#short sequel!

[spookberry]

Paranorman gonna be in theaters again this october omg im gonna lose my mind

[totallynottinsel]

🪻 The Secrets of Dwarf Ears

During their quiet vacation at Bag End, Bilbo realizes just how fascinated he is with Thorin's ears, and his piercings.

@acorn-and-oakleaves prompt: "The worst part is you didn't even notice."

TW: minor descriptions of, yk, piercing. But nothing crazy!

"Enjoy the bath?" Bilbo peered up from his book.

"I did. Though I could have done with less flower petals." Admitted Thorin as he walked along the end of the bed, running a comb through his damp hair. The petals were hardly the worst part, not after the bubbly wash that had him smelling of colorful florals he couldn't even name. He preferred it much more on Bilbo than himself.

"Oh, come now, it's good for you."

Thorin raised a brow to the hobbit. "How so?"

Bilbo's lips turned downward as he searched for his answer, now truly wondering why exactly he had those petals in the first place. "It just... is. And use a towel for goodness sake, your dripping all over the carpet!" He waggled the book in his hand to emphasize the severity of a soggy carpet.

Thorin had done so and slipped on his clothes for the night, wrapping his hair back in a low ponytail and making his way into bed. He sat shoulder to shoulder beside Bilbo, peering over to catch a glimpse of what he'd been so keenly reading for hours. The hobbit waved a hand at him to cease his snooping. "You've had your nose in that book all day."

"I've been reading up on crochet techniques, it's very handy when---" When Bilbo had looked up again from his pages, he'd just about dropped the book entirely at the sight he was met with. Thorin stared back at him in his usual radiance, though what caught Bilbo's eye were the small silver rings lining his ears. His ears. Bilbo hardly recalled spotting them on their journey, nor did he have the time to more often than not. Not to mention they were skillfully hidden behind his hair---which had been another thing in its own, as he rarely saw the dwarf styled differently. Yet upon seeing, he was absolutely taken by them. They were larger compared to hobbit's, more rounded and blunt and irresistibly endearing.

"Is something the matter?" Thorin asked, showing a face of natural concern as his partner blankly eyed him. He began to wonder if questioning that book of his offended him greatly somehow.

"Hm? Ah, no, no. It's only... your ears." He croaked, though it didn't seem to help Thorin understand what he was on about.

"What of them?"

"Well I... I've never seen them. At least not up close. And the---those rings? Can't say I've come across those either."

"Do those in the Shire not share the practice of bearing them?" Thorin didn't sound all too surprised, in fact---he was fairly amused by Bilbo's wide-eyed intrigue.

"Oh, no, certainly not." Bilbo shook his head, laughing at the mere image of his high-strung kin donning anything of the sort. "You'd never catch a hobbit wearing something like those. The thought alone would scare most to near death, I'd say."

"You are not like most hobbits."

"Suppose I'm not. May I... have a closer look at them? If that would be appropriate, of course." He quired, then feeling a sudden rush of giddiness strike him when Thorin nodded for him to continue. He snapped his book shut, placing it to the bedside table and inching himself closer to the other. He first laid a gentle finger over the cascading set of rings, which had felt like any he had touched before. Though some of them felt slightly bumpy, or jagged like a stone; upon further inspection, he spotted small and intricate gemstones settled inside.

"Do they hurt? Once you put them in, that is." He asked, turning his head to get a better look of the hollowed out spaces in his ear that allowed the silver hoops to lay. A quick chill ran down his back, surely knowing it must have been a painful ordeal.

"The first few, yes. I settled with the discomfort." Thorin explained. "They can be rather irksome to tend to, though you must to keep them from infection."

"Infection?" Bilbo teetered away, as if something contagious had been sprinkled in the air.

"Fíli and Kíli wish to have their own. I'm certain they would lose a whole ear each."

"They may have already. Now, wait a moment---when did you get these?"

Thorin cracked a telling smile. "Not long after I recovered."

"When you---" Bilbo's mouth dropped. "But that was months ago! Surely I... how--?"

"The worst part is you didn't even notice." Thorin teased, receiving a light smack to the shoulder. He caught Bilbo's hand as it fell back to his lap, his fingers mingling with the hobbits. "If I had known you would be so interested, I would have shown you them sooner."

