#the ocean pattern is genuinely so pretty too...

[nightsunecilpse]

Did Luna Convinced Earth To Have Life?

Crack theory here, but what if Earth was only told he wanted life by Luna? A couple of occasions suggest that the Earth supposedly can't remember a lot past the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. He doesn't remember that Venus was a water planet 700 million years ago, can't recall his recreation, and this might be ambiguous but he claimed he had known Luna for a couple million years. Of course, there are things that Earth said that also purpose he can remember some things from his past. Earth, during his therapy session, said he wanted life very badly and that he tried so hard to have the conditions for it to happen. But it was odd how he skipped the earlier life forms that came before and gave presumably all credit to the dinosaurs.

He claimed to feel everything his Earthlings do, noting that complex life, even land life existed before dinosaurs. Even if life began in his Ocean and it wasn't visible to the other planets, the growing vegetation on his surface would have been at least evidence enough. Something is not adding up here. But let's say maybe the asteroid that hit him wiped a chunk of his memories, and he can only remember bits and clicks. He must've remembered he had dinosaurs to mourn them. But that doesn't explain what he said about everyone thinking it impossible for life to happen when Venus would've been similar to him for some time. Again, Earth doesn't remember Venus having those similar conditions. That means Earth can't remember past the dinosaurs. Luna is basically Earth's archive so he's the best candidate to tell Earth about his past.

Luna had told Earth he had seen him through all his phases. However, according to Luna, something changed when the Earthlings began to take advantage of Earth. Earth before the redemption arc was; dense, arrogant, narcissistic, careless, insecure, mean, patronizing, and genuine. As implied by others on more than one occasion, Earth is stubborn to change and refuses to reflect. In any indication, before the humans, Earth might've been a fluid planet. Change was easy coming if he had been through these different phases. So the earthling's mistreatment probably stunted his growth and made it harder for others to stick around. Throwing off the rhythm that Luna was used to but he still stayed loyal.

If we observe Luna too, we can see him guiding, following, and watching Earth's behavior and actions. He takes care of the Earth more than the Earth takes care of him. It is almost like he's training the Earth. It's especially odd compared to how the other moons are taken care of by their respective planets in some capacity. All clues lead to the idea that Luna is a more important influence on Earth's life than anyone expects.

During Earth's hallucination, we get to see an exaggerated vision of Luna based on his reflection of their friendship and his deepest fear. With what hallucination Luna said, there might be a very plausible reason why Earth's friendships didn't fall apart long ago. Whenever Earth messed up Luna would leave him and fix the situation. Like what he tried to do with Titan. Then, when he came back he would apologize for leaving him. But Earth would think they came back because he had life. This pattern was broken when Astrodude was abducted and Luna didn't come back to Earth. Without Luna, Earth escalated his problems and was truly alone. Then he quickly became unstable without someone there to keep him on his axis and habitable.

Throughout the show, it's apparent that life makes Earth sensitive to temperature and he can feel everything his Earthlings do. Earth even states how he's in pain all of the time. Not just from his Earthlings but also from his active geology. We can also see when Astrodude is probing Titan and Mars's surfaces they show an expression of pain. So imagine how Earth felt during his early years. Earth's geology was far more active back then and life theoretically developed pretty fast. So here comes a thought. Depending on Earth's maturity at the time. Would he believe he was ready for the reasonability and the burden that came with having life?

What if Earth only stayed in the Goldilocks zone because it would make him feel uncomfortable if he left it? What if, when he realized what was happening, he tried to take care of the problem before it got worse? The gas giants seem to favor Earth because he has life, but back then, they might've favored Venus instead as the planet with the greatest potential for life. So, did Earth use that to his advantage to hide the fact he had life till he figured out how to deal with it? What if Earth pulled that asteroid towards him? Then due to his hypersensitivity, it caused severe memory loss. I'm just saying that it would've been very easy to change the narrative if nobody else knew what was happening.

In suspicion of the Earth's only moon and the closest celestial body to him, Luna is accused of falsifying the original truth of Earth's inspiration for life. If Earth lost a portion of his memory, it would've drawn attention eventually. Luna had to find a way to defuse the situation, or he could've used this to his benefit. A way to turn a new leaf. Assuming Venus got special attention for having the conditions for life, imagine how much love they get if everyone found out Earth had life all along. Because Luna is a moon he probably didn't get the same attention as the Rockies. So maybe he could live through his planet, excusing his decision with Earth being happier for this in time. This is when I believe Luna convinced Earth having life was his idea, that it was the dream of every planet, and it would make him special. They would've revealed that Earth had life to the entire solar system and Earth was in the process of rebuilding.

This could even explain their codependency for each other. They had built their friendship on the development of life. Earth even said to Luna that he was essential to life this whole time. Luna would've kept Earth on track all the while both started to believe the lie more as the passing of time. Becoming more attuned to each other company and growing increasingly dependent on the other one. Dooming their friendship because they are too reliant on each other. Even if this theory is just crack, Earth can't be alone and Luna is overly defensive of Earth and very attached to him. Both Earth and Luna are using the Earthlings to ensure the other doesn't leave because they give each other attention and purpose. The earthlings are what they think is keeping their friendship together. They truly need to find a healthy balance or attend a Mercury therapy session, because they need serious help.

Sorry @wolfgirl83wl , I can see what you mean about Earth not remembering past the dinosaurs in that post you made.

[spring-ephemeral]

i did actually manage to get two gifts from Hawaii (ocean pattern) but in both cases the player immediately unfriended me afterwards. i only need one more for the scatterbug to spawn. it's jokerfying

started playing pokemon go again recently. unfortunately i immediately got into the collector mindset about the vivillon patterns but finding friends from sandstorm/ocean/sun regions that actually send gifts has been literally impossible

[mrsarnold]

girlll i swear every time i see your blog its getting prettier and prettier 😭😭😭 nowww how about some percy x oblivious!reader? where he tries EVERYTHING to hint at his feelings but reader still doesn’t see it 😭

can you see me im waiting for the right time. ۫ ꣑ৎ .

syn : in the req !!

pair : percy jackson x fem!reader

warn : fluffy fluff, reader is oblivious, kisses, reader is a lil slow but its ok!!

note : im glad you love my theme !! sparkle divider creds : @bernardsbendystraws

percy jackson was losing his mind. He’d tried everything to show that he loved you. from sharing his favorite snacks, giving you his hoodie, and letting you win at capture the flag—but you still didn’t get it. Every time you called him your “best friend,” he felt like he was sinking faster than he ever could in the ocean. No matter how many hints he dropped, you stayed blissfully oblivious, leaving Percy wondering what it would take for you to finally see how much he liked you.

"percy look at this seashell", you said excitedly reaching down to grab the loner seashell. percy was so out of it he didn't even realize the seashell. he was thinking about how to tell you how he feels without being awkward.

when you realized his dozeout look you quickly stood up and walked over to him. "Perc? you ok", you asked gently trying to get his attention. he snapped out of his daze and nodded awkwardly, "yea just thinking i guess."

You tilted your head, unconvinced. “Thinking about what?” you asked, your voice laced with genuine curiosity. Percy hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck—a nervous habit you’d seen a hundred times before but never quite understood. “Uh, just… stuff,” he muttered, his cheeks tinged pink as he avoided your gaze. You frowned but decided not to push him.

Instead, you held out the seashell, changing the subject. “Isn’t this one cool? It’s got this swirl pattern, kinda like a mini hurricane.” Percy took it from you, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, it’s… cool,” he said, but his voice lacked its usual energy. He wasn’t looking at the seashell; he was looking at you, wondering if you’d ever realize that the “stuff” on his mind was you—always you.

"well imma go get more", you said smiling brightly before walking away, leaving him to think. then a idea popped into that brain of his.

Percy walked around the whole beach to collect some seashells, pretty omes to your liking.

once he got all the ones he needed he started to spell out something on the sand with the shells. once he finished it spelt out, 'i heart you.'

Percy stepped back to admire his work, his heart pounding as he glanced at the seashell message shimmering in the sunlight. It wasn’t elaborate, but it was the best he could think of—simple and honest, just like how he felt about you. He stood there for a moment, debating whether to call you over or let you find it on your own.

When he finally spotted you walking back, a handful of new seashells in your arms, he felt a rush of nerves. “Hey, uh, can you come here for a sec?” he called out, trying to sound casual.

You glanced up, smiling as you made your way toward him. “What’s up, Perc? Did you find something cool?”

He motioned toward the ground, unable to form any words. You followed his gaze and froze when you saw the shells arranged neatly in the sand. “I heart you?” you read aloud, looking back at him in confusion. “You heart me? Like… as a friend, or—?”

Percy’s face burned, and he scratched the back of his neck. “Not as a friend,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

You smiled when he said that making him a little less nervous. "But y'know it's ok if you don't like me back i just thought i should something-", before he could finish you leaned up and connected thebtwo of you's lips.

"i like you too percy", you mumbled out between kisses making him smile against the kiss.

[fantaatix]

a stolitz post? in the year of our lord??

warning this is genuinely a long ass post

okay so sometime last month i was watching 3bskyen’s JLMW reaction (really tells you how long i’ve actually been cooking this post), and he was talking about color theory or something but what caught my attention was that he was paused on THIS frame:

he said something about the red/blue contrast throughout the music video; red being symbolic of blitz (the moon) and blue being symbolic of stolas (the ocean (?)) and it got me thinking, i wonder what the gold might symbolize? because this definitely isn’t the first time we’ve seen the color gold in reference to stolitz. first think back to truth seekers, there’s gold in quite a few places

golden rails, golden feathers, golden shackles; this is why i say gold and not yellow. at first i thought it might be symbolic of the power imbalance, but that’d be too easy.

quite the selection of objects, isn’t it? rails imply safety but can also be restricting, the feathers seem harmless but then turn into shackles…possibly reminiscent of the nature the book deal and the role it actually played in blitz’s mind about his relationship with stolas.

but there’s one more thing i left out; the golden dust

...okay...don't laugh...

first time i saw this scene in truth seekers i was immediately reminded of shrek ever after

AND I’M NOT COMPARING BLITZ TO RUMPELSTILTSKIN, i’m not trying to imply they stole from shrek ever after, THAT'D be a stretch. if anything blitz is better compared to shrek himself, but i'm not gonna write about that because i Don't Want To

but if i’m remembering correctly, that movie revolved around the theme of taking good things for granted, like your partner and your friends, which aligns pretty well with how blitz’s bad trip ends:

“i believe your subconscious is trying to tell you that you simply cannot fathom proper intimacy, but also craves it as well. it’s rather unfortunate, sir, considering it’s often how you treat those who stand by you, such as myself. are you worried i may have enough of it one day, as well?”

"you cannot fathom proper intimacy."

blitz doesn’t know how to be close to other people–i don’t think he understands the relationship he has with any of the people in his life.

we still don’t truly know blitz’s full belief on love and we can only deduce it from his actions; he says monogamy is boring but then goes on to stalk his monogamous employees, on their anniversary no less, bringing along his own singular date...

he focuses on the sex in his relationships because that’s what he’s good at; he finds sex less complicated than romance... and then struggles to get his asmodean crystal to open a portal because he can’t get it off.

he has this recurring pattern where the title of “best friend” eventually turns into something else, often unrequited...

