#since their similarly timed releases

[louisinart]

microdosing steddie fic so i don't OD on positive feelings

[0fps]

idk if anyone plays reverse 1999 here but i might upload the "journey in the rain" album in a hot sec

[fuckingrecipes]

Wait, which animals raise livestock?

Several species of ants will 'herd' aphids around (a type of plant lice)- even picking them up and putting them back with the group if they wander off. The ants will attack anything that approaches their aphid herds, defending them. The aphids produce a sugary excretion called honeydew, which the ants harvest and eat.

Some ants will even 'milk' the aphids, stroking the aphids with their antennae, to stimulate them to release honeydew. Some aphids have become 'domesticated' by the ants, and depend entirely on their caretaker ants to milk them.

When the host plant is depleted of resources and dies, the ants will pick up their herd of aphids and carry them to a new plant to feed on - a new 'pasture' if you will.

Some ants continue to care for aphids overwinter, when otherwise they'd die. The ants carry aphid eggs into their own nests, and will even go out of their way to destroy the eggs of aphid-predators, like ladybugs.

--

Microhylids – or narrow-mouthed frogs - have an interesting symbiosis with Tarantulas.

While the spiders could very easily kill and eat the much-tinier frogs, and DO normally prey on small frogs, young spiders instead will use their mouthparts to pick up the microhylid frogs, bring them back to their burrow, and release them unharmed.

The frog benefits from hanging out in/around the burrow of the tarantula, because the tarantula can scare away or eat predators that normally prey on tiny frogs, like snakes, geckos, and mantids. The tarantula gets a babysitter.

Microhylid frogs specialize in eating ants, and ants are one of the major predators of spider eggs. By eating ants, the frogs protect the spider's eggs. The frogs can also lay their eggs in the burrow, and won't be eaten by the spider.

So it's less 'livestock' and more like a housepet - a dog or a cat. You stop coyotes/eagles from hurting your little dog/cat, and in return the dog/cat keeps rats away from your baby.

--

Damselfish grow algae on rocks and corals. They defend these gardens ferociously, and will attack anything that comes too close - even humans. They spend much of their time weeding the gardens, removing unwanted algaes that might overtake their crop.

The species of algae that they cultivate is weak and and sensitive to growing conditions, and can easily be overgrazed by other herbivores. That particular algae tends to grow poorly in areas where damselfish aren't around to protect and farm it.

Damselfish will ALSO actively protect Mysidium integrum (little shrimp-like crustacians) in their reef farms, despite eating other similarly sized invertebrates. The mysids are filter feeders, who feed on zooplankton and free-floating algae, and their waste fertilizes the algae farms. Many types of zooplankton can feed on the algae crop, and the mysids prevent that.

While Mysids can be found around the world, the only place you'll find swarms of Musidium integrum is on the algae farms that Damselfish cultivate.

Damselfish treat the little mysids like some homesteaders treat ducks. Ducks eat snails and other insect pests on our crops, and their poop fertilizes the land. The ducks can be eaten, but aren't often, since they're more useful for their services than their meat.

--

There are SEVERAL species of insect and animal which actively farm. They perform fungiculture and horticulture: deliberately growing and harvesting fungus and plants at a large-scale to feed their population.

Leaf-cutter ants and Termites both chew up plant material and then seed it with a specific type of fungus. The fungus grows, and the termites/ants harvest the mushroom as a food source.

Ambrosia beetles burrow into decaying trees, hollow out little farming rooms, and introduce a specific fungii (the ambrosia fungi), which both adults and larval beetles feed on.

Marsh Periwinkles (a type of snail) cultivates fungus on cordgrass. They wound the plant with their scraping tongue, then defecate into the wound so their preferred fungus will infect it and grow there. They let the fungus grow in the wound a bit, and come back later to eat.

[targaryen-dynasty]

WHAT IS DESTINED CAN NOT BE AVOIDED. (4/4)

Cregan Stark x pregnant!Targaryen!Reader

WARNINGS: childbirth, swearing

WORDS: 3.5 K

NOTES: thanks to @arcielee for betaing this! <3

One hand is splayed out over the curve of your swollen stomach and the other clings to your maid’s forearm as you take your time climbing the edge of the bathtub to lower yourself in the tepid water, releasing a content sigh with it still being warm enough for some of the pregnancy pains to slowly but surely fade away.

“You may leave now,” you hum, head tipped back against the edge of the bronze tub. 

What you don’t notice with your eyes closed is the baffled look the two maids assigned for you exchange, visibly hesitant to leave you alone. One of them, a younger girl whose name you’ve learned is Elia, speaks up first, her voice soft but laced with concern that makes you look at them. “My lady… are you sure you will be alright by yourself? Should we not stay here to assist you?”

You sink down a bit further into the water, chest and shoulders now fully submerged as well. “I am with child, not sick. Rest assured I can take care of myself alone.”

The maid still looks unconvinced, and it doesn’t help that it’s now the older one speaking up. “My lady, ‘tis not meant as any disrespect. We are just concerned about your well-being. You are carrying the Lord Stark’s heir, after all, and–”

The door swings open with a creek that cuts the maid off mid sentence. Your eyes dart over, and you can feel your annoyance subside just slightly at the sight of him. Something about the stay in King’s Landing has changed him a bit. You notice it as you watch how he all but saunters into the room, wearing a loose fitted shirt made of linen with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, similarly loose trousers with a pair of soft leather boots. He has forgone Ice, the large sword resting neatly on the equally large desk standing in the chambers, and opted instead for a simple dagger strapped at his hip, hidden beneath the shirt. 

Yet you’d prefer seeing him in his usual leathers and furs rather in the light-eight attire he’s opted for given the warmer climate of the capital. 

“And Lord Stark is here to take care of his wife,” he ends the maid’s sentence, throwing his vest over a nearby chair.

Both women turn around to bow their heads politely upon his arrival, giving him a knowing look. “Pardon us, my lord,” the older maid says. “We were merely making sure the Lady Stark was tending to her pregnancy well.”

Nodding in acknowledgment to their words, you spot his gaze drifting back to you. “Thank you for your concern,” he says politely but with a hint of dismissal in his voice. “But I can assure you my wife is in good hands now. You may both go and tend to your other duties now.”

Exchanging a glance once more, the maids curtsey quickly and take their leave under the steel of Cregan’s gaze. 

“Thank the gods they’re gone,” you mutter and close your eyes again, sighing softly. 

“You make it sound as if they were tormenting you, my love,” Cregan says, undoing the first two buttons of his shirt before he comes closer to the bathtub. 

Opening your eyes once more, you all but glare at him. “They were hovering over me like a pair of mother hens,” you snap. “Ever since Munkun gave me that wretched tonic to bring the babe quicker, they have been treating me as if I am about to break, watching my every move as if I’ll faint any second from the smallest exertion.”

Completely unbothered by your grousing, your irritation has him chuckling. He leans forward to rest his hand on your belly, feeling the rather large swell of it. “They’re just concerned about you, my love,” he says, a hint of amusement in his voice. “They want to make sure you’re well cared for during your pregnancy. Can you blame them?”

“Do they want to make sure I am well cared for, or is it a command of my brother’s council?” You cock a brow, bringing your hand to rest atop his. 

Cregan sighs at your words, knowing that you’re probably right. The council does meddle in far too many things, and neither of you would be surprised if they’d given strict orders to the maids to watch over you. 

“Perhaps ‘tis a bit of both,” Cregan says. “Aegon might be concerned for the health of his dear sister, and his trusted council is definitely influencing his worry. But they are not entirely misguided to look out for you, my love. You’re carrying an heir and your health is of utmost importance.”

Not quite satisfied with his reasoning, you roll your eyes. “Yes, I understand the importance of the heir, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,“ you huff. “But I do not need a flock of overprotective hens following me around, tittering and fretting over every little thing I do. It would not have been like that had we just stayed in Winterfell.”

“Perhaps not,” he agrees, rubbing your swollen bump. “But we’re not in Winterfell, we’re in King’s Landing, and here your brother is king. His council sees it fit to be overly cautious with you. Complaining won’t change that.”

You can’t help the annoyed sigh falling past your lips as you lean your head back against the edge of the tub, sinking further into the water. “How do you think the wolves are faring without us?” 

The change of topic has Cregan laughing softly with the thoughts of your hovering maids quickly shifting to your dire wolves at home in Winterfell. “They are probably fine, my love,” he says, still rubbing your bump despite the rolled up sleeve of his shirt slowly soaking up water. “They are being cared for by our men. They’re tough creatures, those dire wolves. They can take care of themselves.” 

“Just like me,” you quip, raising a brow. “And I was not born a wolf – I am a dragon.”

“Oh, that you are,” Cregan agrees. “A fierce and dangerous one at that. But even a dragon might need a little bit of pampering and attention now and then, don’t you think?”

The earlier annoyance and irritation at the maids quickly melts away with your husband’s teasing but comforting manner, making you hum in agreement. Yet you have to admit it’s mostly Cregan’s attention and care showered upon yourself that you enjoy. “Perhaps you’re right.”

Your hand now journeys along the swell of your bump, while you bring the other to rest at the back of his neck, gently massaging it. His attention and care, however, aren’t enough to keep your light demeanor up as a sharp tug makes itself known in your stomach. Your body curls together at that, making you moan out in pain. 

Not wasting a moment, Cregan leans forward, trying to figure out what is going on. “Are you alright?” he asks with a concerned voice, his wide, gray eyes locked on your features. 

As another pang of pain grips your body, you gasp and clutch the back of his neck instinctively, your eyes widening in realization. “The babe…” you gasp, face twisting in pain as another contraction washes over you. “I think the babe… the babe is coming. Now.”

His eyes widen briefly in surprise, but his instincts kick in immediately. Quickly springing into action, he rises to his feet and reaches for a large cloth. “Let me get you in bed, and then I shall fetch the mae–”

“Just fetch the maester please, this shall be fine.”

Biting back a worried protest, knowing that arguing with a woman in labor would be a futile endeavor, much more with a woman as stubborn as you are, he rushes out the door with a nod of his head and a forced smile on his lips. 

As he leaves the room, you’re left alone, body wracked with increasing contractions that force one groan and gasp from your lip after the other. Your fingers dig into the rim of the tub, the realization dawns on you that you might have to give birth right here in the bathtub. 

The door pushes open again, and behind your wolf of a man barging into the room is Grand Maester Munkun, his expression not as concerned as your husband’s. 

“Maester,” you croak with a strained voice, looking at him as he moves to your side to assess your condition. “Is this normal? The pain, the–the rushed… labor?”

He grimly shakes his head. “‘Tis not uncommon for a tonic to bring on labor earlier than expected when the mother has surpassed her time. And the early onset of labor also does not necessarily mean anything is wrong,” he explains. “The pain you’re experiencing, however, should not be this severe. Let me examine you, my lady.”

You hardly notice your worried maids scurrying into the chambers with towels in their arms when the maester pressed his fingers against your swollen belly, eventually even going lower to feel inside of you. Cregan towers over him from behind, making sure that he does not make one wrong move and ensures your and the babe’s safety. 

And only at the maester’s next words seem you and your husband to be able to breathe again. “The babe seems to be positioned properly,” he announces. “And the pains are strong and regular. This is a good sign. For how long have the pains been coming, my lady?”

You grit your teeth through another wave of pain, meeting your husband’s worried gaze. “I’ve felt little… twinges all day,” you manage to say between labored breaths. “But they were so minor, I did not think them worth mentioning.”

“Sometimes the early stages of labor can be mild and easy to overlook, my lady. But now that it is progressing, the pains will become more intense as the babe prepares to make its entrance into the world.”

You suddenly feel a twinge of pain tear through your body like a hot knife, like you are being torn apart, making it impossible for you to hold back a scream. The maids all but hurry to your side at the sight, the older one bringing a soothing hand to your shoulder. “Take deep breaths, my lady,” she encourages, “and then push.”

Two other maids grab your legs and hoist them over the rim of the tub, making it easier for them to gauge the process through the slightly opaque water. 

