#the contrasts between the characters become bigger

[bloodlust-1]

︶꒦꒷ A Night of Blood ꒷꒦︶

Astarion x fem Tav — 18+ Explicit

Summary: Tav finds herself in a dangerous situation, completely taken over until Astarion saves her. Astarion would do anything for her. He’d Kill for her.

T/W: blood, death, assault, nudity, angst

Note: my first post here, and I plan on writing up more stories like this. So stay tuned to those. Hope you give it a read <3

The latest Astarion fic (Ballroom dance)

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

As the temperature drops, the cold night of the bustling city of Baldurs Gate took on a different character. One that was serene and uncomfortably dark. Ever since the victory of defeating the elder brain, the urge for crime decreased and most foul play was done in the shadows. Which was the Perfect time for trouble in the streets, one that Tav was unlucky to be in.

She usually never traveled alone, especially at night because Astarion was always by her side. The relationship between the two grew stronger after the fall of the Elder brain. The elf was learning to love life, love Tav, and…to love himself. However old habits die hard, Astarion was still extremely possessive over her, and it hurt his ego a bit that Tav felt safe to walk the streets alone at night after a drink with the girls at the tavern. 

The contrast between the stillness of the night and the movement of the city can be quite captivating. Tav bundled up in warm clothing, her breath visible in the chilly air. The city lights casted a soft glow on the streets, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The sound of distant laughter and occasional footsteps echoed through the empty streets, adding to the sense of solitude. The distant banter of drunken orcs, elves, and drows of all kinds of races filled empty spaces of the streets. 

As Tav walked her way home she noticed the beauty of her surroundings that she overlooked during the busy daytime hours. The architecture of buildings stands out against the dark sky, their details illuminated by streetlights. The thought of Tav’s adventures and the history she made with her new found friends and companion. Her heart fluttered on the walk home. 

All too deep in her memories of first meeting Astarion, a shiver runs down her spine. Tav becomes all too aware of her surroundings and her senses become heightened as she looks behind her shoulder for danger lurking nearby. Her surroundings showed no signs of danger, but her senses spiraled all too familiar with fear. 

Tav began walking quicker, then her breathing became quicker, and the only thought was to fight back, “Who ever is there I will fucking ripe your throat out!” She turned back to the ally and pulled out a pocket knife. 

A pair of glowing red eyes sparkled in the shadows. Never did it break eye contact, they didn’t even blink before a masculine voices chimes out, “And here I thought this was going to be easy.” 

A man’s body emerged from a dark shadow and the light perfect hit his face. An elf, one that you never seen before. His eye color was nothing but a hint that he was a vampire. He was much bigger in stature to Tav, and his black hair flopped over his face. 

“A vampire. What a lovely surprise. If you hadn’t caught me a little tipsy I would’ve been had your blood spilled on the floor.” Tav sarcastically chimed yet there was still a hint of intimidation in her voice. She meant what she said, but anyone would be a fool to challenge her, the hero of baldurs gate. 

Tav kept her composure, knife in hand, and furrowed her eyebrows, “I think it would be best if you walk away and find yourself a nice animal to feed on outside the gate.” 

“But that wouldn’t be a challenge, now would it? The hunter and the prey— the adrenaline rush of getting your next meal. I wouldn’t expect a mere mortal like you to understand.” He took in a deep breath and took a step closer to Tav. 

She took a step back, “I warn you now…You don’t know who you are fucking with.” 

“Oh! But I think I do— the hero, the beauty of Baldurs Gate, you know people can’t stop gossiping about you. How a beauty can fight against such a force. I didn’t believe it until I saw you for myself. How the rumors don’t compare to you in person..and how soft your skin looks. How it exciting it would be to see your lovely neck.” He tilted his head and his stare become uncomfortably…sensual? 

What a vampire thing to say. She went through this already with Astarion but never did he make Tav feel like a piece of meat. “Okay, cut the shit. I don’t want to spoil my night so let’s make an agreement to part ways and never see each other again.” 

He started to walk closer to her so much so that she could see his cold breaths in the air. How calmly he was breathing compared to Tav’s made the hair on her arms stand. Her fight or flight kicked in and she took one good swipe at his face. 

“AGHH!” The vampire grabbed his cheek, the blood flowed between his fingers like oil, “You bitch!” He used the weight of his shoulders to push Tav onto the floor, causing her to drop her knife. 

The struggle began. The vampire pounced on her limp body, holding her hands over her head on the cold concrete floor. His eyes glowed in lust, maybe for something more than blood. 

Tav screamed and struggled under his grasp, but he was much larger in size and the only person she thought of was Astarion. 

Tav cried out Astarion’s name. A plea, the sound of sadness rasped from her throat and a single tear rolled down her face. Her voiced echoed the walls yet no one came. 

His attention became suddenly pleased, “Astarion— is it? Oh where is he now…? I know he’s been sleezing around with you. How unfortunate it wasn’t me.” A wicked laughter left the unknown man’s lips. Tav kicked and squirmed, attempting to push him off. 

“I am going to enjoy this more if you keep this up…I might even make you a spawn of my own.” his voice like pins and needles from the stone tone. 

Tav could feel the heat of his breath as his lips got closer and closer to the side of her neck. She closed her eyes so tightly, just anticipating the sharp sensation of fangs. 

Suddenly, a noise of a grunts mixed with slicing filled the ally. It was Astarion stabbing the back of her attacker. It was a sight she only seen when Astarion killed Cazador. The pure rage in Astarion’s eyes was chilling, his face was splattered with foreign blood. Astarion let out a scream each time his knife pulled out of his back. Each stab caused more blood to spill on Tav until the body became limp and fell over to its side. Lifeless. 

Both Tav and Astarion hyperventilating, clouds huffed out their mouth. Astarion reached out for Tav and picked her up bridal style,”Gods! Are you hurt!?” He was frantic and Tav couldn’t help but feel guilty. Pure hurt from his voice piecered her heart. A tone she wished to never hear again the day he killed Cazador. 

“I-I’m not hurt…” her voice was shakened. Clearly she was frightened from the encounter considering she was stripped of her weapon. How things would’ve been different if Astarion didn’t show up. 

“We’re leaving now.” He clutched her body and brought Tav to their home. He was quiet on the journey there. Tav wasn’t sure if he was mad, sad, or scared. Maybe all. All she could do was bask in the comfort of his protection. 

Astarion placed Tav on her feet, “What in the hells were you thinking?! This is why I fear you being out there alone! I know all too well of what lurks the shadows, looking for a pretty little snack to sink my teeth in!” He rubbed his temples to reduce his stress. His loud tone hit Tav like a ton of bricks. To hear him yelling so harshly, but she knew it was only out of concern.

Astarion let out a long single sigh, ”I’m going to make a bath for you, you’re covered in blood.” He reached over for a towel and handed it to her. “Meet me there when you’ve settled in.” 

Tav got undressed and went over to the bathing room. Astarion was already inside the tub and when she caught his eyes, he reached out his hand for her to join. His facial expression were softer now. 

She dropped her towel to the ground, but she couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t even break eye contact with her. Usually he’d awe at Tav’s naked body, but not this time. He was more concerned with her well being. 

“That’s it..one foot at a time..” His voice gentle, he guided her in the warm water and started to clean her stained skin. His hands washed Tav’s skin as if she were fine china. Each stroke was filled with care and love. 

“Turn around, love.” He whispered and she did exactly that. Tav turned her back to him as he cleaned her skin. It smelled of fresh floral and vanilla. Tav admits, he was talented in perfumery. 

Then, she felt arms wrap around her body, his head rested against her shoulder as he planted a kiss on her neck, “I’m sorry I yelled at you…I’ll try not to be so— hostile. Next time please let me know a time so I could come get you.” 

She nodded her head. Tav knew he was being sincere. She also felt Terrible for proving him right. It was stupid of her and now she felt like the biggest burden to him.

“I’m so sorry I thought I could take him on myself. I swear I almost had him. He was just…so big and it was hard to shake him off and I —“

Astarion cut her off with a gentle squeeze, “You don’t have to explain yourself. Just be grateful you have a wonderful vampire spawn that could find your sweet scent anywhere in this city.” 

“I suppose I do.” She placed her hands over his and squeezed them. 

A peaceful silence filled the room and she couldn’t help but replay the sight of that vampire slumped dead next to her body. It was intense, scary, and surreal. Tav then thought of a question that had popped up. 

“Star..?” 

“Yes my love?” 

“Why haven’t you turn me into a vampire yet?” She held her breath to this question. It felt like a sensitive topic but she couldn’t help but remember that the vampire wanted to turn her back there. 

Astarion’s body went tense. He slowly peeled his body away from her back and turned her shoulders to look at him, “I fell in love with everything you are. I love that your blood runs warm, the way you make me feel alive. To take away these things I love about you. Not even to selfishly make you understand a curse like mine. We are perfectly different and I couldn’t bring myself to turn you. Not unless it’s something we truly compromise on, but that feels unnecessary now..” 

“Wow…I didn’t know you felt like that.” Tav couldn’t help but feel her lips tug into a smile. “That’s was so sweet, I can’t wait to tell our future kids about this.” She joked in hopes she’d get a reaction. And that she did. 

His eyes widened,”Ah! Dear, don’t you think that’s for the very, very, VERY, far distant long time away future? I mean look at me, I can’t walk to streets without getting stares, imagine walking the streets with a baby strapped to my chest! Hah! I can’t imagine that.” He finished by flicking water at Tav with a pouty expression. 

It made her giggle, she knows he’s trying his hardest to warm up to feeling loving emotions. He didn’t even see himself as a good person, and there’s no way he’d see himself as a good dad any time soon. He needed time to figure out what he wants in life, and Tav was going to be there every step of the way. 

Tav hooked her arms around his neck. She planted a passionate kiss on his lips. The kiss was soft at first, loving with every push of their lips. It grew more intense and her warm tongue twirled against his cold one. The temperature difference between their bodies was intoxicating. It was thrilling and made their hearts race. 

Astarion pulled away between kisses, “I can hear..feel your heart beating.” he grabbed Tav’s thighs and pulled them on top of his groin.