“...my first ever friend!”

he didn't expect stolas' intimate attraction to him. stolas made the connection and it succeeded in making blitz feel guilty about stealing the book; that was why he stayed the night. blitz isn't used to not being rejected, even though he has a record of relationships that stopped once the Evil Four Letter Word came up. when he goes into a relationship, blitz has learned to not expect it to evolve past sex. love has negative connotations to him.

the worst part is we don’t know for certain WHY any of this is, or if it can even be chalked down to a singular thing

yeah, his mom died in a fire blitz caused, his best friend/crush lost his limbs in a fire blitz caused, he’s been treated as property since a young age; you can makes all kinds of correlations between these events and how they might have affected him later in life but as it stands now, we have no concrete answers other than the conclusion that blitz hates himself and has commitment issues.

but back onto that “taking things for granted” tidbit–subconsciously, he knows relationships can be good, but he feels he has to give up a lot of freedom in order to maintain one of his own.

also note how blitz is desperately crawling up the staircase, feathers kind of just hitting him haphazardly as he does so, as opposed to trip!moxxie who takes a few steps up after picking up a feather of his own volition. he knows moxxie’s relationship is more stable than any relationship he’s ever had, and yet:

“stop fucking talking, all of you!”

cue the gold dust.

now, i'm not saying the book deal was a good thing. in fact, it kind of reinforced the power imbalance between blitz and stolas. i'm saying that from blitz's perspective, it was a safeguard. any feelings he might have had for stolas before could be dismissed, and he does exactly that one episode prior;

"it's a transactional fucking, you see..."

what i think he does take for granted is the advice “moxxie” gives to him, his attempts to reach out in a meaningful manner, kind of like stolas’ attempts to reach out. he ignores them both; he’s too deep into his own denial.

also, STAIRCASES IN THIS FUCKING SHOW.

why do these fruity little men think so low of themselves and so highly of others??

i guess that's a bit of a rhetorical question, we all know the answer, but. wait. hold on a sec

ohhhh.

OOOHHHH, that's what this post was gonna be about!

i fucking GOT all of you, you thought i could go a post without talking about him you're WRONG and should feel SILLY.

so this was the OTHER thing i realised when watching 3bskyen's JLMW reaction: it follows the same theme as moxxie's bad trip!

JLMW vs. moxxie's bad trip

in helluva boss, we're used to seeing staircases being symbolic of a difference in power or importance, or a staircase to heaven, or a highly anticipated event going wrong *cough cough ozzie's cough full moon cough cough*

however, i think in the context of moxxie’s bad trip and JLMW, it can also be attributed to emotional distance. like stolas, moxxie's also looking for an emotional intimacy/understanding between him and blitz (he spends his whole trip actively trying to get on the same level as him for crying out loud).

this could also fit into blitz's bad trip; he's trying to get on the same level as stolas, but feels like even if he ever did, he'd still be inherently worthless. a "play thing".

he doesn’t know why anyone would want him for anything else, but he’s clearly not all about the hierarchy.

they need to get on the same level as each other emotionally; they need to break the power dynamic, and thats why the book deal had to go.

the difference in the symbolism is that while blitz has a straight and narrow path to trip!stolas, moxxie’s path to trip!blitz is this winding, unguarded staircase. he almost falls off.

now, compared to both of those, stolas�� path is a fucking stroll. albeit an emotionally damaging stroll, but it takes less physical strength.

conclusion; stairs are symbolic of a difference in power, but gold is symbolic of something else.

and there is a power dynamic between moxxie and blitz. it's not like stolas and blitz's dynamic, it's an artificial imbalance; blitz is the boss, moxxie is the employee. and moxxie has his own inferiority complex, which i think plays a role in it too.

the imbalance between stolas and blitz is kind of, unfortunately, inherited. but it's not impossible to manage. of course, stolas doesn't care about where blitz is on the hierarchy, he doesn't care about the hierarchy period. but it's still there. blitz cares because it affects him.

"you will be technically under his jurisdiction, but..."

this was problem one. stolas unintentionally demonstrating his power over blitz. "surprise, i technically made you someone else's property! please love me!" i'm exaggerating but this is definitely not the kind of thing you spring on your partner; they needed to talk about this beforehand, but according to stolas:

"no need for an arrangement, it can just be him and me!"

sigh. the many different ways this night could've gone

this is enough to trigger blitz's fight or flight. he wants to be with stolas, but he doesn't want the freedom to choose to be with him, which is problem two:

because blitz's belief of love is so inherently fucked up,

what are the chances that the very thing stolas gave to blitz to reaffirm his free will was just interpreted as another shackle?

blitz doesn't do commitment; stolas doesn't say "i love you", he doesn't need to. if you love something, you let it go, and if it comes back then it's yours--which happens in the very next episode.

blitz is the first person to mention love.

but if they want to love each other, they have to be equals, which was why the book deal had to go. they can't hold each other to these super high standards because that'd just set themselves up for disappointment. they have to be on the same level.

tldr: they're two sides of the same coin. literally!

color theory for dummies, a brief intermission

fun fact: i actually didn’t learn color theory in an art class, but in a textiles class. we love american education. but anyways, i’m gonna ask you to draw your attention specifically to the complementary colors.

we start the chorus of JLMW in a purpley sort of place, which then shifts into gold, and then into the red/blue contrast.

except red and blue aren’t complete opposites, they’re both primary colors.

if they wanted complete opposites, they could’ve used red and green, or blue and orange, which are admittedly uglier combinations but the point is that stolitz aren’t complete opposites.

however, purple and yellow, or gold, ARE complete opposites; they’re complementary colors. if purple is implied to be symbolic of stolitz together, then could gold imply stolitz apart?

well…no. i think that’s the wrong angle. if they wanted that contrast, they could have left the gold out entirely, because red and blue separate is stolitz apart.

so how are we supposed to deduce what the gold is actually symbolic of? because no, i don’t actually think it’s an extended shrek 4 reference. that kind of exclusively pertains to blitz’s trip.

listening to the lyrics in the gold part;

This unspoken contract

A deed we forged for mutual gain

If that's all this was when you're not here

What is this rooted pain?

I don't care that you're of lower station

Or primed to sate my dark temptations

Why can't you understand? Let me explain

And I'm terrified as I cry

To make these feelings true

What's left for me and my broken heart

If I cannot have you?

a direct mention of the book deal…and another mention of the power imbalance…so i realize am starting to sound insane, but please hear me out.

i think the main theme of helluva boss IS learning to love in spite of damages and traumas and insecurities–not ignoring either of those, but learning to work around them or possibly heal those parts of yourself so you can love someone else effectively. learning from mistakes.

so what if the gold is symbolic of the simple desire of a mutual understanding? or a meaningful connection with someone else?

tying it all back together somehow

both moxxie and stolas want to connect with blitz (in different ways), but for stolas, that means severing possibly the only thing connecting them thus far (the book). for moxxie, that means climbing the staircase and possibly being pushed even further away.

moxxie also has this high opinion of blitz despite all his obvious (and not so obvious) flaws. i think it's partially because of his own inferiority complex, but to him, blitz is the phantom--his scar becomes the mask he hides behind. he knows blitz puts on this loud, crude personality to hide his cracks and keep others away, and has a scarily accurate portrayal of him in his mind.

moxxie wants to be on the same level as blitz, and he knows it's possible to get there, because he's a damaged character himself and he gets it. he's just yet to take the actual first step.

stolas, even in his own imagination, doesn't think it's possible to be emotionally intimate until the deal is broken. he could reach for blitz, but blitz wouldn't reach back. he's not looking. not to mention the literal celestial view he has of blitz in his head.

while stolas can see blitz's damage, he can't fully comprehend it yet, partially because blitz won't give him the chance and partially because stolas isn't damaged in the same way he is. they both had deadbeat dads, but they adapted in different ways.

that's just the way trauma works, you adapt to deal with it, and then have to unadapt those unhealthy coping mechanisms once you're finally safe. it just takes a while for people to realize they're actually safe, and these fruitcakes are no exception.

conclusion? uhh, i don't know, i guess i don't really have one. just. enough with the discourse about these bitches i guess??? just give them each some time, change takes more than two seasons.

i guess i could compare the way the songs are set up but this was supposed to be out like two days ago and it's already 11:45 so. maybe some other time, maybe in a post about moxxie's Interesting taste in musicals

was unfortunately unable to finish the mox vs. fizz masterpost this month but we'll see sometime in the coming months, maybe sometime after the next helluva short comes out. been a bit too busy with school and other social things to have time writing these long asf posts about my skrimblos

okay goodnight o/

[anhonest-puck]

mk this is lots but theyre all lovely. im gonna start u out with music videos and we'll go from there.

when in rome mv

lighthouse's tale mv

this side mv

speak mv

tinydesk

live on aol

the current (performance + interview)

cmt's on the verge (suuuuch a cute video.. babies)

i need to watch the punch brothers tinydesk eventually but black mirror is calling my name i think

giving u. live reactionz!!!! apologies this is gonna be long

when in rome mv: such a nice looking video…. i liked watching it because it just looked very very nice!!!! the monochrome made me happy :3 also someone in comments said: “Chris having a mandolin-induced seizure in a puddle is one of my favorite Nickel Creek moments” and i couldn’t agree more

lighthouse’s tale mv: OH MU GAAAHHHH!!!!!!!! i love this one so much. the colors shifting from bright and happy at the start to more mute and greyscale with the story of the song???? i can’t it’s such a yummy detail! also. ocean mentioned. it looked very pretty very late 200Wait this mv was made nine days after i was born.

this side mv: okay because i love this one too it’s so funny to me. they’re preforming to a wall. peak mv. but the second half of it for some reason reminds me of that one labyrinth movie that david bowies in. watched it with meekies and it was really good :3

speak mv: MOVIE!!!! i would watch a movie with only nickel creek music if that would exist ever… also i love chris’ funky ass outfit… play that mandolin white boy!!

tinydesk: YESYESYEZ I LOVE IT!! destination woke ester up and she came and snuggled me. my Cat is a creeker too! also listening to this working on homework 👍 silly guy got braces aahhhhh….. 21ST OF MAY!!! i love this song (also… seven days after my birthday…..) BITCH! there was an ad. interrupted my creeking. any way this might have been the best 20 minute video i could have ever watched

live @ aol: this video is very 2002 i love it so much. also they never fail to absolutely devour anything they’ve ever done i fear

the current: scrolling through pinterest listening to this one my computer died…… SARA IS SO GORG THOUGH! also why are kjp brand sweaters nd stuff so expensive. anyway they all sing so well together it’s genuineOH MY GOD WHERE THE LONG LINE LEADS TBIS ONESS MY FAVORITE it sounds so good live aaaaaahhhhhhHOLDING PATTERN!!!!! the snaps oh my god they’re so AAGHHHHYUUMMMMUY also “i have a special guest, nickel creek!” “wheeeeeewww :D!!” they’re so silly to me

cmt’s on the verge: i genuinely love how positive they are it’s such a huge inspiration for other aspiring artists!! also getting to hear their backstory is so cool :3!!!!!!!! hearing their parents stories too, soso cool!! also woah chris played with dolly parton? i had to rewind to make sure i was hearing that right that’s so cool

THANK YOU FOR THESE MONANA THESE WERE SO FUN TO WATCH/LISTEN TO!!!!!

[lifeofpriya]

hi! could i request “searching for each other in a crowded rooms, finding each other everywhere” from the safe space prompt list! thank you <33

you got it!!! 🤭

The Enigmatic Smile

wc: 2.03k

In the bustling grand ballroom of the country club, a pattern of chatter and laughter fills the air as you stand by the grand windows overlooking the emerald tennis courts that stretch out like a lush carpet. You're dressed in your favorite ensemble of the evening, a blend of elegance and comfort that whispers of your unassuming charm. The room is a kaleidoscope of gowns and suits, a dance of colors that moves in rhythm with the soft jazz music playing in the background. The event is a prestigious charity gala, a gathering of the town's crème de la crème, and you're here, feeling a bit out of place, but eager nonetheless.

Your eyes scan the crowd, searching for Jack. You've heard so much about him, his swift moves on the court, the power behind his serve, and the grace of his backhand. You've seen his pictures in the papers, his greenish hazel eyes piercing the lens, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, as if he's sharing a secret with the world. But tonight, you're not looking for the tennis star; you're searching for the person behind the racket.

