#thats whats playing for the duel

[hellhathfrozethover]

FLAME OF JUSTICE: REVENGEANCE

(poop link)

[bitchinglikeanoldman]

EARL IS DEFINITELY A SIGMA BRO HAS THAT SKIBIDI OHIO RIZZ HELL YEAH BLUDS BEEN PRACTICING!!

FUCK YEAHHHHH

[nekucreates]

The Yami Bakura vs Yami Yugi duel goes a bit differently from the anime, and both versions are really cool! And I'm always going to be wishing that we could have seen Yami Bakura actually win, but no one can beat magical cheating, Yami Yugi's 'luck' to draw the exact card he needed to win this duel.

[hiddenbeks]

carth watching in increasing despair as this random soldier he escaped the endar spire with and who agreed to keeping a "low profile" makes an enemy of tarisian nobility and the local crime lord, loses all their credits in pazaak games, enters a dueling ring with the excuse of regaining the credits but really just wants to blow off some steam, goes to a sith party with the excuse of searching for leads on bastila's whereabouts but really just wants to see how fun the sith are to party with,

[hauntingblue]

Little sister spoiling katakuri's fun who woulda thot

[cosmopretty]

Sleepyhead

Paige Bueckers x Fem

Synopsis: Moments where you and Paige just felt so comfortable between one another, asleep.

First Moment:

After a long day of working all you wanted to do was sleep, preferably in Paige’s arms. You walk into her dorm sighing, falling right on top of the blonde girl laying down. Her hand falls to your head massaging your scalp “Bad day mama?” she asks you, moving her other hand to your hip rubbing back and forth.

You mumble something into her neck that she couldn’t understand, her hand on your head comes down to your cheek lifting it up “I’m just tired P” you say laying down in her chest your leg bending, laying on her stomach. She nods and starts rubbing up and down your back lulling you to sleep.

Not much later KK comes in the dorm on live, Paige smirks at the live while KK points the camera at you asleep. Paige covers your face with her big hand “Shh KK she’s sleeping” your girlfriend says her eyes widening at her friend, not wanting to wake you.

KK nods “So we’re dueling in Fortnite since the fans wanna know who’s better. Come on get up” she says placing the phone beside her so the live can see you three and the TV.

Paige holds your head to her chest with one hand the other under your legs. She pulls the two of you up and sits down infront of the TV. She positioned you so your straddling her waist, your head on her shoulder tucked in her neck so the live can’t see you asleep. She grabs the remote from KK “You got the upper hand it’s unfair I’m tryna let my girl sleep” Paige says to KK and the live.

“Not my problem this why I stay single now hop on” KK says for once quietly not wanting to wake you either. The two girls play Fortnite together quietly until KK yells throwing the remote on the bed “WHAT? Thats not FAIR THE FU-“ she says before she gets interrupt “Bro shut up” Paige groans.

You move in her arms groaning a bit “What happened?” you ask groggily shifting around in her lap lifting your head from her neck. Paige’s fingers come to move some hair from your face “Nothing baby KK was just leaving” she says her fingers sliding down your face.

KK scoffs smacking her lips “Simp. You see guys Paige is a simp” she tells the live before getting up and leaving the dorm to go find another girl to go live with.

Yawning you rub your eyes smiling at Paige a bit “Was she live?” you ask her looking up at her through your lashes. Paige nods “Yeah don’t worry they didn’t see your face I know you wouldn’t want you drooling on me all over the internet” she jokes sticking her tongue out at you.

“Oh shut up I don’t drool that’s all you” You say laughing a bit running your fingers through her pretty blonde hair. Your hands cup her cheeks squishing them together before letting them go. Her hand holds the back of your head before pulling you closer to her, she pecks your lips multiple times before kissing you sweetly.

Second moment:

Dating a division one basketball player, meant dating a person who worked out their body way too much. Paige worked her ass off durning practice, in the gym anything really always leaving her tired. Which means you take care of her of her a lot, you didn’t mind but even when you were taking care of her she was still always in control.

That’s what lead you here walking to Paige’s dorm at ten am, right after you woke up. You open the door smiling at Nika and KK before going to Paige’s dorm walking in. You see laying on her stomach her head shoved her pillow “You okay Paigey?” you ask her half joking.

She grumbles something before pushing herself up on her elbows “I’m sore from practice can you give me a massage ma?” she asks you pouting her bottom lip out. Walking over to her you sit on top of her straddling her back. Your hands work there way to her shoulders, massaging the muscles there.

“You’re so tense Paige’s relax” You demand the girl massing down her arms. She moans into the pillow eyes fluttering shut. Your hands move softly on her soft skin moving down her back.

You sit on top of the girl for around an hour before your hands starts to ache “Paige I think I’m done” you say aloud not getting an answer. Looking down at her you brush her blonde hair from her face to see she fell asleep. Smiling you move to get up and she groans “No stay there it feels good” she whines not opening her eyes.

You lay down next to her throwing your leg over her back so you’re still laying on top of her. She sighs in content when your hands come to her back pressing against her skin lightly, massaging her again as she falls back asleep.

Third Moment

Waking up in the morning with a six foot tall girlfriend built of muscle was not something easy to do. If she didn’t want to get up, you couldn’t she knew the power she had over you and used it. Morning were not easy on Paige she did not want to wake up early, or leave bed, or be alone which meant she forced you to say with her.

You yawn shutting off your alarm clock on your phone and groan rubbing your face. Paige sighs and pulls you closer to her from behind, you lay flush against her “Mmm come on we gotta get up” you whispers your eyes begging to close.

Paige puts her head in your neck shaking her head no “Ten more minutes” she demands not nothing to hear your answer before slugging her leg on top of your waist, spooning you.

“No Paige you have practice come on” You turn around in her arms giving her the chance to trap you. Her arm wraps around your shoulder and her leg stays wrapped around you “Your stuck here now we get up when I want to” she says into your neck.

Letting out a sigh your hug her back playing with her pretty blonde hair with your fingers “Come on Paige Geno’s gonna yell at you again” you remind her.

Paige shrugs “I don’t care, wanna sleep with you ma” she grumbles kissing your neck softly. Giving up you go limp in her arms hugging her back, the two of you slowly fall back asleep together.

Send some requests because I need inspiration

[nosyrobin]

LISTEN HERE!

we need more twin reader and damian...pls

Mabye with some talia being a good mother too...

||the Al-ghul twins before being sent to Bruce shenanigans||

Taila didn’t want to admit that she confused the two twins with each other. She was embarrassed to even admit it as an Al-Ghul. She had to put different shades of socks on you and Damian. “Is this how mothers feel about their twins?” Thats all she thinks about when seeing her twins.