She could feel his hard shaft press against her stomach as they sloppily kisses each other. Small moans and grunts filled the room as Astarion teased, groped, and rubbed every part of her body. 

Tav ran her fingers through his white curls and tugged his hair into her palms. His eyes sparkled in hunger and Tav spotted him staring at her neck in awe. 

“Why don’t you—“ she pulled her hair away from the nape of her neck,”bite me..” 

Her offer brought a smile to his face. He brushed his fingers over her neck, tickling her skin. Her skin crawled in goose bumps, but it felt amazingly sensitive. 

His movement were so gentle yet sensual. Astarion placed a trail of kisses against her skin. A shiver ran up her back and his shaft twitched in excitement with every squirm she made under his control. 

His fangs grazed over her neck. He loved the way she surrendered her body for him. Astarion Never had control, and this new found control over Tav was so addicting. He pressed his fangs into her skin. A wince of pleasure left her lips and they both held each other harder now. The pain and pleasure was all too exciting and Tav started to drop her head. Astarion clutched a hand full of her hair and pulled her head back to expose her neck even more. 

His jaw clenched, his mouth filled with the sweet slick of blood. His body instantly rejuvenated itself. Whenever Tav was so kind to give blood it was when Astarion was at his peak of strength, dexterity, and energy. 

“You’re perfect every single time.” He growled. He placed his hands over her hips as he licked up the trail of blood over her collar bones. 

“Mph..” Tav winced but the Icy sensation of Astarion’s tongue was an experience she was all too familiar with. 

Astarion pulled away, “I really don’t want to hurt you.. but I hope I live 1,000 more years with you so I can continue to keep doing this. You were my first ever taste of human blood, and you’ll be my last.” A hint of authority left his lips. It was loving yet firm, he was telling her she was his, forever. 

Tav sank her head into his chest. Astarion was possessive, yes but…She didn’t mind it all at despite the little red flags. Apart of her always wanted to be needed and cherished, and Astarion was giving all that to her. 

She let out a sigh,” I love you.” 

Astarion twirled a piece of her hair between his fingers. He stared up at the ceiling. Accepting what his life is now and not for what it was with Cazador. The sense of family that didn’t want to spill his blood was something…new. Refreshing even. “Till death do us part, my sun. I love you forever.” 

Any thoughts? Comment 👇🏼 I love to engage !

[lehguru]

MUSCLE MUSCLE! + ONE PIECE MEN

one piece men having a muscular fem!s/o feat. monkey d. luffy, roronoa zoro, trafalgar d. water law, sanji, donquixote rosinante, buggy the clown

info: again FEM!READER , this is so self indulgent its embarrassing; not proofread

luffy wouldn't mind you having muscles. he thinks that's something normal – just like some women can be skinny or chubby, others can be muscular. he would love to compare his biceps to yours if you love to flex, he takes it as a fun playful thing. he would adore to train with you, it gives him a big motivation; not only because it's someone as strong as him training, but also because he would adore to share earbuds with you and do silly dances to make you laugh between your sets.

zoro thinks the way you managed to build up your muscles is amazing. he often talks to you about your training techniques and diet; you're also one of the few – three – people he invites to workout with him. if you spot him during bench presses, he always puts a higher weight than he would while alone – that's his way to show that he trusts you and your strength. he will often stare at your body at the gym, but it's never in a creepy way, he just wants to make sure you're okay while doing your exercises (and he secretly enjoys to see your muscles working).

law is constantly wanting to rip his hair off with worry for you. he thinks your psyche is nice and he have no problem with it, his fears lie on your diet and your bones/joints. he fears that you might get an injury and you're not keeping a healthy fat percentage; even if you reassure him and say everything is fine, he always show up with food at your place. if he's not in that worried state, he loves to feel your muscles while you hug him (he has a skinnier build, so he enjoys the contrast). his favorite thing ever is to feel your arms around his head while he lays on your stomach.

sanji would love your body no matter what, but there's something about you being able to lift him up – and even throw him around if you want to – that drives him insane. if you post a picture with any of your muscles flexed, you will get a dozen of comments from him. if you take him to the gym to train with you, he will praise you and won't even train so he can "appreciate and help a goddess like you". he begged you for a long time to give him a headlock so he could take a picture and make it his profile picture in every single social media he have (and the background on his phone).

corazón always get shy whenever he looks at any of your muscles – you often notice it, because his cheeks become a nice shade of pink. at first you thought he didn't like you being muscular, but quite the opposite. unlike his brother, he doesn't build up muscles that easily (they have the same genetics, but he always says he was born to be the skinny brother), so you, the love of his life, being muscular? he is over the moon. if he gets your consent to do it, his hands will be all over you. if you need a massage, he's there. if it's just resting on your thigh or your back during a cuddle session, he's happy. he loves your muscles a lot, not more than he loves you.

buggy thinks you're one of the coolest people because of your muscles. he always wanted to be bigger and scarier, but his muscles always seemed to grow on his legs and stomach only, so if you are well-balanced on all your body, he is smitten. he loves to lay on any part of your body, giggling to himself if he thinks about doing that when you two are apart. he is constantly praising you, but, unlike sanji, they come in a more "if you were the queen, i wouldn't mind being the jester" way. he wouldn't mind tagging along with you to the gym, but he would spend more time glaring at any other men that looks your way than actually training.

2023 © content belongs to lehguru, but the characters used in them belong to their respective creators!!

[0aurelion-sol0]

An Arcane Hexplanation: Noxus

For the first post in this mini-series of posts, that will elaborate on elements of Arcane that were only superficially touched upon in the show but also elements that might remain confusing for some, I wanted to touch on this faction that has now become an integral part of the story of Arcane but which was not very much explored in and of itself. I will try to be as informative as I can without going into spoilers but beware that there may be informations that might give hints about the shows's ending and the franchise's future.

Especially for parts of the audience that haven't played League of Legends or haven't been that interested in it's lore which is quite a lot actually when you look at the people who watch the show. Which is also one of the reasons why it was made to first place, to reach as many people as possible in the hopes they would be interested in the games or the lore that comes with it but I digress.

Keep in mind that what I am using here is both the old and current pieces of lore I have at my disposal of the world of League of Legends since now that Arcane has become fully canon to the story of Runeterra, the world in which Arcane takes place, elements may change and vary in the future given that the old and current lore of Piltover & Zaun had quite different elements of it that got retconned by Arcane when it became canon. I expect the same for the other parts of that world

We have two main characters that are connected to Noxus, Mel and Ambessa, the current known members of the Medarda Clan. They provide some background info and elements about Noxus relating to their pasts and current motivations but much of it remains unclear or a mystery in some cases with one of them about Mel that is probably going to be revealed in Act 3. So...

What is Noxus ?

Basing ourselves in the old and current lore of the world of Runeterra, Noxus is an expansionist empire that is considered brutal and threatening to most people that lives outside of it's borders. It worships and respects the strengths and talents of it's population, especially in combat and war. Which oddly makes it a quite inclusive society as success through strength, of many kinds, is what is mostly rewarded in that society which contrasts with it's colonizing and "war-prone" attitude.

It is quite powerful and probably the most powerful nation on the continent of Valoran where it is located on the eastern side of it but given it's expansionist endeavours, it's borders also reaches into the Shuriman continent located south of it and in the archipelago called Ionia located further east and north of it, it enters into The Freljord. It also goes west towards the nation of Demacia, which it has quite the rivalry with. (Noxus also has multiple spies in multiple nations or cultures around the world, that are led by different types of forces that are in Noxus who do this for different reasons for each and everyone of them, but we will get back to that later down this post.)

In between the Valoran & Shuriman continents lies the main setting of Arcane, Piltover & Zaun. It connects the two continent together and as such is quite prized by many people in the Noxian empire, not just by Ambessa.

It's strategic position is important both in terms of trades but also power. The City of Progress makes the most of it's geographical position economically by being both a trading route by land and sea; but also it's incredible evolution in technology could provide Noxus with the means to expand it's empire all over Runeterra. Especially if it gets it's hands on Hextech.

But Piltover & Zaun being so important to the continents' global trades (evidence with Noxus itself having Holsek in Arcane shipping his products there) and also being a cultural center for most of the other nations makes it difficult to obtain, first because while Noxus might have a bigger army, Piltover & Zaun are still far more technologically advanced than them which gives them an advantage in battle and two, because many other nations might unite to take Noxus out if it ever tried to actively take power there.

Noxus thrives on being expansionist because it needs people, it needs war and it also needs land. But also it seeks challenges, as challenges makes you stronger based on the Noxian dogma.

Because the capital of Noxus is located in a part of Valoran which is not very fertile and so part of that expansionist attitude is also to survive and meet needs for it's population that aren't met. It has a very diverse wildlife though ranging from giant arachnides, drakes, big reptiles and more Jurassic Park-like creaturs. And of course, Poros, because Poros are everywhere! 😉

That capital is named Noxus Prime or more commonly known as...

The Immortal Bastion.

It was built long ago, after an important catastrophic event, by someone that I can't talk to you about because it's likely going to spoil Season 2's Act III of Arcane. Just know that this person is bad, REALLY bad.

That person raised that city in what was called long ago, the Noxii territories but given that the reign of that person was extremely violent and tyrannic, they got betrayed by people from their own inner circle who forged an alliance with the tribes that lived there and was able to "defeat" that person.

Centuries passed, as well as wars and invasions, and as of today it has remained intact and is hardly penetrable by anyone or anything by force due to it's architecture. At least, one that is below or similar to Noxus' level of power.

(I'm not sure if the city Mel painted is this one as in the old/current lore, it is not by the sea but the show could retcon that and make it close to it. It could be Basilich since it is by the sea and was mentioned in Arcane in relation to the Medarda family. But know it be could another one as the architecture for the bigger cities of Noxus is quite similar to represent who is in charge.)

It's also important to remember that compared to Piltover & Zaun, Noxus isn't afraid of magic. In fact, it weaponizes it and it's history has been the most influenced by it. Noxus respects strength but anything that can make the empire grow and evolve whether it's trade, craftmanship, magic, intelligence or even art is respected if it challenges the people and Noxus to become stronger.

