#seph's reviews

[emomanswhore]

HDFFDFHJJTGHJJK&768&@ I— 😵‍💫💗💘 i- i- just i-

SLOWLY BUT SURELY FALLING IN FUCKING LOVE WIT YOU RN LIKE— YOU HAVE ME SO SOFT RN LIKEEE UGHHHG 💗🤍🧎🏽‍♀️ pleas my heart can’t take this rn, i am so weak to your reviews on my fics. keep saying stuff like ALL of that, n im taking you out for dinner immediately. AND WAIT FRIEND GROUP ??? YALL TALK ABOUT ME ??? 😵‍💫 can i meet the angel’s friends too ??? pretty pleasssee. i wanna see you having fun on my dash, so guess what ? you are now my cutie pootie lil mootie n i adore you sm <3

SO !! while it’s not very explict and im very very loose with my descriptions of reader, absolutely yes !!! reader in my mind is black coded, cuz yknow im black and i can only see myself as reader ! i want all my black audience members to know that im doing this for us, and im gonna do my best to give us all the positive rep we deserve !! <33

ugh omgg i cant even focus on your review on stuff you liked cuz im just smiling so hard that i cant see rn 😵‍💫 goddamn im so weak to ppl reciting lines in the fics n saying they like them. and ik this is literally a self projection but to ME, that big emo skull man can ONLY talk nasty n mean in bed. ESPECIALLY when his lover has been bratty as hell, like sgr just SCREAMS brat tamer. like i had so much fun with his dialogue, and between u n me… (i had to make myself sound like a big mean manchester accented man, to make sure my dialouge was hitting SHEGDJ),,, all the ones you like, you can definitely tell i was in heat while writing cuz istg. like you are my actual twin cuz those were some of my fave lines >>> the god one and “focus here” like pls take advantage of me and my coochie meow meeoooowww

—♡ —SIMON SAYS … ❞

SIMON GHOST RILEY X FEM!READER

✯. !! Synopsis : so you like to play mind games with ghost? goodluck, cause hes got a few tricks of his own to beat these little charades of yours. when he comes home to remind you whos really the expert at games—simon says…your playtime is over

✯. !! WC : 8.3K

✯. !! Tags & CW : explicit content! (18+ mdni) - hard dom!Ghost (he’s rlly mean), bratty! reader, sex tapes, masturbation (male & fem), choking/asphyxiation play, creampie, mating press, squirting, rough sex, spanking, subtle sir kink, size kink/difference, degradation, manhandling, orgasm denial, praise/petname usage, dumbification, dirty talk, (maybe?) prey and predator play, the mask stays ON. <3

✯. !! A/N : first fic and guess what, i wrote with my pussy on this one. hope you enjoy !! lmk what y’all think <33

Maybe this wasn’t your smartest choice in life.

Whether it’s the sobering reality of sitting in the after-guilt of praying for negativity, or a complete backfire that could’ve made things entirely worse—most times, an action made purely from spite and pettiness, never ends up well.

This was one of those times.

Where guilt and the possibility of a backfire merged into one—a single, enormous, dark mass of gut bubbling anxiety.

You were given very, very simple instructions only a few days prior to this moment. And yet, all because your last few messages to your boyfriend were being left unanswered and open on seen, your willingness to take matters into your own hands—to finally get his attention, brought you more than you bargained for.

You had no idea what was truly in store for you once you decided to misbehave and break one of his very simple rules.

Keep reading

[mediumgayitalian]

fic rec friday 13

hi!! welcome to fic rec friday. every week, i pick five fics i have bookmarked and rec them with a little review. check them out!

I Need A Hero by @theroyalsavage

The "Nico is a superhero, Will is a med student" AU nobody asked for or wanted.

OBSESSED WITH THIS AU OBSESSED WITH THIS AU OBSESSED WITH THIS AU. I AM LOSING MY MIND AND HAVE READ IT SO MANY DOZENS OF TIMES. genuinely one of my top faces like its so fucking GOOD!!! the romcom romance of it all!! makes me lose it!!! the angst of loving someone who is constantly putting himself on the front lines!! the fear of not knowing if he's coming home!! being his healer, holding his life in your hands because he doesn't trust it with anyone else!!!! what if i rioted!!! what if i chewed clean through my ceiling!!!!! what if i swallowed my phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what if i clawed my way out of the pit of despair!!!! i am!! gonna!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!

2. As If His Hands Were Enough (to Hold an Avalanche Off) by @theroyalsavage

Nico di Angelo has been through enough to know life doesn't always work out the way you plan. But fate is a funny thing, and, in Nico's junior year of college, it hands him salvation in the form of freckled cheeks and a smile like the sun.

OH dude this author is actually everything to me. prepare for an onslaught of their stuff bc i am OBSESSED, but this one especially....oh it's special man. this had me LOSING MY MIND. seph’s acceptance made its way into my devotion scrapbook. never be ashamed of loving anybody….what a fucking thesis. i also ADORED how a) story didn’t end with them getting together, went thru them learning each other too and b) nico didn’t get fixed by dating will. he got fixed by loving himself, something he learned to do by loving will. crying.

3. Of Gods and Men by @theroyalsavage

There is something profoundly strange about the forest behind Will Solace’s new house. The trees, it seems, breathe magic. The truth is this: there are things that the forest hides that humans cannot understand. Nico di Angelo is one of them.

