#this show is about love first of all not about the monsters

[42ap]

This is a very interesting AU, I haven’t developed it much, but I really like it. Basically, the premise is: what would happen if 30-year-old Stan, on his way to Oregon, unexpectedly died along the road?

It’s hard to explain the inspiration, but I refer to this AU as "American Liaozhai." Liaozhai is an ancient Chinese book, and since it was written by a poor scholar, many of its stories are about scholars or monks accidentally encountering beautiful female demons. These demons fall in love at first sight and try to tempt the scholars to sleep with them. Faced with this test of desire and reason, they must resist temptation, or failing to do so means their downfall. Most of the stories are borderline adult content.

I think it’s fascinating. Imagine if Stan died at 30 due to an accident and never made it to meet Ford. Ford would be left alone in that house, slowly going mad, accidentally falling into the portal. But this time, no one would be there to bring him back. Thirty years later, maybe Ford would return to Earth through his own efforts, but when he gets back, he would step out of a desolate, decaying cabin, with no one waiting for him, and no one living there—not to mention the kids. By then, Ford would have regained his sanity. He would try to figure out why Stan never showed up and realize that Stan might have died in an accident.

In this version of Ford, he becomes like a ghost hunter, exploring various monster legends around Oregon and nearby areas. People start to see him as a hero who helps others, but in reality, he’s just trying to find his brother.

When he finally finds Stan, Stan has turned into a monster, wandering along a highway and scaring many people. Ford takes him back to the cabin, hoping to find a way to save him. As Ford tries to clean Stan, he checks all the wounds on Stan’s body, realizing what Stan must have gone through all those years, aimlessly wandering the road. At first, Stan tries to attack him, but as Ford cleans him, Stan starts to unconsciously respond to and seek Ford's touch.

Stan doesn’t seem to recognize him as either a familiar person or an enemy. Everything Stan does is purely instinctual, and to Stan, Ford means nothing.

After the cleaning is done, Ford tries to take Stan’s jacket, but this causes Stan to react violently. During the struggle, a piece of paper falls from the jacket pocket. Ford lets go to grab the paper, and Stan immediately retrieves his jacket, not caring about Ford’s actions.

It’s a folded postcard, and on the back, Ford’s handwriting is almost illegible. Stan looks at Ford blankly, not remembering what he was protecting anymore.

[oceanfruitsstuff]

Yapping during my rewatch

Even discussing Mike and Will, whether it’s platonic or romantic, I always think it’s important to recognize their right dynamic in the show. I think at large, most of the audience of stranger things brushes their relationship to the side. Which can be understandable at times, the way Mike and Will interact is very soft and delicate in a plot of chaos. Their conversations—again, platonic or romantic—are extremely intimate. We obviously see this with other characters as well, but with Mike and Will it’s kind of ignored because there’s this overwhelm and “flare” of Mike and El, people believing that Mike is El’s in a sense, so when Will comes in the picture I’ve seen people evoke the emotion of…jealousy maybe? I’m not sure how to word it correctly if I’m being completely honest, and this is all purely my opinion, it’s very possible I’m way off.

What I’m saying, there is a lack of flash when it comes to Will and Mike, their love for eachother as friends, as maybe more, is displayed in quiet understanding, while a lot (not all) of other relationships in the show have this air of bravado. Hoper and Joyce (sometimes not always, but they are dramatic), El and Mike, even friendships like Dustin and Lucas, or the core four. It’s comedic and attention grabbing in the way that it’s somewhat loud or dramatic or funny. Not saying that Will and Mike don’t have their moments, they most definitely do, we all watched the rain scene and the rink-o-mania scene, but there is this heavy weight on those conversations of Mike and Will never quite saying what they want to say or trying to say. It’s not funny, their conversations aren’t necessarily humorous really ever. They obviously have that back and forth together as friends, but when we watch them on screen, even when they’re shoved next to eachother every second of most seasons, it’s subtle. Most love is found in the quiet—without other emotions warping what love truly is. It’s not brash or angry or jealous, it’s soft, kind, and delicate, but most of all, understanding. My opinion of course.

I’m just yapping constantly, so if this is not where your thoughts or beliefs with Will and Mike are, totally fine, not saying I’m completely correct or anything. Anyway, Will is a character somewhat placed in his own genre for the first two seasons of the show, which is where we really get to know all these other main characters. So when he shows up in season 3 as himself + having a speaking role, people have already built relationships with the other characters that we know a lot better than Will. We don’t really know Will that well, we’ve only really seen him as him for two seasons, compared to the other core 4 or El. So, when he swooped in and still was—whether anyone wants to admit it or not—Mike’s #1 without him being missing or possessed, I think people had mixed feelings about it.

Of course Mike’s focus was Will in season 1, is friend is missing. And of course Will is his focus in season 2, he’s possessed by an evil monster that might kill him…but then it continues. We are told in seasons 3 that Mike has been ignoring all of them for El all summer, but when the true plot hits, we’re seeing Will and Mike shoved right next to eachother throughout the entire season. The rain fight, Mike chasing after him, the sauna scene, car scene, the Byers moving scene in the kitchen, the shot of Mike looking back at the house and then immediately cutting to Will crying. It’s odd the tensioned focus put on those two. I think people were expecting El and Mike to be this unstoppable duo once Will was safe and Mike didn’t have to “save” him anymore. I mean Mike is this main guy with the superhero savior girlfriend, Will is gonna just be in the background now right? I didn’t even expect when I was watching the show for the first time, getting to season 3, to see so much of Mike and Will, it made my clocks start finally working. and when El and Mike together didn’t really happen, I think it raised a lot of questions, confusion, and irritation with the general audience. We’ve seen promo for El and Mike for years, and then you watch the show and suddenly quiet Will is in the place everyone expected El to be in. Everyone kind of has their partner in crime in the show. Usually it’s Dustin and Steve, Max and Lucas, Hopper and Joyce, El usually has a plot alone or leans towards Max the last two seasons—then Mike and Will, but shouldn’t it be El? Why isn’t it El? They’re this main important couple everyone’s making them out to be, but their relationship is shown as very brushed off or “isolated” or even a joke at times when you actually watch the show, especially in season 4. Will always just beats her out, even if it’s by a sliver. In the sense that he’s basically getting the relationship Mike and El should have outside of kissing. Mike doesn’t really have divided attention, at times they all do it’s a very long show, but overall, he’s very focused on Will. They are a duo, almost everyone else in the show is a duo with their love interest—unless they’re single or their girlfriend lives in Utah. And El is right there for Mike to be paired with, but he never is and I think it’s always raised the question, whether people are voicing it or not, as to why that is. When anything happens, Mike looks at Will first, we are shown that a lot actually since I’ve been going back and watching, it’s actually kind of crazy. People hate to admit it, but Mike and Will have been best friends their entire lives, I think at the end of the day of course it’s Will. It’s impossible for it not to be.

Anyway what am I even saying who knows, I think nothing is being hidden about Will and Mike’s relationship, based on how they structure couples in the show, we are told exactly who is gonna be with who, no matter what other interferences happen on the way there.

[eahwidow]

My version of a potential G2 for EAH - PART 1 (The main Rebels):

Ginger Breadhouse - She would be the main protagonist of G2, being a new student at Ever After High who is already isolated and feared due to her destiny as the next Candy Witch from Hansel and Gretel. Given that she was raised mostly by her mother alone who wasn't the "wicked witch" everyone thinks she is, Ginger would begin to question the veracity of the fairytale and thus unconsciously giving courage for others to rebel against their destinies, soon discovering the truth that the story was written by Milton Grimm to favor Hansel and Gretel on purpose. Plus, pink doll = good sells.

