#shits so vast and full of depth

[blueflamebimbo]

DEW KISSED

TIGHNARI X READER

Tighnari likes knowing things. Tighnari likes mushrooms. Above all, Tighnari likes you. The feeling, thankfully, is absolutely mutual.

A/N: I saw a lot of Genshin smut on here, so I wrote something wholesome out of spite. I also said I wasn't going to put a lot of effort into it and ended up researching rain forest preservation systems. My bad.

Dedicated to: @husbandograveyard Warnings: Brush your teeth. This shit sweet. Word count: 1,070

A small smile pulled at the sides of your mouth as you watched the breeze flow through the grass, making it lean into the most serene sea of greens and flowery whites. The wind wasn’t as strong as it had been the past few days, and though clouds still brought a chill to the spring afternoon in the fields of East Sumeru, the sun was finally out again, making the fields glisten.

Your walk from home had taken only a short while as you made your way to the edge of Avidya Forest. The bark felt rough against your skin as you sat down on a fallen tree trunk, a favourite spot of yours that looked out into the depths of the forest. It was the perfect spot to watch forest critters scurry about while enjoying both the warmth of the air and the shade of the trees that towered above you, casting shadows at your feet as the sun travelled from East to West.

There was a familiar tingling sensation in your gut as you eyed the rustling leaves ahead of you. Tomorrow, you would embark on quite the adventure. After spending years with your nose hidden in pages upon pages of information that were carefully tucked away at the Akademiya, your first research project away from home was finally about to start. The thought brought tension to your neck, and you reached up to soothe the sore muscle.

From between the leaves, your favourite project partner emerged. Tighnari set down his satchel in front of you, his gaze never leaving you, but his initial grin faltering slightly at your visible discomfort.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” he murmured, getting down and sitting back on his haunches. One of his big ears twitched in concern and a dew drop flicked off, hitting the tree trunk.

You nodded sheepishly and let go of your neck, settling both your hands behind you on the bark, letting you lean back slightly. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” You smiled at him reassuringly and let out a soft sigh. “Is it foolish of me to be nervous about tomorrow, though?"

He laughed. Not the gentle, friendly laugh most people knew and appreciated, but a full, cheeky laugh; one that pushed at his cheeks and made his eyes disappear into green crescents. “Don’t be silly – it’s your first research project, honey, of course you’re allowed to be nervous,” he shrugged. “I won’t have you be worried about any of it, though. You’re so well-prepared. I was there every step of the way, watching you learn, watching you grow into the scholar I know you are.” He paused, “And, even if you do doubt – that’s okay, too. I’ll be right there to help. You’re not in this alone, but I have faith in that big brain of yours.”

You could feel your cheeks heating up, the compliment nestling deep inside of your chest and blooming as you watched his eyes peer up at you with both wonder and adoration. It was almost too much to be the subject of the forest watcher’s affection, but it also never got old, not even after this much time had passed.

Looking out into the depths of the forest, you let the soft breeze hit your flushed cheeks and pondered the many truths you would uncover with Tighnari, starting tomorrow.

“It’s strange, isn’t it,” you wondered, “How something so vast and mysterious can be so perfectly balanced.”

Tighnari knew where this was going and sat back into the grass, mindlessly pulling forest specimens out of his satchel before handing you an almost perfect looking common mushroom – his favourite.

“Forests barely have any nutrients in the ground,” you continued, choosing to momentarily ignore the way Tighnari was beaming at the way he had handed you the perfect prop for the speech he knew so very well by now.

“It’s only really the top part of the soil that’s filled with helpful sources: fallen leaves, dead animals, decomposed plant matter…” you trailed off, grinning. “That’s where the good stuff comes from, huh? All for these fun guys to enjoy.” You held up the mushroom and showed off its simple shape. “Mushrooms use the tree roots to absorb all of the delicious nutrients and enter mycorrhiza, the coolest symbiosis of all, which then makes it easier for the tree roots to actually absorb the nutrients and, in turn, the mushrooms get carbohydrates from the tree. How amazing is that?!”

By now, Tighnari looked so proud, it wouldn’t have surprised you if he teared up. But no – surprise was always an option when accompanied by the botanical scholar, and it was evident in the way he got to his feet, cupped your cheeks and planted a gentle kiss to your lips. You could taste the dew drops in his kiss, and it tasted like spring, and adventure, and trust.

When he pulled away, he looked almost smug. It was the look he would give anyone when they contested anything he said, and he would tell them to look it up. Tighnari was rarely wrong.

“You’re so ready that I doubt you’ll need me at all, honey,” he sighed, his eyes bright and excited.

“Does that mean you’ve changed your mind, and you won’t be joining me after all?” you teased. You got up from the tree trunk and stepped closer, gently reaching up and letting your fingertips caress the tip of his ear. A ladybug that had been hiding in the fluff of his fur made its way down your hand and then flew off.

At the intimately tender touch, he closed his eyes for a moment. A soft blush coloured his cheeks. He took a moment to bask in the proximity and then slowly shook his head, curling his arms around your waist. “Absolutely not,” he responded as he opened his eyes once more and resumed his proud gaze. “I’ll go wherever you go, my botanical little genius. I’ll follow you to the corners of the world and discover all of its secrets with you, if you’ll let me.”

And that’s where the doubts about the wild unknown melted away. Even though there was a lot to learn about the world, there were a lot of certainties for you as well. One of those certainties took you by the hand and led you home, ready to embark on your greatest adventure yet. 

[thedvilsinthedetails]

rosekiller band au microfic pt2

yayyy part 2 is here! (Again if there’s any typos lmk ty)

(also yeah I changed their ages slightly, the skittles r now 23 not 25 what r u gonna do about it?)

anywayssss here’s the ppl that asked to be tagged/said they wanted more so im tagging them anyway (sorry if u didn’t want that): @always-reading @lady-stardust-incarnate @lulublack90 @idk-what-to-put-here-123 @weirdtinkerbellversion @depressedtheatrekiddo @blu3stars @nikholascrow @good-oldfashioned-lover-girl @picklerab23

(As always if u wanna be tagged or not tagged pls lmk I won’t mind at all <3)

Link to Part One

Link to Next Part

***

Evan woke up the next morning to the harsh bleep of his phone that always managed to elicit pure terror in his body. He groaned and rolled out of bed. He’d forgotten to turn off the alarm and of course he was awake at six in the fucking morning on a Saturday.

He threw on a dressing gown over his tank top and plaid pyjama bottoms, slipped into his fluffy slippers and trudged to the kitchen for some coffee.

Once he got to the kitchen he saw Dorcas was already sat at the little island she passed him a warm cup of coffee as soon as he sat down. Dorcas had always been the earliest riser of the band, always eager to get ready quickly and get the hell out of the house, he supposed that’s what growing up as the eldest sister to four brothers did to you. 

“Heard your alarm go off, figured you’d forgot to turn it off.”

“Dorcas you lifesaver. And I mean seriously a lifesaver, I might have murdered someone without this coffee.”

Dorcas laughed.

“Who?”

Evan rubbed his eyes.

“Barty probably. He’s fucking annoying.”

“Any excuse to get up close to him then more like.”

Evan’s head snapped up.

“What?”

Dorcas rolled her eyes.

“Please you’re shit at hiding it.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout Cas.”

Evan mumbled, taking a long drink from his mug. 

“Please, save the crap. If you don’t have a crush on him, why do you get so worked up by people calling you a couple. It consumes your every waking thought, now why is that? Tell me.”

“Ughhh I don’t want to think about it.”

He groaned and stared into the brown murky depths of the mug he was cradling close to him.

Dorcas softened.

“Look, Marls and Barty are really close, our next tour stop is London which means she’ll obviously drop by rehearsals. I can get her to ask him if he-“

“He doesn’t.”

Evan ran his thumb over a tiny chip in the ceramic. It was a mug Barty had painted around four years ago, Dora had decided for her sixteenth she wanted to go to a pottery painting place like when they were little. Barty was- honestly pretty shit at painting. The background was covered in vast uneven strokes of black. He’d tried to paint a white ferret on it - ‘Ev this one is for you, if you were any animal I’d say you’d be a ferret.’ - thing is it looked more like a snake with legs that was also, well, a zombie. It was Evan’s most prized possession. He’d be taking it to the grave. He turned it to look inside the handle. Barty had been too lazy to paint that part so instead he’d just written crudely with the brush - ‘B + E forever bitches!’. His eyes crinkled fondly as he read it. 

“I just need to get over it.”

His expression hardened and he looked up at Dorcas again.

“Get over what?”

They both turned to find Barty in the doorway. His hair was sticking up in all directions. Fuzzy spikes of green and black. He stretched his arms all the way up as he yawned, flexing his wrist so his ‘SKITTLES’ tattoo was on full display. He had one of Evan’s jumpers on over his pyjama top. Evan really wanted to reach out and hold. Why’d he have to go and look so soft? Wasn’t fucking fair. 

“Nothing Jr.”

Barty nodded in response as he padded over and sat himself in the chair next to Evan.

“Why’re you even awake?”

Dorcas asked.

Barty dropped his head down onto the island counter dramatically.

“Forgot to turn off my alarm.”

Dorcas laughed out loud, fully threw her head back and everything.

“Two birds of a fucking stupid feather you two are.”

She got up and put her mug in the sink before heading out of the kitchen. Barty turned his head up to look at Evan as soon as she was gone.

“You don’t have to tell me anything Evan, but if you want to you can. You know that right?”

Barty lifted his head and propped it up on his hand as Evan nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah I know Barty.”

“Good.”

Barty shuffled his chair closer before dropping his head onto Evan’s shoulder and falling quiet. It was instinctual, the way Evan brought his arms up around him. After a few moments he looked down though, Barty was suspiciously silent.

“Bee?”

He whispered.

“M’awake. You’re just comfy Ev. You’re really good at hugs.”

Might be ‘cause I was built to hold you.

Damn that’s a fucking stupid thing to say. Fuck I’ve turned into Reg whenever he’s around James.

Yeah Evan needed to get over this like fucking yesterday.

•••

Barty breathed in deeply, face buried in the crux of Evan’s neck. He couldn’t help it really. Evan smelled like home. Probably a creepy thing to say, oh well wasn’t like he said it out loud. Evan was home though, plain and simple.

He didn’t want to move, probably ever. Still eventually as the rest of the group came pattering into the kitchen and things got livelier he had to shift away.

•••

They got on the train at noon, ready to head to London. Evan took the window seat watching as the city turned to rolling hills turned to city again. Barty kept sneaking glances over at him, wasn’t really sure what he was looking for honestly but-

“What?”

Evan asked finally, tone irritated.

“Nothing, just bored.”

“Oh um-“

Evan glanced around, he and Barty were in a two seater while the rest of the band sat around the table in front of them, chatting animatedly.

“S’fine Ev, not anything you can do about it, I’m gonna be bored till we get off this bloody train. Fucking buzzing.”

“Excited for tomorrow then yeah?”

Barty turned to him with shining eyes. 

“D’you remember when we were eighteen? First time at the O2 for a concert? Fuck d’you remember seeing it like that, covered in all the lights ‘n shit. Eventim Apollo doesn’t even compare.”

Evan chuckled. They’d gone to the O2 for the first time June 2019 to see a concert when Evan was still in his backstreet boys phase, something no one was allowed to talk about now under any circumstances.

“D’you remember what you said to me?”

•••

“Look at that stage Ev. Imagine playing there. For all these people.”

Evan turned to Barty and ruffled his hair.

“One day Bee, we’ll be playing here. I promise you yeah? We’ll be playing here and it’ll all the fucking sold out.”

“You think?”

•���•

“Yeah. Yeah I do.”

***

AHHH I HOPE U LIKED ITTTT (idk when part 3 will be coming but hopefully soon <333333)

[reasaph]

"I don't believe in God, but I believe that your my savior."

Soshiro Hoshina x fem suicidal reader!

Summary: (name), a person who has no beliefs, no reason and will to live gets hospitalized after another attempt. There, she meets Soshiro Hoshina and has looked forward to waking another morning since.

TW: reader is mentally unstable, mentions of unhealthy eating routine, Injuries, Theres prob more

The title come from the song "sailor song" by Gigi perez!

Part 3!

You don't know how long you've been staring, not moving an inch, completely drilled to your place, feet rooted deep in the ground, limbs not daring to flinch. Hoshina was the first to regain composure and control the vast swirl of rigged emotions inside the interior of his heart, clearing his throat to rid of the lump thats been keeping his larynx silent. His action made you made you land back to earth in reciprocation, it splashed a fresh pail full of water on you, enough to awoke your self consciousness. You know the throb in your chest isn't normal, it's not the usual butchering ache that makes you wanna rip yourself apart, but rather a throbbing feeling of longing that has planted itself in the depths of your ribs. Thats the effect he has on you, you feel like chipping off one by one the atoms that form you as a whole and offer it to him as a token of your affection— no, love, a token of your love. It isnt so bad as you thought, atleast not yet. The optimistic feeling society calls love has taken you hostage at gunpoint with Hoshina Soshiro as the bullet, and your willing to take it anytime, welcome him to the bone.

"Ya alright? Snap out of it dummy." he flicked you on the forehead, disturbing the bundle of nerves underneath your skin, it hurts in all honesty. It hurts enough to make you exclaim audibly, you dont think he Added That nuch pressure when, maybe hes just really strong.

"Ow! What was that for?" You soothe the irritated skin, it stung and turned into a reddish hue.

"Aren't ya gonna treat me today? Lets go." Hoshina regrets his action, yet he doesn't want to admit it. He wants to apologize but he doesn't want to face that he's the reason of your pain.

"Just dont order the whole cafeteria." You shrug it off like its nothing, you dont mind. Because your bound to be hurt by him one way or another as long as you feel such a thing for him. But you dont mind, call it masochistic, if you will, but you dont mind if he's the reason of your pain.

As you two waited in line, disposable trays In hand, Hoshina cant help the weird obligation to just keep yapping to keep you here, to keep you entertained. He keeps talking and cracking jokes in fear that you'd get tired of his company, but that was just what he thinks. You could listen to his voice on a broken record, replaying itself numerous times like a mantra, like a chant, saying the same things aan your ear drums will consider itself blessed to hear such a soothing melody. You would heed every note in the soprano of his sounds if he gave you such a privilege.

