#these qualities are what made them both such beloved figures

[skaald-of-the-hearth-fires]

First of all YES!! There was SO much urgency. They couldn't wait. Trahearne waited as long as he possibly could for Commander to finish up the egg business before going.

Camp Resolve had been attacked just before this and barely survived, and only did because the Commander was there to throw up a signal flare for help. Nobody else was able to reach it. The Pact and Trahearne and Destiny's Edge was almost finished off BEFORE THE PACT FLEET EVEN LAUNCHED.

Trahearne with his knowledge explained how all dragons have an expansion period: Zhaitan claimed Orr and caused the Great Tsunami, Kralkatorrik created the Dragonbrand, Jormag caused the Dragonstorm and sent the norn south, Primordus took the Depths and sent the asura and skritt to the surface.

Trahearne was desperately trying to take down Mordremoth BEFORE it hit that phase (which happens right after waking up), because it was so close to structured society like asura, humans, etc. in Central Tyria that such a thing would be DEVASTATING.

And we DIDN'T move before that phase - the vines WERE in Ascalon already. Fort Salma was destroyed by vines (killing many, Belinda among others). Fort Concordia in TIMBERLINE FALLS was destroyed (not as thoroughly; fewer people died; but Mordremoth's reach was HUGE). Trahearne was envisioning everything from the Tarnished Coast to the Shiverpeaks being fully and thoroughly covered in the Maguuma Jungle within WEEKS, and every day he waited more people dying, more vines popping up, more corruption advancing. He'd seen Orr. He'd seen the Brand. He knew what devastation awaited.

He was unwise to wait as long as he did for the Commander.

Their flaw wasn't in that they were too hasty. The flaw was that we didn't have the TIME to do anything else. We didn't have the time to get the knowledge that would have helped. It was a lose-lose situation. We just didn't have the knowledge, the tools, or the time to prepare anything decent. There was no way we could have taken on Mordremoth successfully. We had nothing and had no way of getting anything.

Its a miracle that even fragments of the Pact survived. It's a miracle that we actually beat the dragon. As awful as it is to say, what happened - Trahearne's sacrifice and all - was the best thing that could have happened to Tyria, and the odds of it were so shockingly slim that Mordremoth's confidence in our failure wasn't just normal villain arrogance. We literally had maybe 0.1 chance of actually defeating Mordremoth before it took over the rest of Tyria.

And we STILL have no idea how we'd defeat it otherwise without hooking someone (who was strong enough to resist) up to Mordremoth so we could fight its mind and killing them after.

The only thing that would've saved us is if we'd stopped Scarlet before she managed to wake Mordy up - and THEN been able to recognize what she'd been trying to do and taking steps to prepare before Mordremoth woke up on its own.

The other dragons had already had their explosive expansion phase, and yeah it'd devastated norn and asura especially, but at least they'd had somewhere to go. This would have made US - every single playable race - the refugees to Elona, instead of the other way around a year or two later. The other dragons, moreover, could WAIT bc they were moving much more slowly at that point and weren't so close to threatening everything.

Rewatching the end of LS2 and the teaser trailer for HoT and man... I gotta say one thing I really like about Trahearne's writing is how he handled the attack on Mordremoth.

Fighting Zhaitan had us carefully build an alliance of different forces, devise a strategy, take our time and be prepared... but Mordremoth made it personal for the sylvari. Did that make him nervous and that's why he decided to rush an entire fleet into unknown territority without even the glimpse of a plan? Almorra (rightfully) points it out in a later release, Trahearne fucked up big time sending everyone (and ultimately himself) to their death.

And I love that narrative. I love this wise, grounded (though occasionally dorky) figure we've had at our side just making that one fatal mistake out of urgency. (& fear?)

And who knows, ultimately we did come out victorious against the elder dragon, so maybe that was the only right decision after all.

[fluffymarshmalllows]

In every universe, I'll look for you

fanfic about Reader getting sucked in the portal first, Ford follows.

Another restless night for you and your husband in the basement. Coffee staining the journals as he scribbles more blurbs about this “Bill” person he keeps calling his muse. You didn’t want to feel jealous but ever since that absurdly long late night walk Ford took months ago, he’s been nose deep into every physics book and theoretical researches to prove something, anything. Every time you beg him to rest, he refuses making you a bit annoyed, blame it on the sleep deprivation and lack of quality time.

“Please, Fordsy, you really need some rest. We’ve been working on this project for weeks now” you muttered, half-asleep at this point. But words fell on deaf ears as your husband just waved you off with some empty promises of he’ll be with you to bed soon.

Too tired to argue, you kissed him on the cheek which caused his face to get dusted pink for a bit, but still very much focused on his calculations. A sight you will never get tired of. You also waved to Fiddleford who was roped in this whole project bidding farewell.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” he says without looking up as you climb the squeaky staircase. You reminded them both to get some rest while internally praying to whoever God that will listen that you get your doting husband back sooner than later.

Not even hours later, loud metal clashes and bangs from the basement jerked you awake. You shot up and dashed straight to Ford worried that something might’ve happened. Did he get injured? A part fell on him? Was he trashing the place? Shaking your head ridding of those thoughts. Running towards the basement fueled with adrenaline and a power nap is not ideal but the situation called for it.

You got there as quick as you can and witnessed a rather vulgar argument between your husband and Fiddleford leading to the latter walking out and bumping your shoulder muttering unpleasant words towards Ford.

Peering out from the basement stairs, on the other side of their makeshift divider was a big glowing construction whirring with power. “Oh my god” those were the only things that you could mutter in that moment. The machine was… working. It was finally working. After months of sleepless nights, exhausted arguing, they finally made it work giving you hope that things will soon get back to normal, or as much as it used to be.

Ford felt your presence and looked at you like a mad-man, eyes crazed with no sign of sanity. It made you question if the man standing ahead of you was really the guy you married. “It finally worked! The math finally made sense. Do you understand, Y/N?! This is our key to figuring out all these anomalies.” You took a step back your back against the door while he tries to coax you in joining him. “No, Ford, this doesn’t look safe”.

Ford turned his back to you, staring at his creation. “Fiddleford said the same thing” he mused, “but please, beloved, I won’t let you be in any danger”. His reassuring voice was enough to put you in some ease as you walked to him extending his hand.

He held you by your waist supporting your trenbling body, guiding you to admire their creation. Observing some sparks of electricty dancing across the ground and bouncing off the walls. Ford was explaining to you how it works, how he plans to use it, what they should do next and all that but one look at your alarmed face gave him all the hint he needed to keep quiet and let you process all this.

He was so enamored by this portal he built, you both did not realize the glass dividing the area was slowly cracking. Only took some more volts of current to run by it to shatter and allow the portal to suck you in.

It happened so fast. Ford tried grabbing you but the force was too much, pulling you in within seconds. You managed to maneuver yourself to grab on the portals frame. Using all your strength pulling your body out to ask for help one last time before you were completely lost somewhere some time in space.

“Ford, help me!” The last words his lover spoke before getting lost in the oblivion haunts him in his every waking hour. He tried consulting Bill about this, how to get you back, but Bill was adamant about the situation, believing that Y/N was just a hurdle to their masterplan. He spent too many lonely nights missing you and regretting what he has done, it was driving him imsane. This lead to him calling quits with Bill which ultimately made the polygon mad.

Alas, he struck the courage to contact his twin after years. This was not an easy decision for him but to set up his grand scheme of finding you in the vast universe, he had to have his brother fit the missing link.

Ford explained everything to Stan, or as much as his twin needed to know but things did not go exactly as planned. He was planning to portal jump, sure, but not get sucked into it accidentally. He found it somewhat humorous that he ended up the same way his lover left, through the portal—asking for help.

Journal log no. 176? 177. Two years, 18 dimensions, 3 timelines. I saw them again. Different hairstyle but with that same aloof smile. Happy in this dimension with me, alternate universe me. I still live to regret that day. It also appears that she is also being tracked by the space-time continueom agencies (noted from the encounter at the do-over dimension). Just what in the world did my Y/N get to?…

Journal log no. 320+. It has been almost 10 home years if I calculated it correctly. Still no sign of my Y/N in this timeline. From the dwellers of this dimension, it appears that the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron has laid low on the investigation of their whereabouts. It has become harder tracking them down, maybe they learned new tricks. Best to take a note of this…

Journal log __ . I have lost track of days in this dimension. Some part of this dimension are mirrors that behaves like looking glasses. Upon my first arrival, a mirror reflected Y/N staring back at me. As I am writing this, I am still formulating probable hypothesis that could explain their reflection on mine. Seeing them again after so long makes me yearn for them more. If only I h

A zipping sound ripped from a distance away from Ford as he's trying to journal his discoveries.

“Time to go” quickly packing all his materials shoving it in his makeshift bag careful not to drop any while going on another leap. He looked back at those men? Aliens? Whoever those guys are they are pretty hot on his trail. Getting too close for his own comfort. And too many close calls with them than Ford will admit.

“Get him!” The smallest tentacle humanoid man commanded or something similar of the sort, it’s another universe language he has yet to decode. Learning the tongues became much more difficult since he accidentally stumbled on a rebellion matched with a bounty picture of your face displayed in every available surface they can stick it on to. Knowing you, whatever you did there most likely called for it or he hopes so, anyway.

Muttering some curses he took his grand leap and entered another dimension. Not once did he look back.

This time it looked like another parallel timeline of his home universe. Ford walked around pin pointing important anomalies, most of them minor like an extra toe on a cat or a bird with butterfly wings. He slumped down under a tree near the opening of the forest to draw these creatures. Pulling out his journal, he realized something in this dimension feels right, for the first time in a long time, he felt like he belong. Another minor anomaly in a dimension filled with other anomalies. It made him feel normal, but not complete. Ford sniffled his tears back overwhelmed by the feeling of missing you. He never stopped looking for you. Eyes scanning every place hoping to see you again, waiting for him, happy with him.

Coast is clear and the sun was slowly setting. It lulled Ford to take a nap. Closing his eyes trying to remember what you look like. It’s been years since he last saw you. In every universe and timeline you were in, they did not look like you, his Y/N. Something was always off, but one thing remained constant— you were always happy together with him. Ford chuckled bitterly. Only in the universe he lived in was he alone. It was unfair, but he did this to himself. He regrets all the time he spent with Bill than his own spouse. His only lover, to think that fame and knowledge blinded him to put you in danger.

A soft thud was heard from the tree he was resting on, followed by a feeling of being watched made chills ran down his spine. Ford became hyper-aware looking, searching, for anything. Standing up quickly, he was ready to dash for it but for unknown reason he stood his ground. His feet felt glued to the ground, waiting for whatever it was to emerge from the trees’ shadows. The now dark forest was eerie and he could not risk getting hurt in another dimension. A pitter patter of steps from the forest heading his way made him draw his gun aiming at the darkness. His fingers at the trigger, steady.

“Fordsy?”

His breath hitched. Hands trembled. A figured appeared out of the dense forest. Face to face with the gun he was ready to fire. His heartbeat was so loud it was almost all he can hear. Seeing you, still perfect after so many years. With gray hairs and past your prime, yet you still had the same effect on him. Decades or more has passed but the feelings remained the same.

