#took me way too many times to get it at least somewhat similar to what a cat looks like

[zetsu--bou]

So here's a new KagaAo omegaverse thingamajigy I started

which is just, you know, a short story of somewhere close to 400k words planned. Just a small little thing.

It's KagAo, with some sideships, including a platonic AoAka (how platonic, you ask, well, you see, Akashi is a cat in there, so that much platonic)

And here are some arts of Aomine and Akashi the cat I made!

(+ a bonus, which is Aomine's apartment floor plans)

[winterswift]

your love is sunlight

pairing: bob reynolds x f!reader.

summary: bob and you were both members of the thunderbolts, but he didn't seem to like you. that changes when you return sick from your last mission.

tags: post thunderbolts, idiots in love, pining, light angst, sick reader, fluff, protective bob, jealous bob.

world count: 2,5k.

a/n: hi!! this is my first time writing in english so please be kind to me, there might be gramatical mistakes. hope you like it :).

Being part of the Thunderbolts wasn’t what you had planned for yourself.

You were a former Shield agent, trained by the best assassins in the country; you had fought side by side with Captain America, but you had left that lifestyle behind a long time ago (or at least you were trying).

But when your old friend, Bucky Barnes, calls you to ask for help with the new team he has assembled, you can’t refuse his request.

You could say that your relationship with Bucky had been a twist of fate, or you could also blame Steve Rogers. You had started your training at a very young age; you were an inexperienced and lonely teenager with no family to turn to; you could only find refuge in your work. But Steve saw you and decided to take you under his wing; he took care of you when no one else did. He was the older brother you never had.

In exchange, you stayed by his side and helped him as much as you could. Especially when his best friend, whom he thought was dead, appeared on the scene.

It wasn’t easy to get along with Bucky; he was a withdrawn person with severe trauma; he didn’t talk much and barely smiled. But beneath all that damage, the man he used to be still shone through, and that’s why you decided to help Steve to bring him back.

Once the mind control that Hydra had over him disappeared, things got better. Until Thanos showed up and Steve left.

Sam had received Captain America’s shield, but you were left without a brother. Alone again, just like Bucky.

Before leaving, Steve asked you a favor; he wanted you to take care of his friend, to stay close to each other. He had said, with a smile on his face, that at least Bucky would have a Rogers in his life.

And you did it, not just because Steve asked you to, but because you and James understood each other like no one else. So you couldn’t leave him alone when he needed you the most.

Bucky was the closest thing to family you had left.

But what about the rest of the group? That was another story.

It was the strangest team you had ever seen (and you had met the Avengers), super soldiers, trained assassins, and people with strange powers; all of them shared trauma and definitely needed many hours of therapy. But somehow you fit in, and soon they became your friends.

With Yelena, it was easy; the girl was fun, you enjoyed her sarcastic comments more than anyone else, and both of you had lost a brother. You had known Natasha and saw a lot of her in the blonde; it comforted you to be near her.

With Alexei, it was similar; he always made you laugh with his funny stories and had that paternal energy that made you feel safe by his side.

Ava, in a way, reminded you of Bucky; she was a little reserved and always hiding somewhere, but she was kind to you, and you both got connected well.

Walker was… Walker. He was a first-class idiot, and you still hadn’t completely forgiven him, but you were both in this together, and deep down you knew he was trying to be better. When he set aside his arrogant attitude, the two actually got along very well, and maybe it was the shield or his blonde hair and blue eyes, but you couldn’t help but remember Steve.

And then there was Bob.

Bob didn’t look like any of them; he was shy, somewhat clumsy, and too kind. If it weren’t for his powers, he could have passed for a perfectly normal civilian. Contrary to what you thought, you couldn’t get too close to him.

In general, he was always hidden in some corner, with his nose buried in a book, trying to stay calm. Of the whole team, he was closest to Yelena, but he got along well with everyone; you were the exception.

You didn’t know why, but Bob seemed to be avoiding you. Every time you tried to get closer, he seemed to build a wall between you two. He wasn’t rude to you, but you noticed that he didn’t treat you with the same warmth as the others. And it hurt you because you liked him a lot; you had done everything possible to be his friend, but he didn’t see it. Or he wasn’t interested.

The rest of the team had noticed your growing discouragement, especially Bucky, but there was nothing they could do to fix the situation. Bob didn’t seem to want to interact more than necessary.

Yelena had tried to talk to him, but it didn’t seem to yield much result. So you finally resigned yourself and left him alone. You didn’t stop being kind to him (after all, you two were coworkers), but you no longer tried to make him laugh; you didn’t invite him to watch movies with you, nor did you give him the cookies you used to love baking. The warm and enthusiastic smile you always gave him also disappeared, replaced by something resembling a lackluster grimace.

Things would have remained that way if it weren’t for the awful condition you arrived in from your last mission.

You leaned against the tower’s elevator with a choked sigh. Valentina had sent you to gather information from an old Hydra base in Russia; the mission had been successful, but the price was your health.

Although your suit was designed to retain body heat, the thick fabric was not enough to withstand endless hours in the cold, damp snow. And as the hours passed, your condition got worse.

It had started as a shiver and a couple of sneezes here and there, but without proper shelter, you were sure you were showing the first signs of hypothermia. That, combined with the blows you had received during the mission, left you exhausted and barely standing.

You hadn’t had time to tend to your wounds, so the movement of the elevator made you dizzy. Black spots appeared in your vision and made it difficult for you to walk; your ears were ringing, and you felt your heart racing.

You don’t know how you ended up in the complex kitchen; you had thought about getting a glass of water and trying to recover before going to the infirmary. But you could barely move from your spot, so you stayed there, barely conscious.

Bob wasn’t going to approach you, truly. He had been reading all afternoon; the rest of the team was scattered throughout the building; he had been showing more control lately, so they trusted him enough to leave him alone for a few hours.

When he heard the elevator doors, he thought someone was coming for food, so he didn’t pay attention, but when he heard a ragged breath, he looked up.

He didn’t expect to see you back so soon; he thought the mission would last at least a few more days. Your state worried him; he had never seen you like that. Your whole body was trembling, your skin was pale and covered with sweat, and you were hyperventilating.

He approached carefully and called you a couple of times, but you didn’t respond; you didn’t seem to react to anything, really. He touched you gently, but you still jumped.

Upon seeing you up close, he realized that you had a split lip and a bruise on your head that didn’t look good at all. Your eyes were unfocused, and they barely noticed him.

“B-bob?” you whispered.

“Hey, Y/N, you don’t look well,” he said. Just at that moment, another dizziness hit you, and your legs gave way. He barely managed to catch you in his arms. “It looks like you’re going to faint.”

“I don’t feel well,” you said. It was the closest the two had ever been, but you barely noticed. Bob, on the other hand, noticed everything—every freckle, every mole, and scar that dotted your skin.

His hands cradled your face gently, and you leaned into his warm touch. “Y/N, you have a fever,” his brow furrowed with concern.

Your hands clung tightly to his forearms before your body collapsed over him. He started to panic when he saw you faint.

“Oh, no, no,” he called you, but you didn’t respond. “Shit.”

He picked you up in his arms, carrying you to his room. The most logical thing would have been to take you to a doctor, but he didn’t want to leave you alone. He wanted to take care of you.

He carefully laid you on his bed, not wanting to think too much about what that image was doing to him. He unzipped the top part of your suit to leave you with a sleeveless shirt, and placed cold towels on your forehead and neck to try to bring down the fever. You were still unconscious, and that worried him.

You barely reacted when he treated the wound on your forehead, but you sighed and relaxed, so he assumed you just needed to rest.

The room fell silent, Bob sat down next to you. You had flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips; to him, you still looked beautiful.

His fingers rested on your skin, arranging the strands of hair that fell over your face. You stirred, moving closer to him but didn’t wake up, Bob let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that you finally woke up, letting out a groan as you felt the dull pain in your body. The first thing your eyes noticed was Bob’s face unusually close to yours, his blue eyes shining with concern.

“Bob?” you asked hoarsely. You had no idea how you had ended up in his room.

“Hey, you’re awake,” his warm smile quickened your heart. “How do you feel?”

“Like I had frozen in the snow,” you reply with a lazy smile.

“I brought you here because you fainted, but you need to see a doctor,” you nodded in agreement. “Do you think you can get up?” I’ll help you get to the infirmary.”

Your legs trembled as you stood up, but Bob held you. You shivered at the feel of his hands on your waist, touching you gently as if you were about to break. He was close—too close; his intoxicating scent was invading your senses, and it was driving you crazy.

You leaned your weight on him as you started to walk; your whole body ached, but you pushed yourself to move. Just when you were halfway down the hallway, Walker appeared, his brow furrowing at the sight of you so bruised.

“Jesus, Y/N, you look terrible.” His eyes scanned your body with concern.

“You really know how to make a girl feel special, Walker,” you replied sarcastically.

The blonde soldier snorted before approaching and lifting you into his arms; you let out a small scream at the sudden movement.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” you asked, completely desperate.

“Take you to the nurse’s office,” he replied without hesitation. “Are you coming, Bobby?”

Bob nodded without saying anything; you didn’t notice how the muscle in his jaw tightened, nor his tense posture, nor his white knuckles. He followed you in silence.

When Walker left you on a stretcher for the examination, Bob was ready to leave. The two would probably forget about this interaction, and everything would go back to normal.

But then you called him, with a tone that didn’t match you.

“Can you stay?” you asked shyly.

He looked at you as if he didn’t believe your words, but your eyes shone with sincerity. He lay down next to you, unsure, trying not to touch you, but you didn’t want that.

Your fingers gently touched the palm of his hand; he could feel your eyes on his face, but he didn’t dare to look at you.

“Thank you,” you whispered. Bob didn’t respond, but he intertwined his fingers with yours and gave them an affectionate squeeze.

Both of you sank into the silence of the room; you were still exhausted, so it didn’t take you long to fall back asleep. You were curled up next to him, with your face buried in his neck.

He had remained unusually quiet, your breath tickling his skin, the warmth of your body against his was pleasant. He hadn’t even realized that he had started to brush your hair.

He had thought many times about being like this with you, but he never believed it would become a reality. Bob felt guilty for ignoring you; your presence was like a ray of sunshine in his life. From the first day, you were nothing but kind to him; you always tried to make him feel safe and loved. It was one of the things he liked most about you.

But he was afraid to get close; he was exactly the opposite of you. There was a darkness within him that he could barely control, and he feared that one day it might cause you irreparable harm. He didn’t want to extinguish your light, so he distanced himself; he preferred you think he hated you rather than hurt you.

With each passing day, his will was breaking a little more. He hated that you had become close to Walker; he hated the look in his eyes every time he saw you; he hated that his arms wrapped around your waist. He wanted the sound of your laughter to be just for him. He wanted to know what it felt like to be in your arms; he wanted to taste your lips. Bob couldn’t stand being away from you.

And seeing how hurt you were made him realice that. He no longer wanted to watch you from the shadows; he wanted to be there for you, to take care of you, and to show you how much he adored you.

But he wasn’t sure if you wanted the same thing.

Just at that moment, someone gently knocked on the door, and Bucky stepped in silently. His eyebrows raised at the position they were in, but he said nothing.

“Is she okay?” he whispered. He nodded, fearing that his voice would wake you up. Bucky gave him another look before leaving.

Shortly after that, your eyes opened, and you blushed after realizing you had practically fallen asleep on him, but Bob didn’t seem uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, avoiding his gaze.

“It’s fine; it doesn’t bother me,” reassured you. That confused you.