I LOVE PARTICULAR AUS!!!!!! AND I LOVE YOU ROYAL SAVAGE!!!!! dude god nico and mortal will is always gonna knock me flat bc its so canon, you know? will is going to be a consort of a god one day. and to read it in fic has me HOWLING but this one in particular....OH the ending is gonna knock yall flat fr!!! if you like percy refusing immortality for annabeth youre gonna LOVE this!!

4. Kitchen Nightmares by @theroyalsavage

Nico is the owner and head chef of an upscale restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, New York City. There's nothing easy about running a business, especially when you have to juggle an overprotective father, a college-age sister, and a staff about as under control as a stampede. The last thing Nico needs is a rival in the form of the ugliest food truck on the face of the planet. And yet, that's exactly what he gets. Of food fights, fledgling friendships, and Nico di Angelo's stupid little soft spot for Will Solace.

i know ive literally said it like five times now but NO ONE does an au like theroyalsavage idc. dude romeo & juliet but food truck and fancy restaurant?? hello!!!! omg!! i literally sat my ass down and devoured this i could not stop myself. and then i hit the end and started it right back up again. the love without having the space to establish anything….inherent homoeroticism of rivalry…..my heart!!

5. don't wanna be lonely, just wanna be yours by @theroyalsavage

Will Solace, café manager extraordinaire, just wants to coast through their monthly open mic night in peace. He definitely is not banking on meeting a handsome stranger with the voice of the gods and the death glare of a high-ranking member of the KGB. And yet, that's exactly what he gets.

telling someone you’re not even dating you’re in love with them after like five months is insane behaviour will solace i get you 😭😭 he is so real in every scenario all the time like he is genuinely perfect for nico who is equally as insane and deserves someone who is fully obsessed with him. god.

thank you for joining me this friday!! happy reading!!

[prismaticpichu]

Your recent ask made me think of something that Seph needed a reading buddy/buddies with him in the library lol XD

Someone could point out that the info may be out of date and the power of peer to peer review saves Nibelheim and the world.

HE SO NEEDED A STUDY BUDDY LMAO!!! 😂❤️

~

Sephiroth: “The specimen, found in strata dating back two thousand years, smiled with what could only be described as... 'ethereal gr—‘“

Cloud: Wait, hold up…

Cloud: This record is REALLY old.

Sephiroth: How… how did you even get—

Zack: Damn! You’re right, Spike. Pretty sure they were still riding in Chocobo carriages back then. You have any idea how much could have changed since these were written?

Cloud: Like… lots.

Zack: That’s what I’m saying!

Sephiroth: Would you two shut u—

Zack: I think we should try to find a more recent record.

Cloud: Agreed:

*he proceeds to pluck the book out of Sephiroth’s hands*

Cloud: Here, Zack! Go long!

*Zack rushes across the library as his friend chucks the book, catching it in one swift motion and reshelving it*

Zack: Alright! Let’s put this dinosaur back and see what was written in this decade

Sephiroth: …Can I kill them now, Mother?

*Zack scans the books*

Zack: Hmm…. Hmmm…. All these books are pretty old. Come help a guy out, Spike.

Cloud: Sure thing.

*the two continue scanning the books, thumbing through spines and covers*

Cloud: Isn’t there ANYTHING that’s more updated?

Zack: Right??? We’ll prolly find the Bible in here at this rate

Sephiroth: Yes, Mother. I shall kill them now.

*the man stands up, almost robotically, the metallic echo of steel ringing through the air as he summons Masamune and begins approaching the duo*

Zack: Gahhh! There’s SO many books here. Gotta start making room.

*Sephiroth raises Masamune to their necks*

Cloud: Agreed.

Zack: Aight! Start chucking them!

Sephiroth: Goodbye, useless whel—

*and a book hits him square in the head, sending the warrior stumbling backwards as he drops his sword amid the confusion*

Zack: See anything???

Cloud: Not yet!

*Sephiroth, dizzy on the floor, peels his face off the carpet as his lips pull back into a snarl*

Sephiroth: How DARE you—

*another books knocks him out cold*

Cloud: Alright, Zack, I don’t think we’re finding anything in recent times here.

Zack: Yeah, you’re prolly right. Let’s try another shelf.

*and the duo turn around, spotting the unconscious Sephiroth lying crumpled on the floor*

Cloud: …

Zack: …

Zack *looks at Cloud*

Cloud: *looks at Zack*

Zack: Aight. I’ll get the legs.

Cloud: I’ll get the arms

*and they drag him back to the Nibelheim inn, safe and sound from the unmitigated cruelty of outdated knowledge*

[flowerwiththemachinegun]

Nsfw. TsengxReader, SephirothxReader ZackxReader foot fetish headcanon? Well it isn’t so much them with the fetish, but you (or should be you). He took you seriously when you told him to step on you. I started Sephiroth’s months ago but never finished, but Tseng gave me inspiration to complete it. I have the layout of his office in remake in mind for Tseng. My fav Cage the Elephant line is gonna be added in. Usually I’d do my favorites last, but this time I absolutely have no favorites. Maybe Seph because of his foot size.  Whatever the character says is italicized, reader's is not.