Both of you did not dare to take a step. You feared that this is all in your head, a fragment of your imagination that you did not want to go away. The air was still, and the silence deafening. You can’t take it much longer and you run up to him. Ford took you in with open arms.

He hugged you tight, not willing to let go. Never again will he let you go. All those years of longing and you’re finally back in his arms. He stared at your eyes, filled with the love and adoration like the days you were married and living with each other. You took a step back and slapped him. Hard.

“How dare you!” You angrily muttered to him. Voice tight but not so loud to disturb the silence. “This?! This is what you were trying to make?” Shoving a pointed finger to his shoulder blade. Ford was hurt, but he knew he deserved that anger. “We were always together! In every dimension I went to, even in our past, did you know how much it hurt seeing us together? Knowing that every version of me is happy and loved while I am trying to go back home to a husband who’s cheating on me with a guy!” Y/N rambled exasperated. Your cheeks felt wet, not realizing the tears already started falling. All those years of resentment and anger to your husband resurfaced. “And you know what the worst part is?” You sniffled trying to sound brave “I still love you! And at times I feel like a fool for doing so.”

Ford was confused with what to feel to say the least. He felt sad you had to endure being lonely, longer than he had been. Joy? That you still love him despite his wrong doings. Humour as he realized that you thought Bill as a mistress. That made him crack a small smile which you noticed. You turned around calling him a jerk while wiping your tears muttering cusses.

“Dearest” he tried calling out to you. “You know you’re the only one I love right?” He cooed, still not getting over the fact that he had someone else. He reached out to you gently, wrapping his arms around you. His chest at your back as you felt his breathing on your neck. “Y/N, please face me, it’s been so long since I’ve seen your beauty.” Ford purred. What else can you do but look at him again, you reached your hand to the cheek you hit and soothed it for a bit. “I’m sorry for hitting you” you muttered looking at his eyes. “It was deserved” he replied sheepishly avoiding your gaze. The tension was as thick as the dense forest behind you and you can’t take it anymore.

You pulled him down by grabbing the collar of his coat to give him a kiss. A bit stunned Ford was but he warmed up to it. Breathing a sigh of relief, finally in the arms of his Y/N, with no plans of letting her go.

They trudged into the woods, conversing on what they witnessed and all the universe they jumped, comparing notes and journals. You proudly showed him yours as you stated “I was just copying you but it became a scrapbook of some sort”. Inside were trinkets from dimensions folded into the paper with drawings and detailed descriptions of things you saw. Ford was more of interested with the folded wanted poster between those pages. He took it out and observed it closely. “Yeah, I became part of their council for a while,” you said which earned a questioning eyebrow raise from your husband. You raised your hands in protest “Well, I didn’t know that fruits were their money! I was hungry”. This made him laugh and it sounded like music to your ears. Mr. All seriousness laughing with you again, everything felt perfect.

Until the familiar space ripping nearby brought you both back to reality. Whipping your heads towards that sound, Ford exclaimed “I’m getting too old for this”. Grabbing your hand he lead you the forest clearing and pulled out his dimension jumper and you followed suit.

“We are now easily trackable since we are together so we need to be extra cautious” Ford explained as you both explore the city-esque universe you landed in. “Do you think we’d ever go back home?” You asked, stopping in your tracks. Ford turned to you “I trust Stan. It might take a while to be honest.” You nodded in respond, still not giving yourself false hope. “But I’m with you Y/N, and anywhere is better when you’re by my side.” His voice was so sincere you can’t help but believe him. You held him interlocking your digits together. His six fingers perfectly hugging your hand as you both jumped into another dimension unprepared but together.

word count: 2.5k words

woop woop first published fic! should i make a part 2?

[athforskz]

Body Worship - Seo Changbin

Masterlist

Pairing: Changbin  x reader (afab) 

wc: ~2.7k

Type: Angst, smut, established relationship

Warnings: Insecurities (body image issues), cursing, mention of online bullying & death threats, crying, tons of kissing, love bites/ marking, sensory play (reader is blindfolded), unprotected piv, use of sex toys, prone bone, aftercare. Let me know if I missed any!

a/n: I don’t care who you are, but every single one of you is beautiful! You better believe it or I’ll send Changbin after you, myself! 😤

Enjoy lovelies!

It had been weeks since you showed your face to the public or been out of the house for that matter. All you wanted to do was stay home in your cozy bed and sleep. To say you were insecure was an understatement. Your boyfriend, Changbin, hadn’t really minded your increasing tendencies to stay in bed. He figured you were just catching up on some much needed rest. However, when it was creeping up on the third week of you turning down his date ideas he started to get worried. 

“Bunny, you doing okay today?” 

“I’m fine, Binnie.” You sighed from underneath the pile of blankets. 

Changbin let out a frustrated groan. He knew you weren’t fine, but he couldn’t figure out why. He finally had vacation time and all he wanted to do was spend it with you. Take you out to all your favorite places and maybe make some new adventures. 

You, on the other hand, despised the thought of it. Not because you didn’t want to spend quality time with your beloved boyfriend, but because of what his fans and media might think. You and Changbin had started dating a little over two years ago. At first the relationship was kept a secret with only his group members, close friends, and family knowing of your status. But once you both had felt comfortable you guys decided to make your relationship public. For the most part, it went over well with Stays accepting your presence and news outlets making headlines about you dating the K-pop idol. 

Even though the majority of fans and media welcomed you, there were still toxic fans and tabloids that tried to tear you down. Normally, you wouldn’t let the hate get to you, but some of the things you read in news articles or comments fans made chipped away at your confidence bit by bit. It started off with an unflattering photo caught by paparazzi when you and Changbin were headed to the airport, then the comments began rolling in. 

‘Her face looks so uneven’

‘She dresses like a toddler’

‘Changbin could do so much better’

You wanted to ignore it all. Push all the hate aside and continue with the happiness you found in Changbin. But just when you were getting used to the mild negativity, the death threats came. Some crazy fans had found your personal accounts, threatening you to stay away from their Changbin. There had even been a trending tag on Twitter reading ‘Save Binnie from his scrooge girlfriend.’ 

That was your final straw, the final push that had sent you into recluse mode almost three weeks ago. You started nitpicking your looks and facial features. You became hyper aware of every scar and stretch mark on your body. You would stand in the mirror pinching the chub of your stomach or thighs. Everything made you feel disgusted with yourself and the only way to feel any kind of comfort was to hide away. 

“Come on, you have to talk to me eventually.” Changbin wouldn’t leave you alone.

“Talk about what? There’s nothing wrong…” you lied through your teeth. 

Changbin pulled the duvet from your curled form. You whined trying to grab it back from him. 

“Binnieeee, please just leave me be right now.” 

“Not until you’re honest with me,” he retorted. 

You simply laid there feeling defeated, covering your face with your hands as tears welled at your lash line. He could hear the faint sniffles you were trying to keep quiet. Changbin became increasingly concerned and grabbed your wrists to move them away from your face. 

“Hey, hey baby, why are you crying? Please talk to me. I am begging you.” He was pleading with you. 

“Why are you still with me…?” You averted your eyes, not able to look your boyfriend in the face. 

“What are you talking about? I’m with you because I love you and you make me the happiest man on earth.”

“But I’m nothing more than an ugly fucking scrooge!” You had snapped, tears full on running down your cheeks as you completely turned your face away. 

Bin placed his hands on either side of your cheeks making you look at him. 

“Why are you saying this? Please don’t talk down about yourself, it breaks my heart to see you hurting.” 

“Social media and some of your fans have been saying rude things. But now I see that it’s all true.” You mumbled, halfway hoping he wouldn’t hear you, but he did. 

“None of it is true. You have to stop paying attention to those haters.” He said softly as he rubbed your cheeks with the pad of his thumbs. 

“You’re only saying that..” you tried to pull out of his hold but he kept you close.

“Baby, you are the most gorgeous thing to have ever walked this universe. People are always graced by your beauty when you walk into a room. I am beyond lucky to call you mine and I’ll personally fight anyone who thinks otherwise.” He declared to you.

“So you don’t think I look like the scrooge?” You sniffled.

He chuckled while shaking his head, “course not. You are my beautiful babes.” 

“I- I don’t believe it. I’m sorry.. I just feel so ugly and unworthy of you.” You sobbed again.

Changbin pulled you in close placing a gentle kiss on your forehead before getting off the bed. “Guess I’ll just have to prove it to you. Make you believe it.” He simply stated while walking around the shared bedroom gathering a few items and even lighting a couple of candles. 

For a minute you were confused. How was he going to achieve a seemingly impossible task? You had your mind made up and there was no changing it. Your insecurities were set in stone. 

After Bin had gathered what he was looking for he kneeled on the bed in front of where you were now sat up. 

“Close your eyes f’ me.” He said calmly.

“Bin, I don’t think-“ you tried to resist.

“That wasn’t a request, bunny.” 

You shut your mouth and followed his command, closing your eyes. You could feel some kind of thick silk being wrapped around your head, making sure you couldn’t see anything. 

“What are you doing?” You inquired.

“Shhh, I’m going to be the one asking questions. Understand?” 

“…yes,” you whispered. 

“That’s my girl,” he praised. Changbin ran his fingers through your hair, landing his palm on the crown of your head massaging just the way you liked it. You began to relax, your previous sobbing and sniffles coming to a stop. He then gripped onto the roots of your hair and maneuvered your head to the side so he had easy access to your neck. 

“Can’t believe you’d talk about yourself - my girl - in such a way. You have a wonderful mind and a beautiful body and I intend to worship all of it. Show you exactly what I see.” He placed a kiss on your neck, sucking and biting the flesh which will surely leave a mark. 

“You’re so pretty, so damn pretty.” He murmured with his lips still pressed under your jaw, moving to another spot to mark. Your breath hitched when you felt his tongue lick up the column of your neck. 

Needless to say, you and Bin hadn’t been the most intimate the last few weeks. So every kiss and every touch he gave you made you feel more sensitive. The way his hands caressed down your waist until he reached the hem of your shirt set your skin on fire. He pulled the clothing over your head and tossed it on the floor. You covered your chest with your arms out of reflex, but he stopped you. 

“Don’t hide this gorgeous body from me, sweetheart. I need to see you. I crave you.” He said in an almost animalistic tone. It sent shivers down your spine. Bin placed his hand between your breasts and lightly pushed you down to lay flat on your back. He then slid his hand to the side to cup and squeeze your right breast. “Such beautiful tits you have,” he leaned down to suck on the left. “So squishy and perfect,” he’d say between sucks and licks to your nipples.

You started letting out airy moans at his ministrations on your chest. Changbin came up to place another kiss on your lips before kissing down your sternum and down your stomach. The motions made you tense as you especially hated your abdomen. He sensed the change in your body language and rubbed your sides spending extra time there. His fingertips hooking into the hem of your sweatpants, pulling them down along with your panties. 

“Binnie.. don’t look please.” You started shaking from anxiety. 

“It’s okay, baby. It’s just me. Binnie’s got you, bunny.” He reassured you as he continued his kissing assault on your middle. 

“I especially love your soft tummy. One of my favorite parts of you and the best place to lay my head when we cuddle.” Changbin affirmed. You whined at his declaration, then you felt him go even lower, spreading your legs apart. You wanted to close them so badly but you know he’d just pull them open again. You couldn’t deny that you were dripping with arousal at this point. He landed a kiss on your wet core making you shudder. Then you heard him shuffling for something next to you. You kind of hated not being able to see anything but in a way it made you calmer. 