Raven Queen - Much like G1, she would also be feared due to her destiny as the next Evil Queen from Snow White, but much lonelier due to her own distrust of others after being judged for so long. However, Raven would show her true kind self when she gets close to Ginger, forming a sweet genuine friendship that makes her roommate Apple jealous. She tries to stay out of trouble in order to keep attention away from her, but encouraged by Ginger, Raven feels confident enough to stand for herself and others who want to write their own destiny.

Briar Beauty - At first she would start on the Royals' side much for appearances as she is Apple's best friend, but secretly she DESPISES her destiny as the next Sleeping Beauty in fear of being all alone when she wakes up 100 years later. Briar ends up secretly hanging out with Raven and Ginger, developing a love for adrenaline that keeps her awake and understanding that she's not the only one who wants to write something new for her life.

Alistair Wonderland - He would be a Wonderlandian prince, as his mother ended up staying there and gaining a small kingdom for herself to rule over as a gift from the Queen of Hearts. Which doesn't make sense for Alistair to go through the same story all over again as the next Alice, so he would join the Rebels to find his true destiny, wanting to explore other worlds beyond even Ever After (already hinting at him studying about other worlds like Monster High). He would discover himself to be gay while having a crush on someone... unavailable.

[chaifootsteps]

i think the dragon fucking thing is the dumbest shit people have gotten on you for because there really truly is no real world equivalent to it. like yeah lizards exist but the biggest ones are about the size of a small or medium sized dog, and all without what likely makes a dragon sexy to you! which is the huge size and sentience and the sharp teeth and all that good stuff! it's just monster fucking to me. because what else is it comparable to?

also i honestly just feel like people want to have their morally right opinions in a community built upon critical analysis that talks about how problematic certain things are in these shows to a sometimes excessive degree for cartoons about demons in hell, while ignoring all the genuine good you've done for helping vivs actual victims speak out and have a voice/platform, to make them feel better about their critical voices, because you dont just. complain that viv is a bad writer who botches adult topics in her adult shows like a femcel 14 year old on wattpad. (although you still do that and it's absolutely warranted because she does, i just feel like part of the reason people feel comfortable coming to you is because you're honest about who you are and what you enjoy in fiction, you're mature enough to understand morality in fiction vs morality irl and the difference between it, and obviously the fact that you're an anonymous voice who can easily archive this info for years to come compared to other websites. and to me there's a major difference between the stuff youre writing and the stuff vivs writing based on scale and audience. you aren't going to make anyone want to fuck their pet lizards, but vivs certainly given lots of people a warped idea of consent and why someone should be harassed if you look at her likes.)

anyway, this ask was kinda long and i dunno what else you could contribute besides a thank you, so if you feel like it, could you give a list of the top 5 fictional (i can't believe im saying fictional because DRAGONS ARENT REAL,) dragons you'd bone in a heartbeat?

Thanks, Anon, I appreciate it! <3

I think it's one of the more unsettling things they come at me for, because let me tell you, the idea that dragons = bestiality came up out of nowhere. A couple of years ago, the big trend in art/writing online was sexy dragons as the preferred love interest for princesses, and it was everywhere. And then, suddenly, they were problematic and I was getting 19 year olds arguing with me that it was "against federal law."

That weird thing you like, even if it's considered utterly vanilla today? I promise you, it'll be next. It's already starting to happen with anthros.

I think liking weird fictional things openly and unabashedly, and being able to argue in favor of why you do, is important. I think it's normal, human, and makes it makes everything safer on the whole, and makes it easier to root out the actual creeps.

But yes! Dragons!

Draco, my second major fictional crush. The first was The Beast.

2. Smaug.

3. Paarthurnax

4.Ventuswill

5. Literally every dragon daddy in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. That game had me sweating.

[uselessmoonlight]

Stranger part 7

Reader is Telemachus' friend, and when he leaves for his "diplomatic mission" he asks her to watch over his mother.

Later, once the king has returned, she stumbles upon an injured Poseidon.

Previous / series masterlist / next

☆☆☆

Content specs: she/her pronouns used, afab reader, Platonic! Telemachus x reader, Epic!Poseidon x reader, possible OOC!Poseidon, Polites’ daughter! Reader, unrequited love, blood, fighting, nudity, illusion, possibly more?, trying to avoid using y/n, slowburn, suggestive themes, but no smut, English is not my first language, sorry if it's too much exposition, it's my first fic.

Ónoma literally means name in Greek, at least according to google translate. View this as the y/n of this fic.

☆☆☆

The clattering of cutlery let her know that she’d said something wrong. She froze in her seat as the kings eyes narrowed in on her. “Where did you hear that?”

“What, I didn’t-”

“Answer me, girl. Where did you hear that?” He was standing now, his presence menacing. “Besides, there’s no way a regular girl like you would’ve been able to take out all of those men. So, tell me, how did you do it? Are you another test? Another monster? What are you? Why are you here? I will not let you get in the way of-”

“That’s enough, my love.” Penelope interrupted her husband’s tirade. “This is your son’s greatest friend, the daughter of your own greatest friend, she’s no test. You’re just on high alert from all the years away from home.”

“You don’t understand, she-”

But Penelope shushed him. “I think it’s time for bed. Ónoma, you’re welcome to stay the night, Telemachus will walk you to your room.” Then she walked away, leading a visibly shaken Odysseus out of the room.

“I don’t understand, what did I say wrong?” Peach, too, was pretty shaken from the king’s outburst. Understandably so, as the man had taken on 108 suitors without knowing she’d be there to help.

“It’s fine Ónoma, he’s been having these outbursts since he got back.” Telemachus soothed his friend.

“Yeah, something similar happened when I mentioned how much luck he must have had to be the only one of 600 to return home.” Ctimene added.

“I can’t imagine what he must have faced during all those years away.” Peach muttered.

☆☆☆

“I can stay the night, if you want me to? It’ll be like when we were kids.” Telemachus offered, as the two sat on her bed. Whenever she’d stay at the castle, she would be given the same guest room, over time she’d let some of her belongings accumulate there.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, I wouldn’t want to get on your fathers bad side. At least, not more than I already am.”

“C’mon Peach, it’s really not like that. He’s just on edge.”

“And yet I understand his concern.” Ónoma countered.

“What are you talking about?”

“I killed those men, Tele. They’re dead because of me, I don’t even know how I was able tot do it, what if I am a monst-”

“Enough of that.” Her friend said sternly. “You did it to protect my mother, and let’s be honest, yourself too. I don’t want to think about what the suitor would’ve done had you not been able to fend them off, or did you forget that you, too, are a woman?”

Her heart dropped at her friend’s words. “Of course I didn’t forget! That’s why I did it!” She raged. “I can’t afford to show mercy, not to those beasts, anyways.” She continued, softer, realisation hitting her. “Thank you, Tele.” She murmured. “I needed that.”

“I know.”

Outside of her bedroom window, an owl was perched. It hooted, before flying off. Telemachus softly shook his head, Peach thought it to be at her behaviour, but in reality it had been at his mentor’s antics.

☆☆☆

The next morning, Peach had left before breakfast, before anyone else had woken up, even. Telemachus’ and Ctimene’s attempt to play off the king’s outburst had not calmed her one bit. Even if they were speaking the truth, she did not want to set the man off again. Perhaps once the king had settled more she’d speak to him again, or if he sought her out.