"I blame this hair of yours," Bilbo took his free hand to tuck a few wayward strands of the dwarf's locks back behind his ear. As his fingers skimmed over, he softly brushed the top of the ear and the blank set of skin. "What of the other?"

"Not as many." Thorin turned his head to the side, where he only had a pair of two rings near the bottom. Bilbo simply frowned; even more he had failed to notice!

"Right, any more I should know of?"

"I'm afraid you will have to find out on your own."

"You are exhausting." Bilbo reached for the night table, being stopped soon enough by a hold of larger arms over his waist and under the open space between his back and the pillows---seizing him in a lazy embrace he welcomed the sudden warmth of.

"Must I compete for your attention against a book?" Thorin murmured as he leaned his head to the crook of his neck, leaving a small kiss there along with one to the hobbits bare ear.

"A book doesn't tease me nearly as often."

Thorin hummed a sound of acknowledgement, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt the weight of Bilbo's head rest along his. It was then the question struck him, now elated with curiosity as the other had prior. "Would you consider having one of your own?"

"Have one of what?"

"The earrings."

Bilbo laughed. "I don't believe I'd look as flattering with one. Let's say, if all my goods from here make it to Erebor without a scratch, I'll get myself one!" Like that would ever happen, of course. How silly. He thought.

------

Erebor

"Ah, is the needle supposed to be that large?"

"Ey, this is the small!"

"The---oh my days," Bilbo swallowed hard, blowing out some air as he kept his eyes to the floor. Absolutely any single sight but that horrendous pointy stick.

"You do not have to do this," Thorin placed a hand to his shoulder, brows furrowing with visible concern. "In fact, I would have advised against it if I had known it would cause you distress."

"No, no! I will not back out now. I said I would do this, and I am a hobbit of my word." He proclaimed. "At least for the next few minutes."

"Bilbo..."

"I know what I'm getting myself into, Thorin. I'll be fine."

"Well, let's get to it then, shall we?" Said the dwarf in charge of the process. "I want ye' to take a deep breath in, then slowly out as the needle gets through, ye' see?"

"Yes, yes."

"I'll count to five. One---"

"No, no counting if you'll---"

"Anddd five!"

And that had been the day Bilbo Baggins, the first hobbit to date---had himself an earring, as they called it. Next thing he knew, he'd be wearing himself a tattoo to match. He was certain Thorin didn't have any of those to note, thankfully.

He didn't, right?

[forbiddentaako]

Fall out boy putting me in a fallenwings mood again

Lute's version:

[there-are-many-ways-to-smile]

I find myself very content with Sinners. It's a little weird not wanting a story to have more. Maybe that's a good thing because they were able to tell a pretty full story, in a span of two hours.

I'm both happy and sad for the twins, neither ones ending is completely good or bad.

Smoke got to be reunited with his daughter, but he had to die for it, he lost the love of his life, he's friends and his brother. Stake got to be able to love the women of his life freely in the open after what 60 years give or take but he had to die for it. He lost his friends, his brother, and being able to walk in the sun.

The twins won't be reunited in the afterlife until someone kills Stake...

It's actually quite sad.

[lizzybeeee]

DATV is overly reliant on Supplemental Media - especially if you are a returning player

TL;DR: Supplemental material should not be required reading in order to understand what's going on in the main game -> it's additional material that enhances what we were given. If what we were given is lacking and unable to coherently tell us a story, then the writers and those in charge did not prioritize what was important.

Not a take that's unique to Dragon Age, but one that is very relevant when talking about DATV. I've made a few posts about plot/story points that either make no sense or have been dropped entirely in the lead up from DAI to DATV. Every now and then I get a few comments or messages about how certain points I made were addressed in supplemental material released in the lead up to this games release.

This isn't a call out post, by the way! But it's frustrating, to me, that this games writing is so lacking that my understanding is being inhibited because I can't remember details from a book I read two years ago - not to mention various podcasts, comics, and short stories. My understanding of a video game in a video game series should not be reliant on additional/optional content.

DATV is a weird game in that it is absolutely a 'soft/scorched earth' reboot while also marketing itself as a continuation to what was set up in Inquisition and Trespasser. Personally, I think that if you are up to number 4 in a game series, one with a continuous story-line, it should be expected that new players won't be able to catch up to everything -> it's the game developers job to make the world and story intriguing enough that the new players will go back to previous games in the series and fill in the blanks themselves.