___________________________________________________

Tseng

What made you realize you might have been too down bad for Tseng was during training. You got a bit overzealous, thinking you had the upper hand against him. Until he swept you off of your feet, stepping on your chest as Tseng’s display of dominance. Grabbing his ankle, far too gentle for a sparring match, you can't help but stare at his foot placed firmly against you. Your eyes trailing from his well polished shoes, up his leg, until you were staring into questioning, eyes. They kept you frozen in place. Unable to respond as Tseng presses just a bit harder into you, asking why you’ve hesitated. You don’t tell him this, but inwardly you wish he would press down so hard that you struggled to breathe.

Tseng wishes you wouldn’t look at him that way. He’s seen that look in your eyes before, he can tell you want to play. To your delight he does press down harder before pulling away. Letting you know just how foolish he thought you were for thinking you could beat him so easily. Though not with his words, but more so his body language. A condescending look in his eyes that would, normally, annoy you.

He’ll confront you about it later, calling you to his office for your annual performance review. Nothing was unusual about the meeting, a few critiques here and there. After wrapping up your review he asks you about your hesitance in the last training match. You know there’s no point in lying to Tseng. Expressing to him exactly how you instantly wanted him to dominate you the moment his foot connected with your chest.

“So you like to be stepped on, hm?” This is something he can certainly get behind. Now here you are, completely naked. Ass up, face down against the floor of his office. Tseng’s digging his heel into your cheek in an almost cruel manner before pulling away. Using the bottom of his foot to push you over so you’d fall on your back. Bringing his foot back down but this time on your neck. 

He knows he should be careful. The thought nearly leaves him as he presses down on your throat, restricting your airways and leaving you gasping for air. You already look so fucked out and he hasn’t even touched you yet. Only giving you commands to undress and directing you in which positions he wants you in. 

As you lay on your back, Tseng shifts to stand above you, your body pinned between his legs. His movements teasingly slow as he firmly plants his foot on your shoulder, shifting some of his weight to his opposite leg. Every movement of Tseng’s just feels like an absolute tease: the way he slowly unbuckles his belt, the way he pulls his zipper down so painfully slow. Pulling his hardened cock out and stroking himself right above your face. You didn’t realize Tseng would be so into this little kink of yours, part of you hates that you didn’t tell him sooner.

Without notice Tseng pulls away again, making his way towards the couch. Taking a seat with his legs spread, motioning for you to take your place at his feet once more, patiently waiting on his next command. Watching with anticipation as he starts stroking himself again, demanding you crawl to him. You do exactly that, taking your place as quickly as you could between his legs. Tseng grabs your hair, roughly tugging your head towards his hardened member. Immediately opening your mouth and taking as much of his thick cock as you can handle. You know the drill by now, you’re not coming off of his dick until he unloads in your mouth. Gently kicking your legs apart, Tseng begins rubbing his shoe against your core, causing you to whimper around him. Languidly keeping up this motion until you’re coming undone on his boot, Tseng releasing in your mouth, keeping your head in place to ensure you swallow every last drop. 

Definitely something that’s going to happen again, but also a very rare occurrence. The next time he makes sure to have a fresh pair of shoes because you’ll be licking the bottom of them. Loves the way your cum makes his shoe glisten, is also going to have you lick his shoes clean. You know he doesn’t like leaving messes.

Sephiroth

A text from you is what kicks all of this off. Requesting that he bought a new pair of work boots, emphasizing that he’s not to wear them yet. As he steps into the apartment you immediately spot the shoebox in his hands and smirk. You can’t help but think that you’re about to ruin this man, so unsuspecting it’s adorable. You’ve learned he’s secretly a man full of kinks, so you’re certain this would go well.

“Get the coat off, change shoes, then meet me in the bedroom.” You’re eager, barely giving him a goddamn hello upon walking through the door. He’s use to your strange requests at this point, you’re an odd person with sometimes even more odd desires. “No greeting at all, just come in and strip. What am I to you?” He says as you walk into the bathroom. He’s not bothered really, coat already being shed and placed neatly on the couch. Making sure to leave the straps on since you love grabbing them as he fucks into you. It’s not like you haven’t fucked him in his uniform before, so what makes this so different that you needed to make a special request? Pulling up his boots and tightening them he chooses to stay put in the living room, making himself comfortable on the couch.

Walking into the room naked you catch him sitting on the couch. Christ, he practically engulfs your sofa with his large stature. You love how small you are in comparison to him. His whole body engulfs yours, making you feel trapped. “You’re not at all where I asked you to be.” 

“Still no explanation or is this another physical presentation?” Oh he’s catching on, at least you’ve been teaching him well. With a nod of your head you confirm that this would certainly be a physical presentation. Crawling onto his lap, staring into his eyes for a moment before kissing him desperately. Grabbing his face as a rush of endorphins swell your chest, yearning for one another so desperately, lips, teeth and tongues clash together. 

Recoiling for a split second, you glance down to see Sephiroth watching you breathlessly through his bangs. Gripping your waist he starts grinding against you, causing you to both let out a soft moan. Settling your hands on his shoulders to balance yourself. Shifting to the side you straddle one of his legs, grinding yourself against him. You can’t help that you keep going lower and lower, until your core is hovering right above his foot.

Pressing yourself against him with a satisfied moan, you don’t hold yourself back, letting every time you’ve pictured this moment come to mind. Doing your best to gain control so you’re not grinding against his foot in a frenzied manner. You’re making his boot so wet and god the way Sephiroth looks at you, with a mix of astonishment and curiosity, driving yourself closer to the edge. You just couldn’t help it when you came undone prematurely, cursing yourself for not lasting longer. Don’t worry you’ve thoroughly peaked Sephiroth's interest, his voice playful and tinted with a bit of excitement “Oh, we’re not anywhere near done.”