A few more seconds passed before you felt your boyfriend shift and a cold object was placed directly in your clit. Changbin clicked the device making it come to life. It was your vibrator. The sudden feeling making your body jolt and a whimper escape your lips. You couldn’t see it, but you could practically feel the smirk Bin would most certainly be sporting right now. 

“Now, you don’t get to cum until you admit how beautiful you are. Got it?” He established a rule that he wanted to make sure you understood. 

“Nng I- I can’t!” The vibrations were already drawing you close. 

“Oh you will, bunny.” He said matter of factly.

Changbin kept the little toy in place on your clit as his other hand along with his lips explored every other inch of your body. He chanted how beautiful, gorgeous, and stunning you were like a mantra. You tried to hold your orgasm back as long as you could but he knew you were on the edge by the way your hips bucked. 

“C’mon, say it. Lemme hear ya, honey.” 

Your brain went fuzzy and you just wanted to cum so bad. “M’ pretty! Fuck, s’ pretty!” You called out. 

“Good girl, that’s right baby. Good job,” he praised.

You were panting, trying to catch your breath as he let you calm down from your high. Changbin removed the vibrator from your soaked pussy, tossing it aside. 

Once your boyfriend felt you were ready he maneuvered you so you were laying on your front, facing your body to the foot end of the bed. He then placed a pillow under your lower tummy to make sure you were comfortable. You could feel him situate himself between your legs behind you, his weight slowly pressing onto your back. You felt a light tug to the silk ribbon he had tied around your eyes some time ago. It fell away, allowing you to see again. You blinked a few times to adjust to the lighting. When your eyes focused you could see he had moved you so you could see yourself in the mirror that was placed at the opposite side of the room. You immediately hid your face in the mattress, not wanting to bear witness to the reflection in front of you.

“Don’t look away, bun. Wan’ you to see how absolutely ethereal you look when we fuck.” He nipped at your ear before reaching a hand around to the front of you to grab under your jaw and lift your head. In your haste to hideaway you hadn’t noticed that Changbin was naked on top of you. You wondered how you could feel his cock throbbing so clearly on your thigh. 

“Don’t wanna look,” you whined while locking eyes with him through the mirror. 

“But you just have to see what I see when you cum. You look so pretty when you cum, baby.” You knew there was no protesting, so you simply nodded. 

Changbin lifted his hips slightly so he could line his cock up with your entrance that was currently clenching around nothing. He sank into you slowly, allowing you to adjust. Bin’s cock was thick and the stretch always burned deliciously when he first entered. You let out a breathy moan as he started to grind his hips into your core. The sound of skin smacking as he bounced off your ass. 

He could see your eyes glaze over with lust as pleasure overtook you. You kept your gaze on the mirror as your boyfriend fucked into you mercilessly from behind. “Yeah, that’s it, babe. So fucking gorgeous, my girl- ah,” he landed a harsh slap to your rear making the skin ripple. You let out a squeak between the string of moans falling from your lips. 

Binnie leaned down placing kisses on your back and shoulders, occasionally biting to leave his mark. He’d look up every few thrusts to make sure you were still watching yourself and at one point he saw the position of your eyes shift. You had siren eyes and your moans became more throaty, indicating to him that you were definitely into it. Into checking yourself out which is exactly what he wanted. 

Suddenly, Changbin reached around to grip your neck and pull you up against his chest. Making you both kneel while his other arm wrapped across your waist. His cock reached deeper this way and hit that spot that drove you wild. The knot in your core threatened to snap with every harsh pump of his dick. 

“M’ gonna cum! B-bin please!” You screamed while looking up at the ceiling, your vision becoming blurry. 

Changbin redirected your gaze to the mirror again as he felt your body spasming from your release. 

“Mm fuck look how gorgeous y’ look cummin’ on my cock like that,” he said between grunts as his own high washed over him. His seed spurting into you in waves. 

“So.. gorgeous,” you repeated as your orgasm finished wracking your body. You couldn’t help but watch how your body glowed after your second release of the night. A thin sheen of sweat adorning your body, almost looking like you were sparkling. You looked positively hot, maybe you could see in yourself what your boyfriend saw. 

You both stayed like that for a while, connected and calming down from the mind blowing sex. Changbin pulled out after a few more minutes then went to the bathroom to run a hot bath for the both of you. You laid on the bed feeling uncomfortably sticky from the sweat drying. Before you knew it your boyfriend had returned and picked you up bridal style in his strong arms and carried you to the bath. You giggled and kicked your feet at his display of strength. 

“Binnie! I can walk by myself ya know?” 

“I just fucked you senseless and you think you’d be able to walk straight?” He chuckled.

You huffed in response as he gently lowered you into the water. The warmth encapsulating your body. Changbin stepped in to sit behind you and pulled you back so you were laying on his broad chest. He kissed the side of your head and whispered sweet nothings in your ear while lightly tracing the love bites that were bruising on your skin. 

Somehow the marks made you feel even more confident. They were symbols of your loving boyfriend and that in itself was beautiful to you. 

Likes, comments, and reblogs are always very much appreciated!

Taglist: @doitforbangchan / @jehhskz

[graciereadshannigram]

hey fam, welcome to the May 2024 roundup of the best hannigram fics i've read this past month! i read several million words worth of fics, and these were the cream of the crop. i also managed to rewatch the show for the fifth time!! (unemployment has its perks lmao)

as a reminder: the ingredients for a five star rating typically (but not always!!) include some combination of a.) believable characterizations of both Hannibal and Will, b.) compelling plot and/or character arcs, and c.) high quality smut.

that being said, my judgment of the aforementioned ingredients is powered almost exclusively by vibes. as such, it is incredibly subjective.

you can find past rec lists below:

February March April

and if you have any recs of your own for me, PLEASE SHARE.

anyway, in no particular order, let's go!

~

Overcoming by purefoysgirl

Word Count: 547.5k Summary: A Victorian A/B/O romance in which Hannibal Lecter is the future Duke of Westvale who has been away at war for the past ten years. His Grandfather has made good on a contract made shortly after Hannibal's birth to procure him a wife. It was supposed to be easy. Naturally, with the Omega, Will, given in the place of his twin sister, it is anything but, because if there is one thing Hannibal Lecter despises, it's Omegas.

This fic had me holding back tears when it ended (after sobbing a couple different times). This was... incredible. What a fucking UNDERTAKING this author committed to, and despite this being a doorstopper of a fic, the plot did not miss a single beat. Just... wow. For the love of god, please read this.

Falls the Shadow by littlesystems

Word Count: 72.4k Summary: "You're a psychiatrist," Will says. "Between your personal and professional lives you must have met thousands of people, you must know dozens of different flavors of pathology. Do you know anyone who would take me as I am? Who would be able to love me," he gestures in a sweeping motion, from his messy hair to his stained knee, "just as I am?" "I do." Bedelia's words shock Will into stillness. “Really?” AKA an AU where Bedelia is Will’s psychiatrist instead of Hannibal, Will makes a series of increasingly questionable life choices, and no one should ever take Bedelia’s advice. Ever.

GIMME MORE STARSSSSSSSS. Bedelia as Will's psychiatrist was brilliant, holy shit. And Will understanding Hannibal and completely accepting him? This is something I see so rarely done in fics. Will always makes him be a lot less manipulative, or at least goes through heavy angst over it. But in this? Will was immediately endeared because that's just who Hannibal is.

Bram Stoker's HANNIBAL by DBMars

Word Count: 586.7k Summary: Love Never Dies. "I have crossed oceans of time to find you." Hannibal + Bram Stoker's Dracula + the classic novel = a new version of the seductive vampire legend. Count Hannibal Lecter loses the thing most precious to him -- the love of his life. God is beyond measure in wanton malice, and matchless in his irony. And so Hannibal renounces God, and becomes an immortal monster that feeds on the blood of the living. 400 years after losing his beloved, Count Lecter meets a man who looks exactly like the husband he lost -- reborn and returned. But who could learn to love a monster?

@dbmars you are a fucking genius. I am honestly still processing and figuring out how to communicate just how amazing this fic was. Do yourself a favor and go read it NOW.

the book of jonah by zipegs

Word Count: 18.1k Summary: A sudden breath of hot wind presses through the trees. For a moment, it feels fresh, alive, and then the dust—the pollen—comes along with it, a parasite hitched on the back of the breeze. Will is ravenous. --- After the fall, Will and Hannibal sojourn in a remote, decrepit cabin in South America while they await Chiyoh’s return. But something here is afflicting them, and it’s only getting worse.

Okay, bear with me. THIS WAS FUCKING AMAZING. I haven't felt this way after consuming a piece of media since I watched Guillermo del Toro's The Autopsy episode. Psychological horror mixed with body horror mixed with smut??? I guess that does it for me. I literally can't stop thinking about this fic. It's been two weeks and I am STILL thinking about it.

Wrong by HotMolasses (@snazzymolasses here on tumblr)

Word Count: 4.2k Summary: Will roughly rubbed his arm across his mouth again, trying to rub it off. Rub off the scent of Alana, after they’d kissed. After she’d kissed him. Or he’d kissed her? It was mutual. Until it wasn’t. Until Will breathed in her scent, so familiar, so Alpha, so…wrong. He’d pulled back forcibly, unable to hide the expression of revulsion on his face. “I…I need to go.” he said, sweeping his coat off the back of a chair on his way towards the door. “Lock up when you leave.” The weather was crap, and it probably wasn’t smart to drive in the snow while he was in pre-heat, but Will didn’t know what else to do. He needed to figure this out, he needed to talk to the only person who understood him. He needed to talk to Hannibal.

So ummmmmmm what do I need to do to turn this into like a whole AU?? As always, this was a total home run. Every single bit of it was perfect.

as soft, as wide as air by BlackKnightSatellite

Word Count: 193.9k Summary: After surviving the fall, Will finds he has far fewer hesitations about joining Hannibal than he would have guessed. Character death, but not Will or Hannibal.

Well shit. I read this immediately after a full rewatch of the show (in four days no less) and THIS is my new season 4 canon. It's brilliant and actually reads like a proper season would. And I love how it gives all the characters a concluded story line. Aside from Will and Hannibal. I also loved how much this explored Will's instability and how his mental state would be affected after he finally slung off all the guilt and allowed himself to fully enjoy killing. All around very good.

The Dispersal Method by @victorineb

Word Count: 16.9k Summary: It’s a normal fall day in the forest for Will Graham. Dead body in front of him, cannibal psychiatrist behind him, the usual. Then Will brushes against the wrong flower, and suddenly neither he nor Hannibal can keep their hands off each other. Now, Will must navigate his way out of the crime scene and Jack’s scrutiny while also trying not to jump Hannibal’s bones at every opportunity. Well, one out of three ain’t bad. Set nebulously in s2, post-Will's release from the BSHCI. Will’s a conflicted honeypot, Hannibal’s a (not-so) secretly-besotted asshole, and nobody has brought enough lube.

THIS IS THE BEST SEX POLLEN I'VE EVER READ. Seriously. The BEST out of pretty much any fandom (at least so far).