You CAN start from nothing and rise to the highest places of Noxus if you show that you are worthy to be there.

Which is why when Noxus conquers, it gives you a choice: follow the empire or die. Noxus will be your life from now on, you will be under their command, follow their laws and culture. Oddly enough, people who embrace Noxus will find that their life improves in a good way but those who don't bend the knee, follow or are able to live by the Noxian culture will be destroyed or be outcasts in that society. Especially since now that you live under Noxian law, it will make sure that everyone knows it by: appointing a leader to make sure that Noxian culture and law is followed where you live and put Noxian architecture + any ways to show authority there as a means to make sure your whole life is dedicated to it- (However it doesn't change the facts that even thought Noxus puts his culture and law firsts, in many cases the cultures remain and merges with, with Noxus having many languages and religions within it that all contributing to the power of it's empire given the nature of those elements.)

-Much like what Ambessa did with Cailtyn in Piltover & Zaun but that came from her own motivations rather than something asked by Noxus.

Because as we know, Ambessa is being targeted by someone from Noxus and that someone is very important.

But this also makes sense when you consider what Noxus is, given that Ambessa is a general, she holds a certain amount of authority, or at least used to hold, in Noxus which can clash with other people who have as much or more authority than her there. And given the need of a challenge or to pursue a goal that would be able to show your strength and/or maintain a power for every Noxian, especially if it can contribute to the empire or their vision of Noxus; it will clash with different visions and people as well.

But in the case of Ambessa, it's little a bit more complicated. It's part of it but it's not just that. Before we get to that, we need to talk about the leadership of Noxus.

Because you would think that Noxus would be ruled by an iron fist by one person, some dictator or oppressive leader, well it used to be 🤭 and still is to some degree but it's more complicated than that as what Noxus fears the most in the world might be what would come from the outside of the empire or what rebellion could happen somewhere in a land they've conquered, but from inside of the empire itself.

You see Noxus was a monarchy and when you have a culture & dogma like Noxus, people will try to reach the top, they will eventually come into contact with people who also want to go there or are already there.

This has created many problems for Noxus in the past with one person taking over the empire or inheriting it and doing not so great things with it, followed by many others after that. This created a lack of stability for Noxus, which made it vulnerable. It also doesn't help that those leaders could easily be influenced by groups and noble houses who have their own agendas for Noxus and themselves.

So to remedy to that, something was created to ensure something like this would never happen again...

The Trifarix.

The Trifarix (also known as the "Council of Three") is the current form of government of Noxus, which embodies the fundamental tenets of the Trifarix doctrine, or the "Principles of Strength." which are Vision, Might and Guile.

Sounds familiar ? Yes! It is what Ambessa says to Caitlyn during their training. She also believes there is a fourth one: Sacrifice, which she thinks heightens the three other principles.

This structure happened after a revolution led by Jericho Swain which transformed from a monarchy, led by emperors like Boram Darkwill, the last emperor killed by Swain himself during the night of the revolution, to a meritocracy led by three different people, each representing a different principle.

The first being Vision, represented by Jericho Swain, The Noxian Grand General. Main face of government for the Empire and overthrew the previous ruling House of Darkwill.

According to Swain's reasoning, while one person could ruin Noxus through incompetence, madness, or corruption, or the three combined, a group of three people would always have two people to hold one of the members accountable, ensuring that no one could rule Noxus alone and with no opposition.

The second being Darius, the Hand of Noxus who embodies Might. Commander of the elite Trifarian Legion, the most elite and loyal legion in modern Noxus.

And The Faceless. The current identity of that member is unknown. Rumored to puppeteer the dark underbelly and politics of Noxus. Unknown status to outsiders suits the Trifarix's and the Faceless' purposes: sowing fear, suspicion, and unease among the enemies of Noxus allows the Faceless to walk more freely among those who might have their guard up.

And while all of this on paper might sound great, the noble houses, despite some privileges being taken away by The Trifarix, and other secret groups can still influence Noxus plus the Trifarix in some way and remnants of the old monarchy still exists, even if they are being hunted down by the Trifarix and it's army.

The culture of Noxus is still brutal and expansionist just like under the monarchy, plus most of it's population live in austerity given how harsh Noxian dogma is. Plus the presence of class differences & inequality is just as present in Noxus as it is in Piltover. Swain himself is from a noble house that was hungry for power and who helped the very house he was going to overthrow at some point before creating the Trifarix. And though his vision of Noxus is everyone being united for the empire regardless of who they are, the reality is that most people still plot against it & he knows it.

But there is one more problem that I have yet to talk about and that is relevant to Arcane's plot. You know where I'm getting at here...

...The Black Rose.

Without revealing too much as it will be explored in Season 2's Act III of Arcane & possibly the future show that will likely be about Noxus, at some point Swain realised that the Black Rose was influencing Boram Darkwill in the shadows of Noxus to do what they wished when he was sent to an invasion of Ionia where all the conditions he was led into would lead him to meet his death there.

However Swain, during his younger years, "defeated" The Black Rose. He was manipulated by the matron of that group to execute the most prominent members of it, including his parents since House Swain was part of The Black Rose, not him but his House and staged an execution for said matron so that she could hide her existence to strike at the right moment and regain power over Noxus.

This eventually all led to Swain killing Darkwill & his followers to make sure that person wouldn't get full power over Noxus and destroy any trace of the Black Rose as well.

That person is called...

...LeBlanc.

You've all already met her but haven't as well. You know her voice but have never heard it. They are everywhere, she is everyone.

Again, I can't say a lot but just know, she is such a bad bitch. She is truly a great character, one of the better ones of LoL's lore.

She is the matron of the Black Rose. The leader of this cabbal, both older than Noxus itself and quite important to the history of the empire. She is a powerful sorceress that has influenced Noxus' and the worlds' events for a long long time. She has her own sets of spies, outside of the ones Noxus has, that she uses to keep track of everything that happens in the world and influence the politics of it to meet her wants with of course the help of people who follow her and the Black Rose, including it's members.

Most members that are part of the Black Rose don't even know she is LeBlanc, hell that she is even named LeBlanc or that she is their leader or what she even looks like. In fact, the name LeBlanc is not even guaranteed to be her real name anyway.

And since that no one knows who is the person that represents Guile, there was an idea and rumour that she was that secret third member in the Trifarix. But given her nature and her relationship with Swain, it is unlikely but who knows...

...maybe she's already influencing him or the two of them were able to make a deal that benefits each party in the end.

But there's a reason for all this manipulation & trickery, there's a reason why she influences the world politics... and why she kidnapped Mel.

But I can't tell you, because it would spoil you. X)

However know that her inclusion opens the gate to LoL's lore and universe in a way that is so immense that I am impressed she even is a player into Arcane, at least such an active one. At best, I thought Swain would be the one to show up but it would make sense that with the appearance of something as powerful as Hextech, she wouldn't stay in the shadows for long.

This is where it leads us into the next show that comes after Arcane and that will continue some of the plotlines that were started in it, which will likely be in Noxus. And we will find out what it will be and what is the reason for it in this final act-

(Again to remind that everyone, these informations are from the current/old LoL lore, some aspects of it will change, just like with Arcane, to fit whatever story they might want to talk about in the future.)

-But while in Piltover & Zaun, the reasons for our characters' actions and motivations are more personal but obviously still influenced by politics and the world around them, falling into shades of gray that we can see ourselves into...

...with Noxus, the shades are darker. And more red too, but compared to the city of progress, we might lean more into horror than tragedy this time around.

_________________________________________

If you are interested in more League of Legends lore or lore about Arcane, I invite you to check out the current Runeterra map which features every information you might want to know about the universe.

Plus here is a... short animated film ? that was done for the card game Legends of Runeterra which won't spoil you anything and just show you what Noxus is about in a way that is closer to what Arcane is. It features Darius and his troops fighting a king that refuses to surrender to the Noxian empire.

Hope you enjoyed the post, I will be back soon, this time to talk about... Felicia! There are certain things that I think need to be talked about with the revelations surrounding her character.

In the meantime, let's finish the last three episodes of Arcane and celebrate what this show gave to use.

[klaunee]

Edit 2/12/2024: I wanted to add a disclaimer to my redesigns! I really appreciate all of the likes and comments that these have garnered, but I just want to add that these aren't intended to be "improvements" or "fixes" of the original designs in any way and were done as a character design exercise for my own entertainment. Looking back on them there's a lot I'd like to change about them and I'd never claim to be anything more than an amateur/hobbyist character designer messing around with these character concepts.

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Alright I wasn't really feeling the other one I just did. I wanted to diverge a bit from it to better fit the other redesigns I did and do my own take on Al, which is why I made this one that's more shamelessly inspired by Cab Calloway.

I based him on Cab Calloway because I want him to have Mr. Calloway's charisma and showmanship to accentuate his role as a radio host. I feel like the canon Alastor is too subdued in terms of expressiveness, and of course this is part of what makes him unnerving, but I wanted to subvert that. This rendition would still be a gentleman, but he's much more animated in terms of his body movements and facial expressions. He's witty and has a great sense of humor. A big man with a big smile and a larger than life personality. Constantly schmoozing and sweet-talking other people. And yet there's just something off about him...

Copying my design notes from the other post and adding a few more.

Premise: A man who was born in a semi-rural part of the United States but moved to the big city at a young age. Became infatuated with the music and entertainment scenes of the city and idolized performers of the Jazz age, Vaudeville actors, and comedians. Decided to become a radio host himself after working at a local station and became renowned for his humor and wit. However, despite loving several parts of the big city, Alastor was disdainful of the rapid industrialization taking place and its effect on the environment he'd grown up in. In an attempt to make his broadcasts, which increasingly gained a more serious and environmentalist bent, reach more viewers, he delved into the occult and made pacts with demons. Unfortunately, his meddling with the occult drove him insane. Fortunately, however, his familiarity with black magic granted him increased powers when he showed up in Hell. Overall, a gentlemanly character with a suppressed madness that seeps out from time to time.

