that will sit in their mind all the way until act 4 (i think), where a certain archon will confirm their suspicions.

THANM YOU DEARRR i loved working on this chapter. i think it's a really good chapter to learn about [name]'s relationships in a more in-depth way. i will, and PLEASEEE drink some water HAHAH /lh

FURINA RERUN 🗣🗣🗣 i love furina and i would pull for her tbh but i'm saving for arle's rerun. i never got her weapon 😔🙏 BUT GOOD LUCK THEN IF YOU PULL FOR HER I HOPE SHE COMES HOME REALLY FAST

(did you? honestly if you did, i don't even remember HAHA i really don't mind the spoilers too much so dw about it!!)

[paisholotus]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞

Narrative

The next morning. Master Pakku is on the deck of the ship with several other men from the Northern Water Tribe. He reaches into a bag and pulls out a triangle-shaped amulet.

In a serious and ceremonial manner, he walks forward, "Katara, I want you to have this." He says, showing that it is a triangle with a wave-shaped pattern of blue color with a crescent moon on the top. "This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis." Master Pakku as he hands the amulet to Katara, who is standing in front of Appa and next to Aang. "The water has unique properties. Don't lose it." He says, as his face softens.

Katara bows respectfully, "Thank you, Master Pakku." She embraces him and then walks off to hug Yanna, they hug swaying side to side, with smiles and tears streaming down their faces. Aang steps forward and Master Pakku produces an intricately-decorated brown box.

"Aang, these scrolls will help you master waterbending, but remember they're no substitute for a real master." Master Pakku said smirking.

Aang looks up at Katara, who is on top of Appa, and then moves to give Yanna a big hug too, she tells him it was a pleasure meeting him, and it will not be the last time they see each other again.

"Sokka." Master Pakku says, Sokka looks at him proudly and expectantly, "Take care, son." He says, slapping his shoulder. Yanna cackles bending over trying to hold in her laugh, as Katara and Aang try to do the same. Pakku pats Sokka's arm, giving him nothing. Sokka's expression becomes very dejected and embarrassed.

He walked towards Yanna who had a sad smile on her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck as they held on tight to each other. They pulled away and shyly blushed.

"So I guess this is goodbye. We just found each other again." Sokka said sadly.

Yanna frowned then chuckled, "Sokka you are so dramatic, this isn't the last time I'll see you, I still have a duty to fill out." She said, nudging him then looked at Aang and Katara, as they smiled and told Sokka to hurry up.

Sokka nodded and smiled before walking towards Appa but stopped, and quickly grabbed Yanna's hand pulling her close to him. He cupped her cheeks and passionately kissed her lips. It took Yanna by surprise but she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck deepening the kiss.

He pulled away, grabbing her hand, slowly dropping it, before turning around getting on Appa. Both of them a blushing mess.

"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There you'll be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi." Pakku said, smiling. Yanna waved at them softly smiling.

"Appa, yip yip!" Aang yelled, as they took off in the sky.

Pakku turned to Yanna and smirked, "it would seem our Moon Warrior has taken a suitor." He joked. Yanna playfully rolled her eyes and shoved him out her way, making him chuckle.

  -Time Skip-

"Maybe you can avoid me, but she can't." General Fong said,smirking.

The Earthbenders use their discs to create a v-shaped wall, making sure that the only means of escape is by General Fong. Katara throws her stream of water at Fong, but he raises a patch of dirt, creating a patch of mud. He takes up a fighting stance. Katara, who spins around and begins to sink into the ground. She is up to her knees in dirt. She struggles to escape but doesn't budge.

"Aaahhh!" Katara yells and grunts, straining, "I can't move!" She said, hyperventilating.

"Don't hurt her!" Aang yelled. He leaps down from the staircase and shoots a stream of air at Fong. Fong, who looks surprised, but quickly raises a wall of earth to protect himself. He lowers the wall, the turns back to Katara, who sinks deeper into the ground.

Katara sinking deeper, "Aaahhh!" She shrieked I'm fear.

Sokka, who rides out from behind one of the discs on his birdlike creature. He charges toward Fong.

"Katara! No!" Sokka yelled, as he watched Katara sink even deeper. Fong sinks the bird creature's legs into the dirt and Sokka gets tossed from his ostrich, landing in the hole of one of the discs. "Waaaahhh! Oof!" Sokka grunts.

Aang runs to to Fong, grabbing his arm. "Stop this! You have to let her go." He pleads with tears in his eyes.

Fong looks down at Aang angrily, "You could save her if you were in the Avatar state." He says, glaring at Aang. Aang became frustrated and desperate. Tears begin to streaming down his face.

"I'm trying... I'm trying! PLEASE STOP, LET HER GO!" He said desperately.