Damian and you sharing the same room so the demon himself doesn’t have to complain about how “someone can just bust in” and “take” his sibling away

Damian always pouting when his twin has to train differently from him. He’s just trying to see what training you are doing incase the training may makes you weak and tired. Always trying to figure out what makes you not play with him after training.

Talia actually making time to play with her kids instead of just making them train with their grandfather.

The twins dueling things out by katana fights for siblings one. The twins are built different.

Twin!reader forcing Talia to read them a book, Talia actually smiles and read the poor child a book.

Any slight disrespect towards twin!reader is not accepted by the demon heir. This little demon would actually request for an execution towards the assassin who dare mock his sibling.

Twin!reader hopping off of Damian’s back to slash a dummy for training. Damian always doing combo moves like throwing you like a ninja star as you have your dual katanas out.

It being twin!reader’s idea to have the same haircut as Damian to trick others, including talia. But never their grandfather since their grandfather is smarter than the average age of a grandfather.

[miirohs]

in the middle of the night [r.n.z]

pairing: OPLA!Roronoa Zoro x Reader wc: 1.0k cw: there is a reference to something that is canon in the series, as well as one piece spoilers an: damn thats crazy my drive suddenly came back after years of being gone anyways this was inspired by swim by chase atlantic and middle of the night by elle duhé. note that if the tension is not tension-ing its bc i cant write tension.

Zoro felt more lost around you than anyone else.

You were chaotic and proud, kicking up dust and blowing it to the wind, and yet he liked you. He wasn't sure if he was in denial or acceptance about it.

Though for someone so loud, He knew almost nothing about you and anyone who asked you would only receive a smile, teasing them with tiny pieces dangled over their head like bait.

It irked him a little, if he was going to be honest.

No matter how hard he seemed to slash his sword at the pitch black sky, you seemed to linger in the back of his mind.

He paused for a moment, huffing as he turned the blade in his hand. Trying to cut air didn't seem to help a single bit.

As he leaned against his sword, the atmosphere seemed to have shifted. The wind was slowly dying down, the sound of crashing waves being the only thing he could hear for a heartbeat or two. He could have even fell asleep leaning against his katana if he really tried.

"Fancy yourself a little midnight training?"

He whirled around, tip of the katana aimed directly at your throat. You sat on the railing behind him, hair ruffling in the wind as you watched him with an amused smirk.

His grip on the katana didn't waver, but he lowered the blade slightly, still watching you. "What do you want?" He muttered, tone gruff as he sheathed his katana.

"You're always so serious, Zoro," you complained, swinging your legs idly over the railing. "And you're not, so i guess that balances out," He said, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"The way you talk to me , i makes me think you really do hate me," you hummed, leaning forward on the rails, trying to close the space, "Do you though, Roronoa Zoro? Or are you avoiding me for some other reason."

You both paused, and for the slightest moment you could have sworn you saw his eyes narrow slightly.

"Whatever. Anyways, I'm going back to bed," Zoro muttered quickly, turning his heel on you as you jumped down, light as a cat on its feet.

"Wait, Zoro. I have something to ask of you." He paused. You weren't just going to let him slip away just yet.

"What if we have a little duel? Just me and you." You said, traipsing to his side. "If you win i'll tell you whatever you want to know."

He stiffed up slightly and you grinned. You had him right where you wanted him. Bingo.

"Deal-" He muttered as you breathed a sigh of relief, holding out a hand. "But don't expect me to go easy."

You jumped, tumbling across the floor shocked by the sudden strike. Your hands reached for the sword behind you as you got up, leaning against the railing.

"You play dirty, Roronoa."

"We're not having an official match. After all, you're the one who wanted this," Zoro retorted, a menacing look on his face as you got up.

"You're right," you conceded, a smirk playing on your lips. "No official match. Just a little midnight sparring to lighten the mood"

He came for you again, but this time you were prepared, blade catching the moonlight as you struck him.

He managed to block, and from there you were stuck in a pas de deux.

Your swords continued to clang, and you continued to doge effortlessly, almost dancing on your feet as you got closer.

"Come on marimo, tell me this isn't all you have!" You said sing-songy, pushing him back once again.

It was obvious from the look on Zoro's face that he didn't expect the skill level you had from you. While you did gain a lot from watching him fight, this also wasn't your first rodeo.

As he swung for you again, you managed to hit his side with the spine, sending him back a foot or two.

"Oh you've done it now," He snapped, charging at you once again, "You just had to do that, didn't you?"

Out of nowhere, he striked harder, moving fast as you had seen him move in the field. You, for once, struggled against defending the blows, as he randomly disappeared and reappeared.

For a solid moment, his blade scrape against your eyebrow, and you stumbled. He managed to disarm you, forcing you back into the corner you had come slinking out of, sword to your throat.

You could feel the tip barely pressing against it as you breathed deeply, grinning.

"You got me," you conceded, your voice laced with a playful tone. "But you'll have to admit, that was a hell of a fight."

He grimaced, clutching his chest slightly as he watched you through hawk eyes.

"Where the hell did you get all that from? I didn't even think you knew how to hold a sword?" He hissed, pressing the katana a little deeper on accident.

The feeling of warmth trickling down your skin told you everything, and you reached up, holding the blade firmly into your hands. It dug into your skin, yet the smile never dropped off your face.

"I wasn't just a dancer. I use to be a pirate too." He pressed a little more, and you winced.

"I was... apart of the black cat pirates, three years ago. It was around the time Kahladore- or should i say, Kuro, went missing. I saw my chance and i ran." You whispered, watching him carefully. There was no telling what he would do with the information.

"Have you kept this a secret from all of us this whole time?" He gawked. You only blinked, taking time to process the question.

"Nami knows. She's the only one i told, except now i've told you too," You admitted, looking up at him through hooded eyes.

"How do i know you're not going to-"

"Betray you all? Do you think that lowly of me?" You refuted, pushing his blade away from your neck.

"Now let me ask you something, Roronoa Zoro? Do you like me?"

The silence seem to stretch on, thickening every moment you sat there. He didn't say anything, and you sighed. "Shame. I thought i might get something out of you, but i maybe i was wrong about it."

You sat up on the rails, arms outstretched as you leaned back, hair whipping wildly in the wind as you shut your eyes, "shame, it was a wonderful night."

A sudden yank back awoke you, a yelp escaping your mouth as you skidded and landed on him.

Wait.

You landed on him.

Your cheeks flushed as you scrambled back, at a loss for words.

"Uh... I'm- oh, i'm just going to go to bed-"

Zoro watched you with an amused glint in his eyes as you stammered out your intentions.

"Y/n."

"Yes?" You mumbled, burning feeling spreading to your ears as he called you back.

"Maybe i do like you."

"What?" You squawked.

"Maybe I have liked you," he repeated, his voice softer this time. You were sure if there was a little more light, you'd see a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

A smile spread across your face. "I just knew it."