The room swirls around you, a whirlwind of socialites and patrons, all vying for the spotlight. The chandeliers cast a warm glow over the polished wood floor, reflecting the sparkle of crystal flutes filled with bubbling champagne. You feel a gentle nudge on your arm. You turn to see a figure, dressed in a sharp suit, with the same mischievous smile from the photographs.

"You look like a fish out of water," Jack says, his voice a smooth tenor that seems to resonate with the very air around you. You laugh, a little self-consciously, feeling the warmth of his gaze.

"And you look like you own the ocean," you reply, gesturing towards his confident stance. His smile widens, revealing dimples that you hadn't noticed in the photographs.

Jack takes a sip of his champagne, the bubbles fizzing against the side of the flute. "What brings you to this shindig?" he asks, his eyes never leaving yours.

You shrug, feeling a little shy. "A friend dragged me along. I'm not much of a social butterfly."

Jack's smile turns knowing. "Neither am I, if I'm being honest. The courts are my stage, not this circus." He gestures around the grand ballroom, the words "circus" rolling off his tongue with a playful lilt.

You find yourself drawn to him, his down-to-earth demeanor a refreshing change from the ostentatious atmosphere. "I'd say you're pretty good at playing the part," you observe, watching as he navigates the throng with ease, greeting familiar faces with the grace of a seasoned diplomat.

Jack chuckles, the sound warm and genuine. "It's all for show. I'd rather be playing a set than making small talk." His gaze drifts to the tennis courts outside, a wistful look in his eyes. "Do you play?"

"I can't say I've played too much," you admit, your cheeks flushing slightly at the thought of the last time you picked up a racquet. "But I enjoy watching the games, especially yours."

Jack's smile reaches his eyes, crinkling the corners. "You flatter me," he says, but you can see the pleased glint in his gaze. He leans in closer, the scent of his cologne, a blend of citrus and musk, mingling with the faint smell of the freshly cut grass from outside. "How about we sneak away from this circus for a bit?" he whispers, his breath tickling your ear.

Intrigued, you nod in agreement. He takes your hand, his touch firm yet gentle, and leads you through the maze of people, weaving in and out of conversations like a pro. The room is a symphony of sounds, from the clinking of silverware against fine china to the muffled thump of the tennis balls from the nearby courts. Each step feels like a dance, synchronized and thrilling, as you follow him.

Jack opens the French doors, and the cool evening air greets you with a kiss, a stark contrast to the warmth of the ballroom. The moon casts a silver glow on the grass, turning it into a midnight snack. You can see your breath in the crisp air, and the stars twinkle above like a thousand diamond studs in the velvet sky.

"This way," he says, leading you down a cobblestone path that winds around the clubhouse. The sound of your heels clicking against the stones echoes through the quiet night, punctuated by the occasional distant laugh from the party.

Jack stops at the edge of the courts, the moonlight casting long shadows across the freshly painted lines. He turns to face you, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Ever played under the stars?"

Your heart skips a beat. The idea is both exhilarating and a bit absurd, considering the formal attire you're both wearing. But Jack's enthusiasm is contagious, and you find yourself nodding. "Can't say I have," you admit, a smile playing on your lips.

Jack's eyes light up, and he leads you to the nearest court. He grabs a couple of racquets and a can of balls from a nearby cart, his movements swift and practiced. "Here," he says, handing you a racquet, "You'll need this."

You take it, feeling the weight of the grip in your hand, unfamiliar yet comforting. He opens the can of balls with a pop and sets them down on the ground, selecting one with a gentle bounce. "Ready?"

You nod, your heart thumping in anticipation. The cool metal of the racquet feels good against your skin, a reminder of the sport you used to love. "Let's do this," you murmur, your voice carrying the excitement of a child about to embark on a midnight adventure.

Jack serves the ball with surprising gentleness, considering his reputation for power on the court. It sails through the air, a silver orb in the moonlight, and you swing. The racquet meets the ball with a satisfying thwack, sending it back over the net. The sound echoes in the quiet night, a stark contrast to the muffled cacophony of the gala.

You watch as Jack sprints to the other side of the court, his movements a mesmerizing blur. He returns the ball with ease, his eyes never leaving yours. You laugh, feeling the thrill of the impromptu game. Your feet move instinctively, the years of watching tennis matches paying off as you return shot after shot.

Jack's smile is infectious, and his playful banter keeps you on your toes. Each volley is a silent conversation, a dance of anticipation and reaction. The cool grass feels surprisingly good underfoot, a stark contrast to the stiff soles of your shoes. The moon, a silent spectator, casts a soft glow on the both of you, making the scene feel like a surreal dream.

As you play, you realize that the tennis courts are more than just a place for games; they're a sanctuary for Jack, a place where he can be himself without the weight of his public persona. His strokes are still precise, but there's a freedom in them that you hadn't noticed before, a joy that seems to resonate in the quiet night.

You, on the other hand, are surprised by your own skill. The racquet feels like an extension of your arm, the ball a familiar friend that you're happy to see again. With each hit, you feel the tension of the evening melting away, replaced by a sense of camaraderie and excitement.

Jack notices the spark in your eyes and raises his game, challenging you with a series of shots that make you run across the court. You're not just keeping up; you're enjoying every minute of it, the thrill of the chase bringing out a competitive streak you didn't know you had.

As you play, the conversation flows easily between you, touching on your shared love for the sport and your individual journeys that led you to this moment. You learn about Jack's early mornings on the courts, the countless hours of training that shaped his body into the finely tuned machine it is today. You tell him about the times you've watched his matches from the sidelines, cheering him on even when you were the only one who knew his name.

The game intensifies, the ball a silent whisper of competition between you. You're not just playing tennis; you're connecting, finding common ground in a world that often feels too vast and unpredictable. You both push each other, each point a testament to your growing friendship.

Jack's eyes dance as he sets up for another serve, the moonlight catching the flecks of gold in his irises. "You're a natural," he says, his voice filled with admiration. "I could use a hitting partner like you."

You laugh, the sound carrying on the night breeze. "I doubt I could keep up with you in a real match," you admit, feeling a thrill at the compliment.

Jack winks. "You never know until you try," he says, serving another ball. This one is a little faster, a little more challenging. You manage to get your racquet to it, sending it back in a satisfying arc.

As the game progresses, you both start to relax, the tension of the evening dissipating with each exchange. The moon climbs higher in the sky, casting longer shadows that stretch and distort with every step you take. The night air is cool, but the exertion keeps you warm.

Jack serves again, and you notice the way his muscles tense before he hits the ball, the focus in his eyes as he watches it sail over the net. You return the serve, the racquet feeling lighter with each hit. The conversation continues, now peppered with the occasional grunt of effort and the rhythmic thwack of the ball.

"So, what do you do when you're not playing tennis?" you ask, panting slightly.

Jack catches the ball with his racquet, letting it rest for a moment. "Well, I'm actually quite the amateur chef," he reveals, a hint of pride in his voice. "There's something therapeutic about it, you know? Oh, and I'm trying to get into mixology too."

You laugh, surprised by his revelation. "Jack of all trades, huh?"

Jack chuckles, the sound as warm as the whiskey you've heard he enjoys. "More like Jack who enjoys dabbling," he corrects, his British accent a delightful reminder of his roots. He serves again, the ball a fiery comet in the moonlit night.

You manage to return it, the racquet feeling like it's come alive in your hand. "Mixology, huh?" You say, your curiosity piqued. "What's your signature drink?"

Jack grins. "It's a secret," he says, his eyes twinkling. "But I'll make it for you sometime, if you'd like."

You blush, surprised by the casual invitation. "I'd like that," you say, the words slipping out before you can think better of it.

Jack's smile broadens, his teeth a flash of white in the moonlight. "It's a date, then," he says, and you realize with a start that you actually would. The game resumes, the rhythm of the ball between you a silent conversation of its own.

The night wears on, and the party inside the clubhouse seems to fade away as the two of you become lost in the dance of the game. You're surprised by how comfortable you feel around him, how easily the conversation comes despite the chaos of the gala just a few feet away.

Jack serves again, and this time you see the challenge in his eyes. You know he's testing you, pushing you to reach for the stars. You dig deep, your body moving almost on instinct, and return the ball with a speed that surprises even yourself.

"Nice shot," he says, his voice a mix of surprise and admiration.

"Thanks," you reply, your breath misting in the cool night air.

Jack's eyes light up, the moon highlighting the gold in his irises. "Care for a little wager?"

You raise an eyebrow. "Wager?"

Jack nods, his smile turning mischievous. "If you win the next point, I'll make you my signature cocktail at our next meeting. If I win, you have to try my worst concoction, no questions asked."

You consider for a moment, your heart racing. "And what's in this infamous signature cocktail?"

Jack leans in, his smile enigmatic. "It's a secret," he whispers. "But I promise it's nothing you wouldn't enjoy."

[silversiren1101]

For the recent ask thingy, roots and texture for Mino? Genuinely curious if you've thoughts about like the fantasy-historical style of Mino's clothing choices (esp. considering her origin in Cheliax)

Hello Spoon! Great questions!

roots: Is your OC's look inspired by any specific style of clothing or fashion trend? What are the roots and/or inspiration for their look?

A lot of Mino's general design ideas are rooted in her origin: Westcrown. There is no official influence for Westcrown and its culture, but I personally see it as very Venetian in influence! It's a city of bright white marble and once gilded statues and fountains and publics works left to crumble as the old capital, right there on the Inner Sea coast, straddling islands and inlets.

Cheliax in general has a curious vibe that is basically just "Every Imperialist/Colonizer culture in one" ranging from Spain to Italy to England, and it's a bit easier to get a cultural vibe on specific cities. Hence, Westcrown to me has a very Venetian quality to it! Especially with so much mention of the old nobility and vaneos that overlook everything else, the deposed lords and ladies desperate to keep any little power they have left and keep up appearances.

Mino, though, isn't any Lord or Lady. She grew up an orphan with just rags to wear, but Westcrown beats in her heart and blood. She is drawn towards bright fabrics that are airy and breathable, but strong: the kind of things the poor and working class fishermen of the city would wear. A crisp white linen work-shirt, durable but breathable pants that can withstand the grime and wear and take of constant work? Colors: whites, oranges, yellows, browns, blues. Very coastal bright and proud of it.

Even in her finery she is drawn towards lace and silky ribbons that are bright and delicate; nothing at all like the dark colors and velvets and ribbing more common in the dark heart of Cheliax (Egorian).

It's in her appearance too: unlike most Chelaxians Mino is not weirdly pale with dark accents and theming! She has a warm ivory skintone that tans easily like she's drinking in sunlight. She has blonde hair with dark roots and bright eyes and lips. Her scales are like the whitegreen caps of ocean waves. Pretty much everything about her evokes feelings of a sea-scented breeze beneath a blue sky with only a few white clouds, perfectly warm day that'll require some sunscreen, the sound of gentle waves somewhere close by...

So yeah! A lot of her design comes from her being a proud Wiscrani, which itself is Venetian in influence. This is a woman who grew up breathing in salt air, always within sound of the ocean, where the sun is bright and weather is on the warmer side. She wears her bright colors and patterns and heritage with a prideful defiance to what Cheliax has become, like most Wiscrani do.

Her armor, of course, is Hellknight-core but with a more approachable slant to it. Less spikes, more blue than black, but still, Hellknight lol.

texture: Does your OC favor any specific kinds of cloth or textures? Is there anything they can't wear or don't like? What sort of fabrics do they prefer?

Answered here! And it pairs well with the Roots answer above!

Questions from this ask game!