Grand Maester Munkun has been forced away by your husband sinking onto his knees, peeling your hand off the edge of the tub to capture it with his own. Your nails dig harshly into his palm as you eventually bear down and push with all your might, your screams echoing off the walls. 

“Cregan…” you pant, completely abandoning any courtesies with other people present. “I… I have changed my mind now… I do not wish–” you’re interrupted by a contraction, forcing you to push once again. “I have no desire to give you an heir,” you pant during a short lived, pain-less moment. 

You’re a fierce and proud woman that has endured so many hardships before, yet this seems to be the ultimate test of your strength and endurance – and right now you’re not quite sure you can finish it. 

Cregan can’t answer before he’s interrupted by another of your screams, each contraction and push bringing more and more agony, pain shooting through you as your babe readies itself to slowly make its way into the world. 

“Keep going, my lady,” the maid says, dabbing a cloth on your forehead. 

“I fucking am!” you all but snap, the sharp tone of your voice solely directed at her even causing the anxiety to leave your husband’s face for a moment. 

None of their gentle touches and encouraging words ease the pain that ripples through your body – not when the pressure inside of you builds up so quickly. 

Beads of sweat drip down your forehead, caught by the maid’s cloth and leaving your skin glistening with the effort of birthing Cregan’s heir. 

The pain gets less for a moment, allowing you to breathe as exhaustion creeps up on you despite you not yet being done. Your head tips to the side, and your gaze meets the concerned one of your husband, an anxiety etched on his features that makes it clear his heart aches with your screams. 

He leans in and tips his forehead against yours, allowing you to close your eyes for a moment and take in a deep breath. “You’re doing so well, my love,” he whispers, a tremor in his voice that comes close to the one that shakes his large hands. “Hold on, just a little longer.”

The urge to push becomes adamant once again, forcing you to hunch forward from the force that bears down on you. You all but squeeze the life out of Cregan’s hand, the pain so overwhelming you hardly hear the words of the maid kneeling at the end of the tub. “Almost there, my lady. The babe is almost out.”

Every bit of your strength is focused on delivering the child, your energy almost completely spent at this point. The pain seems to consume your entire being, filling your mind with nothing but the agony of birthing your child. 

But with another push, all of your suffering suddenly is over. 

The pain starts to subside, replaced by an overwhelming sense of both relief and exhaustion. You collapse back against the tub, your breath coming in ragged gasps. 

That is the moment for the maids to go into action, their training and experience taking over. One of them reaches down to gently scoop the babe from the water, while another already is at her side to wrap a clean cloth around its tiny body. Where your screams have filled the chambers before, it’s now its cries that echo off the walls, easing all of your anxiety. 

“It is a boy, my lady,” the maid still kneeling at your side says, a soft smile on her lips. “A healthy, beautiful boy.” You smile softly as well, releasing a deep sigh of relief.

Grand Maester Munkun leans over the other two maids to assess the newborn, checking for any immediate signs of distress. As much as you want, you can’t keep your eyes open to watch how he peels the cloth aside, and you just smile weakly at his voice. “The boy indeed seems to be in good health,” he declares, clearly talking to Cregan who hasn’t left your side. “A good set of lungs, too, my lord.”

Cregan also sighs in relief, the tension in his body leaving at once at that. Bringing a hand to your cheek, he gently rubs his thumb over your sweaty skin. “Well done, my love,” he praises. “You have done so well. Our son is here and he is healthy.”

“Show him to me,” you demand softly, blinking wearily at him. 

With a nod, he rises to his feet to make room for the maids. One kneels down and presents you the small bundle, but as you reach out, a renewed wave of cramps not as harsh as the ones before takes over your body. You grit your teeth and brace yourself for a sharper pain that doesn’t come.

“Almost there, my lady. ‘Tis the afterbirth,” the older maid assures you, rubbing your shoulder. “You’re almost done.”

It’s been quite some time since your septa has told you about the process of birthing a child, yet you still know that delivering the afterbirth is another messy and unpleasant part of it – one that still has to be done anyways. 

After it has come out without any issues, one maid quickly takes care of disposing of it while another maid tries to detach it from your son. 

With the birth and delivery finished, the attention now shifts to getting you out of the bathtub and into bed to ensure your comfort and rest. The maids have handed your husband your son to gather around you, gently helping you up and out of the water. “Lean on us, my lady,” one of them said softly with her arm around your waist. 

Your exhausted body is dried and put into smallclothes and a nightdress until it’s eventually allowed to sink into the soft sheets. The maids fuss around you, making sure you’re comfortable, before your still crying son is finally brought to you.

They tug at the neckline of your nightdress to free your full breasts without a warning, yet you’re quick to swat their hands away despite having your son in your arms. “What are you doing?” 

“My lady,” one of them begins, “‘tis important that you begin to feed the babe as soon as possible. The first milk is the best source of nourishment for your son. We just wish to help you with the positioning and latching.”

Their words make you doubt yourself and your mothering abilities, although a part of you knows that it’s not their intention to make you feel that way. 

“I know how to feed him,” you snap suddenly, maybe even irritated at your son’s hungry crying, and the maids recoil at your harsh tone. They know that the first hours with a newborn are never easy, and they know that you are exhausted, sore, and overwhelmed by the recent events – hence their quick recovery. 

“Of course, my lady,” one says, her voice gentle. “We did not mean to overstep. We only want to ensure that both you and the babe are safe and well cared for.”

Letting out a deep breath, you meet your husband’s gaze and try to keep your irritation at bay. “I understand,” you reply, slightly opening your arms to allow them to continue. 

The earlier, chastened demeanor of the maids is replaced by a reassuring one as one maid grabs your hand to bring it to your breast, demonstrating how to help your babe latch on your little bud. “There you go, my lady,” she whispers as you eventually begin to nurse your son, offering quiet, encouraging words. 

Cregan, who has been silently observing the scene, finally interjects. “Thank you for your services,” he says, voice kind but firm. “You all have done an excellent job and you may leave now.”

The maids and grand maester glance at you and your son once more before filling out of the room, leaving your small family alone. Your husband contemplates sitting down in a chair close to the bed, but instead opts to occupy his side of the bed, scooting closer to you and bringing a hand up to brush your son’s cheek lightly with a finger. You shift a little to accommodate him right next to you.

Your eyes are fixed on the infant in your arms as you continue to nurse him, watching as he greedily sucks at your breast with soft smacking sounds filling the otherwise quiet room. Despite the exhaustion, a sense of contempt washes over you. 

“Can you believe he is really ours?” you ask softly, not tearing your eyes off of your son. 

Cregan chuckles softly and shakes his head. “I can scarcely believe it,” he replies. He leans in and presses his lips to your temple, speaking against your skin. “You are incredible, do you know that?” Pulling back, his gaze is filled with love and admiration. “Everything you went through… I have never seen anything more courageous and admirable.”

“What do you think about Eyron?” you whisper, eventually meeting his gaze. 

He repeats the name, testing the sound of it and seriously considering it. “I like it. It has a strong, northern feel to it. Suits him well, I think.”

Your smile mirrors his as your eyes drift back down to your son, who is still suckling at your breast, his tiny hand clutching at the neckline of your nightdress as he does so. You gently brush a finger over his head, feeling the softness of the light hair. 

Relaxing into your husband’s embrace, your body fitting against his like a missing piece, you close your eyes in contentment. “You do know you will not ride at the front with your men on the way back north, do you not?”

He kisses your temple yet again, chuckling softly. “That is something to discuss once you have recovered and ‘tis time for us to return, my love.”

[forgeofthenine]

I love how you write about the tieflings so much! I totally fig all the headcannons and everything!

Now.. in the spirit of the heat and rut stuff.. whatnif the tieflimg ba helors arent in a rut and find their tiefling girlfriends in heat?

Like they walk in and they see their girlfriend fingering themselves or humbing a pillow whimpering and moaning and stuff.

Here's the first post of the year guys! Sorry for the short hiatus, work has been busy and my dog currently has an infection I needed to take him to the vet for (let me know if anyone wants pictures of him in his cone of shame lmao). Starting the year off right, with some heat and rut smut! I tried out a format I've used similarly before, hopefully you guys like it! Thanks for the request Nanitheart :)

The tiefling bachelors (+Halsin) when their partner is in heat

Dammon

Dammon keeps a mental note of when your last heat was and when he can expect your next one

Luckily your heat tends to line up pretty well with his own rut

However, he spends a lot of time at work away from the house and it's really not uncommon for him to come home to the surprise of you in heat

It's apparent as soon as he comes home, finding himself surrounded by your scent the moment he walks over the threshold

By time Dammons made it to your bedroom he's already in his underwear

The two of you will be finding his clothes around the house for weeks

He's already flushed when he reaches you, unbearably hard when he sees you taking advantage of the toy he'd gotten you a while ago

The sound of blood rushing through your ears deafens you to anything else, eyes closed as you arch your back and try to find yet another release. You'd been stuck there all afternoon, writhing in your sheets, and had to resort to the dildo your lover had gifted you. In his absence you'd soon grown bored with just fingers.

A loud moan leaves you as your body trembles, legs splayed and a hand thrusting the toy as deep as possible. The way it stretched you felt good but it wasn't the same. It wasn't Dammon. Only then does your partner make himself known, voice cutting clear through your lust hazed mind.

"Oh, my darling, how long have you been like this?" Dammon asks, crawling over you on the bed. His own hand covers yours to carefully thrust the toy slowly inside you again. "Do you need me to make you feel better? Can't cum again without my help?" It's all teasing, you know it is, but an involuntary whine of his name leaves your throat as you nod.

It's not long before strong hands grip your legs and pull you forward, Dammon kneeling happily between your legs. You're about to whine again before you feel it, the firm tip of his tail brushing over your already full entrance and slipping in alongside the toy.

"Let me prepare you first, baby."

Zevlor

Zevlor keeps a calender in his private study that tracks your heats and his ruts

He actually knows when you're in heat before you do sometimes

On the odd occasion you happen to go on heat unexpectedly, he treats it like a pleasant little surprise

Another one that realises as soon as he opens the front door

Zevlors been through more then a few ruts brought on early by things like this so he's a lot less impatient

Knocks on the bedroom door before entering so he doesn't surprise you

What he wasn't expecting was to hear you already crying out for him, or to open the door and see you knuckle deep fingering yourself

It seems like it's been an eternity since the burning arousal of your heat flooded you, confining you to the plush bed you and Zevlor share. Burying your face into his pillow is one of the few things that helps, indulging in the scent of him as you touch yourself. If you think hard enough you can almost hear him.

Then the bed dips. Soon calloused hands are running up your bare legs as your bleary eyes meet Zevlors. His pupils are mere pinpricks as his rut settles in, his own arousal clear as your eyes dip between his legs. "How long have you been here like this, my love?" He asks, tender words paired with him swatting your hand away to replace it with his own.

You let out a low moan as two of his fingers push into you, stretching you more than your own ever could. "Too long... Please Zev-" You're soon calmed with gentle shushes, Zevlor carefully adding in a third finger as he shifts lower on the bed. Warm breath ghosts over your skin as he leans in, spreading warm kisses up the tops of your thigh.

"It's okay, let me take care of you now."

Rolan

This man has no space in his mind for tracking heats and ruts, he usually forgets when his own rut is going to hit

It's really not a surprise for him to take a while to realise you've gone on heat

What is a surprise is just how long he spent away from the tower this particular time, picking up some things for the store before seeing his siblings

You can imagine his shock when he'd left you relaxing in his office with a book and comes back to you grinding against a pillow on your shared bed

His mouth goes dry at the sight of your hips rolling against it, head thrown back in frustration

Rolans own rut hits him like a truck and all he can think of is how much he needs to fuck you

As soon as you turn to look at him again all bets are off, and soon Rolans clothes are too

You're hardly able to get a glance at your lover before he pounces on you, feeling yourself fall with a rush as a hard body presses you to the bed. Sharp teeth tease and nip at your neck, leaving claiming marks and small bruises in their wake. Soon, you hear the small growl from Rolans chest.