He’s going to experiment with this far more than expected. Loves the power play that comes along with it. He’ll step on any part of you that you ask, without a doubt. This one also loves to see your cum on his boot. The way you whimper when he steps on your face drives him insane. Sephiroth loves it when you kiss his feet, something about you wanting to be the very ground he steps on makes his heart swell. 

Zack

Yes, yes, the fucking puppy. Hear me out, the sweetest ones are the freakiest people. He didn’t really mean it when he jokingly asked if he could step on you. Though it was so out of the blue you’re unsure if it was a joke or not. The thought of you pressed against his boot quickly becoming enticing to him. Besides, if you didn’t want this to happen, you wouldn’t have said yes. He'll take your answer and run with it, bringing it up during foreplay. After all, Zack’s just as adventurous as he is energetic. 

“God, you really like this don’t you?” He’s practically cooing at you, watching as you squirm under his boot. Another face down and ass up scenario on the floor. Zack’s perched on the edge of the bed, left foot propped up on your ass while he presses his opposite into your face. Leaning back onto the palms of his hands, a cocky, shit eating grin in place that you only ever see while he’s doming you.

If you want to fuck yourself on his boot he’ll let you. Though, it’ll be the most he’s ever edged you in your time together. Moving his foot the moment he notices you’re getting close. He can’t help it, not when you’re already about to come undone. Zack’s voice still playful as he teases you, “You couldn’t even last five minutes?” No, not when our usually innocent puppy gives you such a filthy look while he rubs you with the underside of his boot. 

I feel like to everyone's surprise, Zack has impressively pretty feet. Yes, you can lick them. He likes to switch, so don’t be surprised when he’s asking you to step on him in return. He’s so eager bout it, practically bouncing up and down as he waits for you to press your foot against his face. Definitely prefers you barefoot, he likes licking the entire sole of your foot. Peppering kisses along your foot, almost tickling you but feeling so good. Shows the entire foot love, not a toe goes missed. My guy is incredibly efficient when it comes to making sure he’s licked every single part of you. 

Enjoys footjobs from you. The first time he didn’t even bother to hold himself off, the way your feet were pressing his cock against his abdomen, rubbing him so teasingly with the perfect amount of pressure. You’ve got him making a sticky mess of himself within moments, cum slowly leaking out of his cock. Begging you not stop just yet, rutting against your feet as he tries to gain more friction. The way Zack moans is absolutely slutty as he falls apart under your touch. Uses this kink on a rare occasion, well, kind of, he often finds himself focused on your feet.

[princeof-flowers]

For further context, this is my favorite review on Bezo's Hellsite about the Sephiroth plush.

This review also had a whole fucking ALBUM of boo boo Seph in various places.

[altocat]

I don't think anything's endeared Sephiroth to me more than him smugly dropping a performance review on Zack in the middle of a mission. He's such a troll and he knows it.

He and Zack are the same rank too. Zack doesn't even NEED a performance review lmao. Makes you wonder if this isn't just Cloud's fanfic or if Seph was actually teasing Zack like he has before.

[fastasyoucan1999]

Brynn! hi hello!!! just saw on storygraph that you started reading the anthropocene reviewed :^) that's one of my fav books of the year hehe. hope you like it too. how are you!!!???!!!!!

hi seph!!! i’ve been meaning to read anthropocene for a while :^) nerd fighter videos have the tendency to make me cry so i thought i’d just bite the bullet and read johns book that will also inevitably make me cry….ngl the introduction choked me up “we all know how loving ends” yes sir 🫡

[reflection-s-of-stars]

SOPH OMG!!! it’s so exciting that you’re going to see hadestown aaaa,, I hope everything goes well! & if you feel like it pls go ahead and answer this ask with a review or any cool things about this production, I’d be very interested in hearing how it was :))

Ok so act 1 is finished and here are my thoughts:

CHIBUEZE IHUOMA IS THE CUTEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN OH MY STARS. His accent really came through when he sang, and he was so heartbroken when Eurydice left it was so sad and so sweet and he’s thee best

Speaking of Eurydice, Hannah Whitley’s voice blew me away! She was so vulnerable with Orpheus and I guess she was friends with the workers too, it’s a side of her you don’t see in other productions and it was so cool

And they were SO in love!!!! She was always touching him in some way, and one of the ways they signifies that he was distracted by his song was that he didn’t respond to her hand on his back :(

Hermes didn’t take much of an active role in the story, but he’s such a compelling storyTELLER that it really didn’t matter! He did a bunch of stuff different from Andre de Shields but he was so good anyway

Persephone was very tired, very sweet with Orpheus and Eurydice, and VERY drunk most of the time. She was also sweet with Hades, and everyone seemed to love her. Wine aunt vibes were off the charts

Hades had a higher voice than I was expecting! He played him like a sleazy politician more than a failing husband, giving a big speech to the workers, flirting with Eurydice and ignoring Seph when she kissed him on the cheek :(

The WORKERS!!!! Oh my god they were amazing they had so much ENERGY and so much individual character omg

Act 2 is staring so im gonna go

[scrawnytreedemon]

I posted 1,060 times in 2022

308 posts created (29%)

752 posts reblogged (71%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mrslittletall

@scrawnytreedemon

@crisiskuraudo

@caustic-apotheosis

I tagged 1,059 of my posts in 2022

#reblog - 661 posts

#scrawny rambles - 356 posts

#artwork - 322 posts

#fromsoft - 186 posts

#shitpost - 180 posts

#tloz - 161 posts

#elden ring - 116 posts

#queue - 92 posts

#scrawny answers - 89 posts

#bloodborne - 86 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#then pfp!seph would go right back to hollow like 'hiiii 🥰🥰 just got more intel~ let's continue w/ our journey' while hollow goes '👁👁'

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Praise be to him, the One and Only; Patron Saint of Martial Knowledge.