"Don't rub it in." He grumbled, rolling his eyes as you sat up, gleeful.

"I won't," you replied with a mischievous grin, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "But I have to admit, it's nice to finally hear you say it."

Zoro shifted uncomfortably, his usual tough exterior momentarily cracked by his confession. "Yeah, well, don't make a big deal out of it."

You chuckled, warmth settling in as you got up from his side. "Of course not. This can just be our little secret."

He nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, our secret."

As you climbed down the steps, you paused, turning around.

"Also, if you tell anyone about the fact that i can use swords, i will find you and duel you to the death."

"Sure you will."

"Will too."

"Will not."

"Will too."

[pathetic-gamer]

Can you say more on The Burning Wheel? The information on the site doesn’t distinguish it much from other TTRPGs that I can tell, aside from being a D6 system. What makes it unique and worth playing? (You don’t have to provide a huge rundown haha I’m just curious!)

Sure! I tried to keep this short and failed miserably, but I'd be happy to expound even more upon specific things later, if people want more :)

(Please note that, as with any ttrpg, it would be hard to claim any of the things mentioned here are wholly original to The Burning Wheel. It would be even harder to claim that no other systems have used these mechanics or philosophies in the 20 years since The Burning Wheel came out. I am not going to claim either of those things - its the combination of them and the play experience they have resulted in for me that make it unique, so that's the angle from which I'm writing this post.)

So. why is it worth playing? How is it different?

I could talk about the skill learning system, the war rules codex, the whole concept of versus tests vs bloody versus tests. But to me, there are two main ways that it stands out from other systems: its treatment of role-play as a mechanism, and the overall philosophy behind the game's design, including the concept of setting clear expectations.

(using section headers to break up the text lol)

How it uses role-play:

The most obvious thing to point out is that there's a whole set of encounter mechanics for social situations or debates (Circles checks, Duel of Wits, etc.) - sort of the epitome of crunchy role play. But thats not what I'm getting at! What I'm getting is the fact that good role play is integral to the way the game functions.

Let's go back, all the way to character creation: When you're burning a character, you selecting life paths (page to squire to knight, etc.) with their associated skills and traits, then tie them in a pretty bow with beliefs and instincts to guide the character's actions. All of these things feed into each other to make a complete character. Easy! Familiar! We all know how to make a character, even if the numbers and labels are different!

What really matters to this engine once you're playing is whether the character you're acting as matches what you built. If it doesn't, the rules nudge you to redefine your character until it does through systems of rewards, penalties, and consequences. You are rewarded for sticking to and acting on your traits, beliefs, and instincts through different types of points distributed and voted on by fellow players, which can be used to alter the course of events or turn the tide of a bad situation later on. If you're not living up to a trait, on the other hand, you can lose it and all its benefits. (Took the fortitude trait, but ran from trouble one too many times? tough luck! the other players voted to take away that trait and now you can't call on it in moments of peril.) The beliefs and traits of a single character can end up at odds with each other, resulting in characters having to make choices that in other systems might seem insignificant or carry few lasting consequences, but here may alter the function of your character.

It's not all punitive measures, btw! One of my characters caused problems for everyone else by refusing to put away a weapon when someone else was in danger, playing off of an instinct that states he draws his weapon whenever his master does. After the session, another player suggested everyone consider nominating the Brave trait for him the next time we update them. As a character-type trait, it has no effect when rolling dice but does mean that henceforth and forevermore, anyone who interacts with him will notice a sense of bravery. Delightful!!

Also, the beliefs of different characters are practically guaranteed to stray from one another at some point, which is the primary source of inter-PC conflict. Because the mechanics of the game encourage and reward sticking to your beliefs or following your stated instincts even when it makes things significantly harder or causes problems, you're much more inclined to do it. As someone who is terrible at not slipping back into the same kind of character over and over again, I think this fucking rules.

I'm playing with a group of people I've been gaming with for almost five years, and this has opened the way for much richer dynamics between our characters than any of the other systems we've played, in part because as players we're less interested in acting on concensus to drive the plot forward. Working as one unit simply isn't the goal, and if it was, we would play a different system that encourages and rewards that.

the game's philosophy, aka setting intentions and also reading rules:

Now we're starting to get at the philosophy behind the game's design: It believes you have to know why you're playing burning wheel instead of literally any other game. This isn't a system you play on accident. It's admittedly a complicated game with a LOT of rules. It asks for a huge amount of engagement from all of the players, not just the GM - something like inter-PC conflict can only work well if everyone is on the same page (figuratively, but also literally lol) and ready to help adjudicate rules, ask for tests, discuss intentions, etc. Dream scenario for a chronic rules lawyer lol.

Obviously any game will be more fun if everyone has actually learned the rules before they start playing, but this is one where it's extremely difficult (if not impossible) to play if most players haven't learned them, and deeply rewarding if they have. It really operates on the expectation that everyone is putting in work, and everyone has respect for the time and effort the others are bringing to the table.

It's hard to put a finger on how this all impacts play other than the obvious elegence of People Knowing What Theyre Doing, but on a purely emotional and meta level, knowing that everyone is investing so much time and effort to play a game with you is just.. idk, it feels special and makes the time itself feel even more valuable. In that sense, the satisfaction of playing the game isn't coming from the game itself, but is still shaped by it.

(In my mind, this is the #1 reason to try the game, but as @thydungeongal alluded to yesterday, finding people willing and able to do it is also the #1 hurdle to, like, actually having a good time. it would be completely miserable otherwise.)

Also, for a game that does not boast a collaborative nature the way some others do, it is honestly pretty fuckin collaborative lol. I don't know that this was Luke Crane's intention in designing the game, but closing out sessions by going through and grading everyone's work and giving each other glorified gold stars, you will inevitably end up discussing and dissecting things, learning from people's character work, and seeing where and how you can improve individually and as a group. It creates a table culture that values honest expressions of discomfort or dissatisfaction, and also of appreciation and celebration. It's after-care. It leads naturally into setting intentions and expectations for the next session. It just feels really nice!!!

That's obviously a table culture that can be cultivated anyway, and it's a practice my group has learned to be very intentional about facilitating, but it's just interesting how The Burning Wheel of all systems manages to support that. I think that's what the website means when it says playing this changes how you play other rpgs lol

So yeah, idk how much more to say and also I'm sooooooo so eepy and was like an hour late for work, so its a weird brain day. but there you go lol

[logansargeantsbabymom]

Practice

Oscar Piastri x Fem!Reader x Paul Aron

A/N: I really wasn't going to post anything on Tumblr for a while and to just use the anger and betrayal I feel inside of me to write as a form of an outlet. I've had this request done for a while but with everything going on I didn't want to post it but I already feel bad to the person that requested it for keeping them waiting for so long and since Oscar won today, I feel like this is an appropriate time.

