#though I've changed some things over time.

[well-of-silence]

IMO installing Linux is never the real issue, it's adjusting to the ecosystem. It's realizing Photoshop isn't available to you anymore and figuring out what the hell gimp is. It's finding out that your discord streams have no audio. It's booting up to a tty and recovering your display manager when you don't even know what a display manager IS.

The learning curve is real (and worth it) and I think it turns a lot of people off. It certainly gave me problems (it took me several years and multiple Windows failures to finally daily drive linux) just because I had to basically start over learning basic shit that Windows just *does* for you by default. And I've mever even used their connected shit like onedrive and office suite etc.

People are scared of change and losing the things they've learned to do. And some people just don't have the time or patience for that.

I think it's a bit annoying when Linux users downplay the giant shift that switching causes (I'm guilty of this though, I mean who isn't)

All that is to say I just want people to realize how brave some people are for making the switch and how daunting it really is. If you've used a Windows machine casually for 15, 20, 30 years it's gonna be rough. It's a lot more than "install linux". But it is 100% worth it.

windows users love complaining about microsoft to me and when i suggest linux they're all like nooo installing it is too harddddd and when i offer helping them going through this process that is as easy as installing windows (while having none of the drawbacks) they're all like. but im scareddddd

of what? actually owning your computer???

[authorhjk1]

I know its just wishful thinking but I hope you can release something short for Irene’s special day on March 29.

March 29, 2025

(Irene X Julie X Male Reader) word count: 2550

Julie breaks your kiss and leans back against the wall behind her.

"I want to open my birthday present now"

She bites her lip and pulls you closer by your collar.

Unfortunately for her, her group has some kind of performance on a music show today. Right now the two of you are in some hallway, away from Kiss of life's busy changing room and basically anyone else.

"What makes you think you're getting a present this year?"

You rest your hands on her naked waist.

"Because I've been a good girl."

Julie laughs as she wraps her arms around your neck.

The two of you engage in another passion filled kiss. Your tongue dances with hers. Her lips are pressed against yours. You feel her slowly reaching down for your belt. Without thinking you start to take off her top. Your hands then wander over her tits, squeezing them while Julie moans into your mouth. Her own hands work on your pants.

"I need you right here, baby."

Julie mumbles into the kiss as she lets your pants slide down along your legs. You feel one of her hands stroking your cock as you let go of her lips and attack her exposed neck. A deep appreciative moan leaves her lips, but you know you probably don't have much time for foreplay. Despite being in a distant corner of the building, there could always be someone walking in your direction.

You quickly undo the button on Julie's dark jeans and open the zipper. Instead of taking her pants off her properly, you just pull them down far enough to expose her pussy. Her lack of underwear tells you that the gift she got this morning didn't satisfy her enough.

"Take me."

She whispers, her voice rises a pitch higher in anticipation.

Your hands are on her waist once more and you pull Julie up so her pussy is on the same hight as your cock. She quickly spits into her hand and then gives your cock a few strokes, coating it with a thin layer of her saliva. She's now standing on her tip toes as she looks up at you with big eyes. You look back down at her, your eyes darting to her lips. You find hers when you lean down and as your lips lock with hers, your cock penetrates Julie's pussy.

The two of you moan in union as your bodies melt into each other. Your girlfriend's tight snatch feels warm and wet around your cock as her hand lock behind your neck once more. She pulls you further against her, which makes her tits press against your lower chest. You feel her hard nipples even though your shirt. Her efforts makes your cock sink even deeper into her.

Soon the hallway is filled with moan after moan as you fuck Julie out in the open. There's no room to hide in. No shelf or something to hide behind. Nothing. Just the two of you in the middle of the hallway. Julie pinned against the wall, one of her legs wrapped around you, while you hold her up by her waist.

"I can't get enough of your present."

Julie chuckles, before kissing you again. You continue to fuck her against the wall, while her pussy seems to suck you in.

As time goes on, you forget everything around you. The only things you can feel and see are Julie's pussy around your cock and her big eyes, which are looking up at you. She feels the same with you. Your cock feels amazing inside her pussy and she can't help but admire how you seemingly effortlessly pin her against the wall. She can feel how the pleasure inside her systems starts to grow with every moment and her hands hold onto your shoulders even tighter.

"You feel so good, baby."

It's the only thing Julie can say while you fuck her in the middle of the hallway. You don't plan on stopping, until you completely take away her ability to speak. You want to make her cum. Not just as a birthday gift, but also because you love how she looks while she orgasms.

A disappointed whine leaves her lips when you slow down.

"Turn around."

You growl into her ear, your ability to speak properly slowly starting to fade away as well.

Julie complies and a second later, you fuck your girlfriend from behind. You press her against the wall, which is now in front of her.

"Oh god..."

Her eyes roll to the back of her head as she feels her left cheek being pushed against the cold brick wall with every thrust.

Julie bent over slightly on instinct, but you need her flat against the wall. You push into her further and take a step forward.

"Oh, shit..."

Another whine leaves her lips as you fully bottom out inside of her. Her entire body is now pressed up against the wall. Julie feels her nipples slightly rubbing against the rough surface of the painted bricks. She bites her lip, trying to suppress a scream of joy. The fact that the surface isn't just rough, but also cold intensifies her pleasure even further.

"It's too much."

She mewls when she feels your fingers sneaking around her waist on their way towards her clit. Once you find it, you start rub it, making Julie lose her mind. You're stimulating her pussy and her clit, while the feeling of the wall against her nipples drives her crazy.

"Good girl, Julie."

You whisper into her mouth, before kissing her naked shoulder. Your words send her on her way towards her orgasm with no option of turning back. You feel her body slightly heating up as her moans grow in volume. Your thrusts keep pinning her against the wall, while your fingers continue to work on her clit.

"Oh my god."

A deep moan signals your girlfriend's incoming orgasm. You feel her slightly backing her ass up into you, trying to get you even deeper inside of her.

"I-I'm..."

Her ability to speak abandons her, before Julie can complete her sentence. A moment later, you feel her pussy contracting around your cock. It makes your own head spin, but you do your best to hold on. Julie seems to lose control over her body as another moan leaves her wide open mouth. You come to a hold as she reaches her high, wanting to have her really enjoy her orgasm. Still inside of her, you feel her pussy trying to make you cum as well as her juices continue to coat your shaft. A small trickle escaped her stuffed pussy and is now running down her thigh.

"Oh wow."

She finally says, still against the wall as she catches her breath.

"Happy birthday."

You lean in and give her cheek which isn't pressed against the wall a loving kiss.

Now that you've made her cum, you're not sure what to do. Clearly Julie has had enough. Her thighs still feel like pudding and you have to hold her up. When she slightly pushes herself off the wall, you get the hint and take a step back. Her breath hitches when your cock leaves her pussy.

"Thank you so much, baby."

She turns around, but instead of looking at you, she focuses on something on your right. Her eyes grow wide in shock. You mentally slap yourself as you quickly turn around, expecting a staff member. If it was one of her members, Julie would look surprised, embarrassed, not afraid. You should've know better. After all, Julie has an image to uphold. What if people find out about this? What would her fans say if someone talks about her getting fucked in some hallway?

All those thoughts and worries race through your head as you turn around. It's not a staff member, but you're not sure if that's a relief. In front of you is standing Irene. Red Velvet's Irene.

Despite accompanying Julie to the occasion award show here and there, you've never seen Irene from such a small distance. She's barely standing three steps away from. And despite Julie being your girlfriend, you can't deny that Irene is unbelievably beautiful.

Her cold expression slightly darkens the light of her beauty as she casually leans against the wall, arms crossed in front of her chest. She clicks her tongue in a dismissive manner, before shaking her head. By now you have completely forgotten that your still naked. You're too afraid of what might happen next.

"You shouldn't be doing this kind of stuff out in the open like this, Julie."

"Y-Yes, sunbaenim."

Julie bows apologeticly and you feel bad for her. She must be even more embarrassed than you are.

"And you too. Shouldn't you know better."

"Sorry."

You murmur, although you're not quite sure why you're apologizing. What is Irene gonna do anyway? Tell on you?

"Well, at least it looks like you got your birthday present, Julie. Congratulations."

"T-Thank you, sunbaenim. Today is your birthday as well, right? Happy birthday."

Julie's shy words make you look at Irene again. You didn't know the two of them are sharing a birthday.

"Thank you."

Irene now looks at you.

"Since we're already on the topic of birthday presents..."

She lets her unfinished sentence linger in the air. You and Julie both watch how Irene's eyes slowly travel down your body, until she reaches your cock.

"It seems like you haven't finished yet. Why don't we help each other out?"

You're surprised by Irene's words. A moment ago she was scolding you and Julie about having sex in the hallway. And now she wants it too?

"What?"

"I still haven't gotten a proper birthday present yet and you are still hard. I want to suck you off."

Your dumb question makes her crack a smile.

Her words linger in the air once more while you and Julie try to process them.

"Come on, big boy."

Irene takes a step closer and reaches for your cock.

"Don't you want noona to take care of your cock? It's all hard and stiff."

You let out an involuntary sigh as her fingers graze your shaft.

"What do you say?"

Irene's words are directed at Julie.

"Huh?"

You see your own excitement, worries and uncertainty reflected in your girlfriend's wide open eyes.

"I'm just gonna give him head, so it's not cheating. Plus, you're watching anyway. So what's the harm?"

You don't say anything and wait for Julie. She only needs to say one word and you would step away. But it seems like she isn't completely against the idea of watching another woman sucking her boyfriend's cock.

"It's fine by me. I-I guess."

"Perfect."

Irene purrs and focuses on you next.

"Get on these stairs over there. I'm not gonna kneel on this floor."

You do as she says. Once you reach the stairs, you take two steps and turn around. Irene is standing now right in front of you again, with Julie leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. You're now at the perfect hight, so Irene barely has to lean down. You hear your breath hitch as you feel her warm breath on your cock. A moment later her lips touch your head. Irene makes a point of not opening her mouth fully, so she's kinda forcing your cock past her lips. It feels better than you thought it would.

You glance at Julie, who's eyes are glued to your dick as Irene takes more and more of it. You're fully aware that your cock must still be covered in Julie's slick, but Irene doesn't seem to care. Once she's taken most of your length into her mouth, she starts to suck you off properly. Her lips glide along your shaft, while her tongue is either pressed against the underside of your length, or is swirling around the tip. Her right hand is lazily stroking your base, while her left one is holding onto your thigh for support.

Within moments, you lose yourself in Irene's blowjob. Julie isn't bad at giving them, but it feels like Irene is on another level. Probably more experience. She has you legs shaking after just a short time. You hesitate, but your overwhelming pleasure is forcing you to hold onto her shoulder.

You glance at Julie again, who's hand has disappeared inside her opened jeans. She's touching herself while watching her senior give her boyfriend head. It feels weird to you. Not necessarily bad, but weird. And it's obviously not just the fact that it's the first time your receiving a blowjob while the other person is standing as well. But because you're getting sucked off by someone who's not your girlfriend. While said girlfriend is watching.

But it seems to only add to your arousal. Because when Irene begins to really enjoy herself and starts to make some noise, you know you won't last much longer. Her slurping sounds echo through the otherwise silent hallway. She gets a little messier by adding more spit to your cock in form of spitting on it.

You can't see it, but you can feel how when she's taking most of your cock, Irene is sticking out her tongue underneath your cock to just get half an inch further down your length. It makes your situation worse and you feel a familiar knot building in your abdomen. You know that if Irene decides to deepthroat you, you'll cum immediately.

Apart from Irene's sucking sounds, you now hear the faint sound of Julie playing with herself as well. She must be knuckles deep inside her own pussy as she watches the two of you. Her eyes are aide open in arousal as she bites her lip.

"Irene..."

You groan her name, trying to warn her. You're now only seconds away from falling over the edge. But instead of stopping, Irene just continues to move her lips along your length. If anything, she becomes a little faster, which makes you stumble a little faster towards the edge as well. You try to hold on, but it's no use.

"Oh, god..."

You groan louder as your orgasm finally overwhelms you. You feel Irene trying to take more of your cock as you unload inside her mouth. Your legs buckle and you have to hold onto her head to not fall over. Once you're all empty, Irene continues to lick up the last drop of your cum, before she finally lifts her head off your cock.

You can't believe what just happened, what you just experienced. But it's not over yet. With her mouth full, her cheeks bulging a little, Irene turns towards Julie and reaches her after two small steps. She pulls her in for a kiss and you watch how Irene and your girlfriend share your cum right in front of you. It almost amkes you hard again as it drags out longer and longer. Eventually, it seems like the two of them swallowed all of it in the process. They now both turn towards you.

"Our birthdays aren't over yet."

Irene states and after Julie glances at her, your girlfriend gives you a knowing smile.

"Would you like to continue this after our schedule, baby?"

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

Hi everyone!

This might come out a little late for some of you, because I only got the request barely a day ago myself, so I didn't have much time to write it. I hope you enjoyed it and happy Julie day and happy Irene day! I didn't know that the two of them share a birthday up until yesterday.

Stay healthy!