111 notes - Posted May 30, 2022

#4

On a (marginally) less batshit note, Final Ghirahim? My little icecream boy.

His hair has The Swoop :)

He has little fangs :) God I love him :) He needs more appreciation <3

134 notes - Posted January 7, 2022

#3

Don't even THINK about calling yourself a self-made man if you're not him.

148 notes - Posted April 4, 2022

#2

LOOK, I know this thread ended up concluding that Micolash, is not, infact, secretly a swole menace...

...HOWEVER I also think it would be INCREDIBLY funny if he pulled a Senator Armstrong and went full, “I PLAYED [FOOTBALL] IN COLLEGE!” while still being a rambling lunatic nerd.

Look.

I’m just saying.

212 notes - Posted May 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Decided to take my recent musings and do something with them. Turned out far more bombastic than the initial subtle nod I intended... Ahh, standard fare ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ soppy rambling beneath the cut ]

Been feeling very nostalgic lately for my pre- and early teens; that'd been when I'd first started getting into Zelda content online. Binge-watching theories and top-tens and peoples' thinkpieces on whatever their favourite (or least favourite) game was.

One of my favourite vids to revisit was a Halloween special rabbidluigi did with some other guy, compiling what they thought were the top 25 creepiest things in Zelda. It's from 2012, so it's rough, to say the least, but it also feels like home.

Skyward Sword was the first Zelda game I ever had, but Twilight Princess was the first game I ever played-- Even if it was a bare scrape into the prologue. Fitting that I draw this guy.

243 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, January 6

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

see-through (Giles/Jenny, PG-13) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

I'll Be Home for Christmas (Angel/Spike, NC-17) by Gabriel_Is_My_Guardian_Angel89

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 369 (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, PG-13) by madimpossibledreamer

six names for a troublemaker Chapter 1 (Giles, G) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

In the In-Between Chapters 1 - 3 (Angel/Buffy, PG-13) by lovetvfan

New Beginnings Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MaggieLaFey

Keeping Up With the Scoobies Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Takara_Phoenix

Ashes, Ashes Chapter 5 (Bufft/Spike, NC-17) by Lost_gallifrey

who could ever leave me, darling – but who could stay? (you could stay) Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MillennialCryBaby

Next Year's Girl Chapter 6 (Cordelia/Xander, R) by Kylia

Wonderland 1: Down the Rabbit Hole Chapter 43 (Angel/Buffy, Dawn/Jacen Solos, Star Wars xover, PG-13) by BrennaLynn

Charming the Slayer Chapter 27 (Buffy/Paige Matthews, Charmed xover, PG-13) by BrennaLynn

Supporting the Iron Man Chapter 5 (Buffy, Willow, MCU xover, PG-13) by SomeMeaninglessName

The Odd Couple Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

Break Even Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, PG) by violettathepiratequeen

Deeper than Blood Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Blackmysteria

Seph Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, R) by sweetprincipale

The 12 Days of Christmas Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RavenLove12, Geliot99

Drive Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Holly

Written in the Dust Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Indi_Shaw

take me home Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by HappyWhenItRains

Hostage Diplomacy Chapter 1 (Dawn, NCIS xover, R) by Slingshot

[Images, Audio & Video]

Podfic: blood & coffee by humancorn (Buffy/Spike, Dawn, G) by Flowerparrish Pods

Podfic: Welcome Home Party (Ensemble, Dawn, G) by Flowerparrish Pods

Artwork:BTVS “Every Outfit” “Intervention” (Buffy) by whatshisfaceblogs

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Episode 89: Buffy Vs. Dracula by mythtaken

[Fandom Discussions]

S7 what went wrong? by bradtholym

Best Buffy hair? by mangoicerag

Do you think that Giles did a good job as a Watcher? by _Nnanno_

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

E!Online: Why Sarah Michelle Gellar Won't Be Signing Up for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot

ScreenRant: Buffy's New Open Relationship Continues Its Problematic View of Sex

[retrogamerj]