After posting this, I do not know how long until I post again but know whenever I do decide it is the right time for me (mentally) to come back, I will have lots of stories to post along with writing more.

Again, thank you to everyone who has reached out to me and wishing me well and reblogging that post along with sending requests to other writers asking them to spread the word and to block and report that person, I do see them and I do really appreciate all the support.

Farewell, for now. I will see you all again soon.

Requested (idk where the actual ask went but I did write it in my notes app where I do rough drafts): Please could you do a story Oscar piastri x y/n x paul aron smut I'm dying for the two of them 🔥 @deepestrunawaykitty

SMUT

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F1 Masterlist

It was a hot July Saturday night, and I felt my heart race as I entered the club with my boyfriend, Oscar. The bass pumped through my body, setting the tone for a night of pure, unadulterated pleasure. I wore a tight, black dress that hugged my body in all the right places. my long hair fell loosely and my eyes sparkled with anticipation. Oscar looked dashing as always, his brown hair tussled, and that seductive smirk playing on his lips. He was a Formula 1 driver, and his bad-boy charm had me hooked from the start.

As we made our way through the crowd, hands brushing against each other, the familiar lyrics of Drake's "Practice" filled the room. This was our song, the one that played on repeat during our steamy make-out sessions. Oscar leaned in close, his hot breath tickling my ear as he whispered, "You know what this song does to me, babe. It makes me want to take you right here on the dance floor and show everyone what you're mine."

I felt my core clench at his words, my nipples hardening against the soft fabric of my dress. I loved it when Oscar talked dirty, and tonight, I wanted to give myself completely to him. "Then take me," I purred, pressing my body against his, feeling the hard length of his cock straining against his pants. "I'm yours to do with as you please."

Oscar's hand slid down my back, pulling my body tight against his. With his other hand, he reached under my dress, his fingers teasing the soaked fabric of my panties. "You're so wet already, baby. Who knows, maybe I'll let one of my friends have a taste of this tight pussy tonight." I moaned, my eyes fluttering closed as his fingers found my clit, rubbing slow, torturous circles. "Oh, yes, Oscar," I gasped. "I'm yours to share. Do whatever you want with me."

As if on cue, Oscar's friend, Formula 2 driver Paul Aron, joined us on the dance floor. He was tall and muscular, with a mischievous smile that sent shivers down my spine. "Well, well, well," he said, his eyes roaming over my body. "Looks like someone's ready to play."

"She certainly is," Oscar replied, his hand still working its magic between my thighs. "Why don't you say hello, Paul?"

Paul didn't need to be asked twice. He pulled me against him, his lips crashing down on mine in a passionate kiss. I melted into the kiss, my hands exploring Paul's body as his tongue dueled with mine. I could feel both of their erections pressing into me, and it drove me wild.

Breaking the kiss, Oscar guided me to turn around, pressing my body against the hard planes of Paul's chest. "Such a beautiful view," Oscar murmured, nuzzling my neck. "Seeing your pretty mouth wrapped around my cock while Paul fucks that tight pussy from behind." I moaned, my eyes rolling back as Paul's hands slid up my thighs, lifting my dress. "Mmm, yes, Oscar," I breathed. "I want you both. Please, fuck me. Make me yours."

Without warning, Oscar spun me around and pressed my against the nearby wall, his mouth claiming mine in a voracious kiss. my senses spun out of control as I felt Paul's hands on my waist, lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed the length of his hard cock against my aching pussy. "You ready for me, baby?" he growled, grinding his hips against her.

"Please," I begged, my head falling back as Oscar kissed and nibbled on my neck. "Fuck me, Paul. Give it to me hard."

With one swift thrust, Paul impaled me on his thick shaft, burying himself balls-deep inside me. I cried out, my nails digging into Oscar's shoulders as I felt myself stretched around his cock. Paul began to move, his hips snapping as he pounded into me, each thrust hitting me deep and hard.

Oscar's hands roamed over my body, cupping my breasts and pinching my nipples. He kissed and sucked on my neck, marking me as his. "You like that, baby? You like being fucked by my friend while I watch?"

"Yes," I moaned, my head tossing back and forth as pleasure washed over me. "Oh, God, yes. It feels so good, Oscar. Don't stop."

Paul's hands gripped my thighs, holding me in place as he thrust faster and harder, his grunts filling the air. I felt her orgasm building, a coil of pleasure tightening in my belly. "I'm gonna cum," I panted, my fingers tangling in Oscar's hair. "Don't stop, please, don't stop."

As if sensing my impending release, Oscar reached between our bodies, his fingers finding my swollen clit. He rubbed me in slow, firm circles, sending shocks of pleasure coursing through me. "That's it, baby, cum for us. Let me taste that sweet pussy."

And cum I did. With a strangled cry, my body shook as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me. My juices flowed around Paul's cock, making his thrusts even more delicious. "That's it, take it," Paul grunted, his hips slapping against my ass. "Cum all over my cock, you dirty girl."

As my orgasm began to subside, Paul quickened his pace, chasing his own release. I felt his cock twitch inside her, and with a final, powerful thrust, he filled me with his hot cum. "Fuck, yes," he groaned, his body trembling as he emptied himself inside me.

But the night was far from over.

After a brief respite, Oscar led us to a more secluded area of the club. His eyes were dark with desire as he pushed me against a nearby couch, his lips capturing mine in a fierce kiss. Paul stood beside us, his eyes burning with lust as he watched his friend take what he wanted from my willing body.

Oscar broke the kiss, his breath hot on my face as he said, "Get on your knees, baby. I want your mouth."

I obeyed without hesitation, my heart pounding with anticipation. I knew Oscar loved deepthroating, and the thought of taking him all the way down my throat made my pussy drip. I looked up at him with hooded eyes, my lips parted, as I reached for the belt of his pants.

Oscar undid his belt, freeing his hard length. my eyes widened at the sight of his thick, veined cock, the head already glistening with pre-cum. I licked my lips, leaning forward to flick my tongue over the sensitive tip. "Mmm," I moaned, tasting the salty sweetness of him. "I've been waiting all night for this."

I took him into my mouth, sucking slowly, bobbing my head up and down as my hands stroked his length. Oscar's hands tangled in my hair, guiding my pace as he moaned above me. "That's it, baby, just like that. Take it all."

my lips slid down his shaft, my tongue swirling as I hollowed my cheeks, taking him deeper with each stroke. I could feel his cock hit the back of my throat, and I relaxed, allowing him to slide down my throat. Oscar groaned, his hips bucking as he held me still, his cock buried deep. "Fuck, yes, that's it, take it all," he panted.