When she returned home, she wasn’t ready to face Perikles, so she kept walking, now with her beloved instrument in hand. She settled somewhere along the shore, feet in the water, the sun slowly rising. She played mindlessly, softly humming a matching melody. Music always calmed her.

But now it seemed calmness was not something she would get, as the familiar but unfamiliar voice rang in her head once more. “So, you’re devoted to my brother, then? Pity. Usually, his followers are more seasoned with a bow, axes are more Hephaestus’ thing, or Demeter’s maybe.”

What? At least the word brother clued her in that this was a God, or Goddess. Someone related to Apollo.

“You’re quick to catch on, if not Apollo then Athena, maybe? Who do you work with, or worship, I should say.”

Well, oh mighty God of gossip, I don’t really ‘work with’ anyone. Just whoever fits the occasion, really.

“You’re bold, anyone else might’ve taken offence with such a tone? Can it even be considered a tone if it’s just your thoughts? I’ll have to ask Athena next time I run into her.”

Can you please get to the point? Or leave me alone? Whoever you are anyway.

“Feisty, put the claws away, darling. I would have loved to tell you my name, but you never asked. You have to actually ask questions to get answers, you know.”

…

“Go on, darling. Ask.”

What’s your name?

“Well at least I got the message across, the name’s Hermes. I actually came here to deliver a message, but you were just too much fun to mess with.”

What is the message?

“Straight to the point, huh? Where’s the fun in that? Besides, I never said that the message was for you, I mean, it is, but still.”

…

“Did you know that the Lyre used to be mine? I gave it to my brother in exchange for his cows when I was just a babe, I’m still quite fond of it. You play beautifully, who taught you?”

Would you please tell me of the message you bring, oh great lord Hermes?

“No.”

Please?

“At least your manners have improved, but no. You tell me who taught you to play, and I tell you the message. An exchange of information, a trade, if you will.”

Right, God of merchants. I taught myself, my brother once broke my Lyre, because of how bad I was at playing at the time. I suppose I’ve improved since.

“Oh, that was your brother? Apollo smote him real good, bet he learned his lesson.”

Dead men don’t learn.

“Now, now, why so serious, oh right the message! Your brother has reunited with your father!”

My dead father?

“Exactly, now if you don’t mind, I’d like you to resume playing.”

next

☆☆☆

A/N: girly is going through it. Also, I don’t mean for Hermes to come off as rude, rather as mischievous. He is a God, one who often visits the underworld at that, so he would not really understand the grief of mortals. I also want to portray the duality of Ctimene’s grief and relief some more, and I definitely want to dive into Odysseus’ PTSD. Maybe show some of Penelope’s caution around men too, dealing with those suitors for so long would’ve definitely made a person a bit jumpy.

Taglist:

@suckerforblondies

@barrythestrawberry041

@trashcannotbealive

@apollos-dodgeball-target

@doodle-with-rhy

[deminetly]

✶ RATING YOUR DRS ✶

……………………………………………

⋆ hogwarts 7/10 ok so I personally havent even watched harry potter but it seems awesome,, hogwarts is a classic since basically every shifter has a hogwarts dr but who wouldnt wanna learn magic ?! at the same time i also kinda dont get why you would want to shift to a school from all places ALSO CONSIDERING HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE AND HOW MEAN SOME OF THE TEACHERS ARE BUT

⋆ twilight 7/10 i used to LOVE twilight when i was like 12 (confession i was team jacob ,, and lowk still am.. HES HOTTER OK DONT BLAME ME) and i LOVE the vibe,, highly depends on who youre shifting for tho (if its alice then 8/10 shes like wow)

⋆ fame 7/10 ok i keep rating everything 7 but IDK fame is good but i feel like id get bored after like a few shifts (even though i still have a fame dr) but if you know how to spice it up for yourself then good for you!! (bonus points if its set in the 70s-2000s)

⋆ mermaid 8/10 rated it an 8 instead of a 7 because i keep rating everything 7… anyways its cool but again i feel like i would get bored (unless you know how to spice it up AGAIN) i do fw mermaid more because its like magical and you can script in a forbidden fling with a human or something.. (can you tell i have commitment issues) now i want to make a mermaid dr and design my tail omg

⋆ band/music artist 8/10 as most of yall probably know i do have a band dr so how could i rate it anything lower?! anyways i love hearing about peoples band drs (or any drs for that matter but especially bands bc i can get inspo for my own teehee) i think developing everything for that dr can be super fun and putting together your little group and whatnot

⋆ apocalypse 8/10 would probably have rated this much lower if i hadnt seen those aesthetic slideshow games on tiktok where youre packing for and trying to survive an apocalypse BUT i feel like if you scripted in safety and good vibes it could be a lot of fun and now i wanna make a zombie apocalypse dr..

⋆ the backrooms 6/10 you are BOLD for that,, i get creeped out by just watching a tiktok about them (im aware that the backrooms were on my dr ideas post..) it lowkey depends who youre with because shifting there alone would actually be CRAZY..

⋆ better cr 5.5/10 i dont really get the consept of this like if i were to make a better cr i would FIRST OF ALL change basically everything and atp it wouldnt even be a better cr just a good dr ykwim and how do you come back after shifting there and not feel depressed asf😭

⋆ heartbreak high 5.5/10 i feel like not many people have seen this show and also i dont really fw shifting to shows or movies as much as your own creations but i did like the show itself,, i honestly i wouldnt personally shift there since the vibes are like too.. like 2020 and some people are real assholes but you do you it could be super fun id actually love to know about all the drama

⋆ euphoria 6/10 idk why i like euphoria more than heartbreak high they lowkey give me the same vibe but euphoria is like a better version (i literally havent even seen this but i did watch like 2 hours worth of it from tiktok) ANYWAYS most people there are ASSHOLES too and again PERSONALLY WOULDNT WANT TO GO THERE but again would love to hear more about the drama because there must be tons of that

⋆ monster high 9/10 ok so why did i not think of this before i LOVED monster high when i was a child but im lowkey scared of shifting to an animated world idk it feels off.. the vibes and there tho love that for you

⋆ dead poets society 8/10 again personally havent watched it but from what ive heard it seems cool (that with about 200 other movies have been sitting on my watchlist for years but my commitment issues are so bad i cant commit to watching one movie so i will probably never watch it oops) anyways i want to make a secret society dr now

⋆ my little pony 7/10 oh little me would have LOVED this but again i cant with the animated drs ESPECIALLY considering you would be a PONY?? i need to know how this feels or like what.. i love mlp but honestly (tw: opinion) TWILIGHT IS SO ANNOYING I COULD NOTTTT STAND HER ASS (yes i do know id be able to script her out but i like complaining)

[liesonmytongues]

Virgin!Steve Harrison x GN!Reader

Synopsis- Steve's been pretending to be a top notch player for years, but the truth is, he's still a virgin. You change that.

Warnings/CWs- this is very wholesome smut, lovey dovey sex, virginity loss, dub-con if you absolutely *squint*, love sick/pussy drunk men, Steve being embarrassed and guilty about jorking it to you, descriptions of masturbation

Word count- 4,000

When he was back in Hawkins, Steve had a reputation. Full of himself. A player. Always a girl on his hip– whether or not she was his girlfriend– always bragging about his game, about his sex life.