“Really?” you asked. “I thought you hated me.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “I could never hate you.” The sincerity in his voice made you shiver. “I’m sorry if I made you think I did.”

“Why did you pull away then?”

He let out a resigned sigh. “Because I know what my powers can do to people, and I like you too much to put you through that. I don’t want to hurt you; I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Bob,” you said, gently stroking his cheek. “Look, I’m touching you, and nothing bad has happened; your control has improved a lot in these months. Don’t push me away thinking you’re going to hurt me.”

“You can’t be sure; at any moment I could lose control again.” You could see how worried he was, and that broke your heart.

“Then we’ll solve it together, you and I,” you promised. “We’re in this together, Bob; we’re a team; no one is going to leave you alone in this. Come on, come here.”

You wrapped him in your arms, letting him cling to you. You gently stroked his hair until he finally calmed down. He had moved away from you just enough to see your face.

“Y/N” whispered, as if sharing a secret with you.

“Yes, Bob?”

“Do you think you would like to go on a date with me once you recover?”

“I would really like that.”

“Well, it’s a date,” he nodded, satisfied.

“It’s a date,” you said before cuddling back up with him.

Maybe he didn’t hate you as much as you thought.

thanks for reading!!

[zoomzooml]

Redesign concepts of Webmaster and Feathers

After a year

WEBMASTER

My biggest problem with the Webmaster design is how cluttered it seems; there's just a lot going on here. So I tried to calm it down a bit; I took away one pair of legs to make him less cluttered but keep (more or less) original body lenght. And I know that in his episode Jun says “if something has eight legs, she doesn't like it,” refering to spiders, but I think eight limbs works too.

I also played around a bit with his colors and markings. As well as body structure and proportions, noting this dragon's show-off skill - spinning webs.

When he puffs up his “cheeks” just before he spits, you can hear a sticky, mushy sound - you know that something is going on inside. The muscles are moving and pushing something with a sticky, gluey consistency. I would like it to be somewhat repulsive.

When he spits silk in attack it does not come out as big ball of burning web. It's more like net in "V" shape, in form of many separate threads of silk shooted at the same time. Similar to actual spiders, but on the bigger scale. His webs also don't burn; I feel like it's an overkill.

I changed the arrangement of his forelegs slightly. I know it's not quite in line with the style of HTTYD (see Speed Spingers' front limbs) but in his case I think arranging his hands in a similar way to therizinosaurus gives him a more menacing look.

Deadly Spinners are dragons that give a very unpleasant first impression. They are not the most beautiful dragons around (at least not by the standard) and their behavior can be repulsive to some. The type of dragon that people are willing to pin an unfriendly, sometimes unfair patch on more easily than on other dragons - as many people do with spiders or snakes and other similiar animals.

Deadly Spinners don't live in large groups - either small groups or solo. But when they are in a group they have very close bonds and spend a lot of time socializing among themselves.

FEATHERS

She is a challenge to me, not gonna lie. She definitely is the most changed among my redesigns so far. She just seems very basic to me.

The most bothering thing to me about her are those "feathers". Because, Alex in s1ep3 calls these "feathers", as well as Olivia in s5ep2, wiki calls these "feathers-like scales", but they can move and are thick what implies they are more like Furies'/Night Light's head numbs? I absolutely can pass the crowns as feathers, but Queen's horns and holes in her meaty tail were here the last straw to not to

And yes, I made a shitty video because I'm really confused and wanted that confusion express lmao. I hope Tumblr won't take it down.

So idk, I wanted to clarify what the frick those things are and go from there. I had two main ideas - either give her actual feathers or quills similiar to those of Bewilderbeast. When drawning I wasn't sure about either idea but finally decided for the latter one. Feels more HTTYD-like I think? And very flammable feathers don't seem like the best survival choice when almost every other animal around can spit fire.

I reimagine Featherhides as way more nervous and skittish dragons. Changewings were mysterious but usually seemed calm and strategical. Featherhides' nature is more in type of "flee" than "fight" (tho they can get so smoke when needed, they are not defensless or smth). They are very easy to spook and sometimes will flee in panic from something very trival just to return seconds later when they realise there was no danger at all, or are curious of whatever scared them. They often make rapid little movements, much like birds - especially if something catches their eye and they are not sure what it is.

Featherhides also live in large flocks without a complex hierarchy. If they can - they run, if any of them can't - at least some of them also stay behind.

Once Feathers bonds with Alex she would be very protective of her little human.

When Featherhides mimic sounds they do not do weird things with their faces like in the show. It looks much more like like some birds do that. But that's just a sidenote.

[lightlycareless]

And finally, here is the other xmas oneshot I had prepared for this year :> something a bit more chill, I believe. Or so I hope that's the way it's interpreted hahaha don't take it too seriously, it's just you, naoya and your kids being silly 🤣

warnings: none too big. domestic fluff. there is a hint of you and naoya being somewhat nasty (as usual) and naomi curses the moment she became aware of her surroundings.

Happy reading!

It took you years to finally convince Naoya to do it. For him to go above and beyond what’s usually done during Christmas time.

But after your swaying, insisting, and borderline exhausting persuasion, Naoya finally decides to bite and dress up as Santa this year.

“Our babies are going to love it!” you gush, already imagining the type of adorable reaction they’ll have. “Thank you so much, honey.”

“They’re hardly babies anymore, my love. I doubt they’ll get excited.” Naoya says. But he can portray himself as indifferent all he wants, because deep within you know the truth: he too was thrilled to see his kid’s reactions. “But isn’t this going to happen during the night, though? When they’re asleep?”

You go silent.

“I guess so… but we can still do it! I read online that what parents do to keep the excitement going is leave a trail of hints implying Santa was here! You know, like the cookies with milk and such.”

“Do I still have to dress up?” he asks, you nod.

“Of course! You gotta do it at least once in their lives.” You smile, stepping on your toes to kiss him. Call it motivation. A preview of what’s to come if he goes through with your idea. “I have your costume ready too, so you can’t back out now.”

“Looks like I don’t have much of a choice anyways…”

“No, you don’t.” you giggle. “Now, if you excuse me… There are some cookies I need to bake if we want to make this even more realistic!”

“Are you sure that isn’t an excuse just to eat them yourself?” He teases.

“And what if it is?” you pout.

“Ah, no, nothing. No problem at all…” Naoya chuckles, and you know there’s so much more that he’s holding back on saying, but in favor of getting everything ready for Christmas night, which was just two days away, you let it pass.

Thankfully, your children remain as oblivious as ever, in both matters regarding their presents which were hidden away in one of the many rooms found around the estate until the very day, and your plan for Santa’s nightly visit.

Though they’ve been getting ideas of their own.

“Naomi-nee, come on! Let’s stay up to see Santa coming to our house!” Naori cheers, excitedly tugging at her arm—an accurate reflection of his and his sibling’s enthusiasm. “Please please pleaseeeeeeeeeeee.”

“It’s going to ruin the magic, little bro.” Naomi responds, barely lifting her gaze from the book she was reading. She already knew who Santa was, discovered the truth all by herself once upon a time after noticing the peculiar similarities between Santa’s handwriting and her mama’s.

Did it hurt her to uncover this mystery? Not really. If anything, it just made her job easier when asking for things—though a part of her can’t help but wonder if the mysticism surrounding Santa Claus might’ve been real a long time ago…

Either way, just because she knew the truth doesn’t mean she’d be the one to ruin the fantasy to her younger siblings. They’ll simply have to find out that on their own, if they ever…

“You have to be asleep for Santa to deliver your toys, or you won’t get any.”

“That’s not true.” Naoko pouted. “He gives toys to all kids who are good kids!”

“You probably don’t even notice because mom tucks you to bed early, you know? Besides, even if she didn’t, none of you would be able to stay up late anyways.” Naomi snickers, enjoying how easily provoked her baby siblings are.

“I can!” Naoyuki retorts. “I can stay up late!”

“No, you can’t.” Naomi smirks. “You three will fall asleep the moment it turns 10.”

“Wanna bet?” Naoko frowns.

“Mama will want you to do so, anyways.” The oldest reminds. “Neither she or dad like it when you guys stay up too late.”

“But it’s just going to be one night.” Naori persists. “But we’ll still do it! Whether you join us or not!!”

Naomi ultimately ends up conceding, but not because she was thrilled to see a man dressed up as Santa in the middle of the night at her home, but rather, because she didn’t want any of them getting into trouble, or danger, while you and Naoya weren’t there to intervene. Or more like weren’t supposed to be there…

So, after everyone supposedly goes to bed, Naomi, Naori, Naoko, and Naoyuki stealthily sneak out of the bedroom chambers and head towards the living room, where the Christmas tree was extravagantly set up with all kinds of colorful lights and ornaments Naomi swears they get bigger and more dramatical with each passing year.

Because she was the oldest, Naomi oversaw the effectiveness of this operation, as they’d innocently call it. She had some initial doubts regarding their compliance, they’re eager kids after all—but she’d soon find out that when it comes to working for the same goal, they were nothing but obedient, yet small, cute little soldiers that took all her words to heart and diligently executing their orders!

Might come useful for another occasion, but for now, she’ll be the reliable older sister they need.

“Wait, quiet.” Naomi suddenly says, placing her arm before her eager siblings and stopping them on their tracks.

“What is it Naomi-nee??” Naoko breathes, peeking over her arm. Naori doing the same with her, Naoyuki following suit, so on and so forth.

“What do you see?” Other asks.

“I hear… something.” She frowns, leaning closer and getting a clearer… picture.

“—you’re not thinking of keeping it like that, are you?” it’s you, she immediately discerns. And the lone thought of being caught by her mother is enough to send chills through her spine. More so since it’s clear that you’re setting up the gifts for tomorrow, naturally, no one is supposed to be there.

Certainly not to hear what followed.

“What? You don’t like it?” the other voice teases, muffled enough so Naomi couldn’t figure out who it was, but clear enough to know it was a man. “I thought you did.”

“When have I ever liked beards?” you tease back with a giggle, a gesture that denotes familiarity, uncomfortably so. Naomi frowns. “But I’m sure it would feel nice.”

The curse of understanding innuendos—Naomi scowls. She’s only glad that her siblings were too innocent to understand any better.

“Ah, is that so?”

“Well, you know me—I’m always looking for ways to make things more… interesting.”

“What a naughty wife you are.” The other responds. “I wonder what you’ll husband think of this.”

«Husband?! That means—» Naomi frets, tossing aside her embarrassment and quickly growing disturbed at the implications.

“Oh, but you’re not going to tell him, are you? I can be a very good girl when I need to.”

“I can’t believe you—unless you convince me.”

“I think I know exactly what to do.”

There’s only one person she could imagine you’d share those godawful interactions with. However, given the unmatching description of the other man, and unfamiliar voice…

Naomi could only imagine the worst.

The most absolute dreadful thing she now needed to protect her siblings from before it was too late.

“Naomi-nee…! It’s Santa!” Naoyuki exclaims, happy to see that his theory was right and yet to understand what Naomi was sadly interpreting. He was just a kid, after all. An innocent kid who just had to get overtly excited… “See? I told you! I told you Santa would come tonight! And with our gifts too!”

But he wasn’t just there to leave behind some gifts, eat cookies, drink milk, and leave through the same way he came in.

In fact, everyone would come to see what he was truly there for once you cheekily wrapped your arms around Santa’s shoulders, pulling him very close to you, and finally—

Kissing him.