Pulling back, I sucked hard, hollowing my cheeks as I swirled my tongue. Oscar's hands tightened in my hair, guiding me in a fast, hard rhythm as he used my mouth for his pleasure. "You love that cock, don't you, baby?" he growled. "You're such a dirty little cock slut."

"Mmm-hmm," I hummed around his shaft, my eyes flashing with desire. "I love it, Oscar. I love sucking your big cock."

Paul stood beside them, stroking his hardening cock as he watched the erotic display. "Damn, that's fucking hot," he muttered. "Seeing her mouth wrapped around your cock is making me hard again, Oscar."

A wicked smile curved Oscar's lips as he pulled me off his cock, a strand of saliva connecting our mouths. "I think it's time for that double penetration I've been craving, don't you?"

my pussy clenched at his words, the thought of being filled by both men at once sending a thrill through my body. I nodded eagerly, my eyes shining with anticipation. "Please, yes. Fuck me, both of you. I want it so bad."

Oscar positioned me on my hands and knees on the couch, my ass raised in the air, my pussy exposed and glistening with my juices. "Ride that cock, Paul," he instructed, his eyes sparkling with lust. "I'm gonna stretch her throat while you pound that tight pussy."

Paul lined himself up, sliding into my wet heat with ease. I moaned, my eyes fluttering closed as I felt myself stretched around his thickness once again. Oscar guided my head down onto his cock, holding me still as he thrust his hips, fucking my mouth hard and fast.

The sensation of being filled at both ends pushed me closer to the edge. I felt Paul's hands grip my hips, setting a brutal pace as he slammed into me. Oscar's cock pumped in and out of my mouth, his balls slapping against my chin. "That's it," Oscar grunted. "Take it, you dirty slut. Take both our cocks."

The sounds of their grunts and my muffled moans filled the room. “So dirty for us, such a slut” Oscar grunted. His words sent me over the edge. I cried out around Oscar's cock as my orgasm ripped through me, my body shaking with the force of it. Paul roared his release, his cum shooting deep inside me as he rode out his orgasm.

With a final, hard thrust, Oscar held my head down on his shaft, his hips bucking as he filled my mouth with his hot load. I swallowed, milking him with my mouth as he groaned my name.

Collapsing onto the couch, all three of us panted, a tangle of sweaty, satisfied bodies. I smiled, my body buzzing with satisfaction. This was definitely a night I would never forget.

—————

taglist:

@luckyladycreator2 @itsmiamalfoy @jeffs77 @ilivbullyingjeongin @forevercaffeinated-lee @daemyratwst @gulphulp @callsignwidow @f1wintermoon13 @teenwolf01 @victoriassecret101 @hiireadstuff @formulaal l l @kazza72584 @zabwlky1999 @dark-night-sky-99 @rougekiki @xoscar03 @jess-wither @bountychanti @dhanihamidi i @tellybearryyyy @a-panseuxalmess s @love-simon @tallrock35 @iiaik0ii @Milkyymelanine @ilovsyou3000morgan @styl1shl1v @eddieharrington @hellowgoodbye

[trialserrors]

hornets views on vessels and strength, and how she echoes her father

hello! this post is an analysis on hornet where i discuss her mindset, her relationship with the knight, and her parallels with her father in detail. im writing this because i dont think a lot of hollow knight fans are aware of just how much she parallels the pale king, how her ideals become almost entirely the opposite of his, and how complex her relationship with the knight is.

okay, so, over the course of the story, hornet repeatedly tests and puts you through challenges to gauge if you can replace her sibling in the black egg and if you can, effectively, this time, imprison the radiance.

she meets you at greenpath to duel you, and see you prove your strength, and she meets you at the city of tears to direct you to where she wants you, and where she can make you prove yourself again. then, she meets you again at the void.

so lets talk about greenpath first.

before her fight begins, she says, “i know what you’d try to do. i can’t allow it.”

this is interesting, to me. if “what you’d try to do” means “free the hollow knight”, this is one of her first displays of (somewhat) apathy for the vessels. she knows that the vessel plan isnt working, she most likely knows the hollow knight is in suffering, she knows the hollow knight is her sibling and therefore has a bond with it; a motivation for her to free it herself.

but she doesnt, and shes willing to go to extremes to ensure that that the hollow knight is not freed. almost as if shes protecting her fathers vision, or as if she, too, holds the desperate ideal that the vessel plan can work. either way, both mindsets require the sacrifice of generosity and sympathy towards the hollow knight, and the vessels.

we know that later, she wants you to replace the hollow knight (and, you know, this means, for a good portion of the story, shes willing to continue the cycle of the vessels suffering) and i think both of these motivations are at play. something along the lines of, “dont go freeing the hollow knight, i have to test you, and see if youre able and worthy to replace it first, and then you can go freeing the hollow knight.”

now, lets zoom in.

so, when she challenges you, shes standing in front of the body of a vessel, her sibling. it is possible to read this as hornet protecting the body, and thinking you might desecrate or dishonor it. thats a fair interpretation.

however, she also fights overtop the body, with the possibility she could damage it herself, and doesnt bring it with her when she flees. she just kind of leaves it there for you to loot.

another, less charitable interpretation of this, is that that vessel, she had challenged before you, and that vessel hadnt been fortunate enough to win and pass her test. i mean, there is a weapon in it—another bug would have had to kill it.

and she is also very willing to kill you! you dont fail her fight by making a sign of defeat and then she backs off, knowing shes won. she fights you until you die.

(it can be said that the weapon is a nail and not a needle, therefore it was likely another, different bug that killed that vessel, but it also couldve been that hornet took the vessels own nail, that it was using to fight, and stabbed it into the vessels body.)

so, with these interpretations in mind, you could see hornet as doing what her father had done: testing any vessel to see if theyre worthy (through extreme means), and leaving them for dead if they arent.

however, i do not think hornet feels complete apathy for the two vessels, in this scene. when you dream nail her, one of her pieces of dialogue is, “only pity for your cursed kind.”

i do see this the same way as i see that cutscene in the path of pain, though.

is the pale king trying to bond with the pure vessel, in this moment? does that mean he knows, deep down, that the pure vessel is a failure, and that the vessel plan wont work? is it a desperate reach to find a connection in a being he doesnt think is capable of connection? did he talk to the vessel, when this really happened? does he feel guilt over the vessel plan? does he sympathize with it?

all of that is possible, but that doesnt mean he didnt repress those feelings and carried on with the hollow knights training, anyway. hornet may feel pity, or sympathy, for her siblings, but initially, its not enough to warrant her to want to stop the cycle.

okay. onto her meeting with you in the city of tears.

so, she never addresses anything about you, other than, basically, “you beat me. i underestimated you. you should know whats going on, then. you can fight me again and earn the right to assume your role.” in this scene.