He would tell his friends about every escapade involving a new hot chick– basing his stories off of people he saw outside. A hot blonde at the mall would turn into a ‘Filthy slut who couldn't stop begging for it’, an innocent looking brunette outside the church into ‘a crazy bitch who wanted it rough’.

Steve would try not to get too serious with girls at the school for obvious reasons– couldn’t have anyone exposing him as a liar, now could he? But every so often someone would catch his eye. It was shameful– dangerous really –the way he would get these girls head over heels for him, manipulate them in one way or another so they wouldn’t ask about what Steve really didn’t want to think about.

It was a little different with Nancy– he really did like her, much more than those other girls who were just to keep up appearances. He didn’t want to manipulate her, didn’t want to treat her like she was just another chick in the crowd– so Steve came up with a different solution. One that still didn’t include actually having sex with her. He couldn't talk the talk without the chance of someone telling her, so his stories turned more into something like ‘I can't say, Nancy’s too shy– it was a crazy night though’, and the couple of times anyone questioned him, he would intimidate them into dropping it– easy enough.

But it didn't change the fact that Steve Harrington is a virgin.

For one reason or another, he never actually got around to getting his dick wet– and, in juxtaposition to his personality, it was usually because he just…kept chickening out. He would fantasize about it– stroking himself raw with some cheap toy while he tried to imagine the feeling of a real hole– but that was where it ended for him. Sad nights alone while he got off to his next story– and for a while that was fine! For a while Steve didn't need anything other than the life he had– sports and drinking and pretty girls, that satisfied him enough without hitting third base.

Then when Eleven and the monsters showed up, he didn't have time for sex– no time for fantasizing, or jealousy, or nervousness –just surviving. And babysitting a group of kids.

Everything he’d been saying– doing –the inadequacy he felt, was completely pushed to the back of his mind for the better part of 2 years. The first time it quieted down, after they saved that poor kid and things almost seemed like they were gonna go back to normal, Steve considered trying to…regress. He wanted to feel like nothing had even happened– he wanted that control back –didn’t want to admit that everything had changed for good. It hurt to know that even if things were ok now, it would never, ever be the same. Nothing would ever be the same. That’s what consumed him until the next time the demogorgons showed up– and that, plus the constant wondering of what the fuck else was in the world made it a little hard to get it up.

Steve tried once– kissing her, rubbing her clit through her panties, fingering her while he tried, tried so hard, to just make his stupid dick cooperate– and then he realized how stupid that was. He had this beautiful, half naked, moaning girl under him– this girl he was sure he loved –and he still couldn’t push himself past his nerves for long enough to fuck her.

Nancy tried 3 more times– all ending in Steve shakily, nervously, using his hands or mouth to make her cum while he was stuck in his own head. They broke up a few weeks after the last try, and he didn’t get any more chances before that…thing took them both.

Steve's first thought was that it was another creature made by the lab– that's where he found it, that's what it had to be, right? Some other failed, murderous experiment or alternate dimensional nightmare that he had to take the brunt of, just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At first, that theory seemed right– the place they were taken looked just like the upside down’s version of Hawkins lab, with the same distant screaming from a demogorgon –but being shucked right off to ‘The camp’ was a good way to change his mind. There were other people there– too many for any type of hell Steve’s ever been to –and it seemed like they were ready to see him and Nance, a tall, scrawny guy greeting them with too much energy and too much understanding.

And the rest is history, right? For one reason or another, the thing known as the ‘entity’ wanted them there, along with a bunch of other ‘survivors’ and the things that have been torturing them for god knows how long.

You…make it a little more bearable. A little.

You welcomed Steve and Nancy better than a lot of the other survivors– and part of it was definitely to learn how to survive the demogorgon, you’d be stupid to pass up that opportunity –making sure they knew what was going to happen with much less frantic, frightened energy than Dwight. You were a godsend really, and Steve feels like he owes you his life– no matter how many times he’s died here.

You were just friends– that's all. Forget about the way his heart and stomach feel like they’re sinking in on themselves every time he sees you, or the way he looks forward to the end of trials because that means more time to spend together, or how everything you say seems to be funny, or smart, or mind melting– all of that is just because you're a really good friend, and this place is messing with Steve's ability to see that.

Plus, spending every day around the ex who was your first love is a surefire way to confuse your brain. That's the rational Steve gave on the nights spent trying not to jerk himself off to something you did that day; the nights where he failed miserably, stuffing his hand on his mouth to muffle the pathetic sounds he made every time he came, and one was never enough; the nights Steve felt disgusting for what he considered violating you, sticky with his own cum and still not able to get you out of his head.

No, you’re just friends. And sometimes, when friends are in bad situations, it gets a little confusing. What you don’t know can’t hurt you, can’t make you look at him at a gross freak, can’t ruin your relationship– but it can make you suspicious.

Suspicious because Steve was acting weird, and he hadn’t even realized it– hadn’t realized that he hadn’t made eye contact with you in weeks. Honestly, he was pretty confident that his sneaking–away skills were honed to perfection– it’d worked on the demogorgons, who would have thought that it wouldn’t work on a person? Nevermind the fact that demogorgons don’t actually have eyes to see him with.

Your breaking point came around the same time every single trial with Steve started ending in a sacrifice.

You’d tried talking to him about it, and when that didn’t work, you tried talking to Nancy. From what you’d gathered, she’d been pretty good at mystery solving in Hawkins, and since she knew Steve so well, it seemed like your best bet…but you got nothing. No hint at anything that could have happened, nothing shared when you weren’t around about why he was so awkward all of a sudden, not so much as a complaint– leaving you to do everything yourself.

No way in hell were you going to confront him with all the other survivors around, that would just lead to even more awkwardness, and you couldn’t handle that– not with everything else –but you did need to confront him. You couldn’t work together, your entire relationship was strained, and if you couldn’t find some sort of way to resolve this…tension, you were going to explode and make this whole issue even worse.

But maybe in hindsight, sneaking up on him in his cabin wasn't the best idea either. In your defense, you had no idea about his hopeless pining, and with your annoyance clouding your better judgment, it seemed like the only way to finally get him talking. And really, that had been your plan! The whole walk there you’d been thinking of just the right words to get across exactly what you wanted to say– stay calm, tell him how you feel, tell him what needed to change. It was your plan, until the moment you knocked on the door – and heard Steve moan your name at the same time.

It took a second to process what you heard, to be pulled –punched, really– out of the concentration and anger that had fueled this whole trip and really hear it for what it was, but by then there was a whole other reason you were distracted. Steve slammed open the door, flushed and sweaty, panting like a whore and looking at you with the widest puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen.

“You– It’s not–! It’s not what it looks like!” Steve stumbled over his words in an attempt to get them out as fast as possible, to convince you somehow that you hadn’t heard what you just heard– convince you not to turn around and leave and never speak to him again.

“Please, please, I’m so sorry– I promise I can explain! I–”

“Inside.”

“What–”

“Inside.”

If someone asked you, it would be hard to tell them why you did what you did– shoving Steve Harrington inside his cabin was a split second decision, kissing him was another, dropping everything you’d wanted to say was a third. Maybe it was because you were so tense– it’s not easy to live like this, god knows there’s not much time for sex of all things –the rush of emotions, the shock, maybe it was because he just looked so debauched with his face red and his lips parted the way they were. Fuck, maybe it’s just because he finally looked at you again.

It didn’t really matter what it was though, did it? Not when he moaned like that, like he was starving for you, as soon as your hands were on him.