[themilfsland]

Here we go again | chapter 2

Pairing(s): Wanda Maximoff X female!reader

Summary: Your path keeps colliding with Wanda, making you wonder if she feels the same way you do or if she even remembers anything. You will have to wait for an answer.

Words count: 2.9k

warning: none

A/n: I tried to make something different with the narrative, so I add some parts as Wanda's POV, but mostly is readers. Please coment if this way is confused/boring, then I can change for the next chapters.

The song lyrics for this chapter is "Angel Eyes" - ABBA

fic menu / chapter 1

"Wanda?"

Her face was expressionless. if she was surprised to see you there, she hid her reaction very well.

"Y/n! What a surprise to see you here!" — she smiled, but her expression remained unreadable. — "Well, let's not keep you waiting. Let me check your room and help with your luggage."

Check-in was done, and Wanda offered a tour of the place—it was truly stunning - the restaurant, the lounge, the game room, and even a cozy little library. Every room had large windows, letting natural light flood in while the fresh breeze played with the curtains.

There was only one problem in that paradise—Wanda. You were trying your hardest to act normal in that situation, but you were probably failing miserably with your awkward smile. On the other hand, Wanda seemed completely at ease, as if running into you didn’t affect her at all—and deep down, that was bothering you.

"Alright, here’s your room." — She handed you the key, and as you reached for it, your fingers brushed against hers. You wondered if she felt the same thing you did. — "This room is great, it has a beautiful view of the sea. I hope you enjoy your stay. If you need anything, I’ll be at the front desk."

Just as she was about to leave, your curiosity won over, and the words escaped your mouth before you could stop them.

"Wanda"

"Hm? Yes?"

"So, you moved? Are you living here now?"

"Oh, yes. Not too far from home, right? But yes, I've been living here. Not too long ago, though." — Her voice saying "home" kept echoing in your head.

You didn’t know what to say, and she didn’t seem to be in the mood for conversation either.

"Well, that's good for you, I guess…"

"Yeah, thanks. I’ll be on my way then, got other things to do. See you around." — She turned, indicating that the conversation was finished.

--

"Okaay, what was that?" — Yelena said, closing the door to the room. You threw the luggage on the floor and headed for the balcony door, needing to breathe.

"Y/n, talk to me. It's her, right? Wanda?" — She followed you to the balcony. — "Well, you have good taste, she's really beautiful."

"Shut up, Yelena!" — You kept your back turned to her.

"Ok, ok, sorry. But it’s not my fault you didn’t have any more pictures of her to show me, so I had to use my imagination. Anyway, she surprised me."

The one time you confided in her about your romantic history with Wanda, you had to leave out some details and tell a few little lies, like saying you didn’t have any photos of her anymore — lies. Now, you felt a sharp twinge of guilt for not being completely honest with your best friend. Maybe it wasn’t just with her that you hadn’t been truthful — perhaps you weren’t being honest with yourself, either.

"If you don’t want to talk, that’s okay too." — She stayed by your side. — "You know, I just want to help you."

You turned to her, locking eyes. — "Then we’re leaving." — You replied firmly, your steps heavy as you made your way toward the room.

"What? No, no, Y/n!" — She grabbed your arm. — "Look at me. You’re not thinking straight. Breathe. Come on, with me." — She started breathing deeply, guiding you to follow her rhythm.

After a few deep breaths, the two of you sat down on the bed.

"So… do you want to talk now?"

You let out a deep sigh. — "I don’t know what to say. It’s her, in the flesh, it’s Wanda."

"Alright… it's her… but you have to remember that what happened between you two is in the past. You’ve moved on, and so has she. You’re both adults now."

"But… but…" — Your words seemed to be trapped in your throat, a wave of frustration and anger starting to course through your veins. — "Did you see how she reacted when she saw me? I looked like a stranger to her. This is ridiculous. I should’ve known from the start that she was like this. I was too pathetic to believe her words. We made plans together!! And then, in my last attempt when things got harder, I went to her house, but that guy, the son of the owner of the place where her family set up their business, told me she didn’t want to see me and had already made her decision. So…"

"Wait, what?" — Yelena interrupted you. — "You never told me about that last part."

"No? Well, maybe because it’s too humiliating. My clown face, staring at that boy — her future boyfriend. Everything was planned, and I was the one who didn’t fit into her story. The worst part was having to hear her last words through his mouth."

"I'm so sorry, Y/n. I didn’t know." — She held your hand. — "Those were her choices, not yours. Whether she regrets it or remembers that time, it’s not for you to know. But you can’t let her affect you like this. She’s in the past."

Yelena's words felt like thorns, but deep down, you knew they were the truth, and she only wanted what was best for you.

"Thank you, Yelena. I needed to hear that. It’s just… it hurts to remember all the good times when I thought I could never live without her."

"Oh, little thing, I know, heartbreaks aren’t easy. But you’re strong, a determined person. And we’re here in this amazing place to have fun and make the most of it." — She said, standing up and pulling you with her. —"Come on, positive energy. No sad faces. Whether Wanda is happy or not, that’s not our problem. Our focus is on us." — She started walking toward the door, holding your hand to make sure you followed. — "Let’s grab something to eat and check out the beach. The next few days will be great, I promise."

---

POV Wanda

Agatha jumped out of her chair as she heard the door being violently thrown open.

"She’s here, she is fucking here."

Another loud noise as the door slammed shut.

Wanda’s body seemed to dissolve like sand onto the couch in the hotel’s office. Agatha remained motionless, sitting behind her desk — she was the owner and manager of the place, and during her free time, she also indulged her talents by mixing drinks at the bar. Her eyes were fixed on Wanda, so confused that she couldn’t say a single word.

She probably said something else, but it was impossible to understand the muffled sound through the pillow.

"Okay, okay, what’s going on? And who is she?" — Agatha stood up and walked toward the sofa.

More muffled and incomprehensible sounds. Agatha rolled her eyes and pulled the pillow completely off Wanda’s face.

"Wow, your face looks terrible. I guess 'she' must be a ghost you just saw." — Wanda let out another frustrating grunt and covered her face with her hands. — "Ok, sorry. Something bad happened. I’m all ears. Tell me." — She pulled Wanda's hands away, now staring at her.

"She’s here. It’s Y/n, she’s here at the hotel."

"Wait a minute. Y/n??? You mean that big love of yours?"

"Shut up. She’s not my great love. She’s ridiculous. She left me, don’t you remember what I told you???"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. You were in love and made plans for the future, but then she told your guy she was leaving and didn’t even want to speak to you directly."

"Yes, she left me, and no, Vision is not my man. Please, you know that whole other story with all the details, we don’t need to talk about it again."

"I know, I know, my bad. I just want to say that you made great memories with Y/n and then with Vision, and both are in your past. There’s no reason for this to shake you now, you’ve moved on, and I’m really proud of you."

"Thank you, Agatha. But why would she be here? Exactly here?"

"Hmm, I don't know… This is a tourist spot, anyone could come here. Is she alone?"

"No… there’s another woman with her."

"Oh, so it's a honeymoon."

"What? Are you crazy? They’re not together like that, why would they be a couple???"

Agatha noticed the shift in Wanda's tone of voice.

"I don’t know. Maybe because this is a place couples usually visit? And what if they were a couple? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to know about her anymore and that you didn’t care? It seemed to me like you had gotten over her years ago."

"Of course, I’ve gotten over her, and honestly, her personal life doesn’t interest me."

The seconds of silence felt eternal. Wanda sat down on the sofa, now next to Agatha. A sigh of frustration escaped her.

"Alright, no bad mood here. I know seeing her again made your heart tremble a little, and there’s no point in denying it, I know you. But I won’t force you to open up about your feelings right now, you need to breathe a bit."

Agatha stood up, pulling Wanda’s hands to get her to stand as well.

"Let’s go buy some sweets for you to eat."

"You know, something with alcohol would be more welcome right now."

Agatha let out a laugh as she walked toward the office door. — "First of all, I believe it's still too early to drink, and second, I think you forgot the simple detail that you can’t do that." — She left the door open, signalling for Wanda to follow her.

"Ugh, sometimes you’re so boring."

---

"Everything here is perfectly perfect. I feel like I’m in a summer movie." — Yelena said, walking beside you while swinging a shopping bag — this is what she said she wouldn’t spend too much on during the trip. — "Now I get the feeling you have about this place."

"See? I’m always right." — You winked at her. — "I’m just looking forward to seeing you wear that hat you just bought. It’s so out of your style."

"Are you mocking me? I can't believe it, what a terrible friend you are!!!" — She pulled the hat out of the bag and put it on her head. — "See? This is style." — She struck a pose. — "It’s not just you and your love who have a beach vibe."

You raised an eyebrow and crossed your arms. — "Honestly, Yelena. Can you just be quiet for one second?" — You knew she was just playing around, but deep inside, your mind brought back images of you and Wanda watching the sunset by the beach. It was a nice memory, and you allowed yourself to enjoy the warm feeling that came with it.

"Where's your sense of humor? I feel like my best friend got swapped out on this trip. Come on, Y/n, you’re not like this. Just relax."

Before you could respond, she pointed ahead and said, — "Ice cream!! Let’s get some. Look, I’ll grab that table for us to sit at, you make the order." — Not giving you a chance to argue, she headed toward the table. — "Find a refreshing flavour for me, like some natural fruit, lemon or mango, I don’t know. Just pick something tasty."

--

You placed your order and stood waiting by the counter. Your thoughts were calmer now. The walk and fresh air had really done you good. Even though it wasn’t your hometown, you felt welcome, almost as if you were at home. The view of the sea, the tranquillity, people laughing and having fun – it was your place of peace.

Thinking of your hometown brought Wanda to your memory. You tried to focus on the good moments—the first date, the walks together on the beach, the meals you cooked together, everything when it was still good, just you and her. But then, your memories unravelled as your vision adjusted to the sight of Wanda right there in front of you.

"Oh, hi there." Her voice was soft as if it was meant only for you to hear.

It took you a few seconds to process that she was actually standing there in front of you and not just a figment of your imagination. Her scent was the same as always—the smell you had once been addicted to. She was closer now, even more so than when you had met earlier. You could see every detail of her face—your eyes tracing every feature, like watching a favourite old movie replaying. Soon, a wave of sadness washed over you, mixed with a bitter tinge of anger—bad memories consuming you. How was she able to make you feel all the good and bad things at once?

"Are you okay?" Her voice again reminded you that you hadn’t responded. "Don't tell me you're remapping the stars." She let out a soft laugh, easing the tension in the air.

That phrase made your stomach twist—"remapping the stars"—it was what you always said to her whenever you found yourself admiring her face - when her face was so close to yours. And sometimes, your fingers would trace her skin, caressing every part: her lips, her eyebrows, her mouth, her nose. Every touch of yours, you said you were mapping the stars.

Why did she say that? Does she remember everything like you do? But how unfair and painful it was for her to say that to you. You swallowed hard, feeling your throat tighten. You forced yourself to give the bare minimum of a response, acting as if it hadn’t affected you at all.

"I'm waiting for the ice cream that Yelena ordered."

"Oh, of course."

You noticed how her expression and mood shifted suddenly. Then, you found yourself questioning what could have caused this change—was it because you mentioned your friend's name? Is she imagining things about you two? Or is it you who’s imagining things?

The uncomfortable silence was broken when the attendant appeared at the counter holding an ice cream.

"Vanilla with chocolate chips? Whose order is this?"

"It’s hers." You said without thinking, so spontaneously that it even surprised you.

The attendant handed her the ice cream, she took it- a surprised glance came your way.

"How did you know?"

"Oh, um, I guess your favourite flavour hasn’t changed then." You forced a laugh to lighten the moment.

She just nodded. "See you around, then. Bye."

---

"Sooo… aren't you going to tell me?" Yelena said, savouring her ice cream.

"Tell you what?" You tried to play dumb.

"Seriously, y/n? I saw everything."

"Everything? What did you see then?"

"Are you playing the fool? Alright then, I saw you talking to Wanda and the way you were looking at her." She raised an eyebrow as if challenging you.

"And what kind of look would that be?"

"Okay, look, if you don’t want to talk about what just happened, we can stop here. I’m just trying to help and understand." Her dry tone definitely irritated you. "But I saw your look to her like you were going through a whirlwind of emotions all at once."

"It’s just… I… she… it’s totally her fault! Did you look into her angel eyes?? one look and you're hypnotized." You tried to justify yourself, but as soon as the words left your mouth, you immediately regretted it.

"Wow, are you trying to justify yourself, or are you convincing me that you still have feelings for her? I’m confused now."

You took a deep breath, trying to understand your feelings—the truth was, you didn’t know the real answer to her question.

"I don't know, it's just that every time I see her, will it bring back all the pain?"

You sounded sincere, and Yelena nodded, giving you the space to organize your thoughts.

---

POV Wanda

"Perfect, Agatha. Of all the places here, she was there, making an order."

"This time, you can't blame me. It was you who wanted ice cream, and here we are."

"Okay, but why didn’t you come wait with me? You said you were coming right behind."

"I know, but then I saw you start interacting with someone — y/n. So I thought it was better not to intervene."

Wanda stopped walking, standing still and staring at Agatha with her arms crossed.

"Honestly? The conversation seemed to be going well between you two. What happened in the end?"