[yourstormthlaylirahh]

The sea beast was really good, but a few pretty drastic flaws. the last 15 minutes were rushed. The weird sea witch plot was out of the blue and unnecessary. They were already doing a good job showing crow getting more ruthless, they could have done a nice contrast scene with the beginning where he doesn't help a boat in distress and kept the story more grounded in reality.

Most grievously, they just dropped the relationship I cared about the most partway through the movie - crow and Jacob. No father son reunion? No hope at the end for their eventual reconciliation, or even a bittersweet scene where they realize their relationship was important but they've wounded each other too much to go back? Wtf

But the animation! Was! So! Good! I actually thought the opening water scene was filmed in the actual ocean. And i loved how strongly it went after war profiteering and people in positions of authority manipulating mass perception of history for personal gain. I would have loved some deeper worldbuilding, but oh well. The movie also did a great job of keeping tension throughout the majority of the movie, i was holding my breath throughout because I genuinely didn't know what the characters were going to do and whether they could break out of old patterns of prejudice

[breadone]

Pokémon Moon is a Triumph of Learning From the Past

I'm actually very new to Pokémon. The first game I played was Leaf Green… in 2021. My girlfriend being into Pokémon rubbed off onto me, and I eventually got hooked. Before then, I really could not care less about the series. I had seen a few episodes of the anime when I was six or seven, and probably got a few cards but that was just because it was the cool thing at the time in primary school.

All that to say, I don't really have nostalgia for the series, not in the usual sense anyway. I can look back and reminisce on the good old days of Pokémon Sapphire in the ancient year of 2022, but I'm honestly looking at the series through entirely unbiased eyes.

So over the past few years as I've been playing the games in generational order, from LeafGreen, to HeartGold, Sapphire to Platinum to Black to X and now to Moon, there's been one consistent trend I've noticed: odd number generations are fantastic (LeafGreen, Sapphire, Black), and even number games range from not great (Platinum) to downright abysmal (HeartGold; fight me).

So after playing through the pretty mid X, right after the exceptional Black, I was apprehensive. I knew the pattern was favouring Moon, but on the other hand, Black was genuinely one of my favourite games of the year when I played it. I was having trouble believing that Gen 7 would find a way to outdo it, especially now that I was firmly in the rather notorious 3D era.

My gosh, I was wrong. This game somehow manages to not only beat Black for the title of my favourite Mon game, but also just… one of my favourite games I've played.

Alola

Pokémon Sun and Moon are set in the lush, pristine archipelago of Alola, based on Hawaii. The region is split into four sun-drenched isles, and a couple of smaller islands and "islands".

After the relative disappointment of Gen 6, with the big jump into 3D feeling surprisingly unimportant, Gen 7 fully embraces the enormous technological jump with Alola, and feels like what Gen 6 should have been.

The pretty static camera of old gives way to one that seemingly never stays still, moving every which way in order to best highlight the stunningly beautiful scenery around it. The tropical setting really pushes the 3DS in ways not seen before — when the majority of the console's library consists of 2D platformers, Pokémon Moon looks like Elden Ring in comparison.

Imposing green cliffs reveal seemingly endless ocean behind them, and yet the noise and bustle of cityscapes is never too far around any corner. The ever-present lush plant life, sometimes highlighting, sometimes obscuring the multitude of secrets wandering from the main road.

There are real incentives to explore everything too, far more so in previous games. I'll get into these more later, but I was organically exploring every tiny little corner of this map, in a way few other games have managed to convince me to.

Playing through Moon feels like they listened to all my complaints about X (ten years after it released) and flipped everything on its head. It feels weird talking about immersion in a Pokémon game, but it's true. The world feels alive in a way that no other Mon game has, and the immersion that brings is paramount to pushing the game into goated territory.

The region is split into four main islands, with each successive one being locked behind game progression. Right off the bat, I think they really could've done more with this idea. All the islands feel kinda same-y once you start exploring them.

KoniKoni City, on Akala Island, gives us a glimpse of this alternate reality; a picturesque little seaside town, themed after a traditional Japanese market. But wouldn't it have been cool if this motif expanded to the entire island, or perhaps even a subregion within the island? I'd love that! Each island having a unique design cue, maybe each inspired by its respective Tapu Pokémon, just as an example.

Even still, Alola is chock-full of little bits of soul, just like KoniKoni. It was genuinely fun to explore and find all the little secrets, in a way that few past Mon games invited me to do. I was truly engaged the entire way through; the meandering pathways and genuinely exciting to find little areas with unique NPCs or little side areas to do. I can immediately recall the recycling centre atop a hill, where a father is looking to nurture his son to take over his company, or the little cove with the Wimpod, and how that annoyed me to no end. Small, unremarkable-yet-memorable places like these help create a believable and rich world, and Alola does this truly exceptionally.

Gameplay

After twenty years of following identical gameplay structures, funnily enough, the most drastically changed thing in this game is the progression, and it's surprisingly all in positive ways! Gone are the eight gyms + Elite Four of old. In Alola, there are the Island Trials.

To complete an island, you first have to beat the island's trial, set out by the Trial Captain. These trials are, importantly, actually fun! They're nothing fancy, but they provide genuine surprise for each one you do, which has been sorely missing up until this point. Every single other Pokémon game, you go to a gym, beat a handful of trainers, then beat the captain. Repeat, never rinsed. There were always gimmicks to gyms, but they never really amounted to much more than "figure out how to move around".

Trials and their captains allowed the designers to truly let their imaginations go wild, and it really shows with the range of challenges presented to the player. Ranging from a simple 'progress through the cave and fight rats', to a scavenger hunt through a forest, looking for items for the Captain's cooking. It's really engaging, far more than any gym in any other Pokémon game.

The end of a trial ends in a battle, not with the captain, but with a juiced up Pokémon titled the Totem Pokémon. I like this change as well, as the Totems always felt like the culmination of the trial, where gym captains' teams were always… hit or miss, to say the least.

All to say, the progression is a massive breath of fresh air compared to previous games. This more than anything, imbues the game with a sense of discovery, just from how different it is to past games. You always felt like you knew what to expect with a Pokémon game. Not with Moon, however, this game makes sure to upend all the expectations you've built up in the series, and I love it for that.

The whole concept of Ride Pokémon, too! My gosh, nixing HMs, if you think about it, doesn't functionally change the progression of the game all that much, but in practice, it's a meaningful change that drastically reduces the annoyances found in previous games. The mere fact that you don't have to have one specific party member dedicated to using HMs is something that I've been wanting… basically ever since the beginning. And not only did they deliver on this pipe dream of mine, they went about it in just about the best way they could have. Ride Pokémon is the perfect example of this game's creativity, and one of so many small quality-of-life fixes they've made to the formula.

Combat

Look, it's Pokémon. If you were expecting any major shakeup of the core gameplay, it's not here. Instead, it's a pretty competent and, above all, rock solid rendition of the classic formula, with some meaningful additions, some ho-hum additions, and some extremely irritating additions.

The big headline features are, of course, Z-Moves. I liked these far more than I was ever expecting. Defeating the Island Kahunas earns you Z Crystals that correspond to each Type. These can be given to a Mon, which allows it to transform moves of that type into super-charged Z Moves, once per battle.

This. Is. Unbelievably good. I was not at all a big fan of the Mega Evolutions from Gen 6, to be honest. They were cool for all of five minutes, and then they got really old, especially when half of the Megas look barely different from their base Mon.

Z Moves, on the other hand, feel a lot more creative overall. Mega Evolutions, for the most part, seemed to be reserved for either powerful Pokémon, giving them even more marketability (Charizard), or weak Pokémon, giving them hopefully one singular fighting chance (Mawile). However, most of the Mega forms were quite underwhelming, and the whole gimmick just felt a little cheap in the end.

On the other hand, basically every single attacking move gets a Z Move associated with it, and it can be used by any Pokémon that learns it. I LOVE this. It doesn't restrict the fancy new gimmick to the specific few Mon that the devs deemed worthy enough, but instead elevates everyone in the party.

I also think the balance and flow in battle is just better with Z Moves; Mega Evolution required two steps to pull off a move, and the Mega could utilise its boosted stats until switched out. This necessitated the boosts themselves to be less-than-stellar to keep any semblance of balance and restraint.

Z Moves laugh in the face of "restraint", and instead offer you the opportunity to punch a fucking teddy bear in the face with a 175 Base Power move, with all the ridiculous over the top sound effects and (somehow) exceptional animations to accompany it. It's ludicrous and excessive in all the right ways, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a highlight of the battle system for me.

Unfortunately, the combat isn't all excellent, and this tarnish in quality is named SOS Battles. I have no fucking idea whose idea this was to implement, but it takes the already tedious nature of the average battle and makes it nigh unbearable. Don't you love slowly chipping an annoyingly bulky opponent down, only to, on the same turn as an attack, call for a carbon fucking copy of itself down from the heavens, just to make your life a little harder with zero benefit to you? It's an awful mechanic, and I really don't understand the thinking behind it. I'm aware it does actually increase shiny odds, for the fifteen people who seriously shiny hunt, but I can't imagine that justifies the "feature" at all.

It's not like it makes the combat any harder at all anyway! The game is piss easy as you'd expect, and SOS Battles only serves to frustrate the player, not increase the challenge in any meaningful way.

I had also heard of other complaints from players at the time, such as the fact that the game now shows you how effective each move you have is, against your opponent… People were complaining about this? I can guarantee that everybody who complained about this feature wasn't who it was supposed to help, and likewise, the people that this feature was targeted towards and possibly helped, were not on r/stunfisk complaining about it; it's a complete non-issue.

Story & Characters

Pokémon Black felt like a turning point in what a Pokémon game could be, and this most evident in the story. The story felt full of heart in a way no previous game did. It's still a classic Pokémon story through and through, but it was the way it was told and the believability of the characters which made it unforgettable to me. A few cutscenes from that game I know will never leave me. I of course have to bring up the scene where N takes you for a ride on a ferris wheel. Once at the top, he reveals to you that he was the head of the villainous Team Plasma, after appearing as a friend for so long. After this long, that still gives me chills.

Pokémon X was an immeasurable downgrade in this regard. Of all the changes it made, regressing the story back to Baby's First Dichotomy was by far the most egregious. It can be said that the story in this game isn't vital, but we have direct evidence to the contrary! Pokémon Black, and indeed Moon, show just how influential a good story is to any game; it's the motivation that helps me get through the game, and one of the driving forces in making any game memorable to me.

It starts with the characters. It isn't an exaggeration to say that the main cast of Pokémon X made me actively dislike playing the game, at least all the parts that actually involved them. I was seriously dreading every single rival battle; not from the actual battle, but from having to interact with all the characters which I just did not want to interact with. The characters weren't just underdeveloped (to put it lightly), every single last one of them were actively grating. Holy hell, everyone had one thing to say at every interaction. Tierno? He likes to dance. He doesn't give a single fuck about anything else, but he dances!! That nerd? He only wants to complete the Dex. Not a single other thought in that head.

Okay, that was a little played up. But the point stands: these types of one-track, uninteresting, and frankly unlikeable characters did exist in previous games, but after how exceptional they were in Black, displaying actual vulnerability and multifaceted personalities at many points in the story, X felt like a bad joke.

Pokémon Moon, I'm glad to say, stands shoulder to shoulder with its ancestor. It's certainly not perfect and traces of X certainly do remain at points, but the overall narrative is exceptional for the series.

Pokémon Moon is the story of Lillie. It's the genuinely touching story of liberation of a sheltered, dependant girl from underneath the overbearing gaze of her slightly psychopath mother. There was real substance to it all and at the end, when she waved goodbye, I felt a hint of real sadness, it genuinely felt like saying goodbye to an old friend. Definitely not something I've felt before in many games at all, let alone Pokémon games.

Technical

A quick touch on some technical aspects for completeness' sake. Obviously, these are running on the 3DS, so I wasn't expecting any miracles, but I was quite surprised at how competently these games run.