Making each and every one of your children gasp, shaken to see that their mother’s kisses were no longer exclusively theirs or their fathers, but also a strange man’s whom they couldn’t help but feel resentful of soon afterwards—jealous, even, enough so for the shyest of the bunch to take a stand and get this whole fiasco done with!

“Why are you kissing mama?!” Naori cries, and though you were the one to initiate, he still heads straight for Santa’s arm and harshly pulls at it, as if trying to get this terrible man away from their innocent mom and defend his parent’s happiness. “Hey, I’m talking to you!!”

“Leave mama alone!” Naoko followed, alongside Naoyuki and Naomi, the latter being there to prevent her siblings from causing any more havoc, while the former placed his little hands on your back, tightly holding onto your clothes as he and his twin try to get you to safety. “Get away from her!”

“Wait, kids—!” you gasp, swiftly clinging onto Santa the moment one of your babies tugged at you a bit too roughly—his hands wrapped around your waist soon after to prevent any more damage, which far from helping his cause, just caused their anger to grow even stronger. “Stop it! I’m going to fall!”

“You’re hurting your mom, Nao—” Santa exclaims, but Naori quickly shuts him up.

“Shut up, ugly old man!” he breathes back. “We already have a papa, so get lost!!”

You and Naoya would’ve found it unbearably amusing if their antics weren’t alarmingly approaching the concerning; it was only a matter of time before one of them got too agitated and hurt themselves, thus, necessary to act now.

But thankfully, Naomi would be the voice of reason the moment she takes a better look at Santa’s familiar eyes, quickly realizing who it was underneath the silly costume and stopping her siblings from antagonizing their poor father any longer, who was being punished by the simple crime of getting a kiss from his own dear wife.

“Let me go, nee-san! We have to protect mama!” Naori cries as soon as he’s peeled from your side. “I won’t let him be our papa! We can’t”

“Well, I got something to say regarding that.” Naomi begins, but before she could say anything else, you and Naoya stop her, shaking your head and letting her know that you’d much rather take the fall than destroy the magic of Christmas. As if this hadn’t so already… “I—I mean—”

“He was only kissing me because that was my Christmas present!” You quickly come to the rescue, directing all their scrutinizing attention onto you. You just hoped they’d believe you. “This year the only thing I wanted was a kiss from papa, but since he’s going to be away for a few days… I decided to ask Santa to give it to me! Really! Nothing more, nothing less!”

Such is what you wished them to believe, because your prior heated exchange easily implied otherwise.

However, even if they were unaware of your inappropriate words, they still wouldn’t take the bait—and not because they still harbored anger towards Santa, but rather…

“Papa isn’t going to be here…?” Naoko laments, causing you to immediately regret your choice of words.

“But… he promised.” Naoyuki adds. “He said we were going to play together!”

“N—no, that’s not it… what I meant to say is—” you stammer. “It’s actually—”

“Your papa is going to be away for just a few moments, but only because he’s helping me with the presents.” Santa Claus interjects. Their cute, round angry eyes quickly snap into his direction—their disappointment is strong as ever, but they still give him the right to defend himself. “You see, I must travel around the world delivering gifts to every single kid. It sounds like a big job, and it is. However, if I consider there’s a child that has been incredibly well-behaved this year, I go out of my way to reward them even more.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to deliver the rest of your toys personally since I have a lot of work this time around, but thankfully, because your papa loves you all very much, he offered to help me! But he will still be there for you during Christmas, regardless of what happens.”

“Really? I don’t want another Christmas without papa…” Naori murmurs, Santa’s heart tightens a bit.

“I promise.”

Was it a bit too on the nose? A mouthful of an excuse that could easily be debunked upon further questioning?

Maybe. Yes.

But that didn’t seem to matter, in fact, everything stopped being relevant the moment Santa implied the existence of more gifts, as if the mountains of presents lined up around the Christmas tree weren’t enough, but most importantly, the presence of their beloved father after having gone through agonizing days of absence (all done with the intention of spending the holidays without the elders or HQ bothering him; yet they always manage somehow).

A prompt solution that gave way to another issue: now Naoya only had a few hours to get all the new gifts he promised before Christmas, though dealing with their disappointment was always an option…

To never consider.

Well, at least their kid’s innocence during the festivities was maintained, though their excitement regarding Santa dwindled a bit, growing skeptic whenever the enigmatic figure approached them and subsequently standing before you whenever he got too close—as if trying to protect you from being whisked away from them, ready to put their life on the line if need be!—or demanding their papa to do so as well, still yet to uncover who was the one underneath that itchy beard and uncomfortable red suit he immediately threw away after that night.

Their undying animosity towards the enigmatic man led to some awkward seasonal photoshoots too, alongside some unwanted meetings with other parents once their kids began an anti-Santa Claus propaganda at school... but you and Naoya knew it was only a matter of time before they outgrew their childish beliefs, and so, the two continued to enjoy their time together as a family.

Eventually looking back to these moments and remembering them as nothing but silly, and somewhat embarrassing to them, anecdotes when they finally know the truth—

Until Naohime came along, that is; surpassing all expectations in such way that no number of gifts or siblings would be able to help you out this time.

I think Naomi is technically around 18 at this point? So you can imagine how goofy all of this was lol either way, we can all see some of the traits they got from Naoya 🤣 their quickness to call Santa ugly and old, alongside their protectiveness over you 🥹❤️ they all love you, they really do. 🥺

Also, I love the fact that every one of your kids adores Naomi. She is the de facto cool older sister that is actually cool and not embarassing. I think. All siblings have that silly side to them, one way or the other...

As for Naohime... I guess we'll have to wait next year to see what happens with her 🥴 but I can give you a hint: it has to do with Naobito and his imprudent nature.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading this small piece of mind!! I had so much fun writing something inspired on that famous song we've all heard about by now 🤣 I just knew y/n wouldn't be able to go on another year without forcing Naoya into dressing up as Santa lol. It's tradition!!!!

Well, once again, thank you so much for your support; now take care and hope to see you soon!!!

[panic-in-the-multiverse]

A Pirates Life For Me

Pairings: father Killian Jones x child/teen!reader

Imagine: what it would be like to be Killian Jones child

Warnings: none really, mostly fluff, and Killian Jones being the best father ever, I guess there’s some spoilers for those who haven’t watched all seasons I guess, mention of when he died, NOT proofread yet

A/N back to writing ya’ll (hopefully), thought I’d start it of easy with some headcanons, so a few other will come out too but this is the first because recently I’ve been obsessing over Killian again along with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hunter (from tbb)

Side note half of this got deleted and couldn’t really remember what I wrote so it’s definitely not as good as the first draft

First things first you were raised on the Jolly Roger, you would most probably grow up as a pirate, and when old enough you’d help him fighting against the other pirates that would attack you at times

I’m sorry but you’re gonna have to deal with wearing dark colored clothes, he doesn’t do light color therefore neither do you at least until you’re old enough to decide for yourself what clothes you want

You’d beg Killian to buy you the biggest hat ever as you read somewhere that pirates has hats, he never bought you that hat… he did steal a tiny hat that fit you perfectly though…

He was scared to death that he would be like his own father, but don’t worry he’s both like that he’s the best and he’d never leave you like that

Your initials are written beside the wheel (you know where he wrote with his hook for Bae/Neal)

Things you carved into the ship as a kid can still be seen in the most random places

He childproofed the ship, put child locks on nearly every cabinet not knowing if it was child appropriate things in them as the crew would put their things in random places, he did not find the thought of you finding a knife, sword, or gun and accidentally hurt yourself very comforting

Adopted child, biological child, doesn’t matter he loves you the same.

Depending on when you were born you might of watched The Dark One rip the heart out of your father’s lover

One of many traumatic events

Killian values you more than anything else, if he had to choose between revenge or you, he’d always choose you, he’d do anything for you even if it meant him dying

He still knows how to say no to things though

He made a mental list in his head on things he would teach you

1. How to sail

2. How to navigate with stars

3. Sword fighting

4. How to survive on Neverland (just in case Pan decided to kidnap you or something to mess with him)

5. How to escape from Neverland

6. What plants are poisonous or not

7. Do not make deals with the dark one

And then the list goes on and on, he would want to teach you everything he knows about everything really, he just doesn’t want you to make the same mistakes he did, or to end up being a villain as he wants you to get your happy ending

Somewhere along the road you got dragged into wanting to help your father get revenge, nearly succeeded in multiple occasions, but as it turns out villains don’t really get their revenge

You once made the crew find a hook and clothes similar to Killian’s and later on that day you’d run up to Killian, hand clutching a hook and act as if you were the captain of the ship, imitating your father (with a really bad “adult” voice). He would let out a wide smile, eyes twinkling and a soft gaze as he looked down at you trying to reach the wheel. He’d eventually pick you up and let you steer the destination as he helped you turn the wheel the other way than he had set the course too. This was also the first time he taught you how to sail. Or somewhat, it wasn’t like you took much of the information in as you soon got bored and went to watch over the railing at the crashing waves.

Btw I’m tired of fics where Captain Hooks child likes Peter Pan, why because a parents ideals usually sets with the child, meaning you’d probably hate Peter Pan and Rumplestiltskin as much as your father does

He would tell you stories of his older brother and how he was a hero and he wished you’d met him, you would eventually in hell though later as you went to rescue your father so that’s fine, turns out he wasn’t the hero your father made him out to be, but that’s fine you only need one hero and that’s your dad

He would also tell you stories of his adventures, it made for quite the long entertaining tales as he tucked you into bed, kissing your forehead before continuing his story which he altered to be a bit more child friendly and a bit more dramatic

He lets you have some of his clothes when he’s going away for a long time because he knows you’ll miss him

He lets you wear his jackets/coats, you freezing he’s already put his jacket/coat over you, even if they’re too big for you , he loves how adorable you look in it as he’s reminded that you’re still just a child and he doesn’t want you to grow up

He’d try to teach you how to paint, might succeed might not still he loves the bonding time he’s good at painting in any universe you can’t tell me otherwise

He hates seeing you hurt

If you get hurt on a raid he’d made sure whoever hurt you would suffer, you want him kiss the injury better, he’d do so in a heartbeat even if it meant his reputation would falter slightly

He starts dating someone else (Emma) he’d make sure that person treated you right, if not he’d dump said person

If he founds out you like someone he wouldn’t be overprotective, he’d still be protective but he’d mostly be supportive. He’d tease you about it until it became annoying, he’d encourage you and give you advice (even if most of his advice failed)and if it failed he’d be there to comfort you through it all

You’d blame Emma for turning Killian into a dark one and you’d blame Emma for Killian’s death

When you rescued Killian from hell he promised you he’d never die again if not of old age and that he’d never take of his good luck ring ever again as you thought he jinxed it by giving it to Emma

You were glad for his sake when he married Emma just because you saw your father happy with someone else again and not just grieving and seeking revenge for his ex lover

He hugs surprisingly great, he’s like your human sized pirate teddy bear

He misses the times when you would come into his room late at night after a nightmare and crawl under the covers and cuddle close to him, not because you had a nightmare but because he liked that you knew you would always be safe with him

He would hate that you’d have nightmares after his death and you no matter what age you are in would sometimes go into his room to make sure he was still alive and maybe even sleep beside him, he’d wake up to you sprawled out over the whole bed clutching his side tightly as if you were afraid he’d disappear

Will make sure you get your happy ending

He’s just father material it’s as simple as that (just look at Nook, love Nook though but original Hook is the best)

[diamondwerewolf]

Quick Chat about Lysandre

Or really, a long winded chat about my coming to understand him.