"What happened? I don’t know, she was just there waiting for her order—the ice cream for that other girl." - Wanda emphasized mentioning Yelena, and Agatha noticed.

"So, are you jealous? You don’t even know that other girl properly."

"I’m not jealous!!! And I don’t care about that other girl or anything. I don’t care, okay? Even though she always used to look at me that way. I guess it’s a game she likes to play."

"Okay, Wanda. If you say so. And honestly, maybe you’re seeing things that aren’t there. Maybe it’s your heart speaking this time."

Wanda chose not to continue the conversation. She ignored Agatha and turned, heading back to the hotel. She savoured her ice cream—her favourite flavour, vanilla with chocolate chips. The last words of her friend replayed in her mind—heart? Oh silly and fool heart. "She took my heart, now I must pay the price," Wanda whispered to herself.

Taglist:

@starrycherie ; @raven-ss ; @swaqcenix ; @milflovers4

[crimsonfrostx]

A Road Well Traveled (Azriel X Reader)

Part 5

Word Count: 3065 Warnings: Scars, angst, body trauma Part 1 Part 4

You take a shaky breath, the thought of reliving and telling the inner circle your story making your body tremble. But the feeling of Azriel's arms around you, his steady heartbeat against your forehead, gives you a sliver of hope and strength. You could do this. You just needed your family. "We should... go back inside," you breathe out slowly like you're trying to convince yourself.

Azriel nods, his chin still resting on top of your head. "Yes," he murmurs, his arms tightening around you for a moment before he slowly releases you, his hand gently gripping your waist as he leads you back towards the dining room. As the two of you reach the dining room, all eyes turn to you, but no one speaks. Cassian, Rhysand, and Mor, watch you with concern, while Feyre and Elain both look on with curiosity. Nyx was missing, presumably placed back in bed.

The only person who remains unbothered is Nesta, though you suspect that her expression is more out of indifference than anything else. Amren just simply looks expressionless, sipping from a goblet filled with thick scarlet. You blinked at that, having almost forgotten her drinking habits.

Azriel takes his seat, his gaze flickering towards you as you hesitate at the edge of the table. Without speaking, he motions for you to sit, his hand gesturing towards the open chair beside him. You straighten yourself, gliding forward and taking your seat once more in between him and Elain. Rhysand lifts his brow, waiting for an explanation. You sighed and began.

And so, the whole story spills from your lips, in a voice clear and unemotional. You tell them of your departure from the Night Court, your journeys to other Courts and continents you'd been to, and the training you took. You speak of your time away in detail. From your words, they get a sense of the horrors you’ve experienced, and the fact that you have indeed changed, but they hear the loneliness that echoes within you as you describe the long years away from the home you once called family.

The room is hushed, the only sounds coming from the crackle of the fire. 

"And all of this time, you've been dealing with this...power?" Rhysand breaks the silence first, his gaze flicking towards you. You nod slowly, a strange sense of comfort filling you as you get out the things that have haunted you for so long. Azriel is completely still in his seat, having heard things from your in depth explanation that had his mind reeling. "I've been trying to control it. I didn't want to come back until I was sure I wouldn't affect anyone," you continue, feeling your heart ache all over again. "But I couldn't stay away any longer. I heard about some of the things that I missed. I've been trying to get back sooner, but... the anxiety and frustration it's left me with has been making traveling a little harder."

Rhysand's expression softens at your words, his gaze flickering to Azriel. "And you never had any help controlling it?" he asks gently, his concern for you showing. You lift your shoulders slightly in a shrug. "I've tried to find out more about it. Where it came from, if anyone else has ever had this power. I haven't found much, and I haven't come across anyone who doesn't become affected by me sooner or later."

Mor taps a manicured nail against the table, her gaze sharp and calculating. "How have you managed when you're out there all alone?" she asks, her voice filled with curiosity tinged with concern. You dip your head feeling their gazes on you. "It... was difficult," you say carefully.

Rhysand leans forward, his expression hardening. "Difficult how?" he pressed, his eyes scanning your face. You sigh, head lifting to scan their faces.

Cassian leans back in his chair, his gaze sharp and unwavering, his hand clenching on his knee. Mor's brows are furrowed, her usual carefree demeanor replaced with a look of seriousness you've only seen a few times. Feyre leans into Rhysand, her gaze glued to you, while Elain's hands are clasped in her lap, her face pinched in concern. Nesta looks mildly interested, though you suspect she's listening intently. Azriel is the only one who looks as he always has, though the only thing that betrays his indifference is the way his fists are clenched in his lap, his knuckles white. Amren… remains Amren.

"I don't want to talk about it, Rhys," you try to keep your voice steady.

Rhysand eyes you intently, his gaze flickering to the others around the table before returning to you. "I think you need to," he replies firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

You look like you want to argue. You don't see the use of this conversation. What was the point? You breathe in deeply, trying to control the current of emotions beginning to burn you from the inside. "It won't change anything," you point out softly.

Azriel's eyes narrow. "It will," he chimes in, his voice firm. "We need to know how to help you. We need to know what you've been going through." You grit your teeth, deciding that Azriel was now officially a traitor. "I affect everything and everyone," you mutter, clenching your hands into fists in your lap. "I found out the hard way."

Azriel’s gaze flickers, his jaw clenching as he considers your words. "What do you mean, you found out the hard way?" he presses gently, his expression darkening.

You hated this. Closing your eyes, you have to remind yourself that your family was just worried and curious. They didn't mean harm. Azriel didn't know the hurt he was asking you to relive. "I mean," you start slowly, eyes opening to stare down at the table, "that even animals and creatures can get pissed off and agitated by me."

Understanding seems to register in Azriel’s gaze, his expression hardening. The others look at you with a mixture of pity and shock, but stay silent, waiting for you to continue your story. "I tried getting away from civilization, thinking it would be safer for everyone if I just... disappeared into the forests. One wrong nightmare later, and I found myself being mauled by anything with claws close by."

Rhysand's eyes widen, a look of horror flashing in his expression. "Mauled... by what?" he asks, his voice hoarse with concern.

You physically shudder, the images flashing behind your eyes. "A few different things," you grit out, standing slowly, hand raising the material of your shirt, your other hand pushing the band of your pants down slightly. Large, ragged scars crossed your torso and disappeared down your hip, various lengths and widths. But all of them were clearly made by multiple sets of claws, your body having been shredded viciously.

Azriel's gaze lands on the scars, his eyes widening in horror. His gaze travels over the numerous scars, taking in the extent of what you've been through. He clenches his hands into fists, his body trembling with emotion.

Mor and Feyre cover their mouths, their eyes wide in horror. The table is deathly silent as they take in the extent of the trauma your body has endured. You fix your clothes, eyes distant and feeling numb, sitting back down. "I know it's not a meal friendly show and tell," you offered over a humorless chuckle.

Silence fills the room once more as the weight of your words and the horror of your experience sinks in. Everyone is clearly affected, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. After a moment, Azriel, who looks as if he's fighting the urge to be sick, finally speaks. "How did you..." he starts but can't seem to finish the sentence.

"How did I get away? How did I survive?" You finished for him, knowing that's what they were all thinking. "I didn't get away. My fear began affecting them too, and they ran, leaving me shredded and dying."

Azriel flinches as the words leave your lips, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. The thought of you alone and injured, bleeding out in the middle of nowhere, sends his heart plunging.

The table is eerily silent again as everyone grapples with what you've said. The image of your body, left to bleed out in the dark, is too much to handle. It's too much to imagine you laying there and suffering, alone and scared, dying a slow, painful death. The ones you know the best are horrified. Rhysand, Cassian, and Mor look pale, and even Amren had frowned, her silvery eyes still locked on where your scars were now covered.

You pick up your drink and down it in one go, not meeting anyone's gaze. Mor eventually breaks the silence, her voice coming out quietly behind her own drink. "...What happened after that?"

You shrug, acting indifferent to hide the tremors that had started, the edge of your power flicking up, anxiety, unease, and fear beginning to spill from you. "I laid there for over two days. Someone eventually came across me, patched me up the best they could."

Azriel’s jaw clenches at the thought of you laying there injured and alone for two days with no hopes of help ever coming. He can feel your emotions beginning to spill over and he forces himself to relax, his breathing slow and steady in an attempt to combat your feelings.

"You're lucky to be alive after that," Rhysand says quietly, his gaze flickering over your trembling form. You nod slowly, eyes drifting over their faces before blankly looking at the table. "Yeah... lucky." You murmur, placing your empty glass back down. "I think I need to rest. Could you ward my old room?" You ask Rhysand without looking his way.

Rhysand clears his throat, glancing at Azriel, a tight nod following. "Of course," he replies gently, "and if you need it, I'll even put wards around the common rooms." You just nod, knowing that Azriel was probably communicating silently with him.

Rhysand stands, excusing himself from the table and disappearing down the hallway. Azriel's eyes follow him and then land back on you, his expression softening. "I'm going to walk you to your room,"he murmurs gently, his gaze flickering over your face.

Another slow nod, like all of your energy has just left you. You didn't want them to know the worst of it. Didn't want them to see you broken and bare, but now maybe they'll understand the danger of this power. The things it can make people and creatures do. You wait a few moments, blocking out the rest of the table and their eyes full of pity. Even Cassian has his head turned away, trying and failing to school his expression to something other than horror. Maybe it was disgust. You finally stand, carefully maneuvering out of the dining room without a word, moving to grab your bag by the front door.

Azriel immediately stands and follows you, catching up with several long strides. He silently grabs the bag from your hand, tossing it over one of his shoulders like it weighed next to nothing. The walk to your bedroom is quiet, the two of you both lost in your own thoughts. You take the stairs slowly, hand on the rail to guide yourself up. Reaching the top, you catch Rhysand slipping out of your room from down the hall, having just finished warding.

Rhysand pauses in his steps, his gaze flickering between the two of you. He doesn't speak, just looks at the way Azriel stands beside you, so close your shoulders are almost touching. But Azriel's gaze is locked forward, his focus on nothing else but the door in front of him that leads to your bedroom.

Rhysand lets his gaze linger for a few moments, his expression softening slightly as he watches you both. He eventually makes his way down the stairs, disappearing from view towards the rest of the group downstairs.

Azriel gently pushes open the door to your old bedroom, setting your bag down next to it, before following you in. Despite the lack of use, the room is clean and neat, bed and furniture still intact. Azriel glances at the walls, seeing the faint glow of Rhysand's wards.

You glance around, heart clenching at the fact that it remains untouched. "I hope it works," you say softly, eying the glow of the wards.

Azriel watches you take in the room, a small frown tugging at his brow. His gaze lands on your own, taking in your expression. "If it doesn't, we'll figure something else out," he replies, the words leaving his mouth in a soft, determined tone. 

You watch him silently for a moment, tilting your head to the side like you’re analyzing him.

Azriel raises a brow, his eyes roaming over your face, taking in the careful mask you’re placing on your expression. He crosses his arms, shifting on the balls of his feet. “What are you doing?” he asks, keeping his tone gently to not disturb the silence in the room.

"Wondering where this optimistic version of you came from," you mused quietly, the pain was still in your eyes though not nearly as prominent now that they were alone.

Azriel’s expression softens at your words, his own eyes looking you over. He takes a step closer, close enough to reach out and touch you if he could. “This version of me is always here,” he replied quietly, “usually you have to pay attention to see him.”

Your lips quirk up into a small, sad smile. "Bold of you to assume that I have never not paid attention to you."

He takes another step closer, his expression turning into one of seriousness, his gaze roaming over you. "Really? I recall quite a few missions where you blatantly ignored me." He takes yet another step, his body mere inches away.

You raise your hands, setting them against his chest, feeling the muscles flex slightly to adjust to your touch. "I'm very good at acting," you counter, his proximity making your heart race. Azriel bows his head down, lips lifting up into a slow smile.

“You think you’ve been the only one ‘acting’?” he asks lowly, hands coming up and resting gently on your hips. You gaze up at him, your breath catching your throat. "What do you mean?"

He pulls you flush against him, not answering you immediately, relishing in the way your breath hitches. He drops his gaze towards your face, taking you in. His gaze flicks over your lips, studying them like he wants to memorize them. His hands gently grip your hips tighter, as if trying to keep you from disappearing. He murmurs softly, "Are you telling me you truly didn't know I was always paying attention to every little detail about you?”

You take a deep, shuddery breath, attempting to keep it together under his gaze and touch. His nearness made your heart thunder and your mind grow light and dizzy. "I-" you try to speak but the words seem to get stuck. How do you tell him that you had noticed how he would pay attention to you, would sit right next to you during meetings or training, and would gravitate toward you in any room. You always had hoped for more than his friendship, but had seen his eyes on Mor on more than one occasion. You settled for keeping him as a friend, and thought for sure he’d despise you for leaving.

He squeezes your hips gently and his gaze flicks over your features, trying to read every expression in your eyes, every tremble. "It drove me to madness how I could never get you out of my mind. How I tried to forget the way your laugh sounded. The smell of you - wildflowers and rain..." He leans in, his nose nuzzling against your neck, inhaling slowly.

"Az," it's a broken, pleading sound that stops him, your hands shaking against his chest.