Sacred Reviews: The Legend of Zelda: Parallel Worlds Remodel Review

A new edition of Sacred Reviews is up, and we check out an infamous Zelda: A Link to the Past hack called Parallel Worlds to close the winter. Originally, a user named SePH developed an ALTTP hack called Tower of the Triforce in 2003. He/she eventually scrapped it due to the game being glitchy and nearly unplayable. That is when he/she reworked the concept and then teamed with another user named Euclid to produce Parallel Worlds in 2006. The hack has seen a few revisions not only from the original team but from other modders in the community. The Remodel Edition (version 1.1) was edited by two users called PuzzleDude and qwertymodo in 2012. It was an attempt to address the many issues that plagued the design of PW. The Original and version 1.0 were notorious for their unfair difficulty where the environments and enemy/trap placements were the issue. Now, the first time I heard of PW is when a YouTube user named Mutahar from SomeOrdinaryGamers narrated the legend of Zelda Bootleg Creepypasta. In that edition of Haunted Gaming, he was playing the first version of Parallel Worlds while narrating the story. That is where I learned about these hacks and was blown away by the differences some of them had from the Vanilla game. PW is also the perfect seasonal game to play as the theme involves an Icy World akin to the Dark World. While this alternate Hyrule might be in a spring season, the hack mostly revolves around the harsh winter conditions of the opposite realm. The plot is about Link (who’s a treasure hunter) gets contacted by Zelda to release her from a prison in Hyrule’s Guardhouse. Upon rescuing her, he learns she along with six maidens come from a different world who each have knowledge of a place called the Parallel Tower. The Hylian King named Draegor has already captured six maidens and has a plan to solve the tower’s puzzle for his evil intentions. The Legend of Zelda: Parallel Worlds Remodel Review

[bronva]

The best gluten free advent calendars to buy this year

The best gluten free advent calendars to buy this��year

Which calendar of GF goodness tickles your fancy (Picture: Marks and Spencer/The Hershey Company/Mars Inc/Joe & Seph’s) This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives. Sure you could take the easy way out and…

[nectaric]

the sequel:

"reviewing met gala outfits with my dad" and they are absolutely RUTHLESS.

the 100k makeup video where she gives hades a nice smokey eye and he almost falls asleep

"mom reveal" video where she shows her followers a pic of seph and then ruthlessly interrogates her dad over how he managed to pull her without revealing he kidnapped her

makaria is a tik tok sensation and everyone loves when she features her “super hot dad” in her videos so here is a list of tik toks hades has been in:

a series entitled “asking my dad to define gen z terminology”

one of those videos where you have to pick your hairstyle by drawing paper out of a hat except she did it with painting his nails and he ended up with bright pink chevron nails

“my dad does my makeup voiceover” where hades is rendered speechless at the sight of an eyelash curler

“Day 212 of trying to get my dad to do a tik tok dance”

“my dad reads your thirst comments” and hades just. slowly sinks lower and lower out of frame, red in the face just ‘you all need a cold shower’

“watching my dad become more and more distressed at costco” and its him just frustrated by people around him

[altocat]

Square giveth and Square taketh away!! Sephiroth was perfect.

My honest review…

Things I missed in the flashback:

More banter in the truck and the cut dialogue stuff

Sephiroth telling the others they could visit family

Cloud describing how strong Sephiroth was compared to the stories

Sephiroth’s hinted ties to Professor Gast and his lines questioning why Gast didn’t tell him anything

Sephiroth explaining the Cetra

“I’m going to see my mother”

Longer library scene with even more focus on Sephiroth’s collapse

Hints of Genesis

-

Things I LOVED that they included:

The overall atmosphere of every scene

Seph’s stoic but sweet demeanor. The small melancholy detail of him standing in the rain as mako erupts from the earth around him

The Hojo pose!! Seph saying he doesn’t have a home

The added sadness when Sephiroth recognizes the landscape but doesn’t say what’s wrong and his sweet gesture towards Cloud that reminded me of Glenn. He was cute

Sephiroth’s camera shyness. He looked so sad when he had to take the photo 😅

Sephiroth being taken aback by Nibelheim’s beautiful landscape and not knowing how anyone could get tired of it. His confusion at “trips” being something desirable because he knows business trips, which suck

Letting Cloud take the lead and teasing him about his guide abilities. Encouraging Tifa. Complimenting the trooper

Helping when the bridge collapsed and the CHANGED DETAIL where the devs had him look for the lost trooper instead of choosing to leave him behind

The whole combat scene with Cloud where Seph plays mentor

Sephiroth talking down on Shinra’s lack of transparency and knowing that they like to hide things

Sephiroth’s seething hatred of Hojo, the flashbacks in the reactor scene, Seph’s reaction to the Jenova name, his rage and pain clearly shown

The creepiness of the library scene, Seph’s weird possession, his pure rage when he mentions Gast’s great project, which confirmed that those lines praising Gast were always meant to be vitriolic

The weight of this showing how much of a betrayal Gast’s project was

The “crying into laughing” moment

The entire fire scene

-

They took away some details but they also added so much that really endeared us to Seph even more and then really brought out the horror side of Nibelheim. Loved it.

Yes to ALL of this. You read my mind on every detail!

[persephoneweston]

The Golden Rose

Or How A Terrible Setting Ruins A Perfectly Good Story

Oh, this is going to be very bittersweet, just like my experience while reading it.

Now, I’m aware this might ruffle a few feathers because I know this particular piece has many fans that absolutely love it, but I also believe that what I’m about to say below needs to be acknowledged as well.

In general, the story, the adventure in itself is very, very good and engaging; as long as we completely ignore the setting, that is, which proves difficult due to constant mentions of places and is overall a poorly thought out incoherent mess. We’ll get into that matter under the cut.

The interludes are a great idea and a good device to let the reader see or know how other characters and factions are doing or build tension. From comments on other interactive fiction works that have used this method, I know some people think they break immersion, but I personally find them useful, informative and they contribute to further to the aforementioned immersion within the story.