"Have ya tasted their pancakes? They're delicious." Hoshina blurts out things randomly, no difference here. He's never actually tried the sweet fluff before. He's just desperate to keep talking, to hear your response, the soprano of your voice, the sweet sound of your larynx.

"No, but I'll take your word on it." It's gotten to the point where you'll take his word in anything. If Hoshina says the sky is a green hue, You wont see the sky In the same blue color starting then. You trust him and his silver tongue, you believe if his taste buds find something pleasurable to eat then it is, consider it a controversial opinion.

"Really? Gee, now I'll be responsible if ya dont like it." Again, he absolutely dles not know shit about what the pancakes tasted like. And Hoshina did not know you would take him seriously on that.

"I'll kill you if they taste like shit." You say those words so tenderly, Hoshina almost forgot they were meant to curse him.

The line kept moving forward, step sy step, the two of you inching towards the array of edibles displayed behind glass covers. The scent came rushing into your nostrils, so much you probably guess what's pleasurable to the tongue and whats not. When you two were finally the person in front and all had already llef, you went ahead and took your order of choice, as did Hoshina. The person who tended to the both of you was very nice, not the typical grumpy bitch you'd meet behind the counter. You dont know why but you were more used to that type of service, to that particular ttreatment, to being frowned and looked down upon even though your of an equal human being. The two of you got your food, payed and was excused out of the line so those behind you can have their chance to order what they wish.

"I dont see a table that's empty." So you guys venture further in search of a flat surface free for the taking. The whole cafeteria is oddly full to the brim, patients, visitors and doctors occupied every seat.

"Over there! Although its a bit in the corner." Hoshina was nudging to a disclosed table, its funny, the table resided in a cramped corner, no wonder no one seated on it. The table was left alone in result, no one living up to its purpose.

"I could care less, lets go." You went ahead infront of him, pushing through the compressed crowds, struggling to get past. Hoshina followed behind you, right behind your back. He thinks you look strong at this point of view, your spine stood up straight even when clearing a path. Hoshina just followed in your shadow, he doesn't mind at all, he doesn't mind if you'll take him as your counterpart behind.

Hoshina places down his tray on the flat surface and takes a seat, you reciprocate and sat on the opposite side of him. A particularly cramped space, but it would do. You dont care where, as long as its with him. Hoshina could invite you to the depths of the overwhelming oceans, the tightest room with only less than a meter of width, the very mantle of the earth and you would show up with smiles and a bouqet.You don't know how long you've been staring, not moving an inch, completely drilled to your place, feet rooted deep in the ground, limbs not daring to flinch. Hoshina was the first to regain composure and control the vast swirl of rigged emotions inside the interior of his heart, clearing his throat to rid of the lump thats been keeping his larynx silent. His action made you made you land back to earth in reciprocation, it splashed a fresh pail full of water on you, enough to awoke your self consciousness. You know the throb in your chest isn't normal, it's not the usual butchering ache that makes you wanna rip yourself apart, but rather a throbbing feeling of longing that has planted itself in the depths of your ribs. Thats the effect he has on you, you feel like chipping off one by one the atoms that form you as a whole and offer it to him as a token of your affection— no, love, a token of your love. It isnt so bad as you thought, atleast not yet. The optimistic feeling society calls love has taken you hostage at gunpoint with Hoshina Soshiro as the bullet, and your willing to take it anytime, welcome him to the bone.

"Ya alright? Snap out of it dummy." he flicked you on the forehead, disturbing the bundle of nerves underneath your skin, it hurts in all honesty. It hurts enough to make you exclaim audibly, you dont think he Added That nuch pressure when, maybe hes just really strong.

"Ow! What was that for?" You soothe the irritated skin, it stung and turned into a reddish hue.

"Aren't ya gonna treat me today? Lets go." Hoshina regrets his action, yet he doesn't want to admit it. He wants to apologize but he doesn't want to face that he's the reason of your pain.

"Just dont order the whole cafeteria." You shrug it off like its nothing, you dont mind. Because your bound to be hurt by him one way or another as long as you feel such a thing for him. But you dont mind, call it masochistic, if you will, but you dont mind if he's the reason of your pain.

As you two waited in line, disposable trays In hand, Hoshina cant help the weird obligation to just keep yapping to keep you here, to keep you entertained. He keeps talking and cracking jokes in fear that you'd get tired of his company, but that was just what he thinks. You could listen to his voice on a  broken record, replaying itself numerous times like a mantra, like a chant, saying the same things aan your ear drums will consider itself blessed to hear such a soothing melody. You would heed every note in the soprano of his sounds if he gave you such a privilege.

"Have ya tasted their pancakes? They're delicious." Hoshina blurts out things randomly, no difference here. He's never actually tried the sweet fluff before. He's just desperate to keep talking, to hear your response, the soprano of your voice, the sweet sound of your larynx.

"No, but I'll take your word on it." It's gotten to the point where you'll take his word in anything. If Hoshina says the sky is a green hue, You wont see the sky In the same blue color starting then. You trust him and his silver tongue, you believe if his taste buds find something pleasurable to eat then it is, consider it a controversial opinion.

"Really? Gee, now I'll be responsible if ya dont like it." Again, he absolutely dles not know shit about what the pancakes tasted like. And Hoshina did not know you would take him seriously on that.

"I'll kill you if they taste like shit." You say those words so tenderly, Hoshina almost forgot they were meant to curse him.

The line kept moving forward, step sy step, the two of you inching towards the array of edibles displayed behind glass covers. The scent came rushing into your nostrils, so much you probably guess what's pleasurable to the tongue and whats not. When you two were finally the person in front and all had already llef, you went ahead and took your order of choice, as did Hoshina. The person who tended to the both of you was very nice, not the typical grumpy bitch you'd meet behind the counter. You dont know why but you were more used to that type of service, to that particular ttreatment, to being frowned and looked down upon even though your of an equal human being. The two of you got your food, payed and was excused out of the line so those behind you can have their chance to order what they wish.

"I dont see a table that's empty." So you guys venture further in search of a flat surface free for the taking. The whole cafeteria is oddly full to the brim, patients, visitors and doctors occupied every seat.

"Over there! Although its a bit in the corner." Hoshina was nudging to a disclosed table, its funny, the table resided in a cramped corner, no wonder no one seated on it. The table was left alone in result, no one living up to its purpose.

"I could care less, lets go." You went ahead infront of him, pushing through the compressed crowds, struggling to get past. Hoshina followed behind you, right behind your back. He thinks you look strong at this point of view, your spine stood up straight even when clearing a path. Hoshina just followed in your shadow, he doesn't mind at all, he doesn't mind if you'll take him as your counterpart behind. He's subtly reminded about his injuries during this escapedes, being squished between figures of hard muscle, causing him to feel a sting as Hoshina  swims through this mob.

Hoshina places down his tray on the flat surface and takes a seat, body still fuming with pain, while you reciprocate and sat on the opposite side of him. A particularly cramped space, but it would do. You dont care where, as long as its with him. Hoshina could invite you to the depths of the overwhelming oceans, the tightest room with only less than a meter of width, the very mantle of the earth and you would show up with smiles and a bouqet. The scent of the freshly cooked food was enough to rip a gluttural sound from the depths of your stomach, a plead to be fed. So you indulged in its selfish wishes and took a bite, inching the utensil closer.

"It's yummy." Which is very unexpected for a hospital. One would never guess that such a decent delicacy comes from a public hospital, of all places.

"Rightt?! Told ya." Hoshina boasted like an ignorant student who had just solved a hard question, not yet on their curriculum. With his fangs poking out while he oh so joyfully grins. Although, he, himself had never tried those.

You nodded, spoon still nestled in your mouth, trying to dramatically savor the taste. You trust Hoshina, be it with trivial things or life changing decisions that could very much decide your fate. "What about yours?" You ask, glancing down at his platter.

Hoshina hasn't yet moved a spectrum on his platter, a little to occupied watching your retort as if you were blessed with a golden tongue. He chomped on his piece of toast the moment he could.

"Are you sure your okay with just that?" You ask, concern lacing the arcs of your tone of voice. All that laid on his disposable platter was a piece of toast, bacon and egg. You recall reminding him not to go overboard with the stacking of food onto his plate as because it was your wallet taking the damage, but your not sure if this serves as a balanced meal.

"Yer talking like an old grandma." Hoshina points his spoon directly to your face, not enough to make contact. You unexpectedly remember the times in which you'd not eat breakfast at all, doing nothing but rotting in the four corners of your room, ignoring the hollow emptiness of your stomach.

"Shut it and eat." And that the both of you did. The bustling noise of your surroundings never seemed to disturb Hoshina, it's not like he's not disturbed by the way every time he tries to speak, his voice gets washed away by the huge sound cloud of the whole room, but as long as his voice reaches the brim of your ears, it's enough for him.

Time passes, conversation topics were being thrown here and there, the food home to your plate was half finished and his was gone practically, all that remained was microsopic crumbs on the plate. You take small, miniature portions so you don't accidentally vomit right then and there, now you're halfway through finishing it all. The food was overwhelming now, the taste is now all too plain simply because you've eaten your fill, it's a bad habit you've developed during your not so pleasant days. Getting tired of eating too quickly. Hoshina talked to you all meal long, pointing out the most random things and it somewhat assisted you.

You were midway in shoving another spoonful of food into your mouth and straight down your esophagus when Hoshina asked something that abled you to choke on your own air.

"(Name), why are you here?" He has his eyes wide open, scarlet hues in full blossom as red as the blood that circulates in your veins, the same scarlet hues has it's vision etched onto the very essence of your being. "Here at this hospital, I mean." Hoshina tilted his head and placed both his elbows on the table.

You hesitate to state the truth, afraid he would resent you, afraid that he'd be disgusted like any other. You dread that if you do tell him, you would be taken of the right to dwell on his presence. You dread that he won't look at you with the same eyes, you fear that he wouldn't want to lay eyes your appearance ever again.

"I fell down the stairs, very badly" A brief pause. You pause to give yourself time to think of another reason to further back up your excuse. "Fainted and broke a few bones haha—"

Hoshina stayed silent, staring at your face a bit too long to your liking, it was as if he was analyzing the truth from your expression alone.

"Your turn to tell, it's not fair for me!" You genuinely wanted to know the reason why the man was covered in bandages like a walking Egyptian mummy coming to haunt modern civilization. But besides that, you wanted to get him to talk again, just silence was as loud as it can possibly get, so by asking a question, he'd have to speak.

Hoshina looked deep in the cocoons of his mind as well, humming to himself which only made you more anticipated for what he has to share. So much to the point you wouldn't be surprised whether his next words to be 'I fight kaiju for a living! Ya get the gist.' Hoshina merely grins, opening his mouth to speak.

"I fight kaiju for a living! Ya get the gist." Scratch that, the word 'surprised' would be underwhelming it, simply to say you were baffled, eyes open wide like saucers, mouth left agape. You anticipated something extraordinary, yes, but no way could you have guesses your guess was no work of fiction.

Hoshina is somewhat pleased at your reaction, crossing his arms and grinning cheshire. He decided he'll add more spice to the mix. "Did I also mention my position? Vice-captain of the third division." The sight compares with a child boasting to his peers about a new trinket he's gotten.

It's the truth, no way he'd joke about something that serious. You weren't one to take interest in anything kaiju related, you deemed all of it unnecessary in your life. Hoshina is telling the truth, the man sitting across from you is the same man who governs the Third division. You're too deep into this conversation that the rest of your food on the platter is long forgotten.

Now, you question whether or not you should talk to him more formally.

You feel so stupid now. "Isn't that like— an important thing? Are you sure you're okay with me knowing..?"

"Yer talking like I'm a superhero with a hidden identity, it's not something I hide. Plus I can trust you." Trust, hoshina trusts you. And you just lost privilege of that trust just a moment ago. Telling him that big of a lie, leaving him in the blue. You feel unworthy of his trust, the moment you've decided to throw words seeping opposite of truth.

＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈

Moments later, you two get up and have a scroll at the backyard of the whole hospital, meant for a breath of fresh air for patients. Outside the hospital, away from the artificial smells, away from the blinding white. You don't know why you agreed to this idea, as well as Hoshina doesn't get why he suggested it. Not for more than half an hour, you two are anchored on a bench, scars already stinging and limbs already spent.

The breeze was comforting, the green grass was warming. Hoshina had his head tilted up high, soaking in the sight of the oddly living blue hue of the sky. He had never seen it this vividly, it was always a more muted tone in his view. He could only guess it was because of your presence with him. You, with your head hung low. He wonders if it'll continue to be this colorful even if you're not beside him anymore.

"I'm getting discharged in 2 days actually."

Your head snapped in his direction. The only word that could describe the crinkle on your features was disappointment. But then again, you had no right, the decision was not yours to make. You simply had no say in this.

"Hm, right. That's nice. Congratulations."

Nothing can guarantee whether you'll get the chance to be with him again. The light in your life was once again about to dim, the room would once more become pitch black. You wish you'd be given a lifetime, but such is reality. Your time with your savior has been short lived. In two days, you'll lose something dear and there's nothing you could do about it.

You truly believe Soshiro Hoshina is the man who's meant to save you from this gruesome way of living, but now he's departing from you.

[duckiemimi]

an in depth explanation as to how an on-screen gego sex scene would actually solve all of the problems in jjk:

1. while the series mainly focuses on the manifestations of “negative” emotions (i say negative with quotation marks because no emotion is inherently negative or harmful; it’s what comes after that counts), i’d argue that “positive” emotions would also manifest the same way—perhaps not as cursed spirits, but within the context of sorcerers, it could manifest as a source of strength. in volume 0, gojo likens love to a curse, but colloquially speaking, love is considered a “positive” emotion. (it can be more than an emotion, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll refer to it as that.) within this context, love can be strength.

now let’s briefly explore the intersection between love, an abstract concept, and sex, a tangible physicality. what do both these things have in common? serotonin and much more, or in short, “positive” emotions. i’d imagine the output of “positive” emotions between people in love who have sex must be astronomical—limitless, even (at least momentarily).

now let’s imagine the relationship between geto and gojo is one full of love, notwithstanding the trauma. let’s put them in a situation of sex. considering how they were both two of the strongest sorcerers of their time, i’d imagine that their combined cursed energy output concentrated through a lens of “positive” emotions would be incredibly powerful. so powerful that it would even theoretically eradicate the repercussions of humanity’s “negative” emotions, or what we canonically call “cursed spirits.” mass exorcism. this would include our muppet-brain character and the character with repeating limbs. it would be an act of letting love into the vast and empty space of infinity, so to speak, filling every corner and every curve full.

of course, one might ask, how would this happen if both instrumental characters are dead and gone? where would this take place? why, the afterlife, of course! in the series, the afterlife is the wonder that keeps on giving, a mysterious realm where almost anything is possible (except life). it would be a cross-realm mission of sorts. let’s say something like cursed energy exists in the afterlife. if this “making love out of nothing at all” scenario were to happen, then the combined output of cursed energy through a lens of “positive” emotions would leak into the tangible realm, not unlike how cursed energy leaks from non-sorcerers. this, in my humble opinion, would be the metaphysical peak of the battle and this is how gojo can still win. this is the conceptual reverse cursed technique as a large-scale solution. the one who will teach us about love is gego.