I've decided to buy and play XY in anticipation of Legends ZA arriving sometime next year. My initial reaction to the Team Flare Boss, was 'what is this idiot talking about. i'm going to strangle him.' I still am going to strangle him, but at least now I do get where he's coming from.

Also, keep in mind I played pokemon X, not Y, so I live in the universe where Lysandre's goal isn't to cull the population.

Before I get into Lysandre as a character, I have to discuss Pokemon XY in the general way it pinches out information, and dialogue for the player to grasp the plot. I'm very late to the party, since I have played this years after it came out, but I'm positive I'm not alone in saying the game is awkward.

Pokemon XY, feels like it had a plot too involved for the format it was delivered in. It's, in my humble opinion, a clunky transitional game. From the traditional format of main generation games, and into the more robust pokemon games of the future. I'm also aware that the development was rushed, which adds to the disconnect I felt between mechanics, characters, and plot. That being said, I still enjoyed it! [ And I'm happy we're going to get a chance to revisit it on a grander scale]. Talking again about the awkwardness of the game, I think I didn't understand Lysandre's issue, because there wasn't enough dialogue or supporting context for me to really grasp what he was talking about. I made sure to talk to everyone I could, every manner of key character and NPC. But I couldn't sense the desperation he was feeling in the slightest.

You play the game as a child [which annoys me now as an adult but I digress lol] , so everyone you interact with talks to you like one. I've always considered the world of Pokemon somewhat utopian...but that's what it is, somewhat utopian. I think it feels that way, simply because you roleplay as a kid in an era of peace. The world is beautiful, the towns are jolly, there are a few ruffians here and there, some people are at a disadvantage [ like Emma] , but what is there to worry about? Everything right now is just fine. Why are you trying to ruin it?

I decided to look into some of the supplemental items for Pokemon XY, and was met with this in the Pokemon Evolutions shorts.

This scene...was all it took for things to finally click.

A room full of stuffy executives, huh? They're his own board, but I'm sure he's sat down at many tables over the years with equally stuffy suited people.

Running in the background of this make believe world, are things that resemble more of reality. I was immediately reminded, that often times, the fate of millions of people rest in the hands of a few. Lysandre is a well known philanthropist with a genuine love for the world he lives in. People and pokemon. I'm going to make the assumption, when Lysandre talks about those who 'take' being filth, he's not just talking about a couple of subway ruffians snatching pokeballs out of a tourist's purse. I assume, he's talking about other powerful people. Probably companies and government.

As his bloodline would dictate, Lysandre is a modern day king, who has the high vantage point of being able to see destruction on the horizon. Chances are, he's met the kind of wealthy, powerful people who 'take' on a grand scale. Something else to note, is that Lysandre's company has created something capable of eavesdropping on millions of people. He probably has even more access to information that the public, and certainly not a child, would have. I'm in a way, happy that I'm playing the game now as an adult, so that I can process all these implications.

AZ, made his choice in the middle of war. The conflict was all immediate, and plain to see. Something was taken from him that was too great to bear.

I wonder...what did Lysandre see specifically, that told him the world was on a path to similar destruction. What does he know that urged him to 'kill the demon before it could be born', so to speak. Or, nip it in the bud? That's a more on theme phrase, ain't it...

I have this same question.

Here's a screen clip from the Wiki page for "Floette Returns". It summarizes what happens in the Pokemon Adventures manga. While this isn't considered canon to the game, I found this interesting, and it supports my assessment of Lysandre well. I think the manga is allowed to go into topics that the games aren't always able to explicitly discuss.

"As the group watches AZ depart, Trevor guesses that Lysandre must have lost himself in despair after years of philanthropy in a bid to help the disadvantaged, and his bitterness led him to founding Team Flare in the first place."

So okay, Lysandre. I understand where you're coming from. But, I don't think destroying everything is the answer.

Seriously, who was he talking to that made him raise those hackles so high? My last thought, is that I find him incredibly interesting, now that I understand. I do think he's entitled, though, and a brat. In the same way I think N can be a bit entitled to fixing the worlds 'problems'. But that's probably a symptom of how they're both raised.

That's all I have for now. I'll discuss AZ in the future. I have a lot to say about him, too.

[professional-spectator]

CRACKPOT THEORY

Kaveh is Hine Mavuika's sister but reincarnated.

"You need to leave!!" INDIVISIBLE AUDIENCES HOLD THE DOOR OPEN FOR ME TO LEAVE.

"Hear me out, friends!!"

Hine, as we knew from the archon quest, didn't have any descendants. However, there's a line in the archon quest that made me question that and think.

Journey of Stars and Flames

Mavuika: Out of all the awakened souls, I was surprised "you" were one of them. After all, it's been five hundred year

Hine: Hehe, yeah. I'm sure my soul has been reborn many times by now. But that doesn't mean "Hine" is gone.

If reincarnation is a thing in Genshin. Who said they had to be reborn in Natlan? Apparently, there's a lot more to the night kingdom than we know. Maybe one of Hine's reincarnations leaves Natlan; spoiler for the Natlan Archon quest. Before the Natlan Archon Quest, people can leave Natlan, but they need permission from the Wayob. So who said that one of Hine's reincarnations didn't leave Natlan and was reborn in another country.

Another thing: Hine is an architect, or was. Who is also an architect, Kaveh. Another in the archon quest, she says this.

Journey of Stars and Flames

Hine: Oh, well! It's been a long time, and it's not like I was some innovative architect who left my mark on history. 

Hine: But I lived a really happy life. I dedicated my career to helping those without a home... 

Hine: I didn't have time for love, or for myself, but I didn't care. There are so many things in this world that deserve to come first—that's what you taught me. Hine: You never took time for yourself either, did you, Sis?

So who else thinks like this? Kaveh does. Now we know Hine had no children, so Kaveh can't be related by blood. He very well can be a reincarnation of Hine. Kaveh is a very self-sacrificing guy.

In one of Alhaitham's voice lines. "Someone set up a stand on the street saying that for each handmade keychain they sold, a child in poverty would be given a meal. Kaveh bought at least a dozen. ...This is Sumeru, where even healthcare is free. I needn't say more."

Kaveh helps people regardless of the outcome. Even in his own hangout, depending on the route you pick. He organized a library in the Aaru Village for the children, using his own money or getting into a debut with Dori. Also, both Kaveh and Hine regret not helping the people that matter the most to them.

Journey of Stars and Flames

Mavuika: It's too bad we don't have more time to talk.  Hine: Your plan is almost at the final stage, isn't it?

Hine: I knew it. When you set your mind to something, there's nothing you can't do, no matter how difficult.

Hine: I really wanted to help you in this era, but an ordinary person can't transcend time. 

Hine: Back then, I said I'd come find you one day. But I failed time and time again.

In Kaveh Character Story 2

"At that time, he was still young, and he could do very little. Out of guilt, he would do his best to keep his mother company, and he would never wear a disappointed face around her, trying to support her in any way he could, even if such was but a drop in the bucket."

Just like Hine, who every image also shone with a smile. Both have regret and guilt. It should be mentioned that Mavuika and Kaveh are both perfectionists. Both are down to detail in their plan, carry guilt, and are so self-sacrificing. Take this theory with a grain of salt, but the parallel between Hine and Kaveh is eerie. They look similar, reddish eyes, Hine had somewhat blondish hair. Also in a few Hoyo Video Kaveh cosplay as Mavuika, to a t. Also Kaveh is the "Light of Kshahrewar." What is pyro a form of light. In one of Mavuika character intro say this.

"The leader of Natlan who inherited the Ancient Name of "Kiongozi." She made a vow to illuminate the future of the nation of war with the Sacred Flame."

Both have names or titles the revolve around light. There must be a connection. Anyway this just a theory a fan theory.

I know mostly this theory will not be possible but their another tags line that make wonder

In Journey of Stars and Flames

Hine says this

Hine: If the past, present, and future exist at once, then it's only fair we get to meet again.

If the past and present existence all at the same time, meaning Nathan is connected and not connected to the rest of Teyvat at the same time. Not was saved and saved at the same time. Also if Nathan was not somehow stay connected to Iriminsul , why don't they remember rukkhadevata. I know gasping straws, but it seem to me. Nothing is really out of the realm of possible. We seen weird things in the game. Anyways this just for fun. I'm sure someone is going to debunked this that okay. I just they are too many similarities between Hine and Kaveh.

[zeondraws]

I talked about the shape with a friend and wanted to put my thought process in here. Mainly because I think? This is getting highly overlooked in the community.

In one of the mini documentaries someone from the dev team mentions movies that inspired the Shape. Aside from The Thing, one movie she mentioned was "Annihilation" and the being in it behaves in an interesting way.

Fair warning I want to show screenshots of the movie, to show you precisely what I mean. It depicts realistic body horror. The movie is not for the faint of heart.

(Don't watch the movie if you are under 16, I know I can't stop people, but I want to put this warning out there)

Rough summary is, crews get send out to investigate what happens inside the area. Which is getting affected by this being, that crash landed on earth.

The area that gets affected becomes bigger over time, being indicated by this "wall" people have to go through. Inside this barrier you can see how the biology of animals and humans changes drastically. From pretty deers to... a horrifying mutant bear.

And this bear is the only real hostile entity.

Some humans even turned into bushes/trees that look like people. One member of the main group investigating also turned into one.

This is also why I think everyone on the rig was immediately infected, because the Shape has a certain "range". Anything that's inside this range, will have their biology altered in different ways. Starting with hallucinations, dizzyness and going over to vomiting, bleeding from your head/ears and ultimately- mutations.

How big this range is? Is uncertain, electronics also behave weirdly in Annihilation (If I remember correctly, for my analysis video I need to rewatch this movie).

There was a group of soldiers that went in there before our movie protagonists went in. And what happened to one of them can be seen in an abandoned building

There was a recording on a camera that shows, his stomach being cut open to see that his intestines were moving in an abnormal way (I'll refrain from showing an image of this here).

I sadly don't have too many screenshots of the Shape, to properly show comparisons. I think something similar like that happens to O'Conner.

He mutters that something is stealing his guts. It's reminds me of what happens to the soldier's guts in the movie. Twisting inside his body, which is so hard to look at. Together with this huge fleshy wall spreading behind Donald.

The entity inside the movie isn't reaaally hostile either. It may be confused why it's there or doesn't know it's affecting people and wildlife.

And why Caz hasn't mutated into something yet, is hard to say. It's similar to the woman who reaches the lighthouse at the end of the movie. She still seemed somewhat unaffected. Or at least hasn't turned into a bush- This entity affects people differently so it can't be said for certain who mutates instantly and who stays normal for longer periods.

At the end of Annihilation you don't know, if our protagonist got out alive or if a doubleganger took her place. Makes me think of the uncertainty one has, at the end of The Thing as well.

That's all I wanted to talk about, figured it might be interesting to know.

I know dev vlogs mention even more movies/media, but I have to look into it on another day.

[atefingersdagger]

If you don't mind me Asking what drew you to shipping thresh and glimmer I just love knowing other people's ideas on unlikely couples/ships and what do you imagine their dynamic to be?

I don't mind at all! Love explaining my niche ships! <3

Originally, it was for an AU where the tributes were somewhat "resurrected" by District 13 (technically the canons fired early for all tributes so they could retrieve them before they succumbed to injury with the exception to those who died in the bloodbath)

And Glimmer's interest in Thresh was for a pivotal conversation with Clove about it. As it, one, showed that Clove wasn't holding a grudge against her killer, and two, that she became close enough to Glimmer that she wants to see her happy. As a way to show Clove's growth and maturity.