Fong clenches his fist and Katara disappears totally into the ground. Aang dives for her, just barely missing her hands. The arrow mark on his head begins to glow, and he turns around, revealing that the Avatar State has been activated. He glares angrily at Fong as he rises.

Fong, who lifts his fist into the air in victory. "It worked. It worked!" He yelled proudly.

A strong blast of wind hits Fong, and he shields himself with his arms. Aang, who is standing in front of him, wind billowing around him. Back to Fong, who smiles, but the grin quickly fades as he becomes terrified. Aang, who launches a karate chop-like attack towards Fong and the soldiers. Fong, who goes flying backward. He lands at the base of the tower. Aang lifts himself up in a vortex of dirt.

Aang, hovering, his body suddenly glows blue, a surprised expression on his face. This blue spirit form leaves his glowing body and rises into the sky. overlooking the wrecked base. Roku and Aang fly by quickly on Roku's dragon.

"It's time you learned." He told Aang.

The dragon flies off into golden clouds, there are figures standing on them. The dragon flies by, as Aang looked at them confused.

"The Avatar state is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars." Roku told him. They see a female Avatar in a green robe and mask, holding fans. Her eyes glow briefly and she takes up a fighting stance. They see two huge statues of mole-like creatures, as she lifts them into the air and fly toward the ocean.

"The glow is the combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy through your body." Roku told him. They see a male Avatar on the end of a ship. He's wearing a blue coat and a white hat, presumably made of animal skin. His eyes glow as well, he moves his hands back making a huge tidal wave.

They see another female Avatar, whose eyes glow. She shoves her hands forward, strong winds blow the yellow grass and trees in the distance. "In the avatar state you are at your most powerful." they saw another male Avatar in red armor. He lifts his arms and four volcanoes erupt in the background.

They saw two female fire benders riding on black and red dragons, above a palace with volcanoes erupting in the back. They then flew past the artic ocean seeing a girl rise out of the ice filled water on top of a sea serpent, as a huge wave rised behind them. They flew past a air temple as a girl sat on top of a white Phoenix, it flapped its wings moving the air fast past them. Then finally they saw a girl in green standing on top of a mountain, earth bending a avalanche with bagermoles standing behind her.

"But but you are also at your most vulnerable." Roku said, sternly. "What do you mean?" Aang asked. The Avatars and protectors shown earlier can be seen on the clouds in the background. Roku and the Avatars suddenly vanish. They appear in a single-file line, their eyes glowing.

"If you are killed in the Avatar state, the reincarnation cycle will be broken and the Avatar and the protectors will cease to exist."

[sillibillichilli]

"the 4.1 incident"

So, the new update for genshin is out! yay... now let me tell you my story of the update..

I log on almost seconds after its available, originally I has started saving for raiden's next re-run but then, I saw Xinqiu was on this banner. I did not have any good Hydro units at all, so I wanted to get him, so I tried my luck with the wishes I had. First wish, diona :(, next 7 wishes, nothing, and I'm skipping throughs these fast. It gets worse when on my next pull, another diona >:(. So I pull again...and I see a little bit of gold and a very large blackness..and thats when I go. "oh shit." I personally did not want neuvi, may I remind you I was at 21 pity, non guaranteed, because I had just become a lyney Main, he was almost done being built. THEN THIS MOFO OF A CHEIF JUSTICE COMES IN. I don't know what to do, I jus stare at my screen for a while, thinking "goddamnit man. why. why now?" so once I accept my fate I just decided to use all my wishes..I got the rust :|. I have really no idea what to at this point and jus start exploring, I eventually get another wish and pull on Hu tao and NO I DIDN'T GET HER (thank god) I...got xinqiu:) and now I can say I got Neuvi in his first minute of release 😭👍

also after all this I called my friends, one wanted neuvi and he showed me his pulls, he was at two pity, and on his first ten I said "this one" he got neuvi at 4 pity ;). Then he got a early weapon, sadly it was staff of homa, still good though! Then I have another friend who was a Hu Tao main and wanted her weapon, so I watched her pull, and lo and behold, she was doing singles and I said "skip the next one its gonna be it" she got staff of homa, her first 5* weapon too!

so after all this I still don't know what to do with Neuvi but..I guess i'm just gonna have to try and figure it out! Good luck this patch, whether it be Neuvi, Hu tao, Wriothesley, or Venti, good luck! and remember to enjoy the game, even a qiqi :)

[robinsnest2111]

Here's the promised Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe concert experience post <3

Under a read more because I don't want to hit any of you with this giant wall of text, videos and photos without any way to skip past lol

I arrived at the venue with time to spare, saw many people in just black bandshirts (for comfort which I totally get. Not everyone's as extra as me who dresses up like he's Mick Mars' stunt double in the 80s lol)

I sadly had to throw away my umbrella. It wasn't allowed inside the pit. I get it, hazard and whatnot. The 4€ fee to have someone look after it and only a half hour window to get it back after the concert ended seemed not worth it for a cheap umbrella so buying a new one on monday it is.