2. would make up for the shit way gojo died off-scren methinks

[in-collection]

Hotel Vast Horizon by @rocket-eighty-eight

Heat (1995) | Vincent Hanna/Neil McCauley | 16,202 words | 100 pages

You can see and download the whole typeset HERE.

You can also print it if you want a copy for yourself! I provide printable files below. Check out the guide first ↓ The book is 11x18cm AKA 4,3x7,1" & can be printed with a coptic stitch or staples. Mine's printed on 80gsm grey recycled paper & 210gsm grey paper for the cover.

DOWNLOAD THE FILES / PRINTING & BINDING GUIDE

PRINTING NOTES: This typeset goes pretty close to the edges of the pages, so be careful when cutting it, and the first signature or so has double-spread images, so I'd really recommend making sure your double-sided printing is calibrated for this one (whether you're doing it at home or at a printing shop).

HEY!!!! HI! finally. If you've checked the Heat (1995) (Al Pacino and Robert De Niro Go on a Date: The Movie) tag on AO3 in the past year you've probably checked out Hotel Vast Horizon (Michael Mann Could Never: The Fic). Welp here it is on paper.

The common thread in the typeset was always the ocean (and shit, I said the o-word. did you know there are like 20 references to water, seas and storms in HVH, and yet never once "ocean" is said?). The other thread was the Bitstream Cooper typeface, which is round and curvy and so pleasing on the eye. Isn't it? Also Arial (underrated), because I needed it for the sequencing to show that Michael Mann is a loser. I'm kidding. Or am I? But this brings me to another major thing: the sequencing. (The common denominator between movies and books: the sequence.) That can only be apprehended on the full PDF/book, and it's really something that did not really exist (in so much depths) in the previous typesets.

As to what the sequencing is saying, or what the hell this intro is about (no I did not have a stroke when I did it), I will not say much if only that it is about the vocabulary, the image, the movie, the things that go beyond fate, a little bit Neil vs Vincent and a lot the reason vs the heart. More things shall remain unexplained because I feel they would be better experienced than laid out here.

If you'd still like to know what's actually going on in this thing don't hesitate to send in an ask lol.

More details on the technical matters + a visualization at the bottom, because there is work involved and my micro typography is so clean it could give Neil McCauley a boner.

help where do i even begin? I learnt how to use FontForge to create a new typeface specifically for that symbol at the beginning of the paragraphs in order to implement it in InDesign (see fig.1 below), I changed the Arial's @ in FontForge too (fig.2) to have it fit with the underline in @ rocket88, what the hell.

2. I also drew 11 (I think) illustrations for the intro (yes, those knots......), but that wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be. I do deeply curse InDesign's "Print Booklet" function for how much it hates images though.

3. I would like you to meet my InDesign characters styles (fig.3) as they simply are impeccable and the best you will ever see, I could not have been more professional if you had paid me 5 grand for this. The hyphens! The dashes! The custom small caps!

4. To get even further in the micro typography. It is, in most, most cases, much too time-consuming to properly kern (=modulate the space between your characters and/or words) your text for how little the average eye will get out of it, and/or your average graphic designer is certainly not getting paid enough to actually do it properly. I, on the other hand, am insane and unemployed, therefore yes, I kerned this shit. Micro typo is actually the sculpture of the white spaces of your page. When done thoroughly it does mean checking every characters with your own eyeballs.

So in english, since this typeset is in english, the rules are no spaces for punctuation. Right? and not right ? It makes for a pretty tight block. I do argue too tight - although of course you'll also have times where you want tight. (And this is all within the 5% of the time where kerning matters.) That might not sound too bad until you get to em-dashes, this '—' thing. Which is a literally useless punctuation mark that is so hysterically long it'll leave an unnatural horizontal void in your text and draw all attention to it—you know, instead of the text itself. Useless, because it can always be replaced by commas, colon, semicolon, or parentheses. Unnatural, because em/en-dashes do not follow a typeface's characteristics (when hyphens do! fig4), so they hardly fit with serifs, AND characters are generally vertically stressed in latin (fig5: which one looks normal?) except... well. So you'll have the tightest group of punctuation marks humping each other?!"— then a dash literally the size of a whole ass m that looks nothing like the rest. ridiculous. absurd.

Anyway the point is I said bye-bye to this aberration and used hyphens stretched at 260% (lmao. it works so well?). And sometimes 230%. Sometimes with a space after, sometimes not - if not the same meaning then why the same treatment (fig6)? I wondered at this point if I wasn't going too far (lol) but this is the point of micro typo, so, whatever. See fig7 for more kerning stuff.

5. I have far less things to say about this part than the last even though I must have spent twice as much time on it, but I just wanted to say that I manually set the text rag on all 69 pages, it looks nice, I love tetris, AND!!!! the greatest thing about the whole fucking book (fig8): the text starts on the top line of the first column, and ends, on p.91, on the LAST line of the column, at the very bottom of the page, and IT IS NOT. BY. CHANCE!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

thanks for reading. perfection has not been achieved and there might still be typos. see you later.

[gaybananabread]

⁠✧.*Are You Listening?*⁠.⁠✧

~Ehehehe the brain maggots won and I can’t say I’m upset by it (＾⩌＾). I’ve binged this show enough times to be put into all kinds of moods by these men, so I might as well write out my feelings. This is set right after S1 Ep. 7, so if you haven’t watched up to there, expect some spoilers! For anyone else who has pirate-based thought goblins, I hope you Enjoy!~

Lee: Edward

Ler: Stede

Summary: Stede goes on a small rant about what happened on their latest adventure, though Edward isn’t fully listening. When he notices this, he calls the man out, but is met with a rather fascinating reaction.

Warnings: mild Our Flag Means Death spoilers! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

Bobbing with the current, the Revenge drifted peacefully through the sea. Most of the crew was on-deck, chatting and messing around in their moment of peace. However, in the captain’s quarters, two men relaxed, one info-dumping while the other thumbed through random numbers of Stede’s vast collection of novels.

“And did you see that bird’s nest? They had to be Snowy Plovers, no question. Oh, I wish Lucius had brought his sketching journal.”  Stede sighed dreamily, slowly pacing around the room as he spoke. 

Ed hummed, not looking up from the copy of Hansel and Grettle. Stede had allowed him to browse whatever he wanted in the library, though he rarely read anything cover-to-cover. The blonde man continued, not yet noticing his companion’s lack of attention.

“There were so many interesting creatures on that island! I mean, the orange was the real treasure in it all, but I do so enjoy exploring nature when we travel.” Turning on his heel, he spun to face the bearded man once again. “What do you think, Ed?” 

“Uh-huh, yeah. Good, uh, land and shit,” Edward half-heartedly replied, flipping a few more pages into the book. That’s when Stede finally noticed that he wasn’t really listening.

“Edward!” The pirate jolted, shutting the book and actually meeting Stede’s eyes. “You weren’t even listening to me, were you?” Stede huffed, crossing his arms with an almost adorable pout.

“Uh…kinda? I mean, I heard the bit about the birds…” Ed mumbled most of his response, looking away. Yeah, he’d only heard a few words of the other man’s spiel. “Fuckin’, uh…book was distracting.”

With a huff, Stede sat down beside him, picking up the book. “I’m glad you’re interested in literature, but I was talking. It’s a bit rude to ignore people, isn’t it?” While he was a bit annoyed, Stede’s tone was a joking one. He even poked the man’s ribs in a playful manner, though he hadn’t expected Ed’s flinch.

“Damn, did I hurt you?” Stede sounded worried, a profanity even slipping in. He was more panicked than a normal friend should’ve been, though neither commented on it. 

“No, didn’t hurt. Takes more than a fuckin’ finger to hurt me.” Ed swatted Stede’s hand away, his beard hiding the very slight blush on his cheeks. He hadn’t felt a touch like that since…well, it’d certainly been a while. “Just felt…I dunno, fuckin’ weird.” 

“Weird?” Stede spoke softly, his worry melding into confusion. What could possibly feel weird to Blackbeard? He’d only lightly poked the man, and his ribs aren’t…oh. Oh. It took everything Stede had to keep a straight face as he said his next words.

“Might your ribs be a bit sensitive, Ed?” 

Edward nearly did a double-take at the words and his tone, snapping his head in the other man’s direction. “Sensitive? I’m…I’m fuckin’ Blackbeard. Sensitivity doesn’t apply to me.”

Stede rolled his eyes. Yeah right… Stifling a smirk, the blonde slowly slid his hand towards Ed’s side. Before he could do anything, though, a rough hand snatched his wrist. Edward’s eyes met his, full of some unreadable emotion.

“Don’t. Don’t you fuckin’ dare, Bonnet.” His tone was gruff and dark, though the emotion in his eyes gained some depth. It was almost…giddy? The word felt foreign when describing Ed, though it fit to a tee.

“Hmmm…I think I fucking do.” Using his other hand, he squeezed Edward’s side. The feeling was such a shock that a damned giggle left the dread pirate’s mouth, his arms moving to clamp to his sides.

That sound made Stede’s stomach fill with a strange fluttering feeling—one he often felt around Edward. He decided to pursue it, scooting closer and wiggling his fingers into Ed’s stomach. 

The feeling wasn’t that intense through his layers of clothing, but it definitely still tickled. Biting his lip, Ed squirmed, trying to shove at Stede’s hands while still protecting himself. It should be noted, however, that he didn’t put up much of a real fight.

“My, Edward. I think someone’s a bit ticklish…” Stede chuckled, trying to slip his fingers under Ed’s arms. He’d had a small taste of the other man’s laughter, and had become hooked, He had to hear more. “I think it’d feel a bit nicer if you let out that laughter, Ed. Don’t you?”

When the eccentric man managed to wedge his fingers up to Ed’s ribs, the pirate knew he was done for. The dam broke, surprisingly bright giggles filling the quarters. They were still gruff, of course—still, the happy air was hard to ignore. 

“Oh dear. I think someone’s got a case of the giggles~” Stede cooed, one hand wiggling on the man’s ribs as the other poked and spidered on his belly. Was he pushing his luck? Oh, absolutely. It was, however, well worth it to see Ed’s silly smile.

 “F-fuhuhuck- Stehehede! Fuhuck ohohoff!” Twisting and wriggling around, Ed hid his face in his shoulder. The bearded man’s heavy boots skidded on the wooden floor, leaving small scuffs. Stede would deal with that later.

The feeling was…well, it wasn’t awful for Edward. He would never let the crew see him like that, of course; he had a reputation to maintain. With Stede, however, it felt nice to laugh. To let a few of his walls down without the fear of the mental rubble coming back to crush him. He wasn’t going to admit any of that, but it was true: his blush, however, was a different story.

“Well, I would, but I think I can see some pink underneath that salt and pepper of yours. Are you blushing, Eddy?” Stede used a slight nickname, his tone incredibly playful and teasing. He was determined to keep Ed giggling for as long as possible. 

“Screhehew youhu!” Edward tried arching his back, but that only freed his ribs up more. Slipping his fingers beneath Ed’s leather, Stede wiggled his fingers against the thinner fabric of his undershirt. That got quite the reaction.

“GRK- FAHAHAHAHA! FUHUHUCK YOUHUHUHU!” Ed’s bright giggles ramped up to loud, raucous laughter. A few snorts worked their way in, making Stede’s heart melt. Oh, how he loved that sound…

“I must say, this is a fine symphony. I’m loving all the onomatopoeias, and your laugh is so melodic!” Wanting to be a bit more mean, Stede hummed a lovely tune by Bach, pretending that his fellow seamen’s ribs and belly were piano keys. “I just love tickling the ivories, don’t you?”

The bearded man couldn’t respond, too lost in laughter to form a coherent sentence. While it was nice to laugh his cares away, he was starting to wear out. His throat was drying up, and his sides were starting to ache. He patted Stede’s wrist, managing to speak through his amusing cackles. “S-STAHAHAP! STEHEHEDE!”

Immediately, Stede pulled away, sensing Ed’s weariness. He didn’t want to push too much. “Goodness, Ed, I-I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away. Are you alright?”

Closing his eyes, Edward took a few deep and giggly breaths. He was certainly tired, but not to an uncomfortable degree. “Qu-quit worryin’... Takes mohore than a little laugh to knohock Blackbeard down.” The red hue on his cheeks slowly subsided, his giggles drying up. Ed recovered pretty quickly.

“Good, good,” Stede sighed, smiling softly. Finally noticing that his hands were still on Edward, he scooted away, blushing. Ed cut him off before he could make a fool of himself. 

“Ya know, it’s been a while since anyone’s had the balls to do somethin’ like that to me. Good on ya, Stede.” He clapped the blonde on the shoulder, though didn’t let go after. Instead, he flipped their positions, swiftly pinning Stede to the couch and nearly straddling him.

Ed made quick work of Stede’s resistance, even though there was hardly any to deal with. “There’s a reason for that, though. Wanna guess why?” He pinned the flamboyant man’s arms above his head without any hesitation. Stede couldn’t help the squeaky giggles that bubbled out of him, already squirming. He shook his head. Edward leaned down and whispered in his ear, scraggly beard hair tickling the poor man’s neck. He was in for a long evening...

“I always get my revenge~”

[suffarustuffaru]

Reading your tags about how people miss the very obvious "there's some fucked up shit boiling underneath" regarding Otto, just gave me a sudden realization. Otto is the only character I know in fiction where they act all innocent and drive up the "clumsy", "just in the side-lines" and "straight-man (heh)" persona. When. Like no one's in the EMT camp is buying it. They know he's way more capable than he let's on. Meanwhile, the tomfoolery is completely brought on by the Western audience.