Azriel freezes, your voice breaking through the fog of wanting you. He takes a small, reluctant step back, his own body trembling. "I-" he starts, his eyes roaming your features, desperately trying to figure out what's going on in your head. What made you pull away from him when he had been so close to taking what he had always wanted. What he thought you had wanted.

"I can't do this," you say softly, your voice breaking. You turn away from him, pacing to the other side of the room. 

Azriel watches you, his eyes wide as you distance yourself from him. His hands fist at his side, wanting to grab you and pull you back to him. "Why?" he asks quietly, his voice strained.

You turn back around and look at him. "Because! Because I have been away for seventy six years! I haven't seen anyone from this family, the only people I can trust in the world, in that entire time. You have no idea how alone and scared I was out there. And now, I am completely terrified that I'm going to kill someone because of this power. I'm absolutely scared to death that I will lose you forever. My control is so close to slipping all of the time. I can't add you to that. I won't." You suck in a sharp breath, looking devastated. "I don't even know if this is you, or if this is my emotions affecting you."

Azriel's shoulders drop, his gaze pained and shattered, but filled with more emotions than you have ever seen before. Anger, pain, confusion, and fear. But also affection, desire, want. "You really don't know if this is me or emotions you've affected me with," he nearly scoffs, his voice a hoarse whisper.

You nearly flinch, your eyes watering, as you try to breathe through it. "I... I don't. I'm sorry," you whisper back weakly.

Azriel's throat tightens as he sees the tears in your eyes, and he turns, crossing the room, stopping at your door. He glances over his shoulder to speak, his voice low and gruff, his shadows swirling around him like they were agitated. "Get some rest. We will speak in the morning." He murmurs without looking at you again and slips out the door, closing it softly behind him, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Tag list:

rcarbo1 zanaorian tiffany-xx goofygoeber annamariereads16 suppppp97 chaosabroad dallynjennasgirl

[adara-of-the-flame]

the-name-is-hoggle

Hoggle cringes slightly as the red head actually calls him a "dead cave”. Wow. No matter how far he was from his childhood home, the more things did not change.

This feeling increased as the other dwarves approached, practically closing in around him and the somewhat clueless Mars - oft. He suddenly remembered she would definitely be super lost about what was going on - and made their opinions known. At least it looked like more were trying for the common tongue instead of Khudzul? Though that arguably just meant that Mars could be dragged into the discussion as well.

“Really, it’s nothin’ ta make a scene over. The apology is already more than appreciated….”

Of course being in the Summer Queen’s good graces really seemed to pull at the dwarves want to “right” things for Hoggle. Ugh. He rather preferred when no one thought twice about the words thrown his way. It was weird for anyone to care….

It was with relief - and a little trepidation - when Hoggle heard none other than Sir Didymus approaching them. He, Dumpling, and Yumika being led by Hickory over to where the Spring Prince and his bard stood. As soon as the knight saw his friends , Didymus hailed to them. Waving his staff about to get their attention while they were still a ways away.

“Sir Hoggle! My Lady Mars! There you two are! We knew you would return unharmed!”

And off the little fox-terrier creature bounced, making his way through the crowd of dwarves with some polite exclamations of “Pardon Me!, "Coming through!” and so forth. Both in common tongue and Khudzul, as a matter of fact. Which took Hoggle by surprise, he had no idea Didymus knew any at all!

What the -?!

“My, my! And new attire as well! I must say, a much better fit for the type of quest we are on at least!”

He grins as he finally reaches the dwarf and Urru, clapping Hoggle on the shoulder before grinning up at Mars. The smile going a bit slanted as he spoke,

“We spent a rousing night with Hickory playing Scrabble! Lady Yumika is still in a huff about how well she did at the game, but for a first time player it was not bad at all! You two seemed to have had a much more interesting night, yes?”

He turned to regard the redhead, their grandparent, and the rest of the assembled dwarves with bright curiosity.

“What is going on?”

Hoggled sighs lightly. Explaining for the whole group now.

“Short answer: our red headed friend over here commented on my lack of beard yesterday. ”

And other things.

“Their grandparent caught wind of this and was unhappy. A beardless dwarf means someone in mourning in older circles so they thought I’d been highly insulted and wanted to make amends. I wasn’t. I appreciate the apology I got anyway…It’s fine.”

Didymus hums lightly at this before commenting idly,

“…I admit I have wondered if you shaved everyday…”

Another sigh from Hoggle.

“No, Didymus. I’m just like this.”

adara-of-the-flame

Not for the first time in her life, Mars found herself wading around in a sea of short people. She had no problem with this. When you're seven feet tall, and have generally been on the tall side all of one's life, it's a useful, addaptive strategy to learn to look down and make sure you're not stepping on anyone.

...Or, sitting on anyone, since no sooner had Hoggle dryly confessed to always being different, then the half-Urru promptly folded one long leg over the other and sat cross-legged on the ground next to the dwarf. They still weren't eye-level. Close enough, though.

"You know, it's not so bad being different. Beleive it not, I'm not normal, either." She grinned, brushing some long hair behind an inhuman ear. "And, I've had a lot of people tell me it's not okay for someone to have four arms, but I don't let it bother me. It has it's advantages. Just like having no beard." Were the other Dwarves still arguing? It's almost like the whole, hairy mob had forgotten Hoggle, and thus why they were arguing to begin with.

"I mean, it's really hot here, right?" Mars continued. "Having a beard and all that hair would just make you overheated and sweaty. Not being hairy is practical; it's cooler. And, your hair doesn't get stuck on trees, and branches, and stuff." How her literal yards of hair never got stuck or tangled itself was anyone's guess. Mars always said it had something to do with the conditioner she used. "And, I think you look good either way, beard or no beard."

Was it just her, or were the other people besides she and Hoggle suddenly shorter than they were a moment before?

...And, getting shorter!

Mars looked down. The ground at her feet had been replaced with a leaf and petals seat for the two of them, a large stem rising the pair up from below. "...Are we on a flower? Hoggle, are you doing this?"

"No, but by the time I'm done with him, he should be able to do even more." The pair continued to rise until they were eye to enormous eye with Selva Roja. "Last Dwarf on Their Feet doesn't start till sundown. Until then, you're mine for Spring Training, Little Prince."

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[bunni-v1]

Bunni's Ifa Brainrot

🍓Obsessing over this man right now, so now you'll get the big dump of my thoughts based on what I've seen in the event quest. Some of these come from conversations I had with @pinksandss my fellow Ifa enjoyer, others are just me vomiting whatever I can get out. These are subject to change just the initial thoughts based solely on vibes from the event and in game dialogue.

TW: NSFW under the cut MDNI; unedited I cannot be bothered.

General

-Ifa is incredibly chill, like super laid back. He's not the kind of guy to panic or freak out needlessly, he likes to take his time with things and get them done in however much time he needs. Being rushed just isn't something he jives with.

-That being said, his being laid back doesn't mean he's lazy. Far from it, he's actually incredibly hard-working and takes his job seriously. What's important to him is important to him, and he's not the kind to slack off when he (or the people he cares about) cares about something.

-He's level-headed and reliable, very much the cool older brother type that people look up to. His casual demeanor makes him seem intimidating, but he's actually really easy to get along with if you give him the time of day. Some people might think he's a bit rude with how he holds himself, but he just doesn't care for silly niceties when that's not who he is.

-He's very funny. His sense of humor is dry and he says shit with a straight face, but it always gets you laughing. His timing is always perfect, and sometimes (most times) he's not even trying, he's just charming like that.

-Speaking of charming, he's a flirt, but not 100% intentionally. It's just the way he talks and the way he holds himself, he comes off as overly ambitious in love when he's just being honest about how he feels about someone or something. Not to say he isn't aware of the effect he has on people, just that he's effortlessly good at what he does.

-Despite his ease with socializing, he doesn't strike me as someone who really likes it much. He feels more like he enjoys his alone time more than he does being around others. Sure he'll go out and spend time with people, but he's much more fond of spending quiet time with the saurians.

-When he does like someone, though, it's pretty obvious. He affords them a lot more room for error and goes out of his way to spend time with them/let them in his space. Examples include Ororon, where Ifa seems to humor him, and might even have a teasing streak with the way Ororon talks about him.

-He's well respected, but he doesn't demand it from anyone. The respect he has is through his own hard work, and I don't believe that he's the type to let it bother him if he isn't respected. He's self-assured, and as long as he's getting the job done, he doesn't really care what other people feel about him.

Romantic

-If Ifa is romantically interested in a person (you, specifically), he isn't going to beat around the bush. He's intentional about how he approaches you, not leaving any room for question in the way he feels, but not pushing you into something you don't want. It's pretty obvious what he wants from you, but he gives you plenty of space to make the final decision.

-You can almost imagine it like how he approaches wounded saurians. Obviously, you're a highly intelligent person, and of course the same species as him, but he takes his time in earning your trust and getting you to open him up with his intentions clear as day. He doesn't want to run around and play games, he wants to be with you, so he needs to know if you want the same thing.

-When you do eventually accept his advances and start returning them, he's relieved. Not even all the confidence in the world would've saved his heart from breaking if you'd turned him down. You didn't, though, and so now you get to know Ifa in a more intimate way than others.

-He is so gentle, you wouldn't expect it from someone who seems to be so chilled out all the time, but he is. Part of it comes from the fact that he deals with wounded animals several times bigger than him, but it also is just how he is. He loves you, and how he shows that is through a gentle demeanor no one else is really afforded from him.

-This gentleness does not mean he isn't a tease, though. He likes to poke fun at you, and he expects the same in return. Part of being in a relationship is wanting to have fun with your partner, and what's more fun than picking on each other a little. It's just a sign that you know each other well enough that you know how to get under each other's skin.

-He's very much a 'says it as it is' guy, so he's straightforward in how he compliments you. His "flirting" is more like straightforward comments that leave you reeling for a few seconds after he gives them. It's very different from the perceived "flirting" mentioned earlier, this is very intentional and he wants to see you fluster.

-He is not a romantic, though. Not the type to go for grand gestures of affection and bold displays. His love is quiet and he doesn't like to put it on display, preferring to keep it close between the two of you.

-Instead of fancy shit, he likes to do little things for you that get you all kinds of soft and mushy inside. Like cooking your dinner or coming home with a bouquet of your favorite flowers to decorate the kitchen table. Small things that require time and effort, maybe they're not sparkly, but they're consistent shows of his dedication to you.

-He's very serious about your health, while he's a saurian vet, he knows enough about humans that he knows what he's talking about. He takes good care of you, feeding you well and making sure you're getting all the nutrients you need to remain happy and healthy at his side.

-He also memorizes everything you tell him. He's a smart guy, and he's good at compartmentalizing things in that head of his so he doesn't forget anything. While he might not always be on time to do things because of work, he always shows up. If he is late he always shows up with an apology gift and a pitiful little expression.

-If you show interest in his work (or are in the same line of work as him), he's happy to indulge you. He won't make you do anything intense with serious illnesses, but he does like letting you help him about the clinic and what not.

-He goes out of his way to include you in his life, wanting you to be interested in his interests and the things he does. In return he's equally as invested in yours when given the chance. He loves hearing about what you like to do and the things you're working on.

-Oh, and, yes... he does call you bro. Not even you are exempt from it.

MDNI Under the cut

NSFW

-Ifa is a busy guy, flying around all over Natlan to check up on various different cases. He can spend days at a time without seeing you, and while he's good at suppressing himself and his needs, boy does it get hard when he comes home and you greet him with a big smile after days of endless work.

-After much thinking, I've come to the conclusion that he is a hard top and he cannot be swayed from that. No matter how much you fight him, he's always in control, even when you think you are.

-His sex drive is relatively low, but he can match you pretty easily if yours is higher. He's good at ignoring his own needs, but if you come to him and ask him all cute like that he can't say no to you. He's not nice, though.

-His biggest kink is, obviously, cockwarming. It matches his laid-back and relaxed vibe so well. He's not someone who rushes into sex, and as such, he can have you sit there on his dick for as long as he wants without feeling the need to move once. It's usually reserved for when he's working on something more hands-off, but sometimes... sometimes it's more of a "teaching" moment.

-He likes to quiz you on medical knowledge, regardless of if you know it or not. He'll have you sit on his lap and ask you questions about different things, curious to see how much you remember from your conversations with him. If you get things wrong he'll make you sit there until you get it right. If you get it right he might let you wiggle around a bit, if he's feeling it that day.

-He makes you look at him too, no hiding. He's an observer at heart, so he likes seeing the struggle on your face regardless of the position you're in. Finds it incredibly hot when your face scrunches up to keep yourself from making all those cute little noises he loves.

-Also he's just incredible with his hands. It's genuinely mind-melting how he's able to hit every pleasure point in your body with those deft fingers of his.

-He's got an oral fixation focused on you, not that he doesn't like eating you out, just that he finds your lips wrapped around him to be a much nicer sight. They get so red and swollen when you suck him off, and you take him so well, he can't help the way it burns into the back of his mind.

-Before he fingers you - which is another favorite of his - he likes to have you suck on his fingers to get them ready. He has so much fun playing around with your tongue, pressing it flat beneath his fingers and swirling them around it. And you do it so diligently, obedient to a fault.