I got myself a shirt as soon as I got in. The choices were not great, gotta admit. Mötley Crüe seem to be going for some japanese-esque Samurai-inspired graphic for their new era (felt like an Iron Maiden copy-ish thing to me, not my thing)

The rest of the black shirts were meh, either too plain or prominently featuring John 5. The only shirt with Mick on it was a pale pink and was 5 bucks more expensive than everything else. All shirts and tank tops, both for Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard, were 45 bucks each (rip my June budget fr), bandanas were 25 bucks, basecaps and limited edition signed prints 35 bucks, etc. The Mötley keychains were all sold out by the end of the night, else I would've gotten one of those. My Iron Maiden keychain from 2018 is looking a bit worn and I would've loved to have a new one but oh well. I can still try and DIY one myself. I wanna get more into bleach-painting and patch making and embroidery anyway so it'd be great practice!

I had a t-shirt and tank top by the end of the night lol

---

After the initial shirt purchase I still had ample time for a toilet break (and a sip of free sink water) after almost 2 hours of travel time and found a nice space in the crowd somewhere in the middle distance from where I could see most of the action on stage.

A local rock radio station did the pre-gig music entertainment. I also met 2 nice dudes who are in a band called Nathanael and play Victorian folk metal! They handed me their business card and I will definitely check them out as soon as I can, maybe even go to one of their gigs soon?

Between the rock radio station signing off and the start of the actual gigs they played some other songs to keep the crowd entertained, Fox On The Run by The Sweet among others! A personal mini highlight 🦊💕

Mötley Crüe was up first and they took their sweet time to actually get on stage.

There was a pretty long classical music piece playing before their proper intro sequence.

The official start was supposed to be around 6.30 pm but they got on stage at sometime around 7.30pm? My inner punctuality freak was not amused but it is what it is lol

I loved the song selection, knew almost all of them but had trouble singing along for reasons other than my Swiss cheese brain. Not sure if it was intentional or just very unluckily adjusted speakers but most of what I heard of the songs was the droning of the subwoofers. Most of Vince's vocals and a bit of Nikki's bass, John's guitar and Tommy's drums were drowned out by the reverb of the sound system and the overwhelming boom of the speakers. Kinda disappointing. It also rendered the audio of most of the videos I filmed during their set useless. But ah well.

As this was my first time seeing Mötley Crüe on stage I have no idea if it's a common thing for the sexy dancer ladies to have their own mics and sing some of Vince's parts? It didn't matter much due to the aforementioned "subwoofer drowning out most of the sound" issue lol

And how could I forget the tits cam zooming in on the crowd, at dear Tommy's request. I guess if you're famous enough you can simply ask to see your fans' tits and most of them happily oblige. I've never seen so many tits out in the wild/on the big screens, it was strange. But it firmly cemented just how wildly asexual I am. Although I am capable of appreciating some nice boobies from an aesthetic point of view no problem, they don't do anything for me beyond that haha

Strangely, the only song the audio was fine on was Home Sweet Home. I really wish I could've heard more of Vince's voice in the other songs like that :')

John 5's formal intro was an almost 2 minutes long guitar solo, not sure how to feel about that. Like yes, he's good, he has the skills, but. Eh.

(Loved the violin bow on guitar strings intro to Kickstart My Heart tho, that was kinda cool :P)

Nikki and Vince introducing their older more well known songs with "Wanna hear more of our old shit?" rubbed me the wrong way? On the other hand Nikki said the band loves Germany (he even waved the German flag on stage) and loves the crowd so, eh. I guess I'm a weenie and that's just how they are haha

Also got a little sad about them changing some of the lyrics to Smoking In The Boys Room (from "my buddies Sixx, Mick and Tom" to "my buddies Sixx, 5 and Tom") and the caricature and logo on the screens near the end of their set featuring John 5 instead of Mick. I wasn't quick enough to get a photo because the sadness of a new Mick-less Crüe era hit me full force in that moment. Can't help that my brain is hyperfixating on Mick Fucking Mars and that I missed him dearly all night long :'))))))

At least they didn't cut him out of any of the 80s footage video edits playing on the big screens during some songs. It would've been pretty asshole-ish if they did. Like completely erasing him from their band history.