Like Otto is failing miserably to make other characters believe that he's not up to mischief, Roswaal even thinks it can bring his downfall. But the audience, who even sometimes *sees* his fucked up thought process, is buying it.

*head in hands*

no u bring up so many good points bc ive been really thinking about this for a while T^T its such an interesting phenomenon in the difference in perception otto has between the japanese speaking half of the fandom vs the english speaking half which can be explained by—yeah. media illiteracy mainly. im also putting my head in my hands anon T^T

because—okay sorry wkdndn im gonna get into meta again but hear me out bc this pattern of the fandom underestimating otto is interesting bc i kind of sort of i cracked the code maybe??? o.o i think the nature of otto is a character is that youre SUPPOSED to underestimate him at first, just like what happens sometimes in universe. i mean wayyy back then i definitely wasnt expecting him to get more depth added to him in arc 4–which was a pleasant surprise—which is also the reaction the vast majority of people have to reading/watching arc 4, along with the other vast majority reaction which is being a bit endeared to ottosubas friendship and respecting otto for being a good friend. and then its easy to underestimate otto bc of 1. all the chaos going on in rezero at any given moment and 2. hes almost always overshadowed by other characters doing worse shit or being more insane than he is and 3. otto of course damn well knows hes easy to underestimate and counts on that. thats what he did against roswaal in arc 4. plus—i mean even aesthetics-wise hes 100% DESIGNED to be easy to underestimate. his outfit and physical features make him look either friendly or frazzled or soft. so i think that the point is that we were supposed to be kind of fooled—at first.

because yeah, we’re endeared to otto. we respect him for helping subaru the way he did. we think that hes a nice person and we now support his actions especially after feeling sympathetic towards him after learning his backstory. (or at least the average audience member will think this wjdndn.) but like—you dont even NEED to look at any side content at all for it to dawn on you that theres something Wrong. with him. like all you need is main route arcs 3-8 aka ottos entire screentime thus far, because at arc 4 its so easy to overlook otto unless youre thinking a bit deeper (for example—he gets violent with subaru. like yeah its entertaining, its played for laughs a bit, yeah subaru needed to be snapped out of his own head, but was it 100% necessary??? why did otto have this response??? bc if you just look at the main timeline otto really decided to beat up subaru first. and bc this tendency is now Less Funny in arc 8).

but even if youre just looking at rezero face value, when you get to arc 5 its starting to get even more clear that ottos weird in the head. like we already saw him being very good at scheming and planning in arc 4–in arc 5, we find out about otto hiding the tome for a year. we find out WHY hes been hiding the tome for a year. the tome then leads the witch cult into priestella, so like—in the sense, otto is RESPONSIBLE for arc 5. but theres STILL a tendency sometimes for the audience to continue underestimating him even though by this point we’re getting more clues and many characters around otto, like you said anon, KNOW hes very capable. i keep wondering why this is, but arc 5 is, again, FULL of chaos and different storylines happening at once, so its so easy to almost kind of forget otto there in the background until he occasionally pops up again. plus otto serves an additional role as comedic relief sometimes—he spends all of arc 5 being bitchy and whiny (i say this affectionately HAH) about his camp being full of disasters, for example, so i think the natural response from the audience tends to be “aw otto!! what a silly guy!!” sometimes. you know? so its like. i think at this point some people tend to be like “yeah fair that otto was wary of roswaal and thats why he saved the tome…. anyway ooooh whats going on with these other plot points” wobsbss. its so fascinating bc—ok this might be my own personal experience but anyone reading this pls tell me if you agree or not—i dont think ive seen a lot of people actually even MENTION otto bringing the tome into priestella attracting witch cultists. and the english speaking fandom LOVES to go into certain characters’ wrongdoings so why gloss over otto????

the only explanation i have for this is that from arcs 3-4 underestimating otto is. kind of the point of his character UNTIL you get to arc 5 and the clues in the main story start seeping in even more. and also the western audience DOES have media illiteracy a lot. theres that too. just look at rezero content on youtube or reddit or fanfic sites or other things of that sort T^T but no yeah i think ottos nature as a character exacerbates it. youre supposed to start asking questions about him. youre supposed to start connecting the dots and then SUDDENLY its now EXTREMELY obvious in arc 7-8 and even while theres so much chaos going on its basically shoved in your face. arc 7-8 is just delivering on all the leadup that was arcs 3-5.

and i think that youve gotta be media illiterate for sure to NOT get that otto is not squeaky clean and innocent BY ARC 8. i think that ottos the deconstruction of the loyal best friend trope, and also a mirror into what subaru couldve been like if he decided to be more ruthless instead of jumping right to forgiveness and saving everyone, except sometimes that flies right over the audience’s head wkdndnd. it confuses me bc ive seen some people completely miss the point or completely agree with otto and overlook the Bad Parts of it or, you know, STILL think ottos perfectly sane—like T^T please.

and yeah so back to what you said about otto Not being underestimated In Universe—its such an interesting detail bc hes ALWAYS been simultaneously pathetic and Very Competent wjdndnd. but yeah no all of his friends have seen various hints and clues and evidence of what hes capable of. like even though he hid the tome from them successfully and even though hes hiding info now its INEVITABLE that its gonna blow up in his face one day. like you got characters like garfiel who literally saw otto punch the wall and break his hand in an unhinged fit of rage, julius who got snapped at by otto and while julius is a Bit naive definitely knows somethings off there, anastasia whos smart as hell and definitely knows not to underestimate otto, and roswaal who, like you said anon, literally went out of his way to stop otto from breaking his hand in another unhinged fit of rage and warned otto that he will literally be destroying himself if he keeps going on like this. its this fascinating dichotomy bc otto is NOT fooling anyone around him but at the same time his current schemes are mostly unnoticed—for now—which yeah i havent seen that in a lot of media!!! its an interesting balancing act bc people around him realistically know hes competent after seeing the Proof of that for the past couple arcs, but otto is still finding ways to try and Win…

which—again, the anger and violence is an extension of arc 4 otto!! this is the same guy!! hes always been like this!! ottos kind of stayed the same, deep down, this whole time and as an audience its ONLY shoved in our face with a big gigantic spotlight on it FOUR ARCS LATER, but it was hinted to all this time. and like you said anon—we LITERALLY see ottos fucked up thought processes. literally what sane person thinks any of that shit. its spelled right out for the reader HAH T^T which—yeah. media illiteracy…. and also this whole ask was a longer way of just saying that otto is VERY easy to see at surface level if youre media illiterate. but at the same time it should be very easy to figure out otto is A Bit Fucked Up bc tappei underlines it in bright red print!!! i think people sometimes just hang onto soft awkward silly otto and forget about the rest T^T either that or they dont think he cares about subaru at all. which. that phenomenon of thinking characters that do care about subaru Dont Care is also interesting to me bc why????? we’re at arc 8 and you STILL dont get it??? o.ooooo

but yeah apart from that….. i said this earlier but yeah sometimes some people agree with ottos realism in arc 8 which is. understandable, but the whole point is that he is EXTREME. with it. hes Not in the right here, but the same crowd that wants wanton revenge in rezero is gonna agree with that kind of stuff T^T ottos been lurking in the background so much so that tappei made it meta by doing the whole “walking in darkness” part of his character, so i guess people just. dont see ottos ACTUAL worst traits and instead think he would ditch subaru at the first opportunity or something. but at the point we are now, arc 8 ottos problem isnt that hed ditch subaru. his problem is that he would sacrifice the world for subaru. his problem is that he gets extremely angry at subaru for trying to do good. his problem is that hes trying to micromanage everything around him and is willing to sacrifice anything necessary to get what he wants. but sometimes people dont get that bc otto doesnt look sound or seem like a character thatd do that. the Underestimation part of his character is doing too well on. certain audiences. please T^T the soft and awkward and silly parts ARE part of his character just like all the Darker parts are!!!

additionally im also wondering if western audience perception of otto is also clouded by the fact that otto looks and sounds more feminine / androgynous and he doesnt have the appeal of Overt Power either……. he cant Really be waifu-ified… and he cant be used as a weird self insert like subaru…. and you Have to look at him closer to understand him…. and for some reason people dont tend to hate on him so aggressively, if anything people cant even see his actual canonical flaws half the time wkdndn so if youre not paying attention otto CANT be aggressively hated on bc theres nothing there if ur not looking at it….. and if youre not paying attention otto seems more “boring” compared to the others…… (not that people arent allowed to not have otto as a favorite character bc thats totally fair but im talking about the tendency to think hes Saner than he actually is.) but yeah these are just my guesses. i have no clue the western fandom is a little T^T some people unfortunately cannot read.

anyway. big thank you to the japanese fanbase for understanding ottos character more and making so much wonderful fancontent for him T^T also i think that we as a collective fanbase should stop underestimating otto in general bc its exactly what he wouldnt want and i think itd be really hilarious. <3333 make him explode with rage please

[definesanity]

VOYABUTT

I BLAME YOU FOR THIS @bitepilled ODOENDJDISOSODID

Vertin was a touchy person.

She liked to poke things, ever since she was young. She'd poke the fences, she'd poke the trees and, at times, would poke the cheeks of Sonetto.

Now, as the Timekeeper, she poked many of the Arcanists she's recruited. They don't mind her eccentricities, some even enjoying it.

Voyager was one of these. Of course, such pokes and hugs had turned into caresses and embraces.

Voyager was a marvel to gaze upon; she could shift her body at a moment's notice and desire.

In this case, Vertin had seen it immediately, as she entered her room, locked it behind her out of habit, and saw what was on her bed.

Voyager. With a butt so big, it was asstronomical.

Voyager was looking over her shoulder at Vertin. The entirety of her back was a galaxy, stars twinkling in that endless abyss, but her hands, feet, and butt remained 'human-like'.

Voyager herself was looking with her usual, kind smile, eyes not betraying any other emotion.

Vertin, very slowly, creeped along to Voyager. She cleared her throat. "...This is quite... a surprise."

A small 'heh heh' came from Voyager. She gazed back at Vertin and, in her opinion, Vertin was much like a galaxy herself. Full of mysterious, possibilities and, above all else, beauty.

"You seem to like this side more." Voyager gently said. It was not said in a teasing manner, but it might as well had been.

Vertin, even still, had to look away, red dusting her cheeks as she tore her gaze away from Voyager's cheeks. "I, ah..."

A sudden push made Vertin land on Voyager's back.

Stars and constellations danced upon the endless back of Voyager.

Despite the sheer volume of the galaxy, Vertin soon found herself face-to...butt.

To say that it was soft would be the understatement of all of the 20th Century. It was akin to a soft jell-o, being able to move at the slightest of movements and kept moving afterwards.

It was then Vertin noted that the butt of thr violinist had freckles on it, twinkling like stars in a night sky. And Vertin, ever an explorer, wanted to explore the boundless depths.

Vertin pressed her hands into it, one to each, and pressed into it. It easily sunk into the vastness and--wait.

Was it... getting bigger?

Voyager merely giggled once more, resting her head in her hands. She also had a small grin on her face, as if daring Vertin to go further.

And Vertin, ever the stubborn leader, did so.

She parted them, and saw gazing at her an almost blue circle in between the vastness of each cheek, reflecting small stars at her.

Voyager's grin seemed to grow almost smug. How could she not be, when allowing the one who cares for her to in-DULGE?!

Voyager gave a jolt when she felt a tongue poking around the blue circle, before it entered it; Voyager looked back to see what could only be described as a starving girl feasting on her asshole.

To each their own, but even still...!

Vertin continued, entranced by the odd taste it left behind that, funnily enough, tasted quite a lot like blueberries. It was unlike others she had, and that was something welcomed.

She near enough devoured it, holding in place Voyager's legs to stop her wiggling away. The noises made from Voyager was adorable, but also... strange, with a glitchy texture.

"V...Vertin...!" quietly whisper-shouted the alien girl, before she reached an orgasm.

And, with it, her body glitched, and Vertin saw space itself.

It was stunning, many stars in that sky. Stars twinkled, having stories of their life and rebirths, with Vertin seeing, in the center of her chest, a shinning ball of dark purple and blue. The 'heart' of the being.

Moving away from her feast, Vertin moved her hand over her mouth to get rid of any and all excess saliva.

"Had dun?" Vertin asked, she not trying at all to hide her shit-eating grin.

"Voyager looked back, her face also reflecting the starry night sky, her eyes gateways into a void of love, and a lack of smugness.

A gift it was. And one Vertin will probably receive, again, and again, and again...

[beesmygod]

So TotK seems to be clicking where BotW wasn't. Any insight on what the key differences are that work for you?

note: i played botw up until the calamity ganon fight and then went "yeah ok ive played a zelda game before", put it down and never went back. didnt play the dlc

i dont think anyone would be surprised to know that im a "majoras mask was the best zelda" guy but the reason has little to do with the "darker tone" or the lore but because reusing assets allowed the dev team to greatly (GREATLY in this case holy shit) expand on the actual contents of the game itself. i love gold/silver best for the same reason.

botw is like running around an empty movie set. theres nothing in that fucking game. at the time, due to the proliferation of crafting mechanics infesting literally every AAA game, it felt like nintendo was more focused about hitting all the checks on a checklist of tired mechanics that were included just for the sake of saying they had it. crafting! weapon durability! open world! pbbbbt.

none of these things proved to be enjoyable to me. keeping in mind that ive been playing zeldas since the snes (skipping only a handful of handheld games), the changes felt like steps away from what makes zelda games unique. crafting felt like an arbitrary step between me and potions. i wanted to swing my master sword with power, not experiment with clumsy weapons that stop existing after i finally get a feel for them. and the open world, frankly sucked.

mm rewarded me for my curiosity. experimentation and exploration would lead to interesting or gratifying results (did you know theres a paper airplane in ikana canyon...). botw is like playing in the window xp background. theres barely any landmarks, except shrines, or anything to do outside of getting the yiga clan's ass. theyre easy to pick out because theyre literally the only people on the road. the world is put to waste; i cant play with it, i can just observe and be extremely artificially hindered by its vastness.

this doesnt really fit anywhere else in the above open world rant, but trading the shrines for small and sparce dungeons was a huge let down. i was hoping for a series of cohesive puzzles intended to help my mastery of my newest weapon or ability. you know. like a zelda game

totk fixed this and every other problem in the best way possible; the devs dumped a ton of toys into my playpen, gave me a hot glue gun, and told me to go buck wild. i love to build a horrible contraption to solve my stupid problems or kill me instantly. i love that experimenting with weapons involves actual experimentation if you desire or you can have an inventory exclusively full of spear type weapons with vastly different properties by gluing a bunch of rocks or monster parts to it. but most importantly....the "stock up->head out->explore->return" loop no longer feels like i have to go to the dmv over and over.

sure, the depths are artificially large in the way that the map in botw was; theres not a lot to do except reveal the map and do plot stuff. but the overworld was given a complete overhaul using the empty map as a starting point. theres actually stuff to look at, ruins to explore, caves to investigate, holes to jump into, and all that shit in the sky to explore. the sky map might be sparse but its meticulously crafted so that just the process of explorating the archipelagos feels like a puzzle you need to solve, as opposed to a hurdle you have to jump.

there is so much more to do in totk that im pretty sure im over 20 hours in and havent done any of the regional main quests. ive been running around picking up side quests, uncovering the map, exploring the depths, fucking around in the sky, and dying my clothes. but its not annoying or overwhelming. it feels more alive and less like a weird map in an abandoned gmod server. im having fun.

for crit: imo, one of the biggest criticisms i have for both these games is that the voice acting is horrendous. nintendo has too much money to be tapping people who sound like they just got out of the shenmue soundbooth. zelda was not improved by voice acting and they should probably go back to everyone just having short exclamations like "HEH HEEH!" or "hmmm...".

also link doesnt roll anymore and its really fucking me up. im really struggling here lol. i keep trying to do dark souls shit and every fight involves me accidentally zooming in with the sheikah slate instead of locking on, hitting l1 istead of shield, and whistling for my horse instead of drinking estus.

also nerf rain

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 Your Fate is Sealed With Mine: Chapter Thirty-Four

Your Fate is Sealed With Mine: Y/N Burgess is the granddaughter of Alex and Paul, and after having spent so many summers at their manor and always wondering why she was forbidden from entering the basement, she descends the steps into the world of the Order. She broke out the being that had been trapped in that glass cage, but what does he want with her now that he is free?