Other than during a few particularly elaborate moves in battles (battles in general actually), the game was just about locked at its max frame rate. While this of course isn't the end of the world for a Pokémon game on a 3DS, it absolutely doesn't hurt, and it does genuinely provide some level of immersion. There's nothing quite as distracting as exploring a world, and getting yanked out of it as the game slows to a crawl as the console struggles to make sense of what's happening on screen.

I was playing on a New 3DS however (hence the crunchy-ass screenshots), which does have significant processing upgrades over the original models. I don't have access to any original 3DS' to compare, however, so it could be a lot worse on that platform.

Conclusion

Pokémon Moon achieves what it sets out to do, and then a whole lot more. It's easily the pinnacle of Pokémon games to this point, and I can't wait to see what will next clear the very high bar this game has set.

It meaningfully improves the 3D Pokémon formula in almost every way imaginable, and it shows just how good a Pokémon game can be, and I hope nobody forgets that fact.

Unfortunately, it has too much water.

[championofravens]

Had a nyquil and flu medicine induced dream last night. Very long, but consistent story throughout. And overall... strangely coherent as I sort of lived through the person I used to be when I was 20 or so, in a twisted way.

Through some means, I became coworkers and friends with an ex-Let's Player who I was extremely wildly infatuated with growing up. He has since been rightly cancelled for genuinely heinous behavior. That remained true in my dream. But his wife had recently passed and he was lonely and desperate and trying to salvage his career. And I thought:

"This is finally my chance."

I lied and said I was nonbinary and rapidly began detransitioning. I was his assistant and confidant and glued myself to his side. I was introduced to his friends, I cleaned his apartment, he saved me from a cave collapsing after an earthquake (it was still a dream). We went on car rides, I was his shoulder to cry on. I worked so hard to walk the line of what I knew he wanted: an ex-fangirl who accepted he was a 'person with flaws' but was still starstruck everytime he smiled my way. I clung to each word of praise, each action he took to get closer to me, so overwhelming happy each time. The dream ended with the two of us discussing at a coffee shop a potluck party we wanted to throw for his friends after our last one fell through. Casually, he suggested me sleeping over the night before to help set up. I felt victory so near and an unshakeable pride.

And then I woke up.

...

It's... odd. I was a bad person in my dream, unapologetically and at the cost of my own self. I was willingly trying to get with a man who cheated, lied, manipulated, and slept with his own too young fanbase. A very recent widower to boot. I was willing to completely detransition for it. I remember looking in the mirror at one point and it was exactly how I used to think I needed to look- long hair, big bust, squeezing my body into clothes that made me look "curvy" instead of fat.

It obliterated me when the news came out this Let's Player was a monster. Even though I'd stop watching his content by then, I felt betrayed. And I felt like the person I used to be was betrayed worst of all.

I don't intend to beat myself up for things I did in a dream, but I wonder what it was that made me so joyful. Was it seeking the sexual validation of an older man? Was shedding all morals and ideals for my own purposes so freeing? Did I just like the role he created for me so much and molded myself into it? I certainly felt happy having friends again, being free of my own responsiblities, being openly admired for being pretty again.

I don't know. I used to dream almost every night the same sort of places and events- big indoor malls, driving on a collapsing narrow mountain road, the threat of the ocean rising and swallowing the coast, and always me trying to get to an airport to catch a flight and always missing it one way or another. Only in the last two weeks has the pattern shifted after months of the same tread ground. I kept a dream journal as a young teen and was very into dream symbology. I'm sure most of it is surface level assumed metaphor nonsense. But maybe I should do a little searching anyways. I certainly don't have answers.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 7 October 1954

Two songs again this week, for the first time in a while. I'm wondering if there's going to be an annual pattern to this, like perhaps people get tired of summery songs and start wanting something else at a certain point in the year, or they start wanting Christmas music around Christmas and stop wanting it abruptly afterwards. But maybe that's me reading too much into things. It'll be a while before I get a feel for it, I suspect.

Sway - Dean Martin (peaked at No. 6)

I thought I knew this song, and it turns out I did, but the intro almost had me convinced otherwise. I think this is the standard English version of this song, but I've just never really listened to the intro? The only other version I might know is a Michael Bublé version, or a Rosemary Clooney version, so perhaps I'm confusing it with one of them?

Either way, once the intro - all plucked guitar and startling orchestral hits - we get into a familiar, Latin-sounding chorus. I know it, and so do you: "When marimba rhythms start to play / Dance with me, make me sway..."

There's a poetry to the lyrics that I actually really like, with Dean exhorting his love to hold him "Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore", wich is both evocative and furthers the exotic, tropical vibe we've got going on here.

It's also sexy! They're dancing - that's the excuse for all this swaying and embracing - but it's definitely having a sexy effect on Dean. Why else would we hear about his love's "magic technique", or about how "When we sway, I go weak". Heck, at the end he encourages them to "Make me thrill as only you know how". It errs on the right side of innuendo - at the end of the day it could pretty plausibly still be a song about dancingbut it's undeniably a sexy song.

There's something about the way Dean's singing that fits well with this, especially combined with the Latin rhythms. I don't know, there's just something very sexy about it as a sound, even without the lyrics - there's a reason there's periodically a boom of Latin-infused pop hitting the charts. We'll see it again in the 90s, for example, and again as the 2010s get going.

For once, this one's a cover of an actual Latin song, too, ¿Quién será? by the Mexican composer Luis Demetrio, as performed by Pablo Beltrán Ruiz. So it's got pedigree - the best known version before Dean's was by a guy called Pedro Infante. Dean's version was the first English version, though, and apparently a big hit globally. Pretty cool.

The Story of Tina - Al Martino (10)

Well, it's a waltz, and the instrumental introduction has something a bit like the music from Sleeping Beauty to it. I don't know, it conjures up fairytales to me, especially when Al finally comes in, with the backing singers behind him. It's very Disney and cutesy, and genuinely quite pretty.

I'm expecting a story, from the title, and we do begin promisingly, as we're told that "The story of Tina began in the springtime / When Tina was sweet seventeen". So the scene is set, at least.

We then get the set-up for a conflict as we learn that "The boy said he loved her / And she gave a promise / The truest that ever has been". I know how stories work, and how seventeen-year-olds work, so I was absolutely ready for there to be a twist here, where the boy would - for better or for worse - let Tina down in some way. But no, we cut to a wedding, and then forward into the future, where we are informed that "still they are sweethearts / though years roll away".

It's a bit disappointing, if you're expecting a twist, but the song does still have a surprise or two for you. You can work it out from the rhyme scheme a moment or two in advance, sure. But if you ignore that, there's a bit of a twist when Al sings about "the story of Tina and meeeeee". He's the boy! It's him! He's married to Tina!

This isn't true, by the way - Al had three wives, but none were called Tina. Instead, we've got Jenny, Gwendolyn and Judi. So Tina was probably just picked because it sounded trendy in 1954. What a time capsule of a name!

The reveal is followed by a repeat of the whole "story", but before that we get the best thing about this song, a brass solo that's deep and weirdly echoey, like somebody was playing a euphonium at the other end of a hallway. It's a strange choice, but not a bad one, and I like it a lot more than I probably should. It feels whimsical, and kind of fun.

And then the repeat. It's not the most exciting thing ever, especially given the lack of stakes in this story, but it's not the worst. There's a Big Old Ending, of course, but it's restrained, as this sort of thing goes, and we get some nice instrumental touches. It still makes me think of Sleeping Beauty, and that gives the whole song a sort of idealised, fairy tale vibe that I do like.

Well, those were certainly two songs. Neither was objectionable, actually, but one definitely feels like a safer bet. The other, meanwhile, is fresh, forward-looking and weirdly sexy. It's a classic, and there's a reason for that. So...

Favourite song of the bunch: Sway

[martieshub]

That got a chuckle out of her and sighed. ❛You'll find that people on the islands especially if you go to the other surrounding ones, they'll have a different definition for colors. ❜ She stated with a smile, this was home to her since birth but still found oddities in her beloved state. She had to think about it since it had been a while since she'd been asked that question. ❛I do like patterns maybe not as much as my brothers. They're always way into plaid, but I don't hate patterns. I won't do vertical stripes and animal print. Stripes just make me look like I have a big head and a tiny waist. Not flattering. As for favorite color, mine has to be coral. It reminds me of the ocean waves and the reefs that I see when we sea dive. ❜ She giggled and shook her head. ❛Welcome to my life twenty four seven. Double the wash but still worth it. Have you gotten Gael's handprint on any of your clothes yet? ❜

She playfully rolled her eyes as she fanned herself.❛We are entering another month of hot during the morning and hot during the night. I call it the no clothes months. ❜ There was a few shorts she saw that were in multiple sizes and thought why not grab them. ❛I'm so going to adopt that mindset. When we go home I'll tell my wife that. ❜ Lena smiled and nodded her head as her eyes scanned the ranks. Liz was fun to talk to, like she had always been there. ❛Not to be that person but I'm glad you're here. ❜ The question she wanted to ask lingered on the tip of her tongue and finally asked, ❛Do you miss when it was just you?❜

The romper idea had her nod and asked, ❛What are your thoughts on matching? That sounds like you're already having your outfit. Little purses? No. They have baggies that they carry but more often just think peoples pockets are where they can stash the gummy worms because none of the other kids can get to them. All the kids are oddballs.❜ The way her cheeks looked didn't get overlooked. ❛Then I think I'll steal you away and you can come with me. I call dibs before Wally does. He'll get to spend time with you every other time. It's my turn. ❜

❛I want to thank you for taking care of Anna the last few times. Work has been crazy and meli's schedule has been screwy lately so that puts Anna's schedule on a wonky one. So, and I know Wally never minds babysitting when when he has to work, he also has no choice, ❜ The day her own kid was sick and just wanted her uncle came to mind. That was still gonna be made up to him. ❛But with you, I'm very grateful that you take on that responsibility when you don't have to. ❜ In reality she knew Liz didn't need to be bothered by all the kids but the way she put in effort in getting to know them and play with them didn't go unnoticed. Lena knew all too well that a lot of people didn't like kids especially kids that weren't related so to see and hear her own daughters rave about Liz was a good feeling. ❛I just want to say we appreciate it. ❜

Lena's smile widened as she went over to pull the item up to envision her in it. ❛I love it. It's such a pretty color and not too much.❜ She genuinely grinned at her and bubbled with a subtle excitement over her choice. Yellow was such a pretty color that made features on most people shine. ❛ My only question is how do you feel in it? ❜

❝ Uh, too colorful. I like single-colored things or at most two-colored things. Yeah, maroon and, this really light color, it's both blue and green. I saw someone call it seafoam which is weird since whatever beach I go to anywhere on this planet, sea foam is usually white and brown, full of sand. ❞ She shrugged before turning the question back at Lena. ❝ How about you? Do you like patterns? Have a favorite color? ❞ A smile came to her face at the mention of Gael, the boy who had charmed her all those months ago at Easter. ❝ I started keeping doubles of the things I find comfortable. One to wear when the kids are around and the other once they're not and I wash the other. I mean, i do have to do twice the laundry I used to do before, but at least I have comfy clothes, I guess. ❞

The smile that came to her face at the thought of Lena wanting her around was involuntary. She was still nervous about wanting to be liked by Wally's family and hearing Lena say she'd like to have her around more often just made her feel better about it all. She knew all too well the feeling Lena described. ❝ I think you just have to put yourself in a bit of a bubble. Just sort of block out everything else and everyone else. Remind yourself that you're a badass bitch and your beautiful wife chose you over everyone else.❞ Having spent most of her life pretending to be other people, it was hard to not compare what she was supposed to be, wanted to be, and was. Just differently now.