Between the Shadow and the Soul by raiast

Word Count: 48.7k Summary: When Will decides to stop taking his suppressants neither he nor Hannibal can deny the attraction between them. After nearly a decade of running from his biology, Will is faced with his primitive Omega urges full force. As if navigating his hormones wasn't enough, there is a killer at large with a very specific motive that seems to only be targeting preteen boys.

This might be my new favorite ABO fic? And one of the better case fics out there.

Sleepover by EarthsickWithoutYou

Word Count: 70k Summary: Set in Season 1, after "Fromage." Will is still confused about his kiss with Alana and seeks romantic advice on how to date and be more "smooth" from Hannibal. Little does he know that Hannibal is madly, passionately obsessed with him, and desperately jealous. Needless to say, Dr. Lecter is all too happy to teach Will everything he knows about love and dating.

This was pretty fluffy, tender, and fun, and it was exactly what I needed after finishing a heavier fic

Alana Finds Out by @victorineb

Word Count: 32.1k Summary: A series of one-shots in which Alana Bloom discovers, in the midst of various tropes, that her boyfriend Hannibal Lecter's feelings for Will Graham run far deeper than friendship. Basically a chance for Alana to shout at the pair of emotionally-repressed idiots whilst still indulging in much Hannigram loveliness.

Oh I loved all of this. This scratched that itch in my brain that loves when Alana realizes that Hannibal has wanted Will all along. And some of these one-shots are genuinely hysterical. Love.

Doctor's Orders by JSinister32

Word Count: 29.2k Summary: “He’s dead on his feet, Jack. I do not understand how you allowed him to come when he’s so obviously ill. There have been too many hours in service of your needs, so many that it seems to have affected any sleep that he may have gotten over the past few weeks. From what you and I have discussed, he has a difficult time shutting his mind down under the best of circumstances and this case today has clearly gotten to him.” The doctor stepped closer to the profiler, peering into his eyes as Will tried to focus. “Will? Can you hear me?” Will Graham has never been particularly good at taking care of himself. When he comes down with a severe cold while working on a string of murders, the new psychiatrist on retainer, Doctor Hannibal Lecter, offers to care for him. Will he be able to keep his feelings in check while Hannibal is in his home? Hannibal Lecter can't get the profiler working for the Violent Crimes unit out of his mind. When given the opportunity to care for him when he's ill, will his feelings for the other man come to light?

TENDER. I want like 70k more words of this. Especially Hannibal putting Jack in his place. Especially Hannibal washing Will's hair. Mmm. There's just something so good about Will letting Hannibal take care of him.

The First Condition of Immortality is Death by OneHandedBooks

Word Count: 92.5k Summary: Hannibal’s heart stopped for the first time after he’d dragged himself and Will out of the frigid ocean onto the rocky shore at the bottom of the bluff.

Oh this was GOOD. Very tender, good characterizations, and loved how Will's hallucinations were portrayed. This was just all a really good exploration of how their relationship could have progressed. This author also is incredibly good at showing the scenes in a way that I could watch them unfold in my head. This felt like a crystal clear movie.

What Do The Dead Know? by OneHandedBooks

Word Count: 7.6k Summary: He looks up at her, haloed by the sun. She could be anyone. No one. St. Abigail, patron of lilies and last chances. AU: What if Will joined Hannibal willingly after the Uffizi Gallery and they shared a few tense weeks in the world before Mason's men finally ran them down? In which Will writes, hallucinates, and succumbs to the dark side and Hannibal is a manipulative, brainwashing, bastard.

cw: Abigail/Will. But does it really count if it's a dream sequence? Regardless, this was something else, off the charts, big fan. The author NAILED the hallucinatory vibe that made this entire fic work so so well. Also, just Will working through his grief for Abigail this way made it that much more intense.

chimera of the chapel by bleakmidwinter

Word Count: 211.5k Summary: When Will Graham wakes up from a coma three months after the fall, Jack reveals that Hannibal Lecter didn't survive. Outside the realm of Hannibal's influence, Will decides to discover the full truth behind the world's sudden and seeming falsehood. Everybody seems to hold their own opinion on Hannibal's fate, but Will knows better than anyone that trust and honesty are as elusive as death.

The "presumed dead" trope might just be my new obsession. I adored this fic so much, the plot was incredible, the development of their relationship was spot on, and there were just some very tender moments.

wear my silence like a mask by bleakmidwinter

Word Count: 32.k Summary: After running into Hannibal at a Bass Pro Shop, Will is invited to a Masquerade Ball at his estate. Jack encourages him to attend for an opportunity to catch the Ripper. Extenuating circumstances tempt Will down an even graver path; Romance with the Ripper.

Three words: masked anonymous sex. That's all.

The Voices and the Shadows by darlinghogwarts, MaddyHughes

Word Count: 114.6k Summary: “The Chesapeake Ripper? The serial killer? That's a grisly thing to find at the bottom of a drink. Most people say oblivion ...or possibly sex.” Hannibal sips his wine again. “Why are you thinking about a murderer on your birthday, Will? Is it part of your degree?” “He is a part of my degree by my own choice. My supervisor didn’t approve, but…” He sighs. “I insisted.” AU where Will—a Masters student studying the Chesapeake Ripper—gets drunk on his birthday and meets an intriguing man at the bar.

Man, I wish I had had Hannibal as my thesis supervisor in grad school, hot damn. (Mine was pretty much too busy to help with anything, ended up doing it all myself – would not recommend.) This was was damn near perfect. I needed some good old fashioned angst. With a good and fluffy ending. This was a good AU!

Chasing Thoroughbreds by HigherMagic

Word Count: 42.8k Summary: After the fall, Chiyoh rescues Will and Hannibal and takes them to the Lecter home in Lithuania. When Hannibal wakes up, his memories of everything - Will, being the Ripper, everything since Mischa's death - are gone. Will's only problem with that is that killing Hannibal won't be nearly as satisfying if he doesn't understand why. Wrestling with his own feelings, or what's left in the tattered mess of them after the fight with Dolarhyde, Will stays, hoping that Hannibal will recover and give him the opportunity he's waiting for. But there are others who remember what Hannibal did, all those years ago, and they have their own bone to pick.

Ugh pretty sure I love almost everything HigherMagic writes and this did not disappoint. This was fantastic. I was absolutely captivated by Will's development through this and Hannibal was just as good.

Volto Larva by TreacleA

Word Count: 39k Summary: Will is having trouble unwinding after work. Hannibal helpfully suggests somewhere that may assist with that, with absolutely no ulterior motive whatsoever.

So ummmm I'm still blushing (in the best way) over parts of this fic because FUCK this is scorching. Anyway. That's all I've got to say LOL.

[eldenringslut]

I like how the ‘Mad taint’ of the Great runes power doesn’t just make the demigods murderous, but instead affects them by enhancing their existing qualities in excess.

Godrick’s inferiority complex is enhanced to the point of him turning to grafting for power, calling himself ‘the lord of all that is golden’ to affirm his strength to himself.

Rennala had great love for her family and children, and this is ironically turned against her as she repeatedly births and rebirths the scholars, believing the Amber egg to be her ‘beloved’.

We have to speculate a bit for Radahn, but I think it’s likely that the rune enhanced his aggression and willingness to go into battle. I believe this because I think it would likely be a contributing factor into his battle with Malenia, and his earlier battle with Leyndell (that we see in the opening cinematic with him fighting Margit).

Morgott is a deeply loving and protective individual, even when those he loves do not deserve it. So he defends Leyndell, a city full if people that would hate him if they knew he was an omen, under an order that shuns his kind. He even goes so far as to defend the weakest demigod Godrick in spite of his disgusting grafting (which I believe he does particularly out of love for his family, perhaps subconsciously).

Rykard has a multitude of different traits that could be made excessive by the Great Rune. His innate cruelty (evidenced by the inquisition he controlled even before the shattering), his anger at the Golden Order (likely him projecting his hatred of Radagon for abandoning Rennala) and his desperation to gain enough power to fight back against the Erdtree (which eventually leads to him becoming impatient enough to feed himself to the God-Devouring Serpent).

Malenia takes immense pride in her skill with a blade, as this is what allows her to stand alongside her brother as his blade. It also gives her something to focus on besides the rot, even helping stave it off through the waterfowl dance. Additionally she is absolutely devoted to her brother Miquella and will do anything for him. It is a combination of these factors that I believe led to her conflict with Radahn and her unleashing of the scarlet rot. It is also why the dreaded phrase ‘I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella’ is the sentence she chooses to fixate on to help retain her mind from the rot.

Miquella is similar to Malenia in that he is absolutely devoted to his sister and finding a cure for her rot, going so far as to try and establish a replacement erdtree and embed himself in it to overcome both his and her respective curses.

Mohg is interesting because aside from his rejection of the Golden Order we know little of his characterisation before being enthralled by Miquella’s power and becoming obsessed. Although I speculate that he, much like Morgott, is a deeply loving person who unlike his brother chose to abandon those who clearly did not love him and give himself to the Formless Mother (I don’t think it is a coincidence that his mother Marika cast him aside and he chooses to serve a different, surrogate mother).

Ranni is a slightly ironic figure in this regard as her obsession is with freeing herself and the Lands Batween from the outer gods (as well as fulfilling her fate). But this obsession leads her to ironically abandon her Great Rune, which I believe allows her to play the long game and not get caught up in the shattering like the rest of the demigods.

[smalltownduck]

it's borderline criminal (/j) that, even with how popular manifestation theory is and will's powers being suspected for years to be creation-related, no one (that i could find) seems to have written a Pygmalion (the og myth) au for byler yet.

to (hopefully) avoid some of the unfortunate implications (re: ruby sparks my beloved) of a writer making his character come to life i mean, in order to make will the guy he is now, he had to go through so much pain and trauma, or else he wouldn't be will, not even pre-canon will in said (non-UD) au, i think i'd rather go for the 'will created the initial concept for mike but as a dnd character' route.

will, lucas and dustin (he moved in kindergarden) still became friends and got into dnd, but they're not as close as the og party; will keeps his terrible home life from them to avoid more shame or their parents not letting them hang out anymore.

one day, while brainstorming to create his own dnd character, will doodled a figure in armor: someone who could be loyal, kind and adventurous, that could actually lead a party and make their campaigns cooler than any of them could imagine. Someone they could rely on. Someone who'd inspire them. Someone who would protect them. Someone that would care enough to, against any kind of danger.

that evening, after too many striked scribbles and ripped sketchbook pages, will drew his first sketch of His Paladin -no name felt right.

he never told anyone about him, not even his mom or jonathan, who'd otherwise get to see all his drawings. he never considered playing as the character either, even though he made several character alignment charts for him (if you ever had an oc, you know how it goes) and had way more sketches of him than of will the wise. that just wouldn't feel right: his paladin wasn't him or someone he wanted to (or could ever) become. his paladin was someone separate from will, with his helmet never off, tall and always vigilant, the brightest smile even in the face of failure.

again, if you ever had an oc and you used fiction as escapism, you might imagine how close will felt to his creation, especially bc only will ever knew of his existence. his paladin was there, by his side, on bad days, on loud nights; whenever will feel down, he'd picture him joining the last campaign the party borrowed from a random booklet, cracking incredibly lame jokes and reminding everyone of what they were fighting for. it was a comforting thought to turn to. a friend far away who never failed to make him smile.

no one, not even his dad, could take him away from him. if will sometimes stared too long, with a dopey smile, at his latest drawing, it was only his business. those new budding feelings, despite everything, felt safe. his paladin wasn't real, so he was not doing anything shameful nor bad by feeling so attached to him.

cue fourth grade, his dad leaving for good, castle byers, and a new boy joining his class. a chatty, very creative boy who played dnd as well. a boy who acted too familiar and looked like someone will rarely dared to visualize without a helmet on for the sake of his own sanity.