Warnings: Morpheus Tries A Thing Called ‘Apologizing’ (Also Finally Get’s His Shit Together), Fiddler’s Green Plays Therapist, Flashbacks.

To Note: Morpheus/Dream x Female!GranddaughterReader, based on Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’, Reader now has long-ish hair for plot reasons (Just so Morpheus can tug on it later).

Word Count: ~2.1k

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Apologizing. Not a concept that Morpheus had ever considered, but one that he was sure he needed to employ. Which is how he found himself searching out his trusted Librarian within the vast depths of the Library. Given the rapid expansion of the wing since his return to full power, Lucienne could be anywhere. Turning down a row of shelves, Morpheus strode his way towards the desk in which the librarian usually could be found. She was nowhere to be seen. Morpheus headed up a nearby spiral staircase and began striding through the upper level.

“Lucienne?” He questioned.

“My lord. There’s something I must tell you.” Lucienne’s voice spoke out. Morpheus turned around to see the librarian emerging from a row of shelves.

“And I will listen.” Morpheus answered, his chin dipping slightly. “But first, you must let me tell you that you were right.” Lucienne looked up at her king in shock. Dream of the Endless, apologizing? What had this realm come to? “The vortex was responsible for the damage to our realm, and I was…” Is was almost painful to say. “Wrong, to risk our safety in the hope that she would locate the missing Arcana.”

“You were not entirely wrong, sir,” Lucienne replied, looking over her glasses. “She’s found them both.”

“What? The Corinthian and Fiddler’s Green? Where? How do you know?” Morpheus instantly questioned.

“Fiddler’s Green told me,” Lucienne explained shortly before the arcana himself appeared, hat tucked neatly against his side as he approached his king and creator. Fiddler’s Green stopped next to Lucienne and bowed his head.

“Apologies, lord, for having left.” Fiddler’s Green spoke.

“Why? Why did you leave?” Morpheus asked, the betrayal he felt clear in his voice. “I trusted you. You were the heart of the Dreaming.”

“No, sir,” Fiddler’s Green protested. “You were the heart of the Dreaming. And you were gone. I was curious.”  He went on. “And it turns out that life as a human contains substance I never even imagined when I was here. Which is why I’ve returned because… he’s murdering them.”

“The Corinthian?” Morpheus repeated, alarm bells going off in his head. His beloved creation was never meant to murder. Certainly not the very beings he was made to serve.

“He appears to have built up a cult of worshippers who kill for pleasure, endangering the waking world and the life of a friend called Rose Walker.”

“The Corinthian has found Rose Walker?” Morpheus repeated.

“Can you imagine the damage he could do with someone like Rose,” Lucienne blurted out, her eyes wide with renewed worry.

“Oh yes, but it is much worse than that,” Fiddler’s Green went on, fingering his hat and cane nervously. “It appears that the queen has taken it upon herself to assist Rose in finding her brother and I fear what the Corinthian will do when they cross paths. He can surely feel her power.”

“You must tell me where they are,”

Fiddler’s Green and Lucienne walked down at hallway, leaving behind their brooding king who now seemed to be in a darkened mood with the knowledge that his queen was in such proximity to his rogue Nightmare. His reaction wasn’t surprising, not with his history of protectiveness towards is lovers. But Y/N Burgess wasn’t just a lover and she wouldn’t bend to Morpheus’s will simply because he bid her so. No, Morpheus had a tendency to fall in love with powerful woman who did not take kindly to being told what to do. Certainly not by him.

“So, he too spent the last century in the waking world.” Fiddler’s Green mused softly after hearing about how Morpheus had been trapped in the basement of a manor for over one hundred years. Lucienne nodded her head in agreement.

“Yes, but he seems to have experienced the worst of humankind.” She reminded the arcana. “And certainly has held some short comings regarding his captivity.”

“Still, his time there appears to have changed him as it has changed me.” Fiddler’s Green argued back. Lucienne gave him a look of skepticism.

“How so?” Fiddler’s Green let out a chuckle. “Lucienne, he came to you and told you he was wrong. It was very nearly an apology. The Morpheus I knew was incapable of that.”

“Hmm.” Lucienne sounded, thinking over Fiddler’s Green’s words. “Then perhaps he will be merciful to you since you came back on your own.”

“Oh, it doesn't matter what happens to me. What matters is that Dream stops the Corinthian and saves Rose Walker and her majesty.” Lucienne raised an eyebrow at her old friend, shaking her head slightly.

“There is no saving Rose Walker.” Lucienne informed him. Fiddler’s Green looked taken aback.

“Why on earth would you say that?” He exclaimed.

“Do you not know?” Lucienne questioned as the pair came to an abrupt stop. “She's a vortex.”

“Oh. Oh, dear. I should have realized. What have I done? He's... He's going to have to kill her.” Fiddler’s Green worried, he set his gaze back on the librarian. “Lucienne, her majesty has no intention of letting anything happened to Rose Walker! She said so herself, she won’t allow any harm come to Rose and her friend. I fear she will defy Lord Morpheus. Lady Y/N is quite serious about her promises, she is already quite upset with Lord Morpheus as it is. I also fear that she will try to take on the Corinthian herself.”

“You will come to learn that Lady Y/N is not as accepting to Lord Morpheus’ ways and has a perchance to challenge him. Thus the reason why she has left the Dreaming in the first place.” Lucienne explained, adjusting her spectacles.

“Oh dear, she did indicate that she was quite upset with him. I tired to explain his point of view but I’m afraid that she still remains quite hurt by his actions.”

“Unfortunately their affairs are not ours to meddle in. We can simply advise, but I will say, in Lord Morpheus’ endeavor to keep the queen safe, he has only pushed her away with his actions. He certainly hasn’t told her why he acts the way he does. Their entire relationship is based on misunderstanding and miscommunication.”

“Fiddler’s Green,” Morpheus called, approaching the arcana at a slow pace. Fiddler’s Green peered over his glasses at his incoming king and knew what he wanted of him.

“Hello, sir,” Fiddler’s Green greeted, bowing his head. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Morpheus came to a stop in front of him and looked down for a moment before responding, his eyes meeting the gentle ones of Fiddler’s Green.

“You were last to interact with Y/N, is she well?” Morpheus asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I’m afraid I have a proclivity to upset her unintentionally and our last encounter was… rather intense. I fear I have severely upset her and she now seeks to spite me for my actions.”

“Oh sir, I am sure she isn’t—“ Morpheus shook his head and held up his hand to cease Fiddler’s Green’s words.

“No, I am well aware of how my recent actions have pushed her. She can be quite spiteful when angered and I believe I have earned such emotion from her this time.” Fiddler’s Green let out a gentle sigh, miscommunication and misunderstanding indeed. These two had absolutely no idea what to do with each other.

“Sir, when I spoke with Lady Y/N, she wasn’t angry or planning on spiting you.” Morpheus’s eyebrow rose in question and Fiddler’s Green rolled his cane between his hands. “She was most upset, sir. It hurts her to stay away, I could feel it. Her actions are not out of spite, but out of a need to prove that she is not a servant who will blindly take orders.”

“Of course she isn’t, she is the queen of the Dreaming and my bonded. She holds the highest power in this realm and can do as she sees fit.” Morpheus replied, his tone indicating that he clearly thought it was an obvious statement. Fiddler’s Green raised his eyebrow.

“But sir, have you allowed her to exercise such will?” He questioned, causing the Endless to actually think about that. “I know you wish to protect her but perhaps in your endeavors you have ignored the very power only she can wield.” Fiddler’s Green wouldn’t say it out loud, but only Y/N Burgess had power over Dream of the Endless, and it seemed that he had forgotten that. “No, sir, she isn’t angry with you. I believe she is deeply hurt that you do not yet treat her as your equal.”

“I’ve been watching over her since she was but a defenseless infant.” Morpheus spoke softly, remembering the endless days and nights of watching Y/N learn how to crawl, to walk, to speak, to dream. “She has suffered because I chose her and I do not wish for her to experience any more of the terrible pain I know I have caused her by choosing to bind her soul to mine. Life has been cruel to her, does she not deserve to be sheltered and protected?”

“Perhaps, sir, may I be so bold?” Fiddler’s Green questioned in hesitancy. He knew that his lord needed to hear what he had to say, but whether or not he wanted to, was another question entirely. Morpheus nodded.

“Of course,” Fiddler’s Green smiled gently, his brows crinkling together.

“When you love someone, you protect them from their pain, you don’t become the cause of it.”  That gave Morpheus a lot to think about.

After speaking with Fiddler’s Green, Morpheus found himself taken to the queen’s wing of the palace. The wing did not seem, nor feel, as light as it had when Y/N had occupied it. The statues were sad and the flowers that dotted the space had long since died. It was as if the wing itself had regressed back to its disparaged state upon it’s queen fleeing from the realm. Was it not days ago that the pair were enjoying each others company without fighting or dirty looks? Morpheus found himself staring at the untouched bed neatly made up.

Y/N had returned to her reading while Morpheus was enthralled with the way her fingers combed through his hair and brushed across his forehead. When had he last felt this at peace? It had to have been hundreds of years. He nearly felt like rumbling in happiness, much like a cat stretched out under the sun. This was what it was to be bonded, to have a connection that was born from the very center of one’s being. If only this could last for eternity.

“You are making it hard to concentrate, Morpheus,” Y/N’s soft voice rivaled a choir of angels. Morpheus couldn’t help the twitch of his lips, a small part of him overjoyed that she found him just as distracting as he did her. A dark eyebrow rose.

“My apologies, I was simply marveling at your exquisite beauty.”

“Well don’t get sappy with me now, I was just starting to tolerate you,” Y/N replied, amusement twinkling in the eyes that remained glued to the book. “Words can be becoming, especially when describing a woman, Morpheus, but they are often fabricated.”

“You think I would be so untruthful in my words to you?” She hummed in answer. “Y/N, I will see you across any world or realm and think you are the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen for as long as I breathe.” Y/N paused in her reading, the gravity of his words registering in her mind. “There is my heart, and then there is you, and I am not sure there is a difference.”

“Then your heart must be quite twisted and cracked, Morpheus,” Y/N spoke, her voice devoid of emotion save for lingering pain.

“I have eternity to fix that.” Her eyes finally dropped to his, those starry eyes bored into hers. “You will forever be my dream.”

Her lips twitched shortly before she added a sentence to his bold statement, her words whispered gently.

“Or perhaps your waking nightmare.”

Y/N was his greatest strength and his darkest desire. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Morpheus pulled out the ruby necklace Y/N had yanked from her neck and refused to wear it despite it’s protective intentions. It hummed with his power and echoed with hers. When Morpheus took care of the Corinthian and the vortex, he was going to have to sit down with Y/N and explain everything. It was not a conversation he was looking forward to.

Date Published: 12/9/22

Last Edit: 8/20/23

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[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

Can I ask for some nsfw Riddler (one of the classic versions) with an s/o who hasn't gotten any from him in a while because he's been really busy on some project. And while he tries his best to make time for them, he hasn't had enough time for that particular thing.

S/o also has a thing for sex in workplaces, so they decide to give him an unexpected (but not unpleasant) visit.

"Business Meetings" 60's Riddler x Reader

Ok you said classic and my brain went to 60s Riddler. Who could be more classic than that on my list? Keep in mind anytime I write for 60s riddler, it is a utopian version of the 60s in which racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, etc is just non-existent. If the show/movie could get away with half the wacky shit it did, I think we can have leeway with historical prejudices.

Anyways, I just went for it. I share the trait of verbosity with the Riddlers at times, unfortunately.

TW: NSFW, Exhibitionism (kinda), light bondage play

You were dating the Riddler, aka Edward Nygma. This was certainly not something you had planned for yourself in your life but here you were. He was handsome, he was charming- Funny and sweet- Yes, a complete and utter dramatic dork, but you loved all that about him.

It didn't hurt that the sex was fantastic. You had discovered rather quickly in your relationship that riddles weren't the only thing he held deep desire for, nor gave a vast depth of attention to. Even when he had long finished himself, he always made sure you were taken care of. He never shamed you for any of your desires. In fact, the purring praise he loved showering on you while you got off gave the opposite impression.

Yet as he plotted and preened for his next grandiose criminal outfit against the Batman, you found yourself... lacking, in a sense. In most ways nothing had changed. He still made time to care for you and support your daily ambitions. Edward was busy but he wasn't leaving you completely in the dust. Except... well. You found yourself missing the physical intimacy he wasn't able to give you in these times.