but, she also addresses, at this point, that you can think and remember, (she says you could potentially know something) and that you can make choices and feel (she offers you the choice to keep going.) this goes against two requirements for the hollow knight: no mind to think, no will to break.

so, either, by continuing to test you, she wants to chase those possibilities out, or, she acknowledges that they are inescapable, and that somehow, you just have to be able to contain the radiance, anyway.

theres very little, but still some, sympathy in this exchange. she knows that if you knew what happened to your sibling, you might not want to continue. and she doesnt force you to.

theres the possibility that one of her lines, in this scene, could mean something more. “you i’ve underestimated, though i’ve since seen the truth.” i mean, yeah, she does mean what she says.

however, if she acknowledges that the vessel can think and feel, and still has the potential to contain the radiance, this could also mean: “i thought you wouldnt be able to achieve much while still facing the setback of possessing a mind. since you bested me, i dont think thats true anymore.”

so, yeah. “i’d feel no sadness in a weakling’s demise.” she is explicitly being apathetic and cold, here. she has only expressed concern or consideration for your feelings, thoughts or decisions when it pertains to whether you will or will not continue on to assume your purpose, so far.

there are other instances where she acknowledges your feelings in this scene, such as here. if you would not accept, it might mean you fear going forward, or would be stuck mourning the past, or something similar.

and theres also this line. this is interesting because it poses a juxtaposition between the pale kings requirement of “no will to break” and hornets requirement of “a will that cannot be broken.” perhaps she does not believe a vessels strength lies in its apathy and disconnect from a mind and emotions, but rather, from the mind and emotions’ own power, by the time this scene happens.

in this piece of dialogue, she describes the conception of the vessels as “tragic.” so, she does, very clearly, now, sympathize with you, understand your potential strengths, and she also believes in you (when she urges you to move forward, she exclaims it, “then do it!” and remarks multiple times on your strength, so, i think its safe to assume she has confidence in you, now.) shes forming a connection with you. yippee!

she also she saves you from the falling rocks inside the cast off shell. and she just kind of leaves you in the snow afterward. so, her connection with you isnt enough to make her want to check on you any more, at this point. she still expresses a certain amount of apathy. whether or not she worries about you afterward, and simply deems remaining long enough if youve been damaged is inappropriate? i couldnt say.

or maybe thats why she pauses over you, for a moment? she could be seeing if youre alright, or something? maybe she is, maybe she isnt. i dont know. it is notable though, that if she went in to save you, she had most likely been watching/stalking you.

probably something she learned from her mother, and deepnest, that stalking unseen. anyway, onto the void.

okay, here we go. here, we really get to talk about how hornet “echoes her father.” hornet meets you at a ledge— the same ledge where the pale king met with the pure vessel— you must ascend and take the journey again up, from the void, to her.

it is almost identical. prove yourself to your kin, through arduous trials. reach them, at the peak of the void, after making the difficult journey. meet them at a ledge. there, they will express their approval.

but the difference, i think, speaks the loudest about hornets connection with, and view on you (ghost), and the rest of the vessels.

and that difference is? she talks to you.

she doesnt see youve succeeded, and then leave, expecting you to follow. she doesnt only stand there, watching and waiting to see if youve done what she wanted. she not only talks to you,

but she tries to relate with you, she relays her own, personal emotions to you, her hopes and wishes. would she ever have done this, back at greenpath? probably not. the pale king have done this? probably not.

and she also,

again, offers you a choice, and presents both sides of the decision, to you. she also acknowledges that you have the choice to replace the hollow knight, which, up until i unlocked this dialogue, seemed like the one linear goal she was directing you towards, to me, or stop the cycle completely by facing the “heart of the infection.”

okay. black egg time.

another acknowledgement of your emotions is in this line despite you reaching the goal that should have required the lack of them. she still thinks your strengths lie within your mind.

i think before this, hornet wouldve been more certain. but ghost has given her lots of new ideas, about her family, and about the vessels.

so, naturally, she might question if this really is the only correct path for you.

to conclude,

hornets views of the vessels, ghost, her sibling, and their role, all come to directly parallel the pale kings, eventually. ghosts journey effects her mindset deeply.

you see her, first, as the steely protector, in your way, who speaks with finality and fierceness. and, later, she becomes more of a sister—the only other free survivor of your family, who shares the knowledge of your tragedy, who will push you towards your goal, until youve accomplished it, and given you both, and your world, peace.

[iridiss]

Mystreet AU where all of the Phoenix Drop High staff are the divine warriors. MCD!Aphmau is a reincarnation of the last Irene, and she restarted the world when the final battle against Shad was going poorly, and Mystreet was created instead, with MCD!Aphmau being reincarnated into Mystreet!Aphmau. The other Divine Warriors (including the first Irene), were recycled into this school with no powers and new lives, completely powerless to the universal change that Aphmau has made. So now they’re forced to adapt to this new world and blend in, whether they like it or not, effectively trapped in this school until they can figure out what the hell happened, and somehow undo it. They all have retained most or all of their memories from their previous life. This makes staff meetings incredibly awkward

Shad is the principal, he runs this school very begrudgingly. He hates his job, but hey, he was able to lead an army in Hell! How much harder can leading highschoolers be?

Irene is the school counselor. The only one. She still has no emotions. This makes her not very successful at her job, but hey, she tries. The students are theorizing that she and the principal are divorced, or exes in some way or another, because of the incredibly grudge-filled looks they keep giving each other. They are forced to work in vague proximity with one another, and no one is enjoying it. They have to maintain workplace diplomacy and after learning what kind of world Shad is trapped in now, he realizes that he can’t actually kill her unless he wants to be arrested and thrown in jail forever. Which would suck ass, because he’s pretty certain the source of their new predicament is somewhere in this school alongside them, and if he wants any luck at getting out, he’s going to have to play along.

Irene and Shad are at least able to remain thinly diplomatic with one another. Shad and Esmund, however—never in a million years will they be civil with one another. They have gotten in very confusing shouting matches in front of the kids before. And yet Esmund never gets fired, (…i don’t think Shad has figured out that he can do that yet…) so the kids start to spread rumors that Esmund is hooking up with or used to be hooking up with the principal. Esmund and Shad find out, and all of the students get in ungodly amounts of trouble for this.

Enki tried to reconnect with his old friend Shad at some point. It didn’t go well. He left his office as quickly as he came in at the first sight of his glare.