I also was thinking about similarities and differences between all the tributes and this random thought that originally wasn't supposed to take up much space in my mind, decided to become something that I actually quite liked.

So, Glimmer likely is insecure, but not in her body, but rather the opposite. She's been told and ordered to be only an attractive body by her stylists and by society. That she isn't much else to anyone but a pair of attractive body parts others can rearrange as they please like a doll. She likely hadn't seen much autonomy.

I see Thresh understanding her lack of control in her life and body within himself. He is described as "built like an ox," which implies he's tall and as brawny as the Career tributes can be. This also implies he had been working and doing labor for a long time in 11. Which means his worth was tied to how much he was harvesting or any other job he was able to have at a young age. So, he feels like he is nothing more than a machine to be geared up and see no fruits of his labor.

I do think they have a lot of differences, though. Glimmer was groomed in many ways to be a tribute and to use her looks to her survival ability, which would have likely completely robbed her of her autonomy as a victor. She was raised to respect the Games.

While Thresh saw through all of the bullshit of the Capitol, he just felt like he was stuck and that it's the luck of his draw. This is why he is solemn and doesn't talk during his interview (according to the book). He won't play their Games, but Glimmer feels like she has too.

They both have been robbed of many choices (at least in my headcanons) and how these understandings help bridge the gap that the propaganda tries to do with the districts. Glimmer learns just how unfairly lower districts are treated, and Thresh learns that District 1 really isn't luxurious but just another place that holds seedy undertones as any other place.

Glimmer is talkative, charismatic, and everything many girls want to he by first glance, but I think Thresh is probably one of the first people to see her as a person. Someone deserving of respect, first and foremost. I think Marvel and Cato were gentlemen and never judged her as she likely got from other men, and Clove was cordial as an ally and not a catty girl. But they were still all technically enemies to start off with.

And I think Glimmer would help bring out Thresh's happier side and allow him to let his guard down in terms of allowing himself to be happy and to have fun once they are in 13. They get to be different and similar simultaneously and embrace both in many ways. As a show of how love and compassion, and not even romantic, necessarily, can break propaganda and years of conquer and divide tactics.

Thresh seems like he wanted to protect the girls, too. Yes, he killed Clove, but he was livid about what she said over Rue, who was arguably "more innocent" in Thresh's eyes at the point. He spared Katniss, and I'm sure he knew Cato would be on his trail and not because of the fact he took the bag with the 2 on it, but because he took an eye and now Cato needs to take an eye in order for them both to make themselves further blinded by the Games. He practically sacrificed himself for the better.

Glimmer and Thresh would find a lot of freedom in each other (as I think Cato did with Clove and Katniss with Peeta) they are attracted to each other but saw much deeper than what they could offer as labor or entertainment, but just as people. Beyond tributes and allowing themselves to truly choose what they want.

Sorry, this rant was so long. Originally, it was supposed to be like 2 or 3 paragraphs, but I had so many details I wanted to explain as I've seen no one else shipping them 🤧

(I also remember finding two pictures of the actors being cute with each other and started giggling cause I was like, "This is evidence that they'd be cute together as characters")

[aeternallis]

One thing that confounds me (and something that I’ve never seen mentioned) about Chay was how he was able to stay in that house alone for, arguably, a good couple of months. And I’m not talking about how he was able to feed himself, how he did his laundry, etc. etc., that can easily be answered by him most likely improvising and buying lots of take out, lol

He may not know how to cook, but I assume he knows how to at least maintain himself, if nothing else.

Nah, what gets to me about Chay is that he was able to live in that house alone (and with the windows open, mind you!), and not once are we ever shown if he’s uncomfortable in the dark, or he’s heard noises at night, or maybe that he’s encountered any ghosts and/or other creatures.

SE Asia in particular is full of folklore and local belief when it comes to supernatural creatures; are you telling me Chay has not once ever imagined a krasue (manananggal in Tagalog) hovering over his house—or by his window, for that matter?!

Like, if you look at the Kittitsawasd residence, the décor and furniture is a mix of minimalist, modernism, and early 2000s aesthetic; in other words, due to the size of the house alone, any squeaks and creeks from the structure most likely echoes.

On top of that, Porsche himself is also quite superstitious and does take talismans at least half-seriously, so I imagine Chay to have a somewhat similar belief system when it comes to supernatural beings, ghosts, and whatnot, yknow?

Another point: a malicious murder also occurred in that place, so I imagine that the house probably contains some lingering malevolent energy. It does not at all escape me how tragic it is that Chay has slept alone, in the vicinity of the spot where Pat took his last breath. I’m not sure if maybe Porsche and Chay (and I guess Arthee) got through it through the power of ignorance and a strong sibling bond, but either way, I refuse to believe that these two have never felt anything in that house. LOL

Chay is admirable for many reasons, and I admire him for those same reasons too, but at the end of the day, I question how he was able to stay in that house alone and not feel any sort of presence, even if it's imagined. jhsadjhjsa Like damn, boy, give me that unhinged energy, since I'm hardly able to stay alone in my condo for long periods of time, let alone a big ass house like that! Hahaha!

So yeah, something to think about (and maybe headcanon; I can totally see Kim going along with Chay if ever, like, they go to a temple and make offerings, especially if they gotta soothe some malicious spirits whom resulted from having been killed by their mafia/mafia-connected family)

[midnight1nk]

...Oh hey, my dear fellows! I was just vibing here in my pillow fort. Please come in! So, uh, how are we feeling?

[*panic noises*]

Hmm, understandable. We got that episode... then that render... then the website changed... Well, the point is: a lot has happened and things are about to escalate even more than what we have right now. Oh, yeah, things are about to get even crazier and we wouldn't even know. I don't really have many theories on my end since I already launched my "WOTFI 2024 Predictions" post, both the OG and the revisited version, before these episodes came in. What more can I really say?

Actually, there is one thing I could go over...

The Ticket

⚠️ DISCLAIMER IN INTRO POST ⚠️

"Nothing lasts forever..."

Unlike the usual stuff, this will be more of an analysis/prediction. Somewhat of a "mini-theory", if you will. Before I continue, I do want to give a heads-up that Tumblr is giving me a hard time uploading images so for all my sources, I would link them so you can see them for yourselves. At least, until the issue gets resolved.

Now, without further ado, let's-a go :

TRADITIONS

We are all familiar with how WOTFI works. The challenges, the points, the end goal. And, of course, the channel drops hints for the audience to pick up on, usually related to the plot. This is nothing new. Let's look back to the previous one, the 2023 Heist (aka the Notebook Arc):

After Mario stole SMG3's notebook, we ended on the cliffhanger of Three standing outside the Castle, furious at Mario, in the episode 'SMG4: Trust No One'. Since then, we have been given hints here and there, with Three missing his notebook to plotting something to get it back, before we got the trailer for WOTFI and the Heist-Planning stream. This year, though, the hints we received so far all revolved around a ticket.

The first one [link] is SMG4 getting his in an envelope.

The second one [link] was of the crew holding out each of their tickets to the sky. The picture features Bob, Luigi, Three, Four, Mario, Tari, and Karen. We can assume these are the characters we will side with for this year's WOTFI.

And now, the third [link] is the most mysterious of them all so far: A ticket was ripped up and left abandoned on the wet ground.

WHO DOES THIS BELONG TO?

So, what's so mysterious about it?

The ticket being left abandoned is one thing, but the fact that whoever had this ticket ripped it. To start with the first question:

Who does this belong to?

Now, the obvious answer would be Meggy. After all, the last (and shocking) episode just showed us that Mr Puzzles forced Meggy to turn back into Leggy. Meggy won't be with the main crew for WOFTI, it just makes sense.

Well, that's if we assume the episodes and the posts are happening at the same time.

I've been following the people behind the SMG4 channel to see if they have anything to comment on. About the recent episodes, about the renders. And oh boy, did they have things to say:

When the first one dropped, a few people, including myself, made the connection that Mr Puzzles was the one who sent the envelope to Four, similar to how he sent a letter to Wren back in Western Spaghetti. It wasn't until now that the crew alluded that we were right. It's not to say that it's an absolute confirmation. But we are on the right track.

When the second one dropped, many people suspected and joked that the reason why Meggy was in the picture was because she was too short or the one taking the picture. It wasn't until now, after we saw that Meggy was going to become Leggy, the crew was like "I guess that's why Meggy wasn't in the picture" with such a mischievous smile. (they are so silly.)

Seeing how they worded their responses, I believe that, timeline-wise, the episodes took place before these posts were made. Think about it this way:

Two plots were happening at the same time, one with the usual adventures with the crew and the other following Mr Puzzles. But, from our point of view, we only saw one of the plots.

Until the show took a turn and was like "Hey, have you ever wondered what the hell Mr Puzzles is up to while this was happening?" before we transitioned to this plot of Mr Puzzles slowly going insane.

Viewing this exact timeline, it would make sense for Mr Puzzles to already have a carnival in his hands, and send invites to all the people who wronged him (in this case the SMG4 crew) as part of his revenge plan. Leggy would already be with Mr Puzzles at this point, so there isn't any reason why she would own one. The ticket can't be hers.

Then, whose is it?

Well, it's a bit...tricky.

The first thing that comes to mind is the SMG4 crew. There's literally a picture of them holding their tickets. The thing is, they can't be the only ones. Take WOTFI 2023 for example. Sure, Three and Four were the main duo we sided with but other side characters were in the casino as well. Not only that but they were involved in the results for the ending.

Mr Puzzles wants to have a successful carnival to "prove" to his father that he has creative vision. And to do that, he would have to have the park filled with satisfied visitors. More people. and therefore, these side characters would have a ticket as well.

Our pool of "suspects" just went from the main crew to a hundred possible visitors. That is the tricky part. Fortunately, for us, there is still a way. Instead of picking a needle in a haystack, we could use the process of elimination to check off anyone who doesn't fit the criteria.

THE RENDER

Let's look over the recent third post once more. BenJoJoGV, the thumbnail artist for the channel, worked really hard on this render. You can tell how realistically detailed this looks, with the mud and puddles of rain. BenJoJoGV really cooked fr fr.

A few people pointed something out: if you look closely at the mud, you can see a shoeprint. Likely to come from a (work) boot due to the heel and the grooves being emphasized by the mud.

If this wasn't done on purpose and was simply part of the textured pattern, then this means nothing.

However, if this was done on purpose, then it means our suspect wears boots. The soles of the shoes are probably not as detailed as the ones in the render, but they're still boots. Everyone who doesn't wear boots as part of their model is automatically eliminated. From the main crew, it would be Bob and Tari.

What about Karen?

Her model does have shoes with a pronounced heel on them. However, she has no motive as to why she would rip the ticket. Just like the rest of the crew, she doesn't know who sent the ticket, let alone know who Mr Puzzles is.

As a mom, she would likely take her kids to the carnival to have some fun.

If I was right about Marty being part of WOTFI, Karen would've had to get some intel that Marty may be in the carnival. Better yet, she could've used the ticket as an opportunity to finish him off.

Either way, there is no reason to waste it.

As for the rest of the crew that do wear boots, there is yet to be a motive for any of them to rip their ticket. They don't know that Mr Puzzles is the mastermind behind all of this. To them, this is a free pass to a carnival.

This leads to my next question:

Why rip the ticket?