"So fucking desperate you had to grind against my pillow to get off?" He sneers, pulling back to flip you to your stomach. Clawed hand pull your hips so you lie head down and ass up just how he likes. Already you feel him sliding his cock against your entrance, grinding against you.

A whine and a plead leave you, exactly what Rolan likes. His long cock slides in easily with how you're prepared and feels endless as he fills you slowly. Soon you realise that's the only time he'll be slow with you, quickly pulling out before snapping his hips back against yours.

He takes you like this for the rest of the night, teasing and punishing you for making a mess of his pillow. Hands and a tail pull and push you in different positions over and over again. Rolan isn't pleased until you're panting and fucked out beneath him, so full with his cum that it drips down your thighs.

Halsin

Halsin is very aware of heats and ruts, despite not being affected personally

Just ask how he got his scar across his face and you'll realise how familiar he is

Despite not being able to smell when your hormones change like a male tiefling might, he's still very accurate when assuming when you'll go on heat

And there's no better sight in his opinion than walking in on you all flushed and needy right at the begining of your heat

When you just clue on to what's happing and why your thoughts keep straying to your elven lover

Halsins happy to drag things out a little, braiding your hair back if it's long enough, making sure you have food

The entire time you're whining for him, pressing your thighs together in your need for this man, until he finally takes you to bed

Shock rushes through you as you're swept up to a bridal carry, surrounded by firm muscles as you're carried out of the room. It's easy enough to lean up, lips covering the tan neck in front of you with kisses and nips as a chuckle leaves the chest you rest against. Halsin tightens his grip on you, his easygoing grin deceptive compared to his sharp eyes.

You're soon tossed into a pile of blankets and first on your shared bed, trying to shed your clothes once free of Halsins grip. Calloused hands join you, freeing you from fabric confines and running over your bare skin. Two thick fingers run over your entrance, teasing against it before pressing in and stretching you out on him. Even just the two fingers feel unbelievably thick, your back arching as they slip in deeper.

"So beautiful, Silvanus has truly blessed me with this sight." Halsin chuckles, watching as you writhe at the feeling of his fingers and slipping in a third. Every moan you let out goes straight to the mans dick, the sight of it mouthwatering as it presses against the crotch of his pants. You'll have to wait, though, and let your lover bring you to ecstasy with only his fingers first. Repeatedly

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The "Luffy's fruit is a Zoan" reveal/retcon was extremely controversial when 1044 was first released; do you think Oda did a good job foreshadowing it?

yes!! it addresses a lot of idle questions i had about luffy's powers for quite some time (while also raising a ton more, of course, but that's the nature of one piece).

(all of my thoughts here and on gear 5 in general owe some credit to @grainjew, who has been my main discussion partner on this topic)

luffy's fruit has always been, from what we've seen, kind of weird for a paramecia? obviously since the categorization of 'paramecia' is sort of a grab bag and a lot less well-defined than logias or zoans, that's kind of a hard claim to make, but generally speaking, most of the paramecia users we see throughout the series do not have their powers always on. (the strongest counter-example i could think of to this trend is brook, and even that is one i think you can argue.) luffy's power is way more passive, in the sense that he doesn't have to activate it- it's just there, always. even seastone and seawater do not make luffy not rubber, they just sap his energy and stop him from stretching himself, as we see as early as arlong park.

that is weird! what we see of most other paramecias is that they have to use their powers intentionally, even when those powers do involve transforming their body in some way, like with mr. 1 or alvida. there's a whole plot in dressrosa about knocking a specific paramecia user unconscious so she'll lose her grip on her power and it'll disappear. luffy will stretch when he is asleep, when he is underwater, and without knowing he's doing it. he's always rubber.

so luffy is weird for a paramecia, though not completely unprecedented. his power has always seemed to me to be... almost logia adjacent, in the sense that he's made from a specific material and all his powers are based on being that material, but that doesn't quite track either. aside from the fact that the thing he's composed of is tangible and, again, he can't turn it off, he clearly has access to a greater level of complexity in his transformations than logias do (whose devil fruit powers seem to be basically a binary system).

which actually leads me to compare him to chopper, who is the zoan we know the best, and who, conveniently, also ate a version of the hito hito no mi.

i think the way luffy and chopper interact with their powers is actually very similar. much like luffy, chopper was fundamentally altered by his consumption of a devil fruit in a way he cannot return from. he can still look like a normal reindeer, but he can never actually be one, because the most important trait his devil fruit gave him was human sentience. and he would still have that if you put him in seastone, he just wouldn't be able to transform. similarly, luffy had his body fundamentally altered by his fruit in a manner he does not seem to be capable of even temporarily reversing. he can't make himself not rubber any more than chopper can return himself to being a normal reindeer.

like chopper, luffy's power progression has been based around finding new ways to transform his body and force it into new and more powerful forms. his gears are roughly comparable to chopper's points. that is zoan stuff! chopper is the main other person we see interact with his fruit in that specific way. so, yeah, i actually do think it does make sense for luffy's power to have actually always been a zoan. at the very least, it makes more sense than him being a paramecia, to me.

however, having said that, i also don't think it's as straightforward as luffy just being a zoan instead of a paramecia. we see that the awakening of his fruit definitely has both paramecia and zoan qualities, since he's transforming both himself and the environment around him, as well as other people. (the wiki puts this down to him being a mythical zoan but i just don't think that's true. kaidou is also a mythical zoan and he is completely baffled by what he's seeing.)

i made a bunch of jokes in discord about luffy being devil fruit nonbinary while i was reading this chapter- there's three genders and you have to pick one, and you can't just go switching it up, etc- and i do think that what luffy's fruit indicates is that the sorting system of devil fruits itself is imperfect. outliers do exist that don't fit cleanly between the lines- which we already knew! just look at katakuri.

[odinsblog]

During her arrest, Ayesh was subjected to assault, threats, and insults by Israeli soldiers, according to the Addameer human rights organisation. She was transferred to Israel’s Hasharon Prison before being later taken to Damon Prison, where she is now being held.

Ayesh’s work as a human rights defender rose to the fore during her time at the Ramallah-based Lawyers for Justice, representing Palestinian political detainees in PA prisons. In July, she attended a session on behalf of the group at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Tala Nasser, from the Addameer prisoners’ rights group, explained that Ayesh’s arrest comes amid a “violent mass arrest campaign” carried out by Israel since October 7.

The fact that the vast majority of the more than 6,900 Palestinians arrested in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7 have been transferred to administrative detention highlights the arbitrariness of Israel’s arrests, she said.

“This campaign includes activists, human rights defenders and political leaders,” Nassar told Al Jazeera, noting that it is “an attempt to silence them and prevent the exposure of the occupation’s crimes across the whole country”.

In December, Israeli forces also arrested political and civil society leader Khalida Jarrar, who was similarly transferred to administrative detention.

Despite releasing all but three Palestinian female detainees during the latest prisoner exchange with Hamas at the end of 2023, the Israeli army rearrested dozens. Some 80 female prisoners are being held today, all of whom are in the Damon Prison.

Among the 80 are dozens of women from the besieged Gaza Strip, but lawyers are forbidden from visiting them or knowing anything about them.

Several reports have emerged of female detainees from Gaza being physically beaten and abused, including an unknown number of them being held at Israeli military bases and not in prison.

Lawyers say conditions for all Palestinian detainees, including women, are unprecedentedly difficult. Eight Palestinian male prisoners have also died or were killed in Israeli custody since October 7, most of them in the days and weeks after their arrest.

Over the past few months, many videos have emerged of Israeli soldiers stripping, torturing and abusing male prisoners from both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

“It is important to note that every female that is arrested is violated in one way or another,” said Nasser. “They are all facing threats, intensive strip searches, verbal assault and physical violence.”

(continue reading)

[directdogman]

Hi, I hope you're having a decent day! I'm sorry if this is an invasive set of questions - feel free not to answer - but do you still actively like DSaF as your own creation, or is it more of a "it was fun while it lasted but i outgrew it and it's for the best to leave it behind" kind of project? Do you ever regret making the games? If you knew they would get so popular, is there anything you would have changed about them? Is there anywhere I could read more of your writing.

It fluctuates a bit. These last couple of years, I've really just been sorta nostalgic for it. I've seen a lot of people discuss those games being a source of comfort during bad times in their lives, people talking about how much the characters mean to them and it's hard not to smile when you see that.

It's a funny thing for close friends of yours to see people WITH fanmade DSaF merch out in the wild, or to watch a random youtube video and being hit with a DSaF reference outta nowhere. It happens from time to time, even today. On a few occasions, I've even had a person reference my work to me in real life and not realize who they were talking to, believe it or not. It's really fun to play dumb and get someone to explain your work to you like you don't know what it is.

I certainly didn't think any of that would happen when I first made the series, or even during development. I think the normal assumption would be to look at DSaF as it exists now and assume its release was a peak for it, but believe it or not, the official discord only had 30 people in it shortly before 3 dropped! The archive listing of the series (reposted to a single page after the series ended) is now sitting at over 1.1 MILLION downloads.

People kinda assume the true heyday of something is when it's new, when it's fresh and novel. For instance, some people look back at when FNaF itself was new and see that time as its peak because it had a lot of internet cultural relevance as big new indie thing on the block. But, raw numbers don't lie. The series has been continually growing since its conception and that growth has similarly bled over to its fan projects. This explains why DSaF, despite not having a new series release in almost 6 years, seems to be inexplicably growing.

Just recently, I saw someone post footage of a scene from DSaF 2 on Twitter, which got over 16k likes. People praised its writing and largely celebrated the scene. The ironic thing about that particular scene is that I remembered being unsure if it was good or not, so I showed it off in one of the FNaF community hubs. The response was broadly lukewarm to negative. Now, it's held up as one of the best scenes in those games. That's kind of the point I'm trying to make, my thoughts on the series have certainly changed with everyone's else with years of hindsight.

Heh. I'm not sure if I've talked about this in a long time, but y'know, the very first scene I implemented in-game was actually the very first Phone Guy scene in DSaF 1, more or less exactly how it appears in-game today. This was before I'd even written the bulk of the game. I was pretty unfamiliar with visual novels as a whole, pretty unsure if something like this would be palatable to a fandom that was really just used to sit 'n' survive stuff that were far more gameplay than text. I mean, there wasn't any FNaF fangames really LIKE DSaF before that point. Closest was FNaFb, a jokey turn based RPG made in the same engine.

The engine I made the game in is also not exactly fit for VNs out of the box either, and I wasn't 100% sure the idea would actually work. But, the very first time I added the image of the prize corner, Phone Guy, the audio of that iconic cheesy stock track and booted up a test screen, I had a little moment where I said "Oh. I think I'm onto something interesting here." I kinda remembering instantly realizing in that single moment how much potential the idea had. Over 8 years later, I still remember that moment like it was yesterday.

I think lately, that's the sort of stuff I think of when I see people coming to me and asking about the series. Yes, it's really rough around the edges, yes, there's jokes that've aged poorly. But, it is a source of comfort for people and entertains tens of thousands of people each month. And that's gotta count for something, right?