A groan came from her at the information. ❝ Another one? ❞ That was the motivation she needed to update her wardrobe finally. ❝ Oh, what about a romper? I have one, Mai gifted it to me. it's flowy and they have ones that are like pants and others that are shorts and both have pockets. I'll probably get some of those and some sundresses. Gummy worms? Maybe we should get them some little purses to put them in. Do they have any? ❞ She was already thinking about some purses she saw once, they were small, kid sized but looked like the big ones. She felt her cheeks begin to warm at how Lena described it. ❝ Yeah.Thanks.❞ The words were small and shy but very appreciative of the woman's words.

❝ Steal away. ❞ The words were said with a giggle as she began to look through the racks for something she'd want to wear more than once. ❝ Oh, that makes total sense. I guess I'm good with wherever I'm wanted. ❞ She shrugged. ❝ I'd like to think that I have a slight grasp of each kid's likes and how to handle them best, so I'm okay being in any car.❞

Grabbing a couple of things, some for every day and one for the festival. ❝ What do you think of this? ❞ She held up a yellow rumper with ruffles so it made the shorts part look more like a flowy skirt rather than shorts, it had a deep v cut but that was something she could remedy with a tank top. ❝ Too much? ❞ Asking for Lena's honest opinion.

[eldritch-spouse]

just scrolled pretty much to the bottom of ur blog.. can we get slitplay with bregg maybe ? <3 it seems like it'd be hot to finger him...

[Sorry for the wait, I'm just now getting to some of the asks buried in my inbox. 💀]

(Minors dni)

" Are you sure this won't hurt you? "

Breg picked a strange reward.

Stranger than you were expecting, that is. Getting the large breeder to not only behave but make semi-pleasant conversation with your friends at a party is a miracle, one you had to make a deal for. It's cheap and kind of gross, but you were too tired to sit Breg down for a long talk, so you just told him you'd perform a sex act of his choosing if he not only put something on but made an effort to socialize with your friends.

Of course he agreed. And most importantly, he fulfilled his end of the deal with minimal hiccups, something that genuinely surprised you. As usual, you stuck around for a socially acceptable length of time and promptly left. The moment you made it home however, Breg shed all his clothes and pushed you into the bedroom with jarring speeds. Now, you expected something along the lines of him wanting to fuck you raw, legs up to your chest. Maybe try anal, or who knows, lift you onto his cocks like you weigh less than a fucking feather.

Imagine your shock when the large pale monster merely deposits you on the edge of your bed and stands, telling you to play with his slit. You didn't even understand what he meant at first, probably because Breg gets hard so easily that you never really have the time to study that part of his anatomy. Nonetheless, curiosity beckoned you to humor the horny being eagerly awaiting your touch, and that leads to the present moment.

" O-Of course not. " Breg rushes out, meeting your skeptical glance with a heated grin as he frames his slightly flushed slit at you. That tail is thumping your carpet impatiently, only getting faster the more you stall.

You shrug, placing soft palms against his thighs and rubbing slow circles there. " Uh- W-What am I supposed to do here? " Quite frankly, you don't have much experience with monster kind, certainly not enough to understand where to go from here.

" Anything. " The breeder huffs, a whine of frustration flowing from his lips when you refuse to move.

" Very helpful. "

" Just... " Breg grabs one of your hands, placing it directly against his heated pouch. " F-Finger me... Please? "

Okay, maybe hearing him beg for it did something for you. It certainly gives you material to work with. " Good boy. " You praise, deciding to start with something simple while you trace the length of said wet slit with your thumb. Fuck, he's already so slick... You suppose it's natural for a type of monster literally referred to as "breeder", but it never ceases to fascinate you. Breg spreads his legs a little, pushing into the contact slightly. One thumb becomes two, tracing smooth patterns on the edges of the thin rift as it oozes.

" You did well for me today. " Gotta get that positive reinforcement in somehow, so he remembers to behave next time as well. " Didn't you? "

Breg nods quickly, a soft noise escaping his throat. " Y-Yes, yes I d- " The rest of his sentence is cut off when you experimentally dip your index into the bottom of his opening. For a monster that runs cold, this part of him is actually quite warm. Or is that just because he's aroused and there's more blood flow in the area? " Aahn- I did! "

You don't meet much, if any, resistance as you slide it in to the knuckle. Huh. The sensation is definitely not the same as a vaginal canal, the walls of his slit are very smooth, there's no spongy texture that might give away any pleasurable areas. Plus, he's so slimy that it feels as if what you're fingering is all vaguely amorphous. Nonetheless, you curl your digit, searching perhaps in vain for something to guide you here. Breg certainly appears to be getting something out of this, his face flushed a deep ocean blue while the breeder's flesh twitches minutely around the intrusion. He's looking down at you with such lurid enjoyment, it makes you wonder if playing with slits is a taboo thing for most monsters. Maybe he's just really into this type of stuff.

You remove said digit, raising a brow at the low noise of frustration that leaves Breg. Honestly, the nerve this fucker has to almost growl at you when you're indulging his weird little fetishes. Clicking your tongue in disapproval, you punish the breeder by shoving two at the same time, roughly, knowing he's more than lubed enough to deal with it. A high-pitched keen follows as Breg bucks into your hand. Much better.

This time, as you prod around amidst some gentle thrusting motions that spread slicks everywhere, your fingertips graze against something that has the breeder visibly shiver. You stop. That's... Oh, those are his cocks! So he's probably erect by now, right? Doesn't it hurt to keep them in? Is this dangerous? You cautiously rub what you believe to be the undersides of his members, squished together by the tightness of his own genital pouch. Breg jerks a leg up and begins panting hard, encouraging your quick strokes with a long, shaky moan.

Hot.

" Shouldn't you... Let them out? " You question, getting a little concerned as you remove both fingers.

The slit begins bulging in a telltale fashion while his shafts prepare to expose themselves, though the motion is jarringly halted by the bredder's own long fingers, which dip to not only cover his entrance but shove his cocks back in, as far as he can. Breg groans under the pressure, slit gushing what must be globs of precum right in front of you. You're admittedly getting very turned on by the sight, which calls into question how much of a degenerate you might be. This monster is certainly awaking all sorts of nasty things within you.

" N-No. Keep going, please please- "

Alright, you fucking slut.

The way his slit almost resembles a woman's own orifice has you questioning if you can do something else entirely. So, when Breg pulls his hand away, you plant a kiss right in the middle of that shinny blue stripe. Breg makes a sharp hiss and steadies one hand on the wall, the remaining one hovering near your head. " Yes! T-That, yes! "

Yep. This is going to be so weird.

Emboldened, you begin placing more kisses along the length of it, going as far as to lick him from the bottom up, enjoying the gruff pant of appreciation you get in return. Too curious to stall, it's only a matter of seconds before you're spreading his slit enough to plunge your comparatively small tongue in. It feels... Odd, to say the least. By virtue of how much bigger Breg is, you have to be careful not to accidentally shove your nose in as well. Nonetheless, you begin looking for places to stimulate inside him, feeling mildly awkward. The breeder hasn't stopped making clipped noises this entire time, his spare palm rising to cover a good portion of his face in a display of shame that ruffles you a little due to how rare it is to see him in such a state. You're pretty sure he started drooling through his fingers when you glanced up to gouge his reaction, tongue still crammed in his entrance.

The second the tip of your muscle finds his members, you know you've hit gold, because Breg bucks and rocks helplessly above you, stepping closer in a blind search for more. You have to actually grab his hips to stop the male, though it doesn't do much, your face is already caked in his precum thanks to that lovely stunt. The sight of you trying to lick the excess away makes him half-moan half-chuckle. Speaking of, that gives you an idea. The next time you dip in to lick the heads of his lengths from inside, you make sure to hum against the monster's flesh, wondering if the stimulus would be significant enough to-

" Ohh ffffuck yes- Mm' T-That feels- "

Oh, it's working alright.

In spite of this definitely being the weirdest instance of oral sex in your entire life, you find yourself taking satisfaction in it. It somehow makes you feel more in control, and if nothing else, it's definitely much easier than trying to take one of Breg's cocks down your throat. You think he's getting close. Between the wet slaps of your chin being forced closer to his pelvis, courtesy of that massive hand of his, and the twitching of his shafts against your tongue, you know the breeder's going to orgasm soon and you're looking forward to seeing how that works from inside. Can he even ejaculate if his genitals aren't exposed?

Breg snaps you out of your internal inquiries by forcing your head back gently, having to cover his own slit again. Mild confusion paints your already sticky face, wondering what his deal is now. It's a shocking amount of self-control for this monster to stop right as he's about to come. " Get... Get the thing, I want to- To try something. " He huffs.

" The thing? " Very descriptive.

Breg's features twist in a noticeable effort to formulate one, entire, coherent thought right now. " The fucking- I-It makes a buzzing noise. "

You blink. " I'm not putting my phone in- "

" No! " Your horndog of a partner exclaims, getting frustrated as his previous bliss starts fading away. " The other thing, it- It's like- I don't know-! "

It dawns on you. " My vibrator... " You murmur. How does he know about that? You never told him about that old thing. He's been messing around your room, without your permission. Again. That in itself should warrant immediate punishment, but you'll deal with it later- Far too fascinated by the current events to care.

" Yes! That! " He has the audacity to wag his tail at you.

Grumbling quietly, you reach for a small compartment within your closet and withdraw the very same toy you've had for years now- Hoping it was still charged. Aha, it is. Which can only mean Breg has been messing with it when you're not around. Again, the sheer nerve... Glancing from the toy to the monster's slit, it only takes a few moments of vapid silence for you to understand what he wants to do, which makes you lift an incredulous brow at the pale creature. Breg's only response is to sheepishly grin and look away. This might actually be entertaining.

Taking initiative, you settle behind the breeder this time. This instance might be one of the few situations where your massive height difference comes in handy, because you get a great view of his slit while standing. Turning the thing on at a standard frequency, you stroke it along the length of Breg's slit, alternating between slow and quick swipes just to drive him crazy. If the way his legs shake is any indication, then vibrators might actually be something fun to introduce into your bedroom time from now on. Not giving the monster much time to process said motions, you carefully slide the toy inside, humming curiously at the way his pouch greedily welcomes it. You wonder how much depth it actually has.

Breg's pornstar-worthy cry could make anyone flush in second-hand shame. " This is what you're into? " You joke, slowly thrusting the vibrator in and out of his slick flesh. You need to find a position where it brushes his cocks somehow.

" Ahn- Mmm? " Poor thing can't even speak, just gasps and leans onto you. " W-Well, mmay- Oh holy shhh- "

There we go.

Giggling in pure amusement, you make fast long pistons with the toy, not only fucking it deep into Breg, but making sure it slides against both his cocks with each plunge. You grab onto his waist, the rough movement forcing gushes of precum out of the monster's opening, as well as frantically disgusting noises. He shakes and curls forward, hips unsure whether to thrust or lean back from the constant vibrations, tail coiled around your midsection for stability. You only get a choked excuse of a desperate cry as a warning before Breg's coming abruptly.

And by God is it something to witness.

You fuck the monster through his orgasm, both the toy and your hand getting coated in ropes of pearly thick cum that has no choice but to nearly jet itself out every time you pull back the slightest amount, spreading everywhere. It's like a depraved fountain of sorts. Some of it oozes down his slit and coats his legs, a huge mess being made of not only your carpet but your poor bed as well. Worth it.

By the time Breg is done howling in ecstacy and starts whimpering in overstimulation, you slow the motions down and turn the toy off while you remove it carefully, getting to see his full-body shudder of pleasure as his cocks finally squeeze out, coated in cum and still twitching the rest of his climax out. The view alone makes you want to do it all over again.

" T-Thank you so much, angel. That was... That was perfect. " Breg finally says after gathering enough brain cells to speak, having to lean fully against the wall for support.