There was this thought in your mind- it had occurred before but you never gave much credence to it. Sex in the workplace was rather risky. Especially given some of the workplaces and people Edward worked with. As you went without sex, however, the thought kept creeping up into the corners of your mind. Maybe... Perhaps...

The worst that could happen was him telling you it was a bad time.

He always let you know where his current hideout was, in case of emergency. You had a spare key. Dressing in the academia style that you knew drove him crazy, you let yourself in to see him hunched over his desk with plans. His coat was hung up on a nearby rack.

Your voice reached him just as your hands curved over his shoulders to his chest, "Hello, Mr. Nygma." A small chuckle vibrated in his chest at your touch. He was fast to take your hands to lay kisses on them both.

He then turned his head to look at you, "Hello, my pretty." His eyes widened as the full view of you reached him. Those same eyes looked at you up and down before slowly tracing your legs as his body turned around in the chair.

A hum, "And to what do I owe such a vision before me? Tell me, why did the boyfriend ask his partner for a map?"

With a small laugh, you played along, "Hm... I think I know. But you should tell me anyways." You'd heard this one before. From him. That didn't make it less charming every time he said it.

"Because he got lost in their eyes." A gleeful giggle escaped from him just as that dreamy look on his face met yours, "Ah. But you didn't answer the first question. Did I forget a holiday of some sort?"

You leaned against a nearby wall as he started to get up from his chair, "I missed you." That made him pause. A sympathetic look.

Then his face curled into a grin, "Another riddle for my sweet! What did the giraffe ask the... handsome male giraffe?"

The laugh that escaped you let him know how cheesy that was. Yet, you couldn't help leaning in closer to flirt, "Wanna neck with me?"

The walls of the hideout echoed with his high pitched cackling as he grabbed you by the waist to swing you about, "How did I get so LUCKY? A beauteous brain and wit sharp as a tack! You really are my perfect match, aren't you?"

Before you could respond, however, you found the answer to the riddle apt. His lips found your neck and got to work. His hands aided yours in shakily undressing your top half. As his tongue found your collarbone, you mentally praised yourself on this grand idea. A vibratory moan left his throat as your hands moved into his hair to give a light tug.

The desperate way he was unbuttoning his vest told you how much he needed this, too. Now it was your turn to cover his face and neck with kisses. He was undoing his tie and groaning at your loving affection.

"Poor thing. Poor, poor dear." He teased, "To think I left you in such a state."

The palm of your hand lay flat over his front, moving down until it sat over the bulge of his cock. He hisses as you squeezed and was quick to grab your wrist.

He tsked at the movement, "Now, now. Think of how I've been without your touch. If we rush things, it'll be over far too quickly." You couldn't help but concede with a nod. It was too tempting to get right to the good part. What you really wanted.

The silken material of his tie came to rest over your wrists. He kissed you on the lips as his fingers deftly tied your hands together. There was something thrilling about the fact he didn't even have to look. While you could never let it get out, tying and binding was something that your paramour was not only fantastic at, but he deeply enjoyed it. Yet with you it was always gentle. You could break out if you really wanted to.

But you both know you didn't.

The train of thought was reinforced as his kissing moved to your jaw and you could feel his fingers lacing under the tie to ensure it wasn't too tight. Then he pulled so your body pressed closer to his. Both of you laughed as you leaned forward to lay kisses on him. The texture of his gloves reached your abdomen as he began to pull off your lower half of clothing.

You took the opportunity to lace your bound hands over his head to rest on his shoulders. With the two of you pressing your bodies together, he kissed you eagerly and hard on the lips, all while pressing you to walk backwards. He guided you to a nearby desk where he scooped you up on top of the surface. If you opened your eyes, you'd see those baby blues staring back with a dopey, loving gaze.

"Cherub, how I've missed this." He moved to kiss your shoulders and neck and your hands grasped at the back of his shirt, "Everything about you... Such a perfect specimen..." His kisses went to your arm, his eyes wound tight. You found yourself pulling him closer, your legs around his waist.

It just made him grin, "Trying to tell me something? Use your words, why don't you?"

"Please, Edward." You quietly asked.

As he unzipped his pants, he teased, "Have you no shame? What if someone found us like this? Oh... Someone could walk in right now."

Both of you looked to the door in a dramatic pause. He took the opportunity to kiss your cheek as you looked away, causing you to laugh. You couldn't lie, the idea of it... Of course you didn't really want anyone to see this. But the thought made you quiver. The moan you gave him feeling his cock at your entrance was confirmation of that.

As he kissed you, you could hear the sound of a drawer opening. You looked to see him grabbing a tube of- Oh, is that-

"You have that here?" You asked, motioning your head to the container of lube.

A sheepish look washed over his face, "I thought it could be a possibility, at some point. Why not be prepared, my pretty?"

With that, he coated his cock and pressed it further against you until the tip pressed inside. He sighed against your neck as he gave shallow thrusts. You could tell he was trying to pace himself, but you couldn't help the whine that came out. The response of the riddler was to press deeper which made both of you shudder. It was apparent it had been just a touch too long.

"Sweetest thing- to be..." He murmured, "What is... Why are men like chocolate bars?"

You couldn't help but laugh out a moan, "I don't kn- Oh fuck, please don't stop."

The pace increased as Nygma found his rhythm, a shaky laugh leaving his throat. His lips close to your ear, he purred, "Because they're sweet, smooth and head directly for the... hips." A harsher thrust up. The barking laughter that turned to moans filled the room.

You grasped at his face to kiss him, your orgasm close. Weeks without the intimacy between you wound tight in the core of your stomach. Your hand couldn't compare. Given his uncharacteristic silence, you supposed he felt the same. His fingers were pressing tight into the curve of your thighs and ass as he ebbed and flowed with you.

One last kiss and you were coming undone on his cock. You could feel his face beaming against yours as you softly cried out his name and came down from your high. Just before you could get too sensitive, he finished shortly afterwards. His groans pulsated sloppily into your mouth as he did. The warmth of his cum inside you, then dripping out. Something about it all made you suspect he was trying very hard not to finish before you did. A gentleman.

His hands supported your lower back as you pulled your hands back in front of you. Once you were stable sitting up, he untied your wrists.

He kissed both of them, "Worth the trip?"

"Eddie, you're always worth the trip." You sighed breathlessly, "....Are they really going to come back soon?" Suddenly, you felt very naked in his hideout. So so very naked and full of cum.

"Hm?" He looked puzzled for a moment before clicking his tongue, "Ah- No. They won't be back for hours. I just said that to get you excited. Did you like it?"

A nervous nod, "Yeah... Just not..."

"I understand." He kissed you softly, "I'm not so willing to share this vision of you, either. But- I'm sure we could get away with a lot if you wanted. You'd be amazed what you can sneak past people's eyes when they don't want to see it."

The blush on your face definitely portrayed your thoughts on that. He assisted you to sit up and gather your clothes. His eyes moved again over your body as you dressed, a soft look in his eyes. Unless you were mistaken, you'd think he was melting all over again. Before he could get too lost in the thought he was straightening out his tie as best as he could before pulling it back over his neck.

Fully dressed, you came over to tie it for him, "Satisfactory, Mr. Nygma?"

A wink, "Please, my pretty, just call me The Riddler."

You had a feeling it wouldn't be nearly the same wait from this time to the next.

[365sylviaplath]

Week of 10/14-10/20

astrology forecast + collective tarot card for the week

Card for this week: 8 of Swords (reversed) - we've gotta question those self-limiting beliefs this week!! interrogate where you may be putting the walls up and preventing yourself from fully pursuing what you want/deserve. it's a great week for taking stock of where you might be standing in your own way (potential for some inner victim mentality.............. idk.....) and letting that shit go! negative patterns be damned. libra season of justice continues and this week we're introspecting.

Transits/Astro forecast: i'm incredibly biased, but i love venus in sagittarius. after the depths of venus in scorpio, we have to ask the question - what if we just had a little fun with it? what if we could maintain a balance in our relationships - being respected and valued, showing up enthusiastically, yet keeping it lighthearted? cultivating relationships that are passionate, yet still allow us to feel a sense of freedom? the last week or so has had chiron opposing these last libra transits and lots of heavy scorpio/pluto energy - this has not been a particularly light libra season. i'm calling upon ms venus in sagittarius to bring us to the fun. this week's transits give ~dreaming and desiring anew in relationships~ let yourself have fun!!

current retrogrades are jupiter, chiron, saturn, uranus, and neptune. i literally felt pluto go direct the night of the 11th. very much looking forward to closing out that cycle! 2008-now has been a crazy ride.

monday 10/14 - sun square mars, venus opposite uranus rx- a day for self-soothing and taking the road less traveled. tensions may be high, anger and anxieties emerging. build in some extra decompression time. on the other hand, venus opposing uranus will bring some fresh energy to your relationships and partnerships. change and evolution will be keywords here.

tuesday 10/15 - venus trine neptune rx - a day for romantic daydreaming! despite the odds, yesterday might've sparked some new and fun desires in life, love, and creative expression. in honor of the last bit of venus in scorpio, let your yearnings be as outlandish as possible and imagine that your wildest dreams are really quite attainable. love is as vast as we can allow it to be.

thursday 10/17 - full moon in aries, venus sextile pluto, venus enters sagittarius - goooooodness. feelings will be LOUD today. after these dreams and desires and wishes of the last few days, there is a tidal wave of enthusiasm to get you moving. the road less traveled proves to have made all the difference once more. there is somehow an equally strong "closure" energy and "start fresh" energy today - expect some turbulence! sometimes starting anew immediately reminds us of what was left behind. you might need to make a bigger mess first before you actually clean your closet. but keep going!

this week has an interesting mix of "dreamer/romantic" energy, "starting anew" energy, and "closing out cycles" energy. letting go and beginning again go hand in hand here, ride those waves. most importantly, forgive yourself. the coping mechanisms you're facing were created as protection measures, but now tend to stand in your way. they kept you afloat, and now it's time to re-interrogate what will best serve you.

[darby-derby]

Sorry not sorry but kids on TikTok are being so dramatic about the JJK fandom right now. “The new MHA” “the figurine incidents” are you new to the internet??? Have you EVER been in a fandom before? If not, you’re not old enough to be watching JJK or interacting with its fandom anyways. And for the record, JJK is nowhere near MHA in terms of fandom horrificness. I’ve never been in either, but I can easily name like five different things about the MHA fandom that make it so much worse than JJK. (Grown women simping over and making their whole personalities wanting to marry and prey on 15 year old boys, nsfw audios and other sexual content of 15 year olds everywhere, people actually getting into physical altercations and doxxing eachother over ships, actual 15 year olds thinking it’s fine to be with adults because of the aforementioned shit, the destruction of hotel and convention property, etc). The JJK fandom makes horny jokes about fictional characters and themselves. That’s it. That’s the “horrible” fandom these people are whining about. That shit is hilarious, and if you don’t want to see it, you can block tags on TikTok effortlessly to avoid it. No seriously, just click “not interested” and opt to add more detail, then block the tags on the specific post that you don’t want to see more of. If you’ve been on the internet for more than ten years you’ll be fully aware of the fact that someone squeezing period blood from a tampon on their figurines is harmless and doesn’t affect you in any way. There’s an entire subreddit for people cumming on their figurines, this is nowhere close to the worst thing fandoms have done to their figures. Have we already forgotten the rainbow dash jar?

Just to be clear so people don’t start trying to twist this around, I’m not saying they don’t have a right to be grossed out by it or something. I’m saying that making several posts about how horrible that person is for doing shit to their own figures, and blowing it out of proportion by implying it’s even remotely as bad as a fandom full of 30+ year olds simping for teenagers is stupid. It’s dramatic and it’s annoying as hell to be scrolling my normal fyp and suddenly see several vocaloid background slideshows about how “problematic” the JJK fandom is. It’s not even like I can block that shit because they use main tags like “anime” to tag it. If I block that my fyp will be in shambles and I’ll be thrown to the depths of footballtok or something.

“It’s against TikTok TOS” and they got banned. They’ve been banned already. For a while now. Also people literally just straight up post cropped porn on TikTok all the time, this isn’t news either. Just block the tags and move on if you think the fandom is that gross. Better yet: block the tag of the CHARACTER that gets all of the sexual attention. It irritates me to no end how people will just complain about shit then refuse to fix the problem and continue to complain. It’s not the responsibility or fault of other people to bend to your preferences. “Don’t like don’t read”, block and move on. And I can assure you, not seeing harmlessly weird fandom shit isn’t a need. It is VERY much a preference.

Little edit/side note: the vast majority of people complaining directly state in their slideshows and videos that they didn’t get the video on their fyp. They were told about or linked to it and made the conscious decision to view it. We REALLY need to teach people Dead Dove: Do Not Eat outside of ao3.

Anyways I hope my mutuals have a wonderful day, just ignore this lol I had a moment and will likely delete this later.

[devotionbled]

In regards to my last ask reply. Let me talk about that headcanon in-depth and draw attention to another one I have.

She is no longer obligated to drink pennyroyal tea when she does not bleed her monthly bleeding. She can carry the child she has denied, to their birth. She no longer has to abort, to bleed herself of her humanity, what would have been the best part of her in the name of duty.

I subscribe to the implication that for female bearers, having children quickens the effect of the crystal curse. For my Jote, the crystal curse is quite advanced for her age because she totally didn’t heal Joshua all those years in his coma. It’s not something she was forced to do. She did it willingly, (also you can’t tell a child who’s determine to do something, to not do it especially when you indoctrinated them into cult belief.) which is… a vast change from the fate of other bearers.

I like to think this is why the comment “do not dirty your hands” happened. Because she’s dying too. But I’m going to ignore that particular headcanon of mine in some verses.

Back to the original point. Female bearers and having children—means quicker deaths and petrification. Jote would know this knowledge because she’s seen it. The two times her eyes strayed, it resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. Both times she aborted by throwing back the inspiration for GOT’s moontea, like shots. And guess what? Jote knows herbs and the soil well so she would know what pennyroyal does to a pregnant woman. If you wanted pain, it was a late attempt to abort for one of them. She haemorrhaged as a result to the point of almost touching death.

Part of it was self-preservation. Part of it was because she’s so devoted to her duty that fuck that shit. She’s useless with a belly full of a child. She can’t protect Joshua.

Also if she doesn’t self-immolate in her journey to learning who she is after Joshua dies, she does adopt a kid. Pull a Cid.