[iliketangerines]

wife please kuai liang facesitting wife please wife you know how i feel about this wife PUHLEASE

kuai liang banging his fists on the table and just staring at reader going "HOLY FUCK JUST SIT ON MY FUCKING FACE ALREADY" (i'm lying his ass would not do that)

entangled in your wamrth

a/n: @partycatty college is kicking me down into the darkest pits of hell right now

pairing: kuai liang x afab!reader

warnings: nsfw (MDNI), porn with feelings, pussy eating, face sitting, brief overstimulation, creampie

Kuai Liang scratched at the side of his face, observing you training the initiates from the other side of the sparring fields

it had been a few months since the Shirai Ryu had been established, and things were finally settling down: initiates had started training, the buildings were coming along, and Takeda had finally managed to calm down enough to not try and escape every day

the only thing he had yet to do was marry you

his engagement ring sat heavy on the thread around his neck, glinting the sunlight into his eyes and reminding him of the delay

yours similarly hung around a thread around your neck, the metal tucked underneath your tanktop to keep it from flying around while you showcased the moveset

perhaps it was just the uncertainty of the future: if plans would change, if Bi Han would attack, if Liu Kang would require them

he didn’t want to have to keep pushing the date of the wedding further and further back, disappointing both you and him

Tomas called out his name and snapped Kuai Liang out of his thoughts, and his younger brother looked at him with an amused smile

“you know, you really should marry them soon. everyone here is itching to see you two get married.” Tomas stood next to Kuai Liang, slightly bumping his shoulder into the grandmaster’s as a he gave a cheeky grin

“besides, we all see how you two stare at each other. it’s only a matter of time before something happens.” the gray assassin laughs and turns into smoke as Kuai Liang turns his head and goes to smack his younger brother

he scowls as the gray smoke moves away and toward you, materializing into Tomas

over the soft breeze, Kuai Liang could hear his brother challenging you to a spar, to show off your moves to the initiates properly

you smile at the gray assassin and slightly crouch, beckoning him to attack you first, and Tomas grins at you, lowering himself into his fighting stance

Kuai Liang watches from the side, heat creeping up his neck as Tomas’s comment plays in his head while he watches you fight

you’ve stripped off the upper layers of your uniform underneath the heat of the sun, your pants hanging onto your hips and exposing your soft underbelly

he turns his head away, fingers reaching up to play with the metal ring on his necklace, but his eyes dart back to you just for a moment

even through the fabric of the bottoms, your strength still shows with how you leap into the air, grappling with Tomas even as he tries to dodge you

it’s an impressive sight, and Kuai Liang watches as you take down Tomas, wrapping your thighs around his neck and slamming him to the ground and disorienting him

he taps at the side of your thigh, and you release him, helping Tomas up as the initiates cheer and clap for your win

Tomas goes to leave, but you grab back onto his hand, telling him to stay, you need a practice dummy to show off all your moves

the assassin pales and turns into wisps of smoke, flying toward Kuai Liang and appearing right behind him before solid hands push the grandmaster out from underneath the shade of the pagoda and into the light of the sun

you laugh when you see Kuai being pushed and you walk over, sweat covering your skin, and yet despite the heat, you wrap your arms around his neck and bring him into a kiss

Kuai Liang places one hand on your hip, the other coming up to cradle your upper back and bring you in closer as he tastes you on his tongue

you taste like black tea, the last drink you had, and you smell of sweat and musk and you

he wouldn’t change a single thing truly, and he melts into your embrace, trying to drag you closer into him, almost trying to bring you into him

you pull back first, breathless, and look up at him with a knowing smile, “you really miss me that much?”

Kuai Liang keeps his hold on you, laughing softly and sneaking in another kiss to the corner of your lips, “of course i did. how could i not?”

you roll your eyes at the comment but nonetheless smile at the corniness, peeling yourself off of him and grabbing onto his hand to drag him to the initiates

already, he misses your warmth against him, and he sighs in discontent at the fact that he couldn’t hold you a bit longer

“Tomas doesn’t want to help, so you’re going to have to help me. all you have to do is stand still and look pretty,” you turn back to him with a smirk, “not like it’ll be hard for you”

Kuai Liang lets out a laugh and murmurs a quiet agreement, too distracted with how the light breeze plays with your hair and how the edges of your eyes crinkle up when you smile or how your face brightens every time you see him

placing him in front of all the initiates, they bow and greet him properly, and he bows back, letting them sit down as they watch the demonstration

it’s nothing too complicated what you show, simple kicks and hits and dodges, fundamentals to more complicated moves

you send them off to practice and weave in between their fighting forms, correcting their posture, their form, and reminding them of the moves

Kuai Liang moves off to the side, sitting down on the steps leading down to the training fields, and watches as you teach, fingering the ring hanging on his necklace again

as the sun starts to set, the kids lay on the field, out of breath and sore from practicing all day, and you laugh and tell them to go and get dinner and have fun before bed

they all go to leave, but one student’s hand shoots into the air, “wait! can you show that one move again? it was so cool!”

you tilt your head and look for the questioning voice, smiling at a young girl, “of course i can, which move do you want to see?”

“the one where you wrapped your legs around Master Smoke’s neck and took him down just like that!” the girl slaps her hand down for dramatic effect, and you laugh

your head turns to Kuai Liang, and you jerk your head to bring him to the yard

he obliges and walks to the middle of the field, crouching down to prepare for the blow, and you set yourself up across the field from him, bouncing up on the balls of your feet before crouching down

a second passes as you both collect your breath, and then you charge at him

Kuai Liang instinctively moves to get away, but you immediately adjust, leaping up into the air perfectly and swinging yourself up to wrap your legs around his neck and squeezing

he falls down to the ground, grunting and pulling at your legs but you remain firm, squeezing your thighs even tighter around his neck

his hand frantically taps at the side of your thigh, and you loosen your hold on him, smiling and laughing while the initiates clap once again

you stand up from the ground, shooing them off to get dinner, but Kuai Liang remains on the ground, an arm draped across his burning face as he tries to control his breathing

not ever had he really thought about your legs like that once, yes he had admired the muscle, the strength you held, the beauty of your body

but he had never once considered that he would find it so…arousing

of course, he knew about it, as careful as his father was, the three teenage boys had managed to find a way to scrounge up erotic art

he remembers glancing at it, unsure if it really was that appealing or not before turning to the next page

his memory replaces the picture with you and him, your thighs surrounding his head, your scent enveloping him completely, your pleasure dripping down his face all because of him

another flash of heat travels up his neck, and he can smell his clothing starting to burn and fringe at the edges from the embarrassment

“Kuai Liang, are you okay?” you peer over him, crouching down to examine him, and he sits up and clears his throat, waving his hand in the air

“i’m okay, just a little caught off-guard.” he tries to hide the raspiness in his voice, the thought of your thighs wrapped around his head prevailing frustratingly

a sudden wave of jealousy bubbles up in his stomach at the thought that you had wrapped your thighs around previous opponents before

he had watched you perform the move countless times, it was almost your signature move at this point, and Kuai Liang has to smack himself internally to shake off the envy

you hold your hand up for him to grab, and he pulls himself up, hoping that you didn’t notice the heat in his palms

“come on, let’s go and get dinner. i’m starving.” you bemoan it dramatically, holding onto his hand and practically dragging him out of the field

your ring comes loose from your tanktop, catching the last fleeting rays of the setting sun

Kuai Liang wonders if the time will ever be right to marry you, if time will ever permit, there would always be something to attend, something to fight, something to defend

coldness creeps up onto the tips of his fingers at the thought of never being able to marry you, to seal his love for you in history, to let the world know that he loved you so greatly and devoted his entire life to you

Kuai Liang tugs your hand into his before you can disappear to the dining halls

“let’s get married. right now.” Kuai Liang sounds breathless, feels breathless as he says it

you turn around with wide eyes, brows lifted in surprise at his rudeness, and he grabs onto your other hand and rubs his thumb over the top of your hand

“i don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, if the Lin Kuei will attack, if Liu Kang will summon us, but i do know i want to marry you. i want to marry you before it all happens.” Kuai Liang rushes the words out, nervousness creeping into his voice

you stare at him slightly open-mouthed, your breath so quiet that Kuai Liang has to strain to hear it, and he struggles to keep his hands still as he hold onto yours

a small smile creeps up onto your face, and you laugh, throwing your arms around him and squeezing him tightly

“of course i will, Kuai. let’s do it.” you bring your head back to look into his eyes, sparkling with something bright, and you bring yourself forward to kiss him

Kuai Liang meets you with just as much force, teeth clacking together painfully, and you pull back slightly enough to laugh at how eager the both of you are before pressing back in

the next day, the both of you sign the marriage certificate at the office down in the town by the Shirai Ryu

neither of you can let go of each other’s hand as the both of you walk back up the mountain,  smiling and giggling at each other

bark litters the back of your shirt from how many times Kuai Liang backs you into a tree and starts kissing you, hands gripping tightly onto you everywhere, your shoulders, your waist, your hips

when you both finally make it back up, Tomas stands there with crossed arms, a small smile on his face

“so you two finally decided to tie the knot?” Tomas teases Kuai Liang, but the gray assassin gives his grandmaster a small gift bag for the both of you

Kuai Liang smiles and looks to you, “yes we did.” he squeezes your hand, and you squeeze it back, smiling back at him

“i thought i would be your best man, Kuai, but alas, i guess i’m not your true brother after all.” Tomas sighs dramatically, and Kuai Liang rolls his eyes, resisting the urge to punch him in the shoulder

“of course we’ll have a proper ceremony in time,” your husband brings you in a bit closer, “just couldn’t wait any longer.”

“well then, we’ll leave you alone for the rest of the day then. go and have some fun” with a small wink, Tomas disappears before Kuai Liang can grab him, face burning

it was bad enough that he had found something out about himself yesterday, and it was even worse that Tomas knew what you two were going to do

he opens the gift bag, and the both of you look inside

Kuai Liang thinks he is going to kill his brother as he stares at a bottle of lube, burn cream, and a small box of condoms sitting at the bottom of the bag

you laugh at the gift and tug on his hand, “well come on then. let’s take some time for ourselves. i think we deserve a bit of celebration.”

he wants to be mad at his brother and chase him down around the compound, but he really could never resist your smile, at least not when you looked like that

Kuai Liang lets you drag him through the hallways, blood rushing south as he stares at the back of your thighs, the way your pants hug the curve of your ass

the memory of you wrapping your legs around his neck flits into his head again, and he lets out a quiet groan at the thought, relief flooding through him at the sight of his bedroom door

neither of you waste time, Kuai Liang slides the door close and immediately brings you into his arms to kiss you, melting into your touch, your warmth as you grab onto him

his hands slide down your back, and he cups the curve of your ass, kneading at the plushness and groaning into your mouth

you laugh a bit at his eagerness, pulling back to make a teasing comment, but he doesn’t let you, unwilling to part from your lips even for just a second

he presses further into you, groaning into your warmth, the softness of it, the gentle way it surrounded him, the way it curled inside of him and sent life blazing through his soul

patting softly at your buttocks, he groans for you to jump, and you do so easily, wrapping your legs around his waist, thighs hugging him to tightly

he walks towards the bed, setting you down gently onto the soft sheets and being careful to not crush you with his weight as he presses his lips into yours

you groan, hands clutching onto the back of his uniform, back arching into him, and he settles his hips down further, to press his aching heat into yours

the pressure forces a choked grunt out of him, heat spreading from his stomach and through his body, and you moan into his mouth, rolling your hips against him

Kuai Liang turns his face to bury it into your neck, letting out small moans and whimpers as you grind against him, and he attaches his lips to your neck, lightly nipping at your skin

a small surprised yelp falls from your lips, but you don’t push him away, rather your hands grow tighter, tugging his shirt downward

he places the flat of his tongue over the bite mark, soothing the soft skin and tasting you, and Kuai Liang pulls away, his body aching to grow close to your touch once again

his hands work quickly on your uniform, undoing the sash and belts and buckles, and his mouth slightly parts at he works your top off of your shoulders, showing your chest to him

slowly, his brings his hands from your shoulders and feels your chest as you breathe heavily, your own hands holding onto his upper arms, squeezing and kneading at the muscle

Kuai Liang lets you, too distracted with the muscle he can feel underneath his fingertips, the proof of your hard work and training underneath his touch

he traces the scars you’ve gotten over the years, from trying out new weapons and moves, from sparring your allies and fighting the enemies

tracing the scars with his fingers first, he then lays a feverish kiss on every single one of them, murmuring praises every time

your heat warms him, the embarrassment in your voice as you moan and complain, telling him to stop, but your hands remain steady on his arms and then his hair as he moves further down

slowly, carefully, he undoes the belt holding your bottoms up, and he wets his lips as he exposes every inch of new skin, your stomach, muscle showing up as you tense up your abs when he kisses the softness

his hands bring your bottoms down your thighs, your ankles, and then to the floor, and your legs remain on top of his shoulders, keeping you exposed to him

you’ve gone silent, fingers nervously playing with the strands of his hair that have come loose, and you open your mouth, “you don’t have to, Kuai, i know-”

you interrupt yourself with a gasp as he brings his fingers up to part your pussy lips, staring at the mess you’ve already created for yourself

and all he’s done is kiss you

Kuai Liang glances up at you, “of course, i want to, how could i not?”