On a lighter note: Vince introducing Nikki as his brother, who he has known for over 40 years, and their little in-sync swaying back and forth with the mic stand and bass respectively moment with them laughing and talking and exchanging smiles and grins was super cute :') <3

Also Tommy receiving a small bouquet of roses, smiling, and then proceeding to stuff them down the front of his pants lmao

And that was that for Mötley Crüe

A little break in-between, enough time for another trip to the loo and afterwards sip some more water from the sink like an animal (not gonna pay anything over 5€ for a puny little cup of water from the overpriced beverage stands, no sir)

Def Leppard were in another league compared to Mötley Crüe! Their sound was PERFECT. Very harmonic, powerful, you could hear everyone SO WELL!!! None of the pesky subwoofer problem the Crüe had, and they all looked like they had so much fun!!! I'm not as well-versed with Def Leppard's discography and all the band members (yet), but everyone looked great in their stage outfits! The lights and background videos were so nice too!!!

And they played the 2 songs I do know (Foolin' and Pour Some Sugar On Me)

but also a bunch of songs from the album they worked on during the worst of the pandemic years. Which also sounded very good!!! I'm actually considering buying that new album if I see it out in the wild for a decent price.

The background video montage for Photograph was so adorable with all the pictures from the band's history, from the late 70s to present day. They were all such adorable babies back then and seeing all the photos gave me the same warm fuzzies as looking at old band photos and candid shots online does <333

Very much a 180 to Mötley Crüe in every regard, Joe Elliott thanked us in German and English, and told us the band loves us <33

I might actually try to get more into Def Leppard now that I've seen how awesome they are on stage <33

The crowd for Def Leppard was a little older and less rowdy, a very welcome change. Still a bunch of almost blackout drunk people, sloshing their beer everywhere and bumping into everyone around them. One major thing I dislike about bigger concerts tbh.

---

I also got a bunch of compliments on my hair, make up, and outfit throughout the evening <3

Even got called Nikki (and Mick, after informing people of my style influence) a few times lol

A couple older folks said they admired my style and that you don't see many people like me anymore and that I should keep doing my thing because it's so cool to see :')<333

[Some comments bordered on some icky misogynistic topics tho, like "oh girls nowadays are too prissy and not as cool and rock-n-roll and bold and rough-and-tumble as they were in the 80s/like you", etc.

And yes, I let everyone think I'm a girl. Not worth it trying to correct tipsy and/or drunk off their asses metalheads in a loud crowded venue. I don't really pass on a masculine day; much less dressed to the nines, face slathered in theatrical 80s make up and hair backcombed and hairsprayed to hell and back.]

On my way to the train station I got to talking with some other tram passengers heading home after the concert, an older couple and two guys around my age. The couple had pretty cool battle vests, all covered in various pins and patches. One of my favourites was the Zappa For President patch on the lady's vest which made me think of @feeshies , really wish I'd asked for a photo :')

The guys my age roped me into going to a strip club with them instead of going straight home. They even covered the entry fee for me, so I didn't have to pay anything! They were very respectful and I was free to go whenever I pleased. It was interesting to see pole dancers/strippers up close in real life and not only on TV, but it's definitely not for me lol I'm too aroace and neurodivergent for this. The ladies had some badass pole skills tho! Effortlessly dancing in 10 inch platform stilettos and with barely anything covering their bodies? I could never! Kudos to the ladies!

Anyway, it was good I decided to head home around 1am, I could already feel the joint pain creeping up on me. it's full-blown throbbing and piercing agony, 7/10, now. I only got 3 hours of sleep before the aches woke me up the first time orz

But hey, 3 hours and a bit of dozing here and there are better than nothing. I spent Sunday taking it kinda easy, only did a few chores around the house, and went through all the photos and videos i took (111 files in total) of course! I weeded out all the blurry and shaky ones and the few good ones should be peppered throughout this post!

Hope y'all had a good Sunday and Monday <3

[take-ya-to-the-ghey-bar]

just because my brain is a lil mushy for writing-- and the mood to do this struck me-- imma piggy back off some earlier chatter with Jackie ( @akumanoken ) on that "list of voices that 'do things™'" just because--

Disclaimer before i start: For the VA entries here, reference points are going to be given via the characters i know them best as/who's performance best fits the sprit of this list-- These are also in no real order, mainly just whatever order i thought of names first lol

Morikawa Toshiyuki

{as Tsukinami Carla - Diabolik Lovers}

Okay so, Carla is slightly an outlier in this group-- seeing as I've never had the chance to play any of the game series he's from (and may not ever be able to, unless i find finished English patches and try to fuck around with that route--) But regardless of that, i've heard his voice via some videos online in the past-- and My God-- this man could end me. (and i should i get to play any game routes featuring him, imma probably die on the spot--)