He's very tall. I wanted to make him uncanny looking while still retaining the gentlemanly appearance of the canon version and to do this I tried to give him an elongated silhouette. He's as tall as Angel Dust, if not taller when standing up, but he's constantly bending over either due to poor posture or to ingratiate himself to the shorter masses.

No more sexyman hourglass figure, I made him a bit broader to give him a bigger presence.

Cab's signature pencil moustache. I see a lot of people giving him one and I'm not sure if we share the same inspiration, but it's a cool look!

Overall a more desaturated, sepia palette than the rest of the cast for an old-timey look (I mean Angel Dust is old-timey too but... forget about it). Also to contrast with the red of Charlie's suit.

The black line parts of his antlers are meant to look like the velvet shedding deer undergo as well as power lines, with an eye in the center which resembles the flame between Baphomet's horns. This eye is where his "power" emanates from so to speak, like a radio signal.

Waveform design on his suit.

Design on his shirt meant to resemble a ribcage.

BIG ANTLERS! (less so in this version, more manageable)

Diamond design on the pants to indicate he is a trickster.

A long, deer-like neck and a deer-like yet human-like face to give him an uncanny look.

His right eye is a radio dial and he has a speaker in his mouth to produce that radio quality when he speaks.

I tried to make his suit look like a zoot suit for historical relevance, particularly the broad-shouldered ones worn by such performers as Cab Calloway. I made his pants high-waisted and pegged.

His staff is based on antique carbon microphones with the center modified to look like an inverted pentagram.

He practices black magic.

His entire body is covered in fur save for his face and ears, like a werewolf.

Thanks for reading!

[twisted-tales-of-all]

Stray Kids Reacts to their Partner's Death Scene

Plot: You're an actor, and you've landed a role where your character ends up dying - a first in your career. You watch the movie with your boyfriend and gauge their reaction. Pairing: Stray Kids x gender-ambiguous!actor!Reader Total Word Count: 1.4K Tropes: idol!AU, actor!AU, established relationship, reactions Contains: death of reader's character, various shows of anger, pouting, hurt/comfort(?), cuddles and/or implication of cuddles, teasing A/N: Follow up to the ATEEZ version, which you can find here. Special thanks to connected storyteller Haru (@umbralhelwolf) for suggesting/requesting these ideas a while back.

Bangchan - Head over heels for his lover, he'd ask so many questions about the film as soon as you get the role. But, no matter how much he knows, he'll sit with you and watch intently. He's likely to make small comments on design and direction if he likes it, even if only slightly. Oh boy, when you're on screen, though. Heart-eyes, that bright twinkle, an ear-to-ear smile - man is in love with everything about you. And that's exactly why you didn't tell him that your character gets killed towards the end. Even if you're the main character's best friend and all of the audience is attached to you, you don't have the plot armor to live through the movie. When your boyfriend figures this out, he jumps to his feet with his head on a swivel between you and the screen. Laughing at his reaction, you pause the movie and let him rant about the betrayal of killing off the most loved side character, with small interjections about how believable your acting has become.

Lee Know - Mostly just enjoying a new slasher movie, he forgets that you're in it until he sees your first on-screen appearance around midway through the film. Suddenly, you watch his interest pique, like a dog hearing the word 'treat' or a cat hearing the can opener. Although he doesn't speak much during the movie, you know him well enough to read his body language. Seeing how much he clings to your character, you almost feel guilty as their death nears. In a dramatic chase, your character accidentally falls into a trap set for the killer, giving the killer a perfect opportunity to kill them off. Even if the death happens off-screen, Minho's reaction to your desperate screams for help hurts you. He tenses, knuckles white as he balls his hands into fists. You rub his back to keep him calm, and he resists reacting until the ending credits roll. He pouts about killing off his favorite character, especially making it someone else's fault entirely. He'll insist on rewriting it and doing it the "right" way, but you both know he's only joking around as an excuse to compliment your skills.

Changbin - Excited that you asked him to come with you to the premiere in theatres, Changbin dons a nice outfit that matches yours and follows your lead. It's the first big-name movie you star in, so he's excited to experience it with you, especially since you have a bigger role in a satirical horror film. He has no idea what to expect, so he has big reactions all night. By your death, he caught onto the theme of killing off the main characters - in stark contrast to normally killing off the side characters in other horror films - so he expected the death and chose to zone in on your acting. The death, however, isn't where his reactions are best; the ending, where everyone revives after the curse breaks, gets a strong reaction out of him. He finds your zombified acting adorable and lovingly teases you about it for days.

Hyunjin - Jumpy baby only agreed to watch your film in the safety of a blanket burrito, armed with snacks that wouldn't cause a mess when jumpscares inevitably startle him. Although there are plenty of classicly-timed scares in your slasher, he never adjusts. Half the time, he doesn't even know when you're on screen since he's hiding his eyes so often, but when he sees you, he calms down a bit. It's funny since you're a villain, but it's nice to know that your presence calms him - no matter the situation. Teaming up with the killer gets you through most of the film, but the others eventually figure out your stance and bait the killer into getting you. Hyunjin, only loosely following the plot, feels betrayed by the group and insists that they could've approached your character better than simply presenting them with death. He also picks apart the killer's lack of loyalty - as if the character isn't a total psychopath. After the movie, he urges you to choose a softer script next time, as he wants to enjoy your acting more without the threat of your character's death.

Han - As a fan of horror movies, he predicts your death from the moment he figures out that you play the main character's love interest. Although you pout about him analyzing your film, he insists that he'll still love seeing the movie, even if he knows what happens. As you continue watching, you find Jisung leaning forward whenever you're on screen. This is especially true during your death scene, as he interlaces his fingers and uses them to cover his face, leaving room for his eyes regardless. He doesn't want to watch you die but admits that your acting is too good to look away. After you're erased from the remainder of the movie, he chooses to talk about your acting instead of watching the movie as closely as before. Through his compliments, he admits that you might be made for roles involving death, as he found that scene to be one of his favorites.

Felix - Although he's excited, the jumpscares require cuddles. He encouraged you to try a new genre when you felt a bit off about work, so he's glad that you had fun filming horror, but his excitement and anxiety melt together as he sits down to watch. Luckily, the film doesn't play with too many jumpscares, so he can watch in your arms without much issue. When your death scene approaches, you feel his grip around your arm tighten. He uses your arms as a barrier, shielding his eyes from the scene. Reaching for the remote to pause, he pouts about not warning him about the plot point.

"Your acting is too realistic for me to watch something like that!"

He'll scold and ask whether the plan was to make him cry. If you bring up his sadder parts in music videos, he'll insist that his acting isn't as good as yours so it isn't the same. His reaction will wordlessly beg for cuddles for the remainder of the night - which, of course, you easily comply with.

Seungmin - As he sits down, he jokes about how it can't be too scary if you have the second lead - poking fun at you like normal. Brushing him off with a quick response, you play the movie and ensure subtitles are on. As the movie progresses, you find your boyfriend holding your hand in his lap, squeezing during scares or intense moments. You can't help but smirk at how scared he seems after his claim before the movie started. When you're backed into a corner by the killer, the suspense has Seungmin on edge; it almost feels like he'll crush your hand with his. He doesn't react much outwardly, but after the movie, he talks about having to join you in movies next time, saying that you'll be a lead couple in a romance film. He never says it outright, but all of his comments are his roundabout admission that he loves your acting - especially when he comments on how he would've thought you really died if you weren't there with him. You make sure to comment on the fact that you nearly lost a hand watching with him, making him more dangerous than the movie's filming.

I.N. - He's seen your acting plenty of times, and he always compares you to big-name actors. He is your biggest fan, so of course you bring him to the opening night of the first film where you play the main character. You didn't tell him anything about it and even hid the trailer away from him, so he didn't know he'd be walking into a paranormal thriller. However, he expected to be okay - you're the main character, after all, so you have plot armor. So he thought. After a dozen or so close calls, the end of the movie nears. In the final scene, the creature drives everyone insane, resulting in the main character driving themselves into a ravine. Although uncertain of the outcome, he turns to you with wide eyes, clearly asking for an explanation. When you leave the theatre, he rants about how they can kill off the main character, wondering how they plan to make a sequel or anything related to the film. You assure him that you might not have died, but he continues ranting about them killing you off, not stopping until you interrupt him and distract him with a kiss.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading roundup: May 2024

you guyssssss you guys you guys you guys I've been reading so much this month :)

sometimes my brain gets the itch to just DEVOUR books and it's really been on me, probably thanks to the burst of energy + free time that comes with the semester ending and summer getting started! the days are longer, the last of my season depression has been kicked to the curb, and I can spend hours reading on the porch every evening. the ideal!

right now, as the month ends, I'm feeling a particular hankering towards nonfiction and juicy new summer novels; I reblogged a Lit Hub roundup of new books the other day that got my brain buzzinggggg with excitement for the coming months. we'll see if that ends up manifesting in the June roundup, but for now, here's what kept me busy in May:

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble (Alexis Hall, 2022) - this month I read two romance novels picked by my beautiful patreonites; I did a compare/contrast between the two over on Patreon and I'll leave the majority of my thoughts there, but suffice to say that I am not a fan of Paris. definitely the weakest of the three Alexis Hall novels, and a real disappointment since I found the other two delightful. the story is straightforward enough and has some potential for sure, but Paris as a protagonist is a sodden mess who I found just insufferable. thumbs down from me, gang.

Chef's Kiss (TJ Alexander, 2022) - hi, it's the other romance novel. this one is a lot goofier than Paris Daillencourt, which is fitting since it's BA Test Kitchen rpf starring a bisexual Claire Saffitz and a nonbinary Brad Leone. it's frustrating because the story is definitely stronger than the one in Paris but the romance is piteously undercooked, although I was at least fine with the protag and her love interest getting together - they were boring but unobjectionable, unlike Paris and his love interest who I really thought would have been better off as friends. now that I'm thinking about it, you might get a perfect queer cooking show romance novel if you somehow mashed the two of them together. they're both, like, so close to working, but ultimately fall flat.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 4-6 (Ryoko Kui, 2018) - I don't even know what to say except that I'm still loving everything about Dungeon Meshi. the craft and thought that Kui puts into every facet of the world, from the big picture politics between fantasy races to the individual thoughts and feelings of each character, shows so much love for the world without ever being overbearing; it never feels like exposition is being hammered down my throat so much as little details are being tastefully arranged to be enjoyed at whatever speed and to whatever extent the reader likes. the world is getting bigger with each chapter and I'm looking forward to exploring more, especially now that Falin's hottie monster form and that good good catgirl have entered the chat.