It becomes surprisingly easy (and very existential crisis-inducing) to finally be able to tell Aphmau and Irene apart when they’re two entirely separate people standing in the same room. Shad realizes that this Aphmau is probably what caused this, but problem 1. She doesn’t remember a damn thing and is therefore extremely unhelpful, and problem 2. That’s A Child. That’s A Literal Actual Child. That’s some 13yo baby that is entirely innocent and bright-eyed and oblivious to anything and everything that went down in her past lives. And in my mind, Shad has a soft spot for children. Like, a HUGE soft spot, because he used to be a father and his daughter meant the world to him. He’d do anything to get her back and protect her from all the horrors that he could not save her from. Thats his entire villain motivation. Thats the entire reason why he hates Irene and becomes The Shadow Lord and raises an army and pillages the world and everything else. The Shad in my head would be physically incapable of hurting a child.

So I can see Shad calling Aphmau into his office very early in the first semester, ready to confront her and duel all over again…only to realize that, no, this is an separate, innocent child who remembers nothing and might even be an entirely different reincarnation of who she was before. Her memories might even be wiped, completely inaccessible and gone forever. He has an existential crisis, awkwardly apologizes and plays it off as some sort of joke, asks if she needs anything (putting back on his “I’m a normal human being” mask). She says she needs directions to her classes, so he scrounges up a random map and hands it to her and sends her off. He re-evaluates everything he’s known for the past 900 years.

Shad becoming strangely protective of 13yo Aphmau,,, this is just some kid,, he’s forced to re-evaluate everything and adjusts how he sees his students. From “oh good a new army I’m gonna have to mold from scratch /sarc” to “i…i have gone from zero children…to thousands…. thousands of children put under my care…i need to protect all of them at once” man goes mega mother hen mode, especially since his dangerous traitorous ex-wife is in the same building as them, he definitely sees her and the other divine warriors as threats to his kids.

Irene bringing Aphmau into her office as well, but she approaches things very differently from Shad. She cuts straight to the chase, and tells Aphmau she needs to remember. She’s done something terrible, and needs to reverse it and put the world back in order. She needs to remember her old life and become the newest Irene, take on all the power and the responsibility that being a Goddess entails, and set everything right. 13yo Aphmau freaks out, confused and lost. Irene lays the pressure on hard, and keeps pushing when Aphmau insists that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Shad opens the door, sensing she was here with her, and looks like he’s doing everything in his power to hold himself back from punching her square in the face. They have a very terse, carefully worded micro-argument, and Shad insists Aphmau must return to her classes, her education is more important than anything Irene has to stay to her. He gets very protective of her and basically professional-business-talk tells her to fuck right off and never speak to her again. Aphmau is still confused. He ushers her out, and awkwardly asks if she’s alright. She says…i…think…so???? What just happened??? Shad tells her to be careful around that woman, and don’t believe a word she says. She’s full of lies, anyway. Aphmau’s like. you mean the school counselor???????? It’s a very strange day for Aphmau.

insert the kids joking about how Garroth/travis/aaron/Aphmau must be related to certain members of the staff here

[vigilskeep]

okay I saw a reference to zevrans wolf in a tag so as someone who also loves the ranger specialization and only won the landsmeet duel as a rogue last night because of it I gotta ask. how do you think that works in universe w the summoning. bc like. it can't be actual summoning, thats for mages, the summoning has to be a game mechanic only.

I have thought about this a lot in the context of the landsmeet specifically in the last 12 hours and I can't decide if its funnier to have the familiar just following them around at all times (i.e. theres wolf chilling in crowd at the landsmeet while everyones arguing) or if they have a special whistle or something (i.e. the landsmeet duel starts and their familiar busts through a door like the koolaid man)

the ranger specialisation is SO hard to even justify working in any way. my theories for my prospective ranger wardens on what it all even means are like “haunted by a protective spirit that possesses these animals in order to come to his aid” and “has an uncanny connection with nature after being bitten by a werewolf during nature of the beast”. and then i get to zev and i’m just like. uhhhh well you know he’s my princess so he can just do that. maybe elves are just like that i don’t know. maybe the mage wife i gave him was like hey babe do u want a Creature? a Creature of Varying Form that returns even when killed? i promise it’s almost certainly not a demon technically

i picture the animal just sort of loping after you at all times and chilling, i think, bc it Appearing whenever you need it is too silly if u are indoors 😭 so the warden won the landsmeet debate bc everyone was too distracted by their hindbrain screaming increasingly louder that’s not a dog

i love the ranger spec though. it is my bestie. i wish i liked playing dao rogue more to have it myself but ranger boyfriend and awakening ranger boyfriend stand-in (nathaniel) having it will have to do

[nebmia]

Reviewing every rpg book on my shelf: 1, Dungeon Crawl Classics

Everything about this game is absolutely dripping with bonkers maximalist bombast that makes me excited to play. To start with book itself is nearly 2 inches thick. Is that practical? No! does it feel like you've got an ancient tome full of roleplaying possibilities? Absolutely.

In a world tending towards minimalism and 'polished' production its so good to have somthing thats just big and fun and unapologetic about not being what it is.

DCC's dice are a microcosm of everything great about it. Not only do they come in shapes they never taught you about in maths class but they also all come with a fun little bonus. One of my sets comes with a stat block for a monster, while the other has a ridiculous table of reality warping effects on which you roll ALL the dice in the set, and inevitably send your campaign careening off into madness. (and it has a frame story about a stoner wizard in a magic van).

And then there's the actual contents of the book, which is probably about 80% spells and ridiculous tables. And the spells are just so good. Each one takes up a a least a full page on average and gives a range of results according to how well you roll, from 'it missfires and things go horribly wrong' at the bottom, through 'it does about what you would expect' in the middle result ranges, to 'actually, this is almost too much' if you manage to get a roll in the 30s.

Alongside being sick as hell, this also has a satisfying effect of keeping low level spells relevent and interesting as their effects scale with the strength of the caster on a variety of axis.

related to spells is the 'spell duel' procedure. I have no idea how well it runs at the table, but the idea that when two (or more) wizards fight their spells can interact and you can use any appropriate spell to try and counter another spell is so increadibly compelling.

Ok, enough gushing about vibes. what about actually playing? So far what I have run is the 'level-0 funnel', which is probably what you have heard about if you have heard anything about DCC. The premise is simple: randomly generate 2-4 level-0 peasants for each player, send them into a dungeon, and then take whoever survives and level them up to become your characters for a campaign.

Not only does these lead to much hilarity as a mob of townsfolk bungle their way through danger but also really fun problem solving as the players work out how best to navigate problems with a shoehorn, a bundle of wood and a live chicken.

Specifically, what I have run is Sailors on the Starless Sea, which is correctly recognised as THE introductory module to use. Its a nice sequence of somewhat open investigation followed by a excellend sequence of bombastic set pieces, all the while giving the players lots of scope to come at things ininteresting ways. It can get a bit unwiedly trying to manage such large number of characters when they do run into combat but if you plan ahead a bit and use various tricks (it would be useful is more of that advice was in the book rather than coming from forums) it is manageable.