It's beautifully written, with detailed descriptions and extensive vocabulary; especially taking into account that the author is not a native English speaker, which makes it even more painful not to be able to fully enjoy the story because of a series of very unfortunate setting choices.

There are a couple of minor mistakes when it comes to certain terms like mixing up spurs and stirrups or hilt and pommel. The latter is sort of a weird case because sometimes the terms are used correctly and some others wrong. There's also the whole nails turning white thing, which is mentioned on several occasions and that just feels... weird? Weird in the sense that it's not an expression that's really commonly used in English. But overall, nothing really major on that end.

The characters are interesting (I personally adore Beka and this is coming from someone who doesn't even like kids in the first place), something which is key to create an enjoyable story, even though some of them (or parts of them) do contribute to the incoherence of the setting.

Before we begin, I want to say that I've read several of the "explanations" Miss Ana Ventura has given regarding some of these choices and find them highly unsatisfying.

Anyway, let’s get into it, shall we?

SETTING PROBLEMS

Now, I understand this is supposed to be an “alternate Medieval Europe”, but things need to make sense and be explained properly precisely because you’re making major changes to an existing world and its history; something this novel fails to do.

If this were set in a fictional place called Seaspire, Touver, Avirie or whatever, we would have zero problems because it’s a place that doesn’t exist and the author can freely determine the culture, the language, the geographical set up, its history, etc. They can loosely base it on an existing culture, mix several together to create a new one... Anything. The problem stems from the fact that the story is set on a very real place, with very real autoctonous people and very real culture and history. If one starts changing stuff just because without giving a proper reasoning for those changes, it’s a perfect recipe for trouble. It goes without saying that it also completely ruins and dispels immersion.

I’m about to list the major problems with the setting right below, so let’s go one step at a time.

1 - When does it actually take place? What century or what year?

I’m assuming this is set somewhere between c.1119 - c.1312, which is when the Knights Templar were active. But if that’s the case, man, references are all over the place and completely anachronistic (potatoes, rapiers, galleons, sextants, etc.)

The use of galleons (16-18th century vessels) instead of galleys, which were the warships the Knights Templar used (aside from other cargo vessels that they more than likely hired for specific voyages).

Sextants (17-18th century), that should have been mariner’s astrolabes instead.

Potatoes and chocolate in Spain/Iberian Peninsula before even reaching (“discovering”) America in 1492. Do I really need to say more?

Rapiers didn’t get designed until around the 1500s.

In the secret room at the Devil’s Bridge, there is a quill that has seemingly been there since Roman times. Quill pens did not appear until medieval times; Romans wrote with either reed or metal pens. Granted, I’m not 100% sure about this particular one within the story, but it all seemed to point towards the author implying the quill in the secret room had been there since the Romans were there. If it was meant to be in a previous century but still during the Middle Ages, then it’s fine.

2 - Why would the Church want to ban Latin, its official language since its inception during the Roman Empire?

I can understand the Church wanting to ban and destroy all the pagan gods, monuments and practices from the Romans and other cultures and tribes, but not the very language its built on and that actually gave the Church all its power and influence. What’s the Church’s official language then? Aramaic? Hebrew?

3 - If Latin was banned, wouldn’t all the names derived from it be prohibited as well?

Let’s just say that at least half of the names in the story either wouldn’t exist or would be banned.

Aurelius. Straight up Latin. Why is this man allowed to prance around, and in a position of power no less, bearing a name in a language that is prohibited and its use, I reckon, heavily punished?

Hadrian. A variant, a shortened form of the Latin name Hadrianus.

Alessa. Now this is an interesting one, because her real name seems to be Alexandra, a name of Greek origin but she prefers to go by Alessa, the shortened version of the Latin variant Alessandra. For such a cautious woman, this seems incredibly stupid and reckless of her. So unlike her character.

Vallen. Another name of Latin origin.

Alain. The name is of French origin, a language that wouldn’t exist in the story. It’s thought to be derived from the Alans, an Iranian nomadic group of tribes whom the Romans referred to as Alani or Halani.

Ysabella. Italian variant of the Hebrew name Elisheba, with an extra "exotic" flare by using the Y.

Lance. Believe it or not, this name comes from another word of Latin origin.

Chouriça. As with Alain and Ysabella, this word in Portuguese has no place in this story, since the author herself made it clear through external info posts (not in the story, mind you, which is a huge mistake because not everyone is going to read the COG forums or a Tumblr blog) that none of the Romance languages would exist.

As you can see, just this creates quite important incoherences within the setting. Also, notice how there are names in Romance languages other than Spanish. Except in the case of Rafael Borja (we’ll get into this one in point 5), of course, which coincidentally is a character with very unbecoming traits. It kind of smells if I’m being honest, especially since the story takes place in the kingdoms that later formed Spain.

4 - As per author’s claims, English is spoken in the Iberian Peninsula (not even mentioned why or how that came to be in the story, by the way), ignoring the fact that about 58% of English derives from Latin (around 29% including science and legal terms) and Romance languages, especially French (another 29%), which in this alternate universe none of them would exist, so the characters wouldn’t be able to be speaking English; not even Old English.