Earthdivers Vol. 2: Ice Age (Stephen Graham Jones, Riccardo Burchielli, Patricio Depeche, Emily Schnall, Joana Lafuente, 2024) - once again I've done the worst thing that you can do as a comics fan, which is get invested in a series that's just starting out and is still releasing individual issues. the third trade paperback won't be out until December, so I guess I'm either going to have to go on hiatus with Earthdivers or start chasing down new releases on comic pirating sites, which feels shitty - that's how I read Batman comics that are the same age as me, not new stuff from authors I actually want to support! but Earthdivers might just be worth it. the second installment takes us to a wildly different setting than the first, Columbus-killing collection, dropping fearsome mother Tawny in a prehistoric North America. but while the setting changes, the series is still grappling with the question of what its protagonists are willing to sacrifice and who they're willing to become to change the past and save the world. we're starting to see bigger hints about how much history can be altered and catching some clues about the series' antagonist (???); I gotta know what happens next.

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Caroline Fraser, 2017) - here it is, the book that got nonfic so powerfully on the brain! this is a riveting history whether you grew up on Little House on the Prairie or not (I didn't), tracking Laura Ingalls Wilder from an impoverished girl constantly imperiled by life on the prairie to a beloved icon of American propaganda. for me, personally, this hefty book really picks up when it gets to the endlessly complicated and frequently nasty relationship that Wilder had with her daughter when said daughter was grown; Rose Wilder Lane is a FASCINATING figure in her own right and I'm kind of obsessed with what a shithead grifter girlboss she was. fascinating stuff all around.

The Brides of High Hill (Nghi Vo, 2024) - Vo's series of Singing Hills novellas has always woven from one genre to another, exploring new types of stories just as our protagonist, the cleric Chih, explores new lands. this installation takes us straight into a gothic horror that pulls out all the stops: an isolated manor, an enigmatic madman roaming the grounds, the strangling snares of social conventions, and a blushing bride who isn't exactly what she seems. I read it in one sitting, it's delicious.

Superfreaks: Kink, Pleasure, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Arielle Greenberg, 2023) - a poppin' primer for anybody who wants to learn more about the world of kink and what the fuck is going on out there. at one point I did catch myself thinking that I was a little underwhelmed and that Greenberg wasn't really putting forth anything that radical, but then I realized that speaking extremely candidly about and validating interest in basically any kink or fetish imaginable, and yes I do mean straight up any of them, is actually A Lot for many people to handle. so, yeah, good book, check it out for a friendly and enthusiastic intro to the wide world of kink.

Sex Criminals Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop (Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, 2015) - the first volume of Sex Criminals left me feeling a little meh, but I decided to keep going because Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run was lifechanging and I know this series is pretty widely acclaimed, so I want to see where we're going with this. (plus it's free via the library, so what do I have to lose?) this volume really sold me on the series and particularly on Jon, who I was pretty lukewarm on initially. he really stole the spotlight in this one, and I like the way that the story is ratcheting up the stakes.

The Stone Sky (N.K. Jemisin, 2017) - GOOOOOOOOOD what a book! what a trilogy! in a series shaped by empires and natural disasters, the story ultimately ends with a quit confrontation of clashing ideologies, a young daughter determined to end the world and a mother equally determined that one of her children should live. and that shit hurts! I read the series a couple of times when I was younger but I was never before able to fully appreciate the work Jemisin does in crafting Essun and Nassun, showing us the way cruelty and fear have shaped both of them into the people they ultimately are and the choices they make. absolutely masterful, a legend.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World in Search of the Good Death (Caitlin Doughty, 2017) - this was another reread, and while N.K. Jemisin was blowing my mind, Caitlin Doughty was giving me a warm hug. I don't know what to tell you, reading about the ways that people all over the world care for their dead and take comfort in their memories makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. death can be really beautiful and comforting, if you're not a coward.

The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag (Sasha Velour, 2023) - listen, I'm not really a Drag Race girlie. I first heard about this book when Velour was a guest on Nicole Byers' podcast, and while I was very charmed by her I was not expecting to be blown away by her book. it's just a little cash-in for a Ru girl, right? all she needs to do is slap together some cool pictures of her in drag and a few platitudes about being yourself and boom bang, that's a book. but readers, I owe Sasha Velour an apology: this book was so much cooler and smarter than it needed to be! Velour brings an impressive eye to forces of colonialism and capitalism that shape art and conceptions of queerness, and keeps this framework firmly in place while keeping the tone of the book bubbly and lighthearted. she also goes out of her way to spotlight a huge variety of drag performers and gender nonconforming figures throughout history, celebrating all the different means of expression that make up the tapestry of contemporary queerness. a great read, and one that I've already shelled out for. a friend and I are working on a documentary exploring the nuances of queer style, and I know I'm gonna want to pull heavily from Velour's thoughts and the history she's curated.

[essentialthyme]

Charming Grace is definitely my favorite, as someone whose favorite romance is Persephone. Charming Grace is understanding, respectful, patient, her approach is different from Calliope, which makes so much sense for my "canon" playthrough:

• She respects Apollo's grief and gently coaches him into moving forward, whereas Calliope pushed him to do things differently and failed. This was the first big moment we see this contrast between Calliope and charming Grace

• Even Pan can't resist her batting eyelashes lmao

• She disarms Persephone by refusing to engage her anger, letting her win the duel Grace never really wanted to participate in, in the first place, and Persephone caughts on, she respects Grace's cleverness and becomes willing to help

• I sided with Persephone, but Grace manages to stay on good terms with Apollo by going to check on him afterwards, and considering he and Calliope used to fight and stay big stretches of time without talking to each other, this must be a breath of fresh air for him

• Aphrodite. I mean!!!! The Ritual - Green Path, I don't need to say anything else

• Persephone is afraid of not seeing Grace for who she is, and only being interested in her because a part of Calliope is alive within Grace, but charming Grace is so very different from Calliope, she handles conflicts in a completely different manner, which means that Persephone's fears are valid, but unfounded

• Despite being upset with Persephone lying to her, she helps her win her throne back, but then, Persephone destroys it, she recognizes she has fundamentally changed, the world has changed, everything has changed, she is willing to let go, and Grace, in all her understanding nature, is willing to be patient and wait until Persephone figures things out

• The Trial! I'm not always a fan of being the bigger person in a conflict, and while punching Athena in the face is something that would have satisfied me a lot in a different game, I feel like Athena is a sympathetic enough character that being compassionate just fits, specially after how Grace helped Persephone in the Underworld, and having Persephone stand up for her, standing beside her in that final conflict and Grace handles it beautifully? Chef's kiss

In the end I like all paths, I prefer the songs with some mix of the colors, but charming Grace romancing Persephone? Perfection, 100%, will play again to commit it to memory

[etradio]

I wish Tsuyu had a bigger role in the Uraraka VS Toga fight- kinda like how Iida had a role in Shouto VS Touya.

With Iida, not only is he one of Shouto’s closer friends- but he also contrasts and parallels Shouto and Touya’s relationship.

Tenya looks up to his brother, and Tensei is motivated to do better because of that- they have a very wholesome brother-relationship.

While with the Todorokis… Touya has literally tried to killed Shouto and even indirectly Natsuo. Shouto has literally done absolutely nothing wrong to Touya- he was a baby when most of Touya’s trauma was happening, and he wasn’t allowed near him growing up. But Shouto still loves him unconditionally.

Even though the relationship between the Iida brothers is so different from the Todorokis- Tenya can still understand how Shouto feels. Tenya couldn’t save Tensei- so that was why he had to do everything he could so Shouto could save Touya (and the rest of his family + the civilians)

Tsuyu’s backstory is explained in an extra manga chapter that was then animated in one of the OVAs. We get insight into her family and one of her friends- though we don’t really know the reason WHY she became a hero. We still don’t in way.

What we do know is that Tsuyu believed a hero is someone who follows the rules. She tells Toga this, and says that Uraraka doesn’t care about the rules- she just wants to help, so she asks Toga to listen to her.

In my opinion, Tsuyu isn’t really a developed character. I’d say Ashido and Jirou have more development than her. Tsuyu’s reasoning in what a hero is- contradicts what the audience is shown.

“Heroes should follow the rules”

But what about the unjust rules?

Lady Nagant and Hawks are basically child soldiers. When Nagant asked if what they’re doing is the right thing- the HPSC president responded by pULLING OUT A GUN- when Nagant killed him, that could’ve been argued to be self-defense. Instead, she’s thrown in jail for people she was groomed to kill, and the murder of the HPSC president was covered up.

Hero society is shown to be corrupt- so I think we should’ve been shown more insight on how a character like Tsuyu handles the reality that laws aren’t always right. I want to see how she would’ve been forced to reevaluate her way of thinking. How the world that society said it was- was a lot more complicated than she thought.

People should follow the rules- but when the rules are harming people who just want to live their normal lives- we need to make adjustments to the rules so more people don’t have to suffer trying to become something they are not.

Tenya was also shown to be a very rule-abiding person at the beginning of the series. Even so, we see what his breaking point is- so what’s Tsuyu’s breaking point? How does she connect to the Uraraka & Toga arc?

From how I interpreted the arc, Toga was someone who needed to be understood as a human being. The reporter, Curious, wanted to understand her- but she only wanted to understand her as a news headline, as a martyr for the Liberation Army.

Uraraka says in the fight, that she can’t ignore all the hurt Toga caused, she can’t accept every part of Toga, she can’t love her in the way that Toga wants her to- but she wants to understand who Himiko Toga is, why she smiles and why she cries.