(this version of mike would be a regular human with free will in case you were wondering.)

this concept would be more about will freaking out at the idea that he created mike, realizing that's impossible [?* and trying to reconciliate what he knows about his idealized Paladin with the real mike -a boy with as many flaws as wonderful qualities.

will constantly having to remind himself they're not the same only for mike to proudly show the party his dnd character sheet along with his notes for the big epic campaign he always wanted to write -cue will excusing himself to hide both his blush and panic.

just will constantly struggling to differentiate between 'projection' and reality. trying to get rid of his feelings towards his character so he could treat the real mike fairly, get to know him, stop himself from staring too long whenever mike showed any heroic traits, and not scare him off nor get him in trouble bc of his stupid feelings.

will could now befriend an amazing boy for real and that's all that should matter. all that would ever matter.

if it takes will years to feel comfortable drawing 'sir mike', that's between him and an unassuming stash of paper in his closet he cannot bring himself to throw away (he's still scared of the possibility of making mike dissapear)

[evelhak]

Aaaaa, this!!! I literally cried, I am so happy to see some actual common sense!! I am so, SO tired of this trend, it's not just Rory either, there's a really unfair pattern going on where the "renaissance" on a piece of media is basically just fans ripping a protagonist to pieces for things that these fans do not hold other characters, particularly beloved antagonists and rivals, accountable for.

This video perfectly illustrates the dynamic: Rory, who tries her best to both achieve her goals and be a decent human being while doing it, who never was a perfect human if you paid attention, gets held to the standard of an angel, so every time she makes a mistake that mistake is treated as disproportionately horrible and irredeemable. Meanwhile, as a good example, Paris, who consistently treats other people horribly, gets downright babied, and how she deserved better is repeated, her own responsibility over her actions downplayed or completely ignored. Only her good qualities are remembered, and highlighted.

There's an excellent quote in the video:

"The audience loves Paris because she is so over the top that she becomes a non-character. But when you take her as a real person and judge her with the same standards as you would Lorelai and Rory, she is pretty terrible."

This. This happens with so many characters whose traits are so much that they are viewed as inherently comedic or unbelievable, so they don't count in people's eyes. Paris having a fit in her college entrance interview, yelling over the interviewers and defending eugenics, gets brushed off as "poor baby, she's clearly mentally ill, she just deserves better, she should have gotten in", while Rory, who got manipulated into an internship by the BIGGEST journalism figure just so he could tell her "she didn't have it" was JUST weak and entitled for getting upset and discouraged over it.

Paris cheating on her boyfriend for months with a college professor gets pushed under the rug because people are too uncomfortable to even acknowledge the whole thing, meanwhile Rory is THE WORST for sleeping with a married guy after she repeatedly asked him if both him and his wife agreed their marriage was over, suggested they could try counselling, and was lied to by said guy that both he and his wife knew things were over between them.

Yeah, Rory made mistakes, and definitely didn't act perfectly after either of the situations I mentioned. She was emotional and people generally make mistakes when they are. But for some reason certain characters get a free pass all the time, while it feels almost like Rory gets punished for even trying to be a good person. Like "See, I caught her making a mistake, that means she's the worst." As if trying to have morals and be decent is inherently arrogant and hypocritical. Like trying and failing is worse than not even trying. It's like, her mom and grandparents and home town expect her to be perfect, so fans did too, and now they're mad at her for being human because they put her on a pedestal. Meanwhile characters who consistently don't care about their impact on others don't get scrutinized, their actually horrible behaviour is just taken as comedy or proof of their victimhood.

Basically, people are desensitized to horrible things from certain characters, they expect it, so they don't react to it, but when Rory who is "supposed to be good" makes a mistake, it's suddenly the core of her character and all she is. Geez.

And don't get me wrong, I love both Paris and Rory. I love every character in the show. But this double standard drives me nuts. So many characters in the show have done very similar things as Rory gets accused of, some of them while feeling no remorse. Some of them have done a lot worse things that get forgiven easily.

And don't even get me started on what a hot guy with a tragic backstory gets excused for. Yeah, some things are understandable when you know the backstory. That doesn't make those things not wrong.

It's like people are obsessed with the idea that someone who appears good on the surface must be bad, and vice versa. Nuance be damned.

[mtkay13]

So I made those as requested by abscess chemical on twitter and figured it may be fun to share them on tumblr as well. And you know what? Share a break down of my choices as well, because why not! I tried doing it seriously haha.

Zhou Zishu:

Intense - 6/10: He can be very intense, re the things or people he's invested in, but he also has a chill and detached quality to him, a way of being at peace with things that he won't blow things out of proportions.

Complex - 9/10: I think that he's a very nuanced, multi-faceted and deep character, but I guess I didn't go 10/10 just because there's also a very straightforward and easy to get part of him (esp. from WKX's perspective.

Fruity - 2/10: I think the guy's very gay but not the most bombastic about it LBR.

---

Angst-lord: although it's not as obvious in TYK, QY gives us some EXTREMELY tasty ZZS angst and a good look into how ZZS can process things through anxiety. It definitely got more lowkey post-QY canon, but...

Flavor container: IDK what that means really but I wanted to tick it

Soft and sweet: I actually didn't check it on the twitter version initially (but published an erratum). He is described as soft on the inside by too many people not to check it.

Braincell haver: self-explanatory, the guy's brilliant

Chew toy: literally!

----

Tragic backstory: if QY can count as a backstory, then everything that happened with Jiuxiao works.

Frequently violent: duh

Sidekick owner: WKX is ZZS's sidekick from everyone else's perspective (or vice-versa) and my opinion abt it won't change ever.

Pet stray animals: ZCL, for one, and for two we all know he pets cats and raccoons

Chronic insomniac: technically, in TYK, the nails do force the insomnia, but we know from QY that he had a lot of trouble sleeping at night.

Murderer: well

----

Just some guy 95%: clearly he's a natural-born NPC/side character

Too many thoughts 100%: he overthinks everything!!

Awful company 15%: I think that a goofy drunkard like him is fun but not the best company, especially when he goes all grumpy shifu/shixiong

Beloved by all 60%: most characters REALLY like him (and the others don't even know he exists) and often praise how sweet he is. Charming against his will and attempts at being invisible uwu

Trauma x1000 10%: again, I think that the Jiuxiao story left deep scars.

Helps others for fun 70%: pretty much the plot of TYK

Scary-smart 80%: I think he's really brilliant but then you have these moments where he's just clueless abt stupid stuff and clearly doesn't care/doesn't want to know or try so those 20% left are the deliberate goof I guess.

1000 weapons and tools 50/50: it's both!! every rock is both a tool and a weapon and he just keeps pulling random shit from his bosom--

At peace with life 48%: I think, for the most part, he is--at peace with both life and death, until he decides that keeping on living is just the best option in the end.

Break the rules 80%: I had no idea w this one but... in TYK he pretty much does whatever he wants, so---

Extra comments: The way the "evokes" ticks every boxes for me to various degrees of intensity... sigh It was difficult for the "want them to have" section since I think he has everything post-canon, but I tried seeing it from a mid!canon perspective.

----------------------------

Wen Kexing

Intense - 9/10: While WKX's feelings are generally cold, they seem equally intense to me, just like his eyes or his stare. He's intense about his love, about his revenge, about his plans.

Complex - 6/10: I've had interesting convos about how WKX is... nuanced, of course, but not as complex or deep as it may seem on the surface. That doesn't take anything from how interesting he is, but he is rather straightforward in what he is, ultimately.

Fruity - 8/10: I MEAN--

----

Enemy of the State: he's literally THE main Jianghu villain

Flavor Container: I still don't know what it means but it felt right once again

Braincell haver: the guy is EXTREMELY smart and outsmarted everyone in TYK so yeah

----

Tragic backstory: can hardly do worse than parents murdered in front of you, ate your dad to survive, took care of a child in the wildest, most dangerous part of jianghu, fought to reach the top while "serving" the previous master........ He scored it all!

Orphan: again, fully checks out

Frequently violent: yes

Has enemies: in SPADES

Sidekick owner: GX and ZZS are WKX's sidekicks 100%

Murderer: yes

----

The antagonist of life 70%: had to change from protag to antag because he IS the TYK antagonist (if TYK had been a traditional wuxia from ZCL's perspective...); of course it ends up being subverted but you know

Too many thoughts 75%: I think he's a big thinker as well

Awful company 85%: Let's be real guys

Hated by all 30%: I think he's too underestimated or not even really acknowledged enough to be hated, but I am pretty sure that more people dislike him than the opposite

Trauma x1000 60%: well.......... I think he has a bunch!

Sadistic for fun 15% : I doubt he's one to like helping and we know him to have those sadistic tendencies

Scary-smart 80%: same reasoning as for ZZS

1000 weapons or tools: mostly bare handed for everything save for the occasional whip or walnut shell but---

Enemy of god 35%: I have to be honest I don't really know what that means but I guess he's defied death a few times!!!

Break the rules 95%: WKX shits on the rules

----

Additional notes:

Mostly ticks everything in the "evokes" categories as well, but I unticked "symptoms of projection" because I don't feel like I project much of anything on WKX... maybe? (save for the ZZS lewding.. LOL) always hard to say, IG we always do a bit of that on every character, eh

and The Horny ofc because i'm kinda known for not really lewding my good WKX atp

I want a lot of things for him during canon, but again, all I can think of is how post-canon WKX really got it and then I gush and am simply happy for him.

That's it thank you for reading this mostly unnecessary breakdown!!!! Edit, following a comment asking for the sheet:

[bohemian-nights]

Let’s talk about the changed between white book laena to black show laena

Book leana had a pretty awesome life. She married at the age of 22 to a man she loved, traveled the world with him, had 2 babies and they lived happily on driftmark with her family together until she passed away at childbirth despite her loving husband doing everything he can to save her. + her husband remarried 6 months after her death.

Now let’s talk about show leana

She married daemon much younger than book laena, was neglected and unloved by him, was forced to live away from her beloved family and burned herself to death because “feminism” 🤡 only to have her husband sleep with another woman on her fucking funeral. And the showrunners claim they wanted to respect her character?????? Disgusting.

In the book laena is the only wife that daemon seemed to truly love. (Until nettles). He never cheated and they had a happy marriage. But when she’s black suddenly she’s the second choice to the white female lead. What a fucking joke. And then they absolutely spit on her by having her husband sleep with said white female main character on her funeral. This show treats its black characters like shit. I really don’t understand why people aren’t talking about this.

This shows deranged fandom tells you everything you need to know about the problematic way they treat black characters. We haven’t even got nettles’s casting yet. The most important dragon seed. Literally who gives a shit about the others? But I wonder why we have their castings but not the casting of the only canonically black character in the dance???? If nettles is not in season 2 I’m going to drop this show. If they’ll introduce the dragonseeds without nettles they are fucking disgusting.