Sakurai Takahiro

{as Mukami Ruki - Diabolik Lovers}

Again, i doubt i'll ever be able to play his routes in game, but-- i do believe at one point i watched the anime adaptation that was made for More Blood, and even if it was a train wreck (like the rest of the anime for this series lol) i can at least recall enjoying Ruki's VA out of all that mess XD {also, bonus mention for one of his characters songs here, as i just now heard this one today-- and rather enjoyed it u w u}

Daisuke Ono / J. Michael Tatum

{as Sebastian Michaelis - Kuroshitsuji}

I-- don't really have much to say on this point lol, aside from the fact that these men doing their voices for Sebastian 100% fit the spirit of this list XD (i'm also skipping giving a link here, because i'm sure anyone reading can go find an example of both VAs in this role very easily lol)

Morita Masakazu

{as Yanagi Aiji - Collar x Malice}

Yanagi sits in kind of an odd space honestly lol-- because on the one hand, i enjoy just listening to him-- thanks to "older brother/caring dad" sorta vibe he gives me... but at the same time, i can't deny that certain voice dips he does-- they do hit a lil different. {for a better show case of what i mean, check out this vid of his "interview" via the voice recorder extra-- tho i sadly couldn't find one with the eng sub}

Kimura Ryouhei

{as Shiraishi Kageyuki - Collar x Malice}

hhhh-- Shiraishi, my boi... i love this man-- and like, his voice wins a spot here because, much like with Micchan-- i'd lowkey die if i ended up as a target of the teasing he enjoys doing. {and the bonus voice recorder section for him as well--}

Suwabe Jun'ichi

{as Abraham Van Helsing - Code: Realize}

Van somewhat falls in line with Yanagi, as i find his voice rather soothing to listen to... and i admit, my frame of reference for them both is a little fuzzy--thanks to not having played either game for a while... But-- i do remember an extra story from the first C:R game, which gives us all sleepy voice Van, and just-- that one lowkey ended me.

Hirakawa Daisuke

{as Saint-Germain - Code: Realize}

{& Itsuki Mito - Secret xxx / Therapy Game}

listen-- just... listen-- Hirakawa earns his place here because as both bois, i could listen to this man talk for ages-- (much like the mentions below--) But-- thanks to certain scenes from the Secret xxx CD... i can not unhear this man doing spicy audio-- and that fact is forever going to end me. (and Itsuki doesn't get an example link, simply because i don't think i've got anything timmed from the CD he mainly features in--)

{Honorable mentions} This section is for voices that I adore listening to, but, they don't quite fall into the same category as the above list-- More so just that type of mood where it's the "i could listen to you talk for ages" sort of vibe lol

Hirakawa Daisuke's performance as Laito Sakamaki {Diabolik Lovers}

Taniyama Kishou performance as Ikki {Amnesia VN Series}

[chidoroki]

Black Clover ch359

When we left off with Mereoleona becoming a blazing inferno last month, I sure as hell wasn’t expecting us to come straight back to something like THIS!! Damn it, Acier, way to send me into an absolute panic! My man’s serious wound ain’t even the worst part of these panels (for me personally). Unfortunately, I had a feeling he was gonna get hurt by Acier sometime during this fight and then we would have Noelle come charging in to save her siblings, which does end happening of course, but what really bums me out is that we skip right to this moment. I had SO MANY thoughts about how the Acier vs Silva siblings fight could've went and here we are.. skipping the whole thing entirely. I was so damn excited five chapters ago thinking that we could finally have Nozel get a well deserved power up and prove how strong he’s become to the woman he respects so much, not only in terms of his magic, but as a captain and head of house as well just as Acier was. I was even looking forward to see if Nebra & Solid would use some kind of new magic or something too, but nah, we get yet another big moment for Noelle. Don’t get me wrong, I love Noelle and I’m very happy to finally see her again after what feels like forever, but I wish we could’ve seen so much more of Acier fighting her three eldest children first.

Now, seeing Nebra & Solid struggle during the fight is something I very much expected from them, both physically and emotonally. As I said back during ch354, I don’t believe their magic would be nearly as strong enough to even damage Acier. Hell, if Nozel had trouble with his mercury, then there was no way their mist or water was gonna put a dent in their mother’s steel. Even if their magic attributes seem to be at a disadvantage, their emotions are obviously taking a toll on them as well as they simply can’t handle the thought of facing their own mother.

In all the Acier flashbacks we’ve seen in the past, she’s obviously been shown to be powerful but so caring, so to see lowkey scold her children like this and call them weak in the next couple panels is kinda hilarious to me but I love it all the same. But please don’t blame yourself ma’am, your death was totally not your fault.