You glance at the vibrator in your grasp, and then back at his ragged form, nothing innocent in your head.

" Clean up, we're going to a sex shop. "

[writingwithcolor]

Avoiding Anglocentric Bias with a Universal Translator, Writing a Magic School on Indigenous Land

@king-ofconfusion​ asked:

So im writing a fantasy story that mostly takes place on an island between canada and russia. The magical community is hidden from everyone else and their main land/school is on this island, and even tho there are smaller places all over the world this is the main place. Theres some sort of translation spell so everyone understands eachother but i dont want it to seem like american washed or smth? race isnt a problem plot wise but i also dont want it to be so background that it seems all white?

I’ll focus on the part about the translator, as when you say “American washed” I assume you mean the Anglocentric (English-centric) bias that could arise with the concept of a universal translator. Mod Lesya will talk about your...choice of location for this school.

As a bilingual & linguist who thinks in a quasi-combination of languages, I think I’d like to see an idea of a spell that translates to that individual’s unique linguistic interface; if your story has multiple closed POVs, you can show hints of that by having different POV characters hear dialogue differently—maybe language-unique lexemes (vocabulary) are being borrowed! Maybe there’s code-switching! If your story has a more omniscient POV then you might have a part that explains how the spell works, or show through ambiguities in dialogue that shows that characters are hearing dialogue differently depending on what languages they understand. 

As an example, think of how a character who speaks German, an agglutinative language, might create new vocabulary by stringing together morphemes, and a character who doesn’t speak an agglutinative language would hear that via the spell as a literal-translation-of-words-strung-together. 

Think of semantic differences/ambiguities that the spell might not (or might! Up to you!) catch—I give an example on the differences between answering negative yes-no questions in English vs. Japanese here. 

You might even get cases of characters who speak languages that may name borrowings with prototypical labels (English does this, but other languages like Spanish do too). An example is referring to masala chai as “chai tea.” What happens if a Hindi or Urdu speaker hears this? The translator may either literally translate and return “tea tea,” or it might apply context and return “masala chai.” Here’s some more food for thought on borrowings & prototypes! 

Assuming you’re writing this story in English, there will unavoidably be some bias towards English as the basis for your translations. But hopefully this approach gives some ideas for challenging English-as-default by representing forms and meanings that don’t exist in English, and not assuming English is necessarily the prototype for these translations.

~Mod Rina 

Here’s the elephant in the room Rina tapped me to answer: you’ve chosen Indigenous land for a magic school, without acknowledging any Indigenous peoples in your worldbuilding or ask.

The arctic is not uninhabited. That stretch of land between Russia and Alaska (Canada does not go that far West) is the region of Yupik peoples, both on the Russia and Alaska sides (it’s the only language family that is found in both the old and new world), and the Iñupiat peoples, just on the Alaska side (as far as I’m aware).

If you do mean Canada, then you’re getting onto the polar ice cap… and this is also not completely uninhabited. This territory would belong more to Inuit peoples.

In short: you’re at a pretty large risk of having this school be on Indigenous lands, and whether or not it’s a colonial outpost or simply a safe haven depends on how they go about it.

It is possible that there is a genuine, respectful relationship between the Indigenous peoples and the school. The school would have to surrender its land ownership to the people local to the region, respect hunting grounds, not muck with the ecology of the place, and help the people of the region. They would, essentially, acclimate into Arctic life, creating a cultural hybrid between their old customs and what is required to be in the Arctic.

But if you start to have this school try to recreate European ideals, foods, and have them insist their way of life is the only way that can exist, then your magic users have become colonizers. It’s, unfortunately, that simple.

The thing about this island is: Indigenous peoples would’ve known about it, probably before these magic users did.

Arctic peoples also crossed between Russia and Alaska “late” (after the land bridge sank), and very well could have found this island in the time they travelled by water between the two countries. Late is relative, because it was still at least ten thousand years ago.

That land could very well have been inhabited before the magic users got there, which means they would have had to be extremely respectful to not colonize that land. As I said above, it’s possible to be respectful, but requires the magic school default to Indigenous voices when it comes to how to live there.

If it’s uninhabited, then it’s likely known about. These magic users probably don’t have enough magic to completely alter the wave patterns of the ocean, which an ocean-navigating Indigenous people would absolutely know how to use in order to find land (this is one of the ways many peoples navigate at sea).

The other option is the school is actually Yupik or other Arctic peoples founded and uses their belief structure, which would require an intense amount of working with the peoples in question to inform your worldbuilding. 

To be clear: you still need to account for Indigenous peoples and research/talk to members of the peoples I listed above. It’s just going to be less work if you stick with a European magic system and have them be visitors working heavily with Arctic peoples, instead of having the magic system be based in Arctic peoples’ customs.

I’m not from the Arctic. The Arctic has a unique colonization history that I’m not very well educated upon, beyond the fact it’s unique, recent, and suddenly devastating. I cannot advise you on this any more than saying you are on Indigenous lands. I would strongly suggest you look at all of the other “remote, uninhabited” compounds you’ve created to see what Indigenous peoples live in those regions, as well. 

The idea that the earth is mostly barren and unused and lacks meaningful human presence is a colonialist myth that is used to perpetuate the concept (white) Europeans can move in without consequence. Many harsh climates have Indigenous peoples living there, and any magical communities need to do similar practices to the ones I outlined above.

Make sure they’re not taking land, and make sure they learn how to respect it the way the local peoples do: sustainably. That’s the bare minimum.

~ Mod Lesya

[pupiiaye]

Reminiscence of Violence //. A yandere Diluc x GN reader.

They were a virus, a disease that needed curing, a simple tune that needed listening. They were a pill, an addiction if you will. He had to have it, he craved it more than the bloodlust that trickled through his veins and caused up a storm. What exactly was this feeling? Why did he feel it? Why was it more intense than the deaths and bloodshed he's seen a thousand times over? And why… why did he want it so badly? Why did he want to rip it from its core and feast upon it like a starving man? Tonight, he will have his answer.

Fair warnings: knife play, character death / threat implied, possessiveness, spankings, dirty talk, a rather dark Diluc, markings.

------

The stars in the sky glistened above them, whispering secrets told from different lands, different stories. The clear wind danced through trees, kissed against skin, leaving their invisible mark against the bare flesh. It was not odd to be seen wandering around the grassy plains of Mondstadt, travelers and knights had duties to attend to, commissions to complete and bounties to conquer. Moonlight blessed those who decided to wander without any real reason, the wanderer in question being a simple soul. One who had found themselves living amongst the city of freedom for quite some time. Not a knight, but a fair citizen who took the pleasure in helping others. They didn't consider themselves to be a savior, nor did they consider themselves to be someone without any purpose. This was the main reason as to why they've managed to catch the eye of /the/ the richest man in Mondstadt.

It goes without saying that this was rather impressive, everyone can see the clear hook they had on him. The addiction they provided without even doing as much as lifting a finger. Their eyes screamed of excitement, and in return the ex knight's heart would scream with desire. Diluc, quiet noble man who had his morals, his regrets, and his fancies. Diluc, the man who didn't take pleasure in affairs or hit offs, the man who cared not of looks but of trust and genuine emotions.

This drove a man crazy, off the walls even. It was not of hate, but confusion as to why or how one person could pull the heaviest of beats out of his once dying heart. Frowns that once covered his features turned into ones of admiring grins, turned into little smirks whenever they would ramble and rant about their passions. Beauty, they were littered with it, from the very gleam of irises to the movement of plush lips. Archon's, he wanted to taste them, wanted to nibble and bite into those moving pillows they called lips. He wanted to make them bleed and bruise after getting done with kissing them, and would he stop there? Absolutely not.

His daydreams were becoming worse, and the only thing that could snap him out of them were the blissful sounds of laughter. The symphony of little chuckles mixed in with a breathy hiccup of air. Oh, he knew this sound like he knew the scriptures of poetry, this sound was one he got drunk on. Instead of wine, he could listen to his baby's sweet giggles until death slayed him where he stood.

The reason as to why it was happening, however, was enough to make a man see red. How dare he? How dare that betraying drunk prick, the simple audacity of this … Fool. Was he asking for another death wish, perhaps? Did he wish to watch the flames of hell rise once more? Did he want Diluc to throw him out in the coldness of oceans and watch him choke and gasp and cling on to whatever breath of fucking air he could get? So many questions, not enough action. The solid glass in his hand could shatter from how tight he was gripping it, however Diluc was a man with pride, a man with patience and logic on his side. He would not yell, he would not allow his nerves to get the best of him. What he will do, is way worse than a simple “get the hell out” will do.

“Sir Kaeya, last time I checked, that was your fifth drink as of tonight. I suggest you wrap it up quickly before it gets too dark.”

The words were not of an option, but rather one of a demand. Those blazing embers Diluc called eyes were boring into a crystal one. He did not care where Kaeya went, how he got there, or where he will end up. All he knows is that he best make his decision quick before patience thinned out. The look he got in return did nothing to calm his raging pulses of blood either, he could kill this man given that chance again. This time, Diluc wouldn't forget it.

“My, what a rush… Pardon me, Master Diluc. I was not aware you had other things to tend to, throwing me out so soon. Or do you wish to have them to yourself, hm? Very well, I mustn't interrupt your … Desires. Just do not have too much fun whilst everyone are away, it would only make me jealous. Ain't that right, sweetheart?”

This chattering baboon talked too much, he was too touchy with what clearly belonged to Diluc. He did things too much, talked too smoothly, acted as if they had any interest in him when Diluc knew for a fact who the real winner was. As expected, Kaeya always thought certain things belonged to him, and for once in his life Diluc had the urge to be as competitive as his brother.

“Are you quite done? Hurry up and take your leave, or do I have to throw you out myself?”

Venom laced with every word, hands turning white from how hard he gripped onto the table. Mark his words, when he's done laying claim, this man was next on his overdue hit list. His thoughts were so loud that he didn't even hear his brother mocking him before the tavern doors closed with a squeak. So loud that he didn't even hear his soon-to-be — no, that's not right. They are his dearest, his love, his desires, and everything more. Right? Why would they look at him with such concern if not were true? Why would they touch his arm and smile so sweetly if not for him? Did they not come to him, and only him when scared, if not because they held dear feelings that he too reciprocated? They loved him, it was plain as can be. They adored him even, yet they were too shy to admit it to his face. Figures, Diluc knew this, he knew them more than the back of his hand. They just need a little help expressing It, right? Especially with the way they were chatting and laughing up a storm with his dearest, soon to be dead, brother.

Clouded eyes came back down to heaven, that heaven being the warm smile of his love. That's so much better, he didn't want to see that smile directed towards anyone else but him, it wasn't their fault. They didn't know that they belonged to Diluc yet, and that was okay. This is why he must teach a very simple lesson. One that will engrain itself in their memories until death.

“I find it funny…” eyes hands smooth over the wooden surface of the bar stand. He took in the smoothness, the patterns that followed along his fingers. “I find it hilarious even, how he thinks you belong to him when we both know that isn't true, right?”

What was that expression they wore? Confusion? Oh, how Diluc loved it when they played stupid, they were nothing of the sort. Perhaps they wanted to entice Diluc further, pull him in deeper, so he could ravish them against this here bar stand. Yeah, that's exactly what it was, Diluc could tell, he knew the signs all well. Being the observant man he was, he would not allow this one to wiggle free from his dangerous palms.