Uraraka saw the ‘ugliness’ in Toga’s heart, and she acknowledged that- but she also saw the beauty and pain in her heart as well.

How does Tsuyu fit into this????

It’s mentioned that Tsuyu struggled in middle school to make friends, as people couldn’t read her expression since she has a poker face. Perhaps she understands the whole ‘wanting to be understood’ thing?

It could also be a case of quirk discrimination. As we’ve been shown, mutation quirks are looked down upon.

The thing with Tenya is that role was a small part, and yet a big part of the arc he was in. He told Shouto that he is able to be the hero he wants to be now thanks in part to him- and that Shouto can be the hero he wants to be as well; he didn’t say much, and yet that says so much more.

Idk…maybe the role Tsuyu could’ve had is something like ‘She is someone who was discriminated against for her quirk, and people failed to understand her or see her as a human being- but she had a loving family and friends to support her’

-so then the conversation could’ve been more like Tsuyu trying to empathize with Toga and let her know that Uraraka was there to support Tsuyu, so now she’s here to help her as well.

Or it could even have mentioned Tsuyu’s friend from middle school- who also struggled to make friends as well. They were both people who others couldn’t understand them (because of their unexpressive faces) and because of that they connected to each other.

I think it was even mentioned that Himiko is the ‘oldest’ child of her family, so…what about her siblings? How does she feel about them? Could Tsuyu and Toga being older siblings parallel somehow???

The more I talk about this- the more I wonder if Tsuyu should’ve saved Toga or have an equal role to Uraraka. There could be a lot of similarities when I really think about it…

I think the ‘rule’ thing could’ve worked, but I think Tsuyu should’ve had her own arc and perspective shown for it to have more impact.

Maybe this is just a me- thing, but I think Tsuyu should’ve been fleshed out more if she is the character supporting one of the Savior trio.

[animebw]

Phenotyping the Stereotypical Anime Love Triangle

Something I've noticed over my years of watching anime is the existence of a specific kind of love triangle. One that pops up over and over again, often in some of the most popular shows of their respective eras. And the more I think about it, the more it feels like the skeleton key to really understand The Male Fantasy as it exists in otaku culture. This particular trope, repeated across so many different genres and decades, is a Rosetta stone for understanding how male anime writers approach female characters and why so many of them fall flat. Or maybe it's just a fun little pattern I've noticed that I'm trying to make into a bigger deal than it is. Either way, I need to rant about it for a second so it'll stop bugging me. So roll up your sleeves and let's do some literary science here.

First, we need to define what exactly I'm talking about. This isn't about every single love triangle, nor is it about harems or any romantic situation with more than three participants. No, the breed of love triangle we're discussing here involves one guy at the center, romantically pursued by or entangled with two specific kinds of female character archetypes. The guy in question is pretty versatile: he can be shy, a self-insert, brash and egotistical, edgy and emo, whatever the story needs him to be. But it's the girls fighting over him who matter. Put simply, this is a love triangle where the two female characters represent two competing philosophies of romantic happiness for the male lead. They aren't just fighting over the guy: they're designed around two specific, directly contrasting character archetypes that the guy must choose between as competing statements on what love should be. And everything about the girls- from personality to color design to even superpowers- is designed to emphasize that contrast.

So what are these two competing archetypes? Put simply: Hot and Cold.

HOT: The exciting girl. Probably a tsundere. Even if not, her personality is strong and overbearing. Her hair is red and most likely long. If this is a fantasy setting, she'll be some flavor of alien or superhero or magical warrior, something that sets her above common people. Her elemental power is, naturally, fire. This girl represents challenge and adventure for the male lead. She's someone who crashes into his normal life and upends it, shaking him out of complacency and inspiring to seize his destiny with two hands. If he chooses her, it symbolizes his willingness to reach for greatness and keep pushing himself to accomplish the impossible, proving himself worthy of being such an incredible girl's partner.

COLD: The shy, quiet girl. Her personality is usually sweet and caring, though sometimes she can be a deadpan kuudere instead. Her hair is blue and almost certainly in some kind of bob cut. Elemental power: ice. While the Hot girl is someone new who crashes into the male lead's life, Cold is near-guaranteed to be his childhood friend, someone who's known him for a very long time. She represents stability and domestic comfort. In contrast to Hot inspiring him to rise above him limits and become something greater, Cold accepts him as he is. She's the girl you don't have to change for, the girl who'll give you a long and happy life of simple contentment. By choosing her, the male lead shows he's able to see the happiness right in front of him and mature into a dependable partner.

Obviously, not every example of this trope fits all these parameters. There's plenty of variation in how many aspects of the Hot and Cold archetypes each girl fulfills. But if you look across anime history, you will find that a great deal of 1-guy-2-girl love triangles fall into this pattern to some extent. For just a few examples:

Darling in the Franxx- Zero Two and Ichigo. Probably the most prominent modern example.

Chivalry of a Failed Knight- Stella and Ikki. Go watch Trixie's video series on The Asterisk War for more info on them.

Re:Zero- Emilia and Rem. Obviously Emilia's a huge departure from the Hot archetype, but she fulfills the thematic purpose of someone Subaru must challenge himself to be worthy of.

Oshi no Ko- Kana and Akane. They swap the expected hair lengths, but the personalities are pretty spot on.

Waiting in the Summer- Ichika and Kanna. Never watched it so I may be wrong, but from what discussions I've seen, these two fit.

Shakugan no Shana- Shana and Kazumi. The show where I first started noticing how often this trope popped up.

Guilty Crown- Inori and Hare. Another case where Inori is much more a Cold archetype personality-wise but fulfills the narrative role of the Hot archetype.

Evangelion- Asuka and Rei. Kind of a funny example because they probably inspired a lot of future hot/cold love triangles, but they're also worst-case subversions of their respective archetypes that turn what they represent into something horrifying (What if the spunky foreign girl is actually a walking shell of trauma? What if the demure girl-next-door was actually just Your Mom?). Essay for another day, perhaps...

Blue Box- Chinatsu and Hina. Pretty textbook example of how this trope functions in a normal, grounded high-school setting with no magic or monsters or whatever.

Your Lie in April- Kaori and Tsubaki. See above.

Fate/Stay Night- Sort of an edge case with Saber and Rin both fulfilling the Hot archetype, while Sakura tackles the Cold archetype.

And finally, an honorable mention for Flip Flappers, which asks the question, "What if there was no guy and the girls were just in love with each other instead?"

It's worth saying at this point that I don't think this trope is inherently bad. Writing characters who represent two contrasting ideas or philosophies on how to live is a staple of literature across history. And I don't think all of these examples are bad either! If you've been around on this blog long enough, you know how much I adore the way Re:Zero handles Subaru's relationships with the girls around him. But the reason this trope bugs me so much is, well... have you noticed anything missing in this discussion of what these archetypes represent and what it means for the guy to choose one or the other?

Exactly: What about what the girls want? What are their desires? So often it feels like the girls in this kind of love triangle are written solely for their importance to the male lead, with little consideration for who they are as people. This trope can work, but only when everyone involved has dreams and personal goals beyond the triangle itself, things they want to accomplish that are bigger than who ends up smooching who at the end. And while the guy usually has bigger, more plot-relevant things going on, it's a bit of a coin toss whether or not the girls are allowed that same interiority. More often, they only exist for the sake of some dude's personal growth, denied the chance for the narrative to build something resonant out of their own circumstances and speak to their own experiences. Case in point: Akane being driven to attempted suicide by online harassment in Oshi no Ko mostly just existing as an excuse for her to fall in love with Aqua for saving her with no lingering impacts on her psyche or her relationship with the entertainment industry. Because why focus on how this traumatic turn of events affects her when her story only really matters in service to someone else's narrative?

The Hot/Cold love triangle exists for straight boys and men to explore their perspective on love. It gives male viewers a choice between the excitement of love as a constant adventure that challenges you to be better and the warmth of love as a stable commitment that accepts you as you are, and it tries to guide them toward the answer it believes it's best. But a relationship isn't something you can possess like an object. It's not a choice you can make on your own. It's a partnership between two people, each of whom matters equally in building a life together. And if stories like this fail to show men the importance of the woman's perspective? Then no matter which best girl wins, all girls lose.

PS: Surprise! Stealth advertisement for my webcomic, lol. I actually got the inspiration for Beyond the Sable Shore from thinking about this trope and wondering, "How could I write this kind of love triangle in a way that's actually compelling and meaningful and does justice to the female characters?" So if this discussion was interesting for you and you wanna see me grapple with this trope a little more, feel free to check it out!

[chaifootsteps]

My explanation of what happened: They put in as little writing effort as possible, couldn’t stick to one idea, were too under confident in their own abilities and relied on fandom and the work of other people to make a jumbled messy story.

Viv and Brandon were writing helluva with only random pitches like harvest moon, but not a overarching narrative, she was also focussed on Hazbin. Maybe there came a time where she got less leadership with that project and decided to dive into writing helluva totally solo. So—I say all these based on the fact that stolas personality does a massive shift between the pilot and murder family vs LooLoo land, and an even bigger dramatic 180 turn between truth seekers and Ozzies. Then he was just a brand new character in The Circus.

Pilot and Murder Family stolas, were his original character before anything else. But at some point. She saw how popular the kind Instagram stolas was and said “shit. Let’s do that instead” It was also said that she wrote season 2 while LooLoo Land was airing. Maybe after seeing the positive response to You Will Be Okay she became enamoured with Broadway star Pinkham and decided to rewrite the character for season 2 with him as the new glorified protagonist. With most of the Instagram account artists work being used by her as a “free script” for his new character (she is known for ‘adopting’ ideas) This was also the time she saw Erin Frosts childhood friends fanart. And said “let’s do that” Then for whatever reason started projecting on this character way too much in a ‘he is literally me’ sense. In this new direction—Keeping the characters soft side reserved only for his daughter, and now transplanting that loving behaviour onto his imp toy. Not seeing that a soft side exclusively for his child contrasting with his cruelty to everyone else, makes him a more interesting character.

Problem is. It was too late. Season one was already fully written storyboarded and voiced, the ashtray scenes, face grabbing scenes, sexual harassment, the chain illusion, all ready to go.