[randomvarious]

Today’s mix:

Tech House Phenomena 3 by Dave Mothersole 1999 Tech-House

Gonna quote legendary electronic music opinion-haver Ishkur at length here in order to kick off this post, because he and I seem to be of the same mind when it comes to the mostly bad phenomenon that is tech-house music:

Somehow by incorporating the strengths of both Techno and House, Tech House succeeded in appealing to neither. So the result is something frustratingly banal and monotonous when it really shouldn't be...

Tech House straddles the razor-thin tightrope of something that doesn't have enough funky warmth for House yet not enough cold mechanicalism for Techno, so what comes out instead is something stiff, repetitive, and boring. It's such a disappointment, like the last season of Game of Thrones.

Tech House had real promise. It could have done great things with the tools it had. And it's something everyone hoped would happen, like feeding Scrabble tiles to a dog to see if it shits out a word. But instead Tech House wasted its potential on pretentious Berlin nightclubs and that aimless, meandering noodlyness that the Brits are fond of, like a 70s prog rock solo that goes on for way too long. Technically interesting but utterly soulless...

Tech House can be good. There is honestly good Tech House out there. I've even heard some. But finding it is a Herculian task of Sisyphian anguish in a Kafka-esque, Orwellian realm of Dostoevskian torment. It is possible to load up your music player with nothing but Tech House mixes, hop into your car, and drive to the other end of the continent and back and never hear the same song twice yet never hear an interesting song once. The odds of coming across decent Tech House are worse than needles made of diamonds in a rough full of haystacks.

So, a big yes to pretty much all of that. I'm always willing to give tech-house (and all genres, for that matter) a chance, but I usually end up being bored by it in the end, and this ephemeral 1999 mix from veteran UK DJ Dave Mothersole as part of London label Eukahouse’s Tech House Phenomena series is no exception. It's just always basically moderately interesting backbeats with nothing melodically interesting going on on top. Somehow, this CD has a 4.2 rating on Discogs though, which is pretty high, so while Ishkur says this music's appealing to no one, there are people who seem to actually really enjoy it. But I don't think I'll ever understand why, personally.

That said, there are a few rare occasions on this album when the music's good: San Jose, California's E.B.E. has a track that I've loved for a while now called "Distraught," and it's this dubby, electro-splattery groove that has no two bars on it that sound exactly alike. So, for a dance genre that's typically stifled by monotony, this one seems to stand out from the rest.

And the closer, "Luv Talking," from London's Pure Science, is pretty great too. It's something of an infectious party groove that already comes equipped with sampled bits of recorded revelers itself, so it sort of just has this naturally inviting post-disco house essence to it. And it appears to be exclusive to this mix too, besides its appearance on a 12-inch that's also called Tech House Phenomena 3 that was most likely released as a teaser for this mix.

So, if you'd like to hear that song in particular, or you're brave enough to admit that you actually love tech-house, you can message me for this mix, because I unfortunately am unable to find any kind of link for it.

And go check out Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music too. His website is a uniquely indispensable resource for learning about electronic music and the histories and sonic characteristics of its many niche genres. His depth of knowledge on the subject is incredibly vast, and his genre explainers are witty, funny, and insightful. Plus, the playlists he puts together for each genre are really good too, especially for the genres he enjoys, which seem to be a lot of them. I’m a really big fan of his work and his writings have definitely played a role in helping me develop my own eclectic and nuanced tastes in electronic music. Without him, this silly music blog I have probably would never exist 🥺.

Highlights:

E.B.E. - "Distraught" Bryan Zentz - "Binary Ritual" Pure Science - "Luv Talking"

[marinecorvid]

Hey corvid, how open are you to Ranger head cannons? DO you have any yourself?

I am ABSOLUTELY open to headcanons and i have sososo many. here are some of them, typed out haphazardly and not quite fully formed but are the basis by what lens i see GS through

OKAY so this is turned out to be. long. and some a lot the vast majority of these headcanons are way more in depth/personal than other generally applicable hc stuff so yknow look upon my works ye mighty and despair, etc etc. ended up [redacting] some stuff, partly because i'm not ready to share in the state it's currently in in my head, and sometimes because i am still figuring stuff out sorry this is probably way more than what you were looking for but brain cells go out the door when i think about GS.

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coolio FIRST UP. MY KIDS

Summer Serrano: A sensitive, romantic, and compassionate person at heart, but with a sharp chip on her shoulder from a rough early life, Summer enables the "offense is the best defense" strategy personality-wise, causing her to often be perceived as much more aloof/prickly than she usually actually is. Clever, creative, insightful. Observant. Open to new experiences and learning. Quiet. Quietly snarky. Easy to irritate. Has a deeply skewed sense of danger/self preservation due to a depression/trauma combo; operates by a "go hard or go home" mindset (part of an in-universe explanation for why, when faced with Mewtwo not once but TWICE, she didn't back down. The other part was "flight" in fight or flight wasn't an option here, it was do or die).

Fun facts: Is a polyglot - speaks the Orre dialect of Paldé (Poke-Spanish - considering that Orre is based on Arizona and how close that is to Mexico, I'm headcanoning there's a lot of cultural influence), Galaic (Poke-English), is picking up Almian, picked up Oblivian in Oblivia, and can stumble her way through a conversation in Kalaic/Fiori (French/Italian, based on the fact that they're both romantic languages like Spanish, there's enough similarity she can kinda get the gist), and Ben's taught her a few words in Kantese; considers Paldé her native tongue, is much more talkative in it than Galaic, in which she's fairly quiet. Has a hyperthymestic/eidetic memory, IE she can remember most things vividly almost to the point of exactly. Drinks black coffee, sometimes brews it with Red Bull instead of water when she's hyperfixated on something and is regarding sleep as a choice, not a necessity. Calls Ben a variety of nicknames (Benjamin, Benji, Benvolio) when she wants something (his attention, just to bother him); he tolerates this with grace. Has a height of a exactly five foot zero and is deeply disgruntled about it. Isn't a very material person but likes to collect little knickknacks and trinkets from where she and Ben visit/go on missions.

Backstory: Okay full disclosure I've been reworking her mental backstory a lot in my head, so there's gonna be some very vague/blank spots. Born n raised in Pyrite Town, Orre in a not great neighborhood but not the worst. Parents are out of the picture, I think lived with an aunt/distant relative/foster parent? that ended up wrangling a bunch of kids that pretty much meant Summer grew up kinda doing whatever the hell she wanted, the kind of young ne'er-do-well who would make a game out of throwing rocks through the window panes of the old abandoned factories because there's nothing better to do. Ran with most of the other local kids because that's what you did (safety in numbers. You don't want to get caught alone, especially after dark. That's how people disappear).

Except uhh maybe early-mid teens?? The local Colosseum itself is old as shit, hasn't had maintenance in a while, part of it collapses midmatch into the Under, triggering a bunch of landslides and cave-ins due to the unstable land from all the mining that was done in the past. Summer gets caught in one of these, gets stuck for a few days, experiences the worst 72 hours of her life, eventually gets pulled out by an emergency response team (now that I'm writing it out, maybe by some Rangers that offered Orre assistance??? food for thought). Spends a few days shuffled around at an overworked hospital/clinic. Because she managed to get out without any broken bones and only a mild concussion, they push her out the doors to focus on worse patients. Doesn't go home, kinda wanders the city in a daze thinking "what the fuck. what the fuck. fuck this place." wandering takes her to a some kind of high place where she can look over the city and all the emergency crews and smoke and thinks "is this really it? is this gonna be my life? stuck in a dusty city where the streets are collapsing and everything's always broken and constantly looking over my shoulder?" (because even though her neighborhood was once alright, things have been getting worse) and then thinks "fuck that. fuck that so much"

and maybe like… in a few days? wanders back home, grabs a backpack, takes as many snacks and scrounges as many dollars as she can from home, hikes herself out to the nearest tracks, and hops a cargo train out of Orre up the Western Coast. (In my mental map of this corner of the Pokemon world, passes through some unnamed regions and into Paldea.) Scrounges up enough currency to catch a ferry to Almia? and … sometime … she gets involved in the Ranger Union, huzzah. maybe a Ranger that pulled her out of the rubble got her thinking about the Ranger Union? it makes an impression? very haphazard. I'm working on it

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Ben Yuuko: If you'd ask your average Almian citizen to describe your average Ranger, 1 out of 3 would describe an archetype resembling Ben. Earnest, honest, easily trusting, fun-loving, with misplaced confidence to walk out of dangerous situations unscathed, Ben is the "possess social smarts - doesn't always use them" to Summer's "has street smarts - doesn't always use them." Similar to Summer, a deeply compassionate person. Prone to mild teasing. Had a relatively easy adolescence, somewhat naive - struggles DEEPLY during the events of GS, as a lot of rose-tinted lenses are being shattered, as he's now dealing with a traumatic happenings himself that he's only "experienced" second-hand through the people around him (Summer, former foster siblings in worse situations); dealing with how people will have seemingly irrational thoughts + actions that seem perfectly justified in the moment, why even the people you care for lash out at you, that people who seem villainous are still deeply human and rarely pure evil. Deals with some pretty bad anxiety.

Fun facts: Speaks Kantese and Galaic, kinda picks up Oblivian, Summer's taught him a little Paldé. Is a pretty decent cook! Can make some good food with minimal ingredients; it causes him physical pain to watch Summer dip pickle slices in Nutella like chips and hummus. Considers his most valuable possession to be a pair of 90s moon shoes. Takes dance classes for fun when not on duty. Calls Summer a variety of nicknames (Sunshine, Summertime Sadness) for fun; she is grumpy about it. Uses Summer's shoulder as an armrest when he thinks he can get away with it without being elbowed in the ribs.

Backstory: Born and raised in Johto, I'm thinking Olivine City. In contrast to Summer's chaotic home life, Ben was fostered with caring adults and a handful of younger kids, both biological children of his foster parents and other foster children that cycled through. However, though he deeply appreciates what they've done for him, and that he's rationally aware he was raised in a VERY good foster environment, he never really connected to them as parents. (He does keep regularly in touch with a few of the foster kids he helped wrangle though.) (Also sorry Ben. you don't have very detailed info in comparison to summer rn)

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Ben and Summer: Besties, partners, ride or die for each other. Queerplatonic relationship, in the sense that they're both queer and not romantically involved (though there was brief 5-second period of Summer accidentally concussing Ben and him thinking he was in love with her) but by the time GS has finished with canon events they pretty much always consider each other when thinking about what they want to do in life

The first time they met after spending a day together (under undetermined circumstances but shenanigans were probably involved), Summer (grew up in a dangerous place) looked at Ben and thought "this is the most harmless guy on earth. Jesus Christ he's gonna get eaten alive at the first sign of actual trouble" and decided protecting him would be her #1 priority from that point on. Ben (grew up being an armchair therapist to foster kids more troubled than he) looked at Summer and thought "she is so scared and so dysfunctional even in a safe environment :(" and decided he was going to be her best friend from then on.

Of course by living together and working together their perceptions of each other have evolved. Ben deeply admires her competency in the field (despite her unorthodox methods, usually lacking in self preservation) and by the time GS comes around, is looking to her blasé attitude towards danger as something to imitate, which is what leads to Ben kinda mouthing off to Red Eyes the first time they meet, which isn't really authentic Ben behavior; he gets better as the game's canon events continue and he realizes Summer's seemingly natural confidence is a carefully maintained mask that she keeps to prevent anyone from seeing how scared and nervous she actually, and to keep herself from breaking down from all the stress and anxiety she's under. Though Oblivia is a shit time for them in many ways and leaves them with many issues, it also deepens their understanding of each other and are far more open emotionally, and lays the groundwork for future growth.

on a less serious note

Them that's Them

Since you need to be at a certain rank to fly on Staraptor, I'm going to say they're actually pretty good Rangers in their own right before Oblivia

Oblivia is their first overseas missions, and Hastings specifically wanted them to have a mentor in Rand, who's an experienced Ranger and could help iron out some issues that were forming (worried they were getting too codependent w each other. ironically they just ended up with horrible separation anxiety); their modus operandi is that Ben talks more with people, and Summer does more of the heavy lifting

during Oblivia they picked up the habit of sleeping in the same bed; they don't feel safe not being able to reach out and feel the other nearby

Ukulele Pichu is technically Summer's partner Pokemon but they're equally attached to the little guy and vice versa. He likes to hang out in the hoods of their jackets when it's chilly

The first time Summer ever experienced a real winter, Ben stuffed snow down the back of her coat within 5 minutes. Summer retaliated by dumping a bucket of it on him while he slept that night

Ben would say one of the greatest challenges he faces in his life is getting Summer to stay in bed when she's sick

Summer is a chronic clothes stealer; Ben starts buying two of everything when they start sharing a dorm in the Union

In the years following Shadows of Almia and the very public dissolution of Altru/Team Dim Sun, there's been a surge in Ranger applicants and Union leaders are frantically trying to figure out where to house so many people; usually the people who get the best academic scores are stationed at the Union building directly, but lots of runner ups ended up being temporarily housed there while other accommodations are being developed. However, upon realizing that Ben and Summer are both more capable beyond their number scores, they were reassigned to the Union building.

General Ranger headcanon is that to prevent mental and physical burnout, all Rangers are required to take either staggered breaks or one big chunk of a break/vacation time throughout the year

Summer and Ben usually spend theirs in an apartment in dockside Puel Town (not allowed to live in Union building during mandatory break, as it might encourage one to act on duty even when they're supposed to be resting), but post GS incorporate Oblivia into their break time; Rand and Leanne more or less consider them their own kids and are always happy to house them

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OBLIVIA REGION + MYTHOLOGY:

Okay so you know how in canon Booker is Hastings' brother? The only reason Oblivia (who as a reason at one point definitely was under threat from some kind of occupation, so some older folks are pretty wary of outsiders) is so tolerant of Rangers coming in and solving shit is because whatever governance the runs the place collectively sees Rangers as "Oh those are some of Hastings' kids, yeah they're alright" (because Hastings helped found the Ranger Union, etc etc, and he's pretty smart and wants to keep Oblivia left alone as possible so if he trusts these people, so will we). I know in canon they're pretty. Well. Oblivious to all the shit that's going on but not so in the sandbox of my canon, in that the local folk are pretty hostile towards Pinchers and have their own grassroots force also working to keep an eye out and fend them off when Rangers are in a different part of the region.