Veilguard, as a sequel, is overly reliant on content that comes from outside the games themselves (including DLC's) if you want to make sense of the world and story. Trespasser left us with an epilogue that set up some plot points for the next game: Solas & the Veil, the Elven Rebellion, and War with the Qun - plot points that have been built up since the time of Origins. But when we get into DATV two of these points have been dropped and resolved, off-screen.

There are more questions, but these are the ones that bothered me the most while playing the game:

What happened to the Agents of Fen'harel/ Elven Rebellion? -> answered in a cursed reddit AMA.

What happened to the Qunari following Trespasser -> addressed in Tevinter Nights, and a codex entry you can pick up (optional).

Why is Skyhold infested with demons? -> mentioned in Tevinter Nights.

How did the Dalish go from worshiping their own pantheon to knowing they are false gods? (specifically those we meet in the Veil Jumpers) -> mentioned in the Missing comic series.

What's up with Nevarra's Royals? -> Tevinter Nights addresses that there is a power struggle in the Pentaghast family and the role of the Mortalitasi in making it worse - though it does not address the whole 'mage puppeting a corpse' issue and all the implications it has.

This is a video game series -> the bulk of the information required for me to understand the story and its relation to previous entries needs to be included in the final game version. I am playing a video game and not attending a uni class - I should not need to have a required reading list in order to understand what the fuck is going on. I should definitely not need to go onto a reddit AMA to understand what happened in-game, either.

What makes this stand out the most is that DAI was very successful in tying in previous games, DLC's, movies, and books! Inquisition did a great job in getting you up to speed on the events of the previous games early on, providing personalization if you played those games, and giving the player the opportunity to inquire into these events.

Hiding away the answers in additional material or a codex entry that may be missed is not good game design or good writing. DAI didn't assume that you had bought and played the Legacy DLC -> it made certain you experienced the conversation with Varric and Hawke if you wanted to proceed in the game. It didn't hide away imperative information in codex entries - it had characters talk about it in scripted scenes and encourage the player to ask more. You would actively need to avoid interacting with characters for you to not experience this information in DAI.

Leliana talks about her role during the Blight, her calling by the Maker, and her relationship with Dorothea/Justinia -> DAO and Leliana's Song DLC.

Cullen talks about his time as a templar at Kinloch & Kirkwall -> DAO and DA2.

Cassandra speaks about her history, investigation into Hawke, and the Seekers -> Dawn of the Seeker movie, DA2, & Asunder novel.

Varric talks about Hawke, Kirkwall, and Corypheous -> DA2 and Legacy DLC.

Cole talks about how he discovered he was a 'demon' - it leads to further conversations about Rhys, Evangeline, and Lord-Seeker Lambert -> Asunder novel.

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts -> the game literally continues what the Masked Empire novel sets up, the Orlesian Civil War. The game does a decent job of telling us about the players (Celene, Gaspard, Briala etc...) and the reasoning behind the conflict through dialogue, the ability to explore the battlefields, quests, ambient dialogue, etc... The book is not required reading - though it greatly adds to the complexity of the characters, motivations, and political intrigue!

I never once, playing DA2 or DAI, felt penalized or like my experience was lacking because I had not engaged with supplemental material or DLC's. I got into Dragon Age when I was in high school, it wasn't until I graduated and began working after that I had the disposable income available for experiencing the extra material. I cannot say that for DATV - If you have played Inquisition and go into DATV straight from that you will, absolutely, be confused about how we got from A to B.

Which is especially strange to me!? Why is it that new players will be less confused than those that are returning players? It's like the game is actively punishing you for playing and caring about previous games in the series.

Supplemental media is bought because the main product has earned your investment, love, or interest. Not everyone has the income available to buy it with their own money - especially if you live outside the US and have to pay additional shipping costs. Not everyone has the ability to buy or 'obtain' the digital versions either. My understanding of the main story of a video game in a video game series should not require additional monetary investment into other mediums.

The game itself should be enough and DATV is not enough.

[peoniesnro]

Yo hooo.....

[dragontamer05]

You know I want to know more about B-127 like what kind of work did he do before (and kept apparently failing at so badly he got dropped down to a level so low most don't even know it exists)

Like B out here knowing exactly who the Elite Guard are and their names when Orion and D16 didn't even know them.