he wastes no time after that, pressing his mouth to your pussy, using his tongue to spread the folds and collect your taste on his tongue

it tastes like you, distinctly you, and he moves his head in further for more, his nose bumping and grinding against your clit, the friction making you gasp and whine

wrapping his arms underneath your thighs, he tries to drag you closer, frustrated that he can’t get deep enough, eager to make you whine and whimper

he can’t fuck his tongue deep enough into you, can’t hold onto you as tightly, can’t taste you as well, frustration wells up in his chest

his hips rut into the bed instinctively, the rhythm inconsistent and jerky, too engrossed with your pleasure to try and get himself to cum

he whines into your pussy, and he pulls away, glancing up at you as you let out a disappointed sound and look down

“i need more. i need more of you. i need you to sit on my face.” Kuai Liang crawls up, patting at the side of your thigh to get you to move as well

“what? i mean, are you sure? i don’t want to hurt you.” you move to get on your knees but kneel next to his head, not quite moving yourself above him just yet

he frowns, a hand grabbing onto the flesh of your thigh and squeezing it slightly, “please. you won’t hurt me. i promise.”

you oblige with his plea, moving slowly until you hover above him, your heat just a few inches away from his face

Kuai Liang moves his arms, grabbing onto your legs and pulling you down onto his face, his tongue fucking into you and nose grinding into your clit again

this time he can taste you, feel every part of you, how your thighs trembles around his head, how your pussy tightens around his tongue

your hips jerk onto his face, and you let out a whine, hand flying down to grip onto his mussed hair

he groans at the feeling, pulling you down tighter onto him, relishing in the feeling of you tightening your legs around his head as your clit grinds harder on his nose

it’s addicting, the way you slowly start to grind on his face, your pleasure spreading across his face, your taste coating his tongue

through the muffle of your thighs surrounding his head, Kuai Liang can still hear your choked moans and whimpers, how you whine out his name and gasp

his fingers dig into the flesh of your thigh, heating up as he moans into your cunt, eyes closing as he savors the taste of you

he thrusts his hips into the air, almost instinctively to try and find any friction against his aching cock, but Kuai Liang finds that he can’t really care

no, not when you sound so sweet, taste so delicious, feel so wonderful wrapped so tightly around his head

you gasp out his name, a short warning, and he fucks his tongue eagerly into you, tasting how you release on his tongue, feeling how you grind desperately onto his face

gripping onto you even tighter, he tries to drag you down further, to get more of you, and you whimper and gasp, thighs tensing as you jump up

his arms keep you firmly attached to him, even as you whine that it’s too much, that you just came

but you don’t even attempt to try and get up, still grinding down onto him and gripping onto his hair like a lifeline

Kuai Liang fucks his tongue into, wanting to at least get one more out of you, just one, and he moans into your pussy

you let out a pitiful choked moan of his name when you come on his face again, and he lets you ride out the vestiges of your orgasm, tongue lapping up into you to try and get every drop

slowly, you bring yourself up, thighs trembling with effort as you move yourself off of him and onto the bed, laying on your back and staring up at the ceiling

Kuai Liang turns over to look at you, licking his lips as he stares at you

your chest rises and falls rapidly, a slight sheen of sweat coats your skin, and your hair is messy and frizzy from the heat of the room

you look beautiful, and Kuai Liang gently tilts your head so that he can kiss you, needing to feel you against him again

letting him guide you, he keeps your head tilted and his lips to you, kissing you, tasting you, feeling you against him

your hand gropes at his pants, and he pulls away, “ah. you don’t have to.”

“i want to. i really do. come on-” you slightly squint at him as you paw at his pants a bit fruitlessly, head still fuzzy from the orgasms

Kuai Liang sheepishly smiles at you, feeling his face flare with heat, “...i already came. i need a few minutes.”

you stare at him with wide eyes, “just from…?”

he responds with a nod, glancing away from your amused face to your thighs, looking at the thick muscle shake as you begin to laugh

grinning at you, he shuffles downward and throws your thighs back over his shoulders, and you let out a surprised squeak and stare down at him

“now, who’s laughing?” he knows it’s a corny line, and you can’t even get an answer out before he places the flat of his tongue against your clit, leaving the long drag on the sensitive bud

“that’s! that’s not fair! you can’t-hnng!” you cut yourself off with a small sound as Kuai Liang wraps his lips around your clit, sucking harshly on it

his eyes flutter close as you try and stutter out a curse, and he simply smiles against your pussy, moving down to fuck his tongue back into you

you whine and grip back onto his hair, your head tilting back into the pillows as he tastes you on his tongue

he really could stay here forever, forever surrounded in you, your thighs squeezing his head tightly, your sweet moans filling his ears

his tongue laps at you endlessly, drawing orgasm after orgasm out of you, and he can feel himself growing hard again, his hips rutting against the bed and his cum sticking to the cloth of his underwear

whimpering, he pulls his pants down, just enough for him to fist the base of his cock and keep himself from cumming

“Kuai- please please--nngh, i want you,” you plea with him, voice breathless and a little hoarse, and he looks up to you, how you look at him so openly

he brings himself up, keeping your thighs up on his shoulders as he brings himself up to kiss you, pulling off the rest of his pants with one hand as moans into your mouth

you whimper into his mouth as he grinds against you, stifled gasps escaping you every time the head of his cock catches against your clit

throwing his pants off to the side, he parts from you, leaning his forehead against yours, “okay, i got you. i have you.”

slowly, he pushes in, and your hands fly up from the bedsheets to dig your nails into his shoulders, a loud keen tearing from your lips

he doesn’t stop, slowly pushing into you, wincing as small tears leak from the sides of your eyes, and he kisses them with gentle lips until his hips press flush against yours

you pant heavily, still gasping for air, your pussy clenching around him tightly, as if trying to push him out

Kuai Liang resists a moan, instead breathing heavily, waiting for you to adjust, to calm down until you felt okay again

he wants patiently, pressing kisses to your face everywhere, murmuring that he had you, that he was here, that he loved you

slowly, surely, you start to relax, your breathing evening out, and you open up your teary eyes to stare into his

one hand moves from his shoulder to cup the back of his neck as you bring him in for another kiss, never being able to have enough of each other

his hips move slowly, barely thrusting into you, testing the waters, and when you only give a small weak moan, he pulls back a little further, thrusts a little harder

the pleasure is all-consuming, swallowing him from the inside out, burning him up until he was a bright star in the sky

your moans echo into his ears, bringing him high above, and how you squeeze around him as Kuai thrusting in faster and faster

it’s the wet slick sound of sex in the air, his hips rutting into yours unevenly, desperately, wanting to feel every bit of you

reaching his thumb down, he rubs it against your clit, feeling how you clench and tense around him, a high-pitched whine of his name flying into the air

“please, please,” he moans into your mouth, wanting to feel you cum on his cock, for you to cum with him, he needs it, needs you

you hum into his mouth, craving him just as much, and he groans into you as his hips stutter as you clench around him

he doesn’t stop thrusting into you, hips slow and sloppy as you both cum, and you pull back and rest your forehead against his, eyelids fluttering close as you try to calm your breath

Kuai Liang does the same, careful not to put all his weight into you as he moves your thighs from his shoulders down to wrap around his waist

neither of you make a move to clean up, too absorbed with each other, engulfed with each other’s warmth,each other’s love

“are you okay?” Kuai Liang breaks the silence first, opening his eyes to stare into yours, the peaceful look on your face, devoid of stress and tears

you hum an agreement, “mhm, just tired now”

“let me clean you up then.” Kuai Liang moves, but your fingernails firmly dig into his shoulder

“no, stay with me, just a few more minutes…please” it’s barely a whisper, voice hoarse and scratchy, weighed down by exhaustion

“...okay, just a few minutes.”

you both fall asleep in each other’s arms

[mxtxfanatic]

Let’s talk Yi City Arc! I’ve seen a few posts since my time in the fandom that talks about the Yi City Arc as unnecessary or out of place in the whole of the mdzs narrative. I’ve even seen some suggest that the disconnect is because Yi City was originally a separate story to mdzs, a sort of prototype, if you will, to explain it away. I, too, after my first read questioned the significance of this arc to the overall story. However, the Yi City arc and its placement so early in the novel is actually just a huge and very clever spoiler to most of the important plot points of the overarching story… if you know what plot points to look for, which an un-spoiled first-time reader would not. So let’s talk about those spoilers:

1) The righteous cultivation clans’ refusal to stand against evil—and, really, their indulgence of it—leads to the wiping out of an entire clan and a monastery as well as the deaths of two powerful cultivators unaffiliated with any major sect.

The “righteous” cultivation clans happily ignore that fact that the Jin Clan is amassing power through unscrupulous guest disciples, and it is only when Xiao Xingchen, an outsider, brings the crime against the Chang Clan to light do they bother to pretend to do anything about it. However behind the scenes, the Jin Clan assassinates their only real opposition, and the other clans, great and small, continue to do nothing as Xue Yang is released to commit another massacre. The Jin are never held responsible for their actions. Likewise, all the clans turn away from Wei Wuxian, an outsider, when he calls out the Jin Clan’s crimes against the Wen remnants and accuses them of amassing power via poaching vassal clans and attempting to steal his tools. Behind the scenes, the Jin work to undermine Wei Wuxian’s reputation before joining in to massacre Wei Wuxian and the Wen remnants. The Jin are never held accountable for this, which directly leads into the Xue Yang situation.

2) Xiao Xingchen has his reputation slandered by Xue Yang killing others using his sword.

After Xiao Xingchen kills himself, Xue Yang begins using his sword to enact “vengeance” on the remnants of the Chang Clan, who he considers as having “betrayed” Xiao Xingchen. Finding the signature of Xiao Xingchen’s sword on the slain bodies leads the cultivation world to believe that a disillusioned Xiao Xingchen is killing in revenge. In much the same way, Wei Wuxian is used as a scapegoat by the cultivation world whenever bad things happen, such as the presence of walking corpses or the mass digging of graves. In neither situation does any clan investigate the true events of the situations, happy to blame the easiest suspect and allow the unrest to continue. In both situations, Xiao Xingchen and Wei Wuxian are eventually found innocent of the crimes for which they are accused, and the true culprit is revealed.

3) Xiao Xingchen is betrayed by someone he considered close to him, which eventually leads to his death.

Xiao Xingchen, due to being literally blinded by his sacrifice, ends up running into, rescuing, and caring for his mortal enemy, Xue Yang. Taking advantage of Xiao Xingchen’s blindness, Xue Yang tricks him into murdering a bunch of innocents and his best friend, causing him to commit suicide. Wei Wuxian, similarly, is betrayed by a close friend he kept near, figuratively blinded by a former childhood friendship and the present debt he felt owed to said friend’s parents. This misplaced trust directly leads to his death.

4) Xiao Xingchen must give up his eyes for Song Lan to see again, because Baoshan Sanren is not magical.

This is probably the biggest spoiler of the entire arc, but by the time you get to where this information is relevant, you’d probably have forgotten that this was even said. Xue Yang blinds Song Lan after destroying his home, and to atone for this, Xiao Xingchen goes to his master, Baoshan Sanren, to beg for her help. However, Baoshan Sanren cannot make something out of nothing. Mxtx explicitly writes that tidbit into the narration. Song Lan goes up the mountain blind and comes down with eyes. Xiao Xingchen goes up the mountain with eyes and comes down blind. Song Lan was given Xiao Xingchen’s eyes.