Other than the Didney workers, no one knows that Mr Puzzles killed Mickey and took over Didney Worl to create his own idea of a carnival. The rest of the world, whoever received a ticket, would simply think this is a fun carnival. And a free pass, too? Don't mind if I do!

Who wouldn't want a free ticket?

One person didn't. Our suspect.

They could've handed the ticket to someone else, or simply not go. Why go through the effort of ripping it?

Because, my dear fellows, they know the truth.

They would know what's the deal with the new carnival, who Mr Puzzles is. And perhaps, what Mr Puzzles has done. They would learn the truth and not respond so positively to it.

From the render, we can piece together that:

our suspect was standing in the rain

they ripped the ticket and dropped the pieces

and walked away, leaving the print on the mud, without looking back.

By the time this photo was taken, it would've happened recently since there isn't any mud or rain covered. It just landed on the ground.

Would they confront Mr Puzzles themselves? Would they warn the crew about this? Or simply not take part in WOTFI?

Hmm, lots to think about...

Right now, someone knows the truth about WOTFI and they will definitely take a big role. Remember when Three was standing outside of the castle for last year's WOTFI? It was raining. Things are about to get serious, my friends.

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

The question, the one that still remains after all of this... who is our suspect? Who is this person?

We don't know, I don't. But at least we are a bit closer to learning their identity. We just have to wait and see what they have in store for us.

"I got a golden ticket. I got a golden glimmer in my eye..."

But hey, that’s just a theory…

AN SMG4 (MINI) THEORY

🎶Thanks for dropping by🎶

...now if you excuse me, I got a bingo card to prepare!

[i-dont-know-what-im-doing-2024]

Workout Tips for beginners/chronic pain

For those of you who don’t know me I am trans and physically disabled (also autistic and have anxiety and depression and ptsd) anyway working out has been something that was totally off the table for me for a long time but lately my energy and motivation have improved somewhat as well as my dysphoria being worse which has made me want to try to working out again.

This legitimately isn’t a post I ever thought I’d be making but being pre T and closeted it felt like the only thing I could do to have some control over my body and I really wanted to try. It took me a couple of months after first getting the idea to actually feel like I was in a place to try and as well as finding a good program. I really didn’t want to put money into this especially because I had no idea how it would go, I’m currently on my second week of working out so I thought I’d share some advice for anyone else in a similar position.

Also, as a disclaimer, not everyone with chronic pain or other disabilities can exercise and there’s definitely been times when I also couldn’t so this purely for people who are in a place where they want to and are safe to try.

- Balance is everything, I say this as a total hypocrite just to be clear but if you haven’t worked out in a long time (I would say it’s been around three years for me) you can’t expect to go super hard right away

- Don’t worry about speed or reps or anything like that, doing your best is the most important thing and trying to take that pressure off yourself helps

- Honestly do fewer reps, shorter times, modify or substitute exercises, skip certain things- none of that is a big deal even if it feels like it is and whether you can do some of it later or not it’s okay

- I don’t see physical results yet which isn’t a surprise but I can feel more muscles when I flex my stomach which is cool and even after a week and a half with a lot of rest days I can do more than I could at the beginning

- Low impact is still a hard workout and it is much easier on your body, highly recommend for people with chronic pain

- Now one of the most important things I’ve learned is that I do not have the option of not warming up and doing cool down stretches, my body cannot handle it if I skip those steps which unfortunately makes everything take so much longer but again for anyone with chronic pain it’s probably better to cut down the harder bits and do a warm up and cool down

- The one time I did skip cool down stretches because I had errands to run and thought walking around would be enough I couldn’t sit or stand up straight the next day because I was in so much pain and the muscles in my hips and legs hurt so badly I had to take a break for several days

- I’ve also found that doing full body stretches after working out significantly reduces pain the next day (at least for me) to the point where after a week of working out I feel more sore than in proper pain

- If certain exercises are too much for your body skip them or do another exercise instead, the pain really isn’t worth it and it’s way too easy to injure yourself or cause a flare up

- Sometimes you can do exercises at the beginning but can’t do multiple reps, I’m serious about listening to your body, especially if you’re disabled. I pushed myself a bit too hard today and managed to hurt my wrist and neck (wrist because I did too many workouts in a plank position and the weight on my wrists was too much, neck from crunch type exercises that strain my neck which can cause headaches/migraines the next day)

- Not related to physical disability but I have some demand avoidance tendencies and personally not telling anyone in my life I’m doing it has been one of the most helpful things in not having to deal with external pressure or expectations (I know for other people outside accountability helps so it just depends on what helps you)

- If money is a concern or you’re not sure if you’ll be able to be consistent long term just working out in underwear is a good option, also there are tons of different types of free bodyweight workouts on YouTube, the only thing I’ve bought so far has been a mat

- Onto the next point, get a mat, preferably s as thick exercise mat with a lot of cushion and not a yoga mat. I didn’t realize there was a difference but there absolutely is and for me having more cushion makes a huge difference on my joints

- I personally have been doing Chloe Ting because I’ve seen a lot of people with a lot of different body types get results after being consistent and because after trying it for a week I feel stronger. That being said they’re also not easy and I have made a lot of adjustments and had to take breaks after causing flare ups but all these tips have helped me find more sustainable ways to exercise instead of doing it once and burning out

- I don’t do explicit cardio EVER, I have tachycardia and get dizzy and lightheaded really easily so even doing bodyweight exercises and low impact my heart rate ranges from 150bpm-180bpm the entire time with breaks.

- Also, drinking lots of water is supposed to be good, I don’t track it but I try to stay hydrated and it probably helps

- Prioritize sleep if you’re able to

- Hot showers after working out also help me manage muscle pain

- Finally for food I’ve been trying not to eat unless I’m actually hungry as I have a habit of eating if I’m bored and trying to incorporate more healthy food into my life rather than cutting anything out. Also healthy being subjective, I’m trying to eat healthier than I used to but that still isn’t like tons of salad and veggies and stuff so whatever you can do is fine

- I’m definitely not following all these myself but I’m working on it and trying to improve

[lovelycleon]

Hello there

I recently had a horrific argument because some people can’t let a ship just be a ship. I genuinely have my fun and love for Cleon and it getting attacked was too much. However the person I got into a fight with also told me to count up 3 reasons why they should work. And I couldn’t believe that I had to think about it and it took longer than it should have. Out of curiosity…if you had to count up three reasons what would it be?

Hello!

I'm pretty sure I've already answered a question like this at some point, or at least the answer is spread out somewhere in several of my posts over the last 3 years.

But don't worry, I will try to make a short summary of the 3 things about Cleon that would make them work as a couple:

1.They have a lot in common.

Although their work occupies most of Leon and Claire's lives, through the franchise they have shown very similar everyday interests and hobbies:

Such as love for motorcycles. Capcom made Leon and Claire the official bikers of the franchise, always putting little references here and there in games and movies;

Their whole style. The taste for custom leather jackets, obviously, but also many other alternative outfits. Believe me, of almost all of Claire's costumes, Leon has one somewhere to match.

Even the same kind of sense of humor, with similar one liners, bad good jokes and literary references that I posted here many times before;

It would be easy to imagine what their life together would be like outside of work, on a daily basis with so much in common and the banter they have when they are together.

2.They have the same morals.

Despite following different paths in the fight against bioterrorism, Leon and Claire carry the same code on how to act in certain situations:

Like the idea that both have already stated about not giving up the fight in the name of their comrades who died alongside them (Damnation, Heavenly Island);

The strong will to protect those in need, like Sherry, Ashley and others, no matter how impossible the mission seems or what has to be done;

Not blindly believing in something and always questioning and digging deep when something doesn't feel right (Degeneration, Infinite Darkness);

Trying to understand all sides of the situation and even sympathizing with some of the villains they faced (Annette, Rodrigo, Jason, Buddy, Dr. Taylor and more);

Along with many others, sharing these characteristics can bring stability to their relationship. Having them always on the same page, knowing what each one stands for.

3.They can understand each other.

Besides the shared trauma in Raccoon City, Leon and Claire went through very similar traumatic events even on different missions years apart and, in one way or another, felt the same type of pain:

Being kidnapped, infected and subjected to a race against time to save themselves and others (RE4 and REvelations 2);

Having to see their superiors whom they trusted (and are somewhat emotionally involved) become monsters obsessed with power. (Neil and Krauser)

Being used, mistreated and framed... Leon by the government and its corruption; Claire (along with terrasave) by willpharma and later on by Neil and the FBC;

Witnessing friends sacrifice themselves for them... some even in a very similar way: like Gabe and Mike exploding in a helicopter while Claire and Leon can only watch;

Don't get me wrong, a lot of RE characters have trauma and they all can bond through that, it's undeniable. But here, about Leon and Claire, I'm not just talking about "what happened and their reaction", but also HOW it happened and the physical and psychological similarities of each event for them. As if the narrative chooses to create parallels between them.

And this opens the door for a deep interactions (like the one in Degeneration) that can add new layers to their relationship and find comfort in each other.

Now just let me give you a little bonus (because I would like to write a lot more, but that is already too far from the short summary I promised)

4.Their amazing chemistry.

Haters will always try to deny it (and that's expected since they are haters), but the chemistry between Leon and Claire is great.

Not just the way they look and smile at each other, but how they act together and how they care for each other. I mean, Capcom didn't write scenes like Claire's big smile when she sees that Leon is okay, or Leon giving up of himself for Claire's safety, or them flirting cracking jokes in the middle of a zombie outbreak, or running and screaming each of their name in despair as soon as they see the other is injured for nothing.

It's to highlight their chemistry. The chemistry they are writing for Cleon.

Again, haters will always deny it, because it's inconvenient for them, but it's there.

Leon and Claire love and care for each other deeply, they can have fun hobbies, overcome hardships and find comfort together. The entire basis for a healthy relationship is there, written by the devs at Capcom themselves.

We just need to wait and see what they do with it.

[nanaten]

I'm sorry for not requesting a drawing with this space, but I just have to ask... what is the appeal of Clausten? I am not trying to be mean or anything, I legit am very curious.

I can kinda understand Nesscas, it's the result of fledgling mother fans from Smash going "these two would be cute together" (at least that's how I always took it, apologies if that seems rude), but Clausten feels kinda like... those same mother fans finding out about claus and ninten and going "gasp! leftover stripe boys" and mashing them together like... idk what a good term is for this.

Again; sorry for misusing this space, i kinda just want to understand this ship. Not dogging on you or others for enjoying it, just wanna understand it.

I suppose while I am here, I guess I could request a doodle of Lloyd. Maybe of him blabbing about Superman comic stuff to Ninten or what have you. Lloyd needs more appreciation.

Also sorry this may be a mess to read, it was just kinda stream of consciousness

Hi! No need to apologise, I think this is a very good question!

I understand that the ship, on a basic level, doesn’t really make much sense at all! It began as a crackship enjoyed by a small percentage of the mother community and slowly developed into what it is now— a ship with many enjoyers, but not many that know exactly why they enjoy it.

I want to preface this by saying, I do not speak for every person who enjoys Clausten. I am just one of many, and this is all my personal perspective. Thank you for enquiring about it, honestly, because I love speaking about them. So, here we go!

First and Foremost: It’s a crackship— so more than any other reason I can give, it’s just plain fun! These are two characters I love and adore with my whole heart, so it’s just fun to have them interact, and of course, it’s fun to view them as a potentially romantic pairing! Ninten is my favorite character of all time, and Claus is my favorite in Mother 3 specifically, so it’s like a personal wish fulfilment to draw them together.

It’s fun to not take strict canon all too seriously. I pull my silly guys from the source material and I mess around with them whichever way I desire B).