5 - Rather clumsy (and in my humble opinion absolutely needless, as it would have only added new interesting layers to the story and not take anything away from it) deletion of 700 years of Moorish history and culture (and diversity) of the Iberian Peninsula just for the sake of it. It really is a pity because Moorish Spain was probably the most advanced in many areas out of all of Europe. Also, what happened with Sephardi Jews? Where are they? Did they also magically disappear like many other things in the story?

As far as I’m aware, no explanation has been given as to why this was erased for, I’m to assume, “storytelling purposes”, but constant references to said “void” being made without any explanation as to how those things came to be if those seven centuries of Moorish rule never happened. Allow me to shed some light into some of those aforementioned references to the “void”.

Rice. Rice is not an endemic species of the Iberian Peninsula, meaning it’s not an autoctonous form of plant life there. It was introduced by, you guessed it, the Moors along with a few varieties of citrus trees (like orange trees), sugarcane, cotton, aubergines, watermelons and several other plants and flowers. Therefore, rice pudding can’t be a typical or traditional dish as shown in the story, if the aforementioned people never settled in Spain. Also, I wouldn't call it a pastry, since it doesn't have any dough in it; it's a dessert but not a pastry.

Borja. Borja is first and foremost a toponym, it’s the name of a place; a town in Zaragoza to be exact. It's a toponym that later turned into what we know as a toponymic name and surname. It’s the evolved form of an Arabic word (Borja < Burya < Burj (برج) meaning tower), which wouldn’t have been possible to find in the Iberian Peninsula according to this scenario. The town would have had another name; it might have retained its original celtiberian name, Bursau, but not Borja and therefore the name and surname derived from it wouldn’t exist either.

Tarek. It’s a variant of Tariq, a name of Arabic origin. I’d be willing to ignore this one since he’s a mercenary, IF there hadn’t been any other Moorish/Arabic references, since mercenaries go where the money is and are not necessarily native to the region; it wouldn’t have been strange to find a Polish mercenary working in France, for example. Sadly, there are quite a few of the aforementioned references.

The very name of Tarragona. Many actual toponyms would have been erased and replaced as well (as we saw with Borja); starting with Tarragona, which the Romans called Tarraco and after getting a spin through the Arabic version Tarrakuna or Tarkūna (طَرْكُونَة‎) is how we get its current form, something that never happened according to the setting. Now, there are several hypothesis as to where Tarraco comes from. Some say it’s Iberian; some others say it was a name of Etruscan origin given by the Romans, which was a language that influenced Latin to a certain degree, as all neighbouring languages tend to do, before the latter ended up replacing it. All in all, Tarragona wouldn’t be Tarragona without the Arabic influence.

As you can see, the author had two perfect candidates (Rafael and Tarek) she could have used to rather easily weave Moorish Spain into the story. Plus it would have made much more sense for the Moors, with their completely unrelated language and different beliefs, to be the ones trying to eliminate Latin and not the Church, which actually heavily depended on it for influence across borders.

6 - Not to mention the complete deletion of any native Iberian (mostly Spanish) references (names, languages, etc.). What happened with Basque, a pre-indoeuropean language isolate that has zero relation with Latin and that is currently still around? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for an actually autoctonous language to take over the rest of the Peninsula instead of everyone magically speaking “English”?

This, and forgive me for the harsh statement, is an act of shameless erasure of any sort of autoctonous cultural identities; yes, plural; it’s not a typo. We already saw that the only reference to any sort of local relation was a Spanish name in the form of Rafael Borja, someone whom the author constantly reminds us of how much of a terrible, scummy person he is. Before, it simply smelled a bit; now, all of this just reeks of xenophobia. All of it just to coddle English speakers (said by the author, not in those exact words but it's the gist of it); as if they were so stupid they can't process or read anything with foreign names in it, you know? It honestly feels so incredibly disrespectful, not just to Spanish people, but to English speakers as well. Dear author, if you want English names and something akin to English culture for your story, set it in England and not in Spain. This right here, completely destroys any possible immersion into the story for me. It’s an absolute deal breaker and as I mentioned before, it’s a real pity because the adventure in itself is very good.

This is basically like writing a story set in Imperial China, but changing all the native names to stuff like John Smith, Travis Simmons and Jane Doe just because and saying “Hey! Remember all the Mongol invasions and incursions China suffered? Well, they didn’t happen here but I’m still gonna mention the Great Wall, which is primarily a direct consequence of said raids, anyway“.

Let me tell you, if the above had been the case, I’d wager that it wouldn’t even have been published and in the chance that it were published, people would have been sharpening their pitchforks and lighting their torches while demanding the culprit’s head on a silver platter. But hey, it's another European country the one being butchered, so it's whatever; let's applaud and praise it.

All of this was an easily avoidable offence by using the geographical set up of the Iberian Peninsula, if that’s what the author wished, but changing locations to made up names, as I already mentioned at the very beginning.

And finally, to wrap things up, a piece of advice: When messing with other people’s culture and history, better be careful and consistent about what you remove, add or change and above all, explain how and why said changes came to be in-game (in an intro or in a history appendix in the stats page, for example) and not in blogs or Q&A outside of the narration or the game, because not everyone is going to read or have access to those, otherwise you’re bound to step on quite a few toes.

| Thank you so much for your attention |

[aimeelouart]

7! Sephiroth projecting 'no one else but me' is one of the creepiest things I've ever read. Poor, poor Cloud...

7!Seph is seriously creepy in everything I've written him into, but yeah...The Adversary Fell kinda kicks it up a notch even for him.