What an insane disaster. Broadway fanaticism strikes again. I can’t help but see a parallel between the instagrams and pilot VAs/hunicast. Just throw the owl in a deep fryer and start over at this point. Maybe stolas was just a social experiment! Love him or hate him man he is fun to analyse and pick apart cause he represents all the drama and the mess of the project.

This all sounds pretty plausible to me, and if we ever do learn what the story behind this trainwreck was, I wouldn't be surprised to discover it went something close to this.

There's only two things I'd point out.

Stolas's character shift into a softer character predated Bryce; in this leaked storyboard of Harvest Moon, Brock's still voicing him, and he's actually a whole lot more respectful of Blitzo than he is in the final cut. This is one of those mysteries that gnaws on my brain, just how in the world he ended up becoming worse.

The childhood fanart that started this all wasn't, to the best of my knowledge, drawn by Erin.

[princesssarisa]

In the movie of The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man has always been my favorite of Dorothy's three Oz friends, although the Scarecrow is a close second. (I like the Cowardly Lion too, but his hamminess borders on the edge of annoying.)

But each time I've seen a stage production of The Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow has been my favorite instead. In the production I just recently saw, the Tin Man's actor was too loud, and in the production before that, he was too snarky.

In the movie, Jack Haley is perfectly cast with his sweet, gentle voice and demeanor. He comes across as a truly poetic soul, whose longing for a heart so he can be "tender, gentle, and awful sentimental" makes perfect sense. Yet he has his fair share of humor too, albeit a subtler humor then Ray Bolger's slapstick or Bert Lahr's scenery chewing, and his few lightly snarky lines (e.g. "Well, that's you all over," "I hope your tail holds out!") don't detract a bit from his "heart."

Maybe part of the problem is the difference between film acting and stage acting: a stage actor needs to be bigger and louder. But I wonder if it's become harder than it was in the '30s to accept a sincerely tender, sensitive male character in family media, played with gentle humor but without a trace of caricature or irony. Besides the Tin Man, I'm also thinking of Bashful in Disney's Snow White, and how his sweet, endearing portrayal in the movie contrasts with his overly loud, hammy portrayal in the 1980 filmed stage production from Radio City Music Hall. (I'll be interested to see what the upcoming live action remake does with him.)

Maybe the style of humor we expect from family media has changed so much since the '30s that characters like Bashful or the Tin Man don't fit in anymore. Maybe there's too much of an urge to make the humor broader and less gentle, and to downplay sentimentality, even when it's the character's defining trait, either by undercutting it with snark or by hamming it up for laughs.

If this is the case, then it's unfortunate. I'll always prefer these two sweet characters as they were portrayed in the classic '30s films.

[magotthemaggot]

if you don't mind answering, why do you love the Valensoul ship as much as you do? I'm writing a personal project regarding the major ships for Skullgirls and you're the #1 Valensoul shipper I know of

I’m sorry for taking so long, since I’m actually really interested in answering this, but haven’t checked socials as much lately.

I have to start off by saying that before getting into Valensoul, I didn’t understand shipping nor fanon as concept. I didn’t understand why would someone build upon someone else’s fiction, nor why did people ship two characters that barely have any meaningful interactions between them in actual canon (not to mention Valentine is a really underdeveloped character in terms ingame canon). That all changed the day I drew these two literally handholding and it absolutely clicked in me that the “enemies to lovers” trope was blowing my mind through my skull, permanently changing my brain chemistry.

I'm gonna put a Read More 'cause I'm gonna start fixiating right now hold on gimmie a sec

okay so

The main appeal of the Valensoul ship is its versatility within the fandom: there’s no canon that supports it (nor contradicts it ;)) so people portray it whatever way they choose: they’re enemies to lovers, they’re exes, they’re in a toxic relationship, hell sometimes they don’t even like eachother, but somehow they're still together???

People don’t like Valensoul as much they like their version of Valensoul.

For me, I love the “enemies to lovers” trope as a form of character growth for the both of them. These are characters that have clashing personalities, different upbringings, and yet share similar struggles as consequence of having to face an apocalyptic force every 7 years. The appeal to me lies in asking “What has to change in both of them for them to form a relationship and be happier because of it?”

Parasoul is stuck with the demanding role of leading an entire kingdom at a relatively young age and seeks to protect it from the catastrophe that took most of her family. Because of it, she’s overprotective of her kingdom, her people, her sister, to a detrimental degree, unknowingly distancing herself from her sister and turning into an authoritarian leader. She comes off as cold and strict, but she’s driven by fear of losing what she has left, and that drives her to never compromise her way of leading, as it is the only way she knows how.

Contrast that to Valentine, a pawn of unknown (and frankly unimportant) origins. Being a soldier most of her life and a member of the ASG means the Skullheart also plays a big role in her life, practically she has dedicated her entire life to hunting it down. Much like Parasoul, she has also faced loss due to the Skullgirl, after she took out the Last Hope and forcing Valerie to become a confidant. Paradoxically, Valentine, who is very much characterized as a lone wolf who chases her own motives, is always taking someone else’s orders, let it be as a soldier, as Brain Drain’s assistant, or as the Skullgirl’s confidant. She never really had her own way, and is a puppet to bigger forces around her.

So there’s some interesting contrasts and overlaps between them:

Parasoul is overwhelemed by responsibility. Valentine rarely has any say on her fate.

Parasoul is protective of what she has inherited, what's left of her family and honor. Valentine doesn't have anyone nor anything left. She seems more interested in her research and mission being fulfilled rather than any self-preservation.

Parasoul is strict, set on her ways, and although she sometimes struggles to see the bigger picture, she always does what she believe is good. Valentine is someone with no affiliations, who has estranged herself from others, and adopts a gray morality and instrumental worldview to set herself on her...confusingly ambigous and ever changing goals.

Yet both of them faced loss, both of them have rigid personalities problems that alienate them from others, and both of them are just in dire need of a psychologist to be honest.

The Skullheart isn't directly leading the destruction of the world. It feasts off vulnerable, desperate people. If the status quo of this world continues, in 7 years there will be another Skullgirl. The only way to ensure it doesn't happen again is to change; adhering to the same methods, the old ways, will just ensure that the cycle mantains itself closed. With these different upbringings and motives yet similar objectives and loss, what could they bring to eachother? If they truly meet eachother, will they change? Will this change give Parasoul the perspective and guidance to lead and shift the tides and break the cycle? Will Valentine find somewhere to belong and with it a greater sense of purpose?

That to me is a very interesting writing prompt, a great starting off point to a piece of fanon to compliment the stated canon. It's an interesting direction for me to write fanon about the series, if I ever got the opportunity to do so. It's a different perspective on the characters and it's universe. A very hopeful one as well, one that contrasts with some of the more dark, edgy and sometimes one note stories of earlier SG. I'm not the biggest Skullgirls lorehead out there...

...And honestly, I don't care. the lore is physically all over the place, often it breaks its own rules even in the original 8 stories, and even then most of it isn't even implemented ingame and is just trapped in some napkin Ahad wrote into like 10 years ago...

...so perhaps I'm not the best to stick to the lore of the setting it takes place. But honestly, that's not my focus. I can't be asked to verify every single miniscule lore detail just to justify a work. Lore and worldbuilding doesn't make a story; that's just a backdrop, context for which to build on. Characters are what drive a story. Their struggles and how we relate to them is what keeps us interested. And if someday I can develop the dynamic between these two, that would be enough make a story. I really wish to dedicate a fully fleshed out work of fanon to this ship someday.

Anyways, thank you for asking, and sorry for rambling. Pharmacy school has been cooking my brain and frying my retinas, so excuse me if my train of thought sometimes went nowhere or my speech was too repetitive. I like talking about this ship, and would like to keep writing about more of my SG opinions, eventually. I hope this is enough to answer your question.

[snarrybang]

The Boggart

Fic by @sinick and @ac1d6urn, banner art by @ac1d6urn

Explicit No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Characters: Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dobby (Harry Potter), Hedwig (Harry Potter), Weasley Family (Harry Potter), Voldemort (Harry Potter) Tags: Patronus Form Changes (Harry Potter), Matching Patronus Forms (Harry Potter), Dementor Attacks (Harry Potter), Dementors (Harry Potter), Boggarts (Harry Potter), Succubi & Incubi, Azkaban, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hedwig Lives (Harry Potter), Dobby Lives (Harry Potter), Voldemort Dies (Harry Potter), Living Together, Godric's Hollow (Harry Potter), POV Harry Potter, POV Severus Snape, Minor Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Severus Snape Lives, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Wizengamot (Harry Potter), Order of Merlin Awards (Harry Potter), Canon Divergence - Post-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hogsmeade, The Burrow (Harry Potter), Bigger On The Inside, Seduction, Powerful Harry Potter, Gardens & Gardening, Fred Weasley Lives, Coming OutClosets Words: 30,282 Summary: Imprisoned and out of options, Severus encounters a friendly Boggart. Adrift after Voldemort's defeat, Harry allows his worst nightmare to become his guilty pleasure, that is until Severus asks for his help. Harry remembers the advancing Dementors and the Patronus cast on the night of Voldemort's final attack, but what really happened between them? And why does he keep suspecting that nothing will ever be the same?

Banner description: Amidst swirling shadows of deep blue, Harry confronts a darker incarnation of Severus Snape. Their faces are inches apart and their chests are bare. One of Severus' hands is extended to Harry's temple while the other hovers over Harry's elbow. A faint green glow emanates from where a concealed Dark Mark -- not visible from this angle -- might be. Severus Snape is a shadow shape in contrast to Harry, surrounded by orange glow. Harry's hands are raised to Severus' chest and neck, his touch shines with a bright yellow spell accompanied by faint magical motes swirling around the glow. Below them, set against the black background, the title "The Boggart" glows in vivid blue, followed by the authors' names: "by Acid & Sinick".

[frankenfossil]

Oh! I nearly forgot, but can I ask the significance of this panel?