Noelle sweetheart, I adore you but could you have let your siblings have some spotlight for at least five minutes?? Aahh but I can’t deny this is such a great panel of her and of course I thank her for stepping in to help out regardless of how the siblings treated her in the past. But we really must thank Acier, everyone in this darn family is so beautiful with those Silva genes.

Speaking of siblings, I’m surprisingly not too worried about Nozel..? Granted, I had a heart attack once I saw the raw leaks of Acier making him into a shish kebab, but sadly this ain’t his first time getting impaled and he could very well patch up his own wound with his mercury as he did once before to provide some temporary relief. When he was attacked by Letoile/Kivn during the Elf Reincarnation arc, he completely collapsed onto the ground after being struck by the compass magic. Now this may be my own Silva bias, but I’m sure Acier’s magic is several times stronger, so the fact that a steel lance to the gut only brought Nozel down to his knees is kinda impressive? His grimoire is also still intact at the moment too, so that’s a big plus. I’m still incredibly worried though.. my dude needs a break. And to prove himself against his mother, damn it!

I know Asta’s sudden disappearance was real hard on Noelle and she has every right to cry about it a little, but I’m so proud how quick she regained her focus and fighting spirit. She failed, she cried, she got over it and now she’s more determined than ever to improve for her sake and other’s and I love that about her.

To see Kahono (& Kiato) return outta nowhere was so unexpected but still a very welcomed surprise for me. We haven’t seen these two in ages! (but makes me wonder if Noelle really went from the capital all the way to the sea near Raque just to have her emotional moment. How dramatic. But you do you girl.)

I wanna say this whole sea dragon idea came outta nowhere, but I do vaguely remember the underwater people chatting about a sea god way back during the Seabed Temple arc, so to have it at appear during this moment.. that was some nice timing. I can’t be mad at it, honestly. Kinda fits the Chekhov’s Gun trope too I think.

It also makes a decent replacement for Undine, since I completely forgot up until this moment that her time with Noelle was a temporary thing until Lolopechka was successfully saved. More importantly, just look at it! How could I be mad or upset at that little face?? It’s adorable. The name is actually kinda simple too, compared to what Noelle wanted to nickname Secre way back. I was half expecting Noelle to come up with another ridiculous name for it.

Again, super happy that this final arc is bringing back so many familiar faces and I hope this means we get to see others like Mars show up eventually too. But pardon me derailing my train of thought for a moment as I focus on Nozel once again. While his injury is still a major concern, at least we have someone (aka: Kahono) capable of healing nearby. I dunno if her song magic can heal up such a serious wound, but every little bit helps. Noelle’s sudden appearance also makes me wonder if Secre & Mimosa are still around the capital? The three of them were together at the ceremony before Lucius attacked and despite Noelle going off on her own to the sea at some point, either one of those ladies could assist with Nozel’s current situation too. OR BETTER YET, perhaps the Black Bulls could be on their way as well. We all know Grey’s magic is capable of saving people (such as Gauche) who get impaled. And I’m gonna be so hopeful with this wish because it would be such a slim chance, but I’d scream for joy if Vanessa came to help him with Rouge. Yeah the cat only works on those Vanessa cares about, but the magic also works on those physically close to our witch. It might not help the injury Nozel has now, but Rouge could prevent any more damage..maybe? I am trying very hard to stay positive for this man if you couldn’t already tell.

All my worries aside, this new armor of Noelle’s is simply stunning! That “Sea God Arrives” ost better play whenever this scene gets animated.

(Still wish Nozel could’ve received an upgrade like this or something but alright honey, go off!)

[clovercoin]

CloverCoin April 2023 Art Pack n Updates

[ ART PACK AND PATREON POST ] A pretty small art pack this month, so much... has happened? Just as soon as we think we'll be able to go back to the routine, our world blows up in a whole new way. I really can't seem to catch my breath. So big updates... Let me think here. In early April prov's father got covid either in the nursing home or at the hospital. He degraded very quickly and passed away a week or so later. We spent a lot of time offline speaking with Prov's family and making plans for them all. As we started to wrap up the family plans, Prov's work laid off a lot of people. Unfortunately Prov was also laid off. So we are currently on the job hunt but feeling really positive. I've been hoping we'd move on and.. well it just happened! So we're doing it! Prov I'm sure will have a new job in no time at all, he's quite the catch when it comes to web development!  Is that it? Nah!!! Of course not. During mid-april we noticed I started to skip meals, sleeping a lot more but not getting rest, just a lot of issues. Turns out my newly crowned tooth actually needed a root canal and I have an emergency ortho visit! I am officially all done getting my root canal and crown all patched up. I'm feeling so much better and sleeping/eating just fine again! PHEW!!! At least my bit had a positive turn around even if the bill was bigger than we'd like. Last thing to wrap up is our oldest dog Ollie seems to have some sort of respiratory infection so we've been the vet and got him on some antibotics. He's still coughing but he's doing a lot better. At the exact same time, our biggest dog Junior split a nail and it sadly got infected. Soooo another vet trip and some more antibotics (and a couple more big bills nooo). Junior is feeling so much better and his nail is healing right up! The very last update is for the patreon! HEY EVERYONE OF THE 5$ TIER AND UP HI, I'll be taking over personally for merch mail out. Because we had a hiccup in bill pay, I was not able to order the new stickers yet. But I will be ordering them on Monday/next week hopefully so there will be a sticker mail out this month but it might possibly be a little late. I will keep you all  updated about my journey as I figure it out! I will also be posting silly updates about getting my work space put together here on patreon so feel free to follow along and laugh at what a trashy mess I am!!! WISH ME A LOT OF LUCK EVERYONE I REALLY NEED IT THIS MONTH!!!! AJD . ART