Much later in the story, Jiang Cheng loses his golden core. Wei Wuxian offers the miracle solution of Baoshan Sanren “giving” him a new one. Jiang Cheng, obviously skeptical, questions Wei Wuxian up until the moment he must go up “Baoshan Sanren’s mountain” alone. Wei Wuxian descends, alone, looking pale and weak. Later, when Wei Wuxian is ambushed by the Wen, Wen “Core-melting Hand” Zhuliu touches him and is visibly shocked by a discovery that he then keeps to himself. Jiang Cheng emerges from the mountain with a new golden core, while Wei Wuxian emerges from the Burial Mounds with a new cultivation method wholly independent of the need for a golden core. The Yi City arc tells us why this is: “Baoshan Sanren” cannot make something out of nothing.

And these are just the major parallels I remember off the top of my head. However, while a reread makes a lot of these parallels directly applicable to specific plot points in Wei Wuxian’s own story, I would argue that the biggest role the explicit paralleling is meant to play for a new reader is to make you question the dominant narrative of the main story. The narration tells us that Wei Wuxian is a bloodthirsty man who may as well be a demon, known for cruelty and vengeance. We see none of that from his character when he is resurrected. Then we get a mini-drama where a man with attributes Wei Wuxian directly relates to, with a story Wei Wuxian directly compares to his own life, is scapegoated by society, killed, then eventually vindicated. If nothing else, the Yi City Arc is meant to make you, as a reader, stop and go “Hey, wait a minute, what if Wei Wuxian isn’t the bad guy here???” And once you understand that, you should start questioning everything the prologue told you, just like the juniors start to question what they were told about Xiao Xingchen post Yi City in their group debrief.

[hanniebaeee]

This man

Best friend Jeonghan x fem!reader

Warnings: maybe a little swearing, kissing

Genre: idiots to lovers, fluff/suggestive MDNI

Summary: You've loved your best friend, Jeonghan, since forever. You're so obvious, but he's an idiot. The question is, are you an idiot too?

You spot Jeonghan as soon as you step into the cafe. This was one of your most favorite cafes, so many good memories here. He was with Joshua (as usual). You and Jeonghan were best friends since primary school, and he found Joshua during his University years. Two best friends from two different times.

You wave hi and take off your coat, hanging it on the back of your chair before sitting down. Jeonghan looked at what you were wearing and smiled. Somehow you two had managed to dress similarly on one too many occasions. Today he wore a pastel green and white chequered shirt with light blue jeans, while you were dressed in a pastel green dress with little white daisies sprinkled on it.

'So, what was so important that I had to get here asap?' You ask.

'Were you busy?' Joshua asked. 'We could have met later.'

'I was working on something with Ver-' You were cut off by Jeonghan who was placing your order all of a sudden, very loudly.

He knew your regular order from here, so he ordered without even asking you. And you just stare at him (a little starstruck every time, but also with a stab of annoyance this time). Communication wasn't one of Jeonghan's strongest points and miscommunication, on the other hand, his natural self. You knew he was mad about something.

'So you were saying?' Joshua said, taking a sip of his coffee.

'Right. I was with VERNON.' You said, emphasising on your friend's name because you knew this made Jeonghan very jealous.

You didn't even know what it was about Vernon that got to Jeonghan so much. Vernon was one of the coolest people you've ever met. You felt lucky to be working with him since he always had the most creative ideas (and best snacks and the bestest cats!).

'Oh right, how's that new project going?' Joshua asked, ignoring Jeonghan's annoyed sighs.

'Really well!' You reply with a smile and you could sense Jeonghan's eyes bore holes into your head.

'What's the matter Jeonghan?' You ask, giving him an irritated look. 'What are you looking at me like that for?!'

'I'm waiting for you to stop gushing over Vernon for a minute' Jeonghan retorted.

'Yah! I wasn't gushing!' You snap, kicking him under the table.

'Oh real mature, Y/N' he grumbled kicking you back. But his shoe landed on your bare calf, making you gasp.

'That's my leg you idiot!' You say, glaring at him.

He looked to the side as you lift your leg from under the table. His expression changed immediately.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' he cooed suddenly, bending down to run his hand over the skin. You feel butterflies in your tummy as his fingers touch your skin.

'It's alright.' You said, feeling the heat creep up your neck.

You sit up straight, only to see Joshua giving you a look.

'What?!' I mouthed to him and he just shook his head with a grin.

Jeonghan straightened as well and said 'You obviously enjoy spending time with him more than with me now.'

'Like you enjoy spending time with Joshua more than with me?' You tease back.

'I don't!' Jeonghan whined.

'Yah!' Joshua had a funny frown on his face.

'Stop bullying me now!' Jeonghan said, taking a bite of his cake.

'Ok ok, so what's the 'thing' you had to tell me?' You ask, digging your fork into Jeonghan's cake.

'So we're having a party at ours this weekend to celebrate the release of my first single album!' Joshua said with a big grin. 'It's doing really well, so we thought we should celebrate. Just some close friends.'

'Oh great!' You said with a smile. 'It's all I see every time I open social media!'

Joshua blushed and said, 'You should bring Vernon too.'

'Of course I will.' You said and you could see Jeonghan rolling his eyes at that.

Jeonghan was mad at you all day. He ignored you and backed out of any conversation you were part of. It made you so mad!.

'Whats the matter babe?' Vernon asked.

'Hannie's being a bitch and I don't even know why!' You muttered, taking his cup from him and sipping his drink.

'Go talk to him' Vernon said with a shrug.

'Right, he runs away every time I try.' You said sadly, sitting next to him, and placing you head on his shoulder. He rested his head on yours and said, 'You two are the biggest idiots I know.'

'What? Why?!' You asked sitting up and looking at him.

'Because, Jeonghan is whipped for you. And you are for him. Two idiots.'

'He's my best friend.' You said with a pout.

'So? Can't best friends love each other? Can't they be a couple?' Vernon asked.

'Yah, don't be loud!' You whispered, touching his hand.

'Well?' He asked. 'I know you love him. Not as a best friend, but as something more.'

'I can't risk it, Vernon. He's not just my friend, he's literally my whole life.' You said sadly. 'I would rather be his friend than going and ruining it all for more.'

'Darling, he feels the same way' he said. 'You should see the way he looks at you and the way he's glaring at me right now' Vernon laughed.

'Stop it!' You said, slapping his hand. 'Oh God, help me!'

'Go for it!' Vernon hyped you up. 'Please, so that he would stop giving me those death stares'.

'He does not!' You said, not believing your own words since you knew how he felt about your friendship with Vernon.

'Please turn around' Vernon said, and you did slowly.

Jeonghan had a drink in hand and he leaned against the door to the kitchen. He WAS actually glaring at you both. You have never seen such a look on Jeonghan. He wasn't a hot head. He actually never got that mad - he was more into solving his problems strategically than with his fists.

'You should go.' Vernon said again, nudging you with his elbow.

'I think I should' You agree and stand up. Taking a deep breath, you walk towards Jeonghan. Seeing you, he pushed himself off the door and started walking away. You run, blocking his way.

'Hey!' You said, 'I want to talk.'

'I don't' he said, trying to step away. He was way taller than you, so it wasn't that hard for him to escape.

'Hannie please!', You said in a small voice, head hung. The only voice you knew would get him. You were right because he froze and turned to look at you. Taking your chin between his index finger and thumb, he raised your face up.

'What's wrong?' He asked, his voice laced with worry.

'We have to talk' You said, and he nodded, taking your hand and leading you to his bedroom. He shut the door behind you. Folding his hands against his chest, he said 'Go on'

You squirmed under his gaze. He was just looking and you were falling apart.

'Um' Your voice and vocabulary decided to say goodbye at the very moment and you stood gaping at the gorgeous man in front of you. His beautiful brown eyes set on you and his dark hair falling over his forehead, almost over his eyes. His black round neck T-shirt and light blue jeans looked perfect on him. You thought he was way too beautiful for someone like you.

You felt the soft material of your navy blue dress crumble under your tight grip.

'What's it sweetheart?' He asked softly. 'Since when do you need all this time and formality to tell me anything, hm?

'Since I'm an idiot and a little bit greedy at this point.' You said, blushing.

'What do you mean?' He asked.

You couldn't look at him. You were embarrassed of yourself, and your pathetic attempt to tell this gorgeous human being that you have been in love with him for a good 10 years. You wanted to cry and you wanted him to just understand already. But Hannie's a tease. Even if he knew he wouldn't say anything.

You sigh and said, 'Sorry I wasted your time, Hannie. You should get back to your party.'

He looked way too shocked to even move. And the look on his face scared you to death.

'You've gotta be kidding me!' He said, his eyes wide.

'Whaat?!' You whine.

'You should try not to tease a man like that!' He growled. 'I just want to spank you for all the times you bring it this far and brush me off!'

'Oh woah woah woah!' You say, holding your hands up. 'Me?! I AM THE TEASE NOW?!'

'Of course you are!! Every single time I think that it's about to happen you pull away! You FUCKING pull away and leave me hanging!'

'I've NEVER brushed you off!' You said, your body shaking. 'Why would I ?!'

'Why don't you tell me that?' Jeonghan snapped.

'Why don't you?'

'You first'

'Jeonghan!' You let out a frustrated sigh.

'I won't let you out of this room until you give me an honest answer.' Jeonghan said, shaking his head.

'Oh right, we'll see about that!' You snap and walk towards the door.

He was there first with his bloody long legs. He blocked your way, locked the door and pressed his back to it.

'Move.' You said as seriously as youbcould. 'Now.'

'I'm sorry, can't do that'

'Why Jeonghan, pray tell!' You said, trying to pry him off the door.

'You know why sweetheart' he said, his voice low and menacing.

'I don't! I can't think why, ok?' You lied, even though could see it now. Vernon was right. THIS MAN!

'Oh you know.' jeonghan teased. 'I can see it on your face.'

'I could just kill you right now!' You mutter, taking your hands off him.

'You naughty girl. Brining Vernon here even though you know that it makes me so mad.' He said, taking a step towards you.

'Hannie. Stop.' You said, putting your hands against his chest to hold him back. 'Vernon is my friend. You know that.'

'Really? Just a friend?' Jeonghan asked, his voice anything but innocent.

'Yes' You said.

'Doesn't feel like it'

'Wow, sounds like a you problem!'

He took another step forward, you took one back. The back of your legs hit his bed and you lost balance. You plopped down at the edge of the bed, looking up at him. Your heart raced and the butterflies in your tummy did you no good. He just looked at you and he looked absolutely ravishing.

'Jeonghan, stop looking at me like that!' You whine, covering your warm face with your cold hands.

You hear a chuckle before he kneels down in front of you.

'What's wrong baby?' He teased, his hands on your wrists, pulling your hands off your face. 'Don't hide from me.'

'Oh my God!' You were absolutely melting under his gaze.

He laughed, not his usual gremlin laugh, but a more sweeter one.

'Are you shy?' He asked. 'Really? For me?'

'I won't shy away from slapping you if you don't stop teasing me!' You warn him.

'Go on then.' He said, turning his face a bit, showing you his right cheek. 'I don't think I can ever stop.'

And you shocked yourself by pressing a kiss on his soft cheek. And before you could pull back, you felt his hand at the nape of your neck. And his lips against yours. You think you died for a moment there, before he pulled you back to life.

Biting his lip, he watched you. Then he kissed you again. And again. And again.

'Baby why are you crying?' He asked, his forehead pressed to yours.

You didn't even realize that you were crying until he asked that question. Wiping your face quickly with the back of your hands, you said 'I've wanted to do that for so long, Hannie'

'How long?' He asked, tilting his head.

'Um... 10 years?' You said, shy and embarrassed.

'What?!' That incredulous look came back to his face. 'You kept this from me for 10 years?!'

'I was scared!' You said. 'I didn't want to lose you!'

'Did you ever stop to think that maybe I felt it too? Why do you think I never had a girlfriend? Why did I put you first all the time?'

'I thought you had a secret girlfriend because you used to giggle into your phone all the time after you started uni!' You said with a shrug.

'What?! I don't giggle!' He said, squeezing your thigh.

'That's not the point. The point is that I thought you met someone at uni. Until I knew that it was just Joshua. Then I thought you were with Joshua!'