-Well, you know what happens when you don't listen. He'll use those fingers against you until you can't think straight. He won't stop until you're a blubbering, overstimulated mess underneath him, begging him for forgiveness.

-And he knows how to get you there quickly if he wants to. While he likes to take his time, and that can be a fun punishment too, when you've really messed up your orgasms come in quick succession and they are relentless. If you let him he'll fuck you until you're dry.

-Of course nothing but the best aftercare afterwards. He might be mean but he's not a monster. He cleans you up and makes you all cozy in bed, gets you hydrated and eating if you have it in you to. Just so sweet on you after you've given him all you've got.

[cubur]

I’ve been seeing your art all around the internet and trying to find your page where you are active. I finally found your tumblr and was so happy until I saw the posts about your pet and how bad you are feeling. I just wanted to let you know that your art truly brings light into my life and even if you stop drawing it has forever impacted me. I wanted to say thank you and I hope you will return one day.

Hello！ Well, I probably haven't been around for 3 months. I've had the chance to read all the messages now… And I realize i've caused a lot of you to worry, so even though i can't answer each of you individually at this point, i thought you at least had the right to know what was going on.

Ok, when I lost my cat about 3 months ago, I lost many things along with it. I don't know if you guys noticed, but i'm not as active as i used to be. In fact, I can't even remember the last time i drew narusasu …it feels like i've forgotten how to. Honestly I never imagined this day would come… I mean… I don't know how this sounds to you guys, but i won't be able to be active on this account anymore even if i wanted to. I've been trying to hide it, but i've been having arguments with my family about my fan arts for the past year or so. No, not in the way you might think. It's just… maybe many of you won't understand, but my country is going through serious financial struggles, and unfortunately i no longer have the time to create art for free like i used to.

For over ten years, I've been making a living by drawing at my desk, creating things online, whether good or bad. But at some point it stopped making me happy, yes, and that's when I started drawing fanart. Believe or not, the sense of warmth and belonging I felt here was something i had never experienced anywhere else. Yes ofcourse I love Naruto and Sasuke, but the warmth I felt and the feeling of knowing that i wasn't alone was what truly brought me here. Some of you made me laugh, some of you made me cry, and some of you even made me really angry at times. But throughout my life, I've met very few people whom i truly felt close to, and one of them was someone i met thanks to this community. That's why I want to sincerely thank you all！If I've been fighting all this time, it's because I don't want to leave you all. But after a certain point, trying to manage both of my accounts actively caused me to spend extra energy mentally and even physically. So, in the end, I burned out.

Recently, every time I drew sns, i ended up arguing with my family, and it just made me feel like this was the place i should give up. Unfortunately, people can change when it comes to money and that's why I had to take a break.

If you ask where I am now and what I'm doing, i'm still doing one of the things i love, i mean drawing, but active and working on my other account, which is completely different from this one. I'm not planning on closing my account here yet, still have unfinished commissions, and just want to leave the door ajar in case i still have a chance to come back in the future. But still, if you were to ask my honest opinion, I would say don't get your hopes up too much…

No matter what, take care of yourselves guys！ Thank you！❤️

[himluv]

My Heart (it's been beating)

The penultimate chapter of my Rookanis longfic is here! Chapter 53 of Say My Name (say it twice) – in which the Veilguard make their final attempt against Elgar'nan, and Lucanis makes a long overdue confession.

(a/n: I've decided that the final chapter will go up on Sunday morning, and I'm going to be very obnoxious about it, so I hope you'll join me in celebrating The End of this fic :D)

Read this chapter below or over on ao3!

The morning came too soon. Lucanis had never slept as hard as he had that night. He’d slept the whole night through, dreamless and restful until Rook woke him. He worried that she hadn’t slept, though she swore she did. He wouldn’t blame her if her sleep was fitful – the day ahead of them was daunting to say the least. 

Lucanis and Rook. SLEEP. The demon assured him. Spite watches. Spite protects.

Lucanis sighed, but accepted the demon’s assurances. If she hadn’t slept, he could do nothing about it now, anyway. The faction leaders would arrive at the Lighthouse soon. His quiet, private time with Embria was over. 

So, he dressed quickly in his rumpled, day-old clothes, then helped her dress in her leathers. Their hands brushed and lingered as he fastened her many belts and pouches in place, neither of them eager to leave the other. To end this intimate space they’d carved out for themselves. 

Once she was dressed, he took her hands in his. “Embria…” he looked away. “Today, this fight…”

She squeezed his hands. “Whatever happens,” she said. “We’ll take it on together.” She smiled at him, and though it was a little sad, a little fearful, it was true. “We can handle whatever comes next.”

Lucanis watched her, felt the air leave his lungs in awe. He snorted. “All I have to do is kill a god to keep you out of trouble.” He rolled his eyes at her. “Easy.”

She kissed him, her lips urgent against his, and then she pressed her forehead to his. “Go,” she breathed. “Get changed. I’ll meet you and the others in the dining hall soon.”

He nodded, kissed her one last time, and then left the room to prepare for the final fight. 

By the time Lucanis stepped out of the pantry and into the dining hall, everyone was assembled around the table. Everyone but Rook. The team sat in their usual places, their quiet glances tense. On edge. Strife and Viago stood, staring down at a map of Minrathous. Because, of course, the Fifth Talon had such a thing readily available. 

“Does anyone else want coffee?” He asked the room. 

Taash snorted and Davrin shook his head. Viago glared at him, but nodded once, which Lucanis interpreted as, ‘you’re an idiot, but if you’re going to make some…’ Strife just grunted and crossed his arms, which made Emmrich smile. Antoine and Evka shared a puzzled look, but said nothing. 

Neve shrugged. “I won’t say no to a cup,” she said. 

Lucanis nodded, and set about making enough coffee for the group – he was sure Embria would want a cup as well. 

He’d just handed a steaming mug to Neve when the dining hall door opened, and Rook stepped into the room. 

Rook. Is. Sad, Spite said, glancing at Lucanis from where he crouched before the fire. Said. Goodbyes. Long overdueeeeeee.

He suspected the demon meant Varric. The last time Rook had been in the infirmary alone, she’d thought the dwarf was still alive. She’d gone to him for advice, for guidance. And while Lucanis didn’t understand the magic that had made that possible, he knew that Embria would carry that wound for a long time to come. 

Solas had stolen the memory of her mentor’s death. Had used the likeness of the man she viewed more like a father than any other, to mold her into who he wanted her to be. And he had delayed and compounded her grief in the process. 

No, Embria wasn’t going to get over that anytime soon. But, she could stuff it down for now and focus on the job at hand. 

“Thanks for your patience, everyone,” she said as she approached the table. Lucanis handed her a cup of coffee, which she took wordlessly. There was something in the graze of her fingers on his, in the way she leaned into him just a little. She was ready for the fight ahead, but it wasn’t like the days before Tearstone Island. There was no wall between them, now. Lucanis hoped there never would be again.

Their familiarity must of shown, because Viago raised an eyebrow at Lucanis. Lucanis shrugged and sipped at his coffee, returning his attention to Rook as she laid out their plan of attack. So far, it was all good, straightforward and logical. Embria chose team members to aid certain factions as they worked on getting past the city’s defenses, the giant guardians, and the Venatori mages controlling them. 

“The Crows will handle the mages,” she said. 

Lucanis cradled his cup in both hands, looking down at the map and the various utensils and cups she’d used for pieces. He knew someone from the team needed to go with the Crows, and if anyone was going to succeed at killing the cult leader, it would be him. But, still, he hesitated… he didn’t want her to send him away while she took someone else to the fight with Elgar’nan. 

But, the mission’s success was more important than their personal feelings. They both knew that. 

“Someone should go with the Crows,” he said. He kept his eyes on the map, unable to look at her. 

“You’re right,” she said. There was a long pause as she considered it. “Taash,” she said. “Time to earn that cape.”

“Yes,” they said, nodding and pumping one fist. 

“Contract accepted,” Viago said, the barest smirk on his lips. 

Lucanis glanced at Embria, and for a second he saw the truth in her eyes – she couldn’t leave him behind. He would be by her side to the very end. As it should be. 

Yesssssssss, Spite hissed. We protect. Our ROOK!

He took another sip of coffee to disguise the smile that crept across his face. He would be there with her, and this time, they were going to win. 

The fight through Hightown was one of the more harrowing fights in Lucanis’s life. There seemed to be no end to the Venatori or the darkspawn, and Elgar’nan’s archdemon was even bigger than he remembered it being. Surely it hadn’t been this large at Arlathan Crater?

They’d briefly teamed up with Solas, which… Lucanis had not liked. He wanted to kill the man, wanted to make him feel a sliver of the pain he had inflicted on Rook, to sink that lyrium dagger into his heart up to the hilt. 

But, he knew Embria had made the right choice. They couldn’t face Elgar’nan until the archdemon was down, and they could not take out that dragon without the Dread Wolf’s help. So, they’d run with the wolf through the once lavish streets of Minrathous’s Hightown, now choked and crumbling with blight. 

They’d made good progress, and though the fight was a slog, the further they climbed toward the archon’s palace, the more Lucanis thought they might actually win. And then, the best thing had happened, something he had not dared hope for. 

They had found Bellara. 

She was blighted, had been inside a blight eruption, directing blight tendrils under Elgar’nan’s command. She looked… terrifying, if he was being honest. Her eyes burned red and streaks of blight laced around her eyes, beneath the skin. Her lips were pale, almost gray, and she seemed constantly woozy, or disoriented. She said she could still hear the blight, could hear Elgar’nan, but she was herself again. 

Neve had been overwhelmed with relief, as close to tears as Lucanis thought anyone might ever see her. And now that she had Bellara back, she kept close her close. She would not lose her again. Lucanis understood that feeling all too well. 

But, they were all safe for the moment, holed away in what was apparently the Imperial Divine’s home. A home Ashur seemed very familiar with, though if anyone else noticed, they kept it to themselves. Ashur had been a staunch ally, had sacrifice himself to protect his city and his people. Lucanis respected that, immensely. But, Lucanis had no time for theorizing about the Viper’s true identity.

At the nearby table, Rook and Bellara were speaking with the Inquisitor and Morrigan. Lucanis listened, but struggled to focus. He was agitated, that same feeling he’d had before Ivenci’s contract came due. Elgar’nan’s death was upon him and Lucanis did not want to wait any longer. 

And neither did Spite. The demon was prowling the room, sniffing at their companions and at doorways, as if searching for a way out. Eager to be on their way to end this contract. His incessant pacing only compounded Lucanis’s impatience.

But, they both needed the reprieve after the fight to get this far. He was already a little tired, a little sore. And the hardest part was still to come. So he stood in his corner, listening with only half his mind, and focusing on his breathing with the rest. He needed to be ready. He needed to focus. 

But then he noticed Rook making her rounds with the team. This was it, the final moments. And, of course, she saved him for last. 

She approached him in his corner, just secluded enough from the others to feel a sense of privacy. 

“Lucanis?” She asked, already clued in to his fractious mood. “Everything all right?”

“We have made it here and fared well in the fight,” he said, his voice low and harsh. “No we only have to wait.” He glanced at his demon, who was still prowling the room. “But, Spite grows impatient… as do I.” Lucanis rolled his neck and shoulders. “This may be the calm before the final storm, but I don’t feel it.”

“If there’s anything I can do…” There was that little crease in her brow. The one that meant she was worried about him. There’d been a time when he felt guilty each time he saw it, but now… he loved it. Loved that she was here to be worried about him. 

Lucanis smiled, just a little. “Your presence has already helped.”

Embria sighed. “It won’t be much longer.”

He scowled. “Elgar’nan’s life is measured in hours,” he said. The god-tyrant would fall today. “As for Solas…” he shook his head. “He used blood magic against you. He betrayed us. He pulled you into that prison.” His voice nearly broke, the anger resurging with a new lance of pain. No one deserved to be locked away with their own worst thoughts. Not him and certainly not Embria.  

He frowned and looked away from Rook. “I leave his fate to you, but I will not let him hurt you.”

“… Lucanis.” She reached for him, but didn’t touch him.

He sighed. “Whatever happens, my contract was for the blighted gods. Today it is fulfilled.”

She looked down, her brow pulled low. “If I’d never gone to the Crows, if I’d never found you…” Her voice trembled as she looked back up at him with shining eyes. “I’m just so grateful I did.”

He smiled. “As am I. More than I’ve ever told you…” He looked at her, really looked at her in the moment. She looked tired but ready. Determined. Her eyes were clear, if a little moist, and she was gorgeous. They were about to face at least one god. And there was no guarantee they would get another chance to say what needed to be said. It was now or never. 

“Rook. Saying I owe you my life is not enough.” He frowned, looking down at their feet. “You know my mind.” She knew it better than himself, somedays. “I’ve assumed you know my heart because…” he took a deep breath and then looked directly into her eyes. “It beats for you. It’s been beating…” 

Mierda, why was this difficult? Why was he still so bad at talking about his heart? 

“When I wanted you. When I was afraid to want you…” That still wasn’t it. He still hadn’t said the words he’d carried between his ribs all these months. “Tell me this ends with me asleep in your arms, and I will kill any god you ask.”