[mdhwrites]

Is Honkai Star Rail Predatory?

Well, it's a gacha game. I'm not about to lie and say no but that's also because the vast majority of free to play games are predatory. Fortnite and Apex Legends are Predatory. Candy Crush is predatory. Sadly, free to play systems of monetization are centered around dark patterns and getting you to open up your wallet and if you find yourself particularly weak to those then please, PLEASE do not play these games.

However... In the hierarchy of things, or at least other gacha games I have played, I would not call Star Rail predatory by comparison.

The short of this is that Star Rail doesn't even have a new player package. That is how little extra bullshit there is to spend on or to make you spend. All of its stuff is essentially straightforward. Here are your options and my thoughts on them:

A 5 dollar, month long login bonus that is good for players who will log in every day with the Express Pass and gives almost 20 pulls worth of Jade/Oneiric shards in the process. (I buy this) It is genuinely a great deal once you're invested.

The 10 dollar Battlepass where you can view all you'll get from it ahead of time and don't need to buy ahead of time for it. (I also buy this) I buy this out of admittedly habit but also to show support for something that gives me so much joy but if you skip it you are not missing a lot. Materials are the main thing it gives and I have like ten times what I need to level a character right now, which is WAY beyond what the Battlepass gives, and that is despite having leveled and built an absurd amount of characters beyond what I need to have done.

Then you have resource bundles that are just bad deals. They are there for the whales, just like:

Topping up energy. Little will ever actually pressure you to buy this or the one before besides your own patience and there's only one part of the game that's a grind that this or the prior one would actually help much with. Neither are pushed in your face though as Star Rail does not pressure you to buy energy in any form besides by having an energy system.

Buying Pulls.

Saved this one for last because it is the big one. It's the gambling. I won't deny that that's what it is and it's COMPLICATED to put it mildly. This is from two sides of things. One is the raw cost to get something versus the fact that reasonably, if you are INTO one of these games, you are hopefully playing most days and playing most content, especially given how little time most things in Star Rail take besides the main story content. Star Rail respects your time for the most part.

So first: For 100 dollars, you can buy 50 pulls. That is not a great conversion and I won't deny that. Not when it takes 180 pulls to guarantee you get the limited thing you want. There are technically four brand new things to get each patch due to there being two characters on each banner and two signature lightcones. That is 720 pulls or 1500 dollars you would need to spend to GUARANTEE you get all four things every patch.

This is the worst case scenario where I wonder why you're playing the game. This isn't taking into account saying no to characters because they don't fit your playstyle or saying no to Lightcones because you don't need them. This also doesn't take into account the fact that the game itself offsets this cost some, not by any means all, by its own generosity if you just PLAY THE DAMN GAME. So how much does playing the damn game give you?

This is also worst case scenario. This requires truly astronomical bad luck. After all, you are guaranteed a five star at 90 pulls with a 50/50 chance to lose and get a standard five star instead. 75/25 for the LC, odds in favor of getting the limited 5 star. Apparently, the strict average it takes to get a limited 5 star character is roughly 94 pulls. 160 is much closer for what the worst case, lost your 50/50 and had to go to Hard Pity, amount is. Even with those alterations though, a patch thus ranges more honestly between 376 (800 USD) and 640 (1300 USD). And yes, I'm acting like you wouldn't buy smaller packages because this normalizes values.

Going entirely by free to play statistics, gotten from the community, here are how many limited pulls you get between the last three patches:

2.6: 111 pulls

2.5: 87 pulls

2.4: 88 pulls

These numbers are not with the battlepass or the monthly express pass. Those numbers are inflated by 8 and 24 respectively for pass numbers.