All of this is why I criticize this shitty show and equally shitty fandom👏🏽

People try to act like you’re the crazy one for noticing how these changes affect the treatment of the characters, but nope fandom racism, more specifically fandom misogynoir, is real and it’s happening with HOTD.

Book!Laena was treated with love and respect, but the moment she became Black-ish she became worthless to both the showrunners and the fandom. All she's good for is to be a prop/placeholder. Hell, when she died people seemed more concerned about Vhagar, a dragon, rather than the woman who lit herself on fucking fire.

They made Laena into a stereotype just to make a crazed white woman’s death look better than it was and this demented ass fandom cheers it on.

Because she’s Black and not a cookie-cutter stereotype in the source material, Nettles' whole existence is a problem to these people and she must be cut, erased, reduced, etc.

They try to say she’s completely irrelevant. That the only reason people like her is because she's Black or out of spite, but I can think of a dozen white characters who don’t even come close to reaching her relevancy to the plot

This is why she’s always included where some characters like Ulf, Hugh, Sara Snow, Alys Rivers, Gwayne Hightower, and Silver Denys are omitted, and 5/6 of those characters are confirmed for s2. And I'm not trying to say none of these characters shouldn't be included(well we could do without 2 of them), but they aren't more important than her.

Nettles literally has all the qualities people usually like in characters(the ordinary girl who despite all odds does the unthinkable, she’s a survivor, she’s a final girl, she has one of if not the most powerful men in the realm willing to die for her, and she becomes a goddess like figure) yet she’s hated for it because she dares to be Black. They won't even try to relate to her or see her importance because she is Black.

They’d rather prop up psychos or mediocre flops just because they are white rather than ever admit that Nettles is an interesting and integral character to the Dance. She’s awesome. The man who created these freaking books that you claim to love and swear his word is law thinks she’s awesome and yet you want to deny that she’s awesome and has no real value because you’re scared shitless she’ll upstage your psycho(book!Missy Anne)/boring(show!Missy Anne) fave.

It’s nuts and like you, I won’t be watching s2 if Netty’s not there. They found time for a maid who shouldn't even be there, propped up Addam to the Gods, and gave Hugh an unnecessary sex scene, all while cutting Nettles out. Nope. I’ll skip straight to s3 cause I’m not dealing with this show's BS and blatant disrespect. It’s unacceptable!

[ndconceptarchive]

Wired Interview -

Secret of Shadow Ranch Mobile Mysteries with Megan Gaiser

This interview was done in promotion for the Secret of Shadow Ranch Mobile Mysteries and published on March 10, 2011, by Jenny Williams for Wired magazine.

It contains some of the highest-quality images I've been able to find for this game.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Megan Gaiser, President and CEO of Her Interactive, the company that makes Nancy Drew computer games and other related titles. Megan is a force in the gaming world, helping the company receive 20 consecutive Parents' Choice Awards, and being a very influential woman in the game industry. Millions of copies of Nancy Drew games have been sold.

As we've written before at GeekDad (and also at GeekMom), Nancy Drew computer games are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. There is enough help built in for kids to play (age 10 and up, perhaps), and enough difficulty and logical thinking required to entertain adults.

In addition to creating the beloved computer games featuring Nancy Drew (and sometimes The Hardy Boys), Her Interactive has recently developed Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries® for the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch, the first of which is Shadow Ranch. It seems to be set in the same location as one of the Nancy Drew computer games, but the new playing environment has given the opportunity for plenty of new game functionality. From what I can tell, it's one part Choose Your Own Adventure-type book, one part game and one part puzzle, and completely awesome.

GeekDad: Obviously these games are based on the Nancy Drew books and need to include the intrigue and suspense, but why is there a need to make the music scary and have people jump out and surprise you, especially since these games are intended for children?

Megan Gaiser: We make lots of different types of mystery games. Some have more adventure to them and others we try to make them a bit scary. We try to use music that both immerses the player and also adds to the story content. We use scary music at the appropriate times and we’ve found that most of our fans like it.

GD: Which games do you recommend to those who prefer less scary fare?

Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries. Image: Her Interactive

MG: I think a good rule of thumb is to pay attention to the ESRB rating. Our most recent release, Shadow at the Water’s Edge was our scariest game yet, but we try to create games with more adventure like Warnings at Waverly Academy, The Phantom of Venice, Treasure in the Royal Tower.

GD: How close to the original books are the games?

MG: We do take inspiration from the Nancy Drew books. For instance the new iPad game is based on the best selling Nancy Drew book “The Secret of Shadow Ranch.”

GD: Which game is your favorite? What do you like about playing the games yourself?

Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries. Image: Her Interactive

MG: Right now I’m very excited about our new Mobile Mysteries series for the iPad/iPhone, Shadow Ranch. With our modern twist on the interactive storybook, you’re not just reading a Nancy Drew mystery – you’re engaged and making decisions about how that mystery unfolds.

GD: How will the upcoming Mobile Mysteries compare with the PC versions? What similarities and differences will they have?

MG: The Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries Series of Apps from Her Interactive is a mystery gaming adventure that introduces a new category of interactive entertainment-on-the-go for the 21st century by innovatively merging books and games so that players discover a new adventure with every turn of the page, mini-game played or decision made.

GD: At what age do you feel kids can do these mysteries on their own? I've done them with my 9 year old daughter for a few years, but don't feel she'll be able to figure most of it out on her own for a few more years yet.

MG: Many of our games allow players to choose difficulty level. They can choose to play as a Junior or Senior detective which allows players of all skill levels to solve the mysteries. Some mysteries are more challenging than others and we think it’s okay for kids to play along with their parents. We are working on ways to make these PC games more accessible to welcome a broader audience.

Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries. Image: Her Interactive

GD: Will there be more Hardy Boys games coming? They bring a different feel to the gameplay.

MG: There are no plans for Hardy Boys games at this time, but we often have male characters in our games helping Nancy solve the mysteries. Stay tuned!

GD: What type of research do the game developers do when developing the games? Do they travel to ranches and oceans and the desert to get a better feel for the setting?

MG: We take pride in the fact that we do a lot of research using the internet, books, photos, etc., to ensure we create authentic settings. We also learn a lot about the culture so we can incorporate cultural discovery into our games. For example, in Shadow at the Water’s Edge, there is calligraphy and tea ceremonies.

GD: How long does the average adult player take to finish a game?

MG: 5 hours.

GD: Some games are more interesting than others. Do you have more than one design team?

MG: There are around 30 employees at Her Interactive, several who have been with us since the beginning. Everyone on the team contributes to creating the game. I am proud to say we have mastered the art of creative collaboration. We have the designer, creative director and art director who set the general direction and the look and feel, the writer who gives the story life, the artists who create the beautiful environments, the sound and music directors, the programmers, etc.

My daughter and I have played half a dozen of the Nancy Drew computer games. They're fantastic for playing as a team or a family, since there is something for everyone to do. There are puzzles to solve, decisions to make, information to write down, and conversations to have. If you're looking for several hours of a family (or individual) challenge, check out Her Interactive. To get more information, visit the Her Interactive website, or try out some of the games in the Nancy Drew franchise!

[ghostsprobably]

Hello sorry for the inconvenience I just wanted a clarification on your winx au to understand how you place the realms

No inconvenience i'm sorry it took me so long to answer this!!!!!

I've posted the map I made a couple of times but i never really went that in depth about what i did to the places themselves. Well I mean I did but that's in a notebook somewhere and didn't ever actually get posted lmao sorryyyy

Okay so! I'm going to try formatting it as straight forward as I can, but it's still gonna be long as hell. Also there's some things I can't quite remember so I'll come back and update this when I find them in that notebook

Earth - Regular Earth where we live

Magix - The name of the planet where everyone that isn't from earth lives; It is very similar to earth in every way other than having magic; I might have people from this planet be called magicians, alongside people from earth being called earthlings.

COUNTRIES

Solaria - One of the major world super powers of Magix. A massive kingdom with happy citizens and generally good quality of life. Capital is Soletres which sits along the coastline of a massive bay, the capital city is surrounded by desert as you leave the coast. The south most shore is quite marshy and the northern most border is mountains, with lots of different kinds of terrain in between. Though King Radius and Former Queen Luna divorced many years ago, Luna is still a prominent figure in politics. Princess Stella is a beloved icon of her people.

Eraklyon - Another major super power. Shares some of its western border with Solaria and extends east to the coast. A very mountainous country, with some areas of plains to the south. Capital is ________. Quite a different vibe from Solaria, Eraklyon is heavily militarized with a sizable class divide. Much of the country lives in poverty. King Erendor and Queen Samara are proud, stubborn rulers (and parents). Prince Sky is largely a mystery to the public.

Andros - Though not quite as enormous as the last two, still quite a powerful kingdom as they are rich in resources. Also in control of Lightrock Penitentiary, a highly secure prison on an small island to the north. The main island of Andros was created by a massive, now extinct volcano. The bowl is now an enormous lake that is connected to the ocean via giant rivers and canals, this is where the capital city, _________, is located. Andros is a semi aquatic kingdom, a merge of two civilizations that were once at war, and as such there is a secondary royal family that resides off the coast of the main island. They are secondary in power to the main royal family, comprised of King Neptune, Queen Ligea, and Princess Aisha.

Dominoe - By the time of our story, this kingdom has long since fallen. All that remains of this once flourishing nation is abandoned ruins nestled in the snowy mountains north of Eraklyon. After the fall of Dominoe, Eraklyon actually tried to take over it's territory, but found the landscape to be far too harsh to settle. The captial city of Sparks is now a ghost town, or is it?

CITIES

Linphea - A very small city in the forests of Solaria. Populated by both civilians and acolytes as this city is the location of the Sacred Garden of the Mother Dragon. It is said to be where she first landed on Magix and is a holy site full of secrets.

Melody - A destination city in the south of Solaria. A cultural hub filled to the brim with tourists. This bustling city is always buzzing with passion, and it's where Musa's parents met and she was born.

Zenith - A densely packed city in the north west of Eraklyon, just within its border with Alfea and close to Red Fountain. This city is a hot spot for tech and engineering. Despite being a bustling city that never sleeps, this is ironically one of the more socially relaxed parts of Eraklyon, and people are a lot more welcoming here than other parts of the country.

Dyamond - This is a spoiler!

Gardenia - Bloom's hometown on earth, now located just outside of New York City because that's the area I'm familiar with and that'll make it a lot easier for me to write for.

OTHER

Alfea - Elite fairy College north of Linphea, near the Solarian border with Eraklyon but on the Solarian side.

Cloud Tower - College for witches just north of Solaria's border in a small country I don't have a name for yet, and to the west of Alfea. One of the few schools for witches across Magix, allegedly where the practice was founded.

Red Fountain - Military academy to the east of Alfea, past the border into Eraklyon.

Lightrock Penitentiary - a highly secure prison on an small island to the north of the main island of Andros

Light Hope Monastery - Home to peaceful monks who tend to the island on which Lightrock Penitentiary is located. Sometimes prisoners with excellent behavior can be granted a sort of parole and allowed to live amongst the monks. It is also kind of like rehab.