'You DID NOT!' he said, turning beet red.

'I'm sorry, Hannie. I knew that when you brought him home' I said giving him a sheepish smile. 'He wouldn't stop flirting with me, haha'

'Mhm' he said with a smile. 'And?'

'And?'

'You wanted to say something?' He asked, his hand still on your thigh.

'Maybe' you muttered. 'Since you're being a big baby and you won't say it first.'

He didn't say anything, just grinned.

'I love you, Hannie. I'm so in love with you.' You said, your insides feeling warm and fuzzy. 'So so much.'

'Yeah?' He asked, cupping your face with his hands. 'That's good, because I'm in love with you too.'

You squeal like a little girl and throw your arms around him, giggling and kissing his cheek.

'Say it again' you say, holding him close.

'I love you. I love you. I love you.' He said, hugging you tight. He kissed you again, long and deep. His lips are wet and warm on yours. This is simply the bestest kiss ever. Then with one arm around you, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone.

'Shua's looking for us' he said, putting it back.

'Come on, let's get back to the party. Poor Shua.' You said, standing up.

On your way to the door, you stopped still as you felt his hand land a slap on your butt. Face red and voice shaky, you asked, 'What was that for?!'

'For cuddling up to Vernon before' Jeonghan replied simply.

'I thought we were over that'

'You deserve it for teasing me all day!'

'Says the tease!' You retort and move back quickly as he took big steps towards you, caging you between his body and the door, his arms on either side of you. You grin even though this made your legs go all wobbly.

'You are so hot, oh my god!' You said, hands covering your face again.

He laughed and said 'I'm trying to look intimidating here!'

'Ok, hot and intimidating' You said, as he pulled your hands off your face. Again.

He just leaned forward and delivered another mind blowing kiss. 'And, just so you know, you're hot as fuck too'

You laughed and said, 'I love you Hannie'

'I love more, baby.' he said with a wink.

Joshua and Vernon grinned like idiots as they saw you, but were kind enough to keep the teasing for later. But you knew that you wouldn't hear the end of it for a very long time.

When Jeonghan drove you back home, you asked him if he wanted to go up to your apartment with you.

'And do what?' He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

'Shut up!' You said, turning away to hide your burning cheeks.

He laughed, parking the car and coming up with you. Your roommate was spending the weekend with her boyfriend so you had the house to yourself. Keeping your shoes on the rack near the door, you walked in, for the first time as a couple.

Jeonghan followed you into your bedroom and climbed into your bed. He patted the spot next to him and held out his hand for you. Heart fluttering and legs shaking, you were way too nervous.

Though you have had way too many naughty dreams and fantasies about Jeonghan, seeing him on your bed was a bit scary. You've slept on the same bed so many times over the years, but things are so different and easy when you're just friends.

You put your hand in his, letting him pull you into his arms. Placing your head in his chest and listening to his heartbeats felt surreal. He may have noticed how tense your body was because he kissed your forehead and said 'We don't have to do anything today, ok? I just want to cuddle with you and kiss you for now. We can take it slow.'

'Thank you Hannie' You said, feeling relieved.

You place a soft kiss on his chest. Jeonghan smiled and pulled you closer, if that was even possible. Flush against his toned body, you were trembling a bit.

'Hannie?'

'Yeah?'

'I've only ever dreamed of this...I can't believe you're really here, like this-' You didn't even know what you were saying.

'Yeah? What other dreams do you have? We'll make them all true!' Jeonghan whispered, pressing a kiss on your forehead.

'Don't be so cute!' You said, burying your face in his chest again.

His breathy laughs were the best. Everything about him was just more beautiful now. He's your boyfriend after all.

a/n: I'm in love with these cute dividers by @saradika ❤

[christnarr]

victor madness combat masterpost

everything we know about victor, a co-op exclusive project nexus character

theres a lot of things people dont know about them!! like their connection with the maker, how they interact with the audience, etc. however this information is intentionally kept obscure for narrative reasons (ill explain later) so its understandable if you didnt know about this

full post under the cut since its long ==v

SECTION 1: BURGER GILS

the first appearance of victor was on the official burger gils website, under the "updates" section

the first news update, #207, says that rich (a character we see in "power play") is no longer the employee of the month, thus giving the title to victor.

the next prominent update is #209, which states victor has mysteriously gone missing and gil is setting up a hotline for their return.

judging by the next and final update alluding to the fall of nexus city, and that they can "finally open their doors" due to health inspectors being inoperable, we can assume victor went missing beforehand since the restaurant was functioning at the time of the hotline being released.

the reason for their disappearance is still unknown, but that can lead us into the next and more important section:

SECTION 2: THE MAKER (YES, REALLY)

victor, by the laws of the universe, is not meant to exist in nevada. they are an anomaly.

similarly to the maker, they are likely trying to avoid being spotted by the machine or some other "indestructible nightmare".

we learned in a stream that the maker talks to victor, and won't allow their "story" to be told.

"maybe vic, but his story can't be told. the maker won't allow it. that's why the maker talks to vic all the time. he'll never get near the plot."

victor stays as far away from the narrative as possible, choosing to hide as a co-op exclusive character for MPN. krinkels always emphasizes that there's a meta reason for this. even in things like little doodles, victor seems to want to hide from the public eye.

victor reappeared after the city fell, and was found and taken into sq. there is a reason doc wanted victor to join sq, and that doc knows of their importance. however, krinkels wants to keep this part of the story untold too.

SECTION 3: PERSONALITY + ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

not much comments here since ill leave these up to interpretation. heres some dialogue + other things from them that show their personality.

thanks to CondescendingChaos48s self eater dialogue video for providing these :D - mpn devchat clip of wallium doing a victor voice impression - burger gil plushie ad, which victor appears in

-this screenshot

-victor may be the youngest of the main cast

-the burger gil arg, which victor briefly appears in (their involvement is described in the first section)

and thats all! do what you want with this info, i just want to shed light on stuff about victor that isnt as well known

[egg-emperor]

Why I love how Eggman talks about Maria in the Shadow 101 + the connection that can be made to his feelings on Shadow:

I love this part so much and I wanna go into way too much detail and depth to explain why lol

The things this could imply are things I've thought about for a long time and to keep getting new official things that align with my theories on how he feels about Maria lately with Frontiers and now this is awesome!

First of all, I wouldn't say him taking Maria's death personally is an example of him having good standards or implying genuine moral goodness above G.U.N, considering he was cool with pointing a gun at Amy's head, who is around the same age as his cousin was who died via bullet, aboard the very place she died on.

He really didn't care about how he would've been no better than the soldier that killed his similarly aged cousin, with the same weapon, in the same place!

With the harshness of his threats and how he gets increasingly pissed during Crazy Gadget like "Sonic, if you don't come here, she WILL die!" and how he already tried to kill Tails and tried to kill Sonic and Tails again after this, his threats weren't empty.

So I'm seeing it as him taking it personally on the basis that she's a member of the family, the Robotnik family name, so an attack on a family member makes them a threat and enemy to him too.

Think about it, there's a conflict you're not a part of at all, you're just an observer but then two members of your family/your people/community etc become a target- that's when you go "oh this just got personal" because they're related to you, of your blood, and it means you're now a part of it too with your connection to them.

It's like that, except with Eggman's selfish nature, he's looking at it for how it poses as a threat to himself personally for his connection. They killed his grandfather and cousin in their slimy shady operations and they don't want to stop at them, that's when it became personal and a threat to him too and they have tried to directly take him out since multiple times in SA2 and Shadow 05.

Plus he's making Maria's tragedy all about himself with that in true Eggman fashion too, which we'll also get into.

And I want to note the very interesting difference in how Eggman acts on the subject of Maria when in private all alone to himself with his private memos, where he seemed to express absolutely no care about her tragedy and only expressed jealousy and resentment for how he feels he should've got all the attention instead.

He didn't expect anyone to ever hear these memos, he said many private things he'd never say to anyone else in them, a real intimate glimpse into his thoughts and feelings and that's what makes them so cool. He can express his bitterness and jealousy and resentment towards Maria to his heart's content.

Then compare that to how he talks about her in the Shadow 101- which isn't a private memo, it's a data log that he can present to someone else, us, the viewers. Which is why he talks like he's actually talking to someone else (Ex: The "treat him as extremely dangerous" part)

It's certainly very interesting difference to how he talks about her when people aren't supposed to hear at all in the memos huh 👀 After how much he heard "everyone" talking about her like she was so special, he knows what others want to hear.

And what comes right after this? Eggman's rant about how he was the one that released Shadow and he had to go ahead and be such an ingrate. This is very important to note because it works as him attempting to convince the viewer that Shadow not being on his side is this horrible disservice to him “after all he did for Shadow” and how he “cared so much about Shadow's only friend, my cousin” and he clearly actually finds the former amusing and scoffs at, by the way!

Two key things here, he's establishing Maria's importance to Shadow with her being his "only friend" and he's stating his own connection to Maria in being related to her as his cousin.

While he literally couldn't help but scoff at Shadow just wanting to live in peace with his only friend Maria, he still recognizes how he can use that in his attempted manipulation and argument for why Shadow should be on his side- and use the way that she's his cousin.

I'm related to his only friend Maria, I recognize how tragic her death was (because he heard everyone talk about her like she was special instead of giving him the attention he wants! He's putting it to use, eh 👀), I found and released him- these are all reasons he can feel and argue that he's entitled to owning Shadow

I'm also reminded of how Flynn said Eggman can be an unreliable narrator, which he specifically said when asked about implications to his past with the Egg Memo about Maria.

He's extremely biased and unreliable in his intended to be kept private memos, of course he's not going to be entirely truthful in his data logs and presentations too!

And his usual manipulative streak is very important to consider, especially on the subject of Shadow with his entitlement to him. It's his whole deal in the story of Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 which I've done extensive analysis of.

This 101 history video gave us yet another example of his "I'm entitled to him as a member of the family, I did so much for him, he's so ungrateful" attitude that he's always had towards Shadow. Behold, the entitlement compilation lol:

The first few examples are when he's saying how dare Shadow disobey him because he "made him" in lies and gaslighting. But in the route where Shadow knows the truth, even then he pulls the "it was MY grandfather who created you" card to express his entitlement. Literal emphasis on the MY:

He has always felt entitlement based on family connection, he can use both Gerald and Maria for this.

So he's still using a combination of that and now the way he was the one who found and released him as the reasons why he's still entitled to him now, creator or not.

And man the ME? ME! being the only word on his screen at the end of both sentences is perfect, really emphasizes how it's all me me me in his mind. Of course he's going to make everything about him, that's his whole mindset as the most egotistical self-centred narcissist of all time.

Of course he's gonna take it personally if something bad happens to a family member and he's gonna take even the smallest opportunity to make something about him. How can I make this thing about me, how does this affect me, how can this either benefit or harm me, etc. And whenever he can use it to his advantage, he will.

So yeah, I believe his words on the subject are very carefully chosen in this 101. He knows how to set up his case for why Shadow should be on his side, his weapon, his puppet, his property that he tried to trick and manipulate him into in Shadow 05 too. When lying about the origin of his creation with attempted gaslighting of him being an android doesn't work, he starts taking advantage of the truths.

I always theorized that Eggman would also try to use Maria's tragedy as a way to do so as well, if he were to actually mention her, many years prior to Frontiers. The way the only times he's cared to mention her was her name being the password in SA2, on the topic of his bitterness and jealousy in Frontiers, and as a precursor to his rant about Shadow- those are all under very interesting circumstances that are important to note. And boy do I like the implications hehe 💜

[echoingspectrum]

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡

☆ pairing : gamer!streamer!dan heng・character!reader

☆ synopsis : how does it feel to be in dan heng's shoes and vice versa?

☆ word count : 1.1k words

☆ cw : ooc!dan heng・that's all~ here's the headcanon!

⌗ Oh, how the tables have turned~ Instead of the usual gamer you and character Dan Heng, this time it's the other way around, with Dan Heng behind the screen and you as the newest character that developers have introduced to the game in the early version. 