Embria stared at him, her eyes shimmering in the glow from the candles and the nearby fire. “Lucanis, I…”

He reached for her hand and held it tight. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed. And the warmth between them in that moment was all it took for his heart to overflow. Then the words poured from him. 

“I love you, Embria. And I won’t let you down.” 

For a heartbeat, she only watched him, her heart in her eyes. Then she tugged on his hand and pulled him to her. She kissed him, urgent and fierce and yet, somehow soft. He knew the others could see them, knew that this was a very public display in front of more than just the team. The Inquisitor, Morrigan, Dorian and so many others.

Lucanis didn’t care in the slightest. He returned her kiss, poured every ounce of the devotion he carried for her into where their lips met. If nothing else, she would face Elgar’nan without a single doubt that she was cherished. That she was loved. 

The kiss ended, and Embria pressed her forehead to his. “You could never let me down,” she breathed. “I love you, Lucanis.”

He closed his eyes, shared her breath, and let her forehead against his be his anchor. Because hearing her say those words rocked him. He was awash in a warmth like nothing he’d ever known. Not the fiery heat of passion, nor the furious burn of rage. Not the white hot, electric charge he often felt when they were alone together. 

This was something else. Something soft. A suffuse glow that spread from his chest, traveled along his veins into the very edges of him. It felt like lying in the mid-day sun after a cold swim, only better – Embria’s love would never burn him.

Lucanis took a shuddering breath. “The gods fall today,” he said.

She nodded, just a little movement against his forehead. “And then we go home,” she said. 

He smiled. That was the second best thing she’d said to him that day. And Lucanis would do everything in his power to make sure her words came true.

[ka2ki2]

AN UPDATE TO THIS POST

so, we've learned MUCH more than we knew before. a lot of these expies no longer hold up. i'll make a badly-formatted dump of some of the places where i've changed my mind:

castorice seems most like an expy of seele, specifically seele as the herrscher of rebirth. i know we already have a seele, but we also have 2 bronyas already, so... whatever.

similar appearance & personality

association with butterflies

castorice is already associated with death, which is intrinsically connected to rebirth

castorice is said to have 'another half' which was taken by thanatos; seele has 'another half' (velonia)

castorice's purple is like a mixture of seele blue & velonia red

cerydra is an expy of fu hua. they look very similar in silhouette. i'm also pretty sure she's going to carry the coreflame of law

it's said the Chrysos Heir bearing the coreflame of Law has been doing their duty off the grid. it fits how dutiful fu hua is.

Castorice: Talanton surrendered their Coreflame, though the Chrysos Heir taking over their legacy is... nowhere to be found today.  Phainon: At least the laws that govern our world are still in place. So that demigod must be performing their duty still, no matter where they are.

in tribbie's lore, it is said that "time [...] shaped cerydra". fu hua, too, had been alive since the previous era.

"Tribbie: Until Cerydra found us. It was she who united the Chrysos Heirs and turned the prophecy into law."

hysilens is confirmed to bear the coreflame of Ocean via protean hero stuff.

I actually think hysilens might be an expy of eden.

they bear a physical resemblance. same exact hairstyle is really notable

phagousa, the ocean titan, is heavily associated with drinking / drunken revelry. Eden is notable for drinking wine a lot.

phagousa is called the 'chalice of plenty'. eden was very rich and very generous as well, fitting the idea of 'plenty'.

eden was an extremely popular singer. phagousa's blessings in protean hero are called things like "swan song"- often associated with music.

of course, this probably means aglaea is not connected to eden at all.

as for hyacine- the griseo connection is basically nonexistent, but they do both have a celestial connection-- griseo = star, hyacine = sky. however, this one's under severe doubt.

tribios as mobius actually works really well, it turns out! she's like an inverted-colors mobius- her hair is red where mobius is green, her dress is white where mobius is black, and her eyes are blue where mobius's are pink-tinted. additionally...

adult tribios's dress and hair give her similar silhouette to mobius. not to mention that mobius had the signet of infinity & tribios is the demigod of the gate of infinity...

mobius is also named after the mobius strip, which is like, you twisted a strip and now people can walk from one side of the strip to the other. which somehow works "passage" in my head. i may be insane ahaha

plus, mobius has klein, which is adjacent to how all the tribbies are mini little guys now.

and most importantly, THEY HAVE THE SAME VOICE ACTOR!!

phainon, mydei, anaxa, cifera, and cyrene were obvious from the beginning. nothing has changed there.

i have other theories and thoughts, of course, but i'll leave it here as they're all irrelevant to this particular topic

Chrysos Heirs

people who play both hi3 and hsr are WINNING rn

anyway. i've determined likely flamechaser parallels for a majority of the chrysos heirs. most of them do not actually look like their flamechaser counterparts, which makes me think they're not direct expies but merely parallels.

I also sprinkled some minor analysis of what little lore we have on these guys. Amphoreus is massively inspired by greek mythology.

watch this before reading!

Aglaea = Eden (both associated with gold)

Eden owned the Elysian Realm previously, but at that time it was called the Golden Courtyard

Eden is also called the Bearer of the Gold Signet

Aglaea is called the Goldweaver

You're not going to believe this-- Aglaea is named after the Charis called Aglaea.

The mythological Aglaea basically runs errands for Aphrodite, which would explain why HSR Aglaea bears the Coreflame of Romance.

HSR Aglaea is from the city of Okhema. In greek thought (plato I think?), Okhema is an intermediary between the body and the soul. I did as much research as I could and the best I could figure out is "it carries the soul through rebirth". SORRY IF THAT'S WRONG-

HSR Aglaea has the "divine authority of mnestia". After lots of research, I think mnestia can be loosely translated to Remembrance, so perhaps that's the Amphorean way of saying she's a pathstrider of Remembrance?

Aglaea's drip marketing references the myth of Prometheus, where Prometheus stole fire from the gods and returned/gave it to humanity.

Tribbie = Vill-V (multiple 'selves') [edit: i now think it's mobius]

Tribbie is called the "three-faced messenger"

We see Tribbie adopt multiple personas in the video. She can even take multiple forms at once

Vill-V has partitioned her personality into 8 different segments

EDIT, it's probably mobius. mobius has the signet of infinity; tribbie's divine authority is the gate of infinity

tribbie is from Janusopolis and her divine authority is also called Janus, which is absolutely perfect for someone connected to messengers/passage. Janus is the roman god of beginnings, endings, transitions, doorways, etc.

Anaxa = Su (both associated with knowledge/enlightenment)

Anaxa is said to have "enough knowledge to refute faith, and to stir up a torrent capable of slaying gods."

Su is called the Enlightened of Bodhi, Enlightened One, and other similar titles.

These two have lots of physical similarity

Anaxa's namesake has some interesting connections with Nous actually

Hyacine = Griseo (both Asleep)

In the video, when Hyacine is on-screen it says "let the sky become the slumbering cot from which she wakes".

Due to the 8th Honkai Eruption, Griseo fell into a deep sleep.

Could be named after Hyacinthus

Mydei = Kalpas (fire in battle)

In the video, Mydei is seen in a post-battle poise surrounded by fire.

Kalpas is constantly surrounded by fire during battle.

Both characters constantly seek out fighting/strife.

Mydei is likely related to the greek god Deimos

He is from the city Castrum Kremnos. Castrum = a fortified military base; Kremnos = a steep place or precipice. so picture a fort on a cliff ig

His divine authority is "Lance of Fury, Nikador". My thought is Nikador is related to Nike, goddess of victory?

One of the unnamed people has a mask too though, but these guys are too similar in aesthetic and personality

Cipher = Pardofelis (...come on.)

Cat girls.

Same eye and hair color

Castorice = Aponia? (butterfly theming)

Castorice is pictured with butterflies both in the video and in the twitter art. These butterflies look highly similar to the butterfly motif in Aponia's design

Aponia is very strongly associated with butterflies. Her dress is patterned like one and she has butterfly wings in her ult

Both seem to have devastating levels of power

IDK about the greek origins for this one. Castor? Kratos (who is actually a child of the Styx)?

Phainon = Kevin (deliverance)

Yeah they're both related to deliverance. They literally outright said deliverance in the video, and Kevin bears the Deliverance Signet.

Also they look EXACTLY THE SAME

Also both seem to be the 'leader'

In mythology, Phainon is the star of Cronus/Saturn (cuz they thought saturn was a star)

Cyrene = Elysia (...COME ON.)

They look identical and have almost the exact same personality

i have yet to figure out the two unnamed ones, Hysilens, and Cerydra. nor can i find their name origins... the closest i found, after ages of digging, is this for Hysilens

the remaining flame-chasers are Kosma, Sakura, Fu Hua, and Mobius. only one of the unknown people seems to be male ("unknown 2"), so that one's probably Kosma.

And yeah that's the culmination of me losing my mind for the past 6 hours. lucky you, you didn't have to watch me try and fail to decipher what the 12 titans might be connected to. (greek titans, 12 olympians, and HSR aeons all didn't line up easily waaaaaa)

here's the failed attempt to figure out the aeons if anyone else gets ideas from this

OK thanks for reading. normally I post my loredumps in discord servers with my friends. this is my first time posting it anywhere abfiushdliueh

EDIT: after recent drip marketing, it's clear that tribbie is actually connected to mobius. as mobius has the signet of infinity, and tribbie's divine authority is called "janus, gate of infinity".

I also added a small amount of info to both tribbie and mydei about their greek/roman inspos

[for-a-longlongtime]

WIP on Wednesday Thursday

Well, first of all, my WIP folder is currently looking like this:

But fuck it, we ball right?

I got tagged by @din-cognito and @avastrasposts this week, and @the-blind-assassin-12 and @lotusbxtch last week, so I've got some catching up to do! I've been all over the place working on different docs, so you're getting a few tidbits this week.

I've posted snippets of this before (and lo! a hozier title! I'm gonna have to change that though because the story ended up going differently than planned), and after it having been on hold for months, the pieces are coming together at last.

let me wrap my teeth around the world (working title) | Santiago x Frankie “You think we did the right thing there?” Santiago says, staring at the ceiling as he avoids Frankie's eyes. Unsure he really wants to hear the answer, because of how likely it is that he is the only person who can’t answer that with a decisive yes. Fish was the only one on their team - besides Tom - who'd had a family to take care of, who needed that money probably more than any of them did because of his pilot license being suspended. “I mean... Following his lead with the money.” No answer. The deafening silence lasts for much too long. Santi grimaces as he closes his eyes. Shit. Why did he even ask? He keeps fucking up like this.

Next we've got a WIP that I haven't worked on in a bit (it wanted to go on break, bummerrr) but that I'm hoping to pick up very soon.

Untitled | Reynaldo x Matthew It’s those large hands that draw Matt’s attention first.  That, and the golden chain partially but-not-quite hiding under that checkered golf shirt, glistening every now and then in the bright afternoon sun. It’s almost as bright as the gleam in Sophie’s eyes when she throws back a shot and listens to the older man introduce himself as Reynaldo. Matt is only vaguely aware of the prepared talk that the man launches into, a few words standing out, such as ‘exclusive members only’ and ‘the best golf club in all of Arizona’. Things that everybody wanted to hear, and that gave Sophie all the more opportunity to coo at the man how this was ‘one of the best premium golf clubs’ she’d ever been at. It probably isn’t all that premium though, considering the Scotts and Dale had been able to book this place on a budget. And truth be told, it’s still unclear to Matt why they are here on a ‘vow renewal bachelor staycation’, which seemed a contradiction on its own. Or even why Sophie showed up here, acting like one of the guys, just long enough until she found someone who was willing to give her the attention she was clearly looking for. He’d seen the pattern before, especially with the girls on the Kel-squad. None of that matters though, he tries to remind himself as they make their way up to the golf course. He’s simply glad to get away from Kelsey for a couple of days - not just for some peace and quiet, but also so he doesn’t have to wonder if she’s talking to Domingo every time she smiles at an incoming message on her phone.

Finally, this last one is still in the VERY early stages, but ngl... I'm excited. Thank you to the folks who encouraged me to keep going with it! This is hella out of my comfort zone but what the hell, that's where the fun is, right? This one is going to more filth than I'll probably be able to shove into an one shot... so it may end up becoming two or three parts. We'll see.

for glory (working title) | Harry Castillo Harry is speechless, shock painted over his features, and it takes him a moment to find his voice. "You wouldn't dare to," he finally manages to say, and what had previously been surprise in his eyes has now flipped into unmistakeable rage. "Mmm, is that so, Harry? What - you think I've got morals or something?"

EDIT: WAIT!! I forgot to add one final excerpt! This is from a yet to be decided chapter from Joel and Marcus Moreno' story. I spent way too much time trying to find the right face claim moments for them at different ages, and this is what I settled on for their mid-twenties:

Joel in his mid-twenties (a.k.a. Zach Wellison in Brothers & Sisters)

Marcus Moreno in his late twenties (a.k.a. looking like Comandante Veracruz from the Burn Notice movie).