Omega Penitentiary - the most brutal prison in all of magix, where the worst magical offenders of all time are kept in crystalline prisons designed by the Great Dragon herself.

I think that's just about everything I've cooked up so far!!

[mongoosefangs]

Fursuit Camp 2024: Getting Started

Welcome back to Fursuit Camp! It's time to start this thing proper! Whether you're ready to build along at home or just enjoying the ride, let's go over one of the most basic and important steps: planning our project and choosing our fabrics!

For this demonstration I'm going to be making a coyote partial! I don't always plan my projects thoroughly in advance (I may or may not have a dragon head base from like 2017 that I'm still stumped on how to finish) but I usually like to do at least some rough doodles to figure out what kind of colors and markings I want. These details may be subject to change as the build continues, but this is a decent starting point.

I'm going with a 'yote because I've wanted to make one for a long time and they're pretty iconic in the desert Southwest where I live. It helps that I already have all the right fur fabrics on hand for this design. I also figured a canine species would be good for this demo, dogs/wolves/foxes etc. are eternally popular and common choices for fursuits, and a fine place for beginners to start.

Although you can make whatever you want if you're following along at home, I will say that if this is your very first build, you might not want to start with a beloved fursona or visually complex character. Keep it simple with less pressure to make it perfect as you get used to the building process. My first suit was a generic fox; I didn't attempt to make my mongoose 'sona until later.

Here are the faux furs I'm going to be using for my coyote. You can see I've got a mixture of both long and short fur, and the colors don't exactly match 100%, but that's okay. Have faith! There are a lot more faux fur choices now than there used to be, but sometimes you're still limited. Depending on what you can get, you might want to start planning your project the other way around. Look at the fabrics available to you and pick an animal based on that.

You might be fortunate to live in an area where stores sell fur locally, or you might have to order online. You might even find yourself cutting up furry pillowcases and jackets from the thrift store for that perfect fur you can't find anywhere else (which is totally okay, in my opinion, as long as the fabric is clean). Regardless of where you source it, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Always inspect fur in person. This means buying samples first if you're ordering online, but I promise it's worth the extra hassle. Make sure it's the color and texture you want before dropping $30-50 per yard on the stuff. How's the durability? Gently tug on the fibers; do they stay put or fall out? Part the fur with your fingers; does it seem flimsy or patchy? Faux fur quality can vary tremendously between styles, sellers, and even when the fabric was made. You won't know for sure until you've got it in hand.

Buy more than you think you'll need. How much that actually ends up being will depend entirely on your design. For this 'yote I probably won't need more than half a yard in any single color, but it's always better to have extra in case you make a mistake or want to add extra fursuit parts in the future. Don't assume you can just order more of the same exact fur later! It might be out of stock, discontinued, or not the same color or quality that it was in the past.

Know your terminology. What's the difference between fox fur and shag? Beaver and seal? Multiple types of furs are commonly used on fursuits and there are pros and cons to each kind. Let's go over some of them:

-Beaver, Seal, or Super Seal: very short fur, dense, soft, and kind of shiny. The short orange and cream in the photo above are beaver/seal style furs. A great choice for fursuit faces and finely detailed areas, but doesn't come in very many colors, and seams are more likely to show though the fur.

-Bunny or Teddy: short to medium length furs, up to about an inch long. Soft and fluffy, comes in a variety of colors, but some of them can be kind of thin furs in my experience. Not as dense as the shorter stuff. May need to be shaved down if used on fursuit faces.

-Lux Shag, aka Punky Muppet: a long style fur about 1.5" to 2". One of the most common choices for fursuits, widely available, comes in a huge array of colors. The long grey and orange in the photo above are examples of lux shag. Will need to be shaved if used on fursuit faces, but does not always shave down neatly. Quality varies. Can look clumpy or messy over time. Better for cartoony suits, less ideal for realistic styles.

-Fox: longer than lux shag, usually 2" or more, and a little more realistic in color and/or texture. The long cream in the photo above is an example of a fox style fur. Not as soft as lux shag, but also not as clumpy. Will need to be shaved if used on fursuit faces.

-Mongolian: a type of shag that's extra long and kind of wooly looking, with a chunky or kinked texture. Might work for some characters but probably not what you want in most cases.

-NFT/NFTech: National Fiber Tech, this is high quality faux fur used professionally for film and TV. Can be custom made to order to almost any length and color, especially good for fursuit hair tufts, but prohibitively expensive for most folks. They do sell overstock and random remnants, which can be a great value, but the selection is pretty unpredictable.

There are also other types of fabrics you may use for a fursuit, especially if you're like me and want to avoid shaving long fur at any cost (we won't be covering that in this build at all.) If you need something really, really short, but you can't find it in fur, try one of these instead:

-Fleece: just regular old anti-pill fleece can be a fantastic choice for fursuits. I always use at least some for things like inner ears and mouth linings, but I've made entire faces out of it, and some people have even used fleece for whole suits. Fleece is cheap, easy to work with, comes in a zillion colors, and hides seams surprisingly well with the right stitch. It's not fluffy like fur is, though, so it can't hide everything. Try to make your underlying structures as neat as possible if you're using fleece.

-Minky: commonly used for stuffed animals, comes in different styles, some are fluffy enough to mimic a bunny style fur. Tons of colors and prints to choose from. Can be used in a lot of the same ways as fleece, but I honestly don't like it as much. It doesn't hide seams as well and it's messy to work with. Good for making plushies, maybe good for some small details, but probably not my first choice for a fursuit.

These are just some of the fabrics you might end up using, but honestly, that's only the tip of the iceberg! I could literally spend the rest of the summer just weighing the pros and cons of every conceivable material you might use on a fursuit, but I'd rather actually make a fursuit. How about you?

If you're looking for fur online, try these sellers. I'll add to this list as I find more recommended shops!

Big Z Fabrics

FursuitSupplies

Hairymann's Closet (NFTech)

Howl Fabrics

JoAnn Fabrics

Mendel's

Next time, we'll compile the rest of our shopping list and price out everything else we need to make this fursuit. It may be more affordable and accessible than you think!

If you're building along at home, please use the tag #fursuitcamp24 or reply directly to this post, I would love to see what you're working on! Let's do this thing!

[spamminginks]

Comic Progress

I thought it would be a fun idea to show you all how I went about making this comic since I don't see people do it very often.

Timeline:

-Day 1 Part 1-

I started by making a side profile study of what I wanted the ender king to look like and the comic thumbnails while Phil was still live, before he had even seen Missas' "house". I have hyperphantasia (I have extremely vivid mental imagery) so I already knew what I wanted everything to look like, so I was able to finish both the side profile and the full thumbnail set before Phil had even ended stream.

-Day 1 Part 2-

Took a short break to take a nap and eat some food (remember to always take breaks and save the progress you have down to send to yourself so you can see it at a different angle. It helps a lot with seeing any errors you may have made.) At this point it was getting close to when I usually sleep so I only did a little more progress before I stopped for the day.

-Day 2-

Really started pumping out more refined final sketches for about half of the pages. The only one that I didn't like was page 1 of set 2. Added text and experimented with text location

-Day 3-

I decided to make a 3d ref for page 1 of set 2 because I was struggling to get the angle right, finished the other half of the final sketches and figured out what I wanted for page 1 of set 3.

-Day 4-

Break day. Didn't do much beside deciding what angle I wanted page 2 of set 3 to be at and light edits all around. This was also the day I decided I wanted the comic to at least be translated into spanish and started asking around for a translator in different qsmp discord servers I'm in.

-Day 5-

This was the day I made my post about the comic! I started rendering 5/12 pages and finished page 3 of set 3 (sorry for the trash image quality).

-Day 6-

Decided to full send it and do all four of the main qsmp languages. @tikiloowho got me in contacts with @insertatitlehere for the french translation and @the-anime-idiot got me in contact with @/zzkkai_ for the portuguese translation (cellbit discord my beloved). While I waited for the translations to get back to me, I finished fully rendering 11/12 pages. The only one I didn't finish was the first page because I wanted to customize the enchantment table text on the book for all of the languages.

-Day 7-

Got all of the translations plus any grammar updates that got caught and implemented them into the comic and fixed any last minute edits I wanted to make. Stopped for the rest of the day to come back to check if anything else needed fixing.

-Day 8-

Posting day!!! The comic is now available in all four languages listed above! Thank you for following along and checking out my art! It really means a lot <33

English | Español | Française | Português Brasileiro

My personnel favorite pages

Bonus!

[dilfiam-afton]

Wily William

wily; skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully. 

William was just as manipulative as he was charming. Naturally, you, his beloved spouse would never grasp how horrid he is, due to being too emotionally dependent thanks to this charming mans skill to woo people. 

GENDER NEUTRAL

READER IS OF AGE

Possible TW for non-sexual nudity

Your friends, or well, at least the friends you had left now have been telling you how much of a manipulative sociopath your dear William is. Not once in your life did you seize to give their words second thoughts. Never. Not even when William asked you to cut those off who “badmouth him, trying to make you break up with him just for fun”..Oh how could you not tend to his request of ending multiple friendships when your lover, your beloved, looked at you with a worried expression; eyebrows furrowed, corners of his mouth weighing down heavily, titanium eyes laced with tears and worry that his precious Y/N would possibly consider ever leaving him, just because their friends told them to. “Yes, yes, he might be a little old-fashioned indeed-” you giggled at your friends` comment about your beloved, calling him out for treating you as his spouse like it was still the 1950s “but you do have to consider that William is old. It´s only natural for him to act this way since he was brought up like this! Plus, he´s a good provider and partner.”. Your friend just responded with a short huff, sipping on her coffee. You both perked up in surpsie when you heard a house key jiggle in the lock of the front door. He was back from work early! Your friend quickly thanked you for inviting her over and was swiftly seated in her car whilst you greeted William, who didn´t exactly seem happy about your... hospitality towards your friends.

 “Hello, my Darling.” you pecked his cheek and continued asking him about how his day went, whilst hanging his trenchcoat on a coat-hanger, neatly tucking it away in the garderobe and handing him his house slippers, storing his leather loafers in the shoe cabinet “how was your day?” “how was having someone over in my house without asking me first ?” you paused dead in your tracks. “Oh i´m so sorry, I didn´t think I needed your approval to have a friend over!” William quickly made his way to the dining room, where you and your friend have sat, chatting away whilst sipping on some coffee and each enjoying a slice of cake. “And then you even leave me to clean up after you and your silly friends!”. Something weird about William was that you could never exactly put a finger on how/what he was actually feeling, and as of now you were rather uncertain if he was mad or just disappointed. “No, please let me handle this!” you took the plates he had just picked up from his hands, letting your (in comparison to his) small hands and soft skin graze against his larger, calloused ones. In response, William just raised a brow at you, whilst you cleared up the table, loading the dirty dishes into the dish washer. “Why are you home so early today, Darling?” he sighed, a small, soft smile now gracing his sharp, masculine features “I figured, since it´s Friday perhaps I´d come home earlier, spend some quality time by myself for an hour or two, then I´d be free for anything you have on your mind.” good, his mood improved you thought to yourself. You smiled at him brightly “That´s lovely!! How about I run you a bath? So you can wash the stress of the week off you and just relax a little until I finish making dinner.” “Why yes that´d be lovely.”