And to return to vibes one last time: the art in these books is just so good. We could not be further from the slightly stiff generic highly rendered fantasy art of wotc era d&d. Its all fantastically old school fantasy, so full of character, and just the right amount of rough around the edges. My only slight complaint is that this does include a little too much of old school fantasy art's treatment of women than I would like...There are still prenty of sensibly dressed women and i'm not about to decree that no sexy fantasy women are allowed but the dial is a little further in a direction of objectification that I would like.

[year2000electronics]

And of course Super Paper Mario and 4. Convince me to give this game another try perhaps :]

4. …why you should choose to check out the world of this story and choose three gifs that should underline my point.

NOTE: i will be forgoing the GIF part and using pictures instead because every single GIF search result has been clogged up with mouth-breathers on the internet who have been arguing over whether SPM is good or bad and have been doing it in GIF form for years. don't believe me? search "super paper mario" on discord's gif search. you'll see it. you always see it.

oh jesus. see the thing about liking super paper mario is that there's a lot of SPM fans out there who really like the game but can't really connect a very important dot as to Why they like the game. (HINT: THEY PLAYED IT WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND ARE NOSTALGIC FOR IT SO THE FLAWS IT HAS IS WAY LESS FOR THEM, AND BY PROXY, ME.) IM self aware. i will never be able to hate the game, but i am incredibly aware that the gameplay can be fairly lacking sometimes. if the story doesnt already grip you, it probably wont ever be worth it to go through the gameplay. thats my bit. thats my piece.

(but then youll have people who see how SPM defenders dont like to critique it when it deserves to be critiqued and start going after stuff like "oh the story isnt even that good"? MAN WHY DID YOU BRING THE STORY INTO THIS.)

but i digress. the life of a paper mario fan is a long and hard one.

POINT THE FIRST. MARIO'S "EXPERIMENTAL" ERA.

you can argue that ttyd also fits this bill, and i think it does, but this is about SPM so im focusing on that. if the mario series has never really Gripped you or you havent really been a lifelong fan, i always think the gamecube-wii era of mario has been one of its more interesting moments. the switch renaissance has allowed a breath of creativity to come back into mario, and mario's allowed to be Weird again, but gamecube-wii mario is weird in a really SCUFFED way and i love it. the gamecube's flagship mario game was a LUIGI game where he cant even jump. super paper mario came out before mario galaxy or NSMBwii. that was our mario rep on the wii for a while. mario games get a little crazy, a little weird here. and so what you get is a more melancholic story about the end of all worlds, and exploring what it really means to be a hero, and the closest many games will get to acknowledging that the mario characters can have emotions that arent Perfect. its just such a fascinating era for such a perfectly-marketable franchise and i adore it. it's a testament to what mario can Be, for me. Mario Is Weird. say it with me now!

POINT THE SECOND. GOODBYE TO A WORLD.

i just really like the theme of All Worlds Coming To An End. usually in these sort of things, it's "save the world so the world doesnt end!" but in this game, it really feels like "the world is ending and you have to fight even to have a chance to succeed". it colours the tone of the game in such a fantastic way. many songs in the OST have a ticking clock in them. the inescapable void is even in the hub world. it's like the majora's mask of paper mario. many people talk this up but the fact that in chapter 6, you're beholden to the traditions of a silly king who REFUSES to believe the world is ending even when HIS ENTIRE SKY IS PURPLE, and youre trying so hard to beat this 100-man duel faster and faster, only for the world to end and then youre forced to go back into the chapter and see this GRAVEYARD. it makes it so much more tangible. THIS is what will happen if you fail. and this overhanging melancholy paints the themes of love so much stronger. it's not just a love story, it's a love story in adversity. love conquers all, but what is the "all" in question? well, this. bleakness. sometimes the bleakness is part of the love. sometimes you make a sacrifice in the name of love, and nobody likes it, but you know it must be. the whole game is actually a love story between bleck and tippi and it just grips me so. it's such a multi-faceted depiction of love and loss that it feels so much more real to me, that love isn't always the Magical Solution. love is a sword, a shield, a prayer, a wish, a curse, a blessing, an order, an act of cowardice, an act of bravery, a sacrifice.

(you see what i mean? i can literally only be talking like this because i grew up with this stupid ass game)

POINT THE THIRD. FUCK ALL THAT THOUGH LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BLECK MINIONS.

so, the whole kind of crux of this game is that it's a love story between bleck, the main antagonist, and tippi, your companion, right. if you can't flesh both of them out you're in a bad way. obviously for tippi, she's hanging around you all the time, and you get to hear her journey play out throughout the entire game. BUT WHAT OF BLECK? HE'S HIDING IN HIS CASTLE! how are we supposed to know more about him and learn his story if he is IN HIS CASTLE? well that's why after every chapter, there's this interlude where we CHECK UP ON THE BAD GUYS.

i blame this game entirely for my love of villains. this gang of baddies has so much quirks and personality that i find it hard NOT to love them. they're not just gormless minions of the count- each shows their own personality in their relationship with him. mimi has a puppy-love crush on him, o'chunks has a sort of warrior's bond with him, nastasia pledges herself to him and almost uses the minions she controls as a conduit for her dedication to him, dimentio is like a cat in a bird store, and mr l clearly isnt supposed to be here but i dont think he knows that. the minions bicker amongst themselves but clearly have a bond of cameraderie because it all feels like teasing of people who've known each other for a long time.

you fight each minion at least twice, and even though the lackluster gameplay kinda comes in full force again, you get to see so much PERSONALITY in these guys. mimi is super-bratty but seems to know most people would see her as a monster so leans into it, dimentio is playful and jovial while also having his own motives, o'chunks is bold and brash but asks you to finish him off the second time he fails, mr. l is cocky to a fault and reeks of insecurity. i just love having these guys we can always check up on. it's like lord crump but MOOOOORE.

and through a combo of you inferring things about these people and some of the Deeper Lore (flopside bar stories), you kinda come to learn that these minions were kinda manipulated by bleck when they were at their lowest. mimi is a failed creation of SOMETHING. o'chunks' men all died because there was a traitor in his midst. nastasia was saved from a cage by bleck. and the more you learn about bleck the more you see that he is a man grieving the woman he loved, apathetically trying to end all worlds so the pain would end. he lies to the minion, he says he aims to make perfect new worlds, and they believe him, and they love him, because he saved them.

this sort of birth of a relationship through bleck's pain and manipulation comes through by the end, as the love the minions have for bleck is a KEY part of the final act. and idk it's a bunch of deeply-hurting misfits binding together and accidentally finding love in a world they found loveless. i think thats really cool. i think THEYRE really cool. such an awesome cast of villains.

but yknow. again. this is my childhood game. the special feeling i have for it can't really just be put into words. it's my diamond in the rough and nothing can really change that. it's Home.