And while we know Transformers have wildly long lifespans the fact he's had many jobs and still been down there for like a very long time,

"Somewhere between a longtime and forever"

I saw one person make an interesting comment on the implication of him actually being Older then Orion

I mean the stuff with the Primes and Sentinel happened looong time ago which raises the question as to when did Sentinel Prime -assuming since I find it highly suspicious it'd be there by accident toss that S.O.S message down there in the first place for B to find and how'd it end up in Steve's head?

[everiistence]

i watched kpop demon hunters today (and i really liked it!! the whimsy and the depth!! i realize i've missed silly little magical girl style media) and i've seen a lot of people clamoring for a sequel (which i feel like they will totally make based on director interviews) but like... is it just me or is there not also like a TON of potential for a prequel?? like yeah i know everybody wants jinu back but i feel like there are sooo many questions to be had about celine and the sunlight sisters and even rumi's dad?? and i feel like all of that would be so interesting to unpack too 😭😭 like i know everyone wants rumi and jinu to reuinte but pls tell me im not the only one seeing this 😭😭

[violetmuses]

Jey Uso + Female Reader (Part 2) 🏡

Fandom: WWE (Neighbor AU)

Character: Jey Uso 

Part 1 

@thekittysmeow @misskukinz 🏷️

=====

As time moved on, Jey couldn’t help thinking back.

Even while Jimmy and his wife Naomi planned gatherings, this man wondered if you might show up one day. Instead, you’d stay alone, remaining distant as your car waited in the driveway after work of course. 

Ringing the doorbell this afternoon, Jey held this delicious meal to share and wanted to make a difference himself. 

“Hi.” You opened the door, smiling. 

“Hey, Jimmy planned a cookout this weekend and I didn’t know if you had lunch yet, so we put together this plate.” Jey tried. 

“Oh, thank you.” Almost bashful, you took the gesture and stepped outside, standing by the curb. “I really appreciate it.” 

“Hey, Sis!” Jimmy called out, making you laugh. Charcoal began to smoke from all directions. “Enjoy your food.” 

‘Thanks, Jimmy.” You spoke up again and Jey almost turned back, yet looked over his shoulder when you closed that front door. 

Damn. Jey thought. His soul might rush forever. 

_______

With each passing moment, small chances lingered more and more, but Jey knew so much better. You were a stranger, this crush that quietly moved around dreams. Even your heart might cherish someone else to begin with. 

And yet, Jey learned the truth out of nowhere. 

Checking his mail, he found this random envelope: 

Jey, 

My heart skips too. 

-🫂

When Jey looked up, you smiled across the street. 

[velvetjune]

Completed all of Control and got the (hidden) short scene of Dylan

[gunlicker13]

making her pay >:)

[aroaessidhe]

2025 reads / storygraph

When Among Crows

urban fantasy novella

following a man searching through Chicago’s supernatural underworld for Baba Jaga, so he can make a request from her

and a fear-eating zmora with a bloodline curse and a stryzgon who join him on the way

Polish folklore

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

[angninjin]

Close enough welcome back Golden Legend!

[bl-bam-beyond]

YOUR SKY OF US (2025, THAILAND)

Episode 2 of 3

The JEALOUSY Episode

Fah (TEETUT CHUNGMANIRAT aka THOMAS) was jealous of Inn. Rak (KONGPOB JIROJMONTRI aka KONG) was jealous of Yam.

This seemingly was to show how a couple talk and work out issues when another person is involved.

However Fah faced Inn sort of but Rak has yet to face Fah's ex-girlfriend Yam (coming up on the Finale)

[hopecomesbacktolife]

while I expected lots of cute moments with bb-8 and pew-pew adventures in Poe Dameron: Flight Log (which, don’t get me wrong, I definitely did get and was very happy about!!) along with lots of cool ship specs and tech details—

what I wasn’t expecting (a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one) was several instances of incredibly heartfelt, evocative, and sweet introspections from Poe on his family, upbringing, philosophy / ethics, the resistance, and love 🥺 so many sweet characterization tidbits in this book, I really enjoyed reading it ♡

if you’re interested in reading it as well, I borrowed it (for free!) on internet archive which I highly highly recommend, it was such a fun read and it’s very easy & user-friendly to borrow books from them!