You quickly ran off, preparing the master bathroom for your partners bath; lovingly laid out his usual “home outfit” which included a plain, black turtleneck, loose fitting black suit slacks and of course, his underwear as well as laying some fresh towels onto the heater so that when he gets out of the tub, they´ll be nice and warm for him as well as letting the tub fill up with water and adding his favorite bath salts. Hygiene was important for William indeed! You were soon caught off guard when you heard the rattle of a belt; William was getting undressed for the tub. That was your que to leave the man by himself: nobody likes being watched while bathing after all. “Thank you, my dear.”, William was never too physically affectionate. You nodded your head, flashing him a warm smile again before taking a quick glance of your partners body “HEY!!” older man giggled, making you squeal with both emberassment and amusement as you hurried out the bathroom giggling. 

Whilst William was bathing peacefully, you decided to start dinner and prepare his study; getting ready his cigar-cutter, already putting a whiskey decanter along with a whiskey glass¹ on his table until you hear him call your name. As independent, classy and how much of a loner William might be; sometimes he spends an insane amount of time with you. Like for example calling you into the bathroom while he´s taking a bath (when he´s done with his stuff like washimg himself, shaving etc) just to talk to you whilst he himself was just relaxing in the tub. 

“Yes?” you poke your head into the bathroom to not invade his privacy too much “come, sit..please?” so you went and sat on the (obviously closed!) toilet. “why were you so angry with me today?” you asked whilst eyeing your darling lovingly. “Well you see- I find it rather disrespectful to let someone into the home I pay for without consulting me first.” he raised a hand to his face, as if he was face-palming, “but perhaps I´m being too old fashioned, no? I´m sorry, my dear.”. Now your ears were burning up, you didn´t mean to make William think badly of himself after all. “No, it´s fine I was just wondering!” you assured him “when were you planning on getting out, by the way? Your skin is pruning up already, Darling.” you only asked because you wanted to change the subject and you were 100% sure he knew. “Oh? Well then I suppose now” William spoke while pulling the drain plug in the bathtub and making his way out of the tub. Per usual he shamelessly stood there, peacefully drying off in front of you. And per usual you were trying to focus just looking at his face, yet every now and then your gaze drops to scan his full body. William wasn´t exactly muscular, nor was he skinny. His thighs were plush yet still² held a thigh gap, and littered with reddish-brown and grey hairs, his shoulders were broad and well defined, just like his chest, which also held some hair, his arms were rather thick; even to strangers it would be obvious he has to lift heavy parts now his belly was the most adorable thing ever to you; it was slightly pudgy and it held a happy trail.down to his nether regions. William was more than perfect for you! You truly did love him. 

After Williams bath, eating dinner together and him enjoying his alone-time (reading a good book whilst having a nice cigar and enjoying some whiskey) you found yourself in bed, next to William. As you snuggled up to him, you decided to make some more conversation with him, he didn´t seem to mind. "Will?" "What is it? What's wrong, my dear?" he gently petted your head while you looked up at him. "Why don't you tell me about your childhood?" and oh boy, he did tell you about his childhood alright. After a while of William going into extreme detail of how his mother used to make all of his clothes by hand because they couldn't afford buying any, you zoned out.

You started to think about the fact that William was indeed still treating you as if it's the 1950s; he wants you to ask permission for many many things like for when you want to get your hair cut or dyed, or perhaps a piercing or tattoo or the way he expects you to cater to his every need as he is the one who brings home the money or how he once even spanked you (not in a sexual) because you disobeyed him. Your mind wandered and wandered, you giggled to yourself when you realized he practically fit into the typical "50s husband scheme" people have nowadays, just that he wasn't really abusive.

You came to the conclusion that your William wasn't manipulative, nor was he possesive nor abusive just old fashioned.

Poor, poor, clueless Y/N.

1. Drinking fancy whiskey and smoking cigars is such a clichè old man thing, and I LOVE it. William is a classy, fancy man in my opinion and so is drinking (good) whiskey and smoking cigars.

2. I basically described squid_nuudel's design of William. (6simp_nuudel9 on instagram)

[tu-sugar-mami]

It has always been you #8

Part #7 here

Part #1 here

TW: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, ANGST

Total words: around 2k, but only the half is here.

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When you were younger you owned an instant camera. It had been one of your birthday presents, and at the time you loved capturing a vast diversity of scenes. The low quality of the camera always made the images look different, foreign from whatever place you had tried to capture. The grain texture made the image look cold and lonely, usually so different from what you were trying to get from the scene. The photos did their job keeping the scenes frozen in time for you to revisit them as many times as you wanted, but the more you looked, the more they felt lacking, almost as if the soul had been ripped entirely from the essence of the scene in the picture.

That is exactly how it feels standing again in the middle of Donna's bedroom when you return to the Beneviento estate.

The pale light coming from the windows makes the dust particles in the air perfectly visible, and it's even quieter than before. There's a stillness that feels heavy, and the lack of noise unsettles you.

Chips warned you to not force yourself, and forbid you to leave the bed for at least a month, but even their genius wasn't match for your reckless nature. You couldn't stand waiting for your body to recover, not after reading the words Donna left for you, and with your cunning and charm you managed to bypass the security of their lab looking for a serum you both had researched before. It was a small vial, but powerful enough to boost you for a few hours, although there was a reason it was never used…

You weren't thinking of the consequences when you stabbed your arm with the syringe, but you didn't regret it as the liquid began to burn in your veins.

There wasn't a single sign of Donna, and you hoped she was somewhere nearby, but as you recalled the words on the letter, you resisted the urge to call out her name, opting instead for watching your step carefully.

You need to see her, you need to know she is okay. There's a bubbling fire inside you that threatens to tear apart the world in her search, the burn in your veins is still hot, and you quicken your pace.

Your heart still hurts from her detachment, and since she already knows about your feelings, you know the end is just around the corner. Her response to your feelings wasn't an outright rejection, but avoidance was also painful. You know that there's nothing else you can do but to try and see her one last time. You'll die happy if you see the angelic face of your beloved as the flame of your life slowly extinguishes, but for now, you need to make sure the threat she mentioned in her letter is over.

A little exploration around the house ends up in you finding dark red streaks on the walls, almost as if someone was leaning on them for support. The sight tickles something in your brain, and it's then that you remember the recurrent dream you had all that time ago. The memory of the blurry figure desperately running away strikes you and your eyes widen. Could it be? Could that dream have been a premonition of sorts? Was it Donna all along?

Seeing the blood trail on the walls makes your stomach churn. Your heart has already been racing thanks to the drug in your system, but its pace becomes even faster when you follow the dried blood the rest of the way until you spot the familiar figure laying still on the floor in the living room. The puddle around it it's concerning and in a blink you're running towards it.

Your knees barely register the force of the impact as you kneel harshly next to Donna, or more like next to her body. Angie is nowhere to be seen, but right now your priority is the Lady in front of you.

Some parts of her have begun to crumble, and her veil has lifted enough to let you see the emptiness in her eye, the dullness of it as she seems to stare at nothing. There's drying blood trailing across her face from her temple and a pair of scissors is carelessly thrown next to her with blood painting the blades.

"Donna…?" Your voice is cracked with incredulity at first, you try not to panic but the sight is too much. The blurriness in your gaze doesn't go away even after blinking your tears because more of them keep replacing the last ones. "Donna!" There's a ringing in your ears that muffles your yelling as you shake Donna by the shoulders, but to no avail as her limp body doesn't seem to react.

The scene in front of you looks like it's pulled from your worst nightmares, and the pounding of your heart against your chest makes it harder to concentrate on anything but the lifeless form of Donna's body, the love of your life gone in just a second.

"Donna please wake up! Please!" You shift her until her weight rests on your lap. Your arms hold her securely, and her head is tucked under your chin. You rock back and forth in an attempt to calm yourself, and the movement makes Donna's forehead bump against your neck, the clashing of her coldness against your own skin makes you shiver. The way her name leaves your lips in an agonizing shriek hurts your throat, but it doesn't matter.

Without stopping your back and forth rocking, your hand finds its way towards her face, gently tucking her dark strands away from her eye before kissing her unharmed temple. Another kiss, and another one after it, perhaps in hopes that they help you bring back your beloved.

You can read the rest of the chapter in Ao3

[stickers-on-a-laptop]

Oh, since we get two requests, I would also like Taiya attempting to cook with optional Taiya/Ishiro :D (yes I have redblue shipping on the brain)

Taiya gave all the deliveries in front of him another look-over, to ensure everything was correct and perfect.

They were, of course, just like the first two times he had checked.

Which meant he really had to get started, if he wanted this delivery to be an actual occurrence. For this wasn’t any old delivery.

No, this was a very special delivery, meant for his beloved teammate.

After all, it had been 200 days since Meita Ishiro had snuck into Taiya’s house and changed the trajectories of both their lives.

---

He stared at the lid that was no longer on the pot it had been covering, as it was now embedded in the wall. Solidly. By several centimeters.

He checked the website he had been using.

ONE HUNDRED EASY DELICIOUS RECIPES THAT WILL KNOCK YOUR PARTNER’S SOCKS RIGHT OFF

it still said. The first paragraph promised that every recipe was so easy that absolutely anyone could do them. (The asterisk mentioned, in tiny print, that no socks would actually be knocked off.)

Taiya made a mental note to buy out that lying company, and moved to the other kitchen.

---

If this was top-quality cookware, he didn’t want to know what anything remotely cheaper looked like, considering that his supposed top-quality cookware was in pieces around him.

Well...they WERE the explosive Sentai, right?

But this “easy recipe” site was also lying to him, so they’d be bought out by the end of the day.

In the mean time, he had one more kitchen.

---

No, he was not yelping at oil popping—aaaaaaaaaand it was on fire now. It was only for a few seconds, a not-even-a-meter tall flame that went out on its own, but where’d it even come from??

The oven shook as the food inside of it made noises more fit for a battle against the Hashiliens.

Maybe he was going to have to give all his childhood cooks a retroactive bonus.

Still, he was determined to make something for Chasshiro, his oldest and most loyal teammate.

(He had overheard Mira and Jou speculate if the other members of their team knew how to cook, considering the rich kid, the former spy, and the heir to an inter-galactic shipping company. Mira had figured Sakito knew how to cook from Byoon D, but not necessarily the others. Jou thought Ishiro might know, but if the other two didn’t know currently, they could learn how to. Mira had agreed, and added that she was willing to teach them, if they wanted. Perhaps he should have taken her up on that.)

“Taiya?” Ishiro asked, nearly startling Taiya and sounding shocked.

“Chasshiro!”

“What are you doing?”

“...cooking.”

Ishiro studied the room before striding forward and turning everything off, unplugging the stove for good measure.

“Why didn’t you ask Boondorio for help? Or Mira? Someone?”

Taiya stubbornly looked at the bags of ingredients he had yet to get to.

Ishiro followed his gaze, looking confused and taking a deep breath.

“Do you want me to help?”

“You can cook, Chasshiro?”

Ishiro looked mildly insulted.

“You’re not supposed to trust any food you didn’t make yourself or didn’t watch get made. I learned this by the age of seven, of course I know how to cook.”

Bemused, Taiya let Ishiro take him to a communal kitchen, enjoying how cute Ishiro looked in an apron once they were there.