Slowly, gloves slowly began their journey off of slender fingers. Those red eyes burning into ones of a pretty little thing, just waiting to be taken. Their body screamed to be claimed and taken over by, but not just for anyone — no. He danced those same eyes up and down, taking their time to design the way they'll look, shivering and begging for more of him. He took his time imprinting the thought of them choking on air as he drew breaths and sweet words out of them. Bare hands reached for the blade tucked away in the waist band of his pants. Hands gliding over the wooden surface as long legs carried him out to where they sat. Confusion on their face turned into one of interest, and oh Diluc could not wait until that face of theirs turned into one of pleasure, pain, and agony. He wanted to make them beg, scream, chant his name like a god-damn song. It will happen, he's sure of it. They had nowhere to run, nowhere to escape. The only thing saving them from Diluc's hands was Diluc alone.

“Now, I hate to be the giver of bad news, but he doesn't own you. You do not beckon to his every call, and you certainly do not belong to him. Your thoughts, your words, your actions, even the way you move…”

A small sigh, eyes casting down on sweet thighs that were soon to be marked with the carvings of his name

“You know it all belongs to me, correct? When you lay in bed, and you drift your pretty head to sleep, you are aware you dream of me, yes? When you bat those eyes and look up … At me, you know I am the one who controls that seemingly empty head of yours, right?”

There's so much silence, but Diluc has enough patience to see the way their legs clench at every word, could hear the way their breathing thickens and stutters in the back of their throat. That's all he needed to see to know what he was saying was nothing far from true. Finally, hands are reaching forward, moving to caress and then cup at warm cheeks. Blushing, he can tell just from how abnormally hot they were. Their temperature is never this warm, he should know since he memorized their normal body heat.

“So you do know that. Then why is it, why my pretty flaming flower…”

Remember back when he thought he had patience? Apparently he had thought wrong of himself. He found his hands gripping tightly to their jaw, the free hand coming down to cup at smooth thighs. Oh, oh how they flinched so beautifully in his grasp, oh the hopeless look in their eye made his dick sing. They way they didn't resist, the way their thighs rubbed together. Their body was so damn honest, what was he to do? How could he not take them when they were basically asking for it?

"Why is it you let him touch you? Why did you allow him to touch and flirt with something that clearly belongs to me? Answer me, quickly."

He saw their mouth open to talk, and for a moment he had nothing but the thought of making them choke on his cock. Soon, not tonight, but soon enough.

"I'm sure he wasn't flirting, Diluc. You know Kaeya, he talks with charm, theres nothing I can do about that."

Wrong move.

A deep breath was taken before a hot hand reached up to grab at their arms, pulling them up just to twist them around and push them against the edges of his very own bar.

"Give me a good reason why I should not mark this body with my name at this moment."

He didn't give them time to answer, too busy trailing the edges of a blade down their clothed back. No matter, they do not need to talk all too much. Diluc only wanted to hear their cries and begs, nothing more nothing less. "Tell me that you desire me. I need to hear you speak your truth before I continue, I already know that you do so do not try to lie to me, dear flower."

His words spoke deep into their ear, tone clear and free from hesitation. And when their lips opened to plead for him, oh it made it all the much better. His pride hit the ceiling, he knew it. All those signs from before were so true, and now he was able to hear it for himself, soak in those desperate words of, "yes Diluc, please take me. Make me yours, please." oh how polite they were, always so obedient, always listening out for any command. What a good pet they were, what a good flower they were.

The sounds of material being cut open filled the thick air, along with those rough fingers feeling up the smooth of their back, enjoying the way his canvas felt right under his flaming tips. Diluc could not wait to sink his teeth in and taste their sweet necture himself. Those eyes drunk up their topless form once more before trailing the knife further down, he had other days to take his time with them. Tonight they were his to destroy and break down.

Lips and teeth ran free on their body. Leaving purplish marks against sweet tender skin, his knife work not being cut short. He made sure to tear at their bottoms leaving them in nothing but the bruises he had gifted them. Their sweet moans and whimpers filling his ears, filling his desire to ruin them even further. He wasted no time in running possesive hands down their waist, grabbing at thighs just to pull them apart. The squirming under his palms not going unnoticed, infact he laughed something dark at the way their body twitched and pathetically squealed under his touch.

'Look at you. Isn't this just pathetic, if it were any other day I would give you the honor of laying under my damn boot just to watch your body squirm for me. Just to watch it beg for me to continue, Archons look at how you move, and you expect me to just stand idle while others try and get of piece of you? No, I refuse."

It didn't end there, his touches only got more intense. Grabbing a handful of their ass, manhandling it under a rough smack was placed upon them. Oh he hoped that left a bruise, he hoped that with another smack they would cry out /louder/ for him. He deserved to hear. After nights and endless nights of not being able to see them under him, Diluc deserved to watch them grow more desperate for him.

"Look at that, look at you squirm for me and not him. Listen to the way you call my name and not his. Do you know what that is? It's the signs of you belonging to me, nobody else but me. And if I catch anyone, and I mean /anyone/ putting their damn hands on you I will make sure to take you in front of them. That is a promise, my flower."

He made sure they could feel his now slicked up warm fingers prodding at their entrance, the dark chuckle exiting from his lips and into their burning ears. The warmth of their gates of heaven fans against his fingers and diluc can't help but groan out in pure need. Oh how crazy they make him. With caution diluc moves his fingers in, one and then the next and then the next after that. Each finger slipping inside once pained gasps turned into ones of satisfaction and greed. They were so good for him, taking him like he was no damn problem. As expected of course, it were only his fingers after all, but soon...

Sounds of metal and then thick clothing could be heard hitting the ground. Their ears can pick up the way diluc's breathing deepened, showing signs of how badly he needed this just as much as they did. Hot hands suddenly slam on either side of them, their skin touching so they can feel how hot Diluc was at the moment. No words were spoken while a hand came behind them, caressing that sweet throat just to pull their head back. Lips coming in contact with their own, connecting in this brutal dance of love, crazy untammed and dangerous love.

This was a great time for him to distract them, leading his aching cock with the other free hand he had. Poking at their entrance with the demand to be let in, eyes glowing with determination. Inch by inch walls wrapped tight around him loosened up the more they took him in. Archons the way they arched against his chest and lips trembled against his own, the way they whimpered and furrowed their eyebrows, gods help him for he is a man weakened by the simple sight of them breaking down.

"That's it... There we go, you take it. You take it like the good bitch you are, yeah? Look at you, god damn look at you. Do you think kaeya could make you react like that? Here allow me to help you answer that."

Hips finally got sent flying home. Making contact with their skin, kissing at the thin layer of sweat, evidence of how much work was put in. Diluc felt his grin widen, something so foreign to his features, yet he invited it in whenever they were involved. One hand came down to grip at those hips, pulling them back home to the base of his cock every single time. They cries, oh their sweet cries encouraged diluc to destroy that willing hole of theirs. The tears that began to bubble up brought him nothing but satisfaction, the gush and mess made was art against his now squirming canvas.

"Harder. Cry harder for me if you wish to cum, I promise you I'm not allowing you out of this damn tavern until your tears beg me to. You can squirm and gush all over my fucking cock as much as you please, but until I start seeing some real tears... Well, baby love, you can kiss Kaeya goodbye, would be a shame for him to lose a friend, hm?"

This was followed by harsher thrust, his dick swelling up to the brim, damn near ready to explode and unload deep inside of their aching fuckhole. Oh but the harder they teared up and rushed out with tears, the more diluc couldn't help but wish to fill them up with his thickening seed. His hand on their throat growing tighter and tighter until one more thrust sent them jerking against the edge. Hand now moving to their head, pushing them down until their faces squished against the wooden table. He kept them there while hips rolled his name out against their ass, unloading his cum inside of their shivering walls. Feeling them clench and gush with their own orgasm, oh how proud he was to know they knew when to cum. How proud he was to know that his flower could milk him for everythiing he had.

"That's it.. There we go, you are so good for me, sweet flower. Unfortunately I am not finished with you."

Diluc, a man who will never be satisfied until things were perfect. Diluc , a gentlemen , a man who only believed in trust and hard work. Diluc, the man who could go more than one or two rounds. Diluc , the man who made them scream until their throat went dry and their vision went blurry.

Tonight he laid his claim, and much like many other nights, he will make sure the entire city of Mondtstadt knew who they belonged to.

[charmixpower]

Transformations largely went to shit after Enchantix, and it IS absolutely because it got way too busy. Colors and uniqueness aside, long gowns have no business being in any winx transformation. OG transformations are battle outfits, they got "more" feminine with Charmix and Enchantix but still "practical". AND it all was meant to flatter the body shape, not hide it or overpower it- if you don't even SEE half the body because of a huge train, then wtf you doing? Also the SHOES, HOLY SHIT THE SHOES. The other dude was right mentioning dumb heels in water, but WHY ARE THE RIBBONS GOING ALL THE WAY UP THEIR THIGHS in Harmonix? High shoes themselves ain't an issue, but when they are ribbons, it is way too much and it just doesn't look nice. Also Harmonix heels are way too thin. Heels should be chonky like in OG, stilettos look like shit. Also, at this point in the fucking show, THEY SHOULDN'T BE HAVING SAME TRANSFORMATIONS. They should be splitting into different power routes and each having different upgrades with different names and purposes because they are DIFFERENT FAIRIES. Water based power makes sense for Aisha, perhaps that mini thing is great for Techna because she could get real tiny and idk go into a computer or something.

It's REALLY sad that Harmonix and Sirenix don't even pretend the girls have their own separate personalities that should inform the size and shape of their outfits (not just minor design details) and I absolutely agree with you

Like I wouldn't mind them if only one of the girls hand one, or I wouldn't mind them as much the trail wasn't LONGER and WIDER than her legs but they are!!!

Those fucking things are HUGE!!! And they completely engulf her legs, looking deathly impractical, and completely ruining any chance for them to have unique silhouettes

Like I said I wouldn't care if it was just one, because, for example, Icy's hair and cape are super impractical, but they match her personality so their competely excusable because they also inform character

I can believe that Icy cares more about looking cool than practically, like she could pretty obviously be grabbed by the hair or cape but she likes them too much to not, it's a neat little character thing that shows you her priorities. It's the same with the Winx's with long hair, or skirts. The impracticalities inform the character's personality! But Harmonix doesn't inform anything about any of the girls, it's a complete lack of character design. There is barely an attempt to show any personality aside from some incredibly minor ways that seems more like a formality than an actually caring

Believix was definitely the last transformation where they actually tried, I mean the outfits where slightly samey but at least half of them are wearing pants!! And the wings fucked

Aside from that, the shoes. Fucking hell the shoes

Whether or not the heels are impractical or not doesn't matter because their underwater. Which raises the question of why the fuck their wearing heels in the first place

I genuinely would not mind the ribbons as much if they were all in different patterns and lengths on all the girls. Like only Flora's goes up to her thighs because she's the super femme of the group and it matches her aesthetic, with them all getting their own thing

But there not, they're all the same length and pattern and ohhhh my god this transformation is so lazy

It wouldn't even be hard to fix Harmonix design wise to be more unique and have interesting and distinctive silhouettes

Sirenix should of obviously been a mermaid form, we all agree on that. It's so obvious. Harmonix, should of been bathing suits. There, easy way to keep them all oceanic looking, and they can all get unique looking outfits!

Hell you can even keep most of the aesthetic for one of the girls. Slightly based on Skylaryozora's redesign, but stick Musa in a one piece bathing suit with a small skirt and trail (I know these exist, I've seen them) and boom! The best Harmonix outfit is kept safe and sound and the rest of them can get their own unique design

Musa's outfit is the one i remember best because her skirt looks like shells made of opals and she has the best hair.... Just let her keep Harmonix, everyone else go change.... especially Bloom and Tecna, go change now

And that's a really interesting idea for the girls higher forms. Them all pursuing different elemental forms, personality I don't mind the ocean transformation simply because I think the different dimensions idea is cool as all fucking hell and I love that it gets its own little transformation that you need to enter and traverse it. But the concept of them all needing to pursue a higher form that matches up with their powers is very cool and interesting and I adore the concept