I definitely don’t think it’s entirely fair to view Clausten as, like, Nesscas leftovers either, lol. Ultimately these characters are all very different in terms of stories, how they’re written etc, and both ships have very different qualities that make them loveable in their own right! Liking ships like Clausten has alot to do with how you view these characters— What do you gather their personalities are, how compatible would they be, etc? And the way I characterize Ninten and Claus, atleast in my head, make them very compatible. (Ninten being adventurous, outgoing, snarky, and boyish, and Claus being similar— but more reserved, and more careful as a product of his experiences.)

And finally— I really think them as people— not my own view of their personalities, but judging based on canon events— that the two are very similar, and could find solice in their similar experiences. I think the characters are weirdly connected, in a way, for starters— Claus, if you think about it, is Porky’s second Giegue/Giygas. A new puppet, a new ace, a new strength that he takes away the humanity of.

Ninten, being directly related to Giegue, who I can imagine feels somewhat responsible for the corruption of Giegue alongside what comes after the events of Mother 1 , is also connected in some way to Porky, and then Claus. This is basically an extended way of me saying “Their stories are linked in the overarching tale that is the Mother series”.

Claus’s feelings towards Ninten would be complicated initially, or atleast I think so— for his inability to defeat Giegue weirdly, inadvertently caused a chain reaction that lead to the events of Mother 3. (Giegue lives —> Invades Eagleland —> Porky Gets corrupted —> Giegue is then defeated by Ness and Co by going to the past but Porky Escapes —> Porky goes to the future, Mother 3 time —> The Plot Of Mother 3 Happens You Get It). The two’s distant but important connection in the story of the games leads to some extremely interesting food for thought, or at least I think so. How would Claus view the situation? How would Ninten feel after finding out what happened to Claus? How would the two bond over this weird experienced they’re both tied in?

And that is made all the more interesting to me when possibly viewing it in a romantic lense, or atleast something that could become romantic. It’s complicated and messy and there’s so much history behind the two, it’s interesting to think not only about how they’d meet and how they’d feel about eachother, but how they would handle romantic feelings— how a relationship between two very troubled people could work and be okay, and help them mutually heal.

All this is to say, they’re tied in the story and I think putting the two in a romantic relationship is very interesting. Also, it’s just fun :’)

(This post is a TOTAL mess, it’s midnight and I should be sleeping, but I got too excited to write about them hahaha. Thank you so much for the question! Also, I’ll make my next post a big lloyd appreciation, I like to draw him. Thanks again! X))

[fiore-region-appreciation]

Work Meetings

Words: 3,807

Pairing: Joel/Lucian

Synopsis: A conference in the Sinnoh region ends in an unexpected way.

____

Well, thank goodness that's over.

Though Joel had never personally encountered any of the trainer-on-ranger prejudice that was supposedly rampant in regions like this, that didn't make these seminars any easier. Giving a presentation in front of a room full of people not necessarily obligated to respect you was never an easy feat to begin with, but coupled with the grim suspicion that nobody in that room was going to agree with your points (and indeed, they very often didn't), and these things could get exhausting.

Truth be told, he still didn't understand why the Union insisted a Ranger be present in these meetings in the first place. So far, the Interregional Pokémon League Association hadn't taken a single point they'd ever made on board, and at this point Joel (and many of his colleagues) doubted they ever would. Minimum age to become a trainer was still between ten or twelve in most regions, Pokéballs could still be purchased with pocket change from just about anywhere, breeding was still barely regulated (if at all) in every member state. It was lip service, in all honesty, on behalf of the League Association, so that they could claim any new law they imposed was done so with a Ranger's "approval", and wishful thinking on behalf of the Union that they could implement any serious overhauls.

The conference room was nearly empty, with only a handful of who he assumed were members of the same League hanging back and paying no attention to him, so he finally took the opportunity to release his Dodrio from his Styler's storage system, doing so with a flurry of feathers and cacophony of annoyed squawking. The system, though incredibly useful, was far too similar to a Pokéball for his (or Dodrio's) liking, and he watched somewhat guiltily as she set to work preening herself with two of her heads whilst her third gave him what he could only describe as a disappointed glare. 

"I know, I know-" Even holding his hand out to pet her earned him a disgruntled growl, though this of course quickly dissipated into a slightly-less-disgruntled hum. "I promise we'll go for a run later-"

"Excuse me." 

Perhaps it was the suddenness of the voice from behind, or perhaps it was the fact he didn't really know if Pokémon were allowed in this room, but nevertheless the voice still made him jump. The voice, embarrassingly, noticed this. "Ah, sorry, didn't mean to startle you there-"

"It's fine." Turning around revealed the source of the voice to be a smartly dressed man, elegantly composed despite his sheepish expression and, dare he say, quite attractive on top of it all. "Do you need anything?"

"Actually yes." There was a gleam in his eye that Joel couldn't quite place as he took a step forward. "There were just a few points in that meeting that I'd like some… clarification on, if that's alright with you?"

Hm, this could take a while. Any time a trainer wanted him to elaborate on any of his points it usually ended in a frosty debate, albeit something he'd developed a talent for shutting down efficiently. He pressed that suspicion down, adopting his "leader face", as some of his underlings called it. "Of course, what is it you want to speak about?"

"Just a few things, but first…" The man smirked, that glint in his eye ever more apparent as he stepped forwards, raising a hand to fan himself with a dramatic air. "It's rather stuffy in here, don't you think? Perhaps we can go... somewhere else?"

Oh. Oh. He knew that tone. He'd heard it before, many times in fact. Perhaps too many times, though at least this one seemed somewhat respectable.

"There's a bar downstairs." Joel dropped his "leader face", returning the coy smile. "Would that be more suitable?"

The man offered a soft grin. "It certainly would."

*

His name, he found out, was Lucian.

One of the highest ranked trainers in the region (from what he could tell; he'd never bothered to familiarise himself with trainer lingo), and by his own admission, an avid reader. Perhaps too avid, he'd said, confessing he'd been known to rush battles in order to get back to reading. 

"It's a bad habit of mine." Lucian chuckled, swirling that splendid Paldean red wine he'd ordered for their table around his glass. "I'm trying to kick it, but well… old habits die hard, as they say." 

Joel mused over his own glass, his free hand running up one of Dordrio's heads, which now rested contentedly in his lap. "Don't I know it, have a few I should try kicking myself." 

"Oh? If I'm honest, I find that rather hard to believe." "How so?"

Lucian thought, savouring his next mouthful of wine. "You seem very… distinguished. Not the kind to have bad habits, you know?"

"Distinguished, eh?" 

"Well, more so than any of my previous dates at least. Make of that what you will." 

The nervous chuckle behind that statement suggested that Lucian's dating history was just as disastrous as his own. 

He continued, "The scene out here is rather… dire, I must confess. You're honestly the first date I've had in quite some time."

"Same here." Not that the gay scene back in Fall City was lacking, far from it, he just… 

"I don't really have the time for dates these days. Anyone who knows me will probably say I'm married to my job, and unfortunately for me I can't really refute that."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Certainly an interesting thing to admit on a first date."

"Ahaha, that's true." Perhaps a subject change was in order. "What made you approach me, anyway?"

He pondered for a moment. "A lot of Psychic specialists out there believe in the likes of auras, and energies, horoscopes and all that. I've done quite a bit of reading on it, and although I don't really believe in much of it at all, I will admit that there was certainly something about you that just… drew me in. I can't quite explain it, other than perhaps… it was your aura after all?" 

With a smirk, he savoured another mouthful of wine. "Also you could say I've always had a thing for Fiori men."

"I see." Truthfully, he always wondered what other regions always seemed to see in Fiori men, outside of them being stereotyped as tall and hairy. Two things he was decidedly not. "So I have an alluring aura then, eh?"

"Well, like I said, I don't necessarily believe in auras myself. Not to the extent other Psychic users do anyway. But yes, there certainly was something alluring about you, you could say."

His eyes not-so-subtly roved south. Joel crossed his legs, eyebrows raised but smirking nonetheless.

"I'm sure one of my exes would be happy to give you a review."

"Oh? I was rather hoping I'd get to find out for myself."

"On the first date? My, aren't you hasty."

He said, as though he hadn't slept with numerous men he didn't even bother to learn the name of before. 

Lucian smirked, the toe of his shoe briefly yet deliberately brushing against Joel's shin as he changed positions. "Well, we've only got until the end of the conference, I'm assuming. Might as well make the most of it."

"Touché." He refilled his glass, duly noting the bottle was now empty. "But at the very least I feel we should get to know each other more first…?"

"Unfortunately I'm not really all that interesting." Lucian sat back in his chair, eyes diverting to the ceiling with a sigh. "Did the whole rigmarole with school and university, couldn't figure out what I wanted to do after that… Took up battling out of boredom, one thing led to another and next thing I know I'm in the League full time."

He drummed on his glass as his voice dropped. "I still don't even know if training's my true calling. It's a rather dead-end job once you reach a certain point, and I think I hit that point a long time ago."

A rather glum smile. "So yes, I'm not really the most interesting person I know, I'm afraid. I'm sure you've got far more interesting stories to tell."

"You could say that." "Interesting", obviously, could mean a lot of things after all. It could mean anything from his days beating boredom at the Jungle Relic, to the time Spenser put a padlock on his glasses and told him he'd hidden the key somewhere in Fall City base, only to keep it in his pocket all day. "Is there anything you'd like to know about in particular?"

Lucian thought for a moment. Joel braced himself for the inevitable lecture of how performing a capture actually works that every Ranger has to provide at least five times over the course of their career, though he'd gotten the impression his companion wouldn't ask something so obvious.

"Tell me about her." Lucian eventually pointed to Dodrio, who lifted her head briefly before settling back into Joel's lap. "Is she a pet, or-?"

"We prefer the term 'partner'." Of course, he knew how she must have looked right now, a head under each wing and the third resting on his right thigh, clearly enjoying the absent minded petting she was receiving. Certainly not the steely and distinguished partner his colleagues and the citizens of Fiore were so used to seeing. "I know she doesn't seem like it now, but this old girl's arguably been the best colleague I've had these last twenty years."

That made her other two heads stir, and look up at him briefly with a contended coo. Lucian giggled. "I think she understood that."

"She understands every word I say, trust me." He ruffled her feathers, causing her to nip against one of his rings with her beak. "Isn't that right?"

Lucian tilted his head curiously.  "How exactly do you acquire a partner? Do you get one assigned?"

"Well unfortunately for me, and some of the points I made in that meeting, she was actually wild once upon a time." Though to be fair, he wasn't even too opposed to non-Rangers domesticating wild Pokémon in the first place. Providing they were well-intentioned adults, of course. "Doubly unfortunately is the fact that the Doduo line is incredibly rare in the wild back in Fiore. I sure had some explaining to do back at base, leader at the time wasn't too thrilled with me taking an endangered species out of its habitat."

"Well I can't imagine you set out to do that on purpose." 

"Ah…" Perhaps that lecture on how to perform a capture wouldn't have been so bad after all. "I didn't try to find a partner on purpose, but I will admit I was intentionally trying to track down either half of the Doduo evolutionary line. It was just research, really. I wanted to see how endangered they really were, and so the best way to start would be, well, finding and capturing one."