⌗ I imagine Dan Heng plays Honkai Star Rail 24/7, so he knows every lore like the back of his hand. He must have a deeper understanding of the game mechanics and its attributes, creating a sense of career for this game. Like a cute nerd he is~

⌗ Not only is he a gamer, he's also a streamer. He streams moderately, sharing tips and tricks with his fellow gamers, but he is known to stream Honkai Star Rail contents. He enjoys engaging with his audience and discussing strategies, making him a valuable resource for the gaming community. 

⌗ He even streams with his fellow streamers, especially with Caelus. They often get labeled by the viewers as the chaotic duo due to their dynamic and entertaining banter during gameplay. 

⌗ Now, let's proceed to you~

⌗ With version 2.4 approaching, there was a leak of your character saying that you'd be one of the important figures of one of the Xianzhou Alliance, and everyone was suspecting that you'd either be one of the swordsmen or the arbiter-general, similarly to Jingyuan or Jingliu. 

⌗ Do you know the Silhouttes marketing drip that the HSR developers posted? There were eight of them⏤including you. Ever since the new March 7th drip marketing, everyone has been hyped for the following characters that are soon to be released. 

⌗ There are four characters hailing from the Yaoqing, others from the Zhuming, and March categorize in Luofu. One in particular that caught their attention is your silhouette banner, which illustrates your figure with your desired weapon in your grasp, bird crane origami surrounding you, and a subtle winged dragon shadow hovering in the background.

⌗ Meanwhile, Dan Heng, being one of the lore fanatics, has speculated that you may be one of the Vidyadhara species like Bailu⏤Correction. He's not just speculating; he's certain of his theory. Despite the lack of the draconic features in your character, you're somehow linked to the Vidyadhara race.

⌗ The developers dropped an animation where the five high elders of Vidyadhara are shown, and one of them bears a striking resemblance to your silhouetted character. This has sparked even more speculation from Dan Heng about your true identity and affiliation to the Vidyadhara race. 

⌗ Despite you're in a cameo, Dan Heng is captivated by your character design; it's aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The developers must increase their efforts to include more details about your character in future updates to satisfy the demands of players. 

⌗ Although he notices that you lack the draconic features present in the other high elders, this would mean that your hidden role must be disclosed in later updates. 

⌗ While streaming, Dan Heng nonchalantly talks about you and the design itself, even theorizing what unit you will be in the future and the most effective relics that would give you massive damage. 

⌗ Do you guys know those informative videos where content creators break down every aspect of a character's abilities, potential damage, which lightcone suits them, or what pieces of relics would give them a buff? Dan Heng is one of those, except he's quite immersive when it comes to you.

⌗ The audience quickly notices how passionate Dan Heng is, and they labeled him as a SIMP for you. He himself hasn't noticed how well absorbed he is into you, which is terrifying to say the least.

⌗ Imagine the day when the new patch was released and Xianzhou had added a recent interlude story mission, which somehow ties to you and other characters, and Dan Heng immediately logged in to the game with breakneck speed. 

⌗ Do you guys know that every time a new story is added to the game, there's the main cover of the chapter? Where are all the major characters going to be included in the story? Yeah⏤that's basically what Den Heng is seeing right now! There's a midnight-isque backdrop, and the characters are having a smile on their faces, enjoying whatever the heck they are doing. But that's not what Den Heng is focused on.

⌗ In the corner of the cover, there's a suspicious figure in a clay blue colored cloak that seems to be hanging around with several children who are all circling around the figure. Squinting his eyes, he sees a tuff of your hair out of the cloak. He's now certain that you'll be part of the story somehow. 

⌗ During the story, Dan Heng ( he's streaming the walkthrough ) secretly basks at every moment of your screen time; he screamed internally at your first appearance⏤or every time of your appearances; he would take a minute or so to glance at your expression and design every chance he gets. His fangirl moment. 

⌗ Your voice was pleasant to hear. The audience started to spam him with SIMP texts in the chats or even memes due to his not-so-subtle, flustered reactions. Overall, he enjoyed the mission story. Because you were in it.

⌗ Now, he's waiting for anyone who leaks your gameplay.⏤Who am I kidding…HE'S THE ONE WHO LEAKS YOUR GAMEPLAY AND IDLE ANIMATION. He may seem to be a reserved guy, but mentally, he's zealous. He enjoys and approves your gameplay and animation because they are appropriate to your character and your aesthetic. 

⌗ One of your idle animations consists of creating a bird crane origami and letting it fly away, watching it with awe. A unique feature of this is that for each bird crane origami you've created, different colors and patterns are displayed.

⌗ Another idle animation of yours is⏤since in your default form, you appeared to be human. Then clouds materialize and envelope your figure. With a burst of wind, it showed your Vidyadhara form. 

⌗ In your gameplay, however, before entering the battle, you were still in your default form. Following entering a battle, you've changed into your Vidyadhara form, draconic features and all. Similar mechanics with Firefly/SAM. Your author is biased when it comes to dragon-based characters. I'll let you imagine your basic attack, skills, and ult. 

⌗ Once your banner is dropped, oh boy…Dan Heng is going to E6 and S5 of you and your signature lightcone. AND HE FRICKING DID! Giving you the best relic and maximizing your talents. Every battle he encounters, he always wins, and hearing your triumphant voice line, he's proud of himself. This guy is fucking devoted y'all. If only I had money, then I could E6 Imbibitor Lunae. 

⌗ He subtly boasts you and your build to his viewers and his fellow streamers. Caelus lost his 50/50 in your banner and got Bailu instead, but at least it's also a Vidyadhara. Overall, Dan Heng adores your character and loves to see more of you in the future patches. 

[thewertsearch]

TT: Then why do you bother with the conversations? Obligation to predestination, as usual? There is no obligation. It's a pleasure. [....] I've always had a soft spot for young ladies.

Ew.

TT: Suddenly this conversation is kind of terrible. [...] There should be no reason for you to feel uncomfortable with this interaction. Try to think of me as one of your kindly human uncle figures. In fact, if I were in your presence now, I would offer you candy to prove it.

Ew!

TT: Can we talk about the scratch instead of this?

Please!

Man, this guy really did come right out of a child's nightmare.

You are situated near the game construct supplied by your session for causing the Scratch, yes? […] It will always be an edifice of similarly cryptic design, located on the planet that is home to the Hero of Time. Its environment dictates the nature of its construction. Its power is dangerous, and is meant to be utilized only in emergencies such as yours. TT: You mean, in sessions where victory is no longer possible? Yes.

A panic button, then. Since it's located on the Time planet, I'm guessing it's some sort of undo button - a universal ctrl-z for broken sessions.

Maybe this is why the Scratch opens rifts. If you're stretching the fabric of time across an entire Incipisphere, it's bound to tear a little.

TT: Is that sort of emergency common? […] Failure is common. But the composition of yours is quite atypical.

And whose fault is that, Doc?

TT: Then, it's like a panic button for the players to push once they realize the cause is lost. Yes, but causing the Scratch is not an easy task either. The construct must be destroyed in a very specific way to release its energy.

Why isn’t it an easy task, though? Wouldn't Sburb want to give sessions another chance to propagate existence?

Well.... if a Scratch can rip holes in reality, the game probably doesn't want to hand them out like hot cakes. Maybe you need to prove to Skaia that your session is worth the risk, by demonstrating your competence in one final challenge.

You aren't ready to cause the Scratch yet. […] TT: What will the one who does it have to do? I should let them know. He will have to scratch the surface of the plateau across its full diameter. […] You will require a certain needle to create a breach in the surface that will be adequate. […] The needles must be acquired from the denizen of the Witch of Space. Her quills are very large and potent. They will be able to cause the Scratch.

Makes sense to me. Echidna is located on the Space planet, and reviving the session should probably be a collaboration between Time and Space.

After all, we don't just need to fix Sburb's plot.

We've also got to repair the setting.

TT: This really seems more elaborate than you lead me to believe. I didn't lead you to believe anything. I told you to find the construct and await advisement on the Scratch. The plans you were making were based on assumptions and fabrications of your imagination. You were writing more stories, much like those about your false magical men.

I know, right? It's almost like she's a child completely out of her depth, and you're taking advantage of it.

[mekatrio]

cuz at first ajaa wasnt even meant to exist it was just meant to be the trilogy and thats it, then while theyre porting it over to the nintendo ds capcom gives them the green light to go nuts with a bonus pseudo-dlc case and By God Do They, making the longest case yet of RFTA with fully animated 3d cutscenes + an incredibly convoluted plot that makes the most out of aa1's 3 day trial system + fully modelled 3d rotational evidence, hitting heavy themes of police corruption and evidence forgery and whatnot like they went INSANE, cuz this was supposed to be IT. this was supposed to be ace attorneys big finale and farewell but SIKE oh my god the actual Ministry Of Justice has knocked on capcoms door and told them hey can you make some propaganda for us. so now the aa team has to make propaganda for them. right after burning themselves the fuck out from creating rfta. all that time spent on rfta which couldve been development time for ajaa.... too late. cant be taken back. apollo justice is designed in less than a week and theyre marketing this game while the team is still making it, takumi crazed madman that he is decides to not rely on old characters which while that is an artistic slay, sets up the stage for a marketing failure, and a new artistic team of infinite ambition goes nuts with creating derangedly detailed animations

⬆️ like oh my god are you insane. thank you so much BUT ARE YOU INSANE? all while still making 3d renders of evidence and random 3d animations and it looks so awesome BUT THERES NOT ENOUGH TIME, 3 wonderful cases are made but 4-4 falls on its face. 6 hours long instead of the usual 10 and only one cross-examination in the final trial and 2 whole main characters with no backstory like its bad. its going to be bad. but its too late. the most incomplete ace attorney game has to be rushed out of the gates and the sales are made But The Reception Is Bad. Real Bad. 2000s hater gamer crowds were the first of its kind, being massively fuelled by the internet, haters back then could sink their teeth deep into a company, which is what got nintendo scrambling away from their wind waker art direction to appease the gamers w twilight princess. so similarly when the hate for ajaa came on, cuz whattt phoenix disbarred and no 😤 old characters 😤😤, capcom scrambled to appease the masses. but oh oh whats this? takumi says 'yeahhhh Nah' and says he wants to make a game about his dog. OK. cant persuade him away from that. might as well let some new blood handle the franchise in takumi's place then, but for The Love Of God do not make an ajaa followup. the gamers will kill us. and so the aai duology was born....... cool........ first one's reception was so bad that localization plans were dropped entirely for the sequel. wow. takumi is fresh off from ghost trick but fucking what, 5 years has passed now, and the new hot console is the nintendo THREE ds. 3ds. wowwww. fucking... PROFESSOR LAYTON kidnaps takumi to make plvpwaa and ajaa continues to be left in the dust. fucking nobody wants him. poor orphaned kitten left in the street. all while the trilogy gets 9584948 million adaptations. and yamazaki twiddles his thumbs thinking abt making aai3 but after thinking it over hes like yeah ill try making aa5. capcom lets him and.......... its over........ they tell him sure go for it But Do Not Follow Up On Apollo Everyone Hates Him please make phoenix the protag. a recipe for disaster. and a disaster aa5 is. juggling THREE protags a complete mess and they do a popularity poll and wow would u look at who came first, fucking APOLLO. JUSTICEEEEEEE. its almost like.... gamers opinions..... are not valuable in the long run.. and popular opinion has never signified artistic understanding.... aa6 comes chugging along and yamazaki addicted to racism cranks out something even worse. both aa56 makes the sales it needs but mindless fanservice can only get u so far... its been nearly 10 years since the ajaa 'trilogy' titles released and the general consensus is that Aaja Was Good and aa56 Not So Much but what can you do now? heres the apollo justice trilogy please buy it and deeply lower ur expectations for coherent and cohesive narratives which have basis in reality thank u. bc u will not be finding that here. ajaa never stood a chance.. they werent doomed by the narrative. its worse. they were doomed by STUPID FUCKING GAMERS AND STUPID EXECUTIVE DECISIONS 😭😭😭