He hadn’t gotten to finish, that much was clear from how his cock was pressed twitching to your thigh– leaking a sticky patch of precum where he’d haphazardly shoved himself back into his jeans before opening the door.

“Wait– wait!” Steve pushed you back by the hips, squeezing his eyes shut and sucking in deep, sharp breaths. Even if he hadn’t said anything, it was obvious how hesitant it was.

“What–” You mirrored his confusion from earlier,

“I’ve never…done this before.” He gestured vaguely downwards, and when you followed the movements to his groin, his cock visibly throbbed.

“You’ve…never had sex? You’re a virgin?” And with that he’s right back to not looking at you– flushed even brighter than before and staring down the floorboards like they did this, like they made him hard, made you find him moaning your name, made you come inside and made him admit what he didn’t even admit to Nancy. But he feels…better. His erection has flagged a little just from the shame of the situation, but it’s not like before– when the second someone tried to have sex with him, he stopped being able to get it up at all.

“Yeah.” He breathed, loosening the grip on your waist– as if being a virgin of all things would mean you wouldn’t want him.

“Is that…all?”

“Doesn’t that bother you? I’ve only ever used my mouth, I don’t know if I’m gonna be any good…” The skin of his neck was shiny with perspiration, a droplet of sweat dripping down his jaw and fucking christ you want to lick it off–

“No? I don't care how much experience you have Steve–fuck, don't you know what you do to me?” His eyes flicked down to your groin and you could feel the shudder that passed through him–hear it too, if that quivering, breathy sigh was anything to go off. You were caught off guard when Steve suddenly yanked you forward, wrapping his arms around your waist and shoving his face into the crook of your neck–taking deep breaths, inhaling your scent while he tried to ground himself.

Less caught off guard when he pulled you in for another kiss, mashing your lips and noses together in a type of desperation that can only come from a man who's been hard for the last hour– tongue worming it's way between your lips, only pulling away long enough to breathe hot puffs of air against your face.

You didn’t protest when he pulled you back towards his bed, or when you felt him turn you around, your calves hitting the mattress only a few moment before the rest of you, falling into the old raggedy blankets and grunting when Steve climbs on top of you–because he just refuses to let go of your body for even a second, grinding his cock to your thigh in slow strokes while he tries his hardest to devour you.

“Fuck– you mean it?” He shifts to kissing your jaw–just as rough as your lips–so you can respond, murmuring variations of your name and ‘please’ and ‘say it’.

“Yeah, I mean it.” It comes out breathy and desperate, but god, there’s not a single world where you could bring yourself to care with such a pretty man looking equally as debauched above you. He gets a panicked look on his face barely a second before his hands shoot down to his jeans, ripping them open with enough force to audibly pop a thread, pulling his boxers down and gripping his cock painfully. You have half a mind to ask him what he’s doing–what was that look for? Is something wrong? Is he already done with the foreplay?–but only get about as far as parting your lips before Steve makes a pained noise, halfway between a moan and a sob, and is cumming over the front of your shirt. Thick strands accompanied by choked groans as he tries to make it stop, frantically muttering ‘no!’ under his breath again and again.

You shouldn’t be surprised–you aren’t surprised, not really–but it’s still sudden enough to make your eyes bulge a little more with every spurt. Which, of course, Steve notices immediately– flushing with shame instead of arousal and covering his eyes with the back of his free hand.

“Jesus– fuck! I’m so sorry– I didn’t mean to, I don’t know what happened–” He’s spiraling is what you distantly realize, but you’re too caught up with the fact that he just came from being told you were into him. So caught up, in fact, that the only way you can think to really calm him down is smashing his face back into yours. You have his hair between your fingers before he can utter another distraught apology, and he’s right back to melting into you.

You don’t stop him when Steve’s hands move to your pants, taking them off with much less frenzy than his own. His cock had barely softened, and when your underwear was down far enough that he finally caught a glimpse of your body, it gave a hard twitch–already raring to go a second time. God knows if it’s because it’s you or just the situation, but you can hope.

Steve looks back and forth between your hole and your stained shirt for a moment, before with two fingers, he scoops his own cum off your shirt, pressing them inside your hole achingly slowly–like he’s scared that giving them to you how you want will break you. He seems mesmerized by the way each knuckle sinks deeper, spreading you open on his fingers while his spend pushes back–oozing out before he shoves it back in again.

“Fuck– you’re so tight, so warm…” The way he's looking at you is near–reverent, huffing out a breath every time you squeeze and practically moaning when he can’t go any deeper.

“Don’t you wanna feel that–hah–around your cock? Give your body what it wants?” You were panting as much as Steve at this point, sighing and moaning softly every time he found just the right spot to focus on.

“Don't say that kind of thing!” He whined, breaking eye contact for a second so he could lean over and open his mouth, letting some spit dribble onto your hole to aid the way while his fingers sped up–trying to spread you open faster so his poor, angry looking cock could get some relief. Real relief–not just cumming in his pants like a…y'know, like a virgin.

Still bent over, Steve used his free arm to cage you underneath him–forcing your legs up and around his waist at the same time so he could keep up the rhythm. You could feel your body starting to ease open, just barely loose enough for him to put in a third finger and spread them inside you. It felt fantastic, but you could almost be fooled into thinking that he was the one feeling it–almost as noisy from just the sensation of your walls around his thick, rough fingers.

It wasn’t quite enough to make you cum, not without any other stimulation, but his enthusiasm turned you on like nothing else. He gave a few more thrusts, fingers spread out as much as possible in a last ditch attempt to prep you before he lost it.

“I’m sorry- I need it, you have no idea-”

“It’s fine, I’m fine, just put it in, please.” A mix of Steve’s pre and cum and spit eased the way as he gripped his cock at the base and finally started pushing it forward–squeezing tight to try and keep himself from coming any faster than he already would. He only managed to get the tip inside before he had to pause, shutting his eyes with a desperate, shuddering moan–nuzzling his face into your chest while his free hand glided away from its death-grip on the sheets, opting instead for holding your head, threading your hair over his palm until he had enough to tug.

You could feel his fat, leaky cockhead throb–the vibration of another moan spreading through your chest before his hips jerked enough to force another couple of inches inside you. And it hurt, it did, that same string and stretch that always came with having something new inside you, but he was just so perfect that you couldn’t focus on it. You’d noticed before how pretty he was below the belt–and it really showed now.

God, maybe you really have just gone that long without getting laid, but Steve’s dick filled you better than you can ever remember being filled. Better than your fingers, better than any toy for the sheer amount of emotion and connection, better than the vague snippets of your last fucks from years ago now.

Steve pulled himself off of your chest after a minute, taking deep breaths and scrunching up his face in concentration–then another minute before he manages to let go of his shaft and push the rest of the way inside. The moan he gives you is borderline pornographic when he bottoms out, hot enough to–along with the feeling of his stomach pressing against your groin–have you moaning with him.

His thrusts have no real rhythm, no actual skill, just the sloppiness that shows exactly how inexperienced he really is–and equally how desperate he is for you. There’s no rhyme or reason to how he chases the feeling, but somehow he still manages to tease your orgasm–to rut his sensitive cock in all the right places to make it feel good instead of annoying.

“I’m not gonna- hah, oh god- not gonna last. Christ you feel so good- you’re so perfect, you’re perfect- I love you.” Your attention was immediately snapped away from his hips up to his face, where he was staring at you with those big brown eyes–again the puppy analogy comes to mind–and the most of an emotion besides fear you’ve seen in a long time.