Oblivia is also a lot bigger than the main islands we see! The reason we don't get to go to other islands is because they're by and large uninhabited: by not being able to support human life, because Pokemon have made their home there, or because they're forbidden on accounts of being cursed ground. Which is also why Purple Eyes needed Leanne to discern Zapdos' location, because it could've also theoretically been on any other treacherous mountain island (and also to translate a lot of other stuff he was having trouble with)

Misc. headcanon: a lot of people assume because Rand is the breadwinner man of the house that he's like the head of household, however 1) both he and Leanne would argue they are equals in this marriage and family, neither of them outrank each other, and 2) Leanne is head of the household. it is not acknowledged and she herself denies it with an fondly exasperated eyeroll but everyone else living there knows she is Mom, Terrible And Mighty and all decisions are run by her first

Misc Headcanon #2: Rand is a very good baker, and because I feel bad he doesn't have a partner Pokemon of his own I say he has a Mightyena named Lucky! he walks with Nema to and from school. Post game, Leanne gets a therapy/emotional support Espeon

Nema's somewhere on the autism spectrum. Sometimes goes nonverbal when she gets overwhelmed, but instead of learning sign language communicates with a pseudo-Morse code, using a combination of already existing codes and some ones they made up; Ben and Summer get pretty good at it and Summer starts using it frequently too

Suicune is the most no-nonsense of the legendary beasts, mostly because the Sky Fortress is hidden on their island and therefore they're the one who's working hardest to keep it hidden. Entei is like an old cat/dog, a little lazy, prefers a calm environment, sometimes casuallly shows up when Rand's grilling food outside, flops on the ground, and doesn't leave until they get thrown a steak or something. Raikou is like the little brother of the bunch, they're very active and like to run, nosy, always smells when Summer has treats with her.

Following the defeat of Sabios and the Sky Fortress in ancient times, Oblivia's Golden Age came to a close. The royal line thought to be ended, as Sabios fled the region in disgrace and Ravio sired no known heirs, and the ancient Oblivians were so desperate to bury the Sky Fortress, that if they couldn't destroy it or the Golden Armor the least they could do was to destroy everything else pertaining to it, burn any paper holding knowledge of it, seal the living batteries for it (titans of the sky) to the highest peaks, strike every wall naming it except for one they erected in dire warning in the hopes that should anyone be fool enough to stumble across it they would be persuaded against unearthing anything else. And so history became legend, legend became myth, and for a thousand years all knowledge of the Sky Fortress, the Golden Armor, and Ancient Oblivia passed out of almost all knowledge, even to modern Oblivians - until some guy calling himself Amun had to come dig it all up, realize his folly too late and try to bury it again, but by that time the Societea had already caught wind of it, and you know what happens next.

Summer didn't fall directly into the ocean from that height like in canon, once Ben realized what happened, he flew down after her and managed to grab her, slowing her down enough so that that fall distance would be survivable. Unfortunately for them, Red Eyes brought his Charizard to the party, Ben got grabbed, and Summer still falls. (She also isn't nearly as conscious as in canon when she hits the water, she's barely manages to get her rebreather on before her vision goes dark, and only sees the underwater Rainbow Dais in a very feverish state.)

The Celebi that transports you to and from the past is running the longcon. Bringing Summer back in time to inspire Ravio to become the ancient hero with Summer's stories of the ancient hero, while Summer is inspired by stories of the ancient hero to act as the next guardian of Oblivia. It has lived on this islands since before any other Pokemon or humans settled there, and the extent of its knowledge and motives are inscrutable to literally everybody. Post-GS Celebi wouldn't take a distressed Summer back in time to stop the sky fortress from rising in the first place because that would mess up the time loop it's got going on. The time loop is also why all the legendary Pokemon trust her so much immediately after meeting her and give her their sigils; they remember her from the old past

Before Ho Oh (and eventually the legendary beasts) was the main religious focus in Oblivia, many many years ago, Arceus was worshiped. However, due to [SEE BELOW], Arceus stepped to the side and allowed a spiritual leader in ancient times to take the mantle of Guardian of the Sky, being reborn as the first Ho Oh in recorded history upon her death. In a similar fashion, the legendary beasts, titans of the sky, and Guardian of the Sea all were once human in their first life, but bear only memories and not the emotions attached as their time as timeless guardians.

Alola was not the first region Ultra Necrozma terrorized in its desperation for light; after being nearly wrent asunder by an priestess blessed with the power to bend light, it fled down the equator, finally coming to Alola. A portion of Necrozma's light body settled upon the span of the Oblivia region, becoming the origin for a power that eventually fueled the creation of the Steelhead Armor, the Golden Armor, and the Sky Fortress.

I also know I've mentioned this before but Lugia absolutely is involved in storming the sky fortress. Ho Oh is too old and weakened to fight off the titans of the sky by herself so Lugia has to get involved and knock the shit out of em before Ho Oh can neutralize it enough that summer and ben can get in there. They're also the one who drags Summer onto the shore of Dolce Island instead of getting waterlogged when she gets knocked into the sea (headcanon made entirely by the fact that during the title screen, you can see lugia's silhouette in the background. and also my belief that lugia is one of the coolest pokemon ever and deserves screentime all the time)

Post-past missions and after the Sky Fortress is sealed away for the first time, Ravio summons Arceus to try to apologize for the sins of his father, who bound it to his will with the Golden Armor. It didn't end well.

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VILLAINS:

Red Eyes AKA Reid O'Sullivan: also born n raised in Pyrite, like Summer. (totally wild coincidence there. that won't affect anything at all) Grew up SUPER admiring the Colosseum battlers, got a Torchic from uhh somewhere? Anyways it's the Blaziken you see in the post-game. He was really looking forward to starting a mentorship kinda thing with a battler who had a habit of taking youngins under his belt, you know to keep them from getting into crime and whatnot. Unfortunately for everyone involved, said battler died when Pyrite's Colosseum collapsed midmatch, Red Eyes barely made it out as mid-teen, and lost some friends of his own in the fall.

Feeling distinctly fucked over, got into some worse circles, got a reputation for being a tough guy who's half-competent with good battle instincts, gets involving in a poaching ring. Eventually gets to be the de-facto leader of that poaching ring as a young adult. Eventually approached with an offer to expand, combine with another poaching ring or two by a backer who'd be willing to invest and whatnot. Red Eyes, generally a proud guy and flattered, goes "SURE" (he will later regret this) and actually takes on the moniker of Red Eyes because if he's gonna do bigger stuff he doesn't want to be throwing his legal name around.

And uh I'll be honest with you - by the time GS rolls around, he's not having a good time with the unified Pinchers. He hates his boss. His boss's bosses, whom he only barely knows about, are getting them involved in some Weird Ass Shit, like looking for wall carvings instead of poaching. He doesn't fucking like it, but because confusion and unsurety is weakness, he does not show any of this. He's actually at the end of his rope when Summer and Ben roll up, and is so stressed out that he falls for like, a basic level taunt from Ben and tries to shoot him out of the sky. Summer, of course, takes the hit, falls into the ocean, they drag Ben back to the sub so he can't cause any trouble for them. He stares at the wall in his room. He might've just killed a Ranger, and that's, uh, a potentially serious murder charge. Shit. Good thing's she's not actually dead! Somehow! and totally not someone he recognizes. at all. And then proceeds to have a somehow worse time as Summer just. keeps. beating him

Blue Eyes AKA Blaire Park: Uhh not sure if born but definitely grew up in Gateon Port, learned about boats n shit, why she's the one in charge on the submarine. I'm not sure exactly what she was doing before the Pinchers, but she was doing something that was going fine! right up until she, flattered in some way, goes "SURE" (she will later regret this) and actually takes on the moniker of Blue Eyes because if she's gonna do bigger stuff she doesn't want to be throwing her legal name around.

But by the time GS rolls around, Blue Eyes, like Red Eyes, wants Fucking Out. She, like Red Eyes, is stressed to hell, and from the time Summer shows up in Amun's mansion to accidentally getting trapped in an underwater cave, shit's a conga line of failure and embarrassment. She was not, perhaps, in the best state of mind when she decided to Plan Z the submarine. (Getting fired by Purple Eyes in the moment was not a fun thing, but she did realize she got away mostly scot-free, so she got what she wanted in a way.)

And that's how those two become friends/coworkers-with-benefits-who-sometimes-antagonize-each-other-for-environmental-enrichment, and also they bond over and complain about their asshole sadist of a boss, but not where he can hear, because he's an asshole sadist and they don't want to piss him off and invite him to be a sadist in their direction.

Fun facts: Red Eyes probably would probably stream playing Dark Souls IRL and despite being p good at it would get stuck on one boss for hours and Blue Eyes would be his maybe roommate maybe something else, who knows, who would intervene before he gets mad enough to break the controller and beat it in maybe. 3 tries just so he can continue in the game. chat goes nuts for Blue Eyes

Post-game when Blue Eyes hangs up the ol control gauntlet and decides to try to live a mostly respectable life, she ends up reading a lot and eventually decides to try and write her own :)

and Red Eyes eventually turns out to be a pretty good exhibition battler (kinda like wrestling matches, predetermined but still showy and intense)

Red Eyes likes spicy food. Unfortunately for him he is not good at making food. He's not allowed to use the submarine stovetop anymore

Blue Eyes is transfemme (look at her uniform colors! baby you are not subtle and i love you for it), and because I'm choosing to believe the Pokeworld is the better timeline in which HRT something you can get like over the counter, she's been living her best life

POST-POSTING EDIT: blue eyes had a tentative truce with red eyes pre-pincher unification with whatever gangs they were running, i don't think hers was a poaching group though - maybe something about resources? - she developed those skills as a leader post-unification; they kinda became more equals when the societea n purple eyes made them an actual group

And also they both have a crush on Summer because Red Eyes is the kind of guy to be "I like the kind of woman that can kick my ass" even if he's a sore loser abt it lmao and also [REDACTED]. but he takes a few levels in kindness postgame so he holds out hope. and Summer's saved Blue Eyes several times so there's some complicated feelings there. But also Summer is very pretty and very nice and considerate when she's not a stressed out Ranger on duty. so.

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Purple Eyes AKA [REDACTED]: This guy. One of my favorites of all time. He's hilarious. Drama queen. Utterly self serving. Charismatic enough to know how to function like a normal person most of the time, he just… doesn't care to unless he's trying to get something he can't get with force. How did he get to this point

Because canon is my sandbox, I say: I don't think Purple Eyes went into this whole venture /wanting/ to do the whole "rule the world through fear" thing. I think that's a combo of 1) truly horrendous mental health 2) spite, based on a couple of different slights against him 3) Oblivia Ruins are cursed, haunted to hell and back, and definitely fucked with his perception of the world + himself + what he wants after spending so long trying to decipher the place, and just… never recovered. not that he had a lot chances we see in canon, since so much happens So Fast and bonus wifi missions are wobbly hand motion on the timeline, but for however long he lives after GS he's just. so fucked over in the head. him metaphorically kicking the dog by usurping Ed was mostly entirely due to absolute spite at being kicked at Mt Layuda. he didn't have a plan for ruling the world he just wanted to get payback against Ed and his least favorite Rangers in existence while he was at it

IDK MAN I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS. CONCEPTS. IT'S ALL IN A ROUGH STATE RN THO. just scrapped a whole 2 paragraphs bc i didn't vibe with it. so i'm not gonna say any more on this particular subject.

sorry my guy you're not the star of this very lengthy answer. ANYWAYS i'm torn between my desire to humanize all villains i deal with (because he's still very much a standard cartoon villain) VS desire to just see that guy go from 0 to 90 right from adolescence. stay tuned

HOWEVER he's definitely Sabios' descendant (from the past missions) and that's why the Golden Armor responded to him over Ed at the Sky Fortress. proof: share musical leitmotif, purple theme, evil second-in-commands, on the sky fortress he says something like "i did some research and learned something about the golden armor" which is never really expanded on so i think the implication was that the golden armor would choose him bc it remembers old blood

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SOCIETEA: I am gonna to limit this to Ed because he's the one I care to humanize the most and this whole thing started with him getting an idea. Altered character motivations and interpretations abound.

he hangs around a lot more with Summer n Ben than in canon, both because he's trying to get a feel for their progress, if they're a genuine threat to the Pinchers' progress, and also because they're not bad kids and he does want them to feel reassured that there are Adult adults in their corner. as untrue as it may be.

he's especially fond of Summer, he's definitely doing some grandfatherly projection. she reminds him of himself at a young age: restless, far more clever than she's allowed to be (for differing reasons), having experienced loss due to war (her parents; he lost an uncle and niece who followed in his footsteps as field medic), they both feel more jaded compared to their peers

you know how there's like fanon that there was a war before the games? like before of LT Surge's dialogue? there were a few wars. scattered across like a century or so, Pokeworld was in real bad shape

Ed's parents were rich Galaic folk, you know like old parliament lords that their families still hold places in the govt. and still have lots of old money? yeah he's from that kind of family. his father was an old military man turned politician. wanted ed to follow in his footsteps, ed wanted to go into medicine, they found an unwilling compromise when war broke out and he became a young field medic

eventually war he was involved in ends. father eventually dies. has the freedom to be a kleptomaniac to his heart's content across the world with his friends; focused on high profile art pieces, artifacts, expensive rare limited editions. tensions between regions erupt again, more war, acts as a philanthropist with money to help vets n whatnot. still socially runs in the old circles of politicians and whomever, isn't involved too much though

i'm getting tired so i'm gonna simplify the shit out of this and maybe come back to this later but basically: he and the rest of the gang have been doing some international-conspiracy shit for a decade or so and basically want to do the "last war to end all wars" kind of thing (because. i mean. regional tensions ARE picking up again at this point. nothing solid so far but things aren't are great as they could be) with no conflicting leaders so no more mass violence. except for these potential acts of mass violence. and the half sentient golden armor of course Does Not help with that thought process and is what leads to the destruction of Dolce Island

still definitely wants immortal life tho. war will fuck up your sense of life and death he's definitely got some problems that've been marinating for the past however-many years

he was never really liked purple eyes but was willing to employ him because he was efficient and finding half decent archaeologists who are willing to work for your evil schemes are rare in circles of villainy. but between him no longer really needing him once zapdos was located, disapproval of him kidnapping leanne and claiming he figured it out on his own, and disdain of him kidnapping leanne and nema (ed's not an evil evil guy and didn't have anything personal against rand & family), Ed was all too happy to kick him to the curb