So, no, even by the most generous average, a free to play player is not likely to get even one of the four limited time things in a given patch cycle which is the price of free to play. However... That also shifts what we're talking about here. A free to play player is not looking to get every character and every lightcone. They have to accept the limitations and getting almost one of two things you probably want each patch, as you're unlikely to pull on a lightcone without the character, makes the numbers look more reasonable. We are talking about a worst case scenario of 360 pulls offset by a quarter almost each patch just playing free to play. And mind you, if you're a lightspender like me, you probably are doing the same calculations because lightspending is not about to double that number, just make it so that you are likely to get one of the two things you might want in a given patch. Will you hear the call to try and spend some on getting the other character you want, or the lightcone for the character you do get? Yes but again, if you are playing within your means, these are part of just playing that way one of these games. If you know you cannot resist that call, you should not play these.

Also, the blog I made before this talked about how you don't need everything. Not by any means, especially not to enjoy the game. Only in the most extreme content are you even pressured to want these limited time characters and, you know... it's the highest level difficulty of content only for people who have already sunk in weeks if not months into the game. Admittedly, not full clearing this content will mean a couple less pulls each cycle but not a ton. Like probably closer to 10 tops unless you are struggling to find any answer to the end game content.

But of course, some of you might point out that both limited characters and Lightcones can give mechanical benefits beyond the first copy you get. A max powered character needs seven copies of themselves while a maxed out lightcone needs 5 copies, meaning a maximum power character needs 13 pulls, tripling the most egregious numbers I presented.

And if you think you have to have those, don't play the fucking game.

I know that might be mean but it's the hard and fast about this. I play with minimal extra copies. I have gotten four extra copies of limited characters and two lightcones and I have full cleared the hardest content for MONTHS. Pretty much this entire year. You do not need those. Those extra levels are for the whales. For people who do just want to dump money into the game. Sure, plenty of single extra copies, or two extra copies, can be very powerful but they're never necessary. For many characters, it can sometimes make them LESS mechanically interesting. You also know what they'll do ahead of time for the extra copies and for the Lightcones, you can first just use a standard lightcone and see if you feel the need to get a limited one. There's a lot of good standard lightcones in the game that yes, underperform from their more monetized brethren but aren't bad by any means. It's the difference between how they'll play in a standard way and 10-20% stronger. Acheron is the WORST example of wanting her Lightcone and I didn't for a long time and she still did INCREDIBLE work because I knew how to play the character and the character themselves is good.

And compared to EVERY other gacha I played... This is nothing. ZZZ is the closest because it's also Hoyo but it put out bundles for extra pulls that required hard cash to get you spend a little on a better deal, or had bundles of energy discounted and put forward on limited time deals because it puts more energy into try to open your wallet a little harder. The Atelier gacha game I tried had like a DOZEN banners and at least six new characters it looked like any given patch cycle, let alone any weapons or the like, and made a hard dillineation between free to play pulls and paid pulls, over complicating their store and making it feel worse to play for free when you had the deals that paying for your gacha could get you right there in your face. Nikke has extra banners, including limited time costume banners. Now yes, with guarantees with those costumes but if Star Rail eventually adds costumes, I would assume they will go with the Genshin method of just letting you buy them instead of tempting you to spend more and more gambling.

Hoyo's market dominance doesn't come from extra predation but in fact LESS. It recognized that making an experience someone would enjoy, rather than an experience that someone just comes to gamble in would make them want to spend more time and money on that experience. It's why they have a reputation above and beyond any other gacha company because they've garnered this good will from its players and especially made sure not to ostracize their free to play players.

So yeah, Star Rail is still predatory but it's the difference between a trap spider and a pack of piranhas. A trap spider sits quietly, waiting, happy to have its system there and not shoved in your face. If you hit it, that's your prerogative. The pack of piranhas meanwhile thrash and make noise swimming along what otherwise would be a quiet stream, too numerous and cumbersome to ever let you forget that the purpose to the entire forest around you is to make you fall in and be devoured. I will take the trap spider, even though I HATE spiders, any day of the week over the piranhas. See you next tale.

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Fun fact: Star Rail is the only gacha game I've stuck with. If not for my goodwill for Hoyo, I probably would have bounced off ZZZ faster than I did (which yeah, I'm no longer a Proxy). I have never really clicked with gacha as a model. Star Rail is the ONE time it has really worked for me and I think a lot of it is both that it's just a REALLY good game and also it makes me not feel bad for playing it. Doesn't make me obsess over pulls or stuff like that. It is fine leaving me be and I appreciate that. So I didn't say all of this stuff just because I'm drowning in gacha addiction or anything like that. The only time I've topped up in Star Rail is right before the reset bonuses happened as a thank you to the game that had given me hundreds of hours of entertainment over the past year.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.