“Can I- ngh -cum on your stomach? Please?” It's hard to tell if he even realizes that he just said he loves you, and he's not giving you any time to process it with the way his thrusts are speeding up–just barely able to keep his cock from slipping out through his frantic movements. And it was so lewd, so wet and slick and loud–blocking out everything else except the moaning right in front of your face.

Steve was putting everything into making you feel good–fighting back his orgasm while whispering harsh ‘please, please, please’ under his breath, along with a slurred approximation of your name and those frankly beautiful, desperate hitches of breath. Your body fought to accommodate the way he sped up, battering your walls in a way that juxtaposed his confession a minute ago.

“Yes, yes cum on me, cum on me baby- fuck-” You barely managed to finish your sentence before Steve was pulling out, curling his body over you and trembling while his cock throbbed against your stomach–followed by another moan that could only be described as burning, aching, and the first shot of hot, sticky fluid on your skin, cumming so hard it managed to reach your collar, sticking to his own chest in the process and dripping down onto the sheets. His noises didn’t stop for nearly a full minute, whimpering and whining while you murmured sweet words, trying to ease him down from his high.

That’s all you expected from him–as sweet as he could be, he’s still a man from the 80’s–which is why you were surprised when he didn’t just slump over and leave you to deal with the painful way your arousal licked at your stomach, begging for relief.

You weren’t sure what to think of the way Steve climbed down the bed–until he latched his mouth to your groin, sucking and licking and taking you into his mouth, as much as he could fit at once. It took him a second, but he turned his eyes up to you, lidded and high from endorphins, giving him a lovesick, fucked out look that only served to turn you on more. And the way he kept moaning, groaning and scrunching his face up like he was the one feeling it–like you were the one fucking him with your mouth, desperate to make him cum.

And it was desperate–not a thought inside his head, only driven by the feral need to make you feel as good as he did. How could you ever not comply?

It barely took another minute of the sloppy, needy working of his tongue before you were cumming too, and Steve lapped up everything, like everything you were giving him was a gift that he needed to take, refusing to let even a drop go to waste. Distantly, in the middle of feeling like your vision was going to white out, you could feel another few drops leak out of his twitching cock, milking himself dry just from the taste of you.

He wrapped his arms around your thigh when you pried his head away, resting his face on your hip so he could keep pressing soft kisses to your skin. It was pretty obvious he wasn’t in his right mind–tired and euphoric and fucked stupid–but you let him stay, wiping his messy hair away from his forehead and petting at his nape.

“Was it…good?” He murmured, glancing up at you again.

“Christ, do you really have to ask?” He kept looking at you, blinking slowly–waiting. “Yeah. It was really good.” And he nods, sighing against your skin–then a choking sound when you followed it up with ‘I love you too’.

[robotrules]

Thoughts on Fallout: New Vegas from a First Time Player

A (very) long stream of consciousness about how much I like this game:

So I put off playing any Fallout game for the longest time. Had Fallout 3 and Fallout: NV just rotting in my Steam library for literally 15 years, mainly because when I tried playing F:NV when it first came out, it kept crashing and I just gave up. Fast forward to December 2024 and my Youtube algorithm kept on showing me all the stupid shit people did in the games and I was thoroughly amused by all of that, because I too enjoy playing a chaos creature whenever games allow me to. Read that F:NV was the most beloved in the franchise and had a lot of freedom when it came to game choices. Great! Had a western sci-fi theme, a concept I really liked. I love retrofuturism and Westerns and the great expanse of the American Southwest, all wrapped up in a post-apocalyptic setting. But then I stumbled on a video of this guy and I was immediately sold:

I was smitten by Yes Man's voice and sense of humor and goofy face (Dave Foley's vocal performance can't be overstated. He made Yes Man very charming!).

And then I learned that you could actually work with this goofy robot as an actual partner* to take over New Vegas and let me tell you, I COULDN'T CLICK THE INSTALL BUTTON ANY FASTER (pretty sure you could hear a sonic boom coming from my house). AND THE GAME RAN THIS TIME! And thus, I began my odyssey into the Mojave Wasteland.

* Most media robots tend to be cute little sidekicks or antagonistic villains or just dumb enemies, so it was pretty refreshing to actually be able to work alongside a robot/AI as an equal of sorts. My courier is pretty respectful of Yes Man, so I like to think they become friends and co-rulers of the strip. :) (Although I did kinda kill him a few times out of curiosity. He said he'd make it up to me after I killed him and it made me feel bad. ;_; Sorry bb. )

And my first impression of the game? I love it! I was kind of bracing myself for some edgy humor (Like Borderlands) and I was pleasantly surprised that it had a a right balance of silly, serious, and dark when it needed to be. The roleplaying aspect is fun and I like how you can basically be whoever you want to be (with some great comebacks from the courier. When killing Mr. House, you can say "Yes Man needs you out of the way" and I was like "Yup, this game knows exactly what my motivations are" >:) ). The quests never seem to be a slog to me since they're tied to characters and their stories, so the motivation to help (or sow discord) is the main thing that drives me to want to explore and do everything in the game.

Also, non-feral ghouls are so fucking cute. I love their raspy voices and they seem to be (for the most part) nice. I always had a soft spot for creatures that are "othered" like monsters and aliens, and I view ghouls as stand-ins for communities that were medically ostracized (like leprosy and the Hibakusha), so yeah, very easy for me to like them. Also Raul is my absolute favorite, so there's that too. :) I like all the companions tbh. As fantastic as a world as the Fallout universe is, I like how grounded everyone is, just as real as anybody you'd meet out on the streets. And that they all have their own hopes and dreams that aren't centered around the player character. Raul is my favorite just because I love how he tells his story and Danny Trejo's voice is like a glass of warm milk to me (very soothing).

Oh! And obviously I love the robots too. I appreciate that robots seem to vary on their level of sentience (Protectrons vs. Mr. House's personal Securitrons) and the writers treated Victor and Yes Man with just as much care as they did their human characters (I wish Victor had a bigger role though! What a cutie-pie). I find it kind of poetic that it's a robot that saves your life and it's a robot that helps you make major decisions in-game (if you decide to go the Yes Man route). The Courier owes their life to Victor and Yes Man and has their life changed completely because of those two.

And of course I had to make Primm Slim sheriff (that cowboy getup and his little Yee-haw is too precious :') ). Basically, if I don't have to kill them, I am doing my run as a pro-robot and pro-mutant run. I love them too much.

Anyways, there ends my thoughts. I'm not finished yet (currently eliminating the side fractions for Yes Man. Bye-bye Brotherhood. :) ), but I'm looking forward to getting back in the game once I have more time. I think it might be my favorite game!

[cotton-fae24]

Chapter 10, part 10/10

Finally done with this chapter.

A couple of announcements, I’ll be taking a break from posting the actual comic for about a week, as I need more time to work out the kinks of part two of this story, and I need a little break from constantly drawing all the time. Don’t worry, I’ll still be posting art on my tumblr, and I promise I’ll post the first part of Chapter 11 next Tuesday.

Anyway, with all that being said, enjoy the final part of this massive chapter!

Luz is genuinely excited to see her friends again, and wants to be supportive of their play despite the subject matter. When she approaches her friends. Willow and Gus are being showered with love and praise by their parents, with Willows Dads nearly tearing up and Gus praising him as the next top actor.

Luz finds the interaction sweet yet for some reason she feels a sense of jealousy…though she shoves those thoughts down as much as she can.