Yes, I'm as shocked as y'all are about the latter, but I promise it'll make sense. As for the excerpt:

Untitled series | Joel Miller x Marcus Moreno Marcus folds his arms as he leans back against the wall, looking every bit the charismatic guy most people know him to be. But Joel has known him a long time and can see where the varnish has cracked, and the parts he so desperately tries to cover up.  "So you don't like it. How I look. You don't like me anymore," Marcus says after a moment, and there’s something about all that combativeness on display - as well as the bitter irony of those words - that hits Joel much harder than he was prepared for. He doesn’t have the same defense system that Marcus clearly is equipped with; the mask that he can put on and off so easily after years of practice. So he just shakes his head. "Think it's been too long since you've had someone push back against you, M." "The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Joel tries to hide his sigh by drinking from his coffee, but the beverage has gone cold, the stale taste of it now bitter on his tongue in a way that feels oddly specific to this situation. "Don't pick a fight with me because you're unhappy, Marcus," he says softly.

I know a lot of y'all already posted a WIP Wednesday, so I'm just gonna link a couple of folks, no pressure as always (apologies if you've already made your weekly WIP update):

@perotovar @sin-djarin @lotusbxtch @mountainsandmayhem @qveerthe0ry

@letsgobarbs @gothcsz @milla-frenchy @guiltyasdave @oliveksmoked

@magpiepills @arcanefox207 @reallyrallyauthor @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @clubsoft

@romanarose @the-blind-assassin-12

[pressplay-if]

hi there.

i just finished the demo and i really liked it. especially the style/format of the IF. the whole thing with the timejumps and interview, really interesting.

i have a few questions:

1.) during the interlude-chapter ("triggerwarning-chapter") there is an option for MC to say, that "they started drinking again once they became of age and quit smoking completely". does this mean MC wont do drugs like smoking weed or simply no cigarettes? im asking, because if i remember correctly, relatively in the beginning there is a choice, where its implied that MC takes drugs to relaxe.

==> same with alcohol: if i chose an option, where Mc drinks alcohol in earlier chapters, will this bereflected in the interlude-chapter?

2.) during the story, will MC be in a relationship with an RO? and will it be explored? also, if i understood it right, the band broke up at some point. would this mean, the (potential) relationship between MC & RO would break too?

3.) will romance/flirt options be marked? this question leads to the next point:

4.) during the whole demo, the relationship stats for the RO´s never changed. is this a bug? do you have to code it in? or does the choices so far have no influence on them?

==> same with the MC´s mind stats; besides the job choice in the beginning, i didnt noticed any changes with these stats as well.

i assume, that at the time you answer this, you already finished your exams. anyways, good luck with them.

and thank you for your answers.

hey there! First off, thanks for the compliment and well-wishes; for now I am indeed off the hook, but I've still got some tests coming up in April... That does not spark joy. Buuut for now, I do have a little break.

1.) the smoking in this case only refers to cigarettes, not weed etc. As for the second part, I'm actually not quite sure, but those paths were really tricky to script and I might have gotten confused along the way... I'll review them when I find the time and leisure.

2.) MC will have the opportunity to enter several relationships, some as soon as the start of Chapter 4. As for how they'll work out and what exactly will happen, you'll simply have to wait and see. There are certain things in the MC's future that are unavoidable, and will impact the ROs' trust in them immensely.

3.) I've received that question multiple times now, but I have to say, I really don't wanna do that. I just really don't like it for some reason. But don't worry, you won't be thrown into any relationship without explicitly stating your interest in an RO.

4.) the RO stats change very slowly actually! I figured it'd be weird if they did, and hear me out: Lin is at the point where they idolize MC, no matter what. As for the band, MC has been friends with Angel and Stevie for longer than we as readers have accompanied them, so it'd be weird if they suddenly skyrocketed at just one or two nice/mean interactions. Zima's resentment sits very deep, and since we haven't interacted much with them in the presence so far (but you will actually be able to reconcile with them in the upcoming chapter, which will significantly impact the stat.) In general, in the third chapter, changes like that are more frequent, but still pretty small, except for certain ones. That'll change over time.

Same goes for the mental stats, though they're more there to reflect the MC's development. All in all, stats mostly function representatively for most of this game. It's more of a book imo than stat-focused.

[mrs-pondwater19]

~ The Fallout ~

-Lucifer Possessed Sam x Fem Reader

-Synopsis: You've disbanded from the team after Sam accepts to be Lucifer's vessel for the apocalypse. Going nomad and settling somewhere in rural New England away from what's left of society in order to evade the Devil and the Croatoan Virus. As well as survive the fallout of the apocalypse in peace. Only to be met face to face with a shell of the man she loved dearly. The meeting is rather interesting, recalling the days before the apocalypse, an unholy adoration, all the things that were never said, and experiencing the cold touch of the Devil.

WC: 1,899

A/N: Hello my loves, been reading some fics lately with Sammy and got a little Inspired to write one of my own. I've really been thinking about the idea of possessed Sam and how dramatically tragic it would be, not that I'm entirely one for angst but it's certainly fun to write. I also really wished they would've explored the endverse little more. Just more so seeing where everyone ended up. This story is not only inspired by the episode "The End" but also heavily inspired by the song "Fallout" by Neoni and UNSECRET. Just thought it would fit the vibe.

This story will be split up into three parts otherwise it would be ridiculously long lol.

I hope you enjoy💕.

WARNINGS: S5 SPOILERS, Depression, recollections, mentions of past relationships, grieving, isolation, desolation, slight mentions of death/disappearances, an unexpected visit.

"Hush Now, Dry Your Eyes.

Fate Is Upon Us.

The Changing Of Times.

Welcome Blood Red Skies.

Burn In The Wake Of A World Left Behind."

The wind blew gently around you as you sat in the dead, overgrown grass on the edge of a lake near your property. Overlooking the dark murky water that reflected the dull grey sky and the dark evergreen trees that surrounded you. A scene you had burned into your brain a long time ago.

A shadow of what was and will never be again.

It was a place you frequented every so often, finding a strange sort of peace in the ruralness of it all. Finding comfort in the silence of what used to be a place once full of life. Or so you assumed anyways. You came here after everything had transpired.

After you left everything behind.

But lately you'd been coming more and more, almost everyday. Staying longer and longer each time. Mindlessly staring at the water as if it cast a spell on you.

A spell of grief and sorrow that never seemed to wear off.

And your tears never seemed to dry out along with it.

With every visit you found yourself recalling how you ended up here in the first place all that time ago. The events replaying in your mind over and over again like a broken projector.

Events that left a hole in your heart that never seemed to heal no matter how much time passed. It was still as fresh as the day it all began.

That fateful day when you, Dean and Sam tracked the devil down to Detroit. Despite your better judgement, you went along with it.

The day he said "yes" to the devil.

The day he said the one fucking word.

That was the day the world truly ended.

The day Sam Winchester died at the hands of Lucifer.

You'd hoped and prayed that you'd never see that day, even though everyone warned all of you. All the prophecies that said it was destined to happen. You wanted to believe he was stronger than that, that the prophecies were wrong about him, and that he would say no and walk away like all the times before.

But he didn't.

That day was the worst day of yours, Dean's, and Bobby's on life. Watching Sam, being broken down after denying Lucifer so many times, wearily, but willingly hand himself over to be the Devil's vessel. Watching someone you all loved so dearly inadvertently end their life in front of you.

You would've denied it if you hadn't seen it for yourself. You would've called anyone who said Sam succumbed to Lucifer a goddamn liar.

But seeing the way the Devil forced his way into Sam's body like a hungry serpent. And all you could do was watch helplessly as the darkness completely consumed Sam.

Leaving no trace of his soul to be found.

After that, things started to rapidly change. Not only in your group, but the world around you as a whole. Even though the apocalypse started months before, with electrical storms, catastrophes, and the results of the four horsemen wreaking havoc on the world.

Something shifted.

Something bigger.

Something worse.

A virus.

A virus that Lucifer and his followers had been working as soon as he was released from the confines of Hell.

The Croatoan Virus.

Once it hit the mainstream, things were out of yours and any other hunters' control.

Mass extinction plagued the earth. Millions died within the first few weeks of exposure. Some came back as undead and crawled about, exposing others and spreading the virus like wildfire. Anyone who managed to evade the virus banded together groups in the countryside trying to survive with very little if given the opportunity. Or face the fallout alone.

When you, Dean and Cas formed your group, you hoped to find your place in the world.

But you didn't.

Instead you just felt lost. Unsure of where to go or what to do in this new world.

No matter what you did, you never seem to quite fit into it all.

And as much as you didn't want to. You knew you had to leave. Be on your own for a little while and sort yourself out. Using the excuse that you needed to find your way elsewhere and avoid the virus. Not wanting to risk contracting it and becoming a husk like being. Along with wanting to keep your distance from Dean. As much as it stung, it was a means to keep him safe when Lucifer would begin to seek him out. Knowing the first place he'd look was amongst his friends and loved ones.

Which they weren't complete lies. They were valid reasons for wanting to get away and be on your own for a while.

But deep down you and everyone else knew what the true reason was for you leaving your small group with Dean. Even if you never said it aloud.

It wasn't the same without Sam.

You weren't the same without Sam.

Everyone around you saw how different you were after that fateful day. How you were no longer your optimistic self, how you closed yourself off and began to just some distance between you and the group. Never taking up Dean's offers when he would go on hunts. Or when Cas tried to explain the situation with Sam rationally you just shut him down and put a barrier up, telling him you didn't want to talk about it.

You had become unreachable to the people who cared about you.

Even though you cared about the boys and loved them, you couldn't bear to be around the people you came to call family. Not without constantly remembering the memories before the apocalypse.

When life was simple.

Seeing them carry on without Sam was too painful.

And seeing the pain in their eyes as they watched you become something you weren't made your heart shatter. Feeling as if you were a stranger amongst the people you called family.

It was as if the day the Devil took Sam. He took a piece of you with him.

You knew you couldn't put your loved ones through that anymore. They already lost Sam, they didn't need to watch you die too.

So with a heavy heart, you said your goodbyes. Telling Dean and Cas that you were sorry for leaving, but that you'd be in touch.

That you'd miss them.

You even called up Bobby, letting him know you were going nomad for a little while.

He seemed to be the only one who understood why. And for that you respected him a little more.

Once you said your goodbyes, you left. Never looking back as you made your way up North to the thick, dense forest of New England.

Where you knew no one would find you.

"Down to the ashes.

Bones are left to dry

Waves of desolation

There's nowhere safe to hide."

Late afternoon set in as you sat on the edge of the water. Shaking your mind away from your thoughts when you heard the thunder rumbling in the distance. A gentle fog creeping in around you. Creating a small mist over the glass like water of the lake.

You knew you shouldn't be sulking the way you were. It wasn't going to help you or fix the way you felt.

It only seemed to make things worse.

But it also gave you a sense of clarity.

The world you knew before was gone.

A thing of the past now.

Most of the world had been burned to the ground, nothing but dry bones and ashes.

The angels had abandoned humanity and retreated back to heaven. Leaving you all to fight this war alone, expecting you all to fail.

That was reality.

But you had spent enough time wallowing and grieving about the past and what the world had become for one day. Fatigued from your neverending reminiscing, you found yourself looking over the lake one last time. Burning into your mind before brushing off your pants and making sure your gun was loaded before you turned away. Walking down the path you had beaten all that time ago when you first came to this desolate place.

As you walked, feeling the dead grass crunch softly under your boots. It was calm, the sound of birds chirped in the distance, the ambient sounds of the forest filled your ears. The wind blew gently around you, the smell of wet moss, old wood, and fresh fog filled your nose as you walked on.

It almost made you forget all things that brought you here in the first place.

Until you felt something in the air shift. Feeling a sense of anxiety shudder throughout your body as the wind went still.

A chill slowly running up your spine. The hair on the back of your neck stood up. Your heart beats thumping a little faster than before.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Because it all felt too familiar.

At first you couldn't place it, but you remembered the feeling. The unsettling dread in the pit of your stomach. The heavy weight that seemed to hang off your body.

What was it that made you feel so afraid?

Then it hit you.

When you realized what caused these feelings before now, your heart stopped dead in your chest. Tears were prickling in your eyes as you began to search around for the cause of your fear.

Of your heartache.

For him.

When you couldn't see him at first. You panicked, thinking it was some sort of trick your mind was playing on you. Maybe you had been out here for too long. And as a result you were feeling things that weren't there. That you were hallucinating.

But you couldn't have been more wrong.

Once you scurried down the path a little more, pulling your gun into position as you made your way past the misty kissed birch and cedar trees. Looking all around like you were surrounded on all sides, and yet there was nothing in sight.

But when you glanced at the patch of poison hemlock in a little clearing not too far off the path. That's when you saw him.

His clean, crisp white suit caught your eye as he stood there. Calm and peaceful as he admired the poisonous plant, caressing the flowers with care as if they were the most beautiful, fragile thing in the world.

He found you.

You stared at him in awe, the gun now slung at your side as tears silently streamed down your face as you tried to understand.

How could he have possibly found you?

But the truth was it was obvious. If he had a sense of who Sam was. He knew that Sam knew you'd flee to someplace like this. Somewhere quiet and quaint, somewhere isolated. So truly it was only a matter of time before he found you.