He briefly stopped stroking Dodrio (much to her annoyance), lowering his now empty glass to his lap pensively. "It took far longer than I'd anticipated. I actually reached a point where I genuinely thought they'd gone extinct in the wild, something I'd feared from the start, so when I finally stumbled across a wild Doduo, completely by accident might I add, I was just so overcome with emotion that my relief must have been conveyed during the capture and well…"

He tilted Dodrio's head up, scratching under her chin and earning him a very contended hum. "She's been by my side ever since."

"Wait so she was still-" Lucian's thought process was visible, to say the least. "So how did she evolve then? Surely you don't battle."

"Slowly." Slowly was probably the best way to describe it without giving his companion nightmares. "I wouldn't think about it too much." 

"I won't." Lucian distracted himself by looking around the bar, before perking up, seemingly more aware of his surroundings. "Looks like they're closing the bar now. Shall we…?"

"Oh, of course." He'd lost track of time again, it seemed. Perhaps this is what he got for not wearing a watch. "Your room or-" 

"Unfortunately I'm having to share my room with a colleague."

Joel mused. "My room it is then." 

The bird sleeping in his lap was woken up with a ruffle of her crown feathers, and a slight jostle as he finally stood up. She rumbled in protest, adjusting her short wings to cover her side heads, her middle one duly following his hand up. "I know, I know, but you can sleep when we get upstairs, okay?"

He turned his head to notice Lucian watching him with a mildly awestruck look on his face. "I know you probably hear it a lot, but I don't think I've ever seen a Pokémon as well behaved as she is."

"I actually don't hear that at all, surprisingly." The people of Fiore were perhaps accustomed to well behaved domesticated Pokémon, especially those accompanying a Ranger. One of the many side effects which came with a largely Pokéball-free society. "But it's nice to hear. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lucian turned to the elevator panel. "Which floor-"

"Fifth." The lift appeared to be far too cramped for Dodrio's liking, and she rumbled as it started to move. He absently petted her back, struggling to think of small talk. "I must confess, I may have finished off the complimentary wine last night I'm afraid."

"We can always order more." His tone suggested he may have had other plans in case the wine had been depleted, and that he was also perhaps hoping for this outcome rather than spending the rest of the evening downing even more than they already had.

The door opened with a click.

"Goodness, your room's a lot tidier than ours." He noticed Lucian immediately removed his coat as he entered, hanging it up on the rack near the door, and that his hands also reached for his tie before hesitating, and eventually settled on his hips. "Wish I was sharing with you instead."

"Suppose it's easier to keep the room tidy when it's just me and the old girl over there." The old girl in question had made herself comfortable on the chair by the window, carefully tucking herself into a ball in preparation for sleep. "She's cleaner than most of the humans I've shared with."

"I could believe that." Lucian was now sitting on the bed, hand idly smoothing out the creases. "At this point I always request to have a room to myself, but it's rare to ever get one. Most Pokémon Leagues, ours included, are… rather miserly, to put it nicely."

"The Union's the same." He was honestly surprised they even paid for any official trips and didn't just expect them to fund them personally. "They'd have ten of us to a room if they could."

Opening the minifridge revealed that it was regrettably, though unsurprisingly, empty. Joel grimaced. He'd only topped it up yesterday.

"I'm afraid we'll have to find other forms of entertainment tonight." He stood up, turning to his companion. "Any ideas?"

"I can think of one thing I'd like to do." Lucian approached, tilting Joel's head upwards, quietly studying his face, playfully running his thumb over his Cupid's bow with that same coy smile from earlier. "But before we start, is it alright if I…"

Joel didn't give him the chance to respond, lunging in for a kiss squarely on the mouth. Lucian squeaked in surprise, before it evidently wore off and he pushed back fiercely, forcing Joel back against the wall, and in the process dislodging his glasses from his nose, bringing the kiss to an abrupt stop.

"Aha, sorry about that…" Joel quickly readjusted. He was rustier than he thought, apparently. "I probably should have seen that coming."

"Indeed." Lucian, it seemed, had the same problem. How romantic. "I see you really wanted to get in first, huh?"

Joel smirked, pulling Lucian in by his oversized shirt collar. "Ask any of my colleagues, they'll all tell you I'm quite competitive."

"That's a relief, I was almost worried you weren't that interested in me."

"I apologise for giving you that impression." He pulled Lucian in even closer, feeling his lips brush against his ear as he spoke. "If you'd like, I can show you just how interested I truly am?" 

"Well, that certainly sounds wonderful, but…"  Lucian glanced at Dodrio, then back to him. "I do need to ask, does she really need to watch?"

Joel admittedly felt a pang of guilt as he realised he'd never taken her on that run he'd promised earlier, exacerbated by the combination of disappointed, annoyed and both expressions between her three heads. 

Still, he was free all day tomorrow.

"Sorry old girl." He retracted her into his styler, earning a squawk of protest. "But I don't think you'd want to watch this."

*

It had been a long time since he'd woken up naked.

Longer still since he'd woken up with the general ache of someone who'd had one Hell of a night last night. Perhaps he should've seen that coming. Gone were the days of that spry and newly out twentysomething capable of going all night and still being ready for round two the next morning. Sometimes he forgot he was a lot closer to forty than he cared to admit.

Unfortunately, it hadn't been that long since he'd last woken up with the mind fog and headache that came from drinking far too much wine the night before, nor had it been long since he was last woken up to the incessant beeping coming from his styler indicating a voicemail about to come through. He wrestled his glasses onto his face (jabbing himself in the eye in the process), flicking his styler open to reveal an incoming voicemail from Professor Hastings, and accidentally unleashing a decidedly irate three-headed bird into the tight hotel room space in his embarrassing attempt to accept the call. 

"Good morning, prof-"

He made the mistake of bringing the receiver to his ear. "Good heavens man, where on Earth have you been?"

"I think you'll find I'm currently in the Sinnoh region at the moment-"

"I've been trying to get a hold of you since three thirty, I thought your meeting would have ended by then-"

"There's an eight hour time difference, Professor-"

"And what has gotten into that bird of yours?"

"Your call woke her up." And, even more regrettably, appeared to have woken his bedmate. He gestured frantically that he was on a call, hoping the gesture got across. "And woke me up as well, might I add."

"Oh, confound that! I've been waiting on an update for seven hours straight, you told me you'd get back to me with a report as soon as your meeting was concluded, I was worried something had happened to you, damn near called that hotel out of concern-"

He looked over to Lucian, who appeared to be suppressing a giggling fit. "I just got talking to one of the other delegations-"

"I swear, if it wasn't for Spenser stealing my phone from me, I would've had the police called six hours ago-"

He was just able to make out a loud "I tried" in the background of the call, before Hastings cut it off. "For all we knew, your hotel could have been taken hostage by any number of those awful trainer gangs that run rampant in those regions-"

"The connection in this hotel is patchy at best, my apologies." A white lie, perhaps. Though the connection certainly wasn't great, especially in the conference halls, having set his styler to mute for a good few hours prior to the meeting certainly may have contributed to him missing the professor's calls. "Also, as I said earlier, I've only just woken up."

"Nonsense, you had several hours yesterday to update me, by my calculations, your meeting should have ended around four in the evening your time-" 

"Mhm." 

"-so even if it ran over, there's no way it would have dragged on so for long-"

"Mhm."

"-that it took you right up to the time you'd usually go to bed at-"

"Mhm."

"So don't try and lie to me Joel, you must have-"

"Yes, yes, apologies professor, but the connection in this room really isn't good, you're starting to break up-"

He clicked his styler off. Lucian giggled.

"Was that your boss?"

He removed his glasses, rubbing his nose with an exaggerated groan. "Unfortunately, yes." 

"Sounds complicated."

"That's one way of putting it." He flopped back, glasses and styler returning to the dresser, and letting out a sigh, whilst Dodrio laid all three of her heads on his chest, demanding pets. "Anyways, good morning, sorry about the rude awakening there."

"It's fine, I wasn't able to sleep well anyway." He stretched out, face half burying into his pillow. "You sure know how to show a man a good night."

"You're not the first one to tell me that."

"I must admit, I'm impressed." He giggled. "I wasn't really expecting you to be so… vigorous."

Joel mused. "That's a new one."

"It shouldn't be." He sat up, stretching his back with trained elegance. "That was just the first word which came to my mind, I could have said you were intense, or fierce, or…"

He burrowed back down into the sheets again, looking up with that same gaze from last night. "Ferocious."

"You're overestimating the vocabulary of some of my previous partners." "Partners", he said, as if any of them had been any more than a drunken hookup. The price he paid for desperation, it seemed, was having close to no standards.

"Well, I'm glad to be the first to tell you." He yawned dramatically. "I forgot to ask, how much longer are you here for?"

"Till the conference is done, then it's back to business." A shame, really. These League conferences were really the only trips he ever took outside the confines of Fiore and Almia, and courtesy of the Professor's terrible planning, he rarely had time to sightsee. Fly out, meetings, return to Fiore. Maybe he'd get one spare day, but that was usually reserved to recover from any jet lag. "I swear the Professor thinks the region would just fall apart without me. Can't let me be away for too long."

"That's a pity. Would have loved to have shown you around."

"Well I'm free tonight." And the night after. And every night until his flight home, really. One of the only "joys" he got from being single. "I'd love to see some of the sights around here, if you're free as well."

That signature smirk. "I certainly am."

[rainsandrains]

i made an oracle deck! (sort of)

ok, so i don't believe in anything mystical or magical, including when it comes to tarot/oracle/etc cards. HOWEVER i do think that including an element of randomness can offer something of what you get when you're talking to a friend and they bring up something you hadn't thought of - prompting you to see things in a new light, or reconsider something you didn't previously think was an option.

these cards are old playing cards with magazine (mostly national trust) images glued on. the words are as follows: birth, death, disintegration, unity, nourish, solitude, the past, the present, the future, act, listen, rest, work.

for example: today is imbolc/brightening. i'd forgotten about it, and i had a hard day yesterday, so i was struggling to find the motivation to get out of bed, let alone decide on a way to celebrate/observe. so i pulled a card: "listening". oh... right... i don't need to decide on something to do, i can just slow down and pay attention, maybe walk outside and notice any signs of spring.

it took quite a while to decide on the words for the cards. i like tarot imagery but i don't really resonate with it, at least not at the moment, and there were too many cards to memorise - it felt overwhelming. i hadn't seen any oracle decks i resonated with and liked enough to spend money on, and i want my practice to be as eco-friendly as possible which means not buying new if i have another option. but i took inspiration from tarot, from oracle decks i've heard other people talk about, and (perhaps most significantly), from t.x. watson's sunset oracle deck, which i highly recommend looking at (and i may well buy at some point). it's 54 cards, so too much for me right now, but watson basically created four suits that reflect their own values and what they wanted from an oracle deck personally, and from hearing them talk about it on tiktok it sounds like they essentially have a secular approach somewhat similar to mine (though i think with more "believe it's magic for the duration of the reading so as not to engage the critical mind and ruin it" than i can normally manage). anyway, i picked a few pairs/trios of words that made sense to me - i wanted all of the "answers" to lead to something positive. birth/death - new beginnings, what can i start or nurture / what needs to end or be let go of in order to move forward? disintegration/unity - can i accept some chaos or messiness, can i take something apart? / how can i unify disparate-seeming elements to align with the same goal? rest/work - there are times for both of those things, and if i get the "work" card when i'm very tired i can ask "ok, how do i make work feel possible today? can i do the necessary admin to make work easier tomorrow?" etc.

i might add more cards in future - if i think of things i want to include, i can just use a couple more of the old playing cards and some more magazine pictures. it's quite fun deciding on the perfect match of image and word, especially when the words are quite abstract.