Willow and Gus finally spot her and rush to her in excitement. They embrace her and ask Luz how she liked the show. Gus (still holding his prop knife) asks Luz if she thought she was scared by his performance and did he make her shiver. Willow joking proclaims that she ain’t afraid of no humans, and if a human did ever come to the Boiling Bay, she’d punch them in the face. Luz internally screams in the corner.

Willow then approaches Luz and asks her if she’d like to come over to her house for dinner. After all, Luz has been nothing but a good friend to her and Gus, and she wants show her appreciation for that!

That line…of her being a so called “good friend” finally was the straw that broke the camels back. Memories of her past, of her fight with her mother, her attack by Belos, and her transformation all floods back into her head, and the pain, guilt, shame and raw emotion that came with them. Luz then feels her intrusive thoughts take over, asking her how much of a “good friend” will she be, when they find out that SHES the monster her friends are all hiding from.

Finally Gus’s words finally snap her out of it, and Luz is brought back to reality. Gus asks her if she’s okay, and Luz (thinking quickly) asks if they could go outside for a bit, wanting to breathe some “fresh seawater.” Gus likes the idea of being outside after being trapped in a small theater for so long. Willow is always down for being outside, and the three of them agree to head over Willows house later.

As the three chat away, so distracted by each other, they fail to notice the corpse of animal. Covered with a green goo and seemed to had the life sucked out of it. A wicked force has now entered the Boiling Bay, and it’s determined to make those pathetic mermaids pay for stealing the one he loved the most…

Beginning:

Previous:

Next: TBP next Tuesday

[embraceyourdestiny]

“Dean is abusive to Sam” is only so ridiculous to me because, in my opinion, it’s less about the content of that thought and more the idea that having any cut-and-dry, definitive interpretation of the Winchester brothers and their situation is ridiculous to me, because this is “The Nuance and Context and Complicated Issues and Situations Show” and it feels counterintuitive, like bad faith analysis, and very reductive to sum up either of these boys in a single, damming sentence that’s ignoring the text as a whole.

Dean and Sam aren’t angels. But they’re also not monsters either. That’s the point. I feel very strongly that, at least up until season 4-5, (because I am currently watching this show for the first time, so I don’t have all the knowledge, and truly a single scene can recontextualize everything very quickly, and that is happening pretty much every episode), Sam would not say that Dean abused him. But, at the same time, that’s a half truth and a half lie, because you can be blinded by faith and love and loyalty to things really going on. Dean at a certain point also would’ve never said John abused them either, and we all know that’s not reality. It’s all messy and complicated, is the point. Just as messy and complicated as real families are.

There’s also a difference between what the creators / narration is trying to tell us/get us to understand, what the characters are telling us, and what the audience can gleam from the text. I don’t believe the point the show runners are trying to make is that Dean is abusive to Sam. I really don’t. Yes, you can certainly extract that from the text, and the things they do to each other and what happens between then is fucked up and if any of that is happening to you in real life you should get out and get help, but this is also all relative when this is a fictional show and they are fighting literal monsters. Like, Sam has been tortured multiple times. I don’t think in the face of that he would call Dean one of his main abusers. But we are normal people with normal lives, so, yeah, it’s bad in that context. In their world, however, I think it’s fair to move the goalpost of severity a liiiitle bit considering. You know. They go to hell and fight the devil. Little different to typical family life.

It’s also not that serious, and I know that someone posting about their interpretations of a fictional situation between fictional characters on tv show does not automatically indicate their feelings on something so horrible and serious like abuse in real life, unless they state so, but that’s a different conversation.

Anyway. Nuance, babey!

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Chapter 66

We find out later this chapter that Thistle has memory issues. The Living Pictures in his house are probably there to help him remember everything important to him.

So the Island Lord was convinced to seal the dungeon after everything that happened. Ideally, the Canaries would be as uninvolved as possible, but Kabru and Mithrun falling down the pit made Pattadol decide to call reinforcements.

Since that hole is barely within the first floor and the first floor technically isn't part of the Golden Kingdom, Thistle probably doesn't have the power to fix the hole.

This elf is stunning.

Is this a Dark Elf? I love how Kui is using whites to show all the details on her. But she's still able to use black outlining to define her features as well. Who say's you can't draw black people in manga or anime? Anyone who genuinely believes that has a skill issue.

The ebony elf is a guard while the long-haired elf and the elf with the scar are criminals. I'd assume they are the criminals assigned to the ebony elf.

There are so many fun things going on in this panel.

Some of my favorite details:

Two elves are curious about Tade while another is scared

Hien is actually fairly tall and stands over several people in this shot

Namari is trying to pull Mr Tansu off the ebony elf while Kiki tries to diffuse the situation

Shuro does not like that he's been dragged into this situation

While Rin and Shuro were talking, Tade picked up and threw some of the elves and then got kicked in the head. Hien and that scarred elf kept staring each other down the whole time.

Good job Mr Tansu. You just killed the ebony elf, Shuro, and Rin. Also, I think Hien is still staring down that one elf even while her master falls to his death.

I'm so glad that all these plot threads are happening at the same time. It's hard to keep track of time in this series since there's no real day/night cycle.

That door doesn't match anything I've seen before (I think). I'm gonna guess it's the door up.

Fleki uses several different types of bird familiars and can even use several at once. She must be really good at multitasking.

Kabru's wrists have writing on them that looks similar to the spell that Izutsumi had.

The seal on Izutsumi summoned a hag from a star parking that doesn't seem to exist on Kabru. Marcille said Izutsumi's spell was a repurposed gnome spell. Maybe it was repurposed to bind a summoning spell to Izutsumi whereas the normal spell is used for general restraint. Kabru keeps his hands close to each other, so it's just magic handcuffs.

Pattadol also has that lip-biting nervous tic.

Scylla from Greek myth had a lower body of a sea serpent called a cetus. Dunmeshi instead gave it a wolf body.

Wouldn't it be funny if the Canaries encountered Giga Hepta-Head Marcille and Giga Double-Headed Flame-Ice Senshi earlier and that's why they show up in the visual about Laios's wish?

If the demon will eventually try to drive the dungeon lord above-ground, does that mean the Winged Lion wants to replace Thistle because Thistle stubbornly refuses to leave the dungeon? And this would also increase why Marcille would be an ideal dungeon lord since her wish necessitates expanding beyond the dungeon.

I hope we get more details about Utaya before this series ends. I want to know if the dungeon was a natural or artificial one, and if there might have been a dungeon lord and what their wish was. Also, I want to know about that part about the dead turning into monsters.

Mithrun has only one desire so he's easy to manipulate. It's easy to imagine him willingly eating, sleeping, and conserving his mana if you tell him it will let him beat the demon. I'd like to see Kabru tell Mithrun that he needs to poop if he wants to beat the demon.

It's always funny to cut back to the Touden party in a chapter with other groups in it. So many serious things are happening, and then we cut to what they're doing and they're running around trying to make curry.

Izutsumi always seems so excited to help out with the cooking. Remember how she perked up in chapter 36 when she thought Maizuru was going to task her with helping to cook something only to get mad when that didn't happen?

She was pretty focused and inquisitive while the party was making curry. Maybe she likes making things and performing simple, repetitive tasks that have clear end goals, and cooking happens to hit on that.

Where did they get that giant plate from?