And in that moment, seeing him in the patch of hemlocks, the fog settled around his feet. How the crisp, pure white of his suit contrasted the dark evergreens and greys of the forest, how he seemed so unbothered by it all. As if he expected this to happen.

You realized you were never going to find a safe place to hide from him. There was no place you could hide where he wouldn't find you.

Because he would always find you.

~To be Continued~

[ihaznoclue]

Could I request Belle, Wise, Anby, and Grace with a reader who's a doctor that studies Hollow and Ether-related injuries and illnesses?

Pairings -> Belle, Wise, Anby Demara x Reader

Warnings -> None

Note -> Reader is a doctor who studies hollows, ether-realted injuries and illnesses and they are here to help you with your research

Genre -> Fluff?

BELLE

Belle decided to visit you in your little clinic doctor area where you study a lot of things mainly hollows, Ethereals, injuries and its illnesses

She spotted you doing some research on your computer as you heard the open the door

"Hey, Name! How's your research going? Been working on any cool Hollow stuff lately" She asked as she walked over to the counter where you were sitting at

Belle noticed the slight distress on your face as she sighed

"I know it's a little bit tough, trying to understand the whole Ethereal stuff. It's complicated I know but I believe you'll get more information on this stuff as you go!"

"Thanks Belle, just haven't been getting much stuff lately"

"Hm.. You know.." She stated making you turned to her

"Hm?" You hummed quietly

"You can always visit my place and watch over my commissions, maybe that might help with your research.. If it helps that it"

"I can!? Belle you don't know how much I appreciate that favor!"

"Well It is to help with your research after all"

WISE

Wise wanted to come visit you as you were working on your daily stuff on Hollow and ethereal related stuff

He quietly knocked on the door to get your attention, "Doctor" He then nods to you in a greeting as he smiles, seeing the tired look on your face

"I've been meaning to check in on your progress with the Ethereal related stuff. The data I have gathered from researching and from my commissions from recent missions I've helped hollow raiders with might provide some useful information into the injuries caused by Hollow-Related Ether changes"

"Ah, thank you Wise" You smiled up at him as he placed the file on your desk beside you

"These documents contained detailed reports that I was working on, the injuries sustained by individuals expose to the unstable Ether fields, Perhaps they will clarify some of the symptoms you have been studying for the past few days"

"You're a live saver Wise, What would I do without you" You said as you grabbed the files and tapped them on the desk to even them out and walked over to your draws to place them inside

Wise watches you closely before speaking again

"And If you requires some assistance in your work, I am available"

"Thank you wise but you've done enough for me today, you must of researched and gathered a lot but thank you"

Wise nodded once more before he left

ANBY DEMARA

Anby decided to visit you for a little while before going on a mission with Nicole and the others

She wanted to visit you one last time before leaving to go hollow raiding

Anby softly greeted you "Doctor Name, you know you have been working non-stop on this"

"Oh sorry Anby I didn't see you there"

"I've been trying to text you that I was coming over for a bit, but it seems you are still researching, the hollow related injuries stuff.. you know it can be difficult to get information from this kind of stuff"

She then heard you sigh

"But you seem to be on the right path.." Anby reassured you as she stepped a little closer to where you were sitting with your hand on your head

"For the past couple of days, I have gathered some samples and data from the field in the hollow while hollow raiding.. I think there is something to the way Ether interacts with he Hollow-induced damages.. Maybe something we are over looking but if you like I can stand over some of my finding or I could help you run some tests in the lab if you like Doctor Name"

"I'm fine thank you though.. I think Samples are quite enough for some research"

"Well Let me know if you need anything else Doctor Name.. I'm here to help you"

Then Anby left as you continued to do your research once again

-A<3

[self-indulgent-paw-patrol]

New pipeline analysis no one asked for

And that definitely no one needed either but when did I ever care tbh. And I still have no idea why it's even called "pipeline". In Portuguese we just call these things "new design" and that's about it.

CHASE

I always found his shade of brown too dark most times so I won't go about it, but the light reflections on his fur are now a very welcome touch, giving him some depth and shine to his coat. It looks so much better now. I like how he's been emoting a little more too. He was already expressive before, but now they're using more his ears to complete his expressions. It's very subtle actually so many people probably didn't notice that. I also like it that they worked a little more on his ears, they always felt extremely unnatural to me. Now they got little tufts of fur and some shape to them, instead of looking completely flat sheets of cardboard with some pink painted on what should be the inside of them. His tail looks more natural now too (despite the extremely thin base), I like that.

MARSHALL

While I like the shine on Chase's fur... Marshall is maybe a different story. In the attempt to make it clear he's got fur, they MAY have made it look a bit too... Fuzzy. Idk the word, sorry. You can only see it from up close, but it looks like some short and HARD fur, not soft and smooth. It only looks smooth if you see from afar, from a normal distance. Any up close shot makes it look rough. And then, there's a small issue with his spots: The shine on them seems unnatural when it doesn't match the shading on his white fur. It's weird, sometimes he looks just perfect (middle pic), some other times it's weird to look at him - first pic Idek what happened with the lighting there all over him, while the last pic is like they cranked up the contrast to the max again. But other than that, I didn't feel too much of a difference on his movements, expressions or etc, he's always been expressive and his ears always moved along with him. He looks a lot better with his uniform on, though, I can't deny that, it's just perfect.

SKYE

She looks like burnt toast. Not sorry. You know it's the truth. The only compliment I have on her is that I like how her fur (ears) look actually fluffy now, though her head bangs are animated in an extremely weird way - when they need them to move due to wind, they just... Clip in and out of her head. I wish I was exaggerating just as much as they exaggerated on cranking up the saturation and contrast on her colors. I feel bad for her fans, she just looks so... Idk. It literally hurts my eyes to look at her, definitely not visually pleasing. I'm really legitimately sad for what they did to her. I'll stay with her cinematic version any day.

ROCKY

I WISH I could say he looks more natural - at least partially he does, anatomy-wise. But his tail still looks off and he's having the exact same issue as Skye with her fur tufts. His tufts are just a completely different texture they didn't bother to "blend" into the body/head texture, so it causes a very unpleasant visual clash when you see his head from very up close, at least most times. Some other times he looks actually fine. Sometimes the fur on his eyelids are clearly a different piece from his head too and it looks insanely unnatural (first pic). Sometimes you can't notice that all that much (second pic). Thankfully, these issues are only visible from very up close, so, aside from his tail, he looks good enough when seeing from a regular/normal distance.

Important to note, I tend to notice these things bc I always look at EVERY SINGLE TINY DETAIL when watching something. I've always been like this, so most of these issues are things most people probably never even noticed at all (like how in the first episode of Fire Rescue, Rocky's cheeks are entirely grey when he's wearing the Fire Rescue uniform. Coloring error *Sigh*).

RUBBLE

I find it funny how he barely changed anything, except for when they cranked up the saturation of his colors too, just like how they did with Skye and Marshall. It's so random, though??? Sometimes he looks alright (left pic), some other times his "orange" fur gets a lot darker, with a very strong contrast against the white fur. If you put him side by side with his Rubble & Crew version, you'll say they're two totally different dogs, given how lighter colored he is in R&C. One good point though, his fangs finally look natural, coming from INSIDE his mouth, along with his jaw's teeth, instead of just... Popping out of his lower lip. He doesn't look bad here, I just still prefer his look in the movies too.

ZUMA

He looks good if you look from afar (first and second pics). Once you get up close shots, though... It makes you wonder wtf is up with his nose (where the fur meets the nose) and his fur texture. Same issue as Marshall's, it looks HARD. I compared him to a dried coconut once. It really doesn't look like something I'd like to put my hand on and give rubs and scratches - it feels like it would be very rough to the touch. I gave up on finding his color odd most of the times too (though it looks alright to me in these specific pics), I still like more his cinematic version on that aspect. Other than his fur seeming rough from up close and his nose seeming like it was punched in, he really does look good from a normal distance. The shine on his fur is nice and I'll forever love how they kept his ears and tail on the thicker side.

RYDER

I'll admit it took me a long time to get used to his new look. It's like some kind of mix between mostly the previous design and a little bit of the movies' design. Could be better for sure, but now that I've watched a few random episodes, I'm convinced it's not as bad as I initially thought and he's being pretty expressive too - I mean, I've gone through several episodes in the old animation, looking for screenshots showing Ryder with different expressions to make icons for his askblog, and let me tell you... It's HARD. He didn't show many expressions constantly, I feel like I was looking for a few toothpicks in a barn full of hay. I think I have seen quite more expressions on this kid's face now in the few episodes I've seen in the new animation than ever before (not counting the movies).

There's something about him that's still bothering me and I don't know what it is exactly, but it's not much of a big deal to the point I'd say I don't like his look here. Anyway, same as Skye and Zuma... I'll stay with his cinematic version, that's the best one imo, though this one manages to be a good second. Except for his hands. The fact he has 5 fingers on the movies will always win me over any day. My perfectionist ass is pleased there, not here.

OTHER CHARACTERS I'm actually pleased with most other characters. Sweetie looks good. Liberty... There's something bothering me but I still don't know what it is. Maybe it's because they made her ears the same color as her body fur, when they should be darker. They never added the darker spots/patches on her ears in the show anyway so I won't even go there. I like how the Mayors are looking, and the other people too. No complaints on any of them, surprisingly. Everest is the only one I'm still weirded out about - same issue as Skye and Rocky, her face looks extremely off with the different fur textures clashing.

ADVENTURE BAY Just... The same trees over and over again everywhere. Nothing unusual, it's always been like that, we rarely get to see a different tree model lol But the buildings are cool, the details on stuff, I like how the town's looking like now. I still need to catch more episodes to see how the sea water is behaving - one thing that always bothered me TO NO END was how the sea is always so STILL. I get it, animation budget, but dude. Come on.

Anyway, have a gifset to see what I mean about Skye's bangs clipping in and out...

Aaaaand their improved body language! You can clearly notice they're emoting with their entire bodies and it's fluid. You can even see when Marshall has his ears down and when he perks them back up as he's got his attention on Rubble! Chase turns his ears back too, but he's still alert, while Marshall and Skye completely shrink down with the jumpscare, and Rocky looks like he's about to jump and run the hell away, until he relaxes and lays down again.

[kalinara]

So Scott's panic attacks are clearly Xavier related, right? The books dance around it but there's a clear throughline from the fall of Krakoa/Agnew and how Scott suddenly develops a new condition that can't simply be explained away by the pressures of leadership, since "leading mutantkind while on the brink of annihilation" has already been his thing for a while (not that he was the picture of mental health then either, but the panic attacks are def new). It's not hard to imagine how Xavier's betrayal would resurrect a shitload of other issues for Scott, and cause him to reframe whether this man who groomed him (just like the other men who groomed him) wasn't simply a flawed father figure but had been gaslighting him since the beginning. And is it any wonder that Xavier's Agnew revelation fell flat with Scott in that moment? "Nobody really died, you fool, I was gaslighting you again!"

They ALMOST acknowledge that the panic attacks were due to some sublimated trauma from Xavier, but they bait and switch it with some nonsense about "moving on from Xavier's dream (??)" and then framed as a personal grievance Scott just needs to get over. Which he probably will do! since I'm fairly sure we're meant to take it as a given that getting stabbed by Wolverine permanently cured his attacks, but who knows

I mean, you could argue that almost all of Scott's trauma, excluding anything caused by the plane crash, Sinister or Jack Winters, relate to Xavier.

I think it depends on where the story goes from here. And it's hard to say, of course, because X-Manhunt Omega only just came out, we don't actually know what, if anything, will be followed up on in any of the individual series.

I try not to make predictions too often, because I know what I want to see, but I also know that creators have their own plans, editorial mandates can be a thing, and there are often a lot of moving parts when it comes to comic creation.

But I didn't read it as though Wolverine stabbing Scott was meant to cure his panic attacks entirely. Mackay introduced that plot point a while ago, and hasn't followed up on it directly, but he's pretty strongly established a lot of the pressure that Scott's under, so I feel pretty optimistic that Scott's mental health will come up again.

It is hard to say though what, if any, lasting effect we'll get from X-Manhunt until we start seeing how each series deals with the events (or doesn't) in their subsequent issues. So, I reserve the right to change my opinion later.

Ultimately, I appreciated that X-Manhunt actually did devote a lot of attention to the issues between Scott and Xavier. And that it didn't really magically make everything okay between the two of them either. I could have wished for more acknowledgment from Xavier about what he's done, but I also recognize that Xavier's fucking off to his own series. Maybe there'll be some room for emotional growth there.

I'm a little optimistic because Hickman's going to be writing it, and Krakoa-era Xavier was a very complicated man, practically venerated as a saint, the man who made Krakoa happen at all, but at the same time, the flaws were apparent really early on. I think he could do a lot with Xavier now, if he's so inclined.

But unless there are some significant guest appearances, I'm probably not going to read it for a long time. I've got a limited tolerance for all things Xavier when there isn't a Summers present, and I've never particularly cared for the Shi'Ar empire either.

[mariyekos]

Btw for anyone who's never visited my blog and/or doesn't use desktop, I just want you to know that it's a relic blog with an audioplayer, the old tumblr format of indented posts, and a custom floating gif that walks up the right side of the page. I put my love into this theme and I'm going to share it!