It comes directly after Dee explains that he can’t come and see her from the future whenever he wants. (Which is one of my favorite moments where Dee’s true eldritch horror leaks in to the story), so I assume it’s… sort of a metaphor? How Emily finds herself at the foot of something she realizes is much, much bigger than she contemplated before?

(Also, I just wanted to compliment you for this panel)

(The first time I saw it, I imagined Dee was showing her this on purpose, time traveling from sometime the same day to really show her what it would be like. An object lesson.

The second time I saw it, I started to wonder

Because Dee himself doesn’t really look aware of what is going on behind him.

And maybe, just maybe, this one moment in time has become the only moment that Dee allows himself to come back to to see Emily, the one moment where he can get lost in the crowd with every other time he came back to look. The one moment where he’s explaining why he can’t come back.

Just… Makes me sad, and I wanted to say thank you for that too, because I love these characters and the story they tell, the sweet and bitter.)

Oh!!!

(Quick test of my ability to find which chapter stuff happens in)

I love your reading of that Uluru panel!! I think I probably didn’t intend anything that deep with it; these time skip montage style chapters are pretty choppy and I’m usually trying to figure out a way to touch on all these brief scenes or moments that I don’t want to spend a whole chapter on for whatever reason, and arrange them in a way where the cuts aren’t too hideously abrupt. For visual reasons I try to contrast different locations and not put 2 dialogue heavy moments directly next to each other. Mood wise, I don’t really want to cut from something serious and angsty to something that’s a complete backflip on that. I also sometimes just feel like drawing a nice landscape and hope it achieves my aims on these fronts haha.

I think also here I was trying to move from that final sentence, “The present is more than enough”, to demonstrating them appreciating having that present together - being able to go do cool and enriching stuff, something not completely mundane but not completely fantastical either. (I mean... sightseeing within your own country is extremely normal, but going to Uluru from Melbourne... not a convenient day trip, since it’s 2000km; 25 hour solid driving, or you can fly in a few hours but I think you have to go via Sydney, so that makes it take at least twice as long I guess. Not that it's specified how long they're there for. I haven’t been myself but I’d love to one day...)

So, yeah!! More of a mechanical/compositional rationale than an intentional metaphor, but I think your reading makes complete sense and actually improves the page! (Sometimes I do intend visual metaphors... but sometimes they’re just happy accidents.)

And thanks for the compliment re the crowd of Dees!! I also love the moments I can lean into his eldritch qualities... they’re sadly few and far between but maybe that helps them be more surprising?? Definitely your first reading was what I intended, that he zigzagged back pretty quickly, probably even from within the conversation, but there is an inherent ambiguity to Dee’s time travelling where unless I take pains to spell it out, there really is no way to know when he’s come from. Even if he can be assumed to be taking every interaction chronologically, there’s no knowing how much time has passed for him between each visit. I don’t even know how to estimate how long his experience of time is, when he’s zigzagging back so densely all the time; even the number of living things on Earth any moment is an incomprehensibly mind-boggling number. That eldritch horror again!

Truth be told I hadn’t thought of him coming back to this moment and blending in with the crowd for the rest of the future ;_; but that’s so real... he could well be, the sad sack...

I had a different sillier thought from slightly misreading your question on first pass, which is that maybe he doesn’t originally know what’s going on behind him, but then later on as he’s just going about his business he goes “oh I know exactly how to punctuate that thing I said earlier!!!” and then does it as an afterthought. Oh to have the ability to add the things you wish you’d said to an earlier conversation 😂

[madschiavelique]

so sorry if ur busy w requests and no rush at all but.. i am experiencing a drought of miguel and trans masc reader smut.., maybe something w doggy style and being so overstimulated that he has to hold you up in a chokehold 🫣 no pressure and your service is greatly appreciated

okidoki so I have never written about a trans character/reader before, and I really REALLY hope I did a proper thing here. (I tried my best and made a bit of research on how to write this because i would feel so bad if i ever offended anybody in the trans community, so please if there’s anything in this that you feel is offensive or misrepresenting, PLEASE tell me so that i can correct the mistake(s) in question)

summary : miguel fucking transmasc!reader to overstimulation

content warnings : SMUT (18+) minors dni, transmasc!reader x miguel, pnv sex, no use of Y/N, mentions of oral sex (reader receiving) here are the words i will be using for certain parts of the reader’s body (i considered that perhaps reader had had top surgery but not bottom surgery and takes T - testosterone) : for the top : chest, pects | for his bottom : clit, front hole word count : 587

tag list : @fandom-ash

status of my requests according to the date of this post : CLOSED (asks are open though)

Miguel knew that it hadn't always been easy for you to appreciate your body, and he didn't care what it looked like, because no matter what it looked like, he'd worship it, especially during sex.

You felt like one of those cis teenagers between junior high and high school who was horny all the time, and Miguel was more than happy to satisfy all your little needs. He'd been pleasuring you with your desires for almost two hours now, while overstimulating you with his, and you were getting increasingly sensitive.

Your elbows were pressed against the sheets, your hips raised as Miguel was pounding into your front hole. Your back was arched and his dick was hitting you in the spot that made your whole body tingle with pleasure.

"Look at you," he grunted as he lowered his torso to your back and brought his lips to your ear, the approach eliciting a long, pleading moan as he pressed even deeper into you. "I have such a beautiful boyfriend."

It was as if your whole body was tingling uncontrollably with every thrust of Miguel's inside you, as if your skin was a kind of cloud in which little flashes of lightning were all fighting together to crack first.

He rubbed your clit softly, he had noticed how it had swollen since you started taking T. The sounds your changing voice made were pure heaven. He was so eager for it to get bigger and to be able to give you proper blow-jobs, to be able to wrap his whole tongue around it while your hand was tangled in his hair.

Oh and how he loved kissing your chest, his fingers softly tracing your pects as he licked and kissed your skin. The way he felt your heart beating under your skin when he kissed you there made his cock twitch.

The changes in your body made your voice deeper, and he loved the sounds you made. His name, pronounced by your lips, changed colour in his mind, and all he wanted to do was make you repeat it over and over again to hear you speak.

But you had noticed in particular how much more powerful your orgasms had become, the sensations seeming to increase tenfold. In fact, you could already feel the next one coming, the heat filling your body and covering it in a layer of warmth.

"Miguel," you breathed with difficulty, "I'm gonna..." but you couldn't finish your sentence, all the sensations hitting you altogether making it impossible for you to think straight.

"Yes, say my name baby," he said, kissing your shoulders and back, giving you this contrasting caress of all the feelings that were mixing inside you.

"Miguel," you murmured breathlessly.

His thrusts grew even faster and more intense.

"Miguel..." you moaned as the knot in your stomach tightened.

The friction Miguel was applying to your clit accelerated as Miguel put his hand on your neck.

"Scream my name, querido," Miguel growled close to your ear as he pressed lightly on the sides of your neck.

The knot tightened, and in an instant, everything that was happening and stirring inside your body went white.

"Miguel!"

The orgasm came, and you felt as if you were being electrified, your voice going off the rails as your whole body vibrated. Miguel kissed your cheek as he slowed his pace inside you, caressing your neck gently as you shuddered, the sensations so powerful that you were overcome with emotion.

"You did so good, mi sol."

[kylieswift31]

The pair-ent trap part 2

“Awesome twosome we will be”

I recently made a post about how Taylor Swift's sixteen albums all create two halves of a pair, just like the iconic photo scene from the 1998 version of the parent trap. In the process I found that I wanted to branch off into several different directions at once, so to help stay on track this will be a series of posts inspired by the parent trap.

One + one = two

To begin with, it’s helpful to understand that the 1998 version of the parent trap is actually based on the original 1961 movie featuring Susan and Sharon. They both have the same storyline, but each one varies slightly based on the decade they were created in. The folklore and evermore albums were designed to highlight the pattern of pairs, but it quickly becomes apparent that the complexity of the connections extends beyond just individual pairings. To help explain how this intersectionality unfolds it’s helpful to compare the album pairs to both the midnights album variants as well as the UNO flip deck of cards featured at Quest Love’s game nights. This 1+1=2 combination is reminiscent of cassette tapes, where each side plays two halves of an album.

Two + two = four

Sharon and Susan discover that they are sisters when they both get sent to the same summer camp, switch places so they can meet their other parent and plan to meet up again so that their parents can reunite. This create four main characters, each with individual relationships with one another. The 2+2=4 combination is just like how the back covers of the midnights vinyl variants form a clock and the original version of the UNO deck that is made up of four classic colours.

Four + four = eight

And now when you combine the older and newer version of the parent trap you get eight main characters who are all a part of the same overarching story. This 4+4=8 combination mimics the midnights vinyl variants and the UNO flip deck having two contrasting sides that share the same story.

Eight + eight = sixteen

Seeing how all of these elements intersect helps to see the bigger picture. There’s the fantasy and reality of folklore and folkmore. The highs and lows of speak now and the tortured poets department. The familiarity and newness of red and 1989. And the beginnings and endings of debut/reputation and lover/midnights. From each individual album to Taylor’s discography as a whole, the combination of the light and dark sides are a reflection of her story.

The wild cards

Seeing Taylor's discography laid out like this makes it feel like the era of eras is almost complete, especially with the final leg of the eras tour coming up. But what’s going to be the catalyst for everyone to scour the lyrics looking for answers like the TTPD summation suggested? The wild cards. It's possible Taylor could release a debutation style country album with around one hundred new songs. If other forms of media are designed to be in pairs too, there's a few that we're still missing. There could be a sequel to the Miss Americana documentary titled the Heartbreak Prince. Or perhaps a sequel to the folklore long pond studio sessions for the evermore album. Maybe we'll learn about the real identity of William Bowery. And then there's the possibility of an addition to the eras tour to showcase the tortured poets department set. Personally, I'm torn between anticipating an incredibly overwhelming amount of new content or nothing at all.

The tortured poets department summation marked the point in a round of UNO where Taylor had played the second last card in her hand and called out "UNO!" to announce that the game is almost over. Whatever comes next is going to be Taylor's version of saying "game over" to end this chapter of her life to be able to move forwards. And there's only one colour left before the rainbow is complete. 🧡

To be continued...

A tortured poet,

Kylie x