That's a really cool use of Changelings. If Marcille's tonic works, then it would be possible to be immune to the spores and you could use them to transform different foodstocks. If safe utility methods are researched, they could greatly expand a restaurant's menu. Or maybe adventurers could use a changeling apparatus to vary their travelers rations.

Of course Laios's mental image of the Golden Country people include a minotaur and the minotaur has far more detail to it.

In Laios's defense, I would have done even worse at remembering Kabru's name if I was in his place. At least he has an accurate recollection about his face.

The scene on the first floor has escalated. Hien and that elf are now fighting each other, Kiki and Kaka are trying to drag the Tansu's away, and Benichidori is checking her makeup.

How did they get in this situation?

When the Winged Lion said it was going to restrain Thistle's power, I didn't know it meant by literally trying to restrain him and Falin.

Chilchuck looks like he's only pretending to celebrate. Meanwhile, Marcille is grabbing and lifting Izutsumi's hand in the air.

It's the raspberry thing all over again. The Red Dragon wants to show how much he cares about Thistle but Falin's personality is influencing how he expresses it.

The only time I can say Chimera Falin definitely spoke was at the end of chapter 36. There was that one moment in chapter 37 where she spoke to Laios, but I'm not sure if that was real or imagined. During the raid fight, she spoke incantations and managed to do one even after Kabru slit her throat.

I think her inability to speak is not because of Kabru slitting her throat. Instead, I think she was given some additional physical modifications after the fight and she lost her voice during them.

A lot of Thistle's memories with Delgal are them sharing food together. The Winged Lion took something from him that's made him who he is now, and I think it took Thistle's desire to share. And without that, Thistle's wish to protect his kingdom and its people was twisted into a desire to keep everyone and everything and see them as possessions.

And if his desire to share is gone, then Thistle cannot fathom the joy of sharing food and feeding people you care about. So maybe he took away the peoples' ability to enjoy food because feeding them became a hassle.

back

[therese-lokidottir]

Oh, it is an attraction thing, but it has nothing to do with the actors physical appearances.

For Loki, the audience is introduced to his character first, it's shown what drives him, his pain is shown first before he becomes villain. Moreover what Loki's pain and trauma is something that can be deeply relatable to people. People can relate to feeling like they don't belong and that they are different. That is attractive to people, not necessarily in a "Oh, he hot" way, but the way that people are intrigue watching and they want to see more. Loki is a whole character the audience sympathizes with before he starts doing the bad, and it's shown the complicated feelings he has while he's doing the bad thing.

Also, yeah Loki does bad things, he hurts and kills people that had nothing to do with his traumas. But Zemo complains about the collateral damage killing his family and then with almost no sense of self-awareness cause so much collateral damage that kills people. Even Zemo motivation is kind of nonsense, his thought process is breaking apart avengers will mean things like ultron won't happen again, even though most of the other avengers had nothing to do ultron and the accords were already in motion.

When Loki calls people out, he is actually calling out their hypocrisies and flaws. Zemo just talking bs to make himself seem smart, nothing he says is supported by text. Ultron was built because Tony thought he knew best and the avengers falling apart does not change that. Also, whatever nonsense Zemo spouts out about superheroes bad because people believing too much doesn't work because a) we are never shown just regular people perspective and b) nothing Zemo does breaks the regular people beliefs nor changes the fact superheroes exit.

Before I continue, I want to clarify that I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with liking Zemo just as much as Loki. I’m simply trying to explain why characters like Loki tend to attract more fans.

It's going to be more effective to see a character break then be told it. I feel that heartbreak when Loki learns he's been lied to, and he doubt if he was ever loved at all. I don't care that Zemo's off-screen family died, I don't him and all it results in is making look like a hypocrite.

Also, a factor that plays in to specifically Loki vs Zemo is that Loki in the comics had the Kid Loki and Ikol arc going on at the height of his popularity, not to mention how Norse mythology can be something interesting to get into and Zemo is a straight-up Nazi in the comics. That probably also played a part.

While to extent we all forgive certain things in some characters we like while condemning in characters we don't like I do think there is more nuance in it than that.

Not everyone who likes a character is trying to justify them of woobify them. People can be intrigued and entertained by a character while understanding they have done terrible things and are bad.

Me personally I much prefer watching Loki over Zemo any day of the week. I just watch creature commandos, Doctor Phosphorus is a sadistic monster, he's my favorite character in the show.

a bit aggressive post, but I can't handle emotions sorrry (no)

how fucking annoying I am when people wank on Loki, but who at the same time hate Zemo, I mean seriously guys? Do I need to remind you how many people have suffered because of Loki? Oh yeah, he has a tragic story and he didn't hurt your minions, so he can, but Zemo... you don't understand, he doesn't have a pretty face like Loki and he hurt precious Bucky. Guys, either don't be buzzkill moralists or treat villains equally.

P.S I like both Zemo and Loki, I don't feel negative towards the latter and I don't hate him.

P.P.S in any case, justifying bad actions with your psychological trauma and problems is wrong and is not an excuse, but when it is a fictional universe, everyone decides for themselves what to do, I do not think it is bad to love villains. but I think it is hypocritical to justify one and hate another

[will80sbyers]

People being convinced that Stranger Things is all about the supernatural is so funny to me when the writers themselves have said multiple times it's all about the characters growing and the relationships between the characters, and the supernatural plot simply doesn't work without that because that's the real heart of the show and the real reason you're watching it and being so invested in their story, they are telling a story about the characters before anything else, the supernatural is the tasty salad around the actual meat, like it or not that's a fact 🤗

[backpackingspace]

Odysseus with his head in his wife's lap, happily not paying attention to anything, humming one of athenas song and carving something

Some random guy: your majesty----

Odysseus: not bothering to sit up: whatever my wife decided is fine.

[nomattertheoceans]

I've been reading the Percy Jackson books for the first time over the past two weeks! Just finished "The Battle of the Labyrinth" last night (which btw is my favorite of the series so far!!)

I have now gained a new obsession but it might not be what you think

[19catsncounting]

Hey does anyone still think about the thematic differences between Supernatural and the Wayward Sisters and how self-isolating male hunters are compared to community-building female hunters and how this was shown from the Harvelles to even arguably Missouri Mosely and even Samuel Campbell who is his daughter's father almost more than a man himself (especially in Season 6) is not immune to this?

And how the Wayward Sisters could have been built not on sacrificing yourself to this singular all-consuming relationship with your brother and sacrificing yourself for the world second or in name only, but instead on what it takes to cut yourself into useful and digestible pieces for the sake of keeping your place in that community because you're almost certain that it's This Community or Solitude Forever (Alex you can never escape the life no matter how much you don't want it you've gotta pitch in do you want your family to die on this hunt Claire you know you'll never find anyone to love you unless you make yourself softer and then are they really loving you are you even worthy of love anymore Jody your husband and son would still be alive if you listened and learned you can't lose another child in every sense you can't quite let your children be defenseless children either and you know so well how sick this fear makes you and how you're dealing with it the wrong way your son got to be a child but your daughters can't be that vulnerable Even Donna you have Your Role to play here you're not good enough as a hunter but you're funny and happy and you don't take up that much space so that's exactly how much space you're given to exist in).

And yes, a lot of these things are echoes of Kripke Supernatural but instead of too-intimate and dark and quiet confessions that the Winchesters share and know that no one else could ever have the context to fully understand it's Community it's All Our Problems the humiliation and shame is all-encompassing because there is no privacy Everyone Sees You Everyone Knows You Everyone